The Father Of Oregon

Another entry in my month-long series of posts on Oregon, all in support of my Kickstarter Campaign.

When people realize I’m an expert on Oregon history, they like to ask me, “Who discovered Oregon?” (Right after they ask me, “Did you play the Computer Game?”) Well, no one ‘discovered’ Oregon. Humans have been living there for thousands of years. But then I tell them about John McLoughlin.

McLoughlin was born in Quebec, Canada in 1784, where he studied medicine. He would go on to join the North West Trading Company, and he moved west. In 1814 he became a partner in the company and in 1816 he was arrested for the murder of Robert Semple, the governor of the Red River Colony, after the Battle of Seven Oaks, though in actuality he stood in proxy for some Indians who were blamed. He was tried on October 30, 1818, and the charges were dismissed. McLoughlin was instrumental in the negotiations leading to the North West Company’s 1821 merger with the Hudson’s Bay Company.

It was with the Hudson Bay Company that McLoughlin was named Chief Factor of Fort Vancouver and controlled all of the Oregon Territory. Read a description of him from my novel, Quitting The Grave:

After the meal and a short rest, Smith was visited by Dr. Mcloughlin. Smith found himself slightly unnerved by the doctor’s spectral presence. His gaunt, six-foot-four frame, along with his striking blue eyes and almost skeletal face, tinted McLoughlin something of a fanatic. John McLoughlin had many years ago given up his career as a surgeon to become an administrator in the Hudson Bay Company. As Chief Factor at Fort Vancouver, he was certainly the most powerful white man in the whole of the Oregon Country.

Does this sound like the kind of guy you’d want to read about? He’s just one of many of the historical figures who populates Quitting The Grave. If you want to read more, go check out my Kickstarter and you can purchase a pre-release version of the novel for as little as 10 dollars.

Thanks!

Check out Decater's new novel, available now at Amazon. Plus, don't forget his earlier books: Ahab's Adventures in Wonderland and Picasso Painted Dinosaurs.