Immigrants on the trails entertained themselves with popular tunes of the day. "Sweet Betsy From Pike," a popular song in the 1850s, told of the adventures and mishaps of one pair of travelers.

Did you ever hear tell of sweet Betsy from Pike, Who crossed the wide prairie's with her lover Ike, With two yoke of cattle and one spotted hog, A tall shanghai rooster, an old yaller dog?

Chorus: Sing too-ral-ioo-ral-ioo-ral-i-ay, Sing too-ral-ioo-ral-ioo-ral-i-ay.

They swam the wide rivers and crossed the tall peaks, And camped on the prairie for weeks upon weeks, Starvation and cholera and hard work and slaughter, They reached California spite of hell and high water.

Out on the prairie one bright starry night They broke the whiskey and Betsy got tight, She sang and she shouted and danced o'er the plain, And showed her bare arse to...