Joseph C. Avery
Encyclopedia
Joseph Conant Avery was the founder of Corvallis, Oregon
, United States
. Avery was the first postmaster for the community, and served as a legislator in the Provisional Government of Oregon
and the government of the Oregon Territory
.
on June 9, 1817. He was educated in Wilkes-Barre
before moving to Illinois
in 1839. Avery then married Martha Marsh in 1841 before they immigrated to Oregon Country
in 1845.
where it flows into the Willamette River
in the central part of the Willamette Valley
of what would become the state of Oregon
. At that location he operated a ferry across the Willamette and established a farm. In 1848, Avery went to the gold fields of California
and mined for a brief time before using his gold to purchase mercantile goods. Avery then returned to Oregon where he opened a store on his land claim where he then established a town site. He surveyed and platted the area and named it Marysville.
In 1848, Avery was elected and served in the final session of the Provisional Legislature of Oregon
that began in December. He was elected to the Oregon Territorial Legislature
in 1850 through 1852, serving as a Whig and representing Benton County. In 1853, Avery was appointed as a postal agent servicing both Washington
and Oregon territories. In 1856, Avery returned to the Territorial Legislature as a Democrat.
Before the American Civil War
, he began publishing the pro-slavery Occidental Messenger in Corvallis. Joseph Avery, the father of 12 children, died on June 16, 1876.
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Avery was the first postmaster for the community, and served as a legislator in 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...
and the government 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...
.
Early life
Avery was born in Tunkhannock, PennsylvaniaTunkhannock, Pennsylvania
Tunkhannock is a borough in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, 31 miles northwest of Wilkes-Barre. In the past, lumbering was carried on extensively. The chief industry was tanning and there were spool and tub factories, furnaces and machine shops, stave and planing mills, and witch hazel distilleries....
on June 9, 1817. He was educated in Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
before moving to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 1839. Avery then married Martha Marsh in 1841 before they immigrated to Oregon Country
Oregon 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 1845.
Oregon
Joseph Avery settled at the mouth of Marys RiverMarys River
Marys River is a tributary of the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. From its source at the confluence of its east and west forks near Summit, it flows generally southeast from the Central Oregon Coast Range to Corvallis.-Name:...
where it flows into the Willamette River
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...
in the central part of 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...
of what would become 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...
. At that location he operated a ferry across the Willamette and established a farm. In 1848, Avery went to 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...
and mined for a brief time before using his gold to purchase mercantile goods. Avery then returned to Oregon where he opened a store on his land claim where he then established a town site. He surveyed and platted the area and named it Marysville.
In 1848, Avery was elected and served in the final session of 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...
that began in December. He was elected to 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...
in 1850 through 1852, serving as a Whig and representing Benton County. In 1853, Avery was appointed as a postal agent servicing both Washington
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....
and Oregon territories. In 1856, Avery returned to the Territorial Legislature as a Democrat.
Before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he began publishing the pro-slavery Occidental Messenger in Corvallis. Joseph Avery, the father of 12 children, died on June 16, 1876.