1850 IL CENSUS - Thos. B. Wait, age 16, b. Massachusetts, is enumerated with Silas L., age 58, occupation farmer, b. Maine, along with Olive S., age 31, b. Illinois, Samuel, age 13, b. Illinois, Alfred, age 10, b. Illinois, and Edward, age 8, b. Illinois. 
1st MARRIAGE - Thomas B. Wait & Mary E. Gibson, m 08 Sept 1859; Elijah Flannery, J. P. Wit: H. M. Allen & D. M. Chitwood. 
1860 OR CENSUS - T. B. Wait, age 25, occupation carpenter, b. Massachusetts, is enumerated with M. E., age 19, b. Illinois.
2nd MARRIAGE - T. B. Wait of Polk Co., & Rachel Morris, md 28 Dec 1871 at the Commercial Hotel; C. N. Terry, Judge; Wit: Mrs. E. & Laura Paddocks.

1880 OR CENSUS – T.B. Wait (45y, b Massachusetts, occupation hardware dealer) enumerated with wife Rachel (34y, b Oregon) and 5 children, all born in Oregon, Aggie (18y), Ellis (7y), Robie (6y), Omar (4y) and Anna (b June 1879)

NOTE – Thomas and Rachel were divorced in 1886 [Marion County divorce case 3865, Oregon State Archives]. Rachel died 15 Apr 1909 and was buried in Salem Pioneer Cemetery

3rd MARRIAGE – Thos B. Wait, over 45, & Nellie A. Cline, over 22, md 4 Oct 1886 at house of W.B. Cline by J. O’Donald, JP. Aff: J.W. McAfee. Wit: John B. Cline & May Newsome. Certificate issued to Nellie C. Aldrich. Sworn statement says this was in error & should be Nellie C. Cline.

NOTE – Nellie was daughter of Lewis & Mary (Greenwood) Cline. She had been previously married to Ara Aldrich by whom she had 2 children, and Cass Kline (or Cline) by whom she had one child. She appears with her second husband and three children in the 1880 census of Halsey, Linn Co, Oregon.

1900 OR CENSUS – Thomas B. Wait (b June 1834, Massachusetts, married 22y, occupation tombstone agent) enumerated with wife Nellie A. (b May 1859, Oregon, mother of 3 children, all living at time of census)

NOTE – wife Nellie died 26 June 1943 in San Francisco, California [California death index]

BIOGRAPHY - T.B. Wait holds a worthy position among the pioneers of Oregon, and was closely connected with the early Indian history of the State. He is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, born July 27, 1834. His ancestors were Welsh and among the early settlers of New England, and were connected with literary work and the printing business. His father, Lee Wait, married Miss Susannah Starr and emigrated to Bond county, Illinois, in 1818, and occupied for two years the position of Territorial printer, then returning to Boston in 1836, removed with his family to Illinois, where he was engaged in farming until his death in 1866.

     T.B. Wait improved the meager facilities for education of that day, and at the age of fourteen began learning the carpenters’ trade, which he continued successfully until 1853, when he joined the tide of emigration, crossing the plains to Oregon. The journey was slow and tedious, but the last 500 miles was more exciting and he had to make that part of the journey on foot; he and three companions. They had but limited supplies and only one blanket. They traveled by day and hid themselves from the Indians by night, and thus among many hardships completed their journey, arriving in Oregon in October of the same year. Mr. Wait then located in Polk county, pre-empting 160 acres of land, seven miles northwest of Salem, subsequently adding 320 acres thereto, where he continued farming until 1870, then leased his farm and removed to Salem, engaging in the feed business, later taking up hardware and agricultural implements, which he followed until 1885, and then retired from active business. He has since subdivided his farm property, and under the name of Nobb Hill tract is offering it for sale in small holdings. In 1855 and 1856 he was engaged in the Yakima Indian war, which extended over the entire northwest country. Mr. Wait enlisted in Company G, of Oregon Mounted Volunteers, under Captain Ben Hayden, but was subsequently promoted to Second Lieutenancy of Company K, Washington Mounted Volunteers. They were engaged in many skirmishes, but the first heavy fight that Lieutenant Wait was in was the Grand Ronde Valley on July 19, 1856, where for thirty miles they engaged in a running fight. In 1853 General I.I. Stephens acting Indian agent, and Governor of Washington Territory, formed a treaty with the Nez Perces Indians; but other tribes not treating and murders of white men being committed the war broke out in the fall of 1855. After the battle of Grand Ronde Valley, 18th and 19th of July, 1856, a council was held in Walla Walla valley, lasting for thirteen days, which resulted in no satisfactory settlement and which culminated in the battle of Walla Walla, on September 19, 1856, which was the decisive battle of the campaign. Mr. Wait served throughout the war with great bravery, and by coolness and knowledge of Indians saved his companions from great loss in the Grand Ronde and Walla Walla battles. He was in command of the last detachment of troops to leave the field, which came down the Columbia river and were disbanded at Vancouver.

