General Resource Sites

• American Migration Patterns 
  Article by Beverly Whitaker.
• American Roads and Trails 
  Dedicated to learning about American roads and trails along with associated migration patterns.
• The American West - Development & History 
  • Frontier Trails - A Brief History 
• Ancestry.com - Message Boards - Migration 
• Early American Trails and Roads 
  Descriptions of 18 of the major early roads: The Boston Post Road; Braddock's Road; The California Trail; The Fall Line Road; The Federal Road; The Great Wagon Road; The King's Highway; The Mohawk (Iroquois) Trail; The Mormon Trail; The Natchez Trace; The National Road; The Oregon Trail; The Pennsylvania Road; The Santa Fe Trail; The Trail of Tears; The Upper Road; The Wilderness Road; Zane's Trace.
  • American Migration Patterns 
    Comments, photos, and links relating to American migration patterns. By "GenTutor" Beverly Whitaker, CGRS.
• Frontier Trails - A Brief History 
• Genealogy Professional Familyworks American Migration: Marcy Price Genealogist 
  Specializing in genealogy research using Migration Trails.
• Historical American Migration & Settlement Patterns: A Selected Bibliography 
  A selective reading list on certain aspects of the frontier movement in America, as derived from bibliographies for college classes I've taught and workshops for genealogists on this subject, organized geographically.
• In Motion: The African American Migration Experience 
  From the trans-Atlantic slave trade through the Great Migrations up to the modern African immigrations to the United States.
• Lineages.com - First Steps, Colonial Routes to Kentucky and Tennessee 
  By Johni Cerny, B.S., F.U.G.A. Details routes from Philadelphia and Maryland, from Virginia and North Carolina, and other routes west into Kentucky and Tennessee.
• Migrations.org 
  • Useful Migration Links 
• MigrationTrails.com 
  "Who Traveled the Trails?" and a migration trail map.
• Names on Independence Rock  ~ Wyoming
  A partial listing from 1930.
• National Oregon/California Trail Center  ~ Montpelier, Idaho
  • California Trail 
  • Mormon Trail 
  • Oregon Trail 
  • Oregon Trail Timeline 
  • Pony Express Trail 
• The Overland Trail 
  • Emigrant Lists 
  • Links to The Oregon Trail 
  • Links to Trails West 
• Roots & Routes 
  A heritage travel and public education website, including migration maps.
• Trails West 
  Map of early western migration trails and descriptions.

The California Trail

• California National Historic Trail (National Park Service) 
  The trail took gold-seekers through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and California.
• The California Trail 
  Map and description of route by Beverly Whitaker.
• Mountain Meadows Association 
  Dedicated to the preservation of the memory of those who lost their lives in the Mountain Meadows Massacre and the preservation of all sites associated with the Baker-Fancher Wagon Train. Our members are from both sides of the event and have come together for understanding and forgiveness.
  • Genealogy 
• Oregon-California Trails Association Online Store: Maps of the California Trail (spiral bound) 

Locality Specific

• ALGenWeb: Early Roads & Routes in Alabama 
• El Camino Real and the Spanish Missions in California 
• El Camino Réal de los Tejas 
  From the Texas Society, Daughters of the American Revolution.
• The Convict Trail  ~ Australia
• Early Cook County Roads - Part 1  and Part 2  ~ Illinois
• Emigration 
  From the United Kingdom's familyrecords.gov consortium.
• The First American West: The Ohio River Valley, 1750-1820 
  Consists of 15,000 pages of original historical material documenting the land, peoples, exploration, and transformation of the trans-Appalachian West including Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky & West Virginia from the mid-eighteenth to the early nineteenth century.
• Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association  ~ Sheridan, Wyoming
• Fort Robinson Museum  ~ Crawford, Nebraska
• Grayson County Transportion and Roads  ~ Virginia
  Includes transcribed road order records.
• How Did They Get Here - Migration Routes  ~ Sullivan County, Tennessee
• Migration Routes From Pennsylvania To Virginia 
• Migration Trails In Early Pennsylvania 
  Includes color coded map.
• Ohio County Info: Pioneer Migration Routes through Ohio 
• The Overland Trail 
• Roane County Road Orders (Dec. 1801-Dec 1805)  ~ Tennessee
• Taming The Wilderness: Roads 
  Early roads in Indiana.
• Westward Movement: The Kentucky Microcosm 
• Wyoming Western Trails Digitization Project 
  Oregon, California, Mormon and other overland trails through southeast Wyoming. Includes digitized diaires, photographs, and articles.

