The Mysteries of History (May 22 Edition)
First Mass Migration from Missouri to Oregon
1843 — Wagons Ho!
image generated using Google Gemini
People had been traveling to the West for quite some time (including some smaller groups of wagon trains) and, of course, Indians had been living all over the region for thousands of years, but it was on this date in 1843 that the up-until-then largest convoy, or train, of wagons headed from what was then considered the West (Missouri) to “the Far West” (the Pacific Coast, specifically Oregon).
From 700 to 1,000 people joined what was called “The Great Migration of 1843” or the “Wagon Train of 1843,” setting out from Elm Grove, Missouri, en route to the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
Elm Grove no longer exists, but was located near Olathe, Kansas, in northwestern Missouri.
It was mostly farming families, who had been told or read about the wonders of the fertile and verdant Oregon, who made the trip. One hundred wagons made up the train. Accompanying the group were 5,000 oxen and cattle.
The travelers protected against Indian attacks and robbery by (as can be seen on many movies and television shows) making a circle of their wagons at night and driving their horses (which were coveted by the Indians) into the enclosure.
Although that danger was real, it was mostly other causes which the pilgrims succumbed to, including “friendly fire” (accidental discharge of weapons), drowning in the treacherous river crossings, disease, falls from horses and mules as well as falls from the wagons while making steep descents.
Most of the sojourners survived all these threats to existence, though, encouraging yet more to make the move: for instance, two years later, in 1845, a train consisting of 3,000 made its way to Oregon.
The Oregon Trail was in continuous uses until 1884, from which time travel could be made by railroad train.
Although Americans had been relocating there for some time, Oregon did not become part of the United States until 1846 — after this “Great Migration” and the even greater one in 1845 — as can be seen below.
public domain image
Note: My paternal great-grandmother, Gertrude “Gertie” Bailey Shannon, born in Topeka, Kansas, came to California in the early 1880s as a baby, quite possibly with her parents as part of a wagon train.
image generated using Bing Image Creator
Questions: Have you ever played the computer game The Oregon Trail? Have you read the book The Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman? Have you read the book The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck? Is Rinker Buck related to Pearl S. Buck?
Read about “The Secret Lives of Kids” here.
