Route Center Line Articles
Robert Stuart 1812–13 Return Trip
Precurser to the Oregon-California Trails
Archived: 2021
Robert Stuart was the leader of an expedition that traveled from the newly established Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River to St. Louis, Missouri in 1812–13. Stuart and his party were successful in their attempt, despite their travel through scarcely known country and the need to avoid hostile tribes of Indians. Stuart’s […]
Wilson Hunt’s 1811–12 Astorian Expedition Route
Arikara Villages (South Dakota) to Fort Astoria (Oregon)
Archived: 2021
In 1811–1812, Wilson Hunt lead an expedition from the Arikara Villages, on the Missouri River in South Dakota, to the newly-established Fort Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River. In a major sense, Hunt would be traveling a route similar to the one planned by the Gaultier brothers, almost 70 years before. The Hunt […]
Clift’s Musselshell to Fort Ellis Military Road
1869 Military Road Exploration
Archived: 2025
In 1869, Captain E. W. Clift explored Montana Territory for the location of a wagon road from the mouth of the Mussellshell River, on the Missouri River, to Fort Ellis. He also explored an alternate of the route that went from White Sulphur Springs to Helena, by way of Duck Creek Pass. This was part […]
Barlow Road Center Line
Across the Cascades
Archived: 2020
This center line of the 1845 Barlow Road is a draft from Steve Russell worthy of sharing with the general public. As of this date, Russell has not offered any commentary on this map. In 1996 and 2002, Jim Tompkins of the Oregon-California Trails Association published a self-guided tour. In it, Tompkins introduces the road: […]
Mullan Road: Little Blackfoot to Dearborn Crossing
Archived: 2017
KML file for Google Earth: buswell.kml This map represents 45 years of research by Dr. Rich Buswell of Helena, Montana. The yellow line is a faithful interpretation of his route drawn on a paper Forest Service map, using Township and Range section lines as a reference, by Kris Townsend, August 30, 2017. Buswell has focused […]
Mullan Road River Crossings
St. Regis River
Archived: 2015
To see the map in fullscreen view, in the map’s upper-right corner, click the button.Key: Mullan Road Original River ChannelTo see distance and elevation, point to a marker. KML file for Google Earth: dunsmore-crossings-3.kml Commentary by Kris Townsend and Robert Dunsmore In Mullan’s 1863 report to Congress, two listings of river crossings […]
Mullan Road River Crossings
Coeur d'Alene River Part 2
Archived: 2015
To see the map in fullscreen view, in the map’s upper-right corner, click the button.Key: Mullan Road Original River ChannelTo see distance and elevation, point to a marker. KML file for Google Earth: dunsmore-crossings-2.kml Commentary by Kris Townsend and Robert Dunsmore In Mullan’s 1863 report to Congress, two listings of river crossings […]
Mullan Road River Crossings
Coeur d'Alene River Part 1
Archived: 2015
To see the map in fullscreen view, in the map’s upper-right corner, click the button.Key: Mullan Road Original River ChannelTo see distance and elevation, point to a marker. KML file for Google Earth, dunsmore-crossings-1.kml Commentary by Kris Townsend and Robert Dunsmore In his 1863 report to Congress, Mullan included two listings of […]
Mullan Road Center Line
Plante's Ferry to Bitteroot Ferry
Archived: 2015
To see the map in fullscreen view, in the map’s upper-right corner, click the button.Key: Mullan Road Original River ChannelTo see distance and elevation, point to a marker. KML file for Google Earth, dunsmore-3.kml. This map is the first digital representation of an exhibition for the Staff House Museum in Kellogg, Idaho […]
Verendrye Explorations
Expedition in Search of the Pacific Ocean by Pierre and Francois Gaultier 1742-43
Archived: 2020
The Gaultier Brother’s Expedition through North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska in 1742–1743. Based on a journal, written by Francois Gaultier, Chevalier of the Verendrye, and his brother Pierre Gaultier, documenting an Expedition to reach the Western Sea, addressed to M. the Marquis of Beauharnois. 1742–43.