Travel by stagecoach was no sissy way to go west. Check out the rules posted in every Wells Fargo stagecoach:
Abstinence from liquor is requested, but if you must drink share the bottle. To do otherwise makes you appear selfish and unneighborly.
If ladies are present, gentlemen are urged to forego smoking cigars and pipes as the odor of same is repugnant to the gentler sex. Chewing tobacco is permitted, but spit with the wind, not against it.
Gentlemen must refrain from the use of rough language in the presence of ladies and children.
Buffalo robes are provided for your comfort in cold weather. Hogging robes will not be tolerated and the offender will be made to ride with the driver.
Don’t snore loudly while sleeping or use your fellow passenger’s shoulder for a pillow; he or she may not understand and friction may result.
I like to collect maps to help in my research and often create maps to suit my needs. Today I am posting a few maps that help in my understanding of migration into the western states. Every western states researcher should have a sound understanding of migration routes, railroads, and rivers that affected the movement of emigrants and influenced settling patterns. You can create your own maps using templates found at www.nationalatlas.gov by looking under “printable maps”.
Here is a map I marked with the major overland migration routes west, with key cities or forts that were either stopping points or final destinations.
This is a repost from 2012 in honor of the Thanksgiving season:
Did you have an ancestor on the Mayflower? Chances are better than you might think, since “tens of millions” of Pilgrim progeny have resulted from the original 102 passengers who set sail from Plymouth, England in September 1620, despite the fact that half of them perished the first winter. One child was born en route—Oceanus Hopkins, and one passenger died en route—poor William Button, so 102 passengers were on the Mayflower when it entered Cape Cod on November 11th. They anchored at what is now known as Provincetown Harbor, and for the next six weeks sent exploring parties out from the Mayflower to scout the area. Did you know they originally had planned to settle in Northern Virginia?
Researching ten generations back to a Mayflower ancestor may sound daunting, but fortunately for us Pilgrim-wannabees, research on the first five generations has been underway since 1960. Although the ambitious project by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants (or Mayflower Society) is incomplete, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations and Mayflower Families in Progress are considered the authoritative sources for documenting descendancy. If you know who your Mayflower ancestor is, check this list to see if the Mayflower Society has published a book about him or her, and see links below to obtain the book.
There are plenty of good resources online to help you learn about the Pilgrims. I enjoyed exploring Caleb Johnson’s MayflowerHistory.com, and also discovered a guide for teachers and students created by Duane Cline and hosted on Rootsweb.com. They both have lots of links to images, maps, and source lists. Of course, you should visit the General Society of Mayflower Descendants webpage—especially their “Books and Publications” area.
[This is 13th in a series of letters written by Private A.L. Gooch to his family in Duncan Arizona, while a part of the American Occupation Forces in Germany after WWI. This letter was written 27 Dec 1918, and it appears Pvt. Gooch has fallen victim to the great flu pandemic of 1918-1919. This pandemic is estimated to have killed an estimated 50 million people—a fifth of the world’s population. To put this further in perspective, WWI had 37.5 million casualties, including 8.5 million deaths, which is an incredible number, but 6 times as many people died of the flu in 1918-1919. It is said that the virus struck so fast and so violently a person could be stricken and die within hours.
Original letters are in possession of Dayna Gooch Jacobs, King City, California. Envelope missing. Transcribed by Dayna Jacobs. Slashes in the transcription indicate line breaks. Links to other letters: 123456789 1011 12]
American Red Cross
On active service with the American Expeditionary Force
Will try and write/ you a few lines, and am/ proud I am able to write./ I taken the Influenza the/ 10th of Dec. have been in/ the hospital every since and/ have had quite a time./ But am feeling better/ now. Think I will be up/ in afew day and go back/ to my Co. where there must/ be lots of mail awaiting/ me and sure am anxious/ to get it. havent had a/
[p2] letter in some time./ Well I supose you all / had a wounderfull time/ xmas. you know how/ well I would like to have/ been with you. But my/ Xmas wasnt so bad at that,/ if I did lay in bed all day/ and wish. We had a very/ nice Turkey dinner. and/ that night the nurse gave/ us all a sock full of / choclets, candy and nuts, so you see it wasnt bad. I think I would have died/ had it not been for the/ nurses. they sure treat you/ fine bring me milk, and hot choclelete most every day. I dont know if I can get/
[p3] well or not for this isnt/ a bad place to stay. All I hate I am afraid I wont/ get fat again before I/ go home. ha, ha.
Well this is quite a town/ heare. I can hear the street-/ cars and the trains every/ day. it seams almost real/ again. Will send you a card or two.
Well, there is not much news/ We’ll be home some time sure.
With Lot of Love to All
1st class
Pvt, AL. Gooch
89th Military Police Co. American E.F.
Letter from Pvt A.L. Gooch to his family, 27 Dec 1918, p1
[This is 12th in a series of letters written by Private A.L. Gooch to his family in Duncan Arizona, while he served in France during WWI. This letter was written sometime in 1918, but is otherwise undated.
Original letters are in possession of Dayna Gooch Jacobs, King City, California. Envelope missing. Transcribed by Dayna Jacobs. Slashes in the transcription indicate line breaks. Links to other letters: 123456789 1011]
1918
Dear Mother,
At first chance I am writting you a few/ lines to let you / know I am still/ living and enjoying/ life. There is many things I would like/ to say. And probly can/ latter. I have been/ very sick for the past/ few days with a cold/ in my lungs. But/feel fine now./ Well I am still seeing/ sights and enjoying/ them very much. This/ is a very pretty world/ Continue reading ““…I dont have time to get loansome…””→
Wells Fargo Stagecoach 
On Granny's Trail 
