<P> The historic 2,170 - mile (3,490 km) Oregon Trail connected various towns along the Missouri River to Oregon's Willamette Valley . It was used during the 19th century by Great Plains pioneers who were seeking fertile land in the West and North . </P> <P> As the trail developed it became marked by numerous cutoffs and shortcuts from Missouri to Oregon . The basic route follows river valleys as grass and water were absolutely necessary . </P> <P> While the first few parties organized and departed from Elm Grove, the Oregon Trail's primary starting point was Independence, Missouri, or Kansas City (Missouri), on the Missouri River . Later, several feeder trails led across Kansas, and some towns became starting points, including Weston, Missouri, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Atchison, Kansas, St. Joseph, Missouri, and Omaha, Nebraska . </P> <P> The Oregon Trail's nominal termination point was Oregon City, at the time the proposed capital of the Oregon Territory . However, many settlers branched off or stopped short of this goal and settled at convenient or promising locations along the trail . Commerce with pioneers going further west helped establish these early settlements and launched local economies critical to their prosperity . </P>

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