THE RETURN TRIP.
I left Washington on the 8th of January, 1908, and shipped the outfit
over the Alleghany Mountains to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, having
been in Washington, as the reader will note, thirty-nine days. From
McKeesport I drove to Pittsburg and there put the team into winter
quarters to remain until the 5th of March; thence shipped by boat on
the Ohio River to Cincinnati, Ohio, stopping in that city but one day,
and from there shipping by rail to St. Louis, Missouri. At Pittsburg
and adjacent cities I was received cordially and encouraged greatly
to believe the movement for a national highway had taken a deep hold
in the minds of the people. The Pittsburg Automobile Club issued a
circular letter to all the automobile clubs of Pennsylvania, and
likewise to the congressional delegation of Pennsylvania, urging them
to favor not only the bill then pending in Congress, appropriating
$50,000 for marking the Oregon Trail, but also a measure looking to
the joint action of the national government and the states, to build
a national highway over the Oregon Trail as a memorial road. I was
virtually given the freedom of the city of Pittsburg, and sold my
literature without hindrance; but not so when I came to Cincinnati.
The mayor treated me with scant courtesy, but the automobile clubs of
Cincinnati took action at once similar to that of the Pittsburg club.
Again when I arrived in St. Louis, I received at the city hall the
same frigid reception that had been given me at Cincinnati, although
strenuous efforts were made by prominent citizens to bring out a
different result. However, the mayor was obdurate and so after tarrying
for a few days, I drove out of the city, greatly disappointed at the
results, but not until after the automobile club and the Daughters of
the American Revolution had taken formal action endorsing the work.
My greater disappointment was that here I had anticipated a warm
reception. St. Louis, properly speaking, had been the head center of
the movement that finally established the Oregon Trail. Here was where
Weythe, Bonneyville, Whitman and others of the earlier movements out on
the trail had outfitted; but there is now a commercial generation, many
of whom that care but little about the subject. Nevertheless I found a
goodly number of zealous advocates of the cause of marking the Trail.
The drive from St. Louis to Jefferson City, the capital of the State
of Missouri, was tedious and without results other than reaching the
point where actual driving began in early days.
Governor Folk came out on the state house steps to have his photograph
taken and otherwise signified his approval of the work, and I was
accorded a cordial hearing by the citizens of that city. On the fourth
of April I arrived at Independence, Missouri, which is generally
understood to be the eastern terminus of the Trail.
I found, however, that many of the pioneers shipped father up the
Missouri, some driving from Atchison, some from Leavenworth, others
from St. Joseph and at a little later period, multitudes from
Kainsville (now Council Bluffs), where Whitman and Parker made their
final break from civilization and boldly turned their faces westerly
for the unknown land of Oregon.
A peculiar condition of affairs existed at Independence. The nearby
giant city of Kansas City had long ago overshadowed the embryo
commercial mart of the early thirties and had taken even that early
trade from Independence. However, the citizens of Independence
manifested an interest in the work and took measures to raise a fund
for a $5,000 monument. At a meeting of the commercial club it was
resolved to raise the funds, but found to be "uphill work." Whether
they will succeed is problematical. A novel scheme had been adopted
to raise funds. A local author proposed to write a drama, "The Oregon
Trail," and put it on the stage at Independence and Kansas City, for
the benefit of the Monument fund. If he can succeed in carrying out
successfully the plot as outlined, he ought to write a play that would
be a monument to the thought as well as to provide funds for a monument
to the Trail, for certainly here is a theme that would not only fire
the imagination of an audience but likewise enlist their sympathies.
I am so impressed with the importance of this work that I am tempted
to outline the theme in the hope if his attempt does not succeed, that
others may be prompted to undertake the work.
First, the visit of the four Flat Head Indians in search of the
"white man's book of heaven," entertained in St. Louis by Gen. George
Rogers Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, until two of them died; then
the death of a third on the way home; the historic speech of one,
telling of their disappointment, and final return home of the single
survivor; then follows the two-thousand-mile bridal tour of Whitman
and Spaulding, and this in turn by the historic movement of the early
home builders to the Oregon country with its grand results; the fading
memory of a forgetful generation until the recollections of the
grand highway is recovered in a blaze of glory to be handed down to
succeeding generations, by the homage of a nation.
At Kansas City, Mo., the thoughts of the people had been turned to the
Santa Fe Trail by the active campaign in the border state of Kansas in
erecting markers on that trail. To my utter surprise it seemed that the
Oregon Trail had almost been forgotten; the sentiment and thought had
all been centered on the Santa Fe Trail. I tarried with them exactly
one month, spoke to numerous organized bodies, and came away with the
feeling the seed had been planted that would revive the memory of the
Oregon Trail and finally result in a monument in the greater city.
In the lesser Kansas City, Kansas, I visited all the public schools,
spoke to the eleven thousand school children of the city and came away
with the satisfaction of having secured contributions from over 3,000
children to a fund for erecting a monument in that city.
To further interest the children of the State of Kansas, I placed
$25.00 in the hands of their state superintendent of schools, to be
offered as a prize for the best essay on the Oregon Trail. This contest
has been determined during the calendar year of 1908 and the award made.
[Illustration: Addressing Colored School, Kansas City, Kans.]
