The Journey As They Saw It / Diaries Along the Oregon Trail

I have found that one of the most accurate ways to learn about the long and perilous journey taken by thousands over the old Oregon Trail is to research the diaires written by the people who made the journey. The diaries represent the pioneer story in the first person. These are hand written accounts, often written on the same day they occurred. Many people traveled west for a variety of reasons. Some to start a new life with free land, escape religious persecution or possibly to find their El Dorado in the gold fields of the west. What is known for sure is that many people wrote diaires, articles and letters describing, often in quite detail, their daily encounters along the trail. Essentially, there was no other way to tell about thier experiences than to keep diaries. The Oregon Trail diaries represent a first hand account of the times.

To offer some perspective of the migration west, there was an estimated 3,000 emigrants who traveled over the Oregon Trail route in 1845 alone. These 3,000 settlers doubled the non-Indian population in the territory. This also tells us something about the Oregon Trail itself. Some refer to the Oregon Trail as if it was one of many. In a way it was and in a much larger way it wasn't. The states we now know as Oregon, Washington, Nevada, California, Utah and Idaho might not have become part of the U.S. if it wasn't for the existence of the Oregon Trail. The Oregon Trail made it possible to cross the mountains. Pioneer life in the mid 1850's wasn't easy. The history books claim that one in ten died along the trail to Oregon. Indians often were portrayed as the pioneers biggest obstacle while on the trail. In reality, the Indains, at least during the earlier years, were often helpful to the emigrant. You'll find that the Indian trouble really began when white settlement took place on lands the Native Americans lived on. The Native Americans didn't appear to be too concerned with people traveling "through" their native lands. Disease was the real deadly problem for the westward emigrant. Cholera and bad sanitation plus the occasional accidental gunshot wounds were the real killers. The pioneer story as told through the diaries and journals tell of both successes and defeats. The one common thread however seems to be the pursuit of a goal.

The very first emigrants believed to have traveled the Oregon Trail in covered wagons were Marcus and Narcissa Whitman in 1836. I've published a story earlier regarding this couple and their tragic demise at the hands of hostile Indians near present day Walla Walla Washington. Real westward migration on the Oregon Trail is thought by historians to have started in 1843. The event was called the "Big Migration of 1843" where up to 1,000 immigrants traveled the trail. This was "the" big trail. If you believe that the Santa Fe Trail won the U.S. the Southwest, then the Oregon Trail could be said to have won the U.S. the Northwest. The Oregon Trail, which had been generally laid out prior to 1840 by fur trappers and traders working for both American and British companies, helped bring about 400,000 Americans westward between 1840 and 1870 when you include the several offshoots to the main trail. The route of the Oregon Trail branched off at several places and some travelers headed southwestward towards California and others turned to the northeast heading to Oregon.

The Pioneer Diaries

When you read the pioneer life diaries that have surfaced over the years from travelers on Oregon Trail, the first thing you might notice are the terms of expression used. In many cases the terms used to describe events are quite different than what someone might employ today. Language and terms have always changed over time and the diaries written by immigrants over 150 years ago are excellent examples. Following are excerpts from diaries of the time.

Following is a diary excerpt from a man named Americus Savage in 1851 after crossing the Missouri River.

12 May 1851 "On the 12th day in the morning I was elected Captain of the company. We had not traveled more than 10 miles when we were stopped by the Pawnee Indians, at a little muddy creek and demanded to pay tolls for crossing a log bridge which they claimed they had built. We knew they were lying to us but for peace with them we gave them a piece of money for each wagon.

From the same diary, a reflection of crossing Sioux territory.

02 Aug 1851 "We met with no serious obstacles to mar our peace and quiet progress until we passed Fort Hall on Snake River, the 2nd day of August. We had now passed through the Souix territory, they were peaceful. We had dispensed with a guard and had a fine time to rest for the Souix chief had told the emigration party they should be protected through his territory, but now we were warned at the fort to keep a strong guard over our lives and property. We camped about four miles from the fort.

Another journal entry by Americus Savage while trying to cross the Deschutes River.

18 Sep 1851 "While crossing the Deschutes River not far above when it empties into the Columbia the current was very swift and water so deep we blocked up our wagon beds about six inches to raise them above the water. As I was always put ahead in every bad place I took the lead without any guide only to judge by the ripple of water as best I could. When about half way across I discovered I was too low down, that the rock was sliding and slippery. I gave my whip a whirl to hit the off ox to make him brace up against the current. My lash flew off the stock and went severl feet up the stream.

Some diary entries were quite short, typically a short note regarding distance traveled and encampments. These are from a man named John Brown who was traveling with his family from Missouri to Oregon in 1852. These excerpts were from May 1852. Notice the word "coloery" that was used which certainly meant cholera and was one of the worst fatal illnesses to hit pioneers while on the trail.

