Fifth Graders Head West 2003

Pa says that we are going to Oregon. My Uncle Joe says that the money we get for farming here has dropped a lot. Pa is going to get supplies before everyone starts heading west. Jordon my brother is gonna buy a knife in case he is in danger. My Ma says I gotta walk a lot of the trail. Pa is going to get supplies in for days. We are gonna get four mules and a horse. I want to ride the horse but Uncle Joe is going to let it walk free until we need to use it. …Chase

My name is Jake and this is my journal. Today M and Pa told me we are going to go to Oregon. They said we're going because the farm prices are down. I want to go for adventure. My brothers and sisters don't even want to go. But Ma and Pa told them it's an offer we can't give up. There's free land and good farming soil. I think they changed their mind because they already started packing. …Jake

Dear Journal, Papa has made the decision to go to west for Oregon. I don't know about it, but my sisters don't like it. Me being the smallest one in the family they never talk to me much. Going on the trail is very dangerous. The said I have to walk as far as I can, course--I can walk pretty far. Papa said we are to leave in about a week. …Gus

Today I heard from my cousin Marion. She wrote me a very nice letter that went something like this: "Dear Katie, The Santa Fe trail wasn't easy!! The wagon shook horribly. Even if it wasn't a very nice ride the sites were wonderful. I'm thinking about going again when I get older. The man that leads our wagon snores all night. I saw a big spider called a tarantula. Every night I have to collect the fuel for the fire. We call them buffalo chips. Some advice, try to walk as much as you can. From Marion". Marion made me think about things. Things like if I really wanted to go on the trail. …Katie

Pa said once in a while I can sit up front by the cows and donkeys. I might take a while to get used to the new place. Will they have a school? I hope I have friends and have them come over for dinner. We all hope to get farm land right away, so we can get some money. Ma said she's going to have baby. We all decided little C.C. will be the name. …Joslyn

Dear Journal, after a week's worth of packing we were ready to go. At first it was kind of hard. At sundown we stopped for the night. Me, my mother and Aunt all slept in the wagon, and my father and uncle slept under the wagon. I stayed up later than usual that night. Things were racing through my mind like bullets. We woke up early the next morning to get a good start. We latched up the mules and were ready to go. I knew there were a lot of dangers on the trail. Not yet have we encountered any. …Katlyn

Today I had to make a fire. It was pretty hard because there was no wood. I had to collect tons of buffalo chips so we could make the fire every time I find a buffalo chip I kick it and then pick it up because sometimes there are baby rattle snakes, scorpions, and turanchulas under chips. I would rather start the fire than collect the buffalo chips. …Chase

Oregon Index Page // April 15. 2003

Dear Journal, It will be a long day. I am going on the Oregon Trail because my family and I are against slavery. Also because of farm prices going down. We have had a hard time getting money. We are hoping to make a better profit and no more slavery. Pa said it would be 2000 miles. Ma, Josh, Justen and me have to walk almost all the way> …Joslyn

With $800 in hand we had to buy a wagon, 2 oxen, 400 pounds of food, guns, ammo, and more. So we started buying. By late morning we had it all. The most important part of my life also happened today, we headed out. It was very bumpy in the 10-foot wagon. My brother, my sisters, and me were frightened, not knowing how our lives would change ….Jake

For months my family has been talking about going to Oregon. Today we loaded our wagon with food and clothing. When we went to the market it was filled with food, ammo, clothes, animals, and spare wagon parts. We bought medicine and all the stuff my father was pointing out. We bought a large farm wagon from the wagon store. I'm a little nervous about this expense but it will be very exciting. …Katie

We usually get up around 4 O'clock and start packing. My job is to kindle the fire. We are running out of wood so the girls have to collect buffalo chips to make a fire. After the fire is started the women start cooking. After I start the fire I help the men in harnising the oxen to the wagons and pack all the things back in the wagon. …Joe F.

It was a new day. The guards shot their guns to wake all the people. It was tiring to wake up before the sun would rise. The mules were hooked up to start pulling. I felt bad for them with all their fur. On our way we happened to hit some bumps giving the wagon a slight tilt. For most of the day I lay silent in the wagon and played with my doll. At certain times I looked up at Mama and the driver. Mama keeps on Knitting. I lay back down and fall asleep. At least when I fall asleep it gets through the hours. When the sun went down we made camp . Getting out of the wagon felt good. Before I go to bed I play leap frog with my friends. Now the sun is gon so I lay in my corner of the wagon. Before I fall asleep I think about what Mama said, "It's not all fun and games." I over listened to Mama earlier say things about a sickness that may kill someone. Then I was frightened. Well I am tired now. …Ashley H.

I heard from my cousin Marion. She has been on the Santa Fe Trail a lot of times. She said it wouldn't be easy and there are some things you have to consider that people may die and babies will be born on the trail. …Joe F.

This morning was damp and wet. Around noon it was so hot I wanted to dunk my head in the rain barrel. The word was around that another person died. The name was Kathy. She was only five years old. She was sitting on the tongue of the wagon. We crossed the Weel River and I just wanted to jump in a drink it, but papa said it was poisiness. …Joslyn

We have been on the trail for at least eighteen days now. We get up at four and walk the whole day. Today we saw a rattle snake. One afternoon one of the men got bit. We threw rocks at it until it cased us. Papa, at night, went to hunt buffalo and he brought back three of them The meat is good and chewy too. …Gus