Fever for Oregon

Jason Lee as we have seen was establishing the Willamette Valley.  Other men of God were turning their eyes to Oregon as well, among them a young physician from New York, Marcus Whitman.  In 1834 he petitioned the Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions to finance his trip to Oregon as a doctor and teacher.  They proposed that 55 year old Rev. Samuel Parker, who had volunteered for missionary service earlier,  accompany Whitman to determine if Oregon was suitable for God's work.

Whitman and Parker set out with a pack train heading for the fur trapper's yearly rendezvous in the Rockies.  The Rev. Parker was not given a warm welcome among the rowdy trappers, but Whitman gained a somewhat grudging respect when he removed an arrowhead from the back of Jim Bridger.  Whitman told Bridger that was surprising that no infection had been found in his back, Bridger replied, "Meat don't spoil in the Rockies!"

Whitman and Parker parted company after the Rendezvous.  Whitman went back east, where he was determined, despite his ignorance of Oregon Country, to convince his eastern superiors that new missions were desperately needed and that women and wagons could easily travel the long, dangerous route over the mountains to the Pacific Northwest.

While back East, Whitman married Narcissa Prentiss who shared his religious dedication and in 1836, the two set out again for Oregon, this time accompanied by the dour and difficult Rev. Henry Spaulding and his wife.  Narcissa proved to be an able and tough pioneer through the difficult journey. 

For a time, the party was joined by Hudson Bay trappers who were headed for Fort Vancouver, but the lack of fresh meat, difficult terrain, and Whitman's unyielding determination caused considerable grief.  Eventually they abandoned the wagons and made the trip by horseback.  Whitman was still convinced that with a large party, willing to put forth the effort, could bring wagons over the Oregon Trail. 

Next time...Settling in Oregon
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Today in Pioneer History: "On January 19,  1883,  heavy fog in the North Sea causes the collision of two steamers and the death of 357 people on this day in 1883.The Cimbria  collided with The Sultan.

What Happened to the Sager Children?

The Sager children traveled on with the wagon train until they reached the missionary settlement of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman in southwest Oregon.  The Whitmans were Presbyterian missionaries who had established the mission in 1836. 

After losing their own child, the Whitmans saw the Sager children as the children they had always wanted.  For the next three years the children lived with the Whitmans until 1847 when the mission was attacked by Cayuse Indians.  Twelve people were murdered, including Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and all of Catherine's brothers. 

Catherine Sager survived.  In the new country, she managed to live to maturity, marry and raise her own family and even write about her horrendous childhood in "Across the Plains - 1844".


(Editor's Note: The Journal "Across the Plains - 1844" by Catherine Sager is available for Kindles at Amazon.com )

Next time...Miriam Thompson Tuller's Story

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Today in Pioneer History: On August 13, 1860, Annie Oakley, one of the greatest female sharpshooters in American history, is born in Patterson Township, Ohio.