George Law Curry (July 2, 1820 – July 28, 1878) was a predominant American political figure and newspaper publisher in the region that eventually became the state of Oregon. A native of Pennsylvania, he published a newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri, before traveling the Oregon Trail to the unorganized

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 ...

. A Democrat, Curry served in the new Oregon Territory's government as a representative to the legislature and as Territorial Secretary before appointment as the last Governor of the Oregon Territory. Curry County in Southern Oregon is named in his honor.

Early life

Curry was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 2, 1820, to Mr. and Mrs. George Curry.Corning, Howard M. (1989) ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing. p. 68. Though he received little formal education, he became well read and educated through self study. He also spent some of his childhood in Caracas, Venezuela. In 1831, he began a long career in the newspaper business when he started working in Boston as an apprentice printer. Curry moved west to Missouri where he published the newspaper ''The Reveille'' in St. Louis from 1842 to 1845.

Oregon

In 1846, he emigrated overland to the unorganized

and settled in

Oregon City ) , image_skyline = McLoughlin House.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = The McLoughlin House, est. 1845 , image_flag = , image_seal = Oregon City seal.png , image_map ...

. Once in Oregon, Curry's experience in the newspaper business landed him a job editing the '' Oregon Spectator'', an early newspaper owned by George Abernethy. Abernethy's views that politics should be kept out of the ''Spectator'' led Curry to resign from the paper after only a year and a half. Curry's belief that this policy was censorship put him at odds with the paper's management. In 1848, he set up the ''Oregon Free Press'' in

Oregon City ) , image_skyline = McLoughlin House.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = The McLoughlin House, est. 1845 , image_flag = , image_seal = Oregon City seal.png , image_map ...

in competition with his former employer, the same year as the creation of the Oregon Territory. The newspaper soon failed as the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

temporarily drained the territory of people and advertisers. At the second session of the Oregon Territorial Legislature held from 1850 to 1851, he worked as the chief clerk of the lower chamber House of Representatives. In the 1851 to 1852 session he served in the House representing Clackamas County. Curry next served as the Secretary of the Oregon Territory from 1853 to 1854, with the office as the first in line to succession to the Governor. Twice he stepped in as Acting Territorial Governor: May 19, 1853 – December 2, 1853; upon Acting Governor Joseph Lane's return to Congress and for six months in 1854, upon the resignation of John W. Davis. U.S. President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

then officially appointed Curry to the position, which he held until Oregon Statehood in 1859. As a prominent local man, Curry was received much more favorably by the population whereas most of his predecessors were seen as outsiders from the East Coast. During the Yakima War in 1855, Governor Curry raised a force of 2,500 volunteers and led them into battle in support of federal troops. Oregon prepared for statehood under Governor Curry, approving a state constitution and electing John Whiteaker as the first Governor of the State of Oregon in 1857. On February 14, 1859; Congress passed the Oregon Statehood Bill, and President

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

signed it; creating Oregon as the thirty-third state of the Union. Upon this act, Curry's position was abolished.

Later life and family

Curry married Chloe Donnelly Boone in 1848, the daughter of ferry operator

Alphonso Boone Alphonso Boone (November 7, 1796 – February 27, 1850) was an American pioneer in what became the state of Oregon. A native of Kentucky, he was the grandson of Daniel Boone, and lived much of his life in Missouri. After immigrating to the Oregon ...

. Alphonso operated

Boones Ferry Boones Ferry (also Boone's Ferry) was a cable ferry which crossed the Willamette River near present-day Wilsonville, Oregon, United States, from 1847 to 1954. It was part of a major land-based thoroughfare in pioneer times linking fledgling Po ...

and was the grandson of Daniel Boone. Curry and Chloe had five children. After leaving office, Curry attempted an 1860 run for the United States Senate, losing by one vote in the

State Legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

.Lansing, Ronald B. 2005. ''Nimrod: Courts, Claims, and Killing on the Oregon Frontier''. Pullman: Washington State University Press. p. 267. He served as editor of the ''Portland Advertiser'' from 1861 to 1862, followed by editing Portland's ''Evening Journal'' in 1876. He also returned to making jewelry, and settled in Boone's Landing (now Wilsonville). George Law Curry died on July 28, 1878, at the age of 58 and was buried at Lone Fir Cemetery in

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 ...

. Curry County in Southern Oregon was created in 1855 while he was in office and was named in his honor.

Early life

Oregon

Later life and family

References

Further reading