In March of 1852 as a newlywed husband, Zelik, his bride Camilla Thomson, and her younger brother, Origen Thomson, set out on a once in a lifetime journey - overland by covered wagon - from Indiana to The Oregon Territory. Over 2,000 miles of dust, wind, rain, hail, boredom, heat, buffalo stampedes, and other discomforts to numerous to mention - - they took part in the Great Migration to the Pacific Slope.

On arriving in late September at Oregon City, Oregon - the then capital of the territory - Zelik and Origen each filed for a DONATION LAND CLAIM. DLC No. 1578 was granted to Zelek and Camilla Donnell; 303.17 acres (Anita Drakes history of this family indicates 640 acres - 320 Zelik and 320 Camilla see (*). A few years later Camilla and Zelek resettled in The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon. The Census of 1870 shows them at "East Dalles Precinct" at No. 86. (This Census has Zelek as "Zelah"). Zelek died in 1873, and Camilla stayed on. She is listed in the 1880 Census.

The Pioneer Index card at the Oregon Historical Society gives a small bit of information regarding Zelik's livlihood: ...."Farmer, stockraiser. Was a member of the historic Legislature of 1865 to pass on 13th Amendment (abolishing slavery - ratified Dec. 6, 1865) and resolutions on death of Lincoln. Was a member of the convention which organized the Republican Party in Linn County in 1854." His ancestory is listed as 'Scotch-Irish'.

"On 28 November 1873 Zelek, only 44 years old, died of blood poisoning. Getting a splinter in his thumb, he had removed the splinter with his jackknife, and the thumb became infected. He was buried in the Pioneer City graveyard on Sunset Hill. In 1875 his son Lowry Tenny died at the age of fourteen years. He was buried beside his father; but in 1916 both were moved to The Dalles IOOF Cemetery."(*)

(*) [From: The Autobiography of Lulu D.(Donnell) Crandall; Extracted from The Dalles (Oregon) Chronicle, October 18, 1928--April 11, 1929, by Anita K. Drake, published 1990 for FORT DALLES MUSEUM, The Dalles, Oregon]. The Compilers private collection.