Back in the late 1870’s the wanderlust hit the vicinity of Agnos and surrounding country and a group of families loaded into wagons and started for Oregon and Idaho. The group was large enough to need approximately 30 wagons. There is some disagreement among the descendants of the different families that made the trip as to the exact year in which the train left Arkansas. Some think it was in 1876; others think it was in 1878. But all agree on what families were in the group. They left Arkansas about May 1, and landed in northeastern Oregon and northwestern Idaho about October 1.
The families form Agnos and vicinity making the trip were: Joe Tucker, Jim Tucker and Guard Tucker, all brothers, Joe Cummings and Bill Busby, brothers-in-law of the Tucker brothers, Matt Nickles and Monroe Nickles, sons-in-law of Joe Tucker. Also Kinchen Tucker, a nephew of the Tucker brothers, Tom and Dave Estes, Dan Moore, Sheridan Massey and John Phillips. John Phillips and Kinchen Tucker were sons-in-law of Sheridan Massey. There were one or two hired men whose name we do not have. There were other wagons that joined the train as they traveled westward.
The train traveled slowly. Fifteen miles a day was a good average for the entire trip. It took about a week to reach Springfield, Mo. At Springfield, the train stopped to buy tents and other necessary supplies that would be needed for the long trip to the Far West.
While the men were in town buying supplies, the women did the family washing, and the animals took their rest. The train always stopped one day a week to let the women do the washing and to let the animals rest.
Everything went well with the pilgrims until they were in Colorado. Here the train was delayed for several days on account of sickness in the Dan Moore family. It was thought best for the group to divide, because the delay was going to cause the original train to be winter getting to its destination. The Dave Estes family remained with the Moore family until the Moores were able to travel again, and the balance of the group went on. After a few days the Moore family was able to travel again and the Estes’ and the Moores joined another train and proceeded on their journey to Idaho. But the families were delayed again at Green River, Wyoming when Dan Moore’s twelve year old son developed Mountain Fever (tick fever) and died. The grief-stricken travelers buried their dead and went on their way. But they did not travel long until death delayed them again. Dan Moore’s wife came down with a severe illness and died somewhere along the Snake River in Idaho. Mrs. Dave Estes was the only woman within seventy-five miles. There were two men that kept a barn at a stage stop. They were the only men within miles of there except the men with the travelers. The stage hands found some planks and nailed together a box for a coffin. Mrs. Estes and her husband dressed and put the corpse into the box and the men buried her near the place where she died.
The Moores and Estes family reached Moscow, Idaho October 2, 1878, after nearly six months of hard and grevious travel. They remained I nthe country for several years and then returned to their old home in Arkansas.
The Tuckers, Masseys and others reached Eastern Oregon a few weeks before the Moore and Dave Estes families did. The Tuckers settled around Elgin, Oregon, which is not far from Walla Walla, Washington.
The entire group prospered financially while they were in the West but there was something lacking. They longed for the scenes and friends of their old home, and nothing would satisfy like being back home again. So it was – Arkansas here we come.
This writer has listened to about four members tell of their experiences on the long grip – namely Sam Massey, Mrs. Dave Estes, Mrs. Vira Massey Coggings and Mrs. Jeffie Tucker Weaver. I will pass along some of the stories and experiences they related to me.
They all said that it was the saddest scene they ever witnessed in their lives when the wagons began to move that spring morning leaving relatives and friends. Neither group, the travelers nor the relatives and friends, who had come to see them off expected to ever see each other again.
Some of the women said hat the most obnoxious thing that they had to contend with was the cooking with buffalo chips for fuel while traveling over the high plains. It seemed to them that the smoke and flame from the fuel left a scent in the cooked food that did not add to its appetizing qualities. Sam Massey said that his job was to look out for places where herds of buffalo had slept a week or so earlier and gather up the chips and bring them to the supply wagon so there would be fuel when needed.
One of the most disagreeable things that happened on the long journey was crossing a strip of country about sixty miles wide that had no water. Water had to be hauled for both man and animals across this waterless region. Water had to be rationed for both man and beast. It is needless to say that there was not suffering for water in the more than three day drive through this region.
Another amusing experience related was guarding the train while traveling through the dangerous Indian country. One night the guard was out near a river some two hundred yards from the camp when he heard a noise that sounded for the world like hundreds of horses’ feet running. The sound seemed to be a mile or so away. The guard awakened the sleepers in the camp. The wagons were placed in a compact circle and the women and children were all placed in the circle of wagons. The men grabbed guns and some of them remained near the wagons, but the others went out towards where the noise was coming from. For a while, nothing was heard, but at last it was heard again. Joe Tucker, who had been a First Lieutenant in the Confederate Army, selected two men to go with him. They crawled upon the bank of the river. Nothing was heard for a time, but before too long, a light wind blew and balls that grew on the trees that lined the river bank began to fall into the water. There was the noise. It was the balls falling from the trees into the water. Everyone was much relieved when it was learned that no danger existed.
