Saving a Legacy, the Oregon-California Trail part 1


Uploaded by lpfritz27 on 20.06.2011

Transcript:
0:00:04.290,0:00:10.690I think the trails represent our American heritage. It's what
the tradition
0:00:10.690,0:00:12.849of the American dream 0:00:12.849,
0:00:16.819is all about
0:00:16.819,0:00:23.819 It's a real experience of the past. You appreciate
the pioneers and what it took to get here.
0:00:26.150,0:00:29.109 The trails in Wyoming are still visible through
most of the state
0:00:29.109,0:00:34.360You still get that sense of being in the country that they traveled
in
0:00:34.360,0:00:37.100The trails are always at risk
0:00:37.100,0:00:40.700 we know that at the end of the calendar
year there will alwyas be fewer trail
0:00:40.700,0:00:42.650 resources than at the beginning of the year
0:00:42.650,0:00:45.250 at the beginning of the year
0:00:45.250,0:00:52.250 these are remnants of the past that once they're
gone we cannot bring them back
0:01:27.690,0:01:31.570 travelers bound for Oregon and California
today
0:01:31.570,0:01:36.220 cruise along the highways at speeds of
seventy plus miles per hour
0:01:36.220,0:01:37.480 nearby
0:01:37.480,0:01:39.730 but invisible at highway speeds
0:01:39.730,0:01:45.580lie faint remnants of those who past this way before
0:01:45.580,0:01:47.460 An unmarked pioneer grave
0:01:47.460,0:01:52.870 is a reminder of the hardships that
earlier travelers experienced
0:01:52.870,0:01:54.590In the 1840s and 50s
0:01:54.590,0:01:59.810 this was the scene of the largest
voluntary migration in human history
0:01:59.810,0:02:03.750 in just over twenty years almost half a
million people
0:02:03.750,0:02:09.179 men, women and children made a five-month,
two thousand-mile journey across a
0:02:09.179,0:02:13.469 vast, undeveloped country
0:02:13.469,0:02:15.919 these were the people who put our nation together
0:02:15.919,0:02:19.799 between the Missouri river and the
Pacific.
0:02:19.799,0:02:23.420they completed America's manifest destiny to
become a nation from ocean to ocean
0:02:23.420,0:02:27.729 they were really the people who built the
WWestern half of America
0:02:27.729,0:02:31.619 these pioneer immigrants traveled through
a narrow corridor that was previously
0:02:31.619,0:02:37.389 used by american indians and for
travelers
0:02:37.389,0:02:42.319 today most of this immigrant brutalized
beneath the commercial and agricultural
0:02:42.319,0:02:45.900 development did have two hundred and
fifty years
0:02:45.900,0:02:50.540 it's estimated that only about fifteen
percent of the trail remains and most of
0:02:50.540,0:02:55.629 that had been lost in for gotten until
recently
0:02:55.629,0:02:59.879 the sierra nevada mountain range was a
forbidding berenger for the pioneers as
0:02:59.879,0:03:04.469 they enter california
0:03:04.469,0:03:08.949 the carson trail quickly became the most
popular routes across these mountains in
0:03:08.949,0:03:13.539 search of gold because if we look out we
get our wonderful view for over twenty
0:03:13.539,0:03:17.689 five years frank toward a rich search
this mountain range defined physical
0:03:17.689,0:03:19.790 remnants of the carson trail
0:03:19.790,0:03:23.019 some other uh... is gone and then
interrupted because of highway
0:03:23.019,0:03:23.999 construction
0:03:23.999,0:03:26.399 nan development campgrounds
0:03:26.399,0:03:30.929 but they're still many many segments
that you can follow by seemed
0:03:30.929,0:03:34.349 depressions in the groundswell heals as
we cause a more that wagons in the
0:03:34.349,0:03:39.719 animals walk-through and just curb the
ground in any rozet has taken place some
0:03:39.719,0:03:43.889 of these depressions can be seen only at
certain times of the year when
0:03:43.889,0:03:45.869 educational miles
0:03:45.869,0:03:50.529 other remnants such as names painted
with axle grease have worn away and are
0:03:50.529,0:03:53.839 visible only in the right kind of light
0:03:53.839,0:03:55.999 so we see a difference in coloring
0:03:55.999,0:03:56.700 the wagon
0:03:56.700,0:03:59.479 wheels hit the high point of the rock
