| Title: | George W. Bell, Oregon, to Sarah Bell, Ohio, U.S.A. |
|---|---|
| ID | 159 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Bell, George W/2 |
| Year | 1846 |
| Sender | Bell, George W. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | store keeper |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Oregon, USA |
| Destination | Ohio, USA |
| Recipient | Bell, Sarah |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | T 3659/1A: Deposited by Mrs. M. R. Hawkem. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9802476 |
| Date | 24/02/1846 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 09:02:98. |
| Word Count | 1550 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To : Mrs. Sarah Bell, Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio. [U.S.A.?[ From : George W.Bell, Portland, Williamette or Wallamutt River, Oregon Territory, [U.S.A.?] Fbr [February?] 24th, 1846. Dear Mother, I wrote you last May when at Kansas River in the Territory of Mo [Missouri?] I will now say something of our journey etc. since that time. The Oregon Emigrants of about 600 waggons in number travelled in detached parties of from 15 to 25 waggons in each. The families with an average of 5 souls to each waggon. We were generally very healthy though had two deaths amongst the adults and one amongst the children. The distance travelled; great to be performed with waggon and oxen through a country entirely uninhabited by civilised beings, the distance after leaving the white settlements on the Missouri Border until you reach them at Vancouver on the Columbia River is by the road we travel about 1875 miles and by the other road 1950 miles. this we performed from Fort Madison Iowa in about 6 months being out from 14 April to 14 October at which time we reached this village having lived and lodged in our waggons and tents during all the time. The journey is one of continual hardship, anxiety and fatigue for those who have families to see to. I drove an ox team all the way. I enjoyed as good health as usual and now my health is probably better than it has been for some time. Mrs. Bell enjoys excellent health now and our little sprout of 18 months Jas. [James?] Frederick enjoys excellent health although he with his mother on the latter part of the journey narrowly escaped drowning by our waggon upsetting in a small stream in the night - the child was with great difficulty brought to life apparently dead for half an hour. -- Of this 1875 miles or 2175 from Fort Madison, Iowa, it is all travelled by land except this last 75 miles to Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River travelled by water in Canoes and small boats that are propelled by hand, the Canoes by Indians and the Boats by white men in this way area all the Families and Goods waggons [etc?] transported to Fort Vancouver, and to this valley there being no Road over the Cascade Mountains over which the waggons can pass but there will be by next July, the cattle and Horses are all drove over this mountain. The Companies separating some taking charge of the Families etc and others charge of the Stock - This part of the road is most tedious and more dangerous than any of the balance - The road is as follows from Independence, Mo [Missouri?] to Fort Laramie at Eastern Base of R [Rocky?] Mountains 611 miles of Excellent Road. From Laramie to Fort Hall on the West side of R. [Rocky?] Mountains 530 miles, some good and some bad Road & from Fort Hall to the [Falls?] of the Columbia R [River?] at Eastern Base of Cascade Mountains where we take water is 654 miles mostly hard Roads to travel : of the 2 last sections there are different places in all [about?] 400 miles of very sandy Roads over which it is very tedious hard travelling and where many of the Oxen will give out, particularly those that are old and have been worked hard on the Roads. From Independence to Laramie is a Country entirely destitute of timber except a few Bushes & Small Trees at intervals along the streams. The country is high & rolling though not mountainous in any part, and covered with green grass. Inhabited by Indians Buffalo, Elk, Deer, Moose, Antelope [H&C?] The 2 sections embracing the R. [Rocky?] Mountains is high, Mountainous, Sterile, & Barren, destitute of timber except some small Pine & Cedar trees & Bushes on the Hills which are only occasionally seen at a distance from the Roads. The country is covered unless in places near the Streams on which there is grass with a Shrub that grows from 18 inches to 4 feet in height. It is all of one species, that of the [-------?] which is raised in the states. Country Inhabited in the small vallies [valleys?] that pass through it with Indians : a few White