TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State
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Told<br />
<strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pioneers<br />
FROM .AN INTERVIEW TVITE MRS. R. M. OSBORN<br />
Kittitas County •<br />
I was born in Wapello County, Iowa, and was brought across <strong>the</strong><br />
plains when I was two years old. My fa<strong>the</strong>r, Thomas Benton Goodwin,<br />
brought his 'wife and six children to California. His cash on hand was<br />
$2.50 and a world <strong>of</strong> courage.<br />
From San Francisco to Vancouver, <strong>Washington</strong>, <strong>the</strong> trip was made<br />
<strong>by</strong> boat. I do not remember being sea sick, myself, but do remember<br />
seeing <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m ill. The family settled in 'Vashingtoll County,<br />
Oregon.<br />
I started to school when I was five veal'S<br />
.'<br />
old. The school was about<br />
<strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> my present dining room. The eldest and youngest pupils,.<br />
<strong>the</strong> eighth grade and kindergarten, all shared <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> teacher.<br />
We were all well grounded in <strong>the</strong> fundamentals, but <strong>the</strong>re were<br />
not fluffy ruffles to my schooling. Children were not coddled. Life<br />
was a struggle and we must be prepared to best it. School lasted only<br />
three months <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> year, and it was up to us to get as much into our<br />
heads as we could in those months.<br />
In 1877 <strong>the</strong> Goodwins came bv <strong>the</strong> way <strong>of</strong> The Dalles and Fort Sim-<br />
• •<br />
cae to Kittitas County. We homesteaded two miles from my present<br />
home. We had a better time than most <strong>of</strong> our neighbors. We had a<br />
frame house, some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lumber coming from <strong>the</strong> \Venas. There was<br />
a floor, a luxury which few <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> early settlers had.<br />
::\ly husband made <strong>the</strong> shakes, himself, first splitting <strong>the</strong>m and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
smoothing <strong>the</strong>m with a two handled drawing knife.<br />
'When our bedding, clothing, and food were loaded with <strong>the</strong> family,<br />
into <strong>the</strong> covered wagon, <strong>the</strong>re was no room for furniture. We brought<br />
'with us a tinv cook stove with a drawn out hearth and four chairs<br />
with laced ra'~,thide seats. The rest <strong>of</strong> our furniture was made after<br />
we were settled. The beds were real beds instead <strong>of</strong> bunks and I remember<br />
<strong>the</strong>m with pride.<br />
The trip from The Dalles took two weeks and was tiresome. Always<br />
with us was <strong>the</strong> fear <strong>of</strong> Indians. vVe pitched camp at night. The<br />
children were small and had to be watched. At dusk one night fiveyear-old<br />
Norman suddenly disappeared. It was an excited group<br />
that ga<strong>the</strong>red for consultation which way to look for anything so small<br />
as a child in that frightening wilderness. Norman was found, having<br />
only been looking for pine gum.<br />
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