William H. Willson
| William H. Willson | |
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| Treasurer for the Provisional Government of Oregon | |
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In office July 5, 1843 – May 14, 1844 |
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| Succeeded by | Philip Foster |
| Constituency | Oregon Country |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 14, 1805 New Hampshire |
| Died | April 17, 1856 (aged 51) Salem, Oregon |
| Spouse(s) | Chloe Aurelia Clark |
| Relations | Joseph K. Gill |
| Children | 3 |
| Occupation | Carpenter |
William Holden Willson (April 14, 1805 – April 17, 1856) was a pioneer of the U.S. state of Oregon and the founder of its capital city, Salem. A native of New Hampshire, he immigrated to the Oregon Country in 1837 to work at the Methodist Mission, and there would participate in the Champoeg Meetings. Willson served as the first treasurer of the Provisional Government of Oregon.
William Willson was born on April 14, 1805, in the state of New Hampshire. On the East Coast of the United States he worked as a whaler, a cooper, and as a carpenter on a ship. Willson was recruited to work at the Methodist Mission founded by the Reverend Jason Lee in the Willamette Valley as a layperson. He traveled by ship on the brig Diana, where he was instructed informally in medical training by Dr. Elijah White during the voyage.
On May 18, 1837, Willson and other recruits for the Methodist Mission arrived in what was known as the Oregon Country, a region whose control was under dispute primarily between Great Britain and the United States. At the mission, he worked as a lay worker as a doctor and carpenter, and was also sent with David Leslie to establish the Nisqually Mission by Fort Nisqually near the Puget Sound. Willson returned to the Willamette Valley in 1839 and claimed land at the site of present-day Salem. Willson married fellow missionary Chloe Clark, who became the first teacher at the Oregon Institute in 1844. They had three children. Willson gave land to the Oregon Institute in 1846. He platted and named Salem that year, choosing the name because it means "City of Peace", and donated some land to serve as a park.
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