Luper, Sarah Jane
1843 - 1927 (84 years)
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Name Luper, Sarah Jane Birth 29 Mar 1843 Illinois 
[1] Gender Female Census 1 Jun 1850 Mcdonough Co., Illinois, USA [1] Age: 7y Arrival 28 Aug 1853 Oregon City, Clackamas County, Oregon, USA [2] Oregon trail, Plains Crossing Census 24 Aug 1860 Albany, Linn, Oregon [3] Age: 17y Address:
AlbanyCensus 1 Jun 1870 Coast Fork, Lane, Oregon [4] Age: 27y Occupation 1 Jun 1870 Coast Fork, Lane, Oregon [4] Keeping House Census 21 Jun 1880 Cottage Grove, Lane, Oregon [5] Age: 37y Occupation 21 Jun 1880 Cottage Grove, Lane, Oregon [5] Keeping House Census 1 Jun 1900 Mapleton, Lane, Oregon [6] Age: 57y Occupation 1 Jun 1900 Mapleton, Lane, Oregon [6] Keeping House Census 15 Apr 1910 Mapleton, Lane, Oregon [7] Age: 67y Address:
Smith River RoadOccupation 15 Apr 1910 Mapleton, Lane, Oregon [7] None Anecdote 15 Dec 1914 Glenada, Lane Co., Oregon [2] - Memories of the Plains Crossing, See p. 9-11 of citation
Death Nov 1927 - Notes from Mollie Luper
Notes - REMINISCENCES OF TRIP ACROSS THE PLAIN
By JANE LUPER DOUGLAS
Now, as Uncle John Luper has crossed the Plains, I will see what I can think of, or see if I can freshen up my memory of those childhood days out on the Plains where we saw Indians, Buffalo, Rocky Mountain Sheep, Sage Hens and Rabbits.
It was in the Spring of 1853 that I remember well of leaving the old Home place in McDonough County, Illinois, for Oregon.
My father had three large wagons loaded with provision and clothing besides a large spring wagon that Ma and us children rode in. This wagon was drawn by a span of large mares, and the large-loaded wagons were drawn by oxen. We had several cows that were broke to yoke and hitched to the wagons the same as the oxen, but I don't remember of seeing the cows put into the teams with the oxen.
After bidding all the friends and relatives good-bye, we drove up to Uncle Issac Butler's to stay that night. And after supper there, we went over to my Grandfather Robinson's and there ate another supper, though my supper there consisted mostly of biscuit and honey and I don't think that I have ever tasted honey that was half so good, and that too with big fat cream biscuit. My, I can almost taste them yet.
Well, after bidding those relatives good-bye in the morning, we started on, and it seemed to me only 2 or 3 days till we reached the Mississippi River that we crossed at Burlington. There we stopped for awhile. I remember that Ma went into the store and done some shopping. And I sat there in the wagon and watched the fashionably dressed women. It seemed to me that I never saw so many pretty women. I am surprised now that our men didn't all stop there - according to my childish fancy they were something grand.
Then on and on we traveled, through the state of Iowa through storm and mud. When almost across that State, we saw the first Indians
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out in their war paint, great tall, strapping big fellows that made us children crawl back into the wagons and cover up our heads.
The Indians came out to meet the emigrants, holding out their hands, begging for money. Before we reached the Missouri River, we stopped at Council Bluff to load in provisions that had been shipped on ahead from some point near our old home, I think Canton. After Pa and the men had loaded in their freight, we drove on and I believe crossed the Missouri River that afternoon, late. There on the steamer that crossed us over, I saw the first Negro that I ever saw. And that scared me almost cold, for as he pulled our hack on deck, I thought he was going to pull us into the river. But we were all cold that night for we had to crawl off to bed with just crackers and hardtack for our supper. I remember of complaining over that night's lodging too. The river was rising fast and the men had to get some teams together and haul the wagons up out of the river bottom into the woods that was higher land; and there tied their teams to the trees ill morning. There is the spot where Omaha now stand. Then, after driving out into the open prairie, a pretty spot I thought, they made a fire and cooked eur breakfast. I don't remember anything of importance for a long distance, only the long tedious journey. It was travel all day. Stop and camp. Cook and eat - the next day the same thing over. And so on to the end.
I can look back now and see so many little things that are only "memories" now.
And I don't wonder that the men got too lazy to wash their faces when we struck camp-even refused to wash before they ate. I remember one evening that Pa told them there was no supper for them unless they washed and cleaned up a little. And just think of the dust and heat. But we were all there and had to keep moving if it was tiresome, and so it was. I remember of crossing Green River, a rough, rocky stream but the water so low that we forded. And after crossing safely, I got the worse scare that I encountered on the whole trip with an old Indian.
I was riding in Uncle John's wagon and an Indian came sneaking up along beside the wagon as we were waiting for other teams to come on;
and the off ox, Old Buck that would not let any of us children come near him was so very kind that he let that old Indian come forward between him and the wheel to look in and see what was inside of that wagon. Of course he saw a rifle strapped on each side of the wagon bows. Well, maybe I did not let out a yell loud enough to raise the dead on those plains, and I gave Uncle John a scolding besides. To this day I have no love for an Indian nor do I like to read Indian stories
Well do I remember old Fort Laramie where Pa came near turning one of his men away for taking something that did not belong to him. I wrote my name on that Independence Rock that Uncle John mentions in his diary, and I tried to do what I saw others do, except to plunge into some stream and try to swim.
