John Bonser
By Roger Knowles Thompson 

	John Bonser was born at Bonser's Run near the confluence of the Ohio and
Scioto rivers 6 Nov. 1803. Located near what is now Portsmouth in Scioto co.
Ohio, the homestead had been settled by John's father Isaac Bonser, a noted
woodsman, explorer and hunter, who had explored the area seven years before and
had been amongst the first settlers.
	The land had been newly opened by the Ohio and "French" purchases and was
to become one of the first settlements of importance in southern Ohio. Its
strategic importance on the Ohio river and its access to central Ohio and
Chillicothe via the Scioto river, made it the ideal frontier hub.
	By 1803 Isaac and his family had cleared the land at "Bonser's run" and
established the beginnings of a mill and a prosperous farm, which appeared to
be a social center and gathering place for the frontier community. In 1808 a
long remembered Fourth of July celebration at the Bonser's homestead took place
to which everyone in the settlements came. John Bonser remembered in later life
that there was always a still on the Bonser farm, a practice he was to
continue, and the Bonsers were not shy in their hospitality. The celebration
included making a cannon from a bound tree trunk and firing salutes.The corn
flowed freely as did the oratory, and the party continued for several days.
	As the settlement grew, Isaac built a grist mill on a Little Scioto
tributary, and it was to contribute to the families prosperity. He was known to
be fascinated with mills and built in his lifetime at least three, overshot,
undershot, and one using an Archimedes screw. They all seemed to work.
	Later he was to help his son John enter the new flat boat trade growing on
the Ohio. Traffic started as far north as Pittsburgh and the upper reaches, and
goods were transported to the growing communities along the Ohio and
Mississippi as far south as New Orleans. The John Bonser family was among those
constructing boats on the banks of the river and receiving goods and produce
from up the Scioto, and transhipping goods received from the East. They would
transport the assembled goods south on flatboats which were sometimes little
more than rafts, using large sweeps and with a crew of about eight men. When
the cargo had been sold, they would return north by foot or canoe. This early
trade up and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers was to develop into the
legendary keel boat industry with Mike Fink and others of song and story
entering deeply into the American imagination. John Bonser always thought of
himself as a "river man," and his skills were to be put to good use in his
later life on the Columbia river.
	John's mother Abigail Burt, had been raised in New Jersey and was well
educated for the place and time, and John was taught to read and write. In his
maturity he was known to be quick with a biblical or Shakespearean quotation
and always valued education. He later was to transport a library of over 60
books to the Oregon Territory in wagons in which every ounce of weight was
precious. 
	By the time he was 24 years old, John had cleared land of his own and built
a cabin near the Scioto. He was tall, exceptionally energetic, considered good
looking, and in 1827 was married to Rebecca Halstead, who he later said was the
most beautiful woman he had seen. They were married across the river at Greenup
Ky., and family stories say they eloped.
	Rebecca had been born at Cayuga Lake NY and was from one of the families
who had suffered a great deal from the Indian and British depredations in the
upper NY valleys in the French and Indian wars and the American revolution. The
Ira Halstead family had moved from New York, first to Pennsylvania, and then to
Scioto county before 1820, and were to become a numerous clan. Rebecca's mother
was a midwife and healer, and these skills were passed to her daughter.
	John farmed as was necessary to all on the early frontier, but mostly
followed the river trade. His frequent absences did not seem to inhibit the
family and their first child Lewis was born in 1828, followed by Stephen
Decataur in 1829 and James Halstead in 1832. The young family seems to have
prospered at this time, as the commerce up and down the river was growing by
leaps and bounds and John came away from this period with a considerable amount
of money.
	 John with all his drive and energy was evidently feeling the pressure of
the now well settled and fast-growing community, and decided to move to the
Illinois frontier. Several generations of his forbears had been on the cutting
edge of westward movement, and John later said that too many neighbors were not
good for a man. In addition the national panic of 1836 and 1837 had made it
clear that prosperity was not guaranteed and the Scioto region was certainly
affected, as many local enterprises failed, particularly those based on land
speculation. To what extent the trouble affected John is not known but many
from southern Ohio went to Illinois about this time.
	The family settled in Pike county Illinois, west of Springfield, and a
large farm was homesteaded. There Martha Jane was born in 1837, and Julia two
years later. Another child Jacob was born after this time but died young. A
number of Halsteads and others from the Scioto community followed, to include
several of Johns brothers and sisters and their families. 
	The Bonsers built a fine herd of cattle, based upon stock purchased from
the famous Henry Clay farms in Kentucky, and he was later to remember meeting
Mr. Clay there. 
