Across the Plains to California in 1852: Journal of Mrs. Lodisa Frizzell — John Shaqi
Across the Plains to California in 1852: Journal of Mrs. Lodisa FrizzellFrizell, Lodisa
History
Across the Plains to California in 1852: Journal of Mrs. Lodisa Frizzell
Frizell, Lodisa
Overland journeys to the Pacific
Mrs. Frizzell's journal was secured by The New York Public Library with
the manuscripts of the Ford Collection, presented by the late J.
Pierpont Morgan. It has a quaint manuscript title-page, as follows:
_Narative of a Journal [sic] across the "Plains" in 1852 by Mrs. Lodisa
Frizzell. Illustrated by several original drawings. And to my relatives,
and friends, respectfully subscribed._ A later hand has written over the
title the words, "The Overland Route to California." Among the numerous
amateurish illustrations drawn by lead pencil and tinted with colors,
three are reproduced here; also her three route maps. The other
illustrations include the following: "The home I left behind me" (Her
home in Illinois); "Crossing the Nimehaw"; "Killing a buffalo";
"Independence Rock"; "A view of Devil's Gate"; "Distant view of
Courthouse & Chimney rocks"; "Chimney Rock 5 miles distant"; "Distant
view of Laramie Peak"; "A view of Sweetwater mountains. 5 miles west of
the Devil's Gate"; "Buffalo skeletons"; "View of the Wind range of
mountains"; "View of South Pass"; "A Horned Frog."
Written on inner covers or flyleaves are several names, which may be of
value for future identification. They are: John G. Harness, 1852; Nancy
Varnyan; G. W. Catron; Wm. Malone; Orin Anderson and T. Alexander.
Nothing has been discovered of the personal history of this Frizzell
family. The patronymic, however, is found at an early period in New
England.
In 1859, Lieutenant Gouverneur K. Warren, of the corps of topographical
engineers, U. S. A., issued a _Memoir_ and map of the exploring
expeditions in the West, from 1800 to 1857, and an epitome thereof forms
a part of volume 1 of Wheeler's _Report_, appendix F, of the United
States Geographical Surveys west of the one hundredth meridian
(Washington, 1889). Among the narratives of those who, in the main,
travelled the route covered by Mrs. Frizzell, the earliest is the
journal of Robert Stuart, 1812, of which The New York Public Library has
a complete typewritten transcript, made from the original manuscript in
1908. This journey was begun in June, 1812, at Astoria, and ended at the
Ohio. It was undertaken by representatives of the Pacific Fur Company.
The next important expedition to the Rocky Mountains was made by Captain
B. L. E. Bonneville, 1832-1836, of which we have the record in
Washington Irving's _The Rocky Mountains_, first published in 1837, in
two volumes. In 1835, Colonel, afterwards General Henry Dodge, covered a
part of the way en route from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1842, J. C.
Fremont traversed the Plains on his first expedition, ending in the Wind
River Mountains, and in 1843-1844, he went over much of the same ground.
Joel Palmer's journal of his travels over the Rocky Mountains, in
1845-1846, was printed in 1852, and has been edited as a part of
Thwaites's _Early Western Travels_. Among the California pioneers, who
went over the route in the mad rush of 1849, was Amasa Delano, who wrote
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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