Mountain men and fur traders were the first to travel the route that would one day become the Oregon Trail. In their wake came missionaries who wrote letters and reports describing the far side of the continent and praising the mild climate, healthful conditions and the deep, fertile soil.
Historians recognize 1843 as the official beginning of the Oregon Trail.That spring a group of a thousand land-hungry pioneers with 120 wagons and 5,000 head of cattle departed from Elm Grove, Missouri. Some of their wagons were abandoned along the Snake plateau but other were brought to the Columbia River where flat-bottomed boats were built and floated through the dangerous rapids of the Columbia Gorge to the Willamette Valley.
It took the pioneers from early spring until late fall to reach the far west. They threw together shelters and subsisted that first winter on fish, game and the generosity of their neighbors, both white and Indian. Come spring they cleared ground, tilled the virgin soil and planted crops.
The heyday of the Oregon Trail occurred after gold was discovered in California in 1848; it is estimated one-quarter million pioneers traveled overland on the Oregon Trail. From these early emigrants the social fabric of the West was woven.
Within a few years communities were established and schools and churches were built. Then came stage lines, mail deliveries, railroads, telegraph wires and the other trappings of the white man's civilization.
By: WIll Welton
By: Robert Ludlum
By: Robert Wanless
By: Jane Toombs
By: Cynthia Townley
By: Mike R. Dunbar
By: Shelley Galloway
If you use one of Kobo's free reading apps you won't need to worry about download options most of the time. Your Kobo reading app can easily add Kobo Store books to your library for a seamless reading experience.
Download options matter when:
In both of these cases you will need to:
You can also use Digital Editions to transfer the book to your eReader. See here for more information on Digital Editions.
You can read this item on your computer using our free Kobo Desktop Application. This application lets you read, manage your library of eBooks, and even shop for new ones. Check out our demo for more information!
Learn More »You can read this item on your Kobo eReader (or other select electronic reading devices). The Kobo eReader lets you carry your whole library with you, so that you can read on the go.
Visit kobo.com/ereaders »You can read this item on select tablets using one of our free Kobo apps. These apps let you read, manage your library of eBooks, and even shop for new ones.
Learn More »You can read this item on your Kobo Vox eReader. The Kobo Vox eReader lets you read books with color, sound or interactive elements. Check out our demo for more information on the Kobo Vox.
Learn More »You can read this item on your Kobo Arc using the Library app. This app lets you read, manage your library of eBooks, and shop for new books.
Learn More »You can read this item on any Android device (phone, tablet) with one of our free Kobo apps. These apps let you read, manage your library of eBooks, and even shop for new ones.
Learn More »You can read this item on the free Kobo app for iPhone. This app let you read, manage your library of eBooks, and even shop for new ones.
Download the iPhone App! Learn More »
By: {2}
Available on: {3}
Coming soon
Secure TransactionSubtotal
Store Credit
Total
We'll charge your credit card {4} on {3}.
We'll charge your credit card {4} when the book is added to your Library.
Your store credit covers the cost of this purchase, so we don't charge your credit card
Use Quick Buy for all eBook purchases.{2} is now in your library. You'll receive an email confirming your purchase very soon.
{2} has been pre-ordered. You'll receive a confirmation email confirming your pre-order very soon.
You were charged:
You will be charged: on {3}
You will be charged: when the book is added to your Library
Rakuten Super Points earned: {1}
Rakuten Super Points {1} earned after the book is added to your Library
