George K. Gay
Encyclopedia
George Kirby Gay was an English sailor and later settler in the Oregon Country
. He was a member of the Willamette Cattle Company
that brought livestock to Oregon and built the first brick house in the United States
west of the Rocky Mountains
. Gay also participated in the Champoeg Meetings
that created a provisional government
in what would become the U.S. state of Oregon
.
, England
, on August 15, 1810. He became an apprentice sailor at the age of eleven and traveled much of the world and came to the United States. As a sailor, his last trip was aboard the whaleship Kitty, which he left at Monterey, California
, in 1833 where he joined up with fur trapper Ewing Young
. Gay went with Young to trap fur bearing animals to the north.
with a party led by John Turner and included William J. Bailey. Two years later he joined Young again and invested in the Willamette Cattle Company
. Gay and the others traveled to California
by boat to purchase cattle and then overland back to the Willamette Valley
. During the trip back, on September 14 they crossed the Shasta River
and soon after William J. Bailey and Gay shot a "friendly" native boy in what was considered revenge for attacks on previous trips through the area. The group finished the journey in October 1837 with around 630 head of cattle. Gay became wealthy due to his investment in the enterprise.
Gay then claimed some land along the Willamette River
near Wheatland, Oregon
, and started farming. In 1841, he began building a home at the site, and when completed in 1842 it was the first brick house in the region. The bricks were fired on the property and used to build the walls and two fireplaces on the 14 feet (4.3 m) high structure. Gay’s home was 22 feet (6.7 m) wide by 32 feet (9.8 m) long. In 1843, he was selected to serve on a committee at the First Wolf Meeting, part of the series of Champoeg Meetings
held to discuss forming a government in the Oregon Country.
On May 2, 1843, Gay voted with the prevailing party at the last of the Champoeg Meetings. The 52-50 vote established the Provisional Government of Oregon
that would last until the Oregon Territory
's government superseded it in 1849. Gay’s home would serve as one of the markers of the boundaries within the government. The south wall of his house marked the boundary line between the Yamhill and Champooick districts, and though the house is no longer standing, the location of that wall currently marks the line between Yamhill
and Polk
counties. In 1848, he went south to the California Gold Rush
and mined for a time before returning to Oregon.
Upon returning to Oregon, Gay was considered one of the wealthiest people in what had become the Oregon Territory. He was married on three different occasions and fathered eight children. He married Louisa Hare, Mary Manson and Mary Ann Rubidow. Rubidow was born Marie Anne Toupin in 1826, and married Gay about 1870. George Kirby Gay lost his fortune and died poor on October 7, 1882, at the age of 72 and was buried on his property near Wheatland, Oregon
. A granite and bronze marker placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution
on the Yamhill-Polk County line on Oregon Route 221 commemorates the location of Gay's home and gravesite and his involvement in the Champoeg Meetings.
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...
. He was a member of the Willamette Cattle Company
Willamette Cattle Company
The Willamette Cattle Company was formed in 1837 by pioneers in the Willamette Valley of present day Oregon, United States. The company was formed with the express purpose of purchasing cattle in California to bring to Oregon Country...
that brought livestock to Oregon and built the first brick house in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
west of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. Gay also participated in the Champoeg Meetings
Champoeg Meetings
The Champoeg Meetings in Oregon Country were the first attempts at governing in the Pacific Northwest by United States European-American pioneers. Prior to this, the closest entity to a government was the Hudson's Bay Company, mainly through Dr...
that created a provisional government
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
in what would become the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Early years
George Gay was born in GloucestershireGloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on August 15, 1810. He became an apprentice sailor at the age of eleven and traveled much of the world and came to the United States. As a sailor, his last trip was aboard the whaleship Kitty, which he left at Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, in 1833 where he joined up with fur trapper Ewing Young
Ewing Young
Ewing Young was an American fur trapper and trader from Tennessee who traveled Mexican southwestern North America and California before settling in the Oregon Country. As a prominent and wealthy citizen there, his death was the impetus for the early formation of government in what became the state...
. Gay went with Young to trap fur bearing animals to the north.
Oregon
In 1835, George Gay returned to the Oregon CountryOregon 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...
with a party led by John Turner and included William J. Bailey. Two years later he joined Young again and invested in the Willamette Cattle Company
Willamette Cattle Company
The Willamette Cattle Company was formed in 1837 by pioneers in the Willamette Valley of present day Oregon, United States. The company was formed with the express purpose of purchasing cattle in California to bring to Oregon Country...
. Gay and the others traveled to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
by boat to purchase cattle and then overland back to the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
. During the trip back, on September 14 they crossed the Shasta River
Shasta River
The Shasta River is a tributary of the Klamath River, approximately long, in northern California in the United States. It drains the Shasta Valley on the west and north sides of Mount Shasta in the Cascade Range....
and soon after William J. Bailey and Gay shot a "friendly" native boy in what was considered revenge for attacks on previous trips through the area. The group finished the journey in October 1837 with around 630 head of cattle. Gay became wealthy due to his investment in the enterprise.
Gay then claimed some land along the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
near Wheatland, Oregon
Wheatland, Oregon
Wheatland is an unincorporated community in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. It is near the Willamette River where the Wheatland Ferry takes traffic across the river into Marion County. Its elevation is ; it is in the Pacific Time Zone.-External links:...
, and started farming. In 1841, he began building a home at the site, and when completed in 1842 it was the first brick house in the region. The bricks were fired on the property and used to build the walls and two fireplaces on the 14 feet (4.3 m) high structure. Gay’s home was 22 feet (6.7 m) wide by 32 feet (9.8 m) long. In 1843, he was selected to serve on a committee at the First Wolf Meeting, part of the series of Champoeg Meetings
Champoeg Meetings
The Champoeg Meetings in Oregon Country were the first attempts at governing in the Pacific Northwest by United States European-American pioneers. Prior to this, the closest entity to a government was the Hudson's Bay Company, mainly through Dr...
held to discuss forming a government in the Oregon Country.
On May 2, 1843, Gay voted with the prevailing party at the last of the Champoeg Meetings. The 52-50 vote established the Provisional Government of Oregon
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
that would last until the Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
's government superseded it in 1849. Gay’s home would serve as one of the markers of the boundaries within the government. The south wall of his house marked the boundary line between the Yamhill and Champooick districts, and though the house is no longer standing, the location of that wall currently marks the line between Yamhill
Yamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
and Polk
Polk County, Oregon
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. In 2010, its population was 75,403. The seat of the county is Dallas....
counties. In 1848, he went south to the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
and mined for a time before returning to Oregon.
Later years
Wheatland, Oregon
Wheatland is an unincorporated community in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. It is near the Willamette River where the Wheatland Ferry takes traffic across the river into Marion County. Its elevation is ; it is in the Pacific Time Zone.-External links:...
. A granite and bronze marker placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
on the Yamhill-Polk County line on Oregon Route 221 commemorates the location of Gay's home and gravesite and his involvement in the Champoeg Meetings.
