James Harvey Slater (December 28, 1826January 28, 1899) was a
United States representative
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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
Oregon
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. T ...
. An
Illinois
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native, Slater also served in the Oregon Territory's Legislature, then later the Oregon State Legislature, and was the owner of the ''Corvallis Union'' newspaper.
Sangamon County
Sangamon County is located in the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 197,465. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, the state capital.
Sangamon County is included in the S ...
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
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. O ...
in 1850. There Slater studied law and was admitted to the
bar
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in 1854.
Politics
In Corvallis he was clerk of the district court of the Territory of Oregon for Benton County from 1853 to 1856. He was a member of the Territorial assembly in 1857–1858 and was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives in from 1859 to 1860.Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956. From 1858 to 1861 Slater published the ''Corvallis Union'' as both owner and editor. He also served as postmaster for Corvallis from 1859 to 1860 followed by law practice there until 1863 when he moved to
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is a city in Walla Walla County, Washington, where it is the largest city and county seat. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,927 as of 2021. The population of the city and its two su ...
. Slater then moved to Auburn, Oregon, before settling in the
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity; thus, the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost ...
town of La Grande in 1866.
In La Grande he was district attorney for the fifth judicial district of Oregon in 1868, as well as a
presidential elector
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Democrat
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Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
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to the Forty-second Congress (March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873). Slater then returned to law practice in La Grande. He returned to politics in 1878 and was elected to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1879 to March 3, 1885.
Later life and family
He resumed the practice of law in
La Grande, Oregon
La Grande is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. Originally named "Brownsville," it was forced to change its name because that name was being used for a city in Linn County. Located in the Grande Ronde Valley, the city's name comes ...
and was a member of the State railroad commission from 1889 to 1891. In 1854 Slater married Elizabeth (Edna) Gray with whom he would father ten children including future
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.Woodson T. Slater. James Harvey Slater died in La Grande in 1899 and was interred in the Masonic Cemetery.