Milagros

A while back we did a post about our re-discovery of the TV show Little House on the Prairie. Since then we have burned through Season Two of the series - which had marginally less tragedy than Season One - and have begun reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books upon which the series is based.

All of this gives a good feel for pioneer life. A great local resource and recommended rainy day diversion that also highlights the pioneer period is the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City.

The non-profit Interpretive Center is housed in three buildings designed to look like enormous covered-wagons. Experiencing the museum begins with a live presentation that focuses on what provisions and plans had to be laid for pioneers to begin the 2,000 mile journey on the Oregon Trail to the “promised land”. This is followed by a screening of “Bound for Oregon,” a short film that brings to life the stories and experiences of the pioneers in their own words.

Following the multi-media presentations you are free to take in the exhibits at the center. There are numerous artifacts to discover as well as compelling information from pioneer journals. The center also features the “Willamette Trades & Craft Workshop” which has numerous hands-on activities that are perfect for kids.

What did I learn about pioneer life at the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center? It sucked to be a pioneer.

Would I take my family on a 2,000 mile journey where everything I needed for the trip as well as to establish a new home had to fit into an area no bigger than the average hall closet? Sure if it was in a car traveling on an interstate and I didn’t have to build the house from scratch when I got there…heck, it would probably even be a fun “adventure”.

But many months in a horse drawn wagon on a dirt trail with no access to emergency assistance, established rest stops, or food and fuel, and always facing the possibility of being attacked by Natives - i.e. the original claimers of the “free land” I intend to claim, wildlife, disease and fellow pioneers just so I could start life over literally from the ground up if I arrived in one piece?

I think I have gotten too soft to be a pioneer, thank you very much.

End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is located at 1726 Washington Street, Oregon City, OR 97045 - call 503.657.9336 for more info.