Peter Crawford (22 November 1818 – 10 June 1889) was a Scottish-born land surveyor who was a prominent pioneer in the Pacific Northwest.
At the age of 24, on a ship called ‘’Rainbow’’, Peter made an 1842 voyage from England to Quebec, Canada.
In 1843, he joins Alec's family in Indiana here he taught school for a year before moving to Chicago where he took a job as an accountant.
In 1846, he returned to Indiana to persuade Alec and his family to move to the northwest where there was growing opportunities and free land.
They reached The Dalles on 12 October of that same year and to Switzer's Landing, across the Columbia River from Vancouver, on 26 November.
After returned to the Cascade Mountains to assist in driving down loose cattle that were left behind, he made his way to Portland on 18 December 1847.
[5] In the spring of 1848, at the request of Henry Williamson, Peter surveyed for a town site on the north bank of the Columbia River, just west of Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Vancouver.
Upon arrival in San Francisco, he engaged in mining operations for seven months until returning to settle his land claim on the Cowlitz River in October.
[3] In 1850, he began laying out and platting other early towns in northwest Oregon, including Milwaukie, Milton, St. Helens, Rainer and Columbia City.
Their request was successful and on 2 March 1853, President Millard Fillmore signed legislation that created the Territory of Washington.