George Abernethy: Difference between revisions

George Abernethy
George Abernethy
Governor of the Provisional Government of Oregon
	In office; June 3, 1845 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by	Second Executive Committee
Succeeded by	Position dissolved (Joseph Lane as territorial governor)
Constituency	Oregon Country
Personal details
Born	October 7, 1807; New York City, U.S.
Died	March 2, 1877 (aged 69); Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Spouse	Anne Pope
Occupation	Merchant, politician

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George Abernethy (October 7, 1807 – March 2, 1877) was an American politician, pioneer, notable entrepreneur, and first governor of Oregon under the provisional government based in the Willamette Valley, an area later a part of the American state of Oregon. He traveled to Oregon Country as a secular member of the Methodist mission, where he became involved in politics and helped found the first American newspaper west of the Rocky Mountains.

Early life

Abernethy was born on October 7, 1807, in New York City to shoemaker William Abernethy and an unidentified mother.^[1]^[2] He was of Scottish descent. He received his education in New York as well as learning the commercial trade.^[1] In 1830, Abernethy married Anne Pope.^[1] Missionary Jason Lee recruited Abernethy in 1839 to join him at the Methodist Mission in Oregon Country.^[1] He, his wife, and two children joined the Great Reinforcement that sailed on the ship Lausanne around Cape Horn to the Pacific Northwest.^[1]

Oregon

Arriving on June 1, 1840, Abernethy was placed in charge as Steward of the Oregon Mission,^[3] focusing on the Mission's mercantile business in Oregon City.^[1] His specific instructions from the Methodist board requested an annual

account of all the goods, merchandise, clothing, farming and mechanical utensils, the produce of the farms, and the mechanical shops, the stock on the farm at a fair valuation, together with the worth of the houses, barns, mills, and shops, or whatever else may belong to the Mission, and likewise charge to each member of the Mission family the article or articles he or she may take from the store or farms for his or her use ...^[3]

Among his early accomplishments were establishing the first newspaper (the Oregon Spectator) in the Oregon Territory and establishing good business relations with the British Hudson's Bay Company. Abernethy was also a member of the Oregon Lyceum in Oregon City.^[4] In 1842 he introduced a resolution there to hold off forming an independent country.^[4] This was adopted and counter-acted a resolution introduced by Dr. John McLoughlin of the HBC that had earlier been adopted by the Lyceum.^[4]

Governor

On June 3, 1845, Abernethy was elected to serve as Provisional Governor of the Oregon Country, defeating Osborne Russell, a member of the outgoing Executive Committee. Abernethy and his supporters were American loyalists who believed that the Provisional Government was strictly interim until the question of U.S. and British claims on the Oregon Country were finalized. Russell, however, headed up the "Independents" faction which wished to create a Republic of the Pacific.

As provisional governor, Abernethy worked to build roads, levied the first property taxes, and sent representatives of the Provisional Government to Washington, D.C., to lobby for official U.S. territorial status. He was reelected in 1847 with the endorsement of the influential Dr. John McLoughlin over Asa Lovejoy, co-founder of Portland.

Among the more interesting prerogatives of Abernethy was his solution to the shortage of U.S. currency throughout the territory. He and eight other leading citizens established the Oregon Exchange Company, which became the de facto territorial mint for a short time. The organization minted the now-rare five dollar and ten dollar "Beaver Coins", making Oregon one of the few U.S. territories to ever mint its own currency.

The Abernethy administration technically ended when efforts to gain territorial status came to fruition on August 14, 1848. President James K. Polk signed the Oregon Territory Act, and appointed General Joseph Lane as the first official territorial governor. Abernethy continued to carry out his duties until Governor Lane arrived at Oregon City March 3, 1849.

Later life and legacy

After leaving office, Abernethy continued doing well in his business. Among other things he served as the Oregon City agent for the pioneer steamer Lot Whitcomb, the first steam-powered vessel built on the Willamette River and the second one built in the entire Oregon Country. Abernethy's assets were destroyed during the flood of 1861. He moved to Portland shortly after. He died in 1877 at 70 years of age. Abernethy was buried at River View Cemetery.

