[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 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. Part 1.]
Crossing the Continental Divide
When we reached a place to cross the North Platte, crossing was not good. The water was deep, swift, and cold, and no ferry. We hired a canoe, paid three dollars apiece for each wagon load. Took the wagon to pieces and floated the wagon beds, and swam the horses. There was no grass here so two of us took the horses and mules to range, and were to bring them back next day. About sundown a man came out from camp, said a company wanted me to help them cross the Sweet Water river. We saw here what us called Devil’s gate, where the Sweet Water comes through a deep canyon, and is quite a fall. I loaned my gun to the man who was to stay with the horses.
Devil’s Gate in 1870 (photo by William Henry Jackson)
It clouded up and was so dark after I started back. I heard footsteps behind me. I had a first class hunting knife, and you bet I carried it in my hand. Finally a big wolf howled [about] fifty yards away. Then they all howled, about five or six of them. This [partly] relieved the strain. I knew they were not dangerous unless starving, but it was not nice to hear them around in the dark.
We all traveled on, we came upon a curiosity in the valley, the Sweet Water valley and ice lake north of the road. It was covered with a yellow mass six inches thick, under this ice six inches deep. The weather was quite warm. We saw signs of mountain sheep. I saw but one on the whole trip. It was killed and was much larger [than] domesticated sheep, [weighing] perhaps three hundred pounds.
We traveled up the Sweet Water to what was called Pacific Springs. Here is the celebrated South Pass, which was discovered by Lewis and Clark. [Actually, it was seven men from John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company who first used the pass in 1812 after hearing of it from local Indians.] It is considered a great natural curiosity, a plain thirty miles wide that extends over the summit of the Rocky mountains, is level enough for farming land, 6000 feet above sea level. Here we left our wagons, bought another mule and packed the mules for the balance of the trip. We took pieces of the wagons and rigged up saddles; took what we were obliged to have; left the rest stay one day, rigging up. Next morning all started on account of the scarcity of grass. Two of us stayed, Mark and John, to sort out the things and follow after packing the mules.
Among things left was a keg of powder, some had been spilled around and under the keg. The keg was left open. A green Missourian came bothering around asking questions, finally got some fire, and touched off the spilled powder. It flashed over the ground and started with that under the keg. The keg started off across the plain at a high rate of speed; one mule bucked off his pack, and excitement was high; Mark told the man if he didn’t leave he would kick him in half a minute.
Six of us traveling together, Jack Pellman, Rufus Leet, Harvey [O’Melveny], and we three [brothers]. We traveled thirty three and one half miles that day. 200 miles a week, resting on Sunday. [The] next bad river to cross, cold, deep, with square banks, which horse or man couldn’t remain long in it. Our horses would swim across and then come back. Finally they swam across but missed the landing place. They swam down about a mile to where there was a gap in the bank, and all got out, which was a great streak of luck, as we thought they were going to drown.
Fort [Bridger] was the name of the next stop. Mr. [Bridger] was an Indian trader of great notoriety, He had built a fort two or three hundred miles east of Salt Lake. He seemed to be a nice shrewd man. We saw no one except himself, his squaw, and an Indian boy. He said he has a bunch of Indians hired to prepare to bring in buffalo robes. He said they were camped about forty miles southeast from there. In this valley we saw lakes and ponds dried up, which left a coating of saleratus [baking soda] a half inch thick. We took some with us to make flapjacks. I made bread with it right along. We lived on flapjacks, bacon, and coffee.
We camped [at] night here. Jack Pellman was to stand guard the rest of the night. He was a great coward. He thought there were Indians around. He came in and hung around the fire where we were. The horses and mules strayed off. The next morning I went up the little mountain, and saw them down in the valley about three miles. The company started on, it was hurrying us to catch up and we were heavily loaded. They became frightened, thought they saw a grizzly bear in the road. They stopped and waited for us. We went up, and went close and saw it was a brindled bull dog, that had tired out, and lay down to rest.
My brother and I concluded to take a short cut across the creek. We jumped it, walked fast, and were soon out of sight. We saw Indian tracks and came upon a bunch of Indians camped in some willows. One had a buffalo robe over his [head], raised out of the bushes with bow and arrow ready to shoot. We clapped our chests to show we were good. He raised up. He and another Indian came out to see us, and talked and motioned, held up our fingers to show there was a large company of us, for they shoot more frequently when one is leaving.
We came next to the [Wasatch] mountains. They ascend gradually on the east side and are steep on the west side into the valley. In crossing we traveled the deepest canyon on the whole trip. We could see eagles on shelving rock, hundreds of feet high. When we reached the summit, it took until next evening to reach Salt Lake City, which was two years old. The little adobe huts put one in mind of muskrat houses in a grassy valley. We stayed in the city three days.
Weber Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains in 1868
The Mormons were glad to see emigrants. They were short of rations, and had been since they got to the valley. The emigrants had grub to spare. They had expected to harvest in about three weeks. This was about the third of July. Mark went to hear Brigham Young preach. They had laid the foundation for the temple. Some of the emigrants said the [Mormon] boys had sold them lariats in the day time, and stole them back at night. I think there are other boys who would do the same thing.
