Saturday, May 28, 2022

Traveling in a Covered Wagon – by Donna Schlachter – with Giveaway




From www.homestead.org

Read all the way through for a chance to win a free book!



In last month’s post, we looked at the kinds of wagons that carried families and their goods west, as well as their designs. We saw that the famous Conestoga wagon wasn’t well-suited for the rough travel across the plains and through the mountains. Still, that didn’t stop some folks from trying.

In this post, we’ll slow down a little and take a glimpse inside the typical wagon that traveled west toward California and Oregon from the 1850s and on through even into the 1920s. Not every family could afford to travel by stagecoach or even the train, and so many wagons continued as their only source of transportation.

In planning a trip of this magnitude—thousands of miles, six months or more on the trail—families had to consider what they’d need along the way; what they’d need once they got where they were going; and what they couldn’t bear to leave behind. In many ways, their questions were similar to what we might ask ourselves today if we decided to move halfway across the country. The major difference was the length of time and the difficulty of travel for them as opposed to us.

Food, of course, was a primary concern. A barrel of flour was a must, since most meals included either bread, biscuits, flapjacks, or some other form of starch. Meat was scarce, as were ways to preserve it so it would last the heat and rain of the journey, so most meat was hunted along the way. Beef jerky was often prepared and stored in burlap sacks.

Coffee, sugar, and baking ingredients, such as baking powder, salt, soda, and spices, were carried in smaller leather or paper sacks, often stored in a chest. Honey might be hidden away. A sack of beans was a staple, and if somebody in the wagon knew about healing, ingredients such as mustard for plasters, milk thistle for fever, and other natural ingredients would be vital in case of illness.

Quilts were a common thing to bring, as they would serve as mattress, cover, a bed under the wagon, and even an extra layer of clothing should the weather turn cold. Oilskins were a treasure for driving in the rain.

Depending on the beasts used to draw the wagon, different foodstuffs might be carried, too. For horses, grain in addition to sweet grass grazed along the way helped keep up their stamina. For oxen or mules, they could survive on foraging.
From dustyoldthing.com 
 
An extra wheel, a spare axle, a set of leathers, and if using horses, spare horseshoes would be stowed in boxes attached to the outside of the wagon. A butter churn hung from a hook at the rear tailgate could make butter in a day. Cook pots, including a dutch oven, coffee pot, and a large boiler, aided the wife in preparing meals. Sometimes, though, if weather was rainy or the wagon train was forced to keep moving, the family ate cold leftovers.

Additional tools, such as shovels, hammers, axes, ropes, and grinding stones were carried in a tool box built under the front seat or attached to the outside of the wagon. A bucket holding lard or grease would hang from a peg on the rear axle, and the hubs would be greased to keep them moving easily and not wearing on the wood.

A water barrel hung from the side of the wagon, or perhaps was kept inside, depending on the size of the family and amount of space. Often it was the younger children’s responsibility to fill this barrel at every available stop. The stock was watered first, then the family. Often water had to be rationed, since sometimes days could pass without seeing a river or lake. Bathing and laundry was limited to local water sources.

Clothing was hung from pegs or hooks suspended from the ribs holding up the canvas cover. Some families included large furniture, such as a rolltop desk, parlor chairs, or even an organ. As you can imagine, many of these pieces were discarded along the way.

 
From dustyoldthing.com

Books were often seen in piles along the trail. Folks would pick up a book from one pile, read it along the way, and discard it a hundred miles along the trail. Mothers often used these books to teach their children, a form of homeschooling, as they traveled.

Stories are often told of a family falling ill with cholera, typhoid, measles, smallpox, and the like. In that case, they’d pull out of the wagon train they were currently in and wait by the side of the trail. Once recovered, they’d join the next train along. Sometimes, if they were found to be sick, they’d be abandoned at the muzzle of a rifle. With few remedies, nobody wanted to be around the sick.

Forts and towns along the way often sold goods and supplies to families, so carrying cash was a necessity. Unfortunately, many emigrants were robbed and killed by trail pirates.

