"Early History of Thurston County, Washington; Together with Biographies and Reminiscences of those Identified with Pioneer Days." Compiled and Edited by Mrs. George E. (Georgiana) Blankenship. Published in Olympia, Washington, 1914. p. 233. ALBERT A. PHILLIPS In presenting a brief sketch of the late Albert A. Phillips, it becomes a duty, as well as a pleasure, to give prominence to the well known reputation he enjoyed for absolute business integrity. After having been President for twenty years of the First National Bank, and upon the failure of that institution being appointed receiver, with the universal consent of the stockholders, is in itself an eloquent testimonial of the confidence in and regard for Mr. Phillips by his business associates. Albert A. Phillips was born in a small town in Ohio, in 1839, and graduated from the high school of Sanduskv. when eighteen years of age. He then taught school for a few years. but at the age of 21 bade farewell to his boyhood friends and home and started West over the old Oregon Trail. An elder brother, E. C. Phillips, had preceded him. and was located on Whidby Island, where he was conducting a general merchandise store. The young man clerked in this store for a year and then, hearing of rich strikes in the Idaho gold fields, decided to try his fortuns there. Here he was unusually successful, and soon made a considerable stake from dealing in mining properties. Investing bis modest fortune in Boise City, Idaho, he was, within a few months, completely stranded by a fire which destroyed the buildings in which he had invested. He then returned to Whidby Island, but came later to Olympia, where he was enrolling clerk with the first session of the territorial legislature. Liking the capital of the new Territory, Mr. Phillips decided to locate here, his first employment, after the session being that of clerk in Capt. Percival's store. Within a few years he was elected Auditor and Recorder of Thurston County, and enjoyed the distinction of being re-elected for seven consecutive two-year terms. The first State bank in the Territory was founded by the late George A. Barnes, and when Mr. Phillips was finally succeeded as a county officer, in company with Judge Hoyt. this bank was purchased. The venture was so successful that the partners, Phillips & Hoyt, started the First National Bank and Phillips was elected President, continuing in this position until, owing to tlie deflation of real estate values, the bank was forced to close its doors. Mr. Phillips was then appointed receiver, and how judiciously and wisely he closed up the affairs of the institution, and how satisfied were the investors and depositors, is a matter of financial history. Mr. Phillips was elected Mayor of the City of Olympia on the Republican ticket, was at one time a trustee of the Asylum for the Insane at Steilaeoom, and was appointed a regent of the State University by Governor Ferry. After closing up the affairs of the First National, he was elected County Treasurer for two terms and was then appointed Assistant State Bank Examiner by Governor Meade, which position he was filling at the time of his death, on August 15, 1910. Albert E. Phillips was married to Miss Ellen Gillispie in 1869, and brought his bride from Whidby Island to Olympia to make their home. Three children were the result of this union, Gertrude, afterwards Mrs. Kankin; Elizabeth, now Mrs. O. M. Mitchell of Mt. Claire, New Jersey, and Charles K. Gertrude died several years ago. Charles lives in Seattle, but claims Olympia as his home, coming here to vote at election time. Mrs. Phillips, a native of Wisconsin, came to Whidby Island with her parents, in 1857. The journey to the West was via Panama, and was soon after the little railroad was built across the Isthmus. Whidby Island at that time was considered to be the garden spot of Washington. A very superior class of people had settled there, who were enjoying unusual prosperity for so new a section, consequently Mrs. Phillips' recollections of the islands are very pleasant, and the reminiscences contributed by that lady are exceedingly interesting. All travel, of course, was by water, and Indians were generally hired to convey the settlers to the various points, in their canoes. For a moderate charge, the natives would take a party even as far as Seattle. Among Mrs. Phillips' most pleasant memories is a trip to that city, taken in company with her brother-in-law and sister. The big bucks did the paddling. A camp was made at night on the beach and the trip was comfortable and full of delight to the young people. Another trip taken at an earlier day, which Mrs Phillips tells about, was not so pleasant. When'she was a young girl about fourteen years of age, in company with her seventeen-year-old sister, Elizabeth, they started for a day's visit with friends in Coupeville. An Indian was hired to take them there in his canoe, the fare being 50 cents for the round trip. When they were opposite a lonely place on the beach the Indian paddled up to the shore. With his paddle in his hand springing out of the canoe, he pushed the girls away from the shore, and, pulling a knife, which to the frightened girls looked to be two feet long, began to hack his paddle to pieces, jabbering and g-rimaeing all the while in a perfectly demoniacal manner. The girls were paralyzed with terror and at a loss what to do, drifting there alone in a canoe without a paddle or means of landing. At this time another Indian paddled up to them and asked them the cause of their trouble. Upon their telling him, he directed them to look under the mat in the bottom of their canoe and find another paddle and reach the shore, which they did. The friendly Indian then went up to the one who had caused the trouble, and sternly reprimanded him, and commanded him to get back in the canoe and take the girls on to Coupeville. Indian No. 1 quieted down, resumed the journey and made no further disturbance then nor on the return trip. At one time E. C. Phillips owned a farm on Whidby Island and had a couple of men and an Indian clearing some land. One of the men hung his coat upon a stump, while he worked In the pocket of the coat was $300 in $20 gold pieces. When the day's work was over, the owner of the coat threw it over his arm and went to supper. Some time in the evening he missed his money and, naturally, acused the Indian who had been working with him, of taking it. The Siwash strenuously denied the theft. But there was no mistake. The money had certainly been in the man's pocket. None but the Indian saw the coat hanging on the stump. The money was gone. Of course he took it. Justice was swift and impetuous in those days. A posse of "Boston" men soon assembled. Both sides of the story were told, and without delay the Indian was convicted. But a conviction, however satisfying to the loser, did not repay him for his vanished dollars. So the Boston men look Mr. Indian out, stood him under the forked limb of an immense tree, slipped a noose in the end of a rope over his head and began to tighten it, and told the Indian to prepare to meet his Tenanamus, God. Stoically stood the native whose only words had been, "Me no take." It looked for a while as if the suspect would be counted among the good Indians within a few moments. But cooler judgment prevailed, and as the Siwash affirmed and reaffirmed his "no take," it was decided to let him go. The noose was unfastened and the Indian lost no time in fading away. Years, to the number of twenty-five, passed on the incident was long since forgotten. The farm on which the money disappeared had passed into the hands of a brother of Mrs. Phillips, John Gillispie. One day in plowing up some new land in a freshly cleared field, he caught the glitter of something bright. Picking up the object, he was amazed to find it to be a $20 gold piece. Gillispie then remembered the story of the loss of the $300 years ago, and searched till he found the entire amount. It had fallen from the man's pocket when he flung it over his arm, and had lain at the foot of a stump all these years. ******************* Submitted to the Washington Bios. Project in June 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.