Senator
George Turner was born in Edina, Missouri in
1850 and studied law in Mobile, Alabama. In 1876
President Arthur appointed Turner to a 4-year
term as United States Marshal in Montgomery
where he met and married
Bertha Dreher in
1878. His federal appointment to the territorial
court of Washington brought Judge Turner to the
Inland Empire in 1884. After three years Mr.
Turner resigned his judgeship to practice law.
As an attorney, he was an authority on corporate
and mining law and was involved in the
development of the LeRoi Mine at Rossland, B.C.
The Judge was acknowledged for his leadership in
the convention of 1889 that framed the
constitution for the State of Washington.
Turner was elected to the
United States Senate in 1897 and served until
1903. During his term, the Senator served with
distinction on the International Boundary
Commission. In 1910 Turner was appointed to sit
at The Hague as one of the United States
Counsels for the northeastern fisheries
arbitration between the United States and Great
Britain. Prominent in national affairs, he
worked with six Presidents and numerous
ambassadors.
Judge Turner passed away in
his home in January, 1932, at the age of 81
years. His estate was bequeathed to his wife
Bertha. The late
Judge’s library of 600 books was presented to
Lewis & Clark High School. To escape taxes,
Spokane’s Columbia Theater, owned by the Turners
and once known as the Avalon, was torn down.
Judge Turner was the former owner of the
Seattle Post Intelligencer. He was a
Washington State Historical Society board member
in 1905 and a member of the Building Committee
to construct the Ferry Museum.
