S eptember 15, 1993 • T he P ortland O bserver P age B2 End Of The Oregon Trail With The Buffalo Soldiers Official Wagon Train Rears Oregon City During Its Last Week Of Travel “This Is the best and most beautiful place we have seen on the whole road, or In fact In our lives. "-John T. Kerns, 1 8 5 2 T h e W a g o n T ra in , a fte r c o m p le tin g its h is to r ic 7 3 - d a y tr e k a c r o s s th e W e s t, r e a c h e d th e e n d o f th e O re g o n T r a il o n S a tu r d a y , S e p te m b e r 4 th , w h e n it r o lle d in to C la c k a m e tte P a r k in O re g o n C ity . T h e O f f ic ia l O re g o n T r a il S e s q u ic e n te n n ia l W a g o n T r a in b e g a n its 1 ,0 0 0 - m ile jo u r n e y in B o r d e r , W y o m in g o n J u n e 2 6 . T h e h is to r y o f th e O re g o n T ra il is th e h is to ry o f th e A m e ri c a n W e st. T h e W a g o n T r a in c o m m e m o ra te s th e 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 p io n e e rs w h o r is k e d th e ir liv e s to c o m e W e s t a n d s e ttle th e g r e a t N o r th w e s t. T h e h is to r ic a l r e c r e a tio n is a n im p o r ta n t s to ry . It r e s e m b le d a n e n c h a n te d v a lle y a s w e w o u n d a r o u n d th e h ill b e f o r e d e s c e n d in g in to i t . ” - -L u c ia L o r a in W illia m s , 1 8 5 1 . A f t e r 7 3 d a y s —a n d 150 y e a r s —th e w a g o n s ro lle d in to O re g o n C ity . T h e C la c k a m a s C o u n ty O re g o n T ra il C e le b r a tio n ’s p la n s fo r T r a i l ’s E n d F in a le , th e th r e e - d a y L a b o r D a y W e e k e n d f e s tiv a l w e l c o m e d th e O ff ic ia l O re g o n T ra il S e s q u ic e n te n n ia l W a g o n T r a in , in c lu d e d a p u b lic W a lk In W ith T h e W a g o n s on S a tu r d a y , S e p te m b e r 4 th th a t k ic k e d - o f f th e e v e n t. T r a i l ’s E n d F in a le w a s th e la s t m a jo r O re g o n T r a il C e le b r a tio n ’93 e v e n t t h a t to o k ta k e p la c e in O re g o n a n d s e rv e d a s th e “ g r a n d f in a le ” o f a ll th e Buffalo Soldiers Escorted Official Wagon Train Into Oregon City “ They served as beacons to show the route at which we advanced our journey.”- John C. Fremont, 1843 play on the history of the Buffalo Soldiers. Historian Norman Monroe delivered a lecture on the topic. Although it is not widely known, the Buffalo Soldiers were instrum en tal in settling the West. In the late 1800s. the Ninth and Tenth Calvary, and the 25th and 26th Infantry pro vided security for the wagon trains bound Westward from Independence, Missouri, where the Oregon Trail originated The name Buffalo Soldiers itself comes from the Native Americans Betw een 15 an d 20 A frican A m ericans playing the role of Buffalo Soldiers escorted the Official Oregon T rail Sesquicentennial Wagon Train when it rolled into Oregon City on Labor Day W eekend for the finale celebration T h e r id e rs w ere sp o n so re d through Hyalite. Inc . a non-profit group that honors diversity through cultural events Four of the riders were actors from the movie “Glory.” O nce the wagon train arrived at Trai I's End Finale, they performed a short z / < ' < who battled the soldiers and honored them for their bravery , likening them to the sacred buffalo Their curly hair and dark skin reinforced this impres sion, as did the fact that the men often wore buffalo skins to beat the cold In addition tothc roles they played on the settler trails, the Buffalo Sol diers also helped to restore order to the once wild ways of the Old West “The Black soldiers were in the background doing what the Texas Rangers were supposed to do,” said Mark Little of Hy alite Inc Their ac • a • • • • • * « ♦ ? * < # * * * ♦ * £ tivities entailed fighting bandits, out laws and sometimes even corrupt rangers, as well as racist townsmen who saw the Black troopers as a threat. The 150th Anniversary of the Oregon Trail celebrations have in cluded and recognized those who have received little recognition in the past for their crucial roles in assisting the pioneers Westward. The inclusion of the Bulfalo Soldiers highlights the important role African Americans played during the Westward em igra tion on the Oregon Trail d a ily p io n e e r lif e ) , a N a tiv e A m e ric a n e n c a m p m e n t, a P io n e e r V illa g e w h e re e v e n t- g o e r s file d a la n d c la im , th e c ir c le o f O f f ic ia l O re g o n T r a il S e s q u i c e n te n n ia l W a g o n T r a in w a g o n s , a g e n e a lo g ic a l te n t, q u i l t in g d e m o n s tra tio n s , a h is to r ic a l s ta g e a n d a m u s ic s ta g e . s e s q u ic e n te n n ia l c e le b r a tio n a c tiv itie s . T r a i l ’s E n d F in a le w a s th e l a r g e s t e v e n t e v e r h e l d in C la c k a m a s C o u n ty . E a c h d a y , T r a i l ’s E n d F in a le o f f e r e d a v a r ie ty o f a c tiv itie s in c lu d in g a c h ild r e n ’s liv in g p io n e e r e x p e r ie n c e a r e a ( h a n d s -o n a c t i v i tie s f o r k id s to te a c h th e m a b o u t Oregon Trail License Plate Available Soon In the final day s ofthe legislative session, the Oregon legislature ap proved a bill creating an Oregon Trail commemorative license plate Gov Barbara Roberts is expected to sign the bill into law. “During the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail, we have a chance to increase interest around the nation,” said Rep Michael Payne, D-Baker City, the original sponsor of the Oregon Trail licence plate bill. Senate Bill 98 allows the Depar,- ment of Motor Vehicles to issue a license plate com m em orating the Oregon Trail The new license plates will cost drivers an extra $5 per set Funds generated by drivers request a • • • a * • V ing the plates will go to the Oregon Trail Coordinating Council for pro motion. marketing, and further de velopment of interpretive facilities along the Oregon Trail. The plates will be issued through the end of 1995. The design of the plates will be made by the DMV in consultation with the Oregon Trail Coordinating Council “This is a marvelous way to com- nemoratc the pioneers who defined ihe borders of the nation,” said Jill Thorne, executive director o f the OTCC. “I am pleased and moved that the legislative supports the concept of an O regon Trail com m em orative p la te ”