	While the family seems to have prospered in Pike Co., by 1845 John was
again restless, and stories of the Oregon country and it's great Columbia and
Willamette rivers were circulating in middle Illinois. The tract by Hall J.
Kelley, extolling the new opportunities to the west, appeared to be an
influence, and a copy annotated in Johns hand is in possession of the author.
It was rumored that congress was considering giving a whole section of land to
a settler there, and the warm climate and fertile land were said to be a
perfect antidote to the often brutal Midwestern winters.													
	The trip was carefully planned to proceed in the summer of 1846 with a
large party. John was to take three large Pennsylvania style wagons pulled by
oxen, and another lighter rig pulled by horses. A large herd of cattle to
include special breeding stock, a few sheep, spare oxen, and a herd of horses
to include several racers, were planned for.
	To handle the equipment and stock, a number of the more adventurous in the
Bonser and Halstead family were recruited to include Hilton Bonser, John B.
Ferguson, and John Shoemaker, all Nephews. Several other neighbors and
relatives with their families and own equipage made up the rest of the party.  
	An anecdotal story says that when it came time to dispose of the family's
properties the deeds and other paperwork were prepared by a young lawyer from
Springfield, Abraham Lincoln. While this has not been verified, the Lincoln
society museum states that Lincoln did participate in law circuits in Pike Co.
at about this time. 
	All was assembled and the caravan set out in late summer of 1846, with the
plan of wintering on the banks of the Mississippi, and obtaining the earliest
possible start the next spring. Rebecca was also pregnant and it was felt she
should not deliver on the trail. The trip was uneventful and camp was set up at
the small community of Savannah in Andrew Co. Missouri.
	That winter was not a happy one however, as sickness swept the camp, and
John and Rebecca's oldest son Lewis, was stricken with the "fever" and died at
age seventeen. There was sickness in the camp all winter but in February
Rebecca was successfully delivered of a daughter, Hannah, who was hearty and
thrived on the trip to Oregon.
	In early May the group proceeded to the ferry crossing near St. Joseph,
where more than 100 wagons assembled at the single ferry, the final
preparations were made, andon 10 May 1847 the group proceeded to the Western
shore and headed into the great unknown. Within days it became apparent that
the large train would need to be broken up, as the different groups, usually
based on family ties, were moving at different paces. It became necessary that
each group move separately to find sufficient pasturage, and it was found the
smaller groups would not muddy the water sources as badly. John continued as
captain of a group of 28 wagons, which were to continue with little trouble.
The caravan's superior wagons and fine oxen meant they were able to travel in
the vanguard, a little faster than many others, and they did not have to detour
as often to find good pasture.
	It is interesting to note that the Henderson Luelling family had joined the
Bonsers in Missouri and were part of the Bonser train. Luelling's wagons were
packed with fine nursery stock which was carefully tended and watered
throughout the trip. Henderson Luelling started the first nursery in the Oregon
territory and he is often considered the founder of the great fruit orchards of
the Pacific Northwest. The Bonsers and Luellings were to be lifelong friends.
	
	All the journals of this trip show great concern about the Indians, and
they were a constant presence through most of the trip. The party lost some
animals to the Indians to include a few of the horses, and John almost lost his
favorite racehorse Patriot .17 year old Stephen Bonser chased the Indians
raiding party on another fast horse, caught them, and as they had no guns and
he did, was able to recover Patriot by trading a folding knife. The racer
Patriot was later to be well known in the Oregon country. The Indians were
often to approach the camp and demand gifts which were usually given, but in
1847 the Indian thefts that were to plague later migrations were rare.
	 The weather favored the pioneers that summer ,although the passage across
the mountains with the heavy wagons was always a great strain. A miller
traveling in the train had a light wagon and a weak team and was attempting to
haul 2 weighty millstones by himself. He would manage to insinuate his wagon in
front of the Bonsers at each difficult ascent and it would be necessary to
assist him and his overladen rig up and over .At first the help was freely
given but as it happened over and over, and there was always concern about
arriving before the winter set in, the young men finally rolled one of the
millstones down a hill and moved on. This was probably the miller Davis who
later established his mill in Washington Co. Near Hillsboro. 
	John C Fremont camped with the Bonser party on his way back to Washington
for his courts martial, and it is noted in all the journals, but had no
particular wisdom to share. 		By the time they had reached the vicinity
of the Whitman mission it was not found necessary to ask for help, as the group
was in relatively good condition, although the Rev. Whitman did visit the camp
and give advice of how to proceed. The shocking massacre of the Whitmans some
months later, was to be remembered by nearly all the members of the 1847
migration, as many received help from the mission, or had contact with the
missionaries.
