WHO?

SInce I seem to be skipping a lot of exposition picking up the saga where I am, I'm going to give a touch of background.

Whip Holt- manly, manly mountain man who lead the titular wagon train across most of the country. Settles down to marry Eulalia and own a ranch. They have a son Toby
Eulalia Woodling Holt- shows up on the wagon train as a penniless southern belle, is bitchy, eventually becomes a hooker after being kidnapped by some random tribe, has a dramatic personality improvement, marries Whip and starts being "his woman".

Cathy Blake- the only person to make it all the way across the country from New England to Oregon (her sister stays is Missouri, her husband at the time dies). The first few books lead you to believe that she and Whip are going to get together, but they spend too much time being angsty and wind up marrying other people and being happy with them.
Lee Blake- Army dude that is sent on the wagon train and sets up a fort in Oregon. All around nice guy.

Emily and Ernie von Thalmann- He's a baron, she's a poor widow with four sons, they get married because all is equal in love (at least in America)
Chet Harris- Emiliy's oldest son, Danny's BFF
Danny Taylor- a runaway that joins the train, he's taken in by Ted Woods (blacksmith with a temper) and eventually lives with the von Thalmans