by Jesse Wiley
In the next few months, you receive a letter from Mr. Southworth, and keep in regular contact with him afterward. Some time later, he writes to tell you that he’s earned his and his mother’s freedom—not by solely mining in the gold fields, but also by playing his fiddle! You’re overjoyed. Not only that, but he’s become the first African American man to serve in the Oregon militia. He comes to visit your family before heading back north to Eureka to play his fiddle in the gold camps there.
In the end, your journey has been long and arduous, but rewarding all the same. You can’t be more excited for your new life in Sacramento. Congratulations! You’ve completed your journey on the Oregon–California Trail!
THE END
Return to page 118
Guide
to the Trail
THE OREGON-CALIFORNIA TRAIL
You are about to embark on a historic journey just like 400,000 pioneers who traveled between 1841 and 1870. You are headed west to seek your fortune during the Gold Rush. The trek is two thousand miles (3,220 kilometers) along the Oregon–California Trail. Everything you need is tightly packed into a covered wagon. Along the way you’ll see majestic landscapes, meet new friends, and experience adventure and danger that will challenge you like never before.
GO WEST
Making the long and often dangerous trek will take all of your grit, smarts, and skill. You’ll rely on your wagon train community as well. Keep on the lookout for bad weather, overflowing rivers, and bandits looking to rob pioneers along the Trail. Rest when you need to. Listen to your fellow pioneers, but trust your instincts. Don’t take cutoffs unless you’ve done your research and know exactly where they lead. Stick to the Trail and stay well-stocked on food and water. Preparation is key.
Your days will start as early as four in the morning, with breakfast, chores, and loading your wagon. A seven a.m. bugle means it’s time to start the long day’s journey. The wagon train will roll along until six p.m., except for an hour’s lunch and rest time, called “nooning.”
At the end of the day in a corral, you unload your wagon, set up camp, take care of your livestock, and cook dinner. If you can’t find firewood or kindling, you can burn dried patties of buffalo dung called “buffalo chips.” Around the campfire you can tell stories, get to know your fellow pioneers, and listen to music.
PACK YOUR WAGON
Your ten-foot-long covered wagon will carry your supplies and the items you need for your new life. There won’t be room to ride in the wagon, so you’ll walk alongside it. Choose carefully, and pack only what is most important. Don’t overload your wagon!
You will need two hundred pounds of food per person for the journey: mainly flour, bacon, sugar, cornmeal, fat, beans, rice, vinegar, baking soda, and citric acid.
Don’t forget essential building, gold-mining, and wagon-repair tools, such as additional wagon wheels and axles. Caulk your wagon with tar when crossing rivers, and oil the wagon canvas to keep out the rain. You should also take camping gear such as a tent, bedding, kitchen utensils, matches, and candles, as well as useful things such as rope, a rifle for hunting wild game, animal traps, and a medicinal kit.
Avoid the temptation to take luxury items, such as fancy foods, heavy furniture, or dressy clothes. Finally, it’s important to buy a team of six slow but sturdy oxen to pull your wagon.
Spend your money wisely. You don’t want to use it all before you get to your destination of either California or Oregon. Sometimes you might need to pay for repairs or for more food. Buy only the bare minimum when needed. You don’t want to reach your new life completely broke!
JOIN A WAGON TRAIN
Pioneers will band together into wagon trains, which are groups of wagons traveling together. Smaller groups are more manageable, but if you’re traveling with a larger group, be sure to keep everyone together at all costs. The advantages of larger wagon trains include safety in numbers, helping each other with skills, and hunting together. There are many dangers on the Trail, so a larger wagon train will likely mean better chances of survival and success.
It is the wagon train captain’s job to decide when the wagons start in the morning, when they finish at night, and when to stop for lunch. The captain also assigns guards and decides what order the wagons travel in. No one wants to always travel at the end, breathing in the dust from the other wagons, so you will all take turns.
MEET REAL PIONEERS
You just might meet these real-life pioneers on the Trail.
JAMES [JIM] BECKWOURTH
[1798–1866 or 1867]
James, or Jim, Beckwourth was an African American pioneer, explorer, trail guide, fur trapper, rancher, and mountain man. Known for fantastic and illustrative tales of his time in the West, Jim Beckwourth had his life story published in The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth: Mountaineer, Scout and Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation (1856).
The son of his owner and an enslaved woman, Jim Beckwourth was freed by his master. Making his fortune as a wrangler and fur trapper, he claimed to have been adopted by the chief of the Crow Nation. He married the chief’s daughter and remained with the tribe for several years.
In 1851, he led a group of pioneers along a former Indigenous trail. Named the Beckwourth Trail, this alternate route boasted a low incline and smoother roadways than the well-known Carson Route. It led to Marysville, a town that renamed their largest park after him more than a hundred years later in the 1990s. Beckwourth died in Denver, Colorado Territory-present-day Denver, Colorado—at sixty-seven or sixty-eight years old. The exact year of his passing is unknown.
