In 1849 over 32,000 people traveled the Oregon - California Trail, hoping that at the end of their journey they would find gold. Weather, disease, starvation and thirst were constant companions to the pioneers on their four to six month treck. For many, their journey ended on the trail. For others, the trail was a training ground for the trials of the gold fields.
Click on the links below to learn more about the Oregon - California Trail.
The Oregon Trail
- Overview of the Trail with links to several other pages
National Oregon/California Trail Center - official site
The Oregon/Califorina Trail Association - includes diary entries, facts and emigrant profiles
National Oregon/California Trail Center - official site
The Oregon/Califorina Trail Association - includes diary entries, facts and emigrant profiles
Primary Sources:
Diaries of
Pioneers - Several links to first hand accounts
Diaries, Memoirs, Letters and Reports - several diaries linked; helpful hints on how to read the diaries
The Diary of Philemon D. Morriss - written in 1852
The Gold Rush Diary of George Bonniwell - 1850-1900; includes his accounts of the overland trail
What I Saw in California by Edwin Bryant - personal accounts of his journey
Diaries, Memoirs, Letters and Reports - several diaries linked; helpful hints on how to read the diaries
The Diary of Philemon D. Morriss - written in 1852
The Gold Rush Diary of George Bonniwell - 1850-1900; includes his accounts of the overland trail
What I Saw in California by Edwin Bryant - personal accounts of his journey