Located halfway between Oregon City and Salem, it was the site of the first provisional government of the Oregon Country.. The town of Champoeg had a brief but memorable life. The flooding reached its height on December 5 and 6, covering Champoeg with about 30 feet of fast-moving water and sweeping away all of the town’s structures except the Hudson’s Bay Company warehouse. The ease of access at Champoeg and its proximity to many resettlers, however, made it a natural assembly point for what became a sequence of meetings that culminated, in May 1843, in the establishment of the Oregon Provisional Government. Mrs. The name was changed back to Champoeg in 1880, and the post office was closed in 1905. The post office and a few businesses moved south onto the benchland near the Robert Newell house and the present intersection of Champoeg Road and French Prairie Road. The floods of 1996 brought the water level up to within inches of spilling over Portland’s floodwall and pouring into downtown Portland once again. What happened to Champoeg? The informative ranger made the guided hike much richer as we learned this beautiful historic setting was the site of Oregon's first provisional government was formed by a historical vote in 1843. “Early Steamboating Era on the Willamette.” Oregon Historical Quarterly 44, 1943: 140-146. of the Champoeg Flood of 1861. It was five feet above the highest water that has been known since the settlement of the country; the freshet of 1844 being the next highest seen by Americans; although it is said that a similar one was witnessed by the Canadian trappers. O’Meara, James. Champoeg was not rebuilt. Soc. Michel Laframboise started a ferry service in 1850, and a post office opened that same year. The other B loop sites are electricity and water only. But the 1861 flood reached 47 feet. Platt, The Statesman Journal's feature on Champoeg, March 4, 1999, Image of the dedication, 1901, Courtesy Oregon Hist. Perhaps 180 persons lived in Champoeg at the time of the 1860 census. The former town site is now a large field (pictured above) where street posts mark the locations of former intersections. Soc. Research Lib., 015756, Burelbach, Benches fill covered area at Champoeg Pioneer Memorial Building, c. 1920, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. Paula, the project photographer, taking a shot of an archaeological feature at the site of a blacksmith's shop at the old Champoeg townsite, Champoeg State Park, Oregon (USA) 1974 (4387605287).jpg 2,309 × … But, as historian John A. Hussey writes, he had a “shining dream in his eyes” of establishing a city. There was an excessive amount of precipitation in November 1861 over most of Oregon, less so in the extreme northwest. Portland: Oregon Historical Society, 2004. The “Great Flood” devastated the valley’s economy and resulted in the deaths of several people, but it also brought the valley's settlers … Research Lib.,Orhi4251, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. Pavilion and Monument Plaza Champoeg’s past comes alive here, with The park began here! Champoeg also met its end in the flood of 1861, where it succumbed to 30 feet of fast-flowing water. By the early 1850s, Champoeg had several stores, a livery stable, and a flour mill, yet it “was a straggling settlement of eleven or twelve buildings,” Hussey writes, that were “scattered over the prairie in a thin and wavy line.” By the end of the decade, the fancifully named streets of the town’s plat also boasted a school, several warehouses, saloons, a hotel, an Episcopal church, a blacksmith, and perhaps two dozen or more houses. The cabin is a romantic replica of a cabin built after the flood of 1861 by the George Aplin Family, about four times the size of a cabin of the period. Nez Perce Delegation to Washington DC in 1868. The Oregon History Wayfinder is an interactive map that identifies significant places, people, and events in Oregon history. Research Lib., photo file 228, Champoeg Mill and covered bridge across Champoeg Creek, 1939, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. The most prominent structure was a Hudson’s Bay Company warehouse, built in about 1843 to store wheat from French Prairie farmers for shipment downstream. Despite signs of regular flooding, many pioneers had settled in the floodplain of the Willamette or one of its tributaries. Visit the interpretive center to see an impressive museum. Soc. When representatives of the Oregon Historical Society attempted in 1900 to locate the site of the historic May 2, 1843, Provisional Government meeting, the absence of landmarks made it a difficult effort. Written by Cain Allen, © Oregon Historical Society, 2004. He was the first Worshipful Master of the Champoeg Masonic lodge that met in his home. After the flood, “one saw only drifting sand, and land denuded of its soil marked the abandoned townsite,” according to a recollection by Samuel Asahel Clarke. But, as historian John A. Hussey writes, he had a “shining dream in his eyes” of establishing