STITES, Thomas Jefferson - Putnam

During the present week Salem will entertain hundreds of prominent odd Fellows & Rebekahs from all parts of the state. Perhaps one of the best known Odd Fellows in the state is Hon. TJ Stites, deputy grand master, whose home is Albany.  Mr. Stites was born in Putnam County, Indiana Oct 25, 1836. With his parents he moved to Edgar County, Illinois in 1841, where he resided until in 1854 when they moved to northern Missouri where he remained until the spring of 1862. From there he and an elder brother came to Oregon, having crossed the plains with an ox team. His early life was spent on the farm and his educational advantages were limited. He has been a studious reader, however, and by this means has acquired an extensive knowledge of general subjects and became a successful teacher.  He was elected a member of the Oregon legislature in 1868 and was made chairman of the standing committee on education, notwithstanding he was the youngest member of that body.  He took a very active part in the grant railway land grant fight of that session. He was elected county school superintendent of Linn County in 1870 and reelected in 1872. He was principal of the Albany Public Schools from 1872-76. In 1876 he was elected county clerk of Linn County and in 1878 was the candidate of his party for state superintendent of public instruction but was beaten by 60 votes in a total vote of 20,000.  In 1878 Governor Thayer appointed him his private secretary which place he filled to the conclusion of the term in 1882 when he returned to his home in Albany and purchased an interest in the Albany Democrat, of which he remained editor until his recent appointment to the postmastership of Albany.