Yamhill-Multnomah County OR Archives News.....Golden Wedding September 1904 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sheron Faynor nitwittwin@hotmail.com June 17, 2008, 6:21 am Morning Oregonian September 181,904 September 1904 A golden wedding at which the bridesmaid and groomsman ar epresent is decidedly unusual,and one at which 12 of the guests of the original wedding are present is still more so.This happened at the golden wedding wedding of Mr. and Mrs. J.H.Olds,of La Fayette,however,uncle and auunt of J.C. and W.P.Olds of this city.It has been two years since the celebration of the golden wedding,but it wa sonly recently that the picture was obtained of the couple who have gone through so many years of life together,and their 12 friends who witnessed the marriage on th eplains in 1852,for this wedding took place in a pioneer train en route to Oregon. Mr.J.H.Olds was born in Seneca County,Ohio,in 1830,and his wife was born in the same county and state in 1833.Both families moved to Michigan,and on the death of Mrs.Old's father,who was accidentally shot by a hunter,she returned to her native state,where she received her education and became a school teacher.Mr.Olds remained on his father's farm in Michigan until March,1851,when he started across the plains wiht his brother,Mr.G.W.Olds(noew of McMinnville) and 32 others.They made the trip with only one incident to mar its success,and that was the accidental shooting of Milton White.Game of all sort was bountilfully supplied all the way across.They arrived in Yamhill County September 16,1851.January 4 following,J.H.Olds returned to Michigan by way of the isthmus.Reaching New York he wa sshaved for the first tiem in his life by a barber and bought the first suit of clothing he ever owned which had not been spun,woven or made by his mother.By March 10 he had arrived at his old hoome in Michigan,and by the 20th of that month was ready to start to oregon again with a large train of immigrants.All of his father's family,with the exception of one son,came,and hundreds of others joined on his reccomendation.In the large party was mIss nancy Ann Parker,from ohio,who is now Mrs.J.H.Olds. After the last outfitting was completed and the train started oon its long journey across the vast plains,a meeting was held,the second day out,and J.H.Olds was unanimously elected Captain of the "Olde Train" He was much younger than many present and wa smodest about assuming such a responsibility,but they forced him to do so,and he carried them through safely and well.There were 90 wagons and 400 people in the train,but the strict rules were laid down by the newly elected captian were closely observed and all went well. George Olds(father of J.C. and W.P.Olds,of this city) was appointed foreman of the gaurd,and throughout the lonf journey,or until after the malheur River was crossed a gaurd of eight was maintained for the stock and a liek aurd for the party,the nights being divided into two watchers.INdians were encountered at the Elkhorn River,but proved to be only a straggling band of Pawnees who were driven off after they found they could not intimidate the party.Everythign went well until one day Mr.Olds discovered a strange man in the party.His name was David Donahue,and it was learned that he had left his own train and was going to travel in the Olds train with Mr.Woodward, Mr.Olds immediately decided that th eman couldnot remain wiht his party,as he ahd been kicked out by his own people,and there mst be something wrong with him,but many thought the captain too severe,and begged that he be permitted to remain until he proved himself unworhty.Two weeks later Donahue had a falling out with Willam Pierce,Mr.Woodard's hired man ,and the later then admited that the captian had been right in his judgement,so Donahue was given his walking papers and escorted out of the camp. When the party came within a few miles of American Falls,in the Snake River,later on,they encountered a train to which this same man has attached himself,and at this point he foully murdered Pierce.He endeavored to spread the impression that the INdians has committed the deed,but was arrested and given a jury trial. His guilt was so evident that his conviction speedily followed,after which he confessed.As there wa sno tree on which to hang him,he was shot by a squad of men selected for the purpose. When about a huundred miles distance form Fort Laramie,a number of the party were stricken with fever and other diseases.The captain called a halt,and they cmaped there 28 days until the sick ones recovered.Some more resltess than the others pushed on,and many of these died,but all who obeyed the orders and remained with the original party came through safely.At INdependece Rock the young folks of the party had a good time,going over the rocks and into the cave,where thye wrote their names,and went through the Devil's Gate,crossing it several times,jumping from rock to rock over the splashing water is it went down the canyon acoss the Rockies. The train made fairly good progress after this,and it soon began to be whispered around that hter emight soon be a wedding.When in camp near Boise City,on the 13th of th emonth,it was positively announced,so the boys made a high bonfire of sagebrush,visitors from neighboring camps came in, and all was put in readiness for th euptials of J.H.Olds and Miss Nancy Ann Parker. They came out of their tent at the appointed hour,attended by Mr.william Cook and Miss Nancy A.Olds,and standing in front of the birght sagebrush fire which furnished the illumination and under a canopy of stars for a marriage bell,were unite din marriage by Rev. Mr.Reasoner,a Methodist divine.The young folks of the camp had a good deal of fun that night with the newly married couple pulling their wagon out and taking it off some distance from the train. The presence of a bride and groom seemed to bring the best of luck to the train,for they arrived in Oreogn without any furhter mishap of any kind,and have lived here ever since.Mr.Olds says of the event: "How faithfully we have kept the vows made that evening is best known by those who havelived among us.We have had six children born to us,three boys and three girls,all well known in old Yamhill.We are now old people,and so are all in the picture.They all came from the town of Batavia,Branch County,Mich.I can loo back 50 years and see Oregon as at was then and as it is now,and can say that the change is greater than one could expect.At that time Eastern Oregon was a vast sagebrush plain,but it is now a part of an inland empire. Where Porltand now stands was a vast forest,and he who lives the next 50 years wll see one solid city from Vancover to Oregon City,and Oregon willl be one of the first states in the Union. 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