The Overland Trails and the Founding of Independence and Westport

Related Organization: Kansas City Public Library

During the mid-19th century, a mass migration of pioneers traveled westward by wagon across rugged trails, wind-swept prairies, barren deserts, and formidable mountain ranges, seeking new opportunities in the West. This extraordinary saga ranks as the largest, voluntary overland migration in U.S. history.

Historian Travis Boley discusses the three principal trails used by western pioneers traveling to Santa Fe, Oregon, and California. Many undertook the dangerous journey seeking trade with southwestern markets, while others looked to establish new homes in the Northwest or strike it rich during the California Gold Rush. Still others, like Mormons, ventured west to pursue religious freedom. Boley further details how the trails led directly to the founding of Independence and Westport in Missouri, their ancestral use by Native tribes, and their role in the development of the region.

Boley has served as association manager of the Oregon-California Trails Association, headquartered in Independence for the past 21 years. He was previously appointed to the Missouri Trails Commission by Governor Jay Nixon and served on the Independence Planning Commission.