Palmer, Joel (1810-1881), a Canadian-born statesman, won fame as a negotiator of important Indian treaties of 1854 and 1855. As superintendent of Indian affairs for the Oregon Territory from 1853 to 1857, he removed Indian tribes from areas of white settlement. The tribes were upset over losing their lands, but Palmer gave them new areas with generous hunting and farming rights. He was removed from office because many whites believed he was too kind to the Indians. Palmer’s Journal of Travels Over the Rocky Mountains (1847) became a guidebook for travelers. It gives a fine description of a trip on the Oregon Trail. Palmer was born in Ontario on Oct. 4, 1810. He died on June 9, 1881.
