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Migration Routes to the West

A. Gary Anderson

Migration routes to the west developed in the early 1800s with the acquisition of the Oregon Territory on one hand and the autonomy of Mexico on the other. The interest developed further with the Mormon migration west in 1847, followed by the California gold rush in 1849.

Santa Fe Trail. When Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821, William Becknell, "Father of the Santa Fe Trail," forged westward from Franklin, Missouri, to Santa Fe to sell his goods, guided by a group of Mexican soldiers, thereby establishing a 900-mile trail. From 1827 until 1876, Independence, Missouri, served as the main outfitting point for the Santa Fe Trail. Westport, established 11 miles west of Independence in 1833, broke Independence's monopoly in the mid-1840s and remained the eastern terminus of the trail longer than any other. The outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 caused the trailhead to move upriver to Fort Leavenworth for security reasons. Westport and Fort Leavenworth also served travelers going to California and Oregon.

Responding to the Mexican War in 1846, Colossians Stephen Kearny led U.S. troops along the Santa Fe Trail, including 541 volunteers recruited from Mormons at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Now referred to as the Mormon Battalion, the soldiers marched from Fort Leavenworth to Santa Fe, and then to San Diego.

By the time of the Civil War, Indian resistance had forced most trail traffic to use the longer but safer Mountain Route. Thereafter, the railroad moved westward, providing cheaper and faster transportation. In February 1880, as the first steam locomotive arrived at the New Mexico capital, the Santa Fe Trail's era passed silently into memory.

Oregon Trail. When Thomas Jefferson secured the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the first to respond to a new interest in the West were fur trappers. A party led by Robert Stuart returned to St. Louis from the Columbia River to become the first group to travel the Oregon Trail in 1813, although in reverse. These mountain men became the guides to future emigrants.

Independence, Missouri, marked the beginning of the Oregon Trail in 1827, but by 1848 other cities upstream along the Missouri River took precedence. Westport and Fort Leavenworth gained prominence during the gold rush era of 1849-1852. By steaming two more days upstream from Independence to St. Joseph, emigrants saved almost two weeks of travel. The Pony Express also began here in 1860. The Council Bluffs area became the chief jumping-off point for all westward migration during the 1859-1886 period. The initial Mormon migration left from nearby Winter Quarters in 1847.