Albert E. Wilson

Albert E. Wilson ( 1813 – March 28, 1861) was an American pioneer and merchant in Oregon Country. Raised in the United States, he moved to what would become the U.S. state of Oregon where he operated stores, was involved in politics, and was elected as the first judge of the Provisional Government of Oregon.

Early life Albert Wilson was born in Massachusetts around 1813. In 1842, he immigrated to the disputed Oregon Country aboard the ship Chenamus captained by John H. Couch. George Abernethy helped to draft the petition, but Wilson was charged with copying the document so Abernathy's name would not be attached to it for political reasons. Though this petition was ineffective, later efforts by Samuel Thurston in 1850 did remove legal title of the disputed lands from McLoughlin. He was to replace Ira L. Babcock who had been selected in 1841 before a government was created, however Wilson declined to serve. In 1846, Wilson opened a store near Astoria, Oregon, thus was one of the founders of that town, In 1847, he sold his property on the eastside of the Willamette River near Johnson Creek to Henderson Luelling. Wilson only had squatter's rights to the land, but Luelling later obtained legal tile through the Donation Land Act. The next year Wilson partnered with David McLoughlin and started stores in Portland, Oregon City, and Champoeg under the name of Pettygrove and Company. He was also involved with the timber industry along the lower stretches of the Columbia River before his death on March 28, 1861. Albert E. Wilson was buried in Oregon City.