Sunday the 9th we traveled 14 miles past the mision (hear we saw 2 new graves dide of colery)

Monday the 10th we traveled 14 miles and encamped on goos creek (hear. Ross dide of diorioer)

Tuesdav the 11th we traveled 10 and encampped on the littel mimahaw whear we found plenty of wood and water

Wednesdav the 12th we traveled 17 miles and encamped on a prerary hear we had no wood

the 13th we traveled 5 miles and encamped on the big Mimahaw (hear my son tuck the colery about mid day and dide about 10 or 12 oclock that night and was buryed on the right hand of the road on the east side of the creak undr a white oake tree)

the 14th we traveled 8 miles and encamped on a small creek whear we got wood and water Saturday

the 15th we traveled 25 miles and encamped on a creak where we had no wood

The diary excerpts below describe more of the tragic spread of cholera among immigrant parties while on the trail.

Saturday, June 5: Forded over Wood River and passed a company that had the cholera and had buried six in 29 hours. Camped at noon on a slough of Platte River to do our washing. Very cold and rainy.

Sunday, June 6: Chapman's part of the company traveled, though the majority were opposed to it. Camped at 3:00 on a slough of the Platte River. Very sickly here.

Monday, June 7: Traveled 20 miles and camped on a steep ravine 207 miles from Council Bluffs.

Tuesday, June 8: Crossed Elm Creek in the afternoon. Mr. Griswold was taken with cholera, so we camped on Buffalo Creek and did all we could for him.

Wednesday, June 9 Mr. Griswold died at daylight. We buried him at sunrise rolled up in a blanket and buffalo robe. Yoked our teams and drove on. Camped on Platte River.

Thursday, June 10: Traveled 20 miles and saw 50 new graves. Saw many wagons on the south side of the Platte (from St. Joseph). Camped on a spring slough in sight of the river.

Below are excerpts from a longer journal entry. The writer was a young girl by the name of Abigail Jane Scott traveling with her family over the Oregon Trail in 1852. The party was traveling from the Peoria Illinois area to Oregon. This journal entry points out the problem of finding suitable and safe drinking water and also the first sight of the buffalo.

June 8th Made twenty four miles. The day has been quite warm but the South wind kept us all animated and considerably allayed the heat of the sun; We found the roads very sandy in some places but in others we found the roads excellent

We passed eight fresh graves; Hear of considirable sickness in a great many trains; At one time to-day we saw upwards of sixty teams ahead of us besides two large droves of cattle; while behind us as far as we could see others were moving on; The great cause of dierrehea which has proved to be so fatal on the road has been occasioned in most instances by drinking water from holes dug in the river bank and along marshes; Emigrants should be very careful with regard to this especially along this part of the road as the ground is impregnated with alkalit; In some places the ground is covered with this substance; It looks about like ashes and has considerably the same taste only it is a great deal stronger; We are camped again about one half mile from the river on the margin of a little stream; the water is better tasted than any we have seen for some days

We saw three buffaloes this morning; They were coming down the Platte and in a few joments after we first seen them they turned and crossed the river thus eluding pursuit but it gave us an fair opportunity to see them and as they were the first I had seen they excited my curiosity a good deal

Why are the Diaries and Journals Important?

The emigrants on the Oregon Trail and other trails crossed the country a long time ago. When they entered the frontier with their covered wagons and oxen, there were no local newspapers to chronicle their experiences. The newspapers were back east. The Pony Express wasn't created until the early 1860's. There was no reliable way to send a message east unless you happened upon people going in that direction. As a result, the private journals of actual pioneers is what we have to learn their story with any degree of accuracy.

Newspaper accounts of old west events were often sensationalized. There was a reason for that. It was to sell newspapers. Some newspaper stories detailing the exploits of the James and Younger gangs in Missouri were known to be sensationalized. In fact, several old newspapers attributed bank robberies to the gang when in fact they were no where near the crime. This is the big reason why newspaper accounts written after the fact are secondary to the written word (albeit often mispelled) of pioneer diaries and journals. In essence, the journal writer told it as he or she saw it. Many of these journals surfaced years after the fact. Many were handed down from their writers to later generations and others have been discovered by family members by chance. What is true is that if you research the writings from these journals, you will get a very good idea of what it "really" was like traveling perhaps 2,000 miles in a covered wagon.

As a side note, today there are several locations along the old Oregon Trail where the actual wagon ruts can still be viewed. Most of these sites are in national or state parks where historical societies have worked hard to preserve these invaluable artifacts. Two good locations, and there are more, are Guernsey Lake State Park in Wyoming and Rock Creek Station in Nebraska.

(Photos are in public domain)