Charlotte Moffett Cartwright
CHARLOTTE TERWILLIGER was born in Chicago, Ill., December 21, 1842. Her father, James Terwilliger, was a Hollander, and her mother, Sophronia Hurd, of Scotch descent.
In May, 1845, Mr. Terwilliger, with his wife and four children, started across the plains to Oregon. He was in the party that took the Stephen Meek's "cut-off." All the company came near perishing before they found their way out of the wilderness. Like many others, his wife was prostrated by the perils and hardships and survived only a few days after they reached The Dalles. Mr. Terwilliger arrived at the present site of Portland in November, 1845, and erected the first dwelling house—a log cabin—on the immediate spot where the infant city had birth in 1847.
The name of Charlotte Terwilliger is enrolled as one of the first pupils of the first school taught in Portland. April 12, 1860, she was married to Walter Moffett, a young Englishman. They settled at once in the little home Mr. Moffett had made ready on Seventh street, where he later erected the house since owned and occupied continuously by his family. This home was ever open to all who sought its portals, especially to young men and young women, by whom its kind mistress was affectionately called "Mother Moffett." Motherless little ones, too, found shelter here. One daughter and five sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Moffett, of whom two are living—James and William.
In 1862 they went to Europe and traveled for two years in France and the British Isles, spending much of the time, however, at the home of Mr. Moffett's childhood in merry old England, where his mother still lived.
