Three Wagons West: Adventures on the Oregon Trail

By George W. Maybee

This is a story about how it might have been in 1877 when Charles Maybee moved his family from Kansas to Oregon. It is based a note passed down through the family from his oldest son. Supporting characters, events and personal interactions are fictional. But tracing the route that Charles took, and knowing the hazards he faced in those days before automobiles existed, is like being there with him.

Charles is tired of scraping out a living in Kansas and believes a homestead in Oregon's fertile Willamette Valley is the way to a better life. But his wife, Mary Jane, refuses to go. It would mean traveling by covered wagon for six months. They have four small children and a fifth is on the way. The rift between her and Charles takes months to mend, but she finally relents and in the spring of 1877, when their new baby is just six months old, they begin the 2,000-mile journey in the company of two neighboring families.

Life on the trail is demanding and painfully difficult, but Charles leads their party with unwavering resolve. In northeast Kansas, near the Big Blue River, they join a party from Missouri led by Jack Jarrett. Continuing as a seven-wagon caravan, they cross the harsh plains of Nebraska. After surviving a fierce storm that threatens their lives and scatters their livestock, they travel through the towering bluffs of western Nebraska into Wyoming Territory, and over the Rocky Mountains. Continuing through rugged Idaho Territory, they enter the promised land of Oregon. Still, they face a daunting passage through the Blue Mountains and around Mt. Hood before reaching Oregon City, the end of the Oregon Trail. Charles then faces the final challenge finding a place to settle and begin a new life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 10, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499032628

George W. Maybee

George Maybee grew up in Seattle, Washington, where, after a tour in the U.S. Navy, he studied engineering and physics at the University of Washington. After graduation, he moved to Huntsville, Alabama, to work on engineering projects for the NASA space program. His wrote technical papers and documents for Apollo, Spacelab, and Space Shuttle operations. Upon retirement, he began writing from a personal perspective, focusing on nature and life experiences. His work has appeared in The Good Old Days and Storyteller magazines. His latest work, Three Wagons West, is the sequel to an unpublished novel about his great grandfather, Charles Maybee, who prospected for gold in the 1850s. George lives in a rural community on the outskirts of Huntsville, home of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. He enjoys watching his backyard birds and feeding apples to his neighbor’s horses.

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Copyright © 2014 by George W. Maybee.

Library of Congress Control Number:          pending

ISBN:          Hardcover          978-1-4990-3266-6

                   Softcover            978-1-4990-3268-0

                   eBook                  978-1-4990-3262-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 06/05/2014

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Contents

Leaving Home

The Trail Begins

North To Nebraska

Prairie Dogs, Rattle Snakes And Coyotes

Beyond The Bluffs

The Promised Land

At Home In Oregon

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LEAVING HOME

C harlie! What about the baby?

The baby will be all right. We won’t leave until it’s big enough.

Mary folded her arms and turned away, shaking her head. She couldn’t accept pulling up roots so dearly gained. Her face flared red and she thought of the children. Clara and Charles would miss their schooling.

You always say school is so important, she said as she whirled to face him. Why not just move to the city?

We’re not city people. I want us to have room to spread out, a place where I can work and we can all grow.

I just think it’s too much. I don’t want to drag the children clear across the country. Her voice quavered and she trembled. She was close to crying when she said as surely as she could, I won’t do it! Charles went to the window and looked out. He was in no mood to argue.

Get me some coffee and let me think. She went to the stove and brought the pot. He sat down at the table. She poured the coffee and sat down across from him.

I hate fighting, but this is crazy, she said. It’s too far and too dangerous. He looked at the wall and shook his head.

It’s not crazy! The roads are safe now. It’s a chance for a better life. He finished his cup without another word and went outside.

It was the summer of 1876, and times were tough in the township of Agnes, Kansas. Charles Maybee’s small farm produced barely enough to feed his family. His part-time profession as a carpenter brought in a little spending money, but he was tired of scraping through. He wanted to pick up and leave for greener pastures. With four children and a pregnant wife, he felt trapped. When he first came to Kansas, he prospered enough to buy a farm and start a family. Now, ten years later, the family included Clara, Charles, George and Alice. Clara was eight and Charles was six. Little George was three and Alice was two. They were a happy flock, and his wife, Mary Jane, was content where they were. She couldn’t believe Charles was serious about going two thousand miles to an uncertain future in Oregon.

He was sick of Kansas, sick of hard times. He leaned against the barn and watched a hawk circle over the field. It seemed so free and in control. He imagined going alone, and sending for Mary after he had a place. It would be easier for him, but he knew he couldn’t leave her to bring the children. He felt like it was all or nothing. The hawk swooped down and snatched up something. He watched it fly up and disappear behind the barn. After a smoke, he went into the house and started again.

I don’t want to fight either, but we’re going. Mary said nothing. Usually calm and understanding, but

Reviews for Three Wagons West

[experimentalis_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

indispensable and enjoyable even when he didn't want to be such

[jamie638 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the essential reference for classical musicians. Slonimsky's quirky humor permeates the book. A good example can found on page xvii (the preface to the 6th edition, which for some reason is included in this 8th edition) where Slonimsky talks about a fake entry for one "Krsto Zyzik" that he had created for an earlier edition. Although he didn't have the nerve to print it, it's still hilarious.