Applegate Trail

The Applegate Trail was a wilderness trail through today's U.S. states of Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon, and was originally intended as a less dangerous route to the Oregon Territory. U.S. Route 99 through Oregon (now Oregon Route 99) and Interstate 5 follow the trail's route.

Background

In 1843, part of the Applegate family of Missouri headed west along the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country.Most, Stephen. [http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/narratives/subtopic.cfm?subtopic_ID=270 The Oregon History Project: Subtopic : Inhabiting the Land: The Applegate Trail.] Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved on June 8 2008.] Charles, Jesse, and Lindsay led their families along the trail and lost two children on the journey down the Columbia River. The hardships along the way influenced the family to find an easier and safer way to the Willamette Valley.

In 1846, the Oregon Provisional Legislature allowed the Applegates and others to attempt to find a more southerly route to Oregon.cite book
last = Brown
first = J. Henry
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Brown’s Political History of Oregon: Provisional Government
publisher = Wiley B. Allen
date = 1892
volume =
ISBN =
pages=292
doi = ] The group began the task on June 25 1846, with Jesse Applegate, Lindsay Applegate, David Goff, John Owen, B. F. Burch, W. Sportsman, Robert Smith, a Mr. Goodhue, J. Jones, B. Ausbuan, and Levi Scott starting the survey. Leaving La Creole, the party spent three and a half months surveying a route on a round trip to Fort Hall in present day Idaho. At that location the Applegate Trail departed the main branch of the Oregon Trail.Corning, Howard M. (1989) "Dictionary of Oregon History". Portland: Binfords & Mort Publishing. p. 218–19.] On the return trip, the group brought approximately 150 immigrants along this southern route also known as the South Road and Scott-Applegate Trail.

Route

From Fort Hall, the route headed south following the Humboldt River before passing through the Nevada desert. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Notable Oregonians: Jesse Applegate - Pioneer
work = Oregon Blue Book
publisher = Oregon State Archives
date = 2008
url = http://bluebook.state.or.us/notable/notapplegate.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-06-07] The trail then entered northern California and passed Goose and Tule lakes. After crossing the Lost River, the route then crossed the Klamath Basin and the Cascade Range into Southern Oregon. The trail then followed Keene Creek to the Siskiyou Mountains where it followed the south branch of the Rogue River. Heading northerly, the route followed the Umpqua River before crossing the Calapooya Mountains into the southern Willamette Valley.

ubsequent history

The trail continued to be used and improved over the next few decades after the initial party traveled the trail. In 1848, when news of the California Gold Rush reached the Willamette Valley, many settlers left Oregon for the gold fields using the trail to reach northern California. This included Jesse and Lindsay Applegate. On August 3 1992, the Applegate Trail became a National Historic Trail as part of the California National Historic Trail. [ [http://www.nps.gov/archive/cali/cali.htm California National Historic Trail.] National Park Service. Retrieved on June 8 2008.]

See also

* Barlow Road
* Meek Cutoff
* Oregon-California Trails Association
* Oregon Historic Trails Advisory Council
* Santiam Wagon Road

References

External links

* [http://www.webtrail.com/applegate/index.html History of the Applegate Trail]
* [http://canvocta.org/routes/route_Lassen.html Applegate-Lassen Route] at California - Nevada Chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA)
* [http://www.canvocta.org/deathsandgraves.htm Deaths and Graves On The Applegate-Lassen Trail] at California - Nevada Chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA)