Re [or-roots] "The Dickson Train" & 23 wagons starting from Keokuk

Sat Aug 13 14:06:09 PDT 2005

Dorothy & all,

Hanson Stevens had a large family to help him & still lonely too, with no
other families with them after they left the other 22 wagons. That would be
so scary! And they sure had more than there share of hardship though! As you
see Sarah's name here, she is my gg-grandmother & she lived to to 96 years
old when she died & she out lived all her children. Sarah Stevens married
Samuel McCubbins.

Here is there story, I hope you enjoy,

HISTORY OF STEVENS FAMILY TELLS OF WAGON TRAIN TREK by Lulu Newton.
Biographical Sketch of Hanson Stevens
Hanson Stevens was born in Dearborn County, Indiana, on March 14, 1818. His
parents were of English descent and they were farmers. On March 1, 1838, at
the age of 20, he married Lavina Wickard. They were married in Ripley county
 Indiana, and made their home there until 1846, when the family moved to
Iowa. Six years later, in April of 1852 Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, with seven
children, the oldest, Isaac, being 13 years old, started from Keokuk, Iowa,
in a train of 23 wagons, drawn by oxen, for Oregon.
They brought all their household goods and a large herd of cattle, which
they drove along the way. The grass was scarce and the stock suffered a
great deal. At this time, it was considered a very hazardous undertaking to
cross the plains with ox teams, and required a great deal of courage for a
man to take his all, at such a risk on such a journey.
The plains were infested with Indians, and marauders, and the only wonder is
that more of these pioneers were not killed.
The Stevens family was about six months making the journey. One day, while
driving along, they saw a big cloud of dust, and through the dust, they
imagined hundreds of Indians riding toward them. They stopped the train,
corralled the wagons and got ready to defend themselves.
When the cloud of dust got nearer, they discovered that instead of Indians
on horseback, it was a big herd of buffalo. The men went out on horseback
after them and killed enough that they had all the fresh meat they needed
for some time.
This wagon train was called "The Dickson Train" and of the 23 wagons
starting from Keokuk, Hanson Stevens was the only one to reach Oregon. Some
of the men quarreled and parted company, most of the trains going to
California.
When the Stevens family got to the The Dalles, Stevens and the oldest son,
Isaac, took their cattle down the trail to the mouth of the Big Sandy river,
while Mrs. Stevens, with six children, two of them, Rebecca and Christine,
sick with mountain fever, and another, Sarah, badly burned from a camp fire
near Pendleton, came down from The Dalles to the upper Cascades in an open
scow paddled by Indians. They transferred around the Cascades and took
another scow on which they went to the Big Sandy.
The Stevens family went on to Silverton landing with only five dollars in
cash. Stevens found that wheat was $5 a bushel and potatoes were $3.
He took up a donation land claim of 308 acres near the Newsome sawmill, five
miles from Silverton, Oregon, and after building a cabin to live in, he went
to work splitting rails to earn enough to feed his family. This first winter
was so cold and with no feed for his cattle he lost them all.
This was the winter of 1852-1853. Mrs. Stevens died in 1863 at the age of 40
 and two years later Stevens married Elizabeth Jane Bently Fuller.
After his second marriage, he rented his land to his son, Isaac, who
afterward bought out the other heirs. The property was still owned by
members of his family as late as 1944.
Stevens bought a ranch in Yamhill county where he lived with his second wife
until his death in 1880.
The Stevens children were a s follows; Isaac Stevens, Rebecca Stevens Mount,
Sarah Stevens McCubbins, Rispy Stevens Ringo, Christine Stevens Esson,
Millard Stevens, Mary Stevens Smith, all born in Indiana; Emma Stevens,
Martha Ann (Mattie) Stevens Cahill, born in Oregon and of the second
marriage, Keithly Boles, Lyman Davis Hall and Alice Fidellia, born in Oregon

At one time, Steves came to Washington for a while, but eventually went back
to Oregon. This was about 1858.
Mrs. Lena Parsons of Dayton, a great granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stevens,
has in her possission the spinning wheel, a pair of wool cards and a set of
candle molds, brought across the plains in 1852.
Mr. and Mrs. Stevens are buried at Bethany, near Silverton, Oregn.
Mrs. Lulu Newton and Mrs. George (Lida) Jackson, both of Dayton, are
granddaughters of Hanson and Lavina Stevens. The Stevens family reunion will
be held in July at the Esson home at Silverton, Oregon, this year. Reunions
have bee held each year with the first held in July, 1891.
(Ed. Note--This is the latest of the family histories which are being
prepared by members of the Columbia county chapter, Daughters of the
Pioneers of Washington.)

-------Original Message-------

From: kat1928 at integrity.com
Date: 08/13/05 12:32:34
To: or-roots at sosinet.sos.state.or.us
Subject: Re: [or-roots] "The Dickson Train" & 23 wagons starting from Keokuk
 Iowa

Quoting Nancy Lee Adams <nancydean at columbia-center.org>:

> Hi All,
>
> Any one familiar with a wagon train called "The Dickson Train"? Has anyone
> heard of it?
>
> My ggg-grandparents Hanson & Lavina (Wickard) Stevens were with this train
&
> the only one to reach Oregon.
> Some of the men quarreled and parted company, most of the trains going to
> California. In April of 1852 Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, with seven children,
the
> oldest, Isaac, being 13 years old, started from Keokuk, Iowa, in a train
of
> 23 wagons, drawn by oxen, for Oregon. Mr Stevens took up a donation land
> claim of 308 acres near the Newsome sawmill, five miles from Silverton,
> Oregon.
>
> I already have quite a bit on the Stevens family, but would like to learn
> more on "The Dickson Train", like who was the wagon master & a list of
other
> families that were with this train from Iowa & learn all I can about it.

Nancy;

I haven't any information on the Dickson Train.  My ggggrandfather came on a
train in 1852 from Missouri.  I can find records of him being on one train -
he
formed his own train so the records aren't much help sometimes.

Do I understand that just your ggg grandfather made it to Oregon from their
train?  He must have had a lonesome time and a hard time all be himself.

We come from ardy stock!

Good luck on your quest.

Dorothy Webb
>
> Thanks! Nancy
> nancydean at columbia-center.org

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