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OCTA > 2015 Emigrant Trails Hall of Fame Selectees

Emigrant Trails Category: 2015 Emigrant Trails Hall of Fame Selectees

Howard Driggs

Howard Driggs

Gregory Franzwa

Gregory Franzwa

William Henry Jackson

William Henry Jackson

Merrill Mattes

Merrill Mattes

Ezra Manning Meeker

Ezra Meeker

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 days ago

History beneath your feet on the Hastings Cutoff. This is a brief overview of the Donner-Reed party here and a preview for the OCTA convention in Elko, Nevada this coming September. Hopefully the California Trail Interpretive Center will be open by then! ... See MoreSee Less

Hastings Cutoff

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A short tale of the Donner-Reed party's journey taking the Hastings cutoff, a suppossed shortcut along the California Trail.Links in video:Trail Center Mobil...

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 days ago

Hmmm. Wind wagons. Hard to control? Airborne? We think we'll stick with the covered wagons! ... See MoreSee Less

Sailing through Fort Kearny in a Wind Wagon

history.nebraska.gov

This artist’s conception of Samuel Peppard’s wind wagon as it was departing Fort Kearny in May 1860, appeared in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper on July 7 of that year. RG1576-2 (at left).

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Oregon-California Trails Association

4 days ago

Missouri River Relief is partnering with the National Park Service – Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and Conservation Legacy to host an AmeriCorps VISTA position focused on stewardship and community building up and down the Missouri River. If you are interested in the environment and community building, this is for you! Find out more about the position at the link here. ... See MoreSee Less

AmeriCorps: Stewardship & Community Outreach Assistant - Missouri River Relief

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AmeriCorps Stewardship & Community Outreach Assistant at Missouri River Relief will work to increase capacity within the organization to strengthen the connections between Missouri River Relief and th...

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Oregon-California Trails Association

4 days ago

E-News for Wednesday, January 13, 2021 - https://mailchi.mp/c8852b7c8de2/e-news-membership-meeting-and-other-important-updates-3072374 ... See MoreSee Less

E-News for Wednesday, January 13, 2021

mailchi.mp

OCTA is pleased to announce that Isobel Lingenfelter of Salt Lake City, Utah was chosen as the new Western Region Representative (WRR). Sharon Brown, OCTA's previous WRR, retired on December 31, but i...

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Oregon-California Trails Association

4 days ago

We missed sharing this on Friday last week, but better late . . . well, you know. Enjoy.For January's Frontier Fridays we'd like to share a bit of information related to Joseph E. Ware.

There were several guidebooks published in the late 1840s to provide advice to emigrants traveling to California. One of the popular ones was the 56-page Emigrants' Guide to California by Joseph E. Ware, published in 1849. In it, Ware assured the reader of his utmost care in relaying as accurate information as was available at the time. He also indicated a plan to travel the route himself with the intent of making updates and corrections for a re-publication the following year.

He began by giving advice on how to get to Independence or St. Joseph from the eastern States. He then estimates costs and needed provisions to make the journey. Additionally, readers learn how to set up camp, advice on remaining healthy, and get fairly detailed mileage and terrain descriptions.

Also included in the appendices are methods for finding gold and silver and descriptions of alternate routes through the Isthmus of Panama and a route south through Mexico.

Finally, Ware included a fold-out map of the entire route. This small guidebook makes for very interesting reading within a historical context. You can view or download Ware's guide on the Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/GR_4538/mode/2up ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

4 days ago

For those of you also interested in the Santa Fe Trail, which commemorates 200 years this year - 1821-2021.Help celebrate Kansas’ 160th Birthday on January 29, 2021 by exploring our virtual resources! Join our archeologists as they share how the Santa Fe Trail impacted the landscape and how we can find trail ruts even today! Explore our resources here: https://www.kshs.org/p/kansas-day-in-the-classroom/14770

#KansasHistory ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

5 days ago

Here is some interesting California history for your Tuesday morning. ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

6 days ago

Enjoy trails-related art and photographs in this video about William Henry Jackson's life and work. ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 weeks ago

Historic markers on the trails help visitors understand that they are standing on historic sites or sacred ground. This marker tells of the 1846-47 Winter Quarters preceding the Latter Day Saints' westward trek to the Great Salt Lake Valley.Our Historical Markers across Nebraska highlight fascinating moments and places in our state's past. This week we look at Winter Quarters, which housed more than 3,000 people during the winter of 1846-47.

Full text in link: history.nebraska.gov/blog/marker-monday-winter-quarters-0 ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 weeks ago

Help to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail this year - 1821-2021. As many of you know, this historic trail shares the route of the Oregon and California trails in western Missouri and eastern Kansas - a three trail corridor.While it’s easy to confuse it with the Oregon-California trail which was an emigrant trail, the Santa Fe Trail was actually a commerce trail. When Mexico won its independence from Spain, international trade between the United States and the new country was opened up, creating an international trade route. #KansasHistory ... See MoreSee Less

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Featured Products

Bruff's Wake: J. Goldsborough Bruff & the California Gold Rush, by H. L James $24.95
The Oregon Trail Revisited, by Gregory M. Franzwa $24.95
In Pursuit of a Dream (DVD) $20.00
Reading, Writing and Riding Along the Oregon-California Trails (An Educational Activity Book), by William E. Hill $8.95

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