Oregon Trail

For other uses of the term, see Oregon Trail (disambiguation)

Travel equipment

The Oregon Trail was too long and arduous for the standard Conestoga wagons used in the Eastern U.S. at that time for most freight transport. These big wagons had a reputation for killing their oxen teams approximately two thirds along the trail and leaving their unfortunate owners stranded in desolate, isolated territory. The only solution was to abandon all belongings and traipse onward with the supplies and tools that could be carried or dragged. In one case in 1846 the Donner Party, en route to California, was stranded in the Sierra Nevada in November and had to resort to cannibalism to survive.

Related Topics:
Conestoga wagon - 1846 - Donner Party - Sierra Nevada - Cannibalism

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This led to the rapid development of the prairie schooner. This wagon was approximately half the size of the big Conestogas but was also manufactured in quantity by the Conestoga Brothers. It was designed for the Oregon Trail's conditions and was a marvel of engineering in its time.

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