Willamette Cattle Company facts for kids
| Date | 1837 |
|---|---|
| Location | Willamette Valley North America |
| Also known as | Wallamet or Willamet Cattle Company |
| Participants | Ewing Young and others |
The Willamette Cattle Company was a group formed in 1837 by early settlers in the Willamette Valley of what is now Oregon, United States. Their main goal was to buy cattle from Mexican California. They bought almost 750 cows and 40 horses. Ewing Young led the journey to bring these animals north to the Willamette Valley.
Contents
Why the Willamette Cattle Company Was Formed
Before this company, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) owned all the cattle in the area. John McLoughlin, a leader for the HBC, had an agreement with the settlers. He would lend them pairs of cattle, but he never sold them. All the calves born from these loaned cows belonged to the HBC.
For example, the Methodist Mission in Oregon received 16 cattle from McLoughlin in 1834. Even if a cow died, settlers were not charged for it. By 1837, the HBC had about a thousand cattle.
In late 1836, William A. Slacum, a Navy officer, arrived in the region. He was sent by the U.S. government to learn about the settlements. Slacum talked to many settlers in the Willamette Valley. He noticed that they depended completely on the Hudson's Bay Company for cattle.
To help the settlers become more independent, Slacum suggested they buy cattle from Alta California. This idea would help end the HBC's control over livestock.
Creating the Company
Many settlers agreed to Slacum's idea in January 1837. This group included missionaries like Jason Lee from the Methodist Mission. It also included former French-Canadian HBC workers and American pioneers. They decided to create a company together.
The plan was for some men to sail to California on a ship called the Loriot. They would buy as many cattle as they could. The official agreement was signed on January 13, 1837, at Campment du Sable. After buying the cattle, they would drive them overland back to the Willamette Valley.
Once the cattle arrived, they would be shared among the investors. Each person would get cattle based on how much money they had invested. The company paid the travelers $1 a day for their costs. They also paid $20 a month in wages, which was given in cattle.
Ewing Young was chosen to lead the group going to California. Philip Leget Edwards became the treasurer. McLoughlin, despite being with the HBC, helped a lot. He bought half of all the available shares in the company.
Who Was Involved?
- Investors Only:
- Investors and Cattle Drive Participants:
- Ewing Young
- William J. Bailey
- Lawrence Carmichael
- Pierre De Puis
- Philip Leget Edwards
- Emert Ergnette
- George Gay
- Calvin Tibbets
- John Turner
The Journey to California
On January 22, 1837, eleven men and three Native American boys started their journey. They sailed from Wappatoo Island on the Willamette River aboard the Loriot. They reached San Francisco in March.
To buy cattle, they needed permission from Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. He lived in Santa Barbara. Ewing Young traveled to Santa Barbara and got permission from Alvarado. The agreement said they could only buy cattle from herds owned by the government.
Young then returned north and met the group in Monterey on May 12. The Willamette Cattle Company bought 746 cattle for $3 each. They also bought 40 horses for $12 each.
Driving the Cattle North
In June, the group had enough cattle and began driving them north. They headed back to the Willamette Valley. On July 27, they started traveling through the hot Sacramento Valley. They had a small delay when their gunpowder got wet. A few men had to go back to San Francisco to buy more.
They crossed the Siskiyou Mountains in northern California and southern Oregon. On September 14, they crossed the Shasta River. They met some Shasta natives, who were friendly. A Shasta boy even joined the cattle company for a day.
Later, some of the men had a conflict with a native person. This caused tension in the group and with local Native American communities. Ewing Young worked to keep control of the situation.
The next day, some of the men became difficult and refused to follow Young's orders. There was a lot of arguing. But Young managed to get everyone back in line. The group continued driving the cattle north.
Finally, in October, they returned to the settlements in the Willamette Valley. They arrived with about 630 cattle and 15 horses. Some animals were lost due to natural causes, some were killed by natives, and some simply wandered off. The remaining animals were then divided among the investors. Each cow was valued at $8.50. Ewing Young received the largest share, with 135 cattle.
What Happened Next
Getting these cattle helped the settlers become less dependent on the Hudson's Bay Company. Ewing Young became the wealthiest settler because of his role. After his death in 1841, his wealth led to discussions about forming a government to manage his property.
Even with over 600 cattle, there was still a high demand for more. The Willamette Valley had about 500 European settlers at the time. To get more cattle, the settlers later came up with another plan. This was known as the Star of Oregon event, which happened between 1840 and 1843.
