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OCTA > The Trails

The Trails

A map of the central and western united states with a red line designating the oregon and california trails and blue circles indicating points of interest along the routes — **Virtual Trail**

Horses pull a covered wagon in front of chimney rock — **Virtual Trail**

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 days ago

Here is some trail scenery (and thoughts of spring) for your Monday morning.“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” – Percy Bysshe ShelleyWe get it. It's been a long, cold winter. But the days are getting longer and in about 6 weeks it will be spring! Soon enough the grass will start to green up and the first flowers of the year will be blooming. What's your favorite sign of spring on the prairie? #MonumentMonday #ThinkingOfSpring Image- Eagle Rock and Dome Rock as seen from the west of Mitchell Pass. NPS/Eric Grunwald ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

4 days ago

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Oregon-California Trails Association

4 days ago

OCTA E-News for Friday, February 3, 2023 - ... See MoreSee Less

OCTA E-News for Friday, February 3, 2023

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2023 OCTA Spring Symposium Journey West from St. Joseph Symposium March 30 - April 2, 2023 St. Joseph, Missouri

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Oregon-California Trails Association

5 days ago

It is Friday with the Donner/Reed party.Fridays with the Donner PartyRelief Preparations:Early February, 1847: Rescuer Daniel Rhoads remembered, "They gave the alarm that the people would all die without assistance. It was two weeks before any person would consent to go. Finally, we concluded we would go or die trying, for not to make any attempt to save them would be a disgrace to us and California as long as time lasted." John Sutter, proprietor of Sutter's Fort, and Captain Edward Kern, the fort's temporary commander, offer $3 a day to anyone who will join a rescue party.On the other side of the mountains, the settlers around Sutter’s Fort prepared to relieve the suffering emigrants. George Tucker, who was 16 at the time, remembered the preparations in 1879, when he wrote to C.F. McGlashan:“in the corse of Six or Eight days Six men Came up with the Suplies mean while we had butchered five or six fat beaves, furnished by Johnson and was drying and Jirking the meat we Scowered the country far and near to get horses and mules to ride and pack--& Sadles and pack Sadles”February 3, 1847: Alcalde Bartlett of San Francisco calls a public meeting to raise funds and organize a party to rescue the trapped emigrants. The local citizens make generous donations of money, goods, and services.Lake Cabin Group:Diary entries taken from (donnerpartydiary.com)January 28, 1847: full Moon Thur.sd 28th cleared off last night & froze some today fine & warm wind S-E looks some like spring weather birds chirping quite lively full Moon to day.January 29, 1847: While recuperating, Eddy has dictated a letter which has been carried to John Sinclair, the alcalde (magistrate) of the Sacramento district. Sinclair alerts others in the area and on this day writes a letter to his colleague Washington A. Bartlett, alcalde of San Francisco.January 30, 1847: Patrick Breen's diary: "John & Edw went to Graves this morning. The Graves Seized on Mrs Reid's goods until they would be paid. Also took the hides that she & family had to live on. She got two pieces of hides from there, & the balance they have taken. You may know from these proceedings what our fare is in camp. There is nothing to be got by hunting; yet perhaps there soon will. God send it. Amen."January 31, 1847: Patrick Breen's diary: "Lantron Murphy died last night about 1 o'clock. Mrs. Reid & John went to Graves this Morning to look after her goods."In 1896, William Murphy gave a lecture at Truckee, as reported in the Marysville Appeal:Then my eldest brother was very weak, and almost at death’s door, and my mother went to the Breens, and begged a small piece of meat, just a few mouthfuls. This is in the history recorded by Mr. Breen. I remember the little piece of meat; my mother gave half of it to my dying brother, and he ate it, fell off to sleep, with hollow death-gurgling snore, and when the sound ceased, I went to him, and he was dead - starved to death in my presence. My mother said that if she had known he was going to die, she would have given him the balance of the meat while she was starving too; and she had her two little boys, her daughter, three little children all of us starving, waiting for relief.Eliza Farnham’s 1856 book California In-Doors and Out:The poor emaciated boy, though he tasted what she brought, was too far gone to revive; and in a short time, she sent a messenger up to ask her good neighbor to come down with one of her sons, and assist in burying him in the snow! What a burial was that! Performed by two starving women, and a lad scarcely more alive than the one he was assisting to bury!February 2, 1847: Harriet McCutchen dies.Harriet’s exact age is not known, but she was probably between one and two years old. Historian and author, McGlashan lists her as one of the nursing infants of the Donner Party; Mary Graves wrote that her little sister Elizabeth and Harriet were about the same age.When Amanda went with the Forlorn Hope, she left Harriet with the Graveses. The child suffered terribly, tormented by lice, before she died on February 2. Patty Reed Lewis, who had lived in the adjoining Reed cabin, remembered hearing Harriet’s cries.The Graveses reportedly buried her near the side of the cabin, but in 1871 McCutchen wrote, "My child was dead before the Glover party reached the emigrant camp, and when we succeeded in getting in, Mr. Reed and myself buried the remains."February 3, 1847: Cloudy looks like more snow not cold, froze alittle last night, sun shines out at times.Photo: Patrick Breen’s diary showing entries from late January and early February. ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

