In the 1830s, steam-powered riverboats connected major port cities on the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri Rivers. By taking advantage of these riverboats, travel from the Great Lakes to the frontier in western Missouri took about three weeks.

In October 1830, Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, Peter Whitmer Jr., and Ziba Peterson responded to revelation and left Fayette, New York, to preach in lands west of Missouri. They traveled by riverboat much of the way, but they also walked hundreds of miles through winter snow. Frederick G. Williams joined the journey in Kirtland. In January 1831, the group reached Jackson County, Missouri, and used the Santa Fe Trail to travel into Indian Territory. Later that spring, Joseph Smith, Church members from Colesville, and others followed a water route between Ohio and Missouri similar to the one used by these first missionaries.

Historic Sites

Interactive Map: Mormon Trails, Ohio and Missouri

Points of Interest