Risks and Rewards

In my last blog, I talked about the shortcuts that some emigrant groups tried to get to California faster than others on the California Trail. I’m pretty sure we all understand FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and it surely existed in 1849.  

Most emigrant groups were organized into companies, many of them from hometowns or regions. There was usually an elected captain who handled all the finances, hiring of guides, and who made judgement calls on company decisions like repair of equipment, stops at forts, and, in extreme cases, discipline of disruptive characters. In my reading of accounts in diaries, the captain is either wholly admired or wholly loathed. Not too many opinions right down the middle.

The captain made the decision of how many could be in the company and if the company could absorb those along the trail who asked to join. It was up to his judge of character if someone from outside their original group was allowed to merge into the group. Not all were worthy. There was a reason they found themselves traveling alone.

Timing of the travel was also critical. For those who got right after it in the spring, say, April or so, they might run into some late weather, muddy roads, and spring runoff-filled rivers.  All these things made traveling treacherous. But they would also have the benefit of the first grass in abundance. Only a few weeks later, there may not be any left due to the quantity of traveling livestock on the trails. 

Photos Courtesy of HistoryCollection.com

If a company ran into problems that slowed them down, they would have to watch as other companies passed them by. While some may have stopped to lend a hand with a repair, many likely felt the pressure to keep moving, just in case something might happen to them. 

Try to remember that most of the folks leaving their homes for the promise of a new life in the west were probably pretty handy. They carried tools for repairs, perhaps some commonly known parts for the wagons or harnesses. But when gold fever hit, there were many, many men who had never been anything other than a store clerk. Limited skills meant depending on others in an emergency. Not every company traveled with a blacksmith or a saddler (a person who repairs saddles, bridles, halters and harnesses). 

If a wagon axle or wheel broke beyond repair, one would have to scavenge for parts. This meant traveling either ahead or going back to find a wrecked wagon and take parts off it. Remember, the seasonal clock was ticking…

At some point, say in late-August or early September, if a company hadn’t crossed the Great Basin (from the Humbolt River to the Sierra Mountains), decisions had to be made. Does the company risk continuing and chance it like the Donner Party did? By 1849, everyone had heard of the tragedy of the Donner Party, which happened in the winter of 1846-1847. No one wanted to face the horrible decisions those folks had been forced to make.

Their options were to stay in Salt Lake City for the winter and start fresh the next spring. They could return to a fort along the way and try to live amongst the fort’s residents, although this was not always a comfortable decision. Or they could turn around. They might make it back to their jumping off point and then become the first to leave the next year.

Finances played a significant role in this decision. Many had sold everything for this trip, having only what was in their wagon to rely upon. Some did bring wealth in the form of coins with them, and this became very valuable as they faced their uncertain future. 

I’ll talk more about traveling with personalities in the next blog.