Tabitha Brown
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| Tabitha Moffatt Brown | |
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| Born | May 1, 1780 Massachusetts |
| Died | May 4, 1858 Oregon |
| Occupation | educator |
| Spouse | Reverend Clark Brown |
Tabitha Moffatt Brown (May 1, 1780 – May 4, 1858) was a pioneer emigrant that traveled the Oregon Trail, and assisted in the founding of Tualatin Academy that would grow to become Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.[1] Brown was honored in 1987 by the Oregon Legislature as the "Mother of Oregon."[2]
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[edit] Life
Born in Brimfield, Massachusetts, Tabitha was the daughter of Lois Haynes Moffatt and Dr. Joseph Moffatt.[3] She married the Reverend Clark Brown (1771-1817) on December 1, 1799. The pair raised three boys and one girl together until the reverend died in 1817. He was a Congregational minister, and later became an Episcopalian minister. The eldest son was Orus, followed by Manthano, John Mattacks, and finally Pherne. John died at age six. Prior to John and Clark’s deaths, the family lived in various locales, including Charles County, Maryland where Clark is buried. Later the family moved to Missouri to follow Tabitha’s brother-in-law Captain John Brown, a sea captain. Prior to this and during this time she supported the family by teaching.[3]
[edit] Oregon journey
Then in 1843 her son Orus went to Oregon and returned two years later to retrieve his family, his sister’s family, and his now elderly mother and uncle.[1] Manthano remained behind in Kansas.[3]
The trip began in April of 1846. On the trip to Oregon, the family, except for Orus, chose the Applegate Trail when they were told it was a shortcut.[3] The guide later left after being paid. This added to the journey and delayed their arrival in the Willamette Valley. As winter set in, the family had still not reached the valley and they sent Pherne’s husband Mr. Pringle to seek help from the settlers of the valley. On his way to Oregon City, Pringle ran into Orus, who was on his way to help with supplies. The two then returned and brought the rest of the family to the settlements on December 25, 1846.[3]
[edit] Later life
Once in Oregon, Tabitha traveled between Oregon City and her daughter’s home in Salem, and eventually settled in Forest Grove.[1] In Oregon Country her first job was making money by sewing gloves to sell.[3] Later she helped found an orphanage with Harvey Clark. Then with Clark and the Rev. George Atkinson, they founded Tualatin Academy, that would grow to become Pacific University in Forest Grove.[1]
Brown died in Salem while living with her daughter on May 4, 1858.[1] She is buried in Salem at the Pioneer Cemetery. There is a tree dedicated in her memory at Champoeg State Park.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Hastings, Terry; Joe Montalbano (1980). Hillsboro: My Home Town. Hillsboro Elementary School District 7.
- ^ Oregon Legislature Kids Page Facts. Oregon Legislature Kids. State of Oregon. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
- ^ a b c d e f Wells, Pat. Tabitha Brown Biography. Pacific University. Retrieved on 2006-12-05.
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Pioneer History of Oregon (1806–1890) |
|---|---|
| Topics |
Oregon Country · Oregon Treaty · Oregon missionaries · Executive Committee · Oregon Trail · Oregon boundary dispute · Pacific Fur Company · Provisional Government of Oregon · Hudson's Bay Company |
| Events |
Treaty of 1818 · Russo-American Treaty · Champoeg Meetings · Whitman massacre · Donation Land Claim Act |
| Places |
Fort Astoria · Oregon Mission · Fort Vancouver · Champoeg, Oregon · Fort William · Barlow Road · Whitman Mission |
| People |
George Abernethy · Sam Barlow · Tabitha Brown · Abigail Scott Duniway · Philip Foster · Peter French · Joseph Gale · William Gilpin · David Hill · Jason Lee · Asa Lovejoy · John McLoughlin · Joseph Meek · Ezra Meeker · John Minto · Joel Palmer · Sager orphans · Henry H. Spalding · Marcus Whitman · Narcissa Whitman · Ewing Young |
| Oregon History |
Native Peoples History · History to 1806 · Pioneer History · Modern History |
