hmm...family lore and another tartan

[auld argonian]

I was looking at the notes from the most ambitious genealogist in my family's (the Latta's) history and found this among his notes:

PAGE 5


LATTA WITH HUDSON BAY COMPANY

William Latta went to Oregon in 1818, for the Hudson Bay Company.--
Bashford, "Oregon Missions." Page 287.

"Mr. Latta, the Hudson Bay pilot, brought the U. S. S. "Shark" up the
Columbia river about July 18, 1846.--Bancroft Oregon, " Vol. 1, page 584.
The "Shark" had 12 guns, and as piloted to Astoria. We were then having
trouble with the British. See "Astoria", by Washington Irving.

"Rhymes of Early Life in Oregon and Historical and Biographical
Facts." by John Minto, a pioneer of 1844.

"In pre-historic Oregon, as far as white people are concerned, there
was a vessel wrecked on the coast. This ship was loaded with beeswax and
other things that caused it to believe that it was destined for some
Catholic station, probably in California. There also was a tradition
among the Indians that one man escaped and remained with them, marrying in
the tribe. The man spoke of here as Cullaby and his son, Edwin, were
believed to have a trace of white blood, and it was believed they
descended from this white man.

"Edwin had asked his father about the personal appearance of his
grandfather, and was told that he had somewhat the look of Mr. Latta, a
Highland Scot who was then in charge of Fort Astoria, and his eyes were
the same color, but he was not so large. Edwin said that Mr. Latta often
visited at his father's cabin, sometimes spending the day there and
sometimes on the lake shooting ducks. Cullaby was very fond of Mr.
Latta's son-in-law, Mr. Clutric, and both being hunters they could be
together several days without talking, or at least saying very little to
each other. Edwin thought that perhaps Mrs. Latta, though born a Chinook,
was one of his father's cousins, but he never learned this to be a fact
with certainty. She had visited the old Quatat (Seaside) with her mother
when a child. After her husband's death, with her son, William Latta, she
located at Quatat and made it her permanent home. (Link to more on Capt. Lattie - http://www.cnnw.net/~pontiac/captlattie.html


"After becoming personally acquainted with Dr. William F. Tolmie, I
asked him if he knew from what part of Scotland Latta had come. He did
not know, but that he did know that Dr. McLaughlin held him in high esteem
because of his indomitable courage on land and water, which he had often
proved in desperate emergencies along the northwest coast as trade
commander of the steamer Beaver, and on the bar of the Columbia as pilot,
where in one case he brought a ship safely in, himself lashed to the
rigging. I had only two opportunities to see and observe Mr. Latta and
one of these was at Hunt's mill where I saw him in company with Gov.
Abernethy, Capt. Kilborn and A. E. Wilson. They seemed to be examining
the river shore for natural business points, I gathered from their talk.
Mr. Latta was as restless as a caged eagle, but kept hold of himself. He
spoked good English, but had, I judged, come from the north of Scotland.
Probably from some of the Islands. Silas B. Smith, before the Oregon
Historical Society, alluded to a ship which sailed from La Paz, Lower
California, on June 15, 1769, with a cargo of mission supplies for San
Diego. This ship was probably wrecked on the Oregon coast, and that
Cullaby's grandfather was the only one saved alive."

(end of page 5)

...great story, eh? So when does some more of that Hudson's Bay Tartan become available?

Best

AA

[Bugbear]

Sounds like you'll have to get a kilt in that tartan now for sure. Good luck.