The possibility of striking it rich induced emigrants by the thousands to pull up stakes, leave their homes in the settled regions of the United States, and chance their luck in the new gold mining communities of Idaho and Montana Territories. Between May and September of 1865 at least ten individual wagon trains departed along the Bridger Trail bound for Virginia City. A cumulative count from the trail diaries shows that over 600 (possibly close to 700) wagons, thousands of head of stock (horses, mules, oxen, steers, and milk cows), and up to 2,500 men, plus women and children traveled the Bridger Trail in 1864. The following table summarizes the wagon trains of 1864, which combined, contributed 25% of the population of Virginia City. Jim Bridger guided the first and last trains of the season.