Reuben P. Boise

Reuben Patrick Boise (June 9, 1819 – April 10, 1907) was an American attorney, judge and politician in the Oregon Territory and the early years of the state of Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he immigrated to Oregon in 1850, where he would twice serve on the Oregon Supreme Court for a total of 16 years, with three stints as chief justice. Early in his legal career, he worked as a district attorney.

Boise was a member of the Oregon Constitutional Convention in 1857, served in the Territorial Legislature, and helped to codify the laws of the Oregon Territory. He also served as a circuit court judge, and was a trustee at several colleges. Educated at Williams College, he was twice married to women from Massachusetts, and had a total of five children.

Early life Reuben Boise was born in Blandford, Massachusetts, on June 9, 1819, to Reuben Boise and Sally Putnam Boise. He attended Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, graduating with honors in 1843 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Upon graduation, he moved to Missouri, where he taught school for two years before returning to Massachusetts. In 1851, Boise married Ellen Francis Lyon of Boston while in San Francisco, California. In 1857, the Boise family moved to Salem, Oregon. The following year, he was selected to help codify Oregon's laws, along with James K. Kelly and Daniel R. Bigelow. He was then elected to the Oregon Supreme Court in 1859 after Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859. Former U.S. Attorney General George Henry Williams gave the eulogy at the funeral, with many prominent politicians and officials in attendance.

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