Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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Travels with MacKenzie From the September 8, 2011 edition of McKenzie River Reflections Photo of Donald Mackenzie Two hundred years ago this month Donald MacKenzie, age 28, was making his way from the Missouri River towards Fort Astoria, as assistant leader of the "Astorians Overland Party" made up of fifty-six men, a woman, and two children. Ten years later a map would be drawn by the Hudson Bay Company, naming a branch of the Willamette River as "Mackenzie's Branch" after Donald Mackenzie. Understanding why his name was given to this river...
Travels with MacKenzie, Part 3 From the November 10, 2011 edition of McKenzie River Reflections October 1811 Two hundred years ago Donald MacKenzie was in the sixth month of a nine-month journey between the Missouri River and Fort Astoria. MacKenzie was assistant leader of the 63-person “Astorian Overland Expedition,” part of the Pacific Fur Company financed by J.J. Astor. The following account of the Overlanders’ travels during October 1811 is taken from Adventures of the First Settlers on the Oregon by Alexander Ross. At the beginning of Octo...
Travels with MacKenzie, Part 4 From the December 8, 2011 edition of McKenzie River Reflections November 1811 Two hundred years ago this month Donald MacKenzie was in the eighth of his nine month travels from the Missouri River to Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. At 27 years old, he was the assistant leader of the “Astorian Overland Party”, the fur-trading expedition financed by J.J. Astor, and lead by W.P. Hunt. The McKenzie River was later named after Donald Mackenzie. In early November 2011, the 60 person expedition split int...
Travels with MacKenzie, Part 2 From the October 6, 2011 edition of McKenzie River Reflections September 1811 Two hundred years ago this month Donald MacKenzie was making his way from the Missouri River towards Fort Astoria and then to the Willamette River. He was assistant leader of the “Astorian Overland Party,” the fur-trading expedition financed by J.J. Astor, and lead by W.P. Hunt. Ten years later a tributary of the Willamette River was named “MacKenzie’s Branch.” The story of MacKenzie’s travels is told here as part of the McKenzie Bi...
Travels with MacKenzie, Part 4 From the January 19, 2012 edition of McKenzie River Reflections January 18th, 1812 On January 18th two hundred years ago Donald MacKenzie finally reached the Pacific Ocean. At 27 years old and 6’ 6” in height, he was already well-regarded as the assistant leader of the 60 person “Astorian Overland Party”. The McKenzie River was later named after this young leader. This is the final Chapter of Travels with Mackenzie. In late November 1811, the Overland Expedition had found themselves in the rugged and inhospi...
Travels with MacKenzie, Part 5 From the January 19, 2012 edition of McKenzie River Reflections January 18th, 1812 On January 18th two hundred years ago Donald MacKenzie finally reached the Pacific Ocean. At 27 years old and 6’ 6” in height, he was already well-regarded as the assistant leader of the 60 person “Astorian Overland Party”. The McKenzie River was later named after this young leader. This is the final Chapter of Travels with Mackenzie. In late November 1811, the Overland Expedition had found themselves in the rugged and inhospi...
"John Tom's" Road McKenzie Pass - The building of "John Tom's" Road By Agnes Millican McLean From the Lane County Historian - Vol. VIII, #1, March 1963 Ed. Note: The "John Tom" of this story is John Templeton Craig, Lane County pioneer of 1853, road builder and mail carrier. John Tom was a visionary spirit, adventurous, and of indomitable courage. He sprang from a line of Scotch-Irish folk embued with a mixture of stern righteousness and Celtic mysticism. His grandfather as a mere lad with a dream of America beyond the sea brooding in his...
