Journal of Travels Over the Oregon Trail in 1845

Thanks to Joel Palmer's artistic writing abilities and keen observations, we have a sweeping visual perception of what it was like to travel along the Oregon Trail in 1845-46. Palmer is very descriptive of landforms, climate, people he met, and all the other happenstances not only along the Oregon Trail itself, but also of Oregon. He was one of few to blaze a new wagon road from the Dalles, around Mt. Hood to the Williamette Valley, which was later referred to as the Barlow Cutoff. Also included are excellent descriptions of the disastrous Stephen Meek wagon party; Oregon City in its infancy; advice to future emigrants; economic and agricultural possibilities in Oregon; etc. There is also a somewhat lengthy but insightful and prophetic letter from Reverend Spalding to Palmer with his thoughts and descriptions of Oregon. I did find it somewhat peculiar though that Palmer's advice to emigrants mirrors the same advice of Overton Johnson's "Route Across the Rocky Mountains" published a year earlier. A map would be handy for those unfamiliar with the geography as the one included is quite vague. Still, a great book.

This book in the form of a diary was foremostly a handbook by and for an emigrant on the Oregon Trail. Palmer took the Trail in 1845, within 5 years of the first practical wagon crossing of it and had published his book within 2 years. It contained practical advice on the composition of the train,the ill-defined route, chosing nightly camp sites and the daily problems facing the pioneers. With wonderful practical advice on the choice of wagons, animals, supplies and proposed progress. His observations of the land crossed, native people encountered and perilous problems facing the pioneers, particularly of the desperate forcing of a road around Mount Hood in appalling conditions, are made with the eye of a seasoned traveler. Although the prose retains the flavour of having been written contemporaneously, it is easily assimilated by the modern reader. However, armchair pioneers will benefit greatly from access to a topographical map of the route which will supplement the somewhat limited sketches from the original documents.