Samuel Colver
Encyclopedia
Samuel Colver aka Samuel H. Culver (September 10, 1815–1891) was a pioneer
of the U.S. state
of Oregon
.
Early in life he studied law at Plymouth College in Indiana
. Afterward, he served as a Texas Ranger
and served with General Sam Houston
at the Battle of San Jacinto
, and later served as an Indian scout.
In 1850, he and his brother Hiram moved their families to Oregon via the Oregon Trail
. Samuel and Hiram founded the small community of Phoenix
. Samuel built a home in Phoenix in 1855. It was known as the Samuel Colver House when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. When it was destroyed by fire in September 2008, it was the oldest residence in Jackson County
. It had served as a fort during the Indian War and as center of activity for the local community during peaceful times. It was removed from the National Register in April 2009.
Colver became an Indian Agent
in the Rogue River Valley, where he was a signer of the Table Rock Treaty on September 10, 1853. The treaty effectively ended the Rogue River War. He also served as a U.S. Marshall.
Samuel Colver was married to Huldah, who was born in Ohio in 1823. They had two children, Isabel and Lewellyn. Lewellyn was killed in 1884 by a man who mistook him for a burglar, and Isabel died in 1886. Grief-stricken over the loss of both of his children, Samuel Colver was confined for a month to an asylum.
Samuel died mysteriously in 1891. He was found drowned near Upper Klamath Lake
after riding out alone. He was known to have some enemies and there was rumor of land swindles, but nothing was ever proven.
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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...
.
Early in life he studied law at Plymouth College in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Afterward, he served as a Texas Ranger
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
and served with General Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
at the Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
, and later served as an Indian scout.
In 1850, he and his brother Hiram moved their families to Oregon via 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...
. Samuel and Hiram founded the small community of Phoenix
Phoenix, Oregon
Phoenix is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 4,060 at the 2000 census and has grown to 4,855 people as of July 1, 2009.-History:...
. Samuel built a home in Phoenix in 1855. It was known as the Samuel Colver House when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. When it was destroyed by fire in September 2008, it was the oldest residence in Jackson County
Jackson County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
. It had served as a fort during the Indian War and as center of activity for the local community during peaceful times. It was removed from the National Register in April 2009.
Colver became an Indian Agent
Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs
The Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs was an official position of the U.S. state of Oregon, and previously of the Oregon Territory, that existed from 1848–1873.-Background:...
in the Rogue River Valley, where he was a signer of the Table Rock Treaty on September 10, 1853. The treaty effectively ended the Rogue River War. He also served as a U.S. Marshall.
Samuel Colver was married to Huldah, who was born in Ohio in 1823. They had two children, Isabel and Lewellyn. Lewellyn was killed in 1884 by a man who mistook him for a burglar, and Isabel died in 1886. Grief-stricken over the loss of both of his children, Samuel Colver was confined for a month to an asylum.
Samuel died mysteriously in 1891. He was found drowned near Upper Klamath Lake
Upper Klamath Lake
Upper Klamath Lake is a large, shallow freshwater lake east of the Cascade Range in south central Oregon in the United States. The largest freshwater body in Oregon, it is approximately 20 mi long and 8 mi wide and extends northwest from the city of Klamath Falls...
after riding out alone. He was known to have some enemies and there was rumor of land swindles, but nothing was ever proven.