[This is the story of three brothers of my great-great grandmother who went to California for the Gold Rush and back again. It was published in four parts in the Weldon (Illinois) Record in 1905. It is an amalgam of reminiscences of all three brothers, not of any particular one. The copy I have was typed by someone, probably my grandmother, from the original – there are some obvious transcription mistakes, others could have been in the original. I have made some comments and obvious corrections in square brackets.]
I kept no diary in crossing the plains, or while I remained in California on the way back; but I think I can remember most of the important points. At that time I thought this would be the most eventful part of my life, but one thing has followed another in quick succession ‘till now, I am almost at the end of the row and still there is something to tackle almost continually that comes up unexpectedly.
Three brothers, Jonathan H. [1824-1910], Mark D. [1826-1908], and John N. [1827-1906] Manlove (age 25, 23, 22 years respectively,) are the party starting overland for gold to California in ’49. This entire sketch was not written by one, but some from each for their niece Addie A. Borum [1859-1938, daughter of my great-great grandmother’s sister, Ann].
First part of the journey
We left [Shawnee] Mound, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, the last of March in a wagon, took a steamboat [to] Attica on the Wabash, and went to Evansville then changed to another boat and went to St. Louis, stayed there a week or two, met an old friend, Rufus Leet, who was making up a company to cross the plains. We bought four mules and outfit. We went up the Missouri River by boat which had many mishaps, but were safely landed at St.Joe. As it was [too] early to start across the plains, we camped there several weeks.
St. Louis in 1850
St. Joe was a lively town that year; there were hundreds of people camped there a month, before the grass was good on the plains. There were all kinds of people from all parts of the country – gamblers, thieves and a few honest men. Large droves of mules were landed there and all manner of outfitting material for the plains. Old trappers, Indian traders, and fighters were there. You would hear the plains talked morning, noon and night. A great many went back from here. Some became discouraged over the prospect of a hard trip. Some got drunk and fooled away their money. Some went back to their sweethearts.
St. Joe in 1858 — painting by Hermann Meyer
There were some companies that had been made up in eastern cities, that had not been used to handling horses and breaking mules. We were often amused watching them. It was better than a theatre. I recollect one company in particular that had been made up in Cincinnati. They each paid in three hundred dollars, and three men were to take the money, manage the whole affair, pay all bills, and have whatever was left for their trouble. They bought a boatload of unbroken mules, then quarreled. The company broke up, most of them lost their money. People never fully know each other until they have lived in camp together.
Finally the time came to start – May tenth, there were three brothers of us, our wagon, and three men from St. Louis, splendid good fellows; they had a first class outfit so we started together. They were loaded [too] heavy, couldn’t handle their team very well, so they stuck in the mud at almost every slough. We helped them out the best we could. At night we were only four miles on our journey. The second was little better and in the afternoon they let their team break the wagon and stuck in the mud. They told us to go on and they would give up and not go to California. We went on along up the [north] side of the Missouri to Savannah, landing [forty] miles below Council Bluffs, Iowa. We crossed the river on a good ferry. From there on we were in the “Red Mans Country,” and had to watch our mules continually to keep the Indians from stealing them.
Fifty miles out we joined a company we had arranged to go with; they had started at another point on the frontier. It was now May 17th, here we took into our mess Harvey [O’Melveny] of southern Illinois, of much notoriety in the sixties. [At one point, after returning to Illinois, he was a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat vacated when Stephen A. Douglas died, but lost in the Democratic caucus by two votes.]
There were four of us to one wagon. We had made the mistake that nearly everybody had made that year – of taking twice as much as was needed, and many things we did not need. We were now in company of fifty or sixty men. We organized by electing a captain and started promptly next morning. The roads were bad.
After we had been out about a week, there came a violent storm at night, blew down the tents, wet everything. Next morning the thermometer was down to freezing. The wind blew at the rate of thirty miles an hour; no wood in camp, no timber in sight, no wind brakes, the mules and horses were almost chilled to death. They were so cold they would not eat. Many long faces, and no comforts in camp. [Six] of us volunteered to go after wood on foot, six miles to a cedar canyon, got back to camp about two in the afternoon, each of us carrying a big load of dry cedar. The wind had slackened and we fixed a windbrake, built a big fire, had a good dinner, all got dry and all felt better.
