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Nesmith, James Willis, 1820-1885

LC control no.n 86857653
Descriptive conventionsrda
Personal name headingNesmith, James Willis, 1820-1885
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Variant(s)Nesmith, J. W. (James Willis), 1820-1885
Associated countryUnited States
LocatedOregon
Birth date1820-07-23
Death date1885-06-17
Place of birthNew Brunswick
Place of deathRickreall (Or.)
AffiliationUnited States. Congress. Senate
United States. Congress. House
Democratic Party (U.S.)
Profession or occupationLegislators Judges
Found innuc86-48536: His Remarks ... upon the Indian appropriation ... [MI] 1862 (hdg. on LCP rept.: Nesmith, James Willis, 1820-1885; no usage given)
LC data base, 10/9/86 (hdg.: Nesmith, James Willis, 1820-1885; usage: James Willis Nesmith)
nuc89-27508: His Branch mint of the United States [MI] 1864 (hdg. on UPB rept.: Nesmith, James Willis, 1820-1885; usage: J.W. Nesmith)
James Willis Nesmith account book, 1867-1871: finding aid (James Willis Nesmith was the second US Senator elected from Oregon, serving from 1861 to 1867. He was also elected to the US Congress in 1873, and served until 1875. He served both houses of the legislature as a Democrat)
Biographical directory of the United States Congress website, viewed February 19, 2019 (Nesmith, James Willis, (cousin of Joseph Gardner Wilson & grandfather of Clifton Nesmith McArthur), a Senator and a Representative from Oregon; born in New Brunswick, Canada, while his parents were on a visit from their home in Washington County, Maine, July 23, 1820; moved with his father to Claremont, N.H., about 1828; received a limited schooling; moved to Ohio in 1838 and Oregon in 1843; studied law; admitted to the bar but never practiced extensively; engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising; elected judge of the provisional government of Oregon in 1845; captain in 1848 and 1853 of expeditions against hostile Indians; United States marshal for Oregon 1853-1855; superintendent of Indian affairs for Oregon and Washington Territories 1857-1859; elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1861, to March 3, 1867; unsuccessful candidate for reelection; appointed Minister to Austria, but his nomination was not confirmed; served as road supervisor of Polk County 1868; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Joseph G. Wilson and served from December 1, 1873, to March 3, 1875; did not seek renomination in 1874 to the Forty-fourth Congress; died in Rickreall, Oreg., June 17, 1885; interment in Polk County, Oreg., on the south bank of Rickreall Creek)
Associated languageeng