Name/Title
Overland Trip to Oregon Taken with Wagons and Ox Teams from St. Joseph, Missouri , in the Year 1852Entry/Object ID
2009.3.66Description
Overland Trip to Oregon Taken with Wagons and Ox Teams from St. Joseph, Missouri , in the Year 1852 is the diary of L.B. White printed in two parts in the King City (Missouri) Chronicle in 1895. It was reprinted in the Northwest Missouri Genealogical Society's Journal, Volume 19, No. 1, having been retyped by Jim Rogers.
Although White's daily entries are generally short, he gives clear and detailed descriptions of land marks, Indian interaction, sickness and death on the trail. His description of the sight of fur traders heading east with their hides is especially interesting as is his telling of Cheyenne warriors displaying Pawnee scalps who crossed their train.
The wagon train of which White was a member crossed the Missouri River at Duncan's ferry on May 7, 1852 after camping in St. Joseph for six days. They had waited two days in line to cross the river at this ferry. Upon landing on the western bank, a Kickapoo Indian extracted at 25 cent/wagon toll. On May 10th, they paid another Indian 50 cents to cross the Wolf River.
Chloera and its accompanying death was mentioned in the diary beginning on May 14th and White remarked on the sick and news graves in his diary through to Ft. Boise on Aug. 12 where he said hundreds were sick. The train buried at least three of its members along the way; one, James Briggs, at the foot of Independence Rock on June 25. D. W. White, perhaps a family member, was buried along the Snake River on August 15.
He remarks twice of meeting French traders (perhaps a Robidoux)--once at a trading post beyond Courthouse Rock and another at a "meat market" at Box Elder Creek on June 18th.
The wagon train, which elected officers monthly, decided the transportation costs at the Dalles was too expensive and turned south and west over what was to be a toll road via the John Day River into the Willamette Valley. The reprint stops on Sept. 13 before the party reaches their destination, the subsequent pages having been lost.
Inserted with the diary is a duplexed page of reprints from the St. Joseph Gazette.
February 12, 1849 Letter to the Editor from B.S. Roberts, Brevet Major, U.S. Army
notifying citizens of the consequences of illegal trespass into the timberlands of the Kickapoo across the Missouri River.
April 20, 1848
News report concerning success of trapping from Fort John.
May 4, 1849
News report from F. Robidoux concerning the extent of grass on the prairie on that date and advising trains to wait before starting their journeys west.
11/Report Cover/InsertCollection
Don and Maudie Reynolds CollectionLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Tertiary Object Term
DiaryNomenclature Secondary Object Term
JournalNomenclature Primary Object Term
BookNomenclature Sub-Class
Other DocumentsNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsSearch Terms
King City Chronicle, Duncan's Ferry, Kickapoo Indians, Cheyenne Indians, Pawnee Indians, Cayuse Indians, Shoshone Indians, Digger Indians, Western Migration, Trails, Oregon Trail, St. Joe Road, DiaryPublication Details
Author
White, L.B.Place Published
City
St. JosephState/Province
MissouriDate Published
1895Call No.
Diary WHNotes
Copy No.: 1Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
F. RobidouxPerson or Organization
White, L.B.Person or Organization
White, D.W.Person or Organization
White, J.B.Person or Organization
J. W. McFarlandPerson or Organization
James BriggsPerson or Organization
Rev. HannaPerson or Organization
W. L. McCulloughPerson or Organization
D. G. ClarkPerson or Organization
Mrs. SheppPerson or Organization
John GrubbsPerson or Organization
Yantis, Rev.Person or Organization
E. H. Piper