James C. Hawthorne
Encyclopedia
Dr. James C. Hawthorne was an American
physician and politician in the states of California
and Oregon
. A native of Pennsylvania
, he was the founder of the Oregon Hospital for the Insane in East Portland, Oregon
. Hawthorne served in the California Senate and was a member of the Whig Party
and later the Democratic Party
.
to James and Mary (Donald) Hawthorne, who were of English
descent. His father was a farmer and a graduate of Washington College
, Pennsylvania
. J.C. commenced the study of medicine under Dr. Bascom of Mercer, Pennsylvania
, and later earned a degree from the Medical University at Louisville, Kentucky
.
He commenced practice in Louisville with his cousin, Dr. Hawthorne, continuing until 1850, when he went to California
. He then located at Auburn
, Placer County, California
and engaged in a large general practice and hospital work, where he became widely known and gained a reputation for his professional skill. In 1854 he was elected State Senator
from Placer County, and served two terms. (Lansing Stout
, another future Oregonian, represented Placer County in California's lower house
at the time.)
, where he was well received by the medical community, and soon acquired a large private practice. In 1858, he took charge of the county hospital under a contract from Multnomah County
, subsequently establishing a private hospital for the insane. The hospital was so successful that the state government, during Governor
Whiteaker's
term in 1862, contracted with him to assume the care of the insane of Oregon. Assisted by Dr. A. M. Loryea, this grew into Oregon Hospital for the Insane. This contract was from time to time renewed by the State Legislature
, and until his death Hawthorne had charge as Superintendent and Physician of the unfortunate wards of the state, which at the time of his death numbered some 500 inmates.
Dr. Hawthorne was known for his kindness toward his patients and his devotion to his work. During the twenty-one years that he had charge of the Oregon Hospital for the Insane, it became widely known and was regarded as one of the best institutions of its kind in the United States. Dr. Hawthorne was highly proficient in every department of his profession and is highly honored by the record he made as authority upon diseases of the mind. He gained national renown in the treatment of insanity, and the curative rate of his institution was considered equal to that of any similar establishment in the United States.
Dr. Hawthorne took an active interest in public affairs. Politically, he was originally a Whig, but after the overthrow of that party he became a Democrat. He commanded respect from members of both parties, and he was retained in office for many years when the state was under Republican
rule. He declined to become a candidate for high public stations.
He was a Christian
, and for many years was a consistent member of the Episcopal Church
. He was a productive and highly regarded man at the time of his death.
, one of California's favorite pioneer daughters. Their two daughters, Louise H. and Catharine, later inherited large real-estate interests in East Portland, Oregon
. James Hawthorne died on February 15, 1881, at the age of 61 and was buried at Lone Fir Cemetery
.
at the Lone Fir Cemetery
where it was recently uncovered that several hundred asylum patients are buried in unmarked graves. Local historians are joining with mental health advocates to shape the memorial area. The gravesite and memorial area adjoins another segregated area for Chinese workers where a separate memorial is planned.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician and politician in the states 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 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 Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, he was the founder of the Oregon Hospital for the Insane in East Portland, Oregon
East Portland, Oregon
East Portland was a city in the U.S. state of Oregon that was consolidated into Portland in 1891. It was founded on a land claim by James B. Stephens in 1846, who bought a land claim from John McLoughlin of the Hudson's Bay Company...
. Hawthorne served in the California Senate and was a member of the Whig Party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
and later the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Early years
Hawthorne was born on March 12, 1819 in Mercer County, PennsylvaniaMercer County, Pennsylvania
Mercer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 116,638. Its county seat is Mercer; Sharon is its largest city....
to James and Mary (Donald) Hawthorne, who were of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
descent. His father was a farmer and a graduate of Washington College
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. J.C. commenced the study of medicine under Dr. Bascom of Mercer, Pennsylvania
Mercer, Pennsylvania
Mercer is a borough in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,391 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mercer County. Mercer is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, and later earned a degree from the Medical University at Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
He commenced practice in Louisville with his cousin, Dr. Hawthorne, continuing until 1850, when he went to 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...
. He then located at Auburn
Auburn, California
Auburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
, Placer County, California
Placer County, California
Placer County is a county located in both the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada regions of the U.S. state of California, in what is known as the Gold Country. It stretches from the suburbs of Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border. Because of the expansion of the Greater Sacramento,...
and engaged in a large general practice and hospital work, where he became widely known and gained a reputation for his professional skill. In 1854 he was elected State Senator
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
from Placer County, and served two terms. (Lansing Stout
Lansing Stout
Lansing Stout was an American politician and lawyer. He was the second person elected to the United States House of Representatives from the state of Oregon. He later served in Oregon’s legislature...
