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WRGB, channel 6, is a television station located in Schenectady, New York, USA. WRGB is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, and is the CBS affiliate for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy television market. The station shares its studio and office facility with co-owned WCWN (channel 45) in Niskayuna, New York, and its transmitter is located just outside Voorheesville, New York.

WRGB is most notable for being among the first experimental television stations in the world. It began with test broadcasts in early 1928. Later that year the first daily programs were broadcast. It later became one of a handful of television stations licensed for commercial broadcasting operation before the end of World War II.

The station launched the TV career of syndicated TV chef Mr. Food in 1975. More recently in the 1990s, the station also launched the television career of Rachael Ray, who started the "30 Minute Meals" segment on WRGB's newscasts once a week before moving on to Food Network and, eventually, a nationally-syndicated daytime talk show.

Digital Television[link]

The station's signal is multiplexed. Additionally, WRGB's main programming can be found as a subchannel on WCWN.

History[link]

1928 to 1942[link]

WRGB claims to be the world's first television station. It traces its roots to an experimental station founded on January 13, 1928 from the General Electric facility under the call letters W2XB. It was popularly known as "WGY Television" after its sister radio station (though WMAK, the predecessor of modern station WBEN in Buffalo also had partial control of the station, which was relinquished shortly after the station signed on). In 1939, it began sharing programs with W2XBS (forerunner of WNBC-TV) in New York City, becoming NBC's first television affiliate. That relationship would last for 42 years. The station initially broadcast on 790 kHz from a 380-meter antenna. The station also broadcast on the frequency of 379.5 MHz, with 24 vertical lines of resolution and 21 frames per second. Its call-sign was changed to W2XAD rather quickly in 1928 and moved to 31.4 MHz. Towards December 1928, the station would receive yet another change and upgrade with its call letters becoming W2XAF, keeping its frequency, frame rate and vertical lines.

Later on, the station received a further upgrade to broadcast 48 lines at 20 frames per second, with the call sign of W2XB on 2.1-2.2 MHz. Late in the 1930s it moved into the VHF band using a 6 mHz-wide channel band and increasing visual resolution (gradually increasing from 343 to 441 to 525 lines). In 1941, the station moved into a state-of-the-art studio on Washington Avenue in Schenectady. It was the first building in the nation specifically designed for television. On February 26, 1942, W2XAF received a commercial license as WRGB, the fourth in the nation and only the second one outside of New York City. By then, it was operating on the VHF band with modern 525-line resolution and FM sound on a frequency of 66 to 72 MHz (then known as Channel 3, but redesignated Channel 4 after the Second World War).

1942 to present[link]

Several years later, WRGB took on secondary affiliations with the three other networks in operation (CBS, ABC, and DuMont). In 1954, it moved from channel 4 to its current position on channel 6 to alleviate interference from WNBC-TV (then known as WRCA-TV) and Boston's WBZ-TV, and increased its radiated power approximately fourfold to 93,000 watts. WRGB dropped its secondary affiliations when WCDA (now WTEN) and WTRI (now WNYT) took the CBS and ABC affiliations respectively. In 1957, WRGB moved to its current studio on Balltown Road in Niskayuna.

The longest-running locally-produced children's television show, Freihofer's "Breadtime Stories" was broadcast on the station starting November 21, 1949.^[1] WRGB produced two of the longest-running locally-produced programs in television history: a quiz show called Answers Please and a bowling program entitled TV Tournament Time. After the cancellation of both by the late-1980s, WRGB's local programming has been variable and erratic, ranging from a local home shopping show to a weekly video countdown done with Top 40 stations WFLY and (later) WKKF. On September 28, 1981, WRGB swapped affiliations with WAST (now WNYT) and became a CBS affiliate. Two years later, 55 years of General Electric ownership ended when it sold WRGB to Unicom Inc., a unit of Forstmann Little.

