Old West Wagon Trains - A Trail of Hardships

Quote from an Anonymous Settler writing in the St. Joseph, Missouri GAZETTE

...to enjoy such a trip, a man must be able to endure heat like a Salamander, mud and water like a muskrat, dust like a toad, and labor like a jackass. He must learn to eat with his unwashed fingers, drink out of the same vessel as his mules, sleep on the ground when it rains, and share his blanket with vermin, and have patience with musketoes. It is hardship without glory."

Try to Imagine

Relocating is always stressful. Even today, planning a cross-country move, is no minor feat. There are boxes to be packed, movers to be hired, travel arrangements to be made, along with a never ending list of minor details to be attended to. Now try to compare those to the stresses and hardships faced by our great grandparents traveling westward on wagon trains 150 years ago. The enormity of the task was monumental and almost unimaginable by our modern day standards.

For many people, the vastness of the North American continent is only vaguely understood. Today, there are few places where modern man can look to the horizon - in every direction - and see nothing but grass. No trees. No houses. No crops. No people. No Stuckey's, no Wal-Marts, no MacDonald's. Try to imagine standing in such vast isolation. Now think about spending weeks crossing it at a rate of two miles per hour, with practically nonexistent amenities, and a multitude of extreme challenges such as harsh weather, disease, accidents, rivers to ford, mountains to climb, and Indians to contend with. No wonder few if any of today's pampered Americans would ever complete this trip.

If we take a closer look at what our fore fathers endured, and get a better idea of the enormity of their endeavor, we can better understand what our American heritage means.

Preparations

Homesteaders making preparations to travel westward in the mid 1880s had to bid farewell to family and friends who they would often never see again, and procure supplies that would last not only for the long journey ahead, but for the first few months in their new home. Many families had to save for years to afford the trip, and had to sell off their lands, household goods and furnishings, and heirlooms to finance the journey.

Homesteaders had to pack all the essentials for life on the trail into the confined space of their wagons. They packed utensils for cooking, often limiting themselves to a skillet, a coffee pot, tin plates and cups, a camp stove, and a few sets of flatware. They had to carry the vast majority of their food and basic staples which included flour, bacon, sugar, coffee, tea, dried fruit, corn meal, and rice.

Also crucial to any overland journey was a rifle, pistols, powder, and lead, used both for hunting and for self defense. Typically homesteaders would pack two or three changes of durable, warm clothing, as well as blankets and rubber mats for camping. Because of the roughness of the trail and the length of the journey, spare wagon parts - such as spokes, axles, and wheels - were often slung under the wagon, while water buckets and water barrels were strapped to its sides. Some attempted to bring along milk cows and chickens, though the chickens were quickly eaten and the cows usually died of thirst or malnutrition along the way.

The Trip Begins

Most all westward journeys began in the spring, when there was sufficient grass on the trail to support grazing, and ample time to cross the mountainous areas before the winter snows began. Homesteaders would hit the trail carrying about 2,500 pounds of freight in their ox-drawn prairie schooners. Once on the trail, the wagons were so full, that they only traveled at the rate of about two miles per hour. Wagon trains would only expect to travel 12 to 20 miles a day, under the best conditions. In the immense open spaces of the Great Plains, this frequently meant that settlers stopped for the night within sight of their previous day's campsite. In poor conditions, such as when the ground was muddy or when there were rivers to cross, they might toil all day to progress less than a few miles.

Weather

Weather was one of the greatest hardships that the westward wagons faced. There is nothing gentle about weather on the prairie. A summer rain can mean a sudden deluge and 50 miles per hour winds. Lightning strikes can be potentially deadly on the open plains when you are the tallest thing for miles in all directions. Think of how frightening a tornado would be with absolutely no place to seek protection. Summer would mean blinding heat, which could build to well over 100 degrees.

As if all this was not enough the hardships of the winter could be even worse. Winters on the open plains bring frigid temperatures and howling winds. The mountains offered no quarter as the snows often piled to unpassable depths. Many a wagon train never made it through the mountains if they were caught there during a winter storm.

Rivers and Streams

The trails of the 1800's had many rivers and streams, and there were no bridges. Fording rivers were particularly dangerous for wagon trains. On many rivers, the only way to cross was to "drive through and hope for the best". On other occasions when the water was to swift pioneers just had to wait for the river to go down. When the rivers were at an acceptable level, the settlers secured their supplies, caulked their wagons, and attempted crossing. This process could be extremely time-consuming for wagon trains, since each team and wagon had to be taken across one at a time to prevent them from becoming entangled. At deeper and more swiftly flowing rivers settlers were forced to build rafts to carry their wagons over the water.

Accidents

Accidents with draft animals were a common place mishap while traveling. Although the oxen moved slowly, they were very large and very heavy, and there was no way to quickly stop them. Many women were injured when their long skirts got caught up on the wheels and dragged them under the wagon. There too are unhappy tales of children, thought to be safe in the wagon, that toppled over the gate and fell to their death beneath the rear wheels.

Accidents with firearms proved to be another peril for wagon trains. In reality, few settlers where proficient with guns. Yet, the necessity to shoot game and protect the wagons and livestock made it mandatory for everyone to handle firearms. Lack of rudimentary safety precautions and shooting skills proved fatal for many a pioneer.

Disease

Disease proved to be the biggest killer of pioneers in the journey westward. Smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis, diphtheria, typhoid, "mountain fever", and scurvy, frequently struck down settlers, who rarely had any medical expertise. In the harsh conditions that existed on the trail, these sicknesses often resulted in death particularly to young children. It was not uncommon for pioneers to have to bury two or more children while crossing the continent.

Indians

Contrary to popular belief, while in transit, Indians were among the least of the settlers' problems. While there are cases of Indian attacks on wagon trains, the majority of settlers made their journeys without incidents involving Indians. However, tales of the Indians' conduct, and the horror stories that sprang up around them, fueled many settlers' sense of dread and foreboding. They often carried startlingly large arsenals of weaponry to fend off Indians, but far more settlers died from the mishandling of their own firearms than from actual attacks.

Conclusion

When viewed in retrospect, it is safe to say that few, if any Americans today would even consider embarking on such a journey as our fore fathers endured to open the old west frontiers and seek out a better life. It's the sacrifices that they made that makes this country great, and we should each pause a moment to pay tribute.