Pendleton in Umatilla County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
Aura Goodwin Raley
"Mother of Pendleton"
— August 23, 1829 - July 21, 1913 —
The Goodwin's opened a stage station and hotel at their house on Main Street and built a toll bridge across the Umatilla River. Due to the large number of cats they kept, the station was often referred to as Goodwin's Cat Station. When the town of Pendleton was formed, they donated 2 1/2 acres for the original town plat. They also donated land for use as a cemetery (Pioneer Park), a County Courthouse block (located on Main Street at the time) and a city block for a future college (the current Courthouse block). Aura and Moses had three children; one died in infancy, and one was murdered while taking horses to a sale. Moses died suddenly in 1871, and a year later, Aura married Henry J. Raley. He became the manager of the Goodwin Hotel. Henry and Aura had one child, Cosbie. Mr. Raley died in 1876 at the age of 40.
Aura Raley owned a large portion of early Pendleton and with her daughter Cosbie, developed and sold off lots for residential and commercial purposes. She live in Pendleton the rest of her life and was an integral part of its growth and development for it first 50 years. NW Aura Avenue is named for her.
Erected by Pendleton Bronze Trail.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • Women. In addition, it is included in the Oregon Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.
Location. 45° 40.27′ N, 118° 47.186′ W. Marker is in Pendleton, Oregon, in Umatilla County. Marker is on South Main Street near Southeast Dorion Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 348 South Main Street, Pendleton OR 97801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Temple-Martin Building (here, next to this marker); Columbia Hotel (a few steps from this marker); Frazier Building (a few steps from this marker); Griggs & Tryon Bldg (within shouting distance of this marker); Rivoli Theater (within shouting distance of this marker); Empire Meat Market (within shouting distance of this marker); Hendricks Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Triple Nickles (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pendleton.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 17, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 517 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 17, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.