Today, the Abernethy Bridge in Oregon City is named in his honor. The end of the Oregon Trail, also in Oregon City, lies near an area known as Abernethy Green. Several other public works (and natural features such as streams) in Oregon are also named in his honor; though several are given the variant spelling of Abernathy.

References

Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1963.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Corning, Howard M. Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.
^ Snavely, Kathryn D. (2000). "Abernethy, George". American National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0400003. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Gatke, Robert M. A Document of Mission History, 1833-43. Oregon Historical Quarterly 36, No. 1 (1935), pp. 71-94.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hines, Joseph Wilkinson. "CHAPTER VIII. The Provisional Government". Touching incidents in the life and labors of a pioneer on the Pacific coast since 1853. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-02-11.

External links

Oregon State Library: Governors of Oregon - Photograph and biography.
Life of George Abernethy - Biography on personal family genealogy site, extensively sourced.
"George Abernethy". The Oregon Encyclopedia.

Political offices
Preceded by Second Executive Committee¹	Governor of Provisional Government of Oregon 1845-1848	Succeeded by Joseph Lane
Notes and references
1. Executive committees were three-person boards which served as executives for a one-year term.

[Oregon-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Corning, Howard M. Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.

[2] Snavely, Kathryn D. (2000). "Abernethy, George". American National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0400003. Retrieved August 22, 2022.

[Gatke-3] Gatke, Robert M. A Document of Mission History, 1833-43. Oregon Historical Quarterly 36, No. 1 (1935), pp. 71-94.

