The 1855 Umpqua Reservation Census
Some recent census research revealed a census I had not yet analyzed. Luckily, a brief search of my records found that I had previously collected the census, enabling…
Tag: treaties
When the Southern Molallas Moved to the Umpqua Reservation
In 1853, Joel Palmer Indian Superintendent for Oregon established the Umpqua Reservation in the inland Umpqua Valley. The September 19, 1853 Treaty with the Cow Creek Band of…
We are Treated like Slaves and are Starving: Siletz Chiefs send their Remarks to the President 1862
In the 1860’s the western Oregon reservations were still struggling with feeding all the Indians despite promises by Indian agents, and the treaties, that when they removed,…
Meacham’s Final Appeal to Fairly Pay the Tribes Removed to the Coast Reservation.
Albert B. Meacham was an Indian agent in the 1860’s and 70’s and oversaw some changes in the reservations. He attempted to give the tribes some voice in…
Estuaries Saved the Coastal Tribes: Joel Palmer’s Plan in 1855
I have previously written about how the coastal tribes were relocated to several river estuaries within the Coast Reservation (Siuslaw, Yachats, Alsea, Nashesne, Siletz and Umpqua). There the…
Did the non-ratification of the Coast Treaty cause Grand Ronde to become permanent?
The Grand Ronde Indian reservation was a sudden change in plans for Joel Palmer in 1855. When the Rogue River war began, and other conflicts with tribes north…
History in the Vouchers: Joel Palmer’s Expense Journal
I have spent much time on Palmer’s and other early settler’s and explorer’s letters that I have gained a good understanding of the history of the tribes. Some…
Joe Lane’s Report of the Rogue River battle at Evans Creek, 1853
In 1853, the Oregon Territorial militia commanded by General Joseph Lane was fighting a series of battles in the Rogue River valley, the main battle at Evans Creek.…
Stories of Change Among the Clackamas at Grand Ronde
The Clackamas Come to Grand Ronde Reservation Preparing to Leave The Clackamas are addressed in letters as living in small encampments near Oregon City. They likely had a…
Lt. William A. Slacum, United States Spy in the Oregon Territory, & Chief Slacum of the Clowewalla
Lt. William A. Slacum, a Navy purser, was sent by the President, through the Department of State, as a special investigator to the Oregon Territory to investigate the…
Are Tribes Ready for Termination, Again?
Are Tribes Ready for Termination, Again? In the past few weeks a number of federal administration officials have made statements which suggest that a concerted effort is underway…
Origins of the Willamette Valley Treaty Map of 1851
Leonard White was a steamboat captain that began his career in early Oregon at Salem. White was born in Indiana in 1827 and came to Oregon Territory in…
Contributions of William and Almira Raymond to Native Administration in Oregon
William Raymond was a sub-Indian agent from 1851 until at least 1857. He administered the tribes first at the Astoria sub-agency, then later moved the agency to Tillamook.…
Conditions of the Alsea Indians and the Salmon River Encampment 1876-1878
As addressed in previous essays, in about 1875, most Indian annuities for the Western Oregon tribes ended because the 20 year payments were exhausted. This Continue reading
When Annuities Ended on the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation
The closure of the 1853-1855 treaty annuities in 1875 was a time of hardship for some Oregon reservations. For 20 years the reservations of Oregon Continue reading
Warm Springs Speeches 1876
It is well known that the Coast Reservation was reduced in 1865 and 1875 to make way for white settlement. A similar threat was posed Continue reading
The Gateway on the Central Oregon Coast, Fort Umpqua and the Umpqua Sub Indian Agency
The southern and central Coast of Oregon is a relatively unknown area in Native American history. As the area is not well researched it Continue reading
War on the Umpqua Tribes and Removal to the Umpqua Reserves
Much has been written and published of the Rogue River, Modoc, and Yakima Wars in the Oregon Territory. These wars were, by-and-large, reactions of the Continue reading
Differential Immigration and Citizenship in the 19th Century in Oregon
The immigration debate that is being discussed nationally, has cause me to think about what immigration was like in the…
Treaty of Peace with the Rogue River Tribes, September 8, 1853
Previous to the seven ratified treaties with the tribes of western Oregon there were two treaties of peace with the Rogue River tribe. The treaty of 1850, is…
The Willamette Valley Treaty Podcast for the Grand Ronde Tribe
The ratified treaties series, just completed today (1/17/2018), was inspired by a request from Dean Rhodes, Media Director at Grand Ronde, for me to tape a podcast about…
Rogue River Treaty of 1854, Negotiated November 15, 1854, Ratified March 3, 1855
The second Rogue River Treaty, that of 1854, was a treaty if peace, and ratifying the joint occupancy of the Table Rock Reservation by many tribes subject to…
Stingy American Settlers of the Willamette Valley
The Kalapuyan tribes of the Willamette Valley have lived here for more than 10,000 years, some 50,000 generations of people. The whole of the valley was owned…
Anson Dart and the Willamette Treaty Commission
Many scholars of Oregon tribal history have assumed, as have I, that Anson Dart, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Oregon from 1850 to 1852 was responsible for…