Collection	Miscellaneous
Date of photo	1890 ca.
Description	Lewis Linn McArthur (b. in Virginia 3-18-1843, d. 5-10-1897) was a former Confederate army officer. In May 1870, he founded, along with Abbott, the Bedrock Democrat newspaper. Two months later he retired from the Democrat to run for county judge, and Abbott became sole proprietor. McArthur married Harriet K. Nesmith in 1878, daughter of Oregon pioneer and U.S. Senator James W. Nesmithand sister of the wife of Levi Ankeny of Baker City and Walla Walla, prominent banker and later U. S. Senator from Washington, and whose two sons, Clifton Nesmith. McArthur, practiced law in Baker City beginning in 1906 and later was U. S. Representative from Oregon. Clifton is the namesake for McArthur Court at the University of Oregon. The other son was Lewis A. McArthur, author of "Oregon Geographic Names". In 1870, L. L. McArthur won election to the Oregon Supreme Court. He was re-elected in 1876 to the state’s high court, but the term ended in 1878 when the court was reduced from five justices to three justices. Prior to 1878, Supreme Court justices rode circuit and sat on the Supreme Court bench. In 1878, the circuit court was split off and Supreme Court justices no longer served as circuit court judges. McArthur returned to the bench as a circuit court judge in 1883, serving until 1886. In 1886, he was appointed as the United States attorney for the state of Oregon serving until 1890. From 1890 until his death, Lewis Linn McArthur practiced law in Portland, Oregon. He died in Portland on May 10, 1897.
Object ID	1980.1.818
Place	Baker City

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Last modified on: December 09, 2017