| Jennie Pickett | early Oregon citizen |
| Charles Pickett | Jennie’s husband, assistant superintendent of Oregon State Prison |
| Douglas Pickett | son of Jennie and Charles |
| Baby Ariyah | deceased daughter of the Picketts |
| Lucinda Sloan | Jennie’s sister and housemate |
| Joseph Sloan | Jennie’s brother-in-law, Charles Pickett’s boss as superintendent of OSP |
| Nellie and Mary | Sloan children |
| *Ariyah Cole | Jennie’s best friend |
| *Peleg | Ariyah’s husband |
| *Alexandro | Ariyah and Peleg’s son |
| Jacob and Mary Lichtenthaler | Jennie’s parents (farmers and legislators) |
| George Lichtenthaler | Jennie’s brother (botanist) |
| David “DW” Lichtenthaler | Jennie’s brother (lawyer and judge) |
| Fergus Lichtenthaler | Jennie’s brother, butcher and later policeman in Portland |
| William Lichtenthaler | Jennie’s brother, farmer near Salem |
| Mathias and Rebecca | Jennie’s siblings, deceased |
| Josiah Parrish | early missionary, blacksmith, Indian agent, benefactor of Blind and Deaf school, Trustee of Willamette University |
| Elizabeth | first wife of Josiah Parrish, benefactor of orphanage |
| Norman Parrish (wife Henrietta) | children of Josiah and Elizabeth |
| Samuel Parrish | |
| Charles Winn Parrish (wife Annie) | |
| Lamberson (deceased) | |
| Charley Chen | Chinese cook |
| *Lizzie | maid and nanny of Josiah and Jennie |
| Callie Charlton | (child is Lenora) colleague and fellow student with Jennie |
| Mary Sawtelle | Jennie’s doctor |
| *Character not based on historical person | |