Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/376

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370
F. G. Young.
370

370 W. D. FENTON. Christian Church, with his family, came in 1846. His daughter, Martha E. Holman, wife of Daniel S. Holman, still survives her beloved father, who died in California several years ago. Mrs. Holman, until recently, resided on her original donation. Another daughter, Mrs. Charles B. Graves, died at Independence this year. George W. Burnett, with his family, came that year. He was born in Tennessee in 1811, served as captain of a company of volunteers, organized in this county and Washington, and led them to the front in the Cayuse war. His venerable widow, Sydney A. Burnett, survives him and at the age of 89 lives at Albany. Samuel Davis, whose donation lies just southwest of McMinnville, the Davis brothers, A. C., Levi, John B., and William, his sons, J. W. Shelton, J. TV Simpson, Mrs. D. W. Laughlin, and Joseph Kirkwood are also mentioned as coming this year. Mrs. Emily J. Snel- ling, at one time secretary of the Yamhill County Pioneer Association, is enrolled as a member. Robert Henderson, whose donation lies west of Amity about three miles and who has been dead some years, was a pioneer of 1846. There is also A. L. Alderman of Dayton, whose donation joins Dayton on the north. Dr. James McBride, father of United States Senator George W. McBride, at one time United States minister to the Hawaiian Islands, came this year at the age of about 40. He died at St. Helens, De- cember 18, 1875. His donation lies nearly west of Carlton about four miles. Here the personal narrative, so interesting to me. must from necessity end. The year 1846 was the turning point in the history of the Oregon question, and while those pioneers who came afterwards and here helped to rear and found a State, deserve to be and are remembered for their deeds of bravery, self-sacrifice, and devotion ; they came to a country whose title had been settled in favor of the- United States, from whence they came. They did not, as