Aaron E. Waite (December 26, 1813 – December 12, 1898) was an American judge and politician. He was the 4th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court serving from 1859 to 1862. He was the first chief justice after Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859. A Massachusetts native, Waite also served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature.

Early life

Aaron Waite (sometimes spelled "Wait") was born on December 26, 1813, in Franklin County, Massachusetts, where he was raised by his grandfather and an uncle.Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956. His father had died as a soldier in the War of 1812.Clatsop County District Court Judges.
Oregon Judicial Department. Retrieved on January 20, 2008. At the age of 14 he became an apprentice broom maker, working for four years until also enrolling in school for two years. Waite then moved to New York at the age of 20. Once there he taught as an assistant teacher on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

at Flatbush in Erasmus Hall. Waite then returned to Massachusetts before moving west in 1837 and settled in Michigan. He settled in Centreville where he studied law under judge

Columbia Lancaster Columbia Lancaster (August 26, 1803 – September 15, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the first Delegate from the Territory of Washington to the United States House of Representatives. Biography Early life Columbia Lanc ...

and was admitted to the bar in 1842. Later he became the military secretary for governor

John S. Barry John Stewart Barry (January 29, 1802– January 14, 1870) was the fourth and eighth governor of Michigan. He was Michigan's only three-term governor in the 19th century. His main accomplishment was to rationalize state finances after the state's ...

of Michigan.

Oregon

In 1847, Waite headed to the

Oregon Country Oregon Country was a large region of the Pacific Northwest of North America that was subject to a long dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States in the early 19th century. The area, which had been created by the Treaty of 1818, co ...

in a wagon train of 40 wagons. This included Judge Lancaster and Lancaster's family. Once in Oregon he set up a law practice in Oregon City, Oregon, and worked on the '' Oregon Spectator'' newspaper. Waite then fought in the Cayuse War before leaving for the gold fields of California in 1849, only to return within a few years.

Politics

Upon returning he was elected as a commissioner to audit the claims from the Cayuse War. Then in 1852 he served in the Oregon Territory House of Representatives. Following an absence from the legislature he returned as a member of the upper chamber Council in 1857 and 1858 serving as a Democrat. In 1858 he ran and was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court. Prior to this the judges were appointed by the

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

as Oregon was still a territory. Wait's term began in 1859 and he served on the state's highest court until resigning on May 1, 1862. During that same time he served as the chief justice of the court. In July 1867, Waite was elected mayor by the

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

city council following the death of

Thomas J. Holmes Thomas J. Holmes (c. 1819 – June 18, 1867) was the mayor of Portland, Oregon, United States from 1866 to 1867. He was born in Suffolk, England, and emigrated to the United States in 1837. He lived in New Jersey until 1852, when he moved we ...

, who had died the morning after his election. Waite declined the nomination due to ill health and J. A. Chapman was elected instead.

Later years

Waite married twice and had a total of six children, of which both of his wives and four of the children died before him. After serving on the court he retired to his farm that was located in Clackamas County. In 1891 he moved to Portland, Oregon, with most of his time in retirement spent managing his land holdings in the Pacific Northwest. Aaron E. Waite died on his farm near Canby on December 12, 1898, at the age of 84.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waite, Aaron E. 1813 births 1898 deaths Members of the Oregon Territorial Legislature 19th-century American politicians Chief Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court People from Franklin County, Massachusetts Oregon Democrats People from Oregon City, Oregon People from Centreville, Michigan Politicians from Portland, Oregon People from Canby, Oregon 19th-century American judges Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court