FROM GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN TO BOONE COUNTY, IOWA

We've read about the difficulties that John Linn and his wife Brita Eriksdotter had in 1849 gaining permission to leave, making the trip to the port, and waiting for their turn to finally board the ship to North America. Today is Daniel Peterson's final pages that, I think, are the most compelling. We learn about the actual trip across the ocean and then all of the twists and turns, diseases and deaths, to finally make it to their destination.

This is a very detailed description of what Daniel saw and experienced and for that I'm so thankful. But as we continue to follow this group from the shore to their destination, it can be difficult to follow. At the end of this narrative, I've placed a map showing the route they took to make it a bit easier to see.

FOUR MONTHS AND 14 DAYS!

Library of Congress maps: https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3700.fi000230/ for the 1850 map which I used to create the following:

Each of the orange triangles represents a stop in Daniel's story. 

• Sandy Hook, a barrier spit in Monmouth County, NJ; Health officer came on board. Towed up to Castle Gardens which was simply a port until 1855 when it was established to help with translations, letter writing, quarantines and more;
• Steamer up the Hudson River to Albany, NY
• Canal boat through the Erie Canal to Buffalo, NY
• Lake Steamer bound for Chicago which took 5 days; Notice the long way around through the lakes because no railroads were there at the time for a more direct route
• Boat on the Michigan and Illinois River canal to Peru, IL.
• Steamship to St. Louis where they experienced severe cholera.
• Boat captain took them up the Mississippi River to Keokuk, Iowa
• Teams and teamsters took them to Des Moines (Raccoon Forks) by canoe.
• Teamsters took them by land to Boone County.

I'm exhausted! And I'm in awe of our immigrant ancestors for their decisions, their courage, their will to make this journey. And I'm so very, very thankful. 

I hope you've enjoyed this narrative, too. And any of our ancestors who came during that same time period would have experienced similar routes and challenges.