STATES AND TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES (OREGON).

In this post we will looking at Oregon and its territories, Its past and present governors and current House of representative’s members.

INTRODUCTION.

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon’s northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. The 42° north parallel delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada. Oregon has been home to many indigenous nations for thousands of years. The first European traders, explorers, and settlers began exploring what is now Oregon’s Pacific coast in the early-mid 16th century. As early as 1564, the Spanish began sending vessels northeast from the Philippines, riding the Kuroshio Current in a sweeping circular route across the northern part of the Pacific. In 1592, Juan de Fuca undertook detailed mapping and studies of ocean currents in the Pacific Northwest, including the Oregon coast as well as the strait now bearing his name. Spanish ships – 250 in as many years – would typically not land before reaching Cape Mendocino in California but some landed or wrecked in what is now Oregon. Nehalem tales recount strangers and the discovery of items like chunks of beeswax and a lidded silver vase, likely connected to the 1707 wreck of the San Francisco Xavier. In 1843, an autonomous government was formed in the Oregon Country, and the Oregon Territory was created in 1848. Oregon became the 33rd state of the U.S. on February 14, 1859. Today, with 4 million people over 98,000 square miles (250,000 km2), Oregon is the ninth largest and 27th most populous U.S. state. The capital, Salem, is the second-most populous city in Oregon, with 169,798 residents. Portland, with 647,805, ranks as the 26th among U.S. cities. The Portland metropolitan area, which also includes the city of Vancouver, Washington, to the north, ranks the 25th largest metro area in the nation, with a population of 2,453,168.

Oregon is one of the most geographically diverse states in the U.S., marked by volcanoes, abundant bodies of water, dense evergreen and mixed forests, as well as high deserts and semi-arid shrublands. At 11,249 feet (3,429 m), Mount Hood, a stratovolcano, is the state’s highest point. Oregon’s only national park, Crater Lake National Park, comprises the caldera surrounding Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States. The state is also home to the single largest organism in the world, Armillaria ostoyae, a fungus that runs beneath 2,200 acres (8.9 km2) of the Malheur National Forest. Because of its diverse landscapes and waterways, Oregon’s economy is largely powered by various forms of agriculture, fishing, and hydroelectric power. Oregon is also the top lumber producer of the contiguous United States, with the lumber industry dominating the state’s economy during the 20th century. Technology is another one of Oregon’s major economic forces, beginning in the 1970s with the establishment of the Silicon Forest and the expansion of Tektronix and Intel. Sportswear company Nike, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, is the state’s largest public corporation with an annual revenue of $30.6 billion.

OREGON TERRITORIES.

Oregon is 295 miles (475 km) north to south at longest distance, and 395 miles (636 km) east to west. With an area of 98,381 square miles (254,810 km2), Oregon is slightly larger than the United Kingdom. It is the ninth largest state in the United States. Oregon’s highest point is the summit of Mount Hood, at 11,249 feet (3,429 m), and its lowest point is the sea level of the Pacific Ocean along the Oregon Coast. Oregon’s mean elevation is 3,300 feet (1,006 m). Crater Lake National Park, the state’s only national park, is the site of the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 feet (592 m). Oregon claims the D River as the shortest river in the world, though the state of Montana makes the same claim of its Roe River. Oregon is also home to Mill Ends Park (in Portland), the smallest park in the world at 452 square inches (0.29 m2). Oregon is split into eight geographical regions. In Western Oregon: Oregon Coast (west of the Coast Range), the Willamette Valley, Rogue Valley, Cascade Range and Klamath Mountains; and in Central and Eastern Oregon: the Columbia Plateau, the High Desert, and the Blue Mountains.

Oregon lies in two time zones. Most of Malheur County is in the Mountain Time Zone, while the rest of the state lies in the Pacific Time Zone. Western Oregon’s mountainous regions, home to three of the most prominent mountain peaks of the United States including Mount Hood, were formed by the volcanic activity of the Juan de Fuca Plate, a tectonic plate that poses a continued threat of volcanic activity and earthquakes in the region. The most recent major activity was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake. Washington’s Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, an event visible from northern Oregon and affecting some areas there. The Columbia River, which forms much of Oregon’s northern border, also played a major role in the region’s geological evolution, as well as its economic and cultural development. The Columbia is one of North America’s largest rivers, and one of two rivers to cut through the Cascades (the Klamath River in southern Oregon is the other). About 15,000 years ago, the Columbia repeatedly flooded much of Oregon during the Missoula Floods; the modern fertility of the Willamette Valley is largely the result. Plentiful salmon made parts of the river, such as Celilo Falls, hubs of economic activity for thousands of years.

