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Martin Taftezon, Ulrich Freund, and Clement Sumner file land
claims to the future city of Oak Harbor on January 4, 1851.
HistoryLink.org Essay 8226 : Printer-Friendly Format On January
4, 1851, Zakarias Martin Taftezon (1821-1901), Swiss Ulrich
Freund, and New Englander Clement W. "Charlie" Sumner file
claims under the Donation Land Law at what will become the city
of Oak Harbor. Our Earthly Paradise Norwegian shoemaker Zakarias
Martin Taftezon (also Taftsen and Toftzen) (1821-1901), Swiss
Ulrich Freund, and New Englander Clement W. “Charlie” Sumner met
each other at New Orleans while en route to the 1949 California
gold rush. They did not strike it rich in the gold fields and
headed north to the Oregon Country. In late 1850, they landed in
Olympia and with the help of Samuel Hancock, took an Indian
canoe down the sound (going north) to find land. At Whidbey
Island the Skagits and the Tulalips were at war and the Native
American paddlers would not e