William G. T'Vault

William G. T'Vault
1stSpeakerof theOregon House of Representatives
In office 1858–59
Preceded by	Position established Nathaniel H. Gates asSpeakerof theOregon TerritoryHouse of Representatives
Succeeded by	Benjamin F. Harding
Personal details
Born	March 26, 1806 Tennessee
Died	February 4, 1869(1869-02-04)(aged 62) Oregon
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Rhoda Burns
Profession	Publisher

William GreenT'Vault(1806–1869) was apioneerof theOregon Countryand the first editor of the first newspaper published in what is now the United States west of theMissouri River.T'Vault led awagon trainof 300 that arrived in Oregon in 1845, after traveling on theMeek Cutoff,a branch of theOregon Trail.He settled inOregon City,and was appointed Postmaster General by theProvisional Government of Oregon.

T'Vault became president of the Oregon Printing Association, which was an outgrowth of theOregon Lyceum,and published the first issue of theOregon Spectatoron February 5, 1846. He was fired from theSpectatorafter 13 issues. T'Vault claimed it was because of differences with other association members, especiallyGeorge Abernethy,though the association claimed it because of T'Vault's poor spelling.

T'Vault was a pro-slaveryDemocratwho became a member of theProvisional Legislature of Oregonin 1846. The same year he was part of a group that urged theUnited States Congressto disallow the land claims of earlierWhiteresidents of the region, including that ofJohn McLoughlinatWillamette Falls.The petition was partially successful and McLoughlin's claim was not recognized.

In 1851, T'Vault led an exploring party of ten people fromPort Orfordin order to seek an overland route to the interior of the region. The party was ambushed by Native Americans and five members were killed, but T'Vault survived.He moved tosouthern Oregonand established theTable Rock Sentinelnewspaper in 1855, and later theOregon Sentinelin 1858. T'Vault representedJackson Countyin theOregon Territorial Legislaturein 1858, its final year, and served asspeaker of the Oregon House of Representativesduring its first session, in 1858–59.He advocated for the formation of an independentPacific Republicand also practiced law inJacksonville.

Links

• http://gesswhoto /ohs-blue-bucket.html
• http:// all-oregon /king/part%203.htm
• Brier, Warren J. (August 1962). "Political Censorship in the Oregon Spectator".Pacific Historical Review.31(3). University of California Press: 235–240.doi:10.2307/3637167.JSTOR3637167.