Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

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Our first stop in Oregon was the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City.  It was very interesting and added some additional information as to what life on the frontier must have been like.  We had just seen many of the places the travelers saw on their journey, and the Interpretive Center museum information kinda filled in the gaps of what life on the trail was like . . . the hardships, deaths, decisions and the consequences and rewards of those decisions.



Outside the center there is a replica of what a wagon encampment might have looked like.
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When you first enter the museum you see these life size displays of a wagon train on the move.  Signs beside the displays tell of what life was like.
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Life on the trail was harsh.  Wagons broke down, stock animals died, travelers were injured, and sometimes died, from wagon accidents, gun shot wounds, and disease.  Everyone in the train worked hard and walked many, many miles, even the children.
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Walking through the museum  takes a person through the journey experienced by the Old Oregon Trail Travelers starting in Missouri and ending in Oregon.  There are many interesting and informative things to see and read while walking the trail through the museum.  This way only takes about an hour or two instead of 4 to 6 months!  Below are some of the artwork displayed in the museum.
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This is the personal journal of an Old Oregon Trail Traveler from about 1863.
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Life on the trail was hard and music was one diversion that was enjoyed and appreciated by the travelers.
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Sometimes a wagon would have too much weight in it and the owners would have to lighten the load by abandoning non-essential items like this stove.
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Find more information on the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at:
http://www.blm.gov/or/oregontrail/
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Oregon Links
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Oregon Trail Intrepretive Center