George Abernethy's Historical Significance

George Abernethy's Historical Significance. You are currently standing on Abernethy Green!. George Abernethy who arrived at Willamette Falls in 1840 by ship, took a land claim that stretched from the Willamette River to Holcomb Hill. The neck of land that followed Abernethy Creek acrosss Green Point became known as Abernethy Green. Oregon Trail emigrants used it to camp out their first winter in Oregon. Abernethy build a house for himself and his wife Anna at the mouth of Abernethy Creek. , By 1844 Oregon City was a thriving city at the end of the Oregon Trail. When Abernethy brought the goods that had belonged to the Methodist Mission, Abernethy's store almost immediately became the most important. His business advantage was his system of making change. Since there was no currency in Oregon, every transaction was by barter. Abernethy had found piles of flint shards near his house (which was an old Indian encampment). He wrote the amount of change that was due on a piece of paper, signed it and tied it to a piece of flint. He gave these "Abernethy Rocks" out as change and they rapidly became Oregon's first currency as other stores were forced to honor them.