"The Oregon Trail"
A talk by Roger Shaw - September 2017
A romanticised notion of the “wild west” depicted in Hollywood films falls far short of reality, explained Roger in the opening remarks of his talk to members of ACU3A at their general meeting on 19 September.
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson launched an initiative to find an overland route across the entire width of the country from East to West, a distance of approximately 3,000 miles. This would avoid the year-long sea journey between these two points around the southern tip of South America. (The Panama Canal did not of course exist at that time). The Oregon Trail was the result of the President’s initiative
At the start of the search for a route in 1804, the Great Plains of North America were dry, dusty and “boring”, said Roger. The early pioneers had to be tough and resilient to cope with mile after mile of rough terrain and the noise from metal-clad wagon wheels crashing over rocks whilst their wives and children lived under canvas and suffered considerable discomfort with all their possessions piled into a confined space. Many died from cholera during the journey. Nonetheless, thousands of men and their families were motivated to take up the challenge as an escape from extreme poverty on the Eastern seaboard of the United States, the ever-present tension created by the threat of civil war in the country, the incentives offered by government to develop the fertile lands of the North West and, unsurprisingly, the lure of becoming rich in the gold and lead mines of California, Colorado and Deadwood.
Wagons were pulled by oxen rather than horses, the former being altogether tougher, more powerful and calmer in temperament. As for sustenance along the way, buffalo meat was supplied to the travellers by native Indians and the rivers were relied upon to provide fresh drinking water. A wagon train could often stretch for some 300 miles and trading posts soon became established where food stocks could be replenished and the animals rested.
Once the overland route was established, the Pony Express soon came into being. However, it was not to last more than approximately 15 months, being overtaken by the coming of the railway and perhaps, more importantly, the development of telegraphic communication.
Roger’s description of the hardships faced by the early pioneers and his slides of original photographs of the wagon trains in which they lived for many months drew a very clear picture of a very unromantic existence.
Thank you to Colin for organising such an interesting speaker.
Janet Cato – September 2017
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson launched an initiative to find an overland route across the entire width of the country from East to West, a distance of approximately 3,000 miles. This would avoid the year-long sea journey between these two points around the southern tip of South America. (The Panama Canal did not of course exist at that time). The Oregon Trail was the result of the President’s initiative
At the start of the search for a route in 1804, the Great Plains of North America were dry, dusty and “boring”, said Roger. The early pioneers had to be tough and resilient to cope with mile after mile of rough terrain and the noise from metal-clad wagon wheels crashing over rocks whilst their wives and children lived under canvas and suffered considerable discomfort with all their possessions piled into a confined space. Many died from cholera during the journey. Nonetheless, thousands of men and their families were motivated to take up the challenge as an escape from extreme poverty on the Eastern seaboard of the United States, the ever-present tension created by the threat of civil war in the country, the incentives offered by government to develop the fertile lands of the North West and, unsurprisingly, the lure of becoming rich in the gold and lead mines of California, Colorado and Deadwood.
Wagons were pulled by oxen rather than horses, the former being altogether tougher, more powerful and calmer in temperament. As for sustenance along the way, buffalo meat was supplied to the travellers by native Indians and the rivers were relied upon to provide fresh drinking water. A wagon train could often stretch for some 300 miles and trading posts soon became established where food stocks could be replenished and the animals rested.
Once the overland route was established, the Pony Express soon came into being. However, it was not to last more than approximately 15 months, being overtaken by the coming of the railway and perhaps, more importantly, the development of telegraphic communication.
Roger’s description of the hardships faced by the early pioneers and his slides of original photographs of the wagon trains in which they lived for many months drew a very clear picture of a very unromantic existence.
Thank you to Colin for organising such an interesting speaker.
Janet Cato – September 2017