William Overton was a pioneer of the Oregon Country in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.
It was generally agreed that he originated from Tennessee and settled in Oregon City, possibly arriving with Joseph Gale by way of California, though he spent his first months in Oregon, from November 1, 1841 to the early part of 1842, working at the Methodist mission at The Dalles.
"[1] He and Lovejoy visited a site along the Willamette River between present-day Jefferson and Washington streets while traveling from Fort Vancouver to Oregon City by canoe in 1843 or 1844.
The site had been previously cleared of trees, perhaps by natives, and had become a popular stopping point for those traveling the Willamette.
It was generally agreed that a large city would be established somewhere in the vicinity of the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers.