Josiah Lamberson Parrish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josiah Lamberson Parrish
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| Born | January 14, 1806 |
| Died | May 31, 1895 (aged 89) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | blacksmith |
| Employer | Methodist Mission |
| Title | Voter at Champoeg Meetings |
| Term | 1843 |
| Board member of | Willamette University |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Winn (d. 1869) Jane Lichtenthaler (d. 1887) M.A. Pierce |
Reverend Josiah Lamberson Parrish (January 14, 1806 – May 31, 1895) was an American missionary. He helped settle the Pacific Northwest region. He was also a trustee for the Oregon Institute, which later became Willamette University.
Parrish was born in New York. He took part in the Champoeg Meetings. These meetings led to the creation of the first government in the Oregon area in 1843. Josiah Parrish was married three times. He was also the first person to raise pure-bred sheep in Oregon.
Early Life and Journey to Oregon
Josiah Parrish was born on January 14, 1806. His parents were Sally Parrish and Benjamin Parrish. They lived in Onondaga County, New York. Josiah was the oldest of ten children. He went to public schools in New York.
When he was sixteen, his family moved. Josiah then worked on the Erie Canal in Lockport. In 1833, Josiah married Elizabeth Winn in New York. They had four children together.
Josiah was a trained blacksmith. In 1839, he volunteered to join Jason Lee's mission. This mission was in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Parrish and about 50 other people sailed on a ship called the Lausanne. They sailed around Cape Horn in South America. Then they went up the Columbia River to Oregon City. This trip was a big event for the Methodist Mission. They left New York City on October 9, 1839.
Missionary Work and Government Building
Parrish and the other missionaries arrived in Oregon in May 1840. In February 1841, Parrish started working to create a government. This government would be for the white settlers in the Willamette Valley.
On May 3, 1843, he voted to create the Provisional Government of Oregon. This vote happened at the last of the Champoeg Meetings. The vote was very close, passing 52 to 50.
During these meetings, he also helped build a ship. It was called the Star of Oregon. A crew led by Joseph Gale sailed this ship to California. There, they sold the ship. They used the money to buy cattle. These cattle were then brought overland to the Willamette Valley.
On February 1, 1842, Parrish was chosen as a trustee. This was for the new Oregon Institute. This school was set up to teach the children of missionaries. It later grew into Willamette University.
In 1842, Parrish moved to the Clatsop Plains. He took over the Clatsop Mission from Joseph H. Frost. In 1844, the Methodist Mission was closed down. Parrish then bought the Clatsop Plains mission.
From 1849 to 1854, he worked as an agent for Native American affairs. This was in the Oregon Territory. As a rancher, he was the first to raise pure-bred sheep in Oregon. He also brought the first white clover seeds to Oregon on the Lausanne ship.
Later Life and Legacy
Josiah Parrish was involved in a land dispute. This argument was about the laws of the Provisional Government. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. It was known as Lownsdale v. Parrish in 1858.
In 1868, Parrish helped start the Oregon and California Railroad. He drove the first spike in Portland, Oregon. In 1869, his wife, Elizabeth Parrish, gave land to create the Lee Mission Cemetery in Salem, Oregon. Josiah was one of the people who helped set it up.
Later that year, Elizabeth died. In 1870, Josiah married Jane (Jennie) Lichtenthaler Pickett. They married in Portland. They had two children, Gertrude Grace and Josephine Leilani. Jennie died in 1887. She had graduated from Willamette Medical School in 1879. She worked as a doctor in both Salem and Portland.
In 1888, Josiah married for the last time to Mrs. M. A. Pierce. Josiah Parrish died on May 31, 1895. He was 89 years old. He is buried at the Lee Cemetery. Parrish Middle School in Salem is named after him. It was built on land he used to own.
