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Thomas Burke (railroad builder)

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and his Home Guard in providing armed defense for the Chinese against vigilantism. In this, he was a defender not so much of the Chinese themselves as of the rule of law. When one of the anti-Chinese rioters died of a gunshot incurred during the violence of February 7, 1886, Burke was among those
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The Northern Pacific eventually gained control of SLS&E by purchasing a majority of its stock. By this time, Seattle had established itself well enough as a city that Northern Pacific chose actually to operate the line (though the city did not get a major passenger terminal until 1905).
160:"Irish as a clay pipe," and well liked by early Seattle's largely Irish working class, as a lawyer Burke was well known for collecting large fees from his wealthy clients and providing free legal services for the poor. Therefore, many were surprised when he opposed the working-class 129:
Burke frequently organized subscription drives to raise money for Seattle projects, to the point that he often described himself as a "professional beggar." His would often be the first name on the petition, pledging the first dollar—or, later, the first thousand dollars.
240:.) In the event, Burke ended up accompanying Gilman on the trip. It became clear that any eastern investment would be dependent upon at least 10% of the investment coming from Seattle-area locals. The investment was found, and Burke became a railway attorney. 216:
bought it out in 1883 during his brief tenure at the head of Northern Pacific. However, Villard's successors operate the line intermittently at best, leaving the city little benefit from its support for the venture.
142:; he soon married McGilvra's daughter Caroline. He established himself as a civic activist: one of his first projects was to raise funds for a planked walkway from roughly the corner of First and Pike (now site of 721: 247:
sheriff to head off to the wilderness with all of his deputies to prevent a representative of a rival railway scheme from serving a writ that would have prevented the construction of a bridge across the
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James J. Hill hired Burke in 1890 as the local counsel for the Great Northern, virtually guaranteeing Seattle's role as that line's western terminus. However, city engineer
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opposed adding yet another railroad to the crowded waterfront. When the Great Northern ran its first train to Seattle June 20, 1893, the end of the line was at
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The building of the SLS&E was a combination of hard-headed business and frontier disregard for law. On at least one occasion, Burke convinced the
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He served as probate judge 1876-1880 and as chief justice of the Washington Territorial Supreme Court in 1888.
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as its western terminus. Many thought that this would condemn Seattle to, at best, a secondary role on
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The Burke Building, downtown Seattle, built 1890, photographed 1900. On the site of today's
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contains a discussion of Burke's role facing down the anti-Chinese rioters in 1885–1886.
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charged with shooting with intent to kill; none were ever actually brought to trial.
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Burke died on December 4, 1925. He is buried at the Burke family monument at
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Seattle's first attempt to build its way into the national rail network—the
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from 1888 to 1889. He was the main representative of railroad magnate
