Lansford W. Hastings

In 1842, Lansford W. Hastings joined a party of sixty emigrants bound for Oregon. At Independence Rock in Wyoming, Hastings and a fellow emigrant, Mr. Lovejoy, were writing their names on the landmark when they were confronted by a small group of Indians. They tried to flee but were captured by a larger force of Indians and taken to their village. Hastings managed to persuade the Indians to take them back to the wagon train where they exchanged gifts, traded and smoked the "pipe of peace" avoiding any bloodshed.

This incident is taken from Hastings' Emigrants' Guide to Oregon and California published in 1845. The guide was actually a commercial advertisement intended to promote emigration to California where Hastings had business and political interests. In his guide, Hastings portrayed California and Oregon as virtual paradises. He idealized both his own adventures and the...