Joining me at the blog today is author Kaci Curtis. Kaci is a military spouse, and mom of two. She was raised in Kansas City, MO, only minutes away from the town of Independence, where the Westward Trails began. She loves hiking, camping, reading while sipping coffee, all things National Parks, thunderstorms, gardening, and book club.
If we traveled about 180 years back in time to Independence, MO (not far from where I grew up), the safest traveling season would just be kicking off. In the 1840s, April was the magical month that the grass turned green. Grass was the key to success – it supported the livestock that hauled wagons, and the migrant families that depended on them, along the westward trails.
The outfitter’s town of Independence was a busy place in mid-April and early May. It was the starting point for the three main migrant trails of the era: the Oregon, Sante Fe, and California Trails. Families camped by their wagons on the outskirts of town, gathering supplies & tools, making repairs, and finalizing preparations for a journey that would take them over 2,000 miles.
Packing enough food for the trip was a particular challenge, especially in the early years of the trails, when there were fewer places to resupply. Each family was encouraged to bring: 600 lbs of flour, 400 lbs of bacon, 200 lbs of lard, 120 lbs of biscuits, 100 lbs of sugar, 60 lbs of coffee. And those were just the basic staples! Most also brought dried fruit, rice, beans, tea, and bacon.
In addition to that, they had to pack their clothing, tools, cookware, spare parts for the wagon, guns and ammunition, farming tools, seeds, and other essentials. The travelers had to squeeze family heirlooms and items of sentimental value in whatever tiny free space remained. Imagine trying to fit all of that into a wagon that was only 4 feet wide and 10 feet long!
If the thought of an adventure along the Oregon Trail seems interesting, and you enjoy books with historical tidbits sprinkled throughout (like those I mentioned above), please check out my historical fiction novel, Along the Trail, available wherever you get your books online!
For Winnie, my heroine, the trail isn’t just about survival – it’s also about self-discovery, freedom, and the bonds forged along the way.
Happy Reading!
Source: oregontrailcenter.org
Kaci’s book, Along the Trail, is available now by The Wild Rose Press. To order her book, and to view what else she’s working on, visit her at kacicurtisauthor.com.
