Salem's first merchant, Thomas Cox, had to bring his own wagon train of merchandise across the plains and mountains in 1847.

When finally he arrived in Salem and unloaded the 11 wagons of goods, he set up shop in the "Judson house," which he used also for a residence and shared with the Crump family. The Judson house was in the vicinity of what is now the Capitol Towers office building.

Thomas Cox had been a merchant and co-owner of a grist mill in Joliet, Ill., with his father, when he got the go-West fever. After all, reports from the great Oregon Country were glowing. Cox couldn't find a buyer for his store, so he packed the inventory into the 11 wagons drawn by oxen. They came by way of Fort Hall, Idaho, the Snake River Valley, the Blue Mountains near present-day Pendleton, and over the Barlow Trail near Mt. Hood, to Salem.

Salem, at that time, consisted of three or four houses of the missionaries, plus the Oregon Mission.

As a romantic footnote, it can be observed that the co-existence of the Coxes and the Crumps in the same house had its effect. The Crumps' stepdaughter, Adeline F. Saucier, later married Thomas Cox's son, William. Adeline's Father, Turner Crump, became a partner in the firm, Wm. Cox and Co., and Crump was appointed Salem's first postmaster. The post office was in the store, and the year was 1847 or 1848.

In 1846, U.S. President Polk appointed the postmaster for Salem. He was Turner Crump, father-in-law of Thomas Cox, in whose early-Salem general store the first post office was located. This was on the northeast corner of Ferry and Commercial Streets, but the first postal service was confined primarily to correspondence within the Oregon Territory, as this was long before the establishment of the Pony Express or train to carry mail to the East.

In 1853, the the Coxes sold their downtown store and a more central location in Salem was chosen for the post office. But Thomas Cox remains the first entrepreneur to arrive in Salem with the goods. He remained in Salem with his wife, Virginia, until his demise in

Compiled by Cynthia Harvey

Bibliography:
1972 Statesman Journal newspaper supplement on various facets of Salem History.