Cyrus A. Dolph
Encyclopedia
Cyrus Abda Dolph (September 27, 1840 - June 22, 1914) was a businessman in Portland
, Oregon
, United States. He was a promoter and counselor of various financial and railway enterprises of the Pacific Northwest
of the United States.
He was born September 27, 1840, on a farm near Havana, Chemung
, now Schuyler County, New York
. He was called Abda in honor of one of his forefathers, Abda Dolph, who was born in Bolton, Massachusetts
, in 1740, and served with distinction in the Revolutionary war
, as did his brother Charles.
records that Balthazar De Wolf, who was born about 1620, resided for some years in Wethersfield, Connecticut
, and in 1664 became a resident of Lyme, that state. He was married in 1645 and unto him and his wife, Alice, there were born six children, the eldest of whom was Edward De Wolf, who was born in 1646 and died in 1712, after having been a lifelong resident of Lyme. Unto Edward De Wolf and his wife, Rebecca, there were born four sons: Simon, in 1671; Charles, in 1673; Benjamin, in 1675; and Edward, Jr.
The line of descent is traced through the second son, Charles, who for many years resided in Middletown, Connecticut
, where he died in 1731, his wife, Prudence, surviving him for ten years. Their son Joseph De Wolf, born in 1717, lost his life in the battle of Louisberg
in 1757 while serving with the colonial army in the French and Indian war
. Joseph De Wolf wedded Tabitha Johnson and their son Abda was also a soldier of the French and Indian war and, as previously stated, was numbered among the Revolutionary heroes, serving with Colonel Whiting's regiment of New York troops from Albany county.
During the French and Indian war, he changed the orthography
of the name from the French to the English form, adopting the present spelling of Dolph. He wedded Mary Coleman, a daughter of Nathaniel and Ruth Coleman
, of New Haven, Connecticut
. Their son Joseph was born in Fairfield, Connecticut
, June 6, 1767, followed teaching and surveying and died December 21, 1827. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Norton, was born in 1772 and died in 1839. Her parents were Joseph and Martha Norton, the latter a daughter of Jabez and Elizabeth (Allen) Norton. Both Joseph and Martha Norton were descended from Nicholas Norton, of Weymouth, Massachusetts
, (1636–60).
During much of his life he made his home at Edgartown, on Martha's Vineyard
. It is said that of the thirteen hundred and fifty-six inhabitants of that place in 1790 one hundred and seventy-four of these were Nortons. The progenitor of the family, Nicholas Norton, had a son Benjamin, whose son Nicholas married Martha Daggett, and their son, Jabez Norton, was the father of Mrs. Elizabeth (Norton) Dolph. Little is known concerning the first Nicholas, except that he was born in 1610 and died in 1690, after having for years made his home at Weymouth and then at Edgartown.
Mention has been made of one of the Norton descendants, who married a member of the Daggett family. This family traced its lineage to John Daggett
, of Weymouth, who died in 1642. By the marriage of John Daggett to Bathsheba Pratt, there was a son Thomas, who married Hannah Mayhew, and their son Joshua, married Hannah Norton, a daughter of Isaac and Ruth Norton. Joshua and Hannah Daggett had a daughter Martha, previously mentioned as the wife of Nicholas Norton.
Through the wife of Thomas Daggett the family is brought into relationship with the Mayhew family of colonial fame. The founder of this family in America, Thomas Mayhew
, was born in England in March of 1592. In 1641 he obtained a grant of Martha's Vineyard and the neighboring island and the next year settled at Edgartown, whose inhabitants were then Indians. With him came a few Englishmen and they in turn were joined by others from their native land. However, the population still consisted almost wholly of Indians.
During King Philip's War
, when the savages became hostile and killed the white settlers all over New England
, such was the influence of Thomas May- hew over the red men of his island that they remained quiet and peaceful, though they might easily have killed the few white men
had they so desired. After a long and honorable service as governor of the island, Thomas Mayhew died in March of 1682. His son Thomas was a missionary to the Indians and so greatly beloved by them that even many years after he perished at sea in a shipwreck he was seldom named by them without tears. Other members of the family also became prominent, especially Experience (born 1637, died 1758), Zachariah (1717–1806) and Jonathan (1720–1766), the last named distinguished as a theologian and patriot.
