The howling wind had been in Kiya’s ears for days! She missed the gentle breezes that blew through the trees back home. Home, this was home now. Kiya and her parents had left the lovely countryside and traveled with three oxen drawn wagons to the wide prairie two years before. Kiya’s father had sold his dry goods store and moved the family west after hearing that he could make twice as much money selling to travelers and settlers.
When they reached the Kansas Territory, he found there were numerous stores in the settled towns but no one sellingprovisions on the trails. The family had taken their goods and moved to the conjunction of the three western trails and set up a store using one of the wagons and had built a house of sod to live in. They then built a corral and leanto to house oxen and horses that were traded to travelers for their weary livestock. After the animals hadregained their strength, they could be sold or traded to the next group of travelers. Kiya’s father and partner made trips back up the trail and replenished the good as needed.
Business had been very good to the family. But, her father had been talking about moving on to the new settlement on Cherry Creek and setting up a permanent store to serve both the new town and the miners headed to the gold fields in the Rocky Mountains.
Kiya had finished her chores early, no one had passed by so there were not any meals to serve yet. As she looked to the east she saw a large cloud of dust and even over the wind she heard a loud noise. She wondered if it was a migrating herd of
buffalo or (her brow furrowed) what else could it be? The sound got louder and louder. Kiya wasn’t sure if she should go in and get her mother-her father had gone back to Lawrence
to get more supplies. Just then over a ridge she saw horsemen, many horsemen, and could hear them yelling back and forth to each other. As the sounds grew louder and louder she turned to go into the house. Just then she saw them. Wagons, many wagons more than she had ever seen before and they were all headed down the trail passed the store and cabin!
There were men riding and walking, women and children beside them or on the wagons. Kiya stood at the door and watched. She soon was joined by her mother - just then her father rode up. He dismounted and when to speak to her mother. Where were all these people going? It looked like a whole city going past. Some stopped to do business and to get water but most of them just kept going on toward the mountains. Two young travelers came over to where she was standing.
“Hello”, said one, “I’m Boomer and this is my friend Calvin we are headed to the Cherry Creek gold fields”.
“I’m Kiya”, she answered timidly.
“Oh, you must be the storekeepers daughter, he talked about you and your mother most of the way here from Lawrence”, said the one called Calvin.
“He told us what a good cook your mother was and that we would be able to get a good meal here”, Boomer said. “Our families are behind this wagon train a day or two. One of the family wagons had a wheel break and I came on ahead with Calvin since my brothers can help my father”.
“We have supper cooked and you are more than welcome to eat... we have a meal ready each day for travelers”.
“Thank you, that sounds good to us, we are starved”, Calvin said as Kiya took them into the store. She dished up large plates of stew and cut thick slices of Dutch oven bread and set the plates in front of each of them. Just then herparents came in and she noticed her mother looked upset, although her father seemed his happy self.
“I have news”, her father said, “we are selling the way
station and going on to Cherry Creek. Gold has been found
in Western Kansas and I am sure we can have a real store
and home there. I have wagons coming with new supplies and
we will move out tomorrow”.
Kiya looked from her mother to her father. She wasn’t sure
she wanted to move again into the mountains and to a strange
place. She had no choice and would just have to help pack up
and move. What would she find there? Would the wind blow dust
all the time? Would she make friends?
Boomer and Calvin finished their meal, paid and got up to
leave. “Mr. Catt, sir, if you need someone to drive one of
your wagons we are available. We are headed to the gold fields
and need work”, said Calvin.
“That’s a fact sir, we have experience and will be very
careful with your wagon and goods”, chimed in Boomer.
“That’s very kind of you boys and I could use the help” Mr.
Catt replied. “Mr. Robbins will be along tomorrow to take over
the Way Station and then we can move on”.
“We’ll head down by the corral and be ready to help when
you need us”, Calvin said as he and Boomer headed out to
check the horses.
“Kiya, you can help your mother pack up the household things
and I will get the cattle and other things ready to go. Can’t
waste time now - the gold fields are waiting”.
Kiya saw that her father was very happy about the move but
she also knew how hard it would be on her mother to move
again. Maybe this would be the last move for awhile. She
quickly set to work helping her mother as she wondered what
new adventure awaited her in Western Kansas Territory.
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