77:
themselves property and therefore could not be heirs to the estate." For her children's benefit, Carson filed a lawsuit and took Smith to court to recover an equitable portion of David's estate, stating that David Carson had promised "he would make me his sole heir or that he would give me his entire property" in the event of his death, even though this was not ever put into writing. She asked that the court award her $ 7,450 as compensation for her seven years of work on the Soap Creek Valley claim, "plus the value of livestock and other property to which she claimed she was entitled." On May 12, 1855, Carson was awarded $ 300 by a Benton County Jury, plus $ 229.50 to pay her court costs. On
October 25, 1856, a federal court awarded her $ 1399.75 for the loss of her cattle. Although she won both of these lawsuits, her accomplishments were not acknowledged in the local press at the time.
97:
successfully file an Oregon claim under the act. Carson spent the rest of her life on her claim. A tributary to South Myrtle Creek near her claim is known as
Letitia Creek. She built "a two-story house, a barn, smokehouse" on the property, which also included a fruit orchard, which according to the 1870 Census lists her real estate and personal property value at $ 1,000 and $ 625, respectively. Carson lived another 20 years on her property before she died at the age of 73 or 74 on February 2, 1888, and was buried at Stephens Cemetery in
68:. Government officials reduced the Carsons' land claim by half in 1850 to 320 acres since David and Letitia could not legally marry, as Letitia was black and the Donation Land Act provided up to 640 acres solely for married couples, in addition to black people at the time being ineligible to make a land claim in Oregon. Letitia Carson gave birth to a son, Adam Andrew Jackson, in 1849. According to the 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Letitia and David lived in Benton, Oregon Territory, with their two children.
20:
122:
tribe. He claimed an allotment of land on the
Umatilla Reservation. Martha and Narcisse's children were Agnes (1870–1941), Ira (1872–n.d.), Ada (1873–n.d.), Albert (1875–n.d.); Ida Ethel (1877–n.d.),Fred (1879–n.d.), Millie (1883–n.d.), Nelson (1886–n.d.), Grace (1888–n.d.), and Thomas (1890–n.d.). A
131:
Carson's son, Adam “Andrew
Jackson”, farmed in the Canyonville area and was known for his skill as horse trainer. He never married and lived in Douglas County nearly his entire life until his death on September 14, 1922, at the age of 73. He was buried at the Stephens Cemetery, Myrtle Creek, Douglas
96:
on South Myrtle Creek in
Douglas County, Oregon as a widow and single mother of two children Her claim was certified on October 1, 1869, by President Ulysses S. Grant. Her claim was one of the first 71 homestead claims to ever be certified in the United States, and she was the only black woman to
51:
Carson was born into slavery in
Kentucky around 1814. Little is known of her early life besides that some time before 1845, she arrived in Missouri. It is presumed that she was involved in the hemp or tobacco farming industries as a field hand, a house servant, or both. It is also presumed that she
60:
In 1845, she set out in a 6-month journey on the Oregon Trail for Oregon with David Carson, an Irish immigrant who owned land in Platte County and had become an
American citizen in 1844. It is not clear whether Letitia was ever enslaved by David. However, by the time they began their journey to
113:
in 1886. On
November 26, 1864, Martha gave birth to a daughter, Mary Alice Bingham, presumed to be the daughter of Solomon Bingham who also lived in Douglas County during this time. Martha had ten more children with her husband Narcisse Lavadour, whom she married on January 19, 1868; Narcisse's
76:
In
September 1852, David Carson died from an illness. When he died, Letitia and their children were excluded from his estate settlement, and their wealthy white neighbor Greenberry Smith was named executor of his estate instead. Smith claimed that Carson and the children were slaves who "were
87:
Oregon became a state and adopted its 1857 Constitution in 1859, which stated that black people were banned from migrating to the area. The
Constitution also enforced the ban on property ownership, voting rights, and the right to sue in court to black residents in the area. In 1862, President
30:
was an Oregon pioneer and one of the first African Americans to be listed as living in Oregon according to the U.S. Federal Census. In fact, she was the only black woman to successfully make a land claim in Oregon under the
123:
year after Narcisse's death in 1893, Martha married Charles Carpenter. After divorcing him in 1910, Martha died on July 17, 1911, at the age of 66. She was buried at the Athena Cemetery in Umatilla County, Oregon.
84:, where she worked as a midwife who was well known among community members. She is thought to have lived in Douglas County with the family of Hardy Eliff, for whom she also worked in addition to being a midwife.
