Did your ancestor move west along one of the major migration routes? If so, you might want to attempt to follow the trail yourself. Most of the migration routes are well marked with historic markers and things to see along the way.
Document Your Family’s Route
Take a close look at your family history. Do you have any written accounts of what routes were taken? Don’t just look for diaries and journals. Are there other papers that may give information on what routes the family may have taken?
In my own case, I found that my great-grandmother traveled from Ypsilanti, Michigan to Colorado Springs, Colorado in the 1870s. They crossed the plains by wagon. In her husband’s pension file, I found that Abigail and her second husband, Hawley Hinchey, stopped for a few days in Boone, Iowa. Other details of the trip were also found in the file – in the National Archives in Washington D.C. I also found information that my grandmother had written about making the trip as a little girl. This handwritten account was shared with me by my first cousin. These materials gave me a starting point for researching the journey west.
Diaries and Journals
There have been hundreds of diaries, journals, and memoirs of the trip west published in numerous books over the years. With the inception of the Internet, many of these materials can be found online. The following sites are especially good:
Two good resources for locating a specific diary are the books Platte River Road Narratives by Merrill Mattes (University of Illinois Press, 1988) and The Trail West by John Townley (Jamison Station Press, 1988). This book is out-of-print, but may be found in used form. These books index primary source documents by both year and author.
Kenneth Holmes began compiling stories of pioneer women many years ago. These diary and journal entries have been published in a series of volumes titled Covered Wagon Women: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails, 1840-1849. These stories can help you understand what the trip was like for your ancestor.
Keep in mind that our ancestors went west for different reasons. There were many who were drawn by the prospect of “free land,” while others may have traveled west to join in the search for gold in California. The Mormon pioneers moved west looking for religious freedom. Whatever their reasons, these hardy pioneers took on a tremendous challenge. Some won and others were lost along the trail. It is estimated that 20,000 to 30,000 people died on the Oregon Trail.
Once you have gathered the information, make the trip that your ancestor made. Maybe not by covered wagon or handcart, but cover the same ground and see some of the same sites. You’ll gain much in your search for your family history.