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I also remember a big snow storm on Bear River on the 4th of July. I also remember Hot Springs and crossing a small stream where the water was hot enough to wash clothes. One spring they called Humboldt that was huge like a great boiling kettle. On Platte River I saw a herd of buffalo plunge into the river and swim across to the other side. We heard thunder storms in that country that were hard to beat. So along in that country it was thunder storms and Indians. One time as soon as our cattle were turned loose, they swam across a stream and into the woods' they went, seemingly on an Island I know. I rode there day after day, reading the Guide Books to see where would be our next camping places; those books which tell the names of streams and mention the camping places and if there was grass or not. Pa made it his business to walk on ahead towards evening to hunt up a camping place where there was water and grass - and wood if to be had.
Well, finally we drifted on over the Cascade Mountains into Oregon, or better yet, into the Willamette Valley and on into Linn County where Pa bought out Avery Smith's Donation Claim, paid him $500.00 in gold - yes, in 50 dollar "gold slugs" that I never forget. There we were in a house again and how glad to have an earthen plate to eat on once more. Now you know all the rest. So, good-by till we reach the other country.
Sarah Jane Luper Douglas
Source Foulkes, Allied Families, 1952.
Person ID I534 Bratt Family Tree Last Modified 30 Jun 2021
Father Luper, James Martin Bernheisel, b. 26 Dec 1817, Harmonsburg, Crawford County, Pennsylvania d. 11 Jun 1903, San Diego, San Diego County, California, USA (Age 85 years) Mother Robinson, Margaret, b. 19 Nov 1821 d. 11 Apr 1844, Fulton, Illinois (Age 22 years) Marriage 24 Oct 1841 Family ID F118 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Douglas, James Sanders, b. Apr 1833, Switzerland Co., Indiana d. 2 Oct 1925, Marion County, Oregon (Age 92 years) Marriage 13 Jul 1860 Children + 1. Douglas, Lillian Antoinette, b. 22 Sep 1862, Centralia, Washington Territory d. 10 Sep 1921, Eugene, Lane County, Oregon (Age 58 years)2. Douglas, Lincoln, b. 1864 + 3. Douglas, Arthur, b. Jun 1866, Oregon, USA d. 19 Jun 1936 (Age 70 years)4. Douglas, Oradell, b. Cal 1872, Oregon, USA 5. Douglas, Nina E, b. Apr 1891, California [Father: Adopted]Family ID F275 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 14 Jun 2016
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Event Map 
Birth - 29 Mar 1843 - Illinois 
Arrival - Oregon trail, Plains Crossing - 28 Aug 1853 - Oregon City, Clackamas County, Oregon, USA 
Census - Age: 17y,Address:
Albany - 24 Aug 1860 - Albany, Linn, Oregon
Census - Age: 37y - 21 Jun 1880 - Cottage Grove, Lane, Oregon Occupation - Keeping House - 21 Jun 1880 - Cottage Grove, Lane, Oregon = Link to Google Earth Pin Legend 
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
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Photos 
Luper, Jane, Hattie, and Jenny Luper Sisters - Portrait
Caption Note: From M. Spangler
Keywords: Picture
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Sources - [S298] Luper, James Martin Bernheisel, 1850, Census, USA, McDonough, Illinois, USA, (Year: 1850; Census Place: McDonough, Illinois; Roll: M432_116; Page: 315B; Image: 480).
- [S530] Luper, John - Oregon Trail Log (Reliability: 3).
- [S299] Luper, James Martin Bernheisel, 1860, Census, USA, Albany, Linn, Oregon, (Year: 1860; Census Place: Linn, Oregon; Roll: M653_1055; Page: 352; Image: 708; Family History Library Film: 805055).
- [S320] Douglas, James S., 1870, Census, USA, Coast Fork, Lane, Oregon, (Year: 1870; Census Place: Coast Fork, Lane, Oregon; Roll: M593_1286; Page: 513B; Image: 167098; Family History Library Film: 552785).
- [S321] Douglas, James S., 1880, Census, USA, Cottage Grove, Lane, Oregon, (Year: 1880; Census Place: Cottage Grove, Lane, Oregon; Roll: 1082; Family History Film: 1255082; Page: 288A; Enumeration District: 067; Image: 0017).
- [S322] Douglas, James S., 1900, Census, USA, Mapleton, Lane, Oregon, (Year: 1900; Census Place: Mapleton, Lane, Oregon; Roll: 1349; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0104; FHL microfilm: 1241348).
- [S323] Douglas, James S., 1910, Census, USA, Mapleton, Lane, Oregon, (Year: 1910; Census Place: Mapleton, Lane, Oregon; Roll: T624_1282; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 0155; FHL microfilm: 1375295).
- [S298] Luper, James Martin Bernheisel, 1850, Census, USA, McDonough, Illinois, USA, (Year: 1850; Census Place: McDonough, Illinois; Roll: M432_116; Page: 315B; Image: 480).