Customer Reviews

Day With the Cow Column

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This book is a personal reminiscence of the first organized wagon train to follow the Oregon Trail. The author recalls his experiences as a young boy in 1843, traveling west with his family. I found this to be extremely informative and filled with personal anecdotes. Jesse Applegate's story is told from a boy's perspective and is wonderfully expressive. You will read about adventures and activities that usually don't make it into standard histories. Most memorable was the evocation of the hardship and suffering of these early pioneers. When these people reached the Oregon Territory there were no stores - they lived hand-to-mouth for a long time. But I also found Jesse's happy memories of his interaction with Native Peoples to be very enlightening, again from a boy's perspective as he explored the nearby woods and hills. All in all, a wonderful account, full of surprising and unique memories and events.

This is actually two writings in one.
The first, "A Day with the Cow Column", is an abbreviated but classical description of a typical day along the emigrant trail with cattle in 1843, by Jesse Applegate. A must read for insight into trail life.
The second writing is a reminesce by Jesse's nephew Jesse A. Applegate some sixty plus years later. Young Jesse was only six and a half years old when undertaking this 1843 pilgrimage and his recollections are persuasive and touching. He recalls such occurrences as to geographical places they visited; descriptions and experiences with Indians; "buffalo chip" collecting; dogs chasing antelope; river fordings; crossing the prairies and sage plains; buffalo; games and mischief of young boys; etc.
Also included are his recollections of the perilous floating of the Columbia River where he lost a brother and cousin to drownings; the first year in Oregon with frugal provisions; the blazing of the Applegate Cutoff to allow emigrants a more efficient means of entering Oregon; etc.
An absorbing read.