Kintzing Prichette

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Kintzing Prichette (1800-????) was a U.S. political figure. He was primarily a political appointee within the federal government's various departments, which at the time included U.S. Territories. He is most known as the last Secretary of the Michigan Territory (1835-1837), Secretary of the Oregon Territory (1849-1850), and serving a two month term as Governor of the Oregon Territory after the resignation of General Joseph Lane. He was appointed to the last two positions by President James K. Polk.

[edit] Oregon

Pritchette came to Oregon from Pennsylvania and served as Territorial secretary from 1849 to 1850.[1] He served as acting governor from June 18, 1850, to August 18, 1850. John P. Gaines had been appointed governor, but did not arrive in Oregon until August 18, when he was sworn in.[2]

In May 1850 judge Orville C. Pratt of the Oregon Supreme Court appointed Pritchette to serve as defense counsel for the Native Americans charged with the Whitman Massacre at their trial in Oregon City, Oregon after the Cayuse War.[1]

Little is know about Prichette today, as he is mentioned very little in the media reports of the day. No portraits or photographs have been found of him either, earning him the distinction of being Oregon's only "faceless governor". Even the spelling of his last name is disputed, sporting different spellings depending upon the historical document.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Corning, Howard M. Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.
  2. ^ Horner, John B. (1921). "Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature". The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 131.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Joseph Lane		 Governor of Oregon Territory
1850		 Succeeded by
John P. Gaines