Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/340

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
There was a problem when proofreading this page.

ELI THAYER.
(See Page 364)

Mr. Thayer was born in Mendon, Mass., June 11, 1819, and died in Worcester April 15, 1899. He graduated at Brown University in 1845, and in 1848 founded Oread Institute. He is chiefly remembered for his connection with the "Kansas Crusade," the purpose of which was to secure the admission of Kansas as a free state. With this aim in view, he early in 1854 organized the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company; soon afterwards affiliated it with the Emigrant Aid Company of New York, and a year later reorganized the two under the name of the New England Emigrant Aid Company. Local leagues were established whose members emigrated to Kansas and settled in localities where the company had erected hotels for their temporary accommodation and had provided sawmills and other improvements. The company proved a financial failure, but its main purpose was successful. Under its auspices the towns of Lawrence, Topeka, Manhattan, Osawatomie and other places were settled, and in this way contributed greatly to the saving of Kansas for freedom. In 1856 Mr. Thayer began a somewhat similar but unsuccessful work in Virginia, and founded the town of Ceredo, containing about five hundred inhabitants from New England. From 1857 till 1861 he was a member of the National House of Representatives. In addition to the foregoing he was an inventor of considerable note. During his terms in Congress he was an ardent supporter of the bill for the admission of Oregon to the Union, which was passed on February 14, 1859, and it is reasonably certain that had it not been for Mr. Thayer's untiring efforts the admission day of this state would have been postponed until after the Civil War. As it was, success was attained by a very narrow majority—114 to 103 in the House, only one of the Massachusetts delegation voting with him.—George H. Himes, Assistant Secretary.