Pioneer Journals

Trail Bibliographies

 * Melvin L. Bashore & Linda L. Haslem. Mormon Pioneer Companies Crossing the Plains (1847-1868) Narratives: guide to sources in Utah libraries and archives. [Salt Lake City,Utah:Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Historical Department, 1990. FHL 289.3016 B291m 1990; film 1592752 item 6]


 * Patricia A. Etter. To California on the Southern Route,1849: a history and annotated bibliography. Spokane, Washington: Arthur H. Clarke, 1998. FHL 979.4 H2et


 * Martin L. Heckman. Overland on the California Trail, 1846-1859: a bibliography of manuscript & printed travel narratives. Glendale, California: Arthur H. Clarke, 1984. FHL 979. h23h


 * Robert E. Lester, ed. The American West: Overland journeys,1841-1880: research collections on the American West. Bethesda, Maryland: University Publications of America, 1998. FHL 973 W2Les


 * Merrill J. Mattes. Platte River Toad Narratives: a descriptive bibliography of travel over the great central overland route to Oregon, California, Utah, Colorado, Montana, and other western states and territories, 1812-1866. Urbana,Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1988. FHL 978 E63m


 * Lannon W. Mintz. The Trail: a bibliography on the Overland Trail to California, Oregon, Salt Lake City, and Montana during the years, 1841-1864. Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press, 1987. FHL 973 E63m


 * Frank O' Bryan. Overland Chronicle:emigrant diaries in Western Nevada Libraries. Reno, Nevada: Nevada Historical Society, 1979. FHL 979. 3 J530


 * John M. Townley. The Trail West: a bibliography index to Western American Trails, 1841-1869. Reno,Nevada: Jamson Street Press, 1988. FHL 973 W22t


 * Kris White and Mary Catherine Cuthill, eds. Overland Passages: a guide to Overland Documents in the Oregon Historical Society. Portland, Oregon: Oregon HIstorical Society, 1993. FHL 973 W20

Trail Narratives
 Oregon Trail
 * Akin, James, Jr. The Oregon Trail Diary of…., in 1852 Web Research Group, 1989. FHL 921.73 Ak52a


 * Belshaw, Maria Parsons. Crossing the Plains to Oregon in 1853. Fairfield, Washington: Ye Gallon Press, 2000 FHL 979 H 2bj


 * Bowers, Fidelia March. An account of the Wagon Train Mastered by Solomon Tetherow. [S.l.:s.n., 19-- FHL 921.73 A1 no. 159 Digital Images]


 * Cummins,Sarah J. Autobiography and Reminiscences of Sarah J. Cummins, Touchet, Washington. La Grande, Ore.: La Grande Priting Co., 1914. FHL Digital Images


 * Davis, Charles George The Oskaloosa Company: last wagon train to Skinner’s in 1847, a history of the southern road to Oregon: untold story of the Scott- Applegate Trail overland journey guided by the 1847 pilot of record, …Portland, Oregon: Frontier Publishing, 1996 FHL 979.5 H2do


 * Doyle, Susan Badger and Fred W. Dykes, eds. The 1854 Oregon Trail Diary of Winfield Scott Ebey. Independence, Missouri: Oregon-California Trails, Association, 1997. FHL 921.73 Eb27d


 * McBride, John Rogers. Overland to Oregon: Yamhill County, 1846. [Lafayette, OR: Yamhill County Genealogical Society, 1996] FHL 2055388 item 10


 * Packard, Patricia L ed Harvey J Jones, 1864, Oregon Trail Journal. Boise, Idaho: Idaho Genealogical Society, 2001? FHL 979.5 H2p


 * Rumer, Thomas A. The Wagon Trains of ’44: A Comparative View of the Individual Caravans in the Emigration of 1844 to Oregon. Spokane: The Arthur H Clark Co, 1990.


 * Thomson, Origen. Crossing the Plains: narratives of the scenes, incidents and adventures attending the overland journey of the Decatur and Rush county emigrants to the "far-off" Oregon in 1852: printed from a diary of daily events. Reprint. Greensburg, Indiana:  Orville Thomson Printer, 1896. FHL 973 W2tor


 * White, Dr Thomas. To Oregon in 1852. Letter of Dr Thomas White, La Grange County, Indiana emigrant Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1964. FHL 977.2 B4 v. 23 no 1-4


 * Wilbur, Sanford R, et. .al comp. The McCully Train. Iowa to Oregon, 1852. Gresham, Oregon: Symblos, 2000 FHL 978 H2wm

 California Trail
 * [Bennett, James] Overland Journey to California: Journal of James Bennett whose party left New Harmony in 1850 and crossed the plains and mountains until the Golden West was reached. [New York: Edward Eberstadt, 1932]


 * Bryant, Edwin. What I saw in California: its soil, climate, productions, and gold mines, with routes, and advice to intending emigrants. London: G. Routledge, 1849. FHL Digital images


 * [Graves, Asa Lester] Letters to his Wife, 1849 – 1850 [by Asa Lester Graves] FHL 981934 item 3] title no 38856 (went to California in the gold rush)


