The challenge of crossing the Green variedwith the time of year and the annual snowpack in the Wind River Range. Commerce with pioneers going further west helped establish these early settlements and launched local economies critical to their prosperity. In many years the Indians fired much of the dry grass on the prairie every fall so the only trees or bushes available for firewood were on islands in the Platte river. After 1846 the towns of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Omaha, Nebraska (est. As the trail developed it became marked by numerous cutoffs and shortcuts from Missouri to Oregon. The next crossing of the Snake River was near Old Fort Boise. The next step was more difficult to build the mathematical models for the players river crossing experience. As you might remember, Im a big gaming nerd I even get to design games that teach kids kids about money. They not only helped in getting the wagons across, but provided even greater assistance in getting the emigrants livestock across safely. The game is simple and was created to teach school children about the life of a 19th century pioneer on the Oregon Trail. These burned fast in a breeze, and it could take two or more bushels of chips to get one meal prepared. From there it went southwest to Camas Prairie and ended at Old Fort Boise on the Boise River. . Southern Oregon 6. . Sale ends: 01/15/23 at 11:59 PM PT. All Rights Reserved, St. Joseph to Salt Lake City: Daily Journal, Keith Heyer Meldahl, Hard Road West, p. 145, TwoDot Books Is Publishing My Pony Express Bikepacking Narrative, Ride Follow-Up: Buddhists and Post Offices. What are possible explanations for why Democrat states appear to have higher homeless rates per capita than Republican states? While playing the game, people in your party can suddenly fall ill and die from multiple causes, such as a snakebite, measles, dysentery, cholera, typhoid, and even just exhaustion. As the North Platte veers to the south the trail crosses the North Platte to the Sweetwater River valley which heads almost due west. To meet the dangers of the crossings pioneers developed a variety of means to get across. There is also a nice camping area on the right about 3/4 of mile down the trail. The four rivers differed in size in both width and the depth but the actual depth at the time of the crossing depended on how much rain had recently fallen in the drainage basin of the river. For their own use and to encourage California and Oregon bound travelers the Mormons improved the Mormon Trail from Fort Bridger and the Salt Lake Cutoff trail. The historic 2,170-mile (3,490km)[2] Oregon Trail connected various towns along the Missouri River to Oregon's Willamette Valley. While fur trappers laid crude routes throughout the western frontier, it was Thomas Jefferson, Americas third president, who was credited with attempting to map out a formal route from the East that led to the Pacific Northwest. Thatll cost you $50 upfront to get those skills before you set off on your journey. The fur trade was the primary driver of the establishment of the Oregon Trail, which was to be used for other commercial trade purposes later. Confused? Emigrants arriving at the river in August, after much of the winter snow had melted, sometimes found it low enough to ford. From Fort Bridger the Mormon Trail continued southwest following the upgraded Hastings Cutoff[13] through the Wasatch Mountains. However, the pair succeeded in mapping out a key area along the Oregon Trail that was helpful for fur trappers and other trades people. How well this worked in practice is not stated. After the Vermillion River the trail angles northwest to Nebraska paralleling the Little Blue River until reaching the south side of the Platte River. Why a Side Hustle Is Your Biggest Student Loan Secret Weapon, How I Paid off $34,579 in Student Loans in Under 4 Years. , Before spring runoff and in late summer when the water level of the Green was low, fords provided relatively safe crossings. [35][36] Here most emigrants used the divisions of the river caused by three islands to cross the difficult and swift Snake River by ferry or by driving or sometimes floating their wagons and swimming their teams across. River crossings were always dangerous. I felt that a fully realized river-crossing module would provide a great educational opportunity, in addition to enriching the overall gameplay. (See: Missouri River settlements (18461854)[5]) The Mormons established about 50 temporary towns, including the town of Kanesville (renamed Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1852) on the east bank of the Missouri River opposite the mouth of the Platte. "The Oregon Trail officially ended