Several toll roads were constructed. Gradually the trail became easier with the average trip (as recorded in numerous diaries) dropping from about 160 days in 1849 to 140 days 10 years later.
Full Answer
How did the Oregon Trail change over time?
Dec 05, 2017 · As more and more settlers headed west, the Oregon Trail became a well-beaten path and an abandoned junkyard of surrendered possessions. It also became a graveyard for tens of thousands of pioneer...
How did the Oregon Trail get to Willamette Valley?
It started in Independence, Missouri and traveled a cleared trail that reached to Fort Hall, Idaho. Work was done to clear more and more of the trail stretching farther West and it eventually reached Willamette Valley, Oregon. Improvements on the trail in the form of better roads, ferries, bridges and “cutouts” made the trip both safer and faster each year.
How long is the Oregon Trail?
May 01, 2018 · The Oregon Trail traversed 2,170 miles of what today is Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon. Straight through, the crossing could take up to six months. For the modern road tripper, no highway traces the trail, but highways do intersect it at various points, and world-class interpretive centers add a tangible, historical context to the trip.
What was the worst part of the Oregon Trail?
Sep 30, 2019 · Most of these migrants took the same general course: A 2,170-mile (3,490-kilometer) route that extended from western Missouri to the Willamette Valley in what's now Oregon state. This highway for mules, covered wagons and ambitious souls became known as the Oregon Trail. And a gap in the Rocky Mountains made its existence possible.
How did the Oregon Trail improve?
Over time, conditions along the Oregon Trail improved. Bridges and ferries were built to make water crossings safer. Settlements and additional supply posts appeared along the way which gave weary travelers a place to rest and regroup.Jan 20, 2021
What replaced the Oregon Trail in 1869?
the first transcontinental railroad
Use of the trail declined after the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, making the trip west substantially faster, cheaper, and safer.
Does the Oregon Trail still exist?
Although the original Oregon Trail led weary travelers from Independence, Missouri, to where Oregon City is located today, now, the Oregon Trail starts in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and doesn't end until Cannon Beach, Oregon, turning it into a full cross-country trip.Mar 14, 2022
Why was the Oregon Trail an important event in history?
The Oregon Trail has attracted such interest because it is the central feature of one of the largest mass migrations of people in American history. Between 1840 and 1860, from 300,000 to 400,000 travelers used the 2,000-mile overland route to reach Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, Utah, and California destinations.Jan 20, 2021
What happened after the Oregon Trail?
By the next year, however, as the Oregon Trail brought hundreds of Americans into the region, settlement and government in Oregon became thoroughly American. Numbers of immigrants grew every year after the opening of the Oregon Trail and, in the peak year of 1850, some 55,000 pioneers made the journey.
How long did the Oregon Trail last?
The Oregon Trail was a route used by people who traveled to Oregon Country, which is what Oregon was called before it became a state in 1859. The Oregon Trail was the most popular way to get to Oregon Country from about 1843 through the 1870s.
Where does Oregon Trail end?
Oregon City
The final wagon stop on the Oregon trail, Oregon City welcomes visitors with food, drink, museums and outdoor activities. Oregon City was the end of the trail for many because it was where land claims were granted for Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Wyoming.Sep 1, 2021
Where are the Oregon Trail ruts?
The Oregon Trail Ruts are located on the south side of the North Platte River about half a mile south of Guernsey, Wyo.Nov 8, 2014
Who blazed the Oregon Trail?
An easier trail was needed. Robert Stuart of the Astorians (a group of fur traders who established Fort Astoria on the Columbia River in western Oregon) became the first white man to use what later became known as the Oregon Trail. Stuart's 2,000-mile journey from Fort Astoria to St.Jul 9, 2020
How did the Oregon Trail impact westward expansion?
The Oregon Trail was a major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the United States. Between 1841 and 1869, hundreds of thousands of people traveled westward on the trail. Many of them traveled in large wagon trains using covered wagons to carry their belongings.
Why was the Oregon Trail important to westward expansion?
The 2,200-mile east-west trail served as a critical transportation route for emigrants traveling from Missouri to Oregon and other points west during the mid-1800s.
Why did families travel the Oregon Trail?
Answer: While few women and children were part of the Gold Rush, families traveled together to Oregon to farm. Children were often born on the trail; parents sometimes died, leaving children to be cared for by other family members or members of the wagon train.
