Editing Oregon Trail (section)

===Missouri===
Initially, the main jumping-off point was the common head of the [[Santa Fe Trail]] and Oregon trail&mdash; Independence, and [[Kansas City, Kansas|Kansas City]]. Travelers starting in Independence had to ferry across the Missouri River. After following the Santa Fe trail to near present-day [[Topeka, Kansas|Topeka]], they ferried across the Kansas River to start the trek across [[Kansas]] and points west. Another busy "jumping off point" was [[St. Joseph, Missouri|St. Joseph]]—established in 1843.<ref name="travel">{{cite web |url = http://north-america.traveltoworld.com/north-america-travel-guide/5317/saint-peters-missouri/ |title = Saint Peters: Missouri |access-date = August 30, 2007 |publisher = North America Travel Guide |author = North America Travel Guide |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071006123625/http://north-america.traveltoworld.com/north-america-travel-guide/5317/saint-peters-missouri/ |archive-date = October 6, 2007 |url-status = dead }}</ref> In its early days, St. Joseph was a bustling outpost and rough frontier town, serving as one of the last supply points before heading over the Missouri River to the frontier. St. Joseph had good steamboat connections to St. Louis and other ports on the combined [[Ohio River|Ohio]], [[Missouri River|Missouri]], and Mississippi River systems. During the busy season, there were several ferry boats and steamboats available to transport travelers to the Kansas shore where they started their travels westward. Before the [[Union Pacific Railroad]] was started in 1865, St. Joseph was the westernmost point in the United States accessible by rail. Other towns used as supply points in Missouri included Old Franklin, [[Arrow Rock, Missouri|Arrow Rock]], and [[Fort Osage]].<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/spacepix/franklin-mo.html |title = Franklin Missouri The Beginning of the Santa Fe Trail |last = Larry and Carolyn |website = www.santafetrailresearch.com |access-date = October 13, 2017 |archive-date = October 9, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171009105629/http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/spacepix/franklin-mo.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>