Regrettably, the time available for me to spend time on the Oregon Trail sites in Oregon is coming to close. The weather has just gotten "too wintry" and so I have decided to head for warmer climes to hole-up somewhere warm and dry as the next few chapters of the story take shape.

I have had some wonderful experiences and have learned much from the locals in several of the "Trail Communities". This post is a big "Thank You!" to everyone that helped, encouraged, offered some tips and pointed the way for me as I tried to absorb as much of the trail as possible.

The citizens of Vale, Ontario, Huntington and Baker City, Oregon have all been especially helpful and all seemed very anxious to see how the story of "Chance Hunter" and the folks of the Wilson-Lambert wagon train will make out as they trek across the great roadway known as the Oregon Trail.

I want to say a special thank you to the staff at the Ontario Oregon Community Library who put up with me for several weeks as I researched the wealth of old books there (and used the wi-fi for researching online). And to Kelly Burns, the Supervisory Ranger at the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City, my warm, heartfelt thanks. She offered some great tips and ideas after reading the first eight chapters of the Oregon Trail book I am writing as well as providing me a copy of a wonderful, scholarly work about the Oregon Trail as it crossed the Blue Mountains of Oregon. I hope once this thing is in print to spend some time back there for a book signing! Yay!

If you are in the Baker City, Oregon area, it is worth the time to spend a nice long day at the center. You and your family will get a wonderful perspective on what it took to build this great country of ours and the strong, resolute people who made the seemingly impossible trip in those creaking wooden "prairie schooners" so long ago.

As I said above, the first few chapters are "in the can" and I will be trying to fit in more writing time as I get my stuff packed up, ready to head to southern Nevada (probably Henderson).

Chapters 1-9 are completed, just not final edited. I am finding out just what an undertaking writing a novel can be. Especially like I am doing, trying to make it historically accurate as far as places, times and characters encountered by my fictional cast. Stay tuned to this blog for how you can help the process along and be one of the special friends of the book. You'll get early versions of the book chapters as they are completed. I think it could be interesting for you as the story grows to see a novel take shape.

Be heading south soon!

God Bless!

Bob

The Overlander Project is underway! This is the kick-off or I guess I should say "jump-off" point for the blog which will track both the Oregon Trail novel as well as the travels and research associated with this undertaking. That's what they called it when they started on to the trail, "jumping off".

Anyway, I have been spending several weeks since the inception of this idea in the area around Vale and Ontario Oregon researching for the story. I have met some interesting local folks, all it seems, with some kind of connection to the trail.

I am never ceased to be amazed by the interest I have garnered by just explaining what I am doing, writing this novel. People have much more knowledge and interest in the subject than one might think. I have been given some wonderful gifts of ideas and characters, some based upon real people.

But of course, the area I'm in has a lot of historical sites close by where one can go have your own "Oregon Trail" experience. I just spent most of the past week, "off-the-grid"at three different sites that had stories associated with them and kiosks that explain that particular segment of the trail.

If you'd like to take a look you can search Google for:

Keeney Pass
Alkali Springs
Farewell Bend

(Note: All are in Oregon so be sure to add the state name to your search strings or "Oregon Trail".)

The most productive times I have are just getting out and getting quiet. I don't have access to the Internet, I don't listen to the radio. I don't listen to anything except the trail itself.

I have spent many evenings just walking the old ruts that are still there and listening to the voices that have faded away deep into time. They are still there if you quiet yourself and imagine what it would have been like to participate in the exodus of pioneers on the road called the Oregon Trail.

~ Robert Williams