4S6 WAR AXD DEVELOPMENT.

tion of the immigration of 1843 had desired to settle here, but was prevented by its distance from base of supplies. Every subsequent immigration had looked upon it with envying eyes, but had been deterred by various circumstances from set tling in it. It was the discovery of gold, after all, which made it practicable to inhabit it. In the win ter of 1861-2 a mill ^ite had been selected, and there were five log houses erected all at one point for greater security from the incursions of the Snake Indians, and the embryo city was called La Grande. It had at this date twenty inhabitants, ten of whom were men. It grew rapidly for three or four years, being incorported in 1S64, 37 and after the first flush of the mining fever, settled down to steady if slow ad vancement.

The pioneers of Grand Rond suffered none of those hardships from severe weather experienced in the John Day region or at Walla Walla. Only eighteen inches of snow fell in January, which disappeared in a few clays, leaving the meadows green for their cattle to graze on. La Grande had another advantage: ic was on the immigrant road, which gave it communication with the Columbia. Another road was being opened

-tward fifty miles to the Snake River, on a direct course to the Salmon River mines; and a road was also opened in the previous November from the west ern foot of the Blue Mountains to the Grande Ronde Valley, which was to be extended to the Powder River Valley. 33

37 Owens 1 Directory, 1863, 140; Or. Jour. House, 1864, S3. The French voya^eurs sometimes called the Grand Rond, La Grande Vallee, and the American settlers subsequently adopted the adjective as a name for their town, instead of the longer phrase Vtile de la Grande Vallee, which was meant.

33 The last road mentioned was one stipulated for in the treaty of !">"> with the Cayuse and Umatilla Indians, which should be located and opened from Powder River or Grand Roud to the western base of the Blue Moun tains, south of the southern limits of the reservations. The explorations were made under the direction of H. G. Thornton, by order of Win H. Rector. The distance by this road from the base to the summit is sixteen miles; from the summit to Grand Rond River, eighteen miles; and down the river to the old emigrant road, twelve miles. It first touched the Grand Roud