Scenic WonderRunner
01-30-2007, 01:58PM
I was passing the time today searching for old original pioneer trails in the west and I came across this site. Thought I would share it. It might be fun when time allows, to try and explore some of these trails.....see if they still exist and document their current condition. I want to try and find maps like this for a little further south also!
~~~~~~~~~
http://www.emigranttrailswest.org/caltrail.htm
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE
CALIFORNIA TRAIL
OVERVIEW
From the "jumping-off places" along the Missouri River (such as Independence, St. Joseph, and the Council Bluffs area), emigrants bound for Oregon, California, and later Utah shared the same transportation corridor, hence the combined name of Oregon-California Trail. This main corridor followed along the Platte and Sweetwater Rivers to South Pass, where the earliest route continued to the Fort Bridger trading post (established in 1843) and then turned northwest to reach the Snake River at the Fort Hall trading post (established in 1834). Oregon bound emigrants continued along the Snake River artery while California bound emigrants turned southwest at the Raft River to reach the Humboldt River artery and on over the Sierra Nevada to California. In following years, resulting from the Mormon settlement of Salt Lake Valley and the Gold Rush, branches and cutoffs proliferated as the overland migration increased. Prior to the Civil War, as many as 300,000 emigrants had followed these overland trails.
Before the Gold Rush in 1849, the destination of most overland emigrants was either the Willamette Valley in Oregon (beginning in 1841) or the Salt Lake Valley (beginning in 1847). Between 1841 and 1848 four times as many emigrants had migrated overland to Oregon (11,000) than to California (2,700). During 1847-48, some 4,600 Mormons settled in Salt Lake Valley. Then, during the peak gold rush years of 1849-54, the ratio reversed with six times as many emigrants traveling overland to California than to the Oregon Territory (200,000 to 35,000). From 1855 to 1860, the overland migration to California slackened to less than 50,000, with 1859 being the biggest year (18,000). Those years saw 8,000 traveling to the Oregon Territory. By 1860 almost 43,000 Mormons had traveled overland to settlements in the Utah Territory.
http://www.emigranttrailswest.org/images/etrail.jpg
Click the link above for the rest of the story............
~~~~~~~~~
http://www.emigranttrailswest.org/caltrail.htm
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE
CALIFORNIA TRAIL
OVERVIEW
From the "jumping-off places" along the Missouri River (such as Independence, St. Joseph, and the Council Bluffs area), emigrants bound for Oregon, California, and later Utah shared the same transportation corridor, hence the combined name of Oregon-California Trail. This main corridor followed along the Platte and Sweetwater Rivers to South Pass, where the earliest route continued to the Fort Bridger trading post (established in 1843) and then turned northwest to reach the Snake River at the Fort Hall trading post (established in 1834). Oregon bound emigrants continued along the Snake River artery while California bound emigrants turned southwest at the Raft River to reach the Humboldt River artery and on over the Sierra Nevada to California. In following years, resulting from the Mormon settlement of Salt Lake Valley and the Gold Rush, branches and cutoffs proliferated as the overland migration increased. Prior to the Civil War, as many as 300,000 emigrants had followed these overland trails.
Before the Gold Rush in 1849, the destination of most overland emigrants was either the Willamette Valley in Oregon (beginning in 1841) or the Salt Lake Valley (beginning in 1847). Between 1841 and 1848 four times as many emigrants had migrated overland to Oregon (11,000) than to California (2,700). During 1847-48, some 4,600 Mormons settled in Salt Lake Valley. Then, during the peak gold rush years of 1849-54, the ratio reversed with six times as many emigrants traveling overland to California than to the Oregon Territory (200,000 to 35,000). From 1855 to 1860, the overland migration to California slackened to less than 50,000, with 1859 being the biggest year (18,000). Those years saw 8,000 traveling to the Oregon Territory. By 1860 almost 43,000 Mormons had traveled overland to settlements in the Utah Territory.
http://www.emigranttrailswest.org/images/etrail.jpg
Click the link above for the rest of the story............