Emigrants To Oregon In 1842

compiled by Stephenie Flora
oregonpioneers.com

copyright 2017

 

In the autumn of 1842, an immigration of 112-140 [there are varying estimates] persons, chiefly men with their families, arrived in the valley, a large portion of whom found their winter's residence at or near the mission establishment, at what is now Salem.

A considerable portion of the immigration of 1842, becoming dissatisfied with Oregon, started for California late in the spring of 1843, and on meeting an immigrant party from California somewhere in the Rogue River valley, many of whom were as much dissatisfied with California, some of the emigrants from Oregon returned with the party from California.

There were several trail journals for this time period.  I have compiled an abstract of the journey from these journals.  Emigration of 1842

NOTE: all female members of the emigration are listed by MAIDEN name [if known] even if they were married at the time of the emigration.

Emigrants To Oregon In 1842

ABELL, Ann ( -1879): m'd 1839 PERRY, William T.; In the fall of 1843 William T. Perry and family 1843 moved to Clatsop Plains, six miles from Astoria, where they resided until 1851, when they moved to Deer Creek, Douglas County. In November 1858, the family moved to Coos County, arriving at Norway, where they took up residence. [The Pioneer History of Coos and Curry Counties,  OR by Orvil Dodge; contributed by Robyn Greenlund]

ABELL, Hannah: m'd  Oct 1842 TRASK, Elbridge: letter from William T. Perry in 1843 states that Hannah married two weeks after their arrival in Oregon 29 Sep 1842.

ARENDELL, C. T.: [aka Arrendiell, Arendall]

ASHE, Elizabeth: m'd BROWN, Gabriel; settled Marion Co

BABCOCK, : quite possibly refers to Dr. Ira L. Babcock, who actually emigrated to Oregon in 1840 but may have been on the trail in 1842 as well.

BAILEY, James (-1842) : killed on trail; passed behind a wagon just as the owner drew a blanket from the front, causing the weapon to discharge; Bailey was buried near Independence Rock. [name per Richard Rieck, Professor Emeritus, Western Illinois Univ]

BARNUM, :

BELLAMY, G. W.:

BENNETT FAMILY RESEARCHER:
BENNETT, Amanda: d/o Vardemon and Mary (McSwain) Bennett

BENNETT, Dennis: s/o Vardemon and Mary (McSwain) Bennett

BENNETT, Jack: s/o Vardemon and Mary (McSwain) Bennett

BENNETT, Julia: d/o Vardemon and Mary (McSwain) Bennett

BENNETT, Mansel.: s/o Vardemon and Mary (McSwain) Bennett

BENNETT, Samantha: d/o Vardemon and Mary (McSwain) Bennett

BENNETT, Tilatha "Catherine": m1. GRAHAM, Isaac; m2. MCCUSKER, Daniel; d/o Vardemon and Mary (McSwain) Bennett

BENNETT, Vardemon : m'd MCSWAIN, Mary; wintered over in Salem with his family and then emigrated to CA where he settled in the San Francisco area; Mary and Vardemon were divorced in the 1840s; (see add'l info under Mary McSwain entry)

BENNETT, Winston: s/o Vardemon and Mary (McSwain) Bennett

BISHOP, Andrew ( -1844):  

1844: "Here a man from St. Louis came up to our rendezvous with a large wagon and four yoke of large, fine, fat oxen; the wagon was loaded to the brim with articles of trade, such as were suited for the Rocky Mountain trade. His name was Andrew Bishop, a person that perhaps some of the immigration of 1842 may remember, for he had crossed the plains that year, and returned to St. Louis in 1843 by way of the Sandwich Islands. He was then out here in search of health, and should have remained if he had taken the second thought and brought with him his effects, for he had gained his health perfectly by the time he arrived in Oregon, but just as soon as he returned to his old home his old complaint returned on him, and he was again necessitated, as he thought, to go to the mountains, or, in other words, to Oregon. It was noticed, as soon as he came among us, that he was quite sick and feeble, and a great many of us had grave doubts about his being able to make the trip, but he was a brave man, and had, as he told us, made the trip in 1842, when he thought he was worse off than at this time." per Reminiscence of T.C. Shaw, Oregon Statesman, May 22, 1885 [Bishop died the night of 10 May 1844 near the Wolf River Indian Agency during a fierce thunder storm. The agent of the mission took charge of the body and the effects and sent them back to St. Louis to family members] Another account states that a Presbyterian missionary at the agency conducted services there *2 1888 p.84; *3

BOGGS FAMILY RESEARCHER:
BOGGS, Thomas
(1823-1865): m'd 16 Feb 1852 Mrs. Rachel (WILLIAMS) Jones; settled Linn Co; appears on list of  1844 emigrants-- returned east in 1843 and made the trip again in 1844; died 31 Oct 1865 Linn Co, OR; father of 8 children (Mary Ellen, Medora Jane, Sarah Deed, Susan Caroline, Thomas Duran, Cynthia Maranda, Jimmie and Rachel Marian) 

BRIDGES, J.C. ( -1845): a native of Kentucky; arrived with Dr. Whites party in 1842; helped in forming of Provisional Government; joined with Hastings on May 30, 1843 with a party of 25 started for CA; were attacked several times and some of party turned back; reached Sutter's Fort and worked there till he was stricken with disease and died the same winter [Men of Champoeg by Caroline C. Dobbs p. 175]

BROWN, Adeline: m'd CRAWFORD, Medorem ; settled Yamhill Co; d/o William and Mary Ann (DeWitt) Brown

BROWN, Cynthia: m'd DAVIE, Allen Jones ; settled Marion Co

BROWN, Gabriel: m'd ASHE, Elizabeth ; settled Marion Co

BROWN, James D.: m'd [], Sarah Jane ; settled Marion Co

BROWN, Mary "Polly": m'd 15 Aug 1843 FOSTER, Henry ; settled Marion Co; d/o Gabriel and Elizabeth (Ashe) Brown

BROWN, William:

BURNS, Barclay J.:

BURNS, Hugh (1807-06 May 1870): m'd c1835 HARRINGTON, Mary;  [married at least twice]; buried Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Colma, San Mateo County, California; elected master blacksmith during encampment of May 15, 1842; made one ride back to Missouri in 1846 carrying mail;

"Founder of the vanished town of Multnomah City, and one of group of 52 men who on May 2, 1843, voted for provisional government at Champoed, was born at Westmeath, Ireland, and came to Oregon in 1842 with Elijah White party.  From his townsite land claim a short distance below Willamette Falls, on west side of river, he engaged actively in public affairs with other pioneers of Oregon's pre-territorial days.  Early in 1846 the Oregon City Spectator carried notice of his intention to carry mail from the Willamette settlements to Weston, Mo.; and two years later of a petition for a charter to build a bridge across the Willamette below Oregon City, where for a time he operated a ferry.  Was an influential member of commission named in 1847 to provide means to supply men, horses and equipment to wage Cayuse Indian War.  He was a blacksmith by trade, and a Hibernian.  Lots of his townsite sold poorly.  His name was rarely mentioned after 1850, and in 1853 he left Oregon, dying years later in San Francisco."  [Dictionary of Oregon History edited by Howard McKinley Corning p. 39]

BIRD, Letitia: m'd 1827 MCKAY, Charles ; settled in Washington Co

CARTER, David Arba:

CLARK, Patrick:

COATES, A. N.:

COATES, James: during encampment of May 15, 1842 James Coates was elected pilot

COOKE, :

COOMBS, Nathan:

COPELAND, Alexander:

CRAWFORD, Medorem (24 Jun 1819-26 Dec 1891: m'd 1843 BROWN, Adeline ; settled Yamhill Co.; buried Brookside Cemetery, Dayton, Yamhill County, Oregon; *1: MSS#191, 23pp journal typescript in collection at OHS.

