Chloe Aurelia Clark (Willson) - April 16, 1818 - June 2, 1874
Chloe had the calling to teach.
"The education which you receive is not to elevate you above the sphere,
nor to remove you from it, but to qualify you to move in it with ease, grace and dignity."
1818-1838
CHLOE WAS BORN ON 16 APRIL 1818, IN EAST WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT. HER FATHER WAS A FARMER. IN 1837, SHE GRADUATED FROM THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY, WILBRAHAM, MASSACHUSETTS AND THEN STUDIED AND TAUGHT YOUNGER STUDENTS IN A MONTPELIER, VERMONT SEMINARY. CHLOE REFUSED HER FATHER'S REQUEST TO MARRY A FAMILY FRIEND. UNTIL MID 20TH CENTURY, MARRIED WOMEN WERE GENERALLY EXCLUDED FROM TEACHING.
1839-1840
CHLOE SAILED FROM NEW YORK HARBOR ON 9 OCTOBER 1839, WITH A 51 MEMBER MISSIONARY GROUP. DURING THE 235 DAY VOYAGE, SHE TAUGHT SCHOOL FOR 10 YOUNGEST CHILDREN. ON 1 JUNE 1840, THE SHIP ARRIVED AT HUDSON BAY COMPANY'S FORT VANCOUVER ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER. CHLOE WAS ASSIGNED AS THE NISQUALLY MISSION TEACHER UNDER A MEDICAL DOCTOR, REVEREND JOHN P. RICHMOND. OTHERS WERE: MRS. AMERICA RICHMOND, 4 CHILDREN, AND WILLIAM H. WILLSON, A CARPENTER.
1840-1841
THE RICHMOND PARTY ARRIVED AT HUDSON BAY COMPANY'S FORT NISQUALLY (IN TODAY'S DUPONT, WASHINGTON) ON 10 JULY 1840, AND LIVED AT THE FORT 3 WEEKS WHILE CARPENTER WILLSON READIED THE MISSION BUILDING THAT WAS LOCATED A MILE FROM THE FORT. AFTER A SHORT COURTSHIP, CHLOE MARRIED WILLIAM WILLSON ON 16 AUGUST 1840. THE SCHOOL WEEK WAS 5 DAYS FOR 50 NISQUALLY STUDENTS. ATTENDANCE WAS SPORADIC. CHLOE'S DIARY RECORDS: "THE TASK OF INSTRUCTING THE YOUTHFUL MINDS... IS AS PLEASANT TO ME AS EVER. NO WORK LOOKS TO ME SO DESIRABLE." IN MAY 1841, SHE GAVE PREMATURE BIRTH TO A SON THAT LIVED 3 DAYS. BY MAY 1841, CARPENTER WILLSON COMPLETED BUILDING THE MISSION STATION WHICH CONSISTED OF TWO JOINED 9 FOOT HIGH LOG BUILDINGS, 18 BY 32 FEET AND 18 BY 20 FEET, ENCLOSED IN A STOCKADE WITH SPACE FOR A VEGETABLE GARDEN AND SCHOOL AREA.
1841-1844
CHLOE DEPARTED THE NISQUALLY MISSION ON 5 JUNE 1841, ACCOMPANYING HER HUSBAND TO A NEW WORK SITE AT WILLAMETTE FALLS (TODAY'S OREGON CITY, OREGON). SHE TAUGHT SCHOOL FOR 22 STUDENTS. HER HUSBAND QUIT CARPENTRY TO PREACH AND PRACTICE MEDICINE. SINCE RUM WAS AVAILABLE, CHLOE STARTED A TEMPERANCE SOCIETY FOR CHILDREN. THE WILLSON'S MOVED TO CHEMEKETA (NOW SALEM, OREGON).
1844-1856
CHLOE WAS THE FIRST TEACHER AT THE OREGON INSTITUTE (RENAMED WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY), TEACHING UNTIL HER DAUGHTER FRANCES WAS BORN IN 1847. FRANCIS WAS FOLLOWED BY LAURA BELLE IN 1851 AND KATE IN 1855. A PROSPEROUS PERIOD FOR THE WILLSON'S, THEY CLAIMED 640 ACRES. SOUTHERN 320 ACRES BECAME THE WILLAMETTE CAMPUS. NORTHERN 320 ACRES BECAME SALEM, OREGON, THAT WAS PLATED BY HUSBAND WILLIAM. LAND WAS DONATED FOR THE CAPITOL BUILDING, A COUNTY COURTHOUSE, AND A CONNECTING PARK. CHLOE'S HUSBAND, A SUCCESSFUL DRUGGIST AND PUBLIC SERVANT, DIED UNEXPECTEDLY 1856. CHILDREN'S AGES WERE 8 YEARS AND 4 YEARS AND, THE YOUNGEST, 5 MONTHS.
1856-1863
CHLOE AND CHILDREN TRAVELED BY SHIP TO CONNECTICUT. AFTER SETTLING IN WILBRAHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, SHE BOARDED WESLEYAN ACADEMY STUDENTS. CHLOE AND CHILDREN RETURNED TO SALEM, PROBABLY IN 1863. (A BOARDER, JOSEPH GILL, FOLLOWED TO SALEM AND MARRIED DAUGHTER FRANCES IN 1866.)
1863-1874
CHLOE SERVED AS THE GOVERNESS OF THE WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY LADIES DEPARTMENT AND WAS THE FIRST DEAN OF WOMEN. SHE ATTENDED FACULTY MEETINGS, VISITED WOMEN STUDENTS AND GAVE WEEKLY LECTURES. FOR HEALTH REASONS, CHLOE LEFT WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY IN 1871. SHE DIED AT THE GILL'S HOME IN PORTLAND, OREGON, ON JUNE 2, 1874, AT AGE 56.
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