"What About the Children?"

The Story of Tabitha Brown

Tabitha Moffatt Brown, 1780-1858, voted 'Mother of Oregon' by the state legislature.


Tabitha Moffatt Brown was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts on May 1, 1780. She was the daughter of Dr. Joseph Moffatt and Lois Haynes Moffatt. Little is known about her childhood. 

Tabitha Moffatt and Rev. Clark Brown were married in Brimfield on December 1, 1799. Rev. Brown (1771-1817) was a Congregational minister who later became an Episcopalian clergyman following a conflict with his former church. 

The Browns moved to various places, at one point living at George Washington's estate while their own home was being constructed. 

Tabitha and Clark Brown had four children--three sons and one daughter--Orus Brown, Manthano Brown, John Mattocks Brown and Pherne Brown (pronounced "Ferny"). John Mattocks Brown died at age six, while the other children became adults, married and had families of their own. Rev. Clark Brown died within a short time after son John's death, and was buried beneath the alter flooring of William and Mary's Church, Charles County, Maryland. 

Tabitha Brown took up teaching to support her small family after her husband's death. After some years , Mrs. Brown decided to move her family to Missouri. This decision was made, in part at least, because her sons wished to follow their father's brother, ship captain John Brown. Captain Brown's stories of life on the high seas captivated Tabitha's boys.

In Missouri, Tabitha also taught school, and it was there that her children grew to adulthood and married.  

Orus Brown, Tabitha's oldest son, heard talk of the wonderful land available in Oregon, so in 1843 he decided to go to Oregon and find out for himself. He left his wife and children behind to make the journey to the unsettled territory. 


When he returned he was so enthusiastic about what he had seen, that he not only convinced his own family to make the move to Oregon Territory, but, he convinced his sister's family as well. As 66 year old Tabitha listened to all the talk about going west, she made up her mind to go too. When she told Orus, he was astounded that she would even consider such a thing. Not only did Tabith consider going, but, Captain John Brown also decided to go. Captain Brown who was 78 years old at the time, had been living with Tabitha and her family since he left the sea and settled down. Orus tried to talk his elderly mother and uncle out of going. However, despite his concern, they began to prepare for the journey west. 


Tabitha expected all three of her children to accompany her, Manthano, however, decided not to go because of his health and his wife's unwillingness to leave her parents. Manthano remained in Kansas on his farm where he became quite successful. 


Their journey on the Oregon Trail was pleasant and without incident until they passed Fort Hall in present-day Idaho. It was here that Tabitha and her family first heard of the Applegate Trail. A man promised them that he would lead them along the short cut and they would be in Oregon City before the others who were taking the trail down the Columbia River. Three out of the four trains of immigrants were convinced that a short cut had been found. They trustingly started off, following the guide. This was in August and they had left Missouri in April of 1846. The idea of shortening the journey was, indeed, very appealing. The Applegate trail, which actually went hundreds of miles south of Oregon into Utah Territory and California then finally turning north again back toward Oregon, was far from the dreamed of short-cut. 


The guide had promised to clear the road ahead of the train so that they would have no trouble in getting their wagons over the trail. However, after the wagon train was well on its way, the guide, who had already been paid, disappeared and left the immigrants on their own. 


Tabitha, Pherne, and Pherne's family lost nearly all of their cattle; and Tabitha lost her wagon and many supplies while crossing the Rogue river. She was left with a horse and a few clothes. Tabitha and her family were among the first of the wagons to go through a particular canyon so they fared better than those who followed. Out of a hundred wagons, only one came through without breaking. 


Because they had taken longer than they expected, winter had set in and travel had become nearly impossible, but, staying where they were was impossible as well, so they pressed on in an attempt to reach Oregon City before they all died. After several weeks of travel and struggle, the little party had reached their limit. Mr. Pringle, Pherne's husband, set out on horseback to the settlements to try and bring help and food back to his starving family. While they waited for Virgil Pringle to return, his eldest son, Clark, shot one of his father's best working oxen and dressed it. It was a poor animal without fat, but, it provided food sufficient to keep starvation at bay. 


Orus Brown had taken the regular route to Oregon and had arrived there in September. Not long after reaching Oregon City, Orus heard about the suffering of the immigrants to the south and proceeded to gather provisions and pack horses in hopes that he might reach his family in time to save them. 


As Orus was traveling south, he met with Mr. Pringle; who quickly turned around and led Orus back to the family. Orus and Virgil were greeted with joy when they arrived at the little camp of their loved ones. 


Encouraged by Orus, Tabitha and her small family finally reached the settlements on Christmas day 1846. Tabitha stepped across the threshold of the first house she had set foot in nine long months. 


After the Browns were settled Tabitha journeyed from Oregon City to her daughter's home in Salem. During this trip she discovered she was not as destitute as she at first thought. Tabitha had noticed something in the finger of her glove, she had supposed it to be a button, however, upon inspection, Tabitha discovered a picayune worth about six and one quarter cents. With this small sum Tabitha purchased three needles. She then traded some of her extra clothes to some Indian women for buckskins, and proceeded to make and sell gloves for the men and women of Oregon. This, her first, business transaction cleared around thirty dollars. 



Tabitha's compassion was not destroyed by her hardships; for after being in Oregon for a while Tabitha began to notice the many orphan children here; and her heart was touched, she wanted to do something to make their life easier: "What about the children?"

Mrs. Brown spoke of her desire to Mr. Harvey Clark and he also was desirous of doing something to help the orphans of the area. Mr. Clark decided to give a piece of land for the orphan asylum. With the help of her neighbors and friends, Tabitha gathered the supplies and then the children. She began to provide them with love, and direction, as well as the creature comforts of life. From this small beginning developed first, the orphan asylum and then also the Indian training school, and eventually also Tualatin Academy. The tiny project grew beyond all prospects because of the needs were great.


Tualatin Academy was created through the efforts of Rev. Harvey Clark, Tabitha Brown and Rev. George Atkinson. Its purpose was to educate children in the local area, carrying forward the work of the "Orphan Asylum" started by Rev. Clark and Grandma Brown. It received a charter from the territorial government of Oregon on September 26, 1849--the first such charter granted. 


Since the academy was devoted to educating younger children, a collegiate department was proposed after a few years of operation to train teachers. On January 10, 1854 the original charter was changed to create Tualatin Academy and Pacific University. 


Tualatin Academy operated as a sister institution to Pacific University--with its own principal, faculty and students--until 1915 when the final class graduated. 


Tabitha Moffatt Brown died on May 4, 1858, in Salem, Or., and is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery in Salem. 

Many Corvallis residents have attended Pacific University over the years, and a number are featured on the world wide web, including Julie Weber and Scott Holub. 

Pacific regularly hosts sporting events with OSU and is a player in the art gallery circuit for Northwest artists, alongside the Corvallis Art Center and OSU.

from Pat Wells, Pacific University and others

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