Monteith House
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pioneer music

***check back later for videos!***

This songbook has been made possible by a  generous grant from the Linn County Cultural  
Coalition in Albany, Oregon. The Monteith Historical  Society extends their grateful thanks to the LCCC  for their support and encouragement. 
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All of the songs in this collection are in the  Public Domain and do not require copyright release. 
The Songs of the Pioneers 

Between 1843 and 1869 a quarter of a million  people packed their covered wagons, hitched up their  oxen and set out over the Oregon Trail to find a new  home in the far west. They crossed golden prairies,  forded wild rivers, hauled their wagons over towering  mountains and braved all manner of adventures to  secure their dreams of living in this new, rugged land.  Along the way they built evening campfires and found  a way in song and dance to strengthen their spirits and  embolden their journey. They brought along with them  instruments to accompany their campfire singing.  Banjos, guitars, dulcimers, fiddles, tin whistles, mouth  harps and harmonicas were all popular along the trail. 

The songs in this book are just a few the pioneers enjoyed. Some came from the Old World and  had been around for centuries. Others were written  along the trail and passed on in many different  versions. They are all a part of a grand oral tradition  that gives us a glimpse of pioneer life in the last half of  the 19th century.  
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The songs of the pioneers continued to be  enjoyed as the they settled into their new homes. The  Monteith brothers arrived in Oregon City in 1846 and  purchased two land claims at the joining of the  Willamette and Calapooia Rivers. They built a two  story frame house at the crossing of their land claims.  Brother Thomas and his wife Christine would raise a  family of five children in this house and without a doubt  their children sang the songs you find in this book. 
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  • Home
  • About
  • Student Activity Pages
    • Virtual Tour
    • Timeline
    • Numbers
    • Vocabulary
    • In the Kitchen >
      • Biscuits
      • Butter
      • Lemonade
    • Fashion on the Frontier
    • Music >
      • Sweet Betsy From Pike
      • Clementine
      • Oh Susannah
      • She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain
      • Old Dan Tucker
      • Skip to My Lou
      • The Riddle Song
      • I Am Bound for the Promised Land
      • Long, Long Ago
      • 'Tis the Gift to the Simple
      • Barb'ra Allen
    • Coloring Pages
  • Photo Gallery
  • Contact
    • Become a Member
    • Volunteer