My Oregon Wagon Train ancestors are: Gabriel BROWN, b 1789, d 1870 m Elizabeth ROBINSON b 1795, d 1866 Their children: Adeline, Hulda, Sarah, William Wesley, Mary "Polly", Cynthia, John, and Emaline. I have more informations on this family if anyone is interested. I thought the following and the list of immigrants may be of interest to the list. Gabriel Brown probably read in the newspaper about, or heard a speech by Dr.Elijah White about the wagon train to the Oregon Territory. Dr. White had been separated from the Methodist Mission and had endeavored in the East to obtain official recognition of some kind, so was delivering several speeches in 1841 and 1842. He was describing Oregon audiences chiefly assembled churches, so that the nucleus of the expedition he was organizing had a religious character. Whites activities were widely advertised in the newspapers and enlisted the interest of others. By May, 1842, when Elijah White arrived in Elm Grove, Missouri (near Kansas City), there were more than one hundred prospective settlers waiting for a leader to make the start. Gabriel Brown and his family joined this, the first emigrant wagon train to Oregon. In order to guard against the admission to the expedition of individuals who were likely to become a problem to the other travelers, certain regulations were formulated. As an example, it was required that every male eighteen years of age or older, should possess at least one mule, or wagon conveyance; should have one gun, three pounds of powder, seventeen pounds of lead, one thousand caps, fifty pounds of flour or meal, thirty pounds of bacon, and a suitable proportion of provisions for women and children. In this manner, those who had no property whatever, and were merely rovers were excluded automatically. Even with all the equipment required, it proved to be insufficient in some instances to prevent dependence along the way. Gabriel Brown and his family and the rest of the travelers relied on the hunters among them to replenish their supply of food along the way. This first wagon train, under the leadership of Dr. Elijah White, left Elm Grove, Missouri on May 16, 1842 with eighteen wagons, and a long line of horses, mules and cattle. No member of the party had ever made the trip across the plains. Even White himself, came originally to Oregon on the brig Diana with the first reinforcement of the Methodist Mission in 1837 and he returned East on the Lausanne in 1840. But they received valuable advice from Milton Sublette, the veteran Rocky Mountain fur trader, and they engaged a guide who know the country as far west as Fort Laramie. Stephen H. L. Meek, brother of Joseph L. Meek, joined the caravan in the vicinity of South Fork. The motley character of the company, the spirit of personal independence, which tends to be intolerant of interference and ordinary discipline, soon became evident. Among several annoyances, there was a controversy over dogs owned by the travelers. Dr. White decided that the most diplomatic solution would be that all dogs would be shot. He used the excuse that they were likely to go mad on the hot, dry plains. Thirty dogs were thus shot and killed. There were storms too, which made everyone cold and miserable and harmony among themselves nearly impossible. There were other grievances; some had made bargains which they were unable to carry out; some had omitted to bring teams or had inadequate provisions. It was hard on women to leave feather beds, chairs, dishes and cooking utensils, leaving their greatest conveniences behind to be able to push on with less detriment to the promised land. Notwithstanding these obstacles, the immigrants reached Fort Laramie on June 23, 1842. Here, some of them traded their wagons for provisions, and at Green River, Wyoming other wagons were cut up and a part of the materials were made into pack saddles. They arrived at Fort Hall, Idaho (near Pocatello) in Mid-July of that year. Here, at Fort Hall, there was a division. One faction, led by White, crossed the Snake River, a short distance below Salmon Falls and traveled through Burnt River Canyon and the Grande Ronde Valley, and over the Blue Mountains, traversing the old Hudsons Bay Company trail to Fort Walla Walla. It took them one month to reach Whitmans station. (The other party, led by Lansford W. Hastings, did not cross the Snake River, but remained on the south side). The expedition visited the Whitman mission at Waiilatpu and were cordially received by Dr. Whitman, who supplied them with fresh provisions. They were supplied with flour and vegetables in abundance which to them was a real treat after living so long on buffalo meat. From this point the members traveled in smaller groups. A few passed down the Columbia River in Hudsons Bay Companys boats, some traveled over land to the Dalles, where they took canoes down the river, others traveled by cattle trail over the Cascades on the south side, and the remainder found an Indian trail on the north side in the vicinity of Sandy River. They were never molested by Indians, in fact the Indians furnished many of the immigrants with salmon and game and for small trinkets would render valuable service to the travelers. Mr. Crawford, co-leader of the wagon-train stated: I would give credit, indirectly, to the Methodist Mission for the success of the first occupation by American citizens, of this disputed territory. He gave the following named men who were over 18 years of age, as comprising that immigration: C. T. Arendell, Mr. Barnham, Thomas Boggs, Mr. Bridges, GABRIEL BROWN, JAMES BROWN, WILLIAM WESLEY BROWN, Hugh Burns, C. W. Bellamy, Hugh Burns, Winston Bennett, Vandam Bennet, Mr. Bailey (who was killed), , Nathan Coombs, Patrick Clark, Alexander Copeland, Medorem Crawford, Nathaniel Crocker, A. N. Coates, Allen Davy, John Dearum, John Daubenbiss, Samuel (Levi) Girtman, James Force, Lansford W. Hastings, John Hoffstetter, J. M. Hedspeth, Hardin Jones, Mr. Lancaster, Reuben Lewis, Stephen Meek, F. X. Matthieu, Walter Pomeroy, Dwight Pomeroy, J. H. Andrew Smith, Owen Summers, T. J. Sheldon, Aaron Towner, Joel Turnham, Elijah White and David Weson. The ten men who had families were: GABRIEL BROWN, Mr. Bennett, James Force, Mr. Girtman, Columbia Lancaster (who returned), Walter Pomeroy, J. W. Perry, T. J. Shadden, Own Summers and Andrew Smith. Most of the above information came from: HISTORY OF OREGON-BIOGRAPHICAL , Vol 2 by Charles Henry Carley - pgs 420-423 published by The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company, Chicago-Portland, 1922 and PIONEER DAYS OF OREGON HISTORY, Vol II by E. A. Clarke, Pages 463-463 published by J. N. Gill Co., Portland, Oregon - 1905 I am new to the list, and would enjoy hearing from any of you. Katy