8. Barlow Road Toll Collection Authorization

This note, signed by Samuel K. Barlow, authorized Philip Foster to collect tolls from emigrants using the Barlow Road to cross the Cascades on their way to the Willamette Valley.

The history of the Barlow Road began in the mid-1840s when large wagon trains of American emigrants were making their way to Oregon from the Midwest. In the fall of 1845, hundreds of emigrants finally reached The Dalles, where they faced a logistical crisis. Only a limited number of boats were available to ferry the overlanders down the Columbia, and local food stores were dangerously low. Faced with this grim situation, several families elected to try crossing the Cascade Range rather than wait indefinitely at The Dalles for passage to Fort Vancouver. Headed by Sam Barlow and William Rector, these families set out along the Deschutes River in late September 1845. They were later joined by a second party led by Joel Palmer. Their objective was to find a southern route around Mt. Hood.