W. Price Hunt
Encyclopedia
William or Wilson Price Hunt (March 20, 1783 – April 13, 1842) was an early pioneer
of the Oregon Country
in the Pacific Northwest
of North America
. An American
and an employee of John Jacob Astor
, Hunt used information supplied by the Lewis and Clark Expedition
to lead the portion of the Astor Expedition
that traveled to Oregon by land. The party reached the mouth of the Columbia River
in February 1812, joining the portion of the expedition that had traveled by sea at Fort Astoria
, which the latter party had just completed.
Hunt had difficulty finding quality men at Mackinaw and St. Louis
, finding most to be "drinking in the morning, drunk at noon and dead drunk at night." Having finally assembled a party, Hunt arrived at Nodaway, Missouri
on November 16, 1810, and settled into winter quarters. They departed April 22, 1811.
When the party encountered the Snake River
, they abandoned their horses and attempted to travel downstream. After nine days of successful travel they lost a man and two canoes in the rapids, and reconsidered their plan. They divided into four parties, and took different routes to approach the mouth of the Columbia.
The trip from Missouri
to the future site of Astoria, Oregon
took 340 days. According to his own account, Hunt traveled 2,073 miles from a village of the Aricaras, in present-day South Dakota
, to the end of the journey.
A return expedition was led by Robert Stuart
, who discovered the South Pass
, a key feature of the soon-to-be-established Oregon Trail
.
Hunt's expedition is one of many scenes depicted on the Astoria Column
, and his name is inscribed in a frieze
in the Oregon State Senate
chamber of the Oregon State Capitol
.
Historical records refer to Hunt both as "William" and as "Wilson."
American pioneer
American pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
of the Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. An American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and an employee of John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
, Hunt used information supplied by the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
to lead the portion of the Astor Expedition
Astor Expedition
The Astor Expedition of 1810-1812 was the next overland expedition from St. Louis, Missouri to the mouth of the Columbia River after the Corps of Discovery, led by Lewis and Clark.-History:...
that traveled to Oregon by land. The party reached the mouth of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
in February 1812, joining the portion of the expedition that had traveled by sea at Fort Astoria
Fort Astoria
Fort Astoria was the Pacific Fur Company's primary fur trading post in the Northwest, and was the first American-owned settlement on the Pacific coast. After a short two-year term of US ownership, the British owned and operated it for 33 years. It was the first British port on the Pacific coast...
, which the latter party had just completed.
Hunt had difficulty finding quality men at Mackinaw and St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, finding most to be "drinking in the morning, drunk at noon and dead drunk at night." Having finally assembled a party, Hunt arrived at Nodaway, Missouri
Nodaway, Missouri
Nodaway, Missouri is a former town in Andrew County, Missouri near the confluence of the Nodaway River and Missouri RiverThe Lewis and Clark Expedition camped by the town on Nodaway Island on July 8, 1804 and took note of the river, on their trip to explore what would become the Oregon Country.The...
on November 16, 1810, and settled into winter quarters. They departed April 22, 1811.
When the party encountered the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
, they abandoned their horses and attempted to travel downstream. After nine days of successful travel they lost a man and two canoes in the rapids, and reconsidered their plan. They divided into four parties, and took different routes to approach the mouth of the Columbia.
The trip from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
to the future site of Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
took 340 days. According to his own account, Hunt traveled 2,073 miles from a village of the Aricaras, in present-day South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, to the end of the journey.
A return expedition was led by Robert Stuart
Robert Stuart (explorer)
Robert Stuart was the son of Charles Stuart, a partner of John Jacob Astor who as one of the North West Company men, or Nor'westers, enlisted by Astor to help him found his intended fur empire...
, who discovered the South Pass
South Pass
South Pass is two mountain passes on the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Wyoming. The passes are located in a broad low region, 35 miles broad, between the Wind River Range to the north and the Oregon Buttes and Great Divide Basin to the south, in southwestern Fremont...
, a key feature of the soon-to-be-established Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
.
Hunt's expedition is one of many scenes depicted on the Astoria Column
Astoria Column
The Astoria Column is a tower overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River on Coxcomb Hill in the city of Astoria in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built in 1926, the concrete and steel structure is part of a city park...
, and his name is inscribed in a frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
in the Oregon State Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
chamber of the Oregon State Capitol
Oregon State Capitol
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
.
Historical records refer to Hunt both as "William" and as "Wilson."
See also
- Ramsay CrooksRamsay CrooksRamsay Crooks immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1803 and he worked in a trading post on the Great Lakes. He helped W. Price Hunt to organize and lead an overland trip to Astoria in the Oregon Country for John Jacob Astor in 1809 through 1813, as a partner in the Pacific Fur Company...
, a notable member of the expedition - David Thompson (explorer)David Thompson (explorer)David Thompson was an English-Canadian fur trader, surveyor, and map-maker, known to some native peoples as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer"...
, a Canadian explorer who arrived at Astoria shortly before the Hunt party.