RPPhEGNTE TRAIIi

KLAMATH ECHOES

I Sanctioned by Kiamath County Historical Society

NUMBER 9 Retracing the Applegate Trail across Black Rock Desert in June. 1959. Mark Runnels. our grandson, left, and Dick Teater.

PIONEER TRAILS

Have you an eye for the old, old trails, 0, little by-path and long emigrant trail, The old roads and the new? Alas your lives are done! The emigrant's track is a weed grown ditch Who hurried here, who loitered there, Pointing to the setting sun. In the dust and the dew? The marks are faint and hard to trace, 0, was it a schooner last went by, The lore is hard to learn. And where will it ford the stream? 0 heart, what ghosts would follow Where will it halt in the early dusk, the trail And where will the camp-fire gleam? If the old years might return? Jeue Applegate, Captain of the 1846 road-hunters.

Dedication

We respectfully dedicate this, the ninth issue of Kiamath Echoes, to Jesse Applegate, 'The Saga of Yoncalla," much maligned and unrewarded founder of the Applegate Trail.

Statesman, Surveyor, Captain of the Cow Column, 1843; Captain of the Southern Emigrant Route Exploring Party, 1846; Road Builder and Pioneer.

"This is the noblest Roman of them all, His life was gentle and the elements So mixed in him that nature might stand up And say to all the world, This is a man." Senator James W. Nesmith

lx Then. Ox-team and wagons as depicted at the Pendleton Round Up. Most emigrant ox-teams consisted of four oxen and one wagon.

I.

,.. ____ ?__.

Now. Trails West, Inc., historical caravan, following the Applegate Trail on July 18, 1970. In the Ipos beds, near Pot Hole Springs.

Another mode of travel, Scooters, used by the Helfriches in retracing the Applegate Trail through High Rock Canyon in September, 1964.

111. An unidentified grave or a mass grave (8 x 13 feet). three-fourths of a mile northeast of the Massacre Ranch buildings. Some of the rocks were shaped by a stone mason from a nearby ledge. The marker has recently disappeared. The names and date would be appreciated. Dick Teater, left, and Devere Helfrich. right.

Devere Helirich at the coyote pile along the Applegate Trail west of Massacre Ranch one mile, in March 1951. A Government trapper stacked the carcasses at this location in the early 1940's to prove his success. Massacre Butte and Lakes in background. iv. Kiamath Echoes Staff

DEVERE HELFRICH MANAGING EDITOR HELEN HELFRICH - - ASSISTANT

Officers KLAMATH COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

ROBERT R. ELLIOTT PRESIDENT LEONA ANGEL VICE-PRESIDENT

ELDA FLETCHER - SECRETARY-TREASURER

MR. AND MRS. H. A. BORGMAN - PROGRAMME CHAIRMEN RICHARD L. HE&SIG, BERNARD C. GRIFFIN, MARION BARNES, DEVERE HELFRICH - - DIRECTORS

Address all communications to: KLAMATH EQ{OES P. 0. BOX 1552 KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON 97601

THE COVER: Our cover is a sketch of an actual photograph of a deserted wagon in the High Rock Canyon area. It was drawn by Stephanie Bonotto Hakanson, artist for all previous Klamath Echoes covers. Editor's Page The Applegate Trail should be pre-other Willamette Valley counties should served by marking in some manner. One also participate.It would be a big step hundred and twenty-five years have elap- toward furthering the recreation arid tour- sed since it was laid out, and itstraces ism movement in these areas. are disappearing by the day.It was the During the1940s the Oregon Coun- forerunner to tne settlement of Southerncil, American Pioneer Trails Association Oregon and Northern California.Several placed a n u m b e r ofApplegate Trail' members of the 1846 exploring par tymarkers, starting in the Willamette Valley liked what they saw, later returning toand reachingasfarsouth as Emigrant settle in the Klamath Country. Most ofCreek at the western base of Green Spring the emigrants after 1851 settled either inMountain.There they ran into difficul- Scott and Shasta Valleys of Northern Cali- ties. A certain group objected to the name fornia, or the Rogue and Umpqua Valleys "Applegate Trail," suggesting in its place of Southwestern Oregon. Many of their Southern Route to Oregon". Thus died descendants filtered back across the Cas-that project, and the marker on Emigrant cades and Sierras to become the first pio- Creek has long since disappeared. neers east of the mountains. This w r it e r,during the summer of A substantial start in marking the trail 1970, with two members of the United has been made by the organization, TrailsStates Forest Service, from Ganby, Califor- West, Inc.,headquartered in Reno, Ne- nia,retraced some of thetrail west of vada, working with the North Cal-NevaGoose Lake, and as a result of that trip, a Resources, Conservation and Developmentsegment of the trail has been saved from Project.Markers havebeenplacedat the bull-dozer's blade. Black Rock, Double Hot, the wagon slide It is the further hope of this writer that into Fly Canyon, mouth of High Rockcertain timber interests can be persuaded Canyon, both ends of Upper High Rockto save the Jenny Creek Wagon Slide, Canyon, Bruff's Elbow Rock near Massacrepossibly by building a path to the slide for Ranch, Painted Point and possibly Fan-foot traffic only. dango Pass. There has been a California It was during the late summer of 1970 State historical marker commemorating the that the Applegate Trail was decided upon combined Applegare and Lassen Trails atfor the subject of this year's issue of Kia- this point for a number of years. math Echoes.Most of the material has More tours and the placing of markersbeen gathered over a period of years, and are planned for the 1971 summer season the fieldresearch was completed tothe (if it ever arrives).Possibly this issue ofbase of the Cascade Mountains.It was Kiamath Echoes may help in the locationthrought this much could be completely of many more markers. written during the winter months and the The purpose of Trails West, Inc.,as remainder finished when spring arrived. now organized, includes marking the Ap- Old man weather saw it otherwise. The plegate, Lassen and Nobles' Trails in Ne- snows came, and the snows came When vada from Lassen's Meadow (Rye Patchspring was supposed to break, much of the Reservoir)westward to the Californiacountry we needed to explore was still State Line. Further, the overall plan is tocovered with snow, mud and fallen trees. continue the marking oft h e s etrails Late in April we began to probe the side through Modoc and Lassen Counties. roads.Then the rains c a m e and more Insofar as the Applegate T r a i 1 is con- snow. The last snow-fall caught us in the cerned, the North Cal-Neva R C & DJenny Creek area on May 20th.By luck- Project ends at a line west of Goose Lake,ily hitting a few beautiful, warm days, in- running due south f r o m Crowder Flatterspersed with the storms, we have been through Willow Creek Ranch. able to finish our project, except in two or This brings up the need of a new or-three short sectors. Tomorrow, May 28th, ganization, or a subsidiary of Trails West, 1971the manuscript of theApplegate Inc., to mark the trail through the remain-Trail goes to the printer. der of Modoc County, and the northeastern It is hoped that this will givea better corner of Siskiyou County, including the understandingofthe beginningof the Yreka trail in f u 11.Klamath. Jackson, settlementofthisterritory andaid in Josephine, Douglas, La n e a n d possiblysome marking organization beingformed. vi. ',S b J/__9",7 7'e _I, Pb 0 e n . I f OREGON tS. 'I.. iDA HO Half )'7e SfoJuu £- r7;tc j 4shYrk4 T,w, / ( kia ,414 f// - P/f SI 4/ ti' A' BhicJ NEVA D/j JçO 1 z C4L1Fo F? N1 A j '1 S I...... Elko IA.I.e I Hsr,ihI r THE APPLEGATE TRAIL By Devere Heif rich Chapter I When, route was deemed necessary: War with Great Britain over the lo- Where, Why, Who and How cation of the boundary between Canada The Applegate Trail was explored, laidand the United States was a definite possi- out and first used in the year 1846, as ability, and, if such a situation came to pass, southern route into the Willamette Valley,Great Britain controlled, by means of a then the principle settlement in the Ore-string of Hudson's Bay Company posts at gon Country. Fort Vancouver, Fort Nez Perce and Fort The traili t s e 1 f, branched from theHall, the only road into or out of the parent California Trail on the HumboldtOregon Country by which troops or sup- River at what later became known asplies could be moved, or, for that matter, Lassen's Meadow, now Rye Patch Reser- settlers make a retreat out of the territory voir, near Imlay, Nevada. It led in a north- south of the Columbia. westerly direction across the Bla& Rock There was the difficulty of the Ore- Desert, through High Rock andFortygon Trail down the Snake and Columbia Nine Conyons, innorthwestern Nevada, Rivers to The Dalles where the wagon to enter California near its extreme north- road then ended. On this route the emi- easterncorner, 29 milessouth ofthe grants of 1843, '44 and '45 experienced California-Oregon State Line. much loss of property and even life.In ItcrossedtheWarner Mountains ataddition, grass and water were scarce over Fandango Pass, skirted the southern end ofmuch of the way, and the hardships almost Goose Lake, this section varying from yearunbearable. to year depending on the shore line of the From The Dalles only crude Indian lake, and keeping a slightly north of westtrails crossed the Cascade Mountains, over course, passed north of Clear Lake to reachwhich wagons could not be transported. the Tule Lake Basin a few miles south ofThese sorely needed vehicles in the new present MaIm, Oregon. settlements must be abandonedat The The trail crossed Lost River at the StoneDalles, or be taken apart and floated down Bridge, some two miles southeast of Mer-the Columbia River, a difficult and dan- rill, Oregon to once more dip into Cali-gerous trip on hastily constructed rafts. fornia and pass south of 'Little" or Lower Thus 'by the early summer of 1846, sev- Klamath Lake. eral fruitless attempts to find a new route Continuing northwesterly, the Klamathinto the Willarnette Valley had all failed. River was forded near Keno the first year,The Barlow Trail, south of Mount Hood, and some four or five miles farther downhad stopped short of the Cascade Summit, stream in later years.Then following anor wasit then known whether it could westward course,the Cascade Mountainsbe extended into the settlements in time were crossed on a route closely approxi-for the 1846 emigration. mating the present Green Springs High- Therefore, a group of 15 men set out way, State Route No. 66, to enter thefrom the La Creole, near present Dallas, Rogue River Valley a few miles southeastOregon under the Captaincy of Jesse Ap- of Ashland, Oregon. plegate, with Levi Scott and David Goff From this point to Eugene, Oregon nearappointed Lieutenants near Tule Lake, the head, or southern end of the Willam-while en route on their undertaking. Other ette Valley, the Applegate Trail is closelymembers of the road hunting party were: approximated by present Interstate High-John Scott, Robert Smith, John Owen, way No. 5, or old Pacific Highway 99. Wm. Sportsman, Samuel H. Goodhue, There were several reasons why such a Lindsay Applegate, Moses "Black" Harris, 1. Wm. G. Parker, Benj. (or Bennett) Os- directed them where to turn east from the borne, Benj.F.Birch(or Burch) andtrapper's trail and cross the Cascade Moun- Henry Boygus (or Boggs, or Bogus). tains, by way of the present Green Springs The question may arise as to how the Summit on State Highway 66. road hunters knew where to go and why? From the above mentioned maps, re- There were several reasons: ports and information gathered, the road- They obtainedallthe informationhunters knew the general location of the possible from Hudson's Bay Company em-Humboldt River, and that the California ployees and others.'Black" Harris, one ofEmigrant Trail led down it and across the their number, had been a mountain manTruckee Route into the Central California and may have had some first hand knowl- Valleys. Their plan wastostrikethe edge. Humboldt as near the 42nd parallelas Jesse Applegate had in his possessionpossible and follow up the emigrant road a map drawn by Peter Skene Ogden whichas far eastward as practicable. proved to be quite accurate whenever the Actually, the road-hunters succeeded in party was in territory over which Ogdenfinding a route, mnre or less as planned, had traveled. except where mountain ranges and other Jesse Applegate had consulted "Mit- physical featuresf o r c e d them to make chell's Map" and learned that a straight detours. line between a point slightly south of the Making their way over the route des- head of Rogue River Valley(near thecribed at the beginning of this chapter, summit of the Siskiyou Mountains) and abut in reverse, they reached the Boiling point on Bear River in extreme south-Springs at Black Rock. Here they divided, western Wyoming(near present Coke- one group heading almost due south, and yule, where Sublette's Cut-off intersectedthe other, under Jesse Applegate, heading the Oregon Trail), approximated the 42nd southeastfor a gap in the mountains, parallel.This lineis now the southernwherein Rabbit Hole Springs were found. boundary of theStates of Oregon andBoth groups turned from their east-ward Idaho. The original intention of the roadcourse at Black Fock, probably hoping to hunters was to intercept the 1846 emi-find water sooner in a southern direction, grants on the Oregon Trail at this point. where the Humboldt River was thought Jesse Applegate evidently had recent-to flow. ly read one of Capt. John C. Fremont's It was like jumping from the frying-pan reports ofhis1843-44 explorationsinto the fire. Some members of both groups through Oregon and Nevada. He knewalmost perished from thirst, but all at last that Fremont crossed the 42nd parallel on reached a common point on the Humboldt, December 27, 1843, but thought he was some ten or so miles south of present Love- crossing the "Siera Nevada" Mountains atlock, Nevada, or some 50to 60 miles the time. He further thought the "Siera south of the point where they now wished Nevada" Mountains (The Warner Range) to intersect the river and the California to be a continuation of the Blue Mountains Emigrant Trail. of northeastern Oregon. Thus, several days later, on July 2 1st, Jesse Applegate, who had been and 1846 the road-hunters reached a spot on was a professional engineer, ow n e d athe Humboldt River and California Trail "Burt'sSolar Compass" but whether hefrom which they deemed it possible to had it with him on the trip is unknown. starttheir proposed southern route into Oregon.(This date is taken from Lindsay When near present Ashland, Oregon,Applegate's "Journal" or reminiscences of on the old trappers trail between Oregon3 1 years after the fact, However, this date and California, which the road huntersand all other dates given by Lindsay Ap- had been following almost since leavingplegate from the time of starting, June home, they overtook a group of French20th, to this point may be wrong by two. Canadians and half-breeds. These people days.) 2. Jesse Applegate in a letter dated "Fort Hall, Snake River, August 9, 1846" (51 days after starting)wrote: 'We left our homes on Willamette the 22nd June last to explore a Southern route into that val- ley from the U S " On the next day, August 10th, he further wrote: "The ex- ploring party left the upper settlements of the Willamette (near present day Eugene, Oregon) on the 25th of June last In passing, it may be said that Lindsay Applegate's 'Journal" was first printed by the Portland West Shore between June and September,1877.Furtheritwasalso CA!rlivt scoii printed in the Ashland Tidings at practic- ally the same time, but beginning October 26, 1877. 0. C. Applegate, Lindsay's youngest son, was thee d i to r of the LeviScott.lieutenanto It h e Tidings at the time. road-hunters, who laterpiloted The "Journal"asprinted, appearsto the 1846 and 1847 emigrant have actually b e e n written by someone trains over the Applegate Trail. other than Lindsay, probably 0. C. Apple- Connect the i rpresent location to gate.Itsspelling,English and generalsome point on the outbound trail.This wording do not correspondtoexistingwas accomplished by Levi Scott and Wil- manuscripts known to be in Lindsay's own liam G.Parkertraveling westward the handwriting. following day. About 15 miles out they Between the above printings and 1905,discovered some springs (Antelope) at the innumerablehistories,including H. H.base of a range of hills. Continuing west- Bancroft's when speaking of the Apple- ward they reached Rabbit Hole Springs gate Trail, have all based theirarticles, and their cut-off was completed. almost exclusively, on Lindsay's "Journal". Continue ahead and intercept that This seems strange,sincethere wereyear's emigration somewhere a 1 o n g the many contemporary diaries,letters, news-Oregon Trail.In order to accomplish this, paper articles and even reminiscences from a party of five men, Jesse Applegate in which to draw.Possibly they were notcommand,'Black"Harris,David Goff, available or unknown to the various writ- John Owen and Henry Boygus, were sent ers at the time.Therefore the history of aheadOne of this group, Henry Boygus, the Applegate Trail needs to be rewritten.went ahead alone, somewhere along the Following, inthischapter, the road-way and probably was killed by Indians hunters'activities fromthe turn-off toaccording to Lindsay Applegate. No word Fort Hall and back will be briefly recon-was ever heard of him and no further structed from these h e r e t of o r e non- mention of him by anyone has been found consulted sources. to date. Upon reghing a favorable road turn-off It became necessary for the Ii ad party on the Huntholdt River, there were severalto travel ahead as fast as possible in order things necessary to do immediately: 1. Reassess their situation and choose ato arrive at the junction of the Oregon and plan to follow thereafter.Levi Scott wasCalifornia Trailson Raft River, before electedto lead the emigration over thethe Oregon bound emigration had passed newly discovered route, and chose William that point. G. Parker as his aide.However, David The remainderoftheroad-hunters, Goffeventually replaced Parker asthe traveling every day, but more slowly,re- aide. cruiting themselves and their jaded ani-

3. mals, were to rendezvous with the lead party at Thousand Springs Valley in north- eastern Nevada. 4. Secure some sorely needed supplies as soon as possible. Since the road-hunters were now far behindtheiranticipated time of travel, due mainly to their late Start,thelatter part of June, from the Willamette Valley and their further loss of time in wandering too far to the south, seeking the Humboldt River and Califor- nia Trail, they now found themselves al- most destitute of provisions. For example the second party, when nearing their rendezvous site, became so near out of meat that they boiled their last piece of bacon rind three times, making soup by thickening the broth with flour. The third time they boiled the rind they David Golf, the other lieutenant of also ate it and then they were out of any the road-hunters, who remained at kind of meat. the Humboldt River todirect the rear companies of1846intothe By August 3rd,theJesseApplegate Applegate Trail. party was at the head of Bishop Creek near present "Wells, Nevada. William E. Taylor, David Goff later wrote (Oregoiz Spec- a member of the lead wagon train (thetator, April 3, 1847) that Harris and him- Larkin Stanley train of 2 wagons and 8 self". . . met a Mr. (Meadows) Vander- men)toCaliforniain1846 recordedpool's company at Goose creek where they met Black harriis and applegate whohad encamped on the 5th day of August. had Been to view a new Road to OregonAs Goose creek is two days' (approximate- and designed meeting the emigrantsto ly 28 miles) travel for wagons on this side turn them into it." of the forks of the road, and the rear of At least two things evidently w e r ethe emigrants on the old road (except the learned by the party of 5 as a result ofIowa company) were a day ahead of them, this meeting. One, it must have been atit follows that they (the rear of the Ore- that time that Henry Boygus "hearing thatgon bound emigration) must have arrived a son of Capt. Grant, commander of Fortat the forks of the road on the 2nd day of Hall(according to Lindsay Applegate),August."(Concerning the "rear" of the had recently started for Canada (However,1846 emigration on "the old road," Goff he had not yet started when Jesse Apple-has here become somewhat confused as in- gate wrote his letter of the 9th from Fortdicated in a letter written by Jesse Apple- Hall), viaSt. Louis, concluded to leavegate from Fort Hall on August 10th: "... the party and, by forced marches, endeavorOwing to unavoidable delays, the explor- to overtake Grant, as he was anxious toing party did not arrive at the forks of the return to his home in Missouri." road until some of the front companies of The other, that a "Medders" Vander-the emigrants were passed, perhaps eighty pool,former mountain man known toor one hundred wagons.") Mr. Applegate "Black" Harris, and presently captain of a arrived at the forks of the road on the train of 14 wagons, was leading themmorning of the 6th, and Mr. (Harrison) down Snake River. Harris and David GoffLinville's company (of 15 wagons), who hurried ahead, and following down Goose were the first who turned into the new Creek met the Vanderpool trainat theroad, arrived there the evening of the 7th mouth of that stream. of that month, being 5 days travel, or near- 4. ly 100 miles behind the rest of the emi- from the Missouri River to the Willamette grants on the old road. Mr. Linville's com- Valley. pany united to that of Mr. Vanderpool's Later the same day Jesse Applegate met alone broke and made road to the Sacra-Jesse Quinn Thornton 'laying over" some mento river (Lost River in the Klamath 8 miles south of Fort Hall (west of pres- Basin near the Oregon-California line.). ent Pocatello, Idaho). Thornton also kept Heretofore, as a result of David Goff's a diary, published in 1849 as "Oregon and letter,it has been thought that the Mea- California in 1848." The diary as a day to dows Vanderpoolt r a i n wasoriginally day record ceased somewhere in Thousand headed for California and were met on Springs Valley on August 2 1st, and is of Goose Creek somewhere in the vicinity of little value thereafter since the remainder the extreme northeastern corner of Ne-was written from memory, and itsstate- vada.It was also thought that they must ments become extremely confused at times. have been persuaded to change their desti- On August 9th, at Fort Hall, Jesse Ap- nation at that time. plegate wrote a letter in which he stated: Now, however, it appears that the Van- I arrived here yesterday alone and on derpool train had continued a lo n g thefoot from the Willamette valleyatthe Oregon Trail to the mouth of Goose Creek head of a party to meet the emigration. near present Burley, Idaho. There Harris a part of the emigrants had passed our and Golf intercepted them, persuaded them place of intersection with the old road probably to turn directly south up Goose(Oregon Trail at Raft River) before we Creek on a new route, past present daycould possibly reach it."... Oakley, Idaho and fall into the California He remained at Fort Hall the next two Trail near the junction of Birch and Goosedays, August 9th and 10th. His time was Creeks.If so, they are the only emigrantfilled writing letters, securing provisions, train ever known to have used this route.also men to help open the new route on Itis doubtful if they doubled back twothe return, and, as he wrote: "I would give days on their trail, to strike the California you a more lengthy description of this Trail somewhere on Raft River. road ifI had time or opportunity but I On August 8th, a fourth known wagoncannot escape the importunities of the em- train entered the California Trail on Raftigrants who are pursuing me into every River. This train would have been met byroom of the fort and besieging me with Jesse Applegate on the 7th, somewhere inendless questionings on all possible sub- the Rock or Fall Creek area. No mentionjectsso much am I confused that I scarce of this event however, has ever been found.know what Ihave writtenor wish to Among its members was Nicholas Carri-write." This last statement further em- ger, diarist and a California bound emi-phasizes the fact that there were still many grant.Itisthroughthe recordings of emigrantsenrouteto 0 r ego nand William E. Taylor and Nicholas CarrigerCalifornia. that we are able to reconstruct some of the The emigration of 1846 was given as early activities of the Oregon bound emi-541 wagons met by Joel Palmer from grants. Oregon, as he was eastward bound along Farther east on the oldtrailleadingthe Oregon Trail. At the average of five west from Fort Hall, Jesse Applegate metpersons per wagon this would total 2705 Virgil K. Pringle on August 8th, some-individuals on the trail.However, a total where above American Falls on the Snakeof those coming through that year was River.Pringle was a member of a 21 probably closer to 2500-2600. wagon train (at least after turning into the The Oregon bound emigration is sup- new cut-off), and is the only day to dayposed to have run from 1100 to 1200 contemporary diarist located to date, whopeople. Of this amount, somewhere around traveled the Applegate Trail in 1846, and450 to 500 (90 to 100 wagons) caine by who recorded theentire Overland tripway of the Applegate Trail. The Califor-