[LOC-4] Hines, Joseph Wilkinson. "CHAPTER VIII. The Provisional Government". Touching incidents in the life and labors of a pioneer on the Pacific coast since 1853. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-02-11.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|American politician}}
-{{Infobox Politician
+{{Infobox officeholder
 | name          = George Abernethy
 | image         =George Abernethy.jpg
-| width         = 120px
 | caption       =
 | office        = Governor of the [[Provisional Government of Oregon]]
-| term_start    = 1845
+| term_start    = June 3, 1845
-| term_end      = 1849
+| term_end      = March 3, 1849
 | predecessor   = [[Executive Committee (Oregon Territory)|Second Executive Committee]]
 | successor     = Position dissolved ([[Joseph Lane]] as territorial governor)
@@ Line 19: / Line 20: @@
 | majority2     =
 | birth_date    = {{Birth date|1807|10|7|mf=y}}
-| birth_place   = New York City, New York
+| birth_place   = [[New York City]], U.S.
 | death_date    = {{death date and age|1877|03|2|1807|10|7}}
-| death_place   = [[Portland, Oregon]]
+| death_place   = [[Portland, Oregon]], U.S.
 | party         =
 | relations     =
@@ Line 33: / Line 34: @@
 | footnotes     =
 }}
-'''George Abernethy''' (October 7, 1807 – March 2, 1877) was an [[United States|American]] politician, pioneer, notable entrepreneur, and first [[governor of Oregon]] under the [[Provisional Government of Oregon|provisional government]] based in the [[Willamette Valley]], an area later a part of the American [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Oregon]]. He traveled to [[Oregon Country]] as a secular member of the [[Methodist mission]], where he became involved in politics and helped found the first American newspaper west of the Rocky Mountains.
+'''George Abernethy''' (October 7, 1807 – March 2, 1877) was an American politician, pioneer, notable entrepreneur, and first [[governor of Oregon]] under the [[Provisional Government of Oregon|provisional government]] based in the [[Willamette Valley]], an area later a part of the American [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Oregon]]. He traveled to [[Oregon Country]] as a secular member of the [[Methodist mission]], where he became involved in politics and helped found the first American newspaper west of the Rocky Mountains.
 ==Early life==
-Abernethy was born on October 7, 1807 in New York City.<ref name=Oregon>Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.</ref> He was of [[Scottish descent]]. He received his education in New York as well as learning the commercial trade.<ref name=Oregon/> In 1830, Abernethy married Anne Pope.<ref name=Oregon/> Missionary [[Jason Lee (missionary)|Jason Lee]] recruited Abernethy in 1839 to join him at the [[Methodist Mission]] in [[Oregon Country]].<ref name=Oregon/> He, his wife, and two children joined the Great Reinforcements that sailed on the ship ''[[Lausanne (ship)|Lausanne]]'' around [[Cape Horn]] to the Pacific Northwest.<ref name=Oregon/>
+Abernethy was born on October 7, 1807, in New York City to [[shoemaker]] William Abernethy and an unidentified mother.<ref name=Oregon>Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0400003 |title=Abernethy, George |last=Snavely |first=Kathryn D. |website=American National Biography |year=2000 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0400003 |access-date=August 22, 2022}}</ref> He was of [[Scottish descent]]. He received his education in New York as well as learning the commercial trade.<ref name=Oregon/> In 1830, Abernethy married Anne Pope.<ref name=Oregon/> Missionary [[Jason Lee (missionary)|Jason Lee]] recruited Abernethy in 1839 to join him at the [[Methodist Mission]] in [[Oregon Country]].<ref name=Oregon/> He, his wife, and two children joined the Great Reinforcement that sailed on the ship ''[[Lausanne (ship)|Lausanne]]'' around [[Cape Horn]] to the Pacific Northwest.<ref name=Oregon/>
 ==Oregon==
-Arriving on June 1, 1840, Abernethy was placed in charge as Steward of the Oregon Mission,<ref name=Gatke>Gatke, Robert M. ''A Document of Mission History, 1833-43.'' Oregon Historical Quarterly 36, No. 1 (1935), pp. 71-94.</ref> focusing on the Mission’s mercantile business in [[Oregon City, Oregon|Oregon City]].<ref name=Oregon/> His specific instructions from the Methodist board requested an annual <blockquote>"account of all the goods, merchandise, clothing, farming and mechanical utensils, the produce of the farms, and the mechanical shops, the stock on the farm at a fair valuation, together with the worth of the houses, barns, mills, and ships, or whatever else may belong to the Mission, and likewise charge to each member of the Mission family the article or articles he or she may take from the store or farms for his or her use..."<ref name=Gatke/></blockquote>
+Arriving on June 1, 1840, Abernethy was placed in charge as Steward of the Oregon Mission,<ref name=Gatke>Gatke, Robert M. ''A Document of Mission History, 1833-43.'' Oregon Historical Quarterly 36, No. 1 (1935), pp. 71-94.</ref> focusing on the Mission's mercantile business in [[Oregon City, Oregon|Oregon City]].<ref name=Oregon/> His specific instructions from the Methodist board requested an annual
+<blockquote>account of all the goods, merchandise, clothing, farming and mechanical utensils, the produce of the farms, and the mechanical shops, the stock on the farm at a fair valuation, together with the worth of the houses, barns, mills, and shops, or whatever else may belong to the Mission, and likewise charge to each member of the Mission family the article or articles he or she may take from the store or farms for his or her use ...<ref name=Gatke/></blockquote>
 Among his early accomplishments were establishing the first newspaper (the ''[[Oregon Spectator]]'') in the Oregon Territory and establishing good business relations with the British [[Hudson's Bay Company]]. Abernethy was also a member of the [[Oregon Lyceum]] in Oregon City.<ref name="LOC">{{cite web
   | last = Hines
   | first = Joseph Wilkinson
-  | authorlink =
-  | coauthors =
   | title = CHAPTER VIII. The Provisional Government.
   | work = Touching incidents in the life and labors of a pioneer on the Pacific coast since 1853
   | publisher = Library of Congress
-  | date =
   | url =  http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/calbk:@field(DOCID+@lit(calbk056div10))
-  | format =
+  | access-date = 2007-02-11 }}
-  | doi =
-  | accessdate = 2007-02-11 }}
 </ref> In 1842 he introduced a resolution there to hold off forming an independent country.<ref name="LOC"/> This was adopted and counter-acted a resolution introduced by Dr. [[John McLoughlin]] of the HBC that had earlier been adopted by the Lyceum.<ref name="LOC"/>