	John and Rebecca reached the Dalles on the Columbia October 23, 1847, and
immediately began to build a flat boat. Prior to 1847, most of the immigrants
had built crude rafts, been transported by Bateau that John McLoughlin had been
able to send upriver from Ft. Vancouver, or had attempted to follow the river
bank on the Indian trails, and this portion of the trip was counted as
particularly trying to the immigrants. The passage was only feasible at that
time by water or by passing down the banks of the Columbia river gorge. there
was much rough water and the large falls at Celilo could only be portaged . By
fall, the weather was beginning to deteriorate and the stock and people were
badly worn. Some had lost everything and there was much sickness. 
	John was particularly well equipped for the task as he had brought several
large two man whip saws, which were to prove invaluable. The whole group of
immigrants was piling up at the river bank and John was to share his saws with
all as did others who had them, and when he debarked left one for the use of
those to come. His guidance in raft and boat building was mentioned by many.
For example, the noted Peter W. Crawford, said in his journal "John Bonser also
an old flat boat builder, commences work building a flat boat and helps several
others get boats underway."
	In later life John was proud of a technique he introduced at the time,
which was to be of use in carrying the rafts and flatboats over the dangerous
Cascade falls and rapids. An article from the St. Helens newspaper March 17,
1893.
				A BIT OF OREGON HISTORY
	"John Bonser of Sauvies Island, who died a few days ago at the age of 90
years, was, perhaps, the first man who successfully floated a boat over the
Cascade Falls. When he and his party of immigrants reached that point by boat
from the Dalles, they were confronted with the difficulty of making the portage
around that obstruction to navigation. He determined to load a bateau
(contemporary accounts say it was a flatboat) with their household effects and
send it over the rapids. In order to do this, he cut a tree, took the bushy
portion of the top, and lashed the boats to this and set them adrift. They went
through safely, and were picked up below. The tree prevented the boat from
being twirled around and upset. This bit of early history was told by the
deceased pioneer himself to our informant many years ago."
	The party arrived relatively unscathed at Linnton December 12, 1847. They
were able to rent the old Jimmy Johns cabin and its cleared land at Linnton,
and settle in for the winter. Stephen D. and Hilton Bonser had set out to drive
the stock overland down the banks of the Columbia from the Dalles, distance of
about ninety miles. This was a hazardous procedure at best, with most of the
stock usually being lost to the weather or Indians. However, they arrived at
Linnton safely in January, not losing a head.
	As early as possible that spring, crops were put in, and John and Rebecca
were able to fatten up the stock. Many of the late stragglers of 1847 and those
who came in later waves were in bad shape and needed immediate help, and John
and Rebecca had cash specie, a rare commodity at that time and place. It was
said they loaned to all without regard to ability to repay. They put in what
John called the" settlers's" garden and reserved a portion of their herd as the
"settler's" share. Later in life he said that he had lent more than $3500, some
never repaid, but that for many years, people he hadn't seen in years would
send small amounts of money or press it into his hand on the street. John was
not unique in his support of the later immigrants, but was one of the few who
had cash which could be traded for supplies at Ft. Vancouver or Oregon City. 
	John's family had all crowded into the cabin that first winter, but they
soon were traveling through the territory and into the Willamette Valley
looking for land. 
	The Donation Land Claim Law of 1850 allowed a married couple to take up to
a full section of land provided they lived on it and developed it, and in
anticipation, John settled on a piece of land on the south bank of the
Columbia, at Sauvies Island with its rich alluvial land, abundant wild hay, and
access to river transport.
	Sauvies Island is the largest river island in the United states, and is
about fourteen miles long and four miles wide at the widest point .It had been
the site of unusually large Indian populations well into pre history ,and was
rich with wild camas and wappato root which were a staple of Indian diet. The
numerous inland lakes on the island were choked with fish particularly the
giant Sturgeon, and the rivers themselves, were a source of salmon and
steelhead. An early Sauvies island settler tells of a Sturgeon so big, that
when laid over the back of a horse, the head and tail touched the ground on
opposite sides. Others told of standing on the banks of the Columbia during the
great salmon runs , and seeing the glinting and flashing of the fish all the
way across the river. They said it appeared one could walk across on their
backs.  
       In anticipation of territorial status which was to be granted that year,
and the authorization of congress to confirm claims, several pieces of land,
both on the Island and in the Willamette valley were registered. Each of the
young men also applied for claims, some at Oak Island at Sauvies island ,and
others on the northern shore of the Columbia. In 1850 The Donation land act was
passed as expected, authorizing a half section of land to each man and another
to his wife if married.
