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.
Who was responsible for the Oregon Trail?
In 1842 missionary Elijah White—also a great proponent of westward migration—had organized and helped lead the second sizable wagon train on the Oregon Trail. That group was the first on the trail to include more than 100 pioneers.
Who were the first settlers on the Oregon Trail?
The first person to follow the entire route of the Oregon Trail was Robert Stuart of Astoria in 1812-13. He did so in reverse, traveling west to east, and in the process discovered the South Pass, so named because it was south of the pass Lewis and Clark followed over the Continental Divide.
How did the Oregon Trail start?
Setting Off. Travel west on the Oregon Trail began at several towns on the Missouri River, from Independence to Council Bluffs, and then followed routes west on both sides of the Platte River. Companies of wagons formed, emigrants purchased supplies, and the group followed the developing ruts west.
Why did the Oregon Trail start?
Determined to spread Christianity to American Indians on the frontier, doctor and Protestant missionary Marcus Whitman set out on horseback from the Northeast in 1835 to prove that the westward trail to Oregon could be traversed safely and further than ever before.
Why did the German immigrants want to go to Oregon?
After several years of drought and grasshopper infestations, many migrated to the Pacific Northwest. The heavily forested land around Portland was unsuitable for farming, so some of the newcomers moved to the Palouse in eastern Washington Territory.
What famous people used the Oregon Trail?
Famous explorers like Robert Stuart, Jedediah Smith, and Marcus Whitman found the South Pass through the mountains and blazed the trail that made wagon travel across the continent possible.
Can you still walk the Oregon Trail?
In some places, the historic trail is a current modern-day hiking trail. In others, it could be a modern-day asphalt road. Experiences vary, so please check with individual locations for more details.
Did the Oregon Trail start from St Louis Missouri?
The trail began at the old Independence Landing north of Independence, Missouri. Here emigrants left steamboats after a five or six day journey from St. Louis. The center of activity in the small town of Independence was the bustling square.
When did the Oregon Trail start?
The Oregon Trail was laid by fur traders and trappers from about 1811 to 1840 and was only passable on foot or on horseback. By 1836, when the first migrant wagon train was organized in Independence, Missouri, a wagon trail had been cleared to Fort Hall, Idaho.
How many died on Oregon Trail?
20,000 people
Combined with accidents, drowning at dangerous river crossings, and other illnesses, at least 20,000 people died along the Oregon Trail. Most trailside graves are unknown, as burials were quick and the wagon trains moved on.
Who settled Oregon?
John Jacob Astor, as the head of the Pacific Fur Company, began European American settlement of the Oregon country with the establishment of a trading post at Astoria in 1811.
Why did the pioneers want Oregon?
There were many reasons for the westward movement to Oregon and California. Economic problems upset farmers and businessmen. Free land in Oregon and the possibility of finding gold in California lured them westward.
What percentage of settlers died on the Oregon Trail?
It is estimated that 6-10% of all emigrants of the trails succumbed to some form of illness. Of the estimated 350,000 who started the journey, disease may have claimed as many as 30,000 victims. Since the trail was 2,000 miles long, this would indicate that there was an average of 10-15 deaths per mile.
What nationality are the pioneers in 1883?
Set amid the beauty of the wild and unspoiled American frontier, 1883 unravels the very beginnings of Yellowstone’s Dutton Ranch. The story starts in Fort Worth, Texas, from which a group of German immigrants and a family from Tennessee seek out a better life and head north to the promised land of Montana.
Is Oregon a German?
The first Volga Germans arrived in Oregon in 1881. They had earlier settled in Barton and Rush Counties in Kansas and arrived in Portland via steamship from San Francisco. In the fall of 1882, most of this group moved on to Eastern Washington where farmland was more plentiful.
Is there a big German population in Oregon?
Portland is the only large Volga German settlement in Oregon. The first Volga Germans in the American West, about seventeen families, arrived in Portland in 1881 after spending several years on the dry, grasshopper-infested Kansas plains.
Were Lewis and Clark on the Oregon Trail?
The two men most frequently associated with the Oregon Trail are Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. In 1803, President Jefferson secretly asked Congress to fund an expedition to explore the uncharted western part of the continent.
How long did it take to cross the Oregon Trail?
four to five months
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 to five months.
Where did Pioneers sleep?
Generally, travelers only rode in wagons when too ill or tired to walk, and slept most nights in tents or bedrolls outside the wagon.
Are there still bodies buried along the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail has been called the world’s longest graveyard, with one body, on average, buried every 80 yards or so. People lost their lives to influenza, cholera, severe dysentery, or accidents.
