The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-09-03
Manner Willis, Pioneer of "a.

Msnnen Willis, an Oregon pioneer
of '54, died at his home near here
Monday, aged 60 years. Mr.. Willis Is
survived by bis wife, Emma G. Kun
kel, to whom he was married in 1900,
and one son. His father, with whom
he crossed the plains. died in 1862
and his mother in 1892. The funeral
took place Tuesday afternoon at 2
o'clock from the U. B. church, Rev.
q. W. Corum officiating, with in er.
ment in Idewil1e cemetery in this
city under direction of S. Il. Bart
mess.
Nj. Willis was born in Benton coun.
ty, Missouri, May q, 1889, and in
company with bis parents at the age
of Is lett Missouri for Oregon in Ap-
il, 1854 In the fall of that year he
arrived In Lane county, where be liv
ed until 1871, when he moved to Pen
dleton. Iu 1891 he came to Hood Rie
er, where he resided until his death.
Mr.. Willis was an earnest church
worker and was superintendent OF the
Sunday school of the Christian church
at Pendleton for nine years. He also
taught the Billie class In the United
Brethren church here for numb ber of
years.
In diary which he kept he tells of
his trip across the plains more than
half century ago. From its pages is
cleaned the fact that although but 10
he drove one OF the three OK teams
which constituted the family train
and that his sisters, the eldest OF
whom was but IA, drove the loose cat
tie during their long journey over
the dusty plains and rugged mountain
passes. The journey was made through
the territory now comprising Nebras
ka, Wyoming and Idaho, and / ok
place a year in advance of tho time
that the Hudson Bay company was
forced to vacate United States terri
tory. In fact Mr.. Willis states that
emissaries of the company eXerted
themseles to turn the tide of emigra-
tion away from Oregon even at that
late date and In his account of his
trip he says: "At several points we
came across trading stations maintain
ed by men employed by the Hudson
Bay company. One OF these was Kept
by an old Hudson Bay man named
Capt. Grant. This man Grant was one
OF the historic characters of the north
Pacific coast and was opposed to the
occupancy by the United States Of the
vast territory that WAS then known Us
Oregon. 1t was through the fear of
coming In contact with Grant that
Marcus Whitman In making his cele
brated trip across the plains in winter
went SO much out of his way and
reac he'd the coast by going south of
Salt Lake. Capt. Grant did all he
could even in our time to turn emf
grafton away from Oregon and sue
oeeded In turning many toward Cali
fornia, as the California and Oregon
roads separated at this point. We
stopped at the trading station for an
hour or two, hut resumed our journey
toward Oregon Notwithstanding Capt.
Grant, who impressed me with being
a rough specimen living among the
Indians and having squaw for
wife,"
In other pats Of the diary he tells
OF reaching Boise Basin, the Snake
river country and finally the Gas.
cades, and relates that 1t was not un-
til they had crossed the summit of the
mountains that they we're attacked by
Indians. They we're successful in re-
pulsing them, however, aud continued
their journey up the Malheur river
At one point in this section the
graves of several hundred emigrants
who died in the cholera and smallpox
plague of 1852 we're passed, many of
which had been dug open by the
coyotes and the bones scattered in all
directions.
On reaching the Deschutes river the
provisions gave out and for several
days the party had nothing to eat but
a little corn meal until they reached
trading post. In the latter part of
August the party commenced the do
scent of the Cascade mountains and II
few days after left the foothills and
reached the middle tork of the viii
annette river. HeIe they struck road
made through the timber by former
emigrants and reached Butte Disap.
pointment, near which Mr.. Willis says
vas the finest body of timber he has
ever seen In his 80 years residence in
Oregon. At Little Prairie the first
potatoes eaten by the party since they
left Missouri were secured and few
days later they came to little white
schooDhouse around which the child.
rem we're playinp the same games he