Major overland routes to the West.

1. Major overland routes to the West. Joseph Makowski Period 3

2. Fact Number Five: The Mormon Trail The Mormon Trail was a 1,300 mile path that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or simply called the Mormon Church) traveled on around the years of 1846-1868. With this said, the Mormon Trail was the only trail used by many people for religious purposes rather than an opportunity at becoming wealthy. The Mormon Trail extends from Nauvoo, Ilinois to Salt Lake City, Utah, which was settled by Brigham Young and his fellow church mates in 1847. The California and Oregon trails overlap with the Mormon trail around the first half.

3. Picture of the Mormon Trail

4. Fact Number Four: The Overland Trail The Overland Trail was most frequently used in the 1860s as another option for those who did not wish to travel by the Oregon or California trails. The Overland Trail is famous for its use by the Overland Stage Company. The Overland Stage Company was a postal service and transportation service by stagecoach owned by Benjamin Holladay. It would transport people to Utah like our modern day taxis do for people in many cities. It ultimately failed when the First Transcontinental Railroad came along and removed all need for stagecoaches.

5. Fact Number Three: The Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail was mainly used as a way to trade with the Mexicans. Some items that were traded were linens, needles thread, knives, tools, handkerchiefs, and buttons. The oxen and mules that pulled the wagons along with the wagons were frequently also sold. What was taken back were silver coins, gold, wool, and many mules.

6. Picture of the Santa Fe Trail

7. Fact Number Two: The California Trail The California Trail was a trail about 1,950 miles long that went from Missouri to the state of California. After it was created, the first half of the California Trail followed the same pathways as the Oregon Trail, mostly the valleys of the Platte, North Platte, and Sweetwater Rivers to Wyoming. In the present states of Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah the California and Oregon trail split into several different cutoff trails. It was most used between 1840-1870 and about 250,000 people traveled along it during this time period. It usually took 4-6 months to travel from Missouri to California along the trail by oxen drawn wagon.

8. A Picture of the California Trail Showing where it lies and where it splits from the Oregon Trail

9. Fact Number One: The Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a path of about 2,000 miles that was created fur salesmen around the years of 1810-1840. The only way one could go about getting through was by foot or on horseback. Although horses would save many the pain of traveling by foot, using horses was considered a poor decision because they could not live off of the abundant prairie grasses.

10. Fact Number One: The Oregon Trail The lives of the pioneers changed for the better in the middle years of the 1830s when Wagon trails were lain for the convenience of travelers, eventually reaching Oregon. This lead many people to use mule and oxen drawn wagons. At this point in time, the Oregon trail was considered complete, but many improvements were constantly added on a regular basis to make the exodus of the people that utilized the Oregon trail easier and safer. From the 1830s to the early 1870s, the Oregon Trail and the many paths that branched off of it had been used by about 400,000 people.

11. A Picture of the Oregon Trail