|
|
| 1844 |
| |
Whitman writes
to the American Board that about 50 Indians were farming near
the mission (1/4 to 4 acres).
|
|
|
| Feb.
10: |
Mrs.
Walker has a baby boy -- Joseph Elkanah. |
|
|
| April
8: |
Letter commenting on Tom Hill, a Delaware Indian who was a bitter
critic of the Euro-Americans. He told the Indians that the white
man was going to take their land. Full
text of letter. |
|
|
| April: |
Mr. and Mrs. Sager depart Missouri with their six children. |
|
|
| Late
May: |
Mrs.
Sager gives birth to 7th child, naming her Rosanna. She was later
renamed Henrietta. |
|
|
| Sept.: |
Mrs. Sager dies near Twin Falls, Idaho. Her last request is that
the children be taken to the Whitman Mission. The children's father
had also died along the Oregon Trail. |
|
|
| Oct.
17: |
The orphaned Sager children arrive at Waiilatpu.
Ages of the Sager children at the time of their arrival at Waiilatpu:
John -----------------14 (killed during Whitman Killings)
Frank (Francisco)12 (killed during Whitman Killings)
Catherine ----------10
Elizabeth ------------8
Matilda Jane--------6
Louise ---------------3 (Died of measles Dec. 5, 1847)
Henrietta------------5 months |
|
|
| Late
Fall: |
Emigrant wagon train arrives late and is caught by snow in the Blue
Mountains, this affects about 1500 people. |
|
|
| Winter: |
Sawmill
is constructed - Whitman hires some of the men who have wintered
over to build the mill. |
|
|
| |
Whitman
reports that only a few Cayuse are without a cattle herd. |
|
|
| |
Oregon
Trail moves closer to present-day Pendleton, Oregon. Most of the
emigrants miss Waiilatpu this year. |
|
|
| 1845 |
| May
9-14: |
Annual mission
meeting:
- Harmony
prevails.
- Missionaries
feel increasing danger from the Indians.
|
|
|
| June
3: |
The
Whitman's are appointed the legal guardians of the Sager children. |
|
|
| Fall: |
Cayuse
and Walla Walla have intentions of attacking wagon train (this is
one of the first indications of the growing hostility of the Indians
towards the emigrants.) The fact that Dr. Whitman has taken the
side of the pioneers undermines the Indians' faith in the missionary. |
|
|
| |
Main
body of emigrant wagon train now uses route closer to Pendleton.
The 1845 wagon train has about 4000 people. |
|
|
| |
Osborn
family arrives with emigrant train and stays at Waiilatpu. |
|
|
| Winter: |
Sawmill becomes operational. |
|
|
| 1846 |
| |
United
States becomes involved in a war with Mexico. |
|
|
| March
7: |
Walkers
have their fifth child --Jeremiah. |
|
|
| April: |
Whitman writes letter to Greene about difficulties with Catholics. |
|
|
| June
19: |
U.S. Senate confirms a treaty with Great Britain that
fixes the Oregon
boundary at the 49th Parallel. |
|
|
| |
Printing
press moves from Lapwai to the Dalles. |
|
|
| |
Emigrant
wagon train brings about 2500 people. Very few people go to Whitman
Mission and there is hardly any call for supplies. Whitman had been
hoping to become self-supporting through his provision sales to
the emigrants. |
|
|
| |
Spalding's
inventory of Waiilatpu:
- 30 acres
of farm land under cultivation and irrigation.
- Sawmill
- 40,000
feet of lumber (cut and stacked for use). One-third had been
transported to Waiilatpu. (Another figure is 20,000 feet of
lumber.)
- Log cabin
at sawmill.
- Flour mill
and granary.
- Fully equipped
Blacksmith Shop.
- Two houses.
- Several
barns and sheds for livestock.
- Threshing
machine and corn shelter. (Oct. 25, 1844 letter to Greene on
requested these articles; they arrived in the summer of 1847.)
- 25 plows
- 2 large prairie plows and 23 cast plows.
- 1 harrow,
1 wagon, and 12 ox yokes.
- 290 head
of cattle.
- 46 head
of horses.
- 92 head
of sheep.
- Orchard
of 75 trees
- Inventory
included large quantities of wearing apparel, medicines, surgical
instruments, books, and school supplies, furniture and produce.
The American
Board reported the value of Waiilatpu at $21,583.26.
|
|
|
| Fall: |
All is well at Waiilatpu. |
|
|
| 1846-47
Winter: |
William Geiger is hired to teach school. About 20 Euro-American
children are at Waiilatpu. |
|
|
| 1846-47
Winter: |
Very
severe winter leads to heavy loss of cattle and horses. |
|
|
