Oregon Trail: Difference between revisions

Livestock needed watering so the Oregon Trail followed rivers across the dry [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains prairies]. The Oregon Trail usually followed the south side of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Platte_River North Platte River] west through [[Nebraska, United States Genealogy|Nebraska]] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Fetterman Fort Fetterman] (near Douglas, Wyoming). At Fort Fetterman the [[Bozeman Trail]] branched off northwest toward [[Montana, United States Genealogy|Montana]].<ref name="BozTr">Wikipedia contributors, "Bozeman Trail" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bozeman_Trail (accessed 15 July 2012).</ref> Oregon Trail emigrants followed the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetwater_River_%28Wyoming%29 Sweetwater River] farther west. An important goal was to reach [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Rock_%28Wyoming%29 Independence Rock] on the Sweetwater River by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29 Independence Day]. The trail went over [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Pass South Pass] then worked its way through the mountains. One [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublette_Cutoff#Sublette-Greenwood_Cutoff shortcut] went from South Pass due west toward [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hall Fort Hall]. The main trail from South Pass headed southwest to cross the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_River_%28Utah%29 Green River] at [http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/trailsdemo/lombard_ferry.htm Lombard Ferry], headed for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Bridger Fort Bridger]. At Fort Bridger the [[Mormon Trail]] branched southwest toward [[Salt Lake City, Utah|Salt Lake City]].<ref name="MorTr">Wikipedia contributors, "Mormon Trail" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Trail (accessed 15 July 2012).</ref> The main Oregon Trail went northwest from Bridger to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hall Fort Hall, Idaho]. From the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raft_River Raft River] southwest of Fort Hall most [[California Trail]] emigrants forked southwest toward [[Nevada Genealogy|Nevada]]<ref name="CalTr">Wikipedia contributors, "California Trail" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Trail (accessed 15 July 2012).</ref>, while Oregon Trail followers continued along the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_River Snake River] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Boise Fort Boise] and the [[Oregon, United States Genealogy|Oregon]] border. Once in Oregon emigrants made their way through the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_%28Oregon%29 Blue Mountains] either to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Nez_Perc%C3%A9s Fort Nez Percé] ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walla_Walla,_Washington Walla Walla, Washington]) on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River Columbia River], or to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dalles,_Oregon The Dalles] on the same river. At first a risky raft trip down the Columbia River was the normal route. But the opening of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barlow_Road Barlow Road] in 1846 allowed wagons to get around [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hood Mount Hood] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willamette_Valley Willamette Valley] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_City,_Oregon Oregon City]. Some pioneers continued on to destinations like [[Portland, Oregon|Portland, Oregon]] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma,_Washington Tacoma, Washington].<ref name="OrTr" />  

The exact route of the '''Oregon Trail''' varied over the years. Most often it passed through:<ref name="OrTr" />