William V. Rinehart
| William V. Rinehart | |
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State Senator William Rinehart, 1890
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| Member of the Washington Senate from the 19 district |
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In office 1889–1890 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
28 December 1835 Clarks Hill, Indiana |
| Died | 16 October 1918 (aged 82) Seattle, Washington |
| Political party | Republican |
| Occupation | Indian agent and businessman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | Union Army |
| Years of service | 1856; 1862–1866 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | |
| Commands | Fort Klamath |
| Battles/wars | Rogue River Wars and American Civil War |
William Vance Rinehart (28 December 1835 – 16 October 1918) was an American soldier who served as a Union Army officer in both the 1st Oregon Volunteer Cavalry Regiment and 1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War. He was later appointed as Indian agent at the Malheur Indian Reservation in eastern Oregon. Rinehart then moved to Seattle, Washington where he engaged in business and was active in state and local politics. He was elected to Washington state’s first legislature, serving as a state senator from 1889 through 1890.
Rinehart was born on 28 December 1835 in Clarks Hill, Indiana. He was raised on farm and attended Farmer’s Institute, a Quaker school near La Fayette, Indiana. Rinehart immigrated to California in 1854, driving an ox team across the North American plains. Once in California, he began gold mining near Downieville. He later moved north to the Crescent City area, where he continued to work as a miner.
In 1856, Rinehart moved to Josephine County, Oregon, where he began mining gold near Aulthouse Creek. When he arrived, the Rouge Indian War was on-going in southern Oregon. Rinehart joined the local militia and helped build Fort Briggs, a stockade used to protect Illinois Valley settlers from attack. In 1858, he ran for Josephine County clerk as a Republican, but was defeated. The following year, he took a job as a store clerk in Waldo, Oregon. As an active Republican, Rinehart supported Abraham Lincoln in 1860 presidential election.
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