Only three years later, Unicom sold WRGB to Freedom Communications. In 1987, WRGB was awarded the "Broadcast Pioneers Golden Mike Award" and shortly thereafter was awarded a "Presidential Citation" by Ronald Reagan. WRGB changed its on-air name to "CBS 6" in October 2004 after decades of being known as either "TV 6" or "Channel 6" (most noticeably known as being NewsCenter 6 for the late 20th century). Since then, channel 6 has almost never used its call letters on-air, except during legal IDs. WRGB is carried on cable as far north as Long Lake, NY as well as several other Adirondack regional cable systems.

In September 2003, WRGB-DT (UHF channel 39) became the first full-market digital signal to sign on in the Albany region. Around December 2007, WRGB and WCWN became the first television stations in the Capital District that upgraded to high definition time delay and rebroadcast capability, and high definition local broadcasts. This allows broadcasting of syndicated shows in high definition.

Providence Equity Partners owns a controlling stake in Newport Television (formerly Clear Channel Communications' television division), the owner of local Fox affiliate WXXA. As a result, the Federal Communications Commission granted conditional approval of Newport's acquisition of Clear Channel Television in late-November 2007, provided that Providence Equity Partners would follow through with its planned divestiture of its 16 percent share of Freedom Communications to another company (as required when Providence Equity Partners purchased a minority stake in the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision earlier in 2007) as soon as the deal was finalized.^[2] Freedom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2009, emerging in April 2010. At that point, Providence Equity Partners relinquished its stake in Freedom Communications, making its purchase of WXXA legitimate.

Freedom announced on November 2, 2011 that it would bow out of television and sell its stations, including WRGB, to Sinclair Broadcast Group.^[3] The group deal closed on April 2, 2012 after which Sinclair obtained a waiver allowing the company to keep both WRGB and WCWN.

FM audio[link]

On June 12, 2009, WRGB ceased analog transmissions on VHF channel 6 as part of the DTV transition in the United States. The station had been broadcasting a digital signal on channel 39 prior to then but moved back to channel 6 for its post-transition operations.^[4]

WRGB's former analog TV signal used an FM audio carrier which could be heard on 87.75 FM in areas where the video signal could be received (and some where it could not); the same was true of all analog channel 6 television stations in North America. However, this analog FM carrier no longer exists for full-powered stations after the June 12, 2009, conversion to digital, but still exists for analogue low-power television stations (see Pulse 87 for an example).

As WRGB has returned to channel 6, it has proposed an unconventional approach, by which it has requested to operate an analog FM radio transmitter at one edge of its digital TV allocation, using vertical polarization to retain compatibility with standard broadcast car radio receivers.^[5] According to WRGB's site, "We hope that the FCC will allow us to continue to operate on 87.7. We are building a unique transmitter for 87.7 that can operate simultaneously with our DTV signal on channel 6. TV transmissions always use horizontal antennas. Our new 87.7 transmitter will be vertically polarized. The use of vertical polarization for 87.7 will allow reception of our audio in a car radio or any other FM radio with a whip type antenna. "^[6]

WRGB is the only full-power station to propose such a solution. There are no other full-power TV broadcasters using channel 6 in New York state, either analog or digital. WPVI in Philadelphia, the nearest full-power channel 6, has expressed an interest in the technology, though it is concerned about rights issues.^[5]

The station received an experimental special temporary authorization from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow it to test the FM audio system but it had to cease operations when it was found to cause RF interference with the digital TV signal.

On July 7, 2009 WRGB resumed its radio simulcast broadcasts on a frequency of 87.9 FM, without explicit FCC authorization.^[7] Less than two months later, on August 24, the FCC ordered WRGB to turn off the 87.9 transmitter.^[8] Currently, the only two stations licensed by the FCC to use 87.9 are KSFH and K200AA. WITI, another former analog Channel 6 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, restored its radio audio via a content agreement with Clear Channel Communications, which placed that station's audio on the HD Radio subchannel of WMIL-FM, and it is possible WRGB could consider this venue to restore the service.

