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
gratuitously conferring all they have done for the benefit of the object
in which I am engaged. In justice to my own feelings, and in gratitude
to the Honorable Company, I would bear testimony to their consistent
politeness and generosity; and while I do this, I would express my
anxiety for their salvation, and that they may be rewarded in spiritual
blessings. In addition to the civilities I had received as a guest, I
had drawn upon their store for clothing, for goods to pay my Indians,
whom I had employed to convey me in canoes, in my various journeyings,
hundreds of miles; to pay my guides and interpreters; and have drawn
upon their provision store for the support of these men while in my
employ."
In 1836 Dr. Marcus Whitman came to Oregon. With him came his wife, Rev.
Henry H. Spalding and wife, and W. H. Gray, a layman. They arrived at
Fort Vancouver September 1, 1836. Here they were most hospitably
entertained by Dr. McLoughlin and the other gentlemen of the Hudson's
Bay Company, and all necessary and convenient assistance to these
missionaries was freely given. When these missionaries arrived at
Vancouver, they had hardly more than the clothes they had on. They
concluded to locate one mission near Waiilatpu, near the present city of
Walla Walla, Washington; and another at Lapwai, near the present city of
Lewiston, Idaho. Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Spalding remained at Fort
Vancouver for several months, while their husbands and Gray were
erecting the necessary houses at the Missions.
_Methodist Missions and Missionaries._
With Wyeth's second expedition, in 1834, came the first Methodist
missionaries: Rev. Jason Lee, Rev. Daniel Lee, his nephew, and the
following laymen: Cyrus Shepard, a teacher; P. L. Edwards, a teacher;
and a man named Walker. They arrived at Fort Vancouver September 17,
1834. They were also hospitably received by Dr. McLoughlin, and treated
with every consideration and kindness. On Dr. McLoughlin's invitation
Jason Lee preached at Fort Vancouver. Boats and men were furnished by
Dr. McLoughlin to the missionaries to explore the country and select a
proper place for the establishment of their Mission. In the McLoughlin
Document, he says: "In 1834, Messrs. Jason and Daniel Lee, and Messrs.
Walker and P. L. Edwards came with Mr. Wyeth to establish a Mission in
the Flat-head country. I observed to them that it was too dangerous for
them to establish a Mission [there]; that to do good to the Indians,
they must establish themselves where they could collect them around
them; teach them first to cultivate the ground and live more comfortably
than they do by hunting, and as they do this, teach them religion; that
the Willamette afforded them a fine field, and that they ought to go
there, and they would get the same assistance as the settlers. They
followed my advice and went to the Willamette."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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