Bruce with a rare 1852 diary recording a trip on the Oregon Trail

Very rare diary recording a journey across the Oregon Trail in the summer of 1852 by William Willson and his family by wagon. They leave Kanesville, Iowa (just prior to the name being changed to Council Bluffs) on May 9th, 1852, and arrive in settled territory on August 16th. Nearly all of the daily entries take up a full page, and give exceptional detail, beginning with the time of departure, number of miles covered each day, the camp they made, the trail covered and incidents of travel, the countryside, number of wagons in the company (which varied), health of the travelers, any accidents, and of course the weather. He mentions the amount and virtue of grazing land, quality and quantity of water, and the game found on the way. Encounters with Native Americans are mentioned, though there seem to have been no hostilities. One can trace his journey across the Missouri, up the Platte, past Chimney Rock, abreast of Fort Laramie, over South Pass, along the Big Sandy River, down Bear Valley, past Fort Hall, finally reaching the rich valleys of Oregon. A remarkable and invaluable record of the seminal migration route in the westward expansion of the United States. Accompanied by four cartes-de-visite and two tintypes: cdv of a man, identified on verso in pencil Wm. Wilson; cdv of Willson and a woman, undoubtedly his wife; another example of preceding, but soiled; cdv of Mrs. Willson, apparently; tintype of a young man, possibly Willson; tintype of the same man, with three women (wife, sister and mother?). Also accompanied by a clipped letterhead of Chas. T. Willson, Insurance and Real Estate Agent, San Gabriel, Cal., 188-

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• MVI
• 3736