It's impossible to separate the story of the Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar form the story of Ezra Meeker. Meeker was the driving force behind the efforts to mark and preserve the Oregon Trail and to convince the US Congress to approve a Memorial half dollar. Meeker helped establish the Oregon Trail Memorial Association, and served as its President from 1926 until his death - just shy of his 98th birthday - in 1928.
Ezra Meeker
(Image Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Public Domain.)Meeker made multiple trips over the Oregon Trail. His first came in 1852 when he and his new family traversed the Trail as emigrants. In 1906 and 1910, he made trips via wagon to promote the Trail and the importance of its preservation; he erected multiple markers during these trips (as local fundraising efforts allowed). He made a fourth trip in 1915, making the trip in a wagon-covered automobile. This upgrade made the trip a bit easier, but certainly not a luxury cruise! In 1924, at the age of 94, Meeker made another pass over the Trail, this time in an airplane! This trip took him to Washington, DC where he continued to lobby for Federal support of the Oregon Trail.
Meeker was an active participant in the effort to gain approval for the Oregon Trail Memorial half dollar, including testifying at the Hearing that reviewed the coin proposal. In the end, of course, the efforts of Meeker - and others - was successful and one of the classic-era series' most popular coins was born in 1926!
I show here the cover of a small book about Ezra Meeker and his efforts to preserve the Oregon Trail. It's
not a book about the half dollar (it's discussed just once!), but it offers a fascinating look into Meeker's decades-long efforts. Copies of the soft cover book are often available at prices under $10, so it's an easy add to one's US commemorative coins library!
Ezra Meeker: Champion of the Oregon Trail
1926 Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more stories about the Oregon Trail half dollar, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 03/03/2025 10:40 am
