22 Wm. D. Fenton Many of the children of the pioneer men and women of those early days were students and graduates of this institu- tion, called Portland Academy and Female Seminary. The building was constructed at the corner of West Park and Jefferson streets, and stood there a monument of the devotion and zeal of these early settlers until within recent years. The Willamette University was incorporated by act of the Territorial Legislature January 12, 1853, Wilbur was one of the first trustees. You will recall that the Territorial Legislative Assembly, in 1851, passed an act incorporating the City of Portland, and that the first election was held on April 7, 1 85 1, Hugh D. O'Bryant being elected Mayor by a majority of 4 over J. S. Smith. In June, 185 1, the territorial election for Delegate to Congress took place, and as an indication of the population of the city at that time, it may be noted that Joseph Lane received 162 votes, and W. H. Willson 60 votes, or a total of 222 votes. Taylor Street Church was incorporated under the laws of the territory by special act of the Legislative Assembly on January 26, 1853, although the church had been organized before that time, and the building constructed. The original structure was a frame building fronting on Taylor street, near Third street, and the present brick structure was erected in 1868. It will be remembered that the first Protestant Church erected on the Pacific Coast, from Cape Horn to Bering Strait, was the Methodist Church in Oregon City, begun in 1842, by Waller, was completed in 1844 by Gustavus Hines, and that Bishop E. R. Ames, who visited Portland in March, 1853, was the first bishop who presided over an Oregon con- ference, held at Salem, March 17 of that year. The superin- tendents of the Oregon mission were: Jason Lee, 1834-1844; George Gary, 1844-1847; William Roberts, 1847-1849, when the Oregon mission was succeeded by what was called the Ore- gon and California Mission Conference, under the strong and intelligent hand of William Roberts, who conducted the work
of the Oregon and California Mission Conference until it was----
