John Smith Griffin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Smith Griffin
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| Participant at the Champoeg Meetings | |
| In office 1843–1843 |
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| Constituency | Tualatin Plains |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 23, 1807 Castleton, Vermont |
| Died | February 5, 1899 (aged 91) Oregon |
| Resting place | Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery 45°31′14″N 123°00′21″W / 45.52043°N 123.00582°W |
| Spouses | Desire C. Smith (d. 1884) Lina Harvey Kenyon |
John Smith Griffin (1807–1899) was an American missionary who traveled to the Oregon Country long ago. He was part of important meetings called the Champoeg Meetings in 1843. These meetings helped create the first temporary government for Oregon, called the Provisional Government of Oregon. While in Oregon, he taught children at Fort Vancouver and started a church in the Tualatin Valley.
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John Griffin's Early Life and Education
John Griffin was born on November 23, 1807, in Castleton, Vermont. His parents had moved there from England. He went to school and studied to become a minister in places like New England and Ohio.
After his studies, Griffin became a minister. His church, the Congregational Church, sent him as a missionary to the Oregon Country. His goal was to share his beliefs with Native Americans.
Life and Work in Oregon
Griffin arrived in Oregon in 1839. For his first year, he stayed at the Whitman Mission. Then, he moved to Fort Vancouver, a trading post run by the Hudson's Bay Company on the Columbia River.
At Fort Vancouver, Griffin taught the children and served as the chaplain, leading religious services. He stayed there until 1841.
Starting a Church and Farm
In 1841, Griffin settled in the Tualatin Plains. This area is now part of Washington County, Oregon. He had hoped to start a mission on the other side of the Cascade Range, but he didn't get the money he needed. Instead, he started a farm in the Tualatin Valley.
On June 26, 1842, Griffin established the first church on the Tualatin Plains. It was located near what is now Hillsboro, Oregon. Many early settlers, like Joseph Meek, George W. Ebbert, Joseph Gale, and Charles Richard McKay, were members of his church.
From 1841 to 1848, Griffin kept a journal. In it, he wrote down when new settlers arrived on the Tualatin Plains. He continued to lead the church until 1845. At that time, the church members decided to replace him with Harvey L. Clark because they found his beliefs too strict.
Role in Oregon's Government
In 1843, John Griffin attended important meetings in Champoeg, Oregon, located on the Willamette River. These meetings were about creating a government for the Oregon Country. Griffin didn't agree with every idea, but he did vote for the creation of the Provisional Government. This vote was very close, with 52 votes for the government and 50 against it.
This temporary government managed the region until 1849. That's when the area south of the 49th parallel north officially became part of the United States, forming the Oregon Territory.
In 1848, Griffin took over the Oregon Mission Press. He used it to print a newspaper called The Oregon American and Evangelical Unionist. Later, in 1851, Griffin invested in a company that built a special road made of planks. This road connected Portland, Oregon to the Tualatin Valley.
Griffin's Family and Legacy
In 1839, John Griffin married Desiré C. Smith in St. Louis, Missouri. She passed away in 1884. He later married Lina Harvey Kenyon in Three Oaks, Michigan.
Griffin's sister-in-law, Rachel Jane Smith, married another missionary named Henry H. Spalding. John Smith Griffin died on February 5, 1899. He is buried at the Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery in Hillsboro, Oregon.
