The Oregon-California Trails Association established a committee to create a computer database from information in original emigrant writings of the overland trails experience. That committee which began in 1986 is called COED: Census of Overland Emigrant Documents. COED committee members were trained to find and survey original emigrant documents, extracting from each one information on names, locations, Indian encounters, modes of travel, routes and other interesting details. This information from over 3500 document surveys forms the COED database. A photographic scan of each survey is included in the database and is searchable for subscribers to this website.

The National Park Service made development of this database and web site possible with grants from its Challenge Cost Share Program.

For additional information about visiting the emigrant trails mentioned in this database, or to learn more about the history of each, click on one of the following links.

Oregon National Historic Trail

Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail

California National Historic Trail

Pony Express National Historic Trail

Looking Glass Analytics completed the online development of the database and continues to maintain and host it.

Hemisphere Design did the original site design.