VIDEO: Idaho’s Longest Graveyard

Idaho is a massive graveyard.  I remember thinking that after a visit to the City of Rocks.  I looked at the names of pioneers written on rocks and wondered how many of them ever reached their destination.  I would also say from my experience that modern Idahoans are tougher than the average American, because life in this country still has challenges we don’t see elsewhere.  But nothing matches what the people in wagon trains experienced as they rumbled west.

You Were Alone if Often Empty Country

There were no repair shops along the trail, or they were rare.  Water was often in short supply, which caused intestinal distress.  The weather could turn rough, and some of the people you encountered didn’t welcome you.  There were ruffians ready to rob you, and indigenous tribes who viewed you as a threat.

Watch the Video and See the Grueling Epic

I found a video in my feed about traveling west, especially along the Oregon Trail.  While I knew of many of the hardships, I hadn’t often considered the serious maintenance issues when it came to the wagons.  If you had a catastrophic failure, it could mean dehydration, starvation, and death for the entire family, and there were times when it happened.  Enough so that the narrator of the video explains the trail was a graveyard.  This was in an era when people already experienced high mortality rates from disease, lack of modern medicines, and the stress of life.

Take a few minutes and watch the video below.  You’ll appreciate that you live in the 21^st Century.