The Trails Head Chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association researches, explores, maps, marks, protects and educates people about the historic emigrant trails of the Kansas City area.

The chapter's name, Trails Head, highlights the importance of the Kansas City area to the entire California, Oregon and Santa Fe trail systems. Kansas City is the only city in the United States where the three major trails are one and the same, following the same path.

Our city is also home to several other historic trails and routes for emigration, commerce and military purposes. Much like a river, the Trails had a "headwater," which was the towns of Westport and Independence (precursors to the greater Kansas City area). These towns were the most popular jumping off points for the Trails, and their purpose was to outfit the wagon trains for their long journeys.

Not many people recognize the significance of our city's place in history, so we have made it our goal to preserve the trails in the Kansas City area and educate people about them by:

• Holding tours of local trail sites,
• Erecting markers at important sites and along nearly extinct trail ruts, and
• Sponsoring events and publishing books and newsletters about the thousands of people who traveled the Emigrant Trails to make a new home in the American West.

Trails Head's purpose is the preservation of the remnants of actual trails and sites and the written record left behind by the people who traveled West. Out of purpose comes education, research, promoting public awareness, and publications. As well as mapping and marking the actual trails.

Along with the other chapters of OCTA, Trails Head is extremely watchful to the threats of the trail, such as development, highway and road expansion, and vandalism. Individual groups work with local developers and government agencies to protect the trails. But when the preservation becomes wider in scope, the national organization works to preserve this unique chapter of American history. Much of Trails Head's primary work involves preserving ruts and sites, marking areas and education.

Although a good deal of the work done by local chapters is to mark key sites of the trails, the organization as a whole acknowledges that one day all the evidence of the trails will be gone, blown over by sand. So we also spend a great deal of effort on the written record of the Overland Trek. By preserving that written record, researching it and writing about it, then the trails will remain. The trail story will be interpreted for future generations and demonstrate to them what the American Spirit embodies … . the spirit of achievement, adventure and the determination to seek out a better life for themselves and their families.

In order to accomplish our educational goals, Trails Head needs financial support from sponsoring individuals and corporations. To learn more about becoming an OCTA sponsor, please visit our sponsorship page.