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. Click on the head link above, to visit more of our listings at genealogy.com. 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 179-181.

BARRETT, HON. C.A. [Editor inserted: Charles A. Barrett], of Athena, was born in Maine in 1852. He settled in Umatilla County in 1872, and followed stockraising until 1883, when he began a successful mercantile career in Athena. Mr. Barrett is president of the First National Bank of Athena. He has been twice elected a member of the City Council and School Board, and was elected Mayor in 1890. He is president of the Republican club.

BARIN, LOUIS T., of Portland, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, March 13, 1842. In 1858 he went to the gold mines of California, and in 1862 came to Oregon and soon enlisted in the First Oregon Cavalry and served three years in the Indian country. He then took up a claim near Oregon City and farmed and studied law. He was admitted in 1872. The same year he was elected to the legislature. In 1874 and 1875 he was elected to City Attorney of Oregon City, and in 1877 was chosen Mayor, serving two terms. In 1878 he was appointed Register of the United States Land Office and was reappointed in 1882. In 1886 he was elected to the state senate for four years. In 1888 he was chairman of the state central committee. President Harrison appointed him United States Marshal for four years. He is now practicing law in Portland.

BAKER, FRANK C., of Portland, was born in Multnomah County (then Washington County), Oregon, in 1854. In 1865 the family removed to La Grande, where Frank entered the office of the Mountain Sentinel and learned the printer’s trade. He then worked on the Baker City Herald, and the Silver City Avalanche and Boise City Statesman. He then returned to Portland, worked on the Evening Journal and became foreman successively of the Evening Telegram, Evening Bee and Rural Spirit. In 1881 the Multnomah Typographical Union indorsed him for State Printer, and he received the Republican nomination and was elected. He opened the first regular printing office in the capitol and performed his work so successfully that he was renominated by acclamation in 1890 and re-elected. He is an earnest Republican and liberal in support of many party measures.

BANCROFT, F. A., of Portland, was born in Granville, Ohio, in 1819, and came to California in 1869. In 1870 he made a tour of Europe. In 1873 he settled in Portland, and two years later entered the employ of the Oregon & California Railroad, now the Southern Pacific, and having charge of the extensive local freight offices of that company. Mr. Bancroft has taken an active and honorable part in politics. He was a member of the East Portland City Council two years, was chairman of the East Portland Water Commission at the time of consolidation of the cities, and in 1892 was elected on the Republican ticket to the state senate, serving through two sessions.

BARKLEY, HON. HENRY L., of Woodburn, was born in Adams County, Indiana, March 19, 1858; was reared I Ohio, and came to Oregon in 1888, locating to Woodburn. He was a speaker in the stump in Ohio in 1884, and has made a reputation as a campaign orator since coming to Oregon. In 1894 he was elected to the legislature, and has again been nominated by the Republicans of Marion County. Mr. Barkley is a presiding elder of the United Bretheren Church.

BEACH, HON. S. C. [Editor inserted: S. Curtis Beach], of Portland, was born in Iowa in 1860. He became a printer at the age of fourteen. He established the Waco (Neb.) Star in 1878, the Stromburg (Neb.) Republican in 1880 and from 1884 to 1891 edited the Lakeview (Or.) Examiner. Since then he has lived in Portland, engaged in the printing business till 1895. He is now Superintendent of the Street-Cleaning department. Mr. Beach has been President of the Peninsular Club three years, and in 1894 was elected to legislature.

BEAN, HON. ROBERT S., Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was born in Yamhill County, November 28, 1854, but has been a resident of Lane County from an early age. He graduated from the Monmouth College in 1873, and from the University of Oregon in 1877. In 1876 he was admitted to the bar. He practiced at Eugene until elected Judge of the second district in 1882. He was re-elected in 1886, was elected Supreme Court Judge in 1890, and has again been nominated to the supreme bench.

BEEGLE, JOHN R., editor of the St. Helens Mist. Was born in Jefferson County Kansas, April 12, 1863, and came to Oregon in 1874. He has lived continuously in St. Helens, except the two years of 1893-94, when he was editor of the Hillsboro Independent. In 1894-5 he was president of the Oregon Press Association, and in 1893 was a delegate to the National Editorial Convention. He was delegate to the Grand Lodge, K. of P., in 1894 and 1895. He is an earnest and consistent Republican, and has frequently been a member of conventions, and was in 1894 president if the Young Men’s Republican Club of Hillsboro.

BENSON, HENRY I. [Editor inserted: Henry L. Benson], of Grant’s Pass, was born in Stockton, California, July 6, 1854, and came to Grant’s Pass in 1886. He was admitted to the California bar in 1877 and practiced law in San Jose two years. He taught school a year at Wilbur, and was three years at State Normal School at Drain before settling in Grant’s Pass as principal of the public school. In 1892 he was elected Prosecuting Attorney, and again in 1894, and is the only Republican ever getting a majority for that office in Josephine County. In 1888 he was nominated for County Clerk, and this year is the nominee for legislature. He was a delegate to the Douglas County conventions of 1882, 1884 and 1886, and was chairman if the first two.

BENSON, FRANK W., of Roseburg, was born in Santa Clara County California, March 20, 1858. From 1864 to 1868 he lived in Portland, Oregon and then returned to California. In 1880 he again came to Oregon, locating in Douglas County, and engaging in teaching school. He was elected County Superintendent of Schools in 1882, and again in 1884. He served three years as clerk in the United States Land Office. In 1892 he was elected County Clerk, and was re-elected in 1894. He is a member of the Republican Club and was a delegate to the league convention in 1895.

BECKETT, C.W. [Editor inserted: Clyde Wallace Beckett], of Dallas, was born in Polk County Oregon, July 12, 1861, and has lived in the county ever since. He was a delegate to the county conventions of 1892 and 1894, and was elected Assessor of Polk County in 1892, which office he still holds.

BENTLEY, WILLIAM H., of Baker City, was born in Newark, Licking County, Ohio, March 24, 1831, and came to Oregon in 1852. He spent ten years in Yamhill County, working as a carpenter, and in January 1863, went to Umatilla County, where he was appointed Deputy Sheriff. In 1865 he located in Baker County and engaged in mining, farming, etc. Mr. Bentley has upheld the Republican standard in a Democratic County for a third of a century. In 1870 he was the nominee for the Joint Representative, and in 1878 for Assessor. In 1892 he was elected Justice of the Peace, and again in 1894. He was a member of the county convention in 1868, 1970, 1882 and 1884, and was president if the convention in 1882.

BEAN, HENRY J., of Pendleton, was born at Bethel, Maine, November 13, 1853, and came to Oregon in June 1881, settling in Pendleton. He is a member of the club in that city, and was a delegate to the county conventions of 1888 to 1894 and the state convention of 1894. He was elected to the legislature in 1888. In 1890 he was made United States Commissioner, and in1895 was appointed Clerk of the Supreme Court for the Eastern district.