All existing maps in the State of Kansas ignore the Oregon Trail. The
"Santa Fe Trail" is shown; there is a "Fremont Trail," a "California
Trail," a "Mormon Trail," but not one mile of an "Oregon Trail,"
although this great historic ancient trail traversed the state for
fully two hundred miles. This incident shows how extremely important,
that early action to mark the Oregon Trail should be taken before it is
too late.
The Santa Fe and Oregon trails from Independence and Kansas City
are identical out to the town of Gardner, Kansas, forty miles or
thereabouts. Here, the Santa Fe Trail bore on to the west and finally
southwest, while the Oregon Trail bore steadily on to the northwest
and encountered the Platte Valley below Grand Island in what is now
Nebraska. At the "forks of the road," the historian Chittenden says,
"a simple signboard was seen which carried the words 'Road to Oregon,'
thus pointing the way for two thousand miles. No such signboard ever
before pointed the road for so long a distance and probably another
such never will. I determined to make an effort to at least recover
the spot where this historic sign once stood, and if possible plant
a marker there. Kind friends in Kansas City, one of whom I had not
met for sixty years, took me in their automobile to Gardner, Kansas,
where, after a search of two hours, the two survivors were found who
were able to point out the spot—Mr. V. R. Ellis and William J. Ott,
whose residence in the near vicinity dated back nearly fifty years;
aged respectively, 77 and 82 years. The point is at the intersection
of Washington and Central Street in the town of Gardner, Kansas. In
this little town of a few hundred inhabitants stands a monument for the
Santa Fe Trail, a credit to the sentimental feelings of the community,
but, having expended their energies on that work, it was impossible to
get them to undertake to erect another, although I returned a few days
later, spoke to a meeting of the town council and citizens and offered
to secure $250.00 elsewhere if the town would undertake to raise a like
sum.
This last trip cost me over a hundred dollars. As I left the train at
Kansas City on my return, my pocket was "picked" and all the money I
had, save a few dollars, was gone. This is the first time in my life I
have lost money in that way, and I want it to be the last.
I planned to drive up the Missouri and investigate the remaining five
prongs of The Trail—Leavenworth, Atchison, St. Joseph and Kanesville,
the other, Independence and Westpoint (now Kansas City), considered as
one—but first drove to Topeka, the capital city of the State of Kansas,
where I arrived May 11th (1908). The "Trail" crosses the Kansas River
under the very shadow of the state house—not three blocks away—yet only
a few knew of its existence. The state had appropriated $1,000 to mark
the Santa Fe Trail, and the Daughters of the Revolution had conducted
a campaign of supplementing this fund and had actually procured the
erection of 96 markers. While I received a respectful hearing by these
ladies, yet they shrank from undertaking new work at the present time.
The same conditions controlled at Leavenworth and likewise at Atchison,
and hence, I did not tarry long at either place, but at all three,
Topeka, Leavenworth and Atchison, a lively interest was manifested,
as well as at Lawrence, and I am led to feel the drive was not lost,
although no monument was secured, but certainly the people do now know
there is an Oregon Trail. All the papers did splendid work and have
carried on the work in a way that will leave a lasting impression.
On the 23d of May the team arrived at St. Joseph, Missouri. At this
point many pioneers had outfitted in early days and the sentiment was
in hearty accord with the work, yet plainly there would be a hard "tug"
to get the people together on a plan to erect a monument. "Times were
very tight to undertake such a work" came the response from so many
that no organized effort was made. By this time the fact became known
that the committee in Congress having charge of the bill appropriating
$50,000 to mark the Trail, had taken action and had made a favorable
report, and which is universally held to be almost equivalent to the
passage of the bill.
So, all things considered, the conclusion was reached to suspend
operation, ship the team home and for the time being take a rest from
the work. I had been out from home twenty-eight months, lacking but
five days, hence it is small wonder if I should conclude to listen to
the inner longings to get back to the home and home life. Put yourself
in my place, reader, and see what you think you would have done. True,
the Trail was not yet fully nor properly marked, yet something had been
accomplished and with this, the thought, a good deal more might be
expected from the seed planted.
May 26th I shipped the outfit to Portland, Oregon, where I arrived on
the 6th day of June (1908), and went into camp on the same grounds I
had camped on in March (1906) on my outward trip.
Words cannot express my deep feelings of gratitude for the royal,
cordial reception given me by the citizens of Portland, from the mayor
down to the humblest citizen, and for the joyous reunion with the 2,000
pioneers who had just assembled for their annual meeting.
The drive from Portland to Seattle is one long to be remembered, and
while occupying a goodly number of days, yet not one moment of tedious
time hung heavy on my shoulders, and on the 18th day of July, 1908, I
drove into the city of Seattle and the long "trek" was ended.
It would be unbecoming in me to assume in a vainglorious mood that the
manifestation of cordiality, and I may say joy, in the hearts of many
at my homecoming was wholly due to the real merit of my work, knowing
as I do that so many have magnified the difficulties of the trip,
yet it would be less than human did I not feel, and unjust did I not
express the pride, and I hope is pardonable, and openly acknowledge it,
for the kindly words and generous actions of my friends and neighbors,
and to all such I extend my kindest and heartfelt thanks.