Charles B. Bellinger
Encyclopedia
Charles Byron Bellinger (1839–1905) was a federal district court judge in Portland, Oregon
, United States
. A native of Illinois, he also served as a state circuit court judge in Oregon
, fought in the Modoc War
in 1873, and was a newspaper editor. Politically, he previously served in the Oregon Legislative Assembly
and as clerk to the Oregon Supreme Court
.
on November 21, 1839. In 1847, with his parents, Edward H. Bellinger and Eliza Howard Bellinger, Charles moved to Oregon Country
. The following year the region became the Oregon Territory
, and was admitted to the Union in 1859. Bellinger received his education at a school near the Santiam River
where his teacher was Orange Jacobs
, later a judge and politician in Washington. Later, Bellinger enrolled at Willamette University
in Salem, Oregon
, where he attended for two years. He left Willamette in order to read law under attorney and later judge Benjamin F. Bonham
, after which he passed the bar
in 1863. Bellinger practiced law briefly before moving to the newspaper business and was an editor for the Salem paper, The Arena. He later worked for the Salem Argus before becoming a merchant in Monroe, Oregon
, in 1866.
, representing Benton County
. The next year he moved to Albany, Oregon
, where he worked as editor of the States Rights Democrat newspaper, now Albany Democrat-Herald
. In 1870, he left the paper and moved to Portland where he edited the Portland Daily News, and the following year served as a prosecuting attorney for the state. Bellinger remained with the newspaper until 1890, but worked as a prosecuting attorney until 1872.
From 1873 until 1874 he served in the Oregon militia as a lieutenant colonel. During this time he served in the Modoc War
during the Lava Beds campaign. Following his military service, Bellinger moved to Salem where he was the clerk for the Oregon Supreme Court
from 1874 to 1878. He left the state’s highest court to accept a judgeship for Oregon’s fourth judicial district, serving until 1880.
Bellinger returned to private practice in Portland in 1880, where he remained until 1893. For three years he was in practice with John M. Gearin, before becoming a partner in the firm of Dolph, Bellinger, Mallory, & Simon. Partners Joseph N. Dolph
and Joseph Simon
were United States Senators, while Rufus Mallory
was a member of the United States House of Representatives. On April 11, 1893, United States President Grover Cleveland
nominated Bellinger to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon
as the judge of the single judge court, replacing Matthew Deady
who had died. Bellinger was confirmed in the position by the United States Senate on April 15, and began his tenure that day. He served as judge of the federal district court until his death on May 12, 1905, in Portland
.
, with whom he would have seven children. In his later years he taught at the University of Oregon School of Law
when it was located in Portland. Also in Portland he was a commissioner of the Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition held there in 1905 after his death, and as president of the Oregon State Bar
. Bellinger organized the Portland Cremation Association, was a member of the Oregon Historical Society
, and a regent of the University of Oregon
. His ashes were interred at Portland Memorial Mausoleum.
Portland, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A native of Illinois, he also served as a state circuit court judge in 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...
, fought in the Modoc War
Modoc War
The Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign , was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872–1873. The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon...
in 1873, and was a newspaper editor. Politically, he previously served in the Oregon Legislative Assembly
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
and as clerk to 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...
.
Early life
Charles Bellinger was born in Maquon, IllinoisMaquon, Illinois
Maquon is a village in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The population was 318 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Description:...
on November 21, 1839. In 1847, with his parents, Edward H. Bellinger and Eliza Howard Bellinger, Charles moved 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...
. The following year the region became 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 was admitted to the Union in 1859. Bellinger received his education at a school near the Santiam River
Santiam River
The Santiam River is a tributary of the Willamette River, about long, in western Oregon in the United States. Through its two principal tributaries, the North Santiam and the South Santiam rivers, it drains a large area of the Cascade Range at the eastern side of the Willamette Valley east of...
where his teacher was Orange Jacobs
Orange Jacobs
Orange Jacobs was a Delegate from the Territory of Washington.Born near Geneseo, New York, Jacobs moved with his parents to Michigan Territory in 1831....
, later a judge and politician in Washington. Later, Bellinger enrolled at Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, where he attended for two years. He left Willamette in order to read law under attorney and later judge Benjamin F. Bonham
Benjamin F. Bonham
Benjamin F. Bonham was an American educator, politician, and judge in Oregon. He was the 9th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, USA. Overall he was on Oregon’s highest court from 1870 to 1876. Prior to joining the court he was in the Oregon Territorial Legislature and the first State...
