Although living in tents and small buildings on wheels may not have been the ideal way of life, for some families, it seemed to work. It was always easy to pack up and move when their situation called for it. They left North Carolina in the Spring of ’49 fully intending to settle down for a few years in Missouri where it was rumored that work was readily available for any able-bodied man who was willing to sweat and sacrifice as needed to provide for his wife and children. And, traveling as a group, there were always relatives and in-laws nearby to help out when times called for it. But it was not long before the lure of newly-discovered gold in Montana was stronger than the desire to stay put. It would be only a month or so after this photograph was taken that the whole group would take down and fold up the tent, hitch the horses to the rolling houses and be on their way. Little Nell would often get to ride in the children's wagon wherever the terrain allowed, while Maggie, being a couple of years older, would be made to walk beside her. The Mr. and Mrs. were the privileged two who always seemed to get to ride – perhaps that was because the only saddles possessed by the entire clan, belonged to them. Upon arriving at their destination, whether it be Salina, KS or Missoula, MT, not long after pitching the tent and unhitching the horses, they would dress in their Sunday best and make their way into town to celebrate and get acquainted with the folks who would be their friends and neighbors for the unforeseeable future. Unfortunately, their semi-gypsy lifestyle sometimes caused others to be suspicious and wary of them and, more often than not, they would find it necessary to hit the road in search of greener pastures and friendlier folks. Had they not made this one photograph somewhere in Oklahoma, we might have had no record of them at all.
