South Tacoma in Pierce County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
Morton Matthew McCarver
Photographed By Renee Crist
1. Morton Matthew McCarver Monument Marker
Morton Matthew McCarver
General Iowa and Oregon Militias
Born in Madison County, Kentucky, January 14, 1807
Died at Tacoma, Washington, April 17, 1875
Pioneer and founder of Burlington, Iowa – 1883 · Linnton, Oregon – 1843 · Tacoma, Washington – 1868.
Reverse:
Presented by Ruth McBride Powers, Hon. State Regent, Oregon D.A.R.; Alexander Hamilton Chapter, S.A.R.; and by these chapters Elizabeth Forey, D.A.R., Mary Ball, D.A.R., Mt. Tahoma, D.A.R.
Erected 1974 by OR State D.A.R.; WA State Chapters Elizabeth Forey, Mary Ball, and Mt. Tahoma, NSDAR; Alexander Hamilton Chapter,SAR.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 17, 1875.
Location. 47° 12.708′ N, 122° 28.776′ W. Marker is in Tacoma, Washington, in Pierce County. It is in South Tacoma. Marker can be reached from South Tacoma Way near 48th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4801 S Tacoma Way, Tacoma WA 98409, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. George Francis Train (approx. 3˝ miles away); In Honor of Rossell G. O’Brien
this page online
More about this marker. Erected in 1974 by Hon. Oregon State Regent Ruth McBride Powers, Elizabeth Forey Chapter, Mary Ball Chapter, and Mt. Tahoma Chapter NSDAR, marble monument that replaced a small concrete rectangle bearing only the initials "M.M.Mc" that marked his final resting place.
Regarding Morton Matthew McCarver. General Morton Matthew McCarver (January 14, 1807 – April 17, 1875) was an American politician and pioneer in the West. A native of Kentucky, before he moved west, in 1832, he fought with the Illinois militia in the Black Hawk War and then settled in an area that would become Iowa. In 1933-34, he helped found the town of Burlington, Iowa. In 1843, he traveled the Oregon Trail west to the Oregon Country, arriving at the Willamette Valley in November of that year. Making a land claim, in 1843 he founded the town of Linnten, that is now part of Portland, Oregon. During the Rogue River Wars of 1855 to 1856 McCarver served as commissary general. He served on the Provisional Legislature of Oregon and was Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives. He left for the California Gold Rush in 1848, serving at the Constitutional Convention in 1849 representing Sacremento.
In March 1868, McCarver moved north and developed what is now Tacoma, Washington. He first traveled to Olympia, the seat of the Washington Territory to explore opportunities and there he learned about available land north on Commencement Bay on Puget Sound. On April 1, 1868 he arrived at Eureka, on Commencement Bay and immediately recognized that the sheltered bay was a natural location for a city. Also recognizing the location's potential as a terminus for the Northern Pacific Railroad currently under construction, he purchased 163 acres from Job Carr, who had arrived three years earlier, and platted and sold lots for a town he called "Commencement City". When McCarver learned that Job Carr's son Anthony had also filed a townsite plat called Tacoma, McCarver called his Tacoma City. These sites along with the Northern Pacific's "New Tacoma" all became Tacoma what is now Tacoma, Washington.
Additional keywords. NSDAR
Credits. This page was last revised on April 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 25, 2023, by Renee Crist of Gig Harbor, Washington. This page has been viewed 109 times since then and 28 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on April 25, 2023, by Renee Crist of Gig Harbor, Washington. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
