Elizabeth Caruthers was a pioneer settler in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Born in Tennessee, she married Joe Thomas in 1816, and the couple had one son, Finice. The Thomases separated early, and many years later Caruthers and her son re-located to Portland, settling near the Willamette River in 1847.Filing claims under the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850, the mother and son acquired 320 acres (130 ha) each and built a house in what later became known as the South Portland neighborhood.