Home » Travel » The Great Plains » The Sagers Go West, part 1

The Sagers Go West, part 1

© Mary Trotter Kion

In the fall of 1843 Henry and Naomi Sager and their children began the long and arduous journey westward to the Oregon Country after leaving their home in Platte County, Missouri. It was autumn when they reached St. Joseph on the western border of that state. Due to the lateness of the season they could not travel any further until the coming spring. They set up house some five miles from St. Joseph, near the Missouri River. The father, Henry, had wanted to go west the previous year after hearing that the missionary Doctor Marcus Whitman was going to guide an emigrant train across the plains. But Mr. Sager's plans had to be delayed since his little daughter Matilda was ill.

The winter soon passed and as early as March of 1844 folks with their hopes and dreams pointed towards Oregon Country began to pour into St. Joseph. As anxious as Henry Sager was to get started, he knew that the long trip over plains and mountains could not begin until late April or early May. As he explained to his two anxious sons, John age thirteen and Frank age eleven, the grass must be high enough so the oxen could graze.

With the first fluttering of spring green, Henry pulled their big wagon up to the house and began to load it. When the loading was complete with what household items they had to include and food to last the pile nearly touched the wagon cover. But still there was room for Naomi and her four girls, Catherine age eight, Elizabeth age six, Matilda age four, and Louise at two and a half, to sleep. Henry and the two boys would sleep outside in a tent. Early the next morning the Sager wagon fell into line with others heading westward. The following day they came to the place where they were to cross the wide Missouri River. At least at this crossing there was a ferry to transport the wagons but Mr. Sager had to swim across with the cattle they'd brought. They all made the crossing just fine. Then their first disaster came.

On the other side of the river a small dog began to excitedly bark at the cattle. Well, that was just about enough of this silly trip, or so the Sager's cattle and oxen seemed to think. The oxen turned from the commotion and headed back to the river, and they didn't stop there. They plunged back into the swirling water, swimming back towards Missouri. Henry Sager had no choice but to start east again, riding the ferry across the river, to catch his stray cattle.