Judge Columbia Lancaster, from an 1855 Painting - circa 1900
Arriving in Oregon Country with his family in 1847 at the age of 44, Columbia Lancaster served as Supreme Judge of the Provisional Government of Oregon from 1847 to 1849, when that government was replaced because Oregon had officially become a territory.
With the passage of the Donation Land Claim act in 1850, the Lancasters claimed 640 acres on the Lewis River, north of what is now Ridgefield, Washington. (At that time it was part of Oregon Territory.) There they built a large Greek Revival style house, which still stands and was added to the National Register in 1975.
When Washington became a separate territory in 1854, Columbia Lancaster was chosen as the territory's first representative to the U. S. Congress. After farming the property until 1883, the Lancasters moved to Vancouver, mostly due to Columbia's failing health. He died there in 1893.
-- This photo is restored and printed by Old Oregon.
Photographer | Orlando M. Hofsteater |
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Location | Washington State |
Subject | Photos of Artwork, Portraits |
Decade | 1890s |
Print Maker | Old Oregon |
Original Type | Cabinet Card |
Size of Original | 3.8 x 5.3 inches |