@@ Line 59: / Line 57: @@
 On June 3, 1845, Abernethy was elected to serve as [[Provisional Government of Oregon|Provisional]] Governor of the [[Oregon Country]], defeating [[Osborne Russell]], a member of the outgoing [[Executive Committee (Oregon Territory)|Executive Committee]]. Abernethy and his supporters were American loyalists who believed that the Provisional Government was strictly interim until the question of U.S. and British claims on the Oregon Country were finalized. Russell, however, headed up the "Independents" faction which wished to create a [[Republic of the Pacific]].
-As provisional governor, Abernethy worked to build roads, levied the first property taxes, and sent representatives of the Provisional Government to Washington, D.C. to lobby for official U.S. territorial status.  He was reelected in 1847 with the endorsement of the influential Dr. [[John McLoughlin]] over [[Asa Lovejoy]], co-founder of Portland.
+As provisional governor, Abernethy worked to build roads, levied the first property taxes, and sent representatives of the Provisional Government to Washington, D.C., to lobby for official U.S. territorial status.  He was reelected in 1847 with the endorsement of the influential Dr. [[John McLoughlin]] over [[Asa Lovejoy]], co-founder of Portland.
 Among the more interesting prerogatives of Abernethy was his solution to the shortage of U.S. currency  throughout the territory. He and eight other leading citizens established the [[Oregon Exchange Company]], which became the de facto territorial mint for a short time. The organization minted the now-rare five dollar and ten dollar "[[Beaver Coins]]", making Oregon one of the few U.S. territories to ever mint its own currency.
-The Abernethy administration technically ended when efforts to gain territorial status came to fruition on August 14, 1848. President [[James K. Polk]] signed the Oregon Territory Act, and appointed General [[Joseph Lane]] as the first official territorial governor. Abernethy continued to carry out his duties until Governor Lane arrived at Oregon City March 5, 1849.
+The Abernethy administration technically ended when efforts to gain territorial status came to fruition on August 14, 1848. President [[James K. Polk]] signed the Oregon Territory Act, and appointed General [[Joseph Lane]] as the first official territorial governor. Abernethy continued to carry out his duties until Governor Lane arrived at Oregon City March 3, 1849.
 ==Later life and legacy==
 [[Image:Advertisement for steamer Lot Whitcomb.jpg|thumb|left|Advertisement for steamer ''Lot Whitcomb'', naming George Abernethy as agent]]
-After leaving office, Abernethy continued doing well in his business.  Among other things he served as the Oregon City agent for the pioneer steamer [[Lot Whitcomb (sidewheeler)|''Lot Whitcomb'']], the first steam-powered vessel built on the Willamette River and the second one built in the entire [[Oregon Country]].  Abernethy's assets were destroyed during the [[Great Flood of 1862|flood of 1861]]. He moved to [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] shortly after. He died in 1877 at 70 years of age. Abernethy was buried at [[River View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon)|River View Cemetery]].<ref>[http://www.findagrave.com/php/famous.php?page=cem&FScemeteryid=39345 Find-A-Grave]</ref>
+After leaving office, Abernethy continued doing well in his business.  Among other things he served as the Oregon City agent for the pioneer steamer [[Lot Whitcomb (sidewheeler)|''Lot Whitcomb'']], the first steam-powered vessel built on the Willamette River and the second one built in the entire [[Oregon Country]].  Abernethy's assets were destroyed during the [[Great Flood of 1862|flood of 1861]]. He moved to [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] shortly after. He died in 1877 at 70 years of age. Abernethy was buried at [[River View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon)|River View Cemetery]].
 Today, the [[Abernethy Bridge]] in Oregon City is named in his honor.  The end of the [[Oregon Trail]], also in [[Oregon City, Oregon|Oregon City]], lies near an area known as Abernethy Green.  Several other public works (and natural features such as streams) in [[Oregon]] are also named in his honor; though several are given the variant spelling of '''Abernathy'''.
+{{clear}}
+==See also==
+*[[Oregon Rifles]]
 ==References==
 *''Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896.'' Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1963.
-{{Reflist}}
+{{reflist|30em}}
 ==Further reading==
-*Klooster, Karl.  ''Round the Roses II: More Past Portland Perspectives'', pg. 95, 1992 ISBN 0-9619847-1-6
+*Klooster, Karl.  ''Round the Roses II: More Past Portland Perspectives'', pg. 95, 1992 {{ISBN|0-9619847-1-6}}
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.osl.state.or.us/home/lib/governors/ga.htm Oregon State Library: Governors of Oregon] - Photograph and biography.
+{{commons category}}
+{{Wikiquote}}
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060923162317/http://www.osl.state.or.us/home/lib/governors/ga.htm Oregon State Library: Governors of Oregon] - Photograph and biography.
 *[http://www.open.org/~glennab/lifeofgeorgeabernethy.htm Life of George Abernethy] - Biography on personal family genealogy site, extensively sourced.
 *{{Oregon Encyclopedia|abernethy_george_1807_1877_}}
@@ Line 99: / Line 106: @@
 {{Authority control}}
-{{Persondata
-| NAME              =Abernethy, George
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Merchant and politician
-| DATE OF BIRTH     =October 7, 1807
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =New York City, New York
-| DATE OF DEATH     =March 2, 1877
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =[[Portland, Oregon]]
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Abernethy, George}}
 [[Category:1807 births]]
 [[Category:1877 deaths]]
 [[Category:Governors of Oregon Territory]]
-[[Category:Methodist Mission]]
+[[Category:Methodist Mission in Oregon]]
 [[Category:American people of Scottish descent]]
-[[Category:People from New York City]]
+[[Category:Politicians from New York City]]
-[[Category:Methodist missionaries]]
+[[Category:Methodist missionaries in the United States]]
-[[Category:Christian missionaries in the United States]]
 [[Category:Politicians from Portland, Oregon]]
-[[Category:People from Oregon City, Oregon]]
+[[Category:Politicians from Oregon City, Oregon]]
 [[Category:Members of the Provisional Government of Oregon]]
 [[Category:American Methodist missionaries]]
 [[Category:Burials at River View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon)]]
 [[Category:Oregon pioneers]]
+[[Category:19th-century American politicians]]

