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Biography · History & Culture

Letitia Carson

1815–1888

United States

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Biography

Letitia Carson was an Oregon pioneer and one of the first African Americans to be listed as living in Oregon according to the U.S. Federal Census. In fact, she was the only black woman to successfully make a land claim in Oregon under the Homestead Act of 1862. She was the inspiration for Jane Kirkpatrick's 2014 novel A Light In The Wilderness.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-20

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