Statewide County OR Archives Biographies.....Burnett, Peter Hardeman 1807 - May 1895 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com July 11, 2010, 1:33 pm Source: California and Californians, Vol. IV, Published 1932, Pages 56 - 57 Author: The Lewis Publishing Company PETER HARDEMAN BURNETT, the first governor of the State of California, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1807, the oldest son of George and Dorothy Hardeman Burnett. In 1817 his father and mother moved to Missouri, and for nine years he lived very humbly due to the straightened circumstances of the family. In 1826 he accompanied an uncle hack to Tennessee and obtained a position first as hotel clerk and later as a clerk in the general merchandising store of Parson Peck. In 1828 he married Harriet Rogers, the oldest daughter of Mr. Peter Rogers, and to this union six children were born — Dwight J., Marthal L., Rometa J., John M., Armstead L. and Sallie C. In 1832 he and his family moved to Clay County, Missouri, where he engaged in the mercantile business and reviewed his law studies and then entered the profession. He received much publicity through his defense of the Mormons, although they were later driven from the state. In the winter of 1839- 40 the governor of the state appointed Burnett to fill the unexpired term. In 1843 he decided to go West, and late in the year he arrived in Oregon, having come overland with his wife and family. During the next five years he took a somewhat active part in the political life in Oregon and engaged in the private practice of law. In 1848 he heard the call of gold and organized a party who came south to the vicinity of Sacramento. At first he worked in the mines, then he moved to Sacramento and engaged in the practice of law. His ability and integrity were soon brought to the notice of John A. Sutter, Jr., and he was employed as his lawyer and agent. Mr. Burnett became interested in the preconvention discussions of the plans for organizing a state government in California, and since the campaign was more or less open for many months he entered somewhat informally into politics. Feeling that San Francisco was the real center of political life, he moved there in 1849 and was a member of the legislative assembly during its ineffectual struggle for recognition. In the first campaign for governor candidates were not nominated by formally called conventions but Col. J. D. Stevenson called a democratic meeting on Portsmouth Square and nominated Peter Hardeman Burnett. He was elected by a large majority and was inaugurated in December, 1849. In his inaugural address he mentioned several things which showed not only his political affiliations but also his conservatism both in matters political and financial. In January, 1851, he resigned that he might again enter the private practice of law. In 1854 he gave up the practice of law and his last two public speeches were in opposition to the Vigilance Committee of 1856. In 1857 he was appointed supreme judge by Governor Johnson and filled an unexpired term of nearly two years. In 1863 he organized the Pacific Bank and was its president for many years. During his later years, after his retirement from the bench, he found time to take three ocean trips to New York and to do considerable writing. Peter Hardeman Burnett died in May, 1895, leaving a valuable estate to his three surviving children : John M. Burnett, Mrs. William T. Wallace and Mrs. C. T. Ryland. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/statewide/bios/burnett1221gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb