Lansing Stout

Lansing Stout (March 27, 1828 – March 4, 1871) was an American politician and lawyer who served in legislative bodies in both California and Oregon and became the second person elected to the United States House of Representatives from the state of Oregon, serving one term in Congress from 1859 to 1861. A native of New York, he played a notable role in the political life of the Pacific Coast during the mid-nineteenth century, participating in the transition of Oregon from territorial status to statehood and later serving in the Oregon State Senate.

Stout was born in the state of New York on March 27, 1828, either in Pamelia or in nearby Watertown, and was educated in the public schools. After completing his basic education, he pursued legal studies in Albany, New York, where he read law under Ira Harris, a prominent attorney who later became a United States senator. Stout was admitted to the bar in New York, beginning his professional life as a lawyer before deciding to seek opportunities in the rapidly developing West.

In 1851 Stout left New York for California, arriving there in 1852. He settled in Placer County, California, where he established a law practice amid the social and economic changes brought on by the Gold Rush. His legal work soon led him into public service, and in 1855 he was elected to the California State Assembly, marking his first term in an elected legislative office. His experience in California politics helped to shape his views and reputation as he considered further opportunities in the Pacific Northwest.

In 1857 Stout moved to Portland, in the Oregon Territory, where he continued the practice of law. In Oregon he formed a law partnership with William H. Farrar, the United States Attorney for the Oregon Territory, and during the territorial period he was admitted to practice before the Oregon Supreme Court bar. His first direct involvement in Oregon politics came in 1858, when he was elected as a judge in Multnomah County, Oregon, reflecting his growing prominence in the legal and civic affairs of the region.

Later in 1858, after Oregon had submitted its constitution and application for statehood but months before its formal admission to the Union on February 14, 1859, Stout was elected to the United States House of Representatives. Backed in this campaign by pro-slavery factions led by Joseph Lane, he became the second person elected to represent Oregon in Congress. Stout took his seat in the 36th Congress, serving from 1859 to 1861. During his term he served on the Committee on Expenses in the State Department and on a committee dealing with the rebellious states at the onset of the sectional crisis that led to the Civil War. His subsequent break with Lane and the pro-slavery wing of the Democratic Party contributed to his failure to secure renomination in 1860, ending his congressional service after a single term.

While serving in Congress and residing on the East Coast, Stout married Susan Plowden in Leonardtown, Maryland, in 1861. The couple had two sons. After the conclusion of his congressional term, Stout returned with his family to Oregon in 1863 and resumed his private law practice in Portland. He remained active in public life, and in 1868 he was elected as a Republican to the Oregon State Senate, representing Multnomah County. His election as a Republican marked a significant shift from his earlier alignment with Democratic factions. He served one term in the state senate and did not win re-election.

Stout continued his legal work in Portland until his death. He died there on March 4, 1871, and was buried at River View Cemetery in Portland. After his death, his widow, Susan Plowden Stout, later married Raleigh Stott, a circuit judge in Clatsop County, Oregon, thus maintaining her connection to the state’s legal and judicial community.