The Oregon Trail is a part of American history that has been romanticized and dramatized in book, movie, and song. From 1841 to 1884, between 300,00 and 500,000 had made the journey from Missouri to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the official endpoint of the trail.1
Travelling the 2,170 miles took half a year and perhaps several years to plan. To get ready for the trip, settlers would sell off most of their goods, invest the money in wagons, horses, and supplies, and pack only the bare necessities into the wagon for the long ride.
A “train” could consist of 200 people all the way up to 1,000. Before embarking on the trip, the group agreed to their own constitution and set of laws that would be followed along the way. Stipulations were made for trials and arbitration should it be necessary. Travelers were warned that they could find themselves banished from the train in the event of infractions against the rules.
Television depicts frequent Indian attacks. History records that they were rare. The verbiage of those attacks taints our thinking. For instance, the Clark Massacre is a part of history where a band of Shoshoni Indians attacked a train led by Thomas Clark. The massacre resulted in three deaths. This was certainly tragic but hardly worth being called a massacre.
The vast majority of the 20,000 who died along the trail perished from sickness and disease. Cholera was the number one killer. It is contracted through contaminated water, specifically water laden with feces, both human and livestock. Watching shows depicting the Oregon Trail, you would see people gathering their drinking water from the same stream as a dirty individual was bathing, a woman was doing laundry, cattle were belly-deep, drinking while urinating and defecating — and people were doing the same thing.
Cholera “starts with vomiting and moves into dehydration, cramps, hypovolemic
shock when the body can’t pump blood, and if you make it through that: a diarrheic deluge. As Mayo Clinic very grotesquely describes, the diarrhea is “pale, milky,” and looks like “water in which rice has been rinsed.” Thanks for that. Victims continue diarrhea-ing about one liter per hour until it’s all over…
“Even though we’re focusing mostly on diarrhea because it’s the most severe indicator of cholera, cholera takes victims through a whole torrent of terrible symptoms. Firstly, as Mayo Clinic points out, a person might be infected with cholera bacteria before presenting symptoms. During this time the bacteria can be passed along for a period of seven to 14 days. When symptoms do appear, vomiting comes first and persists for hours. This dehydrates a person, which carries its own set of symptoms like fatigue, shriveled skin, emotional volatility, low blood pressure, shock, cramps, etc. Diarrhea comes last and can cause death within hours. ”2
Why would people put themselves through this? A couple of reasons stand out. First, “Abraham Lincoln’s government passed the Homestead Act, which stipulated that anyone willing to head West would be rewarded with free plots of land on which to settle, farm, and enrich themselves. The legislation prompted hundreds of thousands of people to take up the offer, and make the arduous journey…”3
Another reason was the California gold rush. Settlers were willing to risk everything just to strike it rich. Lives were put on the line for the promise of easy riches and luxurious living. A very small percentage of people struck it rich. However, their wealth quickly evaporated as they lost their money to gambling casinos, prostitutes, and the high cost of living. Stories like this, though, didn’t keep people from braving the Oregon Trail.4
People are willing to risk it all for something that cannot be guaranteed while ignoring that which they can obtain with certainty. Proverbs 2:1-5 says, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; (2) So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; (3) Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; (4) If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; (5) Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”
Knowledge and wisdom are promised to those who will seek them with passion, sacrifice, and determination. The value of this wisdom is immeasurable. Proverbs 16:16 says, “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!” The journey for wisdom won’t force us to travel 2,000 miles of rocky roads and dangerous terrain. We won’t have to fear cholera or 
some other disease. But it will take time and effort. The journey, though, is worth it.
Proverbs 3:13-15 leaves us with these enticing words. “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. (14) For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. (15) She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.”
1https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/07/07/how-many-people-traveled-oregon-trail/7769587001/
2https://www.grunge.com/1599635/gross-common-reason-many-people-died-oregon-trail/
3https://www.grunge.com/1603651/oregon-trail-rules-people-followed/
4https://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/gold-rush.htm
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