The genealogy is traced from Joseph and Elizabeth (Norton) Dolph to their son, Chester V. Dolph, who was born at Whitehall, New York
, on Lake Champlain
, February 14, 1812, and died November 3, 1869. His wife was Elizabeth V. Steele (born 1813, died 1884), whose parents were William Steele
(1785–1868) and Rachel Vanderbilt (1795–1883). William Steele was a son of John B. and Grace Seville (Brown) Steele. Rachel Vanderbilt was a daughter of Cornelius and Elizabeth (Rodman) Vanderbilt, her father being a member of one of the most noted pioneer families of Staten island, New York
.
The four sons in the family of Chester V. Dolph were: Joseph N. Dolph
, who later represented Oregon in the United States Senate; Cyrus A.; William V., who lived on the old homestead in New York; and John Mathew, an educator at Port Jervis, New York
.
and there, like other members of the household, Cyrus assisted in the farm work and pursued his education in the village school
. Three years, from 1859 to 1862, were devoted to teaching and in the latter year he and his brother Joseph enlisted in a company known as the Oregon Escort, which was formed in order to provide military protection to emigrants crossing the plains to Oregon, for in that year the Indians on the western plains took advantage of the disturbed condition of the country and constantly menaced the life and property of those who were journeying from the east to the Pacific coast. The brothers continued on military duty until they reached Walla Walla, Washington
, where they were honorably discharged.
They then proceeded to Portland, and Cyrus in 1866 was admitted to the Oregon Bar, after which he engaged in the practice of law. Almost immediately he came to the front as a representative of the legal profession
in Portland, a position which he maintained, being numbered among those who have conferred honor and dignity upon the legal profession and have brought to the Oregon bar a reputation which places it on a par with the bar in the older states of the east. In 1883 he became the senior member of the firm of Dolph, Bellinger, Mallory & Simon. Ten years later a change in the partnership led to the adoption of the firm style of Dolph, Mallory, Simon & Gearin, his associates being Rufus Mallory
, Hon. Joseph Simon
and John M. Gearin
, all distinguished lawyers so that the partnership is one of marked legal talent and ability. Dolph was regarded as one of the foremost law counselors on the coast and specialized to a large extent in corporation and railroad law.
He was also an active factor in organizing and promoting business projects and enterprises which have been of far-reaching importance and benefit. He was active in the organization of the Portland Savings Bank and the Commercial National Bank
, and for a number of years has occupied the presidency of the Northern Pacific Terminal Company of Oregon. He was financially interested in the Oregon Improvement Company and was general attorney for the Oregon and California Railroad Company in 1883 and 1884, while for a considerable period he served as one of its directors. He was also a director of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
from 1883 until 1889 and in the former year was chosen general attorney for that company and consulting attorney in Oregon for the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company, being selected for the two positions by Henry Villard
, who was president of the two companies. He was one of the organizers of the Security Savings & Trust Company and his name has long been inscribed high on the roll of the state's distinguished lawyers and financiers.
lineage. Mr. and Mrs. Dolph became parents of three sons and a daughter: Joseph N., Hazel Mills, William Vanderbilt and John Mathew.
In the social circles of the city the family occupied a prominent position, and Dolph was active in many movements that have been of material benefit to Portland. The important lines of public progress and improvement receive not only his endorsement but also his cooperation. For many years he was a member of the water-works committee and president of the board of trustees
of the Portland Library Association. Thomas Lamb Eliot
was vice-president during some of that time. He was also a regent of the Oregon University. He was allied with the Oregon Republican Party
since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and undoubtedly could have attained to high political honors had not his ambitions and desires been centered and directed in other channels.
In June 1869 he was accorded the Republican nomination for city attorney and was elected by a large majority, serving for the regular term of two years. When he was absent from the city in 1874 the Republican convention nominated him for the state legislature
, but at that time he declined to become a candidate as he did later when tendered the appointment of circuit judge
of the Ninth Judicial Circuit
, preferring to concentrate his time and energies upon his law practice
and the cooperative interests with which he had become identified.