Salt Lake City in 1852 (Sketch from Howard Stansbury expedition)
The city is nine [miles] from the lake. Salt could be had by the wagon load. We went around the lake on the north side. Hot springs were numerous. The Mormons had a fight with the Utes soon after their arrival. They had killed all the warriors and captured all the squaws and divided them among the families for servants. They worked well and pretended to be satisfied, but soon ran away. The was a large band of Snake Indians camped near. The [Utes] and Snake Indians had been at war. One day while I was in the Snake Indian camp, a delegation of Utes came to make a treaty. The squaws gathered up their children and left in a hurry.
There is an island in Salt Lake, of which the Indians, and some white people have superstitious fear. I saw one man who had been on the island. He said there were a great many rattle snakes on it. The fourth of July was not celebrated, but the 24th, the day of our arrival at Salt Lake. The ground we traveled over was white with alkali, and looked worthless. There was plenty of sage hen, some as large as small turkeys. They were almost black in color, and made very good eating.
We crossed a stream twenty feet wide, steep banks, and deep. One of us would ride a mule, take a pack on our shoulders, and go back for another pack. We got everything across except Jack Pellman’s mule. He was stubborn and afraid. He slid down the bank, and threw Jack over his head into the water. His pistol slipped out of his pocket and he paid John fifty cents to get it for him.
So much toxic masculinity!
Thanks Whiz,
I started a Lewis-Clark book today, your relatives were about 45-50 years after the L/C gang. In another 15 years there would be rail service. It really was the dawning of a spectacular era. The 19th Century saw dramatic changes and they continue on today with the technological advances.
Politically we are regressing quickly however.
I read A Life Wild and Perilous not that long ago.
I too marvel at the stuff they were made of, but I have no regrets that I live when I do. Looking back it is easy to cast a romantic veil over the oft-unpleasant reality. I’d rather drive a car cross-county than drive a team of oxen and a wagon.
In days of old I didn’t mind hard dirty work as long as at the end of the day I came into an air conditioned home, a nice dinner and a hot shower before bedtime. Other than that I liked roughing it.
We were just at Big Bone Lick state park where Clark catalogued over 300 prehistoric bones.
Thank you whiz. I have always had interest in my own families pioneering days, really not that far gone (Grandfather grew up on a farm hacked out of wilderness).
As I get older my interest deepens, not only in my own family but in all of the people that built this country. I am sorry to see so many today with little or no connection to their own roots. It is sad that Adam’s prediction of sons and grandsons taking up increasingly high-minded pursuits did not bear out. He apparently could not imagine how quickly the fire goes out when daily struggles become trivial.
Again, thank you. A very enjoyable read.
Meh. My roots are rotten. I prefer to let their memory die.
Two of my uncles molested their own children. Their father (my grandpa) molested my cousins.
My father (a trucker) broke a man’s jaw because he wouldn’t let him unload his cargo right away. I was in the truck with him when he took the door off a stalled car on the side of the road. He used to make me pee in empty orange juice bottles and then throw them at on-coming traffic.
Dude! I’m sorry. 🍻
I think one of mine let a horse or cattle thief go free by mistake.
There’s lots with their connection to their roots. That’s why every month is an “________ history month”.
In 1905 the first of the Fourscores were disembarking at Ellis Island, My Dad was 12 years old and remembered some of his childhood but was reluctant to pass on very much family history.
Yeah, mine came in around that time and I also know very little family history. I can name a region on one side and a town on the other side – and nothing else.
Tell me if you agree that Sacajawea’s importance to the Corps of Discovery has been greatly inflated by those with an interest in pushing women heroes.
I just started the book but the female author mentions the very importance of a teenage Indian girl and her baby in the forward.
No. Before she was a woman hero, she was a big deal as the melting pot of exploration and colonization of the Oregon country, along with her French Canadian husband. At least in this part of the country when I was a kid.
Thanks for the interesting read. It’s ‘jarring’ to see how casually they refer to “Bridger and his squaw” or spending time at the indian camp, or the indian that pops up with an arrow aimed at them or crossing large rivers with the possibility of drowning just an acknowledged fact. Toxic indeed. One wonders what the modern equivalent of such toxicity is? What should we be doing today that someone 200 years from now will read and say “wow, that’s cool! I wonder what I would have done?”
Nothing. If you want excitement, you have to go to the frontiers of the empire in the service of our government where people want to blow you up. It’s one of the few remaining outlets for masculinity which our overlords consider outdated.
You could walk through Chicago in a suit made of $20 bills.
That’s just suicidal.
Cue (queue?) “Kentucky Fried Movie”
How about dating a woman with poison frog hair?
(cue)
Show ’em you’re nuts!
Surfin’ USA
“Cue”
And, of course, I screwed up
JFC.
the link
Cue
“Excuse me, sir, can you point me to downtown?”
Obligatory
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tWQOcx1VWZM&pp=ygUlZGllIGhhcmQgd2l0aCBhIHZlbmdlYW5jZSBpIGhhdGUgc2lnbg%3D%3D
I grew up near a squaw creek and live near another one now. Sadly both have been renamed thanks to the white washers of history.
