John Kelsay (October 23, 1819 – January 19, 1899) was an American politician and judge in Oregon. He was the 18th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, and fought in the Rogue River Wars. A Kentucky native, he was a member of the 1857 Oregon Constitutional Convention and served in the Missouri General Assembly.
John Kelsay | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| 18th Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court | |
| In office 1868–1870 | |
| Preceded by | Alonzo A. Skinner |
| Succeeded by | Andrew J. Thayer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 23, 1819 Wayne County, Kentucky |
| Died | January 19, 1899 (aged 79) Oregon |
| Spouse(s) | Martha C. Monroe (1846) Cornelia Corintner (1864) |
Early life edit
Kelsay was born to Alexander Kelsay and his wife Jane Kelley in the state of Kentucky in Wayne County on October 23, 1819.[1] At the age of ten the family and John relocated to Missouri. There his mother educated John and then later he would begin the study of law in 1842.[1] In July 1845 he passed the bar and was allowed to practice law.[1] In 1846 he married for the first time to Matha C. Monroe.[1]
Oregon edit
In 1853, John Kelsay and his wife moved to Oregon Territory over the Oregon Trail.[1] There the family settled in Corvallis, Oregon where Kelsay set up a law practice. Shortly after arriving, he organized one regiment of troops to serve battling the Rogue River tribe in southwestern Oregon and earned the title of colonel.[1]
Political career edit
Kelsay was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives and served in 1844 as a delegate from Morgan County.[2] Then in Oregon in 1857 he represented Benton County at the Oregon Constitutional Convention as Oregon prepared for statehood.[3] At the convention John was selected as chairman of the military committee.[1] In 1868 Kelsay won the election for a seat on the Oregon Supreme Court.[4] His two-year term ended in 1870 and he left the bench.[4] However, in both 1870 and 1872 he was nominated as a Republican for the court.[5] In Oregon he was one of the early leaders of the Republican Party.[5]
Later life edit
Before his time on the high court Kelsay married a second time in 1864.[1] With his second wife Cornelia Corintner he fathered two children.[1] Later served as mayor of Corvallis.[5] John Kelsay died on January 19, 1899, in Oregon.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Corning, Howard M. Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.
- ^ Missouri State Legislators: 1820-2000. Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved on February 2, 2008.
- ^ "Biographical Sketch of John Kelsay". Crafting the Oregon Constitution. Oregon State Archives. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
- ^ a b Oregon Blue Book: Supreme Court Justices of Oregon. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on February 2, 2008.
- ^ a b c Larson, Tony. John Kelsay, b. 1819 Kentucky to Oregon. genealogy.com. Retrieved on February 2, 2008.