Wilson Price Hunt laid the groundwork for what would later become the Oregon Trail as he went west from St. Louis to Astoria, Oregon, in 1811, but it remained for another man to make the most important contribution to that famous trail. He did it traveling East. So successful was his trip that a St. Louis newspaper, in publishing an interview with him, said there should be no reason wagons couldn’t make the trip west to Oregon because there was no obstruction to block the way. But it would be years before Robert Stuart’s advice was followed.

AOWM – June 29