Wagons Fording Rock Creek
There were many unpredictable hazards on the trail as the wagon trains moved westward. The trail itself presented the worst problems. Streams had no bridges and had to be forded. Their shifting bottoms with pockets of quicksand were dangerous. When banks were slippery, people stood in the water and pushed as the oxen pulled the wagon. When rivers were wide, barges were made to ferry goods across. There was always the fear that the oxen would drown and the wagons be destroyed.
After crossing Rock Creek the trail angles slightly off to the west, then turns to parallel the highway about a block to the west, all through the town of Westmoreland.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Oregon Trail series list.
Location. 39° 23.035′ N, 96° 24.381′ W. Marker is near Westmoreland, Kansas, in Pottawatomie County. It is on The Road to Oz Highway (State Highway 99), on the left when traveling south. Marker is in Oregon
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Kansas and specifically in Bleeding Kansas Border War Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Burial Site of Oregon Trail Traveler (within shouting distance of this marker); Archeological Site 14-PO1311 (within shouting distance of this marker); Route of the Oregon Trail (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Wagon & Team • Supplies Needed (about 300 feet away); One Step at a Time (about 300 feet away); The Long Journey (about 300 feet away); Tallgrass Prairie (about 400 feet away); Scott Spring (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Westmoreland.
Also see . . .
1. Oregon National Historic Trail.
2. Oregon-California Trails Association. (Submitted on February 21, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
3. National Oregon/California Trail Center at Montpelier, Idaho. (Submitted on February 21, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 21, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 757 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 21, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 3. submitted on February 19, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 4. submitted on February 20, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
