John Ordway's Parents

An 1804 letter from John Ordway to his parents that outlines, among other things, what they should do if he did not return.

Oregon Historical Society, Eva Emery Dye Papers

Anne Ordway must have raised her son John to take care of his chores and schoolwork in a timely manner, as on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, John Ordway is the only journal writer that recorded an entry for every single day of the expedition. This beats the record of even William Clark, another steady and more famous member of the Corps of Discovery. In addition to his conscientious journal keeping, John Ordway took several opportunities to write to his “Honored Parence” when able.

Ordway had a good relationship with his parents and wrote to them when he could. Shortly before the expedition embarked, Ordway wrote a famous letter to his mother and father, part of which reads, “Honored Parence…I now embrace this oppertunity of writeing to you once more to let you know where I am and where I am going. I am well thank God, and in high Spirits. I am now on an expedition to the westward, with Capt Lewis and Capt. Clark...to go on an expidition through the interior parts of North America. We are to ascend the Missouri River with a boat as far as it is navigable and then go by land, to the western ocean if nothing prevents...Wee expect to be gone 18 months or two years...will write next winter if I have a chance.” The term “Honored Parence” speaks volumes.

John Ordway began his expedition with the above letter to his mother and father, and ends his expedition thinking of his “Honored Parence” too. In his final journal entry upon the Corp’s return to St. Louis, Ordway wrote, “we unloaded the canoes and carried the baggage all up to a Store house in Town. drew out the canoes then the party all considerable much rejoiced that we have the Expedition Completed and now we look for boarding in Town and wait for our Settlement and then we entend to return to our native homes to See our parents once more as we have been So long from them.” It is fitting that John Ordway, the steadfast hand that put pen to paper every day of the expedition, began and ended his journey the same way, with thoughts of his family centering and motivating him.