THE OVERLAND ROUTE ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850-51***


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Note: Images of the original pages are available through
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Transcriber's note:

      Minor typographical errors have been corrected without
      note. Dialect spellings and punctuation have been retained.





JOURNAL OF A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA BY THE
OVERLAND ROUTE ACROSS THE PLAINS IN 1850-51

by

E. S. INGALLS.







Waukegan:
Tobey & Co., Printers
1852




PREFACE.


In offering this Journal to the public, the publishers believe that a
benefit will be conferred on many who are desirous of visiting the
Eldorado of the nineteenth century. This is one object we have in
publishing it; but our principal object is to gratify the numerous
friends of Judge Ingalls by furnishing them with his journal in a form
easily transmitted through the mails to the different parts of the
country. Without claiming any merit as a literary production, the
author has simply given us a plain statement of incidents as he saw
them. Without further remark, we present his work to the public.

PUBLISHERS.




JOURNAL.


In offering this journal to the public, the writer makes no pretensions
to authorship, but believes that, although it be written in plain,
off-hand style, nevertheless, some portions of it may be interesting to
the public, and that if any who may chance to read it are about to
start for "Eldorado," they may derive some benefit from it, whether
they go over the Plains, or by water. The writer will only attempt to
describe objects and incidents as he saw them.

We commenced our journey from Lake county, Ill., on the 27th day of
March, (or rather I did, the team not being ready, and I having some
business to transact at Rock River.)

_March_, 28--I left Hainesville, and traveled to Franklinville, McHenry
Co., at night a distance of 30 miles.

29th. Reached Belvidere about noon, and spent the remainder of the day
with John S. Curtis, Esq. Belvidere is a thriving village in Boon co.,
situated in the midst of a fertile and beautiful country.

18 miles.


30th.--Left Belvidere about noon, after having made a very agreeable
visit with Mr. Curtis, and traveled as far as Rockford, on Rock river,
where I found E. Ford, one of our company, and several others from Lake
county. I found Ford taking care of a California emigrant from
Wisconsin, by the name of Maynard, who was very sick at the Rockford
House.

12 miles.


31st. I remained at Rockford, it being Sunday. Rockford is one of the
most active and prosperous villages on the Rock River, and when the