The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-03-07
FIRST MARKERS OF
THE OREGON TRAIL

An interesting paper was read bJ
Mrs. Crandall at meeting OF the Or
egon Historical society last week, ano
is as follows:
We are here to tell the story this at
ternoon OF the historic "roadmakers'
of 1S43, for whom Pioneer Meeker and
our city OF The Dalles dedicated the
landmark in the Union Street parh
about year ago with appropriate Ger.
emonies, bearing the legend END Of
the Oregon Trail, lS43-l906. /"
The honor of being the first &c
reach The Dalles by wagon and OK
team is claimed by Ninevah ford,
who was the foremost In the train
that arrived late in October OF l843.
The train, which consisted OF some
thing less than LOCO souls, had late
start from the Missouri river, for 10
was we'll towards the first OF June be-
fore they we're under way. j. W. Mes
NTH was elected sergeant. Whitman
was with this train, returning home
from his famous winter ride OF the
year before. Fremont's government
expedition was to the rear OF the reg
iment train, not arriving at The
Dalles until November, after the last
of the immigration had gone down
the river.
Ii was when these intrepid "road-
makers" reached the Blue mountains
that the strenuous end OF the Oregon
trail was reached. 1t was during the
first days CT October and a severe
snow storm that 45 men cut wagon
road in five days through the timber
of the main chain OF the Blue noun
tains. At Fort Walla Walla the train
divided. The main body, headed by
Waldo, took the land route to The
Dalles, while Applegate and Burnett
left their teams and built boats and
descended the river. Applegate 8
boat was overturned in the rapids,
said TO be between The Dalles and Ce-
lilo, and a son of Jesse Applegate and
two men were drowned. AT The
Dalles they built RATS II ON the Pine
trees on the foothills near, upon
which they lashed their knock dowr
wagons and loads. Sometimes GOV
cred wagon bed was left and used as
cabin by the women and children. II
one of these cabins on raft chile
was born bet cen The Dallea and th,
Cascades.
A small party, headed by M. M
McCalvei, took what Is called DAME
Lees cattle trail over the CASCADE
mountains by way of Mount Hoot
and Dog river, now Hood river. A
the Cascades the RATS could not b
taken over and the wagons must b
set up. The cattle we're driven dow
the trail, swimming them across tn
river at The Dalles to the north banl
and re.orossing to the south side a
Vancouver. 1t was at the Cascade
that the suiferings OF the emigrant
we're greatest. The rains had set In
cold and wintry. The provisions RAJ
out and many we're In danger o
starvation. Two weeks we're neede'
to cut wagon road around the Gas
cades, then another water journey t.
Vancouver or Oregon City. Dr.. Nc
Laughiin sent two boat t-loads OF pro
visions and Robert Shortess aud 9th
ers rendered timely aid.
The only death that happened a
the Cascades was that of q negi'
woman, a servant of Mrs. Barnett
who, stepping on the edge OF canoe
which sheered from under, fell Int
the river aud disappeared. The deaf
of this woman was the ninth on tn
road.
The immi grafton arriving the yea
of the beginning of the provisions
government was the lawmakers, a
we'll as homemakers and Ioadmakers
of that era.
OF the historic company Of peopl
we have still with us Mrs. s. M. GIL
more, although at an advanced age
tells many.interesting incidents of th
immigration Of lS43.