How much did the Oregon Trail increase in speed?
These ferries significantly increased speed and safety for Oregon Trail travelers. They increased the cost of traveling the trail by roughly $30 per wagon but increased the speed of the transit from about 160 to 170 days in 1843 to 120 to 140 days in 1860.
How long was the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail was a 2,170-mile (3,490 km) east-west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kansas and nearly all of what are now the states of Nebraska and Wyoming.
Where is the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail. The route of the Oregon Trail shown on a map of the western United States from Independence, Missouri (on the eastern end) to Oregon City, Oregon (on the western end) Map from The Ox Team, or the Old Oregon Trail 1852–1906, by Ezra Meeker. Location. Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon.
When was the Oregon Trail established?
Established. 1830s by mountain men of fur trade, widely publicized by 1843. Governing body. National Park Service. Website. Oregon National Historic Trail. The Oregon Trail was a 2,170-mile (3,490 km) east-west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon.
What states are on the Oregon Trail?
The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kansas and nearly all of what are now the states of Nebraska and Wyoming. The western half of the trail spanned most of the current states of Idaho and Oregon.
How many people used the Oregon Trail?
From the early to mid-1830s (and particularly through the years 1846–1869) the Oregon Trail and its many offshoots were used by about 400,000 settlers, farmers, miners, ranchers, and business owners and their families.
Which country controlled Oregon?
From 1812 to 1840, the British, through the HBC, had nearly complete control of the Pacific Northwest and the western half of the Oregon Trail. In theory, the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, restored possession of Oregon territory to the United States.
When was the Oregon Trail laid down?
Fur Trappers Lay Down The Oregon Trail. From about 1811-1840 the Oregon Trail was laid down by traders and fur trappers. It could only be traveled by horseback or on foot. By the year 1836, the first of the migrant train of wagons was put together.
What was the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail opened at a time when the westward settlement and development of the trans-Mississippi West had stalled at the Missouri River; Mexico still claimed all of California, and Alaska remained Russian territory.
How long was the Oregon Trail?
Oregon Trail summary: The 2,200-mile east-west trail served as a critical transportation route for emigrants traveling from Missouri to Oregon and other points west during the mid-1800s. Travelers were inspired by dreams of gold and rich farmlands, but they were also motivated by difficult economic times in the east and diseases like yellow fever ...
Where did the Oregon Trail start?
It could only be traveled by horseback or on foot. By the year 1836, the first of the migrant train of wagons was put together. It started in Independence, Missouri and traveled a cleared trail that reached to Fort Hall, Idaho. Work was done to clear more and more of the trail stretching farther West and it eventually reached Willamette Valley, Oregon. Improvements on the trail in the form of better roads, ferries, bridges and “cutouts” made the trip both safer and faster each year. There were several starting points in Nebraska Territory, Iowa and Missouri . These met along the lower part of Plate River Valley which was located near Fort Kearny.
When was the Oregon Trail first used?
From about 1811-1840 the Oregon Trail was laid down by traders and fur trappers. It could only be traveled by horseback or on foot. By the year 1836, the first of the migrant train of wagons was put together. It started in Independence, Missouri and traveled a cleared trail that reached to Fort Hall, Idaho.
What was the trail of emigrants?
The trail pointed the way for the United States to expand westward to achieve what politicians of the day called its “Manifest Destiny” to reach “from sea to shining sea.”. In 1843, the trickle of emigrants into Independence, Missouri, began to swell.
What are the landmarks in Oregon?
In his Journal, Bidwell described the famous landmarks that would impress almost all Oregon Trail travelers—Courthouse Rock, Chimney Rock, Scotts Bluff, Fort Laramie and Independence Rock.
How many miles did the Oregon Trail run?
The Oregon Trail traversed 2,170 miles ...
How long did it take to cross the Oregon Trail?
Straight through, the crossing could take up to six months. For the modern road tripper, no highway traces the trail, but highways do intersect it at various points, and world-class interpretive centers add a tangible, ...
What is the wagon ho line?
“Wagons ho!” was a staple line that actors invariably yelled on TV westerns when I was a kid. On our black-and-white Zenith console, my spectacled young eyes watched intrepid pioneers endure any number of hardships as their covered wagons slowly (and I mean slowly) rolled toward the setting sun day after day, month after month. I used to wonder how long it would take to drive a wagon train from Missouri to Oregon and whether anyone in modern times would even have the backbone for such a journey.
