Thomas McKay

Thomas McKay, one of the Oregon Country’s most picturesque fur traders, was a daring leader and famous storyteller who could drive a nail with a rifle ball. A Canadian, he arrived with the Astorians as a teenage boy, served with the North West Company, became a clerk with the Hudson’s Bay Company, and established a grist mill at Champoeg. His father was Alexander McKay, a victim of the Tonquin Massacre, and his stepfather was Dr. John McLoughlin. He ranged widely, built Fort Boise, Idaho, guided gold seekers to California, and died on his farm near Scappoose in the winter of 1849-1850, where he is buried nearby.

Scappoose, Oregon · United States