Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/72



ous times, dating as early as 1831, when this incident is said to have taken place, and that these visits were freely mentioned by churches in the development of the missionary spirit which was influential in bringing the first permanent white population, and in laying the foundation for public education and for the present social system of Oregon.

The First Methodist Missionaries to Oregon. Newspapers throughout the nation published accounts of the visit made by the Indians to St. Louis. Also it was explained that these Indians desired to be taught the arts of peace. These accounts appealed to the churches, which had enthusiastically accepted **From Greenland's Icy Mountains," written by Bishop Heber, and a tremendous missionary spirit was aroused. Soon the Methodist denomination sent Rev. Jason Lee to the Flathead Indians. He with Rev. Daniel Lee, Cyrus Shepard, P. L. Edwards, and C. M. Walker, joined Wyeth's overland party in 1834, sending their freight by Wyeth's ship "May Dacre." Instead of going to the Flathead Indians as directed, the missionary party under the advice of Doctor McLoughlin, went to the Willamette Valley, locating a mission on the Willamette River about sixty miles above its confluence with the Columbia. Immediately they set about building a house, a barn, fences and other things necessary to the home life of people in a new country. BEV. JASON LEE