Many books have been written about the Oregon Trail, the 2,000-mile-long route across the High Plains that shuttled millions of pioneers to the American West. But when award-winning journalist ...

Appearing on a teletype machine—basically a primitive computer keyboard connected to a printer—at Jordan Junior High School, the strange question broke open the world of The Oregon Trail.

The Oregon Trail is structurally faithful to its predecessors. As in the history books, you start in Missouri and from there head west along the familiar route. You can stop to trade with Native ...