5. nia emigrationr a n somewhere aroundwith others, led by Captain Applegate, to 1500 people, give or take iOO. Of thismark and open the ned road." number, approximately 90 wagons (450 It now becomes necessary to account for to 500 people) took the Hastings Cut-off,the activities of John Owen, fifth member via the Great Salt Desert, and wound upof the advance party of road-hunters. Since far in the rear of the last emigrants to take Boygus went ahead alone, and Harris with the California Trail at Raft River. NoneGoff traveled down Goose Creek to inter- of those emigrants traveled the Applegatecept Vanderpool'strain,itfollowsthat Trail.Thus we find between Raft RiverOwen accompanied Jesse Applegate along and the Applegate Trail cut-off, approxi-the main trail toward Fort Hall.Some- mately 1000 California bound emigrantswhere, before reachingthatplace,they intermingled with the 450 to 500 boundmet Owen's mother in an as yet unidenti- for Oregon. fied emigrant train.She was traveling in This history is not concerned with thea light two-horse carriage, or hack. Owen California bound emigrants except wherethent u r n e dback,accompanyinghis their trails, as noted by the various diar-mother, which accounts for Jesse Apple- ists, met or connected with Oregon boundgate arriving at Fort Hall alone. It was at trains. first thought the mother could travel in There w e r e evidently a considerableher light carriage, with the road-working number of unknown or unmentioned trains party, and she may have done so for a who traveled down the Humboldt thattime. But she seems to have later ended year, sandwiched in between the knownup in the lead (Linville) emigrant train. trains. Where their position was, in con- Meanwhile, on August 9th,far back nection with the known trains, probablyalong the Humboldt River, some twenty will never come to light. miles northeast of present Elko, Nevada, On August 11th, Jesse Applegate startedthe remainder of theroad-hunters were from Fort Hall on his return trip home-making their weary way upstream ward, accompanied by at least two men, To thisparty, when passing up the Joseph Burke, and William Scott, but theretrail that day, happened one of the most probably were more, one of whom mayunusual events of trail history. When op- have beena Bannock Indian.Burke, aposite the mouth of Secret Creek, their British botanist, later wrote a letter datedline of march was intersected by a group Walla Walla, October 17, 1846 which has of horsemen from the United States, fol- proven to be of much value to this history.lowing down that creek, headed for Cali- William Scott, a son of Levi Scott, uponfornia, via the Great Salt Desert of Utah. hearing from Applegate that hisfatherThis was the Col. Russell company, among and brother John were farther back alongwhom were Edwin Bryant, a journalist of the trail gladly joined the company of roadthat years emigration.Bryant, in 1848, workers. Imagine the surprise and gratifi-published his recordings under the title of cation the father and brothers experienced"What I Saw in California." when the three were reunited after two In recording this meeting Bryant wrote years separation. in part: ". .. I saw at the distance of about Next, on either the evening of the 12th,half a mile a party of some ten or fifteen or the morning of the 13th, Applegate men mounted on horses, and mules, march- overtook the Thornton train, probably on ing toward the north. .. . We soon learned Raft River near the forks of the road. Atthat they were a party of men from the least Thornton wrote for August 13th: Willamette Valley in Oregon, headed by "Wm. Kirquendall and Charles PutnamMessrs. Applegate,. .. F i v e members of (Charles G. Putnam m a r r i e d Rozelletheir party had preceeded them several Applegate,16,eldest daughter of Jessedays, having been supplied with their best Applegate, December 28, 1847) left ouranimals, for the purpose of reaching Ft. company in the morning to go forwardHall, or meeting the emigrants this side

6. as soon as possible, and returning imme- maintaining his lead over all other wagon diately with supplies, for the relief of thetrains, wrote on August 13th: ". . . visited main party, they being nearly destitute ofby Large party of Indians (at Big Mea- all provisions, and having been on verydows a few milesnortheast of present short allowance for several days.. . .TheyWinnemucca, Nevada)." On the 15th, he informed us that there were two emigrant furtherwrote:". .. divergenceof new wagons (the Larkin Stanleytrain)with oregon road (the Applegate Trail, prob- ten or twelve men, about four or five daysably described to him or marked)." We in advance of us." now bid Taylor good-bye as he continues Thus is one of the trails most note- down the Humboldt River. worthy odditiesrecorded.T w o parties Edwin Bryant noted on the 15th: "... a from so widely separated areas who met inlarge body of Indianssome 200 or 300 the desert, hundreds of miles and many (evidently the same encampment of Indi- weary days from any settlement in eitherans seen by Taylor at Big Meadows) ," but direction, had only a matter of "ten min-made no reference to the Applegate Trail utes' to spare from missing each other. turn-off as he passed, supposedly on the Lindsay Applegate makes no mention in 16th. his "Journal" of this meeting, or of any A few days later Joseph Burke, with the others along the way.He too, seems to returning road-working party, n o t e d in become confused in his memory of dates,passing: "We followed Ogden's river until writing: "On the 5th of August, we reach- the 26th of AugustThe river & Califor- ed Hot Springs valley,. . . On the 10th thenia trail which we had been following, Fort Hall party returned to us with a sup- turns with a sharp bend to the S., a little ply of provisions, and on the 11th weinclining to E& about 400 miles from turned our faces towards our homes...... Fort Hall" Bryant's above recording proves these dates The next diarist along the trail, Nicho- to be wrong, and it would seem they prob- lasCarriger, w h e n somewhere between ably did not arrive in Thousand Springspresent Beowawe a n d Dunphy, Nevada, Valley before the 10th at the best.Allwrote on the 26th: ". .. passed partof Van other dates in the "Journal" at this period der pools Company they have t h r e e in seem to be wrong by approximately theCamps sick and not expected to live." same five days. This may indicate that the Harrison Lin- Lindsay Applegate further wrote: ville Company was in advance and so re- Before starting on the morning of August mained until the turn-off was reached. 11th (16th?), a small party of young men On September 2nd, Carriger again from the immigrant train generously vol- wrote:". .. passing Scortsand Dearborns unteered toaccompany us and assist in battle Ground with the diggers (the same opening the road.These were: Thomas encampment at Big Meadows) Powers, Burges (s), Shaw, Carnahan, Al- It is now known that Levi Scott in a fred Stewart, Charles Putnam, a n d twofollowing train(probably Vanderpool's) others whose names I now disremember.was met by John Owen, from the lead A Bannock Indian, from about the head of (Linville)train while passing along the Snake River also joined us. This increasedemigrant trail south of Big Meadows. The our road party to twenty-one men exclu-Linville train was stopped about four miles sive of ScotS and Goff, who remained to ahead(near present Winnemucca)after guide and otherwise assist the immigrants having one horse stolen (perhaps from the on their way to Oregon."Joseph Burke,team of Owen's mother) and another shot who may have been the "Burges" above, by arrows. states, "We numbered 24." Scott, Owen, Thomas, Dan Toole The emigration along the California(known to have traveled in the Linville Trail was now strung out over several train) and four others, one of whom may hundred miles. William E. Taylor, diarist, have b e e nthe "Dearborn" mentioned 7. above,approachedtheIndianencamp- trains (Linville and Vanderpool), then re- ment, who were digging for their wintermained to direct those following into the supply of roots, had a skirmish with them, new route. but failed to get the stolen horse.Scott and his saddle horse were both wounded Chapter II Travelers by arrows. A notice of this fight was left Over the Applegate Trail on a slip of paper fastened to a stick, stuck The Applegate Trail, as previously ex- by the roadside as a warning to followingplained, was opened in 1846.Parts were emigrants. laid out from west to east, by the road- Finally on the 4th, Carriger reported: hunting party of 15 men. Then in late thence down the river 12 miles to theAugust the first west bound travelers, again forks of the road & from thence down the the road-hunting party, but this time con- river8 miles...... We herealsosay sisting of approximately 20 men, followed good-bye to Carriger. at intervals by some 90 to 100 wagons, Virgil K. Pringle, the 1846 Applegateor 450 to 500 persons, made up that year's Trail diarist over the entire route, traveledemigration. steadily and uneventfully down the Hum- The next year, 1847, Levi Scott accom- boldt River, reaching 'the place where thepanied by B. F. Burch, "Black" Harris and Oregon road leaves the California road"a party of about thirty young men going and Mary's (Humboldt) River' sometimeback to the states," made their way east- during September 5th. He turned into theward over the Trail. Applegate Trail and desert supposedly on Scott met t h a tyear'semigrationat the morning of the 6th. Smith's Fork, a tributary of Bear River, Jesse Quinn Thornton evidently bring-in extreme southeastern Idaho. Only one ing up the rear of the emigration to enterof his traveling companions, B. F. Burch, the new cut-off, wrote of another Indianreturned to Oregon with him. Butch met fight, seemingly at the same Big Meadows his father and other relatives somewhere location which took place before he ar- along the way and led them to Oregon by rived. Two men, "Messrs. Whately and the Applegate Trail. Sallee," were seriously wounded. The lat- Whether the migration of 1847 enter- terdied and was buried by hisfellow ed the trail as one train or more is un- travelers along the California Trail, a few known.Most westward b o u n dtrains miles past the Applegate Trail turn-off. Aseemed to have eventually organizedin Samuel Whately, Whitley or Whitelsy was groups of about 15 wagons. Therefore it captain of five or six wagons which tookseems likely that about three trains consti- the Applegate Trail. He eventually madetutedt h i syear'smigration(Bancroft's his way into the Willamette Valley withHistory of Oregon statesthere were 45 his train. The location of the Sallee gravewagons that took the Applegate Trail in is noted on a map drawn by T. H. Jeffer- 1847). One of these trains included Les- son, one of the lead Hastings Cut-off trav-ter G. Hulin, our only diarist for that elers, who passed the location on Sep-year's migration, who turned into the trail tember 2 1st. on September 17th, Another, the Thomas Thornton, writing from memory, saysSmith train of 11 wagons, and 15 men he did not arrive at the turn-off untiland boys "from 15 years old and upward" sometime around September 15th, nearlyarrived inthe Upper Willamette Valley two weeks behind the lead wagons. Heon October 24th, a week ahead of the wrote: "At length we were surprised to Hulin train. meet Major Goff at the forks of the road. The Wm. Wiggins train of 17 wagons, He proposed to pilot us over this cut-offCalifornia bound, seem to have been the of Applegate's." When or with whomfirst train, by a week, to turn into the Ap- Goff arrived at the fo r ks is unknown. plegateTrail.Theirintentionwasto Quite possibly with Levi Scott and the first follow the Applegate Trail to the head- 8. waters of the Sacramento(Pitt)River, came upon the tracks of the recently passed then turning southwest, follow down that Peter Lassen wagon trainof emigrants. streamtotheSacramento Valley.This Following thesetrackstheycrossedthe they seem to have partially done, turning Sierras south of Mount Lassen and caught fromtheApplegateTrailprobablyat up with the struggling Lassen train some Goose Lake. How far they traveled is un.40 miles before reaching the Sacramento known, but they were forced to turn backValley, and helped construct the road into and eventuallyfellin behind the main that place. Oregon bound migration. When the Wig- Following this train by a few days was gins party failed to arrive in California,one of about 20 wagons and 25 men from their friends feared another Donner trag- the Puget Sound country in Washington, edy, or an Indian massacre.Itwas notwho reached the Sacramento Valley with known until the next April, when Wiggins the stragglers of the lead train (Samuel arrived in San Francisco by boat that theHanccock Narrative). party had madetheir way insafetyto 1849 saw the greatest use in any year Oregon. Whether this party was includedof the Applegate Trail, at least that por- in Bancroft's 45 wagons is unknown. tion fromthe Humboldt River toPitt In 1848, the Isaac Pettijohn saddle andRiver, outlet of Goose Lake. pack-horse party of 23 men made their First came a group of 30 men from the way east along the trail during the latter Willamette - Valley with supplies for the half of May. Mounted Riflemen u n d e r Col. Loring Later, somewhere around September 1st,from Missouri, headedforthe Oregon Peter Lassen led a small wagon train into country.This party was under the com- the Applegate Trail. This train has beenmand of a Lt. Hawkins, guided by Joel estimated at from 11 to 14 wagons, butPalmer, with LeviScottasscout.The Henry W. Bigler, when somewhere nearparty consisted of 14 wagons, 7 soldiers or east of present Winnemucca, recordedas escort, and 60 head of beef cattle with in his diary on August 26th: "We met tenabout 6 drovers, or extra men, who seem wagons of emergrants." to h a v e included Billy Martin, Rogers, This small train, guided by Peter Lassen Suttle and Garrison, the latter being killed followed the Applegate Trail to the Goose by Indians near Mud Lake(Soldiers Lake vicinity where it turned to the south Meadows). down Pitt River.Could it have followed Bryan Farnham, diarist, met the party at the Wiggins traint r a c k sof the yearMud Lake and recorded "12 wagons and previous? two soldiers." From other sources it seems Meanwhile news of the discovery ofthat five soldiers deserted when the first gold in California reached Oregon late ingold-rushers to California were met and July.Practically every able bodied man inone wagon seems to have been leftin the territory left for California, by boat,High Rock Canyon at the springs above or by the old Oregon-California trappers the cave. trail down the Sacramento River. The California b o u n d emigration of Another group of 150 men with 461849 over the various combined central wagons (Peter Burnett letter of Decemberroutes numbered somewhere in the neigh- 2, 1848 from California) left Oregon Cityborhood of 21,000 persons, mostly men. September 10th. This group back tracked By late June of that year, it has been the Applegate Trail as far as the north-estimated there were in excess of 6000 eastern shores of Tule Lake, where theywagons, California bound, w ho passed turned south, intending to intersect theFort Kearney in Nebraska.In addition CaliforniaTrail(Truckee route)some- there were a considerable number of com- where in the present Reno, Nevada vicin-panies of packers. ity. Much to their surprise, upon reaching Of the 21,000 coming into California Pitt River in northwestern Big Valley, theyover the three emigrant trails then in ex-

