Day After Day
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 43° 54.588 W 117° 10.604
11T E 485809 N 4861869
History sign titled “Day After Day” located at start of trail north of kiosk at the Keeney Pass Oregon Trail site, south of Vale. One of a group of three signs.
Waymark Code: WMAXRJ
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 03/08/2011
Views: 3
Marker Name: Day After Day
Marker Text: While the challenges of the countryside varied, the daily tasks remained the same.
Women and girls performed backbreaking camp chores and cared for the little children and the sick. Men and boys did most of the work with wagons and livestock, hunting and fishing when possible, and settling disputes. Bachelor men often had to perform unfamiliar tasks such as cooking, washing, and mending. Children helped their parents, but also found time to play house under the wagon, gather flowers and berries, or ride horses together.
“Day after day, week after week, we went through the same routine of breaking camp at day break, yoking the oxen, cooking our meager rations over a fire of sagebrush. Packing up again, coffee pot and camp kettle, washing out scanty wardrobe in the little streams we crossed, striking camp again at sunset, or later if wood and water were scarce.” -- Lugarax Stanly Wilson - 1849
“We now pursued out journey quietly and even monotonously. Each day the same program, the men gathering up the stock, harnessing the teams to the wagons, the women cooking, washing dishes, packing away their utensils, putting up lunches for the noon hour.” -- Sarah J Cummins - 1845
“In respect to women’s work the days are all very much the same except when we stop for a day. Then there is washing to be done and light bread to make and all kinds of odd jobs. Some women have very little help about camp being obliged to get wood and water . . . make camp fires, unpack at night and pack up in the morning . . ..” - - Helen Carpenter - 1857
“When we come to camp, we pitch our tents, spread out blankets and there rest our weary frames. Thus the days and weeks away . . ..” -- Sarah Smith - 1838
Visit Instructions:
Include your thoughts and observations pertaining to this location and your visit. Provide any additional history that you are aware of that pertains to this location. If the marker commemorates a historic building tell us what it is used for now or share with us the circumstances of an earlier visit to bring this locations history to life.
Please upload a favorite photograph you took of the waymark. Although visiting this waymark in person is the only thing required of you to receive credit for your visit, taking the time to add this information is greatly appreciated.
Be creative.