Historical Events in the Pacific Northwest

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Chronology

Below is a chronology of events that have happened in the Pacific Northwest

1543

  • Bartolomé Ferrelo visits the southwest coast of Oregon near Cape Orford

1565

  • Manila Galleon trade route opens acorss the North Pacific

1579

  • Sir Francis Drake allegedly visits Oregon

1603

  • Sebastian Vizcaino possibly sights Cape Sebastian

1700

  • 1700 Cascadia Earthquake

1707

  • San Francisco Xavier probablly wrecks at Nehalem

1738

  • Pierre Gaultier de la Verendrye leads first expeddition into Oregon

1765

  • First ue of word "Ouragon" in Maj. Robert Rogers' petition to explore American West

1774

  • Juan Perez in the Santiago makes first contact with the Northern Haida

1775

  • Capt. Bruno Hezeta sees mouth of Columbia River and names it Rio San Roque

1778

  • Capt. James Cook makes landfall at Cape Foulweather and discovers fur wealth of Northwest Coast

1788

  • Capt. Robert Gray trades with tribes in Tillamook Bay

1790

  • Nootka Convention

1792

  • Capt. Robert Gray enters and names the Columbia River
  • Capt. George Vancouver expedition charts Columbia estuary
  • Lt. William E. Broughton names Mount Hood

1804

  • President Thomas Jefferson dispatches Lewis and Clark Expedition

1805

  • Lewis and Clark Expedition explores lower Snake and Columbia Rivers and establishes Fort Clatsop

1806

  • Lewis and Clark returns to the United States

1811

  • John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company establishes Fort Astoria

1812

  • Overland Astorians diiscover South Pass in Wyoming, later route of Oregon Trail

1813

  • North West Company purchases Fort Astoria and names it Fort George

1818

  • Treaty of 1818
  • North West Company eatablishes Fort Nez Perce

1819

  • Adams-Onis Treaty cedes Spain's discovery rights north of 42 degrees to the United States

1821

  • Hudson's Bay Company subsumes North West Company

1824

  • Dr. John McLoughlin begins long tenure as Chief Factor for Hudson's Bay Company

1825

  • Workman build Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River

1832

  • Nathaniel Wyeth enters Oregon fur trade

1833

  • First lumber exports by Hudson's Bay Company to China

1836

  • First steamship Beaver begins service for Hudson's Bay Company on the Columbia River

1838

  • Willamette Cattle Company drives livestock overland from California

1843

  • First large migration of over 900 immigrants arrives via Oregon Trail

1844

  • First town plat surveyed at Oregon City

1845

  • Meek Cut off opens as alleged short cut to Oregon Trail
  • Estimated 3000 overland immigrants arrive
  • Oregon Provisonal Government formed, George Abernathy elected first governor
  • Francis Pettygrove and A.L. Lovejoy name Portland and commence plat of city

1846

  • Oregon Treaty
  • Applegate Trail, alternative to Oregon Trail opens

1848

  • Territory of Oregon

1849

  • Colony of Vancouver Island

1853

  • Territory of Washington

1863

  • Territory of Idaho

1864

  • Telegraph line connects Portland-Sacramento

1866

  • Colony of British Columbia

1873

  • Great fire destroyes most of downtown Portland, Oregon

1909

  • Pendleton Round-Up begins

 

Historical Timeline