John Whiteaker
| John Whiteaker | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 1st Governor of Oregon | |
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In office July 8, 1858 – September 10, 1862 |
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| Preceded by |
George Law Curry as Territorial Governor |
| Succeeded by | A. C. Gibbs |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's At-large district |
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In office March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Williams |
| Succeeded by | Melvin Clark George |
| 6th Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
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In office 1868–1869 |
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| Preceded by | Francis A. Chenoweth |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Hayden |
| President of the Oregon State Senate | |
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In office 1876–1879 |
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| Preceded by | Robert B. Cochran |
| Succeeded by | Solomon Hirsch |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 4, 1820 Dearborn County, Indiana |
| Died | October 2, 1902 (aged 82) Eugene, Oregon |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Nancy Jane Whiteaker |
| Profession | Farmer |
| Inaugurated in 1858, but did not assume office until statehood bill passed in February 1859. | |
John Whiteaker (May 4, 1820 – October 2, 1902) was an American politician, soldier, and judge primarily in Oregon. A native of Indiana, he joined the Army during the Mexican-American War and then prospected during the California Gold Rush. After moving to the Oregon Territory he served as a judge and member of the legislature. A Democrat, Whiteaker served as the first state Governor of Oregon from 1859 until 1862 and later was Oregon's Congressman from 1879 to 1881. He also was President of the Oregon State Senate and Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.
John Whiteaker was born in Dearborn County in the southeast corner of Indiana to farmers on May 4, 1820. His parents were John and Nancy (née Smales), and he had four siblings. Growing up he only spent six months of formal schooling and as a result, was almost entirely self-educated. Before moving west, he had performed odd jobs, carpentry, and volunteered for military service during the Mexican War, although his unit was never called into battle.
On August 22, 1847, he married Nancy Jane Hargrave and they had six children. In 1849, he joined the California Gold Rush, earning enough to move his family to Oregon. After arriving in Oregon in 1852, he settled the family on a farm in the southern portion of the Willamette Valley in Lane County. There he became active in Democratic Party activities, and was elected to office first as judge of the Probate Court for Lane County in 1856. Whiteaker then was elected as a legislator in the Territorial Legislature in 1857 representing Lane County in the House of Representatives.
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Wikipedia