Historical Reprints. The Great West: Interviews. Sources of Northwest History No. 4

Original publisher's beige paper wrappers with staple binding. No date, circa 1936-1937. 6 3/4" x 9 1/2." Eight pages, complete. Pages are very clean and intact except for light age toning and slight wear to extremities. A Very Good copy. Sources of Northwest History No. 4. Part of the "Historical Reprints" series. "Reprinted from the Historical Section of Frontier and Midland, a Magazine of the Northwest, published at the Montana State University, Missoula. Vol. XVII, No. 2, Winter 1936-1937." This historical reprint contains the reminisces of two women pioneers and Mormon emigrants, Bertha Marie Eccles and Elizabeth Peery, who settled in Ogden, Utah. These interviews were overseen by Maurice Howe, director of writers' projects under the Utah Works Progress Administration (WPA). Eccles (nee Jensen) was born in 1857 in Aarhuse, Denmark. She recounts many episodes from her journey to Utah. She describes her transatlantic voyage with her parents from Denmark to New York in 1867 and traveling by train to St. Joseph, Missouri and from Omaha to North Platte, Nebraska. From there, her family waited for their outfits to arrive and then they proceeded to join a large emigrant train led by Captain Leonard G. Rice. She recalls being put in charge of feeding bread to a toothless brindle ox her father had been swindled into buying. She also recollects a frightening incident in which she and a few others got separated from their wagon team when the men had set down to repair the wagon but they continued marching forward. They eventually found respite from their thirst when they happened upon another traveler's camp. Eccles also describes some biographical details about her husband, David. David Eccles served as Ogden's mayor and was a leading industrialist of Ogden. Elizabeth Peery (nee Higginbotham) was born in 1846 in Nauvoo, Illiniois. She says her parents moved back to their home state of Virginia after being persecuted in Illinois for being Mormon. However, Peery describes how she and her family fled Virginia and traveled west again after Northern soldiers arrived during the Civil War. She recounts the early stages of her journey to Utah and how there were disagreements about who to elect as captain of the group. However, her family's choice of captain was eventually elected and he proved to be very capable. Peery describes how her experiences as a pioneer were relatively comfortable. At one point, she likened her journey to being on a picnic. Peery also recounts how her party was pursued by members of the Sioux tribe in the Black Hills after one of the men in their group mistakenly joked about selling one of the pioneer girls to them. The Sioux were angered when they realized the party would not follow through with a trade (they offered two ponies for the girl), so they sent a war party in retaliation. The pioneers happened upon the Arapahoe tribe, who, at the time, were at war with the Sioux. After describing their dilemma, the Araphoe sided with the pioneers and went after the Sioux party who were chasing after them. Peery also recounts seeing the names of countless pioneers and other travelers etched into Independence Rock and other geographical features on her journey. Peery eventually reached Salt Lake City and moved to Provo before settling in Ogden. She briefly describes some of the life of her husband, David Peery. David also served as one of Ogden's mayors.…