Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/73

 Found White Settlers in the Willamette Valley. Here the missionaries found about a dozen Canadian settlers with Indian wives. The white settlers had been in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company; and, following the exsunple of Doctor McLoughlin, had chosen wives from among the native women. In accordance with the policy of the Company these settlers received much encouragement from the Doctor, who desired their half-caste families to become useful men and women. Also the Doctor gave much encouragement to the missionaries while establishing their educational work among the people. JASON LEE'S BaSSION—1834

First Mission School in Oregon. Soon after Rev. Jason Lee arrived in the Willamette Valley he established the Indian Mission School in a big log cabin on the east bank of the Willamette River opposite what was later called Wheatland. Thia was the first school south of the Columbia. It was taught by Philip L. Edwards. Commencing with only a few pupils, twenty-five more were brought in from the settlers on French Prairie, and from native Indians, on either side of the Cascade Mountains, until all the persons at this mission amounted to thirty in number. These people were all placed in one small house. None of them were