Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
HON. EDMOND K. PENDERGAST was born on March 19, 1864, at Salisbury, Massachusetts, then removed with his parents to Hutchinson, Minnesota, when two years old, where he grew to manhood. During the summers he wrought at manual labor and the balance of each year was spent in gaining a good education. After graduating from the Hutchinson high school he taught school and worked on a farm eighteen months for the purpose of gaining means to secure a legal education. He graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan in 1889, and that year was admitted to the bar of Michigan by the supreme court. He has since been admitted to the bar of Washington. In September, 1889, Mr. Pendergast located in Spokane, Washington, and since then he has actively engaged in the practice of law. In 1890, he settled in Waterville and there resided until 1902. While in Douglas county, he was appointed to the office of prosecuting attorney and twice subsequently was elected to the same position. On one occasion his opponent was the Hon. M. B. Malloy, the present register of the United States land office in Waterville and now the Republican nominee for judge of the superior court of Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, and Okanogan counties. In 1899, Mr. Pendergast was a member of the legislature from Douglas county, having defeated the Hon. W. F. Haynes for that office. He has also been mayor of Waterville, defeating Hon. P. E. Berry in the race.
On November 4, 1890, Judge Hanford appointed our subject commissioner of the United States circuit court, for the district of Washington, and he held the position for four years. He also served as city attorney for Waterville for nearly four years. On November 4, 1898, Governor Rogers appointed Mr. Pendergast lieutenant colonel of the National Guards and assigned him to the position of judge advocate of the first brigade of the state.
At the request of a number of influential citizens in Okanogan county, Mr. Pendergast located at Conconully in the fall of 1902 and accepted the nomination for prosecuting attorney on the Democratic ticket. He was promptly elected to the position he now holds, his opponent being Ernest Peck, of the Okanogan county bar, an able and popular lawyer.
Edmond K. Pendergast is the eldest son of the late Hon. William Wirt Pendergast, for many years assistant and afterwards state superintendent of public instruction in the state of Minnesota and principal of the school of agriculture of that state. The mother of our subject was Abbie L. Pendergast. Edmond K. Pendergast married Miss Ida D. Knemeyer in 1893 and they have one son, Wirt Wendell, born March 2, 1895.