	 It is interesting to note that none of these claims could be finalized
until the territory was surveyed and a final treaty with Britain could nullify
the claims of the earlier British inhabitants. The treaty was not signed until
1860, and by then a mishmash of claims, counter claims, boundary disputes and
claim jumping was making the lawyers at Ft Vancouver very happy. Most of the
Bonser men were to be later involved in litigation.
	In 1848 the excitement of the gold fields swept Oregon and most of the
able-bodied men disappeared to California over night. John himself never held
with "gold chasing", but some of the Bonser men to include Stephen, were to
have some success in California.	
	In the spring of 1850 a large cabin was built on a knoll to avoid the
annual floods, and added to for the next several years. It was to become a
rambling structure capable of housing both a large family and guests, and
several years later another frame house was built just below the first. The
claim and cabin were located at what was to be later called Willow Bar on the
northeastern shore. 
	A letter to the Oregon Historical Society by Paul M. Reeder, Sauvies Island
Historian and later the President of the Oregon Historical Society; " The lower
Bonser home was built in an "L" shape with a porch on the front, as the one in
the picture, but on a knoll to keep it above water."
	John and Rebecca had registered a claim in Lane County Oregon, but the
claim was never settled and later claimed by others. John Ferguson and John
Shoemaker, his nephews who had come with them, did settle in the Willamette
Valley, and raised large and respected families.
	The next several years were eventful ones. Oregon was fast passing into the
hands of the American settlers and counties, voting districts, and courts were
being formed as quickly as possible, and in 1852 Columbia County was formed.
The southeast corner of the county was formed at the southeast corner of John's
claim, and he later served in many county offices, serving as Captain and
viewer of his voting district and signing many petitions for local
improvements. His name appears on many petitions addressing the issues of the
time (the earliest county government was in petitionary form), and John was
appointed a county Commissioner in 1854.
	The Bonser home was a popular gathering place on the river, his hospitable
nature and prosperity, several beautiful young daughters, all contributing to a
constant stream of visitors. John was noted for his interest in horse racing,
and cleared a track on the northern portion of his farm adjacent to what is
still called Racetrack Lake. He had several good horses, and race meets were
frequent. His horse" Patriot" was the chief rival to "Old George", another
noted horse of the time, and it appears the rivalry was a hot topic in the
early community. He was also noted for the quality of his cattle. Bancroft's
history of Oregon says the stock he brought "did much to improve the livestock
in the Oregon country."
	 The Bonsers had taken in several young women of the Lee family who had
been orphaned, and with Johns own marriageable daughters, The Sauvies Island
homestead drew a swarm of men from throughout the area . Congress had
unwittingly created a marriage market with the passage of the donation land act
which stipulated any married woman could also make claims. No young girl over
the age of twelve was safe from the stampede of young farmers wanting to add
another half section to their land. The suitors appeared to get out of hand per
the Oregon Spectator in October of 1851.
				HORRID MURDER
	"A most unprovoked murder was committed at the house of Mr. Bonser of
Sauvies Island, the 19th inst. a man by the name of Turner stabbing Mr. Edward
A. Bradbury, formerly a resident of Cincinnati, some seven times, five of which
were in the abdomen, and either of which would have caused his death. The
affair occurred on Sunday about 9 O'clock A.M.; he died the following morning.
Turner became jealous of the attentions of Mr. Bradbury to a young lady of Mr.
Bonser. The latter was a son, The Oregonian learns, of C.M. Bradbury, Esq.;
owner of Bradbury's Mills, Cincinnati, Ohio. Turner was formerly of Kentucy."
	Creed Turner was hanged shortly after in Washington County, and his trial
and hanging was one of the earliest hangings under American government.
	In 1852, it was apparent there was a need for a road to the rich farm lands
on the Hillsborough Plains to the North, both to furnish a route for produce to
the river, and to establish adjacent St. Helens as a head for trade. Several
communities were growing along the river, the chief being 
Portland and St. Helen's, and competition was fierce for influence, John and
the residents of the eastern part of the island, of course, promoting St.
Helens because of its proximity. All the island residents were forced to pass
to Portland or St Helens for supplies and it was a long hard pull by rowboat.
	A road was pushed over the hills bordering the Willamette Slough starting
at Caseno near St. Helens and ending at Hillsborough, its purpose to entice the
farmers in the Hillsborough valley to ship at St. Helens. John was a principle
in the enterprise and served as one of the official viewers. St. Helens
eventually lost the competition, but the road is still there, the present St.
Helens-Hillsboro road following the route most of the way.
