Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/471



land eudeavored to justify themselves by the L'aet that Dr. McLoughlin was then a British subject, and was not entitled to hold a land claim in Oregon. But British subjects and citizens of the United States had equal rights under the conventions of joint occupancy ; and the boundary treaty of June 15, 1846, pro- vided that the possessory rights of land of British subjects in Oregon should be respected.

In 1845 Dr. McLoughlin tried to be naturalized by a court of the Oregon provisional government, but he was informed by its chief justice that it had no jurisdiction in the matter. The courts of Oregon territory were established in May, 1849. In that month Dr. McLoughlin, at Oregon City, made his declara- tion to become a citizen of the United States, as required by its naturalization laws. He became an American citizen in 1851, which was as soon as he could do so by law.

While small parties had come to Oregon from the United States prior to 1843, and some of the persons composing these parties had settled in the Willam- ette Valley with the assistance of Dr. McLoughlin, it was in that year that the first true home building immigration came to Oregon. It left Independence, Missouri, May 20, 1843. It was composed of about eight hundred and seventy- five persons of whom two hundred and ninety -five were men and boys over six- teen j'ears of age. They were the first persons to bring loaded wagons west of Fort Hall, now in Idaho. After great hardships they arrived at The Dalles at the beginning of the winter season. There was then no way to take wagons fur- ther, except by water. Their supplies were nearly exhausted, their clothing was badly worn ; some of the immigrants, especially children, were sick. They were threatened with massacre by the Indians. It was then the greatness and human- ity of Dr. ^IcLoughlin was best shown. He prevented the assaults of the Indians, provided boats to carry the immigrants to Fort Vancouver, furnished food and clothing to all, extended credit to all who needed it without collateral, although selling goods on credit was strictly against the rules of the Hudson's Bay com- pany. He took care of the sick at the company's hospital without charge. He provided means for them to reach the Willamette Valley, and supplied them with seed wheat to be returned in kind the next season, loaned them tools to cul- tivate with, and also cattle. Although most of these and succeeding immigrants repaid for these advances, it is to be greatlj- regretted that a number did not, and thus caused Dr. McLoughlin great trouble and loss, and were one of the causes which led to his resignation from the Hudson's Bay company in 1845, which became eti'ective in 1846. Without these aids, most of these immigrants would have suffered greatly, probably many would have died from privation, exposure, and some possibly from starvation. The total white population, men, women and children in Oregon, outside of the ofBcers and emplo.ves of the Hudson's Bay company, prior to the arrival of the immigration of 1843, did not exceed two luindred persons.

The immigration of 1844, numbering about fourteen hundred persons, and of 1845, numbering about three thousand persons, arrived in nearly the same destitute conditions as the immigration of 1843. They were protected, aided and supplied on credit by Dr. McLoughlin, as w'ere the immigrants of 1843.

These early pioneers of Oregon were not adventurers nor mendicants. They were courageous, strong and forcible men and women, who ca