Aged 100(?) years
Per Lorna Grauer, Marie Ayvoice was the much respected Madame Dorion who came out to the Oregon Territory with the Wilson Price Hunt Party in 1811. At the time of her death, she was married to Jean Toupin.
∼The following biographical account of Marie Dorion is from the book "In Search of Western Oregon" by Ralph Friedman, Caxton Press, 1990, p. 471.
Few travelers pause at St. Louis and then only because of the Catholic church (St. Louis). It is the third Catholic church and was built 1885 on site of the 1844 log house of worship.
St. Louis has one other distinction. It is the resting place of Marie Dorion, the celebrated "Madame Dorion" or "Madonna of the Trail," who lies under the timbers of the church, in a place of honor directly beneath the cross on the bell tower.
Marie Dorion, an Iowa Indian, accompanied her hunter-interpreter husband, Pierre, on the long, hungry and agonizing trek W to Ft. Astoria, by the Wilson Price Hunt Party. On Dec. 30, 1811, a day nagged by snow and cold rain, and about 4 m. from North Powder, in Union County, the 25-year-old Marie Dorion gave birth. A few hours later Pierre, Marie and their newborn infant caught up with the others. For some odd reason it is widely held that the babe, mothered by an Indian and fathered by a part-Indian, was "the first white child born in the Oregon Country."
The published legendary courage of Marie Dorion may have been overstated but it is certain that she was resourceful, proud, intelligent, and loyal to the needs of her people, though all her husbands were all or part FrenchCanadian. After the demise of Pierre Dorion she married a hunter named Venier and after he passed away she wed Jean Baptiste Toupin. She, Toupin and her three families of children moved to French Prairie from the Walla Walla country about 1840 and acquired land near St. Louis. For the next decade she played a strong role in French Prairie affairs and when she died Sept. 5, 1850, at age 64, she was buried beneath the St. Louis log church, the
only person so honored.
For more than 80 years her death and burial remained a mystery. In 1932 her great-grandson, J. Willard Gay, of Portland, told researchers that oral history passed down by members of his family indicated that Marie Dorion was buried beneath the altar of the church under the name of Louise L'Egoise. For a definitive answer to the question of when and under what name she was laid to rest, two local historians, McKinly Mitchell and Father Kraus, began a detailed perusal of church records, which dated back to the early
days of French Prairie. On page 24 of an old ledger they found an entry referring to the burial Sept. 6,1850 of Marie Iowa, wife of John Toupin. Back of church is St. Louis Cemetery, where popular lore has it that Marie Dorion
was first buried.
~
She was born ca. 1786 in Louisiana Territory to a French Canadian father and a mother of the Iowa people.
She passed away on 5 September 1850 at Saint Louis, Marion County, Oregon Territory, USA.
She was married first to Pierre Dorion (1780-1814). (Not to be confused with his father of the same name - 1740-1810.)
Second; to Joseph Vanier.
Third to: Jean Baptiste Toupin (1795-1862).
Per Lorna Grauer, Marie Ayvoice was the much respected Madame Dorion who came out to the Oregon Territory with the Wilson Price Hunt Party in 1811. At the time of her death, she was married to Jean Toupin.
∼The following biographical account of Marie Dorion is from the book "In Search of Western Oregon" by Ralph Friedman, Caxton Press, 1990, p. 471.
Few travelers pause at St. Louis and then only because of the Catholic church (St. Louis). It is the third Catholic church and was built 1885 on site of the 1844 log house of worship.
St. Louis has one other distinction. It is the resting place of Marie Dorion, the celebrated "Madame Dorion" or "Madonna of the Trail," who lies under the timbers of the church, in a place of honor directly beneath the cross on the bell tower.
Marie Dorion, an Iowa Indian, accompanied her hunter-interpreter husband, Pierre, on the long, hungry and agonizing trek W to Ft. Astoria, by the Wilson Price Hunt Party. On Dec. 30, 1811, a day nagged by snow and cold rain, and about 4 m. from North Powder, in Union County, the 25-year-old Marie Dorion gave birth. A few hours later Pierre, Marie and their newborn infant caught up with the others. For some odd reason it is widely held that the babe, mothered by an Indian and fathered by a part-Indian, was "the first white child born in the Oregon Country."
