Researching the Oregon Trail
Now that I’ve spent some time building up my general knowledge about the Oregon Trail, I’m starting to learn more about the culture of the era, which is always one of the most fun parts of writing historical fiction for me. I enjoy discovering how people lived during whatever era I’m writing about, so it’s a good thing I write historical fiction.
The Oregon Trail Coincides With the Victorian Era
It finally occurred to me that Oregon Trail took place during the Victorian era, a time I’m particularly familiar with. Readers of my Hembry Castle books are not at all surprised by that statement.
Yes, it should have been obvious that the Oregon Trail took place during the Victorian era since the majority of the travelers made their journeys from the 1840s through the 1880s, but when I think of the Victorian era I think of England. I hadn’t even considered what was happening in the U.S. during that time.
Many of the same attitudes and social mores that defined the Victorian era in England took root on this side of the Pond as well, which I noticed mainly in the attitudes about women.
Women Kept Meticulous Journals On the Oregon Trail
Life on the Oregon Trail was well-documented. There are numerous primary sources written by women pioneers as they noted the joys, the struggles, and the monotonous nature of their journey.
The diarists kept track of births, deaths, and illnesses. They described their days walking beside the wagons and their nights around the campfires. A number of women, especially those from the east, struggled with maintaining Victorian decorum in the rather undignified situations they often found themselves in as they traveled 2000 miles over rugged, difficult terrain.
The more I learn about the Oregon Trail, the more I’m glad I decided to set The Duchess of Idaho during this time. Here are some of the places I’ve found creative inspiration about the Oregon Trail so far:
Nonfiction Books About the Oregon Trail
Covered Wagon Women: Diaries and Letters From the Western Trails, 1840-1849 by Kenneth L. Holmes (Editor). This book contains numerous primary sources written by women as they traveled the trail.
The Pioneers by David McCullough. While this book isn’t specifically about the Oregon Trail, it shares interesting insights into the pioneering spirit.
The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck
The Oregon Trail: An American Saga by David Dary
The Prairie Traveler: A Handbook for Overland Expeditions by Randolph B. Marcy. This is a primary source originally published in 1859 and used as a guidebook for pioneers traveling west.
Novels Set On the Oregon Trail
I was amused to discover so many romance novels set during the Oregon Trail. Who knew that the Oregon Trail was a popular sub-genre of historical romance? I haven’t read any of them yet since romance isn’t generally my genre, but if you’re looking for some historical romances you might check some out.
So far, the only novel I’ve read is A Light in the Wilderness by Jane Kirkpatrick, which I liked because of the details about life on the Oregon Trail. I have Willa Cather’s O Pioneers downloaded onto my Kindle but I haven’t read it yet. That one is next on my TBR list. I’m currently on the lookout for other novels about pioneers even if they’re not specifically about the Oregon Trail.
I can also read some of my favorite Victorian-era novels (yes, Dickens had a number of novels published by 1850, and he was just as beloved in the U.S. as he was in England) as examples of what people were reading then.
Music on the Oregon Trail
YouTube is a great resource for historical music. I found one video called “Oregon Trail 1852 Fiddling Music” that I’ve listened to a few times. “Oh! Susanna!” which I learned in elementary school was a brand-spanking-new tune (penned by Stephen Foster in 1848) as the pioneers traveled the Oregon Trail.
Oh! Susanna!
Now don’t you cry for me
As I come from Alabama
With this banjo on my knee
Today we’d recognize the fiddle music that was popular then as being similar to bluegrass. There wasn’t much room in the wagons for musical instruments, but those who could play fiddles or banjos often brought them along.
The soundtrack to the Oregon Trail video game is pretty good listening. Again, who knew? I should probably check out the video game. I’ve read it can be pretty addicting, and I remember when it seemed like everyone was playing the Oregon Trail game. Now seems like a great time to try it.
Documentaries About the Oregon Trail
The first thing I do when I’m studying a new period in American history is look to see if Ken Burns has a documentary about it.
So far, I’ve watched Burns’ Lewis and Clark, about the American explorers who were the first to travel the 2000-mile journey to the Pacific Ocean.
I’ve also seen Burns’ The West, which is about the settling of the western part of the U.S., largely at the expense of the native people who already lived there. Although only a small part of the documentary was specifically about the Oregon Trail, it gave me great insight into the pioneering spirit that drove thousands of people to make a new home for themselves far from everyone and everything they knew.
Burns also has a documentary about the Donner Party, an ill-fated group that met numerous hardships on the Oregon Trail. I haven’t watched it yet, but I have it set aside and I’ll watch it soon.
Discovering the Culture On the Oregon Trail
There’s so much more for me to do as I immerse myself in the era of the Oregon Trail. I have clothing, shoes, and hairstyles to explore, recipes to cook, more music to listen to, and I’m searching for any TV shows or films to watch.
Of course, I’m always on the lookout for more books to read. I have a fairly large list of scholarly articles that I’m using for specific areas of research, and I’ve started to read a few and take notes.
I’m also going to visit the Mormon Fort here in Las Vegas this summer. While the Mormon Fort itself is not from the Oregon Trail, it’s from the Mormon Trail, it’s still from the same time period when my novel takes place. There were a number of forts along the Oregon Trail, and I’m sure I can find some interesting information from a visit.
This is always my favorite part of writing historical fiction—immersing myself in the era as much as I can. The more I feel as though I’ve traveled to that time in history, the more I hope I can bring my readers along with me.
Have you read ‘The Oregon Trail’ by Francis Packman? We have a hard backed copy at home, so I can’t offer to send it to you. I also remember having ‘The Children of the Oregon Trail’ read to me at school. I can remember the cover (pale green) but not the story.
We travelled along part of the Mormon Trail in 2004… the time Virgin Atlantic managed to get us on to a flight to LA without our luggage (and on the way home to UK too). Because we’d missed onward internal flights, we drove up through Northern California, up through Utah, Idaho and Montana, and on to Canada to visit my aunt in Edmonton.
I too find those stories of 19th century treks very interesting. I’m also interested in your using the term ‘Victorian’ outside Britain. I didn’t think you could.
Hi Rosemary. Wonderful to hear from you! Thank you for the book recommendations. I will definitely look them up. Ah yes, Virgin Atlantic is the same airline I take when I travel to the UK, so I know how much fun they can be. I live in Nevada now and I used to live in California and Idaho and I’ve been to Utah so I’ve seen a lot of the western side of the trail but I haven’t seen the plains through the middle of the country. It’s funny to think of the “Victorian Era” as applying to the U.S., but the same societal rules were in place here, especially in New England, which had stricter social structures in place. I’ve only just started researching the Oregon Trail and I’ve already learned so much!