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 185-187.

BOOTHE, J. F. [Editor inserted: J. Franklin Boothe], an attorney of Portland, is a son of A. H. Boothe, a pioneer of 1852, and was born near Salem, May 6, 1857. He graduated from Whitman Seminary in 1876, and then studied law at Walla Walla, being admitted to the bar Washington Territory. He then came to Portland, and in 1888 graduated from the law department of the University of Oregon. He commenced practice in Portland, being three years associated with the late Gilbert J. McGinn. In 1895 he formed a partnership with Wallis Nash. He is an earnest Republican and an active and influential party worker, and was at the last club election unanimously chosen first vice-president of the Sixth Ward Club.

BROWNELL, HON. GEORGE C., of Oregon City, was born in New York State in 1859. He was admitted to the bar in Kansas, where he held several important positions. He came to Oregon in 1891, and has since been a prominent figure in the Republican Party in Clackamas County and the state. He has been a member of county, district and state conventions, and a delegate to the national league in 1894. In 1894 he was elected to the state senate, and in 1896 was prominently mentioned for the congressional nomination.

BRIDGES, HON. J. T. [Editor inserted: Joseph Thomas Bridges], of Drain, was born in California in 1867, and in 1870 came to Oregon and settled in Douglas County. Since 1887 he has been engaged in the mercantile business at Drain. Mr. Bridges is prominent in Republican work in Douglas County, and has been a member of county and state conventions and the league meetings. In 1894 he was elected to the legislature, and has been again nominated to that body.

BRYAN, R. E. [Editor inserted: Richard E. Bryan], a merchant of Hillsboro, was born in Hendricks County, Indiana, September 14, 1841. Prior to the war the family moved to Missouri, living in Chariton and Linn Counties. Mr. Bryan began life as a teacher, was two years a Deputy Sheriff, served in the army and as second lieutenant in the state militia during the war, and then engaged in mercantile business in Bates County. He came to Oregon in 1880 and located in business in La Grande. Two years ago he embarked in mercantile business in Hillsboro. He has always been a Republican, and in La Grande was secretary if the Republican Club. He has been a frequent member of conventions and club meetings.

BRANSON, C. E. [Editor inserted: Colonel E. Branson], of McMinnville, was born in Polk County, Oregon, July, 15, 1866, and has lived in Oregon most of the time since. He is by profession a surveyor, and was elected Surveyor of Yamhill County in 1890, being re-elected in 1892 and again in 1894.

BRISTOW, W. W. [Editor inserted: William Wilshire Bristow], was born in Cumberland County, Kentucky, July 18, 1826. The family moved soon afterwards to McDonough County, Illinois, and in 1848 crosses the plains to Oregon and settled near Pleasant Hill, Lane County. Mr. Bristow went to the California mines in 1849, but returned the following year. He then taught the first public school in the county. In 1852-53 he was Justice of the Peace at Pleasant Hill, and was Postmaster for a number of years. He was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1857. In 1858 he was elected State Senator from Lane County. In 1865 he sold his farm and engaged in business in Eugene. In 1872-74, and was instrumental in having the State University located at Eugene. He died December 8, 1874.

BRISTOW, DARWIN, of Cottage Grove, was born in Lane County, Oregon, December 21, 1862. He spent four years at the State University and several years on the stock ranges in Eastern Oregon. In 1884 he engaged in merchandising in Cottage Grove, and later added banking to the business, the firm being Lakin & Bristow. He was a delegate to the county conventions of 1890 and 1892. He served as School Clerk one year, as Mayor of Cottage Grove two terms, and is now a member of the City Council.

BRUNDAGE, EDWARD A., of Heppner, was born in Onandaga County, New York, in January, 1834. He came to Oregon in 1879, settling in Heppner, where he has resided ever since. He was a delegate to the county convention of 1894, and that year organized the Republicans of Morrow County.

