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QUIZ Settlers, Railroads and Land by Chuck Kleber

Try your luck with these true and false teasers . . .

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1. When President Linclon 5. Settlers often made
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signed the Homestead Act of brooms from corn stalks.
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1862, it provided for a land grant T ( ) F ( )
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of 160 acres to settlers. ○ ○
T ( ) F ( ) ○ ○ 6. The famous Harvey
○ ○ Girls were introduced as
2. Congress gave the first land ○
○ waitresses at hotels along
grant to a railroad to the Union ○
○ the rail routes to the
Pacific. T ( ) F ( ) ○
West. T ( ) F ( )
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3. Sod houses were common ○ ○ 9. Brigham Young failed in his
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among the plains settlers and any- ○ ○ lobby efforts to get the railroad
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thing but attractive, but they were ○ 7. Some settlers became great ○ routed through Salt Lake City.
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very durable and normally lasted ○ ○ ranchers, like John Chisum, whose ○ T ( ) F ( )
for twenty years of more. ○ ○ name was given to a famous trail. ○ ○
T ( ) F ( ) ○ ○ T ( ) F ( ) ○ ○ 10. Mesquite roots were fre-
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4. On May 14, 1869, two railroads ○ ○
met at Promontory Point, Utah to 8. Sodbuster families had to impro- ○ a pleasant fragrance as well as for
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link the West with the East. One vise. For example, they made a form ○ cooking and warmth.
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was the Union Pacific. The other of starch from water used for boil- ○ T ( ) F ( )
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was the Central Pacific. T ( ) F ( ) ing potatoes. T ( ) F ( ) ○ Answers on page 3.
Northern Trail, continued from page 1 ○ anything would be eaten. Sometimes ○ “Lassen Meadows,” significant because
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○ pioneers would abandon the wagons ○ it was also Nevada’s first “post office.”
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Humboldt River offered next-to-noth- because they couldn’t negotiate a short- ○ A barrel had been left with the
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ing in grazing for the animals. William cut or there simply weren’t enough words “Post Office” coldly painted on
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Kilgore noted in 1850 that “on the ○ mules or oxen left to pull them. If hos- ○ the wooden slats, letters and notes of
whole length of this River we have not ○ tile Indians did not make an open attack all types were left for emigrants com-
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seen a tree or a stick of wood.” Despair ○ on the train, they might steal provisions ○ ○ ing up from behind.
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must have come easily when, after a from the wagons or drive off livestock. ○ The Walker River route to the
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brutal day of travel, a distant landmark The dangers even came from them- ○ Sonora Pass, the Truckee Trail to three
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seemed just as far away as ever. ○ selves. James Reed of the Donner Party ○ passes beyond Bonner Lake, the Car-
Wagons broke down, animals col- stabbed John Snyder to death after a ○ ○ son Trail to Kit Carson Pass—press on,
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lapsed from exhaustion and thirst, . . . ○ quarrel. ○ press on. At the end is California, the
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and the people fell, too. One man ○ ○ When an oasis of water and feed ○ promised land. How this dream and the
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counted 934 graves along the way. “We ○ for the animals and perhaps game for ○ expectations must have given those
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travel by night,” recounted one emi- ○ food did appear, there must have been ○ men and women the strength to start
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grant, “the want of water being much ○ sheer joy along with the relief. One such ○ again tomorrow, and the day after that
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less felt by both animals and man.” ○ place was a meadow about 30 miles ○ and . . . . Nevada would not let them
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Starvation was also a threat; almost west of Winnemucca. They called it pass easily, but pass they did. ;
FORRC/June, 2002 Page 7