264:. He resided there for the next 40 years. Over the years, he became one of the community's leading businessmen. Initially, Conn went to work for his brother George who had opened a general store in Paisley a year earlier. Conn became a full partner with his brother in 1883. Conn later bought out his brother's interest in the business. His brother then opened a new store, also in downtown Paisley. During this same time period, the brothers established a flourmill in Paisley. In 1885, Conn was appointed Paisley's postmaster, a position he held for 33 years. Conn became a
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Conn took his seat in the Oregon House on
January 14, 1895, representing District 22. He served through the 1895 regular legislative session which ended on February 23. During the session, Conn served on the assessments and taxation, education, and irrigation committees. In addition, he sponsored a
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and neither clique would answer roll call when the other was present. As a result, the House was unable to organize or elect a speaker. Consequently, no business was conducted during the session. This included the failure to elect a United States senator. As a result, Oregon went for over a year
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After leaving state politics, Conn continued to operate his mercantile business in
Paisley. In 1900, Conn built a large new store in downtown Paisley. He also continued as a leader in the local business community. He helped found the Northern Lake County Board of Commerce in 1908 and was elected
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opened on
January 11. Conn served through the legislative session which ended on March 2. During the session, Republicans held 39 of the 60 House seats with the remaining seats divided between the Progressive Party with 13 seats and the Democrats with 4 seats along with 4 members of the Union
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counties in rural south-central Oregon. To that end, he attended the 1894 state
Republican convention held in Salem as a delegate representing Lake County. The convention nominated him to represent the party in the House District 22 election. In the general election, Conn defeated the
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After graduating from college, Conn returned to
Roseburg where he began his business career. He first went to work for Flood and Company, a dry goods business in Roseburg. Later, he worked as a bookkeeper for H. Marks and Company, another Roseburg firm.
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candidate and J. L. Hanks ran as a
Democrat. The election was extremely close with Conn winning by only three votes. In the final count, Conn received 626 votes; Larabee fell just short with 623; and Hanks trailed well behind with 309 votes.
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comprehensive homestead bill. After the session closed, Conn voiced his disappointment in the legislature's
Republican leadership in the state senate for holding up action on important bills to reorganize state commissions and amend tax laws.
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appointed Conn as the Lake County delegate to the Oregon-California Land Grant
Conference which was charged with recommending changes to the state's land grant laws. After 33 years of service, Conn retired as Paisley's postmaster in 1918.
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361:. At the end of the 1897 session, Conn was appointed to a special six-person committee that drafted a statement to the people of Oregon announcing the legislature's failure to elect a senator or produce any legislation.
407:, California, to live with his daughter. Conn died at his daughter's home in Alturas on February 27, 1931. After his death, his body was returned to Roseburg for burial. He was buried in Roseburg's Masonic cemetery.
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Conn actively supported the
Republican Party and its candidates all his life. In 1894, he decided to run for a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 22, which included Lake and
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Party. Despite the substantial
Republican majority, the 1897 session was a complete failure. The House membership was divided into two mixed-party factions. Neither group had sufficient members to form a
336:. Conn was unsuccessful in his bid to become the Republican nominee for the District 8 senate seat. However, he was nominated to run for re-election as the Republican candidate in House District 22.
198:, on January 31, 1847, the son of Henry ("Harry") Conn and Mary Jane (Stultz) Conn. In 1854, he moved with his family to Oregon, crossing the country in a covered wagon. The family settled in
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While in Roseburg, Conn also became active in politics and government affairs, running for local office and supporting Republican candidates. In 1871, Conn was appointed deputy
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Conn was in poor health for several years, prior to his death. Just a few weeks before he died, Conn sold his dairy farm and moved from Roseburg to
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225:. While at the university, he met many individuals who went on to serve in positions of public trust. He graduated from Willamette in 1867.
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Conn and his wife moved back to Roseburg in 1924. They purchased a 211-acre (85 ha) dairy farm with frontage along the
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721:], 1895 Regular Session (18th): January 14 – February 23, Oregon State Archives, Salem, Oregon, accessed January 20, 2021.
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appointed Conn as a delegate to the 1902 Oregon Irrigation Congress, representing Lake County. In 1915, Governor
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when he ran for President of the United States in 1880. That was the same year, he married Mary Frances Long of
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After the close of the 1897 legislative session, several newspapers mentioned Conn as a possible candidate for
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An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties
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In 1896, Conn decided to run for the state senate seat in Senate District 8, representing Lake, Klamath, and
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166:(January 31, 1847 – February 27, 1931) was an American businessman and state legislator from the state of
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counties). That year, Republican candidates for the legislature were nominated at a state convention in
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legislator, representing a large rural district in south-central Oregon. He also ran a general store in
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Conn was also active in several fraternal organizations. He was a member of the local
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In the general election, Conn faced two opponents. J. A. Larabee was a populist
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Shaver, Frederic Ambrose, Arthur P. Rose, Richard F. Steele, and A. E. Adams,
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998:"Our Neighbors in the Northern End of the County Preparing for a Boom"
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for the city of Roseburg. In addition, Conn was a strong supporter of
502:, Portland, Oregon, March 1, 1931, p. 20; text reproduced on-line at
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Conn also remained active in public affairs. For example, Governor
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counties (at that time, Crook County included what are now Crook,
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Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives
600:, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, 1905, p. 852.
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for the Southern Oregon District. In 1878, he was elected as a
737:, H.G. Mathies Publisher, Portland, Oregon, 1895, p. 73.
