Oregon-California Trails Association | Johnston, William G.

Johnston, William G. – 1849 Trail Diaries

Cave Springs Collection·

17 typed pages

“Overland to California” in the Memorable Year 1849, William G. Johnston, 1948

1849 Trail Diaries

Research notes consisting of excerpts from emigrant trail diaries of 1849 in the Independence and Jackson County, Missouri area

The collection was begun in 1991 by the late Merrill J. Mattes, a co-founder of the Oregon-California Trails Association. That original nucleus was a result of a generous donation from Merrill and reflected his many years as an award-winning National Park Service historian and also included works of his own authorship. The collection is housed at the national Frontier Trails Museum in Independence, Missouri. Here, you have access to many of the original trail diaries he collected in digital form.