About a week ago, my parents and I headed over to Baker City, Oregon to visit the popular Oregon Trail Interpretative Center. This center high on a hill features exhibits, replica wagons, videos, and historic artifacts to give a deeper understanding of the incredible Westward migration of Americans during the 19 Century. It seeks to give visitors a better understanding of the experiences the pioneers faced as they crossed about 2,000 miles of wild and uncharted land.
Thousands of people left their homes and came west in the 1800's to find new beginnings, new adventures, to escape from poverty and war, and to seek land and gold. These annual migrations followed the Oregon Trail across the plains, through rivers, and over the Blue Mountains to fertile lands in Washington and Oregon. The Oregon Trail included stops in my home state of Idaho at Fort Hall and Fort Boise, and included a dangerous river crossing at Three Mile Island.Upon first arriving, we saw a video called "West to Oregon," one of the best documentaries I've seen about Oregon Trail. Through reenactments and dairy readings, it discusses why people left, the route they followed, what landmarks they saw, what this journey was like, and more. It did a really good job of discussing the tragedies and hardships the pioneers faced, what they called "the elephant." We also spent time looking through the exhibits and the replica wagons.
The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center features educational activities, hiking trails and presentations. The best part, however, is actually being able to see a well-preserved part of the actual Oregon Trail! Although the original trail was about 2,000 miles, only about 300 miles still exist today. The Interpretive Center offers a great way to experience history, and being able to see part of the original trail is a definite plus!Links to Learn More:
