Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/362

356 356 W. D. FENTON. ley; Amos Cook and Francis Fletcher settled south of Lafayette and immediately adjoining thereto ; George Gay near the present boundary line between the counties of Polk and Yamhill and near the road leading to Salem from Lafayette and Dayton. David Hill, Alanson Beers, and Joseph Gale were chosen the first executive committee on July 5, 1843. A. E. Wil- son was chosen as the next supreme judge. The emigra- tion of 1843 was the most important in the history of this controversy. The emigrants assembled near Independ- ence, Mo., and on May 17, 1843, a preliminary meeting was held there to organize for the journey. Peter H. Bur- nett was a speaker at this gathering and was chosen cap- tain of the train. On May 20, 1843, the train started, having as a guide an army officer, Capt. John Gantt, who knew the country as far west as Green River. Dr. Marcus Whitman and A. L. Lovejoy met the emigrants en route and guided them from Green River to The Dalles, al- though Doctor Whitman was compelled to leave the train at Fort Hall, preceding them to Walla Walla. Senator James W. Nesmith was a conspicuous figure in that party of brave men and women, and has left a record of every male member of the emigration of that year. In that roll of honor are the names of many whom the people of Yamhill County know and who are really arid truly "the pioneers." There is Jesse Applegate, William Ar- thur, Peter H. Burnett, the first governor of California, Andrew J. Baker, still living at McMinnville, John G. Baker, once sheriff of this county and whose donation lies less than a mile north of McMinnville ; John B. Penning- ton, whose donation lies about two miles southwest of Carlton, whose daughter, Mary J. Crimmins, still living on part of the claim, was born en route, at Ash Hollow, on North Platte, July 6 ; Miles Carey, whose widow, Cyrene B. Carey, in a good old age, lives at Lafayette, and was