An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893

COLONEL HENRY LANDES, President of the First National Bank of Port Townsend, and
one of the foremost self-made men of the Northwest, was born at a small town in
Germany, October 8, 1843, but his earliest recollections are of Kentucky, to
which State he emigrated with his parents when but four years of age. In
Kentucky our subject grew to manhood, and while pursuing his education be also
developed the spirit of adventurous ambition, which led him, on the 1st of
October, 1801, to break away from the restraints of school; and, being opposed
to the principles of slavery and secession, he enlisted in Company B, Twentieth
Kentucky Federal Infantry. In that regiment he served his country faithfully and
well for over three years, and participating in all the principal battles from
Shiloh to the capture of Atlanta, after which, at the close of his enlistment,
he was honorably mustered out of service. In 1870 he pushed west until he
reached the Pacific coast at San Francisco. He then proceeded to Victoria and
thence to the Ominica gold mines of British Columbia, where he followed placer
mining for about eighteen months, then returned to Victoria, financially
"broke." There he met Boscovitz Brothers, who knew his family in Germany; and as
Mr. Landes was a man of fine physique, he was sent by Boscovitz Brothers to Neah
Bay to take charge of their trading post; in which after three years of
laborious but successful work Mr. Landes received an interest, and continued the
business profitably up to 1870, when he removed to Port Townsend and there
engaged in business, in which he continued two years, then sold his interest and
engaged in private banking and the loaning of money. In 1883 he organized the
First National Bank and became its president, in which office he has since
continued. He has also taken an active part in the enterprises of city
development, and owns property all over the Sound country. With the organization
of the Board of Trade he was elected president and served four years. In
polities he is a Republican. He has served four years as member of the City
Council, during which time he was many times acting Mayor. He served three years
as City Treasurer, and three years as member of the Public School Board, and
during the latter service he was actively instrumental in reorganizing and
grading the city schools. In June, 1884, Colonel Landes was appointed by
Governor William A. Newell to the important position of member of the Board of
Commissioners to locate the new Territorial penitentiary. In March, 1885, he was
appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury a member of the Board of
Commissioners to locate Port Townsend's present Government buildings. In
September, 1885, he was commissioned by Governor Watson C. Squire, a member of
the Governor's military staff, as Assistant Adjutant-General, with the rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel. In February, 1880, he was appointed by Governor Squire a
commission to select a suitable site for the deaf and dumb asylum. He was one of
the incorporators, and was elected Treasurer of the Port Townsend & Southern
Railway Company, which was organized in 1887 to build from the Strait of Fuca to
Portland. On the 29th of April, 1889, he was commissioned by Governor Miles C.
Moore as Quartermaster-General, with the rank of Colonel of the National Guard
of Washington. On October 1, 1889, he was elected, from the district composed of
Jefferson, Clallam and San Juan counties, to the first State Senate. While there
he served as Chairman of the Military Committee, Tide Land and other committees,
and took an active interest in shaping the laws of the new State. May 12, 1890,
he was commissioned by Governor Elisha P. Ferry as Paymaster-General, with the
rank of Colonel, National Guard of Washington. March 7, 1892, he was appointed
by Governor Ferry as a member of the Board of' Health of Puget Sound and was
elected president of that body. April 6, 1893, he was commissioned by Governor
John H. McGraw as Paymaster-General, with rank of Colonel, National Guard of
Washington.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.