#virtualoregontrail Saying Goodbye

How do you say goodbye to your family knowing that, by leaving, you may never see them again? In 1845, communicating across the country was difficult. One could mail cards or letters, and at the time, that was really the only option. Think about how spoiled we are today. A family member can decide to move hundreds of miles away, but it's so easy to pick up the phone and hear their voice, or video chat to see their face. Even a visit hundreds of miles away is pretty easy. Imagine if those options weren't available. Goodbye was GOODBYE.

James Allen left his entire family to make the trip to Oregon with his wife, young son, and her family. His parents surely adored baby Cyrus, not yet two years old. Now they had to say goodbye to the toddler and his parents. James would be far away from the trusted counsel of his father and the camaraderie of his brothers, especially William and Andrew, who flanked him in birth order. And he wouldn't just be far away, but far away in a rugged, untamed, dangerous new territory.

James' family in Missouri consisted of his parents, Isaac Allen (1794-1846) and Margaret Boyd Miller Allen (1794-1884), and the following siblings at the time James was preparing to leave:

• William Thomas Allen (1819-1902), his wife Albina and a year old son
• Andrew J Allen (1822-1908) and his fiance Charity.
• Elizabeth C. Allen Jones (1823-1907), her husband Nathaniel and two little boys
• John Ceton Allen (1825-1889)
• Thomas Gartner Allen (1827-1897)
• Rebecca Allen (1829-1906
• Mary Jane Allen (1831-1873)
• Josiah Allen (1833-1896)
• Melissa Ann Allen (1836-1916)

In between the busy times of planning and packing, the Allen family was gathering to spend as much time together as possible before saying their goodbyes. Plans were being made for many of them to make the journey the following year, so there was some hope that they would eventually reunite. Even so, goodbyes are never easy. Though they tried to make the occasions lively and happy, there was a deep sadness in the air. Those were not the only goodbyes to be said. They would also leave neighbors, members of the church congregation, and close friends behind. 

While the farewells would have been painful, there was an undercurrent of excitement as the time to leave drew nearer. A journey across the plains and the mountains, sleeping under the stars, and the prospect of settling the new territory all seemed surreal. There was also much to fear. Raids by Indians and treacherous river crossings were dangers they could face. James and Hannah, at the end of each day, probably had long conversations about their future. This, they knew, was a once in a lifetime opportunity and they must be brave. 

Hannah's father, James B Riggs, was an industrious, prosperous man, and his preparations to move to Oregon with his family were made with meticulous attention to detail.  It’s reported that his wife, Nancy, with eight of their children ranging in age from 20 to 3 were accommodated in 5 wagons – along with household goods, food, tools necessary for building a new home, farming supplies and more.  (Hannah, and her husband James M Allen, with their toddler, would follow in their own separate wagon.)  A wagon needed four to six oxen to pull it, so the task of managing six wagons included attending to a large number of cattle and horses as well as keeping the wagons in good repair.  Last, but not least, each wagon needed a driver.  Although James would have depended on his oldest sons Milton, Rufus, and Marion to assist him in driving the wagons, it was necessary for him to hire a fifth driver.  A teamster by the name of James Field, who was an educated and burly 210-pound young man of twenty-two, was James Riggs’ choice.

Oregon Trail pioneers pass through the sand hills,
painting by William Henry Jackson.
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-crossingplains/

A place to sleep and meals with the Riggs family would have been James Field’s pay for the journey - a standard currency during the migration West.  When his duties around the camp were completed at the end of each day, he kept a detailed daily journal.  Today James’ diary is one of the most informative accounts available describing the 1845 journey of the Military Immigrant wagon train which later became known as the “Blue Bucket Gold Train”,  “Meeks Cutoff Train” or “Lost Immigrant Train". 

The mutual respect and friendship that developed between James Riggs and James Field endured long after their arrival in Oregon.  In fact, Field recorded visiting the Riggs family as well as leaving his diary in the care of “Capt. J. B. Riggs” on two separate occasions. It's this diary that we'll follow to recreate the journey these brave pioneers began so many years ago.

(Rene Rodgers contributed content to this post.)