Cannibalism and massacres: the dark history of the Oregon Trail -

The Oregon Trail connected the Missouri River in the east to the Oregon valleys in the west. From 1841 to 1869, approximately 350,000 people set out on the trail, and an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 lost their lives while doing so.

There would be no America as we know it today without the Oregon Trail, and in this gallery we bring you the highlights of its (quite dark) history. Click through to learn more.

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Oregon Trail -

The Oregon Trail extended for 2,170 miles (3,490 km) and connected east to west, from the Missouri River to Oregon.

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Origins -

The trail was originally laid and used by fur traders and trappers in the early 1800s, but in the 1840s it started to be used as a migrant route. From 1841 to 1869 in particular, thousands of people traveled west, but not all made it safe and sound to their destination.

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Traveling was expensive -

Migrants would often pay upwards of US$1,500 for supplies for the trip, which was roughly the equivalent of a two-year salary. But many were also conned by salesmen who convinced them that they needed more stuff, including quack medicines.

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Water was dangerous -

Many people drowned trying to cross rivers, and many others by drinking contaminated water along the trail. Excessive rain would also create mud, where people, animals, and wagon wheels got stuck.

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Nature was dangerous -

From rattlesnake bites to animal stampedes and lice infestations, as well as adverse weather conditions (i.e. tornados), the Oregon Trail was a dangerous place to be.

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Disease was a major threat -

According to the National Park Service, “of the 350,000 who started the journey, disease may have claimed as many as 30,000 victims.” Pictured is Emigrants Grave, at Three Crossings of the Sweetwater on the Oregon Trail.

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Disease was a major threat -

Cholera was a big killer, but other conditions—many linked to malnutrition and poor hygiene—also proved to be fatal. These included typhoid fever, pneumonia, scurvy, dysentery, smallpox, and food poisoning.

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Medical care was dangerous -

Medical care was scarce on wagon trains, but sometimes doctors were available. Though back then, germ theory was not known, and bacterial and viral infections would easily spread. Plus, being treated with mercury or opium was probably not the best thing...

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People were dangerous to each other -

Pioneers posed a threat to each other on the Oregon Trail. Many would end up killed in hunting accidents, while others were just killed for other reasons. There was no law enforcement, so fights could break out and there would be no consequences.

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Food planning was difficult -

Common foods migrants brought along included flour, sugar, rice, lard, dried fruit, and coffee. Pioneers would then hunt and fish along the trail. Milk, eggs, and bacon was supplied by livestock. This required careful planning, as when not accounted for, delays or other issues along the way could lead to malnutrition and even starvation.

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Poop fires -

Pioneers had to travel through long stretches of land with no trees, and it was too heavy to carry wood, so they used animal poop (mostly buffalo) to build their fires. Dried feces were organic matter, so they would burn slowly, making them perfect for both getting warm and cooking.

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Messages -

It goes without saying that there was no mail service on the Oregon Trail. Though those traveling back east could take letters home. Migrants would also leave messages for those traveling behind them, warning them of any dangers ahead. They would do so by tying pieces of fabric or paper on trees, and etching messages into rocks.

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Trash trail -

It was common for travelers to throw out extra cargo to help animals travel lighter. They would just keep the essentials and discard things such as books, furniture, and even clothes. This meant that garbage, wagon parts, dead animals, and more could be found along the trail.

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Environmental impact -

Along with garbage and debris, migrants also liked to carve their names into register rocks. Examples include the Independence Rock, Register Cliff, and Names Hill in Wyoming, as well as rocks along the Sweetwater River.

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Environmental impact -

After thousands of crossings, the wheel ruts are still visible to this day, as no grass has grown on them ever since.

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Migrants couldn’t escape racism -

In 1844, George Washington Bush, an African-American Army veteran and former fur trapper, set out on the Oregon Trail together with his wife and five other families. At the end of the journey, he found out that the provisional government in Oregon had laws that prevented African Americans from settling or owning land. He ended up traveling further north to escape the racist laws.

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Hastings Cutoff -

Lawyer Lansford Hastings proposed a new, shorter route (approximately 300 miles/483 km less than the original route), which he published in ‘The Emigrant’s Guide to Oregon and California.’ Except, he never took the shorter route himself. Some groups, however, did, and the consequences were disastrous.

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Weber Canyon -

One of the harshest parts of the shorter route was the Weber Canyon, which was full of canyons, boulders with deep water, and narrow ledges. In addition, there were no trees in sight for a long stretch. The terrain proved to be very difficult for wagons.

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Utah’s salt flats -

Utah’s salt flats around the Great Salt Lake was another killer in the Hastings Cutoff. We’re talking about traveling around 80 miles (128 km) across a salt desert. Dehydration and exhaustion took the lives of animals and people.

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Donner Party -

In 1846, a group of pioneers known as the Donner Party (or Donner–Reed Party) took the Hastings Cutoff, and they ended up snowbound for a winter, with tragic consequences.

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Donner Party -

Mountaineer James Clyman tried to warn his friend and co-organizer of the Donner Party, James Reed (pictured), not to take the Hastings Cutoff. He told him: “Take the regular wagon track and never leave it–it is barely possible to get through if you follow it–and may be impossible if you don’t.”

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Donner Party -

But Reed and the Donner Party didn't follow the advice and the consequences were disastrous. They ended up eating members who had died (though there are suspicions of at least two murders) so they could survive after being trapped in the mountains for an entire winter and exhausting all food sources.

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Contact with Native Americans -

For many years, Indigenous Americans who lived around the Oregon Trail avoided conflict, and vice versa. In fact, it was quite the contrary. They would trade with pioneers, serve as guides, and generally help them.

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Contact with Native Americans -

Peace reigned for many years, with just the occasional fight between migrants and locals. But things changed in the late 1850s and early 1860s, when the government failed to protect their interests, and travelers started to hunt buffalo (which was the tribes’ main food source) and disrespect the land by leaving garbage along the trail.

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Conflict -

According to records, Native Americans killed around 362 migrants, whereas migrants killed 426 Native Americans.

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Ward Massacre -

In 1854, a 20-person wagon party was attacked by a Shoshone war party at Canyon County. Only two young boys survived. This led to military action against the tribes and conflict broke out. From the mid-1850s to the 1862 Gold Rush, the Oregon Trail was considered very dangerous.

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The Utter-Van Ornum massacre -

On September 8, 1860, the 40-people Utter-Van Ornum wagon train stopped to spend the night near Castle Creek, Idaho. Some of their livestock were stolen during the night, and the following day around 200 Bannock and Shoshone warriors attacked the party.

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The Utter-Van Ornum massacre -

Many migrants died, and while some managed to flee, they too lost their lives. The ones who stayed at the camp eventually had to resort to cannibalism to survive. The survivors were found on October 24, by an Army relief expedition. A boy named Reuben Van Ornum (pictured, center) is said to have been taken by the attackers and later rescued.

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The Utter-Van Ornum massacre -

Army captain Frederick T. Dent wrote the following in his report: “…found on the Owyhee (River) 12 emigrants alive and five dead; those still alive were keeping life in them by eating those who had died.”

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Female pioneer -

In 1844, Willamette Valley missionary Narcissa Whitman became one of the earliest women to cross the Oregon Trail. The last documented crossing of the Oregon Trail was in 1909.

Sources: (National Park Service) (History Collection) (History) (Grunge)

See also: How wild was the Wild West, really?

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