Two attempts to cross Oregon’s Cascade Mountains in 1840s-1850s became known as “Lost Wagon Trains”. At the time, it was easier to settle northwestern Oregon, and settlers wanted to attract emigrants to Central Oregon. Road surveyors searched for a way over the Cascades that would lead directly into the Upper Willamette Valley. This route became the Free Emigrant Road. The Meek Cutoff branched off the Oregon Trail and joined with the Free Emigrant Road. Both roads later became known collectively as the Elliott Cutoff. They were named for Elijah Elliott, who led a group of emigrants along the route. It became known as the Lost Wagon Train due to the difficulty of their journey, delaying them to the point that their families believed them dead.