Walking the Gold Rush Trail: Chasing Family History 170 Years Later - Russell Wangersky
What does it feel like to stand in the exact footsteps of your ancestor, 170 years later? In this episode, we sit down with author Russell Wangersky to discuss his captivating book, "Same Ground: Chasing Family Down the California Gold Rush Trail." Russell takes us on a journey back to 1849, following his 22-year-old ancestor, William Dodge, who left St. Louis with a wagon train bound for California. Using William’s original handwritten diary as his map, Russell retraced the grueling trek across the American West. We dive into what remains of the historic trail today, the surreal experience of matching up landscapes to a centuries-old journal, and how this profound journey gave Russell a deeper, broader sense of belonging to his family. If you love history, genealogy, or stories of epic human journeys, this conversation is for you.
