“Miles EYRES was described as a very unsocial
& disagreeable man; he usually camped a quarter of a mile away from the
company.
“He lost his life in 1843 crossing the Snake River at Three Island Crossing in Idaho. He would not heed the protestations of the company, but persisted in driving his fine mule team in by himself. The mules soon became unmanageable and turned upstream. Soon Mr EYERS disappeared from sight, lost his life and everything he had. Mr C M STRINGER attempted to help, but lost his life instead. This all happened in eyesight of their womenfolk & children. Mile's wife was too frightened to cross with him & was ferried across with her children by others & reached shore safely. To add to their tragedy, the bodies were never recovered & since EYERS had all his money strapped around his waist, his death left his family not only bereaved but destitute as well.”
- from "Blazing
a Wagon Trail to Oregon" by Lloyd W COFFMAN - pages 132-33
Miles EYRES was married to my great
grandmother, Eliza (TURNER?) EYRES b 1805 England, d 1893 Oregon. They had 2 children;
, b 1829 England, m 1858 Abbie
COFFIN;
After Miles death in 1843, Eliza
traveled on to Oregon, m 1847 James CAMPBELL, divorced, had 2 children;
(my Grandmother, who with her
husband, Ira WOODIN settled Woodinville WA) b 1848, d 1919;
Eliza then married 1853 William HOBSON & resided in Astoria
Oregon. William HOBSON was also
on this same wagon train.
-
submitted
by Glenna ERNST ENGQUIST [email protected], Wenatchee WA
- created 1 Jan
2002