Dolph died June 22, 1914.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, 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...
, United States. He was a promoter and counselor of various financial and railway enterprises of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
of the United States.
He was born September 27, 1840, on a farm near Havana, Chemung
Chemung County, New York
Chemung County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Chemung County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 88,830. Its name is derived from the name of a Delaware Indian village . Its...
, now Schuyler County, New York
Schuyler County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,224 people, 7,374 households, and 5,191 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile . There were 9,181 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
. He was called Abda in honor of one of his forefathers, Abda Dolph, who was born in Bolton, Massachusetts
Bolton, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,148 people, 1,424 households, and 1,201 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,476 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.76% White, 0.19% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.30%...
, in 1740, and served with distinction in the Revolutionary war
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, as did his brother Charles.
Ancestry
The ancestry of the family can be traced back to the 17th century. Family historyFamily history
Family history is the systematic narrative and research of past events relating to a specific family, or specific families.- Introduction :...
records that Balthazar De Wolf, who was born about 1620, resided for some years in Wethersfield, Connecticut
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Wethersfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Many records from colonial times spell the name Weathersfield, while Native Americans called it Pyquag...
, and in 1664 became a resident of Lyme, that state. He was married in 1645 and unto him and his wife, Alice, there were born six children, the eldest of whom was Edward De Wolf, who was born in 1646 and died in 1712, after having been a lifelong resident of Lyme. Unto Edward De Wolf and his wife, Rebecca, there were born four sons: Simon, in 1671; Charles, in 1673; Benjamin, in 1675; and Edward, Jr.
The line of descent is traced through the second son, Charles, who for many years resided in Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
, where he died in 1731, his wife, Prudence, surviving him for ten years. Their son Joseph De Wolf, born in 1717, lost his life in the battle of Louisberg
Fortress of Louisbourg
The Fortress of Louisbourg is a national historic site and the location of a one-quarter partial reconstruction of an 18th century French fortress at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia...
in 1757 while serving with the colonial army in the French and Indian war
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. Joseph De Wolf wedded Tabitha Johnson and their son Abda was also a soldier of the French and Indian war and, as previously stated, was numbered among the Revolutionary heroes, serving with Colonel Whiting's regiment of New York troops from Albany county.
During the French and Indian war, he changed the orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
of the name from the French to the English form, adopting the present spelling of Dolph. He wedded Mary Coleman, a daughter of Nathaniel and Ruth Coleman
Ruth Coleman
Ruth Nancy Coleman was an Australian Senator who represented the Australian Labor Party for the state of Western Australia. She served as a Senator for 14 years, from 18 April 1974 to 5 June 1987.-References:...
, of New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. Their son Joseph was born in Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
, June 6, 1767, followed teaching and surveying and died December 21, 1827. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Norton, was born in 1772 and died in 1839. Her parents were Joseph and Martha Norton, the latter a daughter of Jabez and Elizabeth (Allen) Norton. Both Joseph and Martha Norton were descended from Nicholas Norton, of Weymouth, Massachusetts
Weymouth, Massachusetts
The Town of Weymouth is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, Weymouth had a total population of 53,743. Despite its city status, it is formally known as the Town of Weymouth...
, (1636–60).
During much of his life he made his home at Edgartown, on Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
. It is said that of the thirteen hundred and fifty-six inhabitants of that place in 1790 one hundred and seventy-four of these were Nortons. The progenitor of the family, Nicholas Norton, had a son Benjamin, whose son Nicholas married Martha Daggett, and their son, Jabez Norton, was the father of Mrs. Elizabeth (Norton) Dolph. Little is known concerning the first Nicholas, except that he was born in 1610 and died in 1690, after having for years made his home at Weymouth and then at Edgartown.
Mention has been made of one of the Norton descendants, who married a member of the Daggett family. This family traced its lineage to John Daggett
John Daggett
John Daggett served as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of California from 1883 to 1887. The site known as Calico Junction just south of the mining town of Calico, California, was renamed Daggett, California, in 1883 for Lieutenant Governor John Daggett....
