I was born in Oregon, but my parents brought me at a very young age to live in Missouri. We came by train, but I was too young to remember. My mother often told me about the beautiful mountains, and how she and my dad watched trains go by our home in Oregon. I always wanted to see it for myself. Then one day, my chance came.
I was about 50 years old when my sister and I decided to take a train trip to see my daughter, who lived in Oregon at the time. We spent a lot of time in the Dome car, so we could see the country and towns as we rode along from Kansas City, Mo., to Hood River, Ore.
We had a wonderful time. I could lay in bed at night and hear the train whistle as I drifted off to sleep. What a thrill it was to stand there and view the early history of my life. The train trip home was good too. We ate in the dining car and met a lot of people.
Velma Smith
El Dorado Springs, Mo.
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.