Peoria Party

The Peoria Party was a group of men from Peoria in the U.S. state of Illinois, who set out on May 1, 1839, with the intention to colonize the Oregon Country on behalf of the United States and drive out the English fur trading companies operating there. The men of the Peoria Party were among the first pioneers to blaze the Oregon Trail.

The fall before the Peoria Party began the long journey to Oregon, Rev. Jason Lee had visited Peoria on a national speaking tour about the Oregon country and moving westward. He recruited sixteen men at the start, but would pick up three more volunteers on the trail - bringing their largest number to nineteen. They organized themselves in military fashion, adopting the name "Oregon Dragoons" and elected Thomas J. Farnham as their captain. They carried with them a large flag, a gift from Mrs. Farnham, emblazoned with their motto, "Oregon or the grave."

The expedition ran into many obstacles and hardships. Rain fell continuously and the going was very rough over unforgiving land. Food rationing became necessary and each man was limited to a daily food allotment of one-quarter cup of flour, mixed with water, and fried in bacon fat. Some members of the group quit and headed back to Peoria. The men began to argue and bicker over leadership, which culminated in a near fatal accident a month later causing the eventual dissolution of the Peoria Party. Sidney Smith, a member of the party, was also accidentally shot and severely wounded during another heated argument.

On July 5, 1839, the remaining members of the Peoria Party reached Bent’s Fort, a trading post on the South Fork of the Platte River. Farnham was deposed as leader and the group split up officially. Nine of the original nineteen eventually made it to Oregon - the rest of the group either returned to Peoria or headed in other directions.

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