[or-roots] THE PIONEER ROAD BUILDERS

[cchouk]

Hi Listers:

This is a sample of my gr gr grandfather's narrative about his 1843 crossing
of the Oregon Trail.  The complete story can be read at:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cchouk/ford/n-ford.htm

Please note: I did not write this!  It's Nineveh Ford's narrative !

                    Nineveh Ford's narrative 

          Time & Place: Room 8 (?) Chemeheta Hotel 
           Salem, Oregon  Monday June 17th 1878 
          Present: Ford & the writer. AB 

          [1]  (page numbers of the hand copied original document) 

               Mr. Ford said:  I was born in North Carolina on July 15th 1815. Emigrated to
          Missouri in 1840, and from Missouri to Oregon in 1843.  My attention was directed
          to Oregon by reading Lewis and Clark's journal. The scenery described in that took
          my fancy; and a desire to see that and to explore the country and return home to 
          North Carolina in 3 years induced me to start.  From information from traders and
          trappers I was confirmed in my intentions. 

          [Note: Although he does not mentioin him, Nineveh's younger brother Ephraim
          Ford made this crossing with him.  Ephraim settled in Yamhill County about three
          miles South of McMinnville.] 

               In the spring of 1843 Peter H. Burnett of Platte County Missouri and other
          prominent men were making up a company to go [2] to Oregon.  It was in my
          neighborhood in Platte City.  I was acquainted with the parties.  There was another
          object: One grand objective we had was the prospect of obtaining a donation of
          land if the country was worth staying in.  That was the object of Burnett and others
          to come and colonize this country, to take possession of the United States domain
          West of the Rocky Mountains.  It was not at that time settled to belong to the
          United States.  The controversy was up and there was some influence got to bear
          to induce people to colonize.  The question was agitated in relation to the right and
          title of the United States to the country.  I never heard that the Government desired
          to colonize.  It was all a private movement and we came on our own
          responsibility.   We had not any assurance that the Government would assist or
          protect us in any manner.  Freemont Company which fell in after us I understood
          was [3] employed by the Government.  But we did not travel together and we
          knew nothing of their going when we were making up a company.  We
          rendezvoused at West Port West of Independence Jackson County Missouri.  We
          Started from there in April.  There were between 500 & 700 souls in the party 
          and 113 wagons.  Our Captain was Peter H. Burnett.  He was chosen Captain at
          West Port.  We had as additional officers Nesmith for ordirly (?) sergeant, he kept
          the roll of the emigrants, list of wagons and so forth.  I do not recollect of any other
          officers.  Our Pilot was John Gannt(?).  He was a Mountaineer (?) and had been as
          far as Fort Hall.  He engaged to pilot us as far as Fort Hall.  I kept a Journal but my
          house burnt down and it was destroyed.  We were not molested by the Indians
          beyond horse stealing and driving off cattle and having to pay to get them returned. 
          They were friendly generally. We saw but few.  They appeared to be wild and shy
          and afraid of the [4] wagons.  Ours were the first wagons they ever saw, and the
          first that ever crossed the plains from Missouri with the exception of eleven wagons
          that came out in 1842 to Fort Hall and there stopped.  The persons in that train
          packed through from Fort Hall.  We came to the Buffalo Country on the Platte and
          there we made boats of beef and buffalo hides - putting them around wagon beds;
          and for some we made frames.  We swam our animals from bar to bar where we 
          could get a footing until we could get across. 


Cecil Houk, ET1 USN Ret., AG6I
PO Box 530833
San Diego CA 92153
res San Diego CA 92154-3654
NEW EMAIL ADDRESS mailto:cchouk at cox.net
ANDERSON-BLAKELY-EGGERS-FORD-HOUK-KIMSEY-MONTGOMERY-RULAFORD-SIMPSON
Searchable GEDCOM: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~cchouk
See also: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/~donhouk
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