The Old Blog in the Desert

David Hufford is my great-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. His diary or journal has since been lost to the family, history, and to time.

What follows though, is from a handwritten transcript of those pages, made by my mother, Margery Ann Olivera Darby Middleton. She also transcribed the following from the book, “The History of Humboldt County”  which is posited at either the Humboldt County Historical Society or in the Clarke Historical Museum, both in Eureka, California:

“…David Hufford, was born in Kentucky and removed with his parents to Iowa, where his youth was uneventfully passed in attendance at the district school and assisting his father. At the time of the discovery of gold in California, David was entering manhood and was eager, ambitious and fearless. With a desire to see more of the world than was possible in his own neighborhood, he started in 1849, with several others for the coast, making the long trip with ox teams, during which time they were beset with constant dangers from Indians, with whom they had several skirmishes…”

Monday, April 9, 1849
Arrived St. Louis and will remain till Wednesday.

Wednesday, April 11, 1849
Left for the upper ferry five miles away.

Thursday, April 19, 1849
Crossed into Indian Territory.

Wednesday, April 25, 1849
Left for the prairie about noon. In crossing a creek one wagon was upset and broke the bows badly. Camped on a small river about fifteen miles from St. Josephs.

Thursday, April 26, 1849
Crossed Wolf River at noon, found no camping ground and remained on the open prairie, nothing to eat but sea biscuits.

Friday, April 27, 1849
Bitterly cold night and started early hungry and cold. Made about twenty miles and encamped on a tributary of the Wolf River. Plenty of small game and saw two wolves.

Saturday, April 28, 1849
Left camp this morning, crossed the Nimehaw* and encamped on a small stream in beautiful spot, plenty of good grass for horses and good water.

Sunday, April 29, 1849
Traveled over a fine wooded country with plenty of water, till about noon Left both wood and water and encamped on the broad prairie, poor water and no grass. Passed several wagons.

Monday, April 30, 1849
A terrible night, wind blew a perfect hurricane towards day, tearing down tents and scattering everything over the plains. Left in a hurry and without regret as it was very cold. Killed three rattlesnakes in our camp; traveled about five miles and halted in a tolerable good spot. Spent afternoon repairing the broken wagon. Pleasant weather and good grass and water.

*The Nemaha River includes parts of Nebraska below the Platte River which drain into the Missouri River. The name is taken from the Ioway-Otoe-Missouria word ‘ñí-máha,’ meaning ‘water-soil.’