Researching the Oregon Trail - Captain John Knox Kennedy, Big Platte, and Fort Laramie
In which I relate some history of the Oregon Trail and key stops along the way, as well as describe Jane’s brother John Knox Kennedy and a bit more about their journey along the trail; I also share information gleaned from the book Trail of Innocents, written by Everill Cummins, about the Kennedy Train.
Some Family Members Move West - A Letter from Walla Walla, Washington, 1864
In which I share an excerpt from my nonfiction book, A State Divided, that explains some family history, as well as share a July 1864 letter from Jane Kennedy Hale, now settled in Walla Walla, Washington.
Some Family Members Move West - A Letter from the Oregon Trail in 1862
In which I share more letters from the Oregon Trail, this time from Jane Kennedy Hale, the widowed wife of James’s brother Meshack, who was killed by Confederate sympathizers; Jane, who traveled with the “Kennedy Train” led by her brother, eventually settled with her son William in Walla Walla, Washington.
Some Family Members Move West on the Oregon Trail - A Letter from California in 1858
In which I share a letter from Lewis Hale, the son of James’s brother Charles, who traveled along the Oregon Trail to California in 1858 with his wife and two children, experiencing many crazy adventures along the way and settling in the Petaluma Valley.