Hugh Donaldson O'Bryant (1813–1883) was an American politician who served as the first

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, from 1851 to 1852. He later served as the President of the Oregon Territory Council, and as a member of the Washington Territorial Legislature.

Early life

Hugh O’Bryant was born on December 5, 1813 in Franklin County, Georgia, to Duncan O'Bryant and Martha Whitehead. His father was a

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, and O'Bryant was raised among the Cherokee Indians due to his father’s missionary work to them beginning in 1821. The state of Georgia began to require all missionaries working with the Cherokees to swear an oath to the state. O'Bryant's father refused and moved his family to

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where he continued his missionary work to the Cherokees until his death in 1834. In early 1843, O'Bryant set out for the

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

, arriving in Oregon City in October 1843.

Career

Upon arriving in Oregon City, O'Bryant set up shop as a merchant. Two years later, he moved across the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward ...

to Portland. In 1847, he volunteered to fight in the Cayuse War after the Whitman massacre, joining the Second Company of the Oregon Riflemen for the Provisional Government of Oregon as a first lieutenant. In Portland, O'Bryant used his own money to fund the city's first library, located in one room of a business block. He paid for the rent and donated his own materials. He also solicited interested citizens to help donate materials as well. Despite having little formal education, O'Bryant was an advocate for education.

Mayor of Portland

In 1851, the Oregon Territorial Legislature voted to incorporate the City of Portland. Robert Thompson, Shubrick Norris, Thomas G. Robinson, George A. Barnes, and Loren B. Hastings were all elected councilors. O'Bryant was elected mayor by a mere four votes, defeating challenger Joseph Showalter Smith (who was later elected Oregon's first US Representative). The first meeting of the city council was held on April 14, 1851. O'Bryant's one-year reign is often known for the failure of Portland's first government to effectively govern the city, leading to a new city charter in 1852. In O'Bryant's only year as mayor, he missed seven out of thirty-one council meetings. Although the council passed resolutions to build roads, build a jail, and purchase a fire engine, none of these materialized under O'Bryant's leadership. Funds for the fire engine were authorized by citywide vote on May 26, 1851, but it was only a week before his term ended, the following March, that O'Bryant notified the council that the bills authorizing this purchase were sitting on his desk, unsigned. After his term, he performed justice of the peace duties for a short time and provided carpentry services for many new immigrants.

Oregon Legislature

In 1852, O'Bryant moved to Salem, and then to Roseburg. In 1855, O'Bryant began serving in the Oregon Territorial Council, the upper house of the legislature, as a Democrat. He represented district 8, which covered Umpqua, Douglas, and Coos Counties. He served until Oregon's statehood in 1859, serving as president of the council after 1857.

Washington Legislature

In 1860, O'Bryant moved to Walla Walla,

Washington Territory The Washington Territory 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 ...

, where he served in the territorial legislature representing Walla Walla County.

Later years

After his time in Washington, O'Bryant moved to Merced County, California, where he died in 1883.

Personal life

O'Bryant married Matilda Doddridge Walter on July 15, 1852. They had 7 children together. He was a

Legacy

O'Bryant Square in Portland was named after O'Bryant. In 2023, as part of a redevelopment, the park was demolished and will be re-built as Darcelle XV Plaza.

Footnotes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Obryant, Hugh 1813 births 1883 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in Oregon Mayors of Portland, Oregon Members of the Oregon Territorial Legislature Members of the Washington Territorial Legislature People from Franklin County, Georgia Politicians from Walla Walla, Washington Oregon Democrats Washington (state) Democrats