9. istance (Carson, Truckee and Lassen), itA few indisputable factshave survived was estimated 7,000 to 9,000 traveled the from which a more or less fragmentary Lassen Trail. John H. Peoples, a civilian history may be pieced together: who led a relief party to aid the emigrants Gold w a sdiscovered by Abraham along the Lassen Trail, made this estimate. Thompson at Yreka, California in March, With few women and children accom- 1851. Immediately there was a rush for panying the49'ers,the average persons the new diggings, and a considerable town per wagon dropped fromthe customarysprang up. A number of settlers took up five to four or even less. We thereforeclaims in Shasta and Scott Valleys, and find approximately 2,000 wagons turning during the summer lost many head of into the Applegate-Lassen Trail,bitt,far stock in raids by Modoc Indians who dis- below that number a c t u a 11 y made it appeared over "the Bute Creek mountains" through, many being abandoned along theto the east. way. The Hills-Riddlet r a i n of twelve As of now, no record of any emigrantswagons, with twenty men capable of bear- traveling the Applegate Trail to Oregoning arms and probably thirty women and in 1849 has been found. There were how-children, turned into the Applegate Trail ever, probably a few wagons and packers during the first part of August, andar- who used the combined Applegate and rived at present Canyonville, Oregon Sep- LassenTrailstoenter California from tember 20th.Some of the party settled Oregon. Although no definite mention ofnear that place while the others continued the use of this route has been found toon to the Willamette Valley. date, we know it was used in 1848 by a In late September or early October a considerable group, and there is some briefgroup of about 20 whites fromShasta mention of its use in both 1850 and 1851,Valley, guided by Ben Wright, set out so why not in 1849? from Yreka seeking stolenstock.They In 1850, one small party with saddle traveled as far east as the Stone Bridge on and pack horses, but of unknown number, Lost River where they encountered the traveled eastward over the trail from theModocs and recovered part of their stock. Willamette Valley. Two of its membersThey are reported to have hadseveral were Cornelius Joel Hills, who returned skirmishes with the Indians in which "six- westward in 1851, and Isaac Constant who teen,""several"a n d"about fifteenor returned in 1852. Hills first came west in twenty" Indians were killed. Also, "In the 1847 as a member of the Lester G. Hulinhuts were found a number of scalps taken train. from emigrants along the South Emigrant Evidently no wagon train traveled west- road...... This party, both going from ward into Oregon o v e r the Applegateand returning to Yreka, traveled a route Trail in 1850. A few parties, whetherthat closely approximated the later Yreka packers or wagons is unknown, did travel Trail. the Oregon to California (Lassen Trail) On November 8th, the Alta Calif or- road east of the Sierras. nian newspaper of San Francisco, printed The emigration to California over thethe following:"(From our own Corres- Applegate-Lassen Trail by wagon was far pondent)Scott's V all e y,October 24, less than in 1949, probably less than 500 1851:Merrs.Editors:Scott'sValleyis persons. fastfilling up with emigrants that have The 1851 records, as of now, have left come acrossthe plainsthisyear. ... A very little to indicate that any parties tra- party of 700 emigrants just from the plains veled east over the Applegate Trail, andwere met a few days ago on the Oregon but few emigrants entered California over (Applegate?)trailbound for S h as t a it and the Lassen Trail. (Shasta Valley?) ...... Where the Applegare Trail is concerned, At Pot Hole Springs (Goff the year 1851 is more or less a mystery.Springs), on the Applegate Trail, some 10 10. miles southeast of Clear Lake in Modocbeen interested in, the travel toward Yreka. County, California is a grave with the fol- The Ben Wright party probably did lowing inscription engraved on a basalticnot reach Lost River until nearly a month headstone: had elapsed, afterthe Hills-Riddle train Lloyd Dean Shook, Age 14, Oct. 11, had passed. The history given of encount- 1851." ers with the Modocs is taken from D'on 'The Early Indian Wars of Oregon" Fisher's unpublished "H i s to r y of the by Frances Fuller Victor states that Modoc War". His source seems to have The immigration of 1851 had been at-been Granville Stuart's "Forty Years on tacked at this place (Bloody Point), butthe Frontier," and if so,the figures are from the fact that these Indians had notnot too dependable. However if depend- yet learned to expect an annual transit ofable, these records establish the fact that white people through their country, theyunknown emigrants were undoubtedly in were not prepared for the work of robberythe vicinity in 1851. and murder which was accomplished in When the Scott Valley correspondent 1852...... Upon what source or facts thisfor the Alta Californian refers to the "Ore- statement is based is unknown. gon Trail" it seems unlikely that he could Gold was discovered by two packers have been referring to the older "Oregon in Rich Gulch at Jacksonville, Oregon inTrail" that led down the Snake and Col- December, 1851, and thus another "goldumbia Rivers. Likewise, the "Shasta" he rush" was touched off. mentions would seem to be Shasta Valley Analyzing the above facts for 1851, it in which Yreka is situated, and not Shasta would seem: City, some five miles west of present Red- That although now unknown, some ding, California.Remember, thecorres- person or persons, possibly subsidized bypondent was writing from Scott Valley, the merchants ofthe newly establishedjust a few short miles west of Shasta Val- boom town of Yreka, or in hopes of meet- ley. To reach Shasta City, it would have ing friends or relatives, traveled eastward been necessary to follow the Lassen Trail, to the California Trail on the Humboldtand our trail historian, J.Goldsborough River.There they intercepted that year'sBruff, records rio such emigration arriving emigration, and induced the above men-in the Sacramento V a 11 e yat Lassen's tioned "700" (probably far less) to travel Rancho(present Vina, California),his the Applegate Trail to the southern endheadquarters at the time. of Lower Klamath Lake, where a new The Shook grave and date, more than route could be followed into the Shastaany other evidence, establishes the fact that Valley.Ifthis happened it means thethere were others on the trail in 1851 be- Yreka Trail was establishedfor wagonsides the Hills-Riddle train.Furthermore, traffic in 1851. our scanty but only available historical The Hills-Riddle train history was records for those times, have always indi- written 67 years later by Ge or g e W.cated 1852 as the year of the first Modoc Riddle, who was 11 years old when themassacres of emigrants.It seems possible events happened. He could remember nothere may have been trouble in 1851, and other emigrant trains using the Applegatesome of our facts have become distorted in Trail that year, but his train was seeminglythe retelling after some 30 and more years, in the lead, qr at least six weeks in advance when our first county and state histories of the "Shook" train.Another r e as o nbegan to be published in 1881-1888, to as would seem to be that all following trainslate as 1905. Possibly Lloyd Dean Shook would have been "rushing" tothe newly might have been one of the victims. Ap- discovered gold fields in the Yreka coun-plicable to the Shook grave is an unknown try.Due to the lack of communicationsemigrant grave marker near Soda Springs, in those days, it is possible that an 11 yearIdaho with the inscription, "Whose was old boy would never have heard of, orhe, and who were his?" 11. Again we are left in doubt as to theonly one small train took the new Nobles source of a writer's statements and whetherCut-off that year, but they reached "the the date can be dependable. However, theSacramento valley without any mishaps or explanation for no organized attacks seems suffering." What a God-send this route reasonable. would have been to the 49'ers, instead of Apparently the discovery of gold at travelingthe LassenTrail,or'Lassen's Yreka and Jacksonville in 1851, more than Horn" route. A brief history of this cut- any other reason, brought about or hasten- off will be given before continuing with ed the first change in the Applegate Trail.the Applegate Trail. During that year it ceased to operate as a The nextyear,1853,"severalcom- one-way north-bound emigrant trail to be-panies" used the Nobles Cut-off route. come a two-way pioneer road, from the In 1854 the "Roop House Register," a Rogue River Valley north.Most of itsday to day diary kept at a roadside estab- trafficwas freighttransported by packlishment in what is now Susanville,re- trains, at first from Portland, Oregon, then corded up to early October, the passing of later from Scottsbutg, near the mouth of "2136 men, 716 women, 376 children, the Umpqua River.The destination of 510 road wagons, 33 spring wagons, and those pack trains was Southern Oregon 33,000 cattle, horses and mules." and Northern California. Originally Nobles Cu t - o f f branched No emigrant trains tarveling north fromfrom the Applegate Trail at the Boiling the Rogue River Valley after the Hills-Spring at Black Rock, but by 1854 (Mrs. Riddle train have been found to date, al- P. S. Terwilliger diary)a new route was though some may have done so. located.It branched from the present trail After arriving in the Rogue River Val-at Rabbit Hole Springs and keeping an al- ley, emigrants found it unnecessary to pro- most westerly course passed Trego Hot ceed farther, fertile farm lands and nearbySprings and con t i n u e d on to Granite richmining districtsofferedeverything Creek.Probably e v e r y year thereafter, desired. Why travel farther? down to the present time, a certain amount On May 3, 1852 Wm. H. Nobles andof traffic has paised over this cut-off. a party of citizens left Shasta City, Cali- Another developmentofthe Nobles fornia at the north end of the Sacramento Cut-off was a branch, northwest of Susan- Valley, to lay out a new emigrant road toville which led, by back-tracking several that place. They crossed the Sierras northmiles of the Lassen Trail, into Fall River of Mt. Lassen and reached Honey LakeValley.Crossing at Lockhart's Ferry (Fall ValleyatpresentSusanville,California.River Mills), it continued northwesterly, Then heading more northeasterly they ar- passing Mt. Shasta to the east, through rived at the Smoke Creek Desert, just in-Military Pass to enter Shasta Valley near side Nevada, which they circled to reach Sheep Rock. This route may have devel- Granite Creek, near present Gerlach. Fromoped as early as 1854, but for sure by Granite Creek they crossed the Black Rock 1855. With one exception it also became Desert to the Boiling S p r i n g at Blackthe first freight-wagon road (1855) and Rock Peak, where theyintersectedthe stage road (1856), from Red Bluff to Applegate-Lassen Trail which they then Yreka.This new road tended to divert followed eastward to the Humboldt River. emigrant travel from the Applegate Trail While laying over there to rest, theyand further reduce travel along that route. were joined by 22 men on their way fromIt missed the terrible stretch of trail from Yreka to St. Louis, Missouri. Nobles join-Rabbit Hole Springs to Mud Meadows, as ed this party, while his companions re-well as the difficult passage through High turned to Shasta City, arriving there in theRock Canyon and across the Devil's Gar- evening of June 23rd. den.Then too,itby-passed the Modoc So terrible had become the reputationIndian difficulties which by this time had of the Black Rock Desert by this time,become a serious obstacle. 12. Beginning in 1857, with a preliminarycommand of Charles McDermitt, was or- wagon road survey from Susanville to theganized and headed eastward to meet the City of Rocks in Idaho, the Ft. Kearney,emigrants.At Tule Lake, they met an- South Pass and Honey Lake Wagon Roadother company of men, again presumably was laid Out, to shorten and by-pass thepackers, with whom they sent two men to Old Oregon and California Trails from theact as guides. They had a skirmish with summit of the Rocky Mountains to Cali- the Indians, the two guides being wound- fornia, via Raft River and Susanville. A ed and one Indian killed. preliminary survey party under Francis A. Proceedingeastwardt h eMcDermitt Bishop passed over the Applegate Trailcompany met 8 packers between Tule and portion of the newly proposed road AugustClear Lakes.These packers became the 12-14, 1857. first casualties at Bloody Point that year, This new road, commonly calledthe all being killed by Indians, except one, a 'Lander Cut-off'in Wyoming and Idaho,many by the name of Coffin, who es- supercededthe Oregona n dCalifornia caped to wander on foot for several days Trails and many emigrants passed over itsin the Lost River country. western portion through Honey Lake Val- Continuing eastward, McDermitt, when ley in 1859, the largest on record, 1200 near the west shore of Goose Lake, met wagons and 4,000 persons.F. W. Lander,the James Clark Tolman t r a i n of10 in charge of establishing the new cut-off, wagons with 20 men, five of whom had and for whom the eastern portion was theirfamilies,reportedly thefirst along named, passed over theentire routeto the trail that year. Two of the volunteers Oroville, California that year. Changes in were sent back with this train as guides routing and construction of new segments,and reached Tule Lake August 19th. as well as devolpment of springstook At Black Rock, McDermitt met two place during those years. The year 1862 smalltrains, whom he advised tojoin witnessedthe secondlargest emigration forces, and sent back with them, three of over this route. his volunteers, Thomas H. Coates, John Returning now to the history of travel Onaby and James Long, to act as guides. along the Applegate Trail in1852, weMcDermitt is supposed to have continued find that, according to the History of Jack-eastward until he met the last and largest son County, published in 1884, "... it was emigrant trainat some place along the in this year that the tide of humanity, pre-trail now unknown. He then turned about viously setting for the Willarnette Valley and retraced his steps. and mines of California, was, in some In the meantime, on August 23rd, the measure diverted to Rogue rivervalley, Tolman train was joined by the lost Coffin, whereby many settlers were added to thosesole survivor of the Bloody Point massacre. who came from other portions of the Pa- The Tolman train is reported to have ar- cific slope." rived in the Rogue River Valley about the Leading that year's emigration over the last of August, but other sources say Tol- Applegate Trail were 60 men, presumablyman took Coffin to Yreka. packers, who arrived at Jacksonville un- Coffin's arrival there with news of the molested.They reported, however, many massacre brought about the organization of trains in the rear, containing families whoa company of 27 men under the command would be in need of supplies and assis- of Ben Wright. At this time, according tance. They also reported many Indian sig- to the Alta Californian, "the inhabitants of nal fires along the way and anticipatedYreka are wild upon the subject of the trouble from them, for those yet f at backemigration, and a majority of the people on the trail. Ben Wright was in Jackson- have gone to induce the emigrants to land ville at the time, and carried this report to in California by that route." Yreka. Several separate parties arrived in the A party of some 30 men, under the vicinity of Bloody Point about August 1st, 13. or shortly thereafter.Thefirst of thesetities, size, etc., if ever recorded, are now was the two small trains with Coates, Ons- lost in the passing of time. by and Long as guides. The two sections There were two other identified parties became separated after leaving Clear Lake, that traveled the Applegate Traill in 1852. with the three guides some distance in ad- One, the emigrant train led by Isaac Con- vance of the lead section. The guides were stant, who went east with Cornelius Hills surrounded and killed at Bloody Point, and in 1850 with the intention of returning to the first train attacked as it arrived there. the Willamette Valley, but now, with the Thistrainwhich included 30 men, 1 opening of the Rogue River Valley, set- woman and 1boy, fought offtheir at- tledthereinstead, near presentCentral tackers that day and night and were joined Point.The other, two men, Train and early the next day by the second train. Bundy, from Wisconsin, who crossed the The Ben Wright company arrived onplains with an emigrant train bound for the scene and drove off the Indians, sup- California, via the Truckee route.They, posedly killing between 20 and 40. Afterhowever, separated from this train the battlethey, again supposedly, foundwhere the Humboldt River bends toward the bodies of the 8 (7?) packers, 3 guides, the south and came on foot - the two along with 22 others, including 2 womenalone, no horses, no wagonsto Yreka, and one child, the abundant signs of a On August 13, 1853 there arrived in recent emigrant train massacre. Ashland, Oregon the first emigrant train At this time a company of 30 men, of the year, consisting of 7 men, 2 women under the command of John E. Ross, all and 6 children. from Jacksonville, arrived on the scene. In- Becauseofthe'sickeningbutcheries cluded in this company was First Lieuten-perpetrated the year before" a company of ant Daniel Barnes, this writer's great-great115 men, under command of Capt. John uncle. They in turn found 14 additional S. Miler had been mustered in at Jackson- bodies of slain emigrants, several of whom ville a few days before on August 8th, to were women and children. go to the relief of that year's emigration The McDermitt party next returned. All along the Applegate Trail. They left Jack- wagon trains that had by now gatheredsonville September 12th, and made their near Clear and Tule Lakes were reorgan-way to the Klamath Country where they ized into larger groups and sent on their established one base camp at Lost River way with guides.One, reported by the near a point later occupied by the Crawley Shasta Courier of September, "... a large cabin, and another camp at Clear Lake. train, consisting of 10 wagons and 69 per- Some 20 horsemen under a Lt. Abel sons, arrived (in Yreka) from the plains;George went ahead to the immediate re- among them were some four or five fami- lief of the emigrants. The Stearns family lies."Another, or possibly the same, thetrain of 7 or 8 wagons and some 30 or Snelling train, largest of the year, was es-more persons was met on Fletcher Creek, corted to Yreka by the Ross company whoon September 28th. These volunteers had then made their way to Jacksonville over at least two skirmishes with Indians in the the Siskiyou Mountains. Goose Lake area where a Wm. Duke was Another company of men, under the wounded October 4th, on the west shore of command of Major Fitzgerald, from newlythe lake. established Fort Jones, west of Yreka, was There were trains both ahead and be- also in the Tule Lake vicinity at approxi- hind that of the Stearns family. The total mately this same period of time, or slight- emigration arriving in the Rogue River ly later. Valley was 159 wagons, 400 men, 120 In reading the above reconstructed his- women, 170 children, 2,600 loose cattle, tory for 1852, by no means assume that 1,300sheep,140 loose horses and 40 the trains mentioned, contituted the entiremules. Capt. Miller arrived in the valley emigration. There were others, their iden- September 30th, and reported "a number 14. of trains at the Lakes without provisions." According to Bancroft's History of Ore: There seems to have been a detachment gon, a Capt. Smth from Ft. Lane with his of regular soldiers and California volun-squadron, reenforced by a detachment of teers under command of Capt. Mack Bushyhorsemen, proceeded to the Klamath coun- dispatched from the Yreka country, buttry to render assistance to the emigration. the size of any emigration to that placeHow much of an emigration traveled the is unknown. Applegate Trail,oritsdestinationthat In 1854, some 73 men under commandyear is also unknown. of Capt. Jesse Walker, volunteered at Jack- No information concerning the 1856 sonville to proceed to the Klamath coun-emigration or relief companies from Jack- try to meet and protect that season's emi- sonville and Yreka have been located to gration.Simultaneously,15 "experienced date. men" set out from Yreka and joined the Early on the morning of February 23rd, Oregonians at Tule Lake.Headquarters of this year, a man closely connected with was established at Clear Lake with a largethe early history of the Applegate and portion of the company under Lt. West-Yreka Trails, Ben Wright, was killed by feldtcontinuing onto meet the emi-Indians at Whaleshead, near the mouth of gration. the Rogue River. He died as he had lived, The Andrew Soule wagon train, Yreka by violence. bound, noted 25 volunteers under a "Capt. Information on travel over the Apple- Crosby" at Clear Lake on September 24th. gate Trail in 1857 is also lacking. We do Mrs.P.5.Terwilliger of the Stone- know that on June 18th, 11 men and 19 Terwilliger train, also Yreka bound, wrotehorses, from Oregon and Yreka passed on October 3rd, while traveling d o w neastward through Susanville, using the Ap- Fletcher Creek, "Met 75 Rangers withplegate Trail only from R a b b i t Hole provisions for the immigrants who wereSprings to the Humboldt River.In addi- short."On the4th,Mrs.Terwlliger tion, in December, men from Susanville, wrote, "All Rangers but 25 going back totwo of whom were Hines and Tutt, jour- Yreka (or Jacksonville) on account of noneyed to the Rabbit Hole Springs area provisions." The size, destinations, etc., of with two wagons and four yoke of oxen the 1854 emigration is unknown, each, to gather iron from wagons and other This Oregon relief erpedition was used equipment left by past emigrations. The as a political tool against the Whigs ofiron was sold to Roop's blacksmith shop Southern Oregon because it cost so much,in Susanville for $1500. S45,000.It was claimed"Grasshoppers We have the record of but one small had destroyed vegetation almost entirelycompany traveling any portion of the Ap- in the southern valleys this year, which ledplegate Trail in 1858. About mid-April, to a great expense for forage." Further, ita partyof men from Susanville, while seems, "The merchantsandtradersof hunting horsess to 1 e n by the Indians, Jacksonville, who were unable to furnishreached Sugar Hill on the eastern borders the necessary supplies, which were drawn of Goose Lake. There on the 24th, they from Yreka, testified as to the prices." came upon a small group of Mormons, 7 Capt. Rufus Ingalls of the Quartermaster men, 3 women and 2 children riding and C o r p s, accompanied by Lt. Allston, inpacking 23 horses, making their way to command of fifty dragoon recruits, was the Salt Lake City. These people returned to first company to travel the Applegate Trail Susanvillewith the horse-hunting party, in 1855. Ingalls left the Humboldt Riverand later most of them made their way on June 14th, with 17 wagons, 122 horses,back to the Rogue River Valley. 112 mules and probably 30 to 40 men in In1859, a Lt. Piper, with a detachment his own company. He arrived at Ft. Lane, of soldiers from Fort Jones, penetrated the in the Rogue River Valley, July 6th, with-Klamath country looking for stolen stock. out incident. They camped for a few days on the north 15. side of the Kiamath River just below pres- made its way across southeastern Oregon ent Keno, Oregon at a place known insouth of Steens Mountain toFt.Boise, early pioneer days as 'the cabins'. These where the Old Oregon Trail was intercep- cabins were located very near the originalted. Drew and his men then retraced their emigrant ford of 1846, one mile below stepsbut by-passed their route through Keno. Fandango Pass to reach their outward During the summer and fall of 1860,bound route at the north end of Goose Lt. Lorenzo Loraine, commanding a de- Lake(near present Lakeview, Oregon). tachment of U. S. Army troops, known asOn rejoining their old trail, they found it Company L, 3rd Artillery, established andtraveled by the 1864 emigrants bound for occupied a post on Spencer Creek, west ofRogue River Valley. Thus another by-pass Keno. The post was established for theof the Applegate Trail was inaugurated. protection of emigrants and was called Lictle,if anything, is known of travel Camp Day.It was about 1 mile east of over the Applegate Trailforthe years the lower emigrant ford on Klamath River. 1865 and 1866, except for pack trains be- Itistold that Lindsay Applegate with tween Yreka, Ashland and Jacksonville in 42 volunteers, traveled in 1861, from the the west and the Klamath Basin in the Rogue River Valley, "a days journey be- east. yond Bloody Point." Becoming suspicious, In 1867 Linkville (Klamath Falls) was they returned to Bloody Point in time to established, and a few settlers began to save a wagon train they had missed ontrickle in during the summer.1868 and theirlast day'stravel eastward.Among 1869 saw morearrive,stillusingthe the emigrants was a babe-in-arms, OctaviaApplegate Trail, but now principally from Farrar, later Mrs. C. R. DeLap of Klamath west to east."It was in 1869 that the few County. Included among these volunteers settlers began to discuss seriously the ques- were Wallace Baldwin and Ivan Applegate, tion of a road through their particular laterresidentsof Klamath County, andsection of the country."Eventually the Sam Richey, father of Sam Jr. presently JacksonCounty,Oregoncommissioners living in Kiamath Falls, Oregon. authorized a survey, and "the settlers con- No definite information concerning thestructed the highway.It wound up along Applegate Trail in 1860 and 1862 hasthe Klamath River; thence to Lost River been found to date. and down that stream to the Srukel place; Ft. Kamath was established1 a t ein thence down the east side of Tule lake to 1863, supposedly as a protection for emi-the state line."It became known as the grants along the Applegate Trail.It wasSouthern Oregon Wagon Road and al- however some fiftytosixtymiles frommost entirely eliminatedt h e Applegate Bloody Point and other portions of theTrail from Bloody Point into the Rogue trail. A new road of sorts from Jackson- River Valley. ville across the Cascade Mountains north Beginning in 1862, with the rush by of Mt. Pitt (McLaughlin) to the fort thenminers from California to the newly dis- came into existance and further tended tocovered gold deposits in northeastern Ore- divert traffic from the old trail. gon, southwestern Idaho and north central In the summer of1864, Col. DrewNevada many new trails and roads were with a detachment of soldiers opened upbrought into use. These routes used, in- a new line of travel from Ft. Klamath, viatersected and otherwise shortened the Ap- Sprague River, Draws Valley and around plegateTrailtoa point where it was the nortern end of Goose Lake to thealmost replaced as a line of travel. Applegate Trail over the Warner Moun- Then came the first settlers in Surprise tains at Fandango Pass.He was at theValley, Cressler and Bonner in 1865; the time conducting a train of seven wagonsestablishment of Forts Bidwell, 1866; from Shasta Valley who were headed forWarner,1866;thefirstsettlemenu in the John Day mines. The entire groupGoose Lake Valley,1867;the Dorris 16. Bridge (Alturas, California) in 1869. All Chapter III- Over the these posts and settlementsalso brought about new roads that further eliminated Ranges to Rabbit Hole the Applegate Trail. VIRGIL K. PRINGLE During 1871 and early 1872, a road Saturday, September 5, 1846Arrived known as the Tichnor Road, was construc- at the place where the Oregon roads leave ted from Yreka, south of Tule Lake and California road and Mary's (Humboldt) the Modoc Lava Beds, to Alturas, and fur-river 6 1,831miles(Pringle'sesti- ther diverted traffic from the Applegate mated distance from his home nearSt. Trail. Charles, Missouri via Independence, Mis- Between September 15th an d24th, souri, his jumping-off place on the Mis- 1872 Major John Green commanding B.souri River). Troop, 1st Cavalry, traveling eastward on Sun-Sept-6The new road takes im- the Applegate Trail between Clear andmediately to the dessert of fifty-five miles Goose Lakes, wrote:'. .. the worst piece extentwith two weak springs on the of rocky country on top of groundfor route. We arrived at the first spring (An- miles neither wheel of wagon nor foot oftelope, now Willow)at four o'clock in horse ever touched the soil. Ground cov- 'the evening, took our supper and gave ered with loose round rocks as thick asour teams what water we could get and they can be plantedA Devils Garden startedfor thes e c o n d (Rabbit Hole (curiously enough, itspresent name) ofSprings), where we arrived at four in the the most approved type." Another reason morning.Found the spring weaker than to hunt new roads. the first.19 miles.1,865 m. Finally,duringthe Modoc War of 1872-73 portions of the Applegate Trail LESTER G. HULIN. saw considerable U. S. Army troop move- Fr. September 17, 1847: W h e n we ment along it, both east and west from came to the forks of the road we watered. Tule Lake. In addition a large amount ofA 12 miles farther brought us to the foot supplieswerefreighted in fromScott, of the Mts.; here is a spring (Antelope, Shasta and Rogue River Valleys. now Willow), but no grass; camped here; Much later, until 1909 in fact, that por-distance 16 miles. tion of the old trail south of Lower Kla- S. Sept. 18: Moved off by the sunrise math Lake witnessed a great deal of freight in hopes of finding grass, but found none, traffic passing back and forth from thebut found a small spring (Rabbit Hole) Southern Pacific Railroad in Shasta Valley in 15 miles; we used up all the water we (completed in 1887)to as far east ascould get,took supper and moved on Clear Lake. Also down through the yearsabout 15 miles (passing west of Rhonda many bands of hrses, cattle and sheepSiding on the Western Pacific Railroad) were driven over it to the railroad, forand stopped in a place deserted by every- shipment both north and south. thing living (southeastern edge of Black (Note: Each of the following chapters Rock Desert); distance 30 miles. will begin wtih continuing extracts from the diaries of Virgil K. Pringle, 1846 and In researching, relocating and writing Lester G. Hulin, 1847, both travelers ofof the Appiegate Trail, the first problem the Applegate Trail. These diaries will be to be solved is exactly where did the trail divided into nine sections, from the Hum-actually branch from the parent California boldt River to the Rogue Rver Valley, the better to present and accompany our his- Trail. tory with maps and pictures. The extracts As constituted in 1846, the California will contain notes, in parenthesis, by thisTrail did not stay strictly to one side or writer, where it is deemed necessary for athe other of the Humboldt River. Rather, better understanding of the locations men- it crossed several times to cut off some of tioned by the two diarists.Editor) the many bends of that stream and thus 17. .lp .' "Ver --' . . Js i'VP,. Fr0,j nbeJJ1 M.I.s Paved o;,i- 1? 4I.d fl.,Js 1

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Helen Helfrich in the trough of the Applegate Trail where it separated from the California Trail at Lassens Meadows on the Humboldt River. shorten the route. This is best shown bycould be. There was a red, painted barrel the very accurate and detailed maps of T.standing in the forks of the road upon H. Jefferson, an emigrant of 1846, whowhich was printed in black letters "Pbst reached the main Humboldt River, via its Office".It was a new barrel with a square South Fork, a few miles west of presenthole cut in the head and was about half- Elko, Nevada.Jeffersonarrivedat thefull of letters, notes, notices, &c.These Applegate Trail turn-off some two weekswere mainly to emigrants in the rear, giv- afterthat route was opened and severaling information a b o u t the routes and days behind the last wagons to turn intowhich the writer was taking. Also nearby it, therefore his map is our best source forwas a stick and billboard filled with like the location of the turn-off. notices.Fewer had taken the California The California Trail, as then in use,Trail than the Applegate. passed through present Winnemucca, and Jesse Applegate gave a good overall followed down the left bank of the Hum- description of the routes covered in this boldt River to a point near the railroad section,aswellas some soundadvice, siding of Cosgrove. There it forded the river when he wrote in his "Waybill," printed to the right hand side, which was follow-in the Oregon Spectator of A p r i 16th, ed to a point from one to two miles west 1848:". .. Belowthis(EmigrantHill, of the Callahan Bridge, in turn some fourwest of present Carlin, Nevada) the road or five miles northwest of present Imlay,in cutting across bends, is sometimes off Nevada. the river for considerable distances. Emi- Again fording the river to the left side,grants may easily regulate their travel to the California Trail passed across a largesuit these bends. The Oregon and Califor- bend in which is located the Humboldtnia roads fork at a large bend of the river, Reservoir, now known as the Pitt-Taylorwhere the river turns directly south'the Reservoir, and aftera few more miles,Oregon road here leaves it and runs on in crossed back to the right or west bank ofa west course towards a gap in the moun- the Humboldt, and so continued on past tains. present Lovelock. "From Ogden's (Humboldt) River to The Applegate Trail in the beginning,the Black Rock, is k n o w n as 'the dry branched from the California Trail nearstretch' and to perform the journey in the location of the ford west of the Calla-safety, emigrants should send a party 2 or han Bridge, on the upper end of the "Las- 3 days in advance to dig out large reser- sen Meadows" now covered by the Ryevoirs for the water at the springs, by w'hich Patch Reservoir,lying southwest of themeans water may be had for their animals southern tip of the Eugene Mountains. ItAt the first springs (Antelope) there is continued westward approximatelyt w o some grass, at the second (Rabbit Hole) milesalong thebottoms bordering thethere is little or none, but at Black Rock river, then climbed the sand ridgesbor- there is abundance. dering the meadow lands, to the more ele- "Emigrants should encamp at the first vated sage and greasewood plains rising to springs, and perform the jorney from there the west. It was at this latter point, where to the Rock in the next day and night. The the road entered the sand ridges, that theloose animals should be driven ahead as California and Applegae Trails separated fast as possible until they reach the Rock, in 1849. and not suffered to drink at the second In writingof thislatterjunction,J. springs (Rabbit Hole) as the water should Goldsborodh Bruff onSeptember19, be reserved for the teams. Care should be 1849 described it as a broad and perfectlytaken to prevent the loose animals from level, semi-circular area sweeping aroundleaving the road during the night travel, the bend in the river.It was very dustyas many have been lost by neglecting this where the two trails divided, and as well precaution." beaten and traveled as any thoroughfare Had the emigration of 1849 followed 20. :.' a

At the first Antelope Springs, now known as Willow Springs.The other springs are on the hillside in the extreme background. Note the dead cow-brute in foreground.much the same as in trail days. Jesse Applegate's advice, which was prob-boldt with expectation of being at the gold ably unavailable to most, suffering and loss mines in about a week, providing the re- of property, would no doubt have beenports were reliable as to the distance. We greatly reduced.This, together with thetraveled 14 miles after leaving the river extreme selfishness of others, caused much before we found water, but at this place inconveniences to the more careful andwe found a spring (Antelope), but there thoughtful, who in mostc as e swent being several trains camped here tonight, through in good order. Of course, 1849it was with great difficulty we could pro- was an exception, with itsthousands ofcure water sufficient for the needs of our "gold rushers" literally overrunning everymules and horses. There is not a spear of available water hole and grassy spot on orgrass to be found in this section, and we near the trail. were compelled to tie our mules to sage One of the companies who did not ad-brush to keep them from straying away, here to Applegate's advice was that inwithout a particle of food." which A. Bachelder, diarist, traveled. Leav- As a direct result of the lack of feed, ing the Humboldt on September 14th, atWebster recorded the following: "When 3:00 in the afternoon, they drove untilwithin about six miles of Black Rock one 8:00 in the evening 'and encamped nearof the mules which I was driving became a spring (Antelope), where there was noso exhausted that he refused to go anyfar- feed, so we picketed our horses, or tiedther, and Iwas obliged to unpack and them to bushes and turned in." On theleave him with the pack by the roadside; following day he recorded:". .. Our ani- mals were very much jaded." On the other hand, one diarist, Andrew Another company traveling n e a rthe Soule, in very meager notes, recorded on rear ofthe1849 emigration of whichSeptember 5 and 6, 1854, "making and Kimball Webster, diarist, was a memberloading hay" before taking the cut-off on and recorded on September 14th: ",..The the 7th.Sixty-one yearslater, in 1915, 'Cutoff' leaves the river and crosses a deserthis diary was rewritten, using the original plain, very barren and slightly undulating,as the basis, but with much new material in a westerly direction. We left the Hum-added from memory, enlarging and clan- 21. fying many of the 1854 happenings. Theand a half miles up the gulch followed by 1915 account follows: thetrailleading from the desertfloor. September the 5th and 6th we did not This spring is on the right hand side of break camp, but spent our time makingthe present road as well as the old trail, hay for the feed on the coming desert.and is the one now designated "Willow Qthers did nor make hay and lost their Springs".It wasat this location that a teams and all they had. We bound our hay small house stood in 1862, near which in bundles and loaded all our wagons ty- two men, Bailey and Cook, were killed by ing all we could on the sides with hay Indians.Both were buried on thespot ropes that we had twisted. The sick arebut their graves have become lost.Just all better so on the 7th, juat after mid-above the springs, the gulch divides into night, we left for he deser. We came to two branches. Antelope Spring at 9 o'clock Friday morn- The original Applegate Trail followed ing, the 7th. There was very little seepageup the left hand gulch, and in the next water here but no grass. We ate a bite,mile to two miles passed threesprings, rested the cattle and then went on all dayfrom ½ to 3/4 of a mile to the left, on and 12o'clock at night came to Rabbitthe norths lop e of Majuba Mountain, Hole Spring, covering a distance of twenty- whichisthe southern extremity of the one miles.This place was a barren flat,Antelope Range. Approximately 4½ miles with but very little water and no grass atfrom the first spring (Willow), the sum- all. We fed some hay, ate a bite that themit or emigrant pass over the Antelope women had prepared and then went on toRange is reached. From this pass the trail Black Rock Springsa large boiling hotdescended a ravine into a broad sage plain spring. We got here at ten o'clock the 9th slopingtothe southwest. T h i splain and fed some of our hay, as therewas nodrains in a circuitous route into Rabbit vegetation." Hole Creek to eventually end up flowing Considerable confusion has arisen con- northwesterly past Rabbit Hole Springs cerning the Antelope Springs area, its into the Black Rock Desert west of pres- name,itsexact location and up whichent Sulphur on the Western Pacific Rail- gulch the Applegate Trail actually ran.It way. was first called Diamond Springs by Lind- The present road, and an old one, often say Applegate in his reminescenes, but this mistaken for the emigrant trail, which it was 31 years after the fact, and the only may have been at a later date, but not the reference, using that title, found to date.original, both follow up the right hand By 1849 most of the diarists wrote of it gulch to Imlay Summit, which is exactly as"Antelope,"probablybecause of anthree miles northeast along the crest of antelope killed there in 1846 by Wm. G.the Antelope Range from emigrant pass. Parker, when he and Levi Scott were hunt-Once, while interviewing a 1 o c a 1old- ing a route back to Rabbit Hole Springstimer, this location was pointed out to us from the Humboldt River.It wasstillas "Emily Summit". "Antelope" in 1916, when Fairfield's His- At Imlay Summit, just a few feet south tory of Lssen County was published. Thenof the present road, are some very old the Geographical Survey on their maps ofruts, cut several inches deep in the shale 1935 and 1955, for some unknown rea- rock.The old road, approximately the son, if any, adopted the title of "Willowpresent road, can be followed from "Wil- Springs," of which thereisa completelow Springs" up a winding course which lack. finally reaches the summit by following There are four springs at least, in thethe water course of the gulch itself the immediate Antelope vicinity. The firatis latter portion of the ascent.Continuing located approximately 9 miles from the westward from Imlay Summit the old and 1849 junction of the Applegate and Cali- new roads lead past Maud's Well into fornia Trails, at a point from one to oneRosebud Canyon whichisfollowed to 22. Rabbit Hole Springs, so m e two mileswe had been assured that there was grass southeast of the m o u th of the canyonand water on the way, we did not think it proper. This route may have been opened necessary to provide against these contin- by Col. F. W. Lander, who with a consid-gencies, any further than fill a small vine- erable crew of men, was in the neighbor-gar keg with water, for the purpose of get- hood in1860improving the road andting over the first thirty miles which, as it watering places, as part of the Ft. Kearney,appeared a little doubtful in the way of South Pass and Honey Lake Wagon Road.essentials we concluded to drive at night. The original trail is known to have been .. it was eleven o'clockbefore I reached in use aslate asthe summer of1857 the springs (Antelope), which were a mile (FrancisA.Bishop'ssurveydiaryand offthe road.. 3smallsprings,... pur- maps). Or, it may have been superceededsued our way directly up the gorge to the a few years later when a large amount ofridge, and thenfollowed down another heavy traffic from Chico and Red Bluff,ravine. At the distance of five miles from California passed eastward to the Hum-the spring we were upon the northeastern boldt mines. rim of another b a r r en sand basin.... Following are excerpts from valious di-Crossing the basin and ascending a high aries which describe the route as traveled'hill we overtook our train, just entering by the emigrants between Humboldt Riveranother defile on the northwest,..." and Rabbit Hole Springs. It will be noted John Evans Brown, August22, 1849: that there is not one description that could"The majority of the emigrantshaving even remotely be applied to the Rosebudtaken this road we concluded to try the ex- Canyon route,yetallgive some detailperiment and soon commenced ascending which can be located along the left hand the gradual slope to .the pass in 'the moun- route, almost parallel, but some three miles to the south. tain.After traveling about fourteen miles Alonzo Delano, August15, 1849:"As we found excellent water on the left (An-