Mailing Lists, Newsgroups & Chat

• Genealogy Resources on the Internet - Emigration/Migration Mailing Lists 
  Most of the mailing list links below point to this site, wonderfully maintained by John Fuller. John indexes links for all known genealogy mailing lists, including RootsWeb and others.
• RootsWeb: Genealogy Mailing Lists 
  The majority of genealogy mailing lists are hosted by RootsWeb.com. Messages on RootsWeb lists are archived. The links to RootsWeb below point you to the archives (browse or search).

• CA-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List 
  For migration trails and patterns to and within the state of California. Archives: browse or search.
• CA-SHOSHONI-TRAIL Mailing List 
  For anyone with a genealogical interest in the Shoshoni Trail which served as the transverse emigrant road to and from California from 1848-1851. Archives: browse or search.
• BOONE-DANIEL-KY Mailing List 
  For anyone with a genealogical interest in Daniel Boone and other Kentucky explorers. Archives: browse or search.
• DUST-BOWL-ROOTS Mailing List 
  For anyone with a genealogical or historical interest in the Dust Bowl migrants. Archives: browse or search.
• HANDCART Mailing List 
  For anyone who has an interest in the genealogy, journals, and stories of the Pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who settled in the Salt Lake Valley from 1847 to 1860. Archives: browse or search.
• IA-NE-PIONEERTRAILS Mailing List 
  Interest in the pioneer trails of Iowa and Nebraska. Archives: browse or search.
• MIGRATION-PATTERNS Mailing List 
  For discussing the migration patterns of families and "cluster" moves of towns in the United States. Archives: browse or search.
• OHIO-RIVER-VALLEY-FAMILIES Mailing List 
  For anyone with a genealogical interest in the families that resided or currently reside in the Ohio River Valley which starts in Pennsylvania and borders the states of Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. Archives: browse or search.
• OK-MIGRATION Mailing List 
  For anyone with a genealogical interest in the migration of their ancestors in and out of Oklahoma. Archives: browse or search.
• OREGON-TRAIL Mailing List 
  For those who want to research their family history concerning anything to do with the Oregon Trail. The history of the trail is an appropriate topic for discussion as well as postings of wagon train lists, and anything else genealogical including stories of life as a pioneer, diaries, queries, books, etc.Western states involved would mostly be Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington; maybe even California, Utah and others. Time periods include around 1840-1900. Archives: browse or search.
• Overland-Trails Mailing List 
  Discussions concerning the history, preservation, and promotion of the Oregon, California, Sante Fe, and other historic trails in the Western USA.
• SANTA-FE-TRAIL Mailing List 
  For sharing ideas, adventures, questions, and answers regarding the Santa Fe Trail. While not specifically oriented toward genealogical queries, other subscribers may be able to assist you in researching your ancestors who traveled along this trail.
• Southern-Trails Mailing List 
  For the discussion and sharing of information regarding migration routes in the Southern United States and the people who used them. Archives: browse or search.

