Journal of Lieutenant George Foster Emmons[1]
(Officer of the Peacock)
August 7, 1841-The country becoming smoky from the annual fires of the Indians- who burn the prairies to dry and partially cook a sunflower seed (tarweed)- which abounds throughout this portion of the country & is afterwards collected by them in great quantities & kept for their winters stock of food. The forests are also frequently burnt to aid them in entrapping their game- these two burnings combined form the greatest obstacle that travelers encounter in their country- one blocking up the way and the other destroying the food of the animals.[2]
Underway early-winding our way to the top of the Yam hills- which lay nearly W & S covering an extent of about 15 miles in length…Noticed many piles of stone- which probably mark a resting place of some of the former rulers of this valley.[3] White oak scattered about in all directions.
Joe McLaughlin the son of Dr. McLaughlin, who has lately married the daughter of La Bonte[4] & has a large farm under cultivation, with abundance of stock & Indian assistance.
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August 8th- clouding over often now, all the country west of us apparently on fire from the dense volume of smoke continually rising -it is fortunate for the settlers that at this season these prairies are not subject to heavy winds- for if they were there would be no arresting the fires that are so often set by the Indians.
-some Kal-a-pu-ya Indians visited camp- found some difficulty in restraining Newell’s dog from biting them- he being universally civil to white people.[5] and now that it occurs to me I will add that upon crossing the Yamhill river I was met by the principal chief of this tribe with several of his followers who addressed to me a short speech- accompanied with considerable gesture. The amount of which agreeable to the interpretation of Mr. Rogers- was to inform me that he was of the Kalapuya tribe- & that all this portion of the country belonged to them. I gave him to understand through the same channel, that I had not come to contest his claims & hoped that he might live many happy years upon his soil.- when he retired apparently contented. Poor fellow like the rest of his race, he is doomed to vanish before the white man. Out of 10,000 who 10 years ago peopled this country- there scarcely now remains 6,000.
Whole tribes have been completely swept off and but a few years longer at this rate, & there will be none left. How melancholy the reflection. How little do we know of this once numerous people, & yet how much have we done to shorten their existence. By we, I of course mean the white men generally. They having introduced fatal diseases unknown among them.
August 10th-Rode to the top of the Yam Hills with Mr. Agate to make some observations & take a sketch of the surrounding country.
Crossing the Yamhill River in 1841, Agate drawing and woodcut
August 11- All of the Prairie to the west of us had been burnt- & contrasted strongly with the green patches of woods- and ?? narrow belts bordering upon streams. Did not see a living soul nor any other signs of habitation than a small stream of smoke curling above a distant cluster of trees.
Made arrangements with Mr. Lee to furnish fresh beef occasionally for the camp… there being little or no dependence placed upon the Indians (naturally indolent) who take their own time & mode of working and seldom evince any consistency, unless interested by family connection as is not unfrequently the case with the Canadians and half-breeds. Nearly all of the American mountain men also have their Indian wives.
(To Chemeketa settlement)
Accepted an invitation from several gentlemen of the mission to accompany them to their mill about 8 miles up the Walamat on the east side…finally arrived at the mills which are plural only in the machinery- a portion of which is for sawing timber- an other for making shingles- & the remainder for grinding grain (one 10 or 12 inch stone only).- Located on a small stream that empties into the walamet & barely furnishing water enough to carry the saw mill (only one saw) during the dry season. Their present dam is so badly constructed that at present there is a great waste of water. There is a large frame house here which is the dwelling house of the man in charge of the mills& school house for native children (Numbering about 20 of both sexes) who have been placed under the care of the mission to bring up- instruct and C & C. and as the estimable object of this mission is in benefiting the Indian race generally in this country, the end is more likely attained in this way than any other- for several obvious reasons. But even then youths are so wild & untractable- that no great change for the better efficacy will ever be effected.
September 7- house of the American by the name of Turner… Virginian by birth… stained by constant exposure to the sun that at a distance he might be taken for one of the Kalapuyah tribe, to which he is already allied in marriage… he has charge of the mission cattle … about 500 head. … he is one of the survivors of Smith’s party that were cut off near the coast about the year 1827 by the Rascally Indians. (170 pdf number)
Figure 36 John Turner, who had been with Jedediah Smith, settled until 1845- when he sold the property to John Philips- Turner goes to California- Philips’ historic house still stands there in Polk County 6565 Spring Valley Rd, Polk Co. Salem, Google maps section.
September 8- a few straggling Kalapuyahs came around the camp & were bitten by our dogs before we could prevent it- I am sometimes surprised to see how soon these animals discriminate between the Indian & settler. When there is frequently not a shade difference in their color.
-a rolling prairie of indifferent soil, saw many wolves and killed one. The atmosphere filled with smoke from burning prairies. … 5 pm encamped upon Ignacias Creek- the country burnt all about.
September 10- …over rolling prairie, passed an Indian burying ground on the bank of a small stream, and saw upon the hill tops small mounds & heaps of stone which have evidently been the work of the Indians, for what purpose I am unable to say. I have been told it is the custom of the Indian girls of the country upon arriving at the age of puberty to stray into the fields & erect such mounds by excavating the surrounding earth. Places of this kind have been pointed out to me but I never saw the custom practiced. (174)
Crossed Mouse Creek [Marys river] … deep in many places with high steep banks… Passed over a level prairie, perfectly barren having been burnt like most of the country- could not determine the extent owing to the smoke which confined our view within a space of about two miles round- Skirted the margin of a small lake of fresh water, the surface but about a foot below the surface of the prairie… the banks being steep and mirey. Soon after came upon the banks of a small river called Lum tun-buff [Long Tom]- which in many places assumed the appearance of small lakes with high abrupt banks- the first place that appeared accessible was soon accompanied by the pack animals, who having traveled all day over a burnt prairie without water were now eager to get some.
September 13th- …about 2 miles & came upon an old encamping place on the headwaters of the Lumtumbuff where the Indians had once constructed a dam.
Emmons map section, details Indian dam on Lumtumbuff river.
[1] Journal kept while attached to the Exploring Expedition on board of the U.S. Peacock no 3- copy of original handwritten manuscript- He is commander of the southern expedition. The Peacock schooner went down off the coast near Astoria. The foundering of the schooner is dramatically drawn by members of the expedition. All crew were saved.
[2] Pages in the handwritten journals are unnumbered.
[3] These are an apt description of Kalapuya Prayer Seats on buttes and mountains in the area
[4] Louis La Bonte was an early fur trader who settled in the valley.
[5] The Kalapuya people had dogs, their own Indian dogs they used for hunting, and perhaps eating, which is why these people seemed unafraid of the dogs, they were not a strange thing to them.
The Journal of George Emmons was acquired as a PDF from other resident scholars in the region.
Emmons, George F., George Foster Emmons diary, 1838-1842, [Microfilm] Yale University Photographic Service, Yale University Library, New Haven, Conn., [19–]