100 years ago President Harding visited Oregon as part of his "Voyage of Understanding." In addition to cuing up a run for reelection, he was also in part fleeing political scandals and marital scandals. Though he and his contemporaries did not know it, he was also at the end of his life. He would die a month later, on August 2nd, 1923.
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| Governor Pierce, President Harding, and First Lady Meacham, Oregon, July 3rd, 1923 Oregon Historical Society |
Harding made two stops in Oregon, one in Meacham for observances on the Oregon Trail and one in Portland.
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| June 21st, 1923 |
Governor Pierce expanded the Fourth of July holiday to include the third of July.
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| June 30th, 1923 |
The railroad advertised special excursion rates to Portland on the Fourth.
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| July 3rd, 1923 |
And the morning paper editorialized on the trip, praising Harding.
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| July 3rd, 1923 |
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| President Harding addressing people in Meacham detail, Oregon Historical Society |
The address in Meacham focused on Marcus Whitman, and also participated in a kind of myth making, perpetuating a debunked story about a visit with President Tyler and saving the Territory for the Union.
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| July 4th, 1923 |
Harding underlined settler "occupation":
Whitman's strategy was true statesmanship. Substantial occupation would make good the claim of the United States, and that was what he had initiated during his few days in St. Louis. A few months later he had completed an organization of eager souls, and led the first movement by wagon train across plains and mountains along this unblazed trail.
What a sight that caravan must have appeared to the roaming savages! And what an experience for the intrepid pioneers!...
We may reasonably do more to-day than rejoice in possession of the imperial domain which they revealed, and the life they made possible to the virile, aspiring, and confident Northwest. I find new assurances in recalling the heroism, the resolution, the will to conquer of these pioneers.
On Whitman's apocryphal speech and visit to President Tyler:
Then, turning to the President in conclusion, he added quietly but beseechingly:
"All I ask is that you will not barter away Oregon or allow English interference until I can lead a band of stalwart American settlers across the plains. For this I shall try to do."
Harding added in a late addition to the speech (included in the paper, but not in a published text at UC-Santa Barbara):
I have recited this story mindful of the fact that it is a subject of controversy. Whether it is correct or not it is an inspiration and should be handed down from generation to generation....I like the story of Whitman. If it isn't true it ought to be.
The story was debunked in "The Legend of Marcus Whitman" from 1901, twenty years before. That piece noted that Bancroft's 1885 History of Oregon was accurate, and should have put the story to rest. Harding's use of "Controversy" overstates things, in the way now vaccination in public health and human-caused emissions in climate change might be said to be "controversial." The story served the myth of the Pioneer and the myth of origin for Statehood.
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| July 3rd, 1923 |
The morning paper also had ads for flags. They repeated some of the sacramental language we saw on Memorial Day,
and also devoted space to flag etiquette and ritual — many details of
which modern flag enthusiasts and self-styled patriots no longer seem to find very important.
In it was a list of flag holidays, a little different from today's list. We don't observe the battles, in particular, though nowadays Pearl Harbor Day and D-Day often seem to have more weight than Flag Day and several other days. Maybe Appomattox Courthouse Day will join them one day.
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| July 3rd, 1923 |
A few days later the Bitsman noted the use of radio "at Taylor's grove above Mehama" to listen to Harding's speech in Portland.
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| July 7th, 1923 |
It was interesting to read the thoughts on privacy and surveillance, anticipating debate and trade-offs we still negotiate today in our current round of technology.
For a little more on the Voyage of Understanding see pieces:
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