History of Early Pioneer Families of Hood River, Oregon. Compiled by Mrs. D.M. Coon

LAWRENCE W. COE                                             1854
Data from Coe records and "History of Central Ore." D.M.C.

     Lawrence Coe, the eldest son of Nathaniel and Mary Coe, early developed a faculty for handling business matters. Before leaving New York, he closed out and disposed of their business interests there. On December 12th, 1853, the family took passage on the steamer Georgiana for the Isthmus, arriving at Aspinwall on the 20th. A mule was secured for Mrs. Coe to ride, while Henry, 8 years of ago, was carried on the back of a native. Lawrence and Charles walked. They arrived at Panama on Christmas Day, five days being consumed in crossing. When they reached Panama, Mrs. Coe and Henry went at once on board the steamer waiting in the harbor which soon sailed for San Francisco. Lawerence and Charles remained in Panama to look after their baggage which had not yet arrived from Aspinwall; they followed on the next steamer and joined Mrs. Coe and Henry in San Francisco. From this place all took passage on the steamer Fremont for Portland, Oregon, where they arrived safely.
     The winter of 1853 and 1854 was spent in looking for a suitable location for a home. In June a decision was reached and improvements begun at Dog River.
     Lawrence found employment with the Bradfords at the Cascades, later there was a partnership formed for building and operating boats on the Columbia River. A schooner built by the Bradfords was remodeled into a steamboat and named Mary.
     She plied between The Dales and the Cascades, and was closely identified with the development and history of the country in the early days. Another boat, the Hassalo, was built later and run with the Mary.
     Francis Chenowith had built a portage road at the Cascades on the Washington side in 1850. This road was about 21 miles in length and was the only means of transporting freight around the rapids to the middle Columbia. This road was pur-chased by the Bradfords and was being repaired by them when the Indian massacre at the Cascades occurred March 26, 1856. A letter from Lawerence Coe to P.F. Bradford, one of the partners, gives a clear picture of these happenings and is herewith inserted.

"Cascades, W.T. April 6th, l856."

"My dear Put:

     We have had a little tea party since you left, and I will try and give you a little description of the same.
     On Wednesday, March 26, about 8:30 A.M. after the men had gone to their usual work on the bridges of the new railway, mostly on the bridge near Brush's house, the Yakimas came down on us. There was a line of them from the Mill creek above us to the big point at the head of the falls, firing simultaneously on the men.
     The first notices were the bullets and the crack of the guns. Of our men, at the first fire one was killed and several wounded. Will give you a list herein after. Our men, on seeing the Indians, all ran for our store through a shower of bullets, except three who started down stream for the middle blockhouse, distant one and a half miles. Brush and his family also ran into our store, leaving his own house vacant. The Watkins family came to the store, after a Dutch boy, who was lame from a cut in the foot, had been shot in their house. Watkins, Finlay and Bailey were at work on the new warehouse on the island, around which the water was now high enough to run about three feet deep under the bridges.
     There was great confusion in the store at first, and Sinclair, of Walla Walla, going to the railroad door to look out, was shot from the bank above the store and killed instantly. Some of us then commenced getting the guns and rifles which were loaded, from behind the counter. Fortunately about an hour before there had been left with us for transportation below, nine United States government rifles, with cartridge boxes and ammunition. These saved us. As the upper story of the house was abandoned, Smith, the cook, having come below, and as the stairway was outside where we dare not go, the stovepipe was hauled down, the hole enlarged with axes, and a party of men crawled up, and the upper part of the house was soon secured. We were surprised that the Indians had not rushed into the upper story, as there was nothing or nobody to prevent them. Our men soon got some shots at the Indians on the bank above us. I saw Brush shoot an Indian, the first one killed, who was drawing a bead on Mrs. Watkins as she was running to our store. He dropped instantly.
     Alexander and others mounted into the gable under the roof and from there was done most of our firing, it being the best place of observation. In the meantime we were barricading in the store, making portholes and firing when opportunity offered. But the Indians were soon very cautious about exposing themselves. I took charge of the store, Dan Bradford of the second floors and Alexander of the garret and roof.
     The steamer "Mary" was lying in the mouth of Mill creek and the wind blowing hard down stream. When we saw Indians running toward her and heard the shots, we supposed she would be taken, and as she lay just out of our sight and we saw smoke rising from her, concluded she was burning, but what was our glad surprise after awhile to see her put out and run across the river. I will give an account of the attack on her hereafter.
     The Indians now returned in force to us, and we gave every one a shot who showed himself. They were nearly naked, painted red and had guns, bows and arrows.
     After awhile Finley came creeping around the lower point of the island toward our house. We shouted to him to lie down behind a rock and he did so. He called that he could not get to the shore, as the bank above was covered with Indians. He saw, while there, Watkins' house burn. The Indians first took out all they wanted -- blankets, clothes, guns, etc. By this time the Indians had crossed in canoes to the island, and we saw them coming, as we supposed, after Finley. We then saw Watkins and Bailey running around the river side toward the place whore Finley was, and the Indians in full chase after them. As our men came around the point in full view, Bailey was shot through the arm and leg. He continued on, and plunging into the river, swam to the front of our store and came in safely, except for his wounds. He narrowly escaped going over the falls. Finley also swam across and got in unharmed, which was wonderful, as there was a shower of bullets around them.
     Watkins next came running around the point and we called to him to lie down behind a rock, but before he could do so he was shot in the wrist, the ball going up the arm and out the elbow. He dropped behind a rock just as the pursuing Indians came following around the point, but we gave them so hot a reception from our house that they backed out and left poor Watkins where he lay. We called to Watkins to lie still and we would get him off, but we were not able to do so until after the arrival from The Dalles of the steamer "Mary" -- two days and nights afterwards. During this period Watkins fainted several times from weakness and exposure, the weather being very cold, and he was stripped for swimming, down to his underclothes. When he fainted he would roll down the steep bank into the river, and the ice cold water reviving him, he would crawl back under fire to his retreat behind the rock. Meantime his wife and children were in the stores in full view, and moaning piteously at his terrible situation. He died from exhaustion two days after he was rescued.
     The Indians were now pitching into us right smart. They tried to burn us out; threw rocks and fire-brands, hot irons, pitchwood everything that would burn on to the roof. But you will recollect that for a short distance back the bank inclined toward the house, and we could see and shoot the Indians who appeared there. So they had to throw from such a distance that the largest rocks and bundles of fire did not quite reach us, and what did generally rolled off the roof. Sometimes the roof got on fire and we cut it out, or with cups of brine drawn from pork barrels, put it out, or with long sticks shoved off the balls. The kitchen roof troubled us the most. How they did pepper us with rocks; some of the big ones would shake the house all over. There were now forty men, women and children in the house four women and eighteen men who could fight, and eighteen wounded men and children. The steamer "Wasco" was on the Oregon side of the river. We saw her steam up and leave for The Dalles. Shortly after the steamer "Mary" left. She had to take Atwell's fence rails for wood.
