After attending one of the government's sponsored town meetings in 1846, many of the future emigrants sold all of their houshold bleongings with the belief it was cheaper and better to re-purchase them in either Indepndence or St. Joseph. In fact, they were mislead by the government agents, in later years, some of the government agents were given kick-backs from merchants in St. Joseph and in Independence.
When they arrived in the town of departure, they found a shortage of hotel rooms and if they did find a room, it was expensive. So they had a wagon constructed by a wainwright. Often these wainwrights had ties with individuals who raised livestock they would need such as oxen, horses and cattle. Once the emigrants had their wagon, they would then seek a company to join for the journey west ward. A company was the actual wagon train. Once they were signed on to a company, they would join the encampment along the river bank waiting for Spring and the prairie grass to grow.
Each of the encampment had a set of outhouses. The emigrants would set up camps containing four to six wagons usually in a circle. There was a community cooking fire in the center of each camp and each wagon would have a smaller fire for warmth or doing the laundry. In town, there was a saloon with a community bath house attached to the rear of the Saloon with little or no privacy where men and women bathed in their own tubs but in front of each other. One woman dig a good job in describing one the bath house in St. Joseph. She said, ".... I walked through the swinging saloon doors and went to the counter at the rear of building. Waiting for the clerk, I noticed several tables for poker but only one table was occupied. There were 2 gentlemen and 3 women at the bar. There was a young man playing a piano with several saloon girls standing by the piano. I paid the clerk a knickle, he gave me a towel and lead me into the bathing room. In the center of the room was fire pit used for heating water. Surrounding the fire pit were 8 tubs on legs. I was instructed to place three buckets of hot water and one bucket of cold water. Arround the exterior walls were benches to sit and undress with hooks on the wall for my clean clothes and towel. All of this was in the open, only the saloon doors kept us from view of those in the saloon. I undressed and stepped into my tub. As I slipped into the warm water I noticed that none of the gentlemen present took advantage to view my nakedness. A few minutes after I started to bathe, a saloon girl entered the bathing room asking us if anyone wanted drinks. I asked for and received a cup of hot coffee. Another saloon girl came in asked several of the gentlemen present wanted her to dry him off and perhaps other services in a back room. Afterwards I quickly dressed and went back to our wagon completely satisfied with my bath."
Death was becomming more frequent due to exposure and illness. But this was life waiting for the Spring.
When they arrived in the town of departure, they found a shortage of hotel rooms and if they did find a room, it was expensive. So they had a wagon constructed by a wainwright. Often these wainwrights had ties with individuals who raised livestock they would need such as oxen, horses and cattle. Once the emigrants had their wagon, they would then seek a company to join for the journey west ward. A company was the actual wagon train. Once they were signed on to a company, they would join the encampment along the river bank waiting for Spring and the prairie grass to grow.
Each of the encampment had a set of outhouses. The emigrants would set up camps containing four to six wagons usually in a circle. There was a community cooking fire in the center of each camp and each wagon would have a smaller fire for warmth or doing the laundry. In town, there was a saloon with a community bath house attached to the rear of the Saloon with little or no privacy where men and women bathed in their own tubs but in front of each other. One woman dig a good job in describing one the bath house in St. Joseph. She said, ".... I walked through the swinging saloon doors and went to the counter at the rear of building. Waiting for the clerk, I noticed several tables for poker but only one table was occupied. There were 2 gentlemen and 3 women at the bar. There was a young man playing a piano with several saloon girls standing by the piano. I paid the clerk a knickle, he gave me a towel and lead me into the bathing room. In the center of the room was fire pit used for heating water. Surrounding the fire pit were 8 tubs on legs. I was instructed to place three buckets of hot water and one bucket of cold water. Arround the exterior walls were benches to sit and undress with hooks on the wall for my clean clothes and towel. All of this was in the open, only the saloon doors kept us from view of those in the saloon. I undressed and stepped into my tub. As I slipped into the warm water I noticed that none of the gentlemen present took advantage to view my nakedness. A few minutes after I started to bathe, a saloon girl entered the bathing room asking us if anyone wanted drinks. I asked for and received a cup of hot coffee. Another saloon girl came in asked several of the gentlemen present wanted her to dry him off and perhaps other services in a back room. Afterwards I quickly dressed and went back to our wagon completely satisfied with my bath."
Death was becomming more frequent due to exposure and illness. But this was life waiting for the Spring.
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Nevada
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