Roughly 350,000 pioneers traveled this 2,000 mile artery west from Missouri. It was the journey of a lifetime, an adventure like no other. Most Emigrants had seen nothing like the Great Plains and the walls of mountains. They eagerly sought landmarks like Independence Rock where thousands carved their names. The sight of buffalo herds and villages of prairie dogs stirred excitement while first encounters with Native Americans aroused both curiosity and fear. The Knight family tasted their first salmon while on the trail, caught by Indian fishermen.
