Ezra Morgan Meeker was an American pioneer, entrepreneur, and author who played a significant role in settling and later memorializing the American West. Born in Ohio in 1830, Meeker relocated to Indiana during his youth. In 1851, he married Eliza Jane Sumner, and the following year, the couple embarked on a grueling six-month journey along the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Territory. Settling in the Puget Sound region of Washington state in 1862, Meeker established a highly successful hop-farming business in Puyallup, earning him the moniker "Hop King of the World" and leading to his election as the town's first mayor.
Despite achieving immense wealth, Meeker's fortunes shifted dramatically in 1891 when a devastating hop aphid infestation destroyed his crops. Seeking new opportunities, he embarked on several ventures, including four arduous but largely unsuccessful trips to the Klondike during the gold rush to sell groceries.
In his later years, Meeker became deeply concerned that the history of the Oregon Trail was fading from public memory. This inspired him to dedicate his remaining decades to its preservation. In his late seventies, he began repeatedly retracing his original pioneer journey, traveling by ox-drawn wagon, oxcart, and eventually by airplane to promote the trail's historical significance. He successfully lobbied for the installation of monuments along the route, met with President Theodore Roosevelt, and received support from figures like Henry Ford. Meeker documented his experiences and historical advocacy in several books, ensuring that the legacy of the western migration survived well into the modern era.
