Lot and Block purchase records, circa 1846

The William H. and Chloe Clarke Willson papers consist of Chloe Clarke Willson's journal and a transcription, land purchase records, letters, documents, and a photograph.

The Chloe Clarke Willson journal is in two sections. The journal begins in late September 1839 as Chloe Clarke prepared to leave on the journey to the Oregon Territory aboard the ship “Lausanne." It covers in some detail the early stages of the trip. The first section of the journal ends in early February 1840, three months before the end of the journey.

The journal begins again in April 1841, after she is married to William Willson. Entries in this section of the journal are less frequent and focus on the work she and William are doing. There are comments about the native people in the Washington and Oregon territories and of her desire to share her faith. After the Willsons moved to the Willamette valley, Chloe Willson writes often about her teaching, her work with the youth of the area, including the founding of the Oregon Juvenile Temperance Society, and about how much she misses William when he is traveling.

As a devout Methodist, Chloe Willson also used the journal as a prayer journal. In this context she mentions attending “the first campmeeting held in Oregon,” and her desire for the “evil” of slavery to be "driven back to its native hell."

The letters and documents primarily relate to William H. Willson. One of the letters refers to the Willamette University and Willson family land dispute.