| 1783 -1853 - U.S. Expansion. 1803 - Louisiana Purchase; 1819 - Florida Cession; 1845 - Texas Annexation. 1804 -1806 - The Lewis and Clark Expedition leaves St. Louis to explore the upper Missouri, the Pacific Northwest and reaches the Pacific Ocean. 1805 - Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet is born. 1806 - The first mountain man, John Colter, takes leave of his duties with the Lewis and Clark Expedition and is joined by two other trappers, Joseph Dickson and Forrest Hancock to trap and explore the Rocky Mountains~~including Yellowstone. 1807 - Approximately 60 trappers, led by Manuel Lisa, departs from St. Louis on the first trading/trapping venture into the Rocky Mountains. 1808 - The American Fur Company is formed by John Jacob Astor. 1809 - The Missouri Fur Company is organized by Manuel Lisa. 1810 - By a sea and land route, Astor's employees seek to establish themselves in the Pacific Northwest. John Colter retires from trapping. 1812 - War with Great Britian. The North West Company takes over Astoria (Fort George). Robert Stuart's party returning from Oregon discovers South Pass. (Over-land Trails). 1811 - John Astor creates Astoria (Oregon) as his fur headquarters. 1814 - The Lewis & Clark journals are published. 1820 - Joseph Smiths "First Vision" (LDS Church). Manuel Lisa dies in St. Louis. 1821 - The North West Company merges with its rival the Hudson's Bay Company. 1822 - William Ashley and Andrew Henry organizes a new expediton to traverse the Missouri River, establishing the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. An ad appears in the Missouri Gazette & Public Advertiser on February 13, 1822 that reads: "The Subscriber wishes to engage ONE HUNDRED MEN, to ascend the river Missouri to its source, there to be employed for one, two, or three years--For particulars, enquire of Major Andrew Henry, near the Lead Mines, in the County of Washington. . . " 1824 - Etiennne Provost (Provot) of which Provo (Utah) is named, winters in Utah. Jim Bridger discovers the Great Salt Lake. 1825 - Jedediah Smith takes 13 men and heads south through Utah, looking for good trapping areas. Peter Skene-Ogden from the Hudson's Bay Comapny visits Utah. The first rendezvous is held at Henry's Fork (Wyoming) on the Green River. 1840 - The last annual rendezvous is held. Dr. Forbes Barclay becomes the doctor at Fort Vancouver. 1842 - Joseph Smith prophesied that the Mormon Saints would be driven to the Rocky Mountains. Jim Bridger establishes Fort Bridger (Wyoming). 1844 - Joseph Smith is murdered by a mob in Carthage, Illinois. Brigham Young and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostels are substained as the new leaders. 1846 - Members of the Mormon Church forced out of Nauvoo in the middle of winter. Some of the Saints cross the frozen Mississippi River, and begin an arduous trek across Iowa to the Missouri River. The Saints set up Winter Quarters in Omaha Indian Territory. Father De Smet, a frequent companion of Mountain Men, visits Brigham Young at Winter Quarters. While crossing Iowa, the Mormons are asked by the U.S. to provide volunteers for the Mexican War. With the encouragement of Brigham Young, over 540 men volunteer for the "Mormon Battalion." Most of the Battalion marches nearly 2,000 miles to San Diego. The Donner/Reed party is caught in snow in the Sierras. The United States ends its join occupation of the Oregon Territory with England, and negotiations set the new US/Canadian boarder at the 49th parallel. 1847 - In July, Brigham Young and the first company of Mormon pioneers enter the Salt Lake valley. The party consist of 143 men, 3 women, 2 children and 73 wagons. Members of the Mormon Battalion are released from service in California, some reenlist. Funds from the Battalion's payroll are used to purchase Fort Buena Ventura from Miles Goodyear in present-day Ogden (Utah). 1848 - The Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo formally ends the Mexican-American War, providing for the cession of Texas, New Mexico and California that later becomes present Utah, Nevada and Arizona). The Mormon Church prepares a petition to the U. S. Congress for the establishment of a territorial government. 