Aaron E. Waite
Encyclopedia
Aaron E. Waite (December 26, 1813 – December 12, 1898) was an American
judge and politician. He was the 4th Chief Justice
of the Oregon Supreme Court
serving from 1859 to 1862. He was the first chief justice after Oregon
became a state on February 14, 1859. A Massachusetts
native, Waite also served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature
.
, where he was raised by his grandfather and an uncle. His father had died as a soldier in the War of 1812
. At the age of 14 he became an apprentice broom maker, working for four years until also enrolling in school for two years. Waite then moved to New York
at the age of 20.
Once there he taught as an assistant teacher on Long Island
at Flatbush in Erasmus Hall. Waite then returned to Massachusetts before moving west in 1837 and settled in Michigan. He settled in Centerville where he studied law under judge Columbia Lancaster
and was admitted to the bar in 1842. Later he became the military secretary for governor John S. Barry
of Michigan
.
in a wagon train of 40 wagons. This included Judge Lancaster and Lancaster's family. Once in Oregon he set up a law practice in Oregon City, Oregon
, and worked on the Oregon Spectator
newspaper. Waite then fought in the Cayuse War
before leaving for the gold fields of California
in 1849, only to return within a few years.
. Following an absence from the legislature he returned as a member of the upper chamber Council in 1857 and 1858 serving as a Democrat.
In 1858 he ran and was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court. Prior to this the judges were appointed by the U.S. President as Oregon was still a territory. Wait’s term began in 1859 and he served on the state’s highest court until resigning on May 1, 1862. During that same time he served as the chief justice of the court.
, with most of his time in retirement spent managing his land holdings in the Pacific Northwest. Aaron E. Waite died on his farm near Canby
on December 12, 1898, at the age of 84.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
judge and politician. He was the 4th Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest 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. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
serving from 1859 to 1862. He was the first chief justice after Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
became a state on February 14, 1859. A Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
native, Waite also served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature
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...
.
Early life
Aaron Waite was born on December 26, 1813, in Franklin County, MassachusettsFranklin County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 71,535 people, 29,466 households, and 18,416 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 31,939 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, where he was raised by his grandfather and an uncle. His father had died as a soldier in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. At the age of 14 he became an apprentice broom maker, working for four years until also enrolling in school for two years. Waite then moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at the age of 20.
Once there he taught as an assistant teacher on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
at Flatbush in Erasmus Hall. Waite then returned to Massachusetts before moving west in 1837 and settled in Michigan. He settled in Centerville where he studied law under judge Columbia Lancaster
Columbia Lancaster
Columbia Lancaster was a Delegate from the Territory of Washington.-Early life:Born in New Milford, Connecticut, Lancaster moved with his family to Canfield, Ohio, in 1817. There he attended the common schools before he moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1824...
and was admitted to the bar in 1842. Later he became the military secretary for governor John S. Barry
John S. Barry
For the American businessman John S. Barry, see John Barry .John Stewart Barry was the fourth and eighth Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. He was Michigan's only three-term governor in the 19th century...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Oregon
In 1847, Waite headed to the Oregon CountryOregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
in a wagon train of 40 wagons. This included Judge Lancaster and Lancaster's family. Once in Oregon he set up a law practice in Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
, and worked on the Oregon Spectator
Oregon Spectator
The Oregon Spectator, was a newspaper published from 1846 to 1855 in Oregon City of what was first the Oregon Country and later the Oregon Territory of the United States. The Spectator was the first American newspaper to be published west of the Rocky Mountains and was the main paper of the region...
newspaper. Waite then fought in the Cayuse War
Cayuse War
The Cayuse War was an armed conflict that took place in the Northwestern United States from 1847 to 1855 between the Cayuse people of the region and the United States Government and local Euro-American settlers...
before leaving for the gold fields of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1849, only to return within a few years.
Politics
Upon returning he was elected as a commissioner to audit the claims from the Cayuse War. Then in 1852 he served in the Oregon Territory House of RepresentativesOregon 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...
. Following an absence from the legislature he returned as a member of the upper chamber Council in 1857 and 1858 serving as a Democrat.
In 1858 he ran and was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court. Prior to this the judges were appointed by the U.S. President as Oregon was still a territory. Wait’s term began in 1859 and he served on the state’s highest court until resigning on May 1, 1862. During that same time he served as the chief justice of the court.
Later years
Waite married twice and had a total of six children, of which both of his wives and four of the children died before him. After serving on the court he retired to his 600 acres (2.4 km²) farm that was located in Clackamas County. In 1891 he moved to Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, with most of his time in retirement spent managing his land holdings in the Pacific Northwest. Aaron E. Waite died on his farm near Canby
Canby, Oregon
Canby is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 15,829 at the 2010 census. It is located on Oregon Route 99E, two miles northeast of Barlow.-History:...
on December 12, 1898, at the age of 84.