471:
553:
356:
630:
101:. The Letitia Carson Pioneer Apple Tree was named after her by researchers who completed a cultural resource inventory of the property owned by Oregon State University.
660:
645:
655:
615:
625:
52:
might have been either a Baptist or a Methodist and may have attended Sunday services in her enslaver's church, with an all-black congregation, or both.
620:
61:
Oregon, he recognized her as a free person. On June 9, 1845, Carson gave birth to their daughter, Martha Jane somewhere along the South Platte River.
92:
signed the Homestead Act, and the law changed to not ban homesteaders based on race. On June 17, 1863, Carson then filed a 160-acre claim under the
640:
670:
665:
585:
504:
314:
290:
422:
247:
610:
446:
635:
338:
144:. The novel chronicles her relationship with David Carson, journey to Oregon, and legal battle with Greenberry Smith.
110:
650:
388:
403:
605:
64:
Upon their arrival, the Carsons staked a 640-acre land claim in the Soap Creek Valley, located in modern-day
374:
115:
195:
81:
221:
93:
65:
32:
98:
80:
During or after the federal trial, Carson moved with her children to the upper Cow Creek Valley of
119:
510:
500:
382:
148:
19:
36:
528:
89:
375:"Oregon Water Resources Department Water Right Information Query for Certificate 93771"
599:
408:. Vol. 51, No. 1: 3-23. Roseburg, OR: Douglas County Historical Society. p. 12.
590:
514:
140:
Carson is the heroine of Jane Kirkpatrick's 2014 historical fiction novel,
357:"From slave to landowner: Historic Land Office records document journey"
580:
18:
16:
First African American to successfully make a land claim in Oregon
472:"Award-winning author shines light on freed slave's story"
377:. See map for Certificate 93771 and permit map dated 1930.
554:"Corvallis schools could be renamed after women of color"
447:"Oregon Secretary of State: Adam "Andrew Jackson" Carson"
151:, Oregon was renamed in honor of Letitia Carson in 2021.
315:"State of Oregon: Black in Oregon - Letitia Carson"
417:
415:
222:"The Search for Letitia Carson in Douglas County"
423:"Oregon Secretary of State: Martha Jane Carson"
248:"Oregon Secretary of State: Martha Jane Carson"
339:"Shaping America's History, The Homestead Act"
229:Oregon Websites & Watersheds Project, Inc
109:Carson's daughter, Martha Jane, moved to the
8:
291:"Oregon Secretary of State: Letitia Carson"
196:"Letitia Carson (ca.1814-1888) • BlackPast"
631:African Americans in the American Old West
497:A light in the wilderness : a novel
160:
380:
190:
188:
186:
184:
118:employee and his mother was from the
7:
661:19th-century African-American people
646:African-American history of Missouri
495:Kirkpatrick, Jane (26 August 2014).
285:
283:
281:
279:
277:
275:
273:
271:
269:
267:
242:
240:
238:
182:
180:
178:
176:
174:
172:
170:
168:
166:
164:
132:County, Oregon, next to his mother.
656:19th-century African-American women
470:Oregonian, East (23 October 2014).
616:African-American history of Oregon
14:
626:People from Benton County, Oregon
621:People from Myrtle Creek, Oregon
591:ORWW.org/History/Letitia_Carson/
127:Son Adam "Andrew Jackson" Carson
35:. She was the inspiration for
1:
361:Letitia Carson, Facebook Page
641:19th-century American slaves
355:Shine, Greg (4 March 2019).
23:Gravestone of Letitia Carson
671:People enslaved in Missouri
666:People enslaved in Kentucky
552:Mann, Joanna (2021-09-04).
529:"Letitia Carson Elementary"
111:Umatilla Indian Reservation
105:Daughter Martha Jane Carson
687:
586:Letitia Carson Documentary
72:Trials over land ownership
533:Corvallis School District
142:A Light In The Wilderness
41:A Light In The Wilderness
147:An elementary school in
402:Zybach, Robert (2015).
