War Drums and Wagon Wheels
The Story of Russell, Majors, and Waddell

By Raymond W. and Mary Lund Settle

These mid-twentieth century historians claim to own the largest collection of material available on Russell, Majors and Waddell in existence enabling them to write on the subject with greater detail than available elsewhere. The firm’s contract military freighting , as well as Pike’s Peak Express and the Pony Express moved goods and mail along the trail. It was a monopoly and it was fraught with danger, but these hardy souls took on the odds. At one point in their short six years of service, they were moving two million dollars worth of goods, and then the Transcontinental Railroad changed everything: Russel, Majors and Waddell was no more. This information will broaden our understanding of the trials of life on the emigrant trails.