	The Bonser families young men were feeling the want of eligible young
women, and John's nephew, Hilton Bonser in 1851 determined to return to Scioto
County, Ohio, to seek a wife. He was successful, and returned in 1852 with the
Henry Thomas family who had started on the trail from Illinois, and had five
eligible young women, more old Scioto County neighbors, and the Knox and
Copeland families, many who were to intermarry with the Bonsers. He was also
able to persuade his brother Clinton Bonser to accompany him. In the same
immigration came the Abner Armstrong family, and two of Abner's sons were to
also marry into the family. Most of the 1852 arrivals who settled on Sauvies
Island were housed by John and Rebecca until they could establish themselves,
and Marquis De Lafayette Armstrong and his brother Daniel Boone Armstrong took
a donation land claim on Oak Island across Sturgeon Lake across from the Bonser
farm. A flurry of marriages took place in the next few years, and each family
began establishing their own household, nearly all at Sauvies Island or in
Clarke county.
	In the fall of 1856 the Yakima Indian War broke out, and John, his sons and
nephews responded, as was noted in one of his obituaries.
	"Mr. Bonser alive to every generous impulse and line of duty furnished the
volunteers with beef, bacon, horses, cattle, etc., to the amount of $3000 or
more at moderate prices for which he has not received payment to this day.
Early in 1856 the writer, who was then volunteer Quarter Master at Vancouver
employed him as wagon master. While serving in this capacity, the Indians made
an attack upon the Cascades which was then defenseless, killing and wounding 19
of the few whites there. A company was hastily formed in Portland under Capt.
S. J. Powell for relief of the Cascades.
	The steamer Fashion, which conveyed this company stopped at Vancouver for
supplies, and Mr. Bonser joined the force, and , although then 52 years of age,
was the first to leap ashore when the point of danger was reached. He afterward
was wagon master under Col. Shaw until the end of the war."( H. R. H. 1893
Vancouver Columbian.)
	John was to attempt to recover his contributions to the volunteers for the
next 30 years in company with others who had financed the war. But while the
volunteers were later awarded pensions, the petitioners were never successful.
	For the next decade, John built up his claim, and his sons and nephews
married and left home. He and Rebecca continued their hospitality. The race
track was still a popular gathering place and it was always known that a "brown
jug" was kept on the front porch. A notable feature of Bonser life at this time
was the abundance of children .John and Rebecca were known to take in orphaned
children, and it was said that at one time, between the Hilton Bonser family,
then living In one of the two Bonser houses, and John's children and
grandchildren there were over 25 little ones on the farm. Johns two youngest
daughters, Hannah and Abigail, were coming to marriageable age, and several
accounts say they were beautiful, and contemporary photos bear this out.  His
two youngest daughters were the apple of John's eye; which did not prevent a
steady succession of young men from seeking their hand.
	The social life of the Bonsers was oriented primarily to those on the
Western end of Sauvies Island and to those families who had settled the
northern banks of the Columbia, and at the mouth of the Lewis River. Access to
those across the river by boat was easier in many cases than passing overland
to the Eastern neighbors. Over the years a social rift was to grow between the
eastern and western settlers on the island those in the west end being
generally democrats, Catholics and Episcopalians and those on the eastern end
republican and Presbyterian. It must not be implied that religious differences
were a major factor, as no church was ever built on the island, and the only
clergy were circuit riders.
	By the 1870's there was some friction between the different families. As an
example, Lewis Bonser had married Eveline Reeder from a well-known family whose
claim was located just East of the Bonsers, and who were oriented to the upper
island. It was not a marriage made in heaven and resulted in many bad feelings,
and the Reeders and Bonsers did not speak afterwards. It was vaguely felt on
the eastern side of the island that the westerners were crude frontiersmen, and
as Portland became dominant and wealthy ,those on the adjacent Eastern end
prospered ,while the western end of the Island became more isolated. The houses
built on the eastern portion were certainly more elegant, as is evidenced by
the Bybee-Howell House preserved by the Oregon Historical Society.
	By the middle 1850's steamboats became a common sight from the Bonser front
porch, and by the 1860's, local steamers were routinely stopping at the
landings in front of the farms along the Columbia and the Willamette Slough. It
became possible to ship farm goods to Portland and Vancouver on a regular
basis, and to pass more easily to those cities for supplies.
