Oregon Colonial Records

History
French Canadian and métis trappers and missionaries were some of the first European settlers in Oregon. They arrived at the end of the 18th century to the early 19th century, some having come with the Lewis and Clark expedition. In search of the Northwest Passage, the Lewis and Clark Expedition went through northern Oregon and built Fort Clatsop along the Columbia River. During this same era, David Thompson, a British explorer went up the Columbia River and claimed the area for Great Britain and the North West Company. The first permanent European settlement was at Fort Astoria founded by New Yorker John Jacob Astor. During the War of 1812, Great Britain gained control of the Pacific Fur Company posts. In 1818, a treaty between Great Britain and the United States established joint occupancy of the land west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. In 1848, the Oregon Treaty established the border between the United States and British North America at the 49th parallel. The Oregon Territory was organized on August 13, 1848.