Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-11-13
EZRA MEEKER ON
TRAIL WITH OXEN
GOES OVER SAME ROUTES THAT
TOOK HIM TO OREGON in
THE EARLY FlFTIEs
ls Marking the Trail In Consideration
OF the Memory of Those Who Went
Before Him and Made Oregon Terri
tory of the United States.

From Mondays Daily.
On his way back to Indianapolis
from Washington over the old Oregon
trail with an OK team, Ezra Meeker
stopped In Ottunwa today. and his an.
tiquated equipment for travel was the
center of attraction on the streets. He
met several Of his friends and rela
tives at Eddyville, where he stayed
last night, the one night on his way
back representing winter spent there
on the way out in 1851 and 1852.
Mr.. Meeker departed from Indianap.
Oils with his wife In 1851 and started
to make his way to the new north.
west. They came to Eddyville and
there they remained during the winter
resuming their journey with their OK
and COW team in the spring. That
year about $4,000 people went over the
trail with similar means Of transporta
ton.
Prosperous Years.
Upon reaching their destination Mr.
and Mrs. Meeker settled near where
Tacoma is built They engaged in
farming and remained In that county
for forty-four years. They have pros
pered, and one of the postal cards that
Mr.. Meeker offers for sale as souv
enir shows his fine residence at Puyal
lup, Wash, where his wife is awaiting
his trip through and return. They
have twenty-one grandchildren and
four great grandchildren.
Mr.. Meeker has travelled consider
ably, having spent four winters on the
hop market in London. and havine
been one of the explorers in the Klon
dixie region, making several trips tc
Alaska.
To Mark the Trail,
My purpose in making this tril
is to mark the old oregon trail,' sale
MI. Meeker. Some people think
was a pio ser in that country, but
there were those who went there from
1S43 to the time that / went. who
think are entitled to .e consideration
that am giving them. 1t is to com
memorate their action in going out te
Oregon, overthrowing the British ant
setting up provisional government
making Oregon forever a portion d
the United States instead of British
colony tnat am making this trip.
Tablets Are Placed.
AT twenty places on the trail
have assisted in erecting monument.
of various kinds, showing where thu
trail was. have secured the co-opera
tion of citizens in every instance anf
the funds have been raised In yariou,
amounts. In some cases l remained
long enough to take part in the dedi
cation. Some of these markers arr
twelve feet high. In some cities ,
thousand school children participated
in the movement.
"The marking stol ed at the Mis-
souri, river, or rather at a point ius
this side. Kanesville. The Council
Bluffs Commercial club took the mai
ter up in that instance and will place
an appropriate tablet at that place
Kanesville was the last place where
we could obtain food and supplies wifi
which to subsist on the trip acros,
the great plains"
Mr.. Meeker started on his trip east
ward January 20. He is apparentl,
taling much pleasure in marking III.
trail" and seems to be enjoying tn,
best of health, although far past tn,
noon of life, being 81 years of age
He has postal cards showing variou.
views of his wagon and the tablets
that he has assisted in placing. HI
also has book that is entitled. "Tht
Ok Team, or the Oregon Trail" i
tells the story of the trip both ways
n.1T De- TSs~