The Unofficial Web Site of the
Official California Trail Gold Rush Wagon Train of the '49ers


Morris Carter is wagonmaster for this group.

New Franklin, Missouri New Franklin, Missouri
April 10, 1999
Eastern Jackson Co., Missouri
April 15, 1999

April 16, 1999
near Olathe, Kansas Near Olathe, Kansas
April 19, 1999
leaving Council Grove, KS Leaving Council Grove, Kansas
April 24, 1999
near Durham, Kansas Between Lost Spring
& Durham, Kansas
April 25, 1999
Lyons, Kansas Lyons, Kansas
April 28, 1999
Ellinwood, Kansas Ellinwood, Kansas
April 29, 1999
between Ellinwood and Great Bend Between Ellinwood & Great Bend
April 29, 1999
Great Bend by night Passing through Great Bend, KS
April 29, 1999 about 9 pm
approaching Dundee, KS Approaching Dundee, Kansas
April 30, 1999
Lunch in Pawnee Rock Lunch stop in
downtown Pawnee Rock
April 30, 1999
Atop Pawnee Rock The wagons
ascend Pawnee Rock
April 30, 1999


Check out the official Wagon Train's official web site.




Meanwhile, another wagon train, called America's Gold Rush Wagon Train, went down the trail a week ahead of the “Official California Trail Gold Rush Wagon Train of the '49ers”. Wagonmaster for this group is Russell Leger. To keep things straight for everyone, we'll simply refer to Morris Carter's group as the “official” and Russell's as the “first”. These are pictures of “the first” group:

Stopping for lunch at Ellinwood, Kansas April 21, 1999

Approaching and passing through Great Bend April 21, 1999




Your photos (of either group) are welcome! As the Wagon Trains move west, you're invited to take some pictures and get them to me, Don Shorock. My e-mail address is shorock@midusa.net. Please do not attach them to e-mail without permission. In order of preference, you can


Suggested reading:
The Prairie Traveler
by Capt. Randolph Marcy

The schedule for the “official” wagon train (Morris'):