So for my first post
here at Cowboy Kisses I thought I would cover one of the topics that I’ve been
researching for a few months now. I have three stories that I worked on several
years ago that need attention and one part of one of these stories has the hero
and heroine meet on a wagon train along the Oregon Trail. I found researching
even the day to day about being on a wagon train more than interesting. And if
I didn’t get it quite right here, be kind! Ha. I work as a full time RN and
have kids, so my research happens with kids running all over and jumping on the
bed where I usually have my laptop. But if nothing else enjoy! And for the
first ten folks making a comment on the blog, I will be giving away a Wild Rose
Press Calendar along with a few book goodies of Sawyer’s Rose and Wyatt’s
Bounty, my two Western Historical Romances.
The Journey West by Wagon Train
Just a bit of History
In 1803 the United
States expanded West with the Louisiana Purchase. Later with the assumption of lands
gained with the Texan Annexation (1845) and the Mexican Cessation (1848) the
opportunity for a new life for many was opened. With the claim of the Oregon
Country (1847) hundreds of families ventured West by wagon train to the fertile
lands of the Oregon Territory. Government pushes to settle American Pioneers on
the newly claimed lands found hundreds of men, women and children leaving
Independence Missouri for the chance at a new start. Reports of lands rich in
soil and a farmer’s paradise resulted in the first wagon trains arrival to
Oregon in 1843, before these lands were actually acquired.
The Push for Westward Expansion
The push to stretch
America from the East to the West coast didn’t always warn of the hardships of
such a journey. Preparing for the trip most often required selling land and
leaving life’s luxuries behind. Selling one’s farm was a gamble but most of
those willing to make the journey often banked on the produce of the land they
planned to farm. Many sold their land and homes at a loss to set out on a
journey that would was for many the biggest hardship of their lives. Many heading
West with the first wave were promised 640 acres of prime farmland but the
government Donation of Land Act cut the number of promised acres in half only a
few years later. A man could claim 320 acres for himself and the same amount
could be claimed by his wife in her own name. Women interested in the ownership
of land were often enticed West for the same reason this number would later
decrease to 160 acres for a man and the same for his wife, however around 1869
The Homestead Act in Oregon changed things for women. Even before they had the
right to vote, women over twenty-one who were the head of the household were
able to receive homestead patents for gaining their own land. Most often these
women were widows, those with disabled husbands, and many of them single women.
Preparing for the Journey
The purchase of tickets
by train to Independence Missouri in its own right could be expensive and the
costs of a sturdy wagon, a team of oxen or horses and supplies didn’t come cheap.
Those seeking to make their own fortunes off the families arriving to
Independence sold some of the finest wagons and provision. The costs for even a
small family’s provisions for the trip could easily run in excess of $1200.00,
a great deal of money at the time. The journey of 2000 miles and more than 5 or
6 months didn’t come cheap though many families saved for years and then sold
all they owned in hopes of making the payoff with hard work and successful
crops once in the Oregon Territory.
Some wagon trains were
composed of over 200 wagons though most were as small as 30. One of the most
used types of wagons was called the Conestoga which was referred to as the
camel of the West. These were less robust but stable in comparison to others. Less
could be packed so bare essentials were planned for and the rest left behind. A
cumbersome wagon loaded too heavily with unneeded provisions was the reason the
trails west were often littered with furniture and items from homes that had
been left behind. Preparations for such a journey meant a man often hired
another to help on the trial, paying in full for the helps journey in exchange
for “Man’s work”. Such a trip could be brutal though women often helped by
working hard right alongside their husbands. Preparing for a trip of months across
terrain from mountains to deserts in weather conditions that were at best
unpredictable was at best dangerous for all involved but not fully limited to
the list below:
Supply List
Tools-Hammers, nails,
Barrels of food staples
Rope and lot’s of it
Cast Iron pots, skillets,
eating utensils and plates
Weapons for hunting and
protections-shotguns, rifles, pistols, knives, bullets, molds and lead
Medications and
bandages
The Family Bible
Bolts of cloth and
linen and sewing kits
Plant cuttings for
growing on the new land along with seeds and garden tools
100 pounds of Flour
70 pounds of bacon
30 pounds of hardtack,
beans rice, coffee, sugar, dried fruits, baking soda, vinegar
Eggs and good China were
packed in barrels of corn meal to keep them from breaking
Blankets, pillows,
tents, poles and stakes
Canvas and Hickory Bows
for the wagon itself
Lanterns and fuel
Pens papers books
Pipes and tobacco
Scopes, coins and money
Shaving items soaps and
perfumes
Extra clothing, shoes, boots
and socks
Saddles and leather for
repairs
Livestock and feed
Dangers Along the way
A family headed out on
a wagon train could at best plan for less than a hazard free journey. A lot of
planning was needed to choose the right time of year for making the journey west.