The Applegate Trail exploring party of 1846 left Black Rock, heading for this notch in a range of hills, and discovered Rabbit Hole Springs before arriving at the gap.Photo from the springs looking southeast in 1971. 23. telope Springs), about one mile from thereservoirs had been dug out below each, road.. into which some selfish owners had allow- Israel F. Hale, August 22, 1849: 'Thised a drove of oxen to crowd, ruining the morning we took the cut-off, ifit is one. water for others. It takes off at a point where the Humboldt Joseph Richard Bradway, August 26, runs south and the cut-off runs a west1853: "Left the junction 9¼ 0. about 8 course to a gap in the mountain.It starts miles there is some willows to the right of in a valley that extends rather north, andthe road and a little grass, four miles far- several miles from the road is seen a round ther brought us to the Antelope spr. at mound that appears to be in or near thethe left of the road, two miles farther.. center of the valley and is eight or tenat a small spring on the side of the moun- miles, I should think, from the Humboldttain 1½ miles to the left of the road." River. By that mound, the bend of the Francis A. Bishop,surveyor traveling river etc., the cut-off may be known. Weeastward from Rabbit Hole Springs, Aug- drove four miles further and stopped to ust12, 1857:". .. Crossed a low plain rest our teams and take a lunch." which runs around this range to the South, E.P. Howell, August 23, 1849:"...and drains into Humboldt (actually into came toforks of road took right hand,Rabbit Hole Creek).Antelope springs leading nearly due West to a gap in theare about 1½ miles to the south of the mountains. A valley extending toward the road, and well upon the mountain side." North in the midst of which arose a hay Rabbit Hole Springs are only a few stack looking mound... . We c a rn e10 hundred yards northwest of the junction miles to a patch of bushes on the right of of Rabbit Hole Creek, dry most of the the road, where we found alittle badyear, and the equally dry wash that drains water in a rabbit hole (Willow Springs),the Maud's Well country through Rose- two or three miles further came to a roadbud Canyon. Rabbit Hole Creek flows in turning off on the left toseveral springs from the southeast through a gap in the on the mountain side about a mile fromhills that can be seen from as far away as the road. .. . We watered our stock withBlack Rock across the desert.This gap some difficulty,and continuedup thewas used in 1846 as a landmark by the hollow 3 miles to the gap of the mountain.group of road-viewers under the direct We went on down a dusty hollowleadership of Jesse Applegate when seek- bearing NW and N, over undulating hillsing out their route across the desert from until we came to some wells (Rabbit Hole Black Rock. Springs) Bruff had an odometer (sometimes call- Dr. Caldwell, August 31, 1849 wroteed roadometer and forerunner or the pres- that in 5or 6 miles (from W ill o went day speedometer) made by J a c o b Springs) he crossed a divide and noonedBlattner ofSt. Louis which ws attached inabarren valley.That afternoon heto one of his wagons.It measurd the crossed another divide and arrived at somenumber of revolutions made by a wheel of wells (Rabbit Hole Springs). known circumference, thusenabling the A. Bachelder, September 15, 1849: mileage per day to be closely calculated. "This morning we passed on up the moun-By this instrumentruff was able to figure tain, down and over another (the south- the distance from the junction of the roads western arm of Kamma Mountains, noton the Humboldt to Antelope Springs as through Rosebud Canyon) 13½ miles, and from thereto Rabbit L a t e in the afternoon of SeptemberHole Springs as 16 miles, or a total of 20th, Bruff passed out of the narrow ra- 30¼ miles from the Humboldt junction vine road (south of Kamma Mountain) toto the latter place. turn southwest and ascend a considerable While traveling this distance he noted gravel tableland on which were locatedthe number of dead stock along the trail, some weak springs (Rabbit Hole). Small 22 oxen and 2 horses to Antelope Springs, 24. I* -

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%. .: One of four springs at Rabbit Hole. Note the remains of gold-digging operations in the early l940's. 45 oxen from Antelope to Rabbit Holethree or four wells sunk in the ground, Springs, and82oxen,2horses and 1 muleinto which the water percolated in a vol- at the latter place, all in an area of 1/10ume about the size of a straw, and each of a mile. He further noted innumerablehole occupied by a man dipping it up pieces of wagons, ox-yokes, bows, chains,with a pint cup, as it slowly filled a little hubs, tires, and even whole wheels. Prob-cavity in the ground. Each man was tak- ably there were many animals and miscel-ing his turn to drink." laneous articles scatered about that he did Bryan Farnham, August22, 1848:"We not see. stopped to take our Breakfast, at this place DiaryexcerptsfortheRabbit Hole (Rabbit Hole) was wells dug in the white Springs area follow: clay, but we were unable toget water

Delano, August 15,1849: ". . .we hur- either for ourselves or cattle, one or two ried on, and descending a couple of milescrackers a handful of beans and a couple through a defile, we passed the most beau-swallows of water had to do us for break- tiful hills of colored earth (the pass southfast and dinner and supper which we took of Kamma Mountain)Iever saw, withat one sitting. the shades of pink, white, yellow, and Webster, September 15,1849: "...tra- green brightly blended. ... we passed onveled across a barren, undulating desert, through a small basin beyond the defile,when we came toa place known as the when,after ascending alittleelevation, Rabbit Wells, where fouror five wells, the glad shout was raised, "I see where the some8or 10 feet deep, have been exca- spring (Rabbit Hole) is."Several wagonsvated by the immigrants in advance for had stopped in the road and a knot of menthe purpose of obtaining water for them- were gathered around aparticularspot, selves and their sock.These wells were which marked the place of the gloriouswith one or two exceptions, filled with element, and withparched tongues we dead animals.Having seen the waterat went up. Judge our disappointment, whenthe bottom and being so eager to obtain we found the promised springs to be onlyit, they rushed head first into them, where 25. I / I a / they perished and could not well be extri-their dugouts and shelters nearby can still cated. The water of these wells is of a poorbe seen. quality and proved tobe scarce.After traveling six or seven hours over a very Chapter IV - Across the dusty road on a hot day, it is far better Desert to Black Rock than none. There was a large number of immigrants at the wells and it was diffi- VIRGIL K. PRINGLE. cult to obtain sufficient quantity of water, (September, 1846).Slept and rested it being dipped up with in cups as fast as till nineof the 7th, then started the last it ran into the wells. We remained therestage of the desert (Black Rock Desert). one hour and a half and obtained whatOur Stock weak and working badly, get- water we were able to, but could get veryting very little water and nothing to eat. little for our animals.Neither was thereArrived at Black Rock at 8:15 in the eve. anything for them to eat." Left 2 steers belonging to Collins on the Bruff arrivedat Rabbit Hole Springsroad, they being too weak to come in, sev- five days behind Webster and conditionseral others barely getting through. Found had not changed except to become evena large, hot spring (Black Rock Boiling more distressing.Dead oxen layevery- Spring) and plenty of first-rate grass. This where and the stench was suffocating. Thedesert is perfectly sterile, producing noth- vicinity was beaten bare of everything buting but grease-wood and sage, and some of dust with carcasses and broken wagonsit perfectly barren and the ground very everywhere. salt. The road good and level and general- ly firm.The mountains barren and dark Bradway, August 27, 1853: "Theselooging like rocks-21 miles. springs are several holes dug in the ground Tue. Sep. 8 - Laid by for the benefit contairthng water sufficient for some fiftyof Stock. head of stock but they should be watered in buckets. No grass, some two miles be- LESTER G. HULIN. fore reaching these springs there is a well (September, 1847). In about 3 miles containing water ¼ mile to the left ar-we came to a muddy creek (Quinn River, ound a point of a hill along the ravine anow dry most of the year), watered our little grass. No place to camp. animals and pushed on about 5 miles to Bishop, U. S. Government surveyor, tra- Black Rock or Bik. Mt. near some reddish veling eastward, August 11, 1857: "These looking points; here is a hot spring (The springsaffordbarely water enough forBoiling Springs) and coarse grass; we, of drinking purposes,they are merely holescourse, camped here; distance 8 miles. dug in the ground into which water slow- ly issues. .. .the trader at Deep (Hole) Rabbit Hole Springs of todayisthe Springs(west of Gerlach)hads o m e junction of several dirt roads. The main specimens of gold that were taken fromroad from the east follows down Rosebud this place It has every evidence of a goldCanyon from Imlay Summit to join an- bearing country.the groundisthicklyother coming irs from the southeast and strewn with small broken quartz. the wantfollowing down Rabbit Hole Creek. Lead- of water however presents a serious diffi-ing south, from Sulphur on the Western culty to its being thoroughly examined." Pacific Railroad, is a main road which Bishd's mention of "evidence of a gold branchesa few miles north of Rabbit bearing country" at Rabbit Hole becomesHole. Both of these roads join the Rose- doubly interesting when nearly 100 yearsbud Canyon road, the left hand fork 3 later, Irene D. Paden writing in "Prairiemiles and the right hand fork 1mile, Schooner Detours," publishedi n1949, northeast of the Rabbit Holes. statesthat some 400 people lived in the At Rabbit Hole Springs, one road fol- area around 1937, "panning out a dollarlows around south of the bench upon or so a day" of gold. Remains of some ofwhich the springs are located, while an- 27. othercrossesoverthebenchpastthe perished if they had attempted tocross springs.Both roads again join at the footthe desert during the daytime under the of this bench to lead first in a northwester-hot sun beating down upon them, so they ly direction and then westerly to Gerlachdecided to cross at night. Starting at sun- approximately thirty miles away. This road set,theytraveleddirectlytoward Black joins with another coming in from Sul-Rock untildark, when theycouldno phur some 6½ miles west of Rabbit Holelonger see it.They then took their bear- to become the 'hill road" or wet weatherings by the stars and were able to keep road designated Nevada State road No. 49. their course all night. This road for the first fifteen or so miles Jesse Applegate in his Waybill of 1848 from the springs, coincides with the route wrote:"From the Rabbit hole springs, of the Nobles Cutoff to Granite Creek,Black Rock is in sight in a N.W. direc- north of Gerlach, as existing in 1854 andtion across a bad plain, it is the south end later years. of a range of naked burnt mountains and Mrs. P. 5. Terwilliger recorded on Sep-all the water in its vicinity is nearly boil- tember 17, 1854: "...Took the right handing hot." road this morning.This goes to Yreka. Hale recorded on August 22, 1948: Other to Shasta." "We arrived at these wells (Rabbit Hole) Nobles Cutoff as first laid out, branchedabout eleven o'clock and remained until from the Applegate Trail at the Boiling threeinthe morning when we started Springs at Black Rock in 1852, leadingand drove about eight miles and stopped acrossthe bare plain to Granite Creek,again to rest and get our breakfast, but eventually ending up at Shasta City a few we have no water nor grass for our cattle. miles west of present Redding, California. "We have passed a great many dead According to B r ad w a y, who traveledcattle an± as many that were not dead but Nobles Cutoff, this route was still in usehad given out and had been left to die. on August 28, 1853 when he recorded:We have not seen fiftyspears of grass "Some grass in the marsh below the spring since we took this road and had but one (Boiling Spring) and good feed about 2chance for water and that in a small quan- milesto the west(northwest)on thetity and of an indifferent quality. Yreka route. Near the spring is a moun- "(23): As we came near the edge (of tain of Basaltic rock (Black Rock) from the sage covered plain) we came in among which the spring takes its name." a lot of mounds from six to ten or twelve From Rabbit Hole Springs the route offeet high (sand dunes).They were from the Applegate Trail lay in an almost per- thirty to one hundred feet apart and ex- fect northwest c ours e for 21½ milestended as far as my eye could see. They (Bruff's measurement (to the B o 11 i n g covered hundreds of acres." Spring, except for a slight fish-hook turn The emigranttrailforthefirst 1½ at the extreme end, around Black Rockmiles after leaving Rabbit Hole approxi- itself. matesthe"hillroad",Thereafter,for The first 9½ miles, from Rabbit Hole about1mileit approximates a branch to a point on the present Western Pacific road which runs northeasterly to join State Railroad about 1½ miles west of RhondaRoad No. 49 which leads to Sulphur. This Siding was over a gentle slope, through amain road (No. 49) from Gerlach to Sul- sandy, dwarfish sage coveredflat,other- phur, is intersected by the emigrant trail, wise dry and barren. Rabbit Hole Springwhich in this locality is practically non- lies at an elevation of approximately 4400 existant,about m'idway betweenRabbit feet, while Rhonda Siding is some 376 feetHole and the railroad. The 'hill road" is lower, or about 4024 feet. so called, to distinguish it from the desert Of the first wagons crossing this sectionor dry weather road between Gerlach and in1846, LeviScott remembered many Sulphur. years later, their stock would surely have The Western Pacific Railroad intersects 28. the Applegate Trail approximately 7¼ about 1mile south of the dry bed of miles west of Sulphur, or 1½ miles westwhat had once been Quinn River and of Rhonda siding, about half-way betweenwhich still contains water in wet periods. mile posts 467 and 468. 1853 had evidently been one of the At one time there was a bladed roadwetter seasons as Bradway on August 28th, parallel to and north of the railroad tracks,wrote: "Some five miles before reaching but it has in recent years fallen into dis- the spring came to a slough containing salt repair.In its place there is a narrow one- water bad crossing.Cattle will drink a way road just a few feet from the tracks,little if very thirsty." also on the north side, but on railroad Quinn River was originally known in right-of-way which is being used.Turn- Hudson's Bay Fur Company ti m e sas outs are few and far between. This lastQueen's River.Farther up stream one of road connects Sulphur and Cholona siding,its branches is known as King's River. then leaves the railroad to turn northward Most of our party in 1959 walked the into the main desert which it crosses tomile northward to Quinn River and found Gerlach. This road is strictly a dry wea-several remains of oxen well preserved, ther road ONLY. this 110 years after the destructive year At the trail intersection west of Rhondaof the 1849 crossing. From Quinn River, siding, the bladed road from Sulphur end- three of us followed the still distinct, in ed in 1959 and a one track, sandy, crookedmost places, emigrant trail some 6 miles road turned northwest toward the mainto the Boiling Spring at Black Rock. In Black Rock Desert. This road was in 1959the meantime, the cars detoured approxi- thedesert road'between Sulphur andmately 80 miles via Gerlach to pick us up Gerlach.In 1964 aflash flood hit thelater at the Boiling Spring. neighborhood and this road was washed Bruff's measured 513/4 miles from the out. It then became impassable to vehiclesHumboldt River to Black Rock Springs other than four-wheel-drive. were increased substantially by oth e r s An excellent view is afforded both wayswhen estimating the distance, probably be- along the route of the old emigrant trailcause of thedifficulties encountered en from the railroad. Southeast lies the notch route. in a range of hills where Rabbitt Hole Tabitha Brown, an emigrant of 1846 Springs are located, and northwest acrosswrote: "We had sixtymiles ofdesert the stark whitish colored desert plain lieswithout grass or water, mountains to climb, Black Rock, growing ever larger asthe cattle giving out, wagons breaking, emi- traveler approaches it.That the first emi-grants sick and dying, hostile Indians to grants aimed foritand never deviatedguard against by night and day,if we from their course is proven by the remain-would save ourselves and our horses and ing tracesoftheir route, almost arrow-cattle from being arrowed or stolen." straight from Rabbit Hole. J. Quinn Thornton, September, 1846: The 1959 "desert road" turning from "Just as the sun was sinking, we resumed the railroad, coincided for the next 3½our journey, and after descending a little miles with the old Applegate Trail.Athill we entered a country more forbidding about 3 miles from the railroad all vege-a spot and repulsive than even that I have tation ceases and the plain resembles thedescribed.There w e r e occasional spots dry bed of an alkali lake, stretching awaywhere we saw a stray and solitary bush of to the southwest and northeast many, manyartemisia.It was a country which had miles. nothing of a redeeming character. Noth- Where the 1959 road turned from itsing presented itself to the eye, but a broad northwest course atop the old trail, to aexpanse of uniform dead level plain, which southwest course, the traces of the emi-conveyed to the mind the idea that it had grant road become quite clear. The sepa- been the muddy and sandy bottom of a rating point of the road and trail wasformer lake; and, 'that after the water had 29. suddenly sunk through the ftssures, leaving they came to the water was nearly boiling the bottom in a state of muddy fusion, hot.The grass was not good; but our streams of gas had broke out in ten thou-cattle went greedily to work and we went sand places, and had thrown up sand andto sleep having much need of rest. mud, so as to form cones, rising from a "The earth is every where covered with common plane, and ranging from three toa salt alkiline crust and in all the wells of twenty feet in height. It seemed to be thewater; the water is quite brackish. The hot River of Death dried up, and having its spring water when cooled is the best." muddy bottom jettedinto cones by the Doctor Caldwell left Rabbit Hole on force of the fires of perdition.It was en- September 1, 1849 about an hour before livened by the murmur of no streams, butdaybreak and nooned at the edge of the was a wide waste of desolation, where even salt plain of Black Rock Desert. About the winds had died. It was wearisome, dull, half of his cattle had given out by that and melancholy scene, that had been cheer- time. Two of his companions then went ed by the beauty of no verdure since theahead to look for grass. One of them was waters of the flood had subsided, and thea Doctor Allen McLane who later died dove left the patriarch's window to returnalong the Lassen Trail in Northern Cali- no more." fornia. At 5 P.M. no one having returned, Howell, August 24, 1849: "Along hereGaldwell advanced the wagons some 4 (Rabbit Hole) several wagons and some miles. He had but 3 yoke of oxen left to valuable property is being abandoned onpull them, so unhooked and started the account of failingt e a m sthose havingloose cattle ahead toward Black Rock. In horses packing what they could, and such about one mile they met McLane returning as have none carrying what provisions they wi'th a little grass.After restinga time can and footing it a head. they attemptedtocontinue withtheir "Beforestarting we gaveourcattle wagons but were eventually compelled to some flower in water. We might haveleave them several miles short of Black found a few bunches of grass for a fewRock Boiling Spring. As a last resort they miles beyond the well alittle on thehauled their wagons ahead to camp at mountain side west of theSprings wewater and grass, one at a time, abandoning passed yesterday. most at that point. "After travelling 16 or 17 miles and Webster, September 15, 1849: "... having to leave one of our oxen we cameThe company, with a few exceptions, had to a perfect plane leading N.E. and S.W. arrived in abvance of me and were prin- with out any vegetation what ever.It cipally asleep.I traveled the whole dis- looked very much likeit had been thetance, 40 miles, on foot, and drove two bottom of a lake except thatit wanted mules and one horse, which made consid- banks We were traveling toward the lefterable extra travel.I had no dinner or han d pointing ofa mountain(Black supper, and after arriving at Black Rock, Rock)after passing around which and rolled myself in my blankets and was soon bearing up north we came to the long asleep." wished for spring(Boiling Spring) and On September 21,1849, Bruff, after grass about 8 or 9 o'clock at night,...traveling 6 or 8 miles from Rabbit Hole, We suffered some anxiety fearing that ournoted what he thought to be a more ele- stock could not stand so long a drive withvated plain ahead, very smooth and look- out grass and a little water... . During the ing like a field of ice. Upon reaching the last of thisdays drive we passed great spot he learned his mistake, that it was al- numbers of deadcattle; and many stillkaline and during the wet season the bot- alive that had given out... . Some of ourtom of a vast mud lake. A mirage lay to men came ahead of the wagons, and found the southwest and oxen had stampeded the water cool enough to drink and theirtoward it, and now lay scattered on the horses drank from the spring. .. . Whenplain, as far as the eye could discern. In 30. the 21½ miles between Rabbit Hole andbecome dry and hard, leaving the animal Black Rock, Bruff counted 359 dead oxen,almost entire. 7 dead horses and 7 dead mules. The stillness of death reigns over this George Keller, about June 16th or 17th,vast piain,no rustling of a leaf or the 1850:There are hundreds of ox skele- hum of an insect, to break in on the eter- tonsbetween the river and these wellsnal solitude. Man alone dares to break it. (Rabbit Hole), which had died the pre- The desert, on 'the different routes, varies vious season, from lack of food, there be- in width from twenty to fifty miles." ing very little good grass after the first of George W. Riddle, emigrant of 1851, July.Bunch grass is the principal article as later remembered: 'Oar drive across the of food in thispart of the route.This, desert was without incident. Our road lay in the proper season,isvery nutritious, acrossaperfectlylevel p 1 a i n without being almost equal tooats or corn.Itgrowth of any kind, a sandy desert. ripens about the middle of June. An hour's Upon the coming of daylight we be- drive from the wells, brings you to thegan to see evidence of disaster that had desert propera vast plain entirely desti-befallen trains in former years. 'We were tute of vegetation. seldom out of sight of the carcasses of "The sand is very light and porous dead cattle.All appeared to be of a dun the mules and horses sinking in sixor color,caused by alkalidust, and in the eight inches, when it is perfectly dry. This,hot dry air of the desert the carcasses had with the continued clouds of dust, renders simply dried up. Most of them had laid travelling fatiguing and unpleasant.The there for five years. roadisstrewed with wagons and every "All along the road were abandoned other species of property. The carcases ofwagons, and household goods of every des- oxen are scattered every where. Owing to cription.Here would be acook stove, the heat and dryness of the atmosphere,further on a plow, then the remains of a these donot undergo putrefaction,butfeather bed.It was remarked that one

