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The Road to Oregon:
The Harsh Realities of Danger and Death
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"When you mention the words "Oregon Trail," the first thing I think about is the Game, for sure. I really liked building a raft to get along some body of water. And I learned that typhoid fever can kill you on the Trail."
-Nick, Junior
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The Raw and Deadly Truth
The pioneers, missionaries, home-seeker and industrious founders of the western empire encountered death, disease, broken wagons, buffalo stampedes, attacks by Native Americans and the unreasonable hysteria and fear that followed were just a few of challenges of the Trail. The raw truth of the Trail were told in journal entries as well as in the form of advice found in guidebooks written for the sole purpose of preparing the amateur pioneer for the complexity and unexpectedness of the journey [1].
Oregon Dept of Transporatioon
egov.oregon.gov/images/Oregon_Trail/raft.jpg
Advice From Captain R.B. Marcy in The Prairie Traveler
Captain Marcy's guidebooks appeared in 1859 and offered the following advice:
“Wagons should be simple, strong and light, and of well seasoned timber. To avoid shrinking of wheels and loosening of tires in the hot and dry regions farther to the west, Osage orange should be used. The bolts and coupling pins attaching the bed to the running gear must be removable so that the wagon could, when necessary, be transformed into a cart, or in crossing flooded streams be used for a boat. Under certain conditions, mules are preferred over oxen. They are more expensive; six mule would cost $600 while eight oxen could be had for only $200. With good road and plenty of grain the mules travel faster and better endure heat. For longer journeys, over rough sandy or muddy roads, young oxen are preferable. They hold out better against the prolonged strain; they are, in the long run equally good time with the mules; they were less likely to be stampeded by Indians and they were always available for beef. One could travel for 150 miles from the Missouri through settled country where grain could be obtained at low prices. On the basis of an assumed 110 days journey from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean, an allowance for each adult of 150 pounds of flour, twenty five pounds of bacon or pork, supplemented by beef driven on the hoof; fifteen pounds of coffee and twenty-five of sugar, with a proper supply of such seasonings as salt and pepper. Pemmican, a preparation which the trappers learned from the Indians, is buffalo meat, dried and powdered, placed in a hide bag ad covered with melted grease. It keeps well and is highly nutritious.”
Dangerous Buffalo and Disease
The herds of Buffalo never seized to amaze the pioneers. However, the dangers of a stampede was a real threat that numerous journal entries recorded. Despite the danger, the awe and eager attitudes of the hunters sought the buffalo for its delicious meat. Buffalo meat was their staple food, but was not an easy task. The movement of buffalo was hard to calculate and dangerous [1].
When it rained, the fabric was too frail to keep the water out of the wagon and drenched every person and thing in the wagon bed [1]. Whirling dust clouds made it impossible to dry the garments that hung to be cleaned from the dirt that they would just re-accumulate. The deaths due to diseases such as cholera were by the thousands in 1849, 1850 and 1852 [1]. Accidental deaths cause by carelessness and leaving cocked rifles in wagons also surmounted to the discomfort and difficulties of the travel [1].
Despite it all, many boys and men defend the journey as an amazing passage into manhood that challenged adventurous youth and gave them immense opportunities to explore the exhilarating world of nature and freedom. Owning a rifle for the first time and learning how to hunt to contribute to his family’s livelihood placed profound self-worth on young men at the time.
For Those Who Made it
The Oregon Trail stands out amongst other western trails as the Trial of the home-seeker. Despite its great natural difficulties including deep rivers, harsh weather, and its immense length, emigrants from all parts of the Nation traveled the Oregon Trail [1]. A combination of an adventurous spirit of exploration and an escapist mentality of an impoverished life were motives to take on America’s greatest trail. Coincided with this journey westward was manifest destiny, a developing national philosophy represented in the economic expansion, cultural mentality and social expressions of this time. It would be through this ideology that would give rise to the railroads, stage coache transportation, the Pony express, the march into the Mormon capital, as well as the constant flow of emigrants still marching westwards abroad wagons [1]. Understanding the Oregon Trail ties together vital moments in American history such as western modernization, the completion of the Union Pacific and telegraph systems, and the California/Nevada gold rushes. These specific elements of American history surround the Oregon Trail.
Work Cited:
[1] Ghent, W.J. The Road to Oregon: A Chronicle of the Great Emigrant Trail.
Longmans, Green and CO. London: 1929.
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