Lavadour Family

Historic Photograph Lavadour 001

A photograph of unknown members of the Lavadour family, which Martha Carson, Letitia's daughter married into. This photograph was likely taken on their Oregon land in Umatilla County, Oregon. Courtesy of Joey Lavadour.

Our knowledge of the Lavadour family begins with patriarch Joseph Hebert Lavadure/Lavadour who was born February 10, 1799, in St. Germaine, Quebec, Canada. He married Lissette Walla Walla (born ca. 1817) in Oregon Territory ca. 1835.

According to Dr. Bob Zybach, it is possible that Lisette Wallawalla was a daughter of Peopeomoxmox. If true, this would have provided powerful social & political ties with neighboring Cayuse, Umatilla, Klickitat, Chinook & Nez Perce. Joseph Laverdour was a Red River Metis who fished & trapped. He was employed by the N.W. Company and Hudson Bay FurTrading Co in a company of 75 men in 1805 were stationed at the English River. In May or June 1857 Joseph and Lissette returned from the gold rush in California, stopping in Douglas Co, Oregon. Lavadour School was named in their honor. They built a homestead on Umpqua River, between Days Creek & Perdue, afterward known as Milo, and migrated to Umatilla Indian Reservation. They were residents at Fort Walla Walla during the Whitman Massacre, in November 1847.

Together, Joseph H. and Lissette had six children: Angelique, Narcisse, Xavier, Joseph A, Isabelle, and Scott. All three Lavadour families moved from Douglas County to Umatilla Allotments ca. 1887.

This photograph depicts a somewhat typical Métis or mixed family, including descendants of Joseph Lavadour and Lizette Walla Walla. The photo includes Mary Alice (Letitia’s granddaughter) and McGinnis Clan at Starveout in Douglas County. ca 1914. Mary Alice Carson Lavadour is visiting from her Adams farm. Front Row (L-R): Asa Jones, Frank Jones. Middle Row (L-R): Angelique Lavadour McGinnis; Mary Alice Bigham Lavadour; Fred Campian; Virgil (Matt) Campian; Susan McGinnis Campian, Back Row (L-R): Dave McGinnis, Lilly Rondeau, Joe McGinnis, George (Gans) Rondeau, and Edward Rondeau. Angelique and her husband John McGinnis (not pictured) remained in the Umpqua region while her parents and four brothers moved to the Umatilla Reservation in the late 1880s.

This document is an 1891 photograph of Letitia Carson's daughter Martha Lavadour, her husband Narcisse Lavadour, and their son Nelson Lavadour, their youngest child. Martha Married Narcisse Lavadour, son of Joseph and Lisette Lavadure, on January 19, 1868. Together they had five daughters and four sons, whose descendants remain prominent Walla Walla members of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Lavadour Children

Their firstborn child, Angelique Lavadour, was born July 1, 1836, in Walla Walla, Oregon Territory. She married John Benjamin McGinnis (born January 1825, died September 5, 1920) ca.1855. Angelique died November 13, 1919, in Douglas County, Oregon. The children of John and Angelique McGinnis are Mary A, William H, Edward, Elizabeth B, Abraham, Susan E, and George.

Secondborn, Narcisse Lavadour was born January 4, 1840, in the Oregon Territory and married Martha Carson, daughter of David & Letitia. They had several children: Agnes M. Ada, Albert, Millie E, and Nelson. Narcisse died on March 9, 1893, in Umatilla County, Oregon.

Xavier Lavadour was born on April 14, 1842, in the Wallowa area, Oregon Territory. He married Mollie Woodworth (born ca. 1867) ca. 1894 in Oregon. Xavier died on April 2, 1936, in Umatilla County, Oregon. Their children are Frank “Eugene,” Isabelle Rose, and Lydia Mae.

Joseph Armand Lavadour was born March 3, 1853, in Siskiyou County, California. He married Mary Alice Bigham (born November 26, 1864, in Douglas County, Oregon, and died May 16, 1942, in Umatilla County, Oregon) on January 12, 1884, in Douglas County, Oregon. Mary Alice was the first child of Martha Lavadour, her father was Soloman Bigham. Together, they had: Leonard E, Martha O, Albert, Eva L, and Iva S. Joseph Armand died on March 17, 1940, in Umatilla County, Oregon.

