The correspondence and journals of Captain Nathaniel J. Wyeth

Book 1 \Ai O C

SOURCES OF THE HISTORY OF OREGON

Volume I Parts 3 to 6 inclusive

THE CORRESPONDENCE AND JOURNALS OF CAPTAIN

NATHANIEL J. WYETH

1831-6

A Record of Two Expeditions for tlie Occupation of the Oregon Country, with flaps, Introduction and Index

CONTINUATION OF THK CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT

OF ECONOMICS AND HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY

OF OREGON BY THE OREGON

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Edited by F. G. Young, Secretary Oregon Historical Society.

PRICE ONE DOLLAR

University Press

Eugene, Ore.

OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

C. B. Bellinger, V^ice- President,

L. B. Cox, Treasjci'er,

Geo. H. HimeS, Assistant-Secretary ,

Portland Portland Portland Eugene Portland

L^ J

J

Copyright applied for by

the Oregon Historical Society

All rights reserved

L- A tribute to tlie memory of Captain Wyeth by James Russell Lowell,

■ — sent to the Portland (Oregon) High School on the occasion of its having a

Lowell evening.

Elm WOOD, Cambkidge, Mass.

24th April, 1890.

Dear Miss H * =^' *

I feel as if I had a kind of birthright in 3^our Portland, for it was a townsman of mine who first led an expedition thither across the plains and tried to establish a settlement there. I well remember his starting sixty years ago, and knew him well in after years. He was a very remarkable person whose conversation I valued highly. A born leader of men, he was fitly called Captain Nathaniel Wyeth as long as he lived. It was the weakness of his companions that forced him to let go his hold on that fair possession. I hope he is dulj^ honored in your traditions. * * I pray you to give my greeting with the warmest assurance of good will to both teachers and pupils. We are I am sure heartily at one in our desire to maintain and perpetuate the better traditions of our local and national life, and it is upon our schools that we must rely in great measure for the fulfilment of that desire.

Wishing for all of you happ5^ and useful lives — and one includes the other

I remain

Very sincerely your friend J. R. Lowell.

' Editor's Preface

In the traditions of New England Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth is highly honored as the principal founder of the ice industry. The Boston Transcript in its notice of his death, August, 1856, said:

"It is not perhaps too much to say that there is not a single tool or machine of real value now employed in the ice harvesting, which was not originally invented by Mr Wyeth. They all look to Fresh Pond as the place of their origin". "As one who laid open a new field of honorable industry" he was held "entitled to the rank of a public benefactor."

Among his friends who came under the influence of his strong personality he was regarded as "oneoftheremarkablemenof New England." The tribute to his memory sent to Oregon by Lowell stimulated the search for the record of those wonderful expeditions led by him. Those in quest of it were rewarded not onlj' in finding the manuscripts, nearly complete, but also in getting from the possessor of them a gracious response to the request for permission to publish.

These sources furnish data for making more adequate and instructive the history of the occupation of the continent, and through the publication of them the author will receive due recognition for a conspicuous part in a great national movement and for the possession of a strong spark of heroic spirit like that whose song is,

*^My purpose holds

To sail be'^ond the suiiset and the baths

Of all the western stars until I die.'"

The manuscript is in the possession of Mrs, Man,^ J,, pigh of Taunton, Massachusetts. When sent to be copied for publication it took its third trip westward across the continent, but this time it was not "to be painfully borne by wearisome marches through almost unbroken solitudes for weary months," but now after sixtythree years to be "swiftl}- carried in a few days, to find no longer at the journey's end the wilderness of Nature but the homes of an enlightened and progressive people."

The editor owes deepest thanks to Mrs. Fish for being entrusted with the honor of publishing this record and for her consent to present it in its integrity.

The plan has been to reproduce the original faithfully to the letter. From the conditions under which the record was made some parts are faint and mutilated but it is hoped that defects arising from this cause and from shortcomings in editing will not seriously impair the historical value of these documents.

Eugene, Oregon,

ERRATA

Page 12,

" 38.

" 49, " 62,

" 79, "126,

"157, "212,

"236.

'circumsnances' ' in line 39 should read

"enongh"

"Tnesday"

"Vadcouver"

"Haying"

"dot"

"fiowers"

"Savvages"

"contardictory"

44 32

5 4

4 6

'circumstances"

"enough"

"Tuesday"

' 'Vancouver' '

"Having"

"not"

' 'flowers' '

"Sauvages"

'contradictory"

I

XXXIII Kelley, Hall J

Wyeth, Charles Wyeth, Jacob Neil, Col. J. W.

Wyeth, Charles Wyeth, Jacob Wyeth, Leonard Hamilton, Samuel S.

Wyeth, Charles Wyeth, Leonard Wyeth, Jacob Everett, Hon. E.

Wyeth, Jacob Wild, Captain Dixie Wyeth, Charles Liver more, Solmon K.

Everett, Hon. E.

Bach, Theo.

Wyeth, Jacob

Wild, Captain Dixie

Livermore, S. K.

Hughs, I. P.

Cripps, Geo.

Gardner, Robt. H.

Whiting, Seymour

Livermore, S. K.

Jarvis, I^eonard Norris, A. & Co.

Page

I 2 I

II

17 18 19 20 21 21 24

25 26 27 27 28 29 29 30

CONTENTvS

XXX I V

XLII XLI 1 1

XL IV

XLV

XLVI

XLV I I

XLV I 1 1

XLIX

L

LI

LIT

LIII

LIV

LV

LVI

LVII

LVI 1 1

Lix

LX

Lxi

Lxil

LXI 1 1

LXIV

LXV

LXVI

LXV I I

LXVI 1 1

LXIX

LXX

LXXI

LXX I I

LXXI I I

LXXTV

LXXV

i.XXVI

LXXV I I

LXXV I I I

LXX IX

Lxxx

Persons addressed Page

Touro, Judah 33

Gardner, Robt. H. 34

Ball, John 36

Ivivermore, S. K. 38

Kelley, H. J. 39

Davenport and BjTon 39

Davenport and B^^ron 41

Wyeth, Jacob 42

Davenport and Byron 42

Whiting, Seymour 42

Kelley, Hall J. 43

Perry, Rev. Clark 43

Davenport and Byron 45

W^-eth, Leonard 46

Bache, Theo. 46

Ball, John 47

Sinclair, John 47

Touro, Judah 49

Kelley, Hall J. 50

Brown, James 50

Kelley, Hall J. 5^

Tudor, F. 52

Parents 52

Tucker and Williams 53

- - * '^ 56

Simpson, George 58

Bonneville, Captain 58

Baker, Joseph, and Son 60

Boardman, Wm. H. 61

Tudor, F. 62

Tucker and Williams and Henry Hall 63

W^'eth, Leonard 64

Contents

I.XXXI

Lxxxii

Nuttall, Thomas