Long Journey West

we are bound for the promised land we are bound for the promised land oh will come and go with me we are bound for the Promised Land [Music] May 14th 1820 Sturbridge Massachusetts this has been one of the most exciting days of my life we are going to move all the way to the new state of Illinois it all started this morning when my friend David Hastings and I went to the General Store we wanted to look at some new knives that had just come in but we soon forgot about bought the knives because Mr Grant the storekeeper had a letter for my father it was from my Uncle George who moved to Illinois last year I took the letter and ran all the way to the Grist Mill father was helping Mr Wright the Miller grind corn they were very excited about the letter for it was the first time we had heard from Uncle George since he left Massachusetts about a year ago he wrote to father because the new village where he lives needs a mil villagers are offering a mill a house and 80 acres of land to father if he can come by September it means having his own meal a new house for mother a farm for Jonathan when he grows up and perhaps some land for Martha and I can learn to be a Miller it is everything father has always wanted he has decided to write to Uncle George and with God's help to move to New Bolton [Music] Illinois May 16th today we began making ready for the long journey we won't need many of our own things because there will be a new house and some furniture waiting for us in new Bolton father has decided that our farm cart and oxen can carry everything we really need he gave me the job of getting the cart repaired and The Oxen shod for the trip while I was at Mr Wilder's blacksmith shop David came to hear more about the journey by now everybody knows about our leaving David was really surprised when I told him we would have to travel more than 1,000 miles over the mountains to our new home while I was at the blacksmith father was laying out the tools and other things we will need on the trip and later in Illinois he is taking his Miller's tools an extra Ox yolk a grain cradle a hoe some woodworking tools two broad axes a plow and a hand axe he also is taking seed corn wheat and oats for planting our new Farm mother and Martha are packing the other things we will need it is hard for mother to decide what to take and what to leave and some of her favorites must be left behind after she packs the clothes bedding books and cooking utensils she hopes to have time to make Martha and me new clothes for the trip May 20th today Father borrowed an atlas from Mr Grant it shows several of the roads going west we will take the turnp par to new New York City go through the Delaware Water Gap and travel Westward through the mountains on the Pennsylvania State Road and take Zay sta into Ohio we could go by a northern route through the Mohawk Valley father says farther south many people go through Baltimore to the National Road and on to Wheeling or take one of the Southern roads which lead through the cumin Gap and Westward on the Wilderness Trail June 3rd the wagon was ready today and the neighbors came over to help us load father thinks mother is taking too many things but he has promised to try to load them all we leave tomorrow morning David and I took a little time to say goodbye we traded knives and he promised that when he was older he would come to Illinois too but 1,000 miles is very far [Music] away June 4th first day of our journey this morning we said our last goodbyes to friends and neighbors father was anxious to leave because he wanted to spend the night at Aunt Jane's the road South is the route of the Boston to New York Stage Coach it was a very good road and we traveled the 15 miles to Aunt Jane's house before Sunset goodbye to New England's happy home farewell to loved ones dear 15 miles a day we travel on to a land so far from here [Music] June 13th 10th day of our journey tonight we are staying at bump Tavern it is a stopping place for the New York Stage Coach we could go by stage coach to Pittsburgh but it would cost more than $200 father didn't receive this much money from selling our farm in New England it would be wonderful to go by stage it would take only 10 days the in has food and rooms for travelers but everything is very expensive tonight we are sleeping on the floor in the main room on our own bedding it costs only a few cents many other Travelers will sleep here too but at least there's a roof over our heads we sleep in in we sleep in Barns as Through Time Town and Country we press we fairy Rivers for the streams toward the mountains in the West June 19th 16th day of our journey today we passed through the Delaware Water Gap the mountains were high on both sides of us but we were able to get through by following the river valley we have traveled no more than 12 mil a day for the the past week the roads are poor and the mountains are steep if it were not for the Delaware Water Gap it would take us days longer to cross these mountains and father says there are still higher mountains to the West uh Mountain slopes through valleys deep we slowly wind our way along the Deep Red won Trails we move west word day by day June 24th 21st day of our journey it has been raining for 3 days and we have had to stop many times the ox moves slowly on the slippery mountain roads with all the rain and mud it has been hard to build a fire and we are eating smoked meat and parched corn through rain and mud and flooded stream we p psh both day and night 8 miles a day we strugle on till the tool house comes inight July 4th the 31st day the rains have stopped and today we reached the first Toll House on the turnpike to Pittsburgh the roads are better now for they are covered with hard packed stones and gravel and are kept in repair about every 10 10 miles we have to pay a toll to travel on the turnpike we have to pay 4 cents for our cart oxin the price is according to the kind of wagon and the number of animals The Traveler has the money is used to repair the road and to build Bridges and corduroy sections of the road these corduroy roads are built over marshy spots and some of them are several miles long they are made of logs leg crosswise in the road to keep the wheels from becoming stuck in the mud because corduroy roads are not very comfortable to ride on mother usually walks on the Turnpike Road we Trav West 15 miles a day the Sun is hot the weather's dry in penia High July 11th the 38th day the weather has been fair but very hot we are eating and sleeping beside the road at night today Father shot three rabbits and two turkeys to give us a fresh supply of meat we have H bears and wild cats during the night but they do not come near our campfire the cold Waters of the Mountain Streams wake us up quickly and we try to start in the road just after Sunrise we see many people going West on the turnpike this morning we talked with a family who had arrived from Ireland a few weeks ago they are going to Ohio and are pulling all of their belongings in a little cart other families have large wagons pulled by horses or oxen and some ride horseback father says we'll never reach Illinois in time to open the Mill and start grinding this year's corn if we go by land all the way he has decided to sell The Oxen and cart in Pittsburgh and go down the Ohio River as we get closer to Pittsburgh we see many large Freight wagons taking farm products back east of Philadelphia some of these wagons are almost 30 ft long and are pulled by six horse teams some Trav some Trav West on Horseback or stage they roam we travel to the Ohio down that River to our new home July 20th the 47th day of our journey after spending two days in Pittsburgh father was able to sell our oxen and cart for $50 now he has money to buy passage for us to Illinois on a flat boat headed for New Orleans and there will be enough left over to buy supplies for the first winter in our new home for the next 20 days we will eat and sleep on the flat boat as it drifts down the Ohio River father has sent word to Uncle George asking him to meet us with his wagon near shy Town Illinois the river is the channel is deep and the ways go steady and strong as we go along as we go along as we go drifting along down the river all down the river oh down the river we go down the river oh down the river oh down the Ohio August 11th 69th day of our journey yesterday evening Uncle George found us on the bank of smallpox Creek near shauny town this morning we loaded our belongings and started on a 60m trip through Illinois to New Bolton the roads are narrow and rough even with Uncle George's team of strong oxen it will take us almost a week to reach our new home 10 weeks ago we left our home bound for The Promise Land we have traveled far to Illinoi we have reached our Promised Land August 18th 1820 the end of our journey today 78 days after we left Sturbridge Mass Metts we arrived in new Bolton Illinois we were met by many of Uncle George's friends who will be our new neighbors they took us to our house The Village has about 20 families there is a general store and a blacksmith shop also a school is being built Aunt Susan and the ladies had made the house ready for mother she is very pleased with our new home father went straight to the mill with Uncle George and some of the men it will take time and hard work to get it started father plans to begin first thing tomorrow morning I met John Buckley and his younger brother James John is just my age he reminds me of my friend David Hastings back in Massachusetts I think we may become good friends tomorrow he is going to show me his secret cave I can hardly wait then move your family Westward good health you will enjoy and rise to wealth and honor in the state of Illinois