Markus Lopeus is one of the earliest-known people of African descent to set foot in Oregon. Lopeus was a native of Cape Verde, a volcanic archipelago located 400 miles west of the North African mainland. The Portuguese discovered the islands in the 15th century and began to establish a permanent presence there. Enslaved Africans made up the majority of the islands’ population, however there was also a population of free Africans, including the Lopeus family.
In 1787, American ship captain Robert Gray set off from Boston in the sloop Lady Washington for his first voyage to the Pacific Northwest. Gray, along with Captain John Kendrick of the brig Columbia, were bound for the Pacific Northwest in search of sea otter pelts to exchange in China for tea, silk, spices, and porcelain.
When the Lady Washington stopped in Cape Verde for water and supplies, Markus Lopeus volunteered to join the ship’s crew. Lopeus served as the ship’s cabin boy, suggesting he was a teenager or a young man. Despite his age, Lopeus had to participate in regular duties alongside the rest of the 12-14 member crew. According to 3rd mate Robert Haswell, Lopeus was cheerful, eager to help, and well-liked by everyone aboard.
In 1788, Lady Washington became the first American ship to make landfall on the Pacific coast. That August, the vessel reached Tillamook Bay, where the sailors were greeted by members of a local Native village. The crew eagerly traded with the villagers on the beach.
Two days later, Lopeus was on shore cutting grass to feed the ship’s livestock. When he set down his cutlass, a Native man walked off with it. Lopeus chased after the man and grabbed him, which got the attention of the villagers. Several Native men surrounded Lopeus and stabbed him to death. Captain Gray’s crew quickly fled the beach and returned to their ship, firing their guns as they sailed away.
Today Markus Lopeus is remembered for being the first confirmed Black person to ever enter Oregon, as well as the first Black person to die in Oregon. His tragic story demonstrates how Black people have been part of Oregon’s multiracial history from the earliest days.