James O'Neill (Washington politician)
| James O'Neill | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Washington State Senate | |
|
In office 1891–1895 |
|
| Constituency | Spokane and Stevens counties |
| 7th Mayor of Portland, Oregon | |
|
In office 1856–1857 |
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| Preceded by | George W. Vaughn |
| Succeeded by | William S. Ladd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1824 Duanesburg, New York |
| Died | 1901 Spokane, Washington |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Caroline M. Grinnell |
James O'Neill (1824–1901) was an American businessman and politician in the Oregon Territory and the territory and state of Washington. A New York native, he was mayor of Portland, Oregon, and an Indian Agent in Idaho and Washington territories. He later served in the legislatures of the Washington Territory and the State of Washington.
James O'Neill was born in Duanesburg, New York, in 1824. He was the oldest of five children born to James E. O'Neill and the former Elizabeth Marsh. Of Irish descent, his father was a shopkeeper in Schenectady County, New York, where the younger James was born. James was educated in the local public schools as well as the academies in Gallupville and Albany.
After receiving his education he worked in his father store for a time before moving to Albany where he worked as a store clerk. From 1849 to 1851 he was in business for himself in Albany, and in 1851 he moved to New York City and continued his business until 1853. He married Caroline M. Grinnell of New York in 1849, and they would have one daughter, Kate. Caroline would die in 1871.
In 1853, O'Neill moved to the Oregon Territory, traveling by ship to Panama where he then traveled by land across the Isthmus. He then continued by ship to Oregon. In Oregon, he settled in Oregon City where he worked as an agent for Wells Fargo & Company until 1857. A few years after arriving he moved across the Willamette River to Portland. A Whig Party supporter, he attended that party’s first Oregon convention in 1855 in Corvallis.
On April 7, 1856, O'Neill was elected as the seventh mayor of Portland, replacing George W. Vaughn. He was re-elected the next year, becoming the city’s first two-term mayor, but was replaced on November 4, 1857, by William S. Ladd before the end of his second term. In 1858, O'Neill returned to New York briefly, and then returned to Portland as a merchant, remaining until 1861. He switched political allegiance to the Republican Party when that party was formed . His brother, Captain Daniel O'Neill (born 1826) was a steamship captain in Oregon.
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