July 24

On the 24th in 1832, Benjamin Bonneville led the first wagon train across the Rocky Mountains, opening the California Trail. His ultimate goal was to reach the Williamette Valley (Honestly, isn’t that everyone’s goal?) in Oregon and open the Oregon Trail but unfortunately didn’t reach Oregon before the snow set in and he never made it. He turned around and went back to Missouri. Bonneville would eventually return to Washington, D.C. but went by way of New York City, where he was the guest of John Jacob Astor and hung out with Wildman Washington Irving.

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