Joseph Toole

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title: "Joseph Toole" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1851-births", "1929-deaths", "people-from-savannah,-missouri", "politicians-from-helena,-montana", "politicians-from-san-francisco", "members-of-the-montana-territorial-legislature", "democratic-party-governors-of-montana", "delegates-to-the-united-states-house-of-representatives-from-montana-territory", "candidates-in-the-1907-united-states-elections", "19th-century-united-states-representatives"] description: "American politician" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Toole" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American politician ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Joseph Kemp Toole
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 as governor
succeeded	John Rickards
lieutenant	John Rickards
term_start2	January 7, 1901
term_end2	April 1, 1908
lieutenant2	Frank G. Higgins
Edwin L. Norris
preceded2	Robert Smith
succeeded2	Edwin Norris
order3	Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana Territory's 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_place	Helena, Montana, U.S.
party	Democratic
alma_mater	Western Military Institute, New Castle, Kentucky
occupation	Lawyer
signature	Signature of Joseph Kemp Toole.png
::

| 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 as governor Montana Territory | succeeded = John Rickards | lieutenant = John Rickards | state_senate2 = | district2 = | term_start2 = January 7, 1901 | term_end2 = April 1, 1908 | lieutenant2 = Frank G. Higgins Edwin L. Norris | preceded2 = Robert Smith | succeeded2 = Edwin Norris | order3 = Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana Territory's 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_place = Helena, Montana, U.S. | spouse = | party = Democratic | relations = | children = | alma_mater = Western Military Institute, New Castle, Kentucky | occupation = Lawyer | signature = Signature of Joseph Kemp Toole.png

Joseph Kemp Toole (May 12, 1851 – March 11, 1929) was a Democratic politician from Montana. 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. 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.

Career

Toole was a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention at Helena in 1884 and 1889, and elected as a Democrat to the Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Congresses (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889); he did not seek renomination in 1888.

Toole was the first Governor of Montana (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 Conventions in 1892 and 1904.

He served as the 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.

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

References

1. "Former State Governors". www.netstate.com.
2. Stout, Tom. (1921). "Montana, Its Story and Biography – Vol I". American Historical Society.
3. Tribune Staff. "125 Montana Newsmakers: Joseph K. Toole". Great Falls Tribune.
4. "Montana Governor Joseph Kemp Toole". National Governors Association.
5. (8 May 1890). "MISS ROSECRANS MARRIED.". New York Times.
6. "Joseph Toole". The Encyclopedia of Montana.
7. "A Brief History of Montana". The Official Website for the State of Montana.
8. "Joseph Toole". National Governors Association.

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