13 Facts About Osborne Russell

1.

Osborne Russell was a mountain man and politician who helped form the government of the US state of Oregon.

2.

Osborne Russell was born 19 June 1814, in the village of Bowdoinham, Maine.

3.

Osborne Russell was one of nine children in the farming family of George G and Eleanor Russell.

4.

At age 16, Russell ran away for a life at sea, but quickly gave up that career by deserting his ship at New York.

5.

Russell first came to the Oregon Country in 1834 as a member of Nathaniel J Wyeth's second expedition where Russell joined Nathaniel Wyeth's Columbia River Fishing and Trading Company expedition to the Rocky Mountains.

6.

Osborne Russell was contracted to deliver $3,000 worth of supplies and trade goods to Milton Sublette and Thomas Fitzpatrick of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company for the 1834 Rendezvous.

7.

In spite of his previous experience with the Northwest Fur Trapping and Trading Company, Osborne Russell was still inexperienced in the ways of the wilderness when he joined Wyeth's company.

8.

Osborne Russell continued with them even after the merger with the American Fur Company leaving it in complete control of the fur trade in the Rocky Mountains.

9.

Osborne Russell returned to the country in 1842 with the Elijah White party.

10.

Osborne Russell participated in the May 2,1843 Champoeg Meeting, voting in favor of forming a government.

11.

Osborne Russell was unsuccessful in his run for governor of the Provisional Government in 1845, giving his support to George Abernethy.

12.

Osborne Russell eventually went to California in 1848, after the discovery of gold there.

13.

Osborne Russell died in Placerville, California on 1 May 1884.