Evening Star Newspaper, August 17, 1930, Page 112

CLAIM TO THE *OreGoN CouNnTRY” WAS BASED ON CAPT.GRAYS Drs- COVERY OF THE CoLUMBIA RIVER 1IN 1792 AND THE EXPLORATIONS OF LEWIS AND CLARK 1804 - 1806 . ; ! d s ..__._. : - CENTURY AGO THE "OREGON COUNTRY, WITH ITS FORESTS, FURS AND FISHERIES, WAS A RICH PRIZE CLAIMED BY BOTH THME UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN. o Tn 1818 BOTH COUNTRIES AGREED To 0ccuPY OREGON JOINTLY FOR TEN YEARS THIS ARRANGEMENT PROVED LINSATISFAC- TORY AND NEARLY LED To WAR . THE FINAL SETTLEMENT OF THE OREGON QUESTION IN 184-b GAVE THE LUNITED STATES ALLTME DISPUTED TERRITORY SOUTH OF THE 49™ PARALLEL .FourR YEARS BEFORE THIS TIME A STEADY STREAM OF AMERICAN SETTLERS BEGAN POUR - ING '\NTO THE OREGON CounTrRyY. BANDED> INTO CARAVANS FOR MUTUAL AlD AND PROTECTION, THE HARDY EMIGRANTS SET OUT TO BRAVE TME DANGERS OF THE LONG JOURNEY OVER THE OREGON TRAIL . .umne THE MONTHS SPENT ON THE MARCH THE EMIGRANTS SUBSISTED CHIEFLY ON BUFFALO MEAT. AS TRAF - FIC ON THE OREGON TRAIL GREW HEAVIER | THE BISON HERDS WERE RAPIDLY DEPLETED. !ucunua THE ROCKIES, THE EM) - GRANTS TOILED THROUGH SouTH PASS OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE TRAIL RAN THROLGM DEEP CANYONS,SKIRTING TREACHEROUS ABYSSES INTNE SHADOW OF TOWERING PEAKS. - PIEGANS {m\,BLA‘k FEET G €S e, © WN! R T gru o CROWS PERCES Sk AL A [ SALY LAKE CATY uon-b:;: :?LON‘I uTES “ FORT LARAMIE P F ~=" " ForT BRIDGER -1843 5 CALIF, \P,"anen SALT g A TEATIOS 05! oRW Mo < b ‘\\ 2 HIMLS & PAWNEES j RS The Oregon Trail .m-c THE MISSOLIRI FRONTIER AS A STARTING POINT, THE TRAIL LED> WEST- WARD ACROSS THE PRAIRIES OF IKANSAS, FOLLOWING THE PLATTE RIVER THROUGH THE INDIAN COLNTRY. .NGERED BY THIS INVASION OF THEIR HUNTING GROUNDS THE FIERCE TRIBES OF THE PLAINS WAYLAID AND ATTACKED THE PASSING CARAVANS.FEAR OF INDIAN RAIDS HAUNTED THE PIO- NEERS NIGHT AND DAY. . IEESCENDING THE WESTERN SLOPE, THE WAGON TRAINS STOPPED AT FORT BRIDGER , A STORE AND A SMITHY SURROUNDED BY A ROUGH STOCK - ADE ,ESTABLISHED BY JiM BRIDGER, FAMOLS MOUNTAIN GUIDE AND SCOUT, IN 1843, . "r SUNDOWN THE EMIGRANTS HALTED TO CAMP FOR THE MIGHT.THE WAGONS WERE PARKED IN A RING TO FORM BOTH A DEFENSE AGAINST ATTACK. AND A CORRAL FOR THE HORSES AND OXEN, - ) = .:cuNEss, FAMINE AND EXHAUSTION TOOK A HEAVY TOLL. AcROSS THE GQREAT PLAINS THE TRAIL WAS MARIC- ED BY COUNTLESS GRAVES AND THE BLEACHING SKELETONS OF CATTLE, L2 § v g HUNDREP MILES FURTHER. FORT HALL , A FORTIFIED' TRADING POST OF THE HUDSON'S BAY FUR. COMPANY, WHERE THE WEARY, HUNGRY EMIGRANTS COULD SWAP THEIR LAME OXEN FOR BARRELS oF OREGON FLOUR- COUNCIL BLUFFS iu 1811 JOHN JACOB ASTOR PLANTED AN AMERICAN TRADING POST AT ASTORIA AT THE MOUTH OF THE % COLUMBIA .BEGINNING IN 1832 %, INTREPID AMERICAN MISSIONARIES \> FOLLOWED THE FUR TRADERS INTO THE OREGON COUNTRY, OPENING THE WAY TO THE COLUMBIA VALLEY AND THE SETTLEMENT JLOUIS oe THAT REGION BY AMERI(CANS, 'r NIGHT ,WITHIN THE PROTECTING CIRCLE OF WAGONS, THERE WAS MUSIC, - OLD> FAMILIAR TUNES, — BRINGING REMEMBRANCES OF SCENES AND FRIENDS LEFT BEMIND, —— ¢ = ‘u THE HEART OF THE INDIAN COUNTRY EAST OF THE ROCKIES ONE CAME TO FORT LARAMIE ,-A LONELY OUTPOST OF CIVILIZATION, = AT CERTAIN SEASONS A FLOURISHING TRADING POST AND RENDEZVOUS OF THE PLAINS TRAPPER S. PR — ANSFIELD — HE,N TO THE NORTHWEST, THROLGH THE LANDS OF SHOSHONE AND NEZ PERCE,ACROSS THE WINDING SNAKE ,AND> — THE GOAL AT LAST— THE FERTILE ,WOODED VALLEYS OF THE COLUMBIA AND THE WILLAMETTE .