LIST OF GOVERNORS OF OREGON

Champoeg Meetings

The Champoeg Meetings, including a constitutional committee, held from February 1841 until May 1843, served as a de facto government before the government was officially established. While early attempts at establishing a government had been unsuccessful because of discontent between English American and French-Canadian settlers over the question, whom they should choose as governor, several other officers were elected at these meetings, including the position of Supreme Judge as the highest position at the second meeting. For lack of a government the Supreme Judge also received executive and legislative duties and was mostly chosen as the chairman of the following meetings:

Executive Term start Term end
  Chairman Jason Lee February 17, 1841
  Chairman David Leslie February 18, 1841
1   Supreme Judge Ira Babcock February 18, 1841 May 2, 1843
Vacant May 2, 1843 July 5, 1843

Provisional Government

The meetings at Champoeg led up to the first constitution of the Oregon Country and several petitions for U.S. territorial status. The resulting acts also created this body as a provisional government for the region. The first executives of this government were a three-person, elected committee known as the executive committee. In 1845, elections for a chief executive were held. The first person in Oregon to hold the title of governor was George Abernethy, a prominent businessman.

Executive Term start Term end
1   First Executive Committee
David Hill • Alanson Beers • Joseph Gale
July 5, 1843 May 14, 1844
2   Second Executive Committee
Peter G. Stewart • Osborne Russell • William J. Bailey
May 14, 1844 June 3, 1845
3   George Abernethy June 3, 1845 March 3, 1849[6]

Governors of the Territory of Oregon

Oregon became a U.S. Territory in 1848. Like most other U.S. territorial governments, Oregon’s territorial governor was appointed by the President of the United States. As transportation and communications were not as reliable or as fast as 21st-century methods, there were times when a departing governor left office and a new governor could not yet take over. This resulted in several local individuals acting as territorial governor until the new executive was appointed and arrived to take office. President Polk initially appointed Brigadier General James Shields to be Oregon’s first territorial governor and Shields was confirmed by the Senate, but he declined the position and Joseph Lane was appointed in his place.

  Democratic (3)       Whig (1)
Governor Took office Left office Appointed by Party
1     Joseph Lane
    December 14, 1801 – April 19, 1881   
(aged 79)
March 3, 1849 June 18, 1850 James K. Polk Democratic
    Kintzing Prichette
    June 24, 1800 – April 12, 1869   
(aged 68)
June 18, 1850 August 18, 1850 Acting Governor Democratic
2     John P. Gaines
    September 22, 1795 – December 9, 1857   
(aged 62)
August 18, 1850 May 16, 1853 Millard Fillmore Whig
    Joseph Lane
    December 14, 1801 – April 19, 1881   
(aged 79)
May 16, 1853 May 19, 1853 Acting Governor Democratic
    George Law Curry
    July 2, 1820 – July 28, 1878   
(aged 58)
May 19, 1853 December 2, 1853 Acting Governor Democratic
3     John W. Davis
    April 16, 1799 – August 22, 1859   
(aged 60)
December 2, 1853 August 1, 1854 Franklin Pierce Democratic
4     George Law Curry
    July 2, 1820 – July 28, 1878   
(aged 58)
August 1, 1854 March 3, 1859 Franklin Pierce Democratic