     So passed the day, during which the Indians had burned Iman's two houses, your sawmill and houses, and the lumber yard at the mouth of Mill creek. At daylight they set fire to your new warehouse on the island, making it as light as day around us. I suppose that they reserved this building for the night that we might not got Watkins off. They did not attack us at night, but the second morning commenced as lively as ever. We had no water, but did have about two dozen bottles of ale and a few bottles of whiskey. These gave out during the day. That night a Spokane Indian, who was traveling with Sinclair, and was in the store with us, volunteered to get a pail of water front the river. I consented and he stripped himself naked, jumped out and down the bank, and was back in no time.
     By this time we looked for the steamer from The Dalles, and were greatly disappointed at her non-arrival, We weathered it out during the day, every man keeping his post; never relaxing in vigilance. Every moving object, shadow or suspicious bush on the hill received a shot. The Indians must have thought the house a bombshell. To our ceaseless vigilance I ascribe our safety. Night came again; saw Sheppard's house burn; Brush's house, near by, was also fired, and kept us in light until about 4 o'clock a.m., when, darkness returning, I sent the Spokane Indian for water front the rivers and he filled two barrels. He went to and fro like lightning. We, also, slipped poor James Sinclair's body down the slide out-side, as the corpse was quite offensive.
     The two steamers now having exceeded the length of time we gave them in which to return from The Dalles, we made up our minds for a long siege and until relief came from below We could not account for it, but supposed the Ninth Regiment had left The Dalles for Walla Walla, and proceeded too far to return. Morning dawned the third morning, and, lo, the "Mary" and "Wasco", blue with soldiers, and towing a flat boat with dragoon horses, hove in sight. Such a hallo as we gave! As the steamers landed the Indians fired twenty or thirty shots into them, but we could not ascertain with any effect. The soldiers as they got ashore could not be restrained, and plunged into the woods in every direction, while the howitzers sent gape after the now retreating redskins. The soldiers were soon at our store and we, I think I may say, experienced quite a feeling of relief on opening our doors.
     During this time we had not heard from below. A company of dragoons, under Colonel Steptoe, went on down, Dan with them. The block house at the Middle Cascades still held out. Allen's house was burned and every other one below. George W. Johnson's, S.M. Hamilton's, F.A. Chenowith's, the wharf-boat at Lower Cascades -- all went up. Next in order comes the attack on the "Mary". She lay in Mill creek -- no fires -- and wind hard ashore. Jim Thompson, John Woodard and Jim Hermans were just going up to the boat from our store and nearly reached her as they were fired upon. Hermans asked if they had any guns. No. He went up to Iman's house, the rest staying to get the steamer out. Captain Dan Baughman and Thompson were ashore on the upper side of the creek, hauling on lines, when the fire became so hot that they ran for the woods past Iman's house. The fireman, James Lindsey, was shot through the shoulder. The engineer, Buckmaster, shot an Indian on the gang plank with his revolver, and little Johnny Chance, Watkin's step son, climbing up on the hurricane deck, with an old dragoon pistol, killed his Indian. Johnny was shot through the leg in doing so. Dick Turpin -- half crazy, probably taking the only gun on the steamboat, jumped into a flat boat lying alongside, then jumped overboard and was drowned. Fires were soon under the boiler and steam was raising. About this time Jesse Kemptem -- shot while driving an ox team from the sawmill got on board also a half breed named "Bourbon", who was shot in the body. After sufficient steam to move was raised, Hardin Chenowith ran into the pilot house, and lying on the floor, turned the wheel as he was directed from the lower deck. It is almost needless to say that the pilot house was a target for the Indians. After the steamer was backed out and fairly turned around, he did toot that whistle at them good. Toot! Toot! Toot! It was music in our ears. The steamer picked up Hermans on the bank above. Inman's family, Sheppard and Vanderpool all got across the river in skiffs, and boarding the "Mary" went on to The Dalles.
     Colonel George Wright and the Ninth Regiment, Second Dragoons, and Third Artillery, had started for Walla Walla and were out five miles, camped. They received news of the attack at 11 o'clock p.m. and by daylight were back at The Dalles. Starting down the river they only reached Wind Mountain that night, as the "Mary's" boilers were in bad order because of a new fireman the day before. George Johnson was about to get a boat's crew of Indians, when "Indian Jack" came running to him saying the Yakimas had attacked the blockhouse. He did not believe it, although he heard the cannon, He went up to the Indian village on the sand bar to get his crew, saw some of the Cascade Indians who said they thought the Yakimas had come, and George now hearing the muskets, ran for home. E.W. Baughman was with him. Bill Murphy had left the block house early for the Indian camp, and had nearly returned before he saw the Indians or was shot at. He returned, two others with him, and ran for George Johnson's about thirty Indians in chase. After reaching Johnson's, Murphy continued on and gave Hamilton and all below warning, and the families embarked in small boats for Vancouver. The men would have barricaded in the wharf boat but for the want of ammunition. There was considerable government freight in this wharf boat. They stayed about this craft and schooner nearly all day, and until the Indiana commenced firing upon them from the zinc house on the bank. They then shoved out. Tommy Price was shot through the leg in getting the boats into the stream. Floating down they met the steamer "Belle" with Sheridan and forty men, sent up on report of an express carried down by Indian Simpson in the morning.
