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Diary Documenting a Wagon Trip from California to Oregon in 1880
MC340
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Contributing Institution:
University of California, Davis Library, Dept. of Special Collections
Title: Diary Documenting a Wagon Trip from California to Oregon in 1880
source:
McBride Rare Books
Identifier/Call Number: MC340
Physical Description:
1 item
[56]pp. plus additional, unrelated manuscript passages in the rear of the diary. Small quarto. Contemporary half-calf and
marbled boards.
Date (inclusive): April 12, 1880 - June 17, 1880
Abstract: A unique firsthand travel account recorded by at least two members of a traveling party on a journey through the wilds of
the West Coast from southern California to west-central Oregon, recorded over the course of three months in 1880.
Physical Location: Researchers should contact Archives and Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite.
Language of Material:
English
.
Collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from McBride Rare Books, 2022.
[Identification of item], Diary Documenting a Wagon Trip from California to Oregon in 1880, MC340, Archives and Special Collections,
UC Davis Library, University of California, Davis.
A unique firsthand travel account recorded by at least two members of a traveling party on a journey through the wilds of
the West Coast from southern California to west-central Oregon, recorded over the course of three months in 1880. The two
principal writers are most likely Joe H. Whiting and Sarah Mundell, who both sign an introductory preface. Their account encompasses
dozens of locations across the breadth of California and the southern half of Oregon between April 12 and June 27, 1880, and
is written in at least two distinct hands, one of which definitely belongs to a woman. This last point is evidenced by textual
clues such as the author's mention of sewing a calico dress for herself, as well as her act of building a fire because "the
men were both lazy this morning." Also, she ends her last entry by signing off as "Sis." The diary includes valuable and impactful
observations on numerous townships and cities, natural landmarks, the difficulties of travel by wagon in the late-19th century,
and most especially, a few unique, firsthand encounters and impressions of Native Americans.
The diary begins April 12, 1880, when Whiting and his traveling party leave Alhambra, California heading north, ultimately
for Tillamook, Oregon. They pass through numerous named towns such as San Fernando, Delano, Porterville, Visalia, Fresno,
Borden, Grayson, Banta, Antioch, Collinsville, Denverton, Elmira, Winters, Maxwell, Willow, Orland, Red Bluff, Redding, Little
Shasta, and others in California, as well as Oregon towns such as Phoenix, Jacksonville, Cow Creek, Canyonville, Roseburg
("the terminus of the Oregon Pacific R.R."), Eugene ("Eugene City"), Dallas, McMinnville, and finally Tillamook. The writers
often include appraisals of the settlements they trek through, represented by this passage regarding Roseburg, Oregon: "The
town of Roseburg like other little pretentious towns aspires to be a city, plying great unction to itself on its 'terminus.'
And hence can never, that is 'hardly ever,' have those petty annoyances that shake other places to its centre, called hard
times."
Near the beginning of the journey, at Deer Creek, they encounter "emigrants there waiting for the water to subside." They
also later describe an encounter with "emigrants presumably from Oregon on their return to California." A couple of days after
this, they speak to another group of emigrants coming back to California "who gave a woeful description of Oregon so much
so as to render the spirits of the company downcast and despondent." On June 15, the diarists describe a similar encounter
with another group of disgruntled emigrants coming back from Oregon, but decide that the negative opinions of Oregon were
formed by untrustworthy travelers who "elongate the truth."
Along the way the writers comment on the landscape, crops, "the richness of the soil," their "anxiety" and hardships such
as a wheel breaking off of their wagon, the sad conditions of the roads, and much more. They kill numerous rattlesnakes, sleep
in barns or in encampments near graveyards and whiskey saloons, cross swollen rivers, follow the path of various railroads,
comment on the flora and fauna, climb mountains, encounter fellow travelers, and so forth.
