Alonzo A. Skinner
Encyclopedia
Alonzo A. Skinner was an American
judge and Whig party
politician in Oregon
. He was the 16th Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court
and unsuccessful candidate for the office of governor. He also served as a circuit court judge for the state of Oregon, was a customs collector, a judge in the Provisional Government of Oregon
, and a commissioner on a Native American
treaty commission.
in 1814. There in the community of Revenna
he read law and passed the bar
in 1840. He then settled in Putnam County, Ohio
in 1842 and served as a part-time prosecutor in the county before losing the election for county judge. Then in 1845 Skinner set out over the Oregon Trail
on a seven month journey to immigrate to Oregon Country
. He arrived later in 1845 in Oregon City, Oregon
. Alonzo then set up farming in the Tuality District
while still practicing law.
. In that position he would travel from March through November to the county courts as a circuit rider
. He was paid a salary of $800 per year for the job and served until 1849 when the Territorial Government arrived and judge Orville C. Pratt
took over for Skinner. Later in 1849 Native Americans attacked and killed an American settler at Fort Steilacoom in Lewis County, after which chief justice William P. Bryant
traveled to the fort for a trial of six defendants. Bryant brought along Skinner to serve as the prosecutor, and two of the six defendants were convicted and executed.
After this in June 1850 he became a member of an Indian Commission set up by the United States government to negotiate treaties with the tribes west of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. This commission was created because of the Donation Land Act in 1850 allowed citizens to settle up to 640 acres (2.6 km²) and the government wanted the lands west of the Cascades for settlement and to move the Native Americans
to Eastern Oregon
. However, Skinner and his fellow commissioners John P. Gaines
and Beverly S. Allen were only able to get treaties signed that allowed the tribes to remain on the west side and in the foothills of the Willamette Valley
. The commission ratified 19 treaties and was then disbanded in February 1851.
In 1852, Alonzo Skinner was appointed as an Indian agent
by the government for Southern Oregon
. The next year he ran against former governor Joseph Lane
for the position of territorial delegate to Congress for the Oregon Territory
. As a Whig party
candidate Skinner lost to Lane the Democrat while calling for a transcontinental railroad in his campaign. Next in 1856 after moving to Pacific City, Washington, he married Elizabeth Hopkins Lincoln on May 22. Hopkins was a teacher in Vermont
sent by Governor Slade
to Oregon City. The two would then teach in Astoria, Oregon
. Two years later the couple had moved to Willamina, Oregon
in the Yamhill Valley where Alonzo had set up a land claim in 1850. The Skinners then moved to Eugene, Oregon
where Alonzo returned to law practice. While in Eugene he served as the city’s recorder and as a clerk for the county, elected to the later as a Republican in 1862. During the American Civil War
Skinner was an assistant provost marshal for the United States Army
as a civilian.
Then in 1866, he was appointed by Oregon Governor George Lemuel Woods
to the Oregon Supreme Court
to replace Riley E. Stratton
who had died in office. Skinner served on the state’s highest court until 1867 when he was replaced by John Kelsay
who had won the election.
for the United States at Empire City, Oregon
. However, he suffered from bad health and moved to California in 1877 to attempt to improve his health, but died that year on April 30 in Santa Barbara, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
judge and Whig party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
politician in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. He was the 16th Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court 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. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
and unsuccessful candidate for the office of governor. He also served as a circuit court judge for the state of Oregon, was a customs collector, a judge in the Provisional Government of Oregon
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
, and a commissioner on a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
treaty commission.
Early life
Skinner was born in Portage County, OhioPortage County, Ohio
Portage County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 152,061 at the 2000 Census and 161,419 at the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Ravenna. Portage County is named for the portage between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers...
in 1814. There in the community of Revenna
Ravenna Township, Portage County, Ohio
Ravenna Township is one of the eighteen townships of Portage County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 9,270 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the center of the county, it borders the following townships and city:...
he read law and passed the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1840. He then settled in Putnam County, Ohio
Putnam County, Ohio
Putnam County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 34,499. The name is in honor of Israel Putnam, who was a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War. Its county seat is...
in 1842 and served as a part-time prosecutor in the county before losing the election for county judge. Then in 1845 Skinner set out over the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
on a seven month journey to immigrate to Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
. He arrived later in 1845 in Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
. Alonzo then set up farming in the Tuality District
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
while still practicing law.
Political career
Beginning in December 1846 Skinner served as a circuit judge for the Provisional Government of OregonProvisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
. In that position he would travel from March through November to the county courts as a circuit rider
Circuit rider
Circuit rider is a term originating from the United States for any professional who travels a regular circuit of locations to provide services, and has several specific applications:...