at Abernethey Green in Oregon City. Its tempting to save a few bucks and just ford the river. The Green River Games is here to improve our pubic lands! All of the pictures I used in this post came from the original game. !0:32 I better get something this time _ 0:42 That couldn't have been that much closer _ 0:54 That was easy.1:39 If only the game would allow bullets to fly over dead animals.1:57 Meh, let's just continue.3:15 If I had more than 1, I might have traded. Lewis and Clarks findings were a disappointment to Jefferson as passing over land through the Rocky Mountains was a difficult feat for covered wagons. And with the updated version, you were given more choices at the beginning that impacted your journey later on. Be sure to bookmark it or share it with friends and family as well. Attempt to ford the river. Bad choice. Want to be a doctor? Unsubscribe anytime. Plus we save money and time instead of taking the ferry. In the finished game, when the player arrives at a river crossing, the first few screens provide a context to the player, and also allow the player to talk to people at the landmark, which can provide additional context and useful hints. The fur trade had slowed dramatically due to changes in mens fashion in Europe. In the final version of the game, your guide always makes the decision for you, and he always makes the best choice between fording and floating the wagon, given the current circumstances. Today's Idaho Interstate 84 roughly follows the Oregon Trail till it leaves the Snake River near Burley, Idaho. In the original algorithm, hiring an Indian guide cuts your risks in half, and also reduces your losses if something goes wrong. Once they transited the Cascade's Columbia River Gorge with its multiple rapids and treacherous winds they would have to make the 1.6 miles (2.6km) portage around the Cascade Rapids before coming out near the Willamette River where Oregon City, Oregon was located. When water levels were higher pioneers had other options. By the time weary pioneers enroute (sic) to Oregon, California, or Utah reached the east bank of the Green River, they had been on the trail for several months. Check out book three in the Jemmey Fletcher series: A Tyrants Road to Oregon. 2531; "Emigrant Trails of Southern Idaho"; Bureau of Land Management & Idaho State Historical Society;1993; pp 117125 ASIN: B000KE2KTU, The National Oregon-California Trail Center, Soda Springs quotes Idaho State Historical Society, For an Oregon-California trail map up to the junction in Idaho see, Nebraska's branch of Oregon-California trail Association, Chronological List of Fort Laramie History, http://www.blm.gov/heritage/adventures/research/StatePages/PDFs/Wyoming/wyoming_5.pdf, "Lincoln County Photos II-Wyoming Tales and Trails", "Additional estimate for Fort Kearney, South Pass, and Honey Lake wagon road: letter from the acting Secretary of the Interior, transmitting a communication from Colonel Lander in regard to the Fort Kearney, South Pass and Honey Lake wagon road: United States. Besides skirmishes with the Native American tribes, the early settlers were caught in the middle of a war between the U.S. government and the British. And indeed, for most players of the game, the river crossings are the second most exciting part of the product, eclipsed only by the hunting activity. Here is a drawing from the time period showing a ferry that was built using canoes to float the wagon across while the animals swam behind. Emigrants forkedover tolls ranging from $3 to $16 per wagon (roughly $60 to $320 intodays dollars), depending on demand and river level., In early March 2020, I decided to bikepack the length of the Pony Express Trail in Summer 2021, following the Pony Express Bikepacking Route, a nearly all off-road route created by Jan Bennett. My favorite three lessons from Oregon Trail can apply both to cross-country wagon journeys and your everyday financial life in the 21st century. If no ferry was available and the river was deep, then the only options were to wait for the river level to go down (provided that no additional rain fell), or to caulk the wagon and float it across the river like a boat (without the oxen attached) a rather risky operation. Share Improve this answer Follow As you can see from the footage there was definitely risk involved. Bear are somewhere between deer & bison in all three categories. Fortunately for us, by 1906 there was video recording technology and Ezra Meeker was recorded showing what an Oregon Trail river crossing was really like. Youre travelling through both blazing summer heat and Rocky Mountain snow. Wagon train members helped each other out, and they usually had plenty of provisions. To raise