Isabelle Lavadour was born December 11, 1854, in Siskiyou County, California. She married Sampson French (born in 1841 in the Sandwich Islands, died July 11, 1898, in Douglas County, Oregon) on October 2, 1870. She died October 17, 1938, in Douglas County, Oregon. Children of Sampson French and Isabelle Lavadour are Moody, Joseph L, Mary J, Sampson, Louise B, Ulysses, and Hannah.

Scott Lavadour was born on February 15, 1858, in Oregon. He married Carrie LNU (born May 1866, died April 9, 1891, in Umatilla County, Oregon). Scott died on April 15, 1895, in Umatilla, Oregon.

Martha and Narcisse's Marriage in Archival Sources

This document is a testament from Joel Thorn announcing at Martha Carson and Narcisse Lavadour's wedding that he is acquainted with Martha Carson and can attest to her age.

This document is a testament from Peter Grouslouis, a member of a local Metis family of some renown and influence in early western Oregon history, who signed a similar statement to Thorn’s, but on behalf of the groom, Narcisse Lavadour.

This document is a wedding certificate for Martha Carson and Narcisse Lavadour's wedding, which was presided by Justice of the Peace Ransom at the home of Peter Grouslouis and was witnessed by Julius Cardwell and B. Carveal [?].

Photograph of Martha Lavadour, Letitia Carson's daughter. Courtesy of Joey Lavadour.

Mary Alice Bigham and Joseph Lavadour

A photograph of Mary Alice Bigham, daughter of Martha Carson and Soloman Bigham, standing with her husband Joseph H. Lavadour in Umatilla County, Oregon in 1938.

A photograph of Letitia Carson's great-grandchildren, the children of Mary Alice Bigham, Martha Carson's daughter. In order of appearance from left to right their names are Leonard Lavadour, Martha Lavadour, and Nelson Lavadour.

A photograph of Letitia's first grandchild, Mary Alice Lavadour, daughter of Martha Carson Lavadour and Soloman Bigham. Born November 26, 1842, Married-January 11, 1883, Died-May 16, 1942; and one unidentified woman.

Lavadour family group. The big man near the center is Uncle Xavier Lavadour. Lady at far left, Mrs. Joseph Lavadour II, (Mary Alice Bigham) Woman half hidden at right is Isabell Lavadour (Mrs. Samson French) ca. 1915.

Lavadour Homestead c. 1880

Lavadour cabin in Umatilla country, ca. 1880, now used for storage. Old Joseph Lavadour's home, this cabin belonged to uncle "X" Xavier Lavadour. Xavier was the brother of Narcisse Lavadour, Martha’s husband. Still has an “X” carved into one of the logs.

Lavadour Homestead c. 2016

Martha and Narcisse descendant Joey Lavadour is pictured here standing next to this cabin which belonged to Xavier “Uncle X” Lavadour who was born near the river on April 14, 1842, and died Apr. 7, 1936. Xavier was the brother of Narcisse Lavadour, Martha’s husband. This is the cabin of Xavier “Uncle X” Lavadour. Still has an “X” carved into one of the logs.

This is a photograph of the Narcisse Lavadour Allotment in Umatilla County, Oregon. These photos were taken in Adams, Oregon on land believed to be the Narcisse Lavadour Allotment that he and Martha lived on.

This is a photograph of the Narcisse Lavadour Allotment in Umatilla County, Oregon. From a series of photos taken in Adams, Oregon in Umatilla County by Bob Zybach on the land owned by the Lavadour family, which Letitia's daughter Martha married into when she married Narcisse Lavadour in January 1868.

This is a photograph of Xavier Lavadour's cabin, you can still see the X carved into the wood in this close-up image of the logs. These photos were taken in Adams, Oregon on land believed to be the Narcisse Lavadour Allotment that he and Martha lived on.

Next Exhibit: Soap Creek Valley Land After 1852