As you can see, traveling west took a great deal of planning, strength, and mental acuity. It’s no wonder there are so many graves along the Oregon, Santa Fe, and California trails. Some estimates are as high as an average of one grave per mile.



Question: what would be one thing you would have to take with you if you traveled west in a covered wagon? Leave a comment, and I’ll draw randomly for a print (US only) or ebook copy of Calli.



About Calli:


Calli works as a nurse with the US Army at Fort Bridger, Wyoming in 1880. When a wagon train full of discouraged emigrants passes through on its way east, a pregnant widow delivers her baby then dies. Bradley Wilson, leading this train, has few options. He asks Calli to travel with them until they find a relative to take the child in St. Joe, Missouri. Calli, drawn to both this dark and quiet man and the child, resists. But when she disappears, he wonders if she’s run away or been kidnapped. Can these two put their pasts behind them and move into a new future together? Or will Calli insist on having things her own way?

https://www.amazon.com/Calli-Prairie-Roses-Collection-Book-ebook/dp/B09SD6XPRQ



About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 50 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both.

www.DonnaSchlachter.com Stay connected so you learn about new releases, preorders, and presales, as well as check out featured authors, book reviews, and a little corner of peace. Plus: Receive a free ebook simply for signing up for our free newsletter!

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog





Resources:

https://dustyoldthing.com/photos-covered-wagon/

https://www.homestead.org/homesteading-history/covered-wagons-heading-west-life-on-the-oregon-trail/


18 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting! Life in a wagon certainly isn't romantic so I don't know why I love reading books set in this setting so much. It's hard to say what I wouldn't be able to live without; I can't help viewing that question with the mindset I have today of holding things lightly. I suppose if I had jewelry or a small thing that a loved parent or someone else special to me had given me I would want to bring that. And quilts, I think, although in that day they were simply necessities. Maybe there were good memories of time spent with other women working on them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Connie, for leaving a comment. I agree -- hold people close, and possessions loosely. It's the memory related to the thing that's important, not the thing. Although I have a couple of things I'd hate to lose.

    ReplyDelete
  3. welcome today. this is a wonderful post. what so many people had to make do with is fascinating. the dreams really were hard on everyone then. The one thing I would bring is my family Bible. It has history of the family as well as what is needed from the Bible as well as a great reading tool

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lori, yes, family Bibles often included records of marriages, births, and deaths, importnat information for genealogists and historians.

      Delete
  4. I'd like to take the wagon train adventure offered out west. It's only for the weekend but would still be fun. A weekend would be all I'd be up for anyway. Thanks for sharing about these brave people. I've already read Laney. I enjoyed the story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I could probably handle a weekend -- although I'd hope for a port-a-loo rather than a hole in the ground :)

      Delete
  5. Even though my item is not a necessity, I'd like to take along a journal and writing tool so I could keep a dairy of my travels.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Susan--yes! So many did. I love reading diaries of folks who actually traveled in those times.

      Delete
  6. Hi Donna, I enjoyed reading about what people took with them in their wagons. I think I'd take paper and pen or maybe a rose bush or something to plant. By the way, I have a 1920 photo of one of my great-grand uncles travelling to Missouri by covered wagon! They were leaving Kansas...fascinating!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Karen, wagon trains continued far longer than we usually expect. Not everybody had train fare, even in the 1920's and 1930's.

      Delete
  7. I found this post very enlightening. I especially enjoyed reading how books were left along the trails for others to read, enjoy, and then leave for someone else. I have to admit I'm a bookaholic. So, the one thing I'd need with me is a book that I could read, then leave for someone else as I choose another. How fun. moma3homeschool(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Michelle, I'm sure they didn't start out with that mindset, but it would seem a trial to pass by a stack of books and not take them aboard.

      Delete
  8. I would have to have my Bible and books

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great post. So much they had to think about. I think I would take my journals & diaries. teshawATsbcglobalDOTnet

    ReplyDelete
  10. Michelle is the winner from my blog post this month. Congratulations! I will contact you by email to arrange delivery.

    ReplyDelete