     George and those with him went on board the steamer and volunteered to serve under Sheridan. The steamer returned and the Indians pitched into Sheridan; fought him all day and drove him with forty men and ten volunteers to below Hamilton's not-withstanding he had a small cannon; one soldier was killed.
     The steamer "Belle" returned next day (third of the attack) and brought ammunition for the blockhouse. Your partner, Bishop, who was in Portland, came up on her. Steamer "Fashion", with volunteers from Portland came at the same time. The volunteers remained at the Lower Cascades; Sheridan took his command, and with a batteaux loaded with ammunition crossed to Bradford's island on the Oregon side, where they found most of the Cascade Indians, they having been advised by George Johnson to go there for the first day of the attack. They were crossing and re-crossing all the time and Sheridan made them prisoners. He pressed a boats crew and as they towed up to the head of the island and above, saw great numbers of Indians on the Washington Territory side and opposite them. Sheridan expected them to cross and fight him, and between them and the friendly Indians in his charge, he thought he had his hands full. Just then Sheridan discovered Steptoe and his dragoons, infantry and volunteers, coming down from the "Mary" surprising completely the Indians, who were cooking beef and watching Sheridan across the river. But on sound of the bugle the Indians fled like deer to the woods with the loss of only one killed "old Joanum". But for the bugle they ought to have captured fifty.
     So ended the battle. The Ninth Regiment are building a blockhouse on the hill above us; also at George Johnson's, and will hereafter keep a strong force here, Lieutenant Bissel and twelve men who were stationed at the upper Cascades, were ordered away, and left for The Dalles two days before the attack was made upon us. The Indians Sheridan took on the island were closely guarded. Old Chenowith (chief) was brought up before Colonel Wright, tried and sentenced to be hanged. The Cascade Indians, being under treaty, were adjudged guilty of treason in fight-ing. Chenowith died game; he was hanged on the upper side of Mill Creek. I acted as interpreter. He offered ten horses, two squaws, and a little something to every "tyee" for his life; said he was afraid of his grave in the ground, and begged to be put in an Indian dead house. He gave a terrific war-whoop while the rope was being put around his neck. I thought he expected the Indians to come and rescue him. The rope did not work well, and while hanging he muttered, "Wake nike quash copa memaloosa!". He was then shot. I was glad to see the old devil killed, being satisfied that he was at the bottom of all the trouble. But I cannot detail at too great length.
     The next day Tecomcoc and "Captain Joe", were hanged. "Captain Joe" said that all the Cascade Indians were in the fight. The next day Tsy, Sim Sasselas and "Four-fingered Johnny" were hanged. The next day Chenoweth Jim, Tunwalth and Old Skein suffered the same fate, and Kenewake sentenced to death, but reprieved on the scaffold. In all, nine were executed. Banaha is a prisoner at Vancouver, and decorated with ball and chain. The rest of the Cascade Indians are on your island and will be shot if they get off from it. Such are Colonel Wright's orders. Dow, Watiquin, Peter, Makooka John and Kotzue, and perhaps more, have gone with the Yakimas.
     I forgot to mention that your house at the lower Cascades, also Bishop's, were burned; also to account for Captain Dan Baughman and Jim Thompson. They put back into the mountains, and at night came down to the river at Vanderpool's place, fished up an old boat and crossed to the Oregon side. They concealed themselves in the rocks on the river bank opposite, where they could watch us, and at night went back into the mountains to sleep. They came in safely after the troops arrived. We do not know how many Indians there were. They attacked the block house, our place, and drove Sheridan all at the same time. We think there were no less than two or three hundred. When the attack was made upon us three of our carpenters made for the middle blockhouse, overtook the cars at the salmon house, cut the mules loose and with the car-drivers all kept on. They were not fired upon until they got to the spring on the railroad, but from there they ran the gauntlet of the bullets and arrows to the fort. Little Jake was killed in the run, and several were wounded. I append a list of the killed and wounded, but this is a long letter; knowing you would be anxious to have all the particulars I have endeavored to give you a true description. Dan is writing to others at home, and he has read this letter. We have got to work again building and transporting; are going to build a sawmill as soon as we can. We had but few specimens of poor men here during the fight -- generally all behaving well. There was, however, one notable exception, a person who arrived at the store a few minutes before the fighting commenced and whose name I will give you in person.

