Editing Corvallis, Oregon (section)

===Establishment===
In October 1845, Pennsylvanian [[Joseph C. Avery]] arrived in Oregon.<ref name=Fagan422>David D. Fagan, [https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfBentonCountyOregon ''History of Benton County, Oregon: Including... a Full Political History, ...Incidents of Pioneer Life, and Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Citizens...''] Portland, OR: A.G. Walling, Printer, 1885; p. 422. Note that a clear typographical error in the original source has Avery's date of arrival as "October 1846", but the beginning of his residence in "June 1846."</ref> Avery took out a land claim at the mouth of [[Marys River (Oregon)|Marys River]], where it flows into the [[Willamette River]], and in June 1846 took up residence there in a log cabin hastily constructed to hold what seemed a potentially lucrative claim.<ref name=Fagan422 /> Avery's primitive 1846 dwelling was the first home within the boundaries of today's city limits and his land claim included the southern section of the contemporary city.<ref name=Fagan423>Fagan, ''History of Benton County, Oregon,'' p. 423.</ref>

Avery was quickly joined by other settlers along the banks of the Willamette River, including a {{convert|640|acre|adj=on}} claim directly to his north taken in September 1846 by William F. Dixon.<ref name=Fagan423 /> The discovery of gold in California in 1848 temporarily stalled the township development. Like many of his neighbors, Avery left his Oregon home to try his hand at gold mining in the fall of that year.<ref name=Fagan423 /> His stay proved to be brief yet profitable. In January 1849, Avery returned to Oregon with a small stock of provisions with plans to open a store on his land.<ref name=Fagan423 /> 

During 1849, Avery opened his store at the site, [[platted]] the land, and surveyed a town site on his own claim, naming the community '''Marysville'''.<ref name=Oregon>Howard M. Corning, ''Dictionary of Oregon History.'' Portland: Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.</ref> The early town quickly became a profitable re-supply center/mercantile as one of the leading stop-overs for miners traveling the [[Willamette River]] to the [[California Gold Rush]] mines. The city was thought to have been originally named after early settler Mary Lloyd, but now the name is credited to early French fur trappers who camped near [[Marys Peak]]. The reference to "Mary" is, instead, believed to be named after the [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Virgin Mary]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/peak-namesake-mystery-solved/article_39d8f5bf-a07a-5b72-8fff-899165a74d91.html|title=Peak namesake mystery solved|website=Corvallis Gazette Times|date=February 17, 2007|access-date=July 21, 2022|archive-date=October 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016213407/https://gazettetimes.com/news/local/peak-namesake-mystery-solved/article_39d8f5bf-a07a-5b72-8fff-899165a74d91.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the summer of 1851, Joseph Avery and William Dixon each granted back-to-back {{convert|40|acre|adj=on}} land parcels from their land holdings for the establishment of a county seat.<ref name=Fagan424>Fagan, ''History of Benton County, Oregon,'' p. 424.</ref> Avery's holding lay to the south and Dixon's to the north, with the [[Benton County Courthouse (Oregon)|Benton County Courthouse]] marking the approximate line of demarcation between these two land parcels.<ref name=Fagan424 />