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Oregon Trail Timeline 

May 6
1844		 The Simmons-Bush party leaves St. Joseph, Missouri for Oregon Territory.  They join a group of about 30 other families and elect Cornelius Gilliam as their "General."  The first month of their journey is slow due to heavy rains and flooding.
June
1844		 The Simmons-Bush party finally reach and cross the Big Blue River in Nebraska.  It takes 16 days to get all their belongings across the river.
July
1844		 The Simmons-Bush party cross the South Platte River in Nebraska.  There is disagreement about the way General Gilliam is leading the wagon train, and the group splits in two.  Late in the month they see Chimney Rock.
August
 1844		 The Simmons-Bush party travels through Wyoming, following the North Platte River.  They see Independence Rock.  In late August they stop at Fort Bridger, an American trading post.
September 1844 The Simmons-Bush party travel through Wyoming, following the North Platte River.  They see Independence Rock.  They see Soda Springs and rest at Fort Hall for a few days. 
October
 1844		 Following the Snake River, the Simmons-Bush party come to Fort Boise, which is owned by the British Hudson's Bay Company.  They stay here for a few days.  The British fur traders tell them about the rich farmland in Oregon's Willamette River Valley.
November 1844

The Simmons-Bush party are in Eastern Oregon.  They spend the month pushing through the Blue Mountains.  John Minto, a young Englishman, is sent ahead to Fort Vancouver to get supplies.  The rest of the party will meet up with him at The Dalles.

December 7  1844

The exhausted pioneers reach The Dalles, Oregon.  They meet up with John Minto, who tells them about the Oregon exclusionary laws which say that Black people cannot live in Oregon.  George Bush and his family stay at The Dalles for the winter, while the rest of the wagon train goes further west.
Late December 1844

The Simmons party goes to Fort Vancouver, owned by the British Hudson's Bay Company, to spend the winter.  They make wooden shingles and split logs in exchange for food and supplies.

Spring
1845

Michael T. Simmons and some other members of the wagon train decide that they will settle north of the Columbia River with George Bush's family.  Michael and a few other men make two exploratory journeys to the Puget Sound area.  They decide to settle at the falls at the mouth of the Deschutes River, in present-day Tumwater.

April 10
1845

Elizabeth Simmons and Michael T. Simmons have a baby boy who is named Christopher Columbus Simmons.

September 1845

George Bush and his family arrive at Fort Vancouver.  The 28 members of the Simmons-Bush party leave for their new settlement in South Puget Sound.  To get there they must travel on the Cowlitz Trail through mud and uncut forest.  This is the worst part of the whole journey.

October
1845		 The Simmons-Bush party finally arrive at the site of their new settlement.  They call it New Market.  They set to work staking their land claims, building log cabins, and plowing farmland.  They buy supplies on credit from Dr. Tolmie at Fort Nisqually.  They use wooden shingles instead of cash.
May
1846		 The British give up their claim to the Oregon Territory between California and the present-day U.S./Canadian border.
1849 Oregon becomes a U.S. Territory.
1853 Washington becomes a U.S. Territory.