Tirey L. Ford

1891 photo of Attorney Ford with son Byington, wife Mary, and daughter Relda.

On February 1, 1888, Ford married Mary Emma Byington of California. She was the sister of Lewis Francis Byington and daughter of Lewis Byington. They had three children, sons Byington Ford and Tirey L. Ford Jr., and daughter Relda.[4][5]

In 1888, Ford was elected as District Attorney of Sierra County on the Republican ticket by the largest majority than any candidate for that office in 17 years. He re-elected in 1890 to the office without opposition, the Democrats making no nomination against him.[6]

Ford became Republican State Senator in 1892 and 1895 for California's 3rd State Senate district, Plumas, Sierra, and Nevada Counties.[7] On March 23, 1893, Senator Ford introduced two bills known as the Ford's Mining Bills, Senate Bill No. 50, which would allow hydraulic mining where it can be done without material injury to the navigable rivers, and Senate Bill No. 389, which would appropriate $250,000 for building restraining dams, provided by the United States Government.[8]

He was appointed attorney to the State Board of Harbor Commissioners in 1894, which office he held until elected Attorney General for the state of California in 1898.[9] Ford solved a difficult legal dispute over ownership of an area known as Channel Street located in the San Francisco's harbor leading to the bay. A judgment gave this land for public use to the city of San Francisco.[10]

In 1898, Ford was elected president of the Union League Club in San Francisco. The Republican club extended fellowship to distinguished guests of the city. Annual meetings were often held at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.[11]

Tirey L. Ford cartoon character

He served as the 18th California Attorney General 1899–1902. One of his noteworthy acts was the reversal of a decision regarding the inheritance tax on the Leland Stanford estate that converted $250,000 to public schools of San Francisco.[1] He resigned as Attorney General in order to become General Counsel for the United Railroads (URR) of San Francisco.[12][13]

In 1905, Governor George Pardee selected Ford to be the State Prison Director. Ford wrote a book called California State Prisons: their history, development and management, published in 1910.[14] As director, he created a special bureau for paroled prisoners.[1]

On March 7, 1892, Ford was elected President of the California Miners' Association. He was a successful mining lawyer in Downieville that was engaged as counsel by the Miners' Association to conduct important cases.[15] Ford went to Washington in January 1896 to expedite the passage through Congress for bills to appropriate money for the construction of works to protect the rivers and streams of California.[16]

A United Railroads of San Francisco standard car circa 1905

Tirey L. Ford Trial

In August 1902, Ford was appointed general counsel for the United Railroads of San Francisco.[1] His knowledge of railroad law as of other departments of jurisprudence was comprehensive and accurate, and he stands today as one of the foremost representatives of the legal interests of California.[2][17]

As attorney for URR, he was involved in a bribery scandal in 1906, but was later found to be innocent. The bribery scandal was one of the many San Francisco graft trials, which included Mayor Eugene Schmitz and attorney Abe Ruef, who were receiving bribes.[18]

Adolphus Frederic St. Sure joined Ford's law firm in San Francisco.[19] During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, Ford became a member of Mayor Eugene Schmitz's Committee of Fifty.

Ford was a member of the Pacific-Union Club, Bohemian Club, Union League Club of San Francisco, Commonwealth Club of California, Press, Transportation, Merchants Institute, Amaurot, and Southern Clubs, and as a Knight Templar.[1]