SEABURY NAVIGATORSArchives: Westward HO! Decisions, Decisions!

The Westward Ho fever has struck!

Although the risk is great, we've decided we need some "elbow room" and we're going to go for it. We spent a week getting ready and making a lot more decisions.

(Note: the following journal excerpts in italics

are written by the Navigators

as they set out on the Oregon Trail)

We are going west because my garden isn’t working. I’ve heard the western land is better for gardening. Plus I could get away from the hot summers of Tennessee. ~ Oregon Trail Pioneer

My name is Alice Argeti. I am 20 years old. I am traveling west with my family: my sister and my brother and my son. We are going west because of the gold. I hope nothing bad will happen. I hope we get there before winter. ~ Oregon Trail Pioneer

How much room do we have?

In math, we figured out the perimeter, area and volume of the two types of wagons. Keeping the cost in mind, we had a decision to make:

Conestoga or Emigrant Wagon.

Conestoga Wagon--18 feet long, 11 feet high and 4 feet wide--$250

Emigrant Wagon--15 feet long, 9 feet high and 3 feet wide--$150

Yesterday my family decided to get the Conestoga wagon. We’re going to travel west because we want to find our fortune. When we are going west I hope good things will happen and I’m worried about people getting sick when we’re on our adventure. ~ Oregon Trail Pioneer

My family bought a Conestoga Wagon. I am so excited I ran out of words. Today is the best day ever! Yea!!! ~ Oregon Trail Pioneer

What should we bring?

We are relying on what we hear from others and what we can find out in books.

It's a good thing our school library and our wagon masters have lots of information!

My name is Marigold Cristina Argeti. I am twelve years old. I am traveling with my brother Nick, my father Christopher, my mother Alice, my sister Miranda and Mr. Dickenson, our handy man. We are traveling west for gold and the good farming land in Oregon and California. I am hoping we will find gold in California because we need a proper home. I am worried that Ma will get sick and die and Pa will drown trying to save the horses in a river. ~ Oregon Trail Pioneer

Do we have enough money?

We are traveling in groups of 4 to 5 people per wagon. Our "family" is each allotted $600. Should we get oxen, mules or horses? Do we need spare parts for our wagon? How much food? What about clothing, tools and furniture? Will we be able to get things along the way? How much money should we save for later? So much to think about and to collaborate about.

It was hard, but we finally chose what we wanted on the trip. It was kinda hard to get everything we wanted with $600. We decided to buy the Conestoga Wagon. We got 24 items including the Conestoga Wagon. Right now we have $129.60 remaining. We are saving some money for the trip going west. It was also hard to figure out which animal to use. Seflagate said we should get 2 prime horses for $200. But Gabriel-Eljin and Judah Target-Gunshot didn’t want to spend so much money, so they wanted to get 1 prime horse and 1 fair horse. We got in a little argument but after the fight, Seflagate went to do some research. Then Judah Target-Gunshot noticed that you could buy 4 oxen for $50 so we decided to do it. ~ Oregon Trail Pioneer

Will it all fit?

We must pack a lot in order to last us 6 months on the trail. And what about when we get there. It sure would be nice to have a piano. Maybe we'll just bring a fiddle instead.