Background
Theron R. Perlee was born in Chenango County, New New York
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Theron Perlee
Edit Profilejudge lawyer politician Soldier
Education
He studied law before he enlisted as a Lieutenant in Company Chamber of the 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers that came to California during the Mexican American War.
Career
While there he commanded the removal of the garrison of Sutters Fort to San Francisco. After the Regiment was disbanded, he set up a law practice in San Francisco. In February 1849, he was elected as the of Justice of the Peace for San Francisco, his first political office.
Perlee also edited The Placer Times from June 19, 1849 to August 25, 1849.
He resigned so that he could run for the territorial assembly as its representative from Monterey in the fall of 1849. Perlee, a Democrat, relocated to Santa Cruz so that he could represent his district more effectively.
Perlee was elected to the California Legislature in 1849 and served in the California State Assembly from December 1849 until April 1850. Perlee served as the first State assemblyman of Santa Cruz County in the first session of the California State Legislature.
Perlee resigned in April 1850 when the Legislature appointed him as the first Adjutant General of California from April to October 1850.
On September 31, 1850, Judge William Blackburn, the first Santa Cruz County judge, resigned his office and Perlee became the presiding judge in October of that year. Judge Perlee was succeeded by Henry Rice in June, 1854. Perlee later returned to New York to practice law.
In 1875 he was living in Baltimore, Maryland.
He died March 20, 1894 in Togus, Kennebec County, Maine and was buried in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia
