The
Early
Methodist Mission
and its fight for claim of
rights
--Excerpted from "The History
of Oregon"--
| Some Background:
In the vast region east of the Cascades, physical conditions and the indian troubles that continued far into the decade of the sixties, combined to produce a peculiar situation, so that a need for local government preceded the creation of towns. Wasco County, when it was organized by act of the Territorial Legislature, January 11, 1854, comprised all of the territory east of the Cascades and south of the Columbia River. It had as its county seat Dalles City, afterward called The Dalles; the only settlement in that spacious territory, a place that had grown up around the mission established by Daniel Lee, nephew of Jason Lee. This place had been utilized as a military post during the indian wars, and around it had clustered a group of stores developed by settlers trading in the wake of the army, and merchants who followed the opening of the route to the mines in Eastern Oregon, Idaho and Northeastern Washington territory.
The Story: The townsite of The Dalles was involved in litigation for many years. Under the name ofWascopum, a Methodist mission was begun there in 1838 under Rev. Daniel Lee and Rev. H.W.K. Perkins. In 1844, they left for the East and were succeeded by Rev. A.F. Waller. In 1847 the mission was transferred to Dr. Marcus Whitman in consideration of $600, and his nephew, Perrin B. Whitman, was placed in charge. |
Doctor Whitman was murdered at Waiilatpu,
November 29, 1847, and the mission was abandoned because of the indian
hostilities, but the American Board retransferred the property to the Missionary
Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The latter subsequently
asserted title, made surveys and, after much litigation in the Department,
obtained a patent. In the meantime a military reservation had occupied
a part of the site, and for this and for mission property destroyed, the
Government paid to the Society $24,000 damages. Walter D. Bigelow
took up a donation claim of 320 acres and cultivated it until 1860. In
1852 a town was in existence on part of the land formerly claimed by the
Methodist Mission, and this town, under directions of Wasco County, was
surveyed and laid out in lots, blocks and streets; the town was incorporated
as Dalles City in 1857, and subsequently entered at the United States Land
Office at Oregon City a townsite claim under the Townsite Act of May 23,
1844, in trust for the occupants. Suits brought by various plaintiffs resulted
ultimately in holding that the Missionary Society had no title, and the
title of various claimants was settled, whereupon the Missionary Society
refunded some $23,000 to persons who had made payments in the settlement
of titles to lots. The name Dalles City was afterward changed to
The Dalles.
For a review of this litigation, see The Methodist Mission Claim to The Dalles Townsite, by Mrs. R.S. Shackelford, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol. XVI, p. 24 and the court records referred to therein. Ref.: Special Laws of Oregon, 1853-54, page 26 |
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