He was born at Astoria in 1818, his mother being a daughter of Chief Kobayway, and an older sister of Celiast, or Mrs. Helen Smith. Three years of his early life, about 1824 to 1827, were spent at Spokane Falls, and the three years succeeding at Fort Colville. Then two years, probably 1830 to 1833, were spent on French Prairie. His father had removed to that place and was engaged in raising wheat on a piece of land owned by Joseph Gervais, whose wife was a sister of his mother. From this place he accompanied the family to the farm of Thomas McKay on Scappoose Creek near Sauvie's Island, where he spent three years. In 1836 he removed with the family to a location on the Yamhill River near Dayton. In 1849, being then a well matured man, he accompanied a party headed by William McKay to the gold mines of California, returning the same year. During the Indian war of 1855-56 he was a member of the Oregon Volunteers in the company of Robert Newell, which was stationed at Fort Vancouver to hold in check the Cascade Indians and the Klickitats to the north. His reminiscences are important on the following: _First_, as to his father, Louis Labonte; _second_, earliest French Prairie; _third_, experiences at Scappoose; _fourth_, Spokane Indians and Indian myths; _fifth_, the names of Indian places and persons; _sixth_, the primitive Indian articles of food; _seventh_, on some of the Indian tribes and customs and traditions; and _eighth_, of the original white men. I. LOUIS LABONTE SENIOR.