Told by the Pioneers - Washington Secretary of State

Told by the Pioneers
to the importance of the far west, and in the spring of 1843 led a large
party of emigrants across the plains to this country. This event was
followed by the American trappers and the few settlers then in the
valley who organized and secured a pledge from the priests and Hudson's
Bay people to leave the question of forming a provisional government
to a vote. The British subjects, under the leadership of
Father Blanchet, after satisfying themselves that they had a majority,
agreed to this plan, and on May 2, 1843, they met at Champoeg.
Old Joe ?lIeek drew a line with a stick and cried, "all who are in favor
of the provisional government follow me," and stepped across the
line. There ·was an even vote, but F. M. Mattieu, then a young trapper,
and afterwards prominent in Oregon politics, wavered for a moment
and then stepped over to the Americans, the vote then being fifty-two
to fifty. Joe Meek threw his hat in the air, and shouted, "Hurrah
for our side." 'rhe provisional government was decided on, and
Oregon ,yas saved for the United States.
England claimed all north of the 42nd parallel; President Polk
made his campaign with the slogan, "fifty-four-forty, or fight," but
the matter was finally compromised on the 49th parallel, by the treaty
of 184G.
Oregon Territory was created in 1848, and Washington Territory
carved therefrom in 1853. But coming down to our subject, we find
that on Friday, the second day of May, 180G, the soil of Columbia
County ,vas first profaned by the foot of a white man.
A careful search of the early histories of the coast, and even Indian
traditions indicate that prior to that date, this was Indian countr:',
pure and simple, settled by no particular tribe, but claimed jointly by
the "'Valla ",Vallas, Cayuses and Umatillas, the Tucanon being the dividing
line between them and the Nez Perces. This was the summer
meeting place of the different tribes surrounding ns. Here the old
Indian trails, or the Nez Perce trails, as they are usually called, cross
the Touchet, leading from the Nez Perces on the east, the Palouses
on the north, the Yakimas on the west, and the Umatillas, Walla "'Valla
and Cayuse Indians on the southwest. Thev met here on common
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ground, pastured their horses on the grassy hillsides and in the fertile
valleys of the Touchet and the Patit, raced their ponies during the day,
and gambled at the stick game by the light of the campfire during the
evening hours.
Years afterwards when the first white settlers arrived, they found
the present site of Dayton was still the pleasure ground of the Indians.
The trails leading from the crossing of the creek near the present
malt house to the foot of the Pringle hill was their race track, and
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