Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 648.
 
DAVID EVEREST

     An honored Oregon pioneer of 1847, an Indian war veteran, and a well-to-do
Yam Hill county farmer, was born in Kent, England, September 17, 1824, son of
Richard and Jane (Cole) Everest, both natives of Hever parish, England.  In
1835, when David was eleven years of age, the family emigrated to the United
States and settled in Newark, Ohio.  From there they moved to Washington
county, Iowa, where the father took up a farm and where they resided until 1847.
That year, lured by the mild climate of Oregon and the Government's offer of
rich lands there, the father brought his family, at that time consisting of his
wife and nine children, across the plains to this coast.  They started with
three wagons, with three yoke of oxen to each, and also had son loose stock and
horses, and the train with which they traveled at first comprised 100 wagons.
As the journey progressed, however, they divided into smaller companies, each
being composed of twenty wagons.  They made the trip in safety, their only
trouble being with their stock, which was easily frightened.  At one time their
cattle ran away with the wagons, spilling things out at a lively rate.  The
smell of dead buffaloes and other animals, and even the sudden running up of
their own dogs would frighten their teams.  They put ropes on their leaders and
led them, and the dogs they killed.
     Reaching Oregon, they first stopped on the opposite side of the river from
Salem.  The father then selected a donation claim of 640  acres in the Chehalem
valley, and that fall they established themselves in a little log cabin on it.
The parents resided here the rest of their lives, working hard to improve their
farm, and here the mother died in 1887, in her eighty-fifth year, and the father
in 1888, aged eighty-six.  They were Episcopalians, people of worth and
respectability, esteemed by all who knew them. 
     Their son David, when he arrived at the Cascade mountains, was employed in
helping to build a road.  He reached Oregon City before the family, and there
worked on a Hudson's Bay batteau until the ninth of December.  While there the
news of the massacre of Dr. Whitman reached them and he at once established his
services to protect the settlers against the Indians.  He was under Captain Lee.
At Vancouver they obtained arms and supplies and with three batteaus and a canoe
transported them to the Dalles.  Opposite Wind mountains they were detained by
the wind until the last day of the year.  That evening the wind subsided and on
the following day they arrived at the Dalles.  Here they landed, built
fortifications, and had several skirmishes with the Indians.  In February
General Gillam joined them with re-enforcements.  They went to Walla Walla.  At
Well Springs they had a fight with the Indians, which lasted the most of two
days.  They went up the Walla Walla river to Whitman's Station, where they found
the bodies of murdered settlers imperfectly buried and partly decomposed, and
they buried them over again.  They then followed the Indians up until they had
them in a close place, and when thus cornered the red men pretended to be
friends and the Peace Commissioner prevented their being fired upon.  The
soldiers withdrew and before they had gone more than two miles were pursued and
fired upon by the Indians.  They had traveled two days without provisions and
were obliged to retire, fighting that day and night without food.  In crossing
the Tusha river they lost a man and had several wounded.  Two days later they
reaches Walla Walla, after having suffered much from hunger.  General Gillam
then returned with his command to the valley.  Sixty men volunteered to stay at
Whitman's Station, Mr. Everest being one of the number, and of this company
William Martain was elected Captain.  They, however, had no further trouble with
the Indians, and in October, after the last train of emigrants had arrived, they
came down to the valley. 
     In 1849 Mr. Everest went to the mines in California, where he was engaged
in packing, mining and trading.  He mined as high as $60 in a day for several
days, and one day took out a nugget worth $80.  He continued this business, off
and on, from 1849 till 1855, and also had a trading post of the Trinity river,
in the mean time returning several times to Oregon.  During this period he had
many exciting experiences and narrow escapes.  At one time seeing a bear had a
man down and about to kill him, Mr. Everest shot and killed him, Mr. Everest
shot and killed the bear with his revolver.
     In 1855, when the Government again called for volunteers to fight the
Indians, he again tendered his services, this time being under command of
Captain Hembree.  During the campaign they ran down wild cattle and shot them
from their horses.  In this Mr. Everest proved himself an expert, shooting them
while his horse was on a full run in pursuit of them.  They succeeded in running
the Indians out of the country and were then honorably discharged.
     September 27, 1856, Mr. Everest married Miss Irena Jones, a native of Iowa,
and a daughter of William Jones.  They crossed the plains in the same train with
Mr. Everest, Miss Irena being then only seven years of age.  Her  father took
his donation claim near that of Mr. Everest.  He died in his eighty-first year,
and his wife in her sixtieth.  After their marriage Mr. Everest purchased 160
acres of land, and on this he has since lived and prospered.  He has since
acquired other lands in the Chehalem valley, and has also purchased seventeen
acres in Newberg, where he has erected buildings.  Mr. Everest's farming
operations have been of a general character.  He raises wheat, oats, choice
fruits, etc., and keeps horses, cattle and sheep.
     Mr. and Mrs. Everett have had eleven children, two of whom died in infancy.
The others are as follows:  Joseph, a merchant at Newberg; Richard, who resides
on the farm; Alice and Ella, twins, the former the wife of Monroe Tate, of
Portland, and the latter the wife of Fred Leutkmeyer; Ida, wife of Jacob Hagey;
and Stonewall Jackson, Grandville and Daisy Irena, at home.  Their grandchildren
are thirteen in number.
     Mr. Everest's political views are in harmony with Democratic principles.
He helped to organize the Grange at Newberg.  A man of the strictest integrity,
honorable and upright in all the walks of life, he is eminently deserving of the
success he has attained.  Mrs. Everest is a member of the Christian Church.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2005 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.