The Great Shoshone Nation ranged from Wyoming to Boise to Salt Lake and included Ute, Gosuit, Piute, Hopi, Comanche, Kiowa and the Aztec.They were hunters and gatherers, expert at basketry. Food included wild game and insects. Rabbit drives were for the skins which were used for clothing, blankets and saddle blankets. Tattooing and earrings were common. Horses were traded to the Shoshone by the Comanche and Kiowa and were considered the best horses.

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William W. Mayo immigrated in 1846, married and moved to Minnesota Territory. He was a surgeon in the Union Army in Rochester, Minnesota. In 1864 he opened his first medical practice. He was joined by both sons. They cared for survivors of a tornado, and with the help of Mother Alfred Moes and two hospitals formed the Mayo Clinic. Now, over 7,300 physicians and scientist, they saw 1.3 million patients in 2022.

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While picking berries, she was captured by Assiniboine raiders, dreaded enemy of the Shoshone. She was taken to Northeastern Montana. Given to a warrior as a second wife, she found the first wife intended to kill her, so she planned her escape. She hid in a hole in a riverbank for three days, then made her way over 1200 miles back to her family on the Raft River. She was the mother of Chief Pocatello.

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Not all drivers were honorable. Some had partners rob their own stage, others died defending their passengers. They were cramped, bored, lacked sleep, some even went crazy. Plenty of good food at times to poor quality if any. Buffalo hunters, scouts and adventurers could provide exciting stories.

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Passengers first sight of the Rocky Mountains was awe inspiring and scary. Drivers were king of the road, respected and admired. Through blinding snow storms, fog, flooded rivers and narrow mountain roads and robbers. Drivers had lots of stories if you were lucky enough to ride next to them.

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Some miners found the work too hard. They found other ways to riches. Alexander Todd began the first mail service. Daniel Dancer used 150 mules to haul all the goods needed in the mining camps. James Burch started with an old ranch wagon to haul passengers over roads that were nothing more than trails, eventually buying fine coaches and horses.

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Easterners were desperate to get to the California gold fields. Questionable ships were put into service. The Drake Passage and the Strait of Magellan could be treacherous. Boredom, crowded quarters, storms and the poor food and water were tolerated as they passengers had visions of striking it rich.

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Disaster struck in 1871 as ships ventured farther North in search of whales. Ship's Captains ignored warnings from the Eskimos. The ice closed in and trapped 32 ships, three of them were crushed. Captains of the remaining 29 ships sent whaleboats sixty miles south to ask for help from ships that were safe. Leaving their ships, two hundred whaling boats made the dangerous journey and were rescued by the whaling ships waiting for them.

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Whalers left New England for three to five years, sailed around South America, stopped in Honolulu on their way to the Bering Sea. Here they found whales, walruses and salmon. A whale could smash a whaling boat, but real danger came from the ice that could trap and crush a ship. Eskimos warned the whalers about getting trapped, but did they listen? Listen to part two next week.

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In 1519 a Spanish galleon brought ten stallions and six mares ashore, this would forever change the lives of the Native Americans. The tribes had distinct communities and customs with different languages, but they knew the universal sign language. The land was possessed in common as opposed to the European concept of land ownership. Over 350 treaties were made and broken. Thus began the saga of conflict with such famous Chiefs as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Geronimo, Chief Joseph and many others.

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