Thomas Dove Keizur

Thomas D. Keizur
Oregon pioneer Thomas D. Keizur
Born	Thomas Dove Keizur (1793-11-20)20 November 1793 Buncombe County, North Carolina
Died	19 June 1871(1871-06-19) (aged 77) Marion County, Oregon
Nationality	American
Occupation	Farmer
Known for	Founder of Keizer, Oregon

Thomas Dove Keizur (his name is incorrectly spelled Keizer, Keiser, Kaizur, Kaiser, Keysur, Keyser, Kizer, or Kisor in various documents) was one of the earliest American pioneers to settle in the Oregon Country. In 1843, he led his large family from Missouri to Oregon over the Oregon Trail. He homesteaded in Oregon's Willamette Valley in an area north of modern-day Salem, Oregon. Keizur was one of eight citizens elected to serve on Oregon's third pre-provisional legislative committee which helped lay the foundation for the establishment of the Oregon Territory. He was also the first captain of the Oregon Rangers, the first militia unit organized in Oregon. Today, the city of Keizer, Oregon, is named in his honor.

Keizur was born on 20 November 1793 in Buncombe County, North Carolina. His parents were George A. and Mary (Dove) Keisur. Keizur married Mary Girley in 1812. Together, they had ten children, five boys and five girls.

In 1828, the Keizurs moved from North Carolina to Giles County, Tennessee. Five years later, he moved further west to Van Buren County, Arkansas.

In 1842, the Keizur family traveled to Missouri hoping to join an emigrant wagon train bound for the Oregon County. However, they arrived too late to start crossing the continent with that year’s migration. As a result, the family spent a year in Missouri waiting for the 1843 wagon train to form up.

Keizur and his family left Independence, Missouri, for Oregon on 20 May 1843. On the journey to Oregon, Keisur was joined by his wife, five sons, five daughters, two sons-in-law, eight grandchildren, and a brother of one of his sons-in-law.

There were over one hundred wagons and approximately 900 pioneers traveling west to Oregon in 1843. In addition, the pioneers brought a herd of 5,000 cattle that followed as the wagons moved along the trail. The trek was guided by Marcus Whitman, who was returning to his mission station on the Columbia River. To prevent over grazing along the route the pioneers divided into smaller traveling groups. The Keizurs joined what became known as the Applegate party, which traveled slowly with the cattle herd. Along the trail, Keiser became an active leader among the emigrants.