Joseph Toole

{{for|the member of parliament|Joseph Toole (British politician)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Joseph Kemp Toole

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Joseph Kemp Toole.jpg

| order = 1st & 4th

| office = Governor of Montana

| term_start = November 8, 1889

| term_end = January 1, 1893

| preceded = Benjamin F. White as governor

Montana Territory

| succeeded = John Rickards

| lieutenant = John Rickards

| state_senate2 =

| district2 =

| term_start2 = January 7, 1901

| term_end2 = April 1, 1908

| lieutenant2 = Frank G. Higgins
Edwin L. Norris

| preceded2 = Robert Smith

| succeeded2 = Edwin Norris{{ cite web | url=http://www.netstate.com/states/government/mt_formergov.htm | title=Former State Governors | publisher=www.netstate.com | access-date=October 8, 2013}}

| order3 = Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana Territory's at-large district

| term_start3 = March 4, 1885

| term_end3 = March 3, 1889

| predecessor3 = Martin Maginnis

| successor3 = Thomas H. Carter

| birth_date = May 12, 1851

| birth_place = Savannah, Missouri, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1929|03|11|1851|05|12}}

| death_place = Helena, Montana, U.S.

| nationality = American

| spouse =

| party = Democratic

| relations =

| children =

| alma_mater = Western Military Institute, New Castle, Kentucky

| occupation = Lawyer{{cite book |last=Stout |first=Tom |title=Montana, Its Story and Biography – Vol I |publisher=American Historical Society|location=Chicago |year=1921 |page=444}}

| signature = Signature of Joseph Kemp Toole.png

}}

Joseph Kemp Toole (May 12, 1851 – March 11, 1929) was a Democratic politician from Montana.{{cite web|title=125 Montana Newsmakers: Joseph K. Toole|url=http://www.greatfallstribune.com/multimedia/125newsmakers2/toole.html|work=Great Falls Tribune|author=Tribune Staff|access-date=August 26, 2011|archive-date=June 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629165553/http://www.greatfallstribune.com/multimedia/125newsmakers2/toole.html|url-status=dead}} He served as the first and fourth Governor of Montana.

Biography

Toole was born in Savannah, Missouri and attended public school in St. Joseph, Missouri. In 1868, he graduated from the Western Military Institute in New Castle, Kentucky with honors.{{cite web|url= http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_montana/col2-content/main-content-list/title_toole_joseph.html|title= Montana Governor Joseph Kemp Toole|publisher= National Governors Association |access-date= October 10, 2012}} He moved to Helena, Montana in 1870; studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1871 and commenced practice in Helena. Toole was district attorney of the third judicial district of Montana (1872–1876), and a member of the Montana Territorial House of Representatives (1879–1881), and member and president of the Montana Territorial Council (1881–1883). He married Lily Rosecrans, daughter of General William Rosecrans, in 1890 and they had three children.{{cite news |title=MISS ROSECRANS MARRIED. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1890/05/08/archives/miss-rosecrans-married.html |access-date=11 September 2022 |work=New York Times |date=8 May 1890}}

Career

Toole was a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention at Helena in 1884 and 1889, and elected as a Democrat to the Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Congresses (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889);{{cite web|title=Joseph Toole|url=http://www.montanahistory.net/governors/toole.htm|publisher=The Encyclopedia of Montana|access-date=October 9, 2012}} he did not seek renomination in 1888.

Toole was the first Governor of Montana{{cite web|url= http://mhs.mt.gov/education/studentguide/HistoryOfMontana.asp|title= A Brief History of Montana|publisher= The Official Website for the State of Montana|access-date= October 10, 2012}} (the only Democrat on the ticket that year to be elected), serving from November 8, 1889, until January 1, 1893. He resumed practice of law in Helena. Toole was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1892 and 1904.

He served as the fourth Governor of Montana from January 7, 1901, until April 1, 1908, when he resigned because of ill health. During his tenure, county treasurers were authorized to collect taxes on personal property, and there was legislation to ensure mine safety and mineworker protection.{{cite web|title=Joseph Toole|url=http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_montana/col2-content/main-content-list/title_toole_joseph.html|publisher=National Governors Association|access-date=October 9, 2012}}

Death

During retirement, Toole divided his time between his home in Helena and San Francisco, California, until his death on March 11, 1929, at the age of 77. He is interred at Resurrection Cemetery in Helena, Montana.

References

External links

{{commons category-inline}}
{{Internet Archive author |sname=Joseph Toole}}
[http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_montana/col2-content/main-content-list/title_toole_joseph.html National Governors Association]
[http://www.montanahistory.net/governors/toole.htm The Encyclopedia of Montana]