River crossings pose danger for emigrants

GREEN. RIVER STATlON -The Historic Trails wagon train rests today but expects to ford the Green River Thursday on its way Name Rock.

River crossings were a major concern and problem for emigrants. Hamilton Scott wrote of crossing the Green in 1862:

July 18. Unloaded and corked five wagons, making tow boats of them. We got twelve wagons ferried over this evening.

July 19. Swam our stock over this morning and by dark we had the wagons all over safe without mishaps. The river was very high and running very rapid. We had considerable trouble in swimming our stock over. We put our horses in three times and they would go about hal[way across then turn down stream and drift back to the same side that we put them in on. We finally had to lead one beside our new constructed boats and the rest followed after him. It seemed almost a miracle that we got safely across.

In 1853 emigrant Amelia Stewart Knight wrote in lyrical style:

little one crying with cold feet sixteen wagons all getting ready to cross the creek hurry and bustle and get breakfast overfeed the cattle and tumble things into the wagons Hurrah boys all ready we will be the first to cross the creek this morning gee up Tip and Tyler and away we go the sun just rising.

Source: Scott, Wyoming Archives and Knight, Women's Voices from the Oregon Trail, used with permission.