were about 3000 settlers.

drew off many, but sufficient number to into its wild state. steadily.

The gold excitement in California Congress by a liberal offer of lands induced a remain, to prevent the country from relapsing From this time the Territory grew slowly but

On the 14th of August, 1848, Oregon was organized as a Territory, and on the 2nd of March, 1843, the northern half was erected into a separate establishment, and called Washington Territory. In November, 1857, a State Constitution was adopted by the people, and on the 14th of February, 1859, Oregon was admitted into the Union as a sovereign State.

The Indians for a long time caused great trouble to the people of Oregon, and greatly hindered its growth. They have now ceased their depradations, and the State is growing in population and in material prosperity.

CITIES AND TOWNS.

Besides the capital, the principal places in the State are, Portland, Oregon City, Albany, Corvallis, and Eugene City.

SALEM,

The capital of the State, is situated in Marion county, on the right or eastern bank of the Willamette River, 50 miles south-southwest of Portland, and 710 miles north of San Francisco. Latitude 44° 56' N., longitude 123° 1' W. The city lies in a rich prairie country, in the midst of some of the most beautiful scenery of the State. It contains the State buildings, 6 or 7 churches, 4 hotels, a theatre, 2 newspaper offices, and several schools. It is the seat of the Willamette University. It has 1 woollen mill, 1 flour mill, 3 saw mills, 2 machine shops, and 1 foundry, in successful operation. Travellers who have seen it, describe it as one of the prettiest and most enterprising towns on the Pacific coast. The Willamette is navigable to Salem for small steamers during the season of high water, or for about 9 months in the year. In 1870, the population was 2842.

PORTLAND,

The largest and most important city of the State, is situated in Multuomah county, on the left or west bank of the Willamette River, 15 miles from its mouth, 50 miles north-by-east of Salem, and 120 miles

from the mouth of the Columbia River. The city is beautifully situated in a lovely country, and is well built, the houses being mostly of wood. It stands on a plateau, which gradually increases in height as it recedes from the river, until it forms a range of hills at the western extremity of the city. From the summit of this range a magnificent view is obtained of Mounts Hood, Jefferson, and St. Helen, of the Cascade Range, and the windings of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. Portland contains 4 or 5 churches, several schools, 3 newspaper offices and a public library. It is the seat

The Oregon

of the State Penitentiary and the Insane Asylum.
Iron Works and 2 assay offices are located here. It is governed
by a Mayor and Council, and in 1870, it contained a population of
8293.

Portland lies at the head of ship navigation on the Willamette, and is the centre of a large and growing trade, with the magnificent region to the north and northwest of it. It has telegraphic communication with San Francisco, and is connected with Sacramento by a line of daily stages. Upwards of 20 river steamers ply between Portland and the various towns on the Columbia and Willamette rivers. A line of steamships connects the city with San Francisco. Says Mr. Samuel Bowles, in his "New West:"

66

Ships and ocean steamers of the highest class come readily hither; from it spreads out a wide navigation by steamboat of the Columbia and its branches, below and above; here centres a large and increasing trade, not only for the Willamette Valley, but for the mining regions of Eastern Oregon and Idaho, Washington Territory on the north, and parts even of British Columbia beyond. Even Salt Lake and Montana, too, have taken groceries and dry goods through this channel, such are the attained and the attainable water communications through the far-extending Columbia.

"The population of Portland is now from eight to ten thousand, who keep Sunday with as much strictness almost as Puritanic New England does, which can be said of no other population this side of the Rocky Mountains, at least. Whether this fact has anything to do with it or not, real estate we found to be very high in Portland, $400 a front foot for the best lots, 100 feet deep on the main business street, without the buildings. In religion, the Methodists have the lead, and control an academic school in the town, and a professed State University at Salem; the Presbyterians are next, with a beautiful church and the most fashionable congregation, and favor a strug

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gling University about 20 miles off in the valley; perhaps the Catholics rank third, with a large Sisters of Charity establishment and school within the city. Iron mines are successfully worked in the neighborhood, and the city has prosperous iron founderies and machine shops, and is reaching forward to other manufacturing successes.'

Portland was founded in 1845, by Messrs Pettigrew and Lovejoy, and was named after Portland in Maine, the native place of the

former.

PART VI.

THE TERRITORIES.