James Akin
DIARY OF JAMES AKIN, JR.
Thursday, April 15, 1852 – First day crossed Fish Creek, three-fourths of a mile; roads pretty good; plenty of water and wood.
Friday, April 16, 1852 – Rained until noon; started and came in Salem; left Salem at 3 O'clock; traveled 6 miles; plenty of wood; not much water.
Saturday, April 17, 1852 – Start pretty soon; rains nearly all day; roads very muddy; travel 15 miles; camp; plenty of water and wood.
Sunday, April 18, 1852 – Start at 8 o'clock; roads very bad; pass Birmingham and Winchester; camp at Libertyville; corn, 55 cents per bushel, hays 50 cents per cwt… Good place to camp.
Monday, April 19, 1852 – Roads better; travel 15 miles; passed through agency; camp in a good place; plenty of wood; not much water.
Tuesday, April 20, 1852 – Roads very good; travel 16 miles; passed Ottumwa; pretty cold day; camp in good place, and plenty of wood and water. Overtook Caleb.
Wednesday, April 21, 1852 – Bad roads; travel 16 miles; cold weather; passed Eddyville about noon; had place to camp; plenty wood and water.
Thursday, April 22, 1852 – Travel 15 miles; fine weather; crossed the Des Moines River in the evening; good place to camp on the bank of the river.
Friday, April 23, 1852 – Travel 3 miles and then stopped and stayed the balance of thee day; cool cloudy weather; oats, 40 cents a bushel; corn 50 cents. Good place to camp.
Saturday, April 24, – Traveled 12 miles; roads hilly and rough; cloudy weather; passed Knoxville; crossed White Breast Creek and camped on the bank; bought hay.
Sunday, April 25 – Laid by all-day; cloudy weather; herded the cattle all-day; good place to camp – plenty of wood and water.
Monday, April 26 – Traveled 12 miles; cool weather; passed Pleasantville; crossed South River and camped on the bank of the river; good place to camp.
Tuesday, April 27, – Traveled 16 miles; very good prairie road; passed Palmyra and Indiolia; camp in the prairie; good place to camp – plenty of water; not much wood.
Wednesday, April 28 – Traveled 16 miles; very good roads; crossed Big Creek and camped on the bank of the same creek; good place to camp – plenty wood and water.
Thursday, April 29 – Traveled 7 miles; warm day, and good roads; crossed Middle River and camped on the north side in two and one-half miles of Wintersette, good place to camp; stop at noon.
Friday, April 30 – Start at 9 o'clock and travel 3 miles and pass Wintersette; roads very good; windy, cold day; stop and camp 1 mile west of Wintersette; camp in a deep hollow; good place to camp; 47 wagons on the same ground.
Saturday. May 1, Start early; travel 20 miles; very good roads; camp in the prairie; plenty of water; carry wood three-quarters of a mile; herd cattle till 9 o'clock.
Sunday, May 2, – Very cold, windy morning; start about noon and travel 8 miles; camp in the prairie and haul wood with us; not much grass; plenty of water; rains at night.
Monday, May 3, – Start early; travel 15 miles; cool weather; camp in the prairie; good place to camp; plenty wood and water; more grass than common; muddy branch.
Tuesday, May 4, – Start early; travel 18 miles; pretty day; plenty of grass; plenty of water; camp in the prairie; drive the cattle a half of a mile to grass.
Wednesday, May 5, – Start early; travel 15 miles; good roads; warm day; rains at night; camp in the prairie; plenty of water and grass; good place to camp; no timber.
Thursday, May 6, – Travel 16 miles; good roads, but muddy; rained part of the day; camp in a beautiful place on the bank of the creek; grass plenty.
Friday, May 7, – Start early and travel two and a half miles to the creek and wait 4 hours to cross, and the boat sank; good roads in the prairie; camp in the prairie; plenty of water and grass no wood.
Saturday, May 8, – Travel 15 miles; good roads; camp in Kanesville; bad place to camp; plenty wood and water, but no grass; beautiful day; great many teams camped around.