v t e Governors of Oregon
Provisional (1843–1849)	Executive Committee Abernethy
Territorial (1849–1859)	Lane Prichette Gaines Davis Curry
State (since 1859)	Whiteaker Gibbs Woods Grover Chadwick Thayer Moody Pennoyer Lord Geer Chamberlain Benson Bowerman West Withycombe Olcott Pierce I. Patterson Norblad Meier Martin Sprague Snell Hall McKay P. Patterson Smith Holmes Hatfield McCall Straub Atiyeh Goldschmidt Roberts Kitzhaber Kulongoski Kitzhaber Brown Kotek

v t e Pioneer history of Oregon (1806–1890)
Topics	American Fur Company Columbian exchange Executive Committee Ferries Hudson's Bay Company Oregon & California Railroad Oregon boundary dispute Oregon Country Oregon Lyceum Oregon missionaries Oregon Spectator Oregon Territory Oregon Trail Oregon Treaty Organic Laws Pacific Fur Company Provisional Government
Events	Treaty of 1818 Russo-American Treaty of 1824 Willamette Cattle Company Champoeg Meetings Star of Oregon Whitman massacre Cayuse War Donation Land Claim Act Holmes v. Ford Rogue River Wars Constitutional Convention Modoc War Great Gale of 1880
Places	Albina Applegate Trail Barlow Road Canemah Champoeg Elliott Cutoff Fort Astoria Fort Dalles Fort Vancouver Fort William French Prairie Linn City Meek Cutoff Methodist Mission Oregon City Oregon Institute Philip Foster Farm Thomas and Ruckle Road Tualatin Academy Whitman Mission Willamette Trading Post
People	George Abernethy Jesse Applegate Ira Babcock Sam Barlow François Blanchet William H. Boring Elijah Bristow Tabitha Brown Matthew Deady Abigail Scott Duniway Thomas Lamb Eliot Philip Foster Peter French Joseph Gale Cornelius Gilliam David Hill Chief Joseph Joseph Kellogg H.A.G. Lee Jason Lee David Thomas Lenox Asa Lovejoy Morton M. McCarver John McLoughlin Joseph Meek Ezra Meeker James D. Miller John Minto Robert Newell Joel Palmer Osborne Russell Sager orphans Levi Scott Eliza Hart Spalding Henry Spalding William Vandevert Elijah White Marcus Whitman Narcissa Whitman Geo. H. Williams Ewing Young
Transportation	Columbia Lot Whitcomb Canemah Colonel Wright Gazelle Oregon Steam Navigation Company
Oregon history	Native peoples history History to 1806 Pioneer history Modern history

