Eugene Skinner

Who was Eugene Skinner?

Eugene Franklin Skinner was an early American settler in Oregon and founder of the city of Eugene, Oregon, which is named for him.

Skinner was born in Essex, New York. His father was Major John Joseph Skinner and his brother was St John Skinner, assistant postmaster under President Andrew Johnson. His mother died while Skinner was young. At age 14, Skinner moved with his family to Green County, Wisconsin. As an adult, Skinner lived in Plattsburg, New York briefly before settling in Hennepin, Illinois as county sheriff. He married Mary Cook on 28 November 1839.

In May 1845, he and his wife Mary Cook Skinner traveled overland to California, wintering at Sutter's Fort. In 1846, the Skinners headed north to the Oregon Country, joining the party of Elijah Bristow in exploring the Willamette Valley south of present-day Polk County, Oregon. Skinner took a claim downriver of Bristow's claim, and was advised by the local Kalapuya Indian tribe to build high up due to floods. Following this advice, he built his first cabin on the hill known as Skinner Butte.

The Skinners farmed and raised a family of five children: four daughters and one son, St John. Skinner operated a ferry service across the Willamette River. Historian Robert Clark suggests that Skinner deliberately chose the land he claimed because it was the best location for a local ferry monopoly. After Oregon was organized as a US territory in 1849, Skinner became the local postmaster.