Heading West to the Pacific: An Oregon Trail Romance

By Doreen Milstead

Heading West to the Pacific - An Oregon Trail Romance -- A young woman, suffering a few tragedies along the trail, finds a piece of joy as well as romance with a young man looking after his orphaned brothers. Will they all reach, or wish to reach, their final west coast destination? The epilogue is very moving.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Hart
• Release date: Mar 12, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463893517

Book preview

Heading West to the Pacific: An Oregon Trail Romance

by

Doreen Milstead

Copyright 2020 Susan Hart

Cover photo by Susan Hart

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Epilogue

Chapter One

Synopsis: Heading West to the Pacific - An Oregon Trail Romance -- A young woman, suffering a few tragedies along the trail, finds a piece of joy as well as romance with a young man looking after his orphaned brothers. Will they all reach, or wish to reach, their final west coast destination? The epilogue is very moving.

Along the Oregon Trail, Spring 1847

Sarah Lawson placed several more sticks of wood on the camp fire and then stood and stretched her arms to the sky. She couldn’t wait for the chance to rinse some of the trail dust from her skin and clothing. It had been three long weeks since the wagon train had dared to stop and make camp for more than a single night.

With Indian raids on the rise, the wagon master had been reluctant to stop for more than a night, and the men had been tasked with the responsibility of keeping watch each evening. Thankfully, God had protected the sixty wagons heading west; the only Indians they had seen had been in the distance.

They had passed an Army patrol earlier in the day, and after conferring with them for several minutes, the wagon master had announced they would be making camp before nightfall. The best news had come as he announced they would be staying for two nights so the men could hunt and make repairs to their wagons.

Sarah quickly grabbed her extra travelling dress, a brush, and a bar of homemade soap. Taking one last glance at the cook fire, to ensure it was not in danger of going out while she was gone, she quickly walked around the back of her wagon. As she left the shelter of the circled wagons, she noticed several groups of women and young children returning from the river. Several of the women called a Good Evening to Sarah as they passed. They all looked refreshed and were smiling. Sarah picked up her pace, anxious to reach the river.

The wagon master had kindly allocated the sheltered area of the river, with large trees and bushes growing along its banks, for the women and girls. The men had been instructed to use the more open area of the North Platte River with smaller bushes and not as much cover.

Sarah was grateful for whatever the river would soon yield. Drinking water was too precious to waste on bathing. Sarah had been as careful as she could be, not wanting to risk the wagon master’s wrath if her barrels ran dry before reaching Fort Laramie.

As she walked towards the river bank, she admired the wildflowers and birdsongs coming from the lightly wooded area. She smiled as two chipmunks, busy chasing each other through the tall grass, stopped at her approach; then hurriedly ran up the nearest tree.

She thought of the many Bible verses that extolled the greatness of God’s creation. and echoed their sentiments, Heavenly Father, thank you for providing this beautiful place of rest for me and the others. Please help me to be mindful of your creation and to never forget the blessings which you have bestowed upon me.

As she finished her thanks, she came upon the riverbank. She looked around and located a large rock with several bushes nearby and headed in that direction. The river appeared to be shallow close to the bank, but the wagon master had warned them all to avoid the middle of the river. It looked calm on the surface, but he had told them of the swift current and large boulders which lurked underneath.

Sarah knew how to swim; her beloved father had insisted she learn and had taught her himself in the neighboring pond. Thinking about her father brought a wave of sadness to her heart once again.

Her parents had been preparing for the journey to the Oregon Territory for over 6 months. The wagon and horses had been painstakingly chosen by her father and the supplies needed for the long journey had been gathered and packaged with great care.

Sarah’s parents were Methodist missionaries who had felt the call of God upon their lives since they were teenagers. Having nurtured a growing congregation in Missouri during Sarah’s early childhood, they had felt drawn to