The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., January 01, 1926, Page 9, Image 9

JANUARY 1926
THE UNITED AMERICAN
Page Nine
The Commonwealth of Oregon
A Brief History of the Organization and Development of One of the Forty-eight United States of America,
Submitted in a Series of Comprehensive and Interesting Letters, Written Particularly for Those Who Have
Commenced Studying and Preparing Themselves to Pass the Examination for American Citizenship.
By A. C. Strange, Oregon State Director of Americanization Schools
I.
BRIEF HISTORY OF EARLY GOVERNMENT IN OREGON
DEFORE 1843, the Hudson’s Bay Company, of
U which Dr. John McLoughlin was the chief
factor, constituted the government of Oregon. It was
really a one-person government, similar to a dictator­
ship, in that the head of the agency could make such
rules as he pleased, and could punish the breakers of
those rules as he wished. Yet, although Dr. McLough­
lin had great power, he never used it improperly; on
the contrary, he was always a fair and firm ruler who
was highly respected by all with whom he had
dealings.
During this time, several hundred settlers located
and established themselves in the Willamette Valley.
Some were former employees of the trading company
who had grown too old for the hard life of trapping
or trading with the Indians and had chosen the easier
life of stock growing and farming; others were Amer­
ican immigrants who had crossed the plains in search
of homes. Between these two groups, there arose
considerable difference of opinion about the need for
a government. The Hudson’s Bay employees, who
were mostly French, believed that the Company’s
government was all that was needed. The Americans
criticised this rule and argued that a government
with elected officers should be formed.
Early in the forties (1840-50), two outstanding
needs for government arose. One grew out of the
death, of an American settler who died without heirs.
Other American settlers held that it was not right
that his property should go to the Hudson’s Bay
Company but that it should be used for the common
good of all. This naturally could not be brought about
without a regularly organized government. A second
need for government was the trouble the settlers
were having with wolves which were destroying their
stock. Hence, in March, 1843, a number of the set­
tlers gathered to plan some method of solving these
difficulties. It so happened that most of these men
were Americans who believed that the settlers should
form their own government. It was their argument
that their property and their lives were not adequately
protected under the Hudson’s Bay rule; so it was de­
cided to meet again in two months when the effort
should be made to get out all the settlers to discuss
their proposal for a separate government.
This meeting was held at Champoeg (a place on
the Willamette River near where Woodburn is now
located) in May 1843. One hundred and two of the
settlers were present at this meeting. After con­
siderable discussion, a vote on the question of form­
ing a new government was called for. Fifty two
voted that the settlers should form a separate
government; fifty voted to stay with the Company.
Hence, .a Committee was appointed to prepare a plan
for the new government, the same to report the fol­
lowing July. This report, which was then adopted,
became the first organic law and the foundation of
government in Oregon.
According to this Report, no settler was allowed
to hold more than a section of land and the laws of
the territory of Iowa were adopted as the laws of
the territory of Oregon, which reached from the
northern boundary of California to Canada, and from
the Pacafic Ocean to the Rockies. It was divided into
four counties. These counties were Twality (after­
wards called Tualatin), Yamhill, Clackamas and Cham­
poeg. To enforce the laws thus adopted, a volunteer
company of twenty-five riflemen or rangers was
formed. Certain civil officers were also provided for.
The first governing official in this large area was
George Abernethy, who held the office during the en­
tire four years of this provisional or temporary
government, which the settlers established. The of­
ficials at once began petitioning Congress for a per­
manent territorial form of government. This re­
quest, however, was. not granted until August, 1848,
when an* act making Oregon a territory was passed
by Congress. The act provided for a governor, the
necessary courts, and a territorial legislature. Presi--
dent Polk at once signed the bill and appointed
General Joseph Lane as the first governor and Joseph
Meek as the first U. S. Marshal.
A year later, General Taylor, a Whig partisan,
became president of the United States and he, accord­
ing to the custom of the time, thought it best to ap­
point a member of his party as governor of the new
territory. Hence, he offered the position to Abraham
Lincoln, an offer which was declined, fortunately for
the nation. Taylor then appointed a man by the name
of Gaines, who accepted, and thus became the second
governor of the Oregon territory. In the meantime,
General Lane, the first governor under presidential
appointment, had been elected to Congress, a position
in which he remained until the territory became a
state in 1859.
Following Gaines, there were four other territorial
governors. During this time, the capital was changed
from Oregon City to Salem and parts of the Oregon
territory were cut off to form the territories of Wash­
ington and Idaho. It was a period of great interest
in education, several of the state’s colleges having
been founded during these years. It was a time, too,
of rapid growth in population and accumulation of
wealth. This was due partly to the several waves of
immigration from the east and to the drifting north­
ward of many miners from California. Hence, when
Oregon in 1859 became a State, it did not come into
the Union as a sparsely settled, impoverished com­
monwealth but rather as one worthy in every respect
of a place among the states of a great nation.
My next letter will deal with the government of
the new state.
Our bodies are but the anvils of pains and diseases, and
our minds the hives of unnumbered cares. —Sir W. Raleigh.