Wagon Boss' Questions:
1.How many months do you need to plan for? – At least 6 Months, you need to get a lot of planning in to be sure you are ready. But if you do not have that much time, you have to make sure that all of your weights and money measurments are correct because once you get to Oregon, there is no turning back.
2. What were some of the supplies they had to bring that would not be used until Oregon? – They needed a lot of supplies for Oregon. Some included seeds for farming/ food. They also needed building supplies to make homes and businesses in Oregon to make a profit of living in the West.
3. What type of wagon will you choose? – Our group is using the Conestoga Wagon, because it looks like it is the most durable and it is only $250.00. It also includes gear for animals, so I will not have to spend extra money on those.
4. What animal will you choose to pull your wagon? Why? What are some of the other choices and why did you not choose them? – Our group will most likely choose Oxen to pull our wagon because they might be slower, but if we run out of food, Oxen can eat poor grass. Mules needed to be fed regularly. Oxen are also more reliable. Some of the other options we had to choose from were horses and mules. We did not choose horses or mules because they might be strong and fast, but often very tricky to handle. Mules also have tendencies to bolt and become unruly.
5. How many pounds can you carry in your wagon? – In the Conestoga Wagon, which we are taking, you can carry up to as much as 6 tons of freight, which will be good because we need a lot of room for food and supplies that we will not need until we get to Oregon.
6. What did the emigrants discard along the trail? Why? - Emigrants had to discard excess food and baggage. I think this is because the wagon might've gotten to heavy for the animal to carry, so their journey was becoming slower. Another thought of mine is that maybe the food was rotting or clothes in the baggage had gotten to small, so they were just carrying extra weight.
7. What was the drink that saved thousands of lives along the trail? Why? – Coffee saved many lives on the trail because by boiling the hot water to make the coffee, the bacteria in the dirty water was destroyed and killed.
8. Where can you buy supplies along the trail? - The people along the Oregon Trail could buy supplies along the way at forts. The supplies were much more expensive there, so it was good to replenish your supplies early and often.
Oregon Trail Supply List:
Wagon:
Conestoga Wagon $250.00
Total for Wagon: $250.00
Animal:
4 Pairs of Oxen $100
Total for Animals: $100
Food:
300 lbs. of Flour: $6
90 lbs. of bacon: $4.50
50 lbs. of rice: $2.50
10 lbs. of coffee $.70
4 lbs. of tea $2.20
25 lbs. of sugar $1.25
20 lbs. of beans $1.60
1 Bushel of dried apples (22 lbs.) $1.32
1 Bushel of dried peaches (28 lbs.) $1.68
6 lbs. of Baking Soda $.12
10 lbs. of salt $.50
10 lbs. of pepper $.50
1 Bushel of Corn Meal (50 lbs.) $2.00
30 lbs. of Vinegar $1.20
Food Total: $26.07
Extra Supplies:
2 Cooking Kits $40
2 Carpentry Kits $20
3 Sewing Kits $9
1 Ax $3.00
3 Knifes $2.50
Hatchet $2
2 Pistols $15
1 Rifle $10
2 Dutch Ovens $6
Guitar $12
4 Rain Ponchos $8
Hand-Washing Machine $7
Total for Extra Supplies: $134.50
Team:
3 Men $150 each
Total for Team: $450
Building Supplies and Seeds for Oregon:
Total for all seeds for farming: $20
Total for all building supplies: $20
Wagon:
Conestoga Wagon $250.00
Total for Wagon: $250.00
Animal:
4 Pairs of Oxen $100
Total for Animals: $100
Food:
300 lbs. of Flour: $6
90 lbs. of bacon: $4.50
50 lbs. of rice: $2.50
10 lbs. of coffee $.70
4 lbs. of tea $2.20
25 lbs. of sugar $1.25
20 lbs. of beans $1.60
1 Bushel of dried apples (22 lbs.) $1.32
1 Bushel of dried peaches (28 lbs.) $1.68
6 lbs. of Baking Soda $.12
10 lbs. of salt $.50
10 lbs. of pepper $.50
1 Bushel of Corn Meal (50 lbs.) $2.00
30 lbs. of Vinegar $1.20
Food Total: $26.07
Extra Supplies:
2 Cooking Kits $40
2 Carpentry Kits $20
3 Sewing Kits $9
1 Ax $3.00
3 Knifes $2.50
Hatchet $2
2 Pistols $15
1 Rifle $10
2 Dutch Ovens $6
Guitar $12
4 Rain Ponchos $8
Hand-Washing Machine $7
Total for Extra Supplies: $134.50
Team:
3 Men $150 each
Total for Team: $450
Building Supplies and Seeds for Oregon:
Total for all seeds for farming: $20
Total for all building supplies: $20