Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-09-08
American Settlement Of Oregon.


In the latter part Of January,
1912, the War Department, which
at that period embraced the Indian
Bure Ill, appointed DIR. Elijah White,
discharged physician Of the Oregon
Methodist Mission, Sub-Agent for
the Iniian tribes west of the Rocky
Mountains, with Il compensation Of
seven hundred and fifty dollars per
antun. He was expected to
make reports GIVING information
H. to the Territory, lis resources,
! geneial features AS to soil, ci'mlte
adaptation for settlement, tEr 'i'.m-
Der and condition Of the popl.., .Dn,
statistics as to the Indian tribes west
Of the Rocky Mountains, Their at
u,ude towards the american settlers,
and the influence eXerted by the
presence of the Hudson's Bay Com
pahY.
Althourh this appointment was
Without pp.i'lcal slSnlii:anc it, with
the iirs, Fremont Expedition which
fuilJwod may he considered as in
dicl'iuS that the Executive Depart
III mt OF the nation WAS awakening
10 IN interest III the internal affairs
If tie territory.
In the sprnr, the War Depart
ment instructed John c. Fremont,
|. >. Typographical Engineers. " 10
eAp!ole and report upon the country
between the frontiers of Missouri
and the South Pass i'll the Rocky
Mountains, and on the line of The
Kansas and the Great Platte rivers
Since Wilson T. Hunt, i'll command
OF Astor's overland expedition, had
/ discovered South Pass, in November,
1872, that region had been annually
traversed by hunters and trappers.
That Pass IN the Rocky Mountains
/ had been crossed by pack animals,
by carts, by wagons. Nay more,
the missionary women on horseback
had in 1886, 1888, 1889 and 1910,
successfully crossed the continent.
Ii it were essential to tie recogni
ton that practicable wagon road
could cross those plains and noun
tains, that the shores of the Paci-
ic could be reached overland by
emigrants from the fioutier States,
should be guided by trapper over
the beaten track Year after year pur-
sued by uncultuled Rocky Noun
tain men and SO recently by women,
such had now been supplied by the
first Fremont Reconnaissance. He
had gone over the route. he had seen
it, he returned to Washington and
made Il scientific report. Brief ",
he left st. Louis May BIND; as
sended the Missouri river 400 miles,
travelled westward reaching the
South Pass, August Sth, and by 18th
October | al returned to Washing
ton. The Government had become
possessed of IN official report, which
only verified the oft-repeated ac-
counts Of experienced hunters and
trappers, the published statements
of Wilson p. Hunt, the Subiette
Brothers, Ashley, Pitcher, Bonnie
vile and Rev. Samuel Parker.
! About the 18th March, DIR. E..
White accompanied by Medorum
Crawford and Nathaniel Crocker
Of New York, and the two Mckay
brothers, Alexander and John, ma
tives Of Oregon, started from their
respective homes in New York State
for Independence, Missouri, which
they reached on the first of May
Several families and single men en-
route for Oregon were encamped
twenty miles to the southwest at
Elm Grove. The number of emf
grants increased until the 10th, up
on which day meeting was held to
organize company. After general
, discussions of subjects connected
) with the purposes in view, it was
Resolved: That every male over the
age of eighteen years shall be pro-
. vided with one mule or horse OF
wagon conveyance; shall have one
, gun, three pounds of powder, twelva
: pounds of lead, one thousand caps
or suitable tlints, fifty poands OF
flour or meal, and thirty pounds OF
bacon, and suitable proportion OF
provisions for women and children
and, if any present DO not SO pro.
, vided, he shall be rejected.
DR.. White having been called
upon SO to do by the meeting, read
his appointment as Sub-Agent in
Oregon Territory, and was elected
Captain for one month. Columbia
=. Lancaster, S. w. Hastings and A.
l.. Lovejoy were constituted O
" scientific corps 10 keep II faithful
and true ret ord of everything fol-
. the benefit of all those who may
hereafter move to Oregon, and that
e Government may be well Informed
: of the road, its distractions, means
of subsistence, emineuces, depres-
sions, distances, bearings, etc"
A blacksmith, wagon maker, road
and bridge builder were selected
, each of whom were authorized to
: employ two assistants, and when
Y necessary to call upon the force OF
: the company. The code of laws
: was to be enforced by reprimand,
fines and final exclusion. Profane
= swearing, obscene conversation and
immoral conduct rendered the
offender liable to expulsion; a re-
gister of the names of every man
e women and child was to he kept by
t Nathaniel Croker, Company Secre.
I tary.
8 James Coats, who had been to
Green river, was chosen Pilot
These preliminaries all settled, the
+ first emigrant train for Oregon,
: moved westward from Elm Grove.
1t consisted of one hundred and
five persons, fifty one of whom were
males over the age of eighteen
years, eighteen wagons and Il large
/ band of horses, mules and cattle.
1