JOHN BIDWELL
[1819–1900]
John Bidwell was an American pioneer whose family came from England during the Colonial era. He was a soldier, gold miner, U.S. congressman, and was most famous for helping lead the first organized wagon train of the Bidwell-Bartleson party from Missouri to California.
In 1841, he and a portion of the wagon train split off for California as opposed to continuing on the well-known Oregon Trail. With only vague directions, he led everyone across the Great Basin Desert into California, where he settled at Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento and became very successful during the Gold Rush. From his purchase of Rancho Chico, he eventually founded the city of Chico, California.
He was known to work alongside the Indigenous people in the area and treat them with respect rather than hostility, as many others did during the fever of the Gold Rush. His wife, Annie, also held deep moral convictions, and was a fierce advocate for Indigenous rights, as well as being a suffragette. Although he put in an unsuccessful bid for president, he and his wife remained well-known figures in the community and longtime friends to the Indigenous tribes in the area.
LOUIS A. SOUTHWORTH [1829–1917]
In the collection of the Benton County Historical Society Museum
Louis Southworth was an African American pioneer, soldier, gold miner, and fiddler who bought his freedom by playing the fiddle in gold-mining camps across Oregon and California. He was born to Louis and Pauline Hunter, who were enslaved by James Southworth, and traveled with his mother and Southworth to Missouri when he was four years old.
In 1851, he and his mother continued on with Southworth along the Oregon Trail to Oregon, where Louis tried mining for gold to earn his freedom. Instead, he found that by playing fiddle in the gold mining camps, he made much more money. He traveled down to Northern California and finally earned his freedom with his fiddle.
After eventually returning back to Oregon, he got married to a woman named Maria Cooper, adopted a West African child named Alvin McCleary, and became the first African American man to join the Oregon militia. He settled down in Corvallis, Oregon, to become a farmer and beloved member of the Corvallis community. He passed away at eighty-six years old, a famous pioneer and Oregon legend.
Dangers!
DEHYDRATION
On the Oregon–California Trail, crossing the desert presents great dangers of dehydration, even if y
ou’re near water. Make sure to stock up on clean water, to drink as often as possible, and watch for signs of dehydration: nausea, dizziness, and severe headache. Try to keep out of the sun, if possible. Travel at night, if necessary.
DIFFICULT TERRAIN
Along the Oregon and California Trails you’ll encounter some of the most challenging terrain in all of the United States. You’ll have to ford rivers, cross the over seemingly endless desert sands of the Great Basin, make your way through desert river canyons, and much, much more. Be sure to be adequately prepared with enough food and water. Hunt when you can, and always stop for water when you find it.
BAD WEATHER
You will be passing through all different climates on the Oregon–California Trail. Sudden thunderstorms, hail, and traversing through the desert can damage wagons, destroy food and livestock, and result in sickness and death if you’re not properly prepared. Keep additional wagon wheels and axles on hand for repair. Stay well-stocked on food and water and ration carefully.
SICKNESS
Cholera and dysentery are deadly diseases on the Trail that can kill a person within a day. Highly contagious and contracted by drinking unclean water or eating uncooked food, cholera was the main cause of death on the Trail. Symptoms are shaking, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting, and usually death. Cook your food thoroughly and boil drinking water—or drink coffee, which will boil your water anyway.
DISHONEST PEOPLE
The Trail is riddled with bandits and people wanting to take advantage of pioneers who are headed out for the Gold Rush. Be sure to listen to those trusted people around you, stay on your guard both day and night, and remain cautious along the Trail.
CROSSING RIVERS
Crossing rivers can be difficult for heavy wagons filled with supplies. While expensive, sometimes paying to cross a ferry or a toll bridge might save your wagon train from being destroyed by a river that’s too dangerous. Make sure the river is low if you’re going to ford it, and have tar buckets on hand to caulk the wagon cracks.
Finding Your Way
In 1851, once you leave Independence, Missouri, you are striking out into the open wilderness of the Great Plains and southwest desert terrain. There are very few settlements along the way, with no roads or towns. The United States comprises thirty-one states and busy cities and towns back East, but out West, you’ll have to cross territories and Indigenous lands by using a map of the Trail and looking for famous landmarks listed here in the Guide to the Trail.
Ask for help and advice whenever you can. At settlements and forts along the way, often trail guides and friendly locals can provide good advice, especially if there are unknown dangers or bad weather up ahead.
Look for these landmarks between Missouri and Oregon City:
DISTANCE FROM INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI:
FORT LARAMIE: 650 miles (1,046 km)
FORT HALL: 1,217 miles (1,959 km)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: 1,720 miles (2,768 km)
OREGON CITY, OREGON: 2,000 miles (3,220 km)
Bibliography
Baldwin, Peggy. “Louis Southworth (1829–1917).” The Oregon Encyclopedia, last modified March 17, 2018. oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/southworth_louis_1829_1917_/#.W5fLiehKiUl.
