Captain J. A. Apperson died at the family home at Parkplace, about one mile from this city, today, after an illness of several
months.

Captain Apperson was born near Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky, December 23, 1834. With his parents he crossed the
plains by ox team in 1847, and had resided in the state since that time, except for a time in California. He first made his home
at what is now Fairview, and at that time there was but one settler besides the Apperson family.

He was State Senator from Oregon from 1878 until 1880, and Representative from 1889 until 1893. Previous to that time he was
Sheriff of Clackamas County from 1874 until 1878, serving two terms. He was a member of the board of regents of the Oregon
Agricultural College. He had always taken an active interest in the Oregon State Fair. For some time he was president of the
State Board of Agriculture.

Mr. Apperson was probably the oldest Mason in the Northwest and the oldest member of the Oddfellow's Lodge No. 3. Mr.
Apperson was a member of the Abernethy Grange at the time of his death. He was a master of the grange for some time.

He is survived by his widow, Mary A. Apperson, of Parkplace; one sister, Mrs. Elvira Fellows, who has made her home with her
brother at Parkplace for a number of years, and one brother, Jacob Apperson.

A history of the life of the late John T. Apperson, a member of the Oregon Agricultural College board of regents since the
establishment of the college as a state institution in 1885, presents a career which is typical of the stoicism and fortitude of
the pioneers of Oregon.

Captain Apperson was born in Kentucky, December 23, 1834, the son of Beverley Apperson, a native of Virginia. The family is
of German origin, the founder having come to this country at a very early date and settled at Jamestown.

The Captain was one of a family of 10 children, six of whom are still living and all of whom are in Oregon. John was the
fifth child. When he had reached the age of 13 the family left the old home in Missouri and, with a company of 100 wagons, they
started upon the perilous journey across the plains.

Later in the journey the company divided and at Ham Fork his father died of fever and the mother was left with nine little
ones. Journeying on to Oregon City, they spent the first Winter in Oregon, east of Portland, near the mouth of the Sandy, where
they wintered the stock they had brought with them from the East. This was in 1847.

In 1849, when the California gold excitement was at its highest, the family moved to Portland, and the Captain, along with
others, went to California and mined on the Yuba River and in Nevada and on Deer Creek. Returning to Oregon, he was three years
in the employ of the Milling & Transportation Company on the west side of the river, in Portland, with the firm of Abernethy,
Pendleton & Co.

After that he engaged in steamboating on the Willamette River. His first boat was the Rival, of which he was master, and
trips were made between Oregon City and Portland. After running a season he went to the upper river and ran between Oregon City
and Dayton, carrying freight and passengers. He became part owner of the boats Clinton and Union and continued on the river
until the Fall of 1861, when he sold out and enlisted in the First Oregon Cavalry.

His enlistment was first as a private, but he was soon made a Lieutenant and later a Captain. It was the intention of his
regiment to join the Army of the Potomac, but the Government deemed them of greater value on the frontier and they were sent to
serve in Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington Territoy and in Idaho.

The men of the regiment furnished their own horses and equipments and the regiment was considered one of the best in the Army.
It was needed to keep the Indians in check, to protect the settlers and to look after rebellion at home. It saw considerable
active service among the Indians and remained in the service until the close of the war, being mustered out on the 5th day of
April, 1865.

Captain Apperson then returned to his old occupation of steamboating for three years, when, in 1870, he was elected to the
State Legislature, which he held for two years. In 1874 he was elected Sheriff of the county and in 1876 was re-elected, making
a term of four years. In 1878 he was elected to the State Senate, during which four-years' term he was active in enacting
legislation. In 1881 he was nominated by his party, the Republican, to succeed himself, and after an earnest campaign was
defeated by 50 votes.

In 1884 he went as a delegate to the Republican National convention at Chicago and aided in the nomination of James G. Blaine.
He also served four years as a member of the Republican National Committee. In 1888 he again was elected to the State
Legislature for a term of two years. The following year he began his duties as Register of the Land Office, which was the last
public office held prior to his death.

Captain Apperson was married in 1862 to Mary A. Elliott, a native of Missouri and a daughter of William Elliott, a pioneer of
1846. He was an active member of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, having passed the chairs in both branches of the order.

He was grand representative of the sovereign grand lodge of the United States, held at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1882, representing
the encampment branch of the order. He was a Mason in Multnomah Lodge, No. 1, the oldest on the Pacific Coast, in 1858, of which
lodge he has been past master.