Next morning we started off in good shape and good spirits. About ten o’clock we came to a stream too small to be printed in the guide book, but the first team that tried to cross had two drowned and we pulled the others out, and that afternoon we were able to cross, the stream having subsided. We then traveled up Platte river on the south side. The bottoms are from one to ten miles wide, and level as a floor. The river is wide, swift, and very muddy. The water seemed to be full of moving sand. We were then in sight of Chimney Rock [in western Nebraska]. That evening a lone buffalo came across the river in sight of camp. Some of the boys chased him around a few miles, and killed him close to camp.
Chimney Rock, Nebraska
Game was plentiful, saw antelope and wolves every day. The Pawnee Indians had a village near the river. They built the best winter quarters of any Indians on the plains. There was a [pattern?] of cornstalks here, that was the only sign of Indian farming that we saw on the whole trip. The Pawnees were hiding from a large number of Sioux warriors who were scouring the country, and bragging they were going to kill all the Pawnees that were left. These tribes were always enemies but both claimed friendship to the whites. Some of our company found a young Pawnee, who was nearly starved. They tried to feed it but it would not eat, and tried to get away all the time, as a wild animal would do.
Chimney Rock was several miles south of the road, when we were opposite it. Several of us went out one morning to see it. It is composed of soft rock seams or cracks down the sides. It had once been a mountain peak that seems to have raised out of the plains, and having tumbled away leaving the center standing.
By hard traveling we reached camp that night. Some men from an Iowa camp went out also, as they were almost to camp on their return, a storm came up. They thought it a summer shower, one man took off his clothes to take a shower bath. It turned out to be hail instead of rain. As he was in sight of camp he went by the name of “shower bath” from that time on.
We got across the South Platte without much trouble, and traveled on the south side of North Platte. The roads were good – in fact there was [no?] mud on the road to California, except on the first part.
Fort Laramie is the next place of note, five hundred miles out. It was built by traders and trappers for protection against Indians. It is built of sun dried brick eight or ten feet high, four feet square, taking in ground enough so the dwelling and store are inside. The stock is also penned in when there is danger. The stock here had been wintered on the range, and not been fed, and were in good condition. Traveling west from the Mississippi, one comes to grasses of different kinds and quality from Indiana. It retains its strength better through the winter.
Fort Laramie, 1850
From there the road is strewn with flour, bacon, mining tools, cooking utensils, sheet iron stoves, horse shoes, kegs of powder, quantities of lead, and all other things connected with an outfit; people are just beginning to be in traveling shape. There are still lots turning back. The company we started with split up a few days after we started, our part consisting of six wagons. Of these, three had dropped out at different times, our three staying together from Ft. Laramie to South Pass.
After we left the fort, we passed over thirty or forty miles of country, different from anything we had seen. Old trappers called it “Black Hills”, it is rolling, the hills covered with small pine; no underbrush with rattling streams between the hills; running over gravely beds; the prettiest place in America.
They thought it a summer shower, one man took off his clothes to take a shower bath. It turned out to be hail instead of rain. As he was in sight of camp he went by the name of “shower bath” from that time on.
Heh.
Thanks Whiz! This was interesting.
This was interesting
yup
This is awesome. Reminds me of Animal’s stories of toxic masculinity. They were a different breed back then (well some of them, judging from the number who turned back).
Of course, it’s nothing like today, where people have to endure the hardships of misgendering and microagressions.
Driving with my brother and a neighbor lady to the grocery the other day. Brother and I are geezers. Neighbor lady is a spring chicken. Some rock song came on the radio, same style as the previous few songs…’70s rock. Neighbor lady says ” Do we have to listen to that?”
Me: “Of course not, put it on what you like. There was a lot of testosterone in the air back in those days.”
Brother: “Dont listen to him, he is so full of shit.”
Me: “No, dont let him lie to you. He is only saying that because he was responsible for about half of it.”
*Neighbor lady giggles. Brother crinkles brow and leans back into back seat.
I will take toxic masculinity over pajama boy 7 days per week.
And Robbie (Fruit Sushi) that doesnt know how to change a tire….
Thanks whiz, I just finished a book loosely based on the true exploits of Tom Candy Ponting. I love this shit. I know it’s arrogance talking but I often think I was born 150-200 years too late. What a blast it must have been to just chuck it all and head off into the great unknown.
I have no arrogance, I am glad I didn’t have to try to do what they did.
My personal favorite line: There were all kinds of people from all parts of the country – gamblers, thieves and a few honest men. .