Station's power boost and proposed translators[link]

As noted above, on June 12, 2009, WRGB became a digital only station. The station vacated their digital transition UHF Channel 39 and moved their digital operations to their former analog channel assignment on VHF-low channel 6. Since the digital transition, some viewers in the Capital District had receptions issues with the WRGB's signal. So WRGB boosted their power twice. Once back in July 2009 at the power level of 11.5 kW with an interference agreement with WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, & Connecticut Public Television WEDY in New Haven, Connecticut.^[9] And in late January 2010, the FCC granted an STA for WRGB to boost their power again at their current level of 30.2 kW.^[10] An application was filed back in June 2009 to operate at the current level on a permanent basis.^[11] That application was granted on March 16, 2011.

WRGB has also filed applications for three digital replacement translators to fill-in some of the coverage-loss areas, which have all been granted construction permits. One will be in Glens Falls on the station's pre-transition digital allotment on UHF Channel 39.^[12] Another one will be in Kingston on UHF Channel 24.^[13] And the last one will be in Pittsfield on UHF Channel 19.^[14] The Kingston translator became operational in May 2011.

WNYA and WCWN involvement[link]

In April 2003, WRGB signed a joint sales agreement with the area's fledgling UPN affiliate WNYA several months prior to that station's sign-on in September. Under the agreement, WRGB handled advertising sales for WNYA and shared syndicated programming with the station. The agreement, originally set to expire at the end of August 2006, was extended to the end of 2008, but was actually terminated in February 2007. Since September 5, 2006, WNYA has been the area's MyNetworkTV affiliate.

On June 19, 2006, Freedom Communications announced the purchase of current CW affiliate WCWN from Tribune Broadcasting for $17 million. This purchase was finalized on December 6, 2006, giving the Capital Region market its first duopoly. Until the end of the JSA with WNYA, WRGB had control of three stations in the market.

During past airings of the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, WNYA took on the responsibility of airing WRGB's local and network lineup. This role has since shifted to WCWN, which also airs CBS' coverage of the U.S. Open Tennis Championship.

News operation[link]

For many years, WRGB was the dominant news station in the Capital District. Its newscasts were anchored for over 40 years by the venerable Ernie Tetrault (who was immortalized in the 1992 film Sneakers directed by one-time WRGB intern Phil Alden Robinson). Tetrault's last anchor desk partner, Liz Bishop, is still the station's main female anchor. After Tetrault's retirement in 1993, the station was quickly eclipsed by WNYT and for several years in the mid-1990s fell to third place. For the most part, the station has stabilized at a steady second place although for a period in the early-2000s it fell back to third.

From April 2003 until mid-2004, WNYA aired replays of WRGB's weekday noon show at 1, weeknight 11 o'clock news at 11:35, and this station's former public affairs television program Sunday Morning with Liz Bishop. On April 17, 2006, it was announced that WNYA would begin airing an hour long extension of WRGB's weekday morning newscast at 7 known (at the time) as CBS 6 First News on UPN Capital Region. This could be seen as a pre-emptive move by WRGB to fend off a challenge by WXXA who had announced their plans to launch weekday morning news two weeks earlier. Rumors of WRGB producing a 10 p.m. broadcast on WNYA had circulated as well. However, the pickup of a second run of Dr. Phil to air at that hour killed the rumors. At the start of 2007, the news on WNYA moved to WCWN (because that station had higher ratings overall) becoming CBS 6 First News on The Capital Region's CW.

In 2007 and 2008, WCWN aired WRGB's 11 o'clock news during CBS's coverage of the NCAA March Madness Basketball. On January 13, 2008, it began producing its newscasts in high definition becoming the first in the market to do so. This was exactly 80 years to the date after its first experimental broadcasts. The WCWN broadcast was upgraded the next day. After becoming a sister station, it was rumored that WCWN would add a WRGB-produced 10 p.m. broadcast to challenge WXXA's long time dominance at that hour. This became a reality on September 24 when WRGB launched a weeknight 10 minute block in high definition featuring the top stories of the day along with an updated weather forecast. Accordingly, it was known as The CBS 6 News 10 at 10. The success of the 10 minute newscast resulted in the expansion to a full 30 minute newscast in October 2010, currently anchored by Dori Marlin and Jerry Gretzinger.^[15]

WRGB delays the weeknight broadcast of the CBS Evening News until 7 in favor of an extra half hour of local news. In addition to their main studios, it operates an Albany Bureau at One Commerce Plaza in downtown Albany.