Quinn River on the Black Rock Desert, where the Applegate Trail crossed.Helen Heifrich, Ken McLeod and Bob Saunders in June 1959. 31. could find everything they wanted from gets dim and faintly marked, and some- this abandoned property and it was sur-times it could not be traced atallfor prising to see what absurd things some miles.Itdoes not appear to have been would bring with them across the plains.used since the disaster of 1852 (1849), Onthisdesert we foundacastiron though I am highly pleased with it;and machinethat would weigh a tonevi-had I stock to take through, would cer- dently some kind of gold saving machinetainly pursue nearly this same road.In that some inventive genius had constructed early spring most of this desert is covered and imagined that if he could reacha with water,and, of course,it *ould be gold field he would make his fortune, but difficult to cross.The later part of June if the poor man had succeeded in bringingis the best season. The road then is quite his machine through he would only havehard and smooth. Black Rock is the sou- met with disappointment, for no such ma- thern point of a singularly picturesque and chinery ever proved a success." wild-looking place." V e 1 i n a A. Williams, September 16, Black Rock is the extreme southwestern 1853: "The day we crossed Rabbit Holetip of the Black Rock Range of Moun- (15th) to Black Rock we crossed a deserttains, which extend some 50 miles north of pure sand, free from all kinds of vege- and south about 30 miles south of the tation, the route plainly marked by theNevada-Oregon State Line. mummyfied remains of cattle and horses 3½ miles, almost directly east of Black that had parished of thirst andwagons Rock lies the southeastern tip of the Black abandoned because there was no teams leftRock Range, Black Rock Point, practical- to draw them.All kinds of householdly the same heighth as Black Rock itself. goods thrown away to lighten the loads, Black Rock Point was in no way connected and in one place, sitting not far from thewith the emigrant routes other than lying road, was a melodeon abandoned from the in plainsight to the right of the trail same sternnecessity." some four miles away. The Black Rock Capt. Rufus Ingalls, June, 1855: "ByRange of which Piute Peak is the highest taking an early start,I crossed the main elevation,isskirted on three sides, east, desert to Black Rock, 40 miles, inone day,south and west by level, alkaline encrusted without fatigue, and the following dayar- Black Rock Desert. rived in a country well watered and grass- Capt. J o h n C. Fremont a n d his ex- ed. The road was traveled by qnitea num- ploring party of 1843-44 gives us the first ber of imigrants in 1852 (1849), and thewritten record of Black Rock. On Janu- signs are sadly frequent, to this day, ofary 2nd, 1844 Fremond recorded: 'We their great suffering.They crossedlater were on the road early. The face of the in the season, when the weather was hot- country was hidden by falling snow. We ter, water more scarce and poisonous, grass traveled along the bed of the stream, in dry or eat up, and themselves in a jadedsome places dry, in others covered with and worn down condition.I saw the re-ice; the travelling being very bad, through mains of numberless wagons and cattle on deep, fine sand, rendered tenacious by a this desert; and not being acquainted with mixture of clay. The weather cleared up a the country in front, I almost wishedmy- littleat noon, and we reachedthe hot self back with Colonel Steptoe.Whole springs of which we had seen the vapor wagons were sometimes met with, and very the day before. There was a large field of near by would lie the bleached bones of the usual salt grass here, peculiar to such oxen that could draw them no further.places. The country otherwise is a perfect Most of the wagons had been burned. The barren, without a blade of grass, the only trace was strewn with pans, boxes, tires,plant being the dwarf Fremontias. We and all manner of property usually seenpassed the rockcape, a jagged, broken in immigrant trains.The road was quitepoint, bare and torn.The rocks are vol- well marked thus far, but further on itcanic, and the hills have a burnt appear- 32. ancecinders andcoaloccasionally ap- I was a subject for relief myself. pearing as at a blacksmith's forge. We 'High above the plain in the direction crossed the large dry bed of a muddy lakeof our road, a black, bare mountain reared in a southeasterly direction and encampedits head at the distance of 15 miles; and at night, without water and without grass, ten miles this side the plain was flat, com- among sagebrushes covered with snow. Theposed of baked earth without a sign of heavy roads made several mules give outvegetation, and in many places covered today; and a horse, which had made thewith incrustations of salt.Pits had been journey from the States, successfully thussunk in moist places, but the water was far, was left on the trail." saltasbrine, and utterly useless.. .- The Lindsay Applegate, or a ghost writer,train had passed me in the night, and our when writing of the 1846 South Road cattletraveled steadily without faltering, hunting parties activities in 1877, record- reaching the spring about 9 o'clock in the ed: "On starting out on the morning ofmorning, after traveling nearly forty hours the 12th (?) of July, we observed vastwithout food or water.If ever a cup of columns of smoke or steam rising at thecoffee and a slice of bacon was relished by extremity of the black ridge. Reaching the man, it was by me that morning, on ar- ridge a few miles north of its extremity, riving at the encampment a little after we traveled along its base, passing a num- 10." ber of springs, some cold and others boil- Even in thatfirst year of 1846, Black 'ing hot. At the end of the ridge we foundRock was the scene of considerable con- an immense boiling spring from whencefusion and hardship caused from crossing the steam was rising like smoke from a 'thedesert.Levi Scott in after years re- furnace. A large volume of water issued memberedthat, through the carelessness from the spring which irrigated severalof the stock drivers, some of the loose hundred acres of meadow. Although thecattle were allowed to wander away into water was strongly impregnated with al-the desert, never to be recovered, although kali, it was fit for use when cooled, andthey layed over two days recruiting them- the spot was, on the 'whole, a very goodselves and their teams, and hunting 'the camping place for the desert. The cliffs, missing stock. at the extremity of the ridge, were formed Mrs. Mathew P.(Lucille Henderson) of immense masses of black volcanic rock Deady in recalling some of the 1846 hap- and all about were vast piles of cinders,penings recorded m a n y years later:"I resemblingt ho s e fromablacksmith's shall never forget that camp(either at forge.This place has eversince beenBlack Rock or Double Hot Springs, some known as 'Black Rock'." 5miles f a r t h e rnorth).Mother had Delano, August 17, 1849: "As I walk-brought some medicine along.She hung ed on slowly and with effort, I encountered the bag containing the medicine from a a great many animals, perishing for wantnail on the sideboard of the wagon. My of food and water on the d e s e r t plain.playmate, the Currier girl, who was of my Some would be just gasping for breath,own age, and I discovered the bag, and so others unable to stand, would issue lowI decided to taste the medicine.I put a moans as I came up, in a most distressing little on my tongue, but itdidn't taste manner, showing intense agony; and stillgood, so I took no more. The Currier girl others, unable to walk, seemed to bracetasted it, made a wry face, and handed the themselves up on theirlegs to preventbottle back. My littlesisterSalita Jane, falling while here and there a poor ox, or wanted 'totasteit,but Itold her she horse,justable to drag himself along,couldn' have it.She didn't say anything, would stagger towards me with a lowbut as soon as we had gone she got the moan, as if begging for a drop of water. bottle and drank it all. Presently she came My sympathies were excited at their suf-'to the campfire where mother was cooking ferings, yet, instead of affording them aid,supper and said she felt awfully sleepy. 33. The Great Boiling Spring at Black Rock with a northern arm of Black Rock Desert in the background. Mother told her to run away and not Mrs. E. B. (Currier) Foster many years bother her, so she went to where the bedslater recalled that, "Mrs. Robert Hender- were spread and lay down. When motherson gave birth to a baby girl while laying called herfor supper she didn't come.over at High Rock Canyon" Mother saw she was asleep, so didn't dis- Pure exhaustion among man and beast turb her. When mother tried to awake herprevailed at Black Rock a f t e r arriving later she couldn't arouse her.Lettie hadthere from the desert crossing as so aptly drunk the whole bottle of laudanum.Itdescribed by Bachelder,September16, was too late to save her life.Before we 1849: "All hands were routed early for a had started father had made some boardsmove of about 3 miles for feed, there be- of black walnut that fitted along the sideing none here.I found myself very stiff of the wagon. They were grooved so theyand sore, but managed to get up and would fit together, and we used them forstraighten out. We picked up our animals, atableallthe way acrossthe plains.which were scatteredall over the plain Father took these walnut boards and made[not being watched very closely]eating a coffin for Salira and we buried her there bushes, sticks, ropes &c. My old mule eat by the roadside in the desert. his rope off for a bit of lunch. We got "Three days after my little sister Lettieinto camp and had our breakfast. .. There drank the laudanum and died we stoppedare several hundred teams in this vicinity for a few hours, and my sister Olivia wasand :they are continually passing, several born. We were so late that the men of thepack companies, and many men with packs party decided we could not tarry a day; so on their backs, saw 3 men yesterday with we had to press on. The going was ter- their clothing, provisions, rifles and cook- ribly rough. We were the first party toing utensils on their backs, 2 had a rifle take the Southern cut-off, and there waseach one had a coffee pot, one a tin dip- no road. The men walked be s i d e theper or two, another a bake pan besides wagons and tried to ease the wheels downtheir provisions. They cut quite a figure, into the rough places, but in spite of this and reminded me of the Pilgrims progress it was a very rough ride for my motherof Bunyon. They are going in every shape, and her new born babe." men, women and children. 34. the eye could view Desolation reigned in Desolation reigned The d e s e r t and the t he Black Rock Mountains Beyond 'Everything around bore the marks of around bore the 'Everything Bruff wrote that the remarkable place natural basin with the water sufficiently the water basin with natural others many and I, with to bathe in, cool (northerly) course." availed myself of the opportunity to take of the opportunity availed myself we found renovation, which a thorough refreshing. exceedingly above the action. A little inren;se volcanic we had the mountain which spring was a bare pile of rock, seen from the plain, of black cinders, that looked like a mass fragments of lava while at its base were resembled those of a and cinders, which blacksmith's forge. the fullest extent. mountains were all of grass, and the beyond the little patch we had crossed, naked salt plain which bed of Mud Lake. proved to be the dry which united with a were other peaks, of chain north of us, and along the base which we were to travel in a westerly was all volcanic and in its eruption no ex- cn The could life. t h e teams, cattle and our

Jaded men and women, but they women, men and Jaded This emigration presents a sad pic- presents emigration This

Delano wrote: "We found this an oasis Delano wrote: "We Perhaps the best descriptions of Black Perhaps the best descriptions

Black Rock, guide-point of the Applegate Trail, from the northwest after passing It, Black Rock, guide-point of the Applegate Trail, from the northwest after passing

a'bout us, some dead, in a state of putre- some dead, in a state a'bout us,

nearly consumed, ing as it ran off. But we found the grass a hand; but around it there was formed about 20 acres of groundthe water cool- about 20 acres of groundthe barely pick enough to sustain water in the spring was too hot for the 3 rods in diameter, and very deep irrigated 3 rods in diameter, and in the desert. A large hot spring, nearly in the desert. A large 2 2nd. over there on the morning of September over there on the morning Bruff, over one month later, who layed Bruff, over one month some dragged along behind some dragged 1849 and, second, by ing of August 18th, faction, some laid down to rise no more, laid down to rise faction, some arrived on the morn- first, by Delano, who soon to end their journey." Spring are given Rock and the Boiling oxen, horses, mules, many are lying all mules, many are oxen, horses, hope of better times. Jaded, broken down times. Jaded, broken hope of better seem to be in tolerable spirits, filled with in tolerable spirits, seem to be ture / ( - - sls, - - I f \\ _r ,lI_. ,J S -; ..-cc- -' S.- .-.d (((H S ]S U - I2 I C 9; traordinary depth below ground. He des- Fri. Sep.1 1Moved across the flat and cribed the Great Boiling Spring as basin camped, our teams being badly jaded and shaped and about 30 feet in diameter, withthe desert country still continuing. 2 miles. two dug reservoirs farther down the over- flow, in which to store and cool the run- LESTER G. HULIN. off. **M. (September) 20, (1847) Bruff described Black Rock as being ¼This morning we yoked and moved on to mile from the spring and risingtoa the hot springs (5 miles) (Double Hot) heighth of some 450 feet above the plain.and camped until about 4 o'clock P.M., It served as a rookery for thousands ofthen pushed on by moonlight about 15 crows and ravens.Further, the groundmiles and stopped until morning; distance sounded hollow, much the same as the20 miles. Soda Springs area on Bear River in what T. 21st. This morning we moved early, is now Southeastern Idaho. The color ofabout 5 miles, and finding some grass and therocks on thedesertface remindedwater we stopped until about 3 P.M., then Bruff of a brick kiln after being burned. on again about 5 miles farther and camped In the adjoining vicinity of Black Rockin a valley (Mud Meadows, now known and the Boiling Spring, Bruff found frag- asSoldier's Meadow) with g r as sand ments of chalcedony, agates, precious ser-water; distance 10 miles. pentine and obsidian, as well as arrow Each year at Black Rock the grass and points and lance heads of these materials. forage supply was soon exhausted. It then He also found a large rock, upon which becamenecessarytomove loanother the Indians worked when fashioning theirsupply, which in that locality was few and various hunting tools. far between. To a small degree this was WARNING! There are no maintainedavailable about three miles to the north, at roads on the Black R.ock Desert proper,what was once known as the Casey Ranch, nor in the vicinity of Black Rock itself.which lay adjacent to the emigrant trail. Stay off the desert in wet weather.It is Approximately two miles farther were no place for the ordinary car. Even foursome large hot springs whose temperature, wheel drives enter at their own risk. Singleestimated by different travelers r a n g e d cars should not travel this country. Two from 173 to 185 degrees. They are known or more preferred.If you break down oras Double Hot Springs. Their combined get stuck you may be there for severalwaters form a small rivulet which flows days.Gerlach, nearly 40 miles away, isbut a short distance before spreading out the nearest point for aid or repairs. to irrigate approximately 100 acres of lush meadow. Chapter V- Black Rock Thornton,September,1846emigrant to Mud Meadows remembered: "We remained at Black Rock one day and night, for the purpose of rest- VIRGIL K. PRINGLE. ing and recruiting our exhausted cattle; Wed. Sep. 9, (1846) - Traveled 8 after which we resumed our journey, and miles to another good camp with severaltraveled about eight miles, to the Great hot springs (Double Hot). Some of themHot Springs, in the vicinity of which we very hot and one cold in 10 yards a hotfound a limited supply of grass. Our road one. The country barren with the excep- betweenthese two camps conducted us tion of the places watered by the springs.over a dry, grassy plain, and usually near 8-1,894 miles. the foot of a high and naked precipitous Thu. Sep. 10 - Traveled 20 miles of bluff.The tops of these bluffs or hills heavy pulling road and camp at a grassyappeared to be covered w i t h volcanic flat (Mud Lake, now known as Soldier'sscotia, or a substance resembling the slag Meadow) with plenty of water but badformed in iron furnaces.Their sides pre- for drinking.20 miles, sented a great variety and blending of 37. colors, including almost all those of thetially open andhis tongue was out.It rainbow.These had evidently been pro- could not but excite pity to look at him. duced by the action of intense heat, whichNear another was one lying dead that had had left different colors in different places, been scalded but had been hauled out. according to the degree of heat applied, Others had got in but were taken out alive, and thetemperature of the atmospherebut the hair came off as far as the water into which the masses had been suddenlycame up on them. As we came on this projected while thus heated. Indeed, with- morning we struck or came through an- out attempting to account accurately forother plain, then came to the first springs the phenomenon, thehillsappearedto and after passing them we came through have been in some way scathed and blastedthe thirdSalt Plain before reaching our by subteranean fires." encampment." Delano wrote of Double Hot on August Bruff, near the rear of the 1849 emi- 18, 1849: 'On looking around us we sawgration, reached Double Hot Springs on a beautifu plat of green grass, coveringSeptember 22nd, Arriving at the ford of about an hundred acres, which was irri- the stream flowing from the springs, which gated by the water of several hot springs.he judged to be 6 feet wide, an attempt Two of these were very large, and fromwas made to crossit.The mules refused them ran a rivulet of sufficient capacity to tocross and upon examiningit,Bruff turn a mill; but 50 rods below the brookfound the water to be quite hot.After was too hot to bear the hand in.The much pulling and urging, and probably water in the springs was clear & deep, andswearing, the teams finally crossed, each hot enough to boil bacon. We boiled ourpair leaping likedeer and jerking the coffee by setting the coffee pot in the water. wagons after them. This stream, although Near them was one of lukewarm water,much smaller isstill in existance in the another of magnesia, and one that wasmeadow below and to the west of the quite cold. All these were within the space springs. of a quarter of an acre. We found about While nooning at this location, Bruff 50 teams lying over to recruit their cattle, sketched a whitish formation, resembling after having lost a good many in the tran- a natural fortress on distant Piute Peak, Sit tO Black Rock Spring. McGee had leftwhich he named Fremont's Castle. This is his team here and gone forward (Miltonanother in the series of remarkably accu- McGee, friend of Peter Lassen, was pilot- rate sketches made by Bruff as he traveled ing the lead train of the 1849 emigration) to California.This formation lies some to explore the road, and as he owned 2 twelve miles due north from Double Hot or 3 wagons with good's, we could notand iseasily discerned on the southern doubt his intention of leading us through slopes of Piute Peak. if possible." The next stop for the emigrant from A few dayslater, Bryan Farnham re- Double Hot, although many layed over at corded on August 23: "Went 5 miles here some point in between, was some 21 or we found another very large hot spring more miles away at Mud Meadows, later (Double Hot) temperature 184 degrees. called Soldiers' Meadow. The intervening There wasfiddling and dancing in the distance was a sandy, sage and greasewood camp tonight." covered terrain, with open flats occasion- The next,day, August 24th, Israel Hale allyencountered. Mud Meadows Creek wrote:"I tbn saw 'the springs (Doubleparallels the trail from ½ to1 mile on Hot); they were not so large as the Black the west.It afforded some degree of water Rock Springs, but there areseveralof and campsites at times, probably reached them. In one I saw an ox that had been by camp roads turning aside from the main scalded to death, his hind part was in thetrail. spring and his forepart on the bank, prob- The location of roads north of Double ably the way he died; his mouth was par-Hot resembles a strung bow, the string 38. representing the Applegate Trail assur- of a little ravine that had been cut out by veyed by the UnitedStatesGeological water.Something shiny and bright in the Survey in 1882-85, while the bow repre-bottom and along the sides attracted their sents a later road, prorably laid out in theattention, and upon looking more closely mid 1860's when the Hardin City goldthey thought it might be lead.It looked and silver boom was on. The emigrantas 'though it would make bullets, and as trail led west of north from Double Hotthey were short of ammuunition, they took up the Mud Meadows Creek arm of Blackseveral 'pieces to camp, perhaps 30 or 40 Rock Desert, 'chi1e the later road some 2pounds. The metal was easily worked so map miles longer, circled to the east, fol- they made bullets of part of it.Hardin lowing thefoothills.Both were heavytook a small piece of the remainder to pulling and again came together some 5California with him or 6 miles before reaching Mud Meadows. He settled in Petaluma and a few years While in the vicinity of Double Hotlater the piece of metal fell into the hands we must relate one of the oddest lost mineof an assayer who found that it was car- storiestoever come toour attention,bonate of lead and silver, and very rich Hardin City and thelost Hardin silverin the latter.. ledge. About July 1st, 1858 some fifteen to The ghost mining camp of Hardin Cityeighteen men Went in search of what they liesabout 6 miles northeasterlyf r o m believed to be an immense silver deposit. Double Hot on the "bow" road.Its story Hardin failed to locate the ravine in which is well recorded in Fairfield's History ofhe had found the samples. He and others Lassen County, California, 1914, of whichreturned in both 1859 and 1860 but were the following is a condensed account: stillunsuccessful. A few continued the An emigrant of 1849, Jam e s Allensearch until January 1866 when a ledge Hardin while out lrnnting game with twowas discovered that was thought to be the others, some thee or four miles north oflost Hardin ledge.Some of the assays Double Hot Springs, passed the lower endshowed $130 to $200 per ton in silver.

