Plaza marker and location
Scenes from our annual late spring California Trail Days event
Scenes from our annual late spring California Trail Days event
Scenes from our annual late spring California Trail Days event
Scenes from our annual late spring California Trail Days event
Scenes from our annual late spring California Trail Days event
Scenes from our annual late spring California Trail Days event
Scenes from our annual late spring California Trail Days event
Scenes from our annual late spring California Trail Days event
As emigrants made their way along the pioneer trails, certain routines began to develop. While wagon trains would often stop for a day of chores and rest (about once a week), here is an example of what might be considered a “typical” day on the trail:
4:00 am: A bugler blows a trumpet or a rifle is fired by the night guards to wake up the camp.
5:00 am: Cattle are rounded up after being allowed to graze during the night (except when Indians threatened).
5:30 am: Women and children are up and fixing breakfast of usually bacon, corn porridge or “Johnny Cakes” made of flour and water.
6:30 am: Women rinse plates and mugs and stow bedding, while the men haul down tents and load them in the wagons.
7:00 am: After every family has gathered their teams and hitched them to wagons, a trumpeter signals a “Wagons Ho,” to start the wagons down the trail. Average distance covered in a day was usually fifteen miles, but on a good day twenty could be traveled.
7:30 am: Men ride ahead on horses with shovels to clear out a path, if needed.
“Nooning Time”: Animals and people stop to eat, drink and rest.
1:00 pm: Back on the trail.
5:00 pm: When a good campsite with ample water and grass is found, pioneers stop to set up camp for the evening. Wagons are formed into a corral.
6:00 pm: Families unpack and make supper.
7:00 pm: Mothers do chores, men smoke and talk, young people dance.
8:00 pm: Camp settles down for the night, guards go out on duty.
Midnight: Night guards are changed.