Maps, Gazetteers & Geographical Information

• Early American Trails and Roads 
  Map sketches and descriptions of routes from Beverly Whitaker.
  • The Boston Post Road 
  • Braddock's Military Road 
  • The California Trail 
  • The Fall Line Road 
  • The Great Valley Road 
  • The King's Highway 
  • The Mohawk (Iroquois) Trail 
  • The Mormon Trail 
  • The Natchez Trace 
  • The National Road 
  • The Oregon Trail 
  • The Pennsylvania Road 
  • The Santa Fe Trail 
  • The Upper Road 
  • The Wilderness Road and the Cumberland Gap 
  • Zane's Trace 
• Early Roads  ~ Long Island, New York
• Formation of the California Missions 
  Animated map showing the sequence of Mission foundings along the El Camino Real.
• Historical Maps of the United States 
  From the The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas at Austin.
• Migration Charts - Genealogy & Family History Publishing - AAG International Research 
  • Eastern United States Migration 
  • Northern United States Migration 
  • Western United States Migration 
• Ohio Migrations Map and Information 
• Oregon-California Trails Association Online Store: Historic Trails of the Western United States (flat map) 
• Pioneer Trails from U.S. Land Surveys 
• Quaker-Roots Western Migration Map 
• Roads in the South East United States - 1820 
• Transportation & Settlement in North Carolina, 1660-1775 
• Tribal Migrations East of the Mississippi 
  Charts the migrations of Linguistic Stocks of the Muskhogean, Proto-Muskhogean, Siouan, Iroquoian, Algonquain & Caddoan Tribes.
• U.S. Westward Migration, 1775-1860 

Mormon Trail

• Handcart Pioneer Companies 
• Mormon Pioneer Handcart Companies 
• Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail 
  From the National Parks Service.
  • Historic Resource Study 
• The Mormon Pioneer Trail 
  From the American West Home Page.
• The Mormon Pioneer Trail 
• The Mormon Trail 
• The Mormon Trail 
  Map by Beverly Whitaker.
• MormonTrail.com - The Pioneer Experience 
  The Official Web Site for Stories, Facts, and Ship Logs on the Mormon Trail Pioneers.
• The Pioneer Story 
  History of the Mormon Trail from the LDS Church.
• Trails to Utah and the Pacific: Diaries and Letters, 1846-1869 
  Digital collection of primary and other source material.

The National Road

• A Guide to the National Road 
  A book by Karl Raitz.
• Historical National Road 
  Focuses on the Indiana portion of the National Road.
• History Magazine - The National Road 
• Map of the Old National Road 
  The National Road through Eastern Indiana.
• The National Road 
  A book by Karl B. Raitz.
• The National Road 
  Description and map from the National Parks Service.
• The National Road 
  Map by Beverly Whitaker.
• National Road Association of Illinois  ~ Effingham, Illinois
• National Road/Zane Grey Museum  ~ Norwich, Ohio
  From the Ohio Historical Society.
• Road through the Wilderness: The Making of the National Road 
• Route 40 - National Road 

Oregon Trail

• End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center 
• In Search of the Oregon Trail 
  From a PBS series of the same name.
• National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at Flagstaff Hill 
  • Oregon Trail Map 
• The Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA) 
• Oregon National Historic Trail (National Park Service) 
  The Oregon Trail passes through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon.
• Oregon Pioneers - The Wagon Train of 1843 
• Oregon Pioneers - The Oregon Territory and It's Pioneers 
  Lists of emigrants, sort by year.
• The Oregon Trail 
  Map by Beverly Whitaker.
• OREGON-TRAIL Mailing List 
  Family history concerning anything to do with the Oregon Trail.
• OREGON TRAIL: The Trail West 
• Oregon Trail Time Frame 
  A year by year description of events and travelers on the Oregon Trail from 1792-1843 designed to provide a context for those researching Oregon Trail history and pioneers.
• The Overland Trail 
  • Links to The Oregon Trail 

People & Families

• Brethren Life: Migrations 
  Roads used by the Brethren for migration.
• Dillahunty Migration 
  Early settlers of Williamson County and middle Tennessee.
• Goin' To Chicago 
  Companion web site to the PBS documentary film about the largest internal migration in U.S. history - the move that led millions of African Americans from the South to the cities of the North and West of the United States.
• Migrations: African-American Mosaic Exhibition 
  From the Library of Congress.
• Roots and Routes - Yankee Migration FAQ 
  With animated map showing Yankee migration over time.
• Trails of Hope: Overland Diaries and Letters, 1846-1869 
  A collection of the original writings of 49 voyagers on the Mormon, California, Oregon, and Montana trails.