The published legendary courage of Marie Dorion may have been overstated but it is certain that she was resourceful, proud, intelligent, and loyal to the needs of her people, though all her husbands were all or part FrenchCanadian. After the demise of Pierre Dorion she married a hunter named Venier and after he passed away she wed Jean Baptiste Toupin. She, Toupin and her three families of children moved to French Prairie from the Walla Walla country about 1840 and acquired land near St. Louis. For the next decade she played a strong role in French Prairie affairs and when she died Sept. 5, 1850, at age 64, she was buried beneath the St. Louis log church, the
only person so honored.
For more than 80 years her death and burial remained a mystery. In 1932 her great-grandson, J. Willard Gay, of Portland, told researchers that oral history passed down by members of his family indicated that Marie Dorion was buried beneath the altar of the church under the name of Louise L'Egoise. For a definitive answer to the question of when and under what name she was laid to rest, two local historians, McKinly Mitchell and Father Kraus, began a detailed perusal of church records, which dated back to the early
days of French Prairie. On page 24 of an old ledger they found an entry referring to the burial Sept. 6,1850 of Marie Iowa, wife of John Toupin. Back of church is St. Louis Cemetery, where popular lore has it that Marie Dorion
was first buried.
~
She was born ca. 1786 in Louisiana Territory to a French Canadian father and a mother of the Iowa people.
She passed away on 5 September 1850 at Saint Louis, Marion County, Oregon Territory, USA.
She was married first to Pierre Dorion (1780-1814). (Not to be confused with his father of the same name - 1740-1810.)
Second; to Joseph Vanier.
Third to: Jean Baptiste Toupin (1795-1862).
Aged 100(?) years
Per Lorna Grauer, Marie Ayvoice was the much respected Madame Dorion who came out to the Oregon Territory with the Wilson Price Hunt Party in 1811. At the time of her death, she was married to Jean Toupin.
∼The following biographical account of Marie Dorion is from the book "In Search of Western Oregon" by Ralph Friedman, Caxton Press, 1990, p. 471.
Few travelers pause at St. Louis and then only because of the Catholic church (St. Louis). It is the third Catholic church and was built 1885 on site of the 1844 log house of worship.
St. Louis has one other distinction. It is the resting place of Marie Dorion, the celebrated "Madame Dorion" or "Madonna of the Trail," who lies under the timbers of the church, in a place of honor directly beneath the cross on the bell tower.
Marie Dorion, an Iowa Indian, accompanied her hunter-interpreter husband, Pierre, on the long, hungry and agonizing trek W to Ft. Astoria, by the Wilson Price Hunt Party. On Dec. 30, 1811, a day nagged by snow and cold rain, and about 4 m. from North Powder, in Union County, the 25-year-old Marie Dorion gave birth. A few hours later Pierre, Marie and their newborn infant caught up with the others. For some odd reason it is widely held that the babe, mothered by an Indian and fathered by a part-Indian, was "the first white child born in the Oregon Country."
The published legendary courage of Marie Dorion may have been overstated but it is certain that she was resourceful, proud, intelligent, and loyal to the needs of her people, though all her husbands were all or part FrenchCanadian. After the demise of Pierre Dorion she married a hunter named Venier and after he passed away she wed Jean Baptiste Toupin. She, Toupin and her three families of children moved to French Prairie from the Walla Walla country about 1840 and acquired land near St. Louis. For the next decade she played a strong role in French Prairie affairs and when she died Sept. 5, 1850, at age 64, she was buried beneath the St. Louis log church, the
only person so honored.
For more than 80 years her death and burial remained a mystery. In 1932 her great-grandson, J. Willard Gay, of Portland, told researchers that oral history passed down by members of his family indicated that Marie Dorion was buried beneath the altar of the church under the name of Louise L'Egoise. For a definitive answer to the question of when and under what name she was laid to rest, two local historians, McKinly Mitchell and Father Kraus, began a detailed perusal of church records, which dated back to the early
days of French Prairie. On page 24 of an old ledger they found an entry referring to the burial Sept. 6,1850 of Marie Iowa, wife of John Toupin. Back of church is St. Louis Cemetery, where popular lore has it that Marie Dorion
was first buried.