Wow this is a fun read. Been looking forward to it all week. Thanks!
Great family history! Mahalo.
You can still drink at Pacific Spring and visit Devil’s Gate. The highway is close by but the Gate itself hasn’t changed and has immigrant names scratched into the granite. Just west of the Gate is a [[[run]]] museum on the Mormon Trail, and just east of it is Independence Rock which I described last week,
South Pass is exciting for the history and the chance to travel the OR/CA Trails, but the geography is not exciting. Just north of it are the Wind River Mountains which are exciting. In fact, they are my favorite North American range.
Man can make mistakes, but Firsts? Firsts cannot.
Really interesting tale! Whelp, I just sold my golf clubs to an old codger with a new knee and hip who is hoping to get back into the swing of things. Kind of a Rubicon moment but to be honest, if I tried to swing a club the way that I used to I’d either drill myself into the ground ala Chuck Jones or fly further backward than the ball went down range. Got newish lap-top out of the deal which was fortuitous because I killed the old one with a pint of tea the day before. Now I need to think about which Son-in-law gets which of my remaining treasures. It’s a minefield of sibling rivalry. I know who deserves it but my thumb must remain far from the scales. So long as they enjoy I am sanguine.
Holy moly.
BTC is up to 73.5 I knew I should have got some more when it was down.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=UG7zLhEWanc
*waves*
Happy national earmuff day!
Get up and get yer muffs on.
😋☕🎧
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pdz5kCaCRFM
Such a great song. 🎶🎶🎸🎤
Good morning, Sean & Lack!
It’s way too warm for earmuffs today, though the noise-cancelling kind from the range bag may be in order around here: As soon as it’s light out, the roofers are set to show up to put a new lid on the place. (Hope they can get it done in a day – there’s rain predicted for tomorrow!)
It depends on the size of the crew and their experience level.
They got my roof done in a day, and assigned the least experienced guy to install the porch roof while their more experienced people were on the main span. The difference in speed between the two was astounding.
I think I heard that the Guatemalan crew was the good one to get. 🤞🔨🏠
🤞
Does this mean you’ll be staying home from work?
No. TT will be here to supervise…and possibly appease the terrorized cats.
Fair enough. Someone has to keep the cats from attacking the roofers.
I spotted these parmesean crisps being sold as cruton replacements in the store. I figured I’d try them out. The ingredients list is pretty much “cheese”.
They are delicious, they may not even make it onto my breakfast salad at this rate.
Did you know that baked rounds made from nothing but parmesean cheese are “Gluten Free” And “Keto Friendly”?
/sarc
Are they now. That’s good. I have a paper bottle of sea salt marked as such in big red letters with exclamation marks.
It’s good to eat healthy. *rolls eyes*
Good morning all.
😋🧀
These things are better as just plain snacks. Their flavor gets covered up if they get mixed in with the salad.
I may have to look for those. Were they shelved near the croutons?
Yes.
I could tell you exactly where to find them in my local store, but they should be near the other salad toppers in any place that carries them.
Those are my snack of choice.
I’ve tried some of the other varieties but Parmesan is the superior option.
Boss’s boss’s boss’s boss’s boss will be here to tour the labs today.
There are too many layers of management if such a person can exist.
That is the second-highest level in this particular company. Anything higher than that technically doesn’t work for this company because they’re part of the UAE royal family and their presence would violate the Trusted Foundry act.
The labs got re-orged so as to be part of the corporate structure instead of the local fab.
To report back to HIS boss? (Yes, I’m assuming gender.)
My boss – M
His boss – F
Her boss – M
His boss -F
Her boss – M
Her boss – M, so you are correct.
Wait, no, you’d be incorrect. But her boss is a man.
Morning.
Whiz, I just wanted to let you know I’m really enjoying this story. Thank you for sharing it here.
An excellent tale.
See if you can secure the movie rights, but be picky which company you sell them to.
The “Old West” has some of the best parts of American history. There is a book called Entrepreneurs of the Old West that is really good and interesting reading. There’s a story in it about some traders who managed to work out a deal to pass through the land of the temperamental Blackfeet Tribe. The only mistake they made was in hiring someone who was from a rival tribe, who wound up murdering someone. I don’t recall the result, unfortunately.
It seems to me the result writes itself. I dont think you need to tell the ending.
I can’t remember if the merchants were able to escape, or not. I don’t think they realized that the person they hired was from a rival tribe.
There’s another story about some men who stumbled into a wasteland and nearly died of thirst, but found a dead Buffalo, cut it open, and drank the water out of its stomach.
The trade route from Missouri to New Mexico, back when New Mexico was still owned by Old Mexico, was extremely lucrative, because New Mexico had plenty of silver, but no toys. It was technically illegal to trade, but people did it anyway.
I suppose at least one of the party survived, which is why we have the story.
The casualness makes the recounting of their journey all the more compelling. “He saw they were just a bunch of wolves all around him, at night, so he relaxed a bit.”
suh’ fam
whats goody