Wagons Ho! in Camp Sherman

Bringing history alive within the walls of a classroom is a tall order for any teacher. Reading about history can never replace the sights, sounds and smells of the real thing. The Washington County 4-H Club came up with a unique way to bring history back to life. Their approach is simple; the best way to learn about the past is by living it.

The 29-year-old group, with members from the Hillsboro and Astoria areas, is the only 4-H club that focuses all its efforts on planning and implementing a week-long journey back in time by recreating a wagon train.

From July 9-17, almost 100 people and over 70 animals came together to reenact the pioneering days of the Oregon Trail.

"We have the credibility and backing of 4-H, which sets the tone for a family-oriented group," said Wagon Master Wayne Beckwith.

It's important to Beckwith that a child's whole family experiences life on the Oregon Trail.

"We have as many leaders as students," he said. "Parents have the experience too and I've seen it really change families' lives."

Authenticity is important to Beckwith - up to a point.

"We don't need to reenact cholera," he said. "We have toilets and we even feed certified hay."

The 4-H group enjoys other modern conveniences during the time leading up to the wagon train. They have a Facebook page and Beckwith uses e-mail for most of the communication amongst members.

"We do have a few members who don't have e-mail though," he added. "We have quite a few generations represented and we make sure no one is left out."

One of the keys to the success of the wagon train experience is having folks along who are seasoned teamsters.

Participants like Neal McCool of Amity and Joyce Sharp of Prineville bring knowledge that is slowly being lost with the passage of time. McCool brought two refurbished wagons and his teams of mules to pull them. He brought both wagons back to life by finding missing parts at events like the Small Farmer's Journal Auction and when he couldn't find some pieces, he made them himself. He's a master at a variety of knot tying and taught a class during the layover day last Tuesday.

Joyce Sharp brought her team of draft horses, along with her extensive knowledge of driving a team through all kinds of conditions. She enjoys participating with the group because it gives her the chance to drive her team and pass on some of the wisdom she's acquired over the

years.

Layover day was a chance for participants to play games, learn new crafts and even learn how to ride a horse or mule. Many of the children in the group are new to the wonderful feeling of riding a gentle horse down a dusty trail. For most, they spent their time on the wagon trail walking with only short breaks in the back of a wagon when they got tired. The wagons weigh in at about 2,500 pounds - quite a load for the teams pulling

them.

As in days gone by, it was important to go easy on the stock, so they could make the long journey without going lame, or worse.

"There's always things to overcome on the trail," said Beckwith. "We have had issues with horses getting sick or lame and wagons breaking down. The important thing is that we teach the families how to come up with solutions; no matter what the problem."

The group trains in advance in methods of conflict resolution and exploring the many possible solutions to problems they may encounter.

"There's one thing about the pioneers, I just can't figure out," said Beckwith. "I don't know how they did it without duct tape; I use it all the time out

here."

Beckwith's great-great-grandmother's story on the Oregon Trail inspires him to keep offering the modern-day experience. In 1849, Lucinda Jones and her husband, along with five kids and her in-laws, left St. Louis for Oregon. Soon after they left, her husband and his parents died. She made the rest of the trip alone, caring for her children and overcoming amazing odds.

Help came in unimaginable ways. During an especially dire time she received help from Native Americans they encountered. At one point, they helped her start a fire by throwing burning embers across a creek from their camp to hers. They saved her family from certain death as the temperatures plummeted before

dark.

Although, this group won't experience anything quite so dramatic, the lessons learned along the trail are equally important for them. The importance of teamwork, a strong family bond, working through problems and finding solutions, no matter how difficult, has served all who came, both young and old.

Like Lucinda Jones, the 4-H group has experienced the generosity of others; the Camp Sherman Store provided ice cream, and owner Roger White even came by to offer a bit of Camp Sherman history to the group. With this year's wagon train behind them, the leaders will begin planning for next year's expedition. They may not be back in Camp Sherman next year, but they hope to head back this way again in the years ahead.

If you're a Facebook member, you can "friend" the 4-H Wagon Train and learn more about the group.