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DOCUMENTARY LETTERS OF DR. JOHN MCLOUGHLIN

EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION

These three letters were written by Dr. McLoughlin to Edward Ermatinger, who had been a clerk at Fort Vancouver under Dr. McLoughlin in 1825 and 1826, but who had retired from the fur trade and resided at St. Thomas, Ontario. The original letters are now deposited in the Archives of Canada at Ottawa.

The brother of Edward Ermatinger, who is referred to as being in charge of the company's business in the Snake Country, was Francis Ermatinger, who in later years resided at Oregon City and managed the H. B. Co. store there, and was chosen treasurer of the Territory of Oregon under the Provisional Government in 1845.

The references to the prosperity and progress of the retired H. B. Co. employees who settled on French Prairie, and their preparation to receive Bishop Blanchet are valuable, but what was Simon McGillivray intending to do with land in the Willamette Valley? Here is an item of real interest. The McGillivray family had been active stockholders in the old North West Company be- fore coalition with the H. B. Co. Was he intending to follow the ideas of Dr. McLoughlin and become a land owner and future citizen of Oregon ? It is to be remem- bered that in later years Gov. Geo. Simpson had differ- ences of opinion with Dr. McLoughlin and suggested that the land holdings at the Falls of the Willamette were taken up for the H. B. Co. and not for Dr. McLoughlin individually. The Doctor's high opinion of the Oregon country and expectation of early settlement in it are evi- dent from these letters of 1835 and 1836.

T. C. ELLIOTT.