Courtesy of Oregon Historical Society
Harriet Burnett
1849–1851
Significant Facts
Born: February 23, 1812 in Wilson County, Tennessee
Died: September 19, 1879
Married: Peter Burnett on August 20, 1828
Maiden Name: Rogers
Family
Father: Peter Rogers
Mother: Sara "Sally" Pirtle
Husband: Peter Burnett
Children: Dwight, Martha Letitia, Romeetta, John,
Armstead and Sallie
Find out more about the time period and interests of Harriet Burnett
Biography
Harriet Rogers married Peter Burnett on August 20, 1828. In his autobiography, Recollections and Opinions of an Old Pioneer, Peter described his wife as “a little above the medium of height, with a trim, neat figure, sparkling black eye, handsome face, low sweet voice, and gentle manners.”
In 1843, Peter, Harriet, and their six children traveled by oxcart to Fort Walla Walla, Washington. They had traveled 1,691 miles at an average speed of eleven and a half miles per day. After gold was discovered in California, Peter and family sailed from Oregon City and landed in San Francisco on June 1, 1849. After Peter became Governor, the Burnett’s had a home built in Alviso, a city near the State Capitol of San Jose. They lived in San Jose and San Francisco until Harriet’s death on September 19, 1879.
Bibliography
Books
- Cook and LaDue, The First Ladies of California, Xlibris Corporation, 2007
- Burnett, Peter H., Recollections and Opinions of an Old Pioneer, Biobooks, 1946
