Friday, April 5, 2013

TRAVEL IN THE LATE 1800S - Lena Nelson Dooley

Last month I shared a lot of information with you about Oregon City and Portland, and when I did, I shared about the horse- and mule-drawn trolleys that connected the two cities before the electric trolleys did. As I researched for my three book series, I did research about various kinds of transportation to use in my books.

Since the heroines were born on one of the last wagon trains on the Oregon Trail, I did quite a bit of research about wagon trains. My wagon train was in 1867, near the last of the wagon trains across that trail. Since many trains had passed over the trail, experienced wagon masters knew they had options. Often the man might plan on going one way, but because of circumstances, he took his train on one of the other ways to get to the destination--Oregon Territory or State, according to the date.

The main route used by those on the Oregon Trail went by way of the Dalles. Fur trappers first used this term, which means gutter, for floating down the Columbia River on rafts. This part of the trip was treacherous because of the rocks and rapids they encountered. Later the Barlow Cutoff was a toll road that took the wagon around Mount Hood. Although it was much safer, it also took quite a bit longer.

In my McKenna's Daughters books, I had the wagon train use the Barlow Cutoff, because Lenora McKenna was bedridden in their wagon because of her pregnancy, and the wagon master didn't want to endanger her life more than it already was.

Most wagon trains on the Oregon Trail arrived in Ft. Vancouver, Oregon. However, those using the Barlow Cutoff arrived in Oregon City.

For book one of my series, I had to do a lot of research about railroads. My hero, heroine, and her aunt traveled from Seattle, Washington Territory, to Little Rock, Arkansas. They had to travel south to far northern California, then take another train east. That train took them through several states, over the Continental Divide with a stop in Denver, then on to St. Louis, Missouri. From St. Louis, they took another train southwest to arrive in Little Rock. Researching every stop along the way was interesting as was the way railroads were during that time. I used many tidbits I found to make the trip more interesting.

With book three of the series, the heroine's father owns a steamship line. Of course on land, they mostly traveled by train, but the trip back from Seattle to San Francisco was by steamship, and this trip was pivotal to the story. You can find out a lot about the steamships of the time in this book.

I was thrilled when my publisher's graphic department tied the covers together with pictures of modes of transportation: a train on Maggie's Journey









a trolley on Mary's Blessing,










and a steamship on Catherine's Pursuit.










What is your favorite form of long-distance transportation?

27 comments:

  1. Lena, I enjoyed your post. My favorite form of long-distance transportation? Hmm....a comfortable car. I really enjoy looking out the window, enjoying the world as it goes by. Sometimes the movement of the car lulls me to sleep...but only if I trust who is behind the wheel. :)
    I've never been on a ship, train or plane, so I don't know what that is like. I have been in a helicopter...very cool. God bless.

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    1. I used to love road trips, but the older I get, the less time I like to spend in a car.

      I'v never been on a helicopter, but I'd love to sometime.

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  3. Hi Lena, Had I been born in an earlier time I think I would have enjoyed the wagon train adventures..but now I like the airplanes, so much faster and you are there in no time..no fuss..no muss. vacation time there with your family...
    I had not realized about the covers on those books having different modes of travel, guess I don't pay attention to detail at times.
    thanks for sharing today.
    Paula O(kyflo130@yahoo.com)

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    1. I used to think that I'd like to have been on a wagon train, until I really researched it. It was a very difficult journey, and many people didn't make it all the way.

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  4. We live 2 hours away from an Amtrak station in one direction, or 2 hours to an airport in the opposite direction. So deciding whether to drive to our destination instead and being able to stop along the way is another consideration. Time factor ~ air is quicker, train is longer than driving yourself. Train advantage: overnight arriving mid-day. We live a half-hour away from a bus station. So travel to our daughter in Dallas from our Missouri Ozarks would be 19 hours by bus, 14 hours by train, 8-1/2 hours by car, 3-1/2 hours by plane. All except driving requires parking for auto while in transit so ... after all of this sorting ~ I would leave the driving to my husband! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House

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    1. other benefits ~ he enjoys driving, I enjoy reading and snoozing ~ and stopping at a nice restaurant along the way

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    2. additional benefits ~ stopping at an antique store along the way, I get to browse while he snoozes! Much more fun than a wayside rest area!

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    3. Does your daughter live in Dallas city limits, or in the Dallas area. I live in a suburb of Ft. Worth.

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  5. If I had unlimited time and money, I love my road trips in my big pickup. I would also like to go on a scenic train ride across the country. And then there are the cruise ships, (well,once they get their act together : )

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    1. I think the only line having difficulty is Carnival Cruise Line. I'd love to go on another cruise, just not on Carnival.

