I did find one Holmes vol. on-line at google books. This is my favorite quote so far &
I've used it on museum's website & fb pg -
"July 29 - Traveled nineteen miles today, reaching the Boise River. It was easily
forded, and always muddy owing to the placer mines at its headwaters where gold is washed.
. .
"July 30 - This morning go into the City which is only a city in name, just a small
mining town the people mostly transient keeping all manner of supplies for miners, and the
emmigration to Oregon, at very exorbitant prices. Our roll of 'Greenbacks' which
had been tucked away for three months because there was nothing to buy, was now brought
forth. We however had more flour than we would use, sold it in exchange for gold dust
receiving for it $16 hundred. One of our party sold a featherbed for $1.00 per lb. his
wife refused for awhile to give up her feather bed but they must have something to eat and
money to pay ferriage, so the feather bed went
"July 30 - Camped on 'Dry Creek' last night and would be glad to remain here
to day (Sunday) but for lack of grass and good water must move on. At night reached the
Payette River. A beautiful stream and abundance of grass and wood. . .
"Aug 2nd - Still going down Payette river. Met to day a circus from Oregon going to
the mining towns." -- Harriet Loughary, 1864
I can't imagine how much a featherbed would weigh - surely not enough to net much
money. And how fun to meet a circus!
There's also an interesting passage in this vol. abt a train going into Utah & the
men were required to take an oath of alligence at one of the posts & the wagons were
searched.
ISU has some diaries at
http://www.america101.us/trail/Oregontrail.html One great story
abt. a child left behind & they didn't miss her until Ontario area. They went back
& found her.
Is there still a block of used book stores in downtown Nampa? Yesteryear Books used to be
one of my favorite haunts.
I'll have to look for the one you're reading.
________________________________
From: Reba McMillan <lylereba(a)msn.com>
To: 'Sharon McConnel' <gem_genweb(a)yahoo.com>; idgen(a)rootsweb.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 2, 2012 8:11 AM
Subject: RE: [IDGENWEB] October Roll Call - October 1, 2012
Great Sharon. I'm reading Arabella Fulton's 'Tales of the Trail' about a
wagon train to Idaho in the 1860's - a little before my Dexters came (1880s) to Valley
County. I will have to explore Holmes' Covered Wagon Women.
Reba McMillan
-----Original Message-----
From: idgen-bounces(a)rootsweb.com [mailto:idgen-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Sharon
McConnel
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2012 4:05 PM
To: idgen(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: [IDGENWEB] October Roll Call - October 1, 2012
Gem & Valley Counties checking in; hope to finish grape juice this week. This weekend
is the local museum's premier re-enactment event
http://www.gemcountymuseum.org/ with
the Idaho Civil War Volunteers & plenty of Oregon Trail living history. Tim Goodale
brought a train thru here in 1862. I'm reading vol. 8 of Holmes "Covered Wagon
Women," 1862-1865. Not only does that cover the timeframe for Goodale, it also covers
the timeframe for my g-grandfather's brother, who was the first in my family to come
west.
Interesting post on South Fork Companion
http://sfcompanion.blogspot.com/2012/09/army-pathfinder-john-c-fremont-at... -
"Perhaps a thousand emigrants had crossed Idaho before Frémont’s party explored the
area." (in 1843) That blog is an interesting one to follow as he does an Idaho,
"on this day in history" daily.