Oregon-California Trails Association facts for kids
The Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA) is a group of different experts based in Independence, Missouri, United States. This organization works hard to protect and save the old trails that pioneers used to travel across America. They also want to help people understand what it was like for these early travelers.
OCTA works with partners like the National Trails System to make sure people can still enjoy and learn about these historic paths. For example, OCTA created a guide called Mapping Emigrant Trails (MET Manual). This guide became the standard way the National Park Service uses GPS to map other important trails.
Contents
Famous Trails of the American West
Three main historical trails were used by wagon trains to cross America's western lands. These were the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails.
The Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail started in 1821. It was about 900-mile (1,400 km) long and was used for trading goods with New Mexico. This trail was special in American History because it was a major trade route over land, not by sea.
The Oregon Trail
The 2,000-mile (3,200 km) Oregon Trail became very popular in 1843. Many settlers used it to find new homes in the northwest part of the country.
The California Trail
Other pioneers branched off onto the California Trail. This trail was also very long and difficult. People took this path to search for gold in California.
History of the Association
The Oregon-California Trails Association is a successor to an older group. This older group was called the Oregon Trail Memorial Association. It was started in 1922 by a pioneer named Ezra Meeker. His goal was to remember the people who traveled to the U.S. West Coast on the Oregon Trail. The group was officially formed in New York in 1926. It was well-known for promoting the Oregon Trail Memorial half dollar, a special coin. In 1940, this group was replaced by the American Pioneer Trails Association (APTA). Today, OCTA continues the important work of these earlier organizations.
See also
External links
- OCTA web site
- Partnership for the National Trails System web site
