That particular era in this country produced some truly amazing people, the West was opening up, industry was beginning, the advent of steam, railroad, telegraph. To a certain degree all those people knew was hardship and struggle, some managed to make the best of it. My g.g.g. grandfather had served with A. Lincoln in the Blackhawk Indian Wars, went with a regiment of soldiers down to fight in the Mexican War, served as Lt. Governor of the Territory of New Mexico. Went with his regiment from Illinois to fight in the Civil War as a Lt. Colonel and was shot off his horse at Chicamauga, GA. His son, my g.g. grandfather was serving with him as a Captain and was forced to leave his body as the Union was in retreat, he was buried in a common grave. I think to myself...what the hell have I done? My g.g. grandfather left the family homestead in Illinois and went west on the transcontinental railroad to California, invested in oil fields, went back to Illinois, moved the family West from St. Louis, MO on the Oregon Trail and settled in Northern Idaho instead of going any further, raised up his family. Its one thing to think to yourself while traveling about the distance but nothing about how much time it takes....what takes hours today took weeks back then I won't even get into how much difficulty there was in the weeks it took, where are you going to sleep, what are you going to eat.