On May 8, the diary includes an interesting observation on the town of Banta, California, which the writer describes as "a
shabby and dilapidated place." The writers also proceed to describe - mostly in brief but with notable passages nonetheless
- municipalities or landmarks such as Elizabeth Lake, the Mojave Desert, Mt. Diablo, the San Joaquin River ("in many respects
it resembles the mighty Missouri"), the Antioch distillery, Willow ("It appears to be well and substantially built, many brick
buildings of an imposing character adorning its principal streets"), Stony Creek near Orland, Red Bluff ("The town is anything
but handsome in appearance – being irregularly built and containing no fine or imposing structures"), the area near the Sacramento
River ("The country here-abouts is rugged, bold, and Grand: presenting to the eye the awful convulsions that Mother Nature
has had to bring forth 'piles so stupendous.'"), the Pit River (where they cross by ferry and "the first sign of the 'noble'
red man made his appearance, a rather uninviting one, it must be confessed with two 'Mahalas' doing the time-honored task
of toting the 'Chemuck' for her lazy lord"), the McCloud River (where they again comment on the Native Americans they encounter:
"Beside a number of Indian lodges with a large number of the Natives sitting around or lounging lazily under the trees. They
appear to be docile and tractable"), Salt Creek (where they camped near "a Chinese burying ground, with 2 graves in it"),
Strawberry Valley, Mt. Shasta ("whose lofty height and noble bearing fills the beholder with admiration" and where they were
impressed by the big trees on their way around Yreka), and other wild and unsettled areas in California.
They also detail various locations in Oregon, such as the Siskiyou Mountains, Phoenix ("pleasant and the scenery delightful"),
Rocky Point ("where also we were compelled to disgorge 50 cts for toll on the bridge"), Cow Creek, the Umpquah River ("whose
waters, clear, cool and refreshing invite alike the lord and the brute to quench their thirst at its brink"), the "far famed"
Willamette Valley, the landscape around Dallas ("some good land – some poor land, some hill and timber land, better for stock
than ranching"), and Moores Valley.
While camped near the Umpquah River near Roseburg, Oregon on June 12, the party meets a Native American man. The discomforting
passage reads: "We had the good fortune(?) to receive a visit from a half-breed Indian. He appeared at camp as unconcernedly
as possible. Mrs. M and children were quite alarmed at his presence, which, to say the least was not inviting. After giving
a short 'Autobiography' of himself – his career in the State Prison, he departed much to the relief of Mrs. M and the children.
(And also the writer.)"
The travelers arrived in Tillamook on June 5, where they were deluged with visitors eager "to see the Cal[ifornia] campers."
In Tillamook, they went "strawberrying," made strawberry shortcakes from their haul, and observed the Sabbath day. The final
few days documenting their arrival include two entries per day as two separate diarists record their experiences of arriving
in Tillamook. The diary ends with the party going to Tully McKinley's house in Tillamook, where the diarist describes the
town: "small but flourishing, it contains 2 Hotels, 3 stores, one a floating built upon a scow – to run up and down the bay.
It is the county seat of Tillamook Co." This last entry is signed, "Joe."
The reporting of the journey is occasionally enlivened with commentary from the recordists, such as accounts of dreams or
good-natured ribbing from one diarist to another. The diary opens with a flowery two-page Preface asking for mercy in whatever
criticisms the reader might make, as the diary was often written in camp in "the dusky shades of night" and has not been revised.
This preface is signed "J.H. Whiting" and "Sarah Mundell." The latter is crossed out below Whiting's name at the end of the
preface but is readable, nonetheless. The names of the traveling party and others mentioned here which may aid further research
include Whiting and Mundell, plus "Jim," "Mrs. Wright" (cousin to Mrs. Mundell), "Miss Viola," and Tully McKinley. The diary
itself is wrapped in a plain piece of cardboard on which a later family member has written: "Grandma Mundell's Diary Trip
to Oregon when Laura Mundell Rutherford was very young – 4 years."
The original diary of the trip from California to Oregon occupies about two-thirds of the diary. The remainder was additionally
used by another writer who picks up their diary entries in California in 1894, though they only utilize four pages. The remainder
of the pages were used to record a handful of recipes and assorted family notes.
All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for permission
to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Archives and Special Collections. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items. It is
not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
California -- Travel
Oregon--Description and travel
Diaries
McBride Rare Books