14-year-old Jacob Harding is traveling the Oregon Trail in 1850. Read his letters as he tells about why they're going, what they hope to find, and what he wants. Follow along as the Harding family faces disease, treacherous river crossings, and Indians. Share Jacob's secrets about his girl friend, a runaway slave, and his sister's birthday surprise. These fictional letters are historically accurate and reflect the living conditions, slang, and attitudes of the 1850s.