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Burke arrived in Seattle in 1875 and formed a law partnership with
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Seattle 1900-1920: From Boomtown, Urban Turbulence, to Restoration
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History of Washington: The Rise and Progress of an American State
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Railroad Development in the Seattle/Puget Sound Region, 1872-1906
411:, Seattle Department of Transportation. Accessed 26 January 2008. 596:, HistoryLink, September 22, 1999. Accessed online 23 May 2008. 212:, although it did make a decent profit for its investors when 252:. Exploits like this helped to bring him to the attention of 317:, a railway tunnel under downtown Seattle, built 1903–1906. 271:
to establish the 120-foot (37 m) Railroad Avenue (now
360:, HistoryLink, January 30, 1999. Accessed 26 January 2008. 676:, Kessinger Publishing (published 2004), pp. 50–52, 110:. He served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of the 224:
back east to seek investment for another railroad, the
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Meany, Edmond S. (1926), Conover, Charles T. (ed.),
93: 85: 73: 58: 39: 189:Two years before Burke's arrival in Seattle, the 459:, The Political Graveyard. Accessed 21 May 2008. 370: 368: 366: 8: 97:American lawyer, railroad builder, and judge 385: 383: 47: 36: 423:, Burke Museum. Accessed 26 January 2008. 30:For other people named Thomas Burke, see 722:Chapter LVII: The Anti-Chinese Movement 349: 226:Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway 748:American people in rail transportation 705:, Seattle: Superior Publishing Company 606:Daryl C. McClary (November 27, 2002). 576: 492: 480: 468: 374: 768:Washington (state) state court judges 564: 552: 540: 528: 516: 504: 444: 432: 389: 7: 657:, Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 286:Burke was a partner with Bostonian 25: 608:"Great Northern Tunnel — Seattle" 183:Henry M. Jackson Federal Building 164:in 1885–86, allying instead with 773:People from Washington Territory 327:Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park 294:in the city's first horse-drawn 206:Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad 89:Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park 358:Burke, Judge Thomas (1849-1925) 753:American railway entrepreneurs 118:in Seattle. Burke Avenue, The 1: 778:19th-century American lawyers 668:, especially p. 107–130. 32:Thomas Burke (disambiguation) 631:Berner, Richard C. (1991), 457:Index to Politicians: Burke 220:Burke raised money to send 794: 703:Totem Tales of Old Seattle 635:, Seattle: Charles Press, 29: 674:Thomas Burke 1849 to 1925 588:Heather M. MacIntosh and 46: 191:Northern Pacific Railway 126:are named in his honor. 701:Newell, Gordon (1956), 691:Morgan, Murray (1960), 567:, pp. 119–120, 127 267:, Burke convinced the 258:Great Northern Railway 186: 162:anti-Chinese agitation 18:Thomas Burke (Seattle) 315:Great Northern Tunnel 180: 758:Lawyers from Seattle 717:Clinton A. Snowden, 495:, pp. 90, 95–96 402:Burke-Gilman History 290:and Seattle pioneer 269:Seattle City Council 265:Cornelius H. Hanford 112:Washington Territory 435:, pp. 115, 126 108:Seattle, Washington 695:, Ballantine Books 543:, pp. 117–119 531:, pp. 115–117 519:, pp. 110–114 507:, pp. 107–130 407:2006-05-27 at the 356:Junius Rochester, 339:Burke-Gilman Trail 222:Daniel Hunt Gilman 208:—never got out of 193:had chosen nearby 187: 120:Burke-Gilman Trail 763:Pike Place Market 610:. historylink.org 263:Along with Judge 144:Pike Place Market 101: 100: 69:December 22, 1849 16:(Redirected from 785: 706: 696: 686: 667: 645: 619: 618: 616: 615: 603: 597: 586: 580: 579:, pp. 73–74 574: 568: 562: 556: 550: 544: 538: 532: 526: 520: 514: 508: 502: 496: 490: 484: 483:, pp. 86–87 478: 472: 466: 460: 454: 448: 442: 436: 430: 424: 418: 412: 399: 393: 387: 378: 372: 361: 354: 245:Snohomish County 140:John J. McGilvra 80: 