• March 1st 1834
    Our family sets out for the Oregon country to start our lives over. My family originates from Greece, my great grandfather immigrated to America. My father was once a sailor on a great merchant vessel he was never home yet very strong and made a good commission on the cargo. He once fell ill before one of the voyages. The captain was a nice compassionate man so he let my father stay with us, months later a friend and fellow seamen told us the ship sunk in a storm, this was only the beginning of our problems. From then until now my father was a debtor so he sold everything we had and bought our wagon. Today we found an abandoned wagon over flowing with expensive and heavy luxuries. We took a stove, a lot of good food, extra wheels and sold the rest of the things to passing travelers. We were only 5 miles from a town so we purchased another wagon. We were richer than we had ever hoped to be but I knew it couldn’t last. We have been persecuted all the way here because we are some of the “others”. People are very prejudice here and that’s another reason we are going west. Just before dusk we met a wagon train of Jews. They are probably the nicest mellowest people we have ever met. Yet they politely rejected our attempt to join their wagon train. We were setting up camp when we heard screaming. We soon learned that my father and another man were attacked by a venomous snake. Mother and the other women did their best for them and only time will tell.
    March 29th 1834
    Mother died yesterday and father was dead when I woke up.
    Now I have to take care of the wagons and my 6 year old sister. I left my parents on the side of the path because I would probably get cholera from burying them. Being 15, I can take care of my sister alone but it’s hard. After breakfast I found two cats eating at the scraps. They seemed like a young devoted couple yet the female had a limp. When the cats realized I was friendly they climbed into the wagon and let me feed them. After sometime of traveling the male let me tend to the females wounds. I now call the couple the Devotees of Love a fitting name for them I’d say. Today, we first see the fork in the palette river. Soon we will be to Ft. Laramie… my sister just saw a small Indian party with weapons but they don’t seem too aggressive. The Indians spoke English and decided to leave us be because I’m taking care of a child. just as a good measure thanked them and gave them some food and trade goods for some buffalo leather. I have seen many people dead with their possessions intact so the only suspect is disease.
    April 15th1834
    We have made incredible time we’re already in Ft. Laramie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Many of the people getting here say they left as far back as February!!!!!!!!! I found that the leather I traded for is worth a lot here. I still wonder what plains Indians where doing so far East? Anyway, I met this beautiful young girl named Lucia she was one of the “others” but her parents are strict Mormons. They left at noon and I noticed most of the adults were looking sickly. I hope she fares well. We trade and rest before setting out at some time near 3 o’clock. We get maybe 5 miles traveled before we break for camp. For once I believe this trip is worth it
    April 16th 1834
    We woke up early to see what a sound was. We rode about a quarter of a mile until we found a wagon train surrounded by wolves. Cholera swept through it and the wolves came to eat the dead. We scared off the wolves and we found Lucia weeping over her parents’ corpses. I rushed over to comfort her thinking of the sorrow I had felt when my parents died. SHE ASKED ME TO KILL HER!!!!!!! I brought her over to one of my wagons and told my sister to lock up anything Lucia could hurt herself with. Lucia kicked and bite but I finally got her in the wagon. she asked if I would go back and find her fathers guitar for her. So I went to get it for her, when I found it I saw that it was the most elaborate carved instrument I had ever seen. Lucia taught me and my sister how to play it. I even think the devotees of love have taken a liking to Lucia. For the rest of the day we talked about our experiences on the trail. We kept moving until about midnight so Lucia wouldn’t be tempted to go back. With someone my age around I’m not bored so much.
    April 30th 1834
    Today is my sister’s and Lucia’s birthday what a coincidence! But I have nothing to give them so I have to think of something clever. For my sister, I made up a song that she loved. But for Lucia, I proposed marriage with a solid gold ring I bought from a blacksmith that came by! She was incredibly surprised but immediately accepted! This is the happiest day of my life so far. We had a quick ceremony on independence rock. Then just for fun we raced each other in the wagons to the river which is several miles away. We couldn’t tell who won because we were having so much fun.
    June 11th 1834
    We wake inside Ft. Hall for a morning of trading. We see a man limp in to the fort yelling that highway men robbed and beat him. I decide to trade for guns and ammunition just in case. We leave around noon with a shotgun, two Kentucky long barrels, and a light weight pistol. We find the men that robbed the man we saw back at the fort. Obviously they try to rob us but get a taste of their own elixir. I kill no one but teach them a lesson by engraving it on their pain glands. Hahahahaha.
    July 30th-September 20th 1834
    We finally made it to the Willamette Valley. We have already claimed our land and started to build our home. Many question why we have no parents and are already married… the only thing we say to them it’s the miracle called the Oregon Trail. We don’t farm the land very much we just sell the goods we brought over and other people’s crops. We own the first store in this area of Oregon. For just getting here we’re set for our time here. If I never took this journey, I would be in the East working as a laborer, still poor and a debtor. I would have never met the love of my life either. Even the Devotees of Love are happy they have a litter of kittens. My sister even has new friends that live around here.