William Cannon (pioneer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Cannon
Born	1755 Pennsylvania or Virginia
Died	1854 (aged 98–99) Oregon Territory near St. Paul
Resting place	St. Paul's Cemetery
Occupation	Grist mill operator
Years active	1812 – 1854
Organization	Hudson's Bay Company
Spouse(s)	Polly Clackamas

William Cannon (1755 – 1854) was an important pioneer in the Oregon Country, which is now the state of Oregon. He was also a soldier in the American Revolutionary War. In fact, he is the only soldier from that war known to be buried in Oregon. William Cannon helped create the first government in the Oregon Country.

William Cannon's Early Life

William Cannon was born in 1755. His birthplace was near Pittsburgh, in an area that both Pennsylvania and Virginia claimed at the time. When he was younger, he fought in the American Revolutionary War. This was a big war where the American colonies fought for their freedom from Great Britain. Cannon took part in two important battles: the Battle of Kings Mountain and the Battle of Cowpens.

Journey to the Oregon Country

In 1810, William Cannon was a soldier at Fort Mackinac in Michigan. He was asked to join a long trip across the land to the Oregon Country. This journey was led by a man named William Price Hunt.

During this trip, something exciting happened! A famous writer named Washington Irving wrote about it in his book, Astoria. He described how William Cannon had a scary meeting with a grizzly bear. Luckily, Cannon survived!

The group finally reached Astoria in 1812. This was a very long and difficult journey.

Settling in Oregon

After reaching Astoria, Cannon and his group traveled to an area called French Prairie. Another pioneer, Étienne Lucier, stayed with Cannon. They worked together to start an American settlement in this new land.

Later, in 1824, a man named John McLoughlin arrived. William Cannon then built a gristmill at Fort Vancouver. A gristmill is a place where grain, like wheat, is ground into flour. This was a very important building for the early settlers.

A New Government for Oregon

In 1843, many immigrants in the Oregon Country gathered for meetings. These were called the Champoeg Meetings. They needed to decide how to govern themselves. William Cannon was among those who voted. He voted to create a "provisional government." This was a temporary government that would help manage the area before it officially became part of the United States.

William Cannon passed away in 1854. He was buried in St. Paul, Oregon.