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Central Overland Trail: Difference between revisions
cattle dealer
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=== Historical Background === | === Historical Background === | ||
In 1855 Howard Egan, a Mormon immigrant | In 1855 Howard Egan, a Mormon immigrant cattle dealer, discovered a route that stretched from Salt Lake City, Utah across the central Nevada basin and range terrain to the [[California Trail]] at Carson City, Nevada. The trail followed a series of mountain passes and desert watering holes lined up through the middle of a dozen of Utah's and Nevada's north to south mountain ranges. He used this route to drive cattle from Salt Lake City to market in California.<ref name="COR" /> | ||
Hearing rumors about the route, in 1858 the Army sent Captain James H. Simpson to survey and improve the route to help resupply Camp Floyd in Utah. The Central Overland Trail opened in 1859 to stagecoach service. The [[California Trail|California Trail]] mail route farther north along the Humboldt River was quickly switched to the shorter Central Overland route. As the American Civil War approached the [[Butterfield Overland Mail]] route was also switched to the Central Overland Trail in order to avoid capture in the southern states.<ref name="COR" /> | Hearing rumors about the route, in 1858 the Army sent Captain James H. Simpson to survey and improve the route to help resupply Camp Floyd in Utah. The Central Overland Trail opened in 1859 to stagecoach service. The [[California Trail|California Trail]] mail route farther north along the Humboldt River was quickly switched to the shorter Central Overland route. As the American Civil War approached the [[Butterfield Overland Mail]] route was also switched to the Central Overland Trail in order to avoid capture in the southern states.<ref name="COR" /> | ||