In a message dated 1/31/2006 10:40:55 A.M. Mountain Standard Time, [email protected] writes: <<In the late 1840s and early 50s many settlers went to the gold hills in California. ... they usually took the marine voyage as opposed to over land. >> < Doug--Can you refer us to some source material for this statement that families migrating to the west coast went by water rather than land? I haven't heard this before and would be interested in reading more about it.> One obvious way is what others did from the east coast.... took ships from the Atlantic and went around to the Pacific. It was dangerous during bad weather, but it also cut time. I'm sure there were people who went down the Mississippi, caught ships in New Orleans and other Gulf cities, and went around the Cape of Good Hope that way. Regards, Diane Wolford