Blast from the Past

After last night's post, my husband installed Oregon Trail V. 1 on my old, craptastic laptop.

It was just like I remembered. We managed not to starve to death, but we all died anyway. And not of dysentery.


April 1, 1848
We started down the trail with:
20 oxen
10 sets of clothing
1000 bullets
3 wagon wheels
3 wagon axles
3 wagon tongues
2000 pounds of food

April 2, 1848
Broken wagon tongue.
We fixed the broken wagon tongue.

April 3, 1848
An ox is sick.

April 5, 1848
Broken wagon wheel.
We fixed the broken wagon wheel.

April 7, 1848
We shot 850 pounds of meat but we were able to fit only 90 pounds of meat in our wagon.

April 10, 1848
We have arrived at the Kansas River Crossing.

April 11, 1848
The ferry got our party and wagon safely across.

April 12, 1848
We took the wrong trail and lost 3 days.

April 16, 1848
An ox died.

April 18, 1848
Broken wagon tongue.
We couldn't fix the wagon tongue, but we replaced it from supplies.

April 20, 1848
We have arrived at the Big Blue River Crossing.

April 21, 1848
We had no trouble floating the wagon across.

April 25, 1848
We shot 315 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.

April 27, 1848
Broken wagon wheel.
We fixed the broken wagon wheel.

April 29, 1848
We lost 14 pounds of food due to spoilage.

April 30, 1848
We have reached Fort Kearney.

May 1, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.
We lost 10 pounds of food due to spoilage.

May 8, 1848
George is sick with typhoid fever.

May 10, 1848
We shot 46 pounds of meat.

May 11, 1848
We shot 59 pounds of meat.

May 12, 1848
Broken wagon axle.
We couldn't fix the wagon axle, but we replaced it from supplies.

May 13, 1848
No water.

May 14, 1848
Bad water.

May 17, 1848
George is well again.

May 18, 1848
We shot 47 pounds of meat.

May 19, 1848
We shot 28 pounds of meat.

May 21, 1848
We didn't have any luck on this hunting trip! We returned to the wagon empty-handed.

May 22, 1848
We found some wild fruit.
We have reached Chimney Rock.

May 24, 1848
We shot 1 pound of meat.
Fred has a fever.

May 25, 1848
We found some wild fruit.
An ox is sick.
We decided to rest for 2 days.

May 31, 1848
We shot 3 pounds of meat.
Broken wagon wheel.
We couldn't fix the wagon wheel, but we replaced it from supplies.

June 1, 1848
We have reached Fort Laramie.
We traded 1 set of clothing for 1 wagon tongue.

June 2, 1848
Fred is well again.

June 3, 1848
We shot 2 pounds of meat.

June 4, 1848
We will now travel at a more strenuous pace.

June 6, 1848
No water.

June 7, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

June 8, 1848
No water.

June 9, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

June 11, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

June 12, 1848
We shot 53 pounds of meat.

June 13, 1848
No water.
No grass for the oxen.

June 14, 1848
Bad water.
We have reached Independence Rock.
We decided to rest for 2 days.

June 17, 1848
We decided to rest for 2 days.

June 19, 1848
We will now travel at a steady pace.

June 20, 1848
We shot 52 pounds of meat.
Bad water.
No grass for the oxen.

June 21, 1848
Bad water.
Fred is sick with typhoid fever.

June 22, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

June 23, 1848
An ox died.
We decided to rest for 3 days.

June 28, 1848
We shot 215 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.
We decided to rest for 2 days.

June 30, 1848
Fred is well again.
No water.

July 1, 1848
Bad water.
Tony has a broken arm.

July 4, 1848
Tony died of typhoid.

July 7, 1848
We shot 241 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.
No grass for the oxen.

July 8, 1848
We have arrived at the South Pass.
We traded 262 pounds of food for 2 oxen.
We lost 1 pound of food due to spoilage.

July 9, 1848
We didn't have any luck on this hunting trip! We returned to the wagon empty-handed.
Bad water.
We took the wrong trail and lost 3 days.

July 10, 1848
George is sick with typhoid fever.

July 11, 1848
Henry has cholera.

July 12, 1848
We decided to rest for 4 days.

July 15, 1848
We didn't have any luck on this hunting trip! We returned to the wagon empty-handed.