Governors of the State of Oregon

  Democratic (16)       Republican (19)       Independent (1)
Governor Took office Left office Party Terms
[note 1]
1     John Whiteaker
    May 4, 1820 – October 2, 1902   
(aged 82)
March 3, 1859 September 10, 1862 Democratic 1
2     A. C. Gibbs
    July 9, 1825 – December 29, 1886   
(aged 61)
September 10, 1862 September 12, 1866 Republican 1
3     George Lemuel Woods
    July 30, 1832 – January 7, 1890   
(aged 57)
September 12, 1866 September 14, 1870 Republican 1
4     La Fayette Grover
    November 29, 1823 – May 10, 1911   
(aged 87)
September 14, 1870 February 1, 1877 Democratic 1+12
[note 2]
5     Stephen F. Chadwick
    December 25, 1825 – January 15, 1895   
(aged 69)
February 1, 1877 September 11, 1878 Democratic 12
6     W. W. Thayer
    July 15, 1827 – October 15, 1899   
(aged 72)
September 11, 1878 September 13, 1882 Democratic 1
7     Zenas Ferry Moody
    May 27, 1832 – March 14, 1917   
(aged 84)
September 13, 1882 January 12, 1887 Republican 1
8     Sylvester Pennoyer
    July 6, 1831 – May 30, 1902   
(aged 70)
January 12, 1887 January 14, 1895 Democratic-Populist 2
9     William Paine Lord
    July 20, 1838 – February 17, 1911   
(aged 72)
January 14, 1895 January 9, 1899 Republican 1
10     Theodore Thurston Geer
    March 12, 1851 – February 21, 1924   
(aged 72)
January 9, 1899 January 15, 1903 Republican 1
11     George Earle Chamberlain
    January 1, 1854 – July 9, 1928   
(aged 74)
January 15, 1903 March 1, 1909 Democratic 1+13
[note 2]
12     Frank W. Benson
    March 20, 1858 – April 14, 1911   
(aged 53)
March 1, 1909 June 17, 1910 Republican 13
[note 3]
13     Jay Bowerman
    August 15, 1876 – October 25, 1957   
(aged 81)
June 17, 1910 January 11, 1911 Republican 13
14     Oswald West
    May 20, 1873 – August 22, 1960   
(aged 87)
January 11, 1911 January 12, 1915 Democratic 1
15     James Withycombe
    March 21, 1854 – March 3, 1919   
(aged 64)
January 12, 1915 March 3, 1919 Republican 1+12
[note 4]
16     Ben W. Olcott
    October 15, 1872 – July 21, 1952   
(aged 79)
March 3, 1919 January 8, 1923 Republican 12
17     Walter M. Pierce
    May 30, 1861 – March 27, 1954   
(aged 92)
January 8, 1923 January 10, 1927 Democratic 1
18     I. L. Patterson
    September 17, 1859 – December 21, 1929   
(aged 70)
January 10, 1927 December 21, 1929 Republican 12
[note 4]
19     A. W. Norblad
    March 19, 1881 – April 17, 1960   
(aged 79)
December 21, 1929 January 12, 1931 Republican 12
20     Julius Meier
    December 31, 1874 – July 14, 1937   
(aged 62)
January 12, 1931 January 14, 1935 Independent 1
21     Charles H. Martin
    October 1, 1863 – September 22, 1946   
(aged 82)
January 14, 1935 January 9, 1939 Democratic 1
22     Charles A. Sprague
    November 12, 1887 – March 13, 1969   
(aged 81)
January 9, 1939 January 11, 1943 Republican 1
23     Earl Snell
    July 11, 1895 – October 28, 1947   
(aged 52)
January 11, 1943 October 30, 1947 Republican 1+13
[note 4]
24     John Hubert Hall
    February 7, 1899 – November 14, 1970   
(aged 71)
October 30, 1947 January 10, 1949 Republican 13
25     Douglas McKay
    June 24, 1893 – July 22, 1959   
(aged 66)
January 10, 1949 December 27, 1952 Republican 13 + 12
[note 5]
26     Paul L. Patterson
    July 18, 1900 – January 31, 1956   
(aged 55)
December 27, 1952 February 1, 1956 Republican 12 + 13
[note 4]
27     Elmo Smith
    November 19, 1909 – July 15, 1968   
(aged 58)
February 1, 1956 January 14, 1957 Republican 13
28     Robert D. Holmes
    May 11, 1909 – June 6, 1976   
(aged 67)
January 14, 1957 January 12, 1959 Democratic 13
29     Mark Hatfield
    July 12, 1922 – August 7, 2011   
(aged 89)
January 12, 1959 January 9, 1967 Republican 2
30     Tom McCall
    March 22, 1913 – January 8, 1983   
(aged 69)
January 9, 1967 January 13, 1975 Republican 2
31     Robert W. Straub
    May 6, 1920 – November 27, 2002   
(aged 82)
January 13, 1975 January 8, 1979 Democratic 1
32     Victor Atiyeh
    February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014   
(aged 91)
January 8, 1979 January 12, 1987 Republican 2
33     Neil Goldschmidt
    June 16, 1940 (age 82)
January 12, 1987 January 14, 1991 Democratic 1
34     Barbara Roberts
    December 21, 1936 (age 85)
January 14, 1991 January 9, 1995 Democratic 1
35     John Kitzhaber
    March 5, 1947 (age 75)
January 9, 1995 January 13, 2003 Democratic 2
36     Ted Kulongoski
    November 5, 1940 (age 81)
January 13, 2003 January 10, 2011 Democratic 2
37     John Kitzhaber
    March 5, 1947 (age 75)
January 10, 2011 February 18, 2015 Democratic 1+12
[note 6]
[note 7]
38     Kate Brown
    June 21, 1960 (age 62)
February 18, 2015 Incumbent
[note 8]
Democratic 1+12

MEMBERS OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE U.S. HOUSE FROM OREGON.

