The National Oregon/California Trail Centre
320 North 4th Street
Montpelier
Idaho
We needed to break our journey somewhere between Salt Lake City and Jackson Wyoming and wanted to stay somewhere that had something of interest for us to see. We spent some time looking on the internet planning our trip and this museum rather appealed to us and Montpelier was a convenient place to stay too. The National Oregon/California Trail Center is located on the historic Oregon/California Trail, mid-way between Jackson/Yellowstone and Salt Lake City. When I say on, it really is on the trail right on a former camping site. Evidence has been found as the excavation was taking place for the building of the museum. We actually stood on the very soil that the pioneers had made their camp on back in the late 19th century.
We walked across the road from Clover Creek Inn to the museum and arrived as they were opening. In fact the cleaning lady let us in and called up to the lady who was to take our money. While we were waiting for the staff to come down we looked around at the display of beautiful handmade quilts that were hanging from the balcony rails above. Apparently many are for sale but I know how expensive these handmade quilts are so didn’t ask the prices. OPENING TIMES AND PRICES:
The museum is open for the living history tour daily from May 1st through to September 30th from 9am to 5pm but on Saturday and Friday it stays open till 6pm.
Prices vary
Adult (ages 16+) $10.00
Senior (60+) $9.00
Youth (8-15) $7.00
Children (4-7) $3.00
Toddlers (3 & under) FREE
My husband paid $1.00 less than I did!
There is also a box for extra donations but this time we felt we had made our contribution with the fee.
WE MEET OUR WAGON MASTER
After we had paid our fee we were greeted by a small rather jolly man dressed in costume who introduced himself as our wagon master for the journey. We were asked to take ourselves back to the 1850s and we would begin our journey.
BUYING OUR GUN:
Bear in mind there were only four adults in our group and no children so we went through the motions but I think this would have been a great experience for children studying this period of history.
Anyway we were told that everyone had to carry a firearm on the journey. Why? We had to suggest reasons. Protection against the Indians was suggested and hunting for food. The hunting for food was the main reason as we were not able to carry enough food for the journey in the wagons so we had to get it on the way, rabbits, deer and other animals would provide the meat.
We had to buy a rifle and so here we saw how the rifles were made and they were pretty basic, a really heavy cast barrel fitted on to a wooden stock. Bear in mind everyone even children of about 12 had to carry a gun we were handed ours. Boy was it heavy, I would have struggled to hold it still at my shoulder and when it went off then I think I would have damaged my shoulder with the recoil.
BUYING THE CAR – I MEANT WAGON:
This was the biggest investment and the most crucial.
The wagon had to be light enough not to weigh down the oxen pulling it but strong enough to withstand the journey over extremely rough ground. These basic wagons were known as Prairie Schooners and I wonder how many were built over those few years. The wagons often carried loads of as much as 2,500 pounds. Wagons were made of hardwoods as maple, hickory and oak. Iron was used to reinforce parts that took the greatest beating such as wheels and axles.
These wagons were not comfortable to ride in at all as they had no springs and inside was packed full of all the supplies needed for the journey. Wealthier families sometimes had two wagons but at times it was difficult to deal with two wagons. When they got stuck in mud, trying to cross a river, going down a steep hill could all be a big problem for a wagon and had to be done with extreme care.
Every wagon had a wooden bucket hanging from the rear axle which contained a mixture of tar and tallow to lubricate the wheels.
NOW THE ENGINE:
Most wagons were pulled by oxen; why? We were asked. Firstly they were strong. Secondly they could manage with a lot less water than horses and were also able to eat a big meal at night and then they would spend the day digesting it unlike horses who like to grab grass as they pass. Oxen would also eat poorer grass and generally they were stronger. Finally and most important was that the Indians didn’t have any interest in the oxen and so wouldn’t try and steal them like they would any horses. A team of Oxen could haul fully-loaded wagons up ravines or drag them out of mudholes. A large wagon would need at least three pairs of oxen to pull it and sometimes extra oxen were bought so they could be changed if one had a problem.
Other options included mules which were strong and could go faster, but were tricky to handle and often bolted and become unruly.
I didn’t realize that they made special shoes for the oxen a bit like horse shoes as the terrain was very rough and of course should your ox become lame you had a pretty major problem. They reckon that half to three quarters of all the wagons hat moved across the states were pulled by oxen.
Aside from the shoes the pioneers also had to buy the oxen yoke and that was not cheap either and in the last half of the 1840s this varied from a low of $25 to a high of $65. They needed one for each pair of oxen.
WHAT ELSE DO WE TAKE?
We have a lovely set of china; do we pack it up and take it? What about furniture? Clothes and that pretty dress for going out? We had to make decisions. Do we take the fine china or sell it and take a few enamel plates and mugs? Apparently there was so much stuff dumped along the trail as people realised how much hassle it was getting everything off the wagon every time it got stuck.
We decided to be practical and opted for the enamel stuff and basic cutlery. Now for clothes. We had to have strong walking shoes and the wagon was really to transport our supplies and was not for carrying the people and unless you were sick then you would probably walk most of the way.
You might need two pairs of boots each.
Clothes had to be warm and also at times it would be hot. The poor women still had to wear the stupid long skirts and petticoats which must have been such a pain to walk in and to wash and not in the least practical really. Obviously along the way clothes and people were washed in rivers so not many clothes were taken just what you needed.
What about food? Meat would be shot along the way so not meat apart from bacon. A milk cow or two would also be taken and that would give milk, butter and possibly cheese too. The butter was made by putting the milk in a bucket under the wagon and this movement caused the churning.
A standard family of four would need 600 lbs. of flour, 120 lbs. of biscuits, 400 lbs. of bacon, 60 lbs. of coffee, 4 lbs. of tea, 100 lbs. of sugar, and 200 lbs. of lard. After these basics then you could add items of choice depending on your space such as sacks of rice and beans, maybe dried fruit. Bacon was often hauled in large barrels packed in bran so the hot sun would not melt the fat. Apart from the gun that everyone carried a good hunting knife was essential. Many also packed farm implements such as a plow, shovel, scythe, rake, hoe; plus basic carpentry tools for building your house once you arrived - saw, broad axe, mallet, plane. Then if you were going to farm land once you arrived then seeds for corn, wheat and other crops were also needed and these of course needed to be kept dry or they would be useless.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS:
Each day starts at around 4.30am, the women make the breakfast while the men pack up the camp. Some men ride ahead on horses to clear the trail. The trail has been carefully planned and follows rivers and the easiest path as best it can. Rivers need to be crossed at times and there are still major hazards but this route is one that has been followed by many over the last few years and months.
A good day of travel will cover 18 to 20 miles. A bad day could bring all kinds of dangers and disasters.
DANGERS AND DISASTERS:
Crossing rivers was one of the most hazardous parts of the journey as they could be deeper than thought or the bed more muddy. A rock could cause the wagon to tip meaning all the supplies could be lost or at the very least damaged and wet. A wagon tipping could cause the animals to drown or panic and injure themselves.
Apparently the most common cause of death or injury was a child falling under the wheels of a wagon. Before they had a simple wheel turning counter children had to count the turns and this is how they calculated how far they had travelled.
Another cause of injury or death was the accidental firing of a gun if it was left loaded.
Stampeding animals also caused many a death or injury. Attacks by other travelers on another travelling party caused more problem than any Indians while natural hazards such as lightning, hailstorms, grassfires and snakebites were also the reason that a number of pioneers perished.
The last big cause of death along the trail was disease the main one being cholera but others such as small pox, flu, measles, mumps and tuberculosis could spread quickly through an entire wagon camp.
People were buried in the middle of the trail so that passing wagon traffic would help ensure the grave was not going to attract wolves and be dug up.
According to records kept over these years the number of deaths which occurred in wagon train companies traveling to California is thought to be 20,000 for the entire 2,000 miles of the Oregon/California Trail, or an average of ten graves per mile.
I take my hat off to these brave people. They were a tough bunch and things must have been pretty awful where they came from to make them spend their life savings and put themselves through this ordeal.
OUR EXPERIENCE:
We chose our supplies, saw inside a reconstructed wagon. There were displays of items discarded along the trail there was a trading post with displays of items that would be for sale. It was all done very well with us being able to ‘experience’ as much as possible the journey of te pioneers.
We got into a covered wagon which ‘moved’ along the trail and it was pretty uncomfortable but ours had seats and no supplies.We were greeted when we arrived at the camp. The one that was reconstructed exactly where a camp had existed on the trail. A man and his daughter in costume took us around the camp telling us about the different families and what they had been trough to give us an idea of some of the accidents and illnesses that the pioneers went through. They asked us about our journey which would have been better had there been some children as the four of us felt a bit silly being ‘in character’. The camp was set up in a pretty authentic way and the various stories we were told gave a good idea of the experiences these people suffered.
After the camp we then went back to the 21st century and were able to look at a series of painting by an artist who had travelled the trail and he painted a large picture of many of the hazards along the way. There were other displays and of course the gift shop too but no coffee or tea shop which didn’t matter to us as we were heading on our way to the Grand Tetons and Jackson in Wyoming.We were travelling in a car in comfort though this time.
SUMMARY:
The claim for this museum is
“We put you in the action! You become part of a pioneer wagon company headed West so get ready to take a 2,000 mile journey along the Oregon/California Trail - in just one hour!”
I think they did a great job. We were very taken with the displays and the enthusiasm of the guides who took us on our journey. It was very well done and a really enjoyable learning experience. If you happen to be in the little town of Montpelier or like us are driving through the states towards the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone from Utah then add this to your itinerary as it is well worth the visit.
Thanks for reading and trust you found this at least half as interesting as we did. This review may be posted on other sites under my same user name.
©Catsholiday
Would you have survived the Oregon Trail? 
