We Were There on the Oregon Trail by William O. Steele

It is self-guiding as parking is tight at some of the stops, with room for just one or two vehicles. Learn more about planned programs and activities.Īs part of this event, NW Chapter member Dennis Larsen has created a self-guiding tour of the Naches Trail through the urban areas of Piece County, Washington. The two-day event is open to the general public. June 16-17 – The Meeker Mansion Museum in Puyallup, Washington, is inviting all known Meeker descendants back to Ezra and Eliza Jane Meeker’s iconic Victorian home for a family reunion during the annual Meeker Days celebration.

Each meeting will also include a short business meeting and an update on tours and explorations. Contact Dave Welch ( for additional information. Topics may include trail history, trail research, family history, local history, preservation, or anything related to these subjects. Dave Welch and others will present a summary of new findings and plans for a future auto tour along the route. Much has happened along the Cowlitz Trail from Fort Vancouver to Tumwater since Chuck Hornbuckle’s work in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Rooms, and they only later found land where they could build houses and live more permanently.”įuture Northwest Chapter Zoom Meetings 2023 Their first winters in temporary accommodations with friends, relatives, or strangers willing to rent The Red River Valley, Clatsop Plains, and other parts of Oregon and Washington. In Portland in later years, they settled far and wide across the Willamette Valley, the Umpqua Valley, While many arrived in Oregon City in the 1840s, or This narrative history describes how overlanders survived their first year in Oregon and how theįirst – year expe rience evolved from 1840 to 18 69. They found in the Willamette Valley: decades of boosterism about Oregon had raised theĮxpectations of some overlanders so high that the reality was a letdown. How might they work to earn food, clothing, or money? Not all who arrived were pleased with what The firs t year in Oregon presented challenges for newĪrrivals: Where would they sleep? What would they eat? Could they count on anyone to help them? “After traversing the roughly 2,000 – mile Oregon Trail, overlanders arrived at their destination: theįertile and rain – soaked Willamette Valley. The study has an introduction, five chapters, a conclusion, illustrations, tables, and a bibliography. Historical Research Associates, Inc., of Portland, Oregon, conducted the study under contract with the National Trails office, National Park Service. National Park Service contracted study now available onlineĪ research study “First Year in Oregon, 1840-1869: A Narrative History” was completed in October 2021, and is now available online.

We Were There on the Oregon Trail by William O. Steele