John Kelsay (judge)
Encyclopedia
John Kelsay was an American
politician and judge in Oregon
. He was the 18th Associate Justice
of the Oregon Supreme Court
, and fought in the Rogue River Wars
. A Kentucky
native, he was a member of the 1857 Oregon Constitutional Convention
and served in the Missouri General Assembly
.
in Wayne County
on October 23, 1819. At the age of ten the family and John relocated to Missouri
. There his mother educated John and then later he would begin the study of law in 1842. Then in July 1845 he passed the bar
and was allowed to practice law. In 1846 he married for the first time to Matha C. Monroe.
over the Oregon Trail
. There the family settled in Corvallis, Oregon
where John set up a law practice. Shortly after arriving Kelsay organized one regiment of troops to serve battling the Rogue River tribe
in southwestern Oregon
where Kelsay would earn the title of colonel.
and served in 1844 as a delegate from Morgan County
. Then in Oregon in 1857 he represented Benton County
at the Oregon Constitutional Convention
as Oregon prepared for statehood. At the convention John was selected as chairman of the military committee. In 1868 Kelsay won the election for a seat on the Oregon Supreme Court
. His two-year term ended in 1870 and he left the bench. However in both 1870 and 1872 he was nominated as a Republican for the court. In Oregon he was one of the early leaders of the Republican Party
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and 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...
. He was the 18th Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
of 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...
, and fought in the Rogue River Wars
Rogue River Wars
The Rogue River Wars was an armed conflict between the US Army, local militias and volunteers, and the Native American tribes commonly grouped under the designation of Rogue River Indians, in the Rogue River Valley area of what today is southern Oregon in 1855–56...
. A Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
native, he was a member of the 1857 Oregon Constitutional Convention
Oregon Constitutional Convention
The Oregon Constitutional Convention in 1857 drafted the Oregon Constitution in preparation for the Oregon Territory to become a U.S. state. Held from mid-August through September, 60 men met in Salem, Oregon, and created the foundation for Oregon's law. The proposal passed with a vote of 35 for...
and served in the Missouri General Assembly
Missouri General Assembly
The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits...
.
Early life
Kelsay was born to Alexander Kelsay and his wife Jane Kelley in the state of KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
in Wayne County
Wayne County, Kentucky
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 19,923. Its county seat is Monticello. The county was named for Gen. Anthony Wayne. It is a prohibition or dry county.-History:...
on October 23, 1819. At the age of ten the family and John relocated to Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. There his mother educated John and then later he would begin the study of law in 1842. Then in July 1845 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:...
and was allowed to practice law. In 1846 he married for the first time to Matha C. Monroe.
Oregon
Then in 1853 John Kelsay and his wife moved to Oregon TerritoryOregon 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...
over 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...
. There the family settled in Corvallis, Oregon
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....
where John set up a law practice. Shortly after arriving Kelsay organized one regiment of troops to serve battling the Rogue River tribe
Rogue River (tribe)
Rogue River is the name of a Native American group originally located in southern Oregon in the United States. Rogue River was not a single tribe, but a conglomeration of many affiliated and related tribal groups. The total estimated population of these tribes in 1850 was about 9,500...
in southwestern 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...
where Kelsay would earn the title of colonel.
Political career
Kelsay was elected to the Missouri House of RepresentativesMissouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
and served in 1844 as a delegate from Morgan County
Morgan County, Missouri
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of July 2007, the population was 20,820. Its county seat is Versailles.-History :...
. Then in Oregon in 1857 he represented 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...
at the Oregon Constitutional Convention
Oregon Constitutional Convention
The Oregon Constitutional Convention in 1857 drafted the Oregon Constitution in preparation for the Oregon Territory to become a U.S. state. Held from mid-August through September, 60 men met in Salem, Oregon, and created the foundation for Oregon's law. The proposal passed with a vote of 35 for...
as Oregon prepared for statehood. At the convention John was selected as chairman of the military committee. In 1868 Kelsay won the election for a seat on 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...
. His two-year term ended in 1870 and he left the bench. However in both 1870 and 1872 he was nominated as a Republican for the court. In Oregon he was one of the early leaders of the Republican Party
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...
.