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, pages 276-280.

VINSON, JOHN S., of Pendleton, was born in Des Moins, Iowa, December 25, 1848, and came to Oregon in 1852. He lived in Clackamas County till 1864, and moved to Umatilla County in 1865. Mr. Vinson has valiantly fought his party’s battles in a Democratic county until it has been redeemed. He was the party nominee for the legislature in 1882 and 1892, and has been a delegate to conventions and the state convention of 1892. He was unanimously elected doorkeeper of the house of representatives of the legislature at the session of 1893.

WAGNER, F. D. [Editor inserted: Fred Day Wagner], editor of the Ashland Tidings, was born in Jackson County, Oregon, October 9, 1868. He was educated at the Ashland Academy and the University of Oregon. His father, Jacob Wagner, was a pioneer of Jackson County, and represented it in the legislature from 1862 to 1866. For sixteen years Mr. Wagner was general assistant to Hon. W. H. Leeds, not State Printer, in the Tidings office, and in January, 1895, became a partner and editor and manager of the paper.

WARREN, HON. HENRY, deceased, was born in Nova Scotia in 1817, and came to Oregon in 1847, settling in Yamhill County. He was one of the early Republicans of the state. In 1857 he was elected Sheriff of Yamhill County, and held the office seven years. He has also served in both houses of the state legislature, as Recorder and Mayor of McMinnville, and for ten years as Receiver of the United States Land Office at Oregon City. In 1875, at a special election, he was the unsuccessful candidate of the Republicans for congress.

WASHBURNE, HON. C. W. [Editor inserted: Charles W. Washburne], of Junction City, was born in Galia County, Ohio, September 13, 1824. He went to California in 1849 and came to Oregon in 1853, locating on a farm near Junction City. He is now engaged in the milling business at Springfield, and is largely interested in the Farmers’ & Merchants’ Bank, of Junction City. He was a delegate to county conventions from 1870 to 1892, to the state convention from 1872 to 1888, and the league in 1896. In 1872 he was elected to the legislature, and was nominated subsequently for the same position.

WATERS, HON. ABNER W., was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1833, and lived in Indiana and Iowa before coming to Oregon. He settled at Harrisburg as a merchant. He served three years during the war as captain of Company F, First of Oregon Cavalry. He was in the cattle business in Union County several years, managed four years, and in 1880 was elected Senator from Multnomah County.

WATSON, HON. JAMES F., an attorney of Portland, was born in Dubuque, Iowa, March 15, 1840. He came to Oregon with his father, James Watson, in 1853. James Watson, the elder, was one of the organizers of the Republican party in Oregon, and was elected a member of the legislature from Douglas County in 1862, and to the senate in 1864. He died in 1874. James F. Watson was admitted to the bar in 1863, and began practice in Roseburg. In 1864 he was elected District Attorney. In 1866 he was appointed Register of the Land Office, but did not serve. In 1868 he was again elected District Attorney, and in 1872 a member of the state senate. In 1876 he was elected to the supreme bench. Two years later a change in the judicial system was made and he was appointed to the circuit bench, and in 1880 was elected for six years. In 1882 he resigned to accept the appointment of the United States Judge, in which capacity he served four years. He has since been a practicing attorney in Portland.

WATSON, HON. E. B. [Editor inserted: Edward B. Watson], an attorney of Portland, was born at Garnavillo, Iowa, October 7, 1844, and at the age of nine came to Oregon, locating in Douglas County. He attended the Umpqua Academy, and in 1866 graduated from the Pacific University. In 1868 he was admitted to the bar, and began practice in Jacksonville. In 1872 he was elected County Judge, serving four years. In 1878 he was elected County Clerk. In 1880 he was elected to the supreme bench and became Chief Justice in 1882. Since retiring he has practiced law in Portland, as a member of the firm of Watson, Hume & Watson, now Watson, Beekman & Watson.

WATTS, Dr. J. W. [Editor inserted: Dr. John W. Watts], of Lafayette, has been one of the Republican wheel horses for many years. He was born in Pike County, Missouri, November 6, 1830, and came to Oregon in 1852. He represented Columbia County in the state constitution in 1857. He moved to Lafayette in 1863. In 1876 he was one of the electors for Hayes and Wheeler, as related elsewhere in this volume. In 1879 he was appointed Receiver of the United States Land Office at Oregon City, and in 1886 was elected State Senator from Yamhill County. In 1888, by invitation of the national committee, he stumped the state of New York for Harrison. In January, 1892, he was appointed Register of the United States Land Office at Lakeview. He is now Mayor of the City of Lafayette, having been elected in 1895.

