East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-10-09

line OlQ OEl
ciety held an afternoon at the his
torical building this week, the pro-
gram being "McLoughlin, the Father
or Oregon" in honor Of September
being the fiftieth anniversary Of his
death. The following is the sketch
of the "oregon City Claim" present.
ed by Mrs. C. ]. Crandall:
To the history reader Of today one
of the most unjust and unaccountaole
acte of legislation was that depriving
DIR. Mclaughlin of his land claim at
Oregon City by the donation land law
of 1850.
Prior to this law there was no le-
gal title to lands in the whole ore
Ron country. Still the rights OF the
claimants had been respected, know
ing that when the boundary line was
decided upon that title would be
made whether from the United States
government or from England.
This vast territory from California
on the south to the Russian line on
the north, and from the Rockies TO
the ocean. was held in joint occu-
nancy by both England and the
United States. under the treaty OF
1918. which settled affairs after our
way of 1912. Under the joint occu-
pancy treaty the Englishman and
the American had equal rights, al
though the Hudson Bay company
seemed to be in possession.
When DR.. Mclaughlin had been
here six years, in 1929, he located a
claim at the Willamette river falls
on the land now occupied by ore
gon City. recognizing the valuable
location with a future. This claim
is known in history as the Oregon
City Claim" When the provisional
government was established in 1S4S,
DIR. Mclaughlin and the HUDSON
Fay people did not go into the or
ganization for obvious reasons, as the
organization was openly avowed IN
favor of the United States.
The land lay of the provincial gov
ernment of 1S4S was first to he dis
criminated against the doctor
claim. saying that no one should hold
& claim on townsite OF waterpower
but was not to be construed to dis
criminate against any mission claim
Two years later this was repealed
and DR.. Mclaughlin and the Hud'
son bay people pecame part of the
civil government. During these Ore
gon City was growing fast, and the
doctor had given away and sold oVel
two hundred lots, title 20 which would
be made when joint occupancy ceas'
ed
The division line, the 49th degree
was made June, 1916. and the coun'
try south declared United States ter
ritory August IA, 1S4S. In March
1S49, Governor Lane set up the ter
ritorial government in Oregon. anC
in May, Dr. Mclaughlin took the
oath Of allegiance, declaring hii
readiness to become an American cit
izen. He had previously resigned
his position as chief factor of the
hudson Bay company, so that his
right to the claim at oregon City was
as good as any claimant to lands In
Oregon. Then came the passage OF
the donation land law, September 29
1850, Of which section IL says: "That
which is known as the Oregon City
claim shall be set apart and will be
at the disposal of the legislature >
for the establishment of university
title being confirmed to the owners
of the lots sold or given away. This
section is said to have been incor.
porated into the original Linn land
bill by Delegate Thurston, who wai
elected by the Anti-Hudson Bay tick.
et
The consequence was that the doc
tor who had made extensive improve
ments, no provision being made b!
the law to pay for them. became {
poor heartbroken, sick man. Th'
legislative session of 1854, defeated
a resolution offered by pioneer o
Wasco county and a townsman, Or
1ando Humason, as a tribute to th'
services rendered the early immi
grants, by Or. Mclaughlin.
1t was unseemly to vote a "thanl
YOU" when the territory had becom'
possessed Of his land in the manner
II had. Nothing was done unit
1862. five years after his death, and
12 years after the passage Of the do
nation land law, and three years af
ter oregon became state, when thu