Charlotte Matheny Kirkwood crossed the Oregon Trail in 1843 when she was just five years old. Now, Author Roger Shipman will discuss his new book, ‘Into the Eye of the Setting Sun: The Story of the West When It Was New,’ a publication of the memoir of his great-great-grandmother, Kirkwood, who crossed the continent on the first Oregon Trail wagon train.
On March 25, 2017, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, join Shipman as he presents a talk on ‘Into the Eye of the Setting Sun’ which was actually written by Shipman’s great-great-great grandmother, and then the memoir was edited by Shipman.
Kirkwood’s wagon train left Elm Grove, Missouri, with more than 100 wagons, 1,000 men, women, and children, and 5,000 oxen and cattle trailing behind. Dr. Elijah White, a Presbyterian missionary who had made the trip the year before, served as guide. More than eighty years later with a keen mind, a sharp wit, and a delicate sense of humor, Charlotte set down these poignant memories so that later generations could experience them, too.
At this free event, Shipman will share his ancestor’s experience, and the story of the family after crossing the nation in the first train of the Great Migration of 1843.
This talk will take place in the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center, 1501 E Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver, and is free of charge.
