John Harte McGraw was the second governor of Washington State and served one term, from 1893 to 1897. A bronze statue was created in his honor after his passing in Paris, France by sculptor
Richard E. Brooks and placed here in Times Square in 1912. This statue is made of bronze and sits on a granite base. There are inscriptions on all four sides of the granite base described by the
Art Inventory Catalog that say:
R.E. BROOKS/PARIS 1912 (On east face of base:) JOHN.HARTE.McGRAW/THIS COMMEMORATES THE SERVICES/OF AN ENERGETIC AND WISE LEADER/IN MANY ENTERPRISES UNDERTAKEN/FOR THE GENERAL WELFARE/ESPECIALLY THE PROJECT FOR/CONNECTING LAKE WASHINGTON WITH/TIDE WATER BY A SHIP CANAL (On north face of base:)GOVERNOR OF THE/STATE OF WASHINGTON/1893-1897 (On south face of base:) PRESIDENT OF THE SEATTLE/CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/1905-1909 (On plaque on front of base:) Winter lighting provided by/Clise Properties/Griffen Building/SeaFirst Bank/Seattle City Light/Seattle Parks Department/Vance Corporation/Washington Mutual Bank/Westlake Center Business Tower/The Westin Hotel, Seattle. (On lower plaque on base front:) This Park/Maintained/As a service/By Employees of/The Westin Hotel signed
The AIC also has the following description:
Sculpture approx. 6 x 4 x 4 ft.; Base: approx. 7 x 6.5 x 6.5 ft. Full-length bronze figure of John Harte McGraw. He wears a suit and has a cloak draped over his proper left arm. His proper right hand rests on the top of a pedestal. The sculpture stands atop a tiered granite pedestal.
In my own personal observation, John McGraw has a determined look on his face, as if he knows he still has much more to accomplish in his life.
There are many websites that highlight John McGraw's life and accomplishments here, here, and here. Below are a few of these accomplishments he made to the City of Seattle and to the State of Washington:
*** Instrumental in the creation of the Lake Washington Ship Canal which, through a series of manmade cuts, connects Lake Washington with Puget Sound through several preexisting bodies of water, including Union Bay, Portage Bay, Lake Union, Salmon Bay and Shilshole Bay.
*** As King County sheriff, McGraw was a major figure in keeping the peace during disturbances against Chinese laborers in the late 1880s. In February 1886, he repelled vigilantes who were trying to round up Chinese Americans in Seattle and send them back to China. McGraw deputized 400 Seattle citizens to protect the Chinese. He also protected property during the Seattle fire in 1889.
*** President of Seattle First National Bank
*** President of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce
*** Led the effort to purchase a tract of land for $28,313.75 that became catalyst for the future campus of University of Washington