The Applegate Trail extends more than 500 miles, from southern Oregon to Humboldt, Nevada, and connects the Oregon and California emigrant trails. It was a branch of the longest, most heavily traveled route of western migration in American history, and today has largely dropped from public consciousness. The story of how it was charted begins with three brothers who set out from St. Louis to the Oregon territory in 1843. Ruby McConnell brings the story of the Applegates and other tales of the American West to life through her extensive research of archival material and reporting in her forthcoming book, Wilderness and the American Spirit (Overcup Press, 2024).•
PART ONE: THE ROAD TO THE OREGON TERRITORY
PART TWO: TAKEN BY THE RIVER
PART THREE: THE ROAD HUNTERS
PART FOUR: THE END OF THE LINE
PART FIVE: HISTORY OR OLD GOSSIP?
