When we think about people who settled along the trails westward, we often think about the hardships that they encountered. We may wonder if they were traveling west and simply gave up and decided to settle in that location or if the location was their original destination. However, we often don’t consider the business they did catering to . . . or in some cases taking advantage of . . . people moving west. In fact, the westward expansion business was responsible for the establishment of cities like St. Joseph, Missouri, Kansas City, and Denver.
Mary French (Gourley) Ronald
Mary French Gourley (Rod’s great-great-great grandmother) was born February 18, 1803 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. It was there that she married Thomas Ronald II on June 6, 1820. As their children became adults, some of them immigrated to the United States, settling in Wisconsin.
In 1856, Thomas, Mary, and their children that remained in Scotland set sail for the United States. They joined their children in Wisconsin. On April 19, 1860, Thomas died. By 1864, Mary’s sons William and John and her daughter Margaret, who had married Arthur Reid Thomson, all made their home in Nebraska. It had become a separate territory in 1854, but would not become a state until 1867.
The Diary
With a majority of her children settled in Nebraska, Mary decided to make the move to Nebraska. On August 24, 1864, Mary, her two youngest children, and her granddaughter Mary Barbara Wallace (daughter of Mary’s daughter Mary and her first husband Joseph Wallace) left Berlin, Wisconsin in a covered wagon headed to eastern Nebraska to Margaret Thomson’s home.
Her daughter Jane, who was 22 at the time, kept a diary of their journey. She noted where they traveled, how long they traveled, the difficulties they encountered, and interesting things they saw along the way. One of the things she mentioned were expenses of their travel and other things they bought.
Tolls
Plank Road
Various people that they met along the way gave the travelers advice on the best way to travel through the local area on the way to their destination. The first that she noted was a gentleman that directed them to save 9 miles traveling through Wisconsin by going to Lodi, Mazomanie(the diary has a different name, but this is the closest sounding town along that portion of the route), Arena, and Prairie du Chien. When they reached the area of Portage, they encountered a plank road that required a toll. It was 1 ½ miles in length and had a toll of 16¢.
Before they reached Prairie Du Chien, they encountered a sign with the wrong mileage to the town. They continued on the route for a few miles learning that it was actually 30 miles to the town instead of 3 miles as was stated on the sign. By following this route, they had already gone 4 to 5 miles out of their way.
River Crossings
The largest toll they had to pay was $1.80 to take a ferry across the Mississippi River. There were tolls for ferries and bridges to cross other rivers, such as, the Missouri River. At the Cedar River, they paid a 60¢ toll to use the bridge to cross the river that she estimated to be about 30 rods wide. However, after they crossed, they learned that they could have forded the river and saved their money.
There were other rivers and streams that they forded. Among them were the Raccoon River and the Des Moines River. Each of them had a toll for using the bridge. However, the rivers were low, allowing the family to cross without the use of the bridge.
To this day, there are bridges that cost to use them IF you are traveling west. However, there is no cost when traveling eastward. Clearly, a leftover system from the days of westward expansion.
Accommodations
Good Nights Sleep
It rained and stormed a lot during their journey. They didn’t always get a good night’s sleep. On many nights, they just attempted to sleep in their wagon. One night they laid under the wagon in the mud when the cover blew off. However, sometimes they visited a house to get out of the rain. One night during a rain storm, a man charged them two bits to sleep on the floor in his filthy house. And, in Cascade, Iowa, they paid to spend the night in an actual hotel.
Of course, worry and concern also cost Jane a good night’s sleep. This was especially true after they met men coming from Idaho that stated that it was very dangerous where they were going. The worry became amplified when they met a Potawatomie Indian while camping and he told them that they should not go to Nebraska. He said that the Indians were going to work together to drive all the white people out. He managed to scare Jane, but not stop the trip.
Livestock
They also had to find accommodations along the way for their cows and oxen. It was not always easy. There were nights when finding good pasture and water for them was quite difficult. On a few nights that meant paying to use pasture land. The night they spent in a hotel, they had to pay for feed for the oxen at 5 cents per head.
Not all the livestock expenses were for accommodations. On two occasions the cows and oxen got into someone’s fields. The first time they damaged the corn field, buckwheat, and cabbage. This cost the family 50¢. The second time, less damage occurred. In addition, only the hired hand was home. So, they gave him some fresh milk. He was from Scotland, like them, and he not only accepted the milk for the damage, but also gave them melons in return.
They met a family along the way, whose horse had been injured. They had been charged $50 for a new horse that was no better than the injured one. Fortunately, the family did not encounter a need for additional oxen during their journey.
Gains & Losses
The family did, however, have other losses. When bathing in the Wisconsin River, Robert lost his hat. They also lost his new boots along the way, Mary’s reader, and a powder flask. Matter of fact, the diary itself was lost, but they went back and recovered it.
One day when Robert was ill, they traveled only a short time before setting up camp. That afternoon while Robert rested, the ladies walked to the top of a high hill. When they returned, the ox had eaten all of their bread and two pounds of crackers. This led to more baking. When possible, they borrowed someone’s kitchen to make biscuits. However, on at least one occasion, Mary made biscuits over an open fire.
When they stopped at the McAlister family’s home, they were treated to biscuits and given a loaf of bread. The family was from Scotland and likely considered them home folk.
Other Expenses
To bake, the family purchased flour multiple times. One time they purchased 50 pounds at $4.50 cwt. Later, they purchased 25 pounds of flour at $4.00 cwt.
It seemed that when they bought flour, they bought matches (10¢). Likely, the need for multiple boxes of matches was all the rain. At times it was too wet to start a fire.
They bought other routine items: soap, candles, powder, and shot. There were other unforeseen expenses as well. For instance, Robert had to replace his hat. They also had to buy a chain because the cattle kept breaking the ropes.
They did gain a little money to help pay for purchases when they sold a pound of butter for 35¢.
Land
Although they weren’t in the market for any land, as they traveled they inquired about the local price of land. They found that land near Dubuque, Iowa was selling for $25 per acre. Near Marengo on the Iowa River, land was going for $10 to $40 per acre depending on the specific property. And, later on they found an area where land would only cost them $15 to $20 per acre.
Wrapping Up The Journey
After listening to people giving them directions earlier in their journey, the family was not so quick to follow other’s directions. One person recommended they go to Potosi to Iowa City, and on to Council Bluffs, where they would cross into Nebraska. They decided to ignore that advice. Instead, they went further south and crossed the Missouri River at Nebraska City, which was a thriving city of about 2,000 people. That went well and they continued westward. They stopped at a log house about 20 miles before their destination. The next morning, they pressed onward despite the rain. By nightfall on October 4, 1864, they arrived at the Thomson’s home near Paisley, Nebraska.
Mary would live the rest of her life in the Paisley area. She lived for a time with her son John who was a bachelor. Afterward, she lived in a dugout before having a home built. Her granddaughter Mary Barbara Wallace, who had made the trip from Wisconsin with Mary, stayed with her until she reached age 15. Later, Mary sold her farm to her grandson Arthur T. Thomson and built a small house near her daughter Margaret Thomson’s home. She lived there until the last year of her life, which she spent with her daughter Margaret. She died in 1893 at age 90.