The Oregon Trail: from the diaries of a 13 year old

Day 40

May 12 1846

Ten days ago we entered Fort Kearney. We are waiting for our friends to meet us here so we can travel with them on one of the *trains. Lately it has been storming here. We have had a hard time going to the market because of the rain. With all this rain I fear that the trail will be in bad shape. Father wants to go back on the trail to look for our friends, but mother won't let him with all this bad weather.

Once the weather cleared up a enough mother went to the market. While she was at the market she ran into our friends that were supposed to come on the trip with us. They have a small family like mine. Mr. William Goul, the father, Mrs. Bridget Goul, the mother, and their kids Elizabeth and David. Elizabeth is 5 years old and Billy is my age. After getting together we set off back on the trail. We decided not to go with a train. The Gouls paid a mountain man to lead us to Oregon Country.

*train- a group of people and their wagons traveling together to get to Oregon Country.