Where is the Oregon Trail located?
The center is located at the site of a historic wagon train camp at Clover Creek. Southeast of Montpellier, you can spot traces of the Oregon Trail at Big Hill, so named because it was the longest, steepest hill on the wagon route between Missouri and Fort Hall, Idaho. The ascent was arduous and the descent steep and treacherous.
Did the Oregon Trail have geothermal pools?
Most pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail had never seen geothermal pools, let alone a geyser. Soda Springs, Idaho, has all that and more. Sulphur Springs was a curiosity and a welcome temptation, despite the odor, that many could not resist.
Where is the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center?
Farther north along I-84, you’ll find the locus of Oregon Trail history and commemorative activities at Baker City, home of the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, operated by the Bureau of Land Management.
Where to see wagon ruts in Oregon?
Just 9 miles west of La Grande, stop at Blue Mountain Crossing, also along I-84, to view some of the best-preserved wagon ruts remaining from the Oregon Trail. From there, continue to Pendleton and visit the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, the only Native American cultural center and museum along the Oregon Trail.
When did the Oregon Trail change?
Prior to 1849, most of the travelers on the Oregon Trail were heading for Oregon. This changed after 1848, following the California gold rush and after the Mexican-American War (1846–48) had resulted in Mexico ceding California and New Mexico to the United States.
How many people completed the Oregon Trail?
Only about 35 people finished the long, difficult journey. The next year, 125 people in wagons made the trip to Oregon, which the United States and Britain jointly occupied. These overland successes launched the spirit of westward fever. Suddenly in 1843, the Oregon Trail was crowded with travelers.
How long was the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail was a 2,000-mile route running overland across the North American continent from the Missouri River in the East to the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. It was used primarily from the 1840s through the 1870s for migration by wagon, horse, or foot to Oregon Territory, which comprised present-day Oregon , Idaho , Washington , ...
Who was the first person to use the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail originated in the routes established by extensive Native American trade networks that had existed for centuries. Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) and William Clark (17 70–1838) were the first U.S. explorers to use the Indian trails to find their way across the continent to the Pacific Coast in 1803. The route established by the Lewis and Clark expedition , though, was too rough to be traveled by wagon. It was primarily fur trappers and frontiersmen on horseback and on foot who forged the Oregon Trail from the earlier routes.
When did the Methodist Church send missionaries to Oregon?
The Methodist Church sent missionaries to Oregon in 1837 and 1840. Though the missionaries had little effect on the religious beliefs of the Native Americans, their success in getting to Oregon via the overland route made a large impact on friends and family back home.
Where did the wagon trains go in 1841?
Westward fever. In 1841, a few small wagon trains set off from Independence, Missouri , on the Oregon Trail. They were heading for California, then a sparsely populated region of Mexico. Only about 35 people finished the long, difficult journey.
Where did the Mormon Trail go?
There the Mormon Trail diverged to the southwest into Utah . (See also Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .) Travelers bound for the Pacific Northwest continued along the Oregon Trail, following the Snake River through Idaho. The route turned northwest to Fort Boise, Idaho.
How many people traveled the Oregon Trail?
The exact number of travelers who took the Oregon Trail has been lost to the sands of time. However, according to Wolf, it's been estimated that "around 400,000 people" made the trip.
How long did it take the Buck brothers to get to Oregon?
Altogether, it took the pair around four months to get from Kansas City, Missouri, to Portland, Oregon.
Where do the Rocky Mountains start?
The Rocky Mountains begin in New Mexico and continue northward into the upper recesses of British Columbia. But the mountain range doesn't go uninterrupted. One notable gap occurs in southern Wyoming, where the Rockies are punctuated by a flat, grass-covered prairie that's aptly called the South Pass.
What trail did the Oregon Trail follow?
Numerous other trails followed the Oregon Trail for much of its length, including the Mormon Trail from Illinois to Utah; the California Trail to the gold fields of California; and the Bozeman Trail to Montana.
Where did the Oregon Trail start?
While the first few parties organized and departed from Elm Grove, the Oregon Trail's primary starting point was Independence, Missouri, or Kansas City (Missouri), on the Missouri River.
How long is the Oregon Trail?
The historic 2,170-mile (3,490 km) Oregon Trail connected various towns along the Missouri River to Oregon's Willamette Valley. It was used during the 19th century by Great Plains pioneers who were seeking fertile land in the West and North.