Double Hot Springs, approximately five miles north of Black Rock. Double Hotconsists of three boiling springs whi th drain into a meadow in the left foreground. 39. In the meantime, 1852, a John Fore- Double Hot was selected as the site of man had discovered similar ore across the the Atkinson & Company q u ax t z mill desert west of Black Rock but failed to re-which supposedly began to run about De- locate it when he returned in 1859. cember 1st, 1867. Goodwin & Company The first milling test of the Hardin oreseem to have started a ten stamp mill at was made atthe Dali mill in WashoeGranite Creek about 35 miles from the Valley, south of Reno, Nevada where 500 mines.Supposedly there was plenty of pounds paid at the rare of $306 per ton. wood and water there. By February 1868 The ledges were so large that it was atthe Atkinson mill had yet to receive any first thought to be the greatest deposit offavorable results. The mill sometime there- silver ever found in the world. after may have been moved into the Win- At another time, 500 pounds was takennemucca area.What happenedtothe to the DalI mill and paid at the rate ofGoodwin mill is unknown. $400 per ton, but when the remainder of To sum up what actually happened in the lot, four and three fourths tons was 1866-68 we find that three quartz mills run, it paid but $40 per ton. Some assay- were erected in the Black Rock district ers secured high returns, while others ob-and not one of them got anything out of tained nothing.1866 witnessed Blackthe ore.Probably the mines of the area Rock's greatest height of excitement. were abandoned by mid 1868. It is known By August, Hardin City sprang up to athat the Evans Company lost atI e as t city of "fifteen houses and 15,000 rats,"$17,000 and by 1870, or a year or two with Evans Brothers quartz mill of five latertheirmill was hauled to Hayden stamp capacity, under construction, whichHill, south of Adin, California. began operation during thefirst part of December, 1866.Lumber forthe mill Then in 1904 a report in the "Miners' was hauled in from Honey Lake Valley.Mirage-Land" stated:"Itsbuildingsare Machinery was shipped in from San Fran- quite dismantled and destroyed. The winds cisco. Greasewood roots were dug forof the Desert.the rains of the years have fuel. A run of thirty days was made andnibbled and gnawed at the adobes until they never secured a color. Then came theonly thefaintesttracesthat they once beginning of the end, the mill could notwere, remain. Of the mill itself, part of work the Black Rock ore and get satis-the Whitish-gray stone ofitswalls, and factory resuits.At first this was thoughtmost of the tall chimney, stand out in to be the fault of the water, but this was sharp relief, discernible miles away against later disproved. the darker back-ground of Hardin Moun- In early 1867 various reports had thetain." ore running $800$900 and $1,000 per However, Black Rock still retained life, ton. One lot of twenty tons is supposed towhen a man named Jettison in April, 1909 have run $8,000, with perhaps the high-went 'to the site of Hardin City to pros- est claim a reported $7 per pound.Still pect.'When he arrived there he found others could obtain nothing. Innumerablethat some other prospectors had already assays and tests were run with the resultsbeen there that spring. He did not know from zero to hundreds of dollars per ton.who they were and never found out, but By early 1867 the main "rush" to Blackappearances indicated that they had gone Rock was over as it seemed that everythingaway about a month 'before his arrival. of value had been filed on by then. ThereWhen they got ready to leave they threw were several mines operating along thetheir specimens down on the ground in a various ledges, which were reported to be pile.There was quite a lot of rock they twenty to sixty feet in width. Some of had picked up, and in the pile he found a those mines were the Merrimac, Monad-piece of ore that was exaody the same nock,Snowstorm, B 1 a c k Wax, Blackkind as that carried away ly Hardin in Prince and Emerald. 1849.It was the first piece of it, except- 40. Remains of Hardin City, famous silver mining boom town of the late 1860's, as it looked in September 1965. ing the one Hardin had, that any one hadrain section can be remarably changed al- seen since that time." most over night.Possibly what Hardin In answer to why suchhigh results saw in 1849, had been uncovered but a were obtainedin some instancesfrom few yearsearlier, and by his return in such evidently worthless ore, the following 1858 had been covered by another cloud- theory was advanced: burst. Queen Sabe? Dall's quartz mill at Ophlr in Washoe Returning once more to the trail itself, Valley and others at that time were crush-we find that Thornton in 1846 wrote that ing the rich ore from the Comstock Lode upon leaving Double Hot they ". .. hurried in Virginia City. "Their batteries and pansforward, and soon entered upon as desolate were not thoroughly cleaned and the Black and dreary a country, as the sun ever shone Rock ore picked up the gold and silver upon.There was no vegetation but the on them.That the alkali dust on the artemisia. Universal desolation was stamp- Black Rock ore cut the gold and silvered upon all the ground.It seemed almost loose from the old irons in the 'Barrola'that nature herself was about to expire, so process.That accounts for thefact thatfearful was thesterility and dreariness. sometimes half a ton of Black Rock oreScarce a vestige of vegetable life appeared would yield a goodly amount of silver and upon that wide and far extended sand- after that three or four tons of the sameplain. A bird had never spread its wings load would yieldlittle or nothing. Theover that hot and burning waste.The first batch of ore worked cleaned the bat-noise of even a cricket, broke not the si- teries and pans of what silver there was lence, so profound, that a foot-fall pained from the Comstock ore, or the greater part the ear. A thin, hot, yellow haze hung of it, and not much was left to make theupon distant objects, while a sort of daz- next lot pay. zling, glistening heat seemed to surround Lastly, it is a fact that cloud-bursts areevery thing near at hand. The scene was of frequent occurance in the Black Rocktoo dismal to be described. No object pre- region during hot weather. We know from sented itself to the blood-shot eyes, but experience how the appearance of a cer-hot, yellow sands, and here and there a 41. low rock just rising above the plain, with At practically the same time (August now and then a cluster of artemisia. A24 & 25) Bryan Farnham w r o t e: ...... strangecurse seemed to brood over thethen tried another desert march. This was whole scene." 25 M across in a very weary state Three Delano, near the head ofthe1849 of our cattle gave out of our teams." emigration, recorded on August 18: 'We On September 5,1849 Dr. Caldwell had yet another dreary part of the desert wrote one of the gems of diary recordings tocross, over deep sand for 20 miles when 12 miles from Mud Meadows. He without water; and having it now in ourwrote that when the moon was up they power, we providedagainst the trialscontinued their journey, and at about mid- which we had alreadyencountered, by night fed their animals on "corn shucks cutting a good supply of grass with ourfrom their matresses," no other feed being knives, and filling our kegs with water. available. The latter was hot but cooled in the chilly Nearly two weeks later Bachelder wrote night air, and was very sweet and good.on September 18th: 'Men complaining of Our cattle being recruited, we left aboutpain in b ow e 1 sand diarrhea, caused sunset, and were soon plowing our waydrinking the water Packed up at ½ past ankle deep in the yielding sand. Quite a 12 and came on to muddy creek valley number of men walked ahead, and finding (Mud Meadows) about 18 miles. I walk- the traveling so difficult, we occasionally ed all the way, a great part of the way was turned from the beaten track to find moreloose sand, got very tired, though not so firm footing, but without effect.It beingmuch as on Saturday last. We came up a all alike, we finally returned, and dogged- valley in a N.W. direction, which is about ly stuck to the path. When we arrived7 or 8 miles in width where we started where we thou g ht our morning walkand about 1 mile where we came out of would be easy, we lay down in the sand it." to rest, but the cold night air & the howl- By the time Bruff arrived at and passed ing of the hungry wolves, who would haveDouble Hot the vast majority of the '49's made us bosom friends if they could, pre-had passed. Their campsites were covered vented sleep. with relics, broken wheels,tires, chains, (19th)....After breakfast we contin-ox - yokes a n d carcasses lay everywhere. ued on, and about noon we arrived at aWhere thetrailled northwesterly from kind of wet valley (Mud Meadows), con-Double Hot, Bruff mentioned it was over taining several hundred acres of excellent a very level, dark brown debris. grass and plenty of good water, which was Bruff may have passed the Casey place a matter of rejoicing to all" without halting,f o r d e d the stream at A week later,IsraelHale wrote onDouble Hot and nooned there. According August 25: "We soon left the grass and to his distances, he may have circled to came into a barren of greasewood, andreach the springs and grass at Little Double occasionally w o u 1 d pass through a flatHot, laterto become Hardin City.His without any vegetation of any kind. Thedescription on September 23rd,of the ground, since we came past the Rabbitplain below his camp answers that of Little Hole Spring, has been covered with aDouble Hot, although it might as readily crust and still continues, with the excep-be some other location in this drab plain. tion of Mjne sandy plains.This crust inAgain he noted fragments of beautiful placesiswhitish, in others the natural agatesand arrow-headsof quartz and color of the earth.This valley, which I obsidian. will call the valley of the hot springs, var- 7½ miles then put him opposite the ies in width from one mile to perhaps ten "natural fortress" (Fremont's Castle). Late or twelve; the mountains have a reddish in the afternoon he moved northerly about cast and look as if they had been scorched 6 more miles at which time he stated that and are perfectly bare." perhaps there were 8 more miles without 42. Lower, or southern end of Mud Meadows where the Applegate Trail first reached it. White streak in center rear is Fly Creek Canyon by-passed by the trail which crossed the sage flat just beyond the white streak. water (to Mud Meadows). This mileagedows Creek which leaves the valley at the adds up to a total of something like 26½ south end through a narrow opening. Dur- miles from Double Hot to Mud Meadows,ing the early 1960's a dam was built across whichinturnchecks almostperfectly the creek at the outlet of the meadows withthe map mileage overthe "bowand a reservoir of some extent now re- route" between the same places. places the extreme lower end of the mea- At the point (8 miles from Mud Mea- dow proper. dows)Bruff with three wagons turned The first known white party to visit west from the main trail some distance toMud Meadows was that of Capt. John C. camp on Mud Meadows Creek.I find itFremont who arrived there and camped somewhat difficult to correlate B r u f f ' sthe night of December 31, 1843.Fre- descriptions with the known and existingmoot wrote: "After some search we dis- routes and features, so he may have takencovered a high-water outlet (out of High an entirely different route, as indicated byRock Lake), which brought us in a few several statements he later recorded. miles, and by a descent of several hundred Mud Meadows is a level valley of sev- feet, into a long broad basin, in which we eral hundred acres of fine quality meadowfound the bed of the stream, and obtained grassland, watered by several streams and sufficient water by cuttingthe ice.The innumerable hot or warm springs. Mudgrass on the bottoms was salt and un- Meadows Creek flows in from the north- palatable.Here we concluded the year east, Warm SpringsCanyon comesin 1843, and our New Year's Eve was rather from the northwest, Fly Canyon, dry mosta gloomy one." of the year, comes in from the southwest, 1846 witnessed the arrival of the Apple- while warm springs rise to the west andgate exploring parry, and later in the sea- north.All uniteto become Mud Mea- son,the passageofthefirstemigrant 43. trains. Emigrations of following years dif- of the buildings still remain, one being fered little except in size.One incidentincorporated into the present ranch home. that occurred simultaneously with the ar- The t all Lombardy poplars surrounding rival of the lead wagons of 1849 must bethe buildings were planted in the early related at thistime. 1870's. Mud Meadows Ranch was at one The relief party from the 'Willamettetime one of a chain of home ranches of Valley, previously mentioned inhaiterthe Miller & Lux cattle empire. II, with supplies for the Mounted Rifle- Probably Mud Meadows was the one men, who were to be met at Fort Hall, ar- spot on the Applegare Trail where every- rived at Mud Meadows on August 2 5th. one stopped at least one night. Many laid The emigrants informed them that theover from one to several days to rest and road eastward for hundreds of miles was recuperate themselves and their stock after lined with wagons and stock, and that the crossing the Black Rock Desert. Fllow- grass was already pretty well consumed. ing are the accounts left by a few: Thinking that a new route might be Brown, August 24, 1849: "In the after- laid out from Mud Meadows to the Hum- noon we drove twelve miles to fine grass boldt, Levi Scott, scout for the relief party,and water, also found Myers' train, sur- and three others set out to the eastward.rounded with about two hundred teams, After traveling 12 to 14 miles they sepa- awaiting him to make the Cut Off." rated into two parties.Scott and his com- Farnham, August 25, 1849: "The valley panion, met two Indians, and in the fighthereisextensive. We got water in a that followed,Scott's companion, Garri- glade shaded by bullrushes. High Moun- son, was killed and Scott himself severelytains rise at the termination of the valley wounded by an arrow. on every side. A train got here last night Arriving back at Mud Meadows, Scottfrom Oregon City.It is of 12 wagons & found a doctor among the emigrants who has an escort with it of 2 officers & 2 examined the wound, gave him a piece ofprivates. They came to our camp and we court-plaster to stick on it, and chargeddrank down their talk with gapping won- him $20.00. Among the 30 men in Scott's der. They were going to Fort Hall. An party they could raise but $12.00 whichold Mountaineer started out to find a road caused the doctor to complain bitterly. to the headwaters of the Humboldt. The They lay by one day to bury Garrison,trains were to lay here till he got back. then resumed their journey across BlackThey had but got 12 M out till they came Rock. About a week later, Scott's woundacross 4 Indians and got in an affray with festered, a piece of the arrow about anthem. A man with Scott was killed & inch long came out, and the wound soonhimself was wounded.The man killed healed. was shot thru the back. It has long been thought that this in- "(August 26).Lay by.The Origan cident and the soldiers there at the timetrain buried the man that was killed yes- caused the name of Mud Meadows to beterday. They dug his grave and put him changed to Soldier's Meadow. This, how-down in the middle of the yard road." ever, does not appear to be correct.The Hale, August 26, 1849:". ,.caxne to following is the more likely reason: the Salt Valley (Mud Meadows), where Camp McGarry, some seven or eightwe found good grass and tolerable water, miles northwestof Mud Meadows, wasalthough the grass is mostly dry, but cattle established Novnther 23,1865 for thethat are hungry eatit very well. We protection of the Idaho mail line from foundalarge number of wagons en- Chico,California.Sometimeafterthat camped among others a train from Oregon date and before December 18, 1868 whento meet troops from the States." the Camp was abandoned, an outpost was On September 6, 1849 Dr. Allen Mc- established at Mud Meadows.This postLane, while laying over at Mud Meadows, was constructed principally of stone, somewrote that a Doctor Bentley had been shot 44. the night before by his partner in a quarrelyon). We then pass a flat (High Rock over their joint property. Although shotLake) into another beautiful grassy canon through the brain he was still alive. (HighRock Canyon)with plenty of Doctors must have been in abundance, springs,road good.12 miles. as McLane also mentions a Doctor Clark Sun-Sep-13Travel upthecanon 5 as arriving at Mud Meadows after losingmiles, the road good but crooked and nar- all his cattle except one yoke of oxen. row in places.The branch dry except Bachelder, (September 18, 1849): where springs break Out.5 miles. "Here is a broad valley that runs in a N. Mon-Sep-14Eight miles from our last and S. direction surrounded by high moun- camp, the mountains recede and a grassy rains. The water here is better than we haveflat opens (east of Stevens cabin), Offer- seen since we left Humboldt river, anding us a good camp to recruit our jaded that was not very good. We reached hereteams. The weather and clouds look like at 20 minutes past 6, found a large num- snow, yesterday and today roads dusty.29 ber of teams encamped with their fireswagons ahead. 8 m.-1,941 (total miles). burning and so many of them, presented Tue-Sep-i 5The first 4 miles through a very picturesque appearance. a narrow, rocky canon (Upper High Rock "(September 19),. .. This valley provesCanyon), road bad. The rest of the day's to be the bed of what is called Mud Lake.travel the road good but rolling. Camp It is nearly dry atthis season. We areat a spring at a gap of a hill (Emigrant encamped at about the center of it on aSpring, west of Massacre Ranch).Little slight sandy elevation, no water in sight grass.10 miles. from this point, though itis very muddy in many places." LESTER G. HULIN. Bruff reached the extreme lower end of W. (September)22nd, (1847). Did Mud Meadows on September 25th, 1849not start very early; found our road as- where he turned sharply to the left around cending for about 5 miles, then down a a low volcanic spur and found the rest ofsteep, rocky hill (Fly Canyon), through a his company already encamped, just below canyon, then on about 4 miles and into and east of the mouth of present day Flyanother canyon (High Rock Canyon) to Creek Canyon. good grass and water; camped here;dis- In approaching Mud Meadows, Bruff tance 12 miles. noted a high peak (Piure Peak) on his T. 23.Moved on up this b ran c h right which had the appearance of an ex- through a steep cut (High Rock Canyon) tinctcrater on itswestern slope.Thisfor 12 miles and camped; good grass. crater"isthe source of Lassen Creek, F. 24.Last night Towner and Belnap named for Peter Lassen who was killedof the other Co. came up and informed us there by Indians April 26th, 1859. 12 of their cattle had been shot that morn- After nooning at Mud Meadows, Bruffing by the Indians; they wished help from pushed on, noring many trailsusedto us, so we sent back two or three yoke of avoid the several marshes before reachingcattle to help them up and we laid in a more elevated, loose, generally slopingcamp waiting for them. volcanic upland. Camp trailsled every- S.25.Continued our journey up the where, and camp refuse was in profusion.creek; in 1½ miles we passed a spring branch (at Stevens cabin), in 1 mile far- Chapter VI ther we entered a canyon (Upper High Rock Canyon), very rocky, about 2 miles Through High Rock long; here the branch heads; passed on VIRGIL K. PRINGLE. over good roads and in 6 miles more we Sat-Sep-12,(1846) - Our firstsix passed a fine piece of g r a s s(Massacre miles was rocky, bad road, with a steepCreek Meadows), a s p r i n g (Emigrant hill to go down into a canyon (Fly Can-Spring) near, then on about 5 miles, and 45. '1 keg - - -- ,/' - - \ \____/\ \, /'-- '\ '-" Pì' - Tmt 2' + " ". sr?Ib. siven / () - ArP JI c R \ )\ II i,jIi, c,7 d$ i T de. . ,pf e7 -,l--- ?' \ '-'A "ft ('__ ' ec1rVm I i1rT- camped without water [good grass](near ably twenty, north of the cliff, which is Painted Point); roads fine, except in thesomething like a mile and a half or two canyons; distance about 14 miles. miles west of what is known as Mud Mea- dows." Leaving Mud Meadows on asouth- The finad junction of the various roads westerlycourse the Applegate Trailas- leading from Mud Meadows was about cended a gradual but extremely rocky slopehalf way up the slope toward the Fly Can- for several miles to arrive at the side ofyon rim. About one-half mile west ofthis the narrow, deep and boulder choked out- last junction the emigrants passed an od- let to the High Rock Lake watershed, Flydity of the trail, however, it was mentioned Creek Canyon, which is more or less theby only a few of them in their diaries. continuation of High Rock Canyon. BesideDelano after climbing from Fly Canyon the main trail leaving the meadows, there and finding himself near the road saw "an were several "camp roads", one of whichIndian snare for catching hares. This was became the present road. sage bushes, set about 4 feet apart,propped Delano, afoot, on August 21, 1849 took up with stones, and extending in a line at yetanother route which hedescribed: least a mile and a half over the hill, as I "Soon after crossing the oasis in which we was told by a hunter who followed it. The had been camped, I went a little off thehares when alarmed, fled to the cover of road, through a small lateral valley on thethese bushes, when the Indians shot them left, I observed an opening in the rocks,with their arrows." which looked as if it might be a cave, or Howell, on August 28, 1849 wrote: chasm, and on descending, I found it a The road bore out S.W. leaving the narrow pass leading in the general direc- valleyand takes a sage hill towards a tion we were taking, therefore I followed range of Mountains on Westpassed an it.It varied from 15 to 20 feet in width,Indian sage fence for catching Antelope." with perpendicularwallsoftraprock, In traveling up the slope westward from towering up to a height of 60 or 80 feet,Mud Meadows on September 25th, Bruff sometimes nearly forming an arch over-also noted the sage and grease-wood bar- head. My progress, in a few instances,rier built by Indians to help catch "hares". was impeded by perpendicular falls, 6 orHe wrote that the brush was placed close 8 feet in depth,... In this manner I fol-together with the roots up.It was regular lowed the rent a mile and a half withoutand in good condition except where the seeing the end, when fearing the trainemigrant road crossed it and had crushed would get too far ahead, I took advantageand torn it down. of a small open space and clambered out Continuing onward for more than a and found myself near the road." mile, the emigrants arrived at the "jump- Nearly one hundred years later G. C.ing off place," a descent of several hun- Friel,atrapper, wroteon January18, dred feet into Fly Canyon. Today a nar- 1948:"I followed a coyote track up arow, unkept grade gradually follows the short dry wash at the head of which Inorth slope of the canyon, 'to deliver the discovered the namesJ. J. Pool, J. G.occasional traveler at the bottom of Fly Hallick, T. E. Cook Aug 24 1849carvedCanyon. In trail days, the emigrants lock- into a sandstone cliff.(J. J. Pool may beed thewagon wheels, and partially hold- the John Pl, who in December 1851ing back by ropes, they took off straight with others, discovered gold at Jackson- down the 45 degree slope, hoping to ar- ville, Oregon). This wash has very steep rive safely at the bottom. Most did, but banks, and the sandstoneatthehead the Rev. A. E. Garrison, an emigrant of curves in the shape of a horseshoe. If there1846 wrote: ".in coming down into the was water running inthis wash, there Canon the hill was so steep that one wagon would be a waterfall of about 20 feet.... with all its wheels locked fell over forward The old trail was only a few yards, pro-on the team, when we got down then 47. itL- c: -k_ -

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-tLe'..-. Traveling in the trace of the Applegate Trail where it joins the present road after leaving Mud Meadows inthe lower background.Mountains beyond lie north of Piute Peak.

Wagon slide into Fly Canyon (right) which drains High Rock Lake and in reality is a continuation of High Rock Canyon. The wagons started their slide to the left of the rock at the skyjine. Compare this picture to Bruif's drawing onpage 160 of "Geld Rush'. 48. looking up the purpendicular wall onavoid a boulder filled canyon, the trail their side four or five hundred feet high,climbed to a nar'row shelf on the north it was truly frightful, slope of the canyon and over a very diffi- Delano afterleavingthe sage brushcult terrain, negotiated the remainder of fence next wrote, '1 came to a steep hill,the canyon to a point where it issued from down which the wagons were let withHigh Rock Lake basin. This valley is level ropes into the canon; and what was myand perhaps two to three miles wide and surprise, on descending to find myself atsix to eight miles in length. the mouth of the very chasm which I had Bruff seems to be the only diarist who been following.It was the outlet of theleft a record of the passage through this great canon (High Rock Canyon) to themile long canyon. According to him the valley of the oasis which we had left, and trailfollowed upa verystonywater had I continued a little farther, I shouldcourse for a short distance, then was forced have gone quitethrough thehillinto to detour around and over a steep and High Rock Canon, through which ourrocky ledge before again entering the bed road now lay." of Fly Creek. The trail, very sideling at H:ale on Aug u s t 27, 1849 recorded: times,followedanarrowledgebarely "The first six miles was an entire up-hillwide enough for a wagon. The last des- business, for we crossed a mountain thatcent was again made by double locking the was six miles from the foot to the summit. wheels.The old trailisvery much in It was not very steep, but a constant drag. evidence into and through this canyon and On the opposite side the hill was short butis quite photogenic. more steep, but the road was rocky, which The Applegate Trailthenled,ina made the traveling bad." westerly course, across the northern end of Howell recorded, '. . . A s c e a d e d thethe High Rock Lake basin through a sandy, mountain and on top fed our cattle onsage covered flat, to the mouth of High grass which we had, descended into an-Rock Canyon proper. Ogle Swingal once other small valley with grass but we sawowned the ranch in the center of the basin no water." (now under different ownership, but a few When Bruff arrived at the apex of the of the originalbuildingsstill remain). hill descending into Fly Canyon, he was Swingal cut hay around the northwestern astonished at the prospect of getting theirshores of shallow High Rock Lake, dry or wagons down safely. However, they double nearly so when the emigrants passed. No locked the wheels and carefully led theirrecord has been found of anyone camping mules slowly and successfully down the there. incline. At the base were the remains of Bruff described the basin as extending many wrecked wagons, their loadsand mainly to the south, and that within 2 or their equipment and 3 dead oxenHere 3 miles there appeared to be much green again Bruff made one of his very accurate grassand w a t e r(High Rock Lake). and invaluable(in relocatingand pin-Ahead, the upper part of the basin (mouth pointing the actual location of the trail) of High Rock Canyon) was filled with tall sketches. dry grass, rushes, willows and weeds. Quite interesting is the short notation High Rock Canyon, up which the Ap- made by Keller on June 20, 1850: "Aboutplegate Trail ran, is about one fourth of a three mile' from encampment gained themile wide at the mouth and can at present summit on a bluff.There is said to bebe followed but a short distance in cars pure silver scattered over this. There is abefore encountering difficulties. small lake about two miles farther and to In emigrant days there was water, grass the left of the road." 'and suitable camping spots at short inter- Once in the bottom of Fly Ganyon, the vals.Itis best to let the emigrants des- emigrant trail followed up the dry water-cribe the scenery, which they did from course for about one half mile. Then to many viewpoints. The canyon has changed 49. The Applegate Trail as it looked in 1971, heading into the mouth of High Rock Canyon.

East, down High Rock Canyon from "Digger Town" at the mouth of Mahogany Canyon, toward the high rims for which the canyon was named. The cave noted by so many diarjstg. lies just beyond the second abutment on the right. 50. K

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West up spectacular High Rock Canyon, through 'Devi1's Gate" from "Digger Town".

