Addison Crandall Gibbs (July 9, 1825December 29, 1886) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. He was the second Governor of Oregon from 1862 until 1866, and previously served in the

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. ...

's legislative body and later the state legislature.

Early life

Addison Crandall Gibbs was born on July 9, 1825, in

Cattaraugus County, New York Cattaraugus County (locally known as Catt County) is a county in Western New York, with one side bordering Pennsylvania. As of the United States 2020 census, the population was 77,042. The county seat is Little Valley. The county was created ...

.Horner, John B. (1921).''Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature''.

The J.K. Gill Co. The J.K. Gill Company, also known as J.K. Gill and Gill's, was an office supply company specializing in books and school supplies, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The company existed for about 130 years. Operating mainly in the Pacific ...

: Portland. pp. 172–173 He attended and graduated from a state-run

normal school A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

before becoming a teacher. Later he passed the bar and moved to California in 1849.

Oregon

In 1850, A. C. Gibbs moved to the

. There he moved to the town of

Gardiner Gardiner may refer to: Places Settlements ;Canada * Gardiner, Ontario ;United States * Gardiner, Maine * Gardiner, Montana * Gardiner (town), New York ** Gardiner (CDP), New York * Gardiner, Oregon * Gardiner, Washington * West Gardiner, Maine ...

on the

Umpqua River The Umpqua River ( ) on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains wes ...

where he would become a member of the

Oregon Territorial Legislature Oregon's Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1848 as the legislative branch of the government of the Oregon Territory. The upper chamber Council and lower chamber House of Representat ...

in 1852. He was also appointed as a customs collector for Gardiner, located at the mouth of the Umpqua. In 1860, Gibbs relocated to

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populou ...

, where he was elected to the state house. In 1862, he was elected as Governor of Oregon; his term began on September 10, 1862, thus he served during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

.Oregon State Archives: Governor's Records Guide
/ref> In 1864, responding to orders from the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washi ...

, Gibbs raised an infantry regiment despite opposition from Oregonians. He also used his political power in Oregon to quash secessionist movements.Oregon's Civil War
Stacey L. Smith, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Summer 2014. His term ended on September 12, 1866. After his term as governor, Gibbs was an unsuccessful candidate for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and ...

in 1866 to replace

James W. Nesmith James Willis Nesmith (July 23, 1820 – June 17, 1885) was an American politician and lawyer from Oregon. Born in New Brunswick to American parents, he grew up in New Hampshire and Maine. A Democrat, he moved to Oregon Country in 1843 where he ...

with

Henry W. Corbett Henry Winslow Corbett (February 18, 1827March 31, 1903) was an American businessman, politician, civic benefactor, and philanthropist in the state of Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he spent his early life in the East and New York (state), ...

as the selection of the

Oregon Legislature 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 Hou ...

. Gibbs then served as the

United States District Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the United States District of Oregon and as a commissioner for the state to settle war claims from the wars against the Native Americans. Gibbs, as Oregon District Attorney, was controversially removed from office by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

's Attorney General

George Henry Williams George Henry Williams (March 26, 1823April 4, 1910) was an American judge and politician. He served as chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, was the 32nd Attorney General of the United States, and was elected Oregon's U.S. senator, and ser ...

, former Senator from Oregon, while Gibbs was prosecuting election frauds in Oregon. He then returned to private practice in Portland at what is now

Miller Nash Graham & Dunn LLP Miller Nash LLP is an American law firm based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Established in 1873, the limited liability partnership has 153 attorneys firm wide. As of 2017, it was the third largest law firm in Portland when it had 86 atto ...

. Addison Crandall Gibbs died in

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

, on December 29, 1886. His remains were returned from England by an act of the Oregon Legislature and he was interred at the River View Cemetery in Portland in 1887.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibbs, A.C. Governors of Oregon People from Cattaraugus County, New York 1825 births 1886 deaths Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives Members of the Oregon Territorial Legislature Burials at River View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon) United States Attorneys for the District of Oregon Union (American Civil War) state governors Republican Party governors of Oregon 19th-century American politicians People from Sherwood, Oregon People from Gardiner, Oregon