7 days ago

For Black History Month, learn more about African Americans who traveled on the overland trails. Here is a link to Dr. Shirley Ann Wilson Moore's study "Sweet Freedom's Plains: African Americans on the Overland Trails 1841-1869" - this is a downloadable PDF.https://www.nps.gov/oreg/learn/historyculture/upload/Sweet-Freedom-s-Plains-508.pdfIf you prefer to read a book instead of a PDF, you can purchase "Sweet Freedom's Plains" in the OCTA store.https://octa-trails.org/product/sweet-freedoms-plains/#BlackHistoryMonth ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

7 days ago

Here is some trail history for the first day of Black History Month.James Beckwourth (originally Beckwith) was born a slave in Virginia around 1800 but moved to Missouri with his owner around 1809. His owner, who was also his father, freed him in 1824 and that same year, Beckwourth joined William Ashley's Rocky Mountain Fur Company, becoming part of the booming fur trade. In the following years, Beckwourth established a reputation as a storyteller, a brave fighter, and a competent frontiersman. He would remain in the West for the majority of his life and would play a role in its shaping. He would help open California to settlement by the discovery of Beckwourth Pass through the Sierra Nevada and establish the Beckwourth Trail. He was one of the many fur traders and trappers that helped pioneer the West and his legacy is preserved in his autobiography. #MidwestNPS #FindYourPark #BlackHistoryMonthPhoto: The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth (Public Domain) ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 weeks ago

The Southern Trails Chapter of OCTA closed out its Tombstone Gathering with a celebration of the addition of the Butterfield Overland to the National Historic Trails System earlier this month when President Biden signed the bill into law. ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 weeks ago

OCTA E-News for Friday, January 27, 2023 - ... See MoreSee Less

OCTA E-News for Friday, January 27, 2023

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2023 OCTA Spring Symposium Journey West from St. Joseph Symposium March 30 - April 2, 2023 St. Joseph, Missouri

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 weeks ago

It is Friday with the Donner/Reed party.Friday With The Donners, January 27th.Relief Preparations-In California, preparations for relief began, as related by George Tucker, who was 16 at the time. In 1879 he wrote to C.F. McGlashan:“Captain Sutter and Alcalda St Clair who lived on what is now Called Norrises Ranch 2 1/2 miles from Sutter’s fort on the American River--and one of the wealthiest men in the Country, furnished Some provisions Such as flour Sugar Coffe and five or Six men that was living in the Settlement Volenterrd to go with the Suplies”Forlorn Hope Group-Those left in the Forlorn Hope group are William Eddy, Sarah Fosdick, Sarah Foster, William Foster, Mary Ann Graves, Amanda McClutchen, and Harriet Pike. These final seven survived the trail to California.Lake Cabin Group-At the Lake Cabin, 60 original party members remain, 15 Donners, 5 Murphys, 5 Reeds, 1 Foster, 8 Breens, 2 Pikes, 3 Kesebergs, 8 Graves, 3 Eddys, 2 McClutchens, 1 Wolfinger, and 7 teamsters. The following diary entries were made by Patrick Breen (https://www.donnerpartydiary.com/jan47.html);January 22, 1847“began to snow alitle after sunrise-likely to snow a good dale wind W came up very suddenly, now 10 Oclock”January 23, 1847“Blew hard & Snow, all night the most severe storm we experienced this winter wind W Sun now 12 Oclock peeps out”January 24, 1847“Some cloudy this morning ceased snowing yesterday about 2 Oclock, Wind about S.E all in good health thanks be to God for his Mercies endureth for ever, heard nothing from Murphys camp since the storm Expet to hear they suffered some”January 25, 1847“began to snow yesterday evening & Still continues”January 26, 1847“Cleared up yesterday today fine & pleasant, wind S. in hopes we are done with snow storms, those that went to Suitors not yet returned provisions getting very scant people getting weak liveing on short allowance of hides”Janaury 27, 1847“began to Snow yesterday & still continues to sleet thawing alittle. Keysber here this morning Lewis Suitor, he says died three days ago.”Lewis Suitor appears to be a slip of the pen reference to Sutter’s Indian Lewis, but was meant to be the infant Lewis Keseburg, Jr., who had been born on the trail. This baby was presumably given his father’s full name, but he is always referred to as "Louis (or Lewis), Jr.". On June 3, 1846, diarist Edwin Bryant reported:“A wagon belonging to a German emigrant named Keyesburgh, whose wife carried in her arms a small child, and was in a delicate condition [i.e., pregnant], was upset, and the woman and child precipitated in to a pool of water... the woman and child escaped without material injury.”Lewis, Jr. would have been one of six nursing infants of the Donner Party. He died in the Murphy Cabin on January 24, only 7 months old.“Keysburg sick & Lanthrom(Landrum Murphy, 15) lying in bed the whole of his time dont have fire enough to Cook their hides, Bill (William Murphy, 11) & Si. Murphy(Simon, 12) sick.”Photo- Alder Creek Memorial Marker- Complete list of the members of the Donner Party who occupied the various cabins and tents, including Overland Tail infant, Lewis Keseburg. Marker is in Truckee, CA, in Nevada County. It is located on the Nature Trail, about 100 yards south of the museum building at the Donner Memorial State Park. ... See MoreSee Less

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Oregon-California Trails Association

2 weeks ago

Who remembers Walt Disney and the Oregon Trail? ... See MoreSee Less

Walt Disney's "Along the Oregon Trail" Season 3 Ep 10

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From Season 3 of Walt Disney's Disneyland Anthology program we have Episode 10: Along the Oregon Trail which aired on November 14th, 1956. Walt begins the s...

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Reading, Writing and Riding Along the Oregon-California Trails (An Educational Activity Book), by William E. Hill $8.95