	John though still exceptionally energetic, did not prosper during this time
as he had earlier in Illinois and Ohio. The earliest settlers had been able to
sell their produce to new immigrations, but the wagon trains began to taper off
by the late 1850's and the San Francisco market supporting the gold rush had
dried up, and there was a general malaise in the Oregon economy based on lack
of transport to large markets. It had also become clear that the eastern claims
on the island were not suited to the intensive truck gardening and wheat
cultivation that became possible in the latter half of the 19th century. The
Bonser land was well suited to stock raising and dairying, with extensive
reaches of wild hay, but the annual floods inactivated the land from four to
six weeks each spring and occasionally the floods were considerable. Sometimes
the water flooded most of the island, destroying many improvements and whatever
stock which could not be moved to high ground. Modern dairying equipment such
as separators, which enabled the milk to be processed at the source before
shipment, were not introduced until the late 1870's, and the many productive
new breeds of dairy cattle were not available until about 1880. John's nephew
Hilton Bonser had purchased the Johnson donation claim immediately upriver of
John's farm and West of the Reeder place. The Hilton Bonser farmland was more
suited to a variety of cash crops and in conjunction with the original claim
which was most suitable for cattle and dairying, the family's operation became
more profitable. Hilton established a large family and a successful farm which
still produces crops today.
	 Clinton Bonser after spending a successful time in California, had married
Mary Ann McQuinn, who had come into the McQuinn Donation Claim and they
successfully farmed this claim on the higher ground along the Willamette
Slough. He was later to buy property on the banks of the slough near Scapoose,
which became the home farm.
	John and Rebecca were good friends with many on the Washington side of the
river. Rebecca's sister was married to Ira Patterson, a respected farmer and an
early representative in the Legislature, and they were especially close.
Rebecca was also a special friend of the wife of Judge Columbia Lancaster, and
the Peter Crawfords were visited often at the Lewis river settlements.  Rebecca
Bonser was a trained midwife and local healer and was often called out to tend
the sick, and her skills were well known as far as Vancouver. She kept a
medicinal herb garden near the house, and dried many for later use.
	Sauvies Island had once been home to a number of Indian villages, one of
the largest at Willowbar near the Bonser claim, and been the center of a very
large Indian population. Between 1800-1840 however, the newcomers diseases such
as Measles and scarlet fever had decimated the villages, and the early settlers
talk of piles of unburied bones at the old village sites. During certain times
of the year however, family bands from other areas and tribes were still a
common sight. They would come to harvest the wappato which grew in the shallow
island lakes, and it was a common sight to see an Indian woman clinging to the
side of a canoe as they felt with their feet for the tubers .
	 While the settlers and Indians normally avoided each other, there could be
problems. Bands of young Indian "toughs"were particularly annoying and
sometimes dangerous. A homestead with no one home would be found ransacked when
the owner returned, and crimes at the isolated homesteads, rightly or wrongly,
were sometimes blamed on them. A family story tells of a time when the men were
away and Rebbecca and her children received an unwelcome visit. She locked
herself and the children in the cabin while the visitors went through the
outbuildings and threatened her through the door. They finally ripped the door
off it's leather hinges, but Rebecca was able to keep them at bay by throwing
ladles of boiling water at those who tried to enter. The armed men returned
about this time and the assailants melted away.   
    	The Bonser life style is well described in various memoirs, and was
typical of frontier life, the rambling two story house with a fireplace in
every room, was filled with home made furniture and was designed to withstand
flooding. The families living on the farm were sometimes required to move
everything to the second floor until the flood waters subsided, after which the
lower floors were cleaned and normal life resumed. Some of the barns and silos
were built on stilts as were some of the outbuildings, and the boat landings
were built at several different heights to account for water levels. A
bunkhouse for hired hands was above the main house and a special building was
set aside near the John Bonser house for several large looms and was a favorite
gathering place for the family's ladies. Glass windows were never installed in
the original house and the windows were closed with shutters.
	All the frontier skills were practiced, soap making, spinning, weaving, and
food preservation. Everything was made on site and John even had a forge and
smithy. He was known to build his own boats and usually had two or three of
various sizes bobbing at the landing.
	In 1862 one of the young daughters, Abigail, was married to William Casto,
and soon the young couple determined to move North to the Squak Valley near
Seattle. They were among the first settlers in the area and established a
successful business manufacturing hoop poles. Shortly after Elizabeth was
married, and move to Vancouver. Stephen Decataur Bonser, the oldest son, had
moved to his own land on Sauvies Island, and James Halstead Bonser had taken a
claim in eastern Oregon.
	In November of 1864 word was brought to John that his beloved daughter,
Abigail, her husband, and a nephew of Rebecca's John Halstead, had been
murdered by the Indians, and John and a son went to the Seattle area with
vengeance in mind. There was nothing to be done however, as the killers from
the Snohomish Tribe had been followed and killed by Aleck ,a Klikitat who had
worked for the Castos. John brought Abigail and William's bodies back and they
were buried at Vancouver. It is interesting to note that Aleck and his wife
accompanied the party back to the island and until Aleck's death were welcome
at the Bonsers. They would return in the summer, build a shelter near the
Bonser home and gather wappato and camas root. The Bonser family album contains
a picture of them both.
