Nathaniel Holly Gates, also known as Colonel Gates for most of his life, (1811–1889) was an American pioneer lawyer and Oregon state legislator. He was an active Democrat throughout his life. He served four terms in Oregon's territorial legislature. This included one term as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives during the 1858 legislative session. After Oregon became a state in 1859, he served one two-year term in the Oregon House of Representatives and one four-year term in the Oregon State Senate. Before immigrating to Oregon, Gates lived and worked as a lawyer in Ohio and Iowa. After moving to Oregon, he settled in The Dalles and opened a law practice there. He helped develop that community and served as the city's mayor five times in non-consecutive terms.
Early life
Gates was probably born on February 17, 1811, in Washington County, Ohio.The 1811 birth date is based on a published biography of his younger brother, Samuel, who he remained close to all his life. Other sources indicate that he may have been born in 1814 or 1815. However, that does not seem likely since his younger brother was born in 1814."Samuel E. Gates", History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin and Williamson counties, Illinois, Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1887, pp. 698–700. He was the fourth son of Stephen Gates and Jerusha (Perry) Gates. He was raised on a farm in Gallia County, Ohio, where he attended local public schools. Gates probably attended college at Muskingum Academy (now Marietta College) in Marietta, Ohio. Several of his brothers and cousins also attended college in Marietta."Samuel E. Gates", Hamilton County Biographies, Hamilton County, Illinois Genealogy and History, McLeansboro, Illinois, accessed October 10, 2022."N. H. Gates", History of the Bench and Bar of Oregon, Historical Publishing Company, Portland, Oregon, 1910, p. 266.
As a young man, Gates worked as a carpenter while he prepared for his bar examination. He was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1834 and then began practicing law in the state. Gates married Mary Koontz, known as Polly, on May 29, 1834, in Gallia, Ohio."Marriages of 1834", Gallipolis Journal, Gallipolis, Ohio, December 4, 1973, p. 3."Nathaniel H. Gates, 1834", Ohio Marriages, 1800–1958, Digital Folder Number 004016313, Microfilm Number 317652, data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, accessed via FamilySearch.org on October 11, 2022. Gates and his family migrated to Iowa in 1841.Shaver, Frederic Ambrose, Arthur P. Rose, Richard F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, "William H. Gates", An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, 1905, p. 687.
Oregon pioneer
In 1850, Gates moved to California while his family remained in Iowa. At that time, the California Gold Rush was underway and he spent the next two years mining and working in trade jobs. In 1852, his family crossed the North American plains in an ox-drawn wagon to join Gates on the west coast. The family spent the winter in Portland, Oregon, before moving to an area on the north side of the Columbia River near the Cascades (across the river from modern-day Cascade Locks). In 1854, Gates and his family moved to the south side of the river to avoid an Indian uprising in their area. The family settled near Fort Dalles.
Once he was settled in the Fort Dalles area, Gates became involved in both Oregon territorial politics and local government affairs. Gates was appointed to the rank of colonel in the Oregon militia by the territorial governor. From that time on, he was commonly known as "Colonel Gates". He helped develop the region around Fort Dalles, opening a hotel in the area.Shaver, Frederic Ambrose, Arthur P. Rose, Richard F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, 1905, p. 130. He also helped plan and construct the area's first courthouse and public jail.Shaver, Frederic Ambrose, Arthur P. Rose, Richard F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, 1905, p. 112.
On September 15, 1855, Gates was selected as chairman of a meeting of local residents held to discuss organizing a city government for the community around Fort Dalles. It was decided that the community would hold an election to select trustees to oversee the town's development. The election was held on April 7, 1856. Gates was elected as one of the town's three trustees.Shaver, Frederic Ambrose, Arthur P. Rose, Richard F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, 1905, pp. 132–133. Members of the community also selected Gates as their delegate in the territorial House of Representatives and directed him to introduce a bill to incorporate Dalles City. He won his seat by a comfortable margin, 80 votes to 7 for his opponent, W. C. Laughlin.Shaver, Frederic Ambrose, Arthur P. Rose, Richard F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, 1905, pp. 196–200.
Territorial legislator
Gates took his seat in the Oregon House on December 1, 1855. He represented Wasco County, which had been created during the previous legislative session. At that time, Wasco County included all of eastern Oregon and southern Idaho from the crest of the Cascade Range to the summit of the Rocky Mountains, a total of about . The 1855 session ended on January 31, 1856."Territorial Government Legislators and Staff – House", Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, 1855 Regular Session (7th Territorial): December 1, 1855 – January 31, 1856, Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon, accessed October 5, 2022.Corning, Howard McKinley, "Wasco County", Dictionary of Oregon History, Binford and Mort Publishing, Portland, Oregon, 1889, p. 258.Engeman, Richard H., "Wasco County", The Oregon Companion, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2009, p. 394. During the session, Gates introduced a bill to incorporate the Fort Dalles community, as instructed by his constituents. The bill passed and was signed by Governor George Curry. The following year, Dalles City was officially incorporated.
