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Where The Heck IS California, Anyway? |
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For 200 years Europeans thought California was an island inhabited by warrior
women!
Even though many of the emigrants had moved west before, for example from Ohio to
Illinois, the trip to California was much longer and scarier than any had even dreamed of
before.
In 1849, California was still 2,200 miles away from the United States.
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The Trail Through Nevada |
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Between 1840 and 1860, over 200,000 people took the overland trail to California, the
largest peacetime migration in history.
Of the 2,100 miles of that journey, the most difficult 500 were in Nevada, along the
Humboldt River.
This is the story of a portion of that arduous journey.
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Pioneer Life Along the Trail |
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Maps, Diary entries, photos and charts to convey the experience of the trip Westward.
What about crossing the desert? How to decide what kind of draft animals to use for the
trip? What did they mean when they said they were off to "see the elephant"?
For a more personal hands-on project, check out our patterns for making your own
Pioneer-era clothing
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If Not By Land, Then By Sea |
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The overland route was long and hazardous, and was certainly NOT the only way to
California. But the trip by sea had risks of its own.
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About Battle Mountain, Nevada |
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The first question most visitors to Battle Mountain, Nevada, ask is:
"Why is this town called Battle Mountain? Where (or when) was the battle?"
This historic event has been reported from time to time in various publications, including
an eastern newspaper that reported in the 1890’s that the battlefield had been
rediscovered and the bones of the victims had been found. Of course, those were the days
when they didn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Now, after years of research, the story can be told!
Well, sort of... |
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How to Find the CNETA Interpretive
Center [Closing effective April 1, 2001] |
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Views Along the Trail Around Battle Mountain, Nevada
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Suggested Reading List |
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trailofthe49ers@compuserve.com