Charles Stevens

“ When I was in the states I could learn but little or nothing about this end of the road, but let me tell you Levi that the other end of the road is not to be compared with this, for in the first place, there is not one tenth part the feed for stock, not so much water, a thousand times more dusty and hilly, and dryer for we had but one little rain from Bear River Mountains to the Blue Mountains which gives our cattle the hollow horn, [21] and hundreds of them die before any one knows there is any thing out of the way with them. ”

“ Some half of a mile or perhaps a little more, the mountain rises many thousand feet, the ridge runing north and south, covered with pine or fir trees, and at this very point has the appearance of haveing been broken off suddenly and as even as man could possibly have wished. ”

“ And here I would say that this river runs from these falls to the Cascades in one bed of solid Basaltic Rock, in many places, and in fact, amost of the way, they rise I should think, some six hundred to two thousand feet above the water, there being but a very few places where it can be visited. The worst of our road was from about the American Falls. All the way on, south of the Snake, the road runs over this basaltic rock, and a kind of volcanic ashes, or decomposed rock, which is nothing but dust, [18] and it is from 3 to 6 inches deep all of the way, enough to sufocate man and beast. ”

“ The road here runs betwene two lofty ridges of almost solid granit with but here and there a tree, or even any thing for a blade of grass to to take root in. It must be remembered that these rocks, all through this section of country are entirely naked. In New England the mountains are covered with Pine the Ceder and the Oack, but you can hardly find timber of any kind enough for one good farm betwene the Missouri River and the Blue Mountains. ”

“ The rivers have been so high that it was a most impossible to get about, the Willamette has been clear up so that it has done some damage in its course, then two weeks ago yesterday it commenced snowing and it has snowed every day but one since, and the snow was from two or three feet deep all through the country, and last night it began to rain, so the snow is now fast going off, and we expect it will rais the streams wors than ever. A great many cattle have died and no doubt there will many more die before spring, unless the snow goes off and stays off. ”

“ Kinsman, the man I had the cattle of. We expect he will go to Oregon with us. He drives one team and helps take care of them, which is a great help to me. I had begun to think of stoping at the Bluffs, for I did not expect to have money enough to get me there, for it had cost me more than half the money that I took from Princeton. We think we have taken the shortest and best road, for we are half way or more to the Bluffs now. ”

“ Hall a few miles is very good, especially some hot springs on the road, which are hot enough, one is 196 degrees on the Malheur River, and others we passed that were scalding hot.
But we are here, in Portland, we came down the river because we were to late to cross the Cascades, many had tried it, but had to return, and the snow began to fall on the Blue Mountains while we were there. The rainy season has fairly commenced yet it is not so but that we can get about very well. The weather is warm, the grass is springing up and many things look like early spring in the States. ”

“ We were then about 975 miles from Princeton, and about 525 from the Missouri River, and we were 298 miles from the South Pass, yet we were nearly as long in going from Fort Laramie as we were in going from the Missouri to the Fort. There had been a great many teams along the road, and they had eaten up nearly all of the little feed there was, and we were compelled to go from a few rods to two or three miles for feed, and we were obliged to rest our teams two and three days at a time, for a number of times. In passing up the platt and Sweetwater we pass a great deal of beautiful scenery. ”

“ The necked Granite Rocks thrown up in lofty ridges upon each side, and especially the Devils Gap, is one of the great wonders in nature. Here the Sweet Water runs through the end of a mountain of Granite and the walls on each side are something like four hundred feet high and not more than 30 or 40 feet apart, and are nearby, and I believe on the south side are quite perpendicular. ”

“ In the day time the town perfectly filled with teams, fitting out making up companies, loading up, and preparing to cross the river. I have been told that the ferries were four weeks behind, we had our passage engaged for this morning but it has rained all day and all we have done is to load up. I have not seen or heard of any of the Troy Grove [16] people ...
We crossed the Des Moines 10 miles below the fort, and should have crossed some distance below at Red Rock had the road been fit to travel, and feed to be had. Our cattle have lived on grass a most of the time since crossing this river. ”

“ He arived in Oregon Citty the 15th of August, and has been traveling over the country ever since. He says that he does not like the country as well as he expected, but he says if there was not a claim in the Willamette vally now, he should go to Pugets Sound, in prefferance to this vally, or if he could get the falls on this river for milling, and that is the thing that he is after. He said that on the Chehalee river which is 30 miles south of the south point of the sound that there is a plenty of claims to be had with timber prairia and water, and if he wanted a farm he should go there. ”

“ But I am more inclined to go up this river, or out east of Oregon Citty, to the Indian Reserve. This is a rich fertile part, and is said to be a splendid stock country, and Wheat also. I have a little work at the old trade to do, and when I get that done, if I have any money to use in traveling, I intend to start out.
I wish Emma was here with about 10 or 12 cows, she could make more money than any two farmers in La Salle County. I have heard of a number of women clearing 6 and 8 hundred dollars a year. Butter is worth one dollar pr pound, and Cheese 50 cts ... ”

“ Wind blew harder in the night than we have known it, since we have been in Oregon. Got 5 of our logs together and pined them . 4 had floted down the race to the mill, two we could not get so as to pin, got a lot of lumber from up the river. The river has fallen about 2 feet, and is continuing to fall fast. The Eagle [33] went down to night. The day has been one of the pleasentest we have seen in Oregon, having had but about 15 minutes mist to day. Ann is better and done a little work today. ”

“ They fell the night before and lay in the hot sun all the fore part of the day, so you can judge of their size when they fell. But we were not troubled with any kind of showers after we crossed the mountains betwene Bear River & Snake River, untill we reached the Blue mountains, here we had a plenty of rain and snow. When we leave these mountains we go into the Umatilla vally, instead of the Wallawalla, as they used to. Here the Indians are very welthy. They rais Cattle, Horses, Corn, Pottatos, etc. ”