BROWN, J. N. [Editor inserted: James N. Brown], of Heppner, was born in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1857, but from the age of two to twenty-one he lived in Sullivan County, Missouri. In 1879 he went to Idaho and worked in the lumbering business, and taught school until 1886, when he entered law school at Salem. He graduated and was admitted to the bar in 1888, and has been practicing in Heppner ever since. In 1892 he was elected a member of the lower house of legislature, and has been renominated for the office. He was a delegate to the county and state convention of 1896.

BURROUGHS, B. S. {Editor inserted: Benjamin S. Burroughs], of Pendleton, was born in Lakewood, New Jersey, January 13, 1847. In 1879 he came to Oregon and bought an interest in the Pendleton Tribune, changing it from an independent to a Republican paper. When Harrison was elected, he retired from the paper and was appointed Postmaster, and resigned when Cleveland went in. In 1894 he was elected County Clerk, and has again been nominated for the position.

BUSHEE, JAMES P., of Pendleton, was born in Massachusetts in 1836. He went to California in 1859 and came to Oregon in 1862. He engaged in packing, mining, merchandising and sheep raising, and was Wells, Fargo & Co.’s express agent at Baker City four years. In 1882 he was elected County Clerk of Umatilla County, and was re-elected in1884. In 1892 he was made special agent for the allotment of lands on the Umatilla reservation.

BUCHTEL, JOSEPH, recently Chief of the Portland Fire Department, was born in Uniontown, Ohio, November 22, 1830. He lived there and in Illinois until old enough to work for himself, beginning life as a maker of daguerreotypes. For a time he was Deputy Sheriff of Champaign County. He came to Portland I n1852. He followed steamboating for five years, and in 1857 established a photographic gallery in Portland, which he managed for many years. In 1865 and 1866 he was elected Chief of the Volunteer Fire Department. In 1880 he was elected Sheriff. In 1894 he was appointed Chief of the Paid Fire Department. He has invented a number of fire department appliances and other things. He has taken a continuously active part in Republican politics.

BYERS, WILLIAM S., of Pendleton, was born in Baden, Germany, August 6, 1835. He came to America when he was six years old, and in 1874 located in Pendleton, where he is conducting one of the largest flouring mills of the Pacific Coast. He is a sterling Republican, having voted for Fremont in 1856, and for every Republican president since. He has been an almost constant delegate to the county, state and league conventions for many years, and is always ready to do what he can do for the success of the party.

BYARS, HON. W. H. [Editor inserted: W. Henry Byars], of Salem, was born July 7, 1839, at Des Moines, Iowa, and came to Oregon in 1853. He attended Columbia College, Willamette University and Wilbur Academy, graduating from the latter in 1868. From 1862 to 1865 he was in the Idaho mines, and eighteen months of service in the First Oregon Calvary. He was elected Superintendent of Schools of Douglas County, and in 1870 County Surveyor. In 1872 he was appointed Deputy United States Surveyor, holding the position twelve years. From 1875 to 1884 he was the editor and publisher of the Roseburg Plaindealer. In 1884 he was elected State Printer, and for eighteen months was part owner and editor of the Salem Statesman. In 1888 he was elected City Surveyor of Salem, and in 1890 was appointed United States Surveyor General. He has been continuously a member of the conventions.

CARSON, JOHN A., an attorney of Salem, was born in the County of Down, Ireland, November 30, 1860, and was educated at Trinity College. He was admitted to the bar in Toronto, Canada, in 1886. In 1889 he came to Oregon and located in Salem. He has taken an active part as a Republican, and was a delegate to the league in 1895 and 1896. He is now the Republican nominee for District Attorney of the third district.

CATHCART, C. S., of Roseburg, was born in Douglas County, Oregon, September 25, 1864. He continuously resided in this state, living ion Eastern Oregon five years, Cottage Grove three years and Drain five years, being agent of the Southern Pacific. Two years ago he became Deputy Sheriff and moved to Roseburg, and is now Sheriff by appointment to fill a vacancy. He was delegate to the county convention of 1894 and the state league of 1896.