US Whiteaker, John Jr. - Governor, OR

John Whiteaker Jr.

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Governor Whiteaker.png


Born: May 4, 1820

Birthplace: Dearborn County, Indiana

Father:
John Whiteaker Sr. 1786 – 1864

Mother: Nancy J. Smales 1786 – 1868

Wife: Nancy Jane Hargrave 1828 – 1912
(Buried: Masonic Cemetery, Eugene, Oregon)​

Children:

John Charles Whiteaker 1854 – 1888​
(Buried: Masonic Cemetery, Eugene, Oregon)​
Ann Whiteaker 1857 – 1950​
(Buried: Masonic Cemetery, Eugene, Oregon)​
Estelle Whiteaker Jarvis 1860 – 1916​
(Buried: Masonic Cemetery, Eugene, Oregon)​
Benjamin “Ben” Whiteaker 1862 – 1929​
(Buried: Masonic Cemetery, Eugene, Oregon)​
James H. Whiteaker 1865 – 1930​
(Buried: Masonic Cemetery, Eugene, Oregon)​

Political Party: Democratic Party
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Occupation before War:


Carpenter in Dearborn County, Indiana​
Volunteered for Mexican–American War but never went into battle.​
1849 – 1852: Participated in the California Gold Rush​
1857 – 1858: Farmer in Willamette Valley in Lane County, Oregon​
1857: Judge of the Probate Court for Lane County, Oregon​
1857: Oregon Territory Representative from Lane County, Oregon
Death.jpg
1858 – 1862: First Governor of the State of Oregon​
1858: Inaugurated as the First Governor of Oregon on July 8th​.​
1859: Known to have not taken office officially until Congress made Oregon a State.​
1858 – 1862: Dealt with Land Claims and Counter Claims as Governor.​
1858 – 1862: Promoter of policies favoring home industries in Oregon.​
1858 – 1862: Governor Whiteaker supported Slavery which the Abolitionists did not like.​
1859: Proclaimed the fourth Thursday of December as day of Thanksgiving.​

Civil War Career:

1858 – 1862: First Governor of the State of Oregon​
1861 – 1862: Abolitionist attacked him as an opponent of United States.​
1861: Appointed a Democrat to take the place of Republican United States Senator Edward Baker.​
1862: The Democrats choose not to nominate Whiteaker for reelection.​
1862 – 1866: Farmer in Lane County, Oregon​

Occupation after War:

1866 – 1870: Oregon State Representative​
1868 – 1869: Speaker of Oregon State House of Representatives​
1876 – 1879: President of Oregon State Senate​
1879 – 1881: United States Congressman from Oregon​
1879: Received telegram of his urgency in Washington, D.C. and left the steamer he was on to travel by​
Special Central Pacific Railroad express train.​
1879 – 1881: Chairman of House Revolutionary Pensions Committee​
1879 – 1881: Member of House Indian Affairs Committee​
1885 – 1890: United States Collector Internal Revenue in Oregon​
1889 – 1902: Owner of 10 City Blocks in Eugene, Oregon​

Died: October 2, 1902

Place of Death: Eugene, Oregon

Age at time of Death: 82 years old

Burial Place: Masonic Cemetery, Eugene, Oregon
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oregon became a state on Feb. 14, 1859. In early 1959 technically Oregon had 2 governors, The Territorial Governor was George Law Curry and he was legally in charge until the state government-in-waiting was legally empowered to take control.
 
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