“ The farms that are now made, are either on the river or back under the hills, at the latter places there is wood & water a plenty, but the water soon sinks into the sand, and does not make its appearance again untill it gets near the river, so I have been told by people that have been through the vally for the purpos of making a location. ”

“ It is to be found all the way from 60 or 70 miles east of Fort Laramie to the Grande Ronde, and a little in midle Oregon or betwene the Blue & Cascade Mountains, and is the principle feuel for the emegrants. We have a great deal of bad or poison water at different places all the way from Loup Fork to Bear River, much of it so bad that if cattle get to it, it is amost shure death. ”

“ Boarding is a very good business and we have a chance of going into that if Ann get well enough to go to Milwaukie to keep it, and I can get the means to fit it up. Our intention now is, to work at this, (that is boarding and all other business that we can do) this winter, and in the time look at the country, and get me a place and in the spring, go on to it. Portland is as large or larger than La Salle, and has more welth in one corner of it than La Salle ever will have. ”

“ Even after we cross the Rocky Mountains, there is no timber to be found but wild sage which is a little shrub, that grows all over the face of the country some of it not more than four or five inches high, while in other places it will reach the hight of 5 or 8 feet, and in the wood part, very much resembles some old thick bark, is very stiff, and bad to walk among, and gives out a very strong oder. ”

“ The snow has all gon an the Willamette is higher than ever. The Lot Whitcomb, [28] Steamer in coming from Oregon Citty new years day, was driven against the rocks in the river, about half a mile above this place and stove her in, smashed one wheel, and ran down 1⁄2 a mile below this found she was about to sink, and run ashore, and sunk there She will be fitted up when the water falls enough. It continues to rain a most all of the time. There has been some Cholera in Portland this fall. The late emegrants, or the poor people in Portland are about to starve, so we are told ... ”

“ All people that wish to get land for coming must come this year. Tell Taylor that he must come this year if he wants land under the law. I think I shall start for Pugets Sound in about 4 weeks, if the weather will admit. I intend going to the Dalls in the fall with provision if I can possibly get there. Tell all to come with mules, and then they can cross the mountains and it will save their teams and from 50 to one hundred dollars. ”

“ We have felt the cold as much this winter as we used to in the Houses in Illinois, but the reason is, there is but a very few houses that are even sealed on the inside, and the wind can blow through anywhere... ”

“ But they will steal all the Cattle & Horses they can get hold of. After leaving the Blue Mountains for two or three days we came in sight of some of the high peaks of the Cascade range. these were Mount Renier Mount Hood & Mount St. Hellen, all covered with snow, being some 16 or 1800 feet high. Mount Hood looks exactly like the picture of the Egyptian Pyramids.
But we are now in what is called Oregon, in the Willamet vally and on the bank of the river of that name, the country that I have so long wanted to see. It is now the 26th being one month today since we landed in Portland. ”

“ Last evening I went into the market and saw radishes, and green Peas. I have not been able to get into any kind of business yet, tailoring is not worth anything, but a carpenter can get work enough at four or five dollars pr day, day labourers get $2.50 to $3. ”

“ The country is so full of people wanting employment that it is hard for any to get any thing to do, and wages have fallen a conciderable since we came. Flour is now worth $15 pr hundred pounds, and potatos $2.50 pr bushel. Ann & the girls take in washing and make pies to sell, we get 25 cts for washing large things 121/2 cts for small, we have done about $.50 worth this week. ”

“ Got our logs to the mill and sold them for a little over $20.
Jan. 14.⁠Another fine day, paid at the rate of $2.50 pr bushel for Potatoes, & 18 cts pr pound for Beef. Flour is $24.00 pr hundred. The river continues to fall and the Eagle & Multnoma, [35] Steam Boats have commenced their regular trips.
Jan. 16⁠... I believe Levi that I have never given you a discription of those parts of the country that I have seen, and perhaps now is as good a time as I shall have. The Cascade Mountains is an object of interest to you and others, as any part of the country, so far as curiosity goes. ”

“ It is a most impossible to get any thing for our teams. Corn is worth 50 cts. Oats 25 or 30. Oats in the sheaf 15 [?] cts pr doz. and hay is out of the question. We brot hay with us to this place, from about 12 miles back, and we have little hopes of getting any more, but the grass is up in the sloughs, so that the cattle can fill themselves, after a while with that. ”

“ Bagley, History of Seattle, II, 711. ↑ In 1846 the Mormons were driven from Nauvoo, Illinois, and started on their journey west. "About the end of June, 1846, the first column arrived on the banks of the Missouri ... This spot, now known by the name of Council Bluffs, was christened Kanesville by the Mormons; Larned, History for Ready Reference, 5890. ↑ The Reverend Daniel Bagley, a Methodist minister who had lived in Princeton for ten years, and in 1852 was sent as a missionary to Oregon. With his family he left Princeton April 20, 1852, reaching Salem September 21. ”

“ Every thing is very high. For instance Flour is $12 pr hundred, Potatoes $2. and $2.50 pr bush. Beef from 10 to 16 cts pr pound, fresh pork 20 cts pickeled hams 35 cts, Butter 75 cts pr pound Onions 10 cts pr pound, Eggs 75 cts pr doz. and $1.00. Large Wash Tubs $5.00. Zink.
Milwaukie Oregon Teritory 9th Nov /52
Dear Mother
... It was very late when we crossed the Missouri River being the 22 & 23 of days of May, and it was the 24 before we left for the plains. ”