John T. Apperson (December 23, 1834 – April 3, 1917) was an American

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

captain and military officer who also served in the

Oregon Legislative Assembly The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the State legislature (United States), state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper house, upper and lower chamber: the Oregon State Senate, Sena ...

. He was born in

Christian County, Kentucky Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,748. Its county seat is Hopkinsville. The county was formed in 1797. Christian County is part of the Clarksville, Tennessee–Ke ...

, son of Beverly Apperson and Jane Gilbert Tubbs. He was a steamboat captain and owner on the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward ...

in the 1850s. He served as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

in Company "E" of the Oregon Cavalry during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He was sheriff of

Clackamas County Clackamas County ( ) is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 421,401, making it Oregon's third-most populous county. Its county seat is Oregon City. The county was named after the na ...

. He served in the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the upper house being the Oregon State Senate. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of ...

in 1870 and in the

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the State legislature (United States), statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Ther ...

from 1878 to 1881, but was defeated when he ran for reelection in 1882. In 1889, he served again in the Oregon House of Representatives, after being elected to a seat in 1888.

Steamboat owner

In 1861, Apperson built the steamboat ''Unio'' on the

Canemah, Oregon Canemah was an early settlement in the U.S. state of Oregon located near the Willamette River. Canemah was annexed to Oregon City in 1928. Location The district of Canemah is located on the east side of the Willamette River. At that time, Oreg ...

and operated it from its launching in October 1861 to December of the same year, when Apperson sold the boat to another steamboat captain, James D. Miller. Despite having sold Unio to Miller, Apperson as of April 1862, held a position on the boat as clerk.

Death

Apperson died on April 3, 1917, at his home in the Park Place neighborhood of

Oregon City Oregon City is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, located on the Willamette River near the southern limits of the Portland metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 37,572. Established in 1829 ...

, where he had resided with his wife, Mary Ann Elliott Apperson. He is buried at the Mountain View Cemetery, in Oregon City.

References

* ''Hidden History of Civil War Oregon'', by Randol B. Fletcher, History Press, Charleston, SC (2011), p. 16 * ''An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon'', by Harvey Kimball Hines, Lewis Publishing Co., 1893, pp. 545–547

External links

Civil War letters in University of Oregon archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apperson, John T. Ship owners Steamship captains Oregon pioneers Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives Republican Party Oregon state senators Oregon sheriffs People of Oregon in the American Civil War Union army officers 1834 births 1917 deaths People from Christian County, Kentucky Politicians from Oregon City, Oregon American businesspeople in shipping 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly