Our Trail 

The Oregon Trail was a legendary migration route that brought settlers from Missouri to Oregon during the era of westward expansion in the 1800’s. The trail spanned over 2,170 miles through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon, through the Great Plains and over the Rocky Mountains. Settlers were offered free land (until 1854) in Oregon’s Willamette Valley for making the brutal journey on their prairie schooners. The trail was used from 1841 to 1869. The average family made it to Oregon City in about four months. It was rendered obsolete in 1869, with the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

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Independence

Independence, named after the Declaration of Independence, was founded in 1827 and quickly became an important frontier town. As the farthest place west on the Missouri River that steamboats could carry cargo, it was essential as a transportation port, and would become the starting point for the Oregon, Santa Fe, and California Trails. In 1831, Joseph Smith and his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) attempted to construct their temple in the city. Because of tensions with the local population, however, they were expelled, and the Mormons would eventually settle in Utah. Today, the city of Independence holds the annual Santa-Caligon Days Festival, a celebration of the city’s history as the starting point for the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails.

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The Great Plains

The Great Plains is a vast expanse of prairie and flatlands extending across the middle section of the United States. The area is characterized by flat grasslands or rolling hills with relatively few trees. The area has been historically used for farming, ranching, and manufacturing. Some areas of the Great Plains are completely devoid of people, and others have just four or five per thousand square miles. Much of the Great Plains is known as "Tornado Alley" because most of the nation’s tornadoes occur here. The Great Plains area is the home of the American Bison. Millions once roamed here before westward expansion occurred in the 1800’s.

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The Platte River

The Platte River played a crucial role in America’s westward expansion. Significant portions of the Oregon and Mormon Trails followed the shallow river. The Platte River is one of the most important migratory stopovers for waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, and the endangered Whooping Crane.

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Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock, located in the badlands of western Nebraska, is one of the most famous

symbols of the old west. The rock itself is a towering geologic formation that looks like

a hill that has a chimney. It towers some 300 feet above the North Platte River valley

and lies at an elevation of 4,226 feet. Chimney Rock was an important landmark for

travelers on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails. Today, it stands forever as a

symbol of the great westward migration of the 1800’s, as part of Chimney Rock National

Historic Site. It is estimated that over 500,000 travelers passed the rock on their way to

destinations in the west. Today, Chimney Rock is commemorated forever on the back of

the Nebraska state quarter.

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Fort Laramie

Fort Laramie, located in eastern Wyoming, was an important 19th century fur trading post and U.S. military installation. During the 1850’s, it was the primary stopping point for settlers traveling on the Oregon and Mormon Trails. Many of the Army’s military campaigns in the Indian Wars were conducted from the headquarters at the fort. The Fort’s name was immortalized in two treaties, both known as The Treaty of Fort Laramie, in 1851 and 1868, regarding Indians and White settlement. After the railroads came to Wyoming, the fort lost importance. It was decommisioned in 1889, and now stands as a landmark in the Fort Laramie National Historic Site.

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Soda Springs

Soda Springs, located in eastern Idaho, was a well known landmark to both Native

Americans and to travelers on the Oregon Trail. The town is named for the thousands

of carbonated water natural springs that are located in the area. Today, in Hooper

Springs Park, visitors can sample the carbonated water just as westward-bound

travelers did some 160 years ago.

Soda Springs is also the home of the world’s largest man-made geyser. The geyser

was created in 1937, after engineers unintentionally drilled into a carbonated spring

– shooting water 100 feet into the sky. Today, the geyser has been programmed to

shoot water into the air once every hour. According to the Guiness Book of World

Records, it is the only captive geyser.

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Rocky Mountains

The towering Rocky Mountains represented the most physically challenging portion of the Oregon Trail. Travelers along the trail were forced to pass the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming and Idaho, and then the Cascades Range in Oregon. Within the eastern Rockies, travelers along the Oregon Trail would pass over the Continental Divide, the "line" in which the directional flow of rivers changes. East of the Continental Divide, water flows out to the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico, while west of the line, water flows to the Pacific Ocean.

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Fort Boise

Fort Boise, located about 40 miles from the site of the present-day capital of Idaho, was a fur-trading post of the Hudson-Bay Company of England. Built in 1834, the small adobe hut was meant to compete in the local fur-trading market with nearby Fort Hall. Although it ultimately failed in the fur-trading industry, it became an important supply line along the Oregon Trail until 1854, when it was abandoned due to severe flooding and frequent Indian raids. In 1863, the U.S. military built a second Fort Boise to protect gold-seekers and travelers on the trail from Indian raids. The present-day city of Boise developed along this newly-built fort. Today, it is the capital of and largest city in Idaho.

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The Dalles

The Dalles, located on the Columbia River, was first explored by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805. They named the area Rockport. Soon, fur-traders and missionaries came to the area, and the region became known as "The Dalles," meaning "flagstone" in French. In 1838, a Methodist mission was built in the area to give aid to sick and desparate travelers along the Oregon Trail. The Dalles served as a transition point on the trail. For nearly 2,000 miles, travelers trekked through the Great Plains and mountain passes. Past the Dalles, however, most travelers would have to pack up their belongings and float down the Columbia River to make it to their final destination of Oregon City. However, those who could afford to pay a toll could take the Barlow Road, which permitted a land passage to Oregon City.

 

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Oregon City in the Willamette Valley

Oregon City was the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains. It was established in 1829 by Dr. John McLoughlin. His goal was to take advantage of the potential hydroelectric power from the falls of the Willamette River to build a lumber mill. In the 1840’s, the city was the final destination for travelers along the Oregon Traill. Once they reached Oregon City, they could file land claims promised by the U.S. Government. From 1848 to 1851, Oregon City was the capital of Oregon Territory. Today, Oregon City is a fascinating place with several museums dedicated to its rich history, including the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, which features presentations, films, and interactive exhibits on a variety of trail related topics.

 

You have made it to the Willamette Valley!

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Information and pictures were taken from the following:

@2015 MrNussbaum.com is a copyright of the Nussbaum Education Network,LLC.

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