The following is an alphabetical list of members of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Oregon. For chronological tables of members of both houses of the United States Congress from the state (through the present day), see United States congressional delegations from Oregon. The list of names is complete, but other data may be incomplete. It includes members who have represented both the state and the territory, both past and present.

List of representatives

Representative Party District Years Note
Homer D. Angell Republican 3rd January 3, 1939 –
January 3, 1955
Elected in 1938.
Lost renomination to Tom McCall.
Les AuCoin Democratic 1st January 3, 1975 –
January 3, 1993
Elected in 1974.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
Cliff Bentz Republican 2nd January 3, 2021 –
Present
Elected in 2020.
Incumbent.
Earl Blumenauer Democratic 3rd May 21, 1996 –
Present
Elected to finish Wyden’s term.
Incumbent,.
Suzanne Bonamici Democratic 1st January 31, 2012 –
Present
Elected to finish Wu’s term.
Incumbent.
Jim Bunn Republican 5th January 3, 1995 –
January 3, 1997
Elected in 1994.
Lost re-election to Hooley.
Robert R. Butler Republican 2nd November 6, 1928 –
January 7, 1933
Elected to finish Sinnott’s term.
Lost re-election and died before next term began.
Wes Cooley Republican 2nd January 3, 1995 –
January 3, 1997
Elected in 1994.
Renominated but withdrew prior to election.
Sam Coon Republican 2nd January 3, 1953 –
January 3, 1957
Elected in 1952.
Lost re-election to Ullman.
Maurice E. Crumpacker Republican 3rd March 4, 1925 –
July 24, 1927
Elected in 1924.
Died.
Peter DeFazio Democratic 4th January 3, 1987 –
Present
Elected in 1986.
Incumbent.
John R. Dellenback Republican 4th January 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1975
Elected in 1966.
Lost re-election to Weaver.
Robert B. Duncan Democratic 4th January 3, 1963 –
January 3, 1967
Elected in 1962.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
3rd January 3, 1975 –
January 3, 1981
Elected in 1974.
Lost renomination to Wyden.
Edwin R. Durno Republican 4th January 3, 1961 –
January 3, 1963
Elected in 1960.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
William A. Ekwall Republican 3rd January 3, 1935 –
January 3, 1937
Elected in 1934.
Lost re-election to Honeyman.
William R. Ellis Republican 2nd March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1899
Elected in 1892.
Lost renomination to Moody.
March 4, 1907 –
March 3, 1911
Elected in 1906.
Lost renomination to Lafferty.
Harris Ellsworth Republican 4th January 3, 1943 –
January 3, 1957
Elected in 1942.
Lost re-election to Porter.
Elizabeth Furse Democratic 1st January 3, 1993 –
January 3, 1999
Elected in 1992.
Retired.
Melvin C. George Republican At-large March 4, 1881 –
March 3, 1885
Elected in 1880.
Retired.
Edith Green Democratic 3rd January 3, 1955 –
December 31, 1974
Elected in 1954.
Retired and resigned early.
La Fayette Grover Democratic At-large February 15, 1859 –
March 3, 1859
Elected in 1858.
Retired.
Willis C. Hawley Republican 1st March 4, 1907 –
March 3, 1933
Elected in 1906.
Lost renomination to Mott.
James H.D. Henderson Republican At-large March 4, 1865 –
March 3, 1867
Elected in 1864.
Lost renomination to Mallory.
Binger Hermann Republican At-large March 4, 1885 –
March 3, 1893
Elected in 1884.
Redistricted to the 1st district.
1st March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1897
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1892.
Resigned to become Commissioner of the General Land Office.
June 1, 1903 –
March 3, 1907
Elected to finish Tongue’s term.
Retired.
Nan Wood Honeyman Democratic 3rd January 3, 1937 –
January 3, 1939
Elected in 1936.
Lost re-election to Angell.
Darlene Hooley Democratic 5th January 3, 1997 –
January 3, 2009
Elected in 1996.
Retired.
Michael J. Kopetski Democratic 5th January 3, 1991 –
January 3, 1995
Elected in 1990.
Retired.
Franklin F. Korell Republican 3rd October 18, 1927 –
March 3, 1931
Elected to finish Crumpacker’s term.
Lost re-election to Martin.
George A. La Dow Democratic At-large March 4, 1875 –
May 1, 1875
Elected in 1874.
Died.
Walter Lafferty Republican 2nd March 4, 1911 –
March 3, 1913
Elected in 1910.
