John Day (trapper)
Encyclopedia
John Day was an American
hunter and fur trapper
in the old Oregon Country
--the area then jointly occupied by the United States and Great Britain, including present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, western Montana and southern British Columbia.
Day was born in Culpeper County, Virginia
and came west through Kentucky
and to Spanish Upper Louisiana (now Missouri
) by 1797. In late 1810, he was engaged as a hunter for the Pacific Fur Company
's Overland Expedition (sometimes called the Hunt Party or Astor Expedition
), traveling west from Missouri to Fort Astoria
at the mouth of the Columbia River
in 1811-1812. He is best known, along with Ramsay Crooks
, for being robbed and stripped naked by Indians on the Columbia River near the mouth of the river than now bears his name
in Eastern Oregon
. After finally making their way to Fort Astoria in April, Day was assigned to accompany Robert Stuart
back east to St. Louis
in June 1812, but was left on the Lower Columbia River where he is said to have gone mad. He returned to Fort Astoria and spent the next eight years hunting and trapping mainly in the Willamette Valley
and what is now southern Idaho
. John Day died February 16, 1820 at the winter camp of Donald MacKenzie's Snake Country Expedition in what is now the Little Lost River
valley in Butte County, Idaho
.
His name is well-remembered, being attached to the John Day River
and its four branches in eastern Oregon, as well as the cities of John Day
and Dayville
in Grant County, Oregon
, and a smaller river
and unincorporated community in Clatsop County, Oregon
, the John Day Dam
on the Columbia River, and the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
. The Little Lost River, Idaho, was previously known as "Day's River" and the valley was called "Day's Defile" during the fur trade era.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hunter and fur trapper
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
in the old 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...
--the area then jointly occupied by the United States and Great Britain, including present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, western Montana and southern British Columbia.
Day was born in Culpeper County, Virginia
Culpeper County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,262 people, 12,141 households, and 9,045 families residing in the county. The population density was 90 people per square mile . There were 12,871 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
and came west through Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and to Spanish Upper Louisiana (now 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...
) by 1797. In late 1810, he was engaged as a hunter for the Pacific Fur Company
Pacific Fur Company
The Pacific Fur Company was founded June 23, 1810, in New York City. Half of the stock of the company was held by the American Fur Company, owned exclusively by John Jacob Astor, and Astor provided all of the capital for the enterprise. The other half of the stock was ascribed to working partners...
's Overland Expedition (sometimes called the Hunt Party or 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:...
), traveling west from Missouri to 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...
at 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 1811-1812. He is best known, along with Ramsay Crooks
Ramsay Crooks
Ramsay 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...
, for being robbed and stripped naked by Indians on the Columbia River near the mouth of the river than now bears his name
John Day River
The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. Undammed along its entire length, the river is the third longest free-flowing river in the conterminous United States. There is extensive use of its waters for irrigation. Its...
in Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
. After finally making their way to Fort Astoria in April, Day was assigned to accompany 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...
back east to 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...
in June 1812, but was left on the Lower Columbia River where he is said to have gone mad. He returned to Fort Astoria and spent the next eight years hunting and trapping mainly in 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...
and what is now southern Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. John Day died February 16, 1820 at the winter camp of Donald MacKenzie's Snake Country Expedition in what is now the Little Lost River
Little Lost River
The Little Lost River is a river in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho. The river is about long and drains an arid farming valley, the Little Lost River Valley, bordered by the Lost River Range on the west and Lemhi Range on the east...
valley in Butte County, Idaho
Butte County, Idaho
Butte County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. It was established in 1917, and its county seat and largest city is Arco. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 2,891...
.
His name is well-remembered, being attached to the John Day River
John Day River
The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. Undammed along its entire length, the river is the third longest free-flowing river in the conterminous United States. There is extensive use of its waters for irrigation. Its...
and its four branches in eastern Oregon, as well as the cities of John Day
John Day, Oregon
John Day is a city located about north of Canyon City in Grant County, Oregon, at the intersection of U.S. Routes 26 and 395. The city was named for the nearby John Day River, which had been named for a Virginian member of the 1811 Astor Expedition, John Day...
and Dayville
Dayville, Oregon
Dayville is a city in Grant County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1913. The population was 138 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
in Grant County, Oregon
Grant County, Oregon
Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. In 2010, its population was 7,445. It is named for President Ulysses S. Grant, who served as an army officer in the Oregon Territory, and at the time of the county's creation...
, and a smaller river
John Day River (northwestern Oregon)
The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northwestern Oregon in the United States. The river is one of two tributaries of the Columbia in Oregon to bear the name "John Day River". The other John Day River, east of the Cascade Range, is much longer and more...
and unincorporated community in Clatsop County, Oregon
Clatsop County, Oregon
Clatsop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Clatsop tribe of Native Americans, who lived along the coast of the Pacific Ocean prior to European settlement. As of 2010, the population was 37,039. The county seat is Astoria.-Economy:The principal...
, the John Day Dam
John Day Dam
The John Day Dam is a concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam spanning the Columbia River in the northwestern United States. The dam features a navigation lock plus fish ladders on both sides. The John Day Lock has the highest lift of any U.S. lock...
on the Columbia River, and the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in Wheeler and Grant counties in east-central Oregon. Located within the John Day River basin and managed by the National Park Service, the park is known for its well-preserved layers of fossil plants and mammals that lived in the...
. The Little Lost River, Idaho, was previously known as "Day's River" and the valley was called "Day's Defile" during the fur trade era.
External links
- John Day biography from the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
- via Archive.org - John Day biography from the USGS
- John Day history From the Center for Colombia River History
- Reprint of a story on John Day from The OregonianThe OregonianThe Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...