Chloe Aurelia Clark Willson (1818–1874) was an early

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and de ...

of what became the U.S. state of

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

, and one of the first teachers of the

Methodist mission The Methodist Mission was the Methodist Episcopal Church's 19th-century conversion efforts in the Pacific Northwest. Local Indigenous cultures were introduced to western culture and Christianity. Superintendent Jason Lee was the principal leader fo ...

in the

Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley ( ) is a long valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the eas ...

. In 1850, she owned half of the land in Oregon's state capital Salem.

Life

Clark (sometimes Clarke) was born on April 16, 1818, in

East Windsor, Connecticut East Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 11,190 at the 2020 census. The town has five villages: Broad Brook, Melrose, Scantic, Warehouse Point and Windsorville. History In 1633, Settlers laid cl ...

. She was educated at the Wilbraham Academy. At the age of 21, she sailed from New York on the ship ''Lausanne'' in what was known as

Jason Lee Jason Lee may refer to: Entertainment *Jason Lee (actor) (born 1970), American film and TV actor and former professional skateboarder *Jason Scott Lee (born 1966), Asian American film actor * Jaxon Lee (Jason Christopher Lee, born 1968), American v ...

's "Great Reinforcement" of recruits for the

Methodist Mission The Methodist Mission was the Methodist Episcopal Church's 19th-century conversion efforts in the Pacific Northwest. Local Indigenous cultures were introduced to western culture and Christianity. Superintendent Jason Lee was the principal leader fo ...

in Salem, Oregon. She married

William H. Willson William Holden Willson (April 14, 1805 – April 17, 1856) was a pioneer of the U.S. state of Oregon and the founder of its capital city, Salem. A native of New Hampshire, he immigrated to the Oregon Country in 1837 to work at the Methodist ...

, credited as the founder of Salem, Oregon, on August 16, 1840, at the

Nisqually Mission The Nisqually Mission was a branch of the Methodist Mission, the only one established north of the Columbia River, outside Fort Nisqually in modern DuPont, Washington, United States. The station was actively used for two years, from 1840 to 1842, un ...

. It was the first wedding of American citizens in western

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. The two had three daughters: Frances, Laurabelle, and Kate Augusta Lee. Chloe Clark Willson became the first teacher of the Oregon Institute, which was founded after the failure of the Indian Manual Training School. When the Institute opened, Willson was the only teacher, as well as housemother for five white students, the children of settlers. She remained the sole teacher for two years. The board of the Institute decided to lay out a town on the school's land, with the intent to sell lots to fund the school, and attract settlers to the area. The 1846 decision named Dr. William H. Willson as the business agent and landholder for the town he named Salem. When the Donation Land Claim Law of 1850 passed, it meant the held by Willson belonged jointly to him and his wife, Chloe. William was bound to the Oregon Institute's board to administer the land, but Chloe was not, leading to controversy which was settled in 1854 with a compromise: the property was split in half along State Street, with the South of the street belonging to the Institute (later

Willamette University Willamette University is a private liberal arts college with locations in Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United States. Originally named the Oregon Institute, the school was an unaffiliated ...

), and the North belonging to Chloe. This northern land would eventually be home to the Oregon State Capitol. William H. Willson died in 1856, prompting Chloe to move back east for her daughters' schooling. She returned to Salem in 1863 to serve as the Governess of the Ladies Department at Willamette University. Willson may be best known for her diary, which chronicled her journey to Oregon on the ship ''Lausanne'' and her life as a missionary teacher, as well as her later life, and is a valuable resource for historians. In 1935, the diary was donated to

(the successor to the Oregon Institute) by her son-in-law Joseph K. Gill.

Legacy

Chloe Clark Elementary School in

DuPont, Washington DuPont is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,151 at the 2020 census. Originally a company town, the city is named after the DuPont chemical company which operated an explosives manufacturing plant in the a ...

, is named for her, and a statue of her is on its campus.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Willson, Chloe Clark 1818 births 1874 deaths Oregon pioneers People from East Windsor, Connecticut Willamette University faculty

Life

Legacy

See also

References

External links