The Process of Documenting
Oregon’s “Trail of Tears”
This project is a work in progress, which will eventually include photographs near each of the 24 camping locations they stayed each night as well as several other important locations related to the removal.
Artist Statement
On the morning of February 22nd, 1856, U.S. Indian Agent George H. Ambrose carried out his orders from General Joel Palmer to forcefully remove and march several hundred indigenous men, women, and children from their aboriginal homeland in Southern Oregon to a Reservation in the Mid-Willamette Valley 263 miles away. This thirty-two-day journey was filled with deceit, suffering, death, and murder.
This project started with several years of preparation and research, reading through thousands of historical letters, looking over old survey maps from the 1850s, and utilizing satellite imagery from today. I retraced the entire route and I was able to locate bygone roads that are no longer in existence while following others that are still here today. I made these photographs using an antique wooden view camera and the wet plate collodion photo process from the 1850s and paired them with the journal entries written in the same time period. These landscape photographs illustrate the fraught expedition that Ambrose detailed in his daily journal. The imperfect photos play off the serendipitous technical flaws to create ghostly images that echo the grim history of the past and capture the forgotten and seldom told story of Oregon's “Trail of Tears.”
You can view the photographs of this project here:
Development
My story of this project starts in 2018. I began to research and retrace the exact route of the Oregon Trail. The Bureau of Land Management states there are only 300 miles of the Oregon Trail left, but based on satellite imagery and physical visits to locations, although there are no original ruts left, I believe there is much more. So, I visited many museums, interpretive centers, and information booths about the Oregon Trail. In 2019 I realized that one thing stuck out to me while visiting these locations - there were many artifacts, stories, and information on the white settlers who moved into this region. Everything that was saved, preserved, and protected was of the pioneers. Their belongings, clothing, and their photographs. Even right down to their wagons, their houses, and their businesses. It was on these long drives to these places that I did most of my thinking. I wanted to show the changes in the Oregon Trail, and how that trail impacted Oregon, how it effected the landscape, the environment, and the people living here. So, feeling that the world needs to hear the stories of the people who were impacted the most by the settlement of the Oregon Territory, I shifted my focus.
In January 2020, I gave an artist talk on my photo essay “Long Summer Days” and it was at that talk I met another local photographer who invited me to his place and taught me the wet plate collodion process. The photographic process from the 1850s.
Around this time my father was diagnosed with ALS, although I had realized that he likely had been battling symptoms for several decades before his official diagnosis. In 2020 his symptoms were so bad either my wife or I had to stay home 24/7 to care for him. Due to this and the pandemic and the shutdowns, I began the brunt of my rigorous research for this project.
(Left) Pouring one of my first plates. January 2020 (only several months before the shutdowns)
(Above) My first portable darkroom out of the back of my trunk. Photographing the Oregon Trail in Baker City, Oregon.
Research
I began my research by reading roughly 800 pages of transcribed letters of “Oregon Superintendency Correspondence” from Southern Oregon History, Revised. From there I located microfilm reels stored on the National Archives database of the original letters. While reading these letters, I came across George H. Ambrose’s journal he kept while force marching and relocating the Native American community from Southern Oregon to the Grand Ronde Reservation. This journal was so detailed and every day accounted for, that I narrowed this project down to focusing on the Trail of Tears.
I then downloaded the original survey maps that were made in the 1850s and 1860s from the Bureau of Land Management. I was able to mirror the Township and Range coordinates from the antique maps to the Township and Ranges of present day satellite imagery and Google Earth. I superimposed these maps in Adobe Photoshop and retraced the old original roads onto modern maps to find their locations and routes.
I then unitized George H. Ambrose’s location descriptions and daily mileage he reported in these journals entries and measured them on my maps, finding each spot they camped along their journey.
From G.H. Ambrose’s Journal: “…We traveled a distance of twelve miles and encamped near the claim of Mr. Reed.”
Survey map from 1852 of North Corvallis, Oregon
Current Township and Range map of North Corvallis, Oregon.
Tracing the original road in Adobe Photoshop.
Information is stored on separate layers in photoshop, making it easy to utilize both maps at once.
The original road is traced onto a modern map. Making it easy to distinguish current roads and mark GPS locations.
And I did this for the whole route - all 263 miles.
Additional Information & Photos
Many people today are unaware that Oregon had it’s own Trail of Tears, but even more are unaware that we have had many instances of forced removal of tribes from their aboriginal homelands. This became a methodical and systematic approach for the US Government. Text books and manuals were created by the Government for US Military, Superintendents of Indian Affairs, and US Indian Agents to follow in regards to removal and establishing reservations.
Tusday, January 29th, 1856
”There was an Indian man missing in the morning and could not be accounted for by any person in camp; after searching some two hours we found his blood where he had been murdered and thrown into the Creek; no trace of the murderer suspicion rests upon a Klickitat Indian (Joe), Rained through the day road very bad traveled about five (5) miles.”
- R. B. Metcalfe, Sub-Indian Agent
Columbia River
March 27th, 1856
“We reached the lower Cascades early in the day, where, selecting a favorable place for the purpose, I disembarked my men and gun on the north bank of the river, so that I could send back the steamboat to bring up any volunteer assistance that in the mean time might have been collected at Vancouver.
The Columbia River was very high at the time, and the water had backed up into the slough about the foot of the Lower Cascades to such degree that I left my only a narrow neck of firm ground to advance over toward the point occupied by the Indians. On this neck of land the hostiles had taken position, as I soon learned by frequent shots, loud shouting, and much blusteringly they, by the most exasperating yells and indecent exhibitions, daring me to the contest.
After getting well in hand everything connected with my little command, I advanced with five or six men to the edge of the growth of underbrush to make a reconnaissance. We stole along under cover of this underbrush until we reached the open ground leading over the causeway or narrow neck before mentioned, wen the enemy opened fire and killed a soldier near my side by a shot which, just grazing the bridge of my nose, struck him in the neck, opening an arty and breaking the spinal cord. He died instantly.“
- P.H. Sheridan
Photographs of My Mobile Wet Plate Darkroom
My wet plate collodion set up on location at The Grand Ronde’s old Fort Yamhill State Park. The location of the block house that guarded the reservation.
5x7 Kodak view camera and dark cloth on location at The Grand Ronde’s old Fort Yamhill State Park.