How Has the Trail Changed?
In 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed and completely changed the way Americans traveled. Now they could arrive in Oregon in a matter of days instead of months. Then, in 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad allowed the emigrants with even faster travel. From 1880 to 1890, the population of Oregon went from 175,000 to 300,000 (Dary, 2004). As more and more emigrants began traveling the train, the Oregon Trail began to disappear as grass and other vegetation began to grow over the roads. The railway system began to expand and the first highway to parallel the trail was US 30 (Oregon Department of Transportation and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, 2007). Later Interstate 84 became the main highway to travel on and at many spots goes only a few miles from where the emigrants would travel.
The states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon are part of the National State Park and are still bearing the marks of the emigrants that traveled. Today, the wagon ruts can still be seen in many places along the trail and one can actually stop and walk in those tracks where the oxen pulled the wagons towards their destination. Thousands of people emigrated west to find new homes and opportunities and caused a surge in population in many states of the west. It is clear that without the Oregon Trail, the west might not be what it is today.
In 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed and completely changed the way Americans traveled. Now they could arrive in Oregon in a matter of days instead of months. Then, in 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad allowed the emigrants with even faster travel. From 1880 to 1890, the population of Oregon went from 175,000 to 300,000 (Dary, 2004). As more and more emigrants began traveling the train, the Oregon Trail began to disappear as grass and other vegetation began to grow over the roads. The railway system began to expand and the first highway to parallel the trail was US 30 (Oregon Department of Transportation and the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, 2007). Later Interstate 84 became the main highway to travel on and at many spots goes only a few miles from where the emigrants would travel.
The states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon are part of the National State Park and are still bearing the marks of the emigrants that traveled. Today, the wagon ruts can still be seen in many places along the trail and one can actually stop and walk in those tracks where the oxen pulled the wagons towards their destination. Thousands of people emigrated west to find new homes and opportunities and caused a surge in population in many states of the west. It is clear that without the Oregon Trail, the west might not be what it is today.