Historic Trails and Roads in California - Pony Express, Lincoln Highway, California Trail, Old Spanish Trail (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 68. Chapters: Pony Express, Lincoln Highway, California Trail, Old Spanish Trail, Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, El Camino Real, Yuma Crossing, U.S. Route 6 in California, Central Overland Route, Santa Susana Pass, Old Santa Susana Stage Road, Siskiyou Trail, Midland Trail, Mojave Road, U.S. Route 66 in California, Pedro Mountain Road, Newhall Pass, Ebbetts Pass, Foote's Crossing Road, Arrowhead Trail, National Old Trails Road, Applegate Trail, Pacific Highway, Bradshaw Trail, California State Route 154, Old Plank Road, Nome Cult Trail, Southern Emigrant Trail, Emigrant Gap, Tehachapi Pass, Weldon Canyon, Nobles Emigrant Trail, Redwood Highway, Water Station, California. Excerpt: The California Trail was an emigrant trail of about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) across the western half of the North American continent from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California. After it was established, the first half of the California Trail followed the same corridor of networked trails as the Oregon Trail and the Mormon Trails following the Platte, North Platte and Sweetwater River's valleys to Wyoming. The western end of the trail turned off in Idaho, Wyoming or Utah to reach the Humboldt River valley trail across Nevada. By following the Humboldt River valley across the arid Great Basin they were able to obtain the water, grass and 'wood' needed by all travelers and their teams. It is also called Central Route. The California Trail became heavily used from 1845 to 1869 when several rugged wagon route(s) across the Carson Range and Sierra Nevada mountains to different parts of northern California were established. After about 1848 the most popular route was the Carson Route since, while rugged, it was still easier than most others and entered California in the middle of the gold fields. By 1847, two frontier forts m...