Trappers and found Buffalo in Places with Wolf, Panther, blk [black?] & Grizzly Bear of which the Grizzly Bear is by farr [far?] the most powerful and dangerous animall [animal?] the buffalo although very powerful is killed and devoured by him with unfortunately but few of them are ever killed by hunters or Indians for if not shot dead at once which is very hard to do as they persue and destroy their assailant unless he be mounted on a swift animal, in that case he can make his escape. The 3rd section is a hilly Mountainous Region of country with but very little soil for for Cultivation with some good grazing Country but almost destitute of timber unless on over side in the vicinity of the Blue Mountains winds pop through this section, the Eastern portion of it on the east of the Blue Mountains compares with the 2nd section : those next the Blue Mts [Mountains?] is better adapted for grazing purposes. The western portion of Oregon is of some importance for Farming, grazing and lumbering there are some fine Plains or Prairies with that portion on the streams covered with the largest and finest Timber on the Continent Comprised of White, Red & Yellow Fir, Bedona, Pine & Cedar. I have seen many trees from 250 to 300 feet high. Oregon city 12 miles above this place on the East side of this River is the largest Town in the Territory contains about 400 in population. Next is Vancouver on the Columbia, it has a population of 150 to 200 most of whom are in the Service of the Hudson Bay Co. [Company?] 3/4 of whom are Indians half Breeds, Sandwich Islanders. That is the main depot of the H B Co [Hudson Bay Company?] for this Territory. This is a Town Recently laid out by the Americans and has 10 houses, one Store a Cooper, a Smith and a Wheelwright also a Tanner all of whom are preparing to follow their different occupations. At Oregon City are 2 Fine Flouring Mills 2 Saw Mills 3 Stores and other tradesmen. this place is at the Falls in the River where the water Falls perpendicularly about 40 feet it affords about as much water as the Ohio River and at that place one of the finest water [----?] in the world. The River is navigable for boats for one hundred or 150 miles from this point and navigable for ships as far as this place, the ship Toulon left here in December last for the S.wich [Sandwich?] Islands, and will return in May. She is American and left the States last Spring. At Oregon City is a small paper printed weekly, the only one in the Territory - The winters here are mild - no snow except on the Mountains at Mount Hood Mount Washington. We have but little frost and the leafs [leaves?] remain green fall & winter. There is or was a great deal of rain during the Winter commencing about the 15 October and continuing to March or April. During May and June much of the rain falls we live comfortably not [torn] all winter in houses that are not heated [torn] in [-------?] [------?] daubing or Plastering the cracks. I have seen Pinks and other flowers in the Gardens in the month of January - I think I have a prospect of doing well in this country although I am very destitute at present. I have made a claim 14 miles from Oregon City East, of 640 acres of good land on which I have a Cabbin [cabin?] - I am in the employ of an American merchant at 500 Dollars a year I am in Charge of a store at this place There is but little Money in Circulation here though commodities and produce of all kinds are high. Business is mostly done by Barter the Surplus Rations are Flour Wheat, lumber and Salmon - these and the Furs that are bought by American Merchants are shipped to the S.wich [Sandwich?] Islands and Sold for Cash or Exchanged for Goods. Surplus Productions continually will be in addition to those noted Pork Beef Hides Tallow Butter Cheese [Rus?] Beans [-&C?] The whole White Population of Oregon is about 6000 souls The greater Portion of the Ships visiting the Columbia R.[River?] Belong to the Hudson Bay Company. The Ship Modest a British Man of War is lying in the River at Vancouver during the Winter. The H [Hudson?] Bay Company monopolizes all the Fur Trade of this country and this here is just part of the Trade throughout - This letter will Start in a few days by a company of young men returning to the States some to remain and others for visits And will return wives are scarce in Oregon there being about 3 Males to One Female Our Indians are very friendly, and Rapidly on the [dec-----?]. Missionaries have been operating this Country for Some years but have done little towards Enlightening the Indians their attention being entirely concerned to Speculations in land claims Milling [Misfunctioning?] Mrs Sarah Bell Very affectionately Your Son G. [George?] W. Bell |
