Oregon Trail Content (1 results)

Very good. Very good. Light foxing. Size 15.25 x 12 Inches. This is an 1845 Joseph Meyer map of Missouri, published near the height of Oregon-bound migration. Independence, Missouri, a city founded in western Missouri near the Missouri River, acted as the launching point for the Oregon Trail and the Santa Fe Trail, two important wagon routes across the western United States. Go West! Independence appears in the upper third of the state near Missouri's western border. A road heading south from Independence is labeled von Santa Fe , identifying the older of the two emigrant routes. The Oregon Trail remains unlabeled but unmistakably appears, heading north along the Missouri River to Fort Leavenworth. The road across the state from Independence to St. Charles and St. Louis is illustrated in detail, with mileage between the towns noted. Rivers and streams provide even more understanding of the state's geography. A mileage chart in the lower left corner summarizes three routes across the state, giving mileage between the towns and other landmarks. The Santa Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail The Santa Fe Trail was opened by William Becknell in 1821. It began as a merchant route and operated until the Santa Fe Railroad was completed in 1880. The Oregon Trail (the more famous of the two) was initially blazed by trappers and fur traders beginning around 1811. At that time, it was passable on horseback and on foot. The first migrant wagon train was organized in 1836. Hundreds of thousands traveled along the Oregon Trail and its offshoots, settling territory from Missouri to Oregon. The transcontinental railroad helped end the era of the trail's usage since the railroad made the trip faster, safer, and cheaper. Publication History and Census This map was created and published by Joseph Meyer in his Hand-Atlas . We note 2 examples of this map cataloged in OCLC, which are part of the collections at the University of Michigan and the Birmingham Public Library. References: Rumsey 4807.161. OCLC 891775397, 878506293.