“Four years hard work made my outfit for Oregon,” wrote Eugene Skinner to his sister Phebe. It took him four years to earn enough money to purchase a wagon, team (perhaps mules or oxen), supplies, and pay a guide to show them the way since there were no roads or signs. He continued, “When I paid my ferriage across Cow River this side of Independence I had a five cent piece left.” Click here for a list of supplies Eugene and Mary Skinner might have carried inside and outside their wagon, and here for a map of their journey.

Wagon train coming together for the beginning of a journey

Eugene and Mary Skinner joined a wagon train with others who had also paid the guide to show them the way across the continent. When the group reached Fort Hall in Oregon Territory where the trail split (present day southeastern Idaho), some emigrants took the Oregon Trail route and others took the California Trail route.

Caleb Greenwood convinced 8 families to take the California Trail to Sacramento Valley. Even though they would be living in Mexican Territory, his boss, John Sutter, would give them food and land. He promised the journey would be safer and easier than the Oregon Trail. Eugene and Mary Skinner and 7 other wagons took the California Trail to Sutter’s Fort in Mexican territory (present-day California). The trail was easy for two weeks until they had to go down a steep hill. To keep the wagons from running over the oxen, they had to attach logs to drag behind.

It took about 5 months to make the journey from Illinois to Sutter’s Fort. Here they learned the Mexican government did not want Americans in the area. They could become citizens of Mexico or leave. The group stayed 6 months at the fort to wait for better traveling weather. Eugene Skinner was busy nailing shingles on roofs, installing windows and doors, and helping others improve Sutter’s Fort until the day came to travel to Oregon Territory as originally planned. source1 source2