a city. Champoeg (/ ʃ æ m ˈ p uː iː / sham-POO-ee, historically / ʃ æ m ˈ p uː ɛ ɡ / sham-POO-eg) is a former town in the U.S. state of Oregon.Now a ghost town, it was an important settlement in the Willamette Valley in the early 1840s. In 1851, local tribes and the U.S. government negotiated six treaties at this location; all went unratified by Congress. His house was the only surviving structure at Champoeg. Research Lib., Orhi8379, Looking across the river at Champoeg Landing, steamers Pomona and Bonita at landing, c.1895, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. Willamette Landings: Ghost Towns of the River. Champoeg was once a town, founded in 1850 and wiped out by the Great Willamette River Flood of 1861. Geer, George Himes, and François X. Matthieu at site of Champoeg, c.1900, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. What had been a once thriving city had become a wasteland. Some of the early land claims were broken up and bought by newcomers. 503-678–1251. Champoeg (commonly pronounced sham-POO-ee; some locals say sham-POO-eg or -ick) was well known by the early 1840s. Following the devastating flood, the town of St. Paul became the major focus of settlement in the northern section of French Prairie. In December 1861, a warm Chinook wind melted snow in the Cascade Mountains and, combined with continual rain, caused the Willamette River to flood. The town was never rebuilt. Further Reading: Miller, George R. “The Great Willamette River Flood of 1861.” Oregon Historical Quarterly 100, 1999: 182-207. The influx of American immigrants from 1843 onward propelled those aspirations, and the town of Champoeg grew modestly through the 1850s. Champoeg soon became a shipping and commercial center. What remains of Champoeg now is the Champoeg State Heritage Area, which features trails and campsites. Hist. Although the provisional government moved to Oregon City in 1844, Champoeg’s location on the river made it a regular stop for stagecoaches and steam boats. Soc. The almost state capitol washed away in the flood of 1861. Soc. Midway between Portland and Salem, Champoeg is almost like stepping into rural 19th-century America. “The Great Flood.” Oregonian, February 21, 1888, page 8, The town of Champoeg had a brief but memorable life. Longtain had been farming there since the 1830s, and Jesse Applegate completed a survey of 640 acres for him in 1844. Soc. Some say it literally wiped the area clean, leaving it as "untouched" as when the trappers first saw it. ... located about three miles northeast from Champoeg. Floodplains were attractive places to locate a homestead since they contained flat, productive land close to the river, the primary transportation conduit in the mid-nineteenth century. His home was the only surviving house in the flood of 1861 which destroyed the town of Champoeg. The area at the north end of what is today called French Prairie was initially the domain of Kalapuya people, for whom the river was a main transportation route. This little town was situated on the banks of … Instigated by geographic advantage in the 1830s, Champoeg was swept away by devastating, The area at the north end of what is today called, Champoeg (commonly pronounced sham-POO-ee; some locals say sham-POO-eg or -ick) was well known by the early 1840s. Soc. Today, the locality is encompassed by the Champoeg State Heritage Area—a state park that displays the town’s history, particularly its place in the story of Oregon’s political development. Champoeg is a place where the early history of Oregon Country and the West comes to light. November 1861 was cold and wet, and a great deal of snow was deposited in the mountains. Powers acquired and presented the house to the state society and served as co-chairwoman for its restoration. Tributaries of the Willamette rising in the Oregon Coast Rangedid not rise so high. The settlement was abandoned after a catastrophic flood in 1861, then rebuilt and abandoned again after the flood of 1890. Although a formal town plat was not filed until 1853, it is likely that this plat is essentially a copy of one that Applegate had prepared in 1844. While the town persisted as a rural riverside community, it failed to recover or to bloom as a center of transportation or industry. Trails from the north and south intersected the river there. December warmed considerably, however, and the snow turned to rain. When representatives of the, Mary Higley Hopkins account of the Champoeg flood in 1861. Research Lib., bc005186, photo file 228, Monument to first provisional government, Champoeg, c.1910, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. This project has been funded in part by the Oregon Heritage Commission The Oregon Encyclopedia has a new face. However, in December 1861 an incredible flood swept through the town. Research Lib., vertical file, Champoeg, Located in Oregon's mid-Willamette Valley, French Prairie is bounded by…, Although a late arrival to the Oregon Country fur trade, for nearly two…, Joseph Gervais was