Chenoweth, F. A. (Francis A.), b. ca. 1821.

Francis A. Chenoweth was a lawyer and politician in the Pacific Northwest. He was born in Ohio and moved with his family to Wisconsin where he passed the Wisconsin bar at age 22. In 1849 he moved to the Oregon Territory. He settled in Cascade, OR where he operated a business portaging cargo and passengers across the Columbia River. In 1852 he was elected to the Oregon Territorial Legislature and was an advocate for creating a new territory on the northern side of the Columbia River. After Washington Territory was created in 1853, Chenoweth was elected to the first territorial Washington House of Representatives, representing Clark County. The first session he served as the Speaker of the House. In 1854 he was appointed by Pres. Franklin Pierce to Washington Territory's Supreme Court. Chenoweth served as a judge on the high court until 1858. During his service, he fought to keep the Supreme Court open throughout the imposed martial law. He moved to Island County after he left the court and 1859 he was again elected to the House of Representatives. In 1863 Chenoweth returned to Oregon and settled near Corvallis, OR where he helped incorporated the Oregon Central Railroad. He was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1866 representing Benton County and served as a Speaker of the House. During the early 1880's he lived and continued to practice law in Corvallis. By 1885 he had moved closer to his 8 children in the Kings Valley part of Benton County. On 29 Nov. 1899 he passed away and was buried at the Kings Valley Cemetery.

During the settlement of the coastal northwest, most of the people that were settling the area sought farms and land to settle down. Many made alliances and friendships with the Native Americans. During this time, Gov. Stevens had been making treaties with the Native Americans of the region. Many of the Native Americans were dissatisfied with the terms of the agreements and many settlers were sympathetic. When some settlers sought protection in the courts, Gov. Stevens called up a militia and closed the courts. He arrested Chief Justice Lander. In this letter, Judge Chenoweth explains his role in keeping the courts open.

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