My paw was working at the Perry Sawmill earning enough to keep us in food, clothes, and our little log house near the river was not large enough for my brother, mother and I. My paw came home one spring day and announced that we were heading out west. He said that big John down at the sawmill had heard about a new settlement on the other side of the mountain. We are leaving on a quest. My Father told me that if we leave for the new land as soon as we can, I will get to have my own cow. I know that doesn't seem like much to you but to me it is the world.
He told us about having a new start. You see my paw was a farmer. he loved turning the earth and planting that “golden grain” or wheat. His pappy and his grand pappy before him were farmers. My paw had to take a job at the sawmill so that we could live. Going out west would give him land and a new beginning. Ma was not happy but knew that we would go. Now I don’t really understand all the reasons but like my paw always said, “taken a risk and failing is a lot better than playing it safe”. By his plan, we would be leaving in three weeks. Ma said that we had to pack up everything we would need to leave somethings behind because it would not all fit in the Conestoga Wagon that paw said was given to him by a friend at the mill. I later found out that he had to sell his pappy’s pocket watch and gun just to get the wagon. Mom sold her sewing kit and two bracelets handed down in the family to get an oxen, we call ‘old Bo’ so we could get to where we were heading.
He told us about having a new start. You see my paw was a farmer. he loved turning the earth and planting that “golden grain” or wheat. His pappy and his grand pappy before him were farmers. My paw had to take a job at the sawmill so that we could live. Going out west would give him land and a new beginning. Ma was not happy but knew that we would go. Now I don’t really understand all the reasons but like my paw always said, “taken a risk and failing is a lot better than playing it safe”. By his plan, we would be leaving in three weeks. Ma said that we had to pack up everything we would need to leave somethings behind because it would not all fit in the Conestoga Wagon that paw said was given to him by a friend at the mill. I later found out that he had to sell his pappy’s pocket watch and gun just to get the wagon. Mom sold her sewing kit and two bracelets handed down in the family to get an oxen, we call ‘old Bo’ so we could get to where we were heading.