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Lower end of Upper High Rock Canyon, about twoi miles through, very narTow, rock filled and tree choked. 51. very little if any, except for road washouts came to an opening of 40 or 50 acres and the desecration of the several Indian (location of the present day line cabin) caves. (Oh yes, many empty beer cans now covered with clover and wild oats taller litter some of these campsites.) than my head, when with most of the Approximately two miles into the can- other trains, we laid up for the day. A yon, springs broke out on the north slopesshort distance before we reached our halt- and shortly thereafter the cave mentioneding place, we observed a cave on the right by so many, appeared on the right handat the foot of the wall.It was 25 feet sideatthe base of the towering rimslong by 10 or 12 wide, with an arching which gave High Rock Canyon its name.roof 15 feet high and the remains of fires, About two miles farther thec a n y o ii grass beds, and burnt bones, showed it to widens, and more springsappear,this be the habitation of the miserable race of time on the left, with a small meadow ad- beings who dwell in these mountains. In jacent.Below the meadow is a small poolthe rocks around our encampment were of water in the main stream-bed, in whichother similar clefts and from their number, in 1964 we photographed a beaver, a most we named it Digger Town. From the unlikely place for such an animal tobe. meadow, there were lateral chasms leading Also nearby is located a small present dayout, one of which some of the men follow- line cabin and several fence lines criss-ed a mile without finding the end. The crossing the valley. eveningbefore our arrival, the Indians Spectacular Mahogany Canyon comes inmade an attempt to steal the cattle from a southwest of the cabin, and less than asmall train encamped atthis place, and mile onward is a narrow gap in the mainseveral shots were exchanged 'between the canyon, quite similar to Devil's Gate inIndians & guard. The Indians were finally Wyoming on the Oregon Trail.Here,driven off, having some of their nuntber however, the trail passes through the gapwounded, & no damage was done." instead of detouring as in Wyoming. Farnham, Aug u s t 27, 1849: "...we The main thing that can be said forcame into a kanyon 21 miles in length. High Rock Canyon is that it furnished anThis a passage between 2 perpendicular almost perfect pathway for the emigrant walls of bassaltic rock 3 & 400 feet 21 M trail through several ranges of hills which long and in some places just wide enough would otherwise have been very difficultto admit the waggon track between Pass- to cross or by-pass. ed a cave of considerable size in the rocks. Another ten miles and the canyon opensTonight had allthatwas needful for out into a broad basin with low slopingcamping." hills surrounding it on all sides. At the Hale, August 27, 1849: ".. . As we en- western termination of this basin lies thetered the canyon the mountain was not Stevens Ranch on the eastern sloping hill-very high nor rocky, but we soon found side.Formerly k n o w n asthe Parkerthem increasing in height and after driv- Ranch, and later the "Butch" Powers prop-ing about two miles in the pass I saw a erty the site is now owned by Ernie Fordround hill on our left that reminded me of TV fame. of the Chimney Rock (in Nebraska on Most emigrants wrote some descriptionthe Oregon Trail). of High Rock Canyon so we will begin "(28th).The canyon seems tohave with Jesse Applegate, who passed throughbeen formed by nature for a road.Its it in 1846 and wrote in 1848: "The Highlength I would saw was fourteen miles, Rock Canion is a great natural curiosity, a'but at the out-come the mountains were good road, handsome little meadows andnot so high as at the beginning and center. excellent water endosed by beatling cliffs, "I saw several caves as we passed along rising in places hundreds of feet perpen-the road butI thought itbest to keep dicular." away from them as they might be the lurk- Delano, August 22,1849:". ..weing places for Indians. . .. Wedrove two 52. or three miles after we got through theveled eight miles into High Rock before canyon and camped on a branch with good camping atexcellentclovergrass,sage grass and water and sage at a convenientwood and spring water. distance. "Stevens Cabin" and ranch issituated "I find that the long dry stretch has in-on a hillside, above and to the northwest jured our teams very much. They all ap-of High Rock Creek. The cabin, original- pear weak, dull and sluggist and I am fear-ly a wooden building, which burned sev- ful that we may lose some of them yet.eral years ago, has been replaced by a Some have the hollow horn (a belief of cementblockbuilding.Itissituated many pioneers, including so m e of thiswithin a few feet of a clear little brook writer'sancestors who caine west in thewhich risesas a spring one-fourth mile 1854 and 1878 period); for that we borefarther up the hillside.This brook is the the horn and put in salt, pepper and water main sourceofwaterfor High Rock until it runs out of their noses (whoseCreek except when the snows are melting nose woudn't run at that remedy, and does- in the early spring. The junction of the n'tit seem the poor animal had alreadytwo streams was a favorite camp-sire of sufferedenoughwithoutthissortof emigrant trains. cure?). They have another disease called High Rock Creek commences a few the hollow tail; for that they split the tailmiles to the westward in a s e r i e s of where it is hollow (Oh, Lord, no! ) springs rising on the eastern slope of a Howell, August 30, 1849:On leavingr a t h e rprominent unnamed mountain. this valley we took up 'High Rock Canon'These springs and other join togetherat having a good deal of grass nor was itPole Corral Meadows, then united, enter very far before we came to some holes ofUpper High Rock Canyon.After about water.Up the canon 3 or 4 miles wetwo miles they emerge into the open val- camped. In passing up this canon (and itley below "Stevens Cabin" where they are is difficult to tell which way is up), wejoined by the large "spring branch" arising passed scenery on the grandest scalein there. High Rock Creek then flows south- most places the walls of rock rose vertical- easterly three or four miles to again enter ly on each side many hundred feet." a more confined canyon a b o v e Yellow Dr. McLane passed through High RockRock Canyon,thereafterremaining be- on September 9, 1849 writing that he hadtween increasingly high rims. The, stream, never witnessed such glorious scenes be- depending on the wetness of the season, fore, wild, stupendous and very grand. His sinks and reappears as it continues down company lost some articles as the result ofthe main canyon. Except for widely sepa- a grass fire, kindled from their camp fire. rated rains or thunder storms itis dry Bruff made his first camp in High Rock most of the year from the "big cave" to some 2 miles up from the mouth of theHigh Rock Lake. canyon at some dug water holes. The next The last leg of High Rock C a n yo n day he left his company's name in the a b o v e "Stevens Cabin" or the "spring cave at the base of the wall that gave High branch" is vividly described by the various Rock its name. He further noted there diarists: were names and dates scratched all over Delano, August 23, 1849: "As the grass the outer wall. was much better about 5 miles further on Keller,1june 20,1850:"There isa we drove to the extremity of the little val- small streaih of good water and good grass ley, where we halted to graze our cattle & in this valley.It is about twenty miles inget our breakfasts. A fine spring brook length. A few miles from the ravine wecoursed through thebasin, and flowed found a few gallons of good vinegardown a lateral valley to the north, and we which had beenleftby some emigrant. could mark its course by the willows some This was quite an addition to the 'greens'." miles,till the whole seemed to be sur- Welborn Beeson, emigrant of 1853 tra- rounded by the hills. After a 3 hours halt 53. we again entered the canon, which wasdangerous road to wagons 'which we had now rocky & bad, with the creek flowingpassed. When through the bad road we through it, which we crossed many times. f o u n dso m efinespring andthere This little canon was abou 2 miles long,nooned." and just as we were coming out, we were Dr. Caldwell starting late on Septem- greeted with the sight of a drove of fatber 10, 1849 wrote that he passed through cattle, and party of men and wagons going a rough canyon 3 or 4 miles.It was to the east (The Mounted Riflemen reliefcrammed, from end to end, with teams. party, guided by Levi Scott).It was aAfter passing through the canyon (Upper strange sight to meet travelers going in anHigh Rock) he nooned near some springs opposite direction, and we mutually halted gushing from under a large rock. One of to make inquiries. We found it to be athese springs has been tapped with a gal- relief parry from Oregon, going to meetv'ariized water pipe as of 1970. the troops on the Humboldt (at Fort Dr. McLane, a day later, gave the dis- Hall) with supplies.' tanceas2miles through Upper High Farnham, August 29, 1849:'CrossedRock Canyon and noted he passed up the this valley and came into another Kanyon bedof the stream,bordered by young 4 miles in length, passage very difficulttimber. here, a stream run through and we had to Bruff, nearly three weeks later, arrived drive along on the rough bed of rocks atat the "Spring Branch" and camped on the bottom of it.Camped soon after get- September 28th. The next day he entered ting through this. There was a large con-Upper High Rock Canyon tofindthe corse of trains with us." stream bed the line of travel. He found Hale, now traveling some two miles be- th pass filled with stumps of cotton-wood hind Farnham, wrote on the 29th:'In two trees, fallen trees, stones and rocks of every miles' travel we came to the upper Highsize. As testimony of the difficulty of the Rock Canyon. As we came near the can-trail it was lined with dead cattle, broken yon we passed a spring of fine water.It wagons and carts, wheels, a x 1 e s,tires, came out half up the mount2in and ranyokes, chains &c. The fallen trees were across the road. The rocks in this passageyet green, and the grass barely down in are not as high as those in first or Highplaces, so recentthetrafficahead had Rock. The roads through it were very badbeen. About 1½ miles p as t the canyon and rocky.Some of the rocks that wehe noted the "bench spring" to the left. drove over were half as high as the wagon Beeson on August12,1853called wheels. We also had to drive in a creekUpper High Rock Canyon oneof the for some distance and cross it several times.roughest, rockiest canyons ever traveled. The crossings were also bad. In this can- Ye 1 i n a A. Williams, September 20, yon I saw the first trees that I have seen 1853: "Traveled all day over rough roads since we left Fort Hall.It was quakingand camped at the west end of a succes- aspen or poplar and some of the treession of canyons (Pole Corral Meadows)" were from four to six inches in diameter." Andrew S o u 1 e, September 12, 1854: Howell, August 30, 1849: "... We left "Traveled 11 miles to Big Canyon Cave our encampment at 9½ A.M. and kept up and camped (probably at the springs near the valley west in one mile crossed the the present line cabin at the mouth of Ma- branch (which had been on our right) hogany Canyon or at what Delano called running eastIt spread below and watered "Digger Town"). the valley we are leaving. In one half mile 13th: 'Traveled ten miles and camped crossed a run just below fine spring. A (east of Stevens Cabin). littlefurther on we enteredthe canon 14th: "Traveled twenty miles and camp- again which had closed in narrow, watered on a small spring (Emigrant Spring running through it. This place for one orwest of Massacre Ranch) two miles was very rocky and the most Rewritten 61 years later, in 1915: "On 54. the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th we travel-yon the old trail crossed a series of low, ed over hills, and low mountainssomerocky, sage covered ridges and dry water very rocky and bad. Our cattles feet sore,courses, mostly draining to the northeast. but still they are alive, while so many have There was little of note to be recorded for died since they have started acrossthethe first 6 or 8 miles, until present Mass- desert. We have passed through three can- acre Creek Ranch vicinity was reached, yons in the last three days.One had a witness: large cave, on the side. We went in, but Delano, August 3, 1949: "A drive of 8 did not find Saul in there asleep that wemiles brought us to a small ravine, where might cut off his skirts as David did." we found tolerable grass and good water Mrs.P.S.Terwilliger, September 23,in the bed of a creek, nearly dry." 1854: '15 miles over some bad roads to Hale, August 29, 1849: "After we left another little canyon and camped. the canyon we crossed over one or two (September 24): "Did not go throughhills and passed some water and grass and the canyon as rocks caved down and madethen took round a hill and encamped in a it impossible so took a long hill.Very valley a short distance after passing some stony.,' large rocks on our left(Bruff's Rocks, The original emigrant trail through two near present Massacre Ranch). mile Upper High Rock Canyon was used "I saw while on one of the hills a few through the 1853 season as indicated bymiles back three bunches or parcels of theBeeson and Williams diaries above. snow on a high mountain which we sup- Then, sometime during the spring or sum- pose to be the Sierra Nevada (Warner mer of 1854, high waters, a cloud burst,Mountains). From its appearance I think or even and earth-quake, filled the canyon it to be thirty or forty miles distant.I 'with rock, to make it impassable for emi- also notice on our right some flats that grant wagons. The distances recorded, andappear to be covered with salt or some- general description given by Soule indi- thing that is white (the dry alkaline beds cates he could have traveled a new route.of Massacre I.jakes) and on the mountain Mrs. Terwilliger definitely states this fact.beyond that there is small timber (Jun- Fromt h eseparating p o i n tbelow iper). It is either pine or cedar. We have "Stevens Camp" tothe point where thedriven this morning about eleven miles, two roadsagain came togetherfarther two ot the canyon, three through it and west, it is 4½ miles by the old and 6½ six to camp.In the afternoon we drove miles by the new route. The general routeabout two miles and stopped for the night of the latter is still used as the present day in a valley to the right of the road with road west from "Stevens Cabin", and can tolerable grass, sage convenient for wood, be traced below and parallel to it wherebut no water (near Emigrant Springs). climbing the steep hillside northwest from Farniham, August 30, 1849: "Took an the "spring branch". early start and went through a region of At some unknown d a r e, the canyon sage.Passed a shallow stream (Massacre route was again opened to wagons, prob- Creek) in Sage Valley." ably as shorter, less grade and better sup- Howell, August 30, 1849: "In the eve- plied with water and grass.This workning we came on 8 or 10 miles (have left may have been done by the soldiers around the canon) and camped in a narrow val- the 1865 period, or Miller & Lux slightlyley through which runs asmall brook later.Some roadbed was buuilt to avoid (Massacre Creek) and had to turn back the streambed and is still in evidence, es-to get water and grass." pecially near the lower end of the canyon. Dr. Caldwell on the afternoon of Sep- Then again, sometime around 1919 so we tember10th, drove 4 or 5miles and have been told, it was washed out again,camped halfway between present Corral by a cloudburst, and never repaired. Meadows and Massacre Ranch, where now After leaving Upper High Rock Can- is located a stock reservoir on a wet wea- 55. A

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I ther wash. The next day he continued onwas "Black". to present Massacre Ranch, filled his casks with water and traveled past Painted Point There are two graves ½ mile northeast into present Long Valley. of the Massacre Ranch buildings on the old road to the Southwestern Idaho mines Dr. McLane, still part of a day behind,via Camp McGarry at Summit Lake some drove over "barren hills" and camped at30 or 40 miles almost due east. One of Massacre Creek where the cattle were takenthe graves is small, possibly one person, out ½ mile to grass. while theother is about 8 feet by 14 Bruff, on September 29th reached Mas- feet (a mass grave?). Many of the rocks sacreCreek where he camped togetherpiled about the grave have been shaped by with "many companies". a stone mason from a nearby ledge. Beeson, on August 12, 1853 reached "a beautiful creek" (Massacre Creek) where Other interesting features in the neigh- he camped with good grass and sage wood. borhood are:1st, Bruff's "singular rock" The name "Massacre" has become at-sketched by him in 1849, which resembles tached to several features near the emi-an elbow of stovepike, and is situated ¼ grant trail; Masscre Spring, Creek, Lakes,mile east of the ranch house and south of Ranch and even a small flat topped tableboth the present road and old trail. 2nd, land, 1½ filesnorthwest of the ranchthe dwindling stack of coyote skeletons buildings. The name is supposed to haveby the roadside a little over a mile norh- derived from an Indian massacre of emi-west of the ranch buildings. They were grants somewhere in thevicinity.Wepiled there in the early 1940s by a gov- have yettofindany authentic writtenernment trapper, probably to prove he was record of such an event. doing h i sj o b.3rd, Emigrant Spring, There was a temporary army camp es-about another mile westward on the old tablished in the summer of 1865 in thetrail (left hand road at the coyote pile). Massacre vicinity (w ha t better location4th, Painted Point, about four miles west than thelater Massacre Ranch, a formerof Emigrant Springs on the old trail and emigrant camp site with running waterpresent road, also sketched perfectly by and plenty of grass). The camp's nameBruff in passing.

Bruff's singular rock, about one-half mile east of Massacre Ranch. Compare this photo to Bruff's drawing on page 168 of "Gold Rush". 57. Chapter VII of severalcreeks, from a point 6 miles south of the base of Fandango Pass to Across the '49 Country Neaham Creek, up which the trail led to VIRGIL K. PRINGLE. climb over the Warners.These creeks Wed-Sep-16 (1846)Travel today 17from south to north are Powley, Boyd, miles.Road slightlyrolling'butheavy Bucher, Goose, Heath,Shartell, Vaughn pulling.The country improving in ap-and Nesham Creeks and Canyons).dis- pearance. The sage mixed with grass in the tance 14 miles. plains and small cedar and grass on the hills.Camp at some springs at a 'high Leaving the low summit 'south of Paint- elevation(east of '49 Summit).Plenty ed Point, the Applegate Trail crossed a of grass but dry and yellow. gentle,sloping, sandy, sage covered flat Thu-Sep-17Move our camp 3 milesfor some 7 miles to the eastern edge of over a ridge to another spring (near '49shallow Forty Nine Lake. The basin in House). Nights and mornings quite cold.which Forty Nine Lake liesispart of Fri-Sep-18Pass out of the moumtains Long Valley which extendsnorth and by a good road into a plain and camp at south for some 50 to 60 miles. Capt. John a warm spring (Leonard Hot Spring andC. Fremont traveled southward down this Meadow). 14 miles from our last camp. valley on December 28, 1843 to turn east- Sat-Sep-19 - Found one of my oxenward at some now unknown point near shot with an arrow and two cows belong- Forty Nine Lake. i'ng to the company also shot, one soon During dry years,the emigranttrail died and another was d'rvien off our trail. continued west, straight across the dry lake Today was 10 miles, 8 of desert (acrossbed to reach the foothills where it entered Upper Alkali Lake) and 2 of fine richa narrow ravine to climb to tbe summit of soil. Our camp was at a pretty mountain t h e emigrants'"Little Mountain Pass", stream(possiblyGoose Greek) w it hnow known as Forty Nine Summit. If the plenty of pine timber. This is very pleas- lake contained water, the road circled to ant after traveling so long through desertthe north, and in so doin'g encountered country. usable water and grass.This camp site may have extended nearly two miles north- LESTER G. HULIN. westward from '49 Lake. In fact, it was Sun.(Sept.)26, (1847). Moved onfrom a point slightly east of present day by daybreak to the little pass ('49 Sum- Vya that Bruff made another of his very mit) and camped for the day; good grass,accurate and informative sketches,t ii i s water; here lay an Indian that had beentime of the '49 Hills. shot about 4 days (probably by the Wig- As a result of BruiT's sketch, a short-cut gins party); distance about 8 miles. road leading from this camp site up a M. 27. Passed on over the divide andsandy draw southwest from Vya has been in12 miles came tohot springs and located.It rejoined the main trail exact- camped (Leonard Hot Spring); grass and ly one mile east of '49 Summit. water not very good. I)eiiano wrote on August 23,1849: T. 28.Pushed ahead; in1mile we "We had gone on a desert plain about 12 passed another hot spring, then on over miles, when before us we saw a pond of good roads; crossed a naked bottom orclear water, perhaps 5 miles in circumfer- plain (southwestern end of Upper Alkali ence, and we all :hurried to the muddy Lake) and came to a fine stream in 8 beach to quench our thirst, and eagerly 'miles (Goose Creek?); then down the foot dipped up our cupsfull.'Salt,'roared of the Mt. to Plumb creek and campedone'Brine,' echoed another'Pickle for near the foot of the Mt. road (Accordingpork,' said a third; and with th i r s ty to the descriptions given by various diar- throats we resumed our toilsome march. ists, Plum Creek might have been any oneTurning an angle at the salt lake, from 58. north-west to north, we continued on' Afterpassing over the summit,the Hale, August 30: "The road this morn-headwaters and meadows of Forty Nine ing has generally run through valleys andCreek are reached. Towering to the left fiats which have been mostly covered withof the trail, 7558 foot high Forty Nine sage. We have driven about twelve milesMountain with its many springs and ra- and stopped to rest and let the cattle eat,vines afforded plentiful grass for the hun- but have no water for tiem. We are nowdreds of emigrantcattleandexcellent within a mile or so of the little mountaincamp sitesfor the emigrants themselves. pass. It is in sight. About two miles backThese meadows extended along the trail we came to a lake.It is near a mile infor some three miles, and about midway length and half as wide as it is long. Thedown them sits the old Forty Nine House lake appears to be very shallow and mud-and its spring of clear, fresh water. This dy. The water, so far as I could examine,old house, long vacant, was once a way- was not more than six inches deep." side stopping place on the old freight Howell, August 31:"Water brackishroad leading fr o m Surprise Valley to went around north end of Lake and in 5Camp McGarry, Denio and thesouth- miles from noon had left the sage flat.. eastern Oregon country. One month later, on September30, just a few yards northwest of the old Bruff found a mud lake, around which heForty Nine House is a hot spring cone on detoured to the north to find an excellentwhich is a '49 supposedly painted there camp sitewith "cool sweet water".His with axle grease or paint during the 1849 company camped at a "delightful spot"gold rush.It hasbeen repainted from where that evening the ladies sang and thetime to time and the figure now stands out men played musical instruments. about one inch in relief from the slowly In following up tie ravine to the sum- weathering cone. It is evidently from this mit of "Little Mountain Pass" ('49 Sum-'49 that so many features in the neighbor- mit), the main trail passed several springs,hood have been named. one of which is known as Twin or C C Continuing with the emigrant accounts, Spring.Scattered o v e r a large territoryDelano further wrote on August 23 both north and south of the old trail andentering a gorge, we began to ascend over present road aremany dry hot springa ridge about 2 miles long, when, coming cones which dot the landscape. to good grazing and water, we encamped.

Sheep Mountain, south of Forty Nine Creek. down which the Applegate Trail traveled. 59. '49 Rock, near the old trail and present day road, for which sev- eral features in the vicinity were named. Printed on the rock with either axle-grease or paint dur- ing the gold rush, the '49 now stands out in relief about one inch.Asitlookedin March, 1951.

The mountains began to assume a moremore than a gap or passage through a elevated outline on our left; cedars and firsmall mountain with a gradual slope to were growing on their sides, and the ap- the hills and has several springs coming pearance of trees once more, although atout some rods of the sides. We drove three a 'distance, excited pleasureable sensations,or four miles after we got through and after having been so long without seeingencamped in a valley surrounded by moun- them.Our bacon,flour, meal, sugar &rains. We had good grass and some water. vinegar, were all gone, and we had to takeWood was not convenient.I noticed as felon's farehard bread, and waterandwe drove along several mounds. They have this we felt to be much better than noth-the appearance of whitish hard clay. Some ing; indeed, we were much better off than of them resemble stacks of hemp as it is many others on the road.Mr. Watson put up after being cut or pulled.I also had an old cow that 'the crows had beennoticed a number of small trees on the quarreling over for a long time; and think-mountain sides." ing a little fresh beef, [save the mark!] Howell, August 31:'. .. entered a hal- might be acceptable, he slaughtered her.low in little mountains and found several There could 'not be more rejoicing aroundgood springs. Kept up hollow to its head the carcass of a camel by the Arabs on thewater. 1½ to 2 miles crossed divide and desert than we evinced around the poor,camped at two small good springs in the worn out, knocked down' brute, and wehead of a hollow in ½ mile from the looked upon it, as a sort of God-send, and divide; ... We have not seen any trees like to have surfeited ourselves. Being outbefore since leaving Warm Spring Valley; of meat, it seemed as if our stomachs onlyexcept some quacking asps in High Rock cravedit more, and our appetites grewcanon. High mountaIns on our left." sharper at every bite." Upon leaving the camp site north of Hale, August 30: "In the afternoon we '49Lake,Bruff'scompany ascendeda drove through the little pass. It is nothing"steep sand drag", the only recognizable 60. record we have of anyone using the Vyastopping point for emigrants. Further the cut-off.After regaining the main trail theemigrants were now in dangerous Indian company followed down Forty Nine Creekcountry, and many lost stock in the imme- by the regular route. diate vicinity. Westward from the Forty Nine Creek Delano wrote on August 24: 'Our road Meadows, thetrailcontinued down thecontinued through the defile for 5 or 6 ravine for some 2½ miles, then turnedmiles, and we came upon a broad track, westerlytocrossthe California-Nevadabarren, as usual, over which we proceeded State Line between mileposts 28 and 29,10 miles to the first watera warm spring south from the Oregon border.After awhich made an oasis." mile or so inside California, the trail de- Hale, September 1: "... we crossed sev- scended arocky ledge to a more leveleral hills and flats of sage and after a drive sage plain, where a deep, dry most of theof about tenmiles came to the Warm year, ravine (Sand Creek) was crossed and rings where we found good grass and the hot spring area was entered. warm water, but wood is scarce. This has The first of these, now known as Leon- been a smoky day.It islike the weather ard Hot Spring, was at some past date aof Indian summer in Missouri.Finding health resort. About 1½ miles farther onthat it was eight or ten miles to water we was another hot spring, used in more re-concluded to remain all night here. The cent times to scald chickens and hofs towater is salty and spreads as it runs down prepare them for market. The trail fordedupon the fiats and forms a marsh and a the waters from both springs but a shortlarge one.This afternoon I wrote home distance below the springs themselves. Ato send by Dickhorn. considerable acreage of grassiswatered "Sep. 2nd: We made a late start this below each spring and was a welcomemorning; there being so great a number

