Nine Places Where You Can Still See Wheel Tracks from the Oregon Trail

[rangerrebew]

Nine Places Where You Can Still See Wheel Tracks from the Oregon Trail
The legendary trail has carved itself into American history—and, in some places, into the earth itself
By Jennifer Billock
smithsonian.com
October 3, 2016


Any child of the 1980s is familiar with the basic skeleton of the Oregon Trail, from the celebrations warranted by a sight of Chimney Rock to the dangers of running a team of oxen at a grueling pace with meager rations. But even devoted players of the classic computer game, which turned 45 this year, may not know that relics of the trail itself are still carved into the landscapes of the United States.

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/follow-relics-oregon-trail-180960589/#1mFrWmfPvILpUBHr.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv

[driftdiver]

Thats actually kinda cool.   Think about sitting in a wagon, day after day for months.   Some of those hills look pretty steep.

[Fishrrman]

I recall reading and doing pic searches... that as late as the 1930's remnants of the Donner Party's wagons could still be found in the salt desert south of the Great Salt Lake.

I'm sure that what pieces were left have been recovered by now, either by researchers or others who were fascinated by the story of the Donner/Reed party. Some of the territory they crossed is now covered by water.

In some places, the wagon tracks remain.

[Frank Cannon]

If these settlers that headed to Oregon could see into the future and see what Portland was going to turn into, I wonder if they would have turned around and gone back east.

[bigheadfred]

My folks are from the area where the California Trial splits off from the Oregon Trail. Used to be, back when I was a kid and most of the land was still held by the original homesteaders, you could travel around a bit. See some tracks, campsites, trail markers, etc. Nowadays a lot of that land, and legacy, has been locked off, destroyed, ignored. By people who are headed back the other way.

[bigheadfred]

If these settlers that headed to Oregon could see into the future and see what Portland was going to turn into, I wonder if they would have turned around and gone back east.

No. Those people wouldn't have. The people that live there now don't invest. They infest.

[truth_seeker]

[Fishrrman]

The parting of the ways:
https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/parting-ways

[truth_seeker]

The parting of the ways:
https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/parting-ways

This information is fascinating. An ancestor of mine went from New Hampshire to California by ship around the Cape Horn, in search of California's gold riches. He failed to get rich, returned to New England and a few years later headed West again this time to Minnesota.

Near the same time other ancestors were among the Mormons. Native born Americans departed Iowa, and were joined by convert emigrants from Europe--mainly England, Denmark, etc. 

[bigheadfred]

To be more clear, here is another map of the various trails and cut-offs. My parents' place is at Elba, Idaho. About 8-10 miles from the City of Rocks. At the City of Rocks there are engravings/inscriptions made by people traveling through. On my mom's side of the family, my great-grandfather homesteaded about 5-6 miles from the City of Rocks.





A google search image at Register rock--The City of Rocks



@truth_seeker @Fishrrman

My uncle has become somewhat of a local historian. And he has contributed severl writings and artifacts to the local museums.

I also find the information fascinating. To the left of the homestead, up on Cache Peak, me GGF made a mining claim that is still held by the family. The interesting part is he stated in some of his letters, was that the spot had a 100' deep shaft there, with several adits, that were old. Far older than any earlier pioneers would have made. The speculation has been that it was the Spanish who dug the original shaft, but there is no record we can find of that. It would be fun to know how far North the Spanish went looking for gold. There is some gold there.

[truth_seeker]

"There is some gold there. " @bigheadfred @Fishrrman

All of that local history is wonderful. Diggs Idaho is where the early trappers, mountain men & guides held Rendezvous.

My paternal grandmother's grandparents were on the 2nd Mormon wagon group across. Soon after arriving (1847-48) in the Salt Lake City area, they were sent to Southern Utah (Parowan).

Two generations later (1900) they moved to Cowley Wyoming to build the Sidon Canal (Big Horn Basin-east of Cody).
As a kid I lived in Salt Lake City, Casper Wyoming, and Fort Morgan Colorado.

Me, I never spoke no Mormon--but they played a very meaningful role in the settlement of the West. For example they raised the "Mormon Battalion" for the war with Mexico to acquire a vast western territories.

Bighead, maybe go find some gold?

[Free Vulcan]

My ggg-grandfather's twin brother left for the Willamette valley in 1848 at the age of 50 with his wife and all his adult children starting here in Iowa where they had settled from North Carolina about a decade earlier (and we still live).

They first went Salt Lake to drop off a daughter who apparently converted to Mormonism (we live across the Mississippi from Nauvoo, IL) where the mother died, and my uncle and the rest of the kids made it to Oregon, where he died right before reaching their destination.

Later on one of my ggg-grandfather's daughters and her husband and kids went out there and I assume hooked up with the rest of the family.

There's also a guy I know who lives in our county who's gg-grandfather was in the Donner party.

[Fishrrman]

Free Vulcan wrote:
"There's also a guy I know who lives in our county who's gg-grandfather was in the Donner party."

I've read three books on the Donner Party.
I'd be interested in knowing who he was.

[Forum member]

I flew with a helicopter pilot who pointed out wagon ruts in the sagebrush. Probably just a road to town. I had walked and driven by there many times and never noticed. He said they can be apparent from the air a few feet up once you look for them. Historical groups have hired him to map out old roads.

[Free Vulcan]

Free Vulcan wrote:
"There's also a guy I know who lives in our county who's gg-grandfather was in the Donner party."

I've read three books on the Donner Party.
I'd be interested in knowing who he was.

Patrick Breen. More info here: https://user.xmission.com/~octa/DonnerParty/Breen.htm

[truth_seeker]

Elevation Donner Pass 7,056' and Reno NV 4,505' and Sacramento CA 30'

Net vertical gain from the East is 2,551'
Net vertical gain from the West is 7,026'

Good thing they were heading west

[RetBobbyMI]

Can still see the wheel ruts in the rock near Guernsey, Wy, just west of Torrington.

[Fishrrman]

Vulcan wrote:
"Patrick Breen. More info here..."

It was Breen, a Catholic who "kept the diary".
His faith must have been strong -- one of the Reed girls was inspired enough by the Breens that she converted to Catholicism after being rescued.

The Breen family was one of two that survived the ordeal without losing any members.
The Reeds were the other.