, another future Oregonian, represented Placer County in California's lower house
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
at the time.)
Oregon
In 1857, he moved to Portland, OregonPortland, 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...
, where he was well received by the medical community, and soon acquired a large private practice. In 1858, he took charge of the county hospital under a contract from Multnomah County
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
, subsequently establishing a private hospital for the insane. The hospital was so successful that the state government, during 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....
Whiteaker's
John Whiteaker
John Whiteaker was an American politician, soldier, and judge primarily in Oregon. A native of Indiana, he joined the Army during the Mexican-American War and then prospected during the California Gold Rush. After moving to the Oregon Territory he served as a judge and member of the legislature...
term in 1862, contracted with him to assume the care of the insane of Oregon. Assisted by Dr. A. M. Loryea, this grew into Oregon Hospital for the Insane. This contract was from time to time renewed by the State Legislature
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 until his death Hawthorne had charge as Superintendent and Physician of the unfortunate wards of the state, which at the time of his death numbered some 500 inmates.
Dr. Hawthorne was known for his kindness toward his patients and his devotion to his work. During the twenty-one years that he had charge of the Oregon Hospital for the Insane, it became widely known and was regarded as one of the best institutions of its kind in the United States. Dr. Hawthorne was highly proficient in every department of his profession and is highly honored by the record he made as authority upon diseases of the mind. He gained national renown in the treatment of insanity, and the curative rate of his institution was considered equal to that of any similar establishment in the United States.
Dr. Hawthorne took an active interest in public affairs. Politically, he was originally a Whig, but after the overthrow of that party he became a Democrat. He commanded respect from members of both parties, and he was retained in office for many years when the state was under Republican
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...
rule. He declined to become a candidate for high public stations.
He was a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and for many years was a consistent member of the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
. He was a productive and highly regarded man at the time of his death.
Family and later life
Hawthorne was twice married. His first wife, Miss Emma Curry, a niece of Congressman Kelly of Pennsylvania, died in Portland in 1862, only a few weeks after their marriage. Hawthorne remarried in 1865 to Mrs. E. C. Hite of Sacramento, CaliforniaSacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, one of California's favorite pioneer daughters. Their two daughters, Louise H. and Catharine, later inherited large real-estate interests in East Portland, Oregon
East Portland, Oregon
East Portland was a city in the U.S. state of Oregon that was consolidated into Portland in 1891. It was founded on a land claim by James B. Stephens in 1846, who bought a land claim from John McLoughlin of the Hudson's Bay Company...
. James Hawthorne died on February 15, 1881, at the age of 61 and was buried at Lone Fir Cemetery
Lone Fir Cemetery
Lone Fir Cemetery in the southeast section of Portland, Oregon, United States is a cemetery owned and maintained by Metro, a regional government entity. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the first burial was in 1846 with the cemetery established in 1855...
.
Asylum Patients Memorial
A memorial for the patients of the Oregon Hospital for the Insane is being planned by MetroMetro (Oregon regional government)
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area...
at the Lone Fir Cemetery
Lone Fir Cemetery
Lone Fir Cemetery in the southeast section of Portland, Oregon, United States is a cemetery owned and maintained by Metro, a regional government entity. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the first burial was in 1846 with the cemetery established in 1855...
where it was recently uncovered that several hundred asylum patients are buried in unmarked graves. Local historians are joining with mental health advocates to shape the memorial area. The gravesite and memorial area adjoins another segregated area for Chinese workers where a separate memorial is planned.
See also
- Oregon State HospitalOregon State HospitalOregon State Hospital in Salem, Oregon, United States, is the primary state-run psychiatric hospital in the state of Oregon since Dammasch State Hospital closed in 1995. The facility is best known as the filming location for the Academy Award-winning film based on Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over...
- Hawthorne, Portland, OregonHawthorne, Portland, OregonThe Hawthorne District in Portland, Oregon is an area of Southeast Portland on SE Hawthorne Blvd., particularly between 30th and 42nd Avenues. The area has numerous retail stores, including clothing shops, restaurants, bars, brewpubs and microbreweries. Hawthorne district is known for its young,...
- James B. StephensJames B. StephensJames B. Stephens was a pioneer of the U.S. state of Oregon. A cooper by trade, he operated one of the first ferries across the Willamette River at what was East Portland, Oregon. His father was the first burial at Portland's Lone Fir Cemetery...
(founder of East Portland, donated land for the hospital)