Killed

     George Griswold, shot in leg; B.W. Brown and wife, killed at sawmill, bodies found stripped naked in Mill creek; Jimmy Watkins, driving team at the mill; Henry Hagar, shot in Watkins house, body burned; Jake Kyle, German boy, Jacob White, sawyer at the mill; Calderwood, working at the mill; "Bourbon," half-breed, died on the "Mary" going to The Dales; James Sinclair, of the Hudson's Bay Company, Walla Walla; Dick Turpin, colored cook on the steamer "Mary"; Norman Palmer, driving team at the mill; Three United States soldiers, names unknown; George Watkins, lived four days; Jacob Roush, carpenters lived six days.

Wounded

     Fletcher Murphy, arm; P. Snooks, boy, leg; J. Lindsay, shoulder, Tommy Price, thigh; Two soldiers, United States Army, H. Kyle, German; Moffat, railroad hand; Johnny Chance, leg; M. Bailey, leg, arm; J. Alain, slightly.
     I am a little afraid to go to Rock Creek to fish, in fact have had no time so far. Don't think I shall have much fishing this summer. Wish you were back.

Yours,
L.W. Coe.

     For a time, following these tragic events, Lawerence Coe was busily occupied at the Cascades, but later he and R.R. Thompson built a boat above The Dalles, which they named the Colonel Wright, the hull was almost completed, when a sudden rise in the river tore her from her moorings and she was carried over the rapids but was recovered. Nothing daunted they built another boat, which was also named the "Colonel Wright".
     This boat was used on the upper Columbia for many years, and formed a part of the capital stock of a steamboat company organized later, and known as the Union Transportation Co. The Bradford Brothers owned the portage on the North bank of the Columbia, J.S. Ruckle and Harrison Olmstead owned a portage on the South bank or Oregon shore. Ruckle and Olmstead ran a steamer the "Mountain Buck" from Portland to the Cascades connecting with their portage on the Oregon shore. From the east end of this portage freight was transferred to the steamer "Wasco" under Capt. McFarland. In 1859 the two rival lines combined and formed the "Union Transportation Company". In 1860 this Company was allowed up in a larger company, with capital stock at $175,000, under the name of "The Oregon Steam Navigation Co." It was incorporated under an act procured from the territorial legislature of Washington, Dec. 29th, 1860. The first board of directors consisted of J.C. Ainsworth, J.S. Ruckle, D.F. Bradford, S.G. Reed and L.W. Coe. J.C. Ainsworth was elected president. Gold was discovered in Idaho this year and thousands of miners poured through the gorge of the Columbia on their way to the mines. Fare from Portland to The Dalles was $5.00 and freight was $40.00 per ton. In December 1862 the company was reincorporated under the general corporation laws of Oregon with a capital stock of $2,000,000. Each share was worth $500. L.W. Coe owned three hundred and thirty six shares, while the Bradford Brothers owned seven hundred and fifty eight shares. The profits of the company were enormous, no assessments were ever levied against the stockholders but large dividends were paid to them and the capital stock increased. About this time Bradford Brothers, who were the heaviest stockholders, offered to sell their stock at seventy five cents on the dollar. This offer was quickly taken up by a pool, which had been formed in San Francisco and L.W. Coe and all the smal1er stockholders sold their interests at that time.
     L.W. Coe later moved to California where he spent the remainder of his days. He married Miss Louise Graves of The Dalles in 1859. They had two children, George who died soon after reaching manhood and Nell, who became Mrs. Howard. From California Lawerence Coe sent a shipment of quail to the home place and had them turned loose and thus was our valley stocked with California quail. As long as his mother lived, he and his family were frequent visitors at Hood River. He died in California in 1898.

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