Box 2.1.2.F77 Working Notes Ft. Kearney to California Crossing

Merrill J. Mattes Original Research·

“…a band of wolves on the adjacent bluffs howled a blood-curdling baritone. The howl of the wolf is enough, but when a band of this species get down to their work, it is more than that. They commence with a shrill whine, which increases and deepens until it ends in an unearthly yell which you feel in your bones.” ~ Kenderdine 1858

Mattes’ handwritten and typed notes
22 Pages

The collection was begun in 1991 by the late Merrill J. Mattes, a co-founder of the Oregon-California Trails Association. That original nucleus was a result of a generous donation from Merrill and reflected his many years as an award-winning National Park Service historian and also included works of his own authorship. The collection is housed at the national Frontier Trails Museum in Independence, Missouri. Here, you have access to many of the original trail diaries he collected in digital form.