Redistricted to the 3rd district.
3rd March 4, 1913 –
March 3, 1915
Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1912.
Lost renomination to McArthur.
Joseph Lane Democratic Oregon Territory March 4, 1851 –
February 14, 1859
Elected in 1851
Retired to run for U.S. senator upon statehood.
Lafayette Lane Democratic At-large October 25, 1875 –
March 3, 1877
Elected to finish La Dow’s term.
Lost re-election to Williams.
Rufus Mallory Republican At-large March 4, 1867 –
March 3, 1869
Elected in 1866.
Retired.
Charles H. Martin Democratic 3rd March 4, 1931 –
January 3, 1935
Elected in 1930.
Retired to run for governor.
Clifton N. McArthur Republican 3rd March 4, 1915 –
March 3, 1923
Elected in 1914.
Lost re-election to Watkins.
John R. McBride Republican At-large March 4, 1863 –
March 3, 1865
Elected in 1862.
Lost renomination to Henderson.
Malcolm A. Moody Republican 2nd March 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1903
Elected in 1898.
Lost renomination to Williamson.
James W. Mott Republican 1st March 4, 1933 –
November 12, 1945
Elected in 1932.
Died.
James W. Nesmith Democratic At-large December 1, 1873 –
March 3, 1875
Elected to finish Wilson’s term.
Retired.
A. Walter Norblad Republican 1st January 18, 1946 –
September 20, 1964
Elected to finish Mott’s term.
Died.
Walter M. Pierce Democratic 2nd March 4, 1933 –
January 3, 1943
Elected in 1932.
Lost re-election to Stockman.
Charles O. Porter Democratic 4th January 3, 1957 –
January 3, 1961
Elected in 1956.
Lost re-election to Durno.
Kurt Schrader Democratic 5th January 3, 2009 –
Present
Elected in 2008.
Incumbent.
George K. Shiel Democratic At-large July 30, 1861 –
March 3, 1863
Won election contest.
Retired.
Nicholas J. Sinnott Republican 4th March 4, 1913 –
May 31, 1928
Elected in 1912.
Resigned to become judge to the U.S. Court of Claims.
James H. Slater Democratic At-large March 4, 1871 –
March 3, 1873
Elected in 1870.
Retired.
Denny Smith Republican 2nd January 3, 1981 –
January 3, 1983
Elected in 1980.
Redistricted to the 5th district.
5th January 3, 1983 –
January 3, 1991
Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1982.
Lost re-election to Kopetski.
Joseph S. Smith Democratic At-large March 4, 1869 –
March 3, 1871
Elected in 1868.
Retired.
Robert F. Smith Republican 2nd January 3, 1983 –
January 3, 1995
Elected in 1982.
Retired.
January 3, 1997 –
January 3, 1999
Elected in 1996.
Retired.
Lowell Stockman Republican 2nd January 3, 1943 –
January 3, 1953
Elected in 1942.
Retired.
Lansing Stout Democratic At-large March 4, 1859 –
March 3, 1861
Elected in 1858.
Lost renomination to Thayer.
Andrew J. Thayer Democratic At-large March 4, 1861 –
July 30, 1861
Elected in 1860.
Lost election contest to Shiel.
Samuel Thurston Democratic Oregon Territory March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1851
Elected in 1849
Died.
Thomas H. Tongue Republican 1st March 4, 1897 –
January 11, 1903
Elected in 1896.
Re-elected but died before next term began.
Al Ullman Democratic 2nd January 3, 1957 –
January 3, 1981
Elected in 1956.
Lost re-election to D. Smith.
Greg Walden Republican 2nd January 3, 1999 –
January 3, 2021
Elected in 1998.
Retired.
Elton Watkins Democratic 3rd March 4, 1923 –
March 3, 1925
Elected in 1922.
Lost re-election to Crumpacker.
James H. Weaver Democratic 4th January 3, 1975 –
January 3, 1987
Elected in 1974.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
John Whiteaker Democratic At-large March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1881
Elected in 1878.
Lost re-election to George.
Richard Williams Republican At-large March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1879
Elected in 1876.
Retired.
John N. Williamson Republican 2nd March 4, 1903 –
March 3, 1907
Elected in 1902
Retired.
Joseph G. Wilson Republican At-large March 4, 1873 –
July 2, 1873
Elected in 1872.
Died.
David Wu Democratic 1st January 3, 1999 –
August 3, 2011
Elected in 1998.
Resigned due to sexual misconduct accusation.
Wendell Wyatt Republican 1st November 3, 1964 –
January 3, 1975
Elected to finish Norblad’s term.
Retired.
Ron Wyden Democratic 3rd January 3, 1981 –
February 5, 1996
Elected in 1980.
Resigned when elected U.S. senator.