Weather coverage[link]

As with its heritage of being the first station in the Capital Region, WRGB has also had several firsts in the weather field, given the unpredictable weather of the Northeast. In February 1996, it became the first Capital District station to put forecasts on the World Wide Web with the launch of a website. A severe weather outbreak in late May 1998 led to further developments in the station's weather coverage. WRGB won an Emmy Award for Chief Meteorologist Steve Lapointe's near-nonstop work over two days which made sure there were no fatalities in the otherwise devastating weather.

In May 1999, the station started "WeatherNet 6" which allows viewers to submit weather observations around the area. The public is allowed to report anything from current conditions to snowfall totals. In 2000, the station became the first in the market to offer a station-owned weather radar known as "Instant Doppler 6" that was installed next to their studios. This exclusive distinction was held until 2004 when WNYT set up its own live radar. In recent times, WTEN and WXXA have also updated their radar outputs to so-called "live" capabilities. They do not own their own radars but decided to re-brand the live NOAA National Weather Service NEXRAD Level II radar data as their own. Data is used from four regional sites in Albany, Binghamton, Montague, and Upton. This government data is also used on WRGB known as "WeatherScan Radar".

WRGB was the last in the market to bring a degree-holding meteorologist onto its staff with the purchase of the station by Freedom, not doing so until several years after WTEN and WNYT did. On January 6, 2009, veteran meteorologist Neal Estano returned to the area airwaves for his third tour of duty with WRGB. He had worked for the station twice before leaving to pursue new opportunities in Jacksonville, Florida and Baltimore, Maryland.

News/station presentation[link]

Newscast titles[link]

• The General Electric Newsreel (1928–1942)
• The News at War (1942–1945)
• The Big Newsreel (1945–1954)
• Your Esso Reporter (1954–1960)
• The Television 6 News (1960–1966)
• Total Information News (1966–1976)
• NewsCenter 6 (1976–1998)
• Channel 6 News (1998–2004)
• CBS 6 News (2004–present)

News music packages[link]

• NBC Newspulse
• And You
• Signature News
• Spirit of 1982
• WRGB News
• Making A Difference
• In Sink
• CBS Enforcer Music Collection
• News in Focus
• Impact

News team[link]

Anchors

• Ed O'Brien - weekday mornings
• Liz Bishop - weekdays at noon also weeknights at 5 and 5:30
• Jerry Gretzinger - weeknights at 5, 5:30, and 10 (also reporter)
• Dori Marlin - weeknights at 6, 6:30, 10, and 11
• Greg Floyd - weeknights at 6, 6:30, and 11 (also reporter)
• TBD - weekend mornings
• Craig Smith - weekends evenings and reporter

CBS 6 Instant Doppler Meteorologists

• Steve LaPointe (CMB Seal of Approval) - Chief seen weeknights
• Neal Estano - weekday mornings and weekdays at noon
• Erik Thorgersen - weekend mornings and fill-in
• Chris Gloninger (CBM Seal of Approval) - weekend evenings

Sports

• Doug Sherman - Director seen weeknights at 6, 6:30, and 11
• Kelly O'Donnell - weekend evenings and sports reporter

Reporters

• Alexandra Field - State Capitol Correspondent
• Art Ginsburg - "Mr. Food" segment producer
• Jennifer Lewke - investigative
• Kassata Edwards
• Marci Natale

Notable former staff

• Kelly (Cass) Boland, (Weekend meteorologist, and later promoted to mornings from 1993–2000) now a key weekend meteorologist at The Weather Channel; she originally started out as a "Weathercaster" at WRGB before becoming a full-fledged meteorologist while at the station.
• Paul Dandridge (1968–1972, later worked in Los Angeles at KNBC, KABC and KCBS/KCAL)
• Dr. Alan Chartock (Controversial director of WAMC, was a political analyst until dropped in 1994 at which point he went to WNYT)
• Howard Reig (announcer for WGY radio and WRGB from 1943–1952, later a staff announcer for NBC from 1952 to 2005); deceased
• Joe Tessitore (Sports anchor) now at ESPN after a career at WFSB in Hartford, Connecticut

