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Using the Library of Congress to
Advantage to Study
The Oregon
Trail
Amie Betzwiser, Lisa Blankenship,
Ashley O’Connor, Gina Shawron, Carolyn Yates
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For the Student
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The Oregon Trail was a migration route
that stemmed from the Missouri River and wound all the way into Oregon country. It was
a step forward in westward expansion, and many families traversed it from 1841-1869.
The journey took about 4-6 months, spanning the months of April/May to October/November.
Families followed rivers along the 2,000-mile trail in order to meet the
needs for water, food, and fuel for campfires. Ranchers, settlers, merchants,
and miners traveled in wagons along the trail over a network of roads.
Eventually, the territories that were found along the Oregon trail became countless
cities and six states: Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Washington,
and Montana.
By the time the transcontinental railroad
emerged, however, interest in the Oregon Trail
rapidly waned. There was a quicker way to go west, and the need for the trail
was eliminated. By 1883, the railroad had reached Portland, Oregon,
and the trail disappeared. Roads were built over it, though some evidence of
the trail can still be seen today in the ruts made by wagon wheels.
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