	On February 11, 1864, Rebecca was called across the river to attend to the
ill Lancaster family. After several days there, she rowed herself back across
the river, and was badly soaked in a freezing rainstorm.  Within a week she was
dead, probably of pneumonia. John was left alone in the house and was beside
himself. He moved to the Clinton Bonser home and the houses near Willow Bar
stood empty.  The land continued to be farmed by Stephen, Clinton, and Hilton,
but eventually was sold except for a small parcel at Willowbar. John had
earlier come into the donation land claims of a son-in-law, Marquis De
Lafayette Armstrong, and his brother Daniel Boone Armstrong, which comprised
part of Oak Island across Sturgeon Lake from his original claim. A small house
still existed there and the now 61 year old John moved into it, to be near his
son Stephen, who farmed the other half of Oak Island.
	Further bad news was to follow. In 1865 John and Rebecca's other young
daughter Hannah, was lost in the wreck of the "Brother Jonathan" off the coast
at Crescent City, California. Hannah and her husband were returning from San
Francisco, and the mishandled and overloaded coastal steamer had gone down in a
storm with a loss of over 300. 
	Hannah Bonser Knowles, John's granddaughter, said that this series of
losses took the "heart" out of him, and with advancing age , John began to slow
down. Hannah told her daughter Ruth Knowles Thompson, that Grandpa Bonser was
adored by his many grand children, that he was a jolly man who would wrestle
and play games, and his visits were much anticipated. He was troubled with
arthritis in his old age, and she remembered he would do tricks with his cane.   
	As the years progressed,	John began to rotate living with his now well
established children and grandchildren, most of whom lived in Clarke County,
Washington near Vancouver. 
	 On a visit to Olympia, John married Ruth M. Dow the widow of an old family
friend and she and her son Frank came to live on Oak Island. Frank and his
family were energetic farmers and the farm was successfully built up over the
next 30 years, primarily as a dairy farm called "Meander".
	As John aged, he and Ruth became active travelers often visiting children
and friends all over Oregon and Washington. John was fascinated with the steam
boats which were everywhere on the rivers by the 1880's, and although the
railroad had come in 1874, the steamer was still to be an important form of
transportation until about 1900.
	Most of the Bonser Children and grandchildren followed the river trade and
served in many capacities. John H. Bonser, was a noted skipper at Portland and
the Lewis River. He was later to be called north by the Hudsons Bay Company,
and was instrumental in opening Northwest British Columbia. Others owned or
brokered boats and ferries, and others served as everything from deckhands to
masters and pursers. John was an investor in the shipyards at Columbia City,
later called the Soderstrom Bros. Shipyard, and as late as 1885 when he was 82
years old, he and his nephew Hilton and son Stephen, built the "Lena" a small
steamer built to serve the island and the Lewis River trade.
	An article in the St.Helens paper March 20, 1885:
	
"Mr. Bonser of Sauvies Island (probably Stephen Bonser) has built a farm wagon
of a new description, she is a steamboat, sternwheeler, cog rigged, direct
action, plenty housing, 20 tons burden, 45 feet overall, 9 feet beam, 3 feet
depth of hold, draws 18 inches of water, and is named the Lena. She is
admirably adapted for the purpose of her owner who loads farm truck, apples,
vegetables, etc., on this river wagon and goes all over creation, independent."

	About this time John lost the use of his legs and until his death was
forced to walk with crutches. A special platform with a chair was built for
him, just below the wheelhouse on the Lena, and John became a familiar sight as
the small steamer moved about its business.
	In 1887, Ruth Dow passed away, and the farm on Oak Island was signed over
to John's stepson, Frank Dow. John's health had begun to decline, and he began
to spend more and more time on the home farm.
	In 1893 he died at age 90. The steamer Kellogg was chartered to carry the
body to Vancouver and several hundred friends and family members accompanied
the body and attended the funeral. He was buried in the old post cemetery and
later the Vancouver City Cemetery.
	After this time, the only Bonser living on Sauvies Island, was Ewell
Bonser, a grandson, who lived in a small house on the land at Willow Bar
retained by John when the donation land claim was sold. Ewell was a local
character, who ran a well known still, lived alone and finally died in 1921.
