From which Washington town did the Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage begin in 1975?

The Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage began in Blaine, Washington, on June 8, 1975.

The journey was designed as a nationwide historical pageant leading into the United States Bicentennial. Covered wagons and participants followed routes associated with westward travel, recalling the transportation networks that connected early American communities.

Blaine lies in the far northwestern corner of Washington, near the Canadian border. Starting there gave the pilgrimage a dramatic geographic point of departure before it crossed the country toward Pennsylvania.

The wagon train concluded at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on July 4, 1976. Its route referenced trails including the Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail, Bozeman Trail, and Natchez Trace. It was therefore more than a single ceremonial procession: it linked multiple strands of American migration and transportation history.