, of Weymouth, who died in 1642. By the marriage of John Daggett to Bathsheba Pratt, there was a son Thomas, who married Hannah Mayhew, and their son Joshua, married Hannah Norton, a daughter of Isaac and Ruth Norton. Joshua and Hannah Daggett had a daughter Martha, previously mentioned as the wife of Nicholas Norton.
Through the wife of Thomas Daggett the family is brought into relationship with the Mayhew family of colonial fame. The founder of this family in America, Thomas Mayhew
Thomas Mayhew
Thomas Mayhew, Sr. established the first English settlement of Martha's Vineyard in 1642.-Biography:He was born in Tisbury, in the county of Wiltshire in England. He married Anna Parkhurst, born about 1600, in Hampshire, England, daughter of Matthew Parkhurst...
, was born in England in March of 1592. In 1641 he obtained a grant of Martha's Vineyard and the neighboring island and the next year settled at Edgartown, whose inhabitants were then Indians. With him came a few Englishmen and they in turn were joined by others from their native land. However, the population still consisted almost wholly of Indians.
During King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
, when the savages became hostile and killed the white settlers all over New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, such was the influence of Thomas May- hew over the red men of his island that they remained quiet and peaceful, though they might easily have killed the few white men
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
had they so desired. After a long and honorable service as governor of the island, Thomas Mayhew died in March of 1682. His son Thomas was a missionary to the Indians and so greatly beloved by them that even many years after he perished at sea in a shipwreck he was seldom named by them without tears. Other members of the family also became prominent, especially Experience (born 1637, died 1758), Zachariah (1717–1806) and Jonathan (1720–1766), the last named distinguished as a theologian and patriot.
The genealogy is traced from Joseph and Elizabeth (Norton) Dolph to their son, Chester V. Dolph, who was born at Whitehall, New York
Whitehall (village), New York
Whitehall is a village located in the town of Whitehall in Washington County, New York, USA. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, February 14, 1812, and died November 3, 1869. His wife was Elizabeth V. Steele (born 1813, died 1884), whose parents were William Steele
William Steele
William Steele was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654. He was Lord Chancellor of Ireland....
(1785–1868) and Rachel Vanderbilt (1795–1883). William Steele was a son of John B. and Grace Seville (Brown) Steele. Rachel Vanderbilt was a daughter of Cornelius and Elizabeth (Rodman) Vanderbilt, her father being a member of one of the most noted pioneer families of Staten island, New York
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
.
The four sons in the family of Chester V. Dolph were: Joseph N. Dolph
Joseph N. Dolph
Joseph Norton Dolph was an American politician and attorney in the state of Oregon. A native of the state of New York, he immigrated to Oregon over the Oregon Trail and settled in Portland where he became the state's federal district attorney...
, who later represented Oregon in the United States Senate; Cyrus A.; William V., who lived on the old homestead in New York; and John Mathew, an educator at Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
.
Early life
Dolph and his brothers were reared on the old home farm in what is now Schuyler CountySchuyler County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,224 people, 7,374 households, and 5,191 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile . There were 9,181 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
and there, like other members of the household, Cyrus assisted in the farm work and pursued his education in the village school
The Village School
The Village School is a Pre-K through 12th private school located in western Houston, Texas, United States. The school was founded in 1966. It is accredited by the Association of Accredited Private Schools . The mascot of The Village School is the Viking...
. Three years, from 1859 to 1862, were devoted to teaching and in the latter year he and his brother Joseph enlisted in a company known as the Oregon Escort, which was formed in order to provide military protection to emigrants crossing the plains to Oregon, for in that year the Indians on the western plains took advantage of the disturbed condition of the country and constantly menaced the life and property of those who were journeying from the east to the Pacific coast. The brothers continued on military duty until they reached Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
, where they were honorably discharged.
They then proceeded to Portland, and Cyrus in 1866 was admitted to the Oregon Bar, after which he engaged in the practice of law. Almost immediately he came to the front as a representative of the legal profession
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Portland, a position which he maintained, being numbered among those who have conferred honor and dignity upon the legal profession and have brought to the Oregon bar a reputation which places it on a par with the bar in the older states of the east. In 1883 he became the senior member of the firm of Dolph, Bellinger, Mallory & Simon. Ten years later a change in the partnership led to the adoption of the firm style of Dolph, Mallory, Simon & Gearin, his associates being Rufus Mallory
Rufus Mallory
Rufus Mallory was an American educator, lawyer, and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of New York, he was a teacher in Iowa before moving to Oregon where he became an attorney. He was a district attorney before he served in the Oregon House of Representatives in the early 1860s. A...