If a wagon train left too early there was the chance that grasses would not be
available along the way for the livestock making the journey. Nothing to feed
livestock on a 2000 mile journey could devastate a train and leave the
travelers stranded. Leaving too late in the year meant the chance of trying to
cross the mountains in inclement weather where at times the snow and ice were
impassible and incredibly dangerous. Exposure ended many a travelers’ journey
when not prepared or choosing a wrong course. Broken wagon wheels and sick oxen
often ended many trips west. River crossings could often end up in the loss of
lives if waters were higher than predicted and or wagons washed away with
family members inside. There were ferries to charter wagons across but the
costs could sometimes be high.
While rare, Indians
attacks did occur, however, many tribes welcomed wagon trains as they were
interested in trading. At times horses or other items were stolen by the Indians
which often ended in bloodshed for both sides. Over the years the relationship
between the wagon trains and Indians slowly deteriorated and by the 1890s with
the Indian’s having lost their way of life, tensions continued. But it seemed
the Indian tribes had more interest in fighting each other than in the
immigrants traveling west by Wagon train when it came down to it. There were
also the occasional wild animals to deal with which included, wolves, coyotes,
bears, snakes and even buffalo that became dangerous during a stampede.
Numbers of men, women
and children succumbed to disease and illness while on the journey West. Cholera
being one taking numbers of lives due to unclean conditions and water. Lack of
physicians and access to needed medical care was often left to others in the
train that had no experience. There were doctors who made the journey, but lack
of clean water and well prepared foods added to the demise of hundreds. Those
at most risk were the elderly and the very young as well as pregnant women who
only had the help of other women or perhaps a single midwives who had no
resources along the trail. Alkaline water was also an easy way to find the oxen
sick or dead by morning. It was imperative to find good water sources.
One of the little
thought of dangers was crossing paths with a family who had decided to return
home, those who had not found what they thought that would in the new part of
the country. The tales of lost wagon parties such as the Donner Party (A wagon
train that took a less popular route and found it closed off due to inclement
weather and thus were stranded for months, those that survived resorting to
cannibalism in an effort to survive) could be responsible for a family turning
back for Independence.
The Daily Routine
The first part of the
journey West on a trail was usually easy with flat terrain giving those new to
the trail the chance to establish routines with required daily chores. It was
often on the first part of the journey where those not use to the trail or
caring for animals were forced to learn how to handle a team of oxen or horses.
Hitching animals to a wagon wasn’t easy and the maintenance for the needed
hardware was almost never ending. The animals needed access to food and water
along any trail and often time trains rode along water’s edge to make sure the
animals had what they needed to survive. The maintenance of the wagon itself
could tax the men working the train and the first part of any leg of the
journey was a time to establish the daily rules and responsibilities of being
on a train. Children often held their own responsibilities such as milking or
carrying water from streams and rivers. Children would gather berries and other
food staples that were easy to find on the train. Some of the Wagon Trains held
a few hours each evening for school for the children. Children might also use
slates to practice sums while riding in the wagon along the way.
An average day on the
wagon train would look something like this:
4:00am
Wagon Master fires
shots to wake the camp of circled wagons which served as a nightly barricade
from Indians or other attack. Fires were started. Oxen were herded to the
wagons and yoked for the days’ journey.