v t e Steamboats of the Willamette River
Particular vessels	Columbia (1850) Lot Whitcomb (1850) Black Hawk (1851) Canemah (1851) Multnomah (1851) Washington (1851) Oregon (1852) Shoalwater (1852) Belle (1853) Fenix (1853) Portland (1853) Wallamet (1853) Gazelle (1854) Enterprise (1855) Jennie Clark (1855) Franklin (1855) Señorita (1855) James Clinton (1856) Elk (1857) Minnie Holmes (1857) Swan (1857) Surprise (1857) Cowlitz (1858) Onward (1858) Carrie Ladd (1858) Relief (1858) Moose (1859) Rival (1860) Unio /Union (1861) Enterprise (1863) Senator (1864) Alert (1865) Active (1865) Echo (1865) Fannie Patton (1865) Shoshone (1866) Minnehaha (186) Onward (1867) Albany (1868) Dayton (1868) Wenat (1868) Shoo Fly (1870) Alice (1871) Beaver (1873) Gov. Grover (1873) Willamette Chief (1874) Occident (1875) Orient (1875) O&CRR Ferry No. 2 (1879) Manzanillo (1881) Three Sisters (1886) N.S. Bentley (1886) Altona (1890) Elwood (1891) Northwest (1891) Ramona (1892) Grey Eagle ((1894) Ruth (1895) Pomona (1898) America (1899) Leona (1899) Bonita (1900) Oregona (1904) Gazelle (1905) Grahamona (1912) Nespelem (1918) Robert Young (1920) Portland (1947)
Portages, locks, and canals	Willamette Falls Locks Yamhill River lock and dam
Steamboat lines	Upper Willamette Transportation Line (1859) Oregon Steam Navigation Company (1860) People's Transportation Company (1861) Willamette Steam Navigation Company (1865) Oregon Pacific Railroad (1880)
Geographic features	Willamette River Willamette Falls Yamhill River Oswego Lake Tualatin River
Owners and personnel	George Abernethy John T. Apperson Charles H. Bennett John H. Couch John Gates Bernard Goldsmith Joseph Kellogg James D. Miller George A. Pease Riley E. Stratton
Builders and shipyards	Canemah Willamette Iron Works
Shipwrecks	Elk Gazelle Portland Senator
Other areas	Columbia River Oregon Coast Yaquina Bay and river Coquille River Cowlitz River Puget Sound Lake Washington Grays Harbor Chehalis River Hoquiam River Willapa Bay Columbia River (Wenatchee Reach) Lake Crescent Arrow Lakes Upper Fraser River Skeena River

Authority control databases
International	VIAF FAST WorldCat
National	United States
Other	SNAC