References[link]

External links[link]

• CBS6Albany.com - Official WRGB-TV Website
• Albany.ThisTV.com - Official This TV Albany Website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WRGB

John McLoughlin
Born	Jean-Baptiste McLoughlin (1784-10-19)October 19, 1784 Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec
Died	September 3, 1857(1857-09-03) (aged 72) Oregon City, Oregon
Employer	Hudson's Bay Company
Known for	Fort Vancouver
Title	Chief Factor
Successor	James Douglas
Religion	Roman Catholic

Dr. John McLoughlin, baptized Jean-Baptiste McLoughlin, (October 19, 1784 – September 3, 1857) was the Chief Factor of the Columbia Fur District of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver. He was later known as the "Father of Oregon" for his role in assisting the American cause in the Oregon Country in the Pacific Northwest. In the late 1840s his general store in Oregon City was famous as the last stop on the Oregon Trail.

Childhood and early career[link]

McLoughlin was born in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, of Irish (his grandfather came from Sharagower in the Inishowen peninsular of County Donegal), Scottish, and French Canadian descent. He lived with his great uncle, Colonel William Fraser, for a while as a child.^{[citation needed]} Though baptized Roman Catholic, he was raised Anglican and in his later life he returned to the Roman Catholic faith. In 1798, he began to study medicine with Sir James Fisher of Quebec. After studying for 4½ years he was granted a license to practice medicine on April 30, 1803. He was hired as a physician at Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay), a fur-gathering post of the North West Company on Lake Superior; there he became a trader and mastered several Indian languages.^{[citation needed]}

In 1814 he became a partner in the company. In 1816 McLoughlin was arrested for the murder of Robert Semple, the governor of the Red River Colony, after the Battle of Seven Oaks (1816), though it is often claimed he stood in proxy for some Indians who were blamed. He was tried on October 30, 1818, and the charges were dismissed. McLoughlin was instrumental in the negotiations leading to the North West Company's 1821 merger with the Hudson's Bay Company. He was promoted to the Lac la Pluie district temporarily shortly after the merger.

The Columbia District[link]

John McLoughlin

John McLoughlin, National Statuary Hall Collection, statue

In 1824 the Hudson's Bay Company appointed McLoughlin as Chief Factor of the Columbia District (roughly parallel to what Americans know as the Oregon Country), with Peter Skene Ogden appointed to assist him. At the time, the region was under joint occupation of both the United States and Britain pursuant to the Treaty of 1818. Upon his arrival, he determined that the headquarters of the company at Fort Astoria (now Astoria, Oregon) at the mouth of the Columbia River was unfit. The York Factory Express trade route evolved from an earlier express brigade used by the North West Company between Fort George (originally Fort Astoria founded in 1811 by John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company), at the mouth of the Columbia River, to Fort William on Lake Superior.^[1]

In 1821 the North West Company was forcibly merged (at the behest of the British government) into the Hudson's Bay Company after armed conflict in the Red River Colony between the two companies.^[2]George Simpson, director of Hudson's Bay Company, visited the Columbia District in 1824-25, journeying from York Factory. He investigated a quicker route than previously used, following the Saskatchewan River and crossing the mountains at Athabasca Pass. This route was thereafter followed by the York Factory Express brigades.^[3]

McLoughlin built Fort Vancouver (now Vancouver, Washington) as a replacement on the opposite side of the Columbia across from the mouth of the Willamette River, at a site chosen by Sir George Simpson. The post was opened for business on March 19, 1825. From his Columbia Department headquarters in Fort Vancouver he supervised trade and kept peace with the Indians, inaugurated salmon and timber trade with Mexican controlled California and Hawaii, and supplied Russian America with produce.