, Hon. Joseph Simon
Joseph Simon
Joseph Simon was a German-born politician and attorney in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was born in Bechtheim, Germany, and his family immigrated to the United States when he was one year old, settling in Portland, Oregon. A Republican, Simon served on the city council before election to the Oregon...
and John M. Gearin
John M. Gearin
John McDermeid Gearin was an American politician and attorney from the state of Oregon. A native of the eastern portion of the state, he represented Portland on the western side of the state in the Oregon House of Representatives...
, all distinguished lawyers so that the partnership is one of marked legal talent and ability. Dolph was regarded as one of the foremost law counselors on the coast and specialized to a large extent in corporation and railroad law.
He was also an active factor in organizing and promoting business projects and enterprises which have been of far-reaching importance and benefit. He was active in the organization of the Portland Savings Bank and the Commercial National Bank
Commercial National Bank
Commercial National Bank was a bank formed in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1874, which was a predecessor to the American Commercial Bank which then helped form North Carolina National Bank. NCNB changed their name to NationsBank in 1991 and then again to Bank of America in 1999 through a series of...
, and for a number of years has occupied the presidency of the Northern Pacific Terminal Company of Oregon. He was financially interested in the Oregon Improvement Company and was general attorney for the Oregon and California Railroad Company in 1883 and 1884, while for a considerable period he served as one of its directors. He was also a director of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company was a railroad that operated a rail network of of track running east from Portland, Oregon, United States to northeastern Oregon, northeastern Washington, and northern Idaho...
from 1883 until 1889 and in the former year was chosen general attorney for that company and consulting attorney in Oregon for the Northern Pacific Railroad
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
Company, being selected for the two positions by Henry Villard
Henry Villard
Henry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
, who was president of the two companies. He was one of the organizers of the Security Savings & Trust Company and his name has long been inscribed high on the roll of the state's distinguished lawyers and financiers.
Marriage and family
Dolph was married on June 24, 1874, to Miss Elise Cardinell, a native of Canada and a daughter of Charles Cardinell, who was of French HuguenotHuguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
lineage. Mr. and Mrs. Dolph became parents of three sons and a daughter: Joseph N., Hazel Mills, William Vanderbilt and John Mathew.
In the social circles of the city the family occupied a prominent position, and Dolph was active in many movements that have been of material benefit to Portland. The important lines of public progress and improvement receive not only his endorsement but also his cooperation. For many years he was a member of the water-works committee and president of the board of trustees
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of the Portland Library Association. Thomas Lamb Eliot
Thomas Lamb Eliot
Reverend Thomas Lamb Eliot was an Oregon pioneer, minister of one of the first churches on the west coast of the U.S., president of the Portland Children's Home, president of the Oregon Humane Society, a director of the Art Association, and director of the Library Association.Thomas Lamb Eliot was...
was vice-president during some of that time. He was also a regent of the Oregon University. He was allied with the Oregon Republican Party
Oregon Republican Party
The Oregon Republican Party is the state affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Oregon, headquartered in Lake Oswego. The first state party convention was held in Salem on April 21, 1859, and its first nominee for Congress, Portland attorney David Logan...
since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and undoubtedly could have attained to high political honors had not his ambitions and desires been centered and directed in other channels.
In June 1869 he was accorded the Republican nomination for city attorney and was elected by a large majority, serving for the regular term of two years. When he was absent from the city in 1874 the Republican convention nominated him for the state legislature
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
, but at that time he declined to become a candidate as he did later when tendered the appointment of circuit judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the Ninth Judicial Circuit
United States District Court for the District of Oregon
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union...
, preferring to concentrate his time and energies upon his law practice
Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
and the cooperative interests with which he had become identified.
Dolph died June 22, 1914.