PETER W CRAWFORD

BORN: November 22, 1818, Kelso, Scotland

DIED: June 10, 1889, Vancouver, Washington Territory

    Peter was born in Scotland on the River Tweed. He was educated as a surveyor and civil engineer at the University of Edinburgh as well as in London and Southampton.

    He emigrated to this country in 1843 to join his brother, Alexander. He came west in 1847 and kept a journal of the trip overland by wagon train. The wagon train party arrived at the Columbia River six months later. Reverend Marcus Whitman recommended that he go to the mouth of the Cowlitz River and homestead where he staked a claim on 240 acres.

    Peter used his training as a surveyor and traveled around the territory surveying and platting towns. He was the surveyor for Clark and Cowlitz counties in Washington Territory. He surveyed the donation land claims on Sauvies Island and platted Vancouver as well as Oregon City. He platted the City of Kelso in 1881. He was involved in various business activities and also served as Justice of the Peace.

    Peter was married in 1854 and had five children. He is buried in the Old City Cemetery in Vancouver, Washington.

    Photos taken in the Cowlitz County Museum.