The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-11-28
CROSSING THE
iowa TRAIL
keokuk Furnished Number Of Men
Who Were in the California
Gold Seeking Crowd of
Early Days.
IN THE EARLY SIXTIES
VIM. Hedrick Gives an interview That
Will Be Read With Interest
BY Gate City
Readers.
IN THE EARLY SIXTIES
VIM. Hedrick Gives an Interview That
Will Be Read With Interest
III. NJ. G.l


Among the thousands of men who
lourned westward in search of gold in
the early sixties, were party of four
lowans: T. P. Hedrick and John Har.
din, of this city, S. W. Messenger, and
David Little, the latter now resident
OF California. In most Interesting
interview, Mr. Hedrick, who has re.
markable memory for details, related
his experiences from the time he left
summitville, Iowa, until his return,
via the 1sthmus of Panama, in the
early part of the year 1866.
On the first day of April, 1854. Mr..
Hedrick and his partner Mr.. Mes
singer, in one wagon, and the other
| men in another, started from Summit
vile. for st. Joe, Missouri, where the
! trail began. This road, known as the
Iowa Trail, was called "Landers
Cut from the Plat river on as far
as Boise City, and was considered the
only reliable path fit for travel at that
| time.
| At st. Joe, they were joined by fif-
teen wagons, several of them occupied
by men with their families. A large
number of these men, as ell as
scores of others who had crossed
the country previously, were leaving
their homes not for the sole pur
pose of seeking gold, but because they
were afraid of being drafted into the
war.
At Omaha, six weeks later. the first
| important stop was made. Since this
| was the last settlement of any conse-
i Guence before reaching Boise, many
availed themselves of the opportunity
and "freighted" their wagons with
! large supplies of groceries, dried fruits
and bacon, most of which they intend
ed to sell when they arrived at their
! destinations. Guide books were pur-
/ chased in Omaha. They described the
road, its best camping spots. where
to find water and feed, and other val.
liable information.
On May eighteenth, after spending
one week in Omaha, the journey was
begun in earnest. At first, small head
way was made, owing to the heavy
rainfall and consequent mud: but,
after few hundred miles, the weather
frightened and they were able to
cover sixteen miles a day.
There was plenty of company on the
way. and it was not an infrequent
occurrence that different tribes of
nomadic Indians were met enroute
Often they camped on the same
ground. eating and sleeping only few
feet apart.
On one of the occasions. some val
liable stock disappeared from camp
and, as horse stealing was then a pop
supposed that some of the neighboring
tribe were guilty of the theft A
| search was instituted, during which
one white man was seriously injured
! by shot fired from behind some tree
by the pursued Indians. The stock
was, of course, never recovered.
One morning, few days later, n
i man was found dead by the road,
pierced through the side by an In
dian arrow. After a fruitless investi-
a grave was dug and the body inferred
on the prairie.
For several weeks. the weather was
| ideal Bright, balmy days, plenty of
green pasture-land, an abundance of
wild game, and smooth, hard roads
made travelling a pleasure.
On the eighteenth of August. three
months after leaving Omaha Boise
/ City was reached Here the freight
was unloaded, and sold at SO profit
! " doubted the prospects Of success
! full gold hunt, concluded he would
! stick to the surer proposition of the
! two and continue "freighting" Bacon,
] bought at ten cents a pound, brought
/ forty-fve; syrup sold for five dollars
q gallon, and -four five dollars hun
/ dred.
AT that time, all the provisions, 9th
er than those freighted from the
states, were shipped from the coast
nc POftland, oregon, ana lnence pS
4 steamer up the Columbia river. From
"The Dalles," a few miles below Co
lumbia Falls, they were shipped by
railroad past the falls to the river
above, where they were finally trans
ferred to boats running to Umatilla
But it was no days journey te
Umatilla from Boise; it meant weeks
of difficult travel over rough noun
tains, in the bitter cold, and one
needed to be very brave and strong tc
undertake it.
After weeks investigation of con
ditions at Doiss, Messenger. Hedrick's
partner, and Little decided to return
with several others to America" as