The Reign Of The Prairie Schooner
I hear the tread of Pioneers,
Of Nations yet to be;
The first low wash of waves, where soon
Shall roll a human sea.
– John Greenleaf Whittier
The American West, a land of vast horizons and untamed wilderness, holds within its historical tapestry the remarkable story of westward expansion. Central to this narrative is the Reign Of The Prairie Schooner, a period when these iconic covered wagons became the lifeblood of trade, migration, and ultimately, the transformation of the Great Plains. This article delves into the era of the prairie schooner, examining its significance in shaping the American landscape and the lives of those who dared to traverse it.
The close of the Mexican-American War marked a pivotal moment, ushering in an unprecedented surge of activity across the Plains. It was during this time that the Reign Of The Prairie Schooner truly commenced, forever altering the course of the American West. With newly acquired territories and burgeoning opportunities, the demand for goods and transportation skyrocketed, and the prairie schooner emerged as the indispensable workhorse of the era.
The Flourishing Santa Fe Trade
The Santa Fe Trail, a vital artery connecting the Missouri River settlements with the distant trading post of Santa Fe, New Mexico, experienced a dramatic increase in traffic following the war. Prior to this period, a single yearly caravan had sufficed to meet the demands of the trade. However, as the West opened up, the trail became a constant thoroughfare, teeming with the slow-moving but persistent wagon trains.
The demand for teamsters to navigate these wagons surged, driving wages steadily upward. While transportation costs exhibited a downward trend due to increasing competition, the profits remained substantial, even in the face of growing hostility from Native American tribes who viewed the encroachment upon their lands with increasing alarm. Despite the inherent dangers, the lure of opportunity drew countless individuals to the arduous journey.
The standard rate for hauling freight to Santa Fe was approximately ten dollars per hundred pounds. Each wagon could generate between five hundred to six hundred dollars per trip, with an average journey lasting eighty to ninety days. This lucrative trade gradually shifted its eastern terminus from Independence to Westport, Missouri, a move that propelled Kansas City towards its eventual dominance as a major commercial hub.
The Oregon Trail and the Gold Rush
While the Santa Fe Trail pulsed with commercial activity, the Oregon Trail served as the primary route for emigrants seeking new lives in the West. For years, wagon trains had steadily trickled along this path, bound for the fertile lands of the Columbia River country and the allure of California. However, the discovery of gold in California in 1848 ignited a frenzy unlike any other.
By the spring of 1849, the trickle of emigrants transformed into a raging torrent. The California Gold Rush triggered a mass migration of unprecedented scale, drawing people from all walks of life and every corner of the nation. The sheer numbers involved defy accurate calculation, with estimates suggesting that over 40,000 individuals crossed the Plains in that first year alone.
This mass exodus was fueled by a combination of economic hardship and the irresistible allure of instant wealth. Ministers, doctors, lawyers, merchants, and farmers, along with their families, succumbed to the "yellow fever," embarking on a journey that dwarfed any previous undertaking in their lives.
These pioneers packed their belongings – powder, lead, food, household goods, and even their families – into prairie schooners, Conestoga wagons, and any other wheeled conveyance they could acquire. Men rode horses or mules, or walked alongside the caravans, pushing hand-wagons or even wheelbarrows.
The journey was fraught with peril. The Reign Of The Prairie Schooner over the Oregon Trail was not a simple journey, but an often fatal odyssey. The hardships were immense, the distances vast, and the dangers constant. Indian attacks, thirst, disease, and the harsh elements took a heavy toll. The infamous Donner Party, trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains during the winter of 1849-50, stands as a stark reminder of the potential for tragedy. Asiatic cholera swept across the Plains in the 1850s, decimating wagon trains and leaving countless graves in its wake.
The 2,000-mile trip typically lasted four to six months. Children were born, and people died. Quarrels and violence erupted among weary travelers, and the wagon trains pushed onward. The landscape was littered with the remnants of broken lives and shattered dreams. The southern route through New Mexico and Arizona was similarly unforgiving, with Commissioner Bartlett reporting hundreds of abandoned wagons along the trail.
The Freight Traffic Boom of the 1860s
The immense wave of emigration to the West spawned a massive freighting industry. The sheer scale of this enterprise is difficult to comprehend today. During the 1860s, as many as 500 heavily laden wagons would pass Fort Kearny, Nebraska, in a single day. In 1865, over 6,000 wagons filled with freight rumbled past the fort in a mere six weeks.
Frank A. Root, an express messenger during this era, recounted counting 888 west-bound wagons, drawn by over 10,000 oxen, horses, and mules, during a single day’s ride between Fort Kearny and Julesburg, Colorado. The contrast between the speed of the stagecoach and the plodding pace of the freight wagons was striking. Root described an instance where he repeatedly passed a bull-whacker on the road, completing five round trips between Atchison, Kansas, and Denver, Colorado, while the freighter had only traveled a fraction of the distance.
