Ebenezer Emory Gore

One particularly fascinating character I met recently was Ebenezer Emory Gore. The more I learned about him, the more interesting he became. "Why was he so interesting?" you might ask. I'll tell you a bit about him and maybe you'll find him as fascinating as I do.

Ebenezer Emory Gore was born in 1824 in Vermont and died in Kansas 1910. "What's so interesting about that?" you might ask. Well, in his later years, he said his occupation was a "traveling man". It's all that traveling he did in the years between 1824 and 1910 that make him such a fascinating character. Fortunately, he wrote about it. Part 1. Part 2.

In 1904, Ebenezer recounted the years in a memoir of his life and experiences from early childhood to his crossing the plains on the Oregon Trail in 1852. He spoke in great detail and color of their camps and encounters with Indians along the way. It was a five-month journey. Upon arriving in Oregon, he settled in Jackson county for a time. There, he and his identical twin brother Emerson started several busineses. His brother was married and settled. But "Emory" was single and never settled anywhere for very long.

When in he decided to go see relatives on the East Coast in about 1860, he had no desire to travel overland again. So he took a ship to the Isthmus of Panama instead. Since there was no Panama Canal in those days (not until 1914), it was necesssary to take a train from the west coast of Central America to the east coast of Central America. Then, once he had arrived on the east coast of Central America, he boarded yet another ship to continue his journey and arrive at his destination.

[-- to be continued]

Journey with Colorful Characters

It can be so exciting to journey to the past and meet new family members: a grandmother or grandfather, a great-grandmother or great-grandfather. Their discovery awaits. Their stories are waiting to be told.

In the process of researching any family line, one comes across many interesting individuals who may or may not be related to the line one is researching. Some people are just fascinating individuals. They are characters who really stand out. Maybe you would enjoy meeting some of them too.

Following the Trail

What do you know about your Ancestors? Were they pioneers? Soldiers? Immigrants? What were their names and where did they live? How did they live? What hardships did they face? Did they serve in the Civil War? The Revolutionary War? When did they come to America, and from where?