Sarah Raymond • 24 augustus 1865

• Sarah Raymond (1840-1914) trok met haar familie per huifkar naar het westen als kolonist. Haar dagboek is later gepubliceerd als Days on the road. "The family began their journey on May 1, 1865 in Missouri and arrived at their destination in Virginia City, Montana Territory on September 6. Gedeeltes uit het dagboek staan hier.

Thursday, August 24
We came to a toll bridge over the Blackfoot this morning, where the toll was one dollar per team and fifty cents for horseback riders. There had been an excellent ford [doorwaadbare plaats] just below the bridge. The men collecting the toll had spoiled it by digging ditches on both sides near the bank. The water was clear, and they were plainly visible. Hillhouse [Sarah's brother] mounted Dick [Sarah's horse] to see if we could ford it. One of the men screamed out at him: 'You will mire your horse if you try that.'
'I'll risk it.' And he rode in below where the ditches were dug. The pony's feet were not muddy. Hillhouse found we could easily ford he creek below the ditches, which we did without accident.
It does seem a shame that we should have to pay toll for crossing a stream like that, after fording South Platte, North Platte and Green River.
The Missourians refused to pay the exorbitant price, and offered them fifty cents per wagon. They swore they would not take a cent less than one dollar. But the travelers were too many for them, and they drove over and did not pay a cent. The toll men were fearfully angry, and made great threats, but the men dared them to do their worst and laughed at them.
I do hope we will get ahead of these people to-morrow. They are not the kind of people I like to travel with.