In 1890 Fred Plummer “Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1890 by Fred G. Plummer in the office of the Librarian of congress at Washington”.
The interesting aspect of this map is that in 1890 the maps put the Union Pacific Rail Road across the Sequalitchew Creek and then heads west along the South side of the creek before turning South then heading down along the bluff.
So that would make the trestle existing before the Dupont Co purchased the land and moved in. Depending on which trestle was actually used if the most western trestle was used it’s a very good chance they went through the mission site. There is no way to say for sure but 30 years later the Dupont Co. placed the marker of the mission or what they perceived to be the original site.
However do I know if this is an existing Rail Road or perhaps more of a proposed route? That I’m unsure of.
I suppose if we could find the well the mission would be very near. Huggins would say in later years that they would get water from the well near the mission. Perhaps we can be lucky enough to get Time Team America here with ground penetrating radar as that would most likely show the palisades/outline of structures in that area.
Now while I don’t seem to agree with the mission marker because I would like more evidence and more studies done. Which I would happily donate my time to help with the dig. But what I really don’t agree with even more than that is the City’s attempt to move the marker so Quadrant can build more homes. Bill McDonald shared in the council meeting that they would like to give Quadrant the ok for soil samples and possibily move the marker closer to the new trail.
I have a hard time understanding this, Bill’s wife is President of the Historical Society here in DuPont. How could anyone tied to historical preservation think this would be ok? I wonder what David Axe would think of this? He has spent far more time than myself on the mission.
I say if they want to move the marker now then get in here with GPR and experts and volunteers and find out what is here? A little digging won’t devalue the land (glacier wants to dig big holes and quadrant wants to build homes) but if something is found then it’s a reward for all our efforts. However the City, Cal-Portland and Quadrant would be screwed out of more profit and land however the historical record and land will be saved.
So I ask that the DuPont Historical Society actually do something here and take a stand against the desctruction of history.