441:, H.G. Mathies Publisher, Portland, Oregon, 1895, p. 92.
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with only one senator representing the state in the
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16:State legislator representing south-central Oregon
525:"Virgil Conn is Dead in Alturas, Is Lake Pioneer"
619:, Portland, Oregon, September 28, 1915, p. 10.
1099:, Klamath Falls, Oregon, March 7, 1931, p. 8.
934:, Corvallis, Oregon, December 24, 1897, p. 2.
585:, Roseburg, Oregon, September 11, 1880, p. 3.
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1004:, Lakeview, Oregon, September 3, 1908, p. 5.
953:, Corvallis, Oregon, January 28, 1898, p. 2.
470:, Roseburg, Oregon, February 28, 1931, p. 1.
209:Conn's father was a dedicated member of the
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988:, Lakeview, Oregon, November 8, 1900, p. 7.
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772:, Ashland, Oregon, February 28, 1895, p. 3.
670:, Oregon City, Oregon, June 15, 1894, p. 3.
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50:Oregon House of Representatives
705:, Ashland, Oregon, February 7, 1895, p. 6.
213:. Later, he was active in organizing the
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1093:"Virgil Conn's Body is Taken to Roseburg"
915:, Salem, Oregon, February 25, 1897, p. 4.
753:, Salem, Oregon, February 12, 1895, p. 1.
550:, Salem, Oregon, November 15, 1871, p. 3.
202:near Roseburg, where his parents filed a
1080:, Roseburg, Oregon, March 8, 1928, p. 4.
1033:"Governor has No Definite Plan to Offer"
1020:, Salem, Oregon, November 8, 1902, p. 2.
686:, Salem, Oregon, January 13, 1895, p. 2.
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170:. He served two two-year terms in the
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820:, Salem, Oregon, April 20, 1896, p. 4.
804:, Salem, Oregon, April 11, 1896, p. 1.
1116:List of Oregon Legislators by Session
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877:, Salem, Oregon, June 28, 1896, p. 8.
858:, Salem, Oregon, June 13, 1896, p. 8.
839:, Salem, Oregon, June 11, 1896, p. 7.
654:, Salem, Oregon, April 8, 1894, p. 5.
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256:In 1882, Conn relocated east of the
253:. Together they had two daughters.
1074:"Mrs Virgil Conn Dies This Morning"
464:"Virgil Conn Dies at The Age of 85"
316:Oregon House District 22, 1895–1898
37:Oregon legislator Virgil Conn, 1895
1161:People from Douglas County, Oregon
1055:"Virgil Conn Sells 211-Acre Ranch"
897:Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide
719:Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide
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1186:20th-century American politicians
1181:19th-century American politicians
1156:People from Cass County, Indiana
349:1897 regular legislative session
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1166:People from Lake County, Oregon
172:Oregon House of Representatives
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1151:Willamette University alumni
664:"Corrected Election Returns"
435:"Representative Virgil Conn"
909:"The Great Farce Has Ended"
833:"Oregon's Next Legislature"
731:"House Standing Committees"
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1136:Businesspeople from Oregon
629:"Filings and Appointments"
504:Oregon Pioneer Obituaries
370:Oregon Secretary of State
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281:Al Kader Shriners Temple
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633:Weekly Oregon Statesman
613:"Those Who Come and Go"
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548:Weekly Oregon Statesman
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668:Oregon City Enterprise
496:"Virgil Conn Succumbs"
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54:from the 22nd district
735:Oregon Blue Book 1895
680:"Oregon's Big Ninety"
439:Oregon Blue Book 1895
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239:United States marshal
219:Willamette University
196:Royal Center, Indiana
116:Royal Center, Indiana
88:William A. Massingill
1002:Lake County Examiner
986:Lake County Examiner
947:"The Political Area"
928:"The Political Area"
871:"The Official Count"
747:"State House Gossip"
359:United States Senate
279:and a member of the
1141:Farmers from Oregon
1014:"Governor Appoints"
798:"State Conventions"
648:"For a Congressman"
583:Douglas Independent
567:Douglas Independent
251:Logansport, Indiana
204:donation land claim
133:Alturas, California
1146:Oregon postmasters
963:–"Monday April 11"
699:"Members of House"
398:South Umpqua River
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1037:Statesman Journal
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875:Statesman Journal
856:Statesman Journal
837:Statesman Journal
684:Statesman Journal
652:Statesman Journal
617:Morning Oregonian
563:"Southern Oregon"
544:"Southern Oregon"
275:. He was also a
258:Cascade Mountains
247:James A. Garfield
194:Conn was born in
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83:Succeeded by
76:Bernard Daly
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1176:1931 deaths
1171:1847 births
1078:News-Review
1059:News-Review
468:News-Review
262:Lake County
229:Businessman
215:Union Party
164:Virgil Conn
153:Businessman
71:Preceded by
25:Virgil Conn
1125:Categories
814:"Personal"
411:References
376:Later life
301:incumbent
299:Democratic
273:Elks lodge
190:Early life
176:Republican
150:Profession
144:Republican
109:1847-01-31
500:Oregonian
347:Oregon's
330:Jefferson
326:Deschutes
268:in 1889.
65:1895–1898
61:In office
366:governor
334:Portland
893:"House"
715:"House"
405:Alturas
294:Klamath
243:trustee
354:quorum
328:, and
168:Oregon
322:Crook
277:Mason
174:as a
135:, US
123:Died
118:, US
103:Born
368:or
221:in
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