Making history again on the Oregon Trail

Sunset, June, 1993 by Lora J. Finnegan

Scanning the horizon and sniffing the wind for the scent of spring grasses to feed their stock, the untested travelers waited anxiously to begin their journey. They were about to trek beyond civilization and into a wilderness of hardship, hunger, pain--and promise. Finally, in May 1843, they sent out from Independence, Missouri--an estimated 1,000 emigrants in 120 wagons.

Their arrival five months later doubled Oregon's American population and proved that the nearly 2,000-mile journey could be made by wagons--and families. This group was the first big surge to hit the Oregon Trail, a trip eventually dubbed the Great Migration.

This year, the Oregon Trail marks its 150th anniversary, or sesquicentennial. Commemorative celebrations are planned all along the route, but none are splashier than those planned in Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon. There'll be wagon train reenactments to watch or join. Forts along the way will recreate the trail's heyday with living history programs. And a host of new exhibits, museum displays, pioneer-diary readings, and even a musical pageant will commemorate the trail.

For many readers of this magazine, the anniversary is also cause for a personal celebration of their own pioneer heritage. Scores of readers have shared their family histories with Sunset, tracing their Western roots back to the trail itself. Many sent copies of emigrants' diaries that record--day by weary day--the landmarks and often fatal mishaps of the journey. Learning why their ancestors risked the trip, and what their migration meant to the West, is part of the thrill of rediscovering the Oregon Trail.

"The Oregon Trail is one of the epic moments of human migration in all history--in part because of its length and challenge," says Stephen Dow Beckham, a history professor at Portland's Lewis and Clark College.

In fact, the Oregon Trail was the conduit for what some historians call the greatest unforced mass migration in history--estimated range from 250,000 to 330,000 emigrants who successfully made the trip between 1843 and the 1860s. In Idaho, thousands following dreams of gold or warmer climes veered off to head southwest on the California Trail; those following Mormon leaders detoured to Salt Lake City.

The first wagon trains made the difficult trek to Oregon in about 169 days (impatient travelers in 1849 shaved it to 129 days), but today you can track much of the route from major highways. You can explore a large section of the route through Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon on a week-long vacation or sample key segments on shorter outings.

Along the way, you may encounter the cool kindness of a prairie day, a scorching sun, or a sudden thunderstorm.

You may be surprised to see how much of the original trail is still visible in these three states, etched deeply into the landscape by iron-rimmed wheels. Step into the narrowly spaced ruts--which are knee-deep in spots--and you can almost hear the soprano squeak of wheels rubbing on rock. On the smooth surfaces of so-called newspaper rocks, you can still read the sometimes poignant messages pioneers carved to be read by following trains. But the best way to get a feel for the trials of the trail is to walk part of it, and many sections have hiking trails running alongside.

You can even travel pioneer-style, by riding or walking (15 to 20 miles daily) with two state-sanctioned sesquicentennial wagon trains that are scheduled to retrace the route. For details, call (503) 223-6191 (Oregon train) or (307) 266-4868 (Wyoming train).

EASTWARD HO: OREGON CITY TO THE DALLES

Westerners who want to retrace the Oregon Trail to day are likely to head in the opposite direction of the 19th century emigrants. Since most of us live near the coast, our report proceeds from west to east, describing highlights from Oregon City to the Wyoming-Nebraska border. (For maps, schedules of events, and lodging guidance en route, call the tourism offices listed on page 87.)

For this first segment, you might set up base in Portland or The Dalles.

Abernethy Green, in Oregon City, is considered the end of the main trail, reached by the original Oregon Trail travelers after a journey of more than five months. Arriving in the Willamette Valley in 1846, Virgil Pringle was moved to write, "The handsomest valley I ever beheld. All |are~ charmed with the prospects and think that they will be well paid for their sufferings."

Now Abernethy Green is the site of the new End of the Oregon Trail 1993 Preview Center, built to resemble three canvas-topped wagons. Storytellers here explain some of the reasons that the emigrants undertook such an arduous journey: some were spurred on by land (or gold) fever, economic troubles at home, or illnesses that Western air was reputed to cure; a few answered the compelling American urge to go west. The center is expected to open by early July; for details, call (503) 557-1151.

Nearby is the 1846 Georgian-inspired house of John McLoughlin, known as the Father of Oregon. Now a national historic site, McLoughlin House, at 713 Center Street, is open 10 to 4 Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 4 Sundays; admission costs $3.