Monthly Archives: May 2020

This Day in History, May 12

The Oregon-California Trails Association has just put out a new “This Day in History” video honoring “John Bidwell, Sapling Grove, and the Bidwell-Bartleson Party.” It’s a nice little video, about 5 minutes long. Worth your time. One note on the … Continue reading

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The Bidwell-Bartleson Party Gathers

Every day for a week or more, wagons arrived with the same object in view. At last we took steps to see how many had arrived and found our numbers to be sixty-nine. Among those were about fifteen women and … Continue reading

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Rendezvous at Sapling Grove

To reach Sapling Grove in Kansas Territory we had to travel down the Missouri River some fifty miles [from Weston in Platte County] and then cross at the place known as Independence Landing. Then to go west about ten miles … Continue reading

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Packing a Wagon

What kind of provisions did Bidwell pack for his expedition? It was understood that every one should have not less than a barrel of flour with sugar and so forth to suit. I laid in one hundred pounds of flour … Continue reading

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George and Mike

At almost the last moment, everyone abandoned the idea of crossing the plains. I cast about, however, and found in Platte County a man by the name of [George] Henshaw who was willing to go. He was old, quite an … Continue reading

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Choosing a Rifle

As the time approached, I became very anxious about the expedition but supposed a few would go with me. Finally I could not find a single member of the company who were sure to go. I went forward with my … Continue reading

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Finding a Friend

When May came, I was the only man that was ready to go of all who signed the pledge. In Weston, however, there was a man who had never signed the pledge but who had said from the beginning that … Continue reading

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The Western Emigration Society

John Bidwell promoted the California plan throughout the winter of 1840-41. Missouri folks interested in going to California formed the Western Emigration Society and signed a pledge “binding each one to dispose of his property, purchase a suitable outfit, and … Continue reading

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Going West

Join the Party! The Bidwell-Bartleson Party, that is. It is May 1841 and John Bidwell is getting ready to set out for California. The Party organized on May 18th and set out on the trail on May 19th. But before … Continue reading

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Bidwell as Land Monopolist

The San Francisco Wasp published this two-page cartoon on June 18, 1892. (Look below for larger versions of the pages.) On the left are farmers in Kansas, desperately fleeing tornadoes and floods. On the right, entrance to sunny, fertile California … Continue reading

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