After returning to the Fort Dalles area Gate wrote the original city charter for Dalles City. The Dalles City community elected their first city council before the city was officially incorporated. Gates was one of the councilmen elected in 1856. He served three consecutive one-year terms, including one term as council president in 1857.Shaver, Frederic Ambrose, Arthur P. Rose, Richard F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, 1905, pp. 155–156.Locker, Fred, "Early Fire Companies at The Dalles", Oregon Daily Journal, Portland, Oregon, October 15, 1916, p. 11.
At that time, legislative terms were for one year only. Gates ran for reelection 1856 and retained his seat. In that election, he received 130 votes; his opponent, A. G. Tripp, received 30 votes. Gates returned to the Oregon territorial House, representing Wasco County, in 1856. The 1856 legislative session began on December 1 and lasted through January 29, 1857."Territorial Government Legislators and Staff – House", Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, 1856 Regular Session (8th Territorial): December 1, 1856 – January 29, 1857, Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon, accessed October 5, 2022. After the session adjourned, Gates attended the Wasco County Democratic convention that nominated delegates to attend Oregon's Constitutional Convention."Wasco Democratic County Convention", Oregon Statesman, Salem, Oregon, June 2, 1857, p.2.
In the 1857 election, Gates was unopposed for the Wasco County House seat. The 1857 legislative session began on December 7 and lasted two months, adjourning on February 5, 1858."Territorial Government Legislators and Staff– House", Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, 1857 Regular Session (9th Territorial): December 7, 1857 – February 5, 1858, Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon, accessed October 5, 2022.
In 1858, Oregon voters elected two legislatures: a state legislature, which would be seated if statehood was approved in 1858, and a separate territorial legislature, which would convene if admission to the Union were delayed."Territorial Government Legislators and Staff", Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, 1858 Regular Session (1st Pre-Admission): July 5–9, September 13–14, Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon, accessed October 5, 2022. The Wasco County Democratic convention nominated Gates to run for a fourth term in the territorial House of Representatives as the official Democratic candidate. No other candidates ran for the territorial representative position, since it was hoped that statehood would be achieved prior to the next regular legislative session."Wasco Democratic Convention", Weekly Oregon Statesman, Salem, Oregon, May 18, 1858, p. 2."The Territorial Legislature, 1858-9", Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, Oregon, July 24, 1858, p. 2.
The state representatives assembled in July and September but quickly adjourned when it became clear that the United States Congress had not yet acted on Oregon statehood. By December, no statehood decision had been made, so the territorial legislature was seated to conduct required government business. When the territorial legislature was convened on December 6, 1858, Gates served as chairman of the credential committee. The following day, the House was organized and Gates was elected speaker.Bancroft, Hubert Howe, "Oregon Becomes a State, 1856–1859", Chapter 17, The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft: Volume20: History of Oregon, Volume 2, 1848–1888; San Francisco, California: The History Company, p. 434 (see note 38)."Oregon Legislature", Oregon Statesman, Oregon City, Oregon, December 14, 1858, p. 1. During the session, legislators discussed changing the location of Oregon's capital. However, none of the rival cities to Salem could gather enough votes to advance a bill to move the capital. At the close of the session, Speaker Gates noted that the conflict regarding the capital's location divided the legislature but that the discussion on the issue was conducted with courtesy that reflected credit on the members of the House."Struggle for Capital", Eugene Guard, Eugene, Oregon, February 15, 1959, p. 40. The legislature finished its business and adjourned on January 22, 1859. Oregon was officially admitted to the Union three weeks later, on February 14, 1859.Bancroft, Hubert Howe, "Oregon Becomes a State, 1856–1859", Chapter 17, The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft: Volume20: History of Oregon, Volume 2, 1848–1888; San Francisco, California: The History Company, p. 441.
State and local affairs
When Oregon became a state, the territorial government ceased to exist, and Gates returned to Dalles City. He remained active in state politics and continued serving in local government. In 1859, he was elected to the Oregon Democratic Party's newly formed state central committee, representing Wasco County. He remained a member of the party's state central committee into the 1880s."State Democratic Convention", Oregon Statesman, Oregon City, Oregon, April 26, 1859, p. 2. That same year, he left the Dalles City council and was elected city treasurer. In 1860, Dalles City was officially renamed "The Dalles".Buce, Susan, "The Dalles", Oregon Encyclopedia, Oregon Historical Society, Portland, Oregon, March 9, 2022.