	The entire Western half of the island was annexed over the years by the
state of Oregon as recreational land. On the Western side of the island the
state land begins at the eastern boundary of the original Bonser claim, which
is also the Columbia County line. Nothing is left of the original homes, but
the race track may still be vaguely discerned and rock piles which may come
from the foundations are in the locations shown as structures on early maps.
Several foundations and trails may also be found on Oak Island.	
	In the early 20th Century, the island was ringed by dikes, and the flooding
problem was solved. The present farms on the eastern half of the island are
still productive and many of the descendants of the original settlers still
live there. The descendants of John and Rebecca are numerous in the Pacific
Northwest and elsewhere, and the memory of the early settlers is honored in
many branches of the family. 

SOURCES
 1. Reminiscences of Hannah Bonser Knowles, a granddaughter of John Bonser an
extensive manuscript in possession of the author.
 2. History of Sauvies Island, Omar C. Spencer
 3. Various articles from the weekly and daily Portland Oregonian extracted
vert. file Ore. Hist. Soc.
 4. Various articles St. Helens, Ore. papers, some in possession of the
 author, some from OHS. 
 5. Various articles Vancouver Independent
 6. Various articles Vancouver Columbian
 7. Oregon Donation Land Claims and Supplements, Gen. Soc. of Portland
 8. Bertha Stephenson Reminiscences MS. OHS.
 9. Hilton Bonser Biography Pacific Monthly 1901
10. Various extracts of wills, Multnomah County Court House and OHS.
11. Various extracts of wills, Columbia Count y, Ore.
12. Seattle Post Intelligencer, Various articles 1866-1893.
13. History of King County, Wash. OHS
14. Various records, minutes of Ore Pioneer Assoc. OHS.
15. US Census 1840-1900.
16. 1853 Washington County Oregon Census.
17. Bonser Family Bible, possession of Rhomie Thompson, Bend Ore
18. Impressions and observations of the Journal Man, Fred Lockley, various
interviews, Oregon Journal.
19. Index to Provisional Govt. and Territorial Papers, OHS.
20. Biography File, OHS.
21. DAR Cemetery listing Masonic Cemetery, St. Helens, WA
22. DAR name Index, Multnomah County, Or
23. Cayuse to Cadillac; Landerholm
24. DAR Application of Lillian Bonser Akins with family History. possession of
the author.
25. Washington County, Or, Index to court records and Record Extracts.
26. Various articles Oregon Spectator, 1851
27. Autobiography of Anna Lee, MS of 1898. Letter of 1893, Ft. Vancouver His.
Soc.
28. Scioto County, Ohio wills
29. Abstracts 1809-1836 Scioto Co. Wills
30. Bonser Train Centennial Observed, Letter to editor, 1947 by Bonser
descendant OHS.
31. Paul L. Reeder letter to OHS; Old homes on Sauvies Island
32. History of the Willamette Valley pg. 301
33. Various extracts, Pioneer File, OHS.
34. The History of the Columbia from The Dalles to the Sea; Portrait and
Biographical Record.
35. Columbia County Or Charter.
36. Scrapbook File OHS>
37. Indian War Pension Applications. OHS.
38. Clark County, WA. Land Records; Clark County Gen. Soc.
39. Old city Cemetery of Vancouver; Mildred E. Porter; genl. Forum of Portland
40. All existing Sauvies Island Maps; OHS
41. Stern Wheelers Up Columbia; Randall V. Mills
42. Early Portland Stump Town Triumphant; Eugene E. Snyder
43. Washington State Place Names; Jane W. Phillips
44. Oregon Geographic Names; Lewis A. MacArthur
45. Willamette Landings; Corning; O.H.S.
46. Oral History; History of Armstrong, Bonser, and Sturgess family Poss. of
author; reminiscences of Doris A. Dyker and Mildred Armstrong Richardson 1975.	
47. Scioto County Histo	48.Steamboat History of the Lewis River by Curtis
Gardner MS Clark County Hist. Soc.
 49. Lewis and Dryden's Marine Hist. of the Pacific Northwest.
50. Clark County Hist; B.F. Alley and Monroe Frazer
51. Journals of Peter Crawford; Ms. Bancroft Library, Berkeley 
52. Letters of James Halstead Bonser possession of author
53. Various articles Clark Count Hist. Soc.
54. Various articles Columbia County Hist. Soc.
55. Memoirs and letters of Henry and Hannah Thomas MS possession of author
56. Bonser Family Photo Albums (4) possession of author
57. Memoirs of Cora Ann Bonser Ms. Possession of author
58. Go to the Cowlitz: Peter Crawford; Camilla Summers.   


Submitted by: Roger Knowles Thompson, <otho@peoplepc.com>