Luke McREDMOND was born about 1818 in Knockhill, County Kings, Ireland. He emigrated to America when yet a young man and in 1849, at the time of the discovery of gold in California, was living in Memphis, Tennessee, working at the government Navy yard near that city. In 18_ _ (looks like 1850) , he journeyed around the Horn to California where he settled. One year later he again set sail, this time for Puget Sound. He settled at Port Madison, Kitsap County. source: Luke's obituary (Photo at left is from the family collection.

 

Luke McRedmond in Kitsap County

After digging for Gold in the California Gold Rush, Luke McREDMOND came to the Puget Sound in 1851. He was the Captain of ships from the Puget Sound to California. At the time Kitsap County was one of the fastest growing and most profitable in the nation. 

In 1857 Luke McRedmond ran for legislative representative for Slaughter County, Washington Territory (now Kitsap County). He held the offices of sheriff, auditor, and county commissioner of Kitsap county. He was a broad and public spirited man and in his earlier life was closely identified with the more prominent movements of the political affairs of his community and state, adhering all his life to the principles of the Democratic party. He was a member of the convention which nominated Gen. Isaac Stevens, to be the first delegate to represent the territory of Washington in the Congress of the United States.

There are numerous land records for Luke McRedmond in Kitsap County. Some records were land purchased from private parties; thus not listed as "patents." Some of the records from acquiring land from the government are included below. 

 

 REDMOND, LUKE M WA 5/15/1869 1019 WAOAA 079675

REDMOND, LUKE M WA 10/10/1866 842 WAOAA 079672

 

Luke McRedmond married Catharine "Kate" BARRY MORSE

When Luke's good friend, Captain Richard MORSE was on his deathbed he told his soon to be widow to find his friend, Luke McREDMOND. Catharine "Kate" (BARRY) MORSE married Luke McREDMOND in 1860. Her son, James MORSE became known as Jim McREDMOND. Luke and Kate's first three sons were William, John and Richard. William was either born in California or Washington, as we believe the McREDMONDs had homes in both states. John and Richard were born in Washington Territory.

 

Luke McRedmond & Family in King County: 

Those abandoning King County properties for jobs at the Madison mill were Timothy Hinckley, Luke McRedmond, Edward Hanford, Joe and Arnold Lake, George King, Charles E. Brownell, Tim Grow and E. A. Clark. (This is after the Indian wars of 1856). source:  "Port Madison: 1854-1889" page 5 by Fredi Perry, Perry Publishing We would like to verify if Luke was a resident of King County before he moved to Seattle in 1869 and where the property he "abandoned" was located.

In 1869, the family moved to Seattle and  lived in a large home on First and Madison overlooking Elliot Bay. When their daughter Emma Francis McREDMOND was born on February 1869,  her masculine middle name was in honor of  Father Francis Xavier Prefontaine who established Seattle's first Catholic church, Our Lady of Good Help. Seattle had roughly six hundred inhabitants, though Father Prefontaine found only ten people who professed to be Catholic.  http://www.acc-seattle.com/cchistry.html The McREDMONDs, Chief Seattle and some of the Mercer Girls were among the few Catholics in Seattle at the time.

Luke McRedmond was the chosen candidate of his party for the office of sheriff of King County in 1874 and was defeated by only a small number of votes. He was at one time a frequent contributor to the several papers in the county, and showed by his writings a broad and well-informed mind and a firm grasp of every subject on which he wrote. (we are trying to find newspaper articles Luke wrote.)

For many years he had been a prominent citizen of King County, widely and favorably known as a man of sterling qualities, firm principles and broad ideas. source: Luke's obituary

Luke McRedmond staked land claim on 9 Sep 1870 in area to later be named for him - Redmond, Washington

In 1870, the first official census of Seattle listed 1,107 people. On September 9, 1870, Luke McREDMOND obtained patent for 32.4 acres of land in area later to be named for him - Redmond, King County, WA. 

 MCREDMOND, LUKE WA 09/09/1870 2273 WAOAA 071825

Luke McREDMOND had built a rough log cabin for the homestead on an earlier scouting mission to the area. source: Our Town REDMOND: p. 4 - Additional notes indicate that Luke took his step-son, Jim, and son William on the trip to built the cabin while Kate who was pregnant remained in Seattle with the younger children.

After David Barry McREDMOND was born in Seattle in 1871, the family packed up their belongings to move to what is now Redmond. Luke's daughter Annie recalled "I remember so well my mother telling about the trip to their new home. Father loaded the family, all the household belongings and the cow into a scow. They went up the Duwamish River, into Black River, then across Lake Washington and up the Sammamish River. Father was always a friendly man with the Indians, and when one of them died, they came in great groups and sat in our yard and mourned. When I was a child, the Indians came to our place all the time. They would sit around and watch us until my mother gave them something to eat. I was never afraid of them." source: Early days of Redmond: Told by the daughter of it's Founder, Seattle Times, June 5, 1949 

Luke McREDMOND had built a rough log cabin for the homestead on an earlier scouting mission to the area. ....It was not too long before they met their only neighbors - a group of Indians living on Lake Sammamish. The area was then known as Squak, an Indian name of uncertain meaning. Native Americans had lived here for thousands of years. Squak Slough was later renamed the Sammamish River. Redmond was for some time known as Salmonberg, because of the abundance of dog salmon in the Sammamish River. source: Our Town REDMOND: p. 4

He later took up a farm on the site of what is now the town of Redmond, on the line of the Seattle & International Railroad which he founded. He was also well known as one of the discoverers of the black diamond coal mines.

Many additional notes about Luke & his family are on the TIMELINE page.

Luke McRedmond's obituary (additional notes not included above)

OBITUARY  - The Seattle Post Intelligencer - May 12, 1898 

Luke McREDMOND is DEAD
One of the best known of Puget Sound Pioneers

Prominent for years in Public Affairs and Politics - to California in 1850 - Thence to Puget Sound - ____ Home at the Town of Redmond

Luke McRedmond, who was one of the best-known of the early pioneers of the Sound Country, died yesterday at Providence Hospital after a short illness from a complication of diseases. 

 His death will be a loss not only to the friends who knew and loved him, but in the whole community in which he lived and moved. He is the third of the early pioneers who have passed away in the past few days. 

Mr. McREDMOND is survived by two daughters and a son. His wife died two years ago.

Many who had never met Mr. McREDMOND had heard of him by being attracted to the cozy farm along the tracks of the Seattle & International Road, just on the outskirts of Redmond. It was not an elaborate and pretentious place, but it's quiet home likeness, it's air of restful comfort and rustic beauty set in the shade of a typical old time country orchard, held for the eyes of a passerby a charm that never failed to entrance. Old neighbors pointed to it with pride, and the hurrying tourist never failed to ask the owner's name, and write the scene down in their memory as a bright spot in their travels.