The Oregon Trail – first social media in the United States
Mail service was nonexistent on the Oregon Trail. If an emigrant headed back home in the East, someone might pass them a letter to send when they got home. They might send letters from a fort along the way. They might meet a scout or other messenger who could pass along information. But none of these were fast or could instantly warn of dangers along the trail. The emigrants would leave messages for future wagon trains traveling after them. They would etch warnings into rocks, post handmade signs on boards, tie papers or fabric strips on trees, whatever they could do to warn of danger or point out other important information. This warned future travelers to avoid certain watering holes, areas with predators, or where hunting was bad. Warnings of disease might also keep people from foraging in the discarded food or possessions dumped out of earlier wagons.