Where was the jumping off point for the Santa Fe Trail?
Missouri. Initially, the main "jumping off point" was the common head of the Santa Fe Trail and Oregon Trail— Independence, Missouri / Kansas City, Kansas. Travelers starting in Independence had to ferry across the Missouri River.
Where did the California Trail diverge from the Oregon Trail?
Near the junction of the Raft River and the Snake River, the California Trail diverged from the Oregon Trail at another Parting of the Ways junction. Travellers left the Snake River and followed Raft River about 65 miles (105 km) southwest past present day Almo, Idaho.
What is Idaho State Route 78?
Today's Idaho State Route 78 roughly follows the path of the South Alternate route of the Oregon Trail. In 1869 the Central Pacific established Kelton, Utah as a railhead and the terminus of the western mail was moved from Salt Lake City.
What was the name of the land that Jefferson purchased from France?
In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson purchased from France the Louisiana Purchase for fifteen million dollars (equivalent to about $230 million today) which included all the land drained by the Missouri River and roughly doubled the size of U.S. territory. The future states of Iowa and Missouri , located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Missouri River, were part of this purchase. The Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped several times in the future state of Iowa on their 1805-1806 expedition to the west coast. A disputed 1804 treaty between Quashquame and William Henry Harrison (future ninth President of the U.S.) that surrendered much of the future state of Illinois to the U.S. enraged many Sauk (Sac) Indians and led to the 1832 Black Hawk War. As punishment for the uprising, and as part of a larger settlement strategy, treaties were subsequently designed to remove all Indians from Iowa Territory. Some settlers started drifting into Iowa in 1833. President Martin Van Buren on July 4, 1838, signed laws establishing the Territory of Iowa. Iowa was located opposite the junction of the Platte and Missouri rivers and was used by some of the Fur trapper rendezvous traders as a starting point for their supply expeditions. In 1846 the Mormons, expelled from Nauvoo, Illinois, traversed Iowa (on part of the Mormon Trail) and settled temporarily in significant numbers on the Missouri River in Iowa and the future state of Nebraska at their Winter Quarters near the future city of Omaha, Nebraska. (See: Missouri River settlements (1846–1854)) The Mormons established about 50 temporary towns, including the town of Kanesville (renamed Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1852) on the east bank of the Missouri River opposite the mouth of the Platte. For those travelers to Oregon, California, and Utah who were bringing their teams to the Platte River junction, Kanesville and other towns become major "jumping off places" and supply points. In 1847 the Mormons established three ferries across the Missouri River, and others established even more ferries for the spring start on the trail. In the 1850 census there were about 8,000 mostly Mormons tabulated in the large Pottawattamie County, Iowa District 21. (The original Pottawattamie County was subsequently made into five counties and parts of several more.) By 1854 most of the Mormon towns, farms and villages were largely taken over by non-Mormons as they abandoned them or sold them for not much and continued their migration to Utah. After 1846 the towns of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Omaha, Nebraska (est. 1852) and other Missouri River towns became major supply points and "jumping off places" for travelers on the Mormon, California, Oregon and other trails west.
How many people traveled the Oregon Trail?
The journey. Estimates of how many emigrants made the trek westward on the Oregon Trail vary. Perhaps some 300,000 to 400,000 people used it during its heyday from the mid-1840s to the late 1860s, and possibly a half million traversed it overall, covering an average of 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) per day; most completed their journeys in four ...
Where was the Oregon Trail?
Farmland near Newberg, Oregon, in the Willamette River valley, the destination of tens of thousands of emigrants on the Oregon Trail. There were many reasons why travelers pulled up roots and attempted such a long and perilous journey.
Where did the tens travel?
farmland near Newberg, Oregon. Farmland near Newberg, Oregon, in the Willamette River valley, the destination of tens ...
Where did the emigrants go on the Oregon Trail?
Farmland near Newberg, Oregon, in the Willamette River valley, the destination of tens of thousands of emigrants on the Oregon Trail. There were many reasons why travelers pulled up roots ...
Why did travelers pull up roots?
There were many reasons why travelers pulled up roots and attempted such a long and perilous journey. The feeling had grown in the United States in the early decades of the 19th century that American expansion across the North American continent was preordained. The West meant the future —the East, the past.
Did wagon companies go alone?
