Statue of Thomas Dove (T.D.) Keizur mounted on a Morgan horse – located at Keizer City Hall

Thomas Dove (T.D.) Keizur, his wife Mary (Gurley), ten children, three sons-in-law, grandchildren and brother of a son-in-law (25 total in their party) immigrated to the Oregon country in 1843. T.D. quickly got involved with other pioneers and by March 1844 he was selected as the founding Captain of the Oregon Rangers militia and in May he was voted to serve as a representative in the 1844 legislative body of the pre-provisional government.

The Keizur family patriarch is immortalized in a statue mounted on a Morgan horse – located at Keizer City Hall, Keizer Civic Center at 930 Chemawa Rd NE, Keizer, Oregon. T.D. Keizur was the patriarch of the founding family that included the Fords, Penters, and Hesses (of Newberg/Yamhill) that settled along the banks of the Willamette River.   https://www.keizer.org/td-keizur-statue

A new website has been created to share Thomas Dove Keizur’s Oregon story and his service in the 1844 government and as first Captain of the Oregon Rangers.

Link to our new interactive online exhibit:

https://keizerheritagemuseum.org/thomasdove

https://oregoncapitol.com/event/digital-exhibit
The Keizer Heritage Museum is extremely grateful for the generous grant from the Oregon State Capitol Foundation that made this all possible.

A special exhibit will at the Keizer City Hall from November 4 through January 31, 2025

– Celebration on November 15, 2024.

Discover more at the Keizer Heritage Museum.

more about the Keizur family:

https://keizerheritagemuseum.org/keizer-naming-a-community

https://keizerheritagemuseum.org/keizer-families

https://keizerheritagemuseum.org/thomasdove

The vision of former Keizer Council member and historian, Dr. Gerry McGee, and the statue committee culminated in the beautiful bronze statue created and forged by artist Gareth Curtiss. On January 30, 2010, the City of Keizer officials, residents and nearly 150 descendants of Thomas Dove and Mary (Gurley) Keizur were present at this monumental event. The day is memorized in video by Gary Keizur and KeizerTV.com.
Thomas Dove Keizur Statue Dedication, Keizer, OR – Jan. 30, 2010 by Gary Keizur (8:45 minutes)

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Thomas Dove Keizur Statue Dedication, Keizer, OR – Jan. 30, 2010 by KeizerTV.com (14 minutes)

https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMFA80_Captain_TD_Keizur_Keizer_Oregon

In gratitude to the Oregon Historical Society, the Keizer Heritage Museum is now the proud custodian of the legendary Keizur family wedding socks. The prized 1813 marriage gift was cared for and made the journey from North Carolina to Oregon in 1844.

Mary Gurley Keizur crafted the cotton wedding socks for her beloved Thomas Dove in North Carolina. Her family grew the cotton, the industrious Mary spun the yarn and knitted the white socks for her husband to wear on the day of their marriage on November 13, 1813. Later their son, grandson and a great-grandson would wear the same socks on their wedding days.

The socks were donated in 1903 to the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) by their daughter, Elizabeth Jane Keizur Cornell (born 7 OCT 1835 in Arkansas).

The wedding socks were highlighted in 2019 by the Keizer Heritage Museum in a community display at Willamette Heritage Center as they were on special loan by the OHS.

Now, the socks are a cherished edition to our new Keizur family exhibit at the Keizer Heritage Museum. Debuting November 15, 2024, to coincide with the November 13, 1813, marriage of Thomas Dove and Mary Gurley Keizur as well as commemorating their birthdays – on the same day in North Carolina – November 20, 1793.  

Debuting on November 15!!!!

See the new Keizur family exhibit at the Keizer heritage Museum

~ The big reveal on november 15!