Leonard Hot Springs, between Upper and Middle Alkali Lakes in Surprise Valley. The hot water can be seen between the scooter and pickup. This was the first camp site on the Applegate and Lassen Trails in California.The Helfriches, Mary Robertson and Dick Teater. 61. of cattle in the marsh, it took considerable Delano, August 24: "A drive of 4 miles time to select ours." brought us to the baked, dry bed of a lake, Howell, September1:". .. We wentwhich I estimated to be 20 miles in cir- down a rough hollow and across some very cumference,surrounded on3 sidesby roughvolcanicridgesand in7miles mountains. Towards the upper end of this came to a large dry creek (Sand Creek) lake the Sierra Nevada seemed to decrease and nooned. No water. In 5 miles fur-much in height, and we could see even ther over tolerably good sageroad webeyond the plain over which our road lay, came to the first warm spring or rather tothat it seemed to blend with other hills on the branches. our right, and a low depression appeared "Sept. 2nd: Started early. In two miles as if an easy passage might be made in crossed the last spring branch." that directioneven easier thanatthe The Applegate Trail turned more nor-point where we crossedwhere the bed of therly from the hot springs by two differ- the lake was about 5 miles wide, & the entroutes.The first, used in 1846, ranground as level as a floor. About a mile across the shallow bed of Upper Alkalifrom the base of the mountain, & on the Lake (known by some emigrants as Plumbottom land of the lake, were many acres Lake), whichisapproximately fourteenof fine grass, with a fine mountain brook miles inlength, and couldbe traveledrunning through it which sank as it reach- only when the lake was dry. The trail caned the bed of the lake; and a little way be traced tothe southern shoreline andfrom our place of halting there were per- for a few hundred feet into the lake bed,haps an hundred hot springs, which in- The orher route, 1847 and later, ran moreduced us to call this Hot Spring Lake.It westerly toward the foothills, where fineis now only 8 miles to the Pass." mountain streams and an abundance of Farnman, September 2:"Commenced grass could be reached in less time.Ac- oar travil along the border of the dry cording to several 1849 diarists this latterlake bed through a grassy valley. The tall road seems to have crossed a considerableSiera was on our left. Covered with mag- portion of dry lake bed, yet Levi Scott re- nificent finery pines. Along its whole ex- membered high water in 1847 forced thetent these pines covered hillscontrasted emigrants to detour b e t w e e n the hotwell with those baren plains. There were springs and Plum Creek. This latter road,plenty of streamsa running from the or even a later one became the wet wea- mountains. The prospect was that our suf- ther road, and is approximated by a pres- fering for water was over. Camped on the enday fenced dirtroad.The Warnereastern base of the mountain for the last Mountains, towering to the left, were mis. time.For tomorrow by good luck we taken by the emigrants to be the longexpect to cross." looked for Sierra Nevadas. Hale, September 2:"We drove about Jesse Applegate in his Waybill of 1848, two miles and crossed a handsome little probably from information furnished himstream of pure looking water. On putting by Levi Scott, wrote: "The road run di-my hand in it, I found it was as warm as rectly across the dry lake to plum creek dishwater.It was a rapid stream and ran about 12 miles from the warm springsthrough afield of sage. We drove on The front company las tyear (1847),through sage for a few miles and then having noqned at the warm springsleftcame to a barren plain. For two miles after the road, and struck off to the left for the that we came through a plain of fine grass foot of the mountain in order sooner toand soon came in sight of a mountain make a camp, the rest of the emigrantswhen we discovered it, for the air today is followedthe old road is3 or 4 milesfull of smoke. shortest. Plenty of grass and water on both "Near our camp there camerolling sides of the pass within half a mile of the down from the mountain a clear, pure summit" stream of good, cold water and ran brisk- 62. ly pastus on its bed of clean washed Mrs. P.S. Terwilliger, September 27, gravel. The men, the cattle, all started to 1854: ". .. Boys want to get someplums quench their thirst at the mountain stream.but there are none this year." "There is more timber in sight of camp than we have seen for months past. The Chapter VIII mountain is handsome and the valley is a Over Fandango and most beautiful one.The road has been good all day, but since we came into the Around Goose Lake grass it has been excellent.It is as level VIRGIL K. PRINGLE. as a floor, dry and hard and not dusty. In Sun-Sep-20(1846) - Cross over a the afternoon we took a north course bymountain (Warner Mountains at Fandan- the side of the mountain, having on ourgo Pass), the ascent about 2 milesand right a fine flat of grass for near two miles quite steep.Travel 9 miles and camp in in width and after that caine a barrena beautiful plain surroundedby stately plain that was perfectly bare. We passedpine and cedar (Fandango Valley on Wil- one or two c r e e ks, flowing from thelow Creek). Excellent feed for our &tock. mountain." Mon-Sep-21 - Travel today 8 miles, Howell, September 2: "Come by forksprincipally through large, lofty pine tim- of road. The old or right hand going ber, and camp on Goose Lake. more directly to the mountains and left by Tue-Sep-22 - Travel 14 miles on the grass and water, in 6 or 8 miles came tobeach of the lake, road good (somewhere good grass; but the creek had lately dryedbetween McGinty Point a n d McGinty up. Reservoir). "We had crossed a perfectly flat plane as naked as a brick yard for several miles. LESTER G. HULIN. In 4 to 6 miles from the first grass came W. (Sept.)29th, (1847). Today we to a small crick running muddy crick withonly passed over the Mt (Warner Moun- lots of all kinds of good grass. We hadtains at Fandango Pass)and camped in been traveling generally, today and yester-the valley below (Fandango Valley on day a few degrees north of west. We hadWillow Creek); distance only about 4½ large mountains on our left, which heremiles. This night we were sadly visited by bore round to the right running north or savages.They approached, and, finding a little east of the foot of the Sierra Ne-they could get no cattle, vented their spite vada mountains and the road here roundat a young lady who had been bakingand towards the north along the foot of thewas then by the fire.They shot 3 arrows mountains.In2 miles from thelittleat her; two of them hit her, onepassed crick we came to Plum crick, in 2 morethrough the calf of her leg and the other to another crick and 2 more to some weak through her arm into her side. We fear springs w h e n the r o a d turns up theshe is mortally wounded, but hope for the mountains. best.Her name is Ann Davis. Four ar- "We drove up ½ miles and camped atrows more were found that had beenshot some small springs on the right of theat a man on guard. The prowling Indians road. We had fine grass all the way inare as hard to find as the deer. the valley on the right." T. 30th.Today 5 of us laid in the Bruff wrote on October 1st, that afterbushes to watch forIndians. We have passing the hot springs(Leonard Hotheard them halloo, but they kept at a Spring), he passed over a "strip of veryproper distance. We think they saw us go level dry mud (extreme southwestern Up-into the willows. Our caravan moved on per Alkali Lake)" to reach the base of the to a lake (Goose Lake), then about 3 mountains at a "beautiful mountain rill,miles up (down) it and camped; distance with willows and plum trees."Bruff was about 10 miles. then 6 miles below the pass. Oct.F.1st.Passed around thelake 63. 4 1.4k, w / I, ii I about 10 miles and camped on a small, emigrants themselves.The Piute Indians cool stream (between McGinty Point andoccupied Surprise Valley and the country McGinty Reservoir). eastward to the Humboldt River, while they, and, or, the Pitt River Indians oc- The most pectaculat hurdle in the leap- cupied the Fandango-Goose Lake Valleys. frog process of surniounting obstacles was Jesse Applegate wrote in his Waybill the Warner Mountains,thought by theof 1848: "Keep close watch here the In- emigrants to be the dreaded Sierra Nevada. dians are very mischievous. Goose Lake. These mountains were crossed at a point 10 miles." between thirteen and fourteen miles south Delano, August 27, 1949: "The ascent of theCalifornia - Oregon S t a t e Line,was easy generally but occasionally there through a pass whose elevation is 6155were benches to overcome; still the pas- feet.This pass once known as Lassen'ssage was far from difficultindeed not Passis now called Fandango Pass.Theas bad as many hills which we had climb- Warner Mountainsatthislocation,lie ed. Grass was growing nearly to the sum- between Upper Alkali Lake in Surprisemit; .. . Once arrived at the summit, the Valley on the east and Goose Lake andview of mountain scenery isgrand and Valley on the west some eleven to twelvebeautiful. Below, on the west, at the dis- miles apart, as the wild goose flies. tance of a mile, is a broad, green grassy The ascent of the emigrant trail fromvalley (Fandango Valley) abounding in the shoreline of Upper Alkali Lake to the springs.The valley is enclosed by high summit of Fandango Pass was slightly overpine covered mountains, which seem to two miles in length with a rise in eleva-kiss the clouds; and at the distance of 10 tion of about 1700 feet, most of whichmiles,at the extremity of the valley,is came in the last mile which was a veryseen the broad, beautiful, blue water of loose, sandy soil.The present day roadGoose Lake, adding a charming variety to criss-crosses the old trail in a seriesof the scene. Turning to the east & looking about nine switch backs. beyond the pines already passed, the dry The pass at the top consisted of ap-basin of the lake, with its gray bed, seems proximately ½ acre of semi-level land to lay at our feet, surrounded by barren from which thetrail descended sharplyhills, which extend in a broken & irregu- westward for less than a mile into Fan-lar manner as far as the eye can see, &on dango Valley, the head of Willow Creek.each side the rocks & cliffs stand out in Fandango Valley was well supplied withbold reliefthe portals of the huge gate water and grass and became one of theby which we enter the golden region of best known camp sites along the Apple-California. gate Trail. "After dinner came the last pull. At the Fandango Valley supposedly received itssteepest part our company doubled teams; name from emigrant dances held aroundbut many did not, & the summit was the camp fires. The best reason for hold- gained without difficulty. The time actu- ing a "fandango" at that particular placeally spent in traveling from the base to seems to stem from the emigrant's jubila-the summit was not over 1 hour &a quar- tion over having successfully passed theter, and the dread we had so long in- dreaded Sierra Nevada Mountains, or sodulged of crossing the great mountains they thought.However, the Sierras weredied away at once at seeing the few diffi- yet to be surmounted, as well as over two culties of the passage. The descent on the hundred difficult and weary miles to bewest sideisrather precipitous, but not traveled b e f o r e the Sacramento Valleydangerous, & the hill is probably near a could be reached. mile long. A little before sunset we were Fandango Valley was the scene of many encamped on the green valley, about a Indian depredations ft o m stealing andmile & a half from the base of the moun- shooting stock at night to attacking thetain, near a fine brook, and beyond arrow 67. shot from the pines skirting the base ofproperty, if not some lives. As it was, the the hill to the left." chain and an ox yoke was about the Farnam, September 3:This morningamount. The wagon was not broken and commenced the ascent, got up part of thethe loading was provisions.The wagon waggons at a time because we had towas soon turned back, the loading was double team, got across this ridge of thepartly packed to the Summit and the hal- mountain & 4 miles into the valley on theancé replaced in the w a g on, the team other side and camped near a pine grove. again hitched and all safely arrived at the "A waggon belonging to the Camimels Summit.The dust was so great thatI parted from the team that was ahead ofdid not discover oxen being fast to the the tongue and dashed down the moun- wagon, and you can judge my surprise on tain side with the tongue yoke to it." his being let loose to see him jump up Hale, September 3:"We drove aboutand run away; and how it was possible one mile and then doubled our teams. Wefor a yoke of oxen to be drawn back- got up without difficulty, although the wardsthatdistance and with sogreat last mile on the mountain was very steep. velocity and for neither to be killed or as my eye reached the Summit I saw crippled is something for which I cannot a heavy laden wagon driven by ten yoke account." of oxen start rapidly down the mountain. Dr.Caldwell climbed Fandango Pass The chain attached to the tongue hadon September 14th, arriving at the top in broken just as they had reached the Sum-a snow storm which later turned to rain. mit.(It would appear that this might be He noted that it looked very "bilious". His the same accident previously reported by wagon was hauled up by four yoke of Farnham.)It ran two or three hundredoxen, having added one yoke from Dr. feet, taking the wheel steers with it andClark's car. Others used as many as 10 to luckily turned bottom upwards. Many saw 15 yoke. When within a few feet of the it and as many rejoiced to seeit turntop, Caidwell's lead oxen gave out, but over, for had it continued to follow theby adding a borrowed pair, he made it road it must have destroyed considerablesafely to the top.It was an hour after

The last quarter of a mile pull up the eastern slopes of Fandango Pass, showing the present road zig-zagging up the hill with the trough of the old trail going straight up and to the right of the trees at the sumrniL 66. dark before they got the cart up, and campCalifornia, and advised the expediency of wasnotestablished on Willow Creekgoing back.This probably w o u 1 d not until 11 o'clock that night. have been proposed, had it not been, that Bruff arrived at the foot of Fandango on we were almost entirely out of provisions. October 3rd. He noted the first part ofBut the majority were for going ahead, let the ascent was not bad, but after reachingthe road lead where it would, as some a little valley, the "big hill' began. Theremules might be killed for food, did things were 10 dead oxen in or beside the trailbecome desperate. and one on his knees dying in the trail. "About three miles from the beginning The dying ox was covered with an oldof the ascent, the Salem and Hanson mess- gum coat, but to no avail, as the dust wases with the exception of J. Mendenhall and suffocating and the following animals andJ. Campbell, took the 'back track' for the wagons rolled over him in their haste and Humboldt River,distance one hundred anxiety to reach the top. and fifty miles, having to recross the desert, The lead wagon of Bruff's company,and a g a i n cross it on the 'Carson'or upon reaching the summit of the pass, un- 'Truckee' route. furled the stars and stripes, to encourage Itwas not fo u n d necessary to those behind. double any of the teams." The roadway was broad, sandy and very Beeson on August 16, 1853 saw many dusty, with men urging their ox-teams up kinds of iron equipment,s to v e s,log the steephill with shouts, imprecationschains, etc, still in evidence, where aban- and lashes.Some rode up on horses ordoned or thrown away to lighten the load mules, and among these was an old manin the climb up Fandango. on a worn-out horse, upon which was lash- Ye 1 i n a A. Williams, September4, ed a mattress with the sick man astride 1853: ". .. then afterbaiting thecattle and lying on hisbreast.Over him waswe commenced the ascent which was long thrown a cover, part of which was trail- and verysteep,though freeofstones. ing in the dust. Women walked beside the Reached the summit a little before sunset. wagons, blockingt h e wheels while theThe scene from this point was truly in- oxen were allowed to rest. One man with teresting.Attheeasternbaseofthe a baby in his arms was walking beside hismountaina fiat lake was seen, stretching team, urging them ahead. some 15 or 20 miles along the valley. On At about the same time, a wagon with the Western side lay a beautiful valley, the women and children in it, when near thesides of the mountain covered with state- summit, broke loose and started down the ly pine and cedar, and at the extremity of hill rear-end first. The wagon was broughtthe valley, 13 miles distant Goose Lake to a stop by dead ox lying in the road, andspread its water over an extent of country no damage was done.Picture this con- 30 miles in length and from 10 to 20 fusion and hardship, then recallit hadmiles wide.Descended thevalley and been going on for over a m o n th andcamped near a small stream of water. The would continue for some time yet to come.men went for the cattle left at Hot Springs, It is hard to visualize such scenes todayreturned without hem. Those who went when loking at the quiet and undisturbedfor beef returned with a good supply. Saw hillside. 1he present roadtwistsback no Indians. A total loss of 10 cattle. (Due and forth atross the route, straight up the to the lack of oxen it was necessary to yoke mountain, used by the emigrants. up cows and double teams to draw the Keller, 1850: "We travelled along thewagons up the mountains, and the men baseof the mountains about six mileshad to make several trips before all were before beginning the ascent. During this at the top. O.A.S.(Mrs. Will i am s' time, and for days before, several members nephew).) of the company thought we were on the Mrs. P.S.Terwilliger, September 28, road to Oregon, or some place else than 1854: "Startedto cross the great Sierra 67. Nevada. 4 miles farther to foot of moun-a low point, to avoid an outcrop of trap tain then ascended 2 miles a a d rested rock & soon rose to a higher plain, which teams. Took teams ofT 2 w a g o n s andcontinued until we reached the hill border- doubled on other two. Went up mountaining the lake.It was the intention of sev- and then caine back for other two wagons.eral companies to lay over a day at the All they could do to get up to top. Des- lake, and our boys made great calculations cended steep road but not stony. Went inon bathing and fishing; but on reaching valley and camped on a mountain brookshe hills their anticipations were blown to (Willow Creek) by edge of great Pinethe winds, for the whole shore was white wood." with carbonate of soda, & the beach a Fandango Valley is approximately 3½ perfect quagmire, so that it was impossible miles long by one mile wide, and runs in to reachthe water, except by throwing asoutheasterly-northwesterly direction.It down sticks to walk on. The water was is well watered by Willow Creek and itssalt & soda combined, & was very nau- many springs which form a lush meadow seous to the taste. At the bottom of the bordered by pine timber on the south thathill were springs of pure, fresh water, & became the campsite of practically everythere was grass enough for our cattle at a passing emigrant. noon halt." It was the scene of the supposed "Fan- Hale, September 4: ".. . We had a steep dango Massacre", yet there is no docu-hill to come up and after an hour or so mented evidence of such an event.Fan- a similar one to go down, when we came dango Valley was the location of many to Goose Lake." companies dividing into smaller ones, and Howell, September 4: "Came 2 or 3 the abandonment of much property when miles down the valley, turned to the left the wagons were cut down to carts, orthru heavy Pine Timber and occasiOnal abandoned entirely when the owners tooksage patched wi.th Cobble stone road and to pack horses. This came about when thedescended a steep hill to Goose Lake; ex- distance yet to travel was realized and that tending north and south probably 10 to they had yet to arrive at the dreaded Sier-15 miles and 4 or 5 miles wide. We came ra Nevadas. Much of this equipment wasto the Lake in about 6 or 7 miles from burned and the remainder became so scat-where we lay." tered that later day travelers, and even the Webster,September25:".. .Itwas first settlers assumed a massacre had takenafter dark before we camped and we un- place. From this fact the "old wives tales"packed our mules at the top of a steep grew. bluff overlooking a lake, known as Goose Just where the original 1846-47 trailLake. No water near our camp ground. ran from Fandango to Goose Lake is un-The company isscattered tonight, having known. Probably much the same as thecamped in several different places along 1849 trail, except that Goose Lake was the Trail. After we had camped Mr. Carl- reached either near the mouth of Willowton and myself volunteered to go to the Creek or Lassen Creek and the lake shore lake for water, and with buckets we start- then followed southward. The 1849 trailed down the steep, rocky bluff which we turned southward some two miles before founddifficult of descent, especially in reaching Goose Lake, and crossed Lassenthe dark. The distance was about one-half Creek about 1/4 mile east of present High- mile to the base, or shore of the lake, way 395.Itthen kept southwestwardwhere we anticipated finding an abundant about three miles, where it descended asupply of water. But to our great disap- steep hillside, about ¼ mile in length, topointment, we found nothing but a field the shore of Goose Lake. of dry sand.However, we supposed we Delano wrote on August 28, 1849:must be very near the shore of the lake, "The road lay through the valley for 3 and started in that direction. We traveled miles, when it turned into the pines over bout two miles farther over the dry sand, 68. indulging in the fond hope of soon reach- Humboldt had a Shoshone Indian with ing the waiters of the lake, when we wouldhim taking him toCalifornia. He said have the privilege and pleasure of quench-Pauites, Kwano. He looked at pony and ing our thirst, which was almost unbear-said was a poisoned arrow. He sucked the able.But we were doomed so disappoint- poison out several times. He took a notion uent, as we found nothing but a lake ofto go with us. We started onsaiw no Sanddry and difficult to travel over; and Indian. Went through some fine timber we rerurnedclirnbed the mountain andthen openings which were very stony then lay down to rest as best we could. To beroad took down to Goose Lake." reallythirsty, with no means of getting Regardless of where the trails in vari- water, is truly a horrid sensation." ous years may have reached the Goose Bruff came in sight of Goose Lake onLake shore line, once that had been ac- October 4th. He described it as a sheet ofcomplished, there was but one common mud and water. He descended a sandy androute to follow. That was southward along stony road, 1/4 mile to the shore line. Atshe base of Sugar Hill, between it and the this point he noted that the larger com-lake, closely approximating t h e present panies were breaking up to form smallerSouthern Pacific railroad track to a point ones, or breaking up entirely. From thisabout due west of Sugar Hill. Road right- point onward it almost became every man of-ways and farming o p e r a t i on s have for himself. wiped out all trace of the old trails in the George Keller, 1850:". .. Next morn-next several miles. However, according to ing discovering indications of marsh roadthe U.S. Land Surveys of 1871, the Cali- ahead, we concluded to make 'this the lastfornia or Lassen Trail seems to have oc- day with the wagons', and began packing.cupied a meandering location between the Accordingly the wagons w e r e converted railroad and Highway 395 to a point less into pack-saddles as soon as possible, extra than a half mile north of the village of baggage thrown away, and by noon weDavis Creek, where the Applegate Trail were again 'en route'." (in 1849) turned northwesterly to cross SamuelR'itchey,father of SamuelI. the dry bed of Goose Lake. Ritchey of Klamath Falls, former manager Where the 1846 and 1847 Applegate of the local branch of California-OregonTrail ranis unknown and can only be Power Company, traveled t h e Applegatesurmised.It may have veered from the Trail in 1852 as a member of the Isaacroute of the later California Trail some Constant emigrant train of a b o u t25 three miles or more north of Davis Creek wagons. He celebrated his 19th birthday (near the mouth of Muikey Canyon). at Goose Lake, on August 16th, hunting Howell seems to be referring to such a stock stolen by Indians.The train had road in 1849 when he wrote: "September failed to put out a guard the night before, 4,. .. We turned up south and inabout 6 the first time on the entire trip, conse-miles camped at warm springs on the left quently lost 17 oxen, 2 mules, 3 valuableof the road, mares and other horses.Thirteen of the "Sep. 5th: The road leads on south In oxen were recovered, shot full of arrows.one mile theroad from Oregon comes V e Ii n a A. Williams, September 25, (leads off) in from the West from around 1853: "Traveled over rough, rocky roadsthe S. end of Goose Lake. In five miles to Goose Lake, camped alt the south end." crossed a little creek, and in 8 miles came Mrs. P. S.Terwilliger, September 29,to another small creek and nooned." 1854: "Horses ran on edge of wood. Be- The 1846 trail probably kept some dis- fore breakfast she pony that had the belltance from the sandy ridges formed by on came running down to camp as wewave action along the old shore line of were sitting down to breakfast.Sol wentthe lake, behind which we r e marshes, to see what was wrong. Indians had shotwhere the various mountains itt e a m s an arrow into her shoulder. A trader fromspreadout.The trail probably crossed 69. Davis Creek somewhere in the vicinity of the left as we came into the valley near the present Lakeshore Ranch. It then borethe pond and is a fine road to travel. We more northerly to cross the dry bed of drovetodayaboutfourteenorfifteen Goose Lake to McGinty Point. miles and encamped on a creek with all The southern end of the present cause- the necessities of fair quality. In the after- way probably lies about three fourths of a noon we drove five miles to another creek mile southwestof the point where thewhere we encamped for the night." original trail entered the old lake bed be- Webster, September 26: "We left camp fore crossing northwesterly to the westernearly in the m or n i n g and eventually shore at the above mentioned point. reached an abundant supply of water. We The ruts of the old trail were recordedleft the Oregon Trail, which bearsnor- in a picture taken September 12, 1926 by therly along the west end of Goose Lake, a Mr. Getty, Lakeview, Oregon photog- rapher, when the lake was again dry at When Bruff reached Goose Lake on itssouthern extremity. October 4th, the beach orbottom was The U.S. Land Surveys of 1871 indicate then ½ mile wide. In following along the that the Oregon-California road junctionbase of the foothills (northwestern shoul- was about midway between the railroadder of Sugar Hill) he noted agates, car- and present Highway 395, and on thenelians and obsidian. north side of Davis Creek, less than one We here bid god-bye to all the Cali- half mile north of the present east-west fornia bounddairists who traveledthe county road running between Davis CreekLassen Trail: Bachelder, Brown, Caldwell, and the causeway. Delano, Farnham, Howell, Hale, Keller, Delano wrote on August 28,1849: McLane, Webster and especially BruiT with About 4 miles below where we des-his sketches and minute descriptions. cended tothe lake, a 1 e d g e of rocks The location of theApplegate Trail bounded the valley near us on the left, &across or around the bed of Goose Lake on going to it I found it to be a strata ofvaried a great deal from 1846 to 1872, serpentine, the green & gray stripes beau- after which it seemsto have beenre- tifully blended, & the lines as delicatelyplaced by a number of other routes. drawn asif done by the pencil of the As we have seen, both the emigrations artist.Along the base of the ledge theof 1846 and 1847 evidently used the Mc- drift wood & water washed weeds showedGinty Point crossing of Goose Lake. There that during the flood season the groundwas no emigration to Oregon over this was overflowed. The lake extended manyroute in 1848, 1849 or 1850 but early miles south, which I estimated asit thenin mid-August of 1849 the relief party of was, to be 20 miles long by 8 or 10 broad. some 14 wagons fromtheWillamette Night brought us to the end of the lake,V:alley in Oregon, with supplies for the yet the valley continued, & but little above Mounted Riflemen, to be met at Fort Hall, the water level & we laid up on a moun- did pass eastward through the Goose Lake tam brook where the road forkedonecountry. They may have been compelled branch goingtoOregon, theotherto to cross the bed of Goose Lake farther California." south on account of rising waters, since Hale, September 4: "The lake is aboutthe 1849 diarists place the road forks quite twenty miles long and six or eight widenear the present day village of Davis and surrounded by mountains which areCreek rather than the assumed 1846-47 principally covered with timber. There isroute from Mulkey Canyon.It is well to also a strip of grass around the pond, thatremember that Levi Scott was the scout or is from one to four miles wide. The ap-guide of all three groups. pearance of the lake would denote the We must skip to 1853 for our next in- presence of alkali.I noticed a white stripdication of theextent of Goose Lake near the water's edge. The road took to waters, when Velina A. Willianis wrote on 70. ) I ' I.

Ruts of the Applegate Trail crossing Goose Lake toward McGinty Point as they ap- peared in 1926 when the lake was extremely low. Two to four feet of water now covers the old trail. Photo taken by the Getty Studio of Lakeview.Oregon. September 26th:The company separated,Lake, several milessouthwest of the cause- some of them being about Out of flourway). We campedon the west side of the and anxious to make all possible speed, lake." left in advance of the main company. Pass- Ten days later,Mrs. P. 5. Terwilliger ed along the southern extriity of thefails to add anything about the lake level, lake and camped on its western border."although her distance of 12 miles, prob- Thus, fromthislastsentenceit wouldably from Davis Creek and mention of seem, the emigrants were detouringfar- very stony roads' aptly describes the line ther south to circle the lake.It would heof travel southwest around the lake. logicalthatthe watersof Goose Lake "Oct.1:Sunday. Trouble to find old were slowly rising from year to year, andgrey horse. Another horse was gone from the next diarist, Andrew Soule so indi-another camp. 4 men on horseback went cates in 1854 when he wrote on Septem-to find them, could not find them so start- ber 19th:'Traveled sixteen miles alonged on. Men said they saw several Indians Goose Lake and camped on a small creek.in place where we camped and they ran in roadrocky. the willows so we think they got the "Sep. 20Traveled sixteen miles and horses.Several of the Ranger's staid at camped on the west side of Goose Lakeone of the camps. They wanted them to on a road following the lake for somego with them to hunt the horses, but they distance. would not, so we find they are great Rang- "Sep. 21Traveled seventeen miles toers to look after the Indians. Went 12 a dry creek (Fletcher Creek) miles aroundGoose Lake.Some very The aboverecordings were amplifiedstony road. Camped on a little creek." in1915 when Mr. