Packing The Wagon

1. Packing The Wagon The pioneers put plates and cups in corn to protect the from breaking. The pioneers had to pack a lot of supplies for their  long journey. They placed their valuables in bags or barrels of corn or flour to protect them from breaking. They wore shoes that were very uncomfortable and rigid, but durable. During the olden day people had two pairs of clothes, one to wear and one to wash.  Pioneers would wash their clothes on a wash board and dry them in the open air. Children could only bring one prized possession.  The girls usually brought a doll made of a corn husk and the boys brought a ball or a game. To be safe, they always brought a spare wheel in case one broke along the way.  Also, they brought an extra bonnet for the wagon. It was important to pack the proper materials. They put their pots and pans on a string along the side of their wagon if they did not have room inside the wagon.  All pioneers faced death along their trip. Annabelle #11

2. Native Americans Native Americans lived in tipis and decorated them with pictograph that told sotories about the spirits and the people. Native Americans used many products of nature such as stones and wood and didn’t encounter diseases because of the use of the earth’s medicines. Different tribes could not speak the same language so they used sign language to communicate with other tribes. Indians also played games at the beat of a drum to pass the time. One was passing a rock or an arrow head and when the drum beat stops the Indian children stopped passing and three people in the middle would try  to guess who had it. The game after that was dancing in a circle to the drum beat. After, tipis were made of animal skin that was usually buffalo, but sometimes deer or elk. They made fires inside the Tipi for warmth. The natives also needed flaps in the top to let out smoke and block out rain and hail. They used fruits and berry dyes to decorate the Tipis. They “ greeted  “ the morning sun by making all of the Tipis face east. The Indians tried to use as much of a buffalo as they could: meat for food, skin for the Tipis and clothes and bones for utensils and weapons. They figured out how to use sticks as sundials. They worshiped and prayed to the Earth. Finally the Native Americans hunted animals with spears, bow and arrow, knives. They also ran the animals off a cliff. Truly Four Mile Park was our favorite field trip because it taught our class about Four Mile House, how to gold pan, about riding a wagon, packing a wagon, and about Tipis and Native Americans. Winston #10

3. Wagon Ride Pioneers carried all their supply in their wagon when they traveled on trips. Pioneers traveled across the prairie in covered wagons facing many challenges every day and faced the chance of death. Pioneers had to be quiet around animals to not scare any of them. Most families used a small sized wagon which cost about  $400. Larger wagons called prairie schooners were used by businesses to carry items that were bought. They cost about $800. Every day they traveled 7-10 miles and had to walk the entire trip. It took three months to get from Colorado to St. Louis, and three more months to get from Colorado to California. In the morning they would milk the cow they brought and put the milk in a bucket. Then they would close the bucket and hook it to the bottom of the wagon. By the end of the day it would churn to butter. People would use oxen and mules to pull their wagons because they were cheaper and more valuable than horses on long trips. Horses were more likely to go astray and be taken by Native Americans. Oxen was usually the best choice because they couldn’t be taken by Indians, could do trips 1000-5000 miles long and had great duration. Horses needed to be fed too much and mules could not go over 1000 miles on a trip. Horses also took up to much room of the wagon because of the expensive food for them and they could not survive.  Truly Four Mile Park was our favorite field trip because it taught our class about Four Mile House, how to gold pan, about riding a wagon, packing a wagon, and about Tipis and Native Americans. Winston #10

4. Setting Up Camp The fourth grade made corn fritters which tasted yummy. The pioneers followed several steps to set up camp.To start out, they  placed their wagons in a circle to protect them from animals, weather, and Indians. After they were situated, they got wood to build a fire. They always used dried buffalo and oxen poop as a fuel to make their fire. It was hard to find fire wood because they were on a prairie. They used animal fat and the butter they churned under the wagon to fry up their food. Sometimes they brought egg laying hens for fresh eggs. They usually dried beef from buffalo, deer and rabbits to make beef jerky. They brought corn, flour, and wheat in bags or barrels. In addition, they always drank milk from cows and water from springs. They all worked together to make sure that every one was fed. They slept under the wagon to protect them from animals, Indians, and bad weather. Sometimes they would make corn fritters (mock oysters) they were made with corn, flour, salt, pepper, one egg and a stick of butter. Annabelle #11