Oregon has a rich history and plenty of historical sites to celebrate the state's past. From the epic Oregon Trail to everyday structures like this round barn that's one of the last of its kind, we love places that give us a glimpse back in time. Here's one historic site that most Oregonians don't even realize exists:
Jean Baptiste Charbonneau was the son of Sacajawea, the famous Native American who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition.
Jean Baptiste was an explorer, mountain man, and military guide who lived from 1806 to 1866. He was the second child to be featured on a U.S. coin, appearing with his mother on the Sacajawea dollar.
Charbonneau led an interesting, adventurous life.
As a young man, he traveled to Europe with a German duke, and lived in Germany for six years. He was a fur trapper for the American Fur Company, served as a scout in the Mexican-American War, and even spent several years as a prospector during the California Gold Rush.
During a journey to revisit many of the sites he'd seen during his younger years as a scout and mountain man, Charbonneau fell into the Owyhee River near Rome, Oregon.
The details of the accident aren't known, but he became sick and eventually sought help at Inskip Station, a stagecoach stop in the little town of Danner. Jean Baptiste Charbonneau never recovered, and he died in Danner on May 16, 1866. The cause of death is believed to have been pneumonia.
Charbonneau was buried in the Jordan Valley Hamlet Cemetery, a tiny, one-acre cemetery at Inskip Station that has just a few graves.
While most Oregonians don't know about the gravesite of this famous man, those who do pay homage to him by leaving flowers and trinkets at his grave.
The site is on the National Register of Historic Places, and contains three historical markers that tell visitors about the life and death of Charbonneau.
Though it's nowhere near his burial site, the Oregon town of Charbonneau was named in his honor.
Danner is fairly remote, located in eastern Oregon near the Idaho border, along U.S. 95.
Click here for the Google map and directions.
Did you know about this historic site in Oregon?
If you're interested in the rich history of the Beaver State, you might want to visit these 9 places where you can still experience old Oregon.
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