Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Washington Territory District Court records of the 2nd Judicial District, 1854-1859
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Washington Territory. District Court (2nd Judicial District)
- Title
- Washington Territory District Court records of the 2nd Judicial District
- Dates
- 1854-1859 (inclusive)18541859
- Quantity
- .18 cubic feet (1 box) plus 2 PDF files
- Collection Number
- 6017 (Accession No. 6017-001)
- Summary
- Court Records of the 2nd Judicial District in Olympia, Washington including the court proceedings of the Leschi Murder Trial from 1856-1859 and the Stevens Trial in 1856.
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
No restrictions on access.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
The Washington Territory District Courts were established in 1852, with the city of Olympia designated as the capital. During the 1850s, the 2nd Judicial District included King, Lewis, and Thurston counties. Chief Justices Edward Lander and Obadiah McFadden served in Thurston County throughout the 1850s. Washington Territory was granted statehood in 1889.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Court Records of the 2nd Judicial District in Olympia, Washington Territory (Thurston County) documented in a leather-bound ledger. The records begin on January 30th, 1854 and end September 1st, 1859. They are signed by Chief Justice Edward Lander until 1857 and Chief Justice Obadiah McFadden from 1858 onward.
Among other trials, the ledger documents the court proceedings of the Leschi Murder Trial from 1856-1859 and the Stevens Trial in 1856.
Also included in this accession are transcriptions of the court proceedings in PDF format.
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
Leschi, a Puget Sound Indian, surrendered himself to Washington Territory authorities on November 13th, 1856 for the alleged murder of A. Benton Moses, a white settler. To many, Moses was simply considered a casualty of the ongoing Indian wars in the area. The authorities thought differently. Leschi was indicted and tried for murder shortly after his surrender. In the first trial (held in Pierce County), the jury was unable to reach a verdict. The second and third trials were held in Thurston County, and the proceedings were recorded in the court records ledger. Leschi was found guilty at the second trial but appealed. He was again found guilty in the third trial and sentenced to hanging. He was hanged on February 19th, 1858.
The Stevens trial documents the arrests of Charles Wren, John M'Leod, L.A. Smith, Henry Smith and John M'Field by order of Gov. Issac Stevens for allegedly "giving aid and comfort to the enemy", which at that time meant the local Indians. Lawyers Frank Clark and W.H. Wallace prepared a petition for their release. Realizing that he may need to release the prisoners, Gov. Stevens declared martial law on April 3rd, 1856. A court hearing on May 12th, 1856 allowed the lawyers for the defense to present the petition and challenge Gov. Stevens to show cause as to why the defendants had been "held in imprisonment without Law or Right."
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 1 | Court Records of the 2nd Judicial District in Olympia, Washington Territory (Thurston County) ledger | 1854-1859 |
| Electronic File | Leschi Murder Trial Transcript | |
| Electronic File | Stevens Trial Transcript |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Martial law--Washington Territory
- Pacific Coast Indians, Wars with, 1847-1865--Sources
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
Personal Names
- Leschi, Nisqually chief, -1858--Trials, litigation, etc
- Moses, Abram Benton--Trials, litigation, etc
- Stevens, Isaac Ingalls, 1818-1862
Corporate Names
- Washington Territory. District Court (2nd Judicial District)--Archives
Geographical Names
- Washington Territory--Sources
