Settlers and trappers were attracted to the Oregon region for its good farmland and forests containing fur-bearing animals. Mountain men like Jedediah Smith and Manuel Lisa helped explore the western lands while trapping for furs. The first white American settlers in Oregon were missionaries like Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, who established a mission to work with local tribes; their glowing reports about Oregon attracted more settlers. Beginning in 1843, wagon trains brought settlers westward on the 2,000 mile Oregon Trail, facing dangers like illness, rivers, heat, and snow while establishing communities along the route.