X-Nico

2 unusual facts about California Trail


George C. Yount

His two daughters, Frances Yount with her husband William Bartlett Vines and her sister Elizabeth Ann Yount came west with the Walker-Chiles Party of 1843.

Rye Patch State Recreation Area

At Lassen Meadows the Applegate-Lassen Cut-Off of the California Trail, which provided a quicker route to Goose Lake in northwest California and the California gold fields, left the main route of that trail and headed toward the Black Rock Desert.


Beckwourth Pass

In 1850, James Beckwourth discovered Beckwourth Pass and developed his Beckwourth Trail from Truckee Meadows (what is now known as Sparks, Nevada) through the pass into California and on to Marysville.

Fort Laramie, Wyoming

The town is named after historic Fort Laramie, an important stop on the Oregon, California and Mormon trails as well as a staging point for various military excursions.

Fort McPherson National Cemetery

Fort McPherson was established in 1863 as an outpost to protect travellers along the Oregon and California Trails, and to keep the peace with the local Native Americans.

South Fork Humboldt River

It was here that on September 25, 1846 the Donner Party wagon train completed the segment of their journey on the Hastings Cutoff, and rejoined the original California Trail.

William Ridenbaugh

The paper would chronicle early settlement of the Old West along the Oregon Trail and California Trail.


see also

California Trail Middle School

California Trail Middle School is located in Olathe, Kansas, one of nine middle schools in the Olathe Public Schools Unified School District (USD) 233.

Fort Bridger

In 1845, Lanford Hastings published a guide entitled The Emigrant's Guide to Oregon and California, which advised California emigrants to leave the Oregon Trail, at Fort Bridger, pass through the Wasatch Range, across the Great Salt Lake Desert, an 80-mile waterless drive, loop around the Ruby Mountains, and rejoin the California Trail about seven miles west of modern Elko (also Emigrant Pass).

French American

French Camp, California was the terminus of the Oregon-California Trail used by French-Canadian fur traders (including Michel Laframboise)in the 1830s and 1840s, making it one of the oldest settlements in San Joaquin County.