The National Frontier Trails Museum is a wonderful look at
the routes taken by pioneers in the 1800s seeking new lives out west. The Sante Fe Trail was a 800-mile route that
began in 1821 as a trade route with Mexico.
Trade goods moved in both directions.
The Oregon Trail was 2,000-miles long and took 8 months to
travel. It began as a trail for trappers, but by 1843 settlers followed it to
the Northwest and to California. Independence was a frontier town of a few
hundred people, but in the spring that number was increased by thousands of
emigrants. They came for supplies and
information and leaders before heading west.
Almost 500,000 people followed the western migration trails
from 1840-860. Travelers took many
provisions with them for the trip and the destination.
As the travel became more difficult, more and more things were discarded
along the way.
The completion of the railroad in 1869 foretold the end of
wagon trains.
No comments:
Post a Comment