Looks like they went right by/through Evansville!
This is illuminating family history. I’ll get through it and say more.
*Grimace*
You mention my namesake a few grafs later. *Smacks head*
They started near Lafayette, and probably followed what is now Rt. 41.
My two ‘fave’ Indiana tidbits: Timothy McVeigh was executed at the Fed prison outside Terra Haute; Jim Jones began his insanity in Indianapolis! (He actually did good shit here, IIRC. Gotta get that foot in.)
I adopted all three of my girls. One was from Terre Haute. We’d drive down to visit her on weekends, and went right past that prison many times.
“…one comes to grasses of different kinds and quality from Indiana. It retains its strength better through the winter.” *Cracks knuckles* I’d say THIS Hoosier certainly retains His strength.
*Looks at life…kicks pebble*
Sincere thanks for this. The general, day-to-day experience of plain folk is generally lost. It reveals much, a primary window into their daily focus and structure. Social primates are such interesting creatures. The Eville draw, natch, always sells.
OH! Is Tres Cool around? Just a note to all who may know: He said he “may” soon be working with a group in Greenfield, IN. He suggested we meet up if he does.
I don’t remember his professional field, but an email or whatever would be interesting. Boom.
He’s a male prostitute.
Another favorite aspect for me is how they ran into or crossed paths with some known historic figures — more on that in future parts. (There are four parts in all.)
very well done, please bring us more, what a tale,
Bravo!
I’m trying to imagine crossing the continent at a walking pace (and likely often actually walking).
Its roughly 2000 miles from St Louis to San Francisco (yes that’s not coast to coast but it was the starting off point for many of those crazy fucks) , 3 miles an hour average walking pace= ~690 hours or 28 days, figure your walking 12hrs a day you can do it in two months.
Unless you get dysentery.
Well yeah, there’s always contingencies.
It would also require carrying enough food for the trip.
Because, even if you shoot a 1,000 lb. buffalo, you can only take 100 lbs of it back to camp.
You’re gonna be eatin’ varmints- rabbits, prairie chickens, squirrels, groundhogs. that kinda thing, No need to take down a bison every other week.
🦬🦌🐿️🐇🥘
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/3620/3850/1600/squirrel%201953.1.jpg
I saved the photo, because it’s possible I will have to do that at some point.
From The Joy of Cooking (dunno which edition).
Ah. I thought it might have been from “The Dangerous Book for Boys”
Page 452 in mine.
Fricasseeing rabbit:
https://laughingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Rabbit-Fire-Bugs-Bunny-Impersonating-Daffy-Duck-Vice-Versa.png?w=750
Here is a playlist I made from YouTube videos. It is all the music that was in the computer game “The Oregon Trail”, in order:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRT7Lz5YKoIm_RNpTxJkOwiShW4yXJzG1&si=kfTdHvphme3HjlQT
Also, this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Rush!
Well, the link is wrong, because there is an exclamation point at the end.
It’s supposed to link to the computer game by Sierra.
In the game, if you buy mules instead of oxen, you will lose, because the Indians always kill you to steal the mules.
You can also sail to Panama and cross there, or get a ticket to sail all the way around South America.
But can you die of dysentery?
I don’t remember the exact disease, but if you do either of the boat trips (to Panama or around South America) you can die of starvation. There is a pig on the boat that is cooked, but the meat will sometimes kill you when you eat it. The proper solution (it’s an adventure game, after all) is that you have to get a bit of cooked pork and put it on a hook and catch a fish to eat.
Thanks Whiz. I’m a fan of Old West History.
We live in a young country and the changes have been so profound, in spite of the politicians. My Dad was born in the 19th century (1893), Kitty Hawk and Henry Ford time and now we’re going/coming from the moon. Those of you from the ’70s and ’80s will see changes that are totally unimaginable at this time.
I’ve been reading the “Little House” books to my six year old (everyone else listens in, though). Long, hard months punctuated by small periods of joy.
I would not have survived, I think. I would not have tried to make the journey.
I would have dreamed, though.
I read those to my kids too. We have a big hard cover edition that has all the books. I read them those, and all the Harry Potter books, and a few others too.
It would have been easier had they had at least one son who lived. Pa does not seem to have been the wisest man, and much of their traveling was because he was running from debt collectors. But he did work hard to try to provide, and he was clearly a kind father.
I guess part 2 is their journey southwest from Wyoming.
