How did wagons cross mountains?

South Pass, located in southwest Wyoming, was the key that opened the door for emigrant wagons and handcarts to cross the Rocky Mountains in the early and mid-1800s. The 20-mile wide, sagebrush-covered saddle topped a gradual incline that appeared more like a prairie than a mountain pass.

How did covered wagons cross the Rocky Mountains?

As for crossing the Rocky Mountains, the wagon train emigrants crossed the Rockies using Wyoming’s South Pass just south of the Wind River Range, near the head of the Sweetwater River, which is a long but fairly easy climb. The emigrants negotiated them by traveling along the edge of the Columbia River.

How long did it take pioneers to cross the Rocky Mountains?

It took about five months for a wagon train to make the journey. The first major migration took place in 1843 when a single large wagon train of 120 wagons and 500 people made the trip.

How did pioneers travel on the trails?

Some pioneers traveled in covered wagons, or “prairie schooners,” while others pulled handcarts and completed the journey on foot. Life on the trail was not easy. Many faced family deaths to sicknesses such as cholera, measles, and smallpox.

Why didn’t most pioneers ride in their wagons?

People didn’t ride in the wagons often, because they didn’t want to wear out their animals. Instead they walked alongside them, getting just as dusty as the animals. The long journey was hard on both people and animals. It was even hard on the wagons, which usually had to be repaired several times during the trip.

How much did a covered wagon cost in the 1840s?

It was costly—as much as $1,000 for a family of four. That fee included a wagon at about $100. Usually four or six animals had to pull the wagon. Oxen were slower, but held up better than horses or mules.

What were the 3 real enemies of the settlers?

The real enemies of the pioneers were cholera, poor sanitation and–surprisingly–accidental gunshots. The first emigrants to go to Oregon in a covered wagon were Marcus and Narcissa Whitman (and Henry and Eliza Spalding) who made the trip in 1836.

What did pioneers do for fun?

They had races and played games such as Sheep Over the River, Hide and Seek, Pull the Rope, and Steal-Stick Duck-Stones. They also sang and danced. They made dolls from corn cobs and rags and used a bladder balloon for ball games.

How long did it take pioneers to travel west?

The covered wagon made 8 to 20 miles per day depending upon weather, roadway conditions and the health of the travelers. It could take up to six months or longer to reach their destination.

What did pioneers sleep on?

Where did pioneers sleep? Some pioneers did sleep in their wagons. Some did camp on the ground—either in the open or sheltered under the wagon. But many used canvas tents.

How far did the pioneers typically walk each day for 6 months?

Average distance covered in a day was usually fifteen miles, but on a good day twenty could be traveled.

What were the two main causes of death along the trail?

Nearly one in ten who set off on the Oregon Trail did not survive. The two biggest causes of death were disease and accidents.

What time did pioneer children go to bed?

It was not until 1952 that the first water treatment plant was constructed. Pioneers typically went to sleep at dusk since, without light, not much could be accomplished.

What did the pioneers eat for dessert?

As for desserts — they were simple, but many and varied. There were apple dump- lings, rice and bread puddings, soft molasses cookies, sugar jumbles, and mincemeat, pumpkin, dried apple, or custard pies. On special occasions we might have lemon pie. It was not necessary to skimp on eggs or milk.

What did the pioneers drink?

The Founders, like most colonists, were fans of adult beverages. Colonial Americans drank roughly three times as much as modern Americans, primarily in the form of beer, cider, and whiskey.

What did pioneers use to clean?

Salves, cosmetics, and soaps were often made at home. The mending, butter-making, sweeping, boiling, and stoking filled most of the rest of a pioneer woman’s time.

What was it like to be a pioneer child?

Pioneer children helped their parents from the time they were very young. Girls learned to cook, grow gardens, and sew. Boys learned to hunt, raise crops, and build things. Both boys and girls might milk a cow, gather firewood or buffalo chips, or gather eggs.

What chores did pioneer kids do?

Life for pioneer children was much different than life today. Children were responsible for many chores throughout the day such as cleaning, chopping wood, feeding farm animals, or making butter. Much of their day was spent helping family.

How did Pioneers take showers?

Most folks on the frontier bathed in rivers or ponds when they were available or took sponge baths from a metal or porcelain basin. But there were plenty of people who seldom did that! Early homesteaders had to carry water from a stream, river or pond.

How did pioneers do laundry?

Water was hauled from nearby streams to wash all clothes by hand with homemade soap. Filling a large pot with water, the women would heat it over a fire. When the water was boiling, lye soap would be added along with the dirty clothing. This was then stirred, by hand, like the motion of a washing machine.

How did pioneers wash their hair?

How did they drain tubs in 1800s?

After you had completed the morning wash, often without hot water, the waste water was emptied into a so-called “slop jar”. This was usually a metal and covered receptacle into which, later, were emptied the wastes from the “pottie” under the bed, if it had been used at night.