OREGON TRAIL TRAVELERS

Suggested Books

The Oregon Trail Ruts, Rogues & Reminiscences

Good primer book on Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail. Blacks in westward movement. Good source for a lot of good information. Five pages of bibliography.

Deals with food preparation, types of food taken on the Oregon Trail, recipes, and cookware. Four pages of bibliography.

Very little editing to original diaries and letters - easy reading.

For the serious student of Western History. Will need both volumes before starting, as Mr. Morgan has taken a good many 1846 diaries and cross referenced them in the comment session for each diary. You will be reading from both volumes at the same time. Good study of Applegate Trail and the Donner-Reed party. Some editing of original diaries. Good source of information - not leisure reading.

Believed to be out of print. A collection of letters and memories of pioneers primarily in Oregon. Easy reading.

Very easy reading (4th grade level). Follows the rise and fall of Ben Snipes, cattle rancher, 1854-1893. Ben Snipes raised cattle in what is now Yakima Valley & Columbia Basin, Washington. He sold cattle to gold prospectors in Canada and Montana.

Fort Simcoe established in 1856. Many notable officers on both sides of the Civil War served at Fort Simcoe. Lots of photographs and maps. Good study of military 1856-1858.

Excerpts from diaries. Comparison of original drawings and how areas looked in 1987. Has Freemont-Preuss map (Notes taken 1843, compiled in 1846).

Highly touted. Not one of my favorites.

Very easy reading (3rd grade level). Large print. Although not concerning the Oregon Territory (Nebraska), this is more of a picture book with good photographs of pioneers and sod houses.

Can be obtained at the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City Co. Picture book. Not Oregon Trail, but good source of tools, clothes, canned goods of 1856. Steamboat Arabia was built in 1853, sunk in 1856. It was found and recovered in 1988 with cargo intact. Many surprises.

Edited diaries of women. Most not of Oregon Country. Has section on Chinese women. lots of pictures.

Through use of diaries, letters and published articles, the authors follow the events leading to taking the cut-off and the trail that follows. Contains list of names who took the cut-off. Lots of footnotes. Large bibliography.

Edited journal of Major Osborne Cross and George Gibbs. Footnotes to later achievements of many of the military men. Good bibliography.

Interesting. Easy to read.

Written novel style with quotations from diaries. Some good prints of 1852 photographs.

Narration of the 1843 emigration with excerpts from diaries. Author notes on each chapter located at end of the book. Bibliography.

The U.S. War Department asked Capt. Marcy to write a guide book to Oregon after the army had to rescue several ill equipped wagon trains. In reading the guide book, you see the military training of Capt. Marcy. Sometimes dry, but full of information.

Published by Bear Wallow Books, Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 579, Nashville, Indiana, 47448. Some interesting recipes. All measurements are modern usage. None are reported to be Oregon Trail.

Very little coverage of the Applegate Trail. Good study of the Applegates in Oregon.

This book was first published in 1925, some 70 years after Mrs. Judson came west in 1853. The book is written in novel form, but the events and time line are consistent with other diaries and books. Mrs. Judson must have had a diary she used as the basis of this book. Mrs. Judson gives a women's perspective of trail life and early settlers life in Washington.

Note: This book was recommended by a visitor to the Travelers web page. I agree it is worth the reading. Dutch

Collection of diaries and letters that bring interesting aspects to the human relationship of 4 couples journey to Whitman Mission in 1838 and the next 2 years in the mission field. Primary centers around, Mr. Asa Smith and his wife Sarah.

Mr. Drury does an excellent job of bringing out the personalities of the missionaries especially the Smiths. The editor brings out the women traveled side saddle many a day with out getting down to rest . Asa White is not shown to be a patient man, although highly educated. They set up a 8 foot by 12 tent each night. The diaries bring out the infighting and trials of the missionaries.

This a companion book to On to Oregon. The book is fairly easy reading.

Companion book to The Mountains We Have Crossed. This book brings out the insight of two newly married missionary women traveling to Oregon in 1838.

Mr. Hastings traveled to Oregon in 1842 spending 2 years Oregon and California wrote guide for fellow emigrants. In the short time MR. Hastings was in the Oregon and California it is amazing the detail he obtained regarding the weather and topography of Oregon and California.

The reading is slow due to use of unfamiliar use of words and the presence of more than one thought in many paragraphs.

This is a very well written book.

The Luark brother kept diaries giving explicit direction of the trail they followed. The Editors have used these directions to tie in today’s landmarks. Among the items learned was the hiring of persons along the trail by the Luarks.

The contrast in the writing of the brothers lend interest and knowledge of the travel.

Ms. Werner has used children diaries and memories to tell of travel primary on the California Trail. Insight as to games, entertainment, food and travel from children’s view.

It is hard to tell what part of the book is diary and which is historical novel. No direct quotations from a diary. Have to label this book historical novel. Easy Reading.