Star of Oregon (event)
| Date | 1840 to 1843 |
|---|---|
| Location |
Oregon Country North America |
| Participants |
Joseph Gale Thomas J. Hubbard Josiah Lamberson Parrish |
The Star of Oregon episode of American history began in 1840 and ended in 1843. This enterprise by pioneers in the Willamette Valley of present-day Oregon consisted of building a ship they named Star of Oregon and then sailing it to California in order to bring back cattle to Oregon Country. The group was led by Joseph Gale and received assistance from Captain Wilkes of the United States Navy prior to setting sail on the open ocean. These pioneers were able to procure nearly 4,000 head of cattle, sheep, and horses combined.
In 1837 the Willamette Cattle Company had brought over 600 head of cattle to Oregon via California. Prior to this, virtually all cattle in the region were owned by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). While the events of 1837 had broken the HBC’s monopoly, much of the cattle were owned by a select few such as Ewing Young, John McLoughlin, and the Methodist Mission. The independent settlers of the Willamette Valley were left in the same situation as before, so they met and came up with a plan to alleviate their need for cattle. This group of pioneers decided to build a ship, sail it to California, trade the ship there for cattle, and then drive the cattle overland back to Oregon. In the early stages Joseph Gale, as an experienced sailor, was asked to assist on the project and serve as captain once they got further along in the building.
Construction of the ship began in 1840 on Swan Island in present-day Portland, Oregon. There the ship was built under the guidance of Felix Hathaway, a ship’s carpenter. On May 19, 1841, the ship was launched into the water, but only after Hathaway left the project for the lack of pay. Construction then moved upriver to Oak Island to complete the vessel.
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