Kansas City, Jim Bridger, & The Port to the West

Join Travis Boley, OCTA's Association Manager, on a walking tour of the Westport neighborhood in Kansas City as we discover it's impact on the trails and it's earlier history. Operating as its own municipality before incorporating into Kansas City in 1897, Westport is home to Jim Bridger's store and Albert Boone's market. These are some of the last places to gather supplies before taking the trails west and the oldest still standing structures in KC. Learn how the French were using the area, and native trails, over a century and a half before the mass emigration in the mid to late 1800s. #kansascity #history #trailhistory #JimBridger #OregonTrail #SantaFeTrail #CaliforniaTrail #Westport The Oregon-California Trails Association is the pre-eminent guardian and promoter of the inspirational story of the 19th century westward migration. 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. Copyright 2025 The Oregon-California Trails Association. All Rights Reserved