Succeeded by Position dissolved Spouse Martha Marsh (m. 1841) Name Joseph Avery | Constituency Benton County Constituency Benton District | |
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Occupation farmer, merchant, politician Died June 16, 1876, Oregon, United States | ||
Joseph Conant Avery (9 June 1817 – 16 June 1876) was the founder of Corvallis, Oregon, United States. Avery was the first postmaster for the community, and served as a legislator in the Provisional Government of Oregon and the government of the Oregon Territory.
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Early life
Avery was born in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania on June 9, 1817. He was educated in Wilkes-Barre before moving to Illinois in 1839. Avery then married Martha Marsh in 1841 before they immigrated to Oregon Country in 1845.
Oregon
Joseph Avery settled at the mouth of Marys River where it flows into the Willamette River in the central part of the Willamette Valley of what would become the state of Oregon. At that location he operated a ferry across the Willamette and established a farm. In 1848, Avery went to the gold fields of California and mined for a brief time before using his gold to purchase mercantile goods. Avery then returned to Oregon where he opened a store on his land claim where he then established a town site. He surveyed and platted the area and named it Marysville.
In 1848, Avery was elected and served in the final session of the Provisional Legislature of Oregon that began in December. He was elected to the Oregon Territorial Legislature in 1850 through 1852, serving as a Whig and representing Benton County. In 1853, Avery was appointed as a postal agent servicing both Washington and Oregon territories. In 1856, Avery returned to the Territorial Legislature as a Democrat.
Before the American Civil War, he began publishing the pro-slavery Occidental Messenger in Corvallis. Joseph Avery, the father of 12 children, died on June 16, 1876.