Oregon Republican League: History 101

Every Wednesday, the Oregon Republican League will post the biographies of important figures, in the League's/State of Oregon's history. Feel free to comment or share stories of your family's Republican affiliation.

Oregon Republican League:

Republican League Register of Oregon, The Register Publishing Company, 1896, page 171.

ADAMS, HON. WILLIAM H., of Portland, and son of W.L. Adams, was born in Yamhill County, March 12, 1851. He attended McMinnville College and Monmouth College, and was admitted to the bar in 1874. He was appointed Deputy City Attorney and in July, 1874, Police Judge of Portland, serving till January, 1879. In 1882 he was elected to the City Council, and again in 1884. In 1883 he was its President. In 1887 he was elected City Attorney, and again in 1889. He has been a member of conventions and several times Chairman of the City Central Committee, and has done good work on the stump.

ABERCROMBIE, JOHN, of Astoria, was born at Keene, New Hampshire, April 9, 1830. He came to Oregon in 1884, locating in Astoria in the lumber industry. He is an earnest Republican and a member of the McKinley Club of Astoria. He was a delegate to the county convention of 1890, and in 1894 was elected Justice of the Peace.

ADAMS, HON. WILLIAM L., one of the prominent founders of the Republican party in Oregon, while editor of the Oregon City Argus, was born in Oberlin, Ohio, February 5, 1821. He crossed the plains to Oregon before 1850, settling in Yamhill County. In 1855 he founded the Argus, at Oregon City, and edited it till 1861, being the first Republican newspaper in the state. In 1861 he was appointed Collector of Customs and served seven years, resigning because of ill health.

Republican League Register of Oregon, The Register Publishing Company, 1896, page 172.

ADAMS, HON. SEBASTIAN C., of Salem, was the first man to receive a Republican nomination for office in the State of Oregon, being nominated at Lafayette, November 22, 1856, at the first meeting for Republican organization in Yamhill County to fill a vacancy in the lower house of the legislature. He was born near Sandusky, Ohio, July 28, 1825, moved to Galesburg, Illinois, in 1837, was educated at Knox College, taught school, and in 1850 came to California and Oregon. He located on a donation land claim in Yamhill County. Later he removed to McMinnville and founded the town and McMinnville College, where he taught two years. He presented the college to the Baptists. In 1869 he settled in Salem, and for twenty-five years was a pastor of the Christian church there, but is now a liberal rationalist. He is well known in education circles everywhere and is author of “Adams’ Illustrated Map of History.” His Republicanism has been of the vigorous, pioneer order. In 1862 he was elected County Clerk of Yamhill County, and served four successive terms in the State Senate.