Oregon-California Trails Association | Rees, William H.

Rees, William H. – Ancestry and Journal

Merrill J. Mattes Collection·

I wrote several letters addressed to different parts of the U.S.A. by Dr. White’s party who left this country in Aug last for the States over land, and have just been informed from an authentic source that the party consisting of 4 or 5 individuals were captured & put to death…” ~William H. Rees in a letter to his mother.

Genealogy of William H. Rees, along with descendants
Photos on pages 21, 22, and 24
1850 Census p. 34
1860 Census p. 28
1870 Census p. 29
1880 Census p. 30
Transcribed letter from William Rees to his mother p. 35, 36
Transcribed letter p. 37
Pages 38-44 consist of copies of original letters.
44 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.