Watson, William Penn The following data is extracted from
History of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and Washington, 1889.
WM. PENN WATSON. - Of those who came to the Pacific Northwest in
pioneer days and settled within its boundaries, and closely
identified themselves with its material, social and political
welfare, the exemplary citizen named above took a very active
and foremost part. He was born December 18, 1828, in Morgan
county, Illinois. When he was only three weeks old, his mother
closed her eyes in death; and the infant left behind was
confided to the care of foster parents, Allen Q. Lindsey and
wife, who gave the orphan boy the best of attention and one of
the best of homes. In those days the advantages for securing an
education were extremely limited; but with application and
diligent study at his adopted mother's knee, and during the
three months' term of school in the old log schoolhouse, he
mastered enough of learning to enable him at the age of nineteen
to begin teaching on his own account. This