In
THE FOU:DIJG OF KAllES MIBSlOM* .Drtv, n r-i^rionarv
.* 1379 the Reverend f -don Jackson,a missionary
9 summer c
of the Pr©3byterian Church in Colorado, dotemineu to angnd his two months
the Thlinget people. ,, ... ,
'Th-ilo at 'Vrangel, or Fort Jr angel, as it was .hen called,a lar0
canoe arrived in the harbor from tlio north, with a party ji Chilka. ft ian^ti
who were on their way to Fort Simpson,in Canada,to dispose of iieir^season
furs. Mr.Jackson seised the opportunity to go with these non to ..orw ^mp
id Metlakathlah to vi3it the ‘Methodist and Episcopal missions a
son s.
places. In her bcok caiied "Hindashon*s Yifs",:,rrs.'Allard says that the two
chief men of this Ohilkat party were Fa-sha and Yealthneddy • Ku-shr. ms very
ill,and expected to die shortly. During the 250 mile voyage to Fort Simpson
the Chilkats sang their rowing songs to; enliven the hours,and the Simpsean
Indians in their turn sang the hymns that they had learned from the mission
aries. The. frequent reference to "Jesus" aroused the curiosity of the Chil
kate,and they asked who He was. Tho Christian Indians,very proud of their
conversion,told the Chilkats the benefits of the Christian religion as they
saw then. The despondent ICa-3*na was arouse 1 by tho hope held out by this newvf
religion. He spent much of his time at Fort Simpson learning of the teach
ings of Christ,and of the benefits that tho missionaries were bringing to
the tribe of hie people at that place. Before he left the Fort,he sought out
Mr.Jackson,and asked that a mission be placed among tho Chilkats. Mr.Jackson
promised that he would do what he could.
It was not until the spring of 183.1 that this ietermined mission
ary was able to grant the request of ICa-sha. Ic had taken him these two years
to convince his church councils that tills could help the cause. Among the
missionaries who offered tc go to this field was the Rev .Eugene S.’Villard,
who had graduated from the Western Theological Seminary that sane year. He,
with his wife and child,was selected :*or that post, and sailed on the June
steamer for Yrangel,and later for Sitka,1 There 'Jr..Jackson w:\3 to meet them,
and accompany then to their new station.
The party sailed fumSitka on July 10thf 1831, for the land of the
Chilkats,bringing lumber and stores for the mission. Itl their arrival a suit
able site was sought. Because of jealousies among the different villages, it
was decided to locate the mission at the Indian portage called "Dashoo".Here
the people of the various* villages could meet,and worship,without feeling
that the other villages was' getting ahead of then in any way. Also,there was
a store of the Northwest leading Co.here,presided over by a Ur.Goo.Dickinson,
a sailor who had married a Christian Indian woman.Mrs.Diekinson has started
a Sunday School.
'The school opened on Aug.8th, 1381,with 24 pupils. Mrs.Dickinson
acted as intertreter ac neither of the Dillards spoke Ihlinget. Chief Don-a
be adopted by the Dillards. Services were held at the Chilkoot village at
Iluk’vaii, and during the su.i.er in the fishing villages.
The mission was mimed after Mrs.F.S.Haines,who was the Secretary
of the ’Tomans1 Executive Co-a-uttee of Home Missions of the Presbyterian
Church. In the spring of 1332, two Stic keens, Louis an! lille Paul who he 3
b en e-.cn.ted at ’Vrangel,-ers i«t tc .’tluk-van tc <fc«fch ‘k nl.sion ‘and aehool
until a missionary could be gotten for the place. In that same year Lrs.Be.i,’ic
Matthews was sent put from Monmouth,111.,to take charge of a boariirw dep
artment. 'The Fauls so©:: cus Irek from IClukwaa, as the lali&ae there had "lit,.,
tie respeet f or native teach arc. In August, .jre . Austin, in charge at Sitka
came to care for the Willards,who were sick.Since then the mission ban beer
maintained on tho groun i selected by Dr. Jackson, To lay the school is und-.r t.L*
charge of the government, while the mission is ?i churchtuuft
while lire. Jackson has charge of an Orwhanare.
. :ir . Pe nt on