Missionaries
As different people began making the trek across the western region, the American Board of Foreign Missions had heard that there were a lot of unconverted Indians along the Oregon coast (Dary, 2004). The Board wanted to set up a mission and sent Reverend Jason Lee. Lee would eventually set up a mission on the Green River, which is in present day Wyoming. On the way, Lee’s nephew Daniel Lee would write in his journal about crossing the Platte River, which is in Nebraska. Lee writes, “The Platte, as its name implies, is very shallow, and in some places more than a mile wide. The bottom is quicksand, and in fording, it is necessary to keep in motion to prevent sinking. The water has a whitish appearance…the country is destitute of timber" (As cited in Dary, 2004, p. 59). In 1838, when Lee returned east, he began to spread the word about the land of Oregon. He told easterners how wonderful the land was and how it was a great place to live. As Lee’s mission was thriving, another missionary team, Dr. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman were getting ready to head west.
In 1836, The Whitmans headed west and were the first to travel by a covered wagon (National Park Service, 2011). During the Whitman’s journey, Narcissa kept many journals about her experiences traveling the trail. On June 27, 1836 she writes, “It is astonishing how well we get along with our wagons where there are no roads…on the way to the buffalo country, we had to bake bread for ten persons. It was difficult at first, as we did not understand working out-doors. June found us ready to receive our first taste of buffalo" (As cited in Dary, 2004, p. 52). Unfortunately, the Whitmans would later be killed by the Indians they were trying to convert, but not until they would accompany a mass of emigrants across the Oregon Trail in 1843.
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Narcissa Whitman Image taken from http://www.nps.gov/oreg/historyculture/history2.htm