From the 1830s to the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, the Oregon Trail was the way west for thousands of restless Americans from all walks of life. Fired with hope of finding a better life, more than 250,000 people left their homes, jobs, farms, and families to begin a six-month, 2000 mile trek by covered wagon. Walking most of the way, emigrants followed a route over plains, high mountains, and parched deserts, with only natural landmarks and evidence of previous travelers marking the path west. Death, disease, and disappointment prevented many from completing the journey, and nearly every emigrant felt discouraged at some point as grand hopes became like mirages after weeks in the desert. Yet time, distance, and hardships seasoned these determined pioneers and left them believing they had the ability and had earned the right to mold their own destiny in the new land.