1. Five Facts About the
Oregon Trail
By
Melissa Winfield

2. $100 Glass of Water
• Did you know that a
glass of water on the
Oregon Trail could
cost you up to $100?
Since the trail lead
through the middle of
the desert, many
pioneers were forced
to pay this ridiculous
amount or die of
thirst!

3. Dung Frisbees
• Buffalo and cow dung
was abundant on the
plains. Children often
used these hard chips
as Frisbees to play
with. Dung was also
used for fuel on the
trail since it burned
well and there was
little wood for fire.

4. A Million Dollar Wagon
• Henderson Luelling took
his family to Oregon from
Iowa in 1846. He brought
two extra wagons filled
with apple, cherry, pear,
plum and black walnut
trees. Once his orchards
were established, it was
estimated the resulting
value of Luelling's trees
at well over $1 million.

5. Buried Alive on the Oregon Trail!
• For many years, cholera
ravaged emigrants along
the Oregon Trail.
Whoever caught it was
dead--no cure or
treatment existed. Many
emigrants were buried
hurriedly on the journey.
Evidence strongly
suggests that some were
accidentally buried before
they took their final
breath.

6. Weird Honeymoon
• Narcissa Whitman and her
husband, Marcus, were the first
family to travel to Oregon in a
covered wagon. After knowing
each other only a couple of days,
they decided to marry. They were
accompanied by another
missionary couple, Henry and
Eliza Spalding. Henry had
proposed earlier to Narcissa, but
she had turned him down flat.
Despite the awkward situation, the
four pioneers seemed to get along
fairly well, although the Spaldings
and Whitmans did split up when
they arrived in Oregon Country.