The freighting business reached its peak during and shortly after the Civil War (1863-1866), but remained substantial throughout the decade from 1859 to 1869. While the Santa Fe and California trails were the primary arteries of commerce, smaller trails connecting isolated outposts throughout Indian country were also heavily traversed by freighters in government employ. These wagon trains were often accompanied by small detachments of troops, providing protection against Indian attacks.
However, on the longer trails, wagoners relied on their own resources and traveled in large, well-disciplined trains. The journey was arduous and monotonous, but rarely uneventful. The ever-present threat of Indian attacks kept the wagoners on high alert, as tribes sought opportunities to steal livestock or ambush stray wagons.
The Complex Relationship Between Teamsters and Native Americans
The hostility of Native Americans towards the wagon trains was often a direct result of the reckless and barbaric behavior of the teamsters themselves. The Santa Fe Trail, initially a path of peaceful coexistence, became a trail of blood due to the wanton shooting of Indians by whites. In the early days, an unarmed man could have safely traversed the entire distance. However, as tensions escalated, the tribes retaliated in kind.
Oxen were the most common draft animals, capable of hauling loaded wagons twelve to fifteen miles per day and averaging twenty miles on the return trip. With proper care, oxen could cover up to two thousand miles during the regular travel season, which lasted from April to November.
General Forsyth recounted an incident during the construction of the Kansas Pacific Railroad that illustrates the constant danger faced by careless travelers. A group of teamsters, ignoring orders to remain near the work site, sought shade near a riverbank. They were ambushed by a Cheyenne war party, resulting in the deaths of two teamsters. However, one resourceful teamster, armed with a new bullwhip, managed to fend off an attacker by striking the Indian’s pony, causing it to swerve and allowing the teamster to escape.
The Immense Scale of the Freighting Industry
It has been estimated that the floating population on the Great Plains during the Reign Of The Prairie Schooner reached approximately 250,000 individuals. In 1865, over twenty-one million pounds of freight were transported westward from Atchison, Kansas, alone, requiring 4,917 wagons, 6,164 mules, 27,685 oxen, and 1,256 men. This represented only a fraction of the total traffic originating from numerous outfitting points along the frontier.
The firms engaged in the freighting business were numerous, employing vast armies of workers. From Fort Smith, Independence, Kansas City, St. Joseph, Atchison, Council Bluffs, and other departure points, wagon trains streamed onto the Plains, their aggregate number exceeding any modern estimate. The largest firm, Russell, Majors, and Waddell, at one time employed 6,250 wagons and 75,000 oxen. As Lummis noted, the number of oxen employed by this single firm likely exceeded the total number working in the entire United States half a century later, illustrating the immense scale of the freighting industry that shaped the American West.
The Organization of a Freight Caravan
A typical freight caravan consisted of at least 25 wagons, traveling together for mutual protection. These were massive prairie schooners, often seventeen feet long with a six-foot depth of hold, capable of carrying between 5,000 and 16,000 pounds of cargo. A canvas cover, supported by sturdy hickory bows, protected the contents from the elements. Six to twelve yoke of oxen provided the pulling power, guided by "bull-whackers."
The personnel accompanying a caravan numbered around 31, including a captain, wagon master, assistant wagon master, night herder, "cavayard driver" (responsible for spare horses), and at least one driver per wagon. Drivers of oxen teams were known as "bull-whackers," while those who drove mule teams were called "mule-skinners." The trail was not known for its gentle treatment of animals. In the later years of prairie freighting, "trailers," smaller wagons chained to the lead wagon, were commonly used.
The investment in such a wagon train was substantial. Conestoga, Pittsburg, or Pennsylvania wagons cost between $800 and $1,500 each. First-class mules (essential for the work) ranged from $500 to $1,000, and harnesses for a ten-mule team cost $300 to $600, bringing the total cost per wagon to between $2,600 and $7,100, not including salaries, provisions, and incidentals.
Regular freight caravans, operating westward from the Missouri River, not only spurred emigration but also significantly reduced transportation costs. In the days of pack trains, it was not uncommon to pay one dollar per pound per 100 miles, or $20 per ton per mile. The tariff for overland freighters between Atchison and Denver (620 miles) was significantly lower, with prices ranging from 9 cents per pound for flour to 31 cents per pound for furniture.
Conclusion
The Reign Of The Prairie Schooner was a transformative period in American history. These iconic wagons were more than just vehicles; they were symbols of westward expansion, resilience, and the enduring spirit of the American pioneer. Their impact on the development of the Great Plains, the growth of trade, and the shaping of the American identity cannot be overstated. The legacy of the prairie schooner continues to resonate in the American West, reminding us of the challenges and triumphs of those who dared to venture into the unknown.