Alanson Beers
| Alanson Beers | |
|---|---|
| Executive Committee of the Provisional Government of Oregon | |
|
In office 1843–1844 |
|
| Preceded by | position created |
| Succeeded by | Second Executive Committee |
| Constituency | Oregon Country |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 19, 1808 Connecticut |
| Died | February 20, 1853 (aged 44) Salem, Oregon |
| Spouse(s) | Rachel Beers |
| Religion | Methodist |
Alanson Beers (August 19, 1808 – February 20, 1853) was an American pioneer and politician in the early days of the settlement of the Oregon Country. A blacksmith by trade, he was a reinforcement for the Methodist Mission in what would become the state of Oregon. The Connecticut native helped found the Oregon Institute and participated in the Champoeg Meetings where he was elected to serve on the Executive Committee in 1843.
Beers was born August 19, 1808, in Weston, Fairfield County, Connecticut, the son of Isaac Beers, an American Revolutionary War soldier and wife Jemima Rowell. There he was trained as a blacksmith. Prior to immigrating to Oregon, Alanson married Rachel, with whom he had six children; Elenor, Benjamian, William, Oliver, Abigail, and Jonathan.
Alanson Beers moved to Oregon in 1837, arriving on the ship Diana in May. He was part of the reinforcements for the Methodist Mission that Jason Lee had traveled back east to gather. After arriving with his wife, he brought the supplies for the mission from the ship by small boat on the Willamette River. Beers then built a home and blacksmith’s shop at the Mission. Later, he worked for the Mission Manual Labor School for Indians and at the Oregon Institute, now Willamette University as a blacksmith making building products for the construction of homes and mills.
In 1843 at the Champoeg Meetings he was chosen for the legislative committee to draft the original laws of the provisional government, and then chosen by the members to be the chairperson of the judiciary committee. Then on July 5, he was elected as one of the three members of the First Executive Committee along with David Hill and Joseph Gale. He was chosen to represent the interests of the Methodist Mission in the government.
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