Herstory: Women's Diaries from the Oregon Trail

Beginning in the 1840s, nearly 350,000 people traveled west on the Oregon Trail in the largest voluntary human migration ever recorded. Many of these pioneers were women.

In this video, author and historian LaRee Johnson reads from the journals of three courageous women - Lucy Ann Bailey, Mary Esther West Riddle, and Elizabeth Dixon Smith Geer - as they describe in their own words the joys and hardships of their journeys.

Recorded in beautiful Pacific Northwest locations and featuring authentic period costumes, this unique video provides a glimpse into the challenges faced by the pioneers as they settled the wilds of Oregon.

Produced in 1993 in conjunction with the sesquicentennial celebration of the Oregon Trail Crossing. Running time is 51 minutes.