Historic Trails and Roads Discover the Free Emigrant Road The Free Emigrant Road (Road) played a brief but crucial role in Oregon’s history. This shortcut from the Oregon Trail to the southern Willamette Valley led emigrants over the Oregon The Dalles rugged, snow-capped Cascade Mountains. The way was treacherous and the path undeveloped – but City 97 Free the call of land claims and a better life spurred on travelers. Use the map inside to retrace 20 settlers’ journeys today by exploring the Road’s history and points of interest. Eugene emigrant Springfield Vale Oakridge Bend Burns 58 20 Road Creation and Construction With few supplies left, the travelers stopped in 5 Crescent road In March 1852, citizens and merchants commissioned the vicinity of Big Pine Openings. When word 97 An Oregon Historic Trail a toll-free road directly to existing settlements to reached the Willamette Valley, relief parties set Oregon stimulate growth. By that August, seven “road out to aid the beleaguered settlers. This is how viewers” left to find a route across the mountains to they became known as the “Lost Wagon Train.” reach the 1845 Meek Cutoff from the Oregon Trail. Free Emigrant Road Cutoff to Barlow Road Short but Successful Elliott Wagon Train Meek Cutoff 1845 Oregon Trail Roads in those days Despite hardships experienced by the early wagon were a far cry from trains, the ultimate success of Elliott fulfilled the Other Interpretive Opportunities those constructed original promise of the Free Emigrant Road by yy Lane, Benton, & Linn County Historical Societies today. Using livestock doubling the population of the southern Willamette yy Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and men with cross- Valley during the 1850s. Over time, the Road’s yy BLM’s Huntington Road Interpretive Trail cut saws, axes, and iron bars, workers began to rough primary function shifted. Envisioned as a route to yy Shaw Historical Library in Klamath Falls out the route in June 1853. Eventually, road clearing the west, it now began to see travelers flowing to the yy Oakridge Pioneer Museum reached a point near present day La Pine. The work east, including freighters fueled by Valley commerce, yy Circle 11 in Sunriver party turned back in early October, about a week military expeditions, and even east-bound settlers. yy Pleasant Hill Cemetery (Elliott’s Grave) before the first wagons reached the Deschutes River. The discovery of gold in eastern Oregon prompted For More Information Contact: The First Crossing the development of the Oregon Central Military Deschutes National Forest On the promise it would be completed, Elijah Elliott, Wagon Road in 1865 and 1866. Parts of the military Crescent Ranger District a settler returning to Fort Boise to gather his family, road overlay the route of the Free Emigrant Road 139471 Hwy. 97 N, Crescent, OR agreed to act as a guide and advocate for the new, yet (FER). Although much of the original FER is covered 541-433-3200; www.fs.usda.gov/deschutes untested route. By early October, Elliott reached the over by modern roads or otherwise faded into the Deschutes with his family and roughly 1000 men, landscape, its memory and spirit remain to this day. Willamette National Forest women, and children traveling in 250 wagons. Middle Fork Ranger District 46375 Hwy. 58, Westfir, OR The group, already weak from crossing eastern 541-782-2283; www.fs.usda.gov/willamette Oregon, found their situation worsened when they entered the rocky, timbered foothills of the This brochure was funded in part by an Cascades. In many places, considerable effort Oregon Historic Trails Fund grant and the Commemorative Artwork by was needed to clear the roughed out path so the Deschutes and Willamette National Forests. Eugene Vocational School 1950; wagons could pass. The emigrants were forced to Greenwaters Park, Oakridge, Oregon. discard household goods, tools and even wagons Dedicated to the memory of Carol Winkler, to lighten their load and hasten their journey. former Middle Fork District Archaeologist.
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s explorers from both sides of the Cascades, many yy Leave historic relics in place e of whose ancestors were the original pioneers. and contact the nearest D Forest Service office y 97 Cooperative efforts among local descendants, the y Avoid altering the roadbed yy Minimize disturbance Oakridge Museum, and the U.S. Forest Service led to vegetation 20 to the re-discovery of the ephemeral route between yy Pack out your garbage Crescent and Oakridge. Other researchers deciphered yy Report theft or vandalism clues in their ancestors’ diaries to verify the course of an advance party who went ahead of the main Elliott group through what is now the Three Sisters Wilderness.
Eugene Springeld N Bend W 20 i ll Big Pine Opening 58 am et te R i Forest Road 21 Pleasant Hill ve r Points of interest along Forest Road 21 include Big Pine Openings, Sacandaga Campground, and Indigo Springs. Willamette Valley Lowell rescuers of the 1853 wagon train first encountered starving Sunriver settlers in the vicinity of Big Pine Openings. Intact segments of the Oregon Central Military Wagon Road, successor to the Free Crescent Cutoff Emigrant Road, can be viewed and hiked to the east, at Sacandaga Road FER Sign Campground and Indigo Springs. Oakridge Area Oakridge Passport in Time Volunteers, 2002 Eight monuments commemorate the route of the FER emigrants. 97 58 A Lasting Legacy Take a tour of the Willamette Deschutes La Pine National Forest National Forest The Free Emigrant Road is a symbol of the hope that area and locate them 21 propelled settlers toward a better life in Oregon. The all! For a map, visit Crescent Cuto Road, courage and fortitude they demonstrated allowed www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ Odell Lake them to achieve their dreams. Echoes of those willamette/fer Klamath County Indigo Interpretive FER Sign surviving the journey linger today; their names are Big Pine Diamond Springs Peak 60 attached to landmarks, seen on street signs, and Openings Crescent Area LEGEND Crescent found within local communities. The immigrant Lake The FER passes southwest through the 61 Crescent area, crossing the Cascades near experience contributes to the Road’s designation as an 58 97 Highway Free Emigrant Road Windy-Oldenberg Oregon Historic Trail and represents its true legacy. Diamond Peak. Find local interpretive signs 21 Forest Service Road River Trailhead, Crescent Forest Boundaries Interpretive FER Sign at Windy-Oldenberg Trailhead at Crescent Points of Interest Other Names for the Free Emigrant Road USFS Ranger Station Lake and along the Crescent Cutoff Road near Crescent Creek Campground. yy Lost Wagon Train 0 5 10 20 30 yy Elliott and Macy Wagon Roads miles yy Elliott Wagon Train of 1853 yy Elliott Expedition Cutoff