I came to Oklahoma in a covered wagon with my parents, and later traveled to New Mexico in one when I was married. We had an overjet with springs and mattress that made a nice bed. Bows and wagon sheet were fastened down good (so we thought), and we had a bachelor stove.
One night, we had a terrific storm with wind and hail. The wind tore the wagon sheet loose, but my husband tied it down again. When we started out the next morning, the wind was from the northwest and came right into our faces and into the front of the wagon. We had not gone far when that wet wagon sheet caught full of wind, and away it went. This scared the mules, and we had a run-away! The stove was jerked out of place, and when we finally got the team under control, we had to put out a fire in the wagon.
The river didn’t look bad at all, but when we got about two-thirds of the way across it suddenly got deeper. The wagon bed began to float. We never could figure what kept it from floating downstream unless it was the hand of God. When we got nearer the edge, the wheels settled in place again and the wagon was still hitched to the mules. We enjoyed our trip in spite of our difficulties.
Mrs. S.R. Moore
Harnmon, Okla.
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.
