Duniway, Abigail Scott (1834–1915)

Born and raised in the farm town of Groveland, Illinois, Abigail Jane Scott, called Jenny by her family, traveled the Oregon Trail in 1852. Her journal told of the spectacular scenery and horrible tragedy. Along the way her mother and younger brother died of cholera.

Abigail married Benjamin Duniway in 1853 and started a family that would grow to include six children. The early years were spent as a homesteader and a schoolteacher. When her husband suffered a debilitating accident on their farm, Abigail ran a boarding school and opened a millinery (hats and accessories) store to support the family.

In 1859 Abigail published Captain Gray's Company, chronicling her journey across country. It was not only her first novel, but it was the first novel published ...