Two years after U.S. President Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) signed the Enabling Act of 1889 which allowed Washington to become a state, he and First Lady Caroline (Scott) Harrison made an official visit to the region. They arrived in Tacoma by train on May 6, 1891, then later that afternoon traveled by steamer to Seattle, where virtually the entire population of 42,837 came out in the rain to greet them. In preparation for the visit Seattle Mayor and real estate investor Harry White (1859-1950) organized a reception committee made up of prominent local citizens.
The letter pictured here was sent by Mayor White to Mrs. J. F. McNaught, and invites her to join the committee. Agnes (Hyde) McNaught (1855-1918) was the daughter of Seattle pioneer David Niles Hyde (1815-1890), and the wife of Northern Pacific Railroad corporate lawyer James F. "Jim" McNaught (1842-1919).
Caption information source: "Early Day Mansions, No. 5 - James McNaught," The Seattle Sunday Times, October 1, 1944, p. 37. Caption information source: "U.S. President Benjamin Harrison visits Tacoma on May 6, 1891," by Priscilla Long, HistoryLink.org Essay 5067.
Physical Description: 1 folded correspondence ; 5.5 x 8.25 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
