Rossell Galbraith O’Brien was an Irish immigrant who rose to become a Brigadier General in the Washington National Guard. O’Brien is said to have initiated the custom of standing for the National Anthem. He was a long-time resident of Olympia and served on the City Council for several years. His home was at the current site of Centennial Park.
Isaac Davidson photograph, around 1890, courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C1952.197.21
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2019