By 1825 there were usually two brigades, each setting out from opposite ends of the route, Fort Vancouver in the Columbia District on the lower Columbia River and the other from York Factory on Hudson Bay, in spring and passing each other in the middle of the continent. Each brigade consisted of about forty to seventy five men and two to five specially made boats and travelled at breakneck speed (for the time). Indians along the way were often paid in trade goods to help them portage around falls and unnavigable rapids. A 1839 report cites the travel time as three months and ten days—almost 26 miles (40 km) per day on average.^[1] These men carried supplies in and furs out by boat, horseback and as back packs for the forts and trading posts along the route. They also carried status reports for supplies needed, furs traded etc. from Dr. John McLoughlin head of the Oregon Country HBC operations, and the other fort managers along the route.

Fort Vancouver became the center of activity in the Pacific Northwest. Every year ships would come from London (via the Pacific) to drop off supplies and trade goods in exchange for the furs. It was the nexus for the fur trade on the Pacific Coast; its influence reached from the Rocky Mountains to the Hawaiian Islands, and from Russian Alaska into Mexican-controlled California. From Fort Vancouver, at its pinnacle, McLoughlin watched over 34 outposts, 24 ports, six ships, and 600 employees. Under McLoughlin's management, the Columbia Department remained highly profitable, in part due to the ongoing high demand for beaver hats in Europe.

McLoughlin's appearance, 6 foot 4 inches (193 cm) tall with long, prematurely white hair, brought him respect; but he was also generally known for his fair treatment of the people with whom he dealt, whether they were British subjects, U.S. citizens, or of indigenous origin. At the time, the wives of many Hudson's Bay field employees were indigenous, including McLoughlin's wife Marguerite; who was metis, the daughter of an aboriginal woman and a trader named Jean-Etienne Waddens. She was the widow of Alexander McKay, a trader killed in the Tonquin incident. See Jonathan Thorn. Her son Thomas McKay became McLoughlin's stepson.^[4]

When three Japanese fishermen, among them Otokichi, were shipwrecked on the Olympic Peninsula in 1834, McLoughlin, envisioning an opportunity to use them to open trade with Japan, sent the trio to London on the Eagle to try to convince the Crown of his plan. They reached London in 1835, probably the first Japanese to do so since the 16th century Christopher and Cosmas. The British Government finally did not show interest, and the castaways were sent to Macau so that they could be returned to Japan.

Relations with American settlers[link]

In 1821 the British Parliament imposed the laws of Upper Canada on British subjects in Columbia District, and gave the authority to enforce those laws to the Hudson's Bay Company. John McLoughlin, as chief factor of Fort Vancouver, applied the law to British subjects, kept peace with the natives and sought to maintain law and order over American settlers as well.

In 1841, with the arrival of the first wagon train via the Oregon Trail, McLoughlin disobeyed company orders and extended substantial aid to the American settlers. Relations between Britain and the United States had become very strained, and many expected war to break out any time. McLoughlin's aid probably prevented an armed attack on his outpost by the numerous American settlers. The settlers understood that his motives were not purely altruistic, and some resented the assistance, working against him for the rest of his life.

The Hudson Bay Company officially discouraged settlement because it interfered with the lucrative fur trade. The company belatedly realized that the increasing numbers of American settlers in the area would result in Columbia District becoming part of U.S. territory. In 1841, Hudson Bay Company Governor George Simpson ordered Alexander Ross to organize a party of Red River settlers to emigrate and occupy the land for Britain. When the James Sinclair expedition of almost 200 men women and children reached Fort Vancouver later that year, McLoughlin took his time settling them on Hudson's Bay farms and encouraged them to settle south of the Columbia River.

As tensions mounted in the Oregon boundary dispute; Simpson, realizing that border might ultimately be as far north as the 49th parallel, ordered McLoughlin to relocate their regional headquarters to Vancouver Island. McLoughlin, in turn, directed James Douglas to construct Fort Camosun (now Victoria, British Columbia, Canada). But McLoughlin, whose life was increasingly connected to the Willamette River Valley, refused to move there.

