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David Hill (Oregon politician)
Encyclopedia
David Hill was an American
pioneer and settler
of what became Hillsboro
, Oregon
, United States
. He served in the Provisional Government of Oregon
in both the executive and legislative branches, and later as a legislator in the first Oregon Territorial Legislature
. Hill made a transaction with the county court in 1850 that led to the renaming of Columbus to Hillsborough in honor of Hill.
in some sources, but there is no record of his birth. Some accounts have him living in Virginia
, others in Ohio
. One account describes that Hill abandoned a wife and children in Ohio before traveling west. Another account says he had two children by his first wife.
by wagon train
to the Oregon Country
. He arrived with Isaiah Kesley, Ralph Wilcox, Richard Williams, and Michael Moore. Once in Oregon he settled a land claim for 640 acres (2.6 km²) in Twality (sic) County, what is now Washington County, Oregon
. The claim is in what is now Hillsboro with the recorded date of the claim is July 4, 1847. According to the claim record Hill started the claim in June 1842. With Kesley (Kelsey) and Williams recorded as arriving in Oregon in 1841, it is likely Hill arrived then as well. Hill likely arrived in October 1841 and then wintered with Joseph L. Meek, who he would later serve with in the legislature. David Hill married Lucinda Wilson in 1846 at the Old Scotch Church. On his land claim and built a cabin that was used for a time as the county courthouse. Also in February 1850 Hill was appointed guardian of five children of the Dunlap clan.
Meeting
of May 2, 1843, where he voted for the creation of the Provisional Government
. With the creation of this new government Hill then served as one of three members of the First Executive Committee
that acted in place of a single governor. Joseph Gale
and Alanson Beers
were the other two members of this executive committee that served until 1844. After serving in that position David Hill was elected to the provisional legislature
, and later in 1849 as a member of the territorial legislature
after Oregon became a territory in 1848. David Hill disliked and opposed the Hudson's Bay Company
and its representatives in his official capacity. He also was an opponent of the missionaries.
Elected Positions in Oregon:
for the site of the first Washington County Courthouse
. This quarter section of his land claim was to be sold off as a townsite. $200 of the proceeds of the sale of the land was to be paid to Hill, with the rest being kept by the county. The townsite was to be named Hillsborough per the court's order on February 2, 1850, several months before Hill died in May. As Hill died before collecting the proceeds, his widow was paid by the probate court.
. Lucinda was then the step-mother to William Lewis Wilson, the son of her second husband. Then after David Hill’s death, she married Simmons before dying herself on November 4, 1879.
and Michael Moore, and Ralph Wilcox
as appraisers.
David Hill Elementary school in Hillsboro, which was originally established in 1888, was named in his honor, but the school closed in 2008. Hill is buried at the Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery
on TV Highway near Dairy Creek
. The cemetery is located on his former land claim, and is near the first recording of a bridge built in Oregon, crossing Dairy Creek. David Hill Winery in Forest Grove
is located on a hill named David Hill and the winery is named partly in his honor, though the hill is named for William David who owned a vineyard in the area. Hill's name is one of 158 memorialized in the frieze of the two chambers of the Oregon Legislative Assembly at the Oregon State Capitol
, with his located in the House of Representatives chamber.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pioneer and settler
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
of what became Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He served in the Provisional Government of Oregon
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
in both the executive and legislative branches, and later as a legislator in the first Oregon Territorial Legislature
Oregon Territorial Legislature
Oregon’s Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1848 as the legislative branch of the government of the Oregon Territory...
. Hill made a transaction with the county court in 1850 that led to the renaming of Columbus to Hillsborough in honor of Hill.
Early life
David Hill’s birthplace is listed as ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in some sources, but there is no record of his birth. Some accounts have him living in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, others in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. One account describes that Hill abandoned a wife and children in Ohio before traveling west. Another account says he had two children by his first wife.
Oregon
Mr. Hill traveled on the Oregon TrailOregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
by wagon train
Wagon train
A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagons banded together for mutual assistance, as is reflected in numerous films and television programs about the region, such as Audie Murphy's Tumbleweed and Ward Bond...
to the Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
. He arrived with Isaiah Kesley, Ralph Wilcox, Richard Williams, and Michael Moore. Once in Oregon he settled a land claim for 640 acres (2.6 km²) in Twality (sic) County, what is now Washington County, Oregon
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
. The claim is in what is now Hillsboro with the recorded date of the claim is July 4, 1847. According to the claim record Hill started the claim in June 1842. With Kesley (Kelsey) and Williams recorded as arriving in Oregon in 1841, it is likely Hill arrived then as well. Hill likely arrived in October 1841 and then wintered with Joseph L. Meek, who he would later serve with in the legislature. David Hill married Lucinda Wilson in 1846 at the Old Scotch Church. On his land claim and built a cabin that was used for a time as the county courthouse. Also in February 1850 Hill was appointed guardian of five children of the Dunlap clan.
Politics
Hill started in politics in Oregon in 1843 when he was selected as a member of the first legislative committee that drafted the proposal for a Provisional Government in the Oregon Country, including time as its chairperson. Then he attended the ChampoegChampoeg, Oregon
Champoeg is a former town in the U.S. state of Oregon. Now a ghost town, it was an important settlement in the Willamette Valley in the early 1840s. It is positioned halfway between Oregon City and Salem and the site of the first provisional government of the Oregon Country...
