The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-11-23
ReviyeS Interest
In Famous Nan

terested in the northwest, as related
by him at the Educational Congress
held here last week, revives interest
in one of the historical characters of
the early days of the state. Samuel r.
Thurston and, in commenting upon it
the Tacoma Ledger says:
I'm the course of his address before
the educational congress in the interest
of a greater Whitman college DR.. D.
! X. Pearsons, the Chicago philanthro-
pist, last Wednesday told how he hap
pened to leave his medical practice in
Massachusetts and move west to Chi
cago to go into business 1t came
about through conversations he had
with a representative from the north
west in congress, a man by the name
of Thurston and a native Of Maine
Evidently DR.. Pearsons referred to
Samuel r. Thurston, first delegate in
congress from Oregon, and the man
after whom Thurston county, Wash
ington, was named.
Speaking of Thurston, DR.. Pearsons
said in his speech at Walla Walla:
During his vacations he stayed at the
home of my neighbor and he was In
the habit of spending his evenings
with myself and wife on the piazza
talking about the northwest. He was
a very interesting talker and his de-
scriptive powers were remarkable. My
wife was very much interested and
one morning after he had gone, she
said to me lie etaoin shrdlu shrdlush
go west You were cut out for BUSH
ness man and not for a DOCTOR
GAS a result Dr. and Mrs. Pearsons
moved west as far as Chicago, but did
not think it safe to attempt the VEN
lures of Whitman and his WIFE To
the enthusiasm of Thurston for the
northwest, then, may be traced DR..
Pearsons' interest in Whitman and his
gift up to this time of $4,000 to that
college. In Chicago DR.. Pearsons made
a fortune as a business man and has
in recent years been expending it on
the smaller colleges
cit is most iteresting to note the in
f1uence that affect the fortunes Of men
oI,o IN inc ~
TONS. The Pearsons fortune and his
great gifts to thirty or forty of the
smaller colleges of the United States,
Whitman included, are traceable to
Delegate Thurstons descriptions of the
a neighbor of DR.. Pearsons the middle
Of the last century.
Samuel r .Thurston crossed the
plains from Burlington Iowa, to Ore
gon in -s41. He was born in Main
md educated a. Bowdoin. graduating
in 1S43 After marrying he moved to
iowa and tht re edited the Burlington
Gazette from 1916 to 1S47, when he
st..rle,. for Oregon. He was not long
n Icing recognized as leader. He
| WAS strocg with the Methodists, who,
under Jason Lee, had established
mission in the Willamette valley
Moreover, he was intensely opposed to
the Hudson Bay company, and this
Iappears to have helped him politically
He was also a democrat. In congress
te stood for the passage of the law
that deprived DR.. John Mclaughlin
of bis claim at Oregon city, an act
thu Oregon legislature some years az
the claim to McLoughlin's heirs.
Delegate Thurston died at sea be-
tween Panama and Acapulco in April,
1851, on his way back from Washing
ton city. He was buried at Acapulco,
but some years later the body was
brought to Salem, Ore, as a result OF
the action of the Oregon legislature,
which had the grave marked with
marble monument. General Joe Lane
was elected delegate in congress, to
succeed him.
1.-The northern part of Lewis county
was set off by the oregon legislature
to create Thurston county. 1t was first
proposed to name the county Simmons,
in honor of Michael T. Simmons, one
of the first settlers of Tumwater, but
the name Thurston was decided upon
to honor the first delegate to congress.
Pierce was formerly a part of Thurs
ton. From Thurston the counties of
Pierce, King, Jefferson and Island were
set off, and afterward Chehalis and
Sawamish counties were detached from
Thurston. Sawamish is the old name
of Mason county. The name Mason
was chosen in honor of Charles H.
Mason first Sacratary Of WASHINGTON