McLoughlin was involved with the debate over the future of the Oregon Country.^[5] He advocated an independent nation that would be free of the United States during debates at the Oregon Lyceum in 1842 through his lawyer.^[5] This view won support at first and a resolution adopted, but was later moved away from in favor of a resolution by George Abernethy of the Methodist Mission to wait on forming an independent country.^[5]

In 1843 American settlers established their own government, called the Provisional Government of Oregon. A legislative committee drafted a code of laws known as the Organic Law. It included the creation of an executive committee of three, a judiciary, militia, land laws, and four counties. There was vagueness and confusion over the nature of the 1843 Organic Law, in particular whether it was a constitutional or statutory. In 1844 a new legislative committee decided to consider it statutory. The 1845 Organic Law made additional changes, including allowing the participation of British subjects in the government. Although the Oregon Treaty of 1846 settled the boundaries of US jurisdiction upon all lands south of the 49th parallel, the Provisional Government continued to function until 1849, when the first governor of Oregon Territory arrived.

Later life in the Oregon Territory[link]

After resigning from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1846, McLoughlin moved his family back south to Oregon City in the Willamette Valley. The Oregon Treaty had been ratified by that time, and the region, now known as the Oregon Territory, was part of the United States. The valley was the destination of choice for settlers streaming in over the Oregon Trail. At his Oregon City store he sold food and farming tools to settlers. In 1847, McLoughlin was given the Knighthood of St. Gregory, bestowed on him by Pope Gregory XVI. He became a U.S. citizen in 1849. McLoughlin's opponents succeeded in inserting a clause forfeiting his land claim in the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 by Samuel R. Thurston. Although it was never enforced, it embittered the elderly McLoughlin. He served as mayor of Oregon City in 1851, winning 44 of 66 votes. He died of natural causes in 1857. His grave is now located beside his home overlooking downtown Oregon City.^[6]

Legacy[link]

In 1953, the state of Oregon donated to the National Statuary Hall Collection a bronze statue of McLoughlin, which is currently displayed at the Capitol Visitor Center. The title "Father of Oregon" was officially bestowed on him by the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1957, on the centennial of his death. Many public works in Oregon are named after him, including:

• The John McLoughlin Bridge
• McLoughlin Boulevard, the street name of Oregon Route 99E between Oregon City and Portland
• Numerous schools

McLoughlin's former residence in Oregon City, now known as the McLoughlin House, is today a museum; it is part of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

John McLoughlin lost one son to a violent death. John McLoughlin, Jr. had been appointed the second Chief Trader at Fort Stikine, only to die at the hands of one of the fort employees, Urbain Heroux, who was charged with his murder but acquitted for lack of evidence, which added to the grievances John Sr. held against the Company.

See also[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/John McLoughlin

• James Douglas
• Jason Lee
• Marcus Whitman
• Narcissa Whitman
• Willamette Cattle Company

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Notable Oregonians: John McLoughlin - Father of Oregon
• Fort Vancouver National Historic Site
• McLoughlin House National Historic Site
• NSHC biography of John McLoughlin
• Dr. John McLoughlin: the father of Oregon by Frederick Van Voorhies Holman
•  "John McLoughlin". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. 
• The Letters of John McLoughlin from Fort Vancouver to the Governor and Committee: 1825-46 [1]

v t e Pioneer history of Oregon (1806–1890) Topics American Fur Company Columbian Exchange Executive Committee Ferries Hudson's Bay Company Oregon & California Railroad Oregon boundary dispute Oregon Country Oregon Lyceum Oregon missionaries Oregon Spectator Oregon Territory Oregon Trail Oregon Treaty Organic Laws Pacific Fur Company Provisional Government Events Astor Expedition Treaty of 1818 Russo-American Treaty Willamette Cattle Company Champoeg Meetings Star of Oregon Whitman massacre Cayuse War Donation Land Claim Act Holmes v. Ford Rogue River Wars Constitutional Convention Modoc War Great Gale of 1880 Places Applegate Trail Albina Barlow Road Canemah Champoeg Elliott Cutoff Fort Astoria Fort Dalles Fort Vancouver Fort William French Prairie Linn City Meek Cutoff Methodist Mission Oregon City Oregon Institute Philip Foster Farm Thomas and Ruckle Road Tualatin Academy Whitman Mission Willamette Trading Post People George Abernethy Jesse Applegate Ira Babcock Sam Barlow François Blanchet Tabitha Brown Matthew Deady Abigail Scott Duniway Thomas Lamb Eliot Philip Foster Peter French Joseph Gale Cornelius Gilliam David Hill Chief Joseph Joseph Kellogg H.A.G. Lee Jason Lee David Thomas Lenox Asa Lovejoy John McLoughlin Joseph Meek Ezra Meeker James D. Miller John Minto Robert Newell Joel Palmer Osborne Russell Sager orphans Levi Scott Henry Spalding Elijah White Marcus Whitman Narcissa Whitman Geo. H. Williams Ewing Young William Vandevert Transportation Columbia Lot Whitcomb Canemah Colonel Wright Gazelle Oregon Steam Navigation Company Oregon history pre-Pioneer Pioneer

