Bushrod Washington Wilson facts for kids

Bushrod Washington Wilson (1824–1900) was an important pioneer, business leader, and local politician in Oregon. He is remembered as one of the first citizens of the town of Corvallis, Oregon and as the founder of the Willamette Valley & Coast Railroad, which started in 1874.

Bushrod Wilson's Life Story

Early Years and Adventures

Bushrod Washington Wilson was born on July 18, 1824, in Columbia Falls, Maine. His family had roots in America going back to 1657 on his father's side, and to French Huguenots who came to Nova Scotia in 1617 on his mother's side.

When Bushrod was 10, his father moved to New York City to work as a millwright (someone who builds and repairs mills). Bushrod went to school until he was 12. Then, he started working as an office boy for Cornelius Vanderbilt, a famous businessman. He also met Horace Greeley, who would become a well-known newspaper publisher. In 1838, his family moved again, this time to Illinois.

In 1840, Bushrod's father remarried. Bushrod didn't get along with his new stepmother, so he left home to make his own way. He traveled across the country from St. Charles, Illinois back to New York City.

In October 1843, at age 19, Wilson joined a whaling ship from New Bedford, Massachusetts. He spent the next two and a half years at sea. His journey took him to the Society Islands in the Pacific Ocean, where he stayed for six months. Then he went to the Northwest coast, where his ship collected a lot of whale oil. He also visited the Hawaiian Islands before returning to the Northwest.

After his long voyage, he returned to New York City. But in 1849, the California Gold Rush began, and he decided to try his luck. He sailed around the tip of South America to California. He arrived in San Francisco in July 1850. After just two weeks, he went to try mining on the Yuba River and American River. However, he lost money and got sick.

Feeling disappointed in California, Wilson looked for better opportunities. He heard good things about mining near the Umpqua River in the Oregon Territory. So, on October 15, 1850, he boarded a schooner (a type of sailing ship) called the Reindeer and set off for Oregon.

Moving to Oregon and Building a New Life

After a difficult journey due to bad weather, the Reindeer arrived at the mouth of the Umpqua River on November 8, 1850. Wilson and his group found the area almost empty and realized they had been "fooled" about the mining opportunities there. Wilson and four other miners bought a canoe from local Native Americans and started heading up the river.

Wilson and a friend then walked over the Oregon Coast Range to the Willamette Valley. They eventually reached where the Willamette River and Marys River meet. This place is now the city of Corvallis, but back then it was called "Marysville." There, Wilson joined the first settlers like Joseph C. Avery and James F. Dixon, who had started farms under the Donation Land Claim Act.

Wilson first worked as a carpenter. He claimed his own land and built his cabin, working for others in his free time. He wasn't interested in farming. Instead, in 1851, he built a 20 by 30-foot house with a full story and a loft. Wilson was very excited about his new home. He believed Marysville would become "one of the largest places in Oregon" and a "center of travel" as a trading hub on the Willamette River. Construction was booming, and Wilson earned a good $3 a day as a carpenter.

In 1855, Wilson married Priscilla Owsley Yantis, who was also an Oregon pioneer from Missouri. They had 13 children together, and 9 of them lived to adulthood.

He also improved his land claim, clearing and growing crops on it. He later sold this land for $3,500. He also bought and sold town land parcels, eventually owning 20 lots, each worth between $50 and $300.

In 1858, Wilson sold many of his possessions to buy a steam-powered sawmill and planing mill in Peoria, Oregon, about 7 miles east of Corvallis. This mill could produce 12,000 board feet of lumber each day, helping Wilson earn about $7 a day. He stayed in the lumber business for only one year, selling the mill in 1859.

Looking for a new job, Wilson decided to try placer mining (a type of gold mining) again. He bought and operated gold mining claims on the Owyhee River in southern Idaho. This time, he did "better than most" and broke even. Wilson also built and ran the first ferry across the Snake River, near where Lewiston is today. He did this for a short time before returning to Corvallis in 1861. There, he also ran a ferry across the Willamette River for about a year.

Public Service and Community Involvement

Wilson first supported the Whig Party. He was against slavery and supported its end. After the Whig Party ended and the Republican Party was formed, he joined them.

In 1862, he was hired as a deputy county clerk for Benton County, Oregon. In the next election, he successfully ran for county clerk. He held this job for 15 terms in a row, which is 30 years!

Wilson was an important member of the Republican Party of Oregon. His political friends often asked him to run for Governor of Oregon or for a seat in the United States Congress. However, he always said no. In a letter to his brother Joseph in 1875, Bushrod Wilson explained why he didn't want to run for state-level politics:

"I have been offered, time and again, high positions in the state but I positively refused. They don't give state officials enough to live in the style that would be required..."

It's also believed that money played a role in Wilson's decision not to run for county clerk again in 1894. That year, the way the job was paid changed from fees to a set salary. In 1894, Wilson earned about $2,400 a year, but his 1895 salary would have been only $1,500 a year. This likely helped him decide to retire from the position.

Wilson was active in his community. He was a high-ranking member of the Masons. He also helped start the Corvallis Library Association in December 1872. In May 1885, he was elected Chair of the Benton County Board of Immigration.

Business Ventures and Railroad Dreams

In July 1874, Wilson started the Willamette Valley & Coast Railroad Company (WV&C). The goal was to build a railway from Yaquina Bay (near today's Newport, Oregon) all the way across Oregon. This railway would connect with a track being built by the Chicago & Northwestern company, possibly creating a valuable transcontinental railway (a railway that crosses the entire continent). This plan would allow grain from the Willamette Valley to be transported to the coast, then shipped around the world.

Wilson paid for the first surveys himself. Then, he got other local investors to put money into his railway company. He was the president of the company for one year. After the young company was taken over by the Oregon Pacific Railroad, he served as its secretary for six years.

Wilson was also involved in a company connected to the Oregon Pacific, called the Oregon Development Company. This company started regular steamship service between Yaquina Bay and San Francisco Bay. They also ran boats from Portland to Corvallis on the Willamette River. Their goal was to help trade grow in the region, making the area more profitable for the Oregon Pacific's rail lines.

He also invested in the Oregon & California Railroad, which ran a line from San Francisco to Portland. He was important in getting federal money to develop the Yaquina Bay harbor.

In 1885, Wilson and two other investors started the Gazette Publishing Company. This company bought the local Republican newspaper, the Corvallis Gazette, from its previous owner. This company published the paper for only one year before selling it.

Later Years and Legacy

Bushrod Wilson passed away in Corvallis, Oregon, on March 4, 1900. He was 76 years old. He died without any property, as he had sold his lots in Corvallis and other assets by 1883 to pay for his railroad investments.

Wilson was buried at Crystal Lake Cemetery in Corvallis.

At the time of his death, Wilson had held the position of county clerk for a longer time than anyone else in Oregon's history.

Images for kids

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  Junction of the Marys and Willamette Rivers, today within the boundaries of Corvallis, Oregon