July 17, 1848
We decided to rest for 3 days.

July 19, 1848
George is well again.

July 21, 1848
Henry is well again.

July 22, 1848
We found some wild fruit.
Bad water.

July 23, 1848
We didn't have any luck on this hunting trip! We returned to the wagon empty-handed.
Bad water.

July 24, 1848
An ox is sick.

July 26, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

July 28, 1848
Bad water.

July 29, 1848
We shot 140 pounds of meat.

July 30, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

July 31, 1848
Bad water.

August 1, 1848
We decided to rest for 5 days.

August 7, 1848
No water.

August 8, 1848
We shot 493 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.
Bad water.
We have arrived at the Green River Crossing.

August 12, 1848
The ferry got our party and wagon safely across.

August 14, 1848
We didn't have any luck on this hunting trip! We returned to the wagon empty-handed.
Bad water.
No grass for the oxen.

August 15, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.
We found some wild fruit.

August 17, 1848
No water.

August 18, 1848
We shot 359 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.
Broken wagon wheel.
We couldn't fix the wagon wheel, but we replaced it from supplies.

August 19, 1848
Heavy fog. Lost 1 day.

August 20, 1848
No water.

August 21, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

August 22, 1848
No grass for the oxen.
We lost 29 pounds of food due to spoilage.

August 23, 1848
No water.

August 25, 1848
No water.

August 26, 1848
We shot 359 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.

August 27, 1848
No water.
We lost 41 pounds of food due to spoilage.

August 28, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

August 29, 1848
We have reached Soda Springs.
We traded 200 bullets for 1 wagon wheel.

August 31, 1848
We shot 374 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.
No grass for the oxen.
Fred has cholera.

September 1, 1848
Bad water.
We decided to rest for 2 days.

September 5, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

September 6, 1848
We found some wild fruit.

September 7, 1848
We have reached Fort Hall.
We decided to rest for 4 days.

September 11, 1848
Fred is well again.

September 13, 1848
Bad water.

September 15, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

September 16, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

September 17, 1848
We found some wild fruit.

September 18, 1848
No water.

September 19, 1848
Bad water.

September 21, 1848
Fred was lost for 1 day.

September 23, 1848
We shot 320 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.
Fred has a broken arm.
The trail is impassable. Lost 8 days.
A fire in our wagon destroyed:
9 sets of clothing
1 wagon wheel
14 pounds of food

September 29, 1848
We traded 136 bullets for 1 set of clothing.

October 1, 1848
We traded 141 bullets for 1 set of clothing.

October 2, 1848
Bad water.
No grass for the oxen.

October 3, 1848
Bad water.

October 5, 1848
Bad water.

October 6, 1848
Bad water.

October 7, 1848
We have arrived at the Snake River Crossing.

October 8, 1848
The wagon tipped over while floating. We lost:
george (drowned)
fred (drowned)
We decided to rest for 5 days.

October 11, 1848
Henry is sick with typhoid fever.

October 12, 1848
We decided to rest for 9 days.

October 21, 1848
We shot 301 pounds of meat but were able to carry back only 200 pounds of meat.

October 22, 1848
Henry is well again.

October 23, 1848
We lost 18 pounds of food due to spoilage.

October 24, 1848
No water.

October 26, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

October 27, 1848
No water.

October 28, 1848
No grass for the oxen.

November 1, 1848
Bad water.
We have reached Fort Boise.
We traded 68 dollars for 2 sets of clothing.
We visited the store and bought:
1 wagon wheel

November 2, 1848
No water.

November 3, 1848
We lost 10 pounds of food due to spoilage.

November 6, 1848
Broken wagon axle.
We couldn't fix the wagon axle, but we replaced it from supplies.

November 8, 1848
We shot 2 pounds of meat.

November 10, 1848
Rough trail.

November 13, 1848
We have arrived at the Grande Ronde in the Blue Mountains.
We decided to rest for 3 days.

November 18, 1848
Henry has a broken arm.

November 20, 1848
Henry was near death, but the doctor was able to help.

November 26, 1848
We have reached The Dalles.

November 28, 1848
Henry died of typhoid.

November 29, 1848
I have the measles.

November 30, 1848
I have a broken leg.
I decided to rest for 6 days.

[ End of Journal. ]

On December 3, 1848, Jim died of cholera.