[or-roots] CROSSING THE PLAINS IN 1846

[cchouk]

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Here's a sample of what you'll find at:
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~cchouk/oregon_trail/crossing/munkers.htm

                                        CROSSING THE PLAINS IN 1846
                     AS TOLD BY Mrs. MARY  ELIZABETH MUNKERS ESTES
                     WHILE SITTING BY HER FIRESIDE CHRISTMAS EVE 1916


          From nearby Liberty, Missouri, in early April 1846, about fifty families prepared to
     make the journey to the far away Oregon Territory, which then included what is now
     the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and part of Nevada.  My father, Benjamin
     Munkers, was among them.  His family was composed of an invalid wife, three married
     sons and one married daughter, besides five younger children, the youngest a boy of
     five years.  I was then ten years old and still have quite a clear memory of the journey
     and of conditions of the early days spent in Oregon. 

          All the way across, Mother was unable to do anything, even having to be lifted in
     and out of the wagon.  She made the entire ride on a bed.  It was my work to help
     brother's wife, who managed the cooking for our camp. 

          The Munkers family started out with five wagons drawn by oxen; three yoke to each
     wagon, thirty head of oxen, fifty head of roan Durham cows and five saddle horses. 
     These made up our herd.  Most all the company drove through some stock but I think
     no other family had so many as we. 

          When we left Missouri, there was a train of about one hundred wagons but that was
     found to be too large a party to travel together as the teams must be kept up by grazing
     by the way.  So they scattered out under leaders or train captains, as we called them. 
     When we started, a man by the name of Martin was our Captain.  Later when our train
     was much smaller, Ben Simpson, father of Sam L. Simpson, was our head man.  The
     future Poet of Oregon was then Baby Sam of the camp.  Many a time I cared for him
     while his mother was doing the family wash. 

          [Note: Benjamin F. Simpson was the son of my great great great grandfather William
          Simpson, who was also with this wagon train.  Cecil]


Cecil Houk, ET1 USN Ret., AG6I
PO Box 530833
San Diego CA 92153
res San Diego CA 92154-3654
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ANDERSON-BLAKELY-EGGERS-FORD-HOUK-KIMSEY-MONTGOMERY-RULAFORD-SIMPSON
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