French Canadians in the 1842 Oregon census

Oregon Pioneers

updated: 16 Aug 2008 minor

FRENCH CANADIANS in the 1842 Oregon census


original information suplied by
Connie LENZEN, CGRS. For more information of these early French-Canadians, Oregon's first settlers who are centered in the St Paul area,
[1] see Connie LENZEN's extract at List of Settlers West of Rockies, 1842, By Elijah White, Indian Agent; or
[2]contact the St Paul Mission Historical Society, which works to preserve this early settlement. People can contact or join the Society by writing to:
The St. Paul Mission Historical Society
4225 Mission Ave. NE
PO Box 158
St. Paul, OR 97137-0158

Please send corrections & additions to Mike RANSOM strebig@gmail.com, web-page maintainer.


"I have an interest in the French Canadians who were the first settlers and who seem to be left out of Oregon history. They were the first farmers and the ones who showed the Americans how to survive in this country. They were left out of early Oregon history for the people who wrote the books looked down on the French. There was a lot of prejudice for the French Canadians often married Indian women. The first Protestant ministers felt that was socially unacceptable.

"On my transcription of Elijah WHITE's 1842 census, I have the following additional people, mostly French Canadians:

[note: spelling corrections and additions by of Quebec, Canada, September 1998; coded "BL"] Other additions as noted.

Regarding the 1841 SINCLAIR party from Selkirk/Winnipeg, Manitoba to Puget Sound, there is an excellent first-person account by John FLETT in 1885 Tacoma Daily Ledger, naming the 23 families and some of the 80 people. The party went through The Dalles. An excellent read!

Regarding Etienne LUCIER: "The French Canadians are fascinating people. The measure of them is wrapped up in Etienne LUCIER.

"LUCIER was pensioned off from the Hudson's Bay Company. The required move for all pensioned employees was to return to Montreal. The HBC had an interest in trapping, not settling the land.

"LUCIER did not want to go back to Montreal. He had married an Indian woman and had a family. Rules were rules, and McLOUGHLIN insisted that he leave. This must have been hard on McLOUGHLIN since he also had an Indian wife. My sister-in-law is descended from Tom McKAY, McLOUGHLIN's step-son.

"LUCIER started back, changed his route, and went to California. He then walked back to Oregon and begged to stay with his family again. This time, permission was given.

"Etienne LUCIER is called the first farmer of Oregon. He had a place on the east bank of the Willamette in what is now Portland for a while. However, he moved to the St. Paul area and built his home and farm. He is buried at St. Paul, as are many of the early French Canadians, Oregon's first settlers." --by Connie LENZEN

"Etienne was married to Josephte Nouite 23 January 1839 at Fort Vancover [now Washington state]. Etienne LUCIER's parents were Michel LUSSIER & Marie Victoire DELINE-VALET, who married 2 March 1772 in Boucherville PQ Canada." -from , Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Qu�bec. Also see [using the WayBack Machine / WebArchive]Famous LUSSIERS.

back to list [LUCIA], above

Canada's Family History News

American-French Genealogical Society

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