 * Griffin, Mrs Kenneth E. comp Gold Rush Days, 1852 – 1853, from Huron County, Ohio to California [accounts by three men Lewis Beers, William Hubbard Palmer] Typescript FHL 979.4 D3gr


 * Harris, Benjamin Butler. The Gila Trail: The Texas Argonauts and the California Gold Rush. Edited & annotated by Richard H. Dillon. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, [1960]
 * Hutching, James Mason. Seeking the Elephant, 1849. Glendale, California: Arthur H Clarke, 1980. FHL 921.73 H97h (journal of his overland trek to California)


 * Johnston, Wm G. Overland to California: A member of the wagon train first to enter California… in the memorable year of 1849. Oakland: Biobooks, 1948.


 * [Kilgore, William H.] Edited by Joyce Rockwood Muench. The Kilgore Journal of an overland journey to California in the year 1850. From the original manuscript journal of William H. Kilgore. New York: Hastings House, 1949. …identifies the date of the destruction of the old Mormon Winter Quarters on April 29, 1850;… [Mattes: 861]


 * Lamore, John. ed., Alex M. Cowan. Oswego goes the gold; the journal of a Kosciusko County group in the Gold Rush of ’49. Warsaw, Indiana: Kosciusko County Historical Society, 1994. FHL 977.282 H2ca
 * Leeper, D.R. The Argonauts of forty-nine: some recollections of the plains and the diggings. South Bend, Indiana: J.B. Stoll & Co., 1894. FHL Digital images


 * Loomis, Leander V A Journal of the Birmingham Emigrating Company. Salt Lake City [1928] FHL 979.453/S1 W2L/1697615 it 6 (from Birmingham,, Iowa to Sacramento, Calif in 1850)


 * Dillon, Richard H., ed. Loveland, Cyrus C. California trail herd: the Missouri to California journal of Cyrus C. Loveland. Los Gatos, Ca.: Talisman Press, 1961. FHL 2056031, item 13
 * Mclhany, Edward Washington. Recollections of a ‘49er. Virginia Beach, VA: Donning Company, 2006. [ed & annotated by Scott J. Lawson] … biographical sketches of the Charlestown Virginia Mining Company. FHL 921.73 M187m;


 * Miller, Harvey. Journal of 1852 trek from Quincy, Ill. to Eldorado County, Calif. Original manuscript, Historical Society of Quincy & Admas County, Quincy. FHL 1863527 item 10


 * Parke, Charles Ross. Dreams to Dust: A diary of the California Gold Rush, 1849 – 1850. Edited by James E. Davis. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, [1989] Dr. Parke, a resident of Illinois, formed a small company….


 * Peltier, Jerome, editor. Journal of Edmund Cavileer Hinde. Fairfield: Ye Galleon Press, [1983] […St. Louis to California in 1850. ]


 * [Pritchard, James A] Edited by Dale L. Morgan The Overland Diary of James A. Pritchard from Kentucky to California in 1849…. [Denver:] Fred A Rosenstock,The Old West Publishing Company, 1959. Mexican War veteran, from Petersborough, Kentucky, left on 10 April, 1849…


 * Shackelford, Mrs. Frank. Diary,1865,1868: copy of a diary kept by Mrs. Frank Shackeford on a wagon train from Missouri to Los Angeles California, 1865; from California to Texas, 1868. (typescript) FHL 928376 item 7


 * Shaw, Reuben Cole. Across the Plains in Forty- nine. Edited by Milo Milton Quaife. Chicago: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co, 1948. … from Boston to California in 1849.


 * Smith, C.W. Journal of a trip to California: Across the Continent from Weston, Missouri, to Weber Creek, California, in the summer of 1850. Edited by R.W.G. Vail. New York: The Cadmus Book Shop, [ca.1829]  …crossing the Sierra via the Humboldt-Carson route.


 * Wayman, Dr. John March Hudson. A Doctor on the California Trail: The Diary of Dr. John Hudson Wayman from Cambridge City, Indiana, to the Gold Fields in 1852. Edited by Edgeley Woodman Todd. Denver: Old West Publishing Co, [1971]


 * Zeamer, J. Across the Plains by Immigrant Wagon 1865: my trip to California and what I saw on the way: a true story. [S.l.]: Warren County, Illinois Genealogical Society,1993. FHL 973 W2z

Libraries and Archives

 * Additional trail journals, narratives, diaries and letters of the pioneers to Oregon, California and Utah may be available at the the following libraries, archives and societies:
 * Merrill J. Mattes Collection. Merrill j. Mattes Research Library at the National Frontier Trails Museum, Independence, Missouri
 * FamilySearch Catalog Family History Library
 * Church History Library Catalog
 * Oregon Historical Society Library
 * Society of California Pioneers, San Francisco

Societies

 * Biographies of some of the Pioneers are available through the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. To search for your ancestors click on "History Department" and then "History Card Index".
 * National Society of the Sons of Utah Pioneers