[or-roots] ) Oregon Trail

[Leslie Chapman]

Carla;

It is interesting that some of the ruts still exist. Of course since the ones you mention were cut in rock that isn't too suprising. I believe there are still a few places the ruts still show up that were cut into dirt. If you think about it, that is phenominal Of course the fact that a lot of the trail is through some of the drier parts of the country helps.

My little brother likes to tell about a forestry field trip where their instructor took the class into a stand of majestic timber and asked them if they thought it was virgin timber. When everybody pretty well concluded it was he kicked some moss aside and uncovered a railroad tie. after he had walked along and uncovered two or three more nicely space ties he informed them they were actually standing in the middle of a piece of ground that had been clear cut fifty years or less previously. If the trail had been through that kind of country we wouldn't have much evidence except the steep places of course. 

I would love to know exactly how much of the Oregon trail had been replaced by highway in the early 1920's. Do you recall any place where they showed the evolution of the trail to highways?

My parents drove the trail, more or less, in the early 29's and it was only recently that I learned that much of their route wasn't really highway.

Les C