16.07.2014 Views

TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State

TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State

TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

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 />

53

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!