▁farm ▁and ▁train ▁horses . ▁He ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁looked ▁for ▁more ▁prosper ous ▁way ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁living ▁and ▁they ▁moved ▁to ▁Val par ais o , ▁Indiana , ▁where ▁they ▁opened ▁a ▁sal oon ▁and ▁gro c ery ▁store . ▁They ▁soon ▁added ▁gra in ▁trad ing ▁and ▁a ▁vent ure ▁with ▁canal ▁boats ▁to ▁their ▁business es . ▁Their ▁first ▁daughter , ▁Clara , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Val par ais o . ▁ ▁Move ▁to ▁California ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁at ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁the ▁California ▁Gold ▁R ush , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁re loc ate ▁to ▁California . ▁An ▁already ▁successful ▁business man , ▁he ▁decided ▁his ▁future ▁wealth ▁lay ▁in ▁providing ▁food , ▁supplies ▁and ▁accommod ations , ▁and ▁not ▁dig ging ▁for ▁gold . ▁He ▁sold ▁the ▁business es ▁in ▁Val par ais o ▁and ▁used ▁the ▁prof its ▁to ▁purchase ▁w ag ons ▁and ▁supplies ▁for ▁a ▁trip ▁west . ▁ ▁Before ▁he ▁left ▁R ac ine , ▁Wisconsin ▁with ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁six - year - old ▁daughter , ▁he ▁equ ipped ▁four ▁w ag ons ▁and ▁loaded ▁two ▁of ▁them ▁with ▁to b acco , ▁br andy , ▁and ▁tea . ▁He ▁h ired ▁men ▁to ▁drive ▁the ▁other ▁w ag ons . ▁They ▁joined ▁a ▁large ▁w agon ▁train ▁in ▁Council ▁Bl uff s , ▁Iowa . ▁During ▁the ▁five - month ▁tre k ▁west , ▁Bald win ▁sc out ed ▁ahead ▁and ▁got ▁lost , ▁and ▁was ▁only