William Vance Rinehart (28 December 1835 – 16 October 1918) was an American soldier who served as a Union Army officer in both the 1st Oregon Volunteer Cavalry Regiment and 1st Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War.

Rinehart then moved to Seattle, Washington where he engaged in business and was active in state and local politics.

[1][2][3][4] In 1856, Rinehart moved to Josephine County, Oregon, where he began mining gold near Althouse Creek.

Rinehart joined the local militia and helped build Fort Briggs, a stockade used to protect Illinois Valley settlers from attack.

He remained in command until after the end of the Civil War when regular Army troops returned to Oregon to replace the militia volunteers.

[1] After the war, Rinehart moved his family to Grant County, Oregon where he became a partner in a mercantile business.

[1][2][3][7] The reservation was located in a remote area of eastern Oregon, approximately fifty miles east of Fort Harney.

[8] Rinehart replaced Samuel B. Parrish, who was well respected by the Native American people living on the reservation.

In contrast to Parrish's administration, Rinehart was in continuous conflict with the Native Americans living on the reservation from the time he arrived.

When white settlers began grazing their livestock on reservation lands, Rinehart made no effort to evict them.

[7][9][10] Rinehart's harsh policies may have contributed to the decision by local Paiutes to join the Bannock rebellion in 1878.

When the uprising reached the Malheur reservation, Rinehart retreated to Canyon City where he helped organize the town's defenses.

[11][12][13] After the conflict ended, some of the Paiute and Bannock prisoners were interned on the Malheur reservation under Rinehart's charge.