It must have been breathtaking, seeing the Rockies rise up from the horizon.
You can still visit and climb/explore Independence Rock in Wyoming. You to try to be there by 4th of July to make OR or CA before the snows closed the trail. You can climb and explore this great lump of granite and the entire thing is covered in carving from the travelers along the Oregon Trail. Keep going west over South Pass and near Pinedale you can visit the “parting of the ways” where the OR and CA trails split. You are on a sagebrush high plain with the Wind River Range to your north and the trail (still dirt for bike or 4WD) splits and there is a small marble marker.
Did two people drown in the stream, or two mules?
Unfortunately, it wasn’t clear to me, either, and I haven’t found any other documentation on it.
If I had to guess: mules.
it turns out that Che was not a racist
I RTFA, and it lists
this time Che was racist
I RTFA, and it lists
* this time Che was racist
* some other time Che was racist
* this further time Che was racist
from this we conclude, of course, that Che was not racist
and from this pile of corpses I conclude he was not a murderer
Poor Che, such a fine human being who is so unfairly maligned. When he wasn’t executing people he was a goddamn saint.
And so handsome! Like Russell Brand. Wait…
Appropriate soundtrack
There were all kinds of people from all parts of the country – gamblers, thieves and a few honest men.
So, entrepreneurs, politicians, and black-pillers.
I was always amazed by the Corps of Discovery. More than 2 years in the wilds and only 1 death, that of Sgt. Floyd from untreatable burst appendix.
Right outside what would grow up to become my home town. There’s a monument, and a bluff overlooking the Missouri River named after him,
I was told that my Grandfather and his older brother, during summer break c 1915 or something, stole a car in Wilmington, Oh. They drove to NYC, managed to get jobs, and spent the summer working and partying in New York. Come August, they stole another car and managed to drive home in time for school.
We have family lore about our grandfather having his car stolen in Ohio in the early 1900’s, and he couldn’t get to his job interview, and now we all survive on government welfare, as a result.
I pulled down my copy of “The Forty-Niners” by Time-Life Books.
I was wondering if I could spot some names of famous historical people that whiz’s relatives might have met.
Perusing the book, I see stories of the importance of the mail ship that arrived in San Francisco every two weeks, of the lady friend of a gambler who shaved the gambler’s head after a spat, and the unlucky-ness of James Marshall, the guy who first discovered gold.
Bonus Daily Ray:
https://nypost.com/2024/03/04/media/msnbc-staffers-scatter-after-bed-bugs-found-at-manhattan-hq-ahead-of-super-tuesday-coverage/
My dad’s side’s been in Virginia since the 1700s, Wolf Hill’s Cave, near Abingdon, is supposed to be where Daniel Boone hung out for a spell.
My mom’s paternal side: Polish immigrants arrived in 1910s/1920s. Maternal: Greek/Czech in same era.
My great-great grandfather on my dad’s side was a train robber, albeit a poor one. Here is a good account of it all:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jun-22-me-then22-story.html
Alvarado Johnson was his name.
Have I ever gathered the Glibs around the corner with merry orphan Yusef sitting on my knee and told you the tale of the First Rush?
Now, my great grandfather Felix was from southern Belgium. He ran away to France (I know, so far) to escape some draft Belgium had going on. Then he left France. It’s said he sailed on a Chinese junk for a while, but I’m not sure if that’s true. Somehow he landed in the Missouri Ozarks when he was 40ish and married a 16yo girl, got her pregnant, then promptly left to adventure. I’m not sure marriage/pregnancy was in that order. Anyway, he’d come back every couple of years ago to get her pregnant again then go adventuring.
Bessie, my great grandma, she was a sweet spirit. Not. She was apparently a spitfire who raised 6 kids practically on her own (with help from her family, I’m sure). My aunt and my 1st-cousin-once-removed both hated her and she hated them. Didn’t like women maybe? Or saw too much of her in them? Or both? Well, I’m quite a bit like my aunt and my 1st-cousin-once-removed, so I’m sure that in person, she would’ve hated me too, but you know, on quiet nights when my son was little, I could feel her around.
I’m pretty sure that, unless he went the very long way around, he didn’t get from France to America on a Chinese junk.
Great stuff. Tougher men than me. Though who knows had I been raised in different times.
Sort of thing Townsends youtube channel usually covers.
I hate compliance trainings. But this is off topic.
