J.R. BAYLEY, M.D. – Doctor Bayley, to whom has fallen an unusual portion of public labor and honor, was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1820. His mother dying, he was cared for by his grandmother, through whose liberality he received an ample education. In 1839 he moved to Clay county, Missouri, but two years later returned to Ohio, and in 1847 began the study of medicine in South Charleston with Doctors Skinner and Steele. He also attended the medical school at Cleveland in 1849, and the next year studied at the Ohio Medical College of Cincinnati. Upon graduating from this institution in 1851, he returned to South Charleston, practicing medicine, and a year later continued his profession at Louisburg. He was married in Xenia in 1852 to Miss Elizabeth Harpole, and remained in Louisburg until the autumn of 1854.
In this year he prepared to cross the continent to Oregon, and reached our state in May, 1855, settling at Lafayette and practicing his profession. Besides his regular work, he was here engaged in political labors, being elected councilman for the counties of Yamhill and Clatsop to serve in the territorial legislature in 1856. He resigned his seat, however, in 1857, and moved to Corvallis, where he practiced medicine for many years. Here also political preferment was bestowed; and he was elected judge of Benton county. In 1864 he was re-elected, serving until his resignation a year later.
During this year he enjoyed that delightful experience of a trip to the old home in Ohio, and a visit to the National capital. While at the seat of government he succeeded in getting a bill through Congress throwing open a part of the Siletz Indian reservation for white settlement. He also secured a land grant for a military road from Corvallis to Elk City, the head of navigation on Yaquina Bay. In June, 1866, he was elected a member of the state senate, representing Benton county. In 1869 he was appointed supervisor of internal revenue for the district of Oregon, comprising the State of Oregon and the territories of Washington, Idaho and Montana, and serving until 1873, when he resigned and returned to the practice of medicine in Corvallis. In 1884 he left this delightful old town and removed to Newport, where he now resides.
The Masonic history of Doctor Bayley indicates the esteem in which he is held by that time-honored order. He was made a Mason in London, Madison county, Ohio, in 1847; he received the degrees of the Royal Arch Chapter in Springfield in 1850, and the Knight Templar degrees in Reed Commandery at Dayton, Ohio, in 1853. He received the degrees of the Scottish Rite Masonry at Washington in 1870, which were conferred by Albert Pike. In 1888 he was made a noble of the Mystic Shrine at Portland. Before leaving Ohio, he served as worshipful master of Fielding Lodge for two years, and as worshipful master of Libanus Lodge for two years. After his arrival in Oregon he served as worshipful master of Lafayette Lodge, for another term of two years, and also in the same office of Rockey Lodge at Corvallis, and is now on his third term as master of Newport lodge. He served as junior grand warden of the grand lodge of Oregon, and in turn as senior grand warden, deputy grand master, grand master, and grand lecturer of the same for a number of years. He served also as high priest of Ferguson Chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Corvallis for eleven years, and as most excellent grand high priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter for twelve years.
Elizabeth Bayley, wife of the doctor, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Harpole, was born in Green county, Ohio, in 1834. She was brought up on a farm, and received her early education in the district school contiguous to her home, but finished her education at the seminary of Xenia, Ohio. Their family is as follows: Lester S., a native of Ohio, but educated at Corvallis and at the Catholic school for boys at Vancouver, and at the business college at Portland, and now living in the Big Bend country, Washington; Cora, born in Ohio, now the wife of Sherman Richie, and living at Hillsboro, Oregon; Emery P.; Marcus T., educated at the State Agricultural College; Lizzie G.; William H., deceased; Eva; Mary E..
Dr. Bayley, though having passed his three-score years and ten, still retains all his faculties to a remarkable degree, and is very active and energetic with a keen, vigorous mind, recalling the varied incidents in a long and busy life with great exactness, and relating the same with much pleasant humor.