5:00-7:00am
Breakfast. Yoking teams.
Tents folded and stored. Wagons loaded
7:00am
Wagons pulled out for
the days’ journey. Women and children often walked along with the wagons. Men
and boys on horseback rode the lines in protection and to make sure wagons kept
up and herded animals along.
12:00pm
Lunch break Wagons stopped.
Oxen were turned loose with yokes on to feed. Leaders often huddled to deal
with any issues that had arisen since the day before.
1:00pm
The wagon train pulls
out again and continued until a spot of the nightly parking was found most
often before darkness set in.
Evenings after sundown
Children often played
as women prepared the evening meal. Adults gathered to talk in groups. There
might also be dancing and singing after the evening meal.
Nightfall
The men took varying
shifts of standing guard each night and until the gunshots of morning woke the
train. And then the wagon train would start all over again for the next 5 to 6
months it would take to arrive along the to Oregon territory
Food Preparation
Dried Buffalo dung was
often collected as it burned easily to start a camp fire for meals. This
readily available resource burned quickly with little smoke. Gun powder was
often used to get a flame started on a fire. Iron skillets were most often used
for cooking all the needed meals, that and the open flame for roasting meats.
Most carried flour and baking soda and dough could be created for breads,
biscuits and pancakes or johnnycakes. Meal often consisted of dried meats,
bacon and even dried beans, all of which were easy to store and carry for the
journey. Frying meat often meant it was easy to add a little flour to create
rues with the drippings and hearty gravy could be made to cover the dryer
breads and beans. Water could often be polluted so coffee was the drink of
choice even for children. Boiling the water kept sickness down and coffee could
cover the smell of old water. The prairies were rich in game. Small birds and
game were readily available. Rabbits, Prairie chickens, pheasants, antelope and
big horn sheep as well as buffalo. Buffalo unless stampeding were an easy
target given their size and lack of running when in danger. The buffalo would
later suffer drastic losses in numbers simply for their hides, but in the early
Wagon Train years one buffalo could feed the whole train and little was wasted.
On arrival to their
destination, exhausted families relished in actually finding a bit of
civilization again. With small towns waiting, needed provisions could be
restored. Once this was done, families were often on their way to the land they
had to claim and then it was time to plan and build a home before the winter
came. Home in the area would be made of wood and or a combination of sod, bark
and even animal skins until finer homes could be established. Often families
had to help each other survive the first years until crops could be planted,
harvested and sold at market. Families who survived the hard journey intact
often found starting from nothing difficult, but many of those that endured
thrived when given time.
It seems the short time
of the 1800’s and early 1900’s summarizes the expansion West for those who made
the journey on wagon trains, but the arrival of the transcontinental railroads
would go on to end the vast numbers arriving by wagon. But those who made those
long hard journeys by wagon are the ones responsible for developing a lot of
the cities that still exist today.
6 comments:
Don't forget that I've got some 2018 Wild Rose Press Calendars to give away for those first few commenting here.
I didn't know about the gun shot since that would also make Indians aware of their presence!
My first western romance novel was about a wagon train going west and I loved doing the research. Had one come out last year that went half way to Oregon. I enjoyed your blog because it brought back good memories of my own research. Made me think I might write another book about the trail. Thanks for posting this,
It's amazing all the things we currently take for granted while our ancestors struggled just to survive.
Thanks for your comments. I thought the gunshot for morning wake up was kind of dangerous too, but I suppose there were no alarm clocks back then and some of those trains were long and spread out. Wagon train stories are fun to write. I have one that I need to rework and submit. My family and I love camping but I am not sure 5 to 6 months of this would be for me. Might have to work too hard. LOL! If you guys would like one of the packages I have with a calendar, send an email to kimturnerwrites@att.net
My first western historicals I ever read was called Wagons West by Dana Fuller Ross. I loved it and it ended up a story for every state. I wish I never put them in garage sale when we moved.
Now my favorite genre now is Historical Western Romances.
Thanks for this article.
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