Except for in the first few years, even wagon companies were rarely alone and usually were within sight of or, at most, a day away from one another. The diaries of emigrants frequently mentioned meeting and passing other wagon companies and competing with them for forage in the evenings.
Why did wagon trains often travel together?
While wagon trains frequently traveled together by choice, factors such as weather and trail conditions often resulted in unintended “bunching” along the route. One of the main reasons for this phenomenon was that groups generally had to embark at approximately the same time each year.
Did the Oregon Trail follow a single set path?
1. The Oregon Trail didn’t follow a single set path. pinterest-pin-it. A map showing the westward trail from Missouri to Oregon. (Credit: MPI/Getty Images) While most Oregon-bound emigrants traveled a route that passed by landmarks in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon, there was never just one set of wagon ruts leading west.
What are some interesting facts about the Oregon Trail?
Check out nine surprising facts about the route that once served as the gateway to the American West. 1. The Oregon Trail didn’t follow a single set path. pinterest-pin-it. A map showing the westward trail from Missouri to Oregon. (Credit: MPI/Getty Images)
Who blazed the Oregon Trail?
Frontier explorers and fur trappers blazed the rough outlines of the Oregon Trail in the early 19th century, but the route was initially considered too demanding for women, children or covered wagons to navigate.
Who was the first white woman to travel the Oregon Trail?
Louis to the Walla Walla Valley to minister to Cayuse Indians. 28-year-old Narcissa became the first white woman to traverse the Rocky Mountains, and her colorful letters home were later published in Eastern newspapers, convincing many would-be pioneers that it was possible for their families to survive the journey west. Still, it wasn’t until 1843 that the pioneer dam finally burst. That year, Marcus helped lead the first major wagon train of around 1,000 settlers along the Oregon Trail, an exodus now known as the “Great Migration.” Traffic soon skyrocketed, and by the late-1840s and early 1850s, upwards of 50,000 people were using the trail each year.
When did the Oregon Trail dam burst?
Still, it wasn’t until 1843 that the pioneer dam finally burst. That year, Marcus helped lead the first major wagon train of around 1,000 settlers along the Oregon Trail, an exodus now known as the “Great Migration.”. Traffic soon skyrocketed, and by the late-1840s and early 1850s, upwards of 50,000 people were using the trail each year.
How many people were on the Oregon Trail in 1850?
Traffic soon skyrocketed, and by the late-1840s and early 1850s, upwards of 50,000 people were using the trail each year. 3. The iconic Conestoga wagon was rarely used on the Oregon Trail.
Did the Oregon Trail pioneers settle in Wyoming?
7. Most Oregon Trail pioneers didn’t settle in Oregon. Only around 80,000 of the estimated 400,000 Oregon Trail emigrants actually ended their journey in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
The Trailblazers
- The Oregon Trail originated in the routes established by extensive Native American trade networks that had existed for centuries. Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) and William Clark (1770–1838) were the first U.S. explorers to use the Indian trails to find their way across the continent to the Pacific Coast in 1803. The route established by the Lewis and Clark expedition, t…
Westward Fever
- In 1841, a few small wagon trains set off from Independence, Missouri , on the Oregon Trail. They were heading for California, then a sparsely populated region of Mexico. Only about 35 people finished the long, difficult journey. The next year, 125 people in wagons made the trip to Oregon, which the United States and Britain jointly occupied. These overland successes launched the spi…
The Route
- Most people planning to migrate west on the Oregon Trail were people of middle income—many of them families. The migration usually started in early spring with the sale of their house or farm. With the proceeds, they outfitted their wagon with hundreds of pounds of food—enough to last them through the difficult six-month journey. They also needed oxen to pull the wagon, and poss…
Life on The Trail
- The 2,000-mile journey on the Oregon Trail was exhausting and dangerous. The covered wagons were uncomfortable and crowded. People slept in the wagons or in tents next to them. They got up early and were traveling by 7:00 am. Except for the drivers, most people walked, and the wagon trains plodded along at walking pace, covering 15 to 25 miles on a good day. In the evening, the …
The Rise of The Railroad
- It is impossible to estimate how many settlers used the Oregon Trail over the years. By 1860, about fifty-three thousand had traveled overland to Oregon—ten thousand of them in 1852 alone. Gold strikes in Idaho and the beginnings of settlement in central and eastern Oregon kept the trail busy in the 1860s. Then in 1869, the transcontinental railroa...
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