Palmer, Joel, 1810-1881

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Joel Palmer was born October 4, 1810 in Elizabethtown, Ontario, Canada to Ephraim and Anna Palmer. When Joel was two his family fled the ravages of the War of 1812 and settled in the frontier village of Lowville in northern New York. At the age of twelve Joel was "bound out" (a form of indentured servitude) to the Haworth family in the Catskill Mountains. At age 16 he left the Catskills for Philadelphia where he married Catherine Caffee in 1830, who later died in childbirth. In 1836 Joel married Sarah Anne Derbyshire and moved to Laurel, Indiana, where he worked as a canal-building contractor. In 1843 Palmer was elected to the Indiana state legislature as a Democrat. He won a second term in 1844. In April 1845 Palmer visited Oregon. That trip is recounted in his Journal of travels over the Rocky Mountains. In 1847 he brought his family to Oregon to settle permanently. That winter the Cayuse War broke out and Palmer was chosen to be the commissary general of the volunteer fighting force. Within weeks he was also appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the provisional government, and became one of three men serving on the Peace Commission. In 1848 Palmer joined the California Gold Rush. In 1853 he was appointed Superintendent of Affairs of the Oregon Territory. He negotiated nine treaties between 1854 and 1855, and helped settle disputes during the Yakama Indian War. However, Palmer's tolerant treatment of the Indians and his attempts to restrain settler activities led to campaigns against him, and in 1857 he was removed from office. Palmer spent the latter part of his life pursuing a variety of mostly failed business ventures. He became Speaker of Oregon's House of Representatives in 1862 and in 1864 was elected to the State Senate. In 1870 he was defeated as Republican candidate for governor, but in 1871 he accepted a post as Indian agent of Siletz, from which he resigned in 1873. Palmer died on June 9, 1881; he was survived by his wife Sarah and their eight children.
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Abernethy, George, 1807-1877. George Abernethy papers, 1836-1897. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn United States. Office of Indian Affairs. Oregon Superintendency. Proceedings of the Wasco Council, 1855. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Cayuse, Yakima, and Rogue River Wars papers, 1847-1858 University of Oregon Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Palmer, Joel, 1810-1881. Joel Palmer papers, 1784-1911 (bulk 1848-1857). Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Cayuse, Yakima, and Rogue River Wars papers, 1847-1858. University of Oregon Libraries
creatorOf Palmer, Joel, 1810-1881. Joel Palmer papers, 1851-1879. University of Oregon Libraries
referencedIn United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs. A true copy of the record of the official proceedings at the council in the Walla Walla Valley [manuscripts], 1855. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Philip Foster papers, 1834-1967, 1844-1874 Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Morrison, John L., 1819-1899. Letter, 1858 March 23 : San Andreas, [California], to [Medorum] Crawford. Washington State University, Holland and Terrell Libraries
creatorOf Palmer, Joel, 1810-1881. Conducting the wagon trains : Flanking Mt. Hood and Cariboo. Salem, Oregon, 1878. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Meacham, A. B. (Alfred Benjamin), 1826-1882. Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs correspondence, 1869-1873. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn George Abernethy Papers, 1833-1905 Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn George Abernethy Papers, 1833-1905 Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Lane, Joseph, 1801-1881. Joseph Lane papers, 1848-1875 (bulk 1850-1858). Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Oregon. Clackamas County. Mortgage record index 1850-1859. Oregon State Archives
creatorOf Palmer, Joel, 1810-1881. Joel Palmer papers, 1848-1869. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Foster, Philip, 1805-1884. Philip Foster papers, 1834-967 (bulk 1844-1874). Oregon Historical Society Research Library
creatorOf Palmer, Joel. The Palmer name. Library of Virginia
creatorOf Palmer, Joel, 1810-1881. Letters, 1855-1856. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Palmer, Joel, 1810-1881. Early intercourse. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Matthew Paul Deady Papers, 1850-1923 Oregon Historical Society Research Library
creatorOf Palmer mss., 1835-1888 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
referencedIn Walker, Courtney Meade, 1812-1887. Papers, 1851-1878. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Oregon. Clackamas County. Mortgage record 1855-1859. Oregon State Archives
referencedIn Cayuse, Yakima, and Rogue River Wars papers [microform], 1847-1858. University of Oregon Libraries
referencedIn Flett, John, 1815-1892. Papers, 1850-1896. Washington State Historical Society
creatorOf Palmer, Joel, 1810-1881. Joel Palmer papers, 1850-1880. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
creatorOf Joel Palmer papers, 1783-1982, 1848-1880 Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Joseph Lane papers, 1848-1940, 1850-1858 Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Abernethy, George, 1807-1877. person
correspondedWith Applegate, Jesse A., 1811-1888 person
associatedWith Bancroft, Hubert Howe, 1832-1918. person
associatedWith Blanchard, P. D. person
correspondedWith Bonneville, Benjamin Louis Eulalie de, 1796-1878 person
correspondedWith Bonney, W. B. person
correspondedWith Bonney, W. B. person
associatedWith Deady, Matthew P. (Matthew Paul), 1824-1893 person
correspondedWith Flett, John, 1815-1892. person
correspondedWith Foster, Philip, 1805-1884. person
associatedWith Hubert Howe Bancroft collection. person
associatedWith Jennings, Berryman. person
correspondedWith Lane, Joseph, 1801-1881. person
correspondedWith Manypenny, George Washington, 1809-1893 person
correspondedWith Maypenny, George Washington, 1809-1893 person
associatedWith Meacham, A. B. (Alfred Benjamin), 1826-1882. person
correspondedWith Mitchell, John H. (John Hipple), 1835-1905 person
associatedWith Morrison, John L., 1819-1899. person
associatedWith Oregon. Clackamas County. corporateBody
associatedWith Oregon. Clackamas County. corporateBody
associatedWith Palmer family. family
correspondedWith Raymond, W. W. (William Wakeman), 1815-1894 person
associatedWith United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Office of Indian Affairs. Oregon Superintendency. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Superintendent of Indian Affairs corporateBody
correspondedWith Walker, Courtney Meade, 1812-1887. person
correspondedWith Wool, John Ellis, 1784-1869 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Virginia
Grand Ronde (Or.)
California
Oregon Territory
Columbia River
Siletz Indian Reservation (Or.)
Oregon
Columbia River
Dayton (Or.)
Oregon
Oregon Territory
Oregon
Oregon
Grand Ronde (Or.)
Oregon
Nevada
Washington (State)
California
Oregon
Applegate Route
Subject
Cayuse War, 1848
Fraser River gold rush
Indian agents
Indian agents
Indian agents
Indian agents
Indian agents
Indians of North America
Indians of North America
Indians of North America
Indians of North America
Indians of North America
Indians of North America
Indians of North America
Indians of North America
Labor unions
Labor unions
Legislators
Modoc Indians
Native Americans
Nez Percé Indians
Oregon
Overland journeys to the Pacific
Overland Journeys to the Western United States
Pacific Coast Indians, Wars with, 1847-1865
Pioneers
Rogue River Indian War, 1855-1856
Territorial Government
Voyages to the Pacific coast
Washington (State)
Yakama Indians
Occupation
Indian agents
Activity

Person

Birth 1810-10-04

Death 1881-06-09

Information

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