Pioneer Woman.
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Frontier: A region just beyond or at the edge of a settled area.
Since America was first settled, people have always been looking for land and opportunities. From the beginning, they began pushing westward from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Ocean and northward to Alaska.
Pioneer home, by Currier & Ives, 1867.
Utilizing several trails blazed throughout the years, including the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail, and dozens of others, trappers, traders, and mountain men first made their way across the continent. Soon, hardy pioneers followed, leaving civilization behind, facing numerous hardships and dangers, and finding new and better lives for themselves.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated September 2026.
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