One of the most colorful and well-educated men of early Central Oregon was Van Gesner. He was born in Salem, Oregon in July 1852. He grew up in Salem and attended schools there. He attended Willamette University for one year, then went to Philadelphia to attend Jefferson Medical College. He graduated with a medical degree in 1883. That same year, he set up a medical practice in Prineville. He had a very active medical practice but found it to be very stressful and it affected his health. Dr. Gesner married Annie Fields, a native of Brownsville, Oregon in 1886. They had two children. He moved to southern California for health reasons but soon found he had to abandon his medical practice to preserve his health.
He returned to Central Oregon in 1891 and began purchasing sheep. He eventually partnered with local sheepman and early U.S. Congressman J.N. Williamson, and they had extensive land and sheep operations in Crook County. They were among the most prominent and well-respected stockmen in Central Oregon.
Williamson and Gesner became involved in highly suspect land acquisitions near the turn of the 20th Century. They began acquiring large tracts of land by inducing about 100 entry men to file timber claims on more than 16,000 acres to expand their holdings to utilize the lands to pasture their herds. Early in 1905, Van Gesner and J.N. Williamson were indicted for conspiracy to defraud the government of its public lands. Included in the indictment was Crook County Judge Marion R. Biggs, who was the official before whom the alleged fraudulent proofs were made.
Three hotly contested trials led to indecisions by the jury, but a fourth trial led to the convictions of Gesner, Williamson and Biggs. Gesner was fined $1,000 and was sentenced to be imprisoned for five months. Biggs and Williamson were fined $500 and sentenced to 10 months in jail. Van Gesner and Biggs submitted to the judgement against them and served their sentences. Williamson appealed his sentence, which was eventually vacated.
Dr. Van Gesner returned to his sheep operations after serving his sentence. All three men remained highly respected residents. Gesner eventually moved to Portland, where he passed away on July 4, 1930. He is buried in Riverview Cemetery.
Steve Lent is a Crook County historian. He can be reached at 541-447-3715.