, after which he passed the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1863. Bellinger practiced law briefly before moving to the newspaper business and was an editor for the Salem paper, The Arena. He later worked for the Salem Argus before becoming a merchant in Monroe, Oregon
Monroe, Oregon
Monroe is a city in Benton County, Oregon, United States. The population was 607 at the 2000 census. It is part of the "Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area"...
, in 1866.
Political career
In 1868, Bellinger began one term in the Oregon House of RepresentativesOregon 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....
, representing Benton County
Benton County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 78,153 people, 30,145 households, and 18,237 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 people per square mile . There were 31,980...
. The next year he moved to Albany, Oregon
Albany, Oregon
Albany is the eleventh largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon, and is the county seat of Linn County. It is located in the Willamette Valley at the confluence of the Calapooia River and the Willamette River in both Linn and Benton counties, just east of Corvallis and south of Salem. It is...
, where he worked as editor of the States Rights Democrat newspaper, now Albany Democrat-Herald
Albany Democrat-Herald
The Albany Democrat-Herald is the daily newspaper of Albany, Oregon, United States. Lee Enterprises owns both the Democrat-Herald and the Corvallis Gazette-Times. The two papers publish a joint Sunday edition, the Mid-Valley Times...
. In 1870, he left the paper and moved to Portland where he edited the Portland Daily News, and the following year served as a prosecuting attorney for the state. Bellinger remained with the newspaper until 1890, but worked as a prosecuting attorney until 1872.
From 1873 until 1874 he served in the Oregon militia as a lieutenant colonel. During this time he served in the Modoc War
Modoc War
The Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign , was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872–1873. The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon...
during the Lava Beds campaign. Following his military service, Bellinger moved to Salem where he was the clerk for 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...
from 1874 to 1878. He left the state’s highest court to accept a judgeship for Oregon’s fourth judicial district, serving until 1880.
Bellinger returned to private practice in Portland in 1880, where he remained until 1893. For three years he was in practice with John M. Gearin, before becoming a partner in the firm of Dolph, Bellinger, Mallory, & Simon. Partners Joseph N. Dolph
Joseph N. Dolph
Joseph Norton Dolph was an American politician and attorney in the state of Oregon. A native of the state of New York, he immigrated to Oregon over the Oregon Trail and settled in Portland where he became the state's federal district attorney...
and Joseph Simon
Joseph Simon
Joseph Simon was a German-born politician and attorney in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was born in Bechtheim, Germany, and his family immigrated to the United States when he was one year old, settling in Portland, Oregon. A Republican, Simon served on the city council before election to the Oregon...
were United States Senators, while Rufus Mallory
Rufus Mallory
Rufus Mallory was an American educator, lawyer, and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of New York, he was a teacher in Iowa before moving to Oregon where he became an attorney. He was a district attorney before he served in the Oregon House of Representatives in the early 1860s. A...
was a member of the United States House of Representatives. On April 11, 1893, United States President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
nominated Bellinger to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon
United States District Court for the District of Oregon
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union...
as the judge of the single judge court, replacing Matthew Deady
Matthew Deady
Matthew Paul Deady was a politician and jurist in the Oregon Territory and the state of Oregon of the United States. He served on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1853 to 1859, at which time he was appointed to the newly created federal court of the state...
who had died. Bellinger was confirmed in the position by the United States Senate on April 15, and began his tenure that day. He served as judge of the federal district court until his death on May 12, 1905, in Portland
Portland, 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...
.
Family and later life
Charles Bellinger was married to Margaret S. Johnson of Linn County, OregonLinn County, Oregon
Linn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is named in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri who advocated the American occupation of the Oregon Country. By the 2010 US census the population of Linn county was 116,672 showing a 13.2% growth since the 2000 census...
, with whom he would have seven children. In his later years he taught at the University of Oregon School of Law
University of Oregon School of Law
The University of Oregon School of Law is a public law school in the U.S. state of Oregon. Housed in the Knight Law Center, it is Oregon's only state funded law school. The school, founded in 1884, is located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, on the corner of 15th and Agate streets,...
when it was located in Portland. Also in Portland he was a commissioner of the Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition held there in 1905 after his death, and as president of the Oregon State Bar
Oregon State Bar
The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession. The public corporation is part of the Oregon Judicial Department...
. Bellinger organized the Portland Cremation Association, was a member of the Oregon Historical Society
Oregon Historical Society
The Oregon Historical Society is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preserves, and makes available materials of historical character...
, and a regent of the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. His ashes were interred at Portland Memorial Mausoleum.
Works authored
- The Codes and Statutes of Oregon: Showing All Laws of a General Nature, Including the Session Laws of 1901 (Volume 1).