Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/25

 1808—American Fur Company organized. Fort Henry established on Snake river. The first American trading post.

1810—Capt. Jonathan Winship located at Oak Point, Oregon, opposite the present place of that name in Washington. The floods washing away his houses, and learning of Astor's plans, he deemed it inadvisable to try to compete with Astor, and abandoned the undertaking.

1811—Astoria founded by Pacific Fur Company. Fort built on a point called Point George, by Lieut. Broughton, in 1792. The first of this company to arrive, came on the Tonquin. She anchored in Baker's bay, March 22, 1811. This was the first vessel to be blown up on the coast, her ship's clerk doing so to kill a host of Indians on board who had murdered the crew two days before. Alexander McKay, a partner of Astor, the first husband of the wife of Dr. McLoughlin, was among those whom the savages massacred. October 2, 1811, was launched the first vessel, the Dolly, built here. She was afterwards called the Columbia. Here the first marriages in the Paeific Northwest were celebrated, and the first children born, one of whose parents were white; the first river steamer, the Columbia, 1850, was built; the first custom house erected on the coast, and one of the two (Oregon City) postoffices west of the Rockies. Twelve potatoes planted at Astoria in May yielded 190 potatoes. Turnips and radishes also raised.

Wm. Cannon was probably the first American to come to the Pacific Northwest and permanently reside here. He came in 1811 with the Hunt party, and after years of employ as a trapper for the fur companies, finally settled in the Willamette valley. He was a native of Pennsylvania. His death took place at French Prairie, August 29, 1854. He was 99 years of age at that time.

1812—January 12th, the Hunt party arrived at Astoria.

In November, Robert Stewart of the Astor expedition, discovered the South pass. This became the main gateway through the Rockies used by the pioneers.

John Clark, of the Astor expedition, hanged an Indian for stealing. The first "neck-tie" party on the Pacific coast. Fort Boise established by Donald McKenzie on Snake river. 1813—December 12th, Astoria rechristened Fort George by Capt. Black, a British naval officer, and the Northwest Company succeeding the Pacific Fur Company through the treachery of some of the Scotch partners.

Fifty bushels of potatoes from the start of 1811.

1814—Ship Isaac Todd arrives at Astoria. On her came Jane Barnes, the first white woman to set foot on the Pacific Northwest. On this vessel also came the pioneer physician. Dr. Swan, to the Pacific Northwest.

1818—Fort George again becomes Astoria on August 18. Old Fort Walla Walla (originally Fort Nez Perce) established. The site was where the town of Wallula, Wash., now stands.

1821—Dr. John Floyd, of Virginia, introduced an Oregon bill in congress. This was the first bill introduced providing for the occupation of the Pacific Northwest by the government.

1825—Fort Colville established by Hudson's Bay Company. David Douglas, Scotch scientist, who found and named the Douglas spruce of the Pacific coast, discovered the natives cultivating the indigenous tobacco plant of the Columbia river.