1849 - The discovery of gold brings a huge influx of settelers into California that passes through Utah. This brings additional revenue and supplies to the Mormon Saints. (Oregon/California Trail Association; Mormon Trail) 1850 - Dr. Forbes Barclay retires to Oregon City (Oregon). Utah petition for statehood but are rejected by Congress as part of the "Compromise of 1850." The vast boundaries proposed for the territory of Utah are trimmed considerably, but a large tract is designated the Utah Territory. At the urging of Senator Stephen A. Douglas, Congress chooses the name "Utah" (in honor of the Ute Indians) for the new territory instead of the Mormon-preferred name of "Deseret". President Fillmore appoints Brigham Young as the governor of the territory. 1852 - Latter-Day Saint leaders publicly announce the doctrine of plural marriage. 1853 - Territory of Washington created. Western Utes, under the leadership of Chief Wakara, rise up in general revolt in the Utah Territory. 1854 - Walla Walla County(WA) is organized. Captain John Gunnison and a party of U.S. topographic engineers are killed by Utes on the Sevier River (Utah). Utah population reaches approximately 30,000. Congress passes the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed formerly recognized Indian land to be claimed by white settlers. 1855 - Washington Governor Stevens signed treaties with the Walla Walla, Cayuse and Umatilla Indians. The Mormons purchased Fort Bridger from Louis Vasquez while Jim Bridger is away. The Utah Terriorial capitol bulding is finished in Fillmore. 1856 - The United States Army builds a fort in present day Walla Walla (WA). 1857 - Due to lack of communications, a group of Mormons and Paiutes at Mountain Meadows in southern Utah attack and murder about 160 members of the Fancher party (hostile to the LDS Saints) traveling through Utah bound for California. The Mormon militia begin a guerilla campaign to delay the approaching US Army. The troops spend the winter at abandoned Fort Bridger. Dred Scott decision; the Supreme Court declares the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional. 1858 - Permanent site of Fort Walla Walla completed. Spokane, Palouse, Coeur D'Alene, Yakima and other tribes repel Col. Steptoe's forces; Col. Wright's troops defeat northren tribes. The region is opened to settlers. 1859 - John Brown leads an attack on a US Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. 1860 - Idaho gold rush. 1860 Utah's pouplation is 40,000. The Pony Express begins. Federal gtroops are at Camp Floyd, Utah (the largest installation of troops on the continent) are ordered to New Mexico and Arizona. 1861 - Outbreak of the Civil War. The Overland Telegraph line is completed from the east to Salt Lake City. The LDS Church completes 500 miles of line for Western Union. Ten states sucedes fromt the Union. Kansas is admitted as the 34th state. All remaining federal troops are removed from Camp Floyd (UT) due to the Civila War. The Army destroys the camp and sell the remaining supplies to the Mormon settlers. 1862 - President Lincoln signs the Emanicipation Proclamation. Under the command of Col. Patrick Conner, Fort Douglas on the eastern edge of Salt Lake City is established. Two years later Nevada becomes the 36th state. 1865 - President Lincoln is assassinated. The Civil War ends. 1869 - The transcontinential railroald is completed at Promontory Point, Utah, which officially ends the the Oregon, Mormon and California Trails. 1870 - Charles Dickens and Robert E. Lee dies. Utah's population is 97,229. 1876-78 - Custer's Last Stand; Nez Perce and Bannock Indian wars 1889 - Washington State admitted to the Union. 1910 - Fort Walla Walla abandoned. 1930's - End of the horse/mule agricultural era in eastern Washington. |
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| Fort Clatsop (OR) - On arriving at the Pacific Ocean the Lewis & Clark party built a fort near the mouth of the Columbia River (Oregon). Photo (c) John Martinson, 1989 |