A Defining Step in Oregon History
by Anne Matthieu
Woodburn, OR
I have a long history with the State of Oregon. My 3X’s great grandfather was Francis Xavier Matthieu, a Canadian fur trapper working for the Hudson Bay Company. As I understand it, the vote for Oregon’s Statehood happened at Champoeg on the riverbank and those men in favor stepped forward, the vote was even and as my grandfather stepped forward, he cast the deciding vote, allowing Oregon to become a State. There is a mural on the wall of the Senate depicting the event. Francis X eventually settled at French Prairie and lived into his 80’s. My brother, Jim shares his birthdate, April 2. Many of my relatives, including Francis X are buried at the old Butteville Cemetary, in Butteville, Oregon.
