Delazon Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Delazon Smith
United States Senator from Oregon
In office February 14, 1859 – March 3, 1859
Preceded by	Himself (Shadow Senator)
Succeeded by	Edward Baker
United States Shadow Senator from the Oregon Territory
In office July 5, 1858 – February 14, 1859
Preceded by	Seat established
Succeeded by	Himself (U.S. Senator)
Personal details
Born	(1816-10-05)October 5, 1816 New Berlin, New York, U.S.
Died	November 19, 1860(1860-11-19) (aged 44) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Oberlin College

Delazon Smith (October 5, 1816 – November 19, 1860) was a politician from the Democratic Party. He briefly represented the state of Oregon in the U.S. Senate in 1859. His time in the Senate was very short, lasting less than one month (from February 14 to March 3). This makes his term one of the shortest ever for a U.S. Senator. Before becoming a senator, Smith was a newspaper editor in New York and Ohio. He also served in the legislature of the Oregon Territory.

Early Life and Newspapers

Delazon Smith was born in New Berlin, New York, on October 5, 1816. He attended Oberlin College in Ohio. After college, he studied law and became a lawyer.

In 1838, he started a newspaper called the New York Watchman in Rochester, New York. He worked as its editor for two years. Smith also edited other newspapers in Rochester, like the True Jeffersonian and the Western Herald. In 1841, he founded another newspaper, the Western Empire, in Dayton, Ohio.

Political Career

Smith's political journey began in 1842. He was appointed as a special United States commissioner to Quito, Ecuador. He served in this role until 1845.

In 1846, he moved to the Iowa Territory. He later ran for a special election in Iowa in 1850. In 1852, Smith moved to the Oregon Territory. There, he started editing the Oregon Democrat newspaper.

In 1854, Delazon Smith was elected to the Territorial House of Representatives. He became the Speaker of the House during the 1855 to 1856 session. He served one more session as a representative for Linn County.

In 1857, Smith was a delegate at the Oregon Constitutional Convention. This convention helped create Oregon's first constitution, getting the state ready to join the United States. When Oregon became the 33rd state, Smith was elected to the U.S. Senate. He served from February 14 to March 4, 1859. He tried to be re-elected but was not successful.

Less than two years after leaving the Senate, Delazon Smith passed away. He died in Portland, Oregon on November 19, 1860, at 44 years old. He was buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Albany, Oregon.