Oregon Republican League: History 101

Every Wednesday (a day late, due to travel this week), 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 281-282.

WAKEFIELD, F. H. [Editor inserted: Fitz Henry Wakefield], of The Dalles was born in South Bridge, Massacusetts, in 1829. He came to Oregon in 1858, and has lived in Wasco County for fourteen years. He was elected Assessor in 1894.

WILSON, FRED W., editor of The Dalles Chronicle, is a native of College Hill, Ohio, and a son of Hon. Joseph G. Wison, whose name is closely linked with the earl judicial history of Oregon. He is publishing a paper that has established itself in the front rank of Oregon journals. He was a delegate to the last two league meetings.

WILSON, JAMES A., of Albany, was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, February 28, 1853. He came to Oregon in 1880 and located in Josephine County, being in the Sheriff's office and engaged in mderchandising till 1890. In that year he went to Alany in the interest of the S. P. D. & L. Co., and a year ago became Deputy Sheiff. Mr. Wilson was a delegate to the Josephine County convention from 1882 to 1890, and the Linn County convention in 1894. He was a delegate to the first district congressional convention in 1894 and 1896, and Secretary of the Congressional Committee 1894-1896 and 1896-1898. Mr. Wilson was a delegate to the State League in 1895 and 1896, and was in February, 1896, elected the member of the executive committee for the first district.

WILSON, HON. JOSEPH G., deceased, representative in congress fom Oregon, was born at Acworth, N. H., December 13, 1826, and graduated from Marietta College, Ohio, in 1846. For several years he taught school and studied law, and then began practice in Oregon in 1852, at Salem. The same year he was appointed Clerk of the Supreme Court and held he position three years. In 1860 he was appointed District Attorney of he third district. In 1862 he was appointed Judge of the fifth district by Governor Gibbs, and in 1864 was elected to that position. In 1865 Marietta College conferred the degree of LL.D. upon him. In 1870 hw was the Republican nominee for congress and made the canvass against Hon. J. H. Slaterwhen the state was hopelessly Democratic, losing by 343 votes. In 1872 he was renominated against Hon. John Burnett, and was elected by a majority of 850, leading his ticket largely. July 2, 1873, while at Marietta for the purpose of delivering an address before the alumni of the college, he died suddenly of paralysis, and the undelivered address was printed by the alumni as a memorial.

WILSON, W. H. [Editor inserted: William H. Wilson], of The Dalles, was born in Fairfield, Illinois, October 19, 1858, and came to Orego in July, 1882. He was District Attorney for the seventh district from 1890 to 1894. He was a member of all county conventions from 1884 to 1890, the state convention of 1888 and the league meetings of 1895 and 1896.

WOLCOTT, CHARLES E., editor of the South Oregon Monitor, at Medford, was born in Vernon, Michigan, July 24, 1868, and came to Oregon in May, 1890. He engaged in newspaper work in Eugene three years, and then founded his paper in Medford December 4, 1894, publishing semi-weekly. He was a delegate to the Lane County convention in 1894, and the league from the Medford Club in 1895.

WOLVERTON, HON. CHARLES E., Justice of the Supreme Court, was born in Iowa, May 16, 1851, and came to Oregon at the age of two years. He graduated from the Christian College, at Monmouth, in 1872, and from law school of the Lexington, Kentucky, University in 1874. He began practice in Albany and continued it till elected to the Supreme bench in 1894. He has been a frequent member of conventions, and was a delegate to the National Republican convention in 1892.