ORMARION-L Archives

Archiver > ORMARION > 2000-05 > 0958004857


From: "Caroline Gurney" <>
Subject: [ORMARION-L] [ORCLACKA] Thomas Lowe's Journals: General Interest
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 01:27:37 +0100


Following my previous posts about the names in Thomas Lowe's Journals, there
are some entries which I thought might be of general interest to listers.
Unless otherwise stated, they are all written at & about Fort Vancouver:


26th July 1843. Mr Angus McDonald arrived from the Snake Country with 2
boats, bringing the Furs from that Country. He reports a party of American
Immigrants - 140 wagons - on their way down River.

20th August 1844. Tuesday. The small vessel which was built by the Americans
at the Wallamette (sic) Falls and intended to be wrought by horse power,
arrived here in the evening under sail with a Cargo of shingles from the
Falls, which are to be shipped by the Company on board the Brig
Indefatigable for Woahoo.

17th September 1844. Tuesday. ...Mr McBean left this in the afternoon to
proceed to Champoic in order to receive Wheat from the Settlers ... Barge
arrived from the Falls.

18th September 1844. Wednesday. A great many Settlers from the Wallamette
receiving advances from the Shop. The Barge had 5000 Bricks on board which
have been made in the Wallamette and are the first which have come here yet.

23rd September 1844. Monday. In the afternoon Mr A McDonald arrived with the
Returns of the Snake Country in one Boat. He brings intelligence that a
large party of Emigrants from the United States are on their way to this
place, and may be expected about the same time as last year.

4th October 1844. Friday About 4 this morning Dr McLoughlin arrived from the
Wallamette, where he has been for the last 5 weeks. The Wallamette
settlement and Jallantine Plains had also been overrun with fire, and a good
deal of damage done to cattle, as well as grain.

15th October 1844. Tuesday. Several Americans arrived from the Wallamette
Falls, where 6 of the new Emigrants have already arrived.

18th October 1844. Friday. Several of the new emigrants from the U.S.
arrived here today, and the others will soon make their Appearance.

3rd November 1844. Sunday. In the forenoon Mr Wm McKay arrived from the
Wallamette Falls and as the Court sits there tomorrow he was sent by Mr
Ermatinger to bring Mr McTavish, whose claims had been taken possession of
by an American who is to be tried for so doing.

29th November 1844. Friday. The late heavy rains have swollen both the
Columbia and Wallamette Rivers to an unusual height, and we heard that Mr
Pettygrove's house at the Wallamette Falls had been washed away, that Dr
McLoughlin's two mills there were in great danger, the water having risen to
the windows, and that another boat with Wheat had been lost.

30th November 1844. ... They brought papers from Woahoo which were on board
the "Chinamus" ... we have intelligence by her that Texas has been annexed
by the United States.

7th December 1844. Saturday. The Boats are now returning from the Wallamette
where they have been employed for about 5 months transporting Wheat from
Campment Sable to the Falls, from whence the Barge generally brought it to
this place.

9th December 1844. Monday. Raining. Straggling parties of American Emigrants
are every day arriving from above. They are entirely destitute of provisions
and several of those who came down here have gone back with provisions to
those who are behind.

12th December 1844. Thursday. ... The rise of the Wallamette River has done
much damage to the houses and property at the Falls. 500 of the Logs from Dr
McLoughlin's Saw Mill there have been washed away.

17th February 1845. Monday. Mr Grant arrived from the Snake Country and
bringing a report of a quarrel having taken place between the Americans at
Capt. Sonter's Establishment in Calefornia (sic), with the Walla Walla
Indians, who are forming a war party against them.

More to follow later.

Caroline Gurney
Portsmouth, UK

This thread: