Pulling Together
to Bring the Past Present

The Oregon Trail Travelers is made up of individuals and families who volunteer their time to share their knowledge and demonstrate some the trades, crafts and lifestyle of the people who came across the Oregon Trail. Each year the Oregon Trail Travelers are invited to participate at Heritage Festivals, Community Fairs, and Blue Grass Festivals. As long as there are at least six individuals and/or families to volunteer that commit to attend an outing, the event will more than likely be accepted and placed on that year’s encampment schedule.

Members of the Oregon Trail Travelers are volunteers who enjoy fellowship and have the desire to preserve our heritage by pulling together to bring the past present. Are you interested in becoming a member of the Oregon Trail Travelers? Join the wagon train and share the experience of U.S. history. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Brief History

The group known as the “Oregon Trail Travelers” was founded back in 1992. It was the idea of a group of “mountain men” reenactors, from a muzzleloader company. They wanted to create a “family oriented” reenactment group, to eliminate some of the issues that they had seen with the muzzleloaders (alcoholism). During an encampment with the muzzleloader company at Charbanoe State Park; the idea for a family oriented group, portraying life on the Oregon Trail was finalized. The “Oregon Trail Travelers” was born. The first assembly of the Oregon Trail Travelers took place as a trial run in Inky’s Back yard. This was one of the three trial runs held, in an attempt to get organized as a group, and prepared for public appearance. It wasn’t until their encampment in Echo Lake Oregon, that the Oregon Trail Travelers (OTT) first made their public début. Evidently this encampment went well, because there were 15 other encampments held that same year. One of them was at the 150 year Oregon Trail Anniversary in Oregon City; from which a member recalls how “they had us set up on gravel, and acting as a divider” Since then the Oregon Trail Travelers have remained a strong active group, gaining new members and finding new encampments along the way. However there are some past traditions off the OTT that have since gone extinct. Some of the earlier members recall how the group would hold “Fun Days”. These were over night trips (in motels) where the members would get dressed up in reenactment clothing, and go out to different historical markers around the area. Another activity that has since stopped, was the spring and fall “Shoots”. These were encampments where members would go out and fire black powder guns. For a while they remained as a remnace of the group’s Muzzle loading backgrounds, until they stopped. In addition to all the encampments attended and accomplishments made over the years, the OTT has also amassed a lot of great stories. Be them the tale of Elmer Johnston’s “Twinkie Attack” at Emergent Springs, or Ann Gelgisser’s “Windbag Tent” Vs. the Terminating winds of eastern Washington. These stories and promise of new ones, are what the Oregon Trail Travelers are all about; and if all goes well, there will be many more in the future.