CROCKER, Nathaniel: at encampment of May 15, 1842,Nathaniel Crocker was elected secretary

CROCKER, Squire:

DAVIE, Allen Jones (25 Feb 1818-14 Oct 1874): m'd 1843 BROWN, Cynthia Ann; buried Aumsville Cemetery, Aumsville, Marion County, Oregon

"Pioneer farmer and volunteer soldier, was born in Alabama, the son of Allen Jones Davie.  He graduated from Princeton University and came to Oregon in 1842, where in 1843 he sided with the American party at Champoeg.  A volunteer Indian fighter, with a courtesy title of captain, he was one of 16 men arrested for engaging with Indians on March 4, 1844, in which the native Cockstock was killed.  Later he was trustee of Sublimity College.  He married Cynthia Brown in 1843." [Dictionary of Oregon History by Howard McKinley Corning p. 69]

DAVIS, Samuel: m'd BROCK, Mary ; settled Yamhill Co

DEARNN, John:

DEWITT, Mary Ann (1888-1860): m'd BROWN, William; mother in law of Medorem Crawford; d/o Abraham and Mehitable (Hopkins) Dewitt; husband died prior to emigration in Missouri

DOBBINBESS, John:

EKIN FAMILY RESEARCHER:
EKIN, Richard H. [aka EAKIN] (1820-1878): m'd 1850 EVANS, Susan; was a sailor who had made two trips around the world; came to Oregon as second mate in a ship commanded by Capt. John H. Couch; arrived 03 Mar 1842 above present day Portland and jumped ship; settled Marion Co where he married and took up farming and saddle making.

FALLON, William O. [aka O'Fallen, Fallen]:

FITZPATRICK, Thomas: Fitzpatrick just returning from the flathead country was hired for $500 as a guide for Dr. White and company to guide them to Fort Hall

FORCE, Carleton Obediah (1836-1910): m'd 1887 TOWNER, Mary L.; s/o James and Lucretia (Towner) Force; died at St. Johns, Multnomah Co, OR; buried at  Riverview Cemetery, Multnomah Co, OR

FORCE, James Vanderbilt (1816-1890): m'd 1835 TOWNER, Lucretia; s/o Obediah and Elizabeth (VanHouten) Force; was a tavern keeper in the 1850 Marion County census; went to east in 1853-1854 to buy stock; was taken sick at Salt Lake, recovered and returned to Marion County where he went to stock raising and farming  until he shows up in the Wasco County census in 1870;  he remained there until his death at The Dalles in 1890; buried at the IOOF Cemetery, The Dalles, Wasco Co, OR

FORCE, John Lord (1814-1864): m'd STOUGHTON, Mary B. ; settled Marion Co ; purchased the Oregon Mission mills at Salem in 1844; March 1851 was appointed by legislature to board of commissioners for erection of public buildings at Salem; was mentioned throughout 1850s in connection with that post

GARRISON, E.:

GARRISON, Joseph M.: settled Marion Co ; purchased part of Oregon Mission farm in 1844

GEIGER, William: pioneer of 1839 returning from trip

GERTMAN, Levi [aka Girtman]: m'd BROWN, []; furniture maker

GIBBS, :

GIRTY, H.:

GRIFFITH, John:

HASTINGS FAMILY RESEARCHER:  
HASTINGS, Lansford Warren ( -c1870): m'd 1848 TOLER, Charlotte Catherine; at encampment of May 15, 1842 elected one of three in scientific corps; later elected Captain in place of Dr. Elijah White; captured by Indians with Asa Lovejoy and later released; left for California in 1843; was lawyer and member of constitutional convention of California; died in Brazil about 1870

HASTINGS, Loren L.:

HEWITT, Adam:

HOFSTETTER, John: [aka Hoffstutter, Hofstuter, Hofstitter] ; May 15, 1842 encampment John Hoffstutter was elected as master wagonmaker.

HORN, Adam:

HUDSPETH, J. M.:

JONES, Hardin:

LANCASTER, Columbia: turned back after daughter died and wife became ill; returned to Oregon in 1847

LANCASTER, Daughter: 16 months old; died on trail of symptomatic fever with worms; buried in present day Douglas Co, MO

LANCASTER, Mrs.: from the 27th to the 30th Mrs. Lancaster's illness delayed the company. The Lancasters turned back and were escorted to the Kansas crossing.

