, 1866-08-03
wALLUIA CORRESPONDENCE. .


1t seems certain corporation known as the
"Hudsen Bay Company" claim a large interest
in this town site (waliula) and every now and
then they deem Il advisable to keep'the claim
alive against the United States Probe the mat
ter little.
10 1860 we had visit from Governor Dallas,
of the Hudson Bay Co., and his staff. He took
the usual measurements and inventory, and
short time afterwards presented to Congress,
among other items: "walluia, $50 ,6s7 Az"
The party of Englishmen who arrived last week,
again took measurements, and understand they
now put their claim for Wallula at $3.50, 600;
but whether they consider the property has i'm
proved since 1860 to the tune of $66,3l2 50, or
whether they make the addition to cover greens
backs, is questionable.
This claim is for improvements the Hudson
Bay Company claim to have made on the ground
and surrendered to the United States on the lst
of May, 1860 as per treaty with England on the
''54 40 or fight" question.
This point was first settled by Alex. Ross, for
the American Fur Company in 1922. There
was always strong feeling of enmity existing
between the Hudson Bay Co. and the American
Co., particularly throughout Oregon and Wash
ington Territory. In fact, the English claimed
at one time all the land lying North Of the Col
umba river, and had so completely instillcd this
idea into the minds Of the Indians, that they
considered all 'BostOn men" intruding on the
soil of liking George men," This warfare be-
tween the two companies, became so bitter
throughout Oregon and Washington Territories
that it was deemed advisable by the American
Company to sell out TO the English Company
and abandon the country which they did about
the year -.
The improvements erected by Ross were OF
wood-what was called Picket Post" The
location was central for large scope of country
and consequently commanded large portion Of
the Indian trade that had heretofore gone to
Dalles and Vancouver. Ross secured the trade
of the Ncz Pcrces, Spokaues, Walla WallNs,
Cayuses, Umatilas, Yakimas, Klckitats and
portion of the Snakes This did not set well
on the minds of the English Company, so they
finally bought out the American Company and
thenceforward had it all their own way until
! the Northwestern Boundary question was sprung
| and /" 81 40 or fight" rang through the land. In
the settlement of this question the Hudson Bay
Company were protected in the treaty, thus far
They were to remain on the soil and trade as
heretofore until the lst of May 1860, if they
wished to do SO. They were not to hold any fee
simple in the land they occupied, but were to be
paid for such improvements as were left on the
ground the value of same 10 be assessed by
Commissioners appointed by each Government,
and the United States Was 10 pay the Company
such award.
The buildings erected by Ross and transferred
to the Hudson Bay Company were burned in
1899, and the old adobe buildings, walls and
bastions were commenced in 1910 and finished
| in l845, under the supervision of Archibald
McKinIay, formerly of Oregon City and Cham
pocg, Oregon, and now residing in British Co.
/ lumbia.
! The Fort was abandoned by the Hudson Bay
Company in 1856. During the Yakima war the
Indians entered it, destroyed large amount of
property belonging to the Hudson Bay Compa-
ny and also some provisions belonging to the
United States that had been stored in the South
Bastion by Governor l. l. Stevens; and then set
| FIRE to and burned all the buildings and sheds
inside the walls and broke down portion of
the Fort walls-the southeast corner. This
was the condition of the Hudson Bay Cos i'm
prorsmsnts when Col. Kelly Qate candidate for
Governor of Oregou) arrived with the Oregon
volunteers portion of the command cnmped
one night within the old Fort walls, and filled
the breach in the southeast corner Of the walls
with drift wood.
After the war was over it was thought Rdvi-
sable to erect Fort somewhere in or near. the
Walla Walla valley, the Indian name of which
is Paska PUN" Perhaps many of your citi-
zcns are not aware OF the fact that the first To-
cation of Fort Walia Walla was some twelve
miles from where it now stands, and it would
have been erected on the original site but for
the trouble the Indians gave the employees.
After the Fort was bnit on its present site, il
was necessary to have Quarter Master Agency
at old Fort walla Walls (nOw Wallula, which,
by the way, is the original Indian name of the
point and Mr.. C. P. Higgins appointed to
that position, which be held until March, 1860
Mr.. Higgins, for some, was protected by a cor.
poral's guard of soldiers. He erected a small
adobe building outside of the old Fort walls
from materials found "lyiug round loose
portions of the Indian destruction.
The Improvements which the Hudson Bay Co.
demand pay for, (Only $3.50, 900 y standing on
the Columbia, near the mouth of the Walla Wal.
la river, were four adobe buildings, forming g
square enclosure one hundred and twenty feet
square, ten feet higa and two feet thick a
northeast and southwest baston,- each about
fifteen feet square and twenty feet high, and por.
tions ofthe walls of two adobe buildings within
the enclosure. The southeast bastion wa,
badly shattered and had to be propped up to keer
it from falling. The whole front walls, with tb,
south bastion, were taken down in 1851 TIL,