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
The Methodist Mission, as a mission, did not, officially, attempt to
deprive Dr. McLoughlin of any of his land. There were some of the
missionaries who opposed any such action. But others of them saw that if
the Mission obtained any of Dr. McLoughlin's land claim, it would belong
to the Mission or to the Church, so they readily proceeded, as
individuals, for their own private gain. In 1840, shortly after the
arrival of the Lausanne, Rev. Jason Lee, as Superintendent of the
Methodist Mission, appointed Rev. A. F. Waller to labor for the Indians
at Willamette Falls and vicinity. The Mission took up a claim of six
hundred and forty acres north of Dr. McLoughlin's claim. The Mission's
religious work was done by Waller on this claim, where Gladstone Park is
now situated, and also at a point on the west bank of the Willamette
River opposite Oregon City. At both of these places there were a number
of Indians.[33] In the summer of 1840 Waller was sent to establish this
Mission. Dr. McLoughlin generously assisted the undertaking. He gave the
Mission a piece of land in his claim on which to erect a mission-house;
and, at the request of Rev. Jason Lee, the Superintendent of the
Mission, Dr. McLoughlin loaned it some of the timbers, which he had
caused to be squared, to build the mission-house. Timbers to take the
place of those so loaned were never furnished to Dr. McLoughlin, nor
were the timbers ever paid for.[34] It was soon reported to Dr.
McLoughlin that the Methodist Mission would try to take or to jump his
claim. He at once (July 21, 1840) notified Jason Lee, Superintendent of
the Mission, of the facts: That Dr. McLoughlin had taken possession of
this land claim in 1829, and also of his intention to hold this land as
a private claim. He gave Lee the general description of the land so
claimed by Dr. McLoughlin, viz: "From the upper end of the falls across
to the Clackamas river, and down where the Clackamas falls into the
Willamette, including the whole point of land, and the small island in
the falls on which the portage was made." This is the island later known
as "Governor's" or "Abernethy" Island. After giving the notice
mentioned, Dr. McLoughlin concluded his letter with these words: "This
is not to prevent your building the store, as my object is merely to
establish my claim." A satisfactory answer was returned and Waller
proceeded in the erection of the mission-house, which was divided into
two apartments, one of which served as a dwelling, and the other as a
storeroom for the goods of the Mission.[35]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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