Scott-Morgan County IL Archives News.....Mrs. Margaret Snow Crossed Plains Three Times in "The Covered Wagon" December 26, 1924
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JL Hamey eruvxgz02@sneakemail.com August 11, 2012, 6:49 pm

The Bluffs Weekly Volume XXXV December 26, 1924
Mrs. Margaret Snow, of Naples, on Sunday, Dec. 21, celebrated her 80th birthday
anniversary.  Although in poor health for the past several weeks she still takes
a keen interest in the affairs of the day, and talks readily of her
recollections of a long, useful and active life.

Mrs. Snow was born in Muscatine, Ia., on Dec. 21, 1844, a daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Thompson, who immigrated to Oregon in 1850, at which time Mrs. Snow was
only six years of age, and of this journey through the wild and unbroken west
she retains vivid memories of the trials and hardships encountered on that
journey which was made in a covered wagon drawn mostly with oxen, in company
with many other wagons of a similar nature, with their band of sturdy pioneers
seeking the far flung boundary of the frontier, with a determination to carve a
home out of the wilderness -- the real empire builders of teh great west.

Mrs. Snow was keenly interested in the film which was shown at the Photoplay
theater in Bluffs during the past week, "the Covered Wagon," and when it was
shown in Jacksonville some weeks ago, she made a trip to that city to see the
picture.  She says it is true to life in every detail, and that many of the
incidents depicted on the screen, she encountered in real life.  Especially the
scene where it shows the prairie schooners crossing the River Platte, is one
that she remembers distinctly and remarked how true to life it was. 

But Mrs. Snow has made the trip across the western plains three times by covered
wagon, and is therefore better qualified than most people now living to tell
accurately of their experiences on this trip, which has now been woven into
romance and beauty through the art of motion pictures.

Mrs. Snow and her parents, in company with a large number of covered wagons or
prairie schooners, left Muscatine, Ia., in 1850, for their new home in Oregon,
as was the custom in those days, the wagons traveled in trains as a protection
against Indians who were quite troublesome in those days.  The company of
pioneers had many thrilling experiences with the Indians and wild animals, being
on the trail six months in which time they met no other settlers. They arrived
in Portland, Oregon, about the middle of December, 1850.

At that time, Portland was a typical western village, boasting about 18
buildings. Her parents moved into the first large dwelling house built in
Portland, and here her father bought a claim of 640 acres on which the city of
Portland now stands.

Her father engaged in the dairy business, and became quite prosperous,
delivering milk to ocean vessels, for which he often received as high as $2.50
per gallon.  At this time the population of Portland was not large, and it was
the custom for the white settlers to gather as closely together as possible in
order to be able to repel Indian attacks at any time.

In 1859 romance entered the life of Miss Margaret Thompson and she became the
bride of Joseph Sisson.  they continued to reside in Oregon until 1865, when
they came to New York by way of vessel, and then by rail from New York to the
farthest point west which was at that time reached by rail, and located on a
farm three and  a half miles from Naples, known as the Sisson ridge.

They were of hardy pioneer stock and soon were seized with a longing for the
west and its lure of wealth and promise of great happiness, and in 1868 they
sold their holdings at Naples and returned to Oregon by covered wagon once more.
 this time the trip was made in about four months, and they spent the winter in
Portland with her parents.  Then in 1869 they made the trip across the plains
again by way of covered wagon, and bought their old home place at Naples back.

Joseph Sisson died, Oct. 2, 1872, and two years later she was married to Thomas
Sisson, who died on Aug. 10, 1880.

She was again married on Feb. 28, 1883, to Martin Snow, a Civil War veteran, who
died Sept. 16, 1923, leaving her a widow at the age of 79. 

Mrs. Snow visited her daughter, Mrs. J. M. Vaughn, of Jacksonville, and saw the
picture "The Covered Wagon," and was delighted with it, saying that it took her
back to her girlhood days.

Few are privileged to witness within the span of a lifetime the marvelous
changes and development of an empire that have passed before the keen old eyes
of Mrs. Snow, and what a feeling of satisfaction it must 

Additional Comments:
I did not make any corrections to the text other than one spot where the word
trail was spelled trial.

I have a scan of this article if someone wants to contact me so I can email it
for upload to the site.

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