Cornelius Holgate Hanford (April 21, 1849 – March 2, 1926) was a

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of the

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and the

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, and was the only Judge to serve in the District of Washington and the first to serve in the Western District of Washington. Hanford resigned in the face of an impeachment investigation by the

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. He was the younger brother of the newspaper editor

Thaddeus Hanford Thaddeus Hanford, Jr. (1847–1892) was an American newspaper editor. Hanford was the eldest son of Seattle pioneers Edward and Abby Hanford and the older brother of Cornelius H. Hanford. He work as an editor of the ''Daily Intelligencer'' and bo ...

Education and career

Born on April 21, 1849, in

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, Hanford

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in 1875. He entered private practice in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

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(State of

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

from November 11, 1889) from 1875 to 1889. He was a United States Commissioner for the United States District Court for the District of Washington Territory from 1875 to 1876. He was a member of the Territorial Council for the Washington Territory from 1877 to 1878. He was an

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for the District of Washington Territory from 1881 to 1886. He was city attorney for Seattle from 1882 to 1885. He was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Washington Territory in 1889.

Federal judicial service

Hanford was nominated by President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...

on February 10, 1890, to the

, to a new seat authorized by 25 Stat. 676. He was confirmed by the

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on February 25, 1890, and received his commission the same day. Hanford was reassigned by

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to the

on March 2, 1905, to a new seat authorized by 33 Stat. 824. His service terminated on August 5, 1912, due to his resignation.

Impeachment investigation and resignation

In 1912, Hanford became the subject of public controversy, and an

impeachment inquiry An impeachment investigation (also known as an "impeachment inquiry") is an investigation or inquiry which takes place in relation to an impeachment or potential impeachment. In some governments, such as Ireland, Singapore, and Turkey, impeachment ...

by the

, after a ruling in which he revoked the citizenship of an immigrant as having been procured by fraud, allegedly due to the person's

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beliefs. A House committee investigating the impeachment resolution heard testimony accusing Hanford of habitual drunkenness, and of having accepted financial favors from the

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after making a ruling that reduced the company's tax liability. Hanford resigned his judgeship immediately after the testimony about the Northern Pacific transaction was completed, amid insinuations in the press that further witnesses were about to reveal even more corrupt behavior. The House committee terminated its impeachment proceedings upon his resignation.

Later career and death

Following his resignation from the federal bench, Hanford resumed private practice in Seattle from 1912 to 1926. He died on March 2, 1926, in Honolulu, Hawaii while visiting his son, Major E.C. Hanford.

Family

Hanford was the younger brother of newspaper editor

Honor

The former agricultural community of

Hanford Hanford may refer to: Places *Hanford (constituency), a constituency in Tuen Mun, People's Republic of China *Hanford, Dorset, a village and parish in England *Hanford, Staffordshire, England *Hanford, California, United States *Hanford, Iowa, ...

, Washington was named for Hanford.

References

External links

* *
HistoryLink Essay: Seattle celebrates its 54th birthday and dedicates the Alki Point monument on November 13, 1905.
* Deloria Jr., V. (1977). Indians of the Pacific Northwest, New York: Doubleday. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hanford, Cornelius H. 1849 births 1926 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers Assistant United States attorneys Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Washington Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington Lawyers from Seattle People from Van Buren County, Iowa People from Walla Walla, Washington United States federal judges appointed by Benjamin Harrison