~
She was born ca. 1786 in Louisiana Territory to a French Canadian father and a mother of the Iowa people.
She passed away on 5 September 1850 at Saint Louis, Marion County, Oregon Territory, USA.
She was married first to Pierre Dorion (1780-1814). (Not to be confused with his father of the same name - 1740-1810.)
Second; to Joseph Vanier.
Third to: Jean Baptiste Toupin (1795-1862).
Per Lorna Grauer, Marie Ayvoice was the much respected Madame Dorion who came out to the Oregon Territory with the Wilson Price Hunt Party in 1811. At the time of her death, she was married to Jean Toupin.
∼The following biographical account of Marie Dorion is from the book "In Search of Western Oregon" by Ralph Friedman, Caxton Press, 1990, p. 471.
Few travelers pause at St. Louis and then only because of the Catholic church (St. Louis). It is the third Catholic church and was built 1885 on site of the 1844 log house of worship.
St. Louis has one other distinction. It is the resting place of Marie Dorion, the celebrated "Madame Dorion" or "Madonna of the Trail," who lies under the timbers of the church, in a place of honor directly beneath the cross on the bell tower.
Marie Dorion, an Iowa Indian, accompanied her hunter-interpreter husband, Pierre, on the long, hungry and agonizing trek W to Ft. Astoria, by the Wilson Price Hunt Party. On Dec. 30, 1811, a day nagged by snow and cold rain, and about 4 m. from North Powder, in Union County, the 25-year-old Marie Dorion gave birth. A few hours later Pierre, Marie and their newborn infant caught up with the others. For some odd reason it is widely held that the babe, mothered by an Indian and fathered by a part-Indian, was "the first white child born in the Oregon Country."
The published legendary courage of Marie Dorion may have been overstated but it is certain that she was resourceful, proud, intelligent, and loyal to the needs of her people, though all her husbands were all or part FrenchCanadian. After the demise of Pierre Dorion she married a hunter named Venier and after he passed away she wed Jean Baptiste Toupin. She, Toupin and her three families of children moved to French Prairie from the Walla Walla country about 1840 and acquired land near St. Louis. For the next decade she played a strong role in French Prairie affairs and when she died Sept. 5, 1850, at age 64, she was buried beneath the St. Louis log church, the
only person so honored.
For more than 80 years her death and burial remained a mystery. In 1932 her great-grandson, J. Willard Gay, of Portland, told researchers that oral history passed down by members of his family indicated that Marie Dorion was buried beneath the altar of the church under the name of Louise L'Egoise. For a definitive answer to the question of when and under what name she was laid to rest, two local historians, McKinly Mitchell and Father Kraus, began a detailed perusal of church records, which dated back to the early
days of French Prairie. On page 24 of an old ledger they found an entry referring to the burial Sept. 6,1850 of Marie Iowa, wife of John Toupin. Back of church is St. Louis Cemetery, where popular lore has it that Marie Dorion
was first buried.
~
She was born ca. 1786 in Louisiana Territory to a French Canadian father and a mother of the Iowa people.
She passed away on 5 September 1850 at Saint Louis, Marion County, Oregon Territory, USA.
She was married first to Pierre Dorion (1780-1814). (Not to be confused with his father of the same name - 1740-1810.)
Second; to Joseph Vanier.
Third to: Jean Baptiste Toupin (1795-1862).
Gravesite Details
memorial is left of front door at St Louis church, which allegedly was built over the old cemetery.
Family Members
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See more Dorion or L'Aguivoise memorials in:
- Old Saint Louis Cemetery Dorion or L'Aguivoise
- Gervais Dorion or L'Aguivoise
- Marion County Dorion or L'Aguivoise
- Oregon Dorion or L'Aguivoise
- USA Dorion or L'Aguivoise
- Find a Grave Dorion or L'Aguivoise
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