My great-great-grandfather was a sheriff in the old west. My maternal grandma said he died in a shootout with outlaws. Upon further investigation by my dad and uncles, here’s what really happened:
He was transporting prisoners when the stagecoach hit a bump and got knocked and run over. He died of his injuries. He was a heavy drinker, which was probably a factor in his demise. He literally fell off the wagon for the last time.
Speaking of real men being small creatures from Alpha Centauri, I present the following:
Indonesian Military Training Is A Fratricide Nightmare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EjRTcJcu64
2021 Army basic training with placebo masks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQX6ZSDUxA8
Not sure exactly where on the family tree (Bro Dean knows) on Pater Dean’s side I have a great-something uncle who could have been the model for Lonesome Dove. Used to steal cattle in Mexico and drive them across the US border, busted a compadre out of a Mexican jail, although his buddy got shot and probably died, that kind of thing.
Morning, Glibs.
Couldn’t figure out where all my shirts went. Turns out I left them in the dryer. So on one hand I found them. on the other, they’re all in sore need of ironing, since they sat in the dryer.
I stopped ironing shirts in the lockdown and did not yet start. Although I do not have a drier.
To be honest – I stopped ironing ages ago. But by being prompt in putting them away I avoided the wrinkly messes that were far too obvious.
The life of me, UCS, P Brooks, and some others here probably, in the form of claymation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQL0nSpMSwg
(-.-)
Happy Oreo day morning!
https://www.phillytrib.com/the_learning_key/did-you-know-national-oreo-cookie-day-march-6/article_a6765a8c-8965-5252-9ed0-140540745802.html
😋☕
Let’s go back just a bit farther for my music selection for the day:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=47y5bo8wtqM
🎶🎶
Why do knockoff Hydroxes get a day?
Nabisco makes bigger campaign donations.
Because there was never a Hydrox Barbie, like Oreo Barbie
Good morning, Sean, U, and Derpy, and good afternoon, Pie!
When I was a kid, I preferred Hydrox cookies to Oreos. Couldn’t put my finger on exactly why, but Hydrox definitely tasted better. Too bad the name sounded like a prescription drug.
Morning.
How’s it going? Did you end up having to iron a shirt?
Pro (for some definitions of “pro”) tip: Pulling shirts out of the dryer before it stops running (my usual M.O.) seems to work best to avoid ironing, but if you forget, you could try throwing a wet towel in the dryer with the shirts for a while to try to tumble the wrinkles out (time permitting, of course.)
I hear steamers are the way to go.
At one point, I know I had a steamer, but I don’t remember ever using it. ::contemplates looking through all the stuff in the house, gives up in despair::
Good morning, TO’G!
Ditto and ditto.
I opted to just wear it as-is and be unprofessional.
That works, too.
Eh, at least it’s clean.
👔
I wouldn’t go to work in a dirty shirt.
Come to think of it, I wouldn’t sit around the house in one either.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ynqiz3V1dH4/hqdefault.jpg
You can always wear a relatively clean shirt by alternating between two shirts, wearing the one that is currently the cleanest. So said Martin Gardner in an old Scientific American article.
Or you could just do your laundry like an adult.
I look for Hydrox every now and then.
I have two unopened packages of hydrox cookies – but they’re probably expired. I forget when I bought the larger box they’re in.
Speaking of cookies…
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/me-hate-shrinkflation-cookie-monster-complains-about-us-economy-white-house-responds/ar-BB1jnEYs
Narrative fully set. 🙄
Cookie monster no understand economics.
Well, I also dislike shrinkflation; I’d prefer the portions remain the same and just charge me a higher price.
Screws up many recipes.
Still can’t find 8oz cans of tuna. 5 or 12 🙁
Shrink until they are ridiculously small then introduce a new convenient super size or such.
https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB1hD23A.img
Same dif.
Mornin’ all
Good morning, Beau & Stinky!
Missed it by that much!
Nikki Haley to Exit Republican Presidential Race
https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/nikki-haley-drops-out-2024-presidential-election-625277ca?st=idn3uf6c9dg85f5&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
I’ll believe when she gives the speech.
I do hope she remembers to thank all of her Democratic supporters, especially in Vermont.
I guess we should anticipate her announcement as a third party candidate shortly thereafter.
VP pick for Biden.
Thank. god.
Good riddance.
https://platedlizard.blogspot.com/2024/01/lead-us-to-victory-maga-prime.html