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Wheels West: A Pioneer's Diary
Ask, Feb 2005
In 1835, the land west of the Missouri River was still a wild place to most Americans. Only the Indian tribes of the West and the fur trappers known as mountain men traveled the rough terrain, either on foot or on horseback. Then Marcus Whitman managed to take his family's wagon almost all the way to Oregon, and the mountain men knew more families would follow. "When wheels kin cross the Rockies, then come the settlers," one said as he watched the Whitmans' wagon roll westward. Covered wagons could carry the supplies a family needed to make the five-month journey and start a new home in the West.
Sure enough, in 1843, a thousand pioneers set off from Missouri in covered wagons pulled by oxen or mules. These were the first of many fathers, mothers, and children who would leave their homes to head west along the Oregon Trail. They'd heard that in Oregon it was always spring and that the land was rich and good for farming. But there was a long, hard journey between the settlers and paradise. The wagons were filled with thousands of pounds of food, clothing, cookware, and rifles-as well as luxuries like furniture and pianos, which were often dumped along the trail to lighten the load. In fact, the wagons were so full that there was no room for passengers. Most settlers went "ankle express" instead. Often barefoot, they walked the 2,000 miles to Oregon alongside their wagons, through prairies and over mountains. They faced rain, windstorms, and rattlesnakes, but the biggest dangers were diseases, such as cholera, and getting caught in the mountains in winter, when snow made it impossible to travel.
Despite the hardships, the promise of paradise drew Amelia Stewart Knight, her husband, and their seven children to the trail in 1853. The Knights set out from Monroe County, Iowa, with their wagon, their oxen, and their dog. In her diary, Amelia recorded her adventures walking and rolling the Oregon Trail.
Copyright Carus Publishing Company Feb 2005
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
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