{{short description|American politician}} {{for|the member of parliament|Joseph Toole (British politician)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Joseph Kemp Toole | honorific_suffix = | image = Joseph Kemp Toole.jpg | order = 1st & 4th | office = Governor of Montana | term_start = November 8, 1889 | term_end = January 1, 1893 | preceded = [[Benjamin F. White (Montana politician)|Benjamin F. White]] as governor [[Montana Territory]] | succeeded = [[John E. Rickards|John Rickards]] | lieutenant = John Rickards | state_senate2 = | district2 = | term_start2 = January 7, 1901 | term_end2 = April 1, 1908 | lieutenant2 = Frank G. Higgins<br />[[Edwin L. Norris]] | preceded2 = [[Robert Burns Smith|Robert Smith]] | succeeded2 = [[Edwin L. Norris|Edwin Norris]]<ref>{{ cite web | url=http://www.netstate.com/states/government/mt_formergov.htm | title=Former State Governors | publisher=www.netstate.com | access-date=October 8, 2013}}</ref> | order3 = Delegate to the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Montana Territory]]'s [[Montana Territory's at-large congressional district|at-large district]] | term_start3 = March 4, 1885 | term_end3 = March 3, 1889 | predecessor3 = [[Martin Maginnis]] | successor3 = [[Thomas H. Carter]] | birth_date = May 12, 1851 | birth_place = [[Savannah, Missouri]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1929|03|11|1851|05|12}} | death_place = [[Helena, Montana]], U.S. | spouse = | party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] | relations = | children = | alma_mater = [[Western Military Institute]], [[New Castle, Kentucky]] | occupation = [[Lawyer]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Stout |first=Tom |title=Montana, Its Story and Biography – Vol I |publisher=American Historical Society|location=Chicago |year=1921 |page=444}}</ref> | signature = Signature of Joseph Kemp Toole.png }}
'''Joseph Kemp Toole''' (May 12, 1851 – March 11, 1929) was a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] politician from [[Montana]].<ref name=jtoole>{{cite web|title=125 Montana Newsmakers: Joseph K. Toole|url=http://www.greatfallstribune.com/multimedia/125newsmakers2/toole.html|work=Great Falls Tribune|author=Tribune Staff|access-date=August 26, 2011|archive-date=June 29, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629165553/http://www.greatfallstribune.com/multimedia/125newsmakers2/toole.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He served as the first and fourth [[Governor of Montana]].
==Biography== Toole was born in [[Savannah, Missouri]] and attended public school in [[St. Joseph, Missouri]]. In 1868, he graduated from the [[Western Military Institute]] in [[New Castle, Kentucky]] with honors.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_montana/col2-content/main-content-list/title_toole_joseph.html|title= Montana Governor Joseph Kemp Toole|publisher= National Governors Association |access-date= October 10, 2012}}</ref> He moved to [[Helena, Montana]] in 1870; studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1871 and commenced practice in Helena. Toole was [[district attorney]] of the third judicial district of Montana (1872–1876), and a member of the Montana Territorial House of Representatives (1879–1881), and member and president of the Montana Territorial Council (1881–1883). He married Lily Rosecrans, daughter of General [[William Rosecrans]], in 1890 and they had three children, including [[Warren Toole]].<ref>{{cite news |title=MISS ROSECRANS MARRIED. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1890/05/08/archives/miss-rosecrans-married.html |access-date=11 September 2022 |work=New York Times |date=8 May 1890}}</ref>
==Career== Toole was a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention at Helena in 1884 and 1889, and elected as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to the Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Congresses (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889);<ref>{{cite web|title=Joseph Toole|url=http://www.montanahistory.net/governors/toole.htm|publisher=The Encyclopedia of Montana|access-date=October 9, 2012}}</ref> he did not seek renomination in 1888.
Toole was the [[List of Governors of Montana|first Governor of Montana]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://mhs.mt.gov/education/studentguide/HistoryOfMontana.asp|title= A Brief History of Montana|publisher= The Official Website for the State of Montana|access-date= October 10, 2012}}</ref> (the only Democrat on the ticket that year to be elected), serving from November 8, 1889, until January 1, 1893. He resumed practice of law in Helena. Toole was a delegate to the [[Democratic National Convention]]s in 1892 and 1904.
He served as the [[List of Governors of Montana|fourth Governor of Montana]] from January 7, 1901, until April 1, 1908, when he resigned because of ill health. During his tenure, county treasurers were authorized to collect taxes on personal property, and there was legislation to ensure mine safety and mineworker protection.<ref>{{cite web|title=Joseph Toole|url=http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_montana/col2-content/main-content-list/title_toole_joseph.html|publisher=National Governors Association|access-date=October 9, 2012}}</ref>
==Death== During retirement, Toole divided his time between his home in Helena and [[San Francisco, California]], until his death on March 11, 1929, at the age of 77. He is interred at Resurrection Cemetery in Helena, Montana.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{commons category-inline}} * {{Internet Archive author |sname=Joseph Toole}} *[http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_montana/col2-content/main-content-list/title_toole_joseph.html National Governors Association] *[http://www.montanahistory.net/governors/toole.htm The Encyclopedia of Montana] {{CongBio|T000312}} *{{Find a Grave|7174026}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-new|first}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Montana|Governor of Montana]]|years=[[1889 Montana gubernatorial election|1889]]}} {{s-aft|after=Timothy E. Collins}} {{s-bef|before=[[Robert Burns Smith]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Montana|Governor of Montana]]|years=[[1900 Montana gubernatorial election|1900]], [[1904 Montana gubernatorial election|1904]]}} {{s-aft|after=[[Edwin L. Norris]]}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | type=Delegate | state=Montana Territory | district=AL | before=[[Martin Maginnis]] | after=[[Thomas H. Carter]] | years=March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889 }} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[[Benjamin F. White (Montana politician)|Benjamin F. White]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Governor of Montana]]|years=1889–1893}} {{s-aft|after=[[John E. Rickards|John Rickards]]}} {{s-bef|before=[[Robert Burns Smith|Robert B. Smith]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Governor of Montana]]|years=1901–1908}} {{s-aft|after=[[Edwin Norris]]}} {{s-end}}
{{Governors of Montana}} {{MontanaUSRepresentatives}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toole, Joseph}} [[Category:1851 births]] [[Category:1929 deaths]] [[Category:People from Savannah, Missouri]] [[Category:Politicians from Helena, Montana]] [[Category:Politicians from San Francisco]] [[Category:Members of the Montana Territorial Legislature]] [[Category:Democratic Party governors of Montana]] [[Category:Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Montana Territory]] [[Category:Candidates in the 1907 United States elections]] [[Category:19th-century United States representatives]]