![]() The famous Oregon, Mormon, and California trails all passed through the Platte River Valley. A few people were even run over by wagons since nearly everyone walked beside the prairie schooners. There were also an alarming number of accidents, including gunshot wounds, burns, and broken bones. Other diseases included scurvy, smallpox, and tick-borne fever. A cholera epidemic swept through the trains in 1850, and hundreds died. About 20,000 people died on the California Trail between 18 - an average of ten graves for every mile. Illness and accidents were more serious threats than Indian attacks. ![]() However, the emigrants killed even more Indians. By 1860 emigrant deaths probably totaled close to 400. ![]() But as the numbers of travelers increased, so did the attacks. Up until 1849, fewer than 50 emigrant deaths were blamed on Indian attacks. They could travel about 16 miles per day. The pioneers traveled in groups called trains, but often individual families would strike out on their own. Sometimes there was a dessert of dried fruit. It was made of water and flour fried in bacon fat. A bread substitute, called fried cakes, was usually served. A typical meal might be coffee, bacon and beans. So, food for the trip had to be carried in the wagons. Wild game became scarce due to the thousands of pioneers who traveled the trails. The litter included everything from cook stoves to furniture. As a result, the trails became winding junkyards filled with items discarded by the pioneers. Many of the emigrants overloaded their wagons with food and belongings. But it depended on the number and type of animals that pulled the wagon. A typical wagon in the 1840s could carry a load weighing from 1,600 to 2,000 pounds. ![]() They were dependable and inexpensive, costing about $50 each. ![]() They were called "prairie schooners" because the canvas cover looked like a ship’s sail. Pioneer families carried all of their possessions in wagons that were only about ten feet long and four feet wide. ![]()
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