William McLane (Washington politician)
William McLane | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 3, 1819 |
| Died | March 12, 1906 (aged 86) |
| Burial place | McLane Cemetery, Olympia, Washington |
| Occupation(s) | Pioneer and politician |
| Spouse | Martha McLeod McLane |
William McLane (1819–1906) was an Olympia, Washington pioneer and member of the Washington Territorial Legislature. McLane was born on November 3, 1819[1] in Butler County, Pennsylvania.[2] He and Martha McLeod McLane pioneered a 307-or-320-acre (124 or 129 ha) homestead on Mud Bay.
Local place names such as McLane Creek are named for him, as is McLane Elementary School in the Olympia School District, on a hill above and east of Mud Bay; and the McLane Grange in Delphi Valley, to whom he donated land.[3][4]
Biography
McLane originally left Pennsylvania in 1852 and made his way to Washington Territory by ox-drawn wagon. He returned east to marry in 1854 then returned to Washington by sea via the Isthmus of Panama. Once there, he homesteaded at Bush Prairie (founded by pioneer George Bush, now in Tumwater), and later moved to the Mud Bay homestead.[5]: 617
McLane died in Thurston County on March 12, 1906,[6] after living in his home for over 50 years.[2][4]
Legislative terms
McLane represented several counties in the Washington Territory:[7]
- 9th session (1861) House — Thurston County
- 10th session (1862) House — Thurston County
- 11th session (1863) House — Thurston County
- 13th session (1865) House — Mason and Chehalis County
- 1st biennial session (1867) Council — Thurston and Lewis County
- 2nd biennial session (1869) Council — Thurston and Lewis County
- 4th biennial session (1873) Council — Thurston and Lewis County
References
- ^ Dodd, Bret (September 17, 2024). "People in Public Service: William McLane, Early Pioneer and Philanthropist of Olympia". ThurstonTalk. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ a b Austin, Grace (2014), Guide to "William McLane: Early Thurston County Pioneer", Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Cage 5067
- ^ McLane Grange history, Olympia, Washington: McLane Grange, retrieved August 4, 2025
- ^ a b McLane School (PDF) (Historical marker inscription), Thurston County, Washington, retrieved August 4, 2025
- ^ Hunt & Kaylor 1917.
- ^ "Cemetery Record". Olympia Genealogical Society. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ Levesque, Ellen (October 1989), Territorial Assembly 1854-1887 (PDF), Washington State Library, Washington State Legislature, retrieved August 4, 2025
- Books
- Hunt, H.; Kaylor, F.C. (1917). Washington, West of the Cascades: Historical and Descriptive; the Explorers, the Indians, the Pioneers, the Modern. Washington, West of the Cascades. Vol. 3. S. J. Clarke publishing Company.
Further reading
- William McLane Collection, 1819-1906 indexed at Orbis Cascade Alliance, held at The Evergreen State College Library