You’ve probably heard of The Oregon Trail. But we’re not talking about the text-based video game that we loved to play growing up. You know, the one where you always died of dysentery?
We’re here to talk about the real deal.
What is the real Oregon Trail? Well, here’s a quick description from History.com:
The Oregon Trail was a roughly 2,000-mile route from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, which was used by hundreds of thousands of American pioneers in the mid-1800s to emigrate west. The trail was arduous and snaked through Missouri and present-day Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and finally into Oregon.
There was a LOT that happened on the trail – and it was a pretty gruesome journey. In fact, it was pretty common to die of dysentery.
Scroll along for some more interesting (and sometimes weird) historical details about the legendary route:
1. It was very deadly
As people migrated West, they usually took the Oregon Trail to find gold or to look for farming prospects.
Over the course of the migration, over 20,000 people died, many from disease. It’s estimated to have claimed around 10-15 deaths per mile.
But people couldn’t stop for long just because someone died – there was no time for mourning.
2. Cholera was common
Of all the ways to die on the journey, cholera was the most common. It is caused by contaminated food or water and it could sicken you in the morning and kill you by the end of the day.
Because it causes people diarrhea and severe vomiting, it’s easy to get dehydrated.
3. People had to toss out belongings the weighed them down
The journey could only be made by wagon and as a result, space was extremely limited. Outside of your family, food and possessions had to be prioritized and stowed properly.
Often, people would have to toss things they didn’t need if it was slowing them down or it wasn’t strictly necessary. It wasn’t always clear from the beginning which items to take and which to leave.
In her account, Luzena Wilson wrote:
“It was a strange but comprehensive load which we stowed away in our ‘prairie-schooner’, and some things which I thought necessities when we started became burdensome luxuries, and before many days I dropped by the road-side a good many unnecessary pots and kettles, for on bacon and flour one can ring but few changes, and it requires but few vessels to cook them.”
4. Unless something went wrong, food wasn’t an issue
Many people think that starvation was common on the Oregon Trail, but if the travelers packed well, it wasn’t too bad.
If the travelers were smart with what they packed, they would be fine along the trail. The big issue was food contamination and sanitary practices.
5. Diseases spread quickly
Being stuck on a small wagon with a sick person doesn’t sound all that pleasant. When hand-washing wasn’t an option and doctors thought putting a leech on you was a helpful cure, diseases spread quickly.
On the trail, disease with one family member could spell disaster for the entire traveling group.
6. The environment changed quickly and was almost always harsh
The different environments the travelers crossed through all brought different challenges. Through the course of the trail, people would travel through the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains, and the Platte River. Aside from the weather, elk, bison, cougars, and bears were all a real threat, too.
Weather-related dangers included thunderstorms, lethally large hailstones, lightning, tornadoes, grass fires, and high winds.
7. Groups of people created “wagon constitutions”
Whenever a wagon train would head out, they could have as many as 1000 people in them.
In order to keep the peace, the leaders would create a form of managing structure with secretaries, presidents, and more!
The more wagons there were, the safer things generally were. You could share food and ask for help.
8. Because of rumors, travelers were terrified of Native peoples
Travelers on the Oregon Trail crossed through many different native lands, including the Sioux, Crow, and Shoshone. There were many bloody stories circulating about the violence one might expect from these tribes, but they were rumors invented to scare people for the most part.
“The Indians were friendly, of course,” a traveler described, “and swapped ponies for whisky and tobacco with the gathering bands of emigrants, but I, in the most tragi-comic manner, sheltered my babies with my own body, and felt imaginary arrows pierce my flesh a hundred times during the night.“
9. Proper burials were rarely possible
A proper burial was always preferred for loved ones, but it wasn’t practical – there was no time to stop.
Many times a burial looked like a quick stopover and a shallow pit dug with a plank of wood laid over the top. As a result, not all the deaths on the trail were marked with a grave.
10. They made their own grafitti!
Although they didn’t use spraypaint, passing travelers would carve or paint messages onto large rocks as they passed. When others saw them, they added their name and message.
Soon, hundreds of people had “signed” a rock on the trail!
11. Most of the travelers didn’t stay in Oregon
Although it was called the “Oregon Trail,” it was actually just the main path through the country to the west.
Many travelers ended up settling in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and California.
12. One man crossed the trail six times!
Ezra Meeker was a true expert at crossing the trail. He did so using every possible form of transportation, too!
He crossed by wagon, train, automobile, and airplane. He would erect landmarks as he traveled, many of which are still around today. They were known as Meeker Markers!
13. You can still see wheel ruts
The wildlife still hasn’t taken back the trail marks in some locations.
Schooner marks dotted the landscape, and many can still be seen in person today. You can find them in all 6 states that the trail ran through!
14. Some of the first successful pioneers were a missionary couple
One of the first major wagon trains was led by the Whitman family in 1843.
Marcus and Narcissa Whitman went West with 1000 people and settled in Washington.
However, their mission was attacked by the Cayuse tribe after rumors spread the Marcus (a doctor) had been poisoning people. He was killed in what was later referred to as the Whitman Massacre, an event that helped spark the Cayuse War.
15. The settlers were incentivized by the US government
The US passed the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 to incentivize settlers to head West and claim more land (“donation” being an interesting word choice since it wasn’t the government’s land to begin with and the Native Americans were not interested in “donating” it).
According to History Link:
“The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 took effect on September 27, 1850, the. The act created a powerful incentive for settlement of the Oregon Territory by offering 320 acres at no charge to qualifying adult U.S. citizens (640 acres to married couples) who occupy their claims for four consecutive years.”
The entire operation was influenced by the looming Depression and the belief in Manifest Destiny, the belief that God had given the land to the coming Americans by divine right.
This will certainly color any future games of Oregon Trail we play!
Did you learn anything new?
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
