Nathaniel Ford (c. 1795 – January 9, 1870) was an American politician and

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

pioneer during the time of the

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 ...

. A native of

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, he worked as a sheriff in that state before moving 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 ...

where he was selected as judge in 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 ...

and served in the

Oregon Territorial Legislature Oregon's Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1848 as the legislative branch of the government of the Oregon Territory. The upper chamber Council and lower chamber House of Representati ...

. Ford also lost a civil case that freed his slaves who he had brought across the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...

from

Early life

Nathaniel "Nat" Ford grew up in Missouri. Born around 1795,Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Bancroft's Works Volume XXIX.
Oregon Biographical Sketches. Retrieved on February 26, 2008. Ford worked in Missouri at a number of different occupations.
Churches of Christ & Christian Churches in the Pacific Northwest. Retrieved on February 26, 2008. He was a county sheriff, school teacher, surveyor, and a flatboatman. As sheriff of Howard County in Missouri, Ford acquired the Holmes family as

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, as slavery was still legal in that state at the time.

Oregon

Colonel Ford arrived in Oregon in 1844 from Missouri on the Oregon Trail. In his wagon train he was called Colonel Ford as he was the second in command of the large group of pioneers. Part of this same party included fellow future

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, ...

politician

John Minto John Minto (born ) is a New Zealand political activist known for his involvement in various left-wing groups and causes, most notably Halt All Racist Tours. A 2005 documentary on New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers listed him as number 89. Tod ...

, however Ford was in charge of a different company. On this journey across the west Ford brought with him three slaves to help him build the family farm. Once in Oregon, Ford began farming in

Polk County Polk County is the name of twelve counties in the United States, all except two named after president of the United States James Knox Polk: * Polk County, Arkansas * Polk County, Florida * Polk County, Georgia * Polk County, Iowa * Polk Count ...

, five miles (8 km) from a place called Nesmith's Mills.A Peculiar Paradise: A History of Blacks in Oregon, 1788-1940.
A Place Called Oregon. Retrieved on February 26, 2008. Later he served as the first postmaster at Rickreall.

Slavery

In 1844, before leaving Missouri, Ford promised his slaves Polly and Robin Holmes that he would free them after reaching Oregon and establishing a farm. However, Ford did not keep this promise and only years later did he agree to free any of the family. Finally, in 1852, Robin Holmes sued Ford in civil court to free his family, as slavery was illegal in the territory. Eleven months later the new chief justice of the supreme court arrived and the case was heard July 13, 1854. Judge Williams freed the family, but never mentioned slavery in his decision.

Politics

During the

provisional government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or f ...

time in the Oregon Country, Ford was selected by the Provisional Legislature to be the Supreme Judge of Oregon in 1845, but Ford declined to serve. Years later in 1856 he was elected to the Territorial Legislature to represent Polk and Tillamook Counties.Oregon Legislative Assembly (8th Territorial) 1856 Regular Session.
Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on February 26, 2008. The following two years he was again elected, but representing other counties in addition to Polk County. During this time he served in the upper chamber, called the Council, as a Democrat. 1858 was the last year of the Territorial Legislature, and Ford's last term as the following year Oregon became a state and the Council became the

Oregon Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

Family

Ford's wife Lucinda and the rest of the family were members of the Rickreall church in Polk County. This family included a daughter named Lucinda. Nathaniel died in Dixie (aka Rickreall) in Polk County at the age of 75 years on January 9, 1870, with his wife dying a few years later on January 4, 1874. The family is buried along with other pioneer families at Burch Pioneer Cemetery in Polk County.

References

External links

Rickreall pioneer known for slave lawsuit
''

Statesman Journal The ''Statesman Journal'' is the major daily newspaper published in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1851 as the ''Oregon Statesman'', it later merged with the ''Capital Journal'' to form the current newspaper, the second-oldest in Orego ...

'' article from June 1, 2004 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Nathaniel Members of the Provisional Government of Oregon Polk County, Oregon Oregon Country Oregon Trail 1870 deaths Members of the Oregon Territorial Legislature 19th-century American politicians Missouri sheriffs Oregon pioneers Oregon postmasters 1795 births American slave owners