WATSON, C. B. [Editor inserted: Chandler B. Watson], of Ashland, was born at the town of Time, Illinois, November 25, 1849. He was raised on a farm, with only the benefits of a county district school for a few months in the year. At an early age he had the responsibility of a large family, while his father was at the front fighting for the Union. In 1871 he came to Oregon, where he began to study law, and was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court in 1877. Mr. Watson was one of the Garfield electors in 1880, and carried the vote of Oregon to Washington. For many years he was one of the Republican stumpers of the state. In January, 1882, he became Collector of Customs for the district of Southern Oregon, which office he held until the Cleveland administration. He then resigned and removed to Astoria, where he served as Deputy District Attorney for three years, and then located in Ashland. Mr. Watson is one of the leading lawyers of Southern Oregon. He is a graceful and versatile writer, and has been quite prominent in journalistic work at different times within the last twenty years, his contributions on political topics, mountain outlining and geological studies being highly prized by newspapers and periodicals of first rant. He is a ready and fluent speaker, and his services in this line are in frequent demand in social meetings, political conventions, and by literary and educational institutions.

WEED, HON. JUDSON, of St. Helens, was born in Jackson County, Ohio, April 14, 1847. In 1875 he came to Oregon, spending one year in Portland, and then locating in Columbia County, pursuing teaching and farming. In 1878 he was elected County Superintendent of schools. In 1886 he was elected Assessor to fill vacancy in 1893 and was elected County Clerk in 1894. Mr. Weed is again the Republican nominee for County Clerk.

WELCH, HON. J. W. [Editor inserted: James William Welch], of Astoria, was born in Bloomington (now Muscatine), Iowa, July 7, 1842, and came to Oregon two years later with his father, James Welch, who, in 1846, was the first white man with a family to locate on the site of Astoria. James W. went to the Idaho mines in 1862, but in 1864 returned to Astoria and engaged in packing salmon. In 1871 he went to Umatilla and engaged in stock business, but the next year established a truck and ray business in Astoria. In 1875 he became Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue at Walla Walla. In 1877 he returned to Astoria and built a system of water works for the city, remaining manager of the system till sold to the city in 1892. Mr. Welch has served as City Marshal, School Director and member of the Council. In 1890 he was elected to the legislature.

WELLS, CAPTAIN HARRY L., of Portland, Secretary of the Republican League of Oregon, was born in Geneva, Illinois, March 28, 1854. He early engaged in newspaper work and attended the Chicago writing in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington for three years, becoming editor of the West Shore, an illustrated journal, in Portland, in March 1883. In 1891 he became an editorial writer of the staff of the Oregonian for three years, and has since been engaged in general newspaper work. He is the author of a history of Oregon, published by Walling & Lang as a “History of the Willamette Valley,” and republished as the “Popular History of Oregon.” He served four years in the First Regiment, Illinois National Guard, six months in the California National Guard, and eight years in Company K, First Regiment, Oregon National Guard, seven of them as an officer and four as captain of the company, and was a delegate from Oregon to the National Guard Convention in Chicago in 1892. His first Republican service was in 1868, when he commanded a uniformed company of boy “Tanners” in the first Grant campaign. In 1891-2 he was Assistant Secretary and Inspector of the State Board of Charities and Corrections. He was Secretary of the Multorpor Club in 1892, and was its military instructor and captain of a company. In 1893 he was elected its Commander, and was re-elected in 1894 and 1895. In 1892 he was Secretary of the Portland City Convention. In January, 1894, he was elected Secretary of the State League of Clubs to fill [a] vacancy, and was re-elected for two years the following month. Chiefly through his labors the league was increased from thirty-nine Clubs to more than 200. He was again elected for two years in February, 1896. In 1894-6 he was Assistant Secretary of the state central committee. He is now Commander of the Oregon division, Sons of Veterans.

WELLS, WILLIAM L., of Dallas, was born in Marion County, Oregon, January 6, 1859. He engaged in farming and hop growing near Buena Vista, and in 1886 was elected Assessor of Polk County. In 1890 he was elected Sheriff, and was re-elected in 1892. He is now the Republican nominee for County Judge.