“Beckwourth Trail.” Trails West, accessed September 10, 2018. emigranttrailswest.org/virtual-tour/under-construction.
“Jim Beckworth.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, accessed September 10, 2018. www.britannica.com/biography/Jim-Beckwourth.
“James Pierson Beckwourth: African American Mountain Man, Fur Trader, Explorer.” Colorado Virtual Library, accessed September 10, 2018. www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/digital-colorado/colorado-histories/beginnings/james-pierson-beckwourth-african-american-mountain-man-fur-trader-explorer.
“John & Annie.” Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park, accessed September 10, 2018. http://bidwellmansionpark.com/history/john-annie.
“John Bidwell.” Oregon–California Trails Association, accessed September 10, 2018. www.octa-trails.org/emigrant-profiles/john-bidwell.
“Louis (Lewis) Alexander Southworth.” Oregon Secretary of State, accessed September 10, 2018. sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/black-history/Pages/families/southworth.aspx.
“Louis Southworth, an Oregon pioneer.” African American Registry, accessed September 10, 2018. aaregistry.org/story/louis-southworth-an-oregon-pioneer.
Williams, Vivian T. “Lou Southworth, Pioneer Oregon Fiddler.” Old-Time Herald, accessed September 10, 2018. www.oldtimeherald.org/archive/back_issues/volume-11/11-10/southworth.html.
It’s a humid morning in Jacksonville. You and your family have always been early risers, being farmers, but today you wake up before everyone else.
You didn’t sleep a wink; you’re too excited and nervous! Today you head West, where there’s farmland, opportunity, and the chance to start a new life. It’s getting really crowded in Jacksonville, and your family is struggling to keep its farm business successful with all the competition. Plus, the hot and sticky weather in Florida is wearing on you. Maybe there won’t be as many bugs in Oregon Territory.
Your parents already sold your farm and homestead to pay for the long trek, so you’re staying at an inn on the edge of town. After a hearty breakfast, your family piles into your farm wagon to start for Atlanta. You plan to buy a covered wagon, or prairie schooner, in Saint Louis. You’ve got your livestock in tow. Betty and Billy are your favorites—they’re goats that don’t get along with each other, but they are friendly to you.
Your older sister, Emma, hops into the farm wagon next to Ma and baby Jaime. A goat snaps at her dress.
“Ugh!” Emma tugs at her skirt. “I don’t understand why we had to sell my favorite mirror and keep that thing!”
You grin. You and Emma fight even worse than the goats. She’s just turned seventeen and cares only about reading and fancy dresses.
“Children, please behave.” Ma holds Jaime in her arms.
Pa hitches the horses and climbs up into the front seat. “To Atlanta!” He slaps the reins. Your sheepdog, Dash, barks at the sharp sound and races around your small flock of sheep.
You cross into Georgia a few days later, make your way through several small towns, and ferry across the winding Ocmulgee River. Pa pulls in the reins, and you rest for a while in the town of Macon. There’s less swampland than in Florida, the trees are taller, and it’s chilly at night.
How cold will it get on the Oregon Trail?
* * *
You reach the sprawling southern city of Atlanta about a week after leaving Jacksonville. You’re traveling at a much slower pace than you expected. You need to reach Independence, Missouri, in early May—but you’re already off to a late start.
In Atlanta, you restock on food at Matt’s General Store. There’s another family buying goods; they recommend a lot of blankets and coats.
“Word has it, this year’s gonna be a chiller!” A man with a handlebar mustache leans against the counter.
The trip West is expensive; you’ve got to save money for the covered wagon and oxen. You hold off buying more blankets, at least for now.
As you leave the bustling city, cotton fluff floats through the air. The cold wind picks up. You shudder in your light jacket.
You turn to Emma. “It’s hard to imagine not being hot and sweaty all the time.”
Emma sighs. “That’s just because you’re always running around in the swamplands.”
You wish Emma weren’t such a stick-in-the-mud. Right then you notice an odd-looking tree—as if it has a large grin—smiling at you. A good omen for the journey ahead, you think.
As the day drags on, clouds blanket the sky. Your wagon winds through a thick wood. Hours later, you open your eyes to look at the landscape. You see the smiling tree again.
“Pa?” You sit up straight. “I’ve seen that craggy oak before.”
Pa sighs and stops the wagon. “Yep—me too.”
“So what are you saying?” Ma cradles Jaime.
&nb
sp; Pa looks around. “I’m saying we’re very, very lost.”
Emma looks up from reading Pride and Prejudice and rolls her eyes.
After wandering around for another few hours, you set up camp for the night. A small stream trickles nearby. The wind howls through the trees. You shiver and wrap another blanket around you. You didn’t think it could get this cold in the South.
You can’t wait to join a wagon train once you’re in Independence. It’s dark and lonely in the woods—you hope you’re not lost forever. With no one else around, you feel especially vulnerable. You start to worry. You’ve heard stories from townspeople about bandits robbing families.
Then you see a faint campfire through the brush. Someone else camped nearby.