Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-01-13
American Settlement of Oregon.
Establishment OF the Oregon Mission,
under the Auspices OF the American
Board of Commissioners o: Foreign
Missions.

The American Board of Commits
sioners of Foreign Missions, chiefly
sustained ht Cungreya!ionaIists, fur
nished support 20 Missionaries con-
nected with Presbyterian, Congrega-
tional and Dutch Reformed Church
es. It's Oregon Mission embraced
the Indi N tribes East of Columbia
river; its several stations or branch =
were established among the Cayuse,
Nez Perez and FIathead nations.
In the. Spring of 1884. the Board
appointed Rev. Samuel Parker, Rev,
John Dunbar and Mr.. Samuel Allis,
Jr., 20 make an exploring tour
among the Indian tribes near or
beyond the Rocky Mountains. If
impracticable to proceed so far that
year, they were to visit the Pawnee
nation, on Platte river. They left
Ithaca, New York, May 5th, 1884
and arrived at St. Louis on the 23l
too late to accompany the annual
caravan of the American Fur COM
pany. Messrs. Dunbar and Allis
continued their journey to the Paw
nee country; Mr.. Parker returned
to the East.
1835). Marcus Whitman, M.
D., having been associated with
Mr.. Parker, on the 18th March
1895, the latter left Ithaca, reaching
ST. Louis, April 4th, where DR..
Whitman awaited, him. The Mis-
sionary explorers crossed the Plains
and Rocky Mountains with the an
nual caravan Of the American Fur
Company, reaching on the 18th
August, Green river, q branch Of
Colorado of the West in latitude
400 North. The missionaries re-
manned together for several days,
meeting large number of Indians.
Chiefs of the Nez Perces and Flat
head Indian tribes, to whom Messrs
Parker and Whitman explained the
designs of the American Board
enthusiastically welcomed the COM
ing of missionaries and teachers,
asked that religious instructors might
be sent to their country to establish
missions among them. Both mis-
sionaries concurred in opinion that
there was a promising field beyond
the Rocky mountains; both assured
the Indians present that their wishes
should be gratitied.
On the 22d August the mission
aries parted, DIR. Whitman returning
East with the caravan to report to
the Board, Mr.. Parker continuing
his tour westward, the Indians es-
cortins him to Fort Walla Walla
which he reached Oh the 9th Octob
er. He arrived at Fort Vancouver
on the 10th, where he was most
Hospitality received by Chief Factor
Mclaughlin, of the Hudson Bay Co.
Stopping one night at the Fort, he
continued his exploration to the
mouth of the Columbia, and returned
to Fort Vancouver by the 30th
where he made his winter quarters
In the Spring he traversed much o.
Oregon.
| (1S36.) On the 28th of June, ht
took passage on the H. b. Cos. boa
Columbia, for Honolulu where ht
arrived July 14th. Here Mr.. Parker
was detained until Dec. 18th, await
ing passage to tho United States il
the whaling ship PhGnir, via Cape
Horn to New London, Connecticut,
where he arrived May 18th, 1887, OF
the 23d he reached Ithaca. The
Missionary tour of Rev. Samuel
Parker. published in 1898, impaired
most valuable informant as the
route to Oregon, the Importance o.
that territory and many interesting
features as to the native population
climate, geology and natural his
tory. 1t exhibits how Oregon could
'be reached by land and sea, its iso
lation, its mail communications q,
that period afforded only by sailing
vessels TO Sandwich Islands and
from thence to the United States, OF
by the annual expresses accompany.
ing the caravan of tie American Fun
company or the brigade of the Hud
sons Bay Company Of York Factory
i DR.. Whitman's report determined
the Board to establish the Oregon
Mission. He WAS selected for the
duty. Betrothed to Narcissa Prem
tiss, she was ready to devote herself
to missionary labor and to accom-
pany him. A female companion had
thus been rendered necessary. Tt
Rev. Henry H. Spalding and wife
who had already set out for the
Usage nation, DIR. Whitman submit
ted his plan. The Spalding's readi
ly consented to accompany DR.. Whit
man, and they were transferred to
the proposed Oregon Mission. DR.
Whitman married and the wedding
tour across the American continent
was made under escort of the rough
mountain men Of the American Ful
Company. The Missionary part,
consisted of DIR. Whitman, physician
and catechist, and wife, Rev. Henry
H. Spalding missionary, and wife
and William H. Gray, mechanic anc
teacher. In the Spring of 1886, the
party reached st. Louis, and accom-
panied the caravan of fur traders
to Green river. There they met q
trading party OF the Hudson Bay
company, with whom they Travelled
J to Fort Vancouver, where they ar
rived, September II, 1886. This
missionary journey demonstrated
that the American continent coulG
be safely crossed by women and
children, and that Oregon could bs
peopled overland from the Western
frontier; that the Great American
Desert and the Rocky Mountains
were no longer to be regarded as in.
surmountable barriers to trans-con.
tinental travel. By the middle Of
November, 1886, o station among