daniel troy carmichael

The Hero Series, Chapter III: The American Pioneer

The cowards never started. The weak died on the way. Only the strong arrived. They were the pioneers.

As you've noticed the past three quarters, I've been busier than I would like to be, and have had little recreational time to do one of the things I enjoy, which is to write. The urge overcame me today and, with only a few minutes to spare, thought I would go back to my proverbial "bin of blog ideas" and bring out another addition of the ongoing Heroes series (search "Hero Series" on this site to find other additions).

The Hero Series comes out in no particular order; however, since I have been thinking much on the family lands and homes I tend to visit during this season, it got me thinking of pioneers, and not just the types pictured above. What a bunch of heroes pioneers are! Most Americans are descended from pioneering blood. For example, one of my ancestors came across on the Mayflower, another came from Scotland. Others left parts of the US to go pioneer the frontiers, such as the original Carmichael's that settled in Clay County, Alabama--Indian country and the frontier in its day. One ancestor in colonial New England survived scalping by Indians, though she probably had to wear a wig afterwards! Others made the trek to California--and back--in covered wagons like the one in the photo, above.

The quote under the above photo is on a plaque in The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument. It is museum that pays tribute to those who passed through Nebraska at different times while settling the West. They traveled along the Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail, California Trail, the first railroad, among others. Many of the pioneers died along the trail, whether by accident, weather, disease, Indians, or some other way. The ones that made it to homestead had to be tough to survive.

As we pass this time of Thanksgiving, remembering the original pioneers of the United States, and move toward Christmas, I think of the Way our Savior pioneered the Way for us--and how our spiritual brothers and sisters followed Him and pioneered our spiritual heritage in Christ. I give tribute to pioneers of all generations for the heroic work of trail blazing they have done!