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1860s Sauvie Island
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“A people which takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by future descendants”
Lord Macaulay
(a British Historian and Politician 1800-1859)
IRA PATTERSON
Another riverboat man from Ohio was Ira Patterson. He was related to the Bonser clan by marriage. His wife, Martha, was the sister of Rebecca Halstead Bonser.
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Ira joined the John Bonser family and other relatives in the move to Illinois in 1836. Ira and his brother, Isaac worked as carpenters and helped build the state capitol of Illinois at Springfield.
While there his wife, Martha and his oldest daughter became ill and passed away. His sister-in-law, Jane, took over the care of the family. When they were getting ready to come to Oregon, Jane became ill and they had to stay behind. Jane passed away and the family came west in 1848 and joined the John Bonser family in St. Johns.
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Ira left his children with John and Rebecca and headed south for the gold fields. He took the ship “Undine” where he met Peter Crawford who was to later become his son-in-law.
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He was lucky in the gold fields and returned to Oregon a much wealthier man. The family then moved to Vancouver where he became an influential politician.
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His daughter Zillah (Drucilla) married Peter Crawford, Susan married Jackson Sturgess and his youngest daughter Sarah, married Edward A. Slocum.
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Ira passed away on Sept 30, 1875 at Steilacoom, Washington and is buried at the Old City Cemetery in Vacouver, Washington
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PETER CRAWFORD
Peter Crawford was a friend and relative, by marriage, of the John Bonser family. He was married to Zillah, the daughter of Ira Patterson. Her mother, Martha, was the sister of Rebecca Bonser.
In the spring of 1847 he joined the George Cline family and came to Oregon. He first contacted the Hudson Bay company and did some work for them, lived with the James Logie family on Sauvie Island for awhile and did surveying in the area, worked with a Mr. Williams running the first bakery in Portland and from then on was employed as a surveyor. He platted the towns of Milwaukee, additions to Oregon City, Milton, St. Helens, Monticello and many other early claims.
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He had been bom in the town of Kelso, on the River Tweed in Scotland in 1822. In 1884 he decided to move to Vancouver where the rest of the family lived. Before moving he platted his farm into a town which he named Kelso after the town where he had been bom.
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His Scottish ways and love of the old customs live on. To this day a “Highlander Festival” is held in Kelso every September. One of the special events is the “Kirkin of the Tartan.” This is a special church ceremony meant to honor loyalty, bravery and respect. It means “The Blessing of the Families.” This custom began in Scotland in 1746 and lives on to this day
COLUMBIA LANCASTER
Columbia Lancaster was a prominent Judge in Clark county, Washington. He was related to the Bonser, Halstead, Patterson, Slocum, Knowle, Burt and Scott families.
He was elected Captain of a wagon train the left St. Joe, Mo in 1847. There were 82 wagons in the train.
He settled on the Lewis River in 1849 and lived there until 1883 when he moved to Vancouver, Washington near the rest of his family. Columbus and his family lived in the Isaac Thomas home on 5th street.
John Halstead
John Halstead, a cousin of Abbies, was also killed at Squak Valley along with Abbie and William. He was a young single man, the son of Asahel Halstead. It appears that Asahel was a brother of Abbie’s mother, Rebecca.
EDWARD SLOCUM
Edward came to Oregon in 1853. He moved to Vancouver, Washington where he became a noted pilot on the Columbia River. His brother Charles had moved to Vancouver a few years earlier and was employed by the Hudson Bay Company.
He wasn’t always involved in the river trade. When he first settled he went into business with his brother Charles in a Wagon trade business. They loaded merchandise onto the wagons and went to Boise, Idaho, Eastern Washington and Vancouver. Later he built houses, the “Slocum” house being a good example of his work.
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He married Sarah R. Patterson, daughter of Ira and Jane Halstead Patterson. In 1883 the couple opened the Alta House Hotel, known as the best hotel in the area.
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Edward and Sarah never had children of their own. They adopted Hannah Bonser, a relative, after her mother died. Hannah’s mother was Hannah Thomas Bonser, wife of James Halstead Bonser. James was the son of Rebecca Halstead Bonser, who was Sarah’s aunt.