387:: CS1 maint: others (
82:Douglas County, Oregon
24:
581:Oregon Black Pioneers
114:father was a retired
94:Homestead Act of 1862
66:Benton County, Oregon
33:Homestead Act of 1862
22:
611:People from Kentucky
116:Hudson's Bay Company
99:Myrtle Creek, Oregon
636:Farmers from Oregon
25:
651:American midwives
476:eastoregonian.com
678:
568:
567:
565:
564:
549:
543:
542:
540:
539:
525:
519:
518:
492:
486:
485:
483:
482:
467:
461:
460:
458:
457:
443:
437:
436:
434:
433:
419:
410:
409:
399:
393:
392:
386:
378:
371:
365:
364:
352:
346:
345:
343:
335:
329:
328:
326:
325:
311:
305:
304:
302:
301:
287:
262:
261:
259:
258:
244:
233:
232:
226:
217:
211:
210:
208:
207:
192:
37:Jane Kirkpatrick
686:
685:
681:
680:
679:
677:
676:
675:
606:Oregon pioneers
596:
595:
577:
572:
571:
562:
560:
558:Lebanon Express
551:
550:
546:
537:
535:
527:
526:
522:
507:
494:
493:
489:
480:
478:
469:
468:
464:
455:
453:
445:
444:
440:
431:
429:
421:
420:
413:
401:
400:
396:
379:
373:
372:
368:
354:
353:
349:
341:
337:
336:
332:
323:
321:
313:
312:
308:
299:
297:
289:
288:
265:
256:
254:
246:
245:
236:
224:
219:
218:
214:
205:
203:
194:
193:
162:
157:
138:
129:
107:
90:Abraham Lincoln
74:
58:
49:
17:
12:
11:
5:
684:
682:
674:
673:
668:
663:
658:
653:
648:
643:
638:
633:
628:
623:
618:
613:
608:
598:
597:
594:
593:
588:
583:
576:
575:External links
573:
570:
569:
544:
520:
505:
487:
462:
451:sos.oregon.gov
438:
427:sos.oregon.gov
411:
394:
366:
347:
330:
319:sos.oregon.gov
306:
295:sos.oregon.gov
263:
252:sos.oregon.gov
234:
212:
159:
158:
156:
153:
137:
134:
128:
125:
106:
103:
73:
70:
57:
56:Life in Oregon
54:
48:
45:
39:'s 2014 novel
28:Letitia Carson
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
683:
672:
669:
667:
664:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
603:
601:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
578:
574:
559:
555:
548:
545:
534:
530:
524:
521:
516:
512:
508:
506:9781441219565
502:
498:
491:
488:
477:
473:
466:
463:
452:
448:
442:
439:
428:
424:
418:
416:
412:
407:
406:
398:
395:
390:
384:
376:
370:
367:
362:
358:
351:
348:
340:
334:
331:
320:
316:
310:
307:
296:
292:
286:
284:
282:
280:
278:
276:
274:
272:
270:
268:
264:
253:
249:
243:
241:
239:
235:
230:
223:
220:Zybach, Bob.
216:
213:
201:
197:
191:
189:
187:
185:
183:
181:
179:
177:
175:
173:
171:
169:
167:
165:
161:
154:
152:
150:
145:
143:
135:
133:
126:
124:
121:
117:
112:
104:
102:
100:
95:
91:
85:
83:
78:
71:
69:
67:
62:
55:
53:
46:
44:
42:
38:
34:
29:
21:
561:. Retrieved
557:
547:
536:. Retrieved
532:
523:
496:
490:
479:. Retrieved
475:
465:
454:. Retrieved
450:
441:
430:. Retrieved
426:
404:
397:
369:
360:
350:
333:
322:. Retrieved
318:
309:
298:. Retrieved
294:
255:. Retrieved
251:
228:
215:
204:. Retrieved
202:. 2015-05-07
199:
146:
141:
139:
130:
108:
86:
79:
75:
63:
59:
50:
40:
27:
26:
120:Walla Walla
600:Categories
563:2022-02-25
538:2022-02-25
481:2019-04-15
456:2020-03-13
432:2020-03-13
324:2021-02-28
300:2019-04-15
257:2019-04-15
206:2019-04-15
155:References
47:Early life
515:896805423
200:BlackPast
149:Corvallis
383:cite web
513:
503:
136:Legacy
342:(PDF)
225:(PDF)
511:OCLC
501:ISBN
389:link
602::
556:.
531:.
509:.
499:.
474:.
449:.
425:.
414:^
405:Dr
385:}}
381:{{
359:.
317:.
293:.
266:^
250:.
237:^
227:.
198:.
163:^
43:.
566:.
541:.
517:.
484:.
459:.
435:.
391:)
363:.
344:.
327:.
303:.
260:.
231:.
209:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
