Clinton Kelly (minister)
Reverend Clinton Kelly (June 15, 1808 – June 19, 1875) was an early pioneer of what became the U.S. state of Oregon.
Clinton Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 15, 1808 Clifty Creek, Pulaski County, Kentucky, US |
| Died | June 19, 1875 (aged 67) |
| Occupation | Minister |
| Spouses | Mary Baston
(m. 1827; died 1837)Jane Burns
(m. 1838; died 1839)Moriah Crain
(m. 1840; died 1863) |
| Children | 15, including Penumbra and Richmond Kelly |
Kelly was born on June 15, 1808, in Pulaski County, Kentucky, the son of Samuel and Nancy Kelly.
In January 1827, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church and became a pastor.
Kelly joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, South after its succession from the main church. After seeing what would come of slavery and the strife surrounding it, however, he and his family, along with his brothers Albert and Thomas, traveled to the Oregon Country in 1847, arriving in late 1848 (by which time Oregon had become a U.S. territory). They initially stayed in a cabin on James B. Stephens' claim. They later settled in what is now Oregon City, where Kelly purchased his land claim for $50. He died on June 19, 1875, at the age of 67.