Community Chat

[Kachina624]

They've gotten considerably less tedious over the years.

Love these old historical photos.

[Mz iMac]

@Kachina624  Looks like cattle pulling the wagons instead of horses on that wagon train.

[skatting44]

   Wow, and we complain abt transport delays

[Tinkrbl44]

I've driven cross country a few times and would always think about the settlers trying to move their families for hundreds (or thousands) of miles over rough terrain.

People in these caravans died on almost a daily basis.  I assume at the end of the day they'd dig graves, bury these people and go on in the morning.  I doubt they kept the bodies and moved on.

Talk about hardship!  

[Kachina624]

---

@Mz iMac wrote:

@Kachina624  Looks like cattle pulling the wagons instead of horses on that wagon train.

---

@Mz iMac.  Probably oxen, which are cattle, pulling wagons.  With maybe milk cows being herded in front.

[kaydee50]

@Tinkrbl44   We too have driven coast to coast more than once and always marvel at what the pioneers had to endure.   Bumper to bumper traffic and construction delays on I-80 are nothing compared to what they encountered.

[CoffeeNut]

Looks like they even had rush hour traffic way back then.

[Scooby Doo]

---

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

I've driven cross country a few times and would always think about the settlers trying to move their families for hundreds (or thousands) of miles over rough terrain.

People in these caravans died on almost a daily basis.  I assume at the end of the day they'd dig graves, bury these people and go on in the morning.  I doubt they kept the bodies and moved on.

Talk about hardship!  

---

True.  My great grandmother left Wales around the age of 70 to join the pioneers in Utah, where her son was waiting for her.  She traveled the sea then joined a wagon train cross country.  Unfortunately, she died at the mouth of the canyon just 10 miles from her destination.  One more day and she would have made it.  Her son borrowed a horse and went to the canyon but could not find her burial spot.  

[shoekitty]

The stench, the dust, the hard bumpy paths. The paths would eventually form swails ,embedded deep in the ground. The stench of buffalo  and cattle urine and poo was horrid, watering the eyes and burning the throat. Not to mention human waste!   Disentary was so common.  Those people were tough, and brave. Brave  is all I can say ...not knowing the path ahead.  I have actually ridden in a covered wagon replica on the prairie for a mile near Wyoming. Omg, your back can go out just going over bumps. I can see why they got out and walked a lot. 

[Kachina624]

---

@CoffeeNut wrote:

Looks like they even had rush hour traffic way back then.

---

@CoffeeNut.  They traveled in convoys for safety and to help each other.