Instead of my typical post giving you information about the trail, today I’ve decided to do something different just for fun. I’m going to share a few specific parts of my manuscript (that, yes, I am still querying) that I pulled from actual diary entries.
Wagon Construction: “He’d assured them the canvas was covered in linseed oil for waterproofing, and showed off his “specialty”—a backboard that was let down by chains to form a cupboard for daily provisions and offer a convenient space to prepare meals—and then proceeded to beam at them, his eagerness only satisfied when Mark offered him a coin.“
The part in bold was taken Virginia Wilcox Ivins’ diary The precise quote was: “The backboard was arranged to let down with chains so as to form a cupboard wherein were stored provisions for daily use, and was most convenient when preparing meals.”
Land Description: “Joan wiped her hands on her apron. ‘It wasn’t a sudden decision. We had a nice farm in Pennsylvania. But we’d lost two of our children there, and sad memories were everywhere. Sounded like a good opportunity, out west, with all that land. Trees hundreds of feet in height, there for the taking! We talked about it awhile, and after we got word Richard’s brother had made it to Oregon, decided it was time to try.'”
This descriptor was inspired by Crossing the Plains: Days of ’57 by William Audley Maxwell. Actual quote: “It was told us also that there were strips of redwood forest along the coast and these trees, a hundred to several hundred feet in height, could be split into boards ten to twenty feet long, for building purposes; and that this material was to be had by the anybody for the taking.” Now, this narrative was talking about California and Joan here is headed to Oregon, but considering the tall tales spread about many things, I didn’t think it was too much liberty to attribute the sentiment to her.
Food spoiling: “But instead Prudence turned her steps into little skips, as if she also wasn’t drowning in sorrow.
‘Papa found bacon on the side of the road. Ours is spoilin’ so we picked up that bacon instead and left ours.’
‘Who would throw out perfectly good bacon?’ Elizabeth frowned. ‘Won’t they go hungry later?’
Prudence shrugged. ‘Guess they decided it was worth the chance.‘”
There are a lot of references to both bacon spoiling and to food being left on the side of the road as the trip became lighter and wagons needed to be lightened. Sadly, I cannot remember precisely which diary/reference I pulled mine from, but, found via a post from Leslie Myrick, here is an example from William J. Watson’s diary entry : “Since leaving Wolf Creek, beyond Big Blue, we saw where the emigrants had every day to lighten their leads : flour by the cwt., bacon by the thousand weight, beans by the barrel, and various other articles in proportion, such as spades, shovels, picks, boxes, barrels, trunks, wagon wheels, tires, and even wagons, were to be seen every few miles.”
And there you have a few examples of ways I was able to use original sources to incorporate authenticity into my manuscript! Hopefully someday it will be published and you’ll get to see the rest. Oh, and one bonus:
“It’s that box—right there.”
Elizabeth jumped and shot an icy look over her shoulder. She hated being taken unawares and somehow Prudence had managed to startle her twice in five minutes. Prudence smiled as if completely unaffected by her looks.
“The wooden box. Here, I can get it.”
Within minutes, Prudence had clambered into the wagon, retrieved the box, and was wrapping Elizabeth’s finger.
I originally described the box in much more detail, taking details from this photo, but in the end decided my readers would rather the story carry on. Nonetheless, the medicine box to the left, taken when I visited the Arrow Rock Historic Site served as the inspiration for it.
Forest Idylls 