The purpose of the study was to trace the route of William Wright Anderson who traveled overland to Oregon from St. Joseph, Missouri in 1848 and then on to California in 1849. It was to be determined what guidebook(s) and/or map(s) he used on his journey. The identification of places, individuals, terms, and events while on the journey and while in Oregon and California were to be included in the study.The diary and memoirs were purposely to be kept as nearly as possible to their original state as not to lose the historical value and flavor of the manuscript. However, a minimal amount of editing was necessary to insure clarity.Findings1. It was determined that Anderson used Joel Palmer's guidebook Palmer's Journal of Travels Over the Rocky Mountains, 1845-1846, while on the Oregon Trail.2. Numerous geographical features and places were identified on the Oregon Trail, in Oregon, on the overland trail from Oregon to California, and in California.3. Numerous pioneers and contemporaries with who Anderson came in contact were identified. These included, most notably, Joe Meek, Antoine Reynal, Jr., Thomas "Peg-Leg" Smith, Philip Foster, Henderson Luelling, Alanson Beers, and Elisha, John, and Charles Packwood. 4. Various terms no longer in use were identified as to their meaning. Examples included were: “deadening," "thimble-rigging," "clever," and "hewer."5. Anderson was directly involved in several historical events which included: the meeting of Oregon representative Joe Meek on Meek's trip to Washington, D.C., the meeting of the soldiers searching for the murders of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, the manufacture of the famous "Beaver Money" in Oregon, the growth of Coloma, California after the gold discovery, and the rise and decline of the California gold mining operations.ConclusionThe Anderson manuscript is of great historical value because the timing and extent of his travels coincided with many historical events. The work is a historical treasure for scholars studying Oregon or California history of the period.

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of History. / Electronic thesis. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-211). Also available in print ed.

This study is an attempt to discover how women participating in the mid-nineteenth century migration to Oregon viewed the westward journey and themselves in relationship to it. It is not a survey of the responses of all women in the westward movement, but, rather, an exploration of the perspective of those women who left a written record of their perceptions or recollections. The thesis focuses on the diaries and reminiscences of women travelling, primarily but not exclusively, in the years 1851-1853. The introductory material consists of a review of the existing historical literature on women and the West, and a discussion of the methods and assumptions used in the thesis. Following this is a short sketch of the history of the migration to Oregon. The major part of the thesis is organized around five themes which emerge from women’s diaries and reminiscences.