top of page

The Oregon National Historic Trail

The The 2,200-mile east-west Oregon trail served as a critical transportation route for emigrants traveling from Missouri to Oregon and other points west during the middle 1800s. Travelers were enticed by promise of gold and land. Times were also less inviting in the mid to easter potions of what is now called the United States due to diseases like yellow fever and malaria. People flocked westward in search of a better life. 

The pioneers were able to bring very little with them. When they left their homes in the east, they had to leave most of their belongings. Often settlers with heavy household furniture discarded them along the way due to weight.  The covered wagon was mostly filled with food. It took over a 1,000 pounds of food to feed a family of four on the trip out west. They took preserved foods such as hard tack, coffee, bacon, rice, beans, and flour.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The first major migration took place in 1843 when a single large wagon train of 120 wagons and 500 people made the trip. 

In 1978, the U.S. Congress officially named the trail the

Oregon National Historic Trail.

Through Wyoming, the trails followed the North Platte and Sweetwater rivers west to South Pass, and then divided into routes bound for Oregon, Utah or California.

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Some facts that are not often know about the history of the trail might surprise you.

  • Around 400,000 - 500,000 set out on the treks west.

  • Often discarded items littered the trail as families lightened their loads. Broken down wagons were even sometimes abandoned.

  • The pioneers left behind graffiti on register rocks that marked the way west.

  • Indian attacks were rare and the natives often helped the pioneers.

  • Cholera killed many settlers along the way and accounted for most of the 20,000 deaths along the way.

  • Only about 80,000 people settled in Oregon

  • Ruts from the wagons can still be seen today along the trail.

  • Ezra Meeker, the most famous traveler made the trip by wagon, train, automobile, and eventually airplane! - see him pictured below.

​

​

​

13895187_853931738070607_694687388015833

13895187_853931738070607_694687388015833

20526296_1090700871060358_24150792458250

20526296_1090700871060358_24150792458250

20032099_1079069258890186_34397048224586

20032099_1079069258890186_34397048224586

20604631_1090700924393686_90641437088405

20604631_1090700924393686_90641437088405

20108145_1078816002248845_30179041628371

20108145_1078816002248845_30179041628371

13886308_854694581327656_547513129051630

13886308_854694581327656_547513129051630

13882593_853461958117585_663031042581601

13882593_853461958117585_663031042581601

13900300_858388654291582_262736062010667

13900300_858388654291582_262736062010667

13886373_854722237991557_853223109997780

13886373_854722237991557_853223109997780

13903398_855411471255967_861678813518877

13903398_855411471255967_861678813518877

13669149_853921668071614_613344199684182

13669149_853921668071614_613344199684182

13880422_855406791256435_859740143897167

13880422_855406791256435_859740143897167

13879312_858379510959163_673881631921699

13879312_858379510959163_673881631921699

402966_185013061629148_406890906_n

402966_185013061629148_406890906_n

11068099_633182440145539_176068334411858

11068099_633182440145539_176068334411858

1002403_335464393250680_1259505695_n

1002403_335464393250680_1259505695_n

480101_336021549861631_1842854310_n

480101_336021549861631_1842854310_n

20597517_1092063157590796_71804271895512

20597517_1092063157590796_71804271895512

13669149_853921668071614_613344199684182

13669149_853921668071614_613344199684182

179175_312709255526194_727522531_n

179175_312709255526194_727522531_n

wagon labels.jpg
ezra-meeker-1830-1928-and-model-a-ford-1
bottom of page