M. Eddy, city surveyor, San Francisco, Dec. 31st 1849." Westward to western Wyoming it shares much of its route with the Pony Express Trail, the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Pioneer Trail, and the Union Pacific route of the Transcontinental Railroad. They would switch to the other side if feed was in short supply. However, that changed in 1832 when Benjamin Bonneville, a United States Army officer, requested a leave of absence to pursue an expedition to the west. 11. A color, topographical map of the entire California NHT is available as a pdf file (744kb). Much of the original trail is now accessible by car. There were rare attacks by Indians. Early emigrants once called the California Trail an elephant, due to the difficult journey. Sectioned and mounted on cloth backing. In 1847 members of the Mormon Battalion were honorably discharged at Los Angeles, California from their service in the U.S. Army during the Mexican War. To order maps and brochures, please go to the Trail Brochures webpage.. California National Historic Trail Topographical Map. pink line, boundary of original survey as made by J. O'Farrel, c.e." Among them was a man named Joseph Chiles, who would lead another party to California in 1843 and play an important part in the subsequent opening of more segments of the California Trail. A few may have settled along the trail before reaching California. Oregon Trail, a.k.a. The 1851 map “A New Map of the Gold Region in California” illustrates what California looked like just two years after the start of the 1849 gold rush. The vast majority of the trail data is unavailable on any other digital map. Colton’s maps were expensive and attractive, known for their decorative borders and illustrations. Various routes branched out across the Sierra Nevada, as the emigrants made their way to various destinations in California. Here, the route divided to follow the north and south sides of the river, before rejoining at Humboldt Bar. Millard Fillmore. No complete list of pioneer settlers who traveled the California Trail is known to exist. The expedition was financed by John Jacob Astor, a rival of the Hudson Bay company. "Presented to the Senators and Representatives from California by Wm. The Cherokee Trail was a historic overland trail through the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana that was used from the late 1840s up through the early 1890s.. The Oregon~California Trail. In 1849 Gold Rushemigrants … FHL Digital images, California Trail Map & Advice for Emigrants - Donner Summit Historical Society, Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois Genealogy, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California Genealogy, Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon Genealogy, Carson City (Independent City), Nevada Genealogy, National Park Service - Trail Map, Brochure and Auto Tours Interpretive Guides, United States Overland Travel 1840 to 1865, Oregon Trail, California Trail (National Institute), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Trail, http://www.nps.gov/cali/planyourvisit/upload/CALImap1-web.pdf, http://emigranttrailswest.org/virtual-tour/california-trail/, https://www.blm.gov/visit/california-trail-interpretive-center, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emigrant_trail, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Trail, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Trail, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_Trail, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bozeman_Trail, California Genealogical Society and Library, Fresno City and County Historical Society Archives, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library, Tuolumne County Genealogical Society Library, US Immigration Ship (Vessel) Arrival Records, Grout Museum of History and Science Library, Mid-Continent Public Library Midwest Genealogy Center, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Fort Hays State University Forsyth Library, Riley County Genealogical Society Library, University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library, Kansas City Public Library Missouri Valley Special Collections, Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Library, Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library, Southern Utah University Gerald R. Sherratt Library, Wyoming State Archives and Historical Department, https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/index.php?title=California_Trail&oldid=4061992, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was … Because the over 5,000 mile long trail covers parts of ten states, this map measures approximately 46" x 9". Pioneers traveled to Oregon and California using a network of trails leading west. Jefferson, New York, 1849 (11 p., negative photocopy, folded in pocket, 16 cm.). Devil’s Gate 6. Numerous cutoffs and alternate routes were tried along the California Trail to see which was the “best” in terms of terrain, length and sufficient water and grass for livestock. The Overland Trails 1840 - 1860 During the 1840s tens of thousands of American migrants made long journeys through the American West seeking land in Oregon, gold in California… Required fields are marked *. More than 300 historic sites along the trail will eventually be available for public use and interpretation. Map of the United States, the British Provinces, Mexico, etc. Randolph B. Marcy escorted a large company of them westward along the Canadian River, establishing the Canadian River route of the southern California Road. Before the trail was blazed, the Great Basin region had only been partially explored during the days of Spanish and Mexican rule. Your email address will not be published. The California Trail system, which now includes approximately 5,665 miles of trails, was developed over a period of years. Our cookies are delicious. The California Trail carried over 250,000 gold-seekers and farmers to the goldfields and rich farmlands of the Golden State during the 1840s and 1850s, the greatest mass migration in American history. California emigrants faced the greatest challenges of all the pioneer emigrants of the mid-19th century. According to some statistics, over 70,000 emigrants used the California Trail in 1849 and 1850 alone. There is no shortage of historical landmarks on the California Trail. I am a descendant of an immigrant who went through in 1850, and whose diary – below – describes similar privations as described in the write-up, but in a lot of detail – see link below. The Hudspeth Cutoff, which was opened in 1849 by the wagon train captained by Benoni Hudspeth and guided by John Myers, joined the California Trail about a mile south of Marker C-4 where the trail … Relief shown by hachures. Today, more than 1,000 miles of trail ruts and traces can still be seen in the vast undeveloped lands between Casper, Wyoming and the West Coast, reminders of the sacrifices, struggles, and triumphs of early American travelers and settlers. Pioneer emigrants of the emigrant road from Independence, Mo California following the discovery of gold at Sutter 's,. 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