California Trail: Difference between revisions

* Gregory MacGregor. '' The California Emigrant Trail of 1841-1870.'' Albuquerque:University of New Mexico Press, 1996.

* Malcolm J. Rohrbough.'' Days of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the American Nation.'' Berkeley: University of  California Press, 1997.

== Records and Lists of Settlers  ==

* David H. Johnson. ''Sonora Pass Pioneers.'' California Bound Emigrants and Explorers, 1841-1864.'' Sonora, California: Tuolumne County Historical Society, 2006. {{FSC|1246010|item|disp=FS Library 979.4 W2j}}; {{WorldCat|73841357|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}

*''The 49ers as reported by the Missouri Republication, St. Louis, Missouri.'' 10 volumes. Arlington, Texas : K.E. Weant, c2004-2010 {{FSC|1219714|item|disp=FS Library 977.8 D2wk}}; {{WorldCat|62246193|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}

==== Additional Resources and History ====

=== Local and county histories and biographies ===  

These may help identify additional pioneers. For example:  

*W. B. Lardner, and M. J. Brock, ''History of Placer and Nevada counties, California : with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present'' (1991 Reprint; Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic Record Co., 1924). [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/11510628 WorldCat entry]. {{FSC|572031|item|disp=FS Library Book 979.43 H2L}}.  

*Betty Yohalem, ''"I remember..." : stories and pictures of El Dorado County pioneer families'' ([Placerville, Calif.] : El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, 1977). [http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/3657533 WorldCat entry]. {{FSC|75462|item|disp=FS Library Book 979.441 H2y}}.<br><br>

*[https://archive.org/details/constitutionbyla02soci Constitution,By-Laws and List of members of the Society of California Pioneers... (San Francisco, 1869) ]  

*[https://archive.org/details/constitutionbyla03soci Constitution,By-Laws and List of members of the Society of California Pioneers...  (San Francisco, 1888)]

*[https://www.californiapioneers.org/collections/libraryspecialcollections/ Society of California Pioneers Library & Special Collections]

Non-essentials were often abandoned on the trail to lighten the load. Forts and trading posts ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Kearny Ft. Kearny], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Laramie_National_Historic_Site Ft. Laramie], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Fetterman Ft. Fetterman], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Bridger Ft. Bridger], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hall Ft. Hall], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter%27s_Fort Sutter's Fort] along the way usually provided supplies, fresh animal teams, repairs, spare parts, and news of trail conditions. Hunting (including bison), fishing, and trading were also common along the route. Emigrants usually formed into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagon_train wagon trains] for security. Almost everyone preferred to walk rather than ride in dusty, bumpy wagons. They had to average 11 miles (18 km) to 17 miles (27 km) per day to reach California in four to six months. To leave too early risked muddy trails and too little grass for livestock. To arrive late risked traveling in winter weather. Thunderstorms and fierce winds were common. In good weather they often slept under the stars. On the prairie [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_dung buffalo chips] were gathered for use as cooking fuel. Wash day was about every two weeks. Many travelers enjoyed side trips climbing over trail landmarks like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimney_Rock_National_Historic_Site Chimney Rock], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotts_Bluff_National_Monument Scott's Bluff], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Rock_%28Wyoming%29 Independence Rock]. Some entrepreneurs drove herds of cattle over the trail to sell and help pay for the trip.<ref name="OrTr" />

*[http://donnersummithistoricalsociety.org/pages/bookreviews/CaliforniaTrailMap1849andAdvice.html California Trail Map & Advice  for Emigrants - Donner Summit Historical Society]

=== Truckee (River) Trail 1844 ===

Crossed the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty_Mile_Desert#Forty_Mile_Desert Forty Mile Desert] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truckee_River Truckee River] to follow it west past [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno,_Nevada Reno, Nevada] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donner_Pass Donner Pass] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emigrant_Gap Emigrant Gap] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter%27s_Fort Sutter's Fort] ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento,_California Sacramento, California]). The exact route varied over the years, the most used being the Nevada City Road and Auburn Emigrant Road combination.

=== Roller Pass 1846 ===

=== [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applegate_Trail Applegate Trail] 1846 ===

Avoided the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty_Mile_Desert#Forty_Mile_Desert Forty Mile Desert]) by leaving the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_River Humboldt River] in [[Nevada, United States Genealogy|Nevada]] early at present-day [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rye_Patch_State_Recreation_Area Rye Reservoir], Nevada and passing through the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rock_Desert Black Rock Desert] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fandango_Pass Fandango Pass] past [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goose_Lake_%28Oregon-California%29 Goose Lake] on to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_River_%28California%29 Lost River] and eventually the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willamette_Valley Willamette Valley] in [[Oregon, United States Genealogy|Oregon]].

=== The Lassen Cutoff 1848 ===

From the Carson Trail south to the Walker River along the base of the Sierra Nevada until it ascends to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora_Pass Sonora Pass] and then down to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry,_Tuolumne_County,_California Strawberry] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora,_California Sonora, California]

=== [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Pass Luther Pass Trail 1854] ===