-
Goodbye Ireland
My father and I left our home country of Ireland in 1885. We left for multiple reason; such as the poverty we were facing. We were forced to give up our long-time family farm in the dead of winter because we could no longer pay our dues. Not to mention the great potato rot that begin in 1845. It had effected our family for decades. America seemed to be a land overgrown with opportunity- how could we pass up this change? So, we packed what little we had, mainly just the clothes on our backs. -
Disease on the Boat
While on the boat ride to Ellis Island, I was alone on the ladies' side, seeing as I was only traveling with my father. I had a bunk bed with two other people; I had the very bottom bed. The girl directly above me was very young. She got extremely sick in the middle of the night. I buried my head into my mattress (if you dare call it that), and prayed that I didn't get sick. To my despair, I woke up in the morning with a heavy, lurking cough. Thankfully, by the time we docked I was all better. -
Penniless in America
Finally, the boat took a rest and we were docked in Ellis Island, which is near "New York"- a town I've been hearing rumors about for weeks now. But when all of the tests were over and done with, we found ourselves on the streets; completely surrounded by people. Suddenly, I felt someone pull my bag of clothes from me. I looked around for my dad, and the same had happened to him. We were left penniless and in a state of confusion. -
I Find Work, and a Husband
As soon as I had the money, I moved into a tenement. I got a job taking care of children, and cooking. No sooner did I find out that this is not a highly sought after job did the insults start coming. I was now thought of nothing more than a slave. It was just my luck that I met a man, and we fell in love. He was a hardworker, building the Transcontinental Railroad, so I was allowed to quit my work. -
Timber Culture Act
I heard about a act that was recently passed as a follow up to the Homestead Acts. It allowed people another 160 acres of land if they planted trees on their land. This sounded pretty reasonable to me, and therefore I began thinking about moving West with my husband. -
Reasons to Move West
We'd been married for just a few short months when my husband, Joseph O'Brien, told me about his idea of moving West. His work conditions were very bad, and the railroad he helped build was up and running. This would make it very easy for us to get West. I heard that there was plentiful land there, not to mention gold rushes. -
We're Going West!
Joseph and I finally made the big decision to move West. We packed our things, and boarded the railroad he himself had helped build. -
Alone with a Child
While on our way West, I got pregnant with my first born. While I knew this would make the journey much more difficult, I could not have been happier. I was three months into the pregnancy when Joseph was shot off his horse. There was no saving him. Even though I was surrounded by people, I had never felt so alone. -
Land Rush?
A friend I was traveling with told me of and event called the "Oklahoma Land Rush". I'd heard of things similar, but never such specific of an event. I knew I had to participate. I needed to get land, no matter how hard it would be. -
Marriage
When we were close to arriving at our destination, I met a man named Thomas Smith. He helped me out quite a bit, and I needed it- seeing as I now had a small child. When we arrived in Oklahoma, we were married. -
Home, Sweet Home
Thomas and I participated in the Oklahoma land rush, and successfully claimed a piece of land. He was quite wealthy, so we built a barn and house for ourselves rapidly. We settled down and started our farming business, which worked out well for us. As the years went by, we had five more children. I'm so thankful I came to America, becuase even though it's been a long, hard experience, I made the best of it. I'm proud say I'm from America.