much needed money and facilitate travel on the Salt Lake Cutoff they set up several ferries across the Weber, Bear and Malad rivers which were used mostly by Oregon or California bound travelers. It bypassed the Three Island Crossing and continued traveling down the south side of the Snake River. He described the campfires blazing warmly and the women cooking delicious suppers. The dust kicked up by the many travelers was a constant complaint, and where the terrain would allow it there may be between 20 and 50 wagons traveling abreast. Caulking seems to be more successful though. After crossing Mount Oread at Lawrence, the trail crossed the Kansas River by ferry or boats near Topeka, and crossed the Wakarusa and Vermillion rivers by ferries. In the newer version as seen above, you are able to control a little man who can point his rifle in eight different directions and fire a single shot at the fast moving animals. The Platte was about 1 mile (1.6km) wide and 2 to 60 inches (5.1 to 152.4cm) deep. The girl arrived in the Bear River Valley in mid-July. When someone in your party dies, you hold a brief funeral. This journey typically took two to three weeks and was noted for its very rough, lava restricted roads and extremely dry climate, which tended to dry the wooden wheels on the wagons, which caused the iron rims to fall off the wheels. of the Interior: Free Download & Streaming: Internet Archive", "It's Sam Hensley-Not Hansel-Who Discovered Cutoff", Northern Nevada and Utah, Southern Idaho Trail Map, http://www.nps.gov/archive/ciro/hrs/images/fig7.jpg, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Route_of_the_Oregon_Trail&oldid=1115590536, This page was last edited on 12 October 2022, at 06:16. Cattle grazed on the surrounding grass while children frolicked among them. In August 2011, we set out on a two-week adventure from Virginia to British Columbia (and back). . Huh, it's 3 feet deep? While fur traders made their own rudimentary routes in the Pacific Northwest throughout the 1700s, the formal Oregon Trail was mostly used between 1840 and 1870. There are many cases cited where a person would be alive and apparently healthy in the morning and dead by nightfall. See what the popular media is saying about the game, Submit a comment or question about this website. TRAIL CREW; MAY 13-15, 2022. Crossing rivers was the most dangerous activity emigrants faced on their journey west. Thematic background music playlists for The Oregon Trail Game: Journey to Willamette Valley board game. At the funeral, you are able write an epitaph, then simply continue on down the trail. Using a pixelated pioneer with a gun, you must purchase bullets either in the beginning or over throughout the game. The future states of Iowa and Missouri, located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Missouri River, were part of this purchase. And oops, there goes Mary Beth. 02:45: 18: Man of Constant Sorrow [Instrumental] 04:32: 19: The Oregon Trail: Green River . You would see your wagon on the river, either fording, floating, or ferrying across. At Fort Nez Perce some built rafts or hired boats and started down the Columbia; others continued west in their wagons until they reached The Dalles. The most popular was the Barlow Road, which was carved through the forest around Mount Hood from The Dalles in 1846 as a toll road at $5.00 per wagon and 10 cents per head of livestock. He wrote in his journal in 1852 about a country with rich, fertile valleys, streams that were full of fish, and mountains that contained an abundance of timber. Its main advantage was that it helped spread out the traffic during peak periods, making more grass available.[29]. From there, the player can either ford the river, caulk the wagon and cross, or, depending on the location, pay for a ferry to take them across. Starting initially in Independence or Kansas City in Missouri, the initial trail followed the Santa Fe Trail into Kansas south of the Wakarusa River. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. As you can see from the video, Oregon Trail river crossings were precarious events. After crossing the Green the main trail continues on in an approximate southwest direction until it encounters the Blacks Fork of the Green River and Fort Bridger, Wyoming. She described fording rivers and climbing steep mountainous terrain with wagons in tow. It only takes a minute to sign up. The eastern starting point of the Oregon Trail was in Independence, Missouri, and it ended in Oregons Willamette Valley. Although Meekers floating wagon works out good, it wouldnt take much more than a strong gust of wind, an unseen tree limb, or other upsetting to spill the wagon into the river. The video