LEWIS FAMILY RESEARCHER:
LEWIS, Reuben: m'd 1844 FRAZIER, Mary Adeline "Polly"; s/o Elias and Mary Ann (Mix) Lewis came to Oregon with Gabriel Brown family; walked most of the way; settled Aumsville area of Marion Co, OR; buried Twin Oaks Cemetery, Turner, OR

LOGIE, James: ( -1854): m'd MILLER, Isabella

LOVEJOY, Asa Lawrence (1808- ): m'd MCGARY, Elizabeth ; at May 15, 1842 encampment was elected one of three in the scientific corps ; health was impaired by the malaria of the Missouri bottom lands so came to Oregon for health; accompanied Dr. Marcus Whitman on the trip east in the winter of 42-43; Lovejoy returned in 1843 and settled at Oregon City; member of the California party that was organized at Oregon City in September 1848; returned from California after about six weeks on the Brig Undine which entered the Columbia in January 1849.

MATTHIEU FAMILY RESEARCHER:
MATTHIEU, Francois Xavier (1816-1914): m'd 1844 AUSANT, Rose; French Canadian; clerk at business house in Montreal as a young boy; joined Sons of Liberty; escaped to US when British moved against Sons of Liberty; worked as clerk in Albany, NY and Milwaukee; moved to St. Louis, MO; 1839 joined American Fur Co as an engage and free trapper; joined emigrants at Laramie in 1842; settled at Champoeg; took part in provisional government in 1843; founded Butteville where he died in 1914.

MCDONALD, :

MCKAY, Alexander: Alexander McKay and brother John, the half-Chinook sons of Hudson's Bay Thomas McKay were returning home from school under the care of Dr. Elijah White.

MCKAY, Charles: m'd 1827 BIRD, Letitia ; settled in Washington Co

MCKAY, John: John McKay and his brother Alexander, the half- Chinook sons of Hudson's Bay Thomas McKay, were returning home from school in the care of Dr. Elijah White

MCKAY, Maria: m'd PLUMEY, George; settled Washington Co

MCSWAIN, Mary: m1. BENNETT, Vardemon; m2. LOVE, Harry; wintered over in Salem with her family and then emigrated to CA where her husband opened a "grog shop" in San Francisco; she divorced him in the 1840s and went on to the Santa Cruz mountains where she met and married Capt. Harry Love, the reputed slayer of Joaquin Murietta

MEEK, Stephen H. L. (1805-1889): m'd 1845 SCHOONOVER, Elizabeth; guide for 1842 emigration and infamous guide for a segment of the 1845 expedition

MORRISON, John L.

MOSS, Sidney Walter: put on trial for not standing guard during emigration, Jury could not agree; surveyed Oregon City for Dr. John McLaughlin, ran a hotel there, and claimed he was author of the first Oregon novel "The Prairie Flower"

OAKLEY, Obadiah: [see notes under 1839]

PAUL, Dutch:

PERRY, J. W.:

PERRY, William T. (1809-1882): m'd 1839 ABELL, Ann; he arrived in Oregon City Sept. 26, 1943, and here built for Dr. McLoughlin, the first flouring mill in Oregon. In the fall of 1843 he moved to Clatsop Plains, six miles from Astoria, where he resided until 1851, when he moved to Deer Creek, Douglas County. He located a donation claim of 640 acres on Deer Creek, and built the Roseburg flouring mills on his land, completing the same in 1853. In November 1858, he drove his stock to Coos Co., arriving at the place now known as Norway, on the 15th of the month. He purchased that place from H.G. Saunders, and moved his family thereto in February, 1859. His family at that time consisted of the following persons: Ann Perry, his wife, and the children were Vale N., Emily and Dora C. His eldest daughter Mary was married in Roseburg to Thos. Grant and upon his death she rejoined the family in Coos Co. Louisa K. was born in this country. Wm. T. Perry died at Norway, Coos Co., Nov. 4, 1882. [The Pioneer History of Coos and Curry Counties,  OR by Orvil Dodge; contributed by Robyn Greenlund]

POMEROY, Alanson :  member of Hastings party; returned overland last day of Feb 1846 with Capt. Palmer and 16 others, packing on mules and horses;met Judge Thornton and his party about Fort Laramie in July 1846;  hired in 1851 by Samuel James as one of three drivers. [James Family Papers, University of Washington Library per William Bagley]

POMEROY, Dwight:

POMEROY, Walter John (1798- ): m1. HAYS, Betsy ; settled Washington Co ; m2. 20 Sep 1843 Jane Taylor, widow of Tierns McCarty; took up a claim at Champoeg but settled primarily at Oregon City; build mill for McLoughlin; by 1844 was the largest wheat grower in the valley; built first hotel at Oregon City; 1855 was incorporator of Pacific Telegraph Co.