77:December 4, 1925 68: 66: 51: 37: 21: 793: 792: 788: 787: 786: 784: 783: 782: 728: 727: 714: 700: 690: 684: 671: 665: 649: 643: 630: 627: 622: 613: 611: 605: 604: 600: 587: 583: 575: 571: 563: 559: 551: 547: 539: 535: 527: 523: 515: 511: 503: 499: 491: 487: 479: 475: 467: 463: 455: 451: 443: 439: 431: 427: 419: 415: 409:Wayback Machine 400: 396: 388: 381: 373: 364: 355: 351: 347: 335: 323: 250:Snohomish River 234:Thomas T. Minor 175: 136: 78: 64: 62: 54: 42: 35: 28: 27:American lawyer 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 791: 789: 781: 780: 775: 770: 765: 760: 755: 750: 745: 740: 730: 729: 726: 725: 713: 712:External links 710: 709: 708: 698: 688: 682: 669: 663: 647: 641: 626: 623: 621: 620: 598: 581: 569: 557: 545: 533: 521: 509: 497: 485: 473: 461: 449: 437: 425: 413: 394: 379: 362: 348: 346: 343: 342: 341: 334: 331: 322: 319: 238:George Kinnear 174: 171: 166:George Kinnear 135: 132: 99: 98: 95: 91: 90: 87: 83: 82: 81:(aged 75) 75: 71: 70: 60: 56: 55: 52: 44: 43: 40: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 790: 779: 776: 774: 771: 769: 766: 764: 761: 759: 756: 754: 751: 749: 746: 744: 741: 739: 736: 735: 733: 723: 720: 716: 715: 711: 704: 699: 694: 689: 685: 683:1-4179-3560-X 679: 675: 670: 666: 664:0-385-01875-4 660: 656: 652: 648: 644: 642:0-9629889-0-1 638: 634: 629: 628: 624: 609: 602: 599: 595: 591: 585: 582: 578: 573: 570: 566: 561: 558: 555:, p. 119 554: 549: 546: 542: 537: 534: 530: 525: 522: 518: 513: 510: 506: 501: 498: 494: 489: 486: 482: 477: 474: 470: 465: 462: 458: 453: 450: 447:, p. 115 446: 441: 438: 434: 429: 426: 422: 417: 414: 410: 406: 403: 398: 395: 391: 386: 384: 380: 376: 371: 369: 367: 363: 359: 353: 350: 344: 340: 337: 336: 332: 330: 328: 320: 318: 316: 312: 308: 304: 303:R. H. Thomson 299: 297: 293: 289: 284: 280: 278: 274: 270: 266: 261: 259: 255: 254:James J. Hill 251: 246: 241: 239: 235: 231: 227: 223: 218: 215: 214:Henry Villard 211: 207: 202: 200: 196: 192: 184: 179: 172: 170: 167: 163: 158: 155: 153: 149: 145: 141: 133: 131: 127: 125: 121: 117: 116:James J. Hill 113: 109: 105: 96: 94:Occupation(s) 92: 88: 84: 76: 72: 61: 57: 50: 45: 38: 33: 19: 718: 702: 692: 673: 654: 632: 612:. Retrieved 601: 590:Walt Crowley 584: 572: 560: 548: 536: 524: 512: 500: 488: 476: 471:, p. 86 464: 452: 440: 428: 416: 397: 392:, p. 51 377:, p. 14 352: 324: 300: 288:Frank Osgood 285: 281: 277:right-of-way 262: 242: 219: 203: 188: 159: 156: 137: 134:Early career 128: 124:Burke Museum 104:Thomas Burke 103: 102: 86:Burial place 79:(1925-12-04) 53:Thomas Burke 41:Thomas Burke 743:1925 deaths 738:1849 births 651:Jones, Nard 577:Newell 1956 493:Morgan 1960 481:Morgan 1960 469:Morgan 1960 375:Berner 1991 292:David Denny 273:Alaskan Way 230:David Denny 210:King County 199:Puget Sound 732:Categories 625:References 614:2008-05-23 565:Jones 1972 553:Jones 1972 541:Jones 1972 529:Jones 1972 517:Jones 1972 505:Jones 1972 445:Jones 1972 433:Jones 1972 390:Meany 1926 307:Smith Cove 296:streetcars 173:Railwayman 152:Lake Union 146:) through 65:1849-12-22 693:Skid Road 653:(1972), 405:Archived 333:See also 311:Interbay 148:Belltown 122:and the 655:Seattle 421:History 256:of the 680:  661:  639:  236:, and 195:Tacoma 345:Notes 321:Death 678:ISBN 659:ISBN 637:ISBN 74:Died 59:Born 309:in 150:to 734:: 592:, 382:^ 365:^ 329:. 279:. 260:. 232:, 154:. 707:. 697:. 687:. 646:. 617:. 185:. 67:) 63:( 34:. 20:)

Index

Thomas Burke (Seattle)
Thomas Burke (disambiguation)
Thomas Burke
Seattle, Washington
Washington Territory
James J. Hill
Burke-Gilman Trail
Burke Museum
John J. McGilvra
Pike Place Market
Belltown
Lake Union
anti-Chinese agitation
George Kinnear

Henry M. Jackson Federal Building
Northern Pacific Railway
Tacoma
Puget Sound
Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad
King County
Henry Villard
Daniel Hunt Gilman
Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
David Denny
Thomas T. Minor
George Kinnear
Snohomish County
Snohomish River
James J. Hill

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