Meeting
Champoeg Meetings
The Champoeg Meetings in Oregon Country were the first attempts at governing in the Pacific Northwest by United States European-American pioneers. Prior to this, the closest entity to a government was the Hudson's Bay Company, mainly through Dr...
of May 2, 1843, where he voted for the creation of the Provisional Government
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
. With the creation of this new government Hill then served as one of three members of the First Executive Committee
Executive Committee (Oregon Territory)
An Executive Committee was the title of a three-person committee which served as the executive Branch of the Provisional Government of Oregon in the disputed Oregon Country. This arrangement was announced on July 5, 1843, after three months of study by the Provisional Legislature at Champoeg...
that acted in place of a single governor. Joseph Gale
Joseph Gale
Joseph Goff Gale was an American pioneer, trapper, entrepreneur, and politician who contributed to the early settlement of the Oregon Country...
and Alanson Beers
Alanson Beers
Alanson Beers 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...
were the other two members of this executive committee that served until 1844. After serving in that position David Hill was elected to the provisional legislature
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
, and later in 1849 as a member of the territorial legislature
Oregon Territorial Legislature
Oregon’s Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1848 as the legislative branch of the government of the Oregon Territory...
after Oregon became a territory in 1848. David Hill disliked and opposed the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and its representatives in his official capacity. He also was an opponent of the missionaries.
Elected Positions in Oregon:
| Year | Government | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1843 | Pre-Provisional | Legislative Committee |
| 1843 | Provisional | First Executive Committee |
| 1844 | Provisional | Legislature |
| 1845 | Provisional | Legislature |
| 1847 | Provisional | Legislature |
| 1849 | Territorial | Legislature-House |
Hillsboro
In 1850, Hill sold part of his land to the countyWashington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
for the site of the first Washington County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse (Oregon)
The Washington County Courthouse in Hillsboro, Oregon is the courthouse for Washington County, Oregon, in the United States. Washington County was established in 1843 and the first government building was finished in 1852. The current courthouse was built in 1928 with an addition and renovations to...
. This quarter section of his land claim was to be sold off as a townsite. $200 of the proceeds of the sale of the land was to be paid to Hill, with the rest being kept by the county. The townsite was to be named Hillsborough per the court's order on February 2, 1850, several months before Hill died in May. As Hill died before collecting the proceeds, his widow was paid by the probate court.
Mrs. Hill
David Hill's wife in Oregon was his second wife. Lucinda Hill, however had a total of four husbands. Two before Hill and Wheelock Simmons after, with Simmons the only one to outlive Lucinda. Born on July 2, 1810, Mrs. Hill first married John McWilliams in 1828. After him, she married William Wilson who then died on their journey to Oregon in The DallesThe Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...
. Lucinda was then the step-mother to William Lewis Wilson, the son of her second husband. Then after David Hill’s death, she married Simmons before dying herself on November 4, 1879.
Death and legacy
There are no known pictures or portraits of Hill. He was six feet one inch tall with black hair. Slim, with a sallow complexion. On May 9, 1850, David Hill died of unknown causes. At the time he was still a member of the legislature and they issued a death resolution that resolved that both houses would be in recess for one day in his honor. Hill died without a will and his wife was appointed as administratrix of his estate with RobertRobert Moore (Oregon pioneer)
Robert Moore was an American politician and pioneer in the Oregon Country. A Pennsylvania native and veteran of the War of 1812, he also participated in the early movements to form a government in Oregon Country and founded Linn City, Oregon...
and Michael Moore, and Ralph Wilcox
Ralph Wilcox
Doctor Ralph Wilcox , was the first teacher and practicing doctor in Portland, Oregon, United States. He also served in the Provisional Government of Oregon, was a legislator during both the territorial period and when Oregon became a state, and a judge of Twality County during the provisional...
as appraisers.
David Hill Elementary school in Hillsboro, which was originally established in 1888, was named in his honor, but the school closed in 2008. Hill is buried at the Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery
Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery
The Hillsboro Pioneer Cemetery is in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Located at the west end of the town along the Tualatin Valley Highway and adjacent to Dairy Creek. The cemetery comprises three formerly private cemeteries...
on TV Highway near Dairy Creek
Dairy Creek (Oregon)
Dairy Creek is a tributary of the Tualatin River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins at the confluence of its east and west forks near the unincorporated community of Schefflin and meanders southeast across the Tualatin Valley to the Tualatin River near Hillsboro, in Washington County...
. The cemetery is located on his former land claim, and is near the first recording of a bridge built in Oregon, crossing Dairy Creek. David Hill Winery in Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
is located on a hill named David Hill and the winery is named partly in his honor, though the hill is named for William David who owned a vineyard in the area. Hill's name is one of 158 memorialized in the frieze of the two chambers of the Oregon Legislative Assembly at the Oregon State Capitol
Oregon State Capitol
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
, with his located in the House of Representatives chamber.
Gravemarker
- "David Hill
- 1809-1850
- Came to Oregon Country 1842.
- Voted for provisional government
- at Champoeg May 2, 1843.
- Chairman executive committee which
- virtually made him first governor of
- Oregon Country.
- Founder of Hillsboro"