Oregon-California Trails Association | R. L. M.

R. L. M. – Letter September 12, 1849

Merrill J. Mattes Collection·

“In crossing the Loup Fork of the Platte, we were two days wading up and down the river, before we could find a fordable place for our wagons. The Loup has a quicksand bottom, and the channel changes as often as the sun rises and sets.” ~ R. L. M.

Written for the American Citizen, Jackson, MI, September 12, 1849
An extract from a letter received from one of the Jackson company on the road to California
3 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.