Erasmus Darwin Shattuck (December 31, 1824 – July 26, 1900) was an American politician and judge in the state of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. He served as the 7th Chief Justice of the

Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest State court (United States), 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.

serving from 1866 to 1867. He served two separate terms on the Oregon's high court, was a district attorney, and a member of the

Oregon Constitutional Convention The Oregon Constitutional Convention in 1857 drafted the Oregon Constitution in preparation for the Oregon Territory to become a U.S. state. Held from mid-August through September, 60 men met in Salem, Oregon, and created the foundation for Oregon' ...

in 1857.

Early life

Bakersfield, Vermont Bakersfield is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,273 at the 2020 census. Geography Bakersfield is located in southeastern Franklin County, bordered by Lamoille County to the southeast. Vermont Route 108 pa ...

, on December 31, 1824, Erasmus Shattuck was born to Oliver and Sally Start Shattuck.Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956. Erasmus graduated from the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

in 1848 and then taught in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. In 1852 he was admitted to the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

state bar association. Also in 1852 he married Sarah A. Armstrong, and the two would have six children. Then in 1853 he immigrated to what was then 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 United States, Union as the Oreg ...

via the

Isthmus of Panama The Isthmus of Panama, historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North America, North and South America. The country of Panama is located on the i ...

. He arrived on February 15, 1853, and began teaching at Oregon City College and the Clackamas County Female Seminary until 1855. That year he began teaching at

Pacific University Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. Affiliated with the United Church of Christ, the school mainta ...

Forest Grove, Oregon Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland, Oregon, Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a commuter town in the Portland metro area . Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in ...

. From 1855 to 1856 he served as Washington County School Superintendent.Historic Potpourri: County officials. ''

The Hillsboro Argus ''The Hillsboro Argus'' was a twice-weekly newspaper in the city of Hillsboro, Oregon, from 1894 to 2017, known as the ''Washington County Argus'' for its final year. The ''Argus'' was distributed in Washington County, Oregon, United States. First ...

'', October 19, 1976.

Legal career

In 1856, Shattuck was elected to be a

probate In common law jurisdictions, probate is the judicial process whereby a will is "proved" in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document that is the true last testament of the deceased; or whereby, in the absence of a legal will, the e ...

judge as he had been practicing law in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. Then in 1857 he was a delegate to Oregon's Constitutional Convention representing Washington County. In 1861, he was a district attorney, and from 1862 to 1863 was the United States Attorney for Oregon.Leeson, F. (1998). ''Rose City Justice: A Legal History of Portland, Oregon''. Portland, Or: Oregon Historical Society Press, Published in cooperation with the Oregon State Bar. p. 246. Shattuck was then elected in 1862 to the Oregon Supreme Court.Oregon Blue Book: Supreme Court Justices of Oregon.
Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved January 13, 2008. During this time on the court he served as chief justice from 1866 to 1867. He resigned from the bench in December 1867 and was replaced by William W. Upton. Shattuck was then elected a second time to the court in 1874 to replace Upton, and then left the bench in 1878 at the end of his term. After his time on the high court, Shattuck returned to the bench as a circuit court judge from 1886 to 1898.

Later years

Shattuck served as a trustee for Portland Academy and was one of the founders of the Portland Library. Erasmus Shattuck died in Portland on July 26, 1900.

Legacy

In Portland, both Shattuck School and Road are named for him. At

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the next ...

, Shattuck Hall is named for him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shattuck, Erasmus Darwin 1824 births 1900 deaths People from Bakersfield, Vermont Oregon state court judges University of Vermont alumni Members of the Oregon House of Representatives Members of the Oregon Constitutional Convention Members of the Oregon Territorial Legislature Pacific University faculty United States attorneys for the District of Oregon Chief justices of the Oregon Supreme Court District attorneys in Oregon 19th-century American judges Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court