Publications, Software & Supplies

• Cyndi's List Genealogy Bookstore 
  A categorized list of genealogy research books that looks a lot like my bookshelf at home.

• Amazon.com Genealogy Bookstore - Migration 
  The following are individual book titles of interest for this topic. The book links below point to the Amazon.com bookstore online where you may purchase the book if you wish. These links are provided to bring these published resources to your attention as an aid to your research. Follow the links to books of interest to make note of their title, author, publisher, and ISBN. You might then use this information to obtain the book from your local library or your favorite corner book shop.
  • American Exodus: The Dust Bowl Migration and Okie Culture in California 
    A book by James N. Gregory.
  • Atlas of American Migration 
    A book by Stephen A. Flanders.
  • Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America 
    A book by Edwin Tunis.
  • The Great Wagon Road: From Philadelphia to the South 
    A book by Parke Rouse.
  • In Tar and Paint and Stone: The Inscriptions at Independence Rock and Devil's Gate 
    A book by Levida Hileman.
  • Map Guide to American Migration Routes, 1735-1815 
    A book by William Dollarhide.
  • Ox-Team Days 
    A book by Ezra Meeker.
  • Pioneer Women: The Lives of Women on the Frontier 
    A book by Linda Peavy.
  • The Southern Diaspora: How the Great Migrations of Black and White Southerners Transformed America 
    A book by James N. Gregory.
  • That Dark and Bloody River 
    A book by Allan Eckert.
  • Wagons West: The Epic Story of America's Overland Trails 
    A book by Frank McLynn.
• Historical American Migration & Settlement Patterns: A Selected Bibliography 
  A selective reading list on certain aspects of the frontier movement in America, as derived from bibliographies for college classes I've taught and workshops for genealogists on this subject, organized geographically.

Santa Fe Trail

• Early American Trails and Roads 
  Map sketches and descriptions of routes from Beverly Whitaker.
  • The Santa Fe Trail 
• The Interactive Santa Fe Trail (SFT) Homepage 
• The Santa Fe Trail Center Larned, Kansas 
• SANTA-FE-TRAIL Mailing List 
  For sharing ideas, adventures, questions, and answers regarding the Santa Fe Trail.
• Santa Fe Trail Research Site 
  History of The Great Highway of Commerce from Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico and the people who came across this trail. History of the forts, towns, trail sites and many pictures and aerial pictures of these places.
• Spanish Colonial Research Center  ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico
  From the National Park Service and the University of New Mexico.

Societies & Groups

• Central Nevada Emigrant Trail Association (CNETA) 
• Indiana National Road Association  ~ Indianapolis, Indiana
• National Road Association of Illinois  ~ Effingham, Illinois
• Old York Road Historical Society  ~ Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
• The Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA) 

Wagon Trains

• The 1853 McCULLY Wagon Train - Henry County, Iowa to Oregon 
• The AIKEN-BOOTH-INGRAM-RICHEY Wagon Train From Iowa to Oregon 1852 
• California 1849 - SYMBIOS - To California with "The IKENBERRY Party" in 1849 
  A history project by Sandy Wilbur.
• Diary of James WOODWORTH - Across the Plains to California in 1853 
• McCULLY Train 
  A book for sale.
• The Names of the "Wolverine Rangers" 
• Wagon Train Arrivals as Reported in the Frontier Guardian 
  Lists of wagon trains that arrived in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Wilderness Road

• Wilderness Road and Kentucky, 1774-85 
• The Wilderness Road and the Cumberland Gap 
  Map by Beverly Whitaker.
• Wilderness Road Regional Museum 
  Information about the Museum as well as original documents online pertaining to early southwest Virginia.
  • Wilderness Road Map 

Zane's Trace

• Genealogy Pointers (10-31-06): Getting Stumped on Zane's Trace 
  By William Dollarhide.
• ZANE, Ebenezer (7 Oct. 1747-19 Nov. 1812), Pioneer 
• Zane's Trace 
  Map by Beverly Whitaker.

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