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Wilson P. Hunt January 7, 1812 Campsite

Historic Campsite on Overland Astorians East in Umatilla Reservation, Columbia Plateau near Pilot Rock, OR

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Wilson P. Hunt January 8-14, 1812 Campsite

Wilson P. Hunt Dec. 30, 1811-Jan. 1, 1812 Campsite

The next six days the Astorians under the guidance of three Shoshone Indians left the Grande Ronde Valley and crossed over the Blue Mountains. Hunt’s lack of substantial diary entries left the specific route west over the mountain range as a puzzle.

However, during the summer of 1812, Robert Stuart’s Astorian expedition headed east from Fort Astoria OR to New York and contained Hunt’s men André Valle and François LeClairc. Stuart noted in his diary for this area, familiarity with certain landmarks for some of his men as perhaps Valle and LeClairc backtracked their earlier route west taken with Hunt.

Unfortunately, Marie Dorion’s newborn did not survive crossing the Blue Mountains with Hunt’s expedition.

A possible January 7th, 1812 campsite on McKay Creek near Sumac Gulch south of today’s Pendleton, OR represents the last Astorian campsite prior to reaching the McKay Creek and Umatilla River confluence (Hunt 1821; Irving 1836; Rollins 1935, 301-02, 325 notes 248-251).

Hunt noted:

From the 2nd to the 7th of January we crossed the [Grande Ronde] valley, following a small stream [Grande Ronde River] for several miles into the mountains and climbing many pine-covered hills. On the peaks we waded through snow half way up our legs, at times plunging into it to our waists. We lacked water. On the 4th we were at a point as high as the mountains that surrounded us, some wooded, but all covered with snow. The weather was overcast and cold. On the 6th we saw the sun for the first time since climbing into these mountains, and the snow decreased. To the west we could see what appeared to be a plain. On the 7th we came to a small stream that led us to an extremely narrow pass through mountains of immense height. Everywhere we found horse trails used by the Indians in hunting deer which must be plentiful here, for we saw many herds of black-tail. The snow disappeared entirely. The Dorion baby died. By nightfall several of our men had not arrived at camp. (68 miles west) (Hunt 1821)

— Hunt

Washington Irving added more detail and clarity to the crossing of the Blue Mountains:

After two days of welcome rest, the travellers addressed themselves once more to the painful journey. The Indians of the lodges pointed out a distant gap through which they must pass in traversing the ridge of mountains. They assured them that they would be but little incommoded by snow, and in three days would arrive among the Sciatogas. Mr. Hunt, however, had been so frequently deceived by Indian accounts of routes and distances, that he gave but little faith to this information.

— Irving

The travellers continued their course due west for five days, crossing the valley and entering the mountains. Here the travelling became excessively toilsome, across rough stony ridges, and amidst fallen trees. They were often knee deep in snow, and sometimes in the hollows between the ridges sank up to their waists. The weather was extremely cold; the sky covered with clouds so that for days they had not a glimpse of the sun. In traversing the highest ridge they had a wide but chilling prospect over a wilderness of snowy mountains.

— Irving

On the 6th of January, however, they had crossed the dividing summit of the chain, and were evidently under the influence of a milder climate. The snow began to decrease; the sun once more emerged from the thick canopy of clouds, and shone cheeringly upon them, and they caught a sight of what appeared to be a plain, stretching out in the west. They hailed it as the poor Israelites hailed the first glimpse of the promised land, for they flattered themselves that this might be the great plain of the Columbia, and that their painful pilgrimage might be drawing to a close.

— Irving

It was now five days since they had left the lodges of the Shoshonies, during which they had come about sixty miles, and their guide assured them that in the course of the next day they would see the Sciatogas.

— Irving

On the following morning, therefore, they pushed forward with eagerness, and soon fell upon a stream which led them through a deep narrow defile, between stupendous ridges. Here among the rocks and precipices they saw gangs of that mountain-loving animal, the black-tailed deer, and came to where great tracks of horses were to be seen in all directions, made by the Indian hunters.

— Irving

The snow had entirely disappeared, and the hopes of soon coming upon some Indian encampment induced Mr. Hunt to press on. Many of the men, however, were so enfeebled that they could not keep up with the main body, but lagged at intervals behind; and some of them did not arrive at the night encampment. In the course of this day’s march the recently-born child of Pierre Dorion died. (1836, 2: 61-62)

— Irving

Attribution of Source Material

The preceding summary for the approximated January 7, 1812 Wilson P. Hunt Campsite location is used with thanks for the public domain sources of Hunt 1821 and Irving 1836. Additionally, appropriate parenthetical citations are used with thanks and credit in specific summary passages and quotes for sources that are not in the public domain Rollins 1935. Errors regarding unintended and improper copyright usage will be corrected immediately following notification.

Primary Sources

Hunt, Wilson P., and V.A. Malte-Brun. Nouvelles annales des voyages. v. 10. Paris: Bertrand, 1821. English translation available at Mountain Men and the Fur Trade AMM Virtual Research Center Project http://www.mtmen.org/mtman/html/wphunt/index.html.

Irving, Washington. Astoria, Or Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains. Vol. 2. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea, & Blanchard, 1836. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Astoria_Or_Anecdotes_of_an_Enterprise_Be/t6k-AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.

Rollins, Phillip A., ed. 1935. The Discovery of the Oregon Trail: Robert Stuart’s Narrative of His Overland Trip Eastward from Astoria in 1812-1813: Appendix A: Wilson Price Hunt’s Diary. Bison Book Edition reprinted from the original 1935 edition by Edward Eberstadt and Sons. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1995.

Further Research and Reading

Irving, Washington. Astoria, Or Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains. Vol. 1. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea, & Blanchard, 1836. https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/oKk-AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.

Illustrations and Maps

Chittenden, Hiram Martin. “Map of the Trans-Mississippi of the United States during the Period of the American Fur Trade as Conducted from St. Louis between the Years 1807 and 1843.” Image. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, 1902. https://lccn.loc.gov/99446195 (accessed February 25, 2022).

Kmusser. “Columbia River Watershed with the Columbia River Highlighted.” April 7, 2008. self-made, based on USGS and Digital Chart of the World data. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columbiarivermap.png. (accessed March 31, 2022)

Shannon1. Map of the Grande Ronde River in Eastern Oregon, USA. September 23, 2010. Background topography from DEMIS Mapserver, which is public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Granderonderivermap.jpg. (accessed March 29, 2022)

Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:Snake River watershed map.png,” Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Snake_River_watershed_map.png&oldid=521600900 (accessed February 14, 2022).

Taxonomy

Classified As

Historic Campsite

Wilson P. Hunt January 7, 1812 Campsite