PORTER, Polly (1795-1888): m'd SMITH, Andrew D.; mother of 9 children

ROBB, James R.: m'd PARRISH, Elizabeth Ellen

RUSSELL, Osborne: trapper who joined the wagon train to travel back to the Willamette Valley; was in company of Elbridge Trask.

SHADDEN FAMILY RESEARCHER:
SHADDEN, Jasper (1834- ): s/o Thomas and Martha (Sumner) Shadden

SHADDEN, Madison (1834- ): s/o Thomas and Martha (Sumner) Shadden

SHADDEN, Mary (1840- ): d/o Thomas and Martha (Sumner) Shadden

SHADDEN, Thomas (1835- ): s/o Thomas and Martha (Sumner) Shadden

SHADDEN, Thomas Jefferson [aka SHADDON] (1809-1893): m'd c1829 SUMNER, Martha; settled Yamhill Co; went to CA first where he stayed for several years; was with Fremont in the Mexican War; farmed and raised stock; was in Oregon by 1850 census

SMITH FAMILY RESEARCHER:
SMITH, Andrew: s/o Andrew and Polly (Porter) Smith; co-founder of Dayton, OR SMITH, Andrew D.: m'd PORTER, Polly ; father of 9 children and believed to have brought at least 7 of them with him

SMITH, Child1:

c/o Andrew and Polly (Porter) Smith

SMITH, Child2:

c/o Andrew and Polly (Porter) Smith

SMITH, Child3:

c/o Andrew and Polly (Porter) Smith

SMITH, Elizabeth: m'd FLETCHER, Francis; d/o Andrew and Polly (Porter) Smith SMITH, Darling (c1824- ): s/o Andrew and Polly (Porter) Smith

SMITH, Jane: m'd ARMSTRONG, Pleasant; d/o Andrew and Polly (Porter) Smith; Sioux Indians tried to buy her for 20 horses during emigration to Oregon in 1842

STORN, Adam:

SUMNER FAMILY RESEARCHER:
SUMNER, Martha (c1813- ): [aka SUMLER, SUMMER] ; m'd 1829 SHADDEN, Thomas Jefferson ; settled Yamhill Co

SUMNER, Owen:

TETHEROW, Solomon (1800-1879): m'd 1823 BAKER, Ibba; settled Polk Co

THOMPSON, John:

TOWNER, Aaron (1818-1881): m'd 1844 JACKSON , Catharine; s/o Daniel and Mary (Budlong) Towner; settled Marion Co

TOWNER, Lucretia (1814-1891): m'd 1835 FORCE, James Vanderbilt; d/o Daniel and Mary (Budlong) Towner; settled in Marion county until the family shows up in the 1870 Wasco County census; died in 1891 at The Dalles; buried in IOOF Cemetery, The Dalles, Wasco Co, OR

TRASK, Elbridge: actually arrived at mouth of Columbia in 1835; had been trapping and joined the wagon train to travel to the Willamette Valley; was in company of Osborne Russell

TURNHAM FAMILY RESEARCHER:
TURNHAM, Joel: Turnham was shot and killed in 1844 by Deputy P.E. Pickerell when he threated violence against Webley Hauxhurst and his Indian wife

WELLS, Alonzo ( -1842):

WESTON, David (1820-1875): m'd 1852 SINCLAIR, Mary; settled at Champoeg, Marion Co, OR; by 1847 had claim in Yamhill Co; 1850 was back in Marion County where he remained; served in Cayuse War; was buried on his farm; listed as a blacksmith in the census records; father of 7 children including Catherine (1853-1854), Mary Jane (1855-aft 1930), James (1857-aft 1930), David (1858- ), Josephine (1859- ), Louis (1870-aft 1930)

WHITE, Elijah Dr.: emigrant to Oregon in 1837; was returning in 1842.

BIBLIOGRAPHY


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