What does it mean to caulk a wagon?
What does it mean to caulk a wagon?
You would caulk your wagon during a hurricane if it meant saving $5 on a ferry ride. The reality: In real life, settlers were part of a wagon train, and that meant any fording, caulking, or ferrying decisions were made by more than one person.
How did wagons cross rivers on the Oregon Trail?
If the river was low and slow, then the river was typically forded. In other words, the oxen pulled the wagon across the river, with the wagon wheels rolling on the river bottom.
Has anyone beaten Oregon Trail?
Developed in 1974 by MECC, the original Oregon Trail was created to teach students about the harsh realities of frontier life. You can hunt for food to improve your odds of survival, but nobody survives Oregon Trail.
How do you win the Oregon Trail every time?
- When hunting try to kill Buffalo or Bear.
- Float the wagon or take a ferry instead of trying to ford rivers if the river is over 2 feet deep.
- Don’t run out of ammunition and food.
- Just keep one spare part of each type.
- Travel at a grueling pace.
- Leave in March.
What was the best month to start the Oregon Trail?
April
What is the best time to leave on the Oregon Trail?
If you leave too late, you’ll have to face winter, although it should not be a problem unless you leave in July. If you’re going to do a lot of hunting, or travel at a slow pace often, leave in May; otherwise, leave in June.
What was the greatest cause of death on the Oregon Trail?
, being crushed by wagon wheels and injuries from handling domestic animals were the biggest accidental killers on the trail. Wagon accidents were the most common. Both children and adults sometimes fell off or under wagons and were crushed under the wheels.
Why would a family use a covered wagon to travel westward on the Oregon Trail?
By far, the most important item for successful life on the trail was the covered wagon. It had to be sturdy enough to withstand the elements yet small and light enough for a team of oxen or mules to pull day after day. Most wagons were about six feet wide and twelve feet long.
Why did Pioneers go to Oregon?
There were many reasons for the westward movement to Oregon and California. Economic problems upset farmers and businessmen. Free land in Oregon and the possibility of finding gold in California lured them westward. Most of the pioneer families either followed the Oregon-California Trail or the Mormon Trail.
Did pioneers sleep in covered wagons?
Some pioneers did sleep in their wagons. Some did camp on the ground—either in the open or sheltered under the wagon. But many used canvas tents. Despite the romantic depictions of the covered wagon in movies and on television, it would not have been very comfortable to travel in or sleep in the wagon.
Why was the Oregon Trail dangerous?
Emigrants feared death from a variety of causes along the trail: lack of food or water; Indian attacks; accidents or rattlesnake bites were a few. But the number one killer, by a wide margin, was disease. The most dangerous diseases were those spread by poor sanitary conditions and personal contact.
How many wagons were usually in a wagon train?
Wagon Trains were composed of up to 200 wagons, though more common were trains of 30 or less wagons. Wagon Trains had large numbers of livestock accompany them. Upwards of 2,000 cattle and 10,000 sheep joined the pioneers in their westward trek.
Why didn’t most pioneers ride in their wagons?
Most pioneers used the typical farm wagon with a canvas cover stretched over hooped frames. An emigrant wagon was not comfortable to ride in, since wagons lacked springs and there was little room to sit inside the wagon because most space was taken up with cargo.
Did they really circle the wagons?
Contrary to the depictions of dime novels and Hollywood Westerns, attacks by the Plains Indians were not the greatest hazard faced by westbound settlers. While pioneer trains did circle their wagons at night, it was mostly to keep their draft animals from wandering off, not protect against an ambush.
How much did it cost to join a wagon train?
The overland journey from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon or California meant a six-month trip across 2,000 miles of hard country. It was costly—as much as $1,000 for a family of four. That fee included a wagon at about $100.
Why did settlers circle their wagons at night?
At night, wagon trains were often formed into a circle or square for shelter from wind or weather, and to corral the emigrants’ animals in the center to prevent them from running away or being stolen by Native Americans.
How far did the pioneers typically walk each day for 6 months?
Each day, the average distance they cover is usually fifteen miles, but on a good day they could travel twenty.
Are any of the cast of Wagon Train still alive?
Only two are alive today. One of these survivors is Michael Burns who ‘evolved’ into a regular after appearing in an early episode as a boy stricken speechless by the murder of his father.
Are wagon train stories true?
The series, inspired by the 1950 John Ford film “Wagon Master,” detailed the travails of people aboard a wagon train journeying from Missouri to California after the Civil War. Horton was Ward Bond, who played the grizzled wagon master, Maj. Seth Adams. (Mr.
Why did Robert Fuller leave wagon train?
In 1962, Robert Horton left the popular western Wagon Train after its fifth season. He wished to work more in musical theater. His character of Flint McCullough, the tough hero and scout of the slow moving caravan traveling from Missouri to California, was eventually replaced by another scout, Cooper Smith.
Why did Duke leave wagon train?
According to author James Rosin in his book Naked City: The Television Series, McIntire grew dissatisfied with the rigors of a weekly television series based in New York while his family was out west and asked out of his contract, but according to a 1961 TV Guide interview, McIntire said, “I really did not care for …
Why did they say Wagons ho?
Fires had to be made from dried buffalo dung, or “buffalo chips,” as settlers called them. The travelers usually ate a breakfast of sowbelly (bacon) and slam-johns (flapjacks). At seven each morning, Applegate gave the command, “Wagons ho!” Each wagon had to be in its assigned place at that time.
What was the most common problem on the Oregon Trail?
Two of the most dreadful diseases on the trail were scurvy and malaria. The least expected of all the diseases along the Oregon Trail was head and body lice. Cholera, being one of the most lethal, was one of the most common. Throughout all of the dangers of the journey, disease killed off most of the travelers.
What happened to Terry Wilson?
Moreover, Terry in the wake of retiring from the film business went on to run a location ranch in Simi Valley, California and was the vice president of a construction firm in Southern California. Wilson died at age 75 on March 30, 1999. He was survived by his wife Mary Ann Wilson and three children.
Why did Wagon Train change cast?
5. Bond died of a heart attack on the fourth season of ‘Wagon Train. Bond shockingly passed on November 5, 1960. John McIntire was brought in to replace the actor, acting as a new wagon master.
What happened to Bill’s wife on wagon train?
Irene Windust subsequently played the character of Charity Harris on the third season of the Western, and she got killed by arrows while traveling home. Her second on-screen husband, who was played by John Howard, later sought revenge against her killers.