Luther Hagerdon – Oregon Trail Pioneer

Luther was the second (and so far last) Oregon Trail Pioneer I have found in my family tree. Luther has been somewhat elusive and to date we still don’t know where he passed away, or with 100% confidence who his parents are, but we have some assumptions and those will all be covered in his own bio as I get it written. This will focus on his Oregon Trail story.

Here’s how Luther ties into the family – he is my 4X Great Grandfather and the line to him is through my Great Grandmother Gladys Hagerdon Anderson. Gladys’ father Luther Hagerdon was a son of James Hagerdon and Louisiana Vawter. James is the son of Luther Hagerdon and Fanny Perry.

Best estimates state that Luther’s married his first wife Fanny Perry in about 1830. She died in 1846. In 1847 he remarried Zipha Reynolds.

I have purchased the book “A lovely and comfortable heritage lost” by Ellen Osborn that has pages from the diary of Luther’s oldest daughter Emily on their trip west. She states that they left Green Bay, WI for Placerville, El Dorado County, California on April 11, 1853 and the book is interesting to read. Emily’s husband John Calhoun Johnson is also an interesting character with a story of his own to tell.

Imagine if you will, in 1853 taking a wagon with a wife, 6 children and an infant from Green Bay, WI to Placerville, CA. As noted in the book mentioned above, also note that Luther would have been around 50 years of age, and much older than the average immigrant.

Many of the older children stayed in CA, but we find that Luther and Zilpha’s child Albert was born in Ohio in 1856, so their stay was a short one. Luther’s wife Zilpha is in Ohio with her brother and her children in the 1860 federal census and then in the 1870 federal census Luther, Zilpha, James and Zilpha’s children are in Webster County, Iowa. Apparently California wasn’t to their liking for some reason as they would have left Wisconsin in 1853 and been back in Ohio in 1856.

There is one account in the CA Pioneer files that states Luther went to CA twice, once overland as discussed above. Then went back east and took another trip via a boat he made himself. Ellen Osborn in all her research doesn’t find any records that Luther made the trip twice, and we wonder if that would even be possible financially or with the time available.

I think Luther’s California immigrant story leaves about as many questions as we have answers, but pretty remarkable regardless.