Lang, H. O., ed. "The History of the Willamette Valley, Being A Description of the Valley and its Resources, with an account of its Discovery and Settlement by White Men, and its Subsequent History; Together with Personal Reminiscences of its Early Pioneers." Portland, OR, Geo. H. Himes, Book and Job Printer, 1885. p. 594. JAMES M. BATES Born in Washington, D. C., in 1809; went to sea in 1827, and during the next year found his way to the Pacific Ocean, coming in a vessel owned in Boston. When the ship arrived on this coast an accident compelled it to put into Gray's Harbor to refit. This was in 1829. the ship's crew went in boats up the Chehalis River, and after putting to sea again they coasted southward, and wintered at Scappoose, where they "raised vegetables." In the spring of 1830 they coasted north to Sitka, and returning, entered the straits of Fuca. Took a load of horses to the Sandwich Islands, and sold them, and Mr. Bates proceeded on another ship to China, and thence home via the Cape of Good Hope. In 1837, still a sailor, Mr. Bates came to Oregon in the ship "Don Quixote," and landing, joined the Missionaries as blacksmith, and has been in this valley ever since. Located at Jefferson, Marion County, in 1847, his present home. Was married in that year to Mrs. Margaret Caldwell, and has had one child -- Julia, by name, now the wife of Eli Vaughn, of Jefferson. Mrs. Bates died in 1882. Mr. Bates is, beyond a doubt, the earliest living pioneer of Oregon, if we consider his first coming to have constituted him a pioneer; and considering that he spent a considerable part of a year in Oregon, his claim to have become then a pioneer is well founded. Solomon Smith, who resided at Clatsop Plains, in 1872, claimed to have come to Oregon in 1832 with Wyeth; but this date was several years subsequent to Mr. Bates' arrival, so Smith could not be considered as the earliest living pioneer, which claim was put forth by some one on his behalf several years since. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2005 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.