The ~Christian Country Farm~

OREGON FEVER

     How did Pioneers catch Oregon Fever?

From letters, rumors, newspaper articles-anything that told of the Oregon Territory's beauty and riches. Oregon Fever wasn't a disease, but an overpowering desire to pick up and move to land that is now Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In the late 1830's, letters drifted back east from a handful of missionaries who had gone to live among the Indians. These letters convinced people the West wasn't just wilderness, but a land of gentle climate, fresh streams, and rich farmland. It was only a matter of time before pioneers would go to see for themselves. About 100 set out in 1841; one thousand in 1843; and hundreds of thousands over the next fifty years.

HERE'S A TEST...
     Pioneers went west because they:

a) couldn't go east- there's an ocean in that direction.

b) heard it was paradise.

c) thought the East was getting crowded.

d) were looking for adventure and buried treasure {gold and silver}

e) wanted free land.

f) wanted freedom.

g) all of the above.


     Well did you guess? And what did you guess? Well the answer is g. Pioneers went west for all these reasons. Some wanted to escape the dirt, disease, and crowds of eastern cities. Others were looking for adventure or a quick fortune mining gold and silver. Still others simply wanted to live in a place where they could practice their religion freely, or-as in the case of slaves-where they themselves would be free.

     Probably the most common reason for going west was the promise of free land. Many people had lost their land and savings during money troubles in 1837, and they were looking for a place to start over. The West became a land of hope, a place where people could live as they wanted, a place where they could achieve the American Dream.



All facts were taken from, "The Pioneers" by Kenneth C. Davis

I enjoyed this

02:47 PM, Aug. 6, 2006 .. Posted by bayleysmom17

I enjoyed your post. I have really been getting interested in pioneer life and have been watching a lot of Little House on the Prairie LOL. I live in Oregon and know why the missionaries sent those letters, it is really a great place to live without a lot of natural disasters and a very mild climate. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for posting that, it was interesting to read.

very interesting

03:03 PM, Aug. 6, 2006 .. Posted by deedee06

I love to read about the pioneers too. Thanks for sharing some info. We live in northcentral Montana; Lewis and Clark and pioneer country. Most of our early pioneers seem to be Scandinavian; Norwegian in this area. My husband's grandparents homesteaded west of Fairfield, Montana in the 1940s when the government opened up some 40 acre plots for people desiring to farm. Blessings to you................Denise (prairiemom)

As I was leaving, I saw your question about cloth diapers. I used them for both of my children and got into a routine that left them smelling good. I would rinse them when I first put them in the washer on the last rinse cycle. Then I would add soap, fill the washer with water, etc. for a normal wash load. I used a cup of bleach along with the soap and also filled a Downey ball with white vinegar. It seemed to take that initial rinse plus the bleach and the vinegar to produce fresh smelling diapers. Hope this helps!

Edited by deedee06 on Aug. 6, 2006 at 03:08

Untitled Comment

11:20 PM, Aug. 6, 2006 .. Posted by southernbelle

I'd rather read about pioneer life than any other type of book. Thanks for your interesting post!