Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-03-15
Third installment.)

(Ih1r0 1nStdllmcnC.)
The late Colonel M. T. Simmons
headed the small party of American
families who settled in the vicinity
of the falls of Des Chutes river in
October, 1845, about one year ante
rior to Mr.. Sylvester occupying the
Olympia claim. Colonel Simmons
was of the emigration of 1914, being
colonel in the Independent Oregon
company commanded by General Cor
nelius Gillian. These Offices were
created and conferred by the emf
grants.
Colonel Simmons and family and
those in his immediate train or sub
company wintered at Washougal, in
Clarke county, spending however
about one month at Vancouver.
Upon leaving Missouri it had been
his intention to settle in Southern
Oregon, but on arriving at Fort Van
couver Gov. Mclaughlin so pertina-
ciously forbid Americans to settle
north of the Columbia river that the
Colonel determined to locate upon
Puget Sound.
At the request of the company he
started in December, 1914, for a
reconnaissance of the Sound country,
accompanied by Messrs. LOOMS,
Williamson and the three brothers,
John, James and Henry Owens. They
travelled up the Cowlitz river to the
forks, when their provisions became
short and the navigation of that
stream discouraging. But the colonel,
who had considerable superstition in
his bold, manly nature, says he really
turned back because of vision
which he had before leaving Missouri,
indicating he would find just such a
place as the forks of the Cowlitz and
be compelled to abandon his enter
prise.
Here he saw mapped out the place
which appeared to him in his dream.
Several old settlers will call to mind
that vision of the Colonel. All will
however agree that the forks of the
Cowlitz in the month of December
would discourage the boldest. They
returned, Colonel Simmons determin-
ing to resume the exploration at a
more fitting season. Neither of the
others of that party attempted to re-
turn to the Sound.
In passing, We may note that Mrs.
Simmons. while at Washougal april,
1845) gave birth to son, Christie
pher c., the first white American
child born north and west of the
Columbia river and the first white
male child within the confines of the
present Washington territory. This
distinction is made because of the
fact that the first white American
child born in Washington territory
was a daughter to Mrs. Marcus Whit
man, at Waillatpu, in the present
county of Walla Walla, w. T.. though
several miles east Of the Columbia
river.
In July. 1S45. Colonel Simmons
again started from the Columbia
river for Puget Sound, accompanied
by George Wanch, now a settler near
Skookumchuck, William Shaw. faith
err of Colonel B. F. Shaw. and seven
others, none of whom, however, set
tied in the country except Messrs.
Simmons and Wanch. At that time
Mr.. White, known only as "Old Man"
White, was the only American settler
between the mouth of the Willamette
and Cowlitz rivers. occupying claim
near the site of the present town of
st. Helens. The late James Birnie,
in the Hudson Bay company service,
lived at Cathlamet. on the Washing
ton side of the Columbia, and Cap
tain Scarborough was setted near
the mouth of the Columbia.
Returning to the Cowlitz river,
Anton Gobar, herder in the employ
of the Hudson Bay Co., occupied the
small prairie on the east side of the
Cowlitz river, opposite to but little
below the .granaries of the H. B. Co.,
near the site of the town of Monticel-
10. Gobar kept the station and herd
ed stock In transit from Vancouver
to the Cowlitz Farms and Fort Mis-
qually, which passed on the trails on
the north side of the Cowlitz river.
The above. with Fort Nisqually and
the Cowlitz Farms and Mission, we're
all the white settlements except Fort
Vancouver, north and west of the
Columbia river.
Colonel Simmons and party, upon
reaching, the Cowlitz prairie. procured
the services of Peter Bercier as guide
and then started for the Sound. 1t
Is proper to add that they learned at
this point that John r. Jackson had
been in the vicinity just before, and
being pleased with the country had
made a location and was then upon
his return to Oregon City for his
stock and effects. 1t will thus be
seen that while Colonel Simmons had
essayed in the winter of 1S445 the
first exploration with view to set
Element, that John r. Jackson had
made the farthest advance and &C
tually marked the first location.
For both of these old settlers the
claim as "pioneer" has been asserted.
1t therefore becomes interesting to
examine the facts upon which such
claims are respectively based.
Mr.. Jackson, during the winter of
Durham. parish of Steindrop, Eng