Sunday, May 9, – Travel 3 miles and camp on the bank of the Missouri River; beautiful day; good place to camp; plenty wood; water and grass.
Monday, May 10, – Camped in the same place; corn 20c per bushel; new boat started; fine day; many Indians around the tents.
Tuesday, May 11, – Beautiful day; ferry boat sunk, 2 or 3 drowned, herd cattle; plenty grass; flour $16 per barrel.
Wednesday, May 12, – Camped in the same place; rains in the evening. A man killed by the wagon running over him. Teams coming in all the time.
Thursday, May 13, – Camped in the same place; beautiful day. A great many teams on the ground. Not much grass; river raised a little.
Friday, May 14, – Camped in the same place; boat sunk; bought flour at $16 per barrel; beautiful day; pack up the wagons.
Saturday, May 15 – Start early and travel 14 miles up the river to another ferry; warm day; camp in 2 miles of the ferry; good place to camp; plenty wood, water and grass. Rains at night.
Sunday, May 16, – Camp in the same place; cold, windy day; good place to camp; plenty wood, water and grass; great many teams pass.
Monday, May 17, – Start early and go to the river, but could not get to cross; camp here and drive the cattle back about 2 miles to grass.
Tuesday, May 18, – Commence crossing in the morning and cross nearly all day; very windy; cross till midnight; get all the cattle across except 10 yoke.
Wednesday, May 19, – Ferry the other 2 teams early in the morning; start and travel 12 miles; herd the cattle twice; camp in a good place.
Thursday, May 20, – Travel 15 miles; cross Elkhorn River; wagons $2 apiece; camp in a good place.
Friday, May 21 – Start early; travel 10 miles; rains nearly all day; camp at 2 o'clock; got scared at nothing and went back a mile for company; camp on Platte River.
Saturday, May 22 – Travel 16 miles; warm weather; travel up Platte River bottom; camp and then leave the smallpox; good place to camp.
Sunday, May 23 – Travel 15 miles up Platte River bottom; bad roads; saw 30 Indians with their ponies loaded with buffalo skins; good place to camp.
Monday, May 24 – Traveled 18 miles to Loup Fork ferry; then went up the river 6 miles; camp in a very good place; plenty wood water and grass.
Tuesday, May 25 – Start early; travel 13 miles up Loup Fork to the ferry; cross Beaver River; camp near Loup Fork; bad place to camp.
Wednesday, May 26 – Travel 10 miles; bad roads; warm day; cross Loup Fork in the evening; deep fording with quicksand bottom; good place to camp.
Thursday, May 27, – Laid by all day; pretty good grass; water and wood plenty; camp near Loup Fork; good place to camp; no Indians about; came to the Sioux Indians.
Friday, May 28, – Start early; travel 18 miles; come to the buffalo range; sandy roads; camp in the prairie; plenty grass; no wood; water scarce.
Saturday, May 29, – Start early; travel 18 miles; prairie road; some bad places to cross; saw the first antelope; camp – no wood.
Sunday, May 30, – Travel 16 miles; very good roads; pass no timber; crossed one small creek; camp near Wood River; plenty of wood and grass-not much water.
Monday, May 31, – Travel 15 miles; very good roads; travel in half-mile of Platte River all day; camp in a good place; drive cattle to Platte River to water.
Tuesday, June 1, – Start early; travel 17 miles; very good roads; water the cattle at noon in Platte; camp in good place-plenty water and grass, no wood.
Wednesday, June 2 – Travel 20 miles; very got, calm day; roads very dusty; cross Elm and Buffalo Creeks; camp; not much grass; drive cattle two miles to water; rainy, windy night. Grand Island.
Thursday, June 3, -Travel 18 miles; muddy roads; cool day; came to Platte River again; saw 5 graves; camp near Platte; no wood – some buffalo chips; come to alkali.
Friday, June 4, – Travel 16 miles; good roads; saw 5 buffalo in the morning; passed 1 grave; camp near Platte; good place to camp.
Saturday, June 5, – Travel 16 miles; good roads, but sandy; crossed over a low, sandy bluff, extending to the river; rain and wind in the evening; camp in a good place; near Platte.