Joshua Green (businessman)
Joshua Green | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age Mississippi, United States |
| Died | 24 January 1975 (aged 105) Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Sternwheeler captain, entrepreneur, banker |
| Years active | Late 19th century – 1975 |
| Known for | Leadership in Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet; banking in Seattle |
Joshua Green (October 16, 1869 – January 24, 1975) was a prominent American sternwheeler captain, entrepreneur, and banker. Rising from a seaman's position, he became the leading figure within the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet before divesting his maritime interests to pursue a career in banking. Living to the age of 105 and remaining engaged in business activities nearly until his passing, Green served as an important historical resource on Seattle and the Puget Sound area. He was also among the final Seattle residents fluent in Chinook Jargon, the local trade pidgin.
Early life
Joshua Green was born in Mississippi and relocated with his family to Washington's Puget Sound region in 1886 when he was 17 years old. The Greens established connections with Seattle’s mayor Bailey Gatzert, who played a significant role in launching Joshua Green’s professional path.
Career
Green’s career began as a chainman involved in surveying for the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway. He also worked aboard the sternwheeler Henry Bailey, part of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet. In 1889, backed by a $5,000 loan from Seattle banker Jacob Furth—an associate of Gatzert—Green and three other officers acquired their own sternwheeler, the Fanny Lake. This acquisition marked the beginning of his entrepreneurial endeavors.
By applying progressive business strategies, Green rose to become president of the La Conner Trading and Transportation Company, which operated a fleet that included advanced vessels such as the sidewheeler George E. Starr. He played a pivotal role in securing Seattle’s dominance over rival ports like Olympia and Tacoma, contributing significantly to Seattle’s regional leadership. Throughout this period, Green maintained active roles as master and captain on various company ships.
Despite facing obstacles including vessel fires and economic downturns following the Panic of 1893, Green's enterprise thrived during the Klondike Gold Rush by ferrying miners bound for Alaska. In 1903, he merged his company with Charles E. Peabody’s Alaska Steamship and Puget Sound Navigation Company, enhancing operations within the Mosquito Fleet. The combined company adapted its vessels to accommodate automobiles, especially on routes such as Seattle to Bremerton. By 1913, this entity was known as the Puget Sound Navigation Company.
In 1925, Green acquired Peoples Savings Bank for $200,000. Recognizing limited future prospects for water transportation due to growing automobile use, he resigned from Puget Sound Navigation in 1927 to concentrate on banking ventures. He renamed the institution Peoples Bank and Trust Co., later known as People’s National Bank of Washington. With branch banking restrictions at the time, he expanded by founding or purchasing multiple banks operating as subsidiaries. When leadership passed to his son in 1949, total deposits stood at $128 million; by 1969 deposits had grown to $400 million. The bank was eventually purchased by U.S. Bancorp in 1988 and rebranded as U.S. Bank of Washington.
Personal life and death
On April 24, 1901, Joshua Green wed Laura Moore Turner, a native of Winona, Mississippi. Together, they raised three children: Bentonia, Francis, and Joshua, Jr.
Green passed away in Seattle in 1975 at the age of 105. His wife had died just three weeks earlier at the age of 101.
Legacy and honors
Seattle honored Green as its "man of the century" in 1968. In Alaska, both Joshua Green River and Joshua Green Peak were named to commemorate him.
The Joshua Green Fountain, created by sculptor George Tsutakawa, was installed in 1966 at the Washington State Ferries terminal along Seattle’s waterfront.
Green's home built in 1914, now called the Stimson-Green Mansion, is recognized as a city landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He made minimal changes to this residence originally constructed in 1901 and lived there until his passing. Currently owned by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, the mansion serves as a venue for various events.
The Joshua Green Building located at 1425 Fourth Avenue in Seattle also holds landmark status. It remains under the ownership and management of the Joshua Green Corporation and underwent extensive renovations between 2008 and 2009.
The Joshua Green Foundation provides support for significant capital initiatives undertaken by nonprofit organizations based in Seattle and King County, with an emphasis on private education, social services, and arts programs.
Continuing Green’s entrepreneurial tradition, his descendants manage the Joshua Green Corporation / Green Family Enterprises, which oversees numerous retail properties in Seattle and Spokane. Their portfolio includes banking institutions, insurance companies, and diverse equity investments. Reflecting Green’s passion as an outdoorsman, they also possess several manufacturers specializing in fly fishing gear.
Further reading
- Noel V. Bourasaw, Joshua Green, Skagit sternwheelers and the birth of Puget Sound ferries, Skagit River Journal of History & Folklore, 2003. Posted March 18, 2003, updated February 15, 2009
- Robert Cantwell, Nemesis Of The Black Brant, Sports Illustrated, May 16, 1966. Article on Green as a hunter.
- Kline, M.S., and Bayless, G.A., Ferryboats -- A Legend on Puget Sound, Bayless Publications, Bellevue, 1983
- Gordon Newell, The Green Years: The Development of Transportation, Trade and Finance in the Puget Sound Region from 1886 to 1969 as Recalled By Joshua Green, Seattle: Superior Publishing Company, 1969.