M. L. Wardell

“ It is apparent that the other eastern state enterprise , the Oregon Provisional Emigration Society , contributed no emigrants notwithstanding the fact that it was founded for that sole purpose . The occupation of Oregon was a national question promoted generally by men in Congress from western states and pushed to its ultimate success by their constitu ents going there and making good the claims set forth . ”

“ Other eastern states contributed very few . It appears that states with an active frontier were sending the largest numbers . There were sections in New York and Vermont , at that date , as well as Maine , that had all marks of the frontier . Massachusetts was too busy with other activities to be come interested to the extent of sending her citizens to Oregon . ”

“ We shall establish a regular com mercial communication with the United States, drawing supplies of men and goods from thence ; and eventually we shall contemplate the opening of a trade with the various ports of the Pacific . A few years only will be required to fill the plains of Oregon with herds as valu able as those of the Spanish savannas ; and various sources of profit will reveal themselves , as increase of population shall make new resources necessary . ”

“ Thinking that he discovered signs of the colony becoming an extensive and valuable field of usefulness , and that for various reasons , the Flatheads had less claim for missionary efforts than had been supposed , he determined to assume the re sponsibility and commence a mission on the Willamette . He directed its principal energies to bear for the pro motion of the interests of the white population with the results which have been seen in the erection of mills , etc. ”

“ You will do as you think best about encouraging teachers and others to come out as emigrants and labor a time for the missions . There can be no doubt that this upper country will soon be settled ; and we very much need good men to locate themselves, two , three or four in a place , and secure good influence of the Indians , and form a nucleus for religious institutions , and keep back Romanism ...... ”

“ Other states , Arkansas , Michigan , Mississippi and Ten nessee , contributed men for the settlement of the Oregon area . The question of the settlement of the Northwest Coast was a live issue for that section west of the line ex tending north and south through the eastern part of Tennessee , excepting probably Alabama , where the cot ton lands were at that time being opened for occupation . It is true that New York furnished a few emigrants , with now and then one from Vermont . ”

“ Upon the arrival in Oregon the second period of the missionary history begins . On the 21st of May , 1840 , the party reached the country from which Lee had been ab sent for two years . He soon learned that during the time he had been away the Indian population had rapidly de creased and that fields other than the Willamette Valley would have to be opened . His methods of doing this re sulted in opposition from Dr. White , who soon left the Mission and returned to New York , where the Missionary Board accepted his resignation . ”

“ Still hundreds , we believe we might say thousands , have been lured t o the valley o f the Columbia by false repre sentations and delusive expectations . Some twenty years ago a crackbrained school master o f Boston , named Kelley , got u p an excitement about Oregon i n the New England states , and a society, called the Oregon Colonization Society ............ to found a new state ....... From all we can learn , we believe that not a man has emigrated to the Columbia who has not bitterly rued his folly . ”

“ The Oregon fever is raging in almost all parts of the Union ............ companies are forming in the East and sev eral parts of Ohio , which added to those of Illinois , Iowa , and Missouri , will make a pretty formidable army . ”

“ Indiana , in comparison with her neighboring states, con tributed but few settlers to Oregon . Ohio had many interested citizens and promoters of immigration . The Zenia Free Press of February 17 , 1843, carried the news item that a farmer "s aid he could raise a company of 50 families who if ( supported ) by the government would march on short notice to Oregon . " 25 Meetings were also held to urge Congress to pass the Linn bill that was introduced in 1843. Cincinnati was the hot - bed of agitators . ”

“ Senator Benton of Missouri, colleague of Linn , was also an ardent supporter of demands for the occupation of Oregon . Men in Congress from Illinois , Kentucky , In diana and Ohio championed the Oregon question . ”

“ I can make an author itative statement that none o f the missionaries o f the American Board ever did o r wrote anything o f a nature tending t o the promotion o f im migration t o Oregon Territory . Their descriptions o f the agricultural possibilities are uniformly o f the most discouraging nature and not a t a l l calculated t o stimulate any encouragement for a n intending settler . The influence o f s o many immigrants upon such Indians a s they came i n contact with , was not such as t o make them ardent advocates o f the settlement o f the country b y the whites . ”

“ Our animals wintered in good order in the plains . We have no want of provisions and seeds for the Indians..... I am anxious to cultivate largely as I expect we may have associates and perhaps some of our friends from the Sandwich Islands may spend some time with us for health . Our situation renders it necessary to entertain passing strangers . ” 15 His interest was evidently with his work and conse quently he was little troubled about emigrants . ”

“ White gives the number as one hun dred twelve . 34 They came in from Illinois , Arkansas . and Missouri, he stated . Nearly everyone of these car ried a copy of Linn's bill proposing land donation . This together with Dr. White's being a government agent, no doubt suggested to many the advisability of going to Oregon at that time . There was ample reason for high hopes since Congress had heretofore been kindly disposed to " squatters " when necessity demanded it . Only the year before Linn's colleague , Senator Benton , had suc ceeded in putting through Congress his pre -emption bill. ”