Jean-Baptiste McLoughlin (1784 - 1857)

Born 19 Oct 1784 in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Marguerite Wadin — married 19 Nov 1842 in Fort Vancouver, Oregon Territory

Descendants

Died 3 Sep 1857 at age 72 in Oregon City, Oregon Territory

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Biography

Jean-Baptiste McLoughlin, born 19 October 1784, to parents Jean McLoughlin and his wife D'Angelique Fraser, was baptized 5 November 1784, at Saint Louis de Kamouraska in Quebec, Canada.^[1][2]

Dr. John McLoughlin, was a Chief Factor and Superintendent of the Columbia District of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver from 1824 to 1845. He was later known as the "Father of Oregon" for his role in assisting the American cause in the Oregon Country in the Pacific Northwest. In the late 1840s his general store in Oregon City was famous as the last stop on the Oregon Trail.

John at a young age, studied medicine and began his practice in Montreal. He was persuaded by his uncle to join the North West Company as it's doctor, at Fort William on Lake Superior. The North West Company merged with the Hudson Bay Company and in 1824, they sent John west to be the Chief Factor of the Columbia District with headquarters then at Fort George, at the mouth of the Columbia River. The headquarters relocated to Ft. Vancouver.^[3]

Among his accomplishments, McLoughlin oversaw the building of the first lumbermill in the Pacific Northwest, encouraged settlement, surveyed and laid out Oregon City, where eventually he would live, and be elected the mayor.^[3]

In 1842, John became a Roman Catholic, and in 1851 he became a citizen of the United States.^[3]

Dr. John McLoughlin

McLoughlin's wife was Marguerite; who was Métis, the daughter of an aboriginal woman and one of the original partners of the North West Company, Jean-Etienne Wadin. She was the widow of Alexander McKay, a trader killed in the Tonquin incident. Her son Thomas became McLoughlin's stepson.

John McLoughlin lost one son to a violent death. John McLoughlin, Jr. had been appointed the second Clerk in Charge at Fort Stikine, only to die in April 1842 at the hands of one of the fort employees, Urbain Heroux, who was charged with his murder but acquitted for lack of evidence.

John and his family were enumerated on the 1850 Census for Oregon City in the Oregon Territory.^[4]

John died on Sep. 3, 1857. He is buried beside his wife at the John McLoughlin House Nationial Historic Site in Oregon City, Oregon.^[5]

His will was presented in Clackamas Probate Court 7 Sep 1857, by his executor Daniel Harvey.

"In the name of God, Amen, I John McLaughlin of Oregon city in the county of clackamas and Territory of Oregon of the age of seventy-two years ... that all my past debts and the charges and expenses of my funeral be paid ...

...all my lands, tenements, heredetaments and real estate, situate and lying in the parish of River De Loup in Canada East to my daughter Eliza Epps widow of the late deputy commissary General Epps of the British Army." After her decease this property was to be divided among her children.

His wife Margret McLaughlin was left the linens, china, and glass and household goods and furnishings (except the plate). She was given the use and enjoyment of the plate until her death, when it was to be given to daughter Eloisa Harvey. His widow was also amply provided for in annual payments.

Daughter Eloise Harvey wife of Daniel Harvey, son David McLaughlin, and son in law Daniel Harvey inherited the remainder of the considerable estate, which was well over $100,000.^[6]

Children:

1. Joseph was the son of a native woman. He died Dec 14, 1848 at about 38 years old. He left no known heirs although he was married to a woman named Victoria.^[7][8]
2. John Jr, son of Margret was born Aug 18, 1812. He was shot and killed 20 April 1842.^[7][8]
3. Maria Elizabeth was born 1814 at Ft. William; did not go to Oregon with the family; married William Randolph Eppes, in 1832. They had five girls and one boy. Her husband passed away in 1849, just prior to the birth of their last child. Dr. McLoughlin made monthly payments to Maria until his death in 1857.^[7][8]
4. Maria Eloisa, [Eloisa], was born Feb. 13th, 1817, at Ft. William. She married twice: (1) William Glen Rae in 1838; m. (2) Daniel Harvey. Eloise died in 1884.^[7][8]
5. David, was born February 11, 1821; married, Annie Grizzly, daughter of Chief Grizzly of the Kootenai Indians. He died in 1903.^[7][8]

Sources

1. ↑ Original Baptism in the parish of Saint-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec Baptism#109 - "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-28005-5713-82?cc=1321742 : accessed 4 April 2016), Saint-Louis-de-Kamouraska > Saint-Louis-de-Kamouraska > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1772-1804 > image 165 of 633; nos paroisses de Église Catholique, Quebec (Catholic Church parishes, Quebec).
2. ↑ Letter of Verification of Baptism from Saint-Louis-de-Kamouraska, Quebec written in 1976 - "Québec, registres paroissiaux catholiques, 1621-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-28005-5735-5?cc=1321742 : accessed 4 April 2016), Saint-Louis-de-Kamouraska > Saint-Louis-de-Kamouraska > Baptêmes, mariages, sépultures 1772-1804 > image 164 of 633; nos paroisses de Église Catholique, Quebec (Catholic Church parishes, Quebec).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} “John McLoughlin: Chronology of Events.” Oregon State Archives, 50th Anniversay Exhibit. Oregon State Archives
4. ↑ United States Census, 1850, database with images, FamilySearch: John Mclauglin, Oregon City, Clackamas, Oregon Territory, United States; citing family 228, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial# 6413
6. ↑ Oregon County, District and Probate Courts. Accessed as Ancestry.com. Oregon, Wills and Probate Records, 1849-1963 [database on-line]
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4} A Place called Oregon. "Dr. John McLoughlin: The Father of Oregon" gesswhoto.com
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4} Barker, Burt Brown (compiler) The John McLoughlin House A National Historic Site Oregon City, Oregon, The John McLoughlin Memorial Association, 1949.

See also:

• The Dr. John McLoughlin House; A National Historic Site

• The Oregon Encyclopedia; John McLoughlin

• Oregon State Archives; John McLoughlin, Father of Oregon

• Wikipedia; John McLoughlin

• Oregon Blue Book; John McLoughlin

• Dr. John McLoughlin, The Father of Oregon

• Columbia River History Project; Dr. John McLoughlin

• Architect of the Capitol; John McLoughlin

• Encyclopedia.com; John McLoughlin

• Lamb, W. Kaye, “McLOUGHLIN, JOHN,” in EN:UNDEF:public_citation_publication, vol. 8, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 4, 2016.

• Tate, Cassandra, McLoughlin, John (1784-1857), in HistoryLink.org, The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History, 24 September 2013.