0:03:59.479,0:04:03.919 it leaves the rust stains made by iron
dragon wheels are the only signed that
0:04:03.919,0:04:07.019 this was once a busy thoroughfare roll
call it
0:04:07.019,0:04:08.189 when you see
0:04:08.189,0:04:12.799 arresting rocked you see any in its
location where
0:04:12.799,0:04:16.810 where the wagons came through your
standing in that same location
0:04:16.810,0:04:21.280 and walk up the trail the same trail
that thousands of people in thousands of
0:04:21.280,0:04:22.590 white imps came out
0:04:22.590,0:04:26.509 in a museum even though they're
wonderful things to look at they're
0:04:26.509,0:04:29.819 taken out of contacts are taken away
from
0:04:29.819,0:04:36.620 their original locational out here it's
the rally in place re now it it's
0:04:36.620,0:04:39.570 history imposition the album etiquette
is
0:04:39.570,0:04:41.050 let's set up on the trail
0:04:41.050,0:04:45.110 frank works closely with the national
forest service to protect what remains
0:04:45.110,0:04:46.789 of the car santro
0:04:46.789,0:04:51.009 the forest service routinely consults
with him anytime there is a threat to
0:04:51.009,0:04:52.319 the trail
0:04:52.319,0:04:53.110 this is it
0:04:53.110,0:04:55.479 type of history that ones
0:04:55.479,0:05:01.029 lost can never be retrieved cuz i saw
these trails as a youngster and i see
0:05:01.029,0:05:06.169 how they're gradually disappearing this
is our history the whole essence of the
0:05:06.169,0:05:12.300 american dream is wrapped up and
identified in mind opinion he's by these
0:05:12.300,0:05:17.949 trails and so even today after twenty
five years but high and still searching
0:05:17.949,0:05:21.830 for segments of trail that have not been
discovered alternate routes in some
0:05:21.830,0:05:23.080 cases
0:05:23.080,0:05:25.259 within filled with wagon
0:05:25.259,0:05:30.550 discovering a trail is a lot like a
treasure hunt source of the carson
0:05:30.550,0:05:34.370 secondhand smoke free for the benefit of
a lesser known trail
0:05:34.370,0:05:38.430 that provided gold seekers with
everything northern mines
0:05:38.430,0:05:42.449 and enjoy and haven't had any interest
in all trails when they've retired to
0:05:42.449,0:05:45.659 the small northern california town of
chico
0:05:45.659,0:05:49.830 by pure coincidence their new next-door
neighbors wasn't archaeologist with the
0:05:49.830,0:05:51.740 national forest service
0:05:51.740,0:05:52.819 he said well
0:05:52.819,0:05:56.379 higher concentrations and i think might
0:05:56.379,0:05:58.130 part of the old trail
0:05:58.130,0:06:04.639 so the next week the repair work madam
trauma you've home part of the trail
0:06:04.639,0:06:07.650 i got home care my wife and i did
0:06:07.650,0:06:11.069 to map the trail from the national park
service
0:06:11.069,0:06:15.919 gandhi and your landscaping next five
years locating and mapping the backwards
0:06:15.919,0:06:20.009 trails here treasure tactics into
museums and libraries in the winter
0:06:20.009,0:06:20.739 months
0:06:20.739,0:06:23.759 and out on the trail in summer time
0:06:23.759,0:06:24.779 another mail
0:06:24.779,0:06:26.419 gathered diaries
0:06:26.419,0:06:29.080 everything to define relating to kriel
0:06:29.080,0:06:32.339 than actually went well
0:06:32.339,0:06:38.150 located titrations and then we put the
long run modern compliments
0:06:38.150,0:06:41.930 pie in your diaries described if
physical landmarks along that worth
0:06:41.930,0:06:44.080 trail better still visible
0:06:44.080,0:06:48.969 these descriptions helped pinpoint the
exact location of the trail than than
0:06:48.969,0:06:51.029 than crossing the creek
0:06:51.029,0:06:55.310 the way demand which he was writing
0:06:55.310,0:06:58.029 and he was seriously injured
0:06:58.029,0:07:00.139 sold the stopped
0:07:00.139,0:07:02.209 and waited in the
0:07:02.209,0:07:03.969 and they buried him
0:07:03.969,0:07:08.349 and they describe how they buried him at
the moment gracefully spruce pine tree
0:07:08.349,0:07:10.489 focused on both the tree is still there
0:07:10.489,0:07:12.069 words dole
0:07:12.069,0:07:14.080 in the middle wonderfully
0:07:14.080,0:07:18.039 and you'll and now helping others to
enjoy the backwards trail
0:07:18.039,0:07:22.870 steel markers placed at key points along
the trail contain inscriptions taken
0:07:22.870,0:07:24.749 from pioneer diaries
0:07:24.749,0:07:28.799 bobby's inscriptions help people to
learn about the pioneer experience they
0:07:28.799,0:07:33.389 are no guarantee that these trail
remnants will be preserved that requires
0:07:33.389,0:07:37.419 a more comprehensive trail inventory yes
uh... huh
0:07:37.419,0:07:38.830 vendor
0:07:38.830,0:07:40.270 so
0:07:40.270,0:07:44.229 the national park service's long
distance trails office is creating a
0:07:44.229,0:07:46.960 disease that historic trails
0:07:46.960,0:07:51.410 is important that scattered by
volunteers in the field a plot the exact
0:07:51.410,0:07:55.900 location of trails all across the
country the idea behind it is if you
0:07:55.900,0:07:56.629 don't know
0:07:56.629,0:07:59.999 where the resources are and what they
are
0:07:59.999,0:08:01.669 all you'll have difficulty
0:08:01.669,0:08:06.330 then in the rain to protect and preserve
the hague lend the phone rings or we
0:08:06.330,0:08:08.160 give word that
0:08:08.160,0:08:09.509 there may be some tray
0:08:09.509,0:08:13.299 dole site that's at risk because of some
kind of
0:08:13.299,0:08:15.180 development or
0:08:15.180,0:08:16.860 but safer at
0:08:16.860,0:08:21.629 then we need to be able to establish
exactly where it is
0:08:21.629,0:08:26.940 and nose gear is in fact uh... montreal
related resources
0:08:26.940,0:08:28.819 extraneous to the trail
0:08:28.819,0:08:30.829 to help create this database
0:08:30.829,0:08:34.639 volunteer members of the oregon
california trails association spending
0:08:34.639,0:08:36.880 many hours on the trail
0:08:36.880,0:08:41.180 high-tech satellite imaging equipment
provides ten-point accurate locations
0:08:41.180,0:08:44.980 and important sites and those
individuals are really the experts
0:08:44.980,0:08:46.520 because they know
0:08:46.520,0:08:50.280 with with great family here at the the
location of the trail and the sites
0:08:50.280,0:08:57.280 along it
0:09:01.080,0:09:04.839 variations to trail preservation in
wyoming
0:09:04.839,0:09:07.910 wide open space remains virtually
unchanged
0:09:07.910,0:09:09.830 from the fine details
0:09:09.830,0:09:14.250 here preserving the area programmer
trail can be just as important as the
0:09:14.250,0:09:17.950 trail itself want to develop really want
to actually see the order of stretching
0:09:17.950,0:09:20.630 out in front of the across the sand
country
0:09:20.630,0:09:23.400 when she developed a couple of stern
0:09:23.400,0:09:26.790 walk a few miles from the only dropped
0:09:26.790,0:09:32.130 it's a new experience experience of the
security for people with the right
0:09:32.130,0:09:37.120 this new experiences of being linked to
the past self what goes on around the
0:09:37.120,0:09:39.210 trail can diminish it
0:09:39.210,0:09:42.620 energy development plays a major role in
wyoming
0:09:42.620,0:09:47.990 list will be vigilant
0:09:47.990,0:09:52.910 someone bureau of land management tries
to accommodate both energy development
0:09:52.910,0:09:55.260 and historical preservation
0:09:55.260,0:09:58.700 archaeologist breast hantar takes
thousands of photographs
0:09:58.700,0:10:02.470 carefully documenting much of the
immigrant trail that cross is public
0:10:02.470,0:10:03.420 land
0:10:03.420,0:10:08.090 these photographs are used to map out
visual corridor along the trail
0:10:08.090,0:10:12.180 this corridor is the view that can be
seen from the trail
0:10:12.180,0:10:16.690 issues to help determine where or oil
and gas exploration made or may not
0:10:16.690,0:10:20.290 occur in most cases drilling activity
0:10:20.290,0:10:25.200 can be located barnacle way that it is
not visible from the trail
0:10:25.200,0:10:28.340 with pristine landscapes in trail
segments
0:10:28.340,0:10:33.040 is it possible to get any closer to the
pioneer experience