Walter Meacham founded the Old Oregon Trail Association (OOTA) in 1922. In 1923 Meacham commissioned noted sculptor Avard T. Fairbanks to create the Medallion design for OOTA. The Medallion came to be recreated in 2016 and gifted to OCTA to be placed on an original 1948 granite monument on the Jackson County, Missouri courthouse lawn in Independence. A little known fun fact is that the original monument was turned 180 degrees so the medallion would face the street.
Dignitaries including the sculptor's son and grandson, Jackson County Executive Frank White, NPS Superintendent Aaron Mahrs, and OCTA Leadership gathered together to celebrate the event. The latest YouTube publication from OCTA video takes us back to where the trail started, the courthouse square in Independence, MO. Former National Past President Pat Traffas tells us storied history.
Discover Your Trail and subscribe to the Channel youtube.com/@octatrails to learn more about The Medallion and many other fascinating trail stories. “The Oregon-California Trails Association is the pre-eminent guardian and promoter of the inspirational story of the 19th-century westward migration, which is unique in world history. Our mission is to protect the Historic Emigrant Trails legacy by promoting research, education, preservation activities and public awareness of the trails, and to work with others to promote these causes.”
#oregontrail #californiatrail #trail #independence #oota #fairbanks #frankwhite
