The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-04-27
Continued from last week.


Here Roginson, Rezner and Hoo
back were outfitted and remained 70
trap and hunt On September 10,
Mr.. Stuart and his little party
reached the headwaters OF the
Snake where their horses were
stolen by rascally band Of Grow
Indians and they proceeded on their
way on foot. The winter was spent
in camp on the banks Of the Plate
river and in the spring the march
to st. Louis was renewed. Finally
on April 80, 1913, the party reached
st. Louis and the dispatches were
sent to Mr. Astor in New York City.
The Journey had taken ten months
of time and incredible hardships and
the news Of the Journey OF Mr.. Hunt
created a great sensation. and was
the first news of the establishment
OF Astoria at the mouth of the Co
lumbia
In the year 1s43 the first wagon
train TO reach the Willamette valley
loft Fort Hall. in the vicinity OF Poca
tello. Idaho. under the command OF
Or. Marcus whitman This was
called at the time the Great Emil
grafton" because there were 1000
people In the party. But nine or
ten years later. the real migration"
took place when 100000 people
swept In a vast tidal wave OF human
ity from the middle west to the Pa
cifio coast.
Under the guidance OF DR.. Whit
man, the party passed by the present
site OF Huntington and on up the
Burnt river canyon and on septem-
her 2sth reached the Powder River
valley In Baker county. oregon.
The Grande Rondc Valley was
reached October ist and crossing tho
Blue mountains his party reached
the Walla walla valley the latter
part OF the month. Continuing on to
tho Columbia river, the party en-
barked on boats and reached the
Willamette valley the latter part OF
November. iS43.
Al this time II Is proper TO digress
for a moment and take note OF the
Champoeg convention held at Cham
poeg. willamette valley. May 2. is43
AZ this meeting i02 men gathered.
The proposition OF forming Pro-
yjsional Government was put 10
vote and IL appeared TO bo tic until
a Frenchman, Francois Bayler Mat
thieu. walked over TO the American
side and the great oregon country.
which at that time included all OF
Oregon. Washington. Idaho. Mon
tana and part OF Wyoming. was
saved TO the United States,
After the migration OF is4S. only
scattering parties wended their way
TO- tho oregon country until the
year 1859 when the greatest rush OF
home seekers the world has ever
seen took place.
Whole families left their COM
Portable home and friends, family
ties were broken and business con-
neetions severed for the purpose OF
Joining In that mad rush for the
mysterious land across the mountains
where homes might be secured for
taking.
Perils were considered as nought.
but with faces set resolutely toward
the setting sun. the pioneers of the
great Northwest set out to subdue
the wilderness and establish homes
where rolls the Oregon" The Old
Oregon Trail proper, began at In
dependence. Missouri as did the
Santa Fe trail. For Al miles the
two trails pursued the same course,
then they forked. the Santa Fe head
ing southwest and the Oregon Trail
to the Northwest.
At the forks OF the road was a
simple sign reading. Road 10 Ore
gon" That sign would be worth
its weight in gold today to any his
torical society. The Old Oregon Trail
ran TO the Northwest along the
Little Blue river until It struck the
valley OF the Platte about 500 miles
from Independence.
The route then lay up the Platte
TO a point near the forks OF the
Platte where there were two routes.
The Oregon Trail followed the south
fork for a short distance then
turned Northwest and reached the
north fork. past what is now Chey-
enne. reaching Laramie, Wyoming,
which was the last post on the
eastern side OF the Rockies. The
famous Independence Rock, SSs
miles from Independence was one OF
the most noteworthy and well known