George Lemuel Woods
Encyclopedia
George Lemuel Woods was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. A member of the Republican Party
, Woods served as the third Governor
of Oregon
from 1866–1870 and was then appointed Utah Territory
Governor by President
Ulysses S. Grant
, serving from 1871–1875.
. In 1847, his parents Caleb Woods and the former Margaret McBride moved to Oregon Country
with the 15 year-old George. In Oregon, the family settled in Yamhill County
where George was educated in the public schools before attending McMinnville College
. In 1853, George was married to Louisa A. McBride, and the couple would have two sons. After college he worked on the family farm and studied law, passing the bar
in 1858 and setting up a private practice.
. In 1865 he was appointed to serve on the Idaho Territory
’s Supreme Court
. In 1866, Woods was elected as the third Governor of the state of Oregon. His term began on September 12, 1866 and continued until September 14, 1870. Woods failed to win renomination and was then appointed by President Grant
as the Governor of Utah Territory
in 1871. Woods was critical of Mormon
leader Brigham Young
, and was not reappointed in 1875 at the end of his first term.
in Portland, Oregon
.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, Woods served as the third Governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
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...
from 1866–1870 and was then appointed Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
Governor by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, serving from 1871–1875.
Early life
George Woods was born July 30, 1832 in Boone County, MissouriBoone County, Missouri
Boone County is a county centrally located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the eighth most populous county in Missouri. In 2010, the population was 162,642. Its county seat, Columbia, is the fifth largest city in Missouri and the anchor city of the Columbia Metropolitan Area.-History:Boone...
. In 1847, his parents Caleb Woods and the former Margaret McBride 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...
with the 15 year-old George. In Oregon, the family settled in Yamhill County
Yamhill 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...
where George was educated in the public schools before attending McMinnville College
Linfield College
Linfield College is an American private institution of higher learning located in McMinnville, Oregon, United States. As a four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college with a campus in Portland, Oregon, it also has an adult degree program located in eight communities throughout the...
. In 1853, George was married to Louisa A. McBride, and the couple would have two sons. After college he worked on the family farm and studied law, passing 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 1858 and setting up a private practice.
Politics
In 1857, Woods organized Republican clubs in the state and was a noted speaker of the party. In 1863, he became a judge of Wasco CountyWasco County, Oregon
Wasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for a local tribe of Native Americans, the Wasco, a Chinook tribe who lived on the south side of the Columbia River. In 2010, its population was 25,213...
. In 1865 he was appointed to serve on the Idaho Territory
Idaho Territory
The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 4, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Idaho.-1860s:...
’s Supreme Court
Idaho Supreme Court
The Idaho Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the state of Idaho, composed of the chief justice and four associate justices.The decisions of the Idaho Supreme Court are binding on all other Idaho state courts.The only court that may reverse or modify its decisions is the Supreme Court of...
. In 1866, Woods was elected as the third Governor of the state of Oregon. His term began on September 12, 1866 and continued until September 14, 1870. Woods failed to win renomination and was then appointed by President Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
as the Governor of Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
in 1871. Woods was critical of Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
leader Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
, and was not reappointed in 1875 at the end of his first term.
Later life
After leaving the Utah governorship Woods moved to California where he remained for ten years. He then returned to Oregon in 1885 where he died on January 7, 1890, and was interred on January 12. Woods was buried at River View CemeteryRiver View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon)
River View Cemetery in the southwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States, is a non-profit cemetery founded in 1882. It is the final resting place of many prominent and notable citizens of Oregon, including many governors and United States Senators...
in Portland, Oregon
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...
.
External links
- Utah History Encyclopedia
- entry in the Oregon Blue BookOregon Blue BookThe Oregon Blue Book is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon copyrighted by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. As Governor Ted Kulongoski notes in his introduction for the 2005–2006 edition, it "provides...
- Oregon State Library: George Lemuel Woods