     In 1879 Mr. Wait was nominated on the Democratic ticket and elected Mayor of Salem, and his popularity, with the people was manifest in 1882, when he was appointed a member of the Republican Common Council, by a unanimous vote to fill a vacancy caused by death. For about nine years he was a member of the volunteer fire department and for two years served as chief.

     Mr. Wait has been married three times and has four children living: Olive S., now Mrs. Henry Shoemaker; Mary A., now Mrs. J.B. Putman; Enne D. and Thomas O.

     He is a member of the Pacific Lodge, No. 50 F. & A.M. He now resides in Salem, engaged in the real estate business, giving particular attention to the same of his own property.

Hines, H.K., An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1893); pp 768-9

DISCREPANCY - DC and obit give date of death as Sept 5, marker as Sept 8.

SPELLING VARIATION - Name spelled Wait on DC and marker; Waite in obituary.

BIOGRAPHICAL:
T. B. Wait is listed on the Salem Fire Department Chiefs List (year - 1879)
Salem, Oregon (Online) History 
http://www.salemhistory.net/people/sfd_chiefs.htm

BIOGRAPHICAL:
T. B. Wait is listed on the Salem's Mayors List (year - 1880) 
Salem, Oregon (Online) History http://www.salemhistory.net/people/salem_mayors_list.htm

BIOGRAPHICAL:
"... In the early and mid-1880s, T.B. Wait sold hardware and farm machinery from the Durbin Building." 
Source - Salem, Oregon (Online) History
http://www.salemhistory.net/places/historic_315_state.htm

OSBH DC (Marion County 1908) #7834 - Thomas B. Wait, male, monument agent, married, b. Massachusetts, d. 5 Sept 1908 in Salem, Oregon (458 Mill St.) at the age of 75 years, interment Zena.

PIONEER THOMAS B. WAITE IS DEAD
The funeral of the late Thomas Baker Waite, one of the oldest and best known residents of this city, who died at his home at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon, was held from the residence at 458 Mill street at 11 o'clock yesterday. The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. J. R. [????], and the services were under the auspices of Pacific Lodge No. 50, A.F. & A. M. The burial took place at Zena cemetery in Polk county.
Thomas Baker Waite was born in Boston, Mass., on July 27, 1843 [1834]. He came west in 1853, and married in Salem. He leaves three children, Mrs. James Putnam, Mrs. Henry Schumaker, and Mr. Ennis Waite, all of whom reside in this city. Mr. Waite owned one of the first hardware stores in Salem, and for many years was engaged in that business.
The cause of the pioneer's death was heart trouble, and the end came after an illness of many months.
Daily Capital Journal 7 Sep 1908 3:1-2

Thomas B.
Wait
Born in Mass.,
July 27, 1834
Died in Salem, Ore.,
Sept. 8, 1908

Janssen Compilation
Saucy Survey & Photographs
OSBH DC (Marion County 1908) #7834
Polk County Oregon Marriage Records 1849-1879, pg 17 
1850 IL CENSUS (Bond Co., FA #614)
1860 OR CENSUS (Polk Co., Spring Valley) FA #214
Marion Co., Oregon Marriage Records, 1871 - 1874, Vol. II, pg 2 

Salem, Oregon (Onine) History

1880 OR CENSUS (Marion co, East Salem, ED 80, FA#74)

Marion Co, Oregon, Marriage Records, vol 5, page 26

1900 OR CENSUS (Marion co, Salem, ED 134, sheet 4B)

DCJ 7 Sep 1908 3:1-2

Hines, H.K., History of Oregon (1893), pages 768-769