in Forest Grove, Oregon, December 31, 1916. He was born in New York City in 1831, and came with his parents and one sister around Cape Horn to Oregon, leaving New York October 9, 1839, and arriving at Fort Vancouver June 1, 1840. His father, George Abernethy, was born in New York October 8, 1807, and was married to Anne Pope January 15, 1830. This family, with a number of others, numbering in all fortyfive persons, formed the "great re-enforcement" to the Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church established by Rev. Jason Lee late in the year 1834. Before coming to Oregon George Abernethy had acquired experience in merchandising, and as steward of the missionary party opened a store at Oregon City. This brought him before the public quite prominently, and hence when it was deemed necessary by the people to have a "more stable form of government" than that of the original Provisional Government initiated on May 2, 1843, under which a committee of three were empowered to perform executive duties, the office of governor was created and he was elected to fill that position on June 3, 1845. Governor Abernethy was re-elected on June 3, 1847, and served until March 3, 1849, when General Joseph Lane assumed the duties of his office, having been appointed governor of the newly constituted Territory of Oregon by President Polk. Governor Abernethy died in Portland May 2, 1877.
William Abernethy was in business with his father, first as a clerk and later as a partner. He was married at The Dalles to Miss Sarah Fidelia Gray, the second daughter of William H. and Mrs. Mary Augusta Dix Gray, on June 24, 1863. To this union thirteen children were born, ten of whom, with their mother, are living.
In 1861 Mr. Abernethy secured a farm on the west side of the Willamette river opposite Milwaukie. In 1891 he sold out and removed to Dora, Coos county, thirty-five miles west of Roseburg. After getting the farm well along under cultivation, he removed to Forest Grove in 1904, in order to give his children better educational advantages.