a prominent French Canadian settler in the Willamett…, The name Kalapuya (kǎlə poo´ yu), also appearing in the modern ge…, The Provisional Government, created in May-July 1843, was the first gov…. Now this field and others offer a chance to get out of the woods and soak up the sunshine if you’re so lucky. Research Libr., OrHi 35288, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. Soc. Acknowledgements: The Oregon State Society Daughters of the American Revolution own, operate, and maintain this museum with regularly scheduled events and docent led tours. A few small towns were wiped out by the 1861 flood and were never rebuilt, including Champoeg, the site of the first organized settler government in the Oregon Territory. He almost paupered himself helping the victims of the 1861 flood. It was accessible by water and trails to most of the white settlers in the Willamette Valley, but it was not yet a village. Research Lib., Burelbach, 015754, Case Schoolhouse, built in 1852, near Champoeg, c.1900, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. Research Lib., 003005, Champoeg Pioneer Monument and Building, 2016, High water mark for the 1861 flood on the Pioneer Memorial Building, 2016, Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin, on Champoeg Rd., 2016, The cabin was moved to the Newell Pioneer Village in 2013., Courtesy A.E. Champoeg’s position as a land and river crossroads greatly diminished after 1871 with the construction of railroads down the valley. Portland: Oregon Historical Society, 1967. The platted town of Champoeg was recorded in 1852 and grew rapidly until 1859-60, when a depression caused a general decline in business. Corning, Howard McKinley. The flooding reached its height on December 5 and 6, covering Champoeg with about 30 feet of fast-moving water and sweeping away all of the town’s structures except the Hudson’s Bay Company warehouse. No lives were lost, but the town was almost completely washed away. By the end of the 1850s, the town had grown to 60 buildings and a population of 200. The monument was erected in 1901, followed by the Pioneer Base Topographic map of the 1861 Willamette River flood. Most managed to save themselves, or were rescued by courageous citizens like Pease, but a few did succumb to the floodwaters. Unfortunately like many other towns directly along the Willamette River, the December 2, 1861 flood wiped out most of the town. You're in the right place! Research Lib., bc005202, photo file 228, The steamship Pomona (r) at Champoeg landing, 1908., Oreg. A massive flood in 1861 destroyed most of the town's buildings, forcing abandonment, and another flood in 1892 erased Champoeg's significance as a transportation link. One observer remarked that at the height of flooding “the whole Willamette valley was a sheet of water.”. Soc. O’Meara, James. Research Lib., 003000, American flag covers the monument to the first provisional government in Oregon, dedication 1901, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. Soc. In late May and early June of 1894, the Willamette River rose well above 30 feet, flooding the central business district of Portland. Research Lib., Fed. That flood reached 35 feet in Salem; the Army Corps of Engineers estimated that it would have reached 42.5 feet without flood-control dams. Built in 1852, it was the only dwelling to survive the Champoeg flood of 1861. Shaver and Sarah Dixon, Champoeg, c.1890, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. The flood of March 1890, which very nearly equaled that of 1861, again scoured the townsite. Federal Tax ID 93-0391599. ... 8239 Champoeg Rd. Research Lib., 002924, Pencil sketch of Champoeg by ethnologist George Gibbs, 1851, , Courtesy Oregon Hist. Eventualaj ŝanĝoj en la angla originalo estos kaptitaj per regulaj retradukoj. Hussey, John A. Champoeg: Place of Transition: a Disputed History. Longtain had been farming there since the 1830s, and, Champoeg was but one of a number of 1840s settlements along the, Champoeg’s position as a land and river crossroads greatly diminished after 1871 with the construction of railroads down the valley. The weather was beautiful!-Reported by Diane Root and Denise Shook FOR SALE A new 2012 SDOP Membership Roster is for sale to the membership only. The famous meeting of settlers in 1843 decided the destiny of the Oregon Country to the United States. NE St. Paul, Oregon 97137, USA. envisioned Champoeg as a great city and promoted the location for a townsite. A thriving town existed here until the flood of 1861 swept away all the buildings. The success of the town continued until technological advances came into play. Then the depression that came in at the beginning of December produ… On Dec. 2, 1861, the Willamette River created a destructive flood from Albany to Portland and Vancouver. Many settlers came to regret this decision, however, as the water rose around them, drowning their animals and destroying their buildings. However, in December 1861 an incredible flood swept through the town.