WHITE, E. L. E., editor and publisher of the Portland Chronicle, was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, November 25, 1854. He lived there and in Randolph, Massachusetts; Elmira, New York, and Norwich, Connecticut, till 1870, when he came to the Pacific coast and entered a printing office at Olympia to learn a trade. He has ever since been engaged in printing and publishing. In 1883 he founded the Forest Grove Times. In 1887, he bought the Mcminnville Reporter, and published it daily and weekly. In 1890 he purchased the Portland Chronicle, formerly the East Portland Vindicator, and has built it up to its present high position. His newspaper work is vigorous and effective, and he is a hard worker for Republican success.

WHITE, MARTIN, of Quincy, was born in Lafayette, Wisconsin, August 15, 1855, and came to Oregon in 1881, locating in Columbia County on a farm. In 1894 he was elected County Assessor, and has again been nominated for the office.

WHITNEY, J. R. [Editor inserted: Joseph R. Whitney, born May 1865, as per 1900 census], editor of the Albany Herald and Herald-Disseminator, was born in Marion County, Oregon, May 1, 1860, and was reared in Eugene, graduating from the State University in 1884. He united with S. S. Train in purchasing the Albany Herald the same year, and began publishing a daily in 1885.

WILLIAMS, HON. GEORGE H., of Portland, and ex- Attorney General of the United States, was born in New Lebanon, New York, March 26, 1823. He was educated at the Pompey Academy and studied law with Hon. Daniel Gott. He was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-one. In 1844 he removed to Iowa territory and became at once prominent in politics. In 1847 he was elected Judge of the first judicial district, and in 1852 was a Presidential Elector. In 1853 he was appointed Supreme Judge of Oregon, and was reappointed in 1857. He was a member of the constitutional convention of 1857. He became an influential member of the Union party during the war and has remained an earnest Republican ever since. In 1864 he was elected to the United States Senate. He took high rank among the great men of the nation during that period of reconstruction, and his ability as a lawyer and his high character were recognized in 1871 by his appointment as one of the committee to frame a treaty between England and the United States for settlement of the Alabama claims. It was largely through his counsel that the United States succeeded in establishing its claim to the San Juan islands. In 1871 President Grant called him into the cabinet as Attorney-General. In 1874 General Grant nominated him for Chief Justice of the United States, to succeed Salmon P. Chase, but his confirmation was bitterly opposed by those who were offended by the great work he had done for the cause of the Union, and he requested the President to withdraw his name. He then returned to Portland and began the practice of law, which he still continues. He has been continuously in the counsels of his party, without being at anytime identified with ring or machine politics, and so holds the confidence of the people, that during the recent bitter contest in the Republican ranks in Multnomah County he was appealed to as an arbiter by both sides, and was made the unanimous choice for Chairman of the state convention which was called upon to decide between the contesting delegations, and this convention adopted his advice to seat one half of each delegation.

WILLIAMS, JOHN H., of Eugene, was born in Porter County, Indiana, February 14, 1861, and came to Oregon in 1886. He taught school two years in Halsey and then came to Eugene as principal of the public school three years, when he was admitted to the bar and has since practiced law, and is now Deputy District Attorney. He was a delegate to the last three county conventions and the last league meeting, and in 1894 stumped the county in debate with the Populists.

WILLIAMS, HON. RICHARD, a prominent attorney of Portland and ex member of congress, was born in Ohio, November 15, 1836, and came to Oregon in 1851. He lived at Salem and attended the Willamette University till 1856, when he began reading law in Corvallis. After being admitted to the bar, he began practice in Salem in 1862, where he was a partner of Hon. Rufus Mallory, and Clerk of the Supreme Court. In 1871 he formed a partnership with Hon. W. Lair Hill and Hon. W. W. Thayer, and moved to Portland, where he has since continued practice. In 1874 he was nominated for congress, but a split in the party defeated the ticket. He was renominated in 1876 and elected. Since his term in congress he has occupied a leading position at the bar. He has taken much interest in educational matters and is a member of the Portland School Board.

WILLS, WILLIAM C., of Hay Creek, in engaged in stock raising and farming on Willow Creek, Crook County. He was born in South Bend, Indiana, in 1838, and came to Oregon in 1858. He worked in the mines till 1866, and then engaged in the sash, door and furniture business till he located in Crook County. He cast his first vote in 1859 for David Logan for congress, and in 1860 for Abraham Lincoln for President. He was a delegate to the last meeting of the League, and is President of the Prineville Club and member of the State Board of Equalization for the seventh district.