Thomas J. Farnham
| Thomas Jefferson Farnham | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1804 Vermont or Maine |
| Died | September 13, 1848 San Francisco, California |
| Occupation | Explorer, writer |
| Nationality | United States |
| Period | Mid-19th century |
| Genre | American West |
Thomas Jefferson Farnham (1804–1848) was an explorer and author of the American West in the first half of the 19th century. His travels included interaction with missionary Jason Lee, and he later led a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. While in Oregon Country he wrote a petition to federal authorities that requested federal protection of the region from the United States government, which was signed by many of the local settlers who had come from the United States.
In 1804 Thomas Farnham was born in New England, in either Vermont or what would become the state of Maine. He would then receive an education at Phillips Academy, Andover and moved to Peoria, Illinois, where he became a lawyer. Farnham was married in 1836 to Eliza Woodson Burhams, and they would have three children. In 1839 he heard a lecture by Jason Lee on Oregon where Lee had set up a mission to preach to the Native Americans in the Willamette Valley. At the time Lee was recruiting more people for the mission. After this lecture Farnham joined the Peoria Party that was headed for Oregon, and became the captain of the group of 19. The Peoria men called themselves the Oregon Dragoons and carried with them a flag, a gift from Mrs. Farnham, emblazoned with their motto "OREGON or the GRAVE".
Captain Farnham and the Oregon Dragoons traveled the Oregon Trail and arrived at Fort Vancouver along the Columbia River with only five people of the 19 that began the journey. The other members of the party deserted the group along the way. Farnham wrote a petition for the American settlers while in the region. This document was signed by many of the U.S. pioneers, and called on the federal government to extend its jurisdiction over the area in order to protect Americans and their interests. At the time, the region was uncontrolled by any country, though both the British and Americans had economic interests and citizens in the region.
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