Robert and Carrie Adell strahorn were married one month before Jay Gould of Union Pacific offered Robert the position as a publicist, and Strahorn agreed on the condition that his wife be allowed to travel with him. The couple traveled throughout the Pacific Northwest by train, stagecoach, and horseback. Despite being a wealthy educated society lady from Illinois Strahorn rode in a man's saddle, and became one of the first white women to make a complete tour of Yellowstone National park