Moses Austin

Moses Austin was a New England merchant who came prospecting for lead on the Mississippi River. He is father to Stephen Austin, the “father of Texas.” (Not to confused with that other Steve Austin).

By the time of Austin’s trip in 1798, wagons were be brought across the mountains, but not very easily:

the Morning of the 12 . . . Fifteen Miles from the Block Hous is Clynch mountain and the river of the same name. I the same day pass.d number of Mountains and ridges, the most considerable of which are Copper Creek Powells and Wallons, as also several large Creeks and Powells River. Mr. Yancys is the enterence into Powells Valley, a Wagon road has lately been Open.d into, and Down the Valley, and Notwithstanding greeat panes and Expence, the passage is so bad that at maney of the mountains the waggoners are oblig.d to lock all the wheels and make fast a Trunk of Tree Forty feet long to the back of the waggon to prevent it from Pressing on the Horses. in this manner many waggons have pass.d on to Kentuckey. [p. 176]

A portrait of a tavern keeper:

On the 16th by Day light our Horses being ready we took our leave of Mrs. Davis, who I must take the liberty to say may be Justly call Cap’n Molly of Cumberland Mountain, for she Fully Commands this passage to the New World. She soon took the freedom to tell me she was a Come by chance her mother she knew little of and her Father less. as to herself she said pleasure was the onely thing she had in View; and that She had her Ideas of life and its injoyments &c &c.[p. 177]

I do get the notion that women had more freedom on the frontier, which may be why many of them put up with the hardships.

Austin give a pretty dire account of those hardships here:

I cannot omitt Noticeing the many Distress.d families I pass.d in the Wilderness nor can any thing be more distressing to a man of feeling than to see woman and Children in the Month of Decembr Travelling a Wilderness Through Ice and Snow passing large rivers and Creeks without Shoe or Stocking, and barely as maney raggs as covers their Nakedness, with out money or provisions except what the Wilderness affords. the Situation of such can better be Imagined then discribed, to say they are poor is but faintly express.g there Situation,—life What is it, or What can it give, to make Compensation for such accumulated Misery. Ask these Pilgrims what they expect when they git to Kentuckey the answer is Land, have you any. No, but I expect I can git it. have you anything to pay for land. No. did you Ever see the Country. No but Every Body says its good land. can any thing be more Absurd than the Conduct of man, here is hundreds Travelling hundreds of Miles, they Know not for what Nor Whither, except its to Kentucky, passing land almost as good and easy obtain.d, the Proprietors of which would gladly give on any terms, but it will not do its not Kentuckey it’s not the Promis.d land its not the goodly inheratence the Land of Milk and Honey. and when arriv.d at this Heaven in Idea what do they find? a goodly land I will allow but to them forbiden Land. exausted and worn down with distress and disappointment they are at last Oblig.d to become hewers of wood and Drawers of water. [p. 179].

All quotes are from Ellen Eslinger’s Running Mad for Kentucky. Frontier Travel Accounts (University Press of Kentucky, 2004).