Land Marks/forts When you rest at a land mark people often heal quicker than on the trail. Also resting longer at places like Soda Springs allows you to get fresh water and lower your chance of getting Dysentary. Prices get higher as the farther you go. Oxen go up to 5 dollars at each fort.
What supplies did they use on the Oregon Trail?
Hundreds of pounds of dried goods and cured meats were packed into the wagons, including flour, hardtack, bacon, rice, coffee, sugar, beans, and fruit.
How did you cross a river in Oregon Trail?
Some rivers could be forded, but for rivers deeper than four feet or so, a pair of canoes would be lashed together, a wagon rolled on crossways, and the resulting ferry poled across. Some smaller creeks had toll bridges built by entrepreneurs hoping to cash in on the emigrant traffic.
How much food was eaten on the Oregon Trail?
While people could hunt game along the way and stock up at trading posts, they had to pack enough food to last the five to six months of their 2,170-mile journey. The typical wagon could hold 2000 pounds, and 1800 pounds of that was food. Here’s what the people ate while traveling along the Oregon Trail.
What was the main cause of death on the Oregon Trail?
Wagon accidents were the most prevalent. Both children and adults sometimes fell off or under wagons and were crushed under the wheels. Others died by being kicked, thrown, or dragged by the wagon’s draft animals (oxen, mules, or horses).
How did pioneers carry water?
Many families had to boil their well water to kill off contaminants. When well-digging failed to reach water, families were forced to collect rainwater in barrels, cisterns, and pans.
How did wagon trains carry water?
The sides of the wagons were waterproofed with tar, so they could ford rivers and keep the cargo dry. A thoroughly water-proofed wagon would also float in high water, making the crossing much easier. The canvas tops were oiled to keep out the rain.
How did pioneers get wagons across rivers?
The pioneers would use picks and shovels to cut down stream banks to get their wagons down the incline and into the water. Other times men would gently ease a wagon down the steep slope by tying a long rope to the axle of the wagons.
How deep does the Snake River get?
16 feet and 4 inches deep
The Snake River is 16 feet and 4 inches deep. Rivers are not known to be very deep or as deep as most lakes. On average, the Snake River is 16 feet and 4 inches deep. It may not be the deepest river in the country or the world, but it carves North America’s deepest gorge – Hells Canyon.
How deep can you ford a river in Oregon Trail?
Fording rivers deeper than 3 feet deep is not recommended and has a high chance to go wrong. Caulking your wagon when rivers are over 3 feet is recommended. There is still a chance that something can go wrong when doing this, but this strategy has the highest chance of success.
How did pioneers keep bacon from spoiling?
Dried Meat
The pioneers were big fans of dried meats, as it provided them that delicious protein without causing them to worry about spoiled food.
How much did it cost to join a wagon train?
The overland journey from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon or California meant a six-month trip across 2,000 miles of hard country. It was costly—as much as $1,000 for a family of four. That fee included a wagon at about $100.
How many miles a day did a wagon train go?
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.
How brutal was the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail is this nation’s longest graveyard. Of the estimated 350,000 who started the journey, the trail claimed as many as 30,000 victims or an average of 10-15 deaths per mile. The leading causes of deaths along the Oregon/California Trail from 1841 to 1869 were disease, accidents, and weather.
What did the pioneers drink?
Did Pioneers Drink Alcohol? There was no question in their minds that water made them sick. Therefore, people drank fermented and brewed liquids, such as beer, ale, cider, and wine, instead of water. Small beer was popular among children.
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 did Pioneers stay clean?
Pioneers in the 19th century would clean themselves more often the colonists; maybe once a week or twice a month. Though they were cleaning themselves more, it was common that the family would share the same bath water instead of dumping out the dirty water and refilling with clean water after each use.
How did people stay hydrated in the 1800s?
Germs, bacteria, and viruses had not been discovered during most of the 1700s, so people did not understand why they got sick. They just knew that water made them ill. So instead of drinking water, many people drank fermented and brewed beverages like beer, ale, cider, and wine.
Did people drink water in the Old West?
The cost of a mere cup of water started from one dollar, five dollars and in some places went as high as one hundred dollars. To put this in perspective, at the time a pound of meat cost approximately one cent or even less in some places. Drinking water without a doubt was as expensive in the old west as gold.
How did people go to the bathroom on the Oregon Trail?
People used leaves, grass, or even dry corn cobs for wiping. Chamber pots had to be emptied each day. This was usually done by emptying them down the privy hole. With liquid waste, some just threw the contents out in the yard.
Where did homesteaders get their water from?
The well driller and windpump allowed deep wells to be dug, which gave water. New methods of dry farming were invented (the ‘Turkey Red’ variety of wheat was imported from Russia, and farmers put a layer of dust on the soil after rain, which stopped evaporation).