Judge Thomas Mercer (March 11, 1813 – May 25, 1898) was a pioneer associated with the early history of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

Biography

Early life

Mercer was born in

Harrison County, Ohio Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,483, making it the fifth-least populous county in Ohio. Its county seat is Cadiz. The county is named for General William Henry Harri ...

on March 11, 1813, and was the eldest son of Aaron and Jane (Dickerson) Mercer, natives of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, respectively.

Aaron Mercer According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

moved to Ohio in boyhood, being among the pioneers of that country. He learned the process of manufacturing woollen cloths and blankets and then operated his own factory very successfully for a number of years.

Illinois

In 1834 he was among the pioneer settlers at Princeton, Bureau County, Illinois. The eldest of fourteen, Thomas's education was chiefly in the school of necessity. As labor was the chief occupation of the pioneer, and in the noble army of workers Judge Mercer has been arrayed throughout his life, he was a bright, active boy, quick in mathematics and mechanical work. His boyhood was passed in the factory of his father, and with his systematic methods and recognized ability he became foreman at the age of fourteen years and operated the factory up to 1834, when the family removed to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

and engaged in farming. In 1830 young Mercer started a store in a little, old, log cabin in Princeton, and this enterprise he prosecuted for one year, abandoning it then because of the close confinement entailed. He then returned to farming. In 1837 he took part in the division of Putnam County and the organization of Bureau County. Elected

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of the new county, he soon relinquished the job, which paid only 25 cents a day, to someone else.

Marriage

Mercer was married in Princeton in 1838, to Nancy Brigham, a native of

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. He then continued farming up to 1851, when he sold out, settled up his affairs, and in April 1852, with his wife and four children, left his Illinois home, and with horse teams crossed the plains to

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. In the same train were Dexter Horton and William H. Shoudy, both of

. On this trip, Mrs. Mercer fell ill in

The Dalles The Dalles is the largest city of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 census, and it is the largest city on the Oregon side of the Columbia River between the Portland Metropolitan Area, and Hermiston ...

and died in the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

, leaving a bereaved husband and four small children, the eldest being not quite 14.

Further pioneer work

The following winter was passed in Salem, where Mercer purchased one-half interest in a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shop and worked from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Flour was $40 per barrel and all other provisions in proportion. In the summer of 1853 he removed his little ones to

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, traveling by boat to the

Cowlitz River The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens. The Cowlitz has a ...

and then driving to Olympia, the trail being almost impassable. From Olympia he drove to Steilacoom, and there by boat to Seattle, arriving here August 25, 1853. He took up a claim of , adjoining that of D.T. Denny, all of which is now within the city limits. He brought to the primitive town the same team of horses which had transported him safely across the plains, and his was the first wagon brought to the town. His claim being situated back from the water, the young men turned out and assisted in cutting a trail wide enough for his wagon to pass through to his ranch, and for a number of years he did the teaming for the town. In 1854 he built a box house, securing lumber from Yesler's mill. This house was somewhat open to the light of day, but it afforded protection and was soon improved. Part of his claim, being bottom land, was soon cleared, and the second year he raised in hay, oats and vegetables, sufficient to provide for his family and stock. Mercer was a hard worker and was progressive in his ideas, and soon became the leading farmer of the community. For seven years he was mother, father and protector to his family of little ones, all of whom grew to maturity. In 1859, Mercer was married, in Salem, Oregon, to Loretta H. Ward, of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, daughter of Jesse Ward, a pioneer of 1853; and returning to Seattle he continued his agricultural life. With the organization of King County in 1854, Mercer was appointed one of the first commissioners, and in 1858 he was elected

probate judge A probate court (sometimes called a surrogate court) is a court that has competence in a jurisdiction to deal with matters of probate and the administration of estates. In some jurisdictions, such courts may be referred to as Orphans' Courts o ...

and held the position for ten consecutive years. With the increased settlement of the town and demand for residence property, Mercer platted the town of Eden and later that of West Seattle, from the sales of which he has realized a considerable fortune. In 1994 what was left of Thomas's estate was spread among his descendants.

Naming the lakes

Mercer gave English names to two large Seattle lakes previously known by their Native American names. In an address delivered at Seattle's first

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

picnic in 1854 he suggested that the greater be called

Lake Washington Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It borders the cities of Seattle on the west, ...

after

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

in recognition of the occasion, to replace the

Duwamish tribe The Duwamish ( lut, Dxʷdəwʔabš, ) are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American tribe in western Washington, and the indigenous people of metropolitan Seattle, where they have been living since the end of the last glacial period (c. 8000 BCE ...

Lushootseed language Lushootseed (txʷəlšucid, dxʷləšúcid), also Puget Salish, Puget Sound Salish or Skagit-Nisqually, is a language made up of a dialect continuum of several Salish tribes of modern-day Washington state. Lushootseed is one of the Coast Salish ...

name, ''Xacuabš'' ("great-amount-of-water"). The smaller lake, ''XáXu7cHoo'' ("small great-amount-of-water") in Lushootseed, Mercer renamed to

Lake Union Lake Union is a freshwater lake located entirely within the city limits of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is a major part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which carries fresh water from the much larger Lake Washington on the east to ...

. This was the first vague proposal for the union of Lake Washington with

via ship canals, eventually realized decades later in the form of the

Lake Washington Ship Canal The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the city of Seattle, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks accommodate the approximately difference in w ...

. In 1883, he built a large Seattle house overlooking a smaller cottage built in 1854.

Death

Mercer died May 25, 1898. He had four daughters.