Absalom J. Hembree
Encyclopedia
Absalom Jefferson Hembree (December 14, 1813 – April 10, 1856) was an American
soldier and politician in what became the state of Oregon
. A native of Tennessee
, he served in the Provisional Legislature of Oregon
and the Oregon Territorial Legislature
before being killed in action during the Yakima War
.
across the Oregon Trail
. Hembree’s infant son died along the trail, with the family arriving in Oregon City
where they stayed until the Spring of 1844.
and settled on a land claim near the present community of Carlton
. Hembree's land claim was one of the first in what became a Yamhill County. There the family raised livestock and Absalom operated a store in nearby Lafayette
. While in Oregon, the couple would have seven more children. Hembree served as a director of the Portland & Valley Plank Road Company that started construction on Canyon Road
in 1849, and was involved with the creation of the Pacific Telegraph Company in 1855.
In 1846, Hembree was elected to the Provisional Legislature of Oregon
to represent the Yamhill District, and won re-election the following year. He won election to the final session of that body in 1848, serving through the early 1849 session. The creation of the Oregon Territory
and take over by the federal government superseded the Provisional Government of Oregon
’s authority. In 1849, he was elected to serve in the first session of the Oregon Territorial Legislature
, representing Yamhill County. Hembree served again in the 1851 and 1854 sessions in the lower Oregon House of Representatives
as a Democrat. He had run for the office of U.S. Marshall for the territory, but lost to Joseph Meek
.
between the United States government and Native Americans broke out in the eastern part of the Washington Territory
. Following the defeat of Major Haller
on October 5, 1855, Hembree and many others in the Willamette Valley
volunteered to fight the Native Americans. A captain, he was in charge of a company of troops when he and a small group of his men were doing reconnaissance on Satas Creek on April 10, 1856. The group was ambushed and Hembree was killed, the lone casualty for the Americans. His body was returned to Oregon and he was given a Masonic burial at the Hembree Cemetery in Yamhill County. On June 20, 1920, the Washington State Historical Society placed a monument at the site of his death.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier and politician in what became the state of 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...
. A native of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, he served in the Provisional Legislature of Oregon
Provisional Legislature of Oregon
The Provisional Legislature of Oregon was the single-chamber legislative body of the Provisional Government of Oregon. It served the Oregon Country of the Pacific Northwest of North America from 1843 until early 1849 at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region...
and 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...
before being killed in action during the Yakima War
Yakima War
The Yakima War was a conflict between the United States and the Yakama, a Sahaptian-speaking people on the Northwest Plateau, then Washington Territory and now the southern interior of Eastern Washington, from 1855 to 1858.- Naming :...
.
Early years
Absalom Hembree was born in Warren County, Tennessee, on December 14, 1813, to James and Nancy Hembree (née Pettit). On January 14, 1835, he married Nancy Dodson in White County, Tennessee, and the two would have ten children. In 1843, he and his family that now included three children (William, Ann, and Nancy), along with an older brother Joel, immigrated 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...
across the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
. Hembree’s infant son died along the trail, with the family arriving in Oregon City
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...
where they stayed until the Spring of 1844.
Oregon
In 1844, the family moved to the newly organized Yamhill DistrictYamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
and settled on a land claim near the present community of Carlton
Carlton, Oregon
Carlton is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to the 2000 United States Census, the municipality population was 1,514. The 2007 estimate is 1,755 residents.-History:...
. Hembree's land claim was one of the first in what became a Yamhill County. There the family raised livestock and Absalom operated a store in nearby Lafayette
Lafayette, Oregon
Lafayette is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States on the Yamhill River and Oregon Route 99W. It was founded in 1846 and incorporated in 1878...
. While in Oregon, the couple would have seven more children. Hembree served as a director of the Portland & Valley Plank Road Company that started construction on Canyon Road
Canyon Road
Canyon Road is a road connecting Beaverton and Portland, Oregon, United States. It was the first road between the Tualatin Valley and Portland and contributed significantly to Portland becoming the area's major deep water port, and subsequent early growth of the city.The total modern length is...
in 1849, and was involved with the creation of the Pacific Telegraph Company in 1855.
In 1846, Hembree was elected to the Provisional Legislature of Oregon
Provisional Legislature of Oregon
The Provisional Legislature of Oregon was the single-chamber legislative body of the Provisional Government of Oregon. It served the Oregon Country of the Pacific Northwest of North America from 1843 until early 1849 at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region...
to represent the Yamhill District, and won re-election the following year. He won election to the final session of that body in 1848, serving through the early 1849 session. The creation of the Oregon Territory
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 Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
and take over by the federal government superseded the Provisional Government of Oregon
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
’s authority. In 1849, he was elected to serve in the first session of 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...
, representing Yamhill County. Hembree served again in the 1851 and 1854 sessions in the lower Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
as a Democrat. He had run for the office of U.S. Marshall for the territory, but lost to Joseph Meek
Joseph Meek
Joseph Lafayette "Joe" Meek was a trapper, law enforcement official, and politician in the Oregon Country and later Oregon Territory of the United States. A pioneer involved in the fur trade before settling in the Tualatin Valley, Meek would play a prominent role at the Champoeg Meetings of 1843...
.
Death and legacy
In 1855, the Yakima WarYakima War
The Yakima War was a conflict between the United States and the Yakama, a Sahaptian-speaking people on the Northwest Plateau, then Washington Territory and now the southern interior of Eastern Washington, from 1855 to 1858.- Naming :...
between the United States government and Native Americans broke out in the eastern part of the Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
. Following the defeat of Major Haller
Granville O. Haller
Granville Owen Haller was a noted Indian fighter and United States Army military officer, as well as a wealthy postbellum businessman in the Seattle, Washington, area...
on October 5, 1855, Hembree and many others in the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
volunteered to fight the Native Americans. A captain, he was in charge of a company of troops when he and a small group of his men were doing reconnaissance on Satas Creek on April 10, 1856. The group was ambushed and Hembree was killed, the lone casualty for the Americans. His body was returned to Oregon and he was given a Masonic burial at the Hembree Cemetery in Yamhill County. On June 20, 1920, the Washington State Historical Society placed a monument at the site of his death.