      And I think I'd like one of those scenic train rides, maybe across Canada. I understand it's beautiful.

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  6. Enjoyed that post, Lena. Just put me on a plane flown by a sober pilot. Anyone see Flight with Denzel?

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    1. I didn't see that one. I thought I wanted to, but we don't usually go to R rated movies, so we took a pass.

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  7. Lena, your research sounds fascinating and your post was so very interesting. I really enjoyed traveling by motor home for many years as my children were growing up and then later, when it was just my husband and me. Sometimes we took friends or grandchildren with us. I enjoy flying, but not being crammed together in a commercial airplane.

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    1. Actually, James and I have had friends who had motor homes. We did enjoy traveling with them.

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  8. I do want to apologize to all of you for coming so late to the blog.

    Our day started early with a call from a grandson, who needed our help, and with all the other things we needed to do, we didn't get home until a couple of hours ago. I had a lot to catch up with.

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  9. For really long distances, I prefer to fly and get there quicker to enjoy the time I will have at the destination. For shorter trips we prefer driving like from Houston to Norman, Oklahoma to visit our granddaughter and her family. I read or work on my writing on my laptop. Then we find fun places to eat along the way. We always have a Christian music CD playing and a few snacks to make the time go faster.

    I really enjoyed Maggie's Journey and look forward to Mary's Blessing.

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  10. If I'm traveling a long ways, I prefer to fly. I do like driving, though, if my husband is along and he can do most of it. That way I get to take my big body pillow along so that I sleep better. I know you understand how that it. :)

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    1. I certainly do. I used to take an extra suitcase to pack my body pillow in. Now I have a body pillowcase that I take with me and stuff with the hotel's pillows. I got tired of paying such a premium for the extra bag that only had a body pillow in it.

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  11. I hope y'all noticed all the regular monthly giveaways.

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  12. I am late replying but I have to say I am not a great traveller when it comes to long distance so I choose Plane but if it was older form probably a train. Wagon train would have been interesting and I have to say going on a steamer would be interesting.
    I am not the best in a car I get car sick.
    I too the bus from Adelaide to Perth and back twice its around 36 hours that was enough. After that I fly. To think the trip to America will take about 16 and a half hours from Sydney to Dallas and thats less than half the time the bus took!

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    1. Hi Jenny,

      Good to see you here. I'd love to travel in your country. Have dreamed of doing it for years. Maybe someday.

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  13. Is there such a thing as a cruise ship that can take you anywhere? :) I'd take that. LOL! Food, entertainment, bed, all at your beck and call. I am not fond of planes and end up feeling cramped in cars. *sigh* Not much hope for me!

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  14. Although modern travel is safer & more convenient than that of the past - it isn't as hassle-free as it used to be. I wouldn't have enjoyed the dirt, bumpy ride, & indian threat of the wagon train, trains would have been dirty also, & the steamship only somewhat better - as I love the water. Outside of the car - Amtrak & cruise ships would probably be my favorite modes of transportation now.

    bonnieroof60@yahoo.com

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  15. Good evening, Ms. Dooley!! :)

    Always a pleasure to read about the research that you put into your books! I love the tie-in that you have featured with transportation, as ever since I was quite young I've been fascinated by methods of travel! :) Ferries are kinda of clever as they get you out onto the water in a way that you normally cannot visit islands, as I was able to do this off the coast of Seattle in Puget Sound. However, it's the train I took from Seattle to Portland that I fancied the most due to the crossing of the Columbia River Gorge! The scenery on that particular stretch of train tracks is absolutely awe inspiring! I will admit though, that it felt daunting going over that Gorge though! Oy! I used to enjoy plane travel, but traded that in for road trips, because I love the little hidden Americana townes and the random conversations you can have with people you meet whilst you travel by car! :)

    I always felt that travelling by passage on a steamship OR a ship like the Queen Mary would be quite ideal, too! I think the slower time it took to make the passage between the States and England through the North Atlantic gave way to the beauty of enjoying the hours you have onboard and in the conversations you engage in with your fellow passengers. I'm not as keen on regular cruise ships! :( Although, a smaller vessel that could go into the inside passages of Alaska, would be quite tempting!

    Have you ever taken a long journey by train or a commute between two cities, like I did!?

    Jorie

    inkand-blogaways(at)usa.net

    {ps} Yes, I had noticed the giveaways will be continuing which I thought was a lovely bonus to those of us who already settled in as regular readers! :) It's the content of the posts though that have me returning!

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