Norman D. Palmer, Sr, was born 1793 in Orwell, VT; died in Danville, Vermilion Co., IL. He married Anna Jones in 1820. She died 1839 in Danville, IL. In 1851, Norman D. Palmer, with his daughter Luna and another daughter and three sons in the company of others, started across the plains in March bound for the far west with ox teams. The party reached Portland, OR in the fall, being six months on the road. He returned to Illinois via San Francisco to be with his second wife Prudence Fanning and their children. Norman D. died in 1858, and Prudence in 1876, and both buried in Danville, Illinois.
Norman Palmer and Anna Jones had several children:
Cornelius J. Palmer, born 1824 (1822) in Kentucky, died Abt 1883 in Washington Territory. In 1860 he was living in Wasco County.
Emily A. Palmer, born 1825 in Danville, IL, died 17 April 1863 in Skamania County, W. T. She married (1) John W. Sconce before 1851 in Illinois (he was killed by Indians); joined her family in 1853; married (2) Col. Ebey in 1856 in Portland, Oregon (he was murdered at Whidbey Island) (daughter Anna); married (3) Dr. L. M. Bell after 1857.
John Quincy Palmer, born between 1826 – 1828 in Danville, IL; died in Danville, IL.
Luna M. Palmer, born 1829 in Danville., IL; died 1908 in Prosser, Yakima Co., Washington; married Bolivar Bradley Bishop in 1852 in Lower Cascades, Skamania Co., W.T.
Gurdon Hubbard Palmer, born 1833 in Danville, IL; married Mary Ann E. Purser in 1877 in Klickitat Co., W.T. In 1856 he and Cornelius were in the midst of the great Indian massacre at the Cascades. They fortified themselves in their store, afterwards escaping to the mountains where they suffered terrible exposure until they managed to reach the Columbia River where they found a boat going to Portland. The whole surrounding country was overrun by Indians, killing, burning and pillaging, until the arrival of US troops, under Lieut. Sheridan.
Helen Palmer, born 1835 in prob. Danville, IL; married Putnam F. Bradford in 1852 in Lower Cascades, Skamania Co., W.T.. Bradford was the vice-president of the “Oregon Steam Navigation Company” in 1860.
Norman D. Palmer, Jr., born Aft. 1836 in Danville, IL; died 26 March 1856 in Lower Cascades, W.T.; married unknown. On March 26, 1856 while driving team at the sawmill at Lower Cascades, W.T., Norman and six others were killed by Indians during an uprising that lasted several days and was finally put down by Col. George Wright and the Ninth Regiment, Second Dragoons, and Third Artillery, Colonel Steptoe, and Lieut. Sheridan. The houses of Luna (Palmer) Bishop and Putnam and Helen (Palmer) Bradford were burned during the battle.
Emily A. died suddenly on 17 April 1863 in McMinneville, OR. She had requested to be buried next to her younger brother, Norman Palmer Jr. Their gravesite is located on the Washington side just east of the Bridge of the Gods, a few steps down a trail leading into the woods.
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