" Hall Jackson Kelley considered himself to be the Messiah of Oregon, but he was only its John the Baptist, crying in the wilderness. He inspired thousands who turned their eyes toward Oregon because of his burning message; most notable of whom were the other two members of that Massachusetts triumvirate, Nathaniel J. Wyeth and Captain Bonneville, who were to open up the Snake River country for the Americans. "

― , Fort Hall: Gateway to the Oregon Country