below shows how chaotic the crossings could get. Kern set out on the Oregon Trail to escape droughts in the Midwest and to take advantage of fertile lands in and around Bear River Valley. By 1860, a large group of them left those settlements to others and followed Brigham Young to Utah to start one of the most well-known Mormon communities in the world. The trail goes through a variety of landscapes, ranging from industrial to rural. Load up on extra supplies, save some cash in reserve, even if you dont think you need it. Its one of the most dreaded screens in the game: Youve reached the Green River crossing. It became nearly obsolete with the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. After traveling down the Salt River valley (Star Valley) about 20 miles (32km) north the road turned almost due west near the present town of Auburn, Wyoming, and entered into the present state of Idaho along Stump Creek. Conyers was also a farmer and was impressed by the abundance of grazing land in the Bear River Valley. If you havent gotten enough of the Oregon Trail fun here, you can have even more fun at home with the new card game. [23] After getting into Utah they immediately started setting up irrigated farms and citiesincluding Salt Lake City, Utah. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. But the current would surely wash them downstream to death. Many people died of cholera, smallpox, and dysentery before reaching Oregon. You can also die from a simple broken leg or just drowning in a river you may be crossing. [32] (For map of North Side Alternate see:[33]), Goodale's Cutoff, established in 1862 on the north side of the Snake River, formed a spur of the Oregon Trail. 2. This is how most of the video footage we have of Oregon Trail river crossings is created. One of the most important aspects in the game is hunting. [38] Today's Idaho State Route 78 roughly follows the path of the South Alternate route of the Oregon Trail. NPS road guide Oregon Trail Nebraska eastern Wyoming. Below is a video walking through the game. Overland Journal, Volume 6, Number 1, 1988; Peter D. Olch; Pp. For swamping or getting stuck in the mud, we would use the safe crossing animation, using text to mention the issues encountered. The Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped several times in the future state of Iowa on their 1805-1806 expedition to the west coast. Its the pioneer spirit that helped to establish the contiguous United States. The fur trade was a major source of commerce in the U.S. and Canadian Pacific Northwest. The ferrying method would have cost the settlers precious time. You and the family can now play at home with the all new card game made by the same makers! It is Near Farson in Sweetwater County Wyoming. But if the weather had been dry in the days before a river crossing, then the river should be shallower and safer than average. From there U.S. Highway 30 which follows the Platte River is a better approximate path for those traveling the north side of the Platte. Just because you can try do it yourself, it doesnt mean you should. Although diseases like cholera were responsible for the majority of deaths, river crossings were also one of the most dangerous events on the trail. I was already working on a climate and weather model for the game, which would be a key part of the experience. Let's go see? {8_color blue} {9_color blue} {10_color brown} {11_color green} {12_color brown . He commissioned Lewis and Clark in 1803 to discover a practical, direct route to Oregon to expand Americas commercial interests. From there Interstate 86 to Pocatello roughly approximates the trail. [17] It was about 80 miles (130km) shorter than the main trail through Fort Bridger with good grass, water, firewood and fishing but it was a much steeper and rougher route, crossing three mountain ranges. The main Oregon and California Trail went almost due north from Fort Bridger to the Little Muddy Creek where it passed over the Bear River Mountains to the Bear River valley which it followed northwest into the Thomas Fork area, where the trail crossed over the present day Wyoming line into Idaho. While early-American settlers looked upon the Pacific Northwest as a land of opportunity, several Native American tribes already considered the region to be their home. Fremont saw the beginnings of a civilized Pacific Northwest on the journey with the wagon train. I called the team together to discuss possible approaches. First, while still on the travel screen, you see that you have arrived at a river crossing: Then you see a large graphic that illustrates the place: When you resume your journey, the river crossing begins: To simulate the actual crossing, I