Voices from the Oregon Trail

Gr 3–6—Fifteen members of a wagon train share their thoughts and experiences on an 1848 journey from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City. Preparations and anticipation, hopes and misgivings precede the reality of trail life. The wagon master's 13-year-old son, Carl, offers the first and last free-verse commentaries. Other young people and adults relate sorrows and joys along the way: a toddler's death, abandoned possessions to lighten the load, an Independence Day celebration, a wedding, a birth. Although some overlanders express fears of "savage" Indians, the only encounter is peaceful, with Nez Perce helping the travelers cross the Snake River and saving Carl from drowning. A Sioux scout observes the passing wagons and worries about the impact on his people. Day's paintings, particularly the spread of the entire wagon train, capture the panoramic prairie vistas and enhance the speakers' accounts. Detailed historical notes and a suggested reading list offer additional resources for readers and report writers. Without the unifying presence that the printer's errand boy supplied in Winters and Day's Colonial Voices (Dutton, 2008), the relationships among the speakers can get a bit tangled. However, the overall presentation of trail life offers another fine choice for students of history.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato