The ~Christian Country Farm~

TRAIL DANGERS

  a) accidents
  b) sickness
  c) Indians
  d) buffalo

   All these things were dangerous, but the answer is b. Of the thousands of pioneers who died on the journey west, most were victims of diseases such as cholera, measles, small pox, typhoid, or dysentery. Pioneers did have medicines and herbs, but no one knew much about treating these diseases.

              

   Accidents were the next biggest cause of death. Children fell from the wagon and were crushed under its wheels; people were trampled in buffalo stampedes or drowned during river crossings; men on watch at night shot one another by accident. Travelers got lost, starved, froze to death, or unknowingly drank alkali water, which contained deadly mineral salts. Very few were killed by Indians. {In fact, pioneers killed more Indians than the other way around.}

   No one knows how many pioneers traveled west on the overland trails, but the number is probably somewhere between 250,000 and 650,000. We do know that at least 20,000 people died on the journey, which averages about ten graves per mile of trail.


HOW DID THE PIONEERS AND INDIANS GET ALONG?

                    

   Sometimes they fought, but most meetings were peaceful enough. Indians often came up to wagon trains, hoping to trade buffalo meat or horses for guns, tobacco, cloth, food, or metal fishing hooks. Some Indians even acted as scouts or helped ferry pioneers across rivers. Indians who looked warlike were usually headed to fight an enemy tribe, though some young tricksters did like to steal pioneers' animals. Still, pioneers were afraid of the Indians. In 1847, the United States government set up forts along the trails to help protect the pioneers.


IF YOU WERE A PIONEER'S STOVE, WHERE MIGHT YOU END UP?

   In a furniture graveyard along the trail! As wagons headed into the mountains, many families had to lighten their loads for the tired oxen. Heavy stoves and furniture were often left behind, no matter how treasured they were. Pioneers abandoned dressers, tables, chairs, food, books, stoves, fine china, trunks, tools, bedding, and even a piano.



       Taken from "The Pioneers" by Kenneth C. Davis

Untitled Comment

08:08 AM, Aug. 17, 2006 .. Posted by MicheleC11

That was very interesting reading! I enjoyed it!

Untitled Comment

08:51 AM, Aug. 17, 2006 .. Posted by BuzyMumof3sons

I absolutely love anything to do with Prairie life and I enjoy your blog so much!

another good post

09:23 AM, Aug. 17, 2006 .. Posted by deedee06

Kelly, I love your posts. We live in the heart of Lewis and Clark country, about 20 min. from the Marias River and about an hour from the Missouri. So naturally people in our area are interested in pioneers. Your facts are fascinating. Do you decorate your home in a pioneer or prairie style? My brother's family lives in MIchigan and one daughter had a grade school teacher who was so fascinated with pioneers that he actually painted his classroom walls to look like a log cabin. I guess he was a fabulous teacher. May you be blessed today!....................Denise (prairiemom)