Scott Murphy
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 20th district
In office April 29, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Kirsten Gillibrand
Succeeded by	Chris Gibson
Personal details
Born	Matthew Scott Murphy (1970-01-26) January 26, 1970 (age 42) Columbia, Missouri
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Jennifer
Children	3
Residence	Glens Falls, New York
Alma mater	Harvard University
Occupation	Entrepreneur/venture capitalist
Religion	Methodist [1]

Matthew Scott Murphy^[2][3] (born January 26, 1970) is an entrepreneur and the former U.S. Representative for New York's 20th congressional district, serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.^[4] He was defeated in his attempt to attain election to a full term on November 2, 2010.

The district centers around much of the eastern portion of New York's Capital District.

Early life, education and career[link]

The son of a teacher and mail carrier,^[2] Murphy graduated from David H. Hickman High School, Columbia, Missouri in 1988,^[5] and later graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University.

Murphy worked for Bankers Trust for two and a half years in the early 1990s before becoming an entrepreneur. In 1994, he co-founded an interactive media company, Small World Software. In 1998 the company, which had grown to 25 employees, was purchased by the internet-consulting company iXL.^[6] He then served as one of the heads of the purchased entity, rebranded "iXL New York". iXL later went bankrupt in 2002 during the end of the dot-com bubble. In 2001 Murphy joined Advantage Capital Partners, a venture capital partnership.

He currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of Upstate Venture Association of New York, Inc.^[7] He also worked as an aide, Deputy Chief of Staff, and fundraiser for former Governors of Missouri Mel Carnahan and Roger B. Wilson.^[2]

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Major Votes[link]

- - On November 7, 2009, Murphy voted against the Affordable Care Act.^[8] Murphy opposed the Stupak Amendment which proposed to restrict federal funding and subsidies for plans that cover elective abortion.^[9]

- In March 2010, Murphy supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.^[10]

Committee assignments[link]

Rep. Murphy served on the same two committees as his predecessor, now-Senator Kirsten Gillibrand:

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research
  • Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry
• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Terrorism and Unconventional Threats
  • Subcommittee on Strategic Forces

Political campaigns[link]

2009 special election[link]

Scott Murphy and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at a campaign stop on March 29, 2009^[11]

On January 22, 2009, Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat representing New York's 20th congressional district, was appointed by Governor David Paterson to fill the United States Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton, who assumed the office of United States Secretary of State in the Obama administration.^[12] On February 1, 2009, Murphy was chosen by a unanimous vote of ten Democratic county chairs to be their party's nominee for 2009 special election to fill Gillibrand's seat in the House.^[13][14]

Murphy ran against Republican nominee Jim Tedisco, from Schenectady, who, until April 2009, was the Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly.

Murphy was endorsed by President Barack Obama and Senator Gillibrand .^[15]

The initial count from the election had Murphy leading by approximately 60 votes out of more than 150,000 cast.^[16][17] However, by April 24, after re-tallies and absentee ballot counting, Murphy was ahead by 399 votes,^[18] and Tedisco conceded the election.^[19] Murphy was sworn in on April 29.^[20]

2010[link]

Murphy lost in 2010 to Republican nominee Chris Gibson.

Personal life[link]

Murphy is married to Jennifer Hogan, a native of Washington County.^[3] They have three children.^[2]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Scott Murphy

Capital District portal

• Scott Murphy for Congress official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times