BLAZING OVERLAND TRAILS FOR THE WESTWARD EXPANSION, 1832-1850

October 2020 11th Postal History Symposium - Steve Walske Opening up the New Western Territories

 1804-06 – Lewis & Clark expedition to Northwest returns with reports of flora and fauna (furs!)

 1825-40 – Annual fur trade rendezvous in the Rocky Mountains: supplies to trappers and furs back to St Louis

 1834-46 – First Great Migration to Oregon

 1841-49 – Second Great Migration to California

 1847-48 – Third Great Migration to Salt Lake City Fur Trade Rendezvous, 1825-1840

 Annual trips left Missouri in March-May  Trips took from two to three months  Rendezvous lasted two to four weeks  Hudson’s Bay Co. traders came from Northwest Earliest Known Transcontinental Letter

 Datelined July 14, 1832 at Pierre’s Hole (Idaho) Rendezvous  Carried “fav(or) of Mr. Wm L. Sublette” to Missouri  Sublette left July 30 and arrived in St Louis October 3  25 cents due for over 400 miles to Baltimore from St Louis  Nathaniel Wyeth continued on to , Oregon Wyeth Letter via HBC from Oregon

 Datelined January 16, 1833 at Fort Vancouver, Oregon  Endorsed “Favor of the Hon(orable) Hudsons Bay Co.”  Carried by HBC canoe brigade to Montreal on August 13  Prepaid 6 pence to border; 18¾ cents due to Cambridge  Entered U.S. mails at Whitehall, NY per “B” (for steamboat) Hudson’s Bay Co. Canoe Brigade Route between Oregon and Montreal, 1825-1846

 Annual trips with supplies, goods and correspondence  Eastbound and westbound trips left March-April  Trips took six to seven months Westbound Hudson’s Bay Canoe Brigade

 Posted April 8, 1844 at Wilbraham; prepaid 25¢ to Lachine  Carried from Lachine by HBC canoe brigade to Oregon  Received “By Express Boat” on October 29 Last Hudson’s Bay Canoe Brigade in 1846

 Dated February 9, 1846 at Fort Colvile, Oregon Territory  Carried by HBC canoe brigade to Lachine, L.C. on October 27  Returned for postage to Montreal on November 18; 4½ cents paid  10 cents due in Blandford, Mass.  From Rev. Cushing Eells, pioneer missionary from 1838 1st Great Migration - to Oregon

 June 1831 – Northwest Indian delegation to St Louis

 1834 – , Methodist to Oregon with Wyeth

 1835-36 – First Congregationalist missionaries went overland to Oregon

 Sept. 1838 – Lee returned to U.S. via Westport, MO. Lectured about Oregon settlement during trip

 May 1839 – Non-missionary Peoria party left for Oregon after hearing Lee

 June 15, 1846 – Oregon partition along 49th parallel Overland Route to Oregon 1834 Wyeth Letter from Rendezvous

 Datelined June 21 from Ham’s Fork Rendezvous in Wyoming  Carried to St. Louis by Michael Cerré of the Bonneville Fur Co.  Left Rendezvous July 10 and reached St. Louis in late August  Letter forwarded unpaid by Von Phul & McGill on September 1  25¢ due in Cambridge, Mass. on September 16 – forwarded twice 1839 Overland Letter to Oregon

 Posted Baldwin, ME March 20, 1839; prepaid 25¢ to Missouri  To Elkanah Walker, missionary from 1838 overland party  Picked up at Westport by Munger/Griffin missionary party  Left Westport, MO May 4, 1839; Stopped at July Rendezvous  Delivered September 16 at Tshimakain, Oregon 1842 Overland Letter to Missouri

 Dated February 23, 1842 at Wascopam Mission by Henry Brewer  Initially endorsed to the HBC Canoe Brigade  Given instead to William Fowler, travelling overland to Missouri  Posted December 7 at Westport, MO; 25¢ due in Franklin, CT 2nd Great Migration – to California

 1821 – Mexican independence slowly opened region

 1826-27 – Jedediah Smith overland trip to California

 May-Nov. 1841 – Bidwell overland emigration party. Emigr