Dr. John McLoughlin, the Father of OregonHolman, Frederick V.
History
Dr. John McLoughlin, the Father of Oregon
Holman, Frederick V.
McLoughlin, John, 1784-1857; Oregon Territory -- History
In 1834 Wyeth again came overland to the Columbia River with a large
party. On the way he established Fort Hall (now in Idaho) in direct
opposition to the Hudson's Bay Company, as he had a perfect right to do.
He and his party arrived at Fort Vancouver September 14, 1834, and were
hospitably received by Dr. McLoughlin and the other gentlemen of the
Hudson's Bay Company. In Wyeth's Journal of his second expedition he
says, under date of September 14, 1834: "Arrived at Vancouver, where I
found Dr. McLoughlin in charge, who received us in his usual manner. He
has here power, and uses it as a man should, to make those about him,
and those who come in contact with him, comfortable and happy." The brig
May Dacre, with Wyeth's supplies, was then in the Columbia River.
Immediately on his arrival, Wyeth started in active competition with the
Hudson's Bay Company. He established a post, which he named Fort
William, on Wappatoo Island (now Sauvie's Island). He forwarded supplies
and men to Fort Hall. It was the beginning of a commercial war between
the two companies, but it was a warfare on honorable lines. In the end
Wyeth was beaten by Dr. McLoughlin, and sold out his entire
establishment to the Hudson's Bay Company. While Dr. McLoughlin was
personally courteous to Wyeth and his employées, he did not and would
not be false or untrue to the business interests of the Hudson's Bay
Company. For Dr. McLoughlin to have acted otherwise than he did, would
have shown him to be unfit to hold his position as Chief Factor. Wyeth
was too big, and too capable a man not to understand this. In his
Journal, under date of September 31, 1834, (he evidently forgot that
September has but thirty days) he says: "From this time until the 13th
Oct. making preparations for a campaign into the Snake country and
arrived on the 13th at Vancouver and was received with great attention
by all there." And under date of February 12, 1835, he says: "In the
morning made to Vancouver and found there a polite reception."[10] Wyeth
was a man of great ability, enterprise, and courage. His expeditions
deserved better fates. He was a high-minded gentleman. Although his two
expeditions were failures, he showed his countrymen the way to Oregon,
which many shortly followed.
In the McLoughlin Document he says: "In justice to Mr. Wyeth I have
great pleasure to be able to state that as a rival in trade, I found him
open, manly, frank, and fair. And, in short, in all his contracts, a
perfect gentleman and an honest man, doing all he could to support
morality and encouraging industry in the settlement." It is pleasing to
know that after all his hardships and misfortunes Wyeth established a
business for the exportation of ice from Boston to Calcutta, which was a
great financial success.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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