LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Oregon Trail
built 818 days ago
The Oregon Trail was the main east-west thoroughfare of the United States from the 1830's to 1869, when the transcontinental railroad was completed. Between 250,000 to 300,000 pioneers traveled the trail which stretched 2,000 miles from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon. These people were seeking a better life in the newly opened lands of the west. The journey took six months via covered wagon and one in ten died along the way due to disease and severe conditions they had to endure along the trail. The vision of personal freedom and entrepreneurship which drove these pioneers paved the way to make the United States the "Land Of Golden Opportunity."
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The Oregon Trail was not a single path to the West, but a series of trails leading to the Columbia River and the Willamette Valley. The point of origination was in Missouri, frequently from Independence and sometimes from Westport and St. Joseph. The main trail pushed across present-day Kansas and Nebraska, following the North Platt River to Fort Laramie.
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The Oregon Trail gives players opportunities to rationally think about the situation, giving many options and many possible consequences for each event... building problem solving skills. The initial choice players make, and can constantly change if wished, is the pace of the oxen. A faster pace will allow the party to reach Oregon sooner, granting time bonuses. Moreover, the trail becomes much more difficult to travel when encroaching upon the winter months. However, a faster pace will result in a higher probability of wagon parts breaking or oxen dying. A similar set of choice is given for the amount of food to be distributed among the family; a severely reduced diet will result in a higher chance of members succumbing to illness and/or dying.
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Traditionally, the story of the Oregon Trail begins with the European/American discovery of the Columbia River and the voyages of captains Gray and Vancouver in 1792. These explorers' ships were just two of the 28 trading vessels in the Northwest in that year. After the mid-1780's, a thriving sea-otter fur trade centered at Nootka Sound (on present-day Vancouver Island) as part of a vast trading network which linked London, New England, Hawaii, Canada's coastal islands, Russian Alaska, and China. In spite of well-traveled trade routes along the Pacific Coast, the mouth of the Columbia River remained hidden from explorers behind constant rain and mist until 1792.
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The RNV version of Oregon Trail® 5 (RNV), created for use with the Riverdeep Software Manager, must be installed to the server from a client workstation. View the remainder of this note for the installation instructions.
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Beyond Chimney Rock, the next Oregon-Mormon Trail landmark was Scott's Bluff. The first traders to see it was Robert Stuart and the Astorians in 1812. The bluff was named for Hiram Scott whose body was found near the bluff in 1830. The Oregon Trail picture is taken from the summit of Scott's Bluff.
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Oregon Trail