needed to create an effective and realistic model for each of the rivers, and I needed to figure out how to model and represent the experience of crossing the river. Several towns in Nebraska were used as "jumping off places" with Omaha eventually becoming a favorite after about 1855. It was quite a spirited discussion. While unusable for transport, the Platte River and North Platte River valleys provided an easily passable wagon corridor going almost due west with access to water, grass, buffalo, and buffalo chips for fuel. If the depth of the river is currently less than 2.5 feet which is shallow enough to ford then there is one set of results. This would ruin some of the supplies, such as flour and gunpowder. However, we see a glimpse of it every time an entrepreneur takes a risk to bring an innovative product to market. Back in the Oregon Trail days pioneers would have had to contend with much larger rivers with much higher volumes. Letting it sit in a bucket for an hour or so or stirring in a 1/4 cup of cornmeal allowed most of the silt to settle out. Big Hill was a detour caused by an impassable (then) cut the Bear River made through the mountains and had a tough ascent often requiring doubling up of teams and a very steep and dangerous descent. They established an outpost that was called Fort Astoria. From there the trail followed Big Piney Creek west before passing over the 8,800 feet (2,700m) Thompson Pass in the Wyoming Range. For those travelers to Oregon, California, and Utah who were bringing their teams to the Platte River junction, Kanesville and other towns become major "jumping off places" and supply points. Looking to learn more about the Oregon Trail? Its the most expensive career you can choose, but its arguably the most useful. Jesse Applegate, who traveled with his family in 1843, tells of one particularly terrifying crossing. It was then put out on the market in 1974 by MECC. You have limited finances, a limited amount you can carry in the wagon, and limited choices of where and how to get from the midwest to Oregon. 1848) is about 200 miles (320km) from the Missouri River, and the trail and its many offshoots nearly all converged close to Fort Kearny as they followed the Platte River west. How did you cross a river in Oregon Trail? I also hoped to incorporate some animation. As the settlers encroached upon hunting grounds and carried strange diseases to the area, conflict inevitably ensued. According to the statistics, there were 10 graves for every 1 mile of trail. Travellers left the Snake River and followed Raft River about 65 miles (105km) southwest past present day Almo, Idaho. Transporting School Children / Bigger Cargo Bikes or Trailers. The Oregon Trail. Why is it called Green anyway water isn't green :PRIP YouTube annotations:0:05 I was about to go hunting, but that helps nevertheless.0:08 Let's go hunting now anyway.0:14 DOH, DOH, DOH!! But from the standpoint of gameplay, it was better to include only a small number of river crossings in the game. Try a run through the game with banker, first, to get the hang of it. Later settlers to much of what became the state of Colorado followed the Platte and South Platte rivers into their settlements there. After 1852 they used Child's Cutoff to stay on the north side to about the present day town of Casper, Wyoming, where they crossed over to the south side. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Another busy "jumping off point" was St. Joseph, Missouriestablished in 1843. Go south on this trail for about 1.2 miles. The water was silty and bad tasting but it could be used if no other water was available. Above is a free version you can play right here for as long as you like. River Crossing is a scenario that only occurs when the player chooses the "Cross" option at a river location. I only have 1 of each spare part, so it's a no.3:40 One reason why you shouldn't spend all of your money at the first store if you're a farmer. And for Gods sake, axles only cost $!0 in the 1840s. The theory was that the front teams, usually oxen, would get out of water first and with good footing help pull the whole string of wagons and teams across. Initially, the main "jumping off point" was the common head of the Santa Fe Trail and Oregon TrailIndependence, Missouri/Kansas City, Kansas. This item will be sent to your system automatically after purchase. Huh, its 3 feet deep? The purpose of his trip was to promote knowledge of the Oregon Trail and to remind people about their history. After crossing the South Platte the trail continues up the North Platte River, crossing many small swift flowing creeks. After setting up camp, she reflected on the beauty of the scenery that