Eugene and Mary Skinner had three daughters while living in Illinois: Harriet born in 1842, Amelia born in 1843, and Clara born in 1844. All three girls died within two years of birth.

In 1845, with no living children, Eugene and Mary Skinner decided to move farther west to improve their lives and Eugene Skinner’s often poor health. People had slowly been moving west for two hundred years, but in the 1830s and 1840s, Americans began to push across the continent. Many people were feeling the impact of the Panic of 1837, which lasted into the 1840s. This was a time when prices for goods fell and businesses closed. Many people were unemployed and looking for a better life.

There were only 27 states in 1845. Oregon was a territory. Great Britain and the United States both wanted the Oregon Territory (pink on the map) but for several years they had been unable to agree on how to solve the problem. The United States encouraged Americans to live in Oregon by promising land to settlers. Settlers could get…

• 1841: Americans currently living in the Oregon Territory could buy 160 acres of land inexpensively if they lived on it for 14 months.
• 1843: Settlers in Oregon stated people could have 640 acres of free land.

These promises were made even though both the United States and Great Britain claimed the area and no agreements, or treaties, had been made with the Native tribes.

About 5,000 Americans moved to the Oregon Territory, living mostly around the Columbia River. Only about 700 British citizens lived in the area. It became clear to Great Britain the Oregon Territory would go to the United States, so the countries worked to define a northern border. At first, some Americans called for “Fifty-four forty or fight!” (This meant they wanted the northern border to be at the top of the pink area – 54 degrees 40 minutes latitude line.) Great Britain wanted the northern border to follow the Columbia River west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Eventually, the countries agreed the border should generally follow the 49th latitude line (the solid red line on the map).

By traveling to Oregon, Eugene and Mary Skinner would be given 640 acres of land by the United States Government. The trip would not be easy, and it would cost a significant amount of money, but the desire for free land and good health convinced Eugene and Mary to leave Illinois in May 1845. source1 source2