Huntington, John Webster Perit, 1831-1869.

John Webster Perit Huntington was born July 5, 1831 in Norwich, Connecticut and died June 3, 1869 at the age of 37. He sailed around Cape Horn in 1850, settling in Yoncalla, Umpqua (now Douglas) County, Oregon in 1852. He was elected to the state legislature in 1860 and appointed Oregon's Superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1863. As superintendent, Huntington played a significant role in securing treaties with the Warm Springs and Snake tribes. He was also part owner of a "Unionist" paper in the mid-1860s.

From the description of John Webster Perit Huntington papers, 1855-1869. (Oregon Historical Society Research Library). WorldCat record id: 35619580

John Webster Perit Huntington, publisher, lawyer, teacher, farmer and Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon, was born on July 5, 1831 in Norwich, Connecticut. A versatile and well educated young man, he joined a group of men who bought a ship, loaded it with mining equipment and sailed around Cape Horn to San Francisco in 1850. Once in California they sold the ship and mining equipment and dispersed. Huntington traveled to Yoncalla, Umpqua County (now Douglas County), Oregon, where he took a land claim in Hayhurst Valley in 1852.

In 1857 Huntington met and married Mary Applegate, daughter of Charles Applegate. Through the Applegate connection, Huntington became associated with the Republican Party and served as an Oregon state legislator in 1860. Because of his work in the Republican Party in Oregon, he was brought to the attention of President Abraham Lincoln and appointed as the Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon.

Under Huntington's tenure as Superintendent, treaties were signed with various Indian tribes including the Snake and Warm Springs tribes. Due to his efficiency and duty to the Union, President Andrew Johnson appointed him to a second term in 1867. This last term ended in the Spring of 1869 and on June 3, he unexpectedly died at the age of 37.

From the guide to the John Webster Perit Huntington papers, 1855-1869, (Oregon Historical Society)