Columbia Lancaster (August 26, 1803 – September 15, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the first
Delegate
Delegate or delegates may refer to:
* Delegate, New South Wales, a town in Australia
* Delegate (CLI), a computer programming technique
* Delegate (American politics), a representative in any of various political organizations
* Delegate (Unit ...
from the
Territory of Washington
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...
to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
.
Biography
Early life
Columbia Lancaster was born in
New Milford, Connecticut
New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is in western Connecticut, north of Danbury, on the banks of the Housatonic River, and it shares its border with the northeastern shore of Candlewood Lake. It is t ...
, on August 26, 1803. Lancaster moved with his family to
Canfield, Ohio
Canfield is a city in central Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. The population was 7,699 as of the 2020 census. A suburb about southwest of Youngstown, the city lies at the intersection of U.S. Routes 62 and 224 and is part of the Young ...
, in 1817. There he attended the common schools before he moved to
Detroit, Michigan Territory, in 1824.
[United States Congress, Office of the Historian]
"Columbia Lancaster (1803-1893),"
''Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress, 1774-Present,'' www.bioguide.congress.gov/ In Canfield, he met and married Roseanne Jones. In Michigan he studied law and was
admitted to the bar
An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
in 1830 and commenced practice in
Centreville, Michigan
Centreville is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Joseph County. The population was 1,425 at the 2010 census.
History
Centreville developed around a tavern founded there in 1831 by European-American settler, T ...
.
Politics
He was appointed prosecuting attorney of Michigan Territory by Governor
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was an American military officer, politician, and statesman. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He w ...
.
He served in the
Michigan House of Representatives
The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...
in 1838.
He settled in the
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley ( ) is a long valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the east, ...
, in
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 1847.
He served as Supreme Judge of the
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected settler government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Its formation had been advanced at the Champoeg Meetings since February 17, 1841, a ...
from 1847 to the end of that government in 1849.
He took up his residence near the mouth of the
Lewis River,
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Ori ...
(present-day
State of Washington
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for Delegate to the
Thirty-first Congress from Oregon before the separation of the Territories of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
and Oregon.
Lancaster served as member of the
Oregon Territorial Council (Senate) from 1850 to 1852.
During the tumultuous 1851-52 session of the Oregon Territorial Legislature Lancaster gave his allegiance to a rump group consisting of four members of the House who refused to participate with the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
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*Demo ...
majority in session at
Salem.
[Hubert Howe Bancroft, ''The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft: Volume XXX: History of Oregon: Volume II, 1848-1888.'' San Francisco, CA: The History Company, 1888; pg. 161.] Lancaster was the sole member of the Council who attempted to establish this minority faction as the legitimate Oregon Territorial Legislature in a session held at the Territorial Library in Oregon City.
The rival minority assembly continued to meet in Oregon City for two weeks, marked by the spectacle of Lancaster making and seconding his own motions in the "Council" himself.
Lancaster resigned his Council seat in the fall of 1852 and was replaced at a special election held December 7 of that year.
When the
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...
was admitted to representation, he was elected as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
to the
Thirty-third Congress and served from April 12, 1854 to March 3, 1855.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination.
Later life
Lancaster was regent of the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...
in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
in 1862.
He was also connected with the Puget Sound & Columbia River Railroad project in 1862.
Death and legacy
Lancaster died in
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, located in Clark County. Incorporated in 1857, Vancouver has a population of 190,915 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Was ...
, on September 15, 1893, and his body was interred in the City Cemetery.
Lancaster Lake, just north of
Ridgefield, Washington
Ridgefield is a city in northern Clark County, Washington, Clark County, Washington (state), Washington. The population was 10,319 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 4,763 in 2010 United States census, 2010, making ...
, is named in his honor.
[Pat Jolotta, ''Naming Clark County.'' Vancouver, WA: Fort Vancouver Historical Society, 1993; pg. 33.] His
house in Ridgefield survives and is listed on the NRHP.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lancaster, Columbia
1803 births
1893 deaths
Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court
Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Washington Territory
Washington (state) Democrats
Members of the Oregon Territorial Legislature
Members of the Michigan House of Representatives
19th-century American politicians
People from New Milford, Connecticut
People from Canfield, Ohio
People from Centreville, Michigan
People from Ridgefield, Washington
19th-century American judges