When we went from South Texas to Colorado in covered
wagons, we sometimes would travel for days without seeing a house. When we got
into the mountains, the roads were so steep and narrow that Father would have
us all get out of the wagons and walk until the road got wide enough for us to
ride again without his being afraid the wagons would upset.
One day when he had us walk, we got
way behind the wagons. We were loitering along, carefree and happy, when we
looked up the side of the mountain. There, so plain I can see it to this day, was
a big mountain lion lying in the mouth of a cave.
We ran in pure panic, and never have you seen such
breathless, frightened children as we were when we caught up with the wagons.
Mrs. Lee Johnson
Mangum, Oklahoma
Back in 1955 a call
went out from the editors of the then CAPPER’s WEEKLY asking for readers to send
in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early
settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from
grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were
received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My
Folks title – My Folks Came in a
Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine
other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from CAPPER’s readers, and we are proud to
make those stories available to our growing online community.