. He was paid a salary of $800 per year for the job and served until 1849 when the Territorial Government arrived and judge Orville C. Pratt
Orville C. Pratt
Orville C. Pratt was an American jurist and attorney. He served as the 2nd Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court serving from 1848 to 1852. He wrote the lone dissenting opinion in the controversy over the Oregon Territory’s capital between Oregon City and Salem.-Early life:Pratt was born...
took over for Skinner. Later in 1849 Native Americans attacked and killed an American settler at Fort Steilacoom in Lewis County, after which chief justice William P. Bryant
William P. Bryant
William P. Bryant was an American jurist from Kentucky. He served as the first Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court in the Oregon Territory. United States President James K. Polk appointed Bryant, of Indiana, to the court once the Oregon Territory was established in 1848. In Indiana he served...
traveled to the fort for a trial of six defendants. Bryant brought along Skinner to serve as the prosecutor, and two of the six defendants were convicted and executed.
After this in June 1850 he became a member of an Indian Commission set up by the United States government to negotiate treaties with the tribes west of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. This commission was created because of the Donation Land Act in 1850 allowed citizens to settle up to 640 acres (2.6 km²) and the government wanted the lands west of the Cascades for settlement and to move the Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
to Eastern Oregon
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 counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
. However, Skinner and his fellow commissioners John P. Gaines
John P. Gaines
John Pollard Gaines was a U.S. military and political figure. He was a Whig member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Kentucky from 1847 to 1849, and he served as Governor of the Oregon Territory from 1850 to 1853, stepping down after a turbulent term in office.-Early...
and Beverly S. Allen were only able to get treaties signed that allowed the tribes to remain on the west side and in the foothills of the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
. The commission ratified 19 treaties and was then disbanded in February 1851.
In 1852, Alonzo Skinner was appointed as an Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
by the government for Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area, which consists of the...
. The next year he ran against former governor Joseph Lane
Joseph Lane
Joseph Lane was an American general during the Mexican-American War and a United States Senator from Oregon.-Early life:...
for the position of territorial delegate to Congress for the Oregon Territory
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. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
. As a Whig party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
candidate Skinner lost to Lane the Democrat while calling for a transcontinental railroad in his campaign. Next in 1856 after moving to Pacific City, Washington, he married Elizabeth Hopkins Lincoln on May 22. Hopkins was a teacher in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
sent by Governor Slade
William Slade
William Slade jr. was an American Whig and Anti-Masonic politician.He was born in Cornwall, Vermont, May 9, 1786; attended the public schools, and was graduated from Middlebury College in 1807; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1810 and commenced practice in Middlebury; engaged in editorial...
to Oregon City. The two would then teach in Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
. Two years later the couple had moved to Willamina, Oregon
Willamina, Oregon
Willamina is a city in Polk and Yamhill Counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The population was 1,844 at the 2000 census, with an unofficial estimated population of 1,885 in 2006....
in the Yamhill Valley where Alonzo had set up a land claim in 1850. The Skinners then moved to Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
where Alonzo returned to law practice. While in Eugene he served as the city’s recorder and as a clerk for the county, elected to the later as a Republican in 1862. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Skinner was an assistant provost marshal for the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as a civilian.
Then in 1866, he was appointed by Oregon Governor George Lemuel Woods
George Lemuel Woods
George Lemuel Woods was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. A member of the Republican Party, Woods served as the third Governor of Oregon from 1866–1870 and was then appointed Utah Territory Governor by President Ulysses S. Grant, serving from 1871–1875.-Early life:George Woods was born...
to the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court 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. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
to replace Riley E. Stratton
Riley E. Stratton
Riley Evans Stratton was an American attorney and judge in Oregon. He served as the 11th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, serving from 1859 until 1866. He was one of the first group of justices elected to the court along with Aaron E...
who had died in office. Skinner served on the state’s highest court until 1867 when he was replaced by John Kelsay
John Kelsay (judge)
John Kelsay was an American politician and judge in Oregon. He was the 18th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, and fought in the Rogue River Wars...
who had won the election.
Later life
After serving on the Supreme Court he then served as a circuit court judge for the state from 1867 to 1870. Skinner was then appointed as a customs collectorUnited States Customs Service
Until March 2003, the United States Customs Service was an agency of the U.S. federal government that collected import tariffs and performed other selected border security duties.Before it was rolled into form part of the U.S...
for the United States at Empire City, Oregon
Coos Bay, Oregon
Coos Bay is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The city borders the city of North Bend, and together they are often referred to as one entity called either Coos Bay-North Bend or the Bay Area...
. However, he suffered from bad health and moved to California in 1877 to attempt to improve his health, but died that year on April 30 in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.