Thomas Burke 1849 to 1925

1926. A memorial to Judge Thomas Burke, chief justice of the Washington State Supreme Court. He began practicing law in Seattle, and within a couple of years was elected probate judge. He was a civic activist, becoming involved in education, railroading, and the cultural growth of the city. He opposed the Northern Pacific Railroad, became a partner in the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad, and in the end served as attorney for James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway to Seattle. He was an eloquent speaker and a voice for racial tolerance during the anti-Chinese riots of February 1886.