Judge J. T. Ronald served the Seattle community for well over sixty years. He and his wife, Rhoda, moved to Seattle in 1882 with Ronald beginning his long law career the next year when appointed King County Deputy District Attorney. Ronald served as U.S. District Attorney of King, Kitsap, and Snohomish counties, was Seattle mayor in 1892, and had a successful law practice. In 1909 he accepted an appointment to the King County Superior Court, where he served for 40 years until he was 93 years old. Judge Ronald was known for his ethics and standing up to corruption.

This letter to Rev. Robert E. Dunlap (1850-1938), dated October 3, 1896, thanks Dunlap for his letter supporting Ronald as mayor, and references Ronald's difficulties in his administration and a particular attack on his character by a Reverend Nutting, seemingly related to the temperance movement. Dunlap was a pastor of the First Christian Church and a founder of the University Christian Church, who was a candidate for governor of Idaho for the Prohibition Party.

Caption information source: "Judge J. T. Ronald & His Legacy" by Anna Callahan, 4Culture, November 5, 2013, https://www.4culture.org/judge-j-t-ronald-his-legacy
Caption information source: "Mrs. Robert E. Dunlap," The Seattle Daily Times, May 16, 1940, p. 12; and "Rev. R. E. Dunlap, Pioneer, Succumbs," The Seattle Daily Times, June 2, 1938, p. 29.