William Holden

Background

William Willson was born on April 14, 1805, in the state of New Hampshire.

Career

A native of New Hampshire, he immigrated to the Country in 1837 to work at the Methodist Mission, and there would participate in the Champoeg Meetings. Willson served as the first treasurer of the Provisional Government of On the East Coast of the United States he worked as a whaler, a cooper, and as a carpenter on a ship. Willson was recruited to work at the Methodist Mission founded by the Reverend Jason Lee in the Willamette Valley as a layperson.

He traveled by ship on the brig Diana, where he was instructed informally in medical training by Doctor Elijah White during the voyage.

On May 18, 1837, Willson and other recruits for the Methodist Mission arrived in what was known as the Country, a region whose control was under dispute primarily between Great Britain and the United States. At the mission, he worked as a lay worker as a doctor and carpenter, and was also sent with David Leslie to establish the Nisqually Mission by Fort Nisqually near the Puget Sound.

Willson returned to the Willamette Valley in 1839 and claimed land at the site of present-day Salem. They had three children.

Willson gave land to the Institute in 1846.

He platted and named Salem that year, choosing the name because it means "City of Peace", and donated some land to serve as a park. While Willson was in the region, settlers began to look at establishing a government in the unorganized area. These led to the holding of several meetings in 1841 and again in 1843.

During the May 2, 1843, Champoeg Meeting, Willson served as secretary, and voted in favor of creating a provisional government, which passed with a 52-50 vote.

He was also elected as the first treasurer of the new Provisional Government of at the election that adopted the Organic Laws of and served from July 5, 1843 to May 14, 1844. In 1845, he was elected as the president of the bench in the Champoeg District.

During the Cayuse War of 1847 to 1850 he was appointed to the commission that worked to raise the money to fight the war that was born out of the Whitman Massacre. Willson participated in the Exchange Company in 1849 that minted the Beaver Coins prior to the arrival of United States. authority in the region.

He ran for territorial delegate to Congress in 1851, but lost to Joseph Lane.

The following year he served as a commissioner for the proposed and later built and California Railroad. William Holden Willson died in Salem on April 17, 1856, at the age of 51 and was interred in Salem Pioneer Cemetery. The land he donated for a park in Salem is located next to the State Capitol and was named Willson Park in his honor.

Membership

In 1853, Willson served as a member of the board of trustees at Willamette University, which was the new name of the Institute.

Connections

teacher:

Chloe Clark