Emory C. Ferguson
| Emory Canda Ferguson | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Emory C. Ferguson
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| Born |
March 5, 1833 Westchester County, New York, United States |
| Died | October 7, 1911 (aged 78) |
| Resting place | Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery, Snohomish, Washington, United States. |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Snohomish County pioneer, co-founder of Snohomish, Washington. |
| Spouse(s) | Lucetta Morgan |
| Children | Sylvia Ferguson, Ethel Ferguson, Ivie Feruson, and Emory Ceci Ferguson |
| Parent(s) | Samuel and Maria Ferguson |
Emory Canda Ferguson (March 5, 1833 – October 7, 1911) was an early pioneer of Washington State who helped create Snohomish County from Island County in 1861. Along with Edson F. Cady, he was a founder of Snohomish, which would become the county seat from 1862 until 1896. Over his life, Ferguson served as county commissioner, postmaster, a Washington state legislator, Speaker of the State House of Representatives, Snohomish City Council President, justice of the peace, and mayor of Snohomish, as well as realtor, saloon keeper, and store owner. He was involved in many early plans to make Snohomish prominent, including a ferry for military use across the Snohomish River and a trail through the Cascade Mountains to reach a gold rush, few of which were successful. Upon his death, Ferguson was eulogized as the "Father of Snohomish."
Ferguson was born in Westchester County, New York on March 5, 1833. He was the fourth child of Samuel and Maria Ferguson. His father was a farmer and former paper maker of Scottish descent. The Ferguson family were among the first families to settle the region between the Connecticut border and the Hudson River. At age 16, Emory served an apprenticeship with a carpenter. In five years he completed his apprenticeship and began work as a journeyman. However, just one month after his 21st birthday, he left for California to join the California Gold Rush.
Ferguson elected to travel to San Francisco via the Isthmus of Panama, a quick but harrowing route. He arrived on May 4, 1854, and initially searched for gold along with the majority of participants in the gold rush. However, by 1856 Ferguson was operating a general store located near the original Sutter strike. He soon left the business behind to run a sawmill located in Greenwood Valley, El Dorado County. He would soon leave this endeavor as well, leaving in 1858 for the Fraser River during the Fraser River gold rush. He took a steamer north to Puget Sound, followed by a stop in Whatcom to prepare for the final portion of his journey to British Columbia, departing Whatcom on July 12, 1858. This trip was ultimately fruitless, and Ferguson headed south to Seattle and then Steilacoom in search of employment.
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