Eugene Semple
| Eugene Semple | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 13th Governor of Washington Territory | |
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In office April 9, 1887 – April 9, 1889 |
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| Preceded by | Watson C. Squire |
| Succeeded by | Miles Conway Moore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 12, 1840 Bogotá, Colombia |
| Died | August 28, 1908 (aged 78) San Diego |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth A. Lownsdale |
Eugene Semple (June 12, 1840 – August 28, 1908) was the 13th Governor of Washington Territory and the unsuccessful Democratic candidate to be the first governor of Washington State.
Eugene Semple was born in Bogotá, Colombia, on June 12, 1840, to then minister to the Republic of New Granada, James Semple. The older Semple later served as chief justice to the Illinois Supreme Court and as U.S. Senator. The younger Semple received his education in Illinois before attending law school at St. Louis Law School. In 1864, Semple moved to Portland, Oregon, where he was editor of the Oregon Herald and practiced law. He was the editor from 1869 until 1873, and in 1872 he became state printer for Oregon. In 1870, he married Daniel H. Lownsdale's daughter Ruth. After Semple left the state printer position in 1874, the family moved to Vancouver, Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland. Semple was in the lumber business there before moving to Seattle.
President Grover Cleveland appointed Semple as the Governor of Washington Territory in 1887, where he served for one term until April 1889. After Washington became a state in November of that year, Semple ran as the Democratic candidate to be the first Governor of the State of Washington, however he lost to the Republican Elisha P. Ferry.
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