surrounded her. All of this provided a rich set of possibilities for a simulated river crossing. Then you have the story of Ezra Meeker. , As the number of people headed west swelled into tens of thousands each year, the number of ferries on the Green increased also. After 1847 the trail bypassed the closed mission and headed almost due west to present day Pendleton, Oregon, crossing the Umatilla River, John Day River, and Deschutes River before arriving at The Dalles. Fording rivers deeper than 3 feet deep is not recommended and has a high chance to go wrong. President Martin Van Buren on July 4, 1838, signed laws establishing the Territory of Iowa. Something is bound to go terribly wrong, so you might as well be prepare for the worst. Some historians estimate that if you calculated the total number of people who died on the trail from 1840-1860 and then evenly spaced out all the graves from Independence to Oregon City you could place a grave every 50 yards over the entire 2,000-mile trip. Go ahead: choose an occupation like seamstress or musician. The traffic in later years is undocumented. So if youre in the mood to journey out West in , check out Virtual Apples great collection of games here. However, you lose a day of time to dry out your supplies. So you take a chance. Maria Belshaw called it the "worst looking place for a City I ever saw." The town was started in 1842 by Dr. John McLoughlin, who chose the . It would have been nice to practice to get a slight feel for the perspecitve vs hit boxes side, but after a couple of times, I don't think I ever hit anything. Improving trails, inspiring exploration, and bringing into view the beauty of this hidden gem. Ezra Meeker was a pioneer who completed the Oregon Trail in 1852. Crossing rivers was the most dangerous activity emigrants faced on their journey west. I wanted the depth, width, and swiftness to be different with each play of the game, but I also felt that the values should be logical and realistic. At Salmon Falls there were often a hundred or more Indians fishing who would trade for their salmona welcome treat. "You've reached the Green River crossing. The Platte River and the North Platte River in the future states of Nebraska and Wyoming typically had many channels and islands and were too shallow, crooked, muddy and unpredictable for travel even by canoe. The north side of the Snake had better water and grass than the south. By 1854 most of the Mormon towns, farms and villages were largely taken over by non-Mormons as they abandoned them or sold them for not much and continued their migration to Utah. There were trails on both sides of the muddy rivers. If you are reading book three of the Jemmey Fletcher series: Tyrants Road, you know that at certain times all the pioneers needed to do was block up their wagons and cross the channels. The War of 1812 ended in 1815, and colonization of the Pacific Northwest resumed sporadically after the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent. The Kelton Road became important as a communication and transportation road to the Boise Basin.[39]. Ferry prices were usually high ranging from $3 to $16 per wagon and were virtually the only way to cross the river. Another possible crossing was a few miles upstream of Salmon Falls where some intrepid travelers floated their wagons and swam their stock across to join the north side trail. As you travel along, you may stop and select the option to hunt. So now we could put it all together and build the river crossing module. I learned so much about hunting in the Rocky Mountains, and warding off relatively extinct diseases while playing this game. In the Eastern Sheep Creek Hills in the Thomas Fork valley the emigrants encountered Big Hill. Suck it up and buy some extra parts. On this route they passed Cauldron Linn rapids, Shoshone Falls, two falls near the present city of Twin Falls, Idaho, and Upper Salmon Falls on the Snake River. The usually lush Boise River valley was a welcome relief. Hood/Columbia River Gorge 3. From Fort Bridger, the main trail, comprising several variants, veered northwest over the Bear River Divide and descended to the Bear River Valley. 1852) and other Missouri River towns became major supply points and "jumping off places" for travelers on the Mormon, California, Oregon and other trails west. There were several different problems that could occur when crossing a river. It was used during the 19th century by Great Plains pioneers who were seeking fertile land in the West and North. [34], From the present site of Pocatello the trail proceeded almost due west on the south side of the Snake River for about 180 miles (290km).
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