The Oregon Trail
In 1827, a fur trader’s route was established as the
“Independence” Oregon-California Trail. This trail became the major
route to the Western Frontier before the introduction of the railroad.
In this lesson you will be following the Trail and reading stories from
the pioneers. You will see some of the major landmarks on the way
and discover the hazards of traveling the Trail.
* Read the following excerpt from The Oregon Trail Diary of
Hattie Campbell and answer the questions.
“Inside it’s neatly packed, but crowded. Our boxes of food,
dishes, and pots are in back to make cooking quicker, tools and
furniture are in front with our barrel of water. In the middle, between
sacks of flour and beans, is a small nest where I can sit with the boys.
Two lanterns hang from the hoops, along with extra coils of rope, our
canteens, tin pans, and tin cups. It is noisy as a tinker’s cart.
There’s not one spare inch for anyone to stretch out inside, so
every night we must pitch tents…”1
1. Did Hattie’s family pack to much or too little?
2. What would you pack or leave behind? Why?
3. Would you feel comfortable sleeping outside in a tent for six
months?
4. How do you think Hattie is feeling about the journey?
To help you understand better, you will look at a picture of a
covered wagon in Arcview.
1. Open the Arcview 3.2 program by double clicking on the icon.
1
Gregory, K. The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell 1847. Scholastic Inc. New York 1997
The Oregon Trail
2. Select Open Project from the File drop down menu.
2. Navigate to: c:\Oregon trail\oregontrail.apr and click OK.
The Oregon Trail
3. In the oregontrail.apr window click on layouts. Select Wagon
Diagram and click open.
4. Enlarge the layout by clicking the Actual Size button.
Explore the picture and imagine what it was like to sit in a fully
packed wagon. Close the layout.
The Oregon Trail
Before leaving on the journey, let’s take a look at the map of the
trail through the United States we know now.
1. In the oregontrail.apr window click on Views. Select The
Oregon Trail and click open.
The highlighted states are where the Oregon Trail passed
through on its way to Oregon.
5. What are the names of the five states?
Close the View.
We are ready to set out on the journey. The first part of journey
is easy. There is plenty of water and food for the animals. The trail is
easy with no large hills to go down. To get a better idea of what the
area was like, let’s look at a map of the first section of the trail.
1. In Arcview, open Map 1 view. Here is what it should look like.
The Oregon Trail
Using the Zoom Tool
, zoom in on the printing in the bottom
right hand corner. This is information on what the trail and its
surrounding area are like.
1. What are the conditions like along this section of the trail?
2. Do you think the conditions now give the settlers hope for the rest
of the trail?
3. Will the conditions remain this good or worsen?
4. Are you willing to continue?
Before we move on, let’s find out how far you can expect to
travel in a day. On the bottom of map one, there is a scale. Using the
scale, determine the distance between to stopping points (use two
points with dates on them.) You may want to zoom in on the area to
make reading easier.
1. How far did the settlers travel in a day?
2. How long would it take for us to travel that far today?
There were many hazards people could encounter on the Trail.
Read the following excerpts from Across the Wide and Lonesome
Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell 1847. Answer the
questions that follow.
“While crossing the Big Blue, Jake, Bennie, and I sat in our little spot in the
wagon. As we floated I could feel the pull and jerk as the animals struggled to
swim…
Suddenly, Pa jumped into the river…”
“I looked out and there in the middle of the current was two wagons side by
side, their mules swimming hard, their big brown heads straining for breath.
Somehow one of the mules drifted downstream into the other team and got its
hooves tangled in the harnesses.
The poor mule panicked, then right before our eyes the animals began to
drown. They sank so fast they pulled the wagons underwater before anyone had a
chance to jump out. Two families disappeared just like that.”
“Pepper and I followed a tiny stream out of camp to a marshy area. Growing
nearby was a small crop of wild carrots and parsnips…
Something terrible has happened and I fear I am to blame.
The Oregon Trail
Just before supper last night little Cassia came to where Pepper and I was
cutting up potatoes and onions for soup. While Cassia watched, I sliced the parsnips
and gave her a couple bites…
…Suddenly I remembered Cassia.
We called her name. Gideon found her curled up inside his family’s wagon.
When I saw him carrying her limp body in his arms, and when I realized she was
dead, I broke down.”2
1. What were the two hazards settlers faced along the trail?
2. Why was a river crossing so dangerous when you were inside the
wagon?
3. What could the little girl have done that she died?
4. Why do you think most settlers continued on even after deaths in
the train?
5. What other hazards might settlers face?
6. Would you continue?
Open Map 1. Open Map 2 from the project window. Make sure the
hotlinks theme is active (should look raised.)
1. On the tool bar select the hotlink tool:
2
Gregory, K. Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell 1847.
Scholastic Inc. New York. 1997
The Oregon Trail
2. Move the lightening bolt over to the purple star (a) and click. A
picture should pop-up (b).
a.
b.
Any time you see a purple star, you can access pictures for
many major landmarks along the route.
Now it is time for you to add some things to the maps.
1. Close Map 2 and open Map 1.
2. On the tool bar select the drawing tool. Hold the mouse button
down to see the drop down menu and select the line tool.
The Oregon Trail
3. On the map, click your mouse button on the red point representing
West Port, Missouri. This is where your line will begin.
4. Move your mouse along the trail clicking as needed to keep the line
following the trail on the map. Note: Do not double click on any given
point, as this will end your line.
5. Continue drawing your line until you get to the last point on the
map. At the last point on the map, you may double click to end your
line.
6. Go to the Window drop down menu and select the Show symbol
window option. This is where you can change the size and color of
your line, as you like.
Chose any two maps you wish to use to draw the trail and base
your journal entries on.
For your journal, you are required to do several things:
1. Write an entry for every date on the two maps. The length should
vary depending on how long you’ve traveled that day and how long the
stop was. Include how far you traveled that day and where you have
stopped. You may wish to write a quick entry at noon stops.
2. Describe the major landmarks (hotlinks) you pass on your way.
Use information you already know about the landmark to describe the
activities that would happen at it.
The Oregon Trail
3. In your entries, include descriptions of some of the events that
might happen along the trail, i.e. deaths, births, river crossings,
celebrations, Indians. Use your imagination and the information you
already have to help you.
* Remember: These are entries from the early 1800’s. They should
be about things that are happening along the trail, with neighboring
wagons, and with your family. You can use fictional names or names
you of people you know to give your family and neighbors character.