text: The claim that Lane had slaves here in Oregon is specious at best.  The so-called slave in question was a mixed race African and Native American orphaned child, that Lane raised from age 2 to 17.     By all accounts, the child would have died if Lane had not shown pity, and taken the unwanted toddler in.  
  
  While Lane was born in North Carolina, he left home at age 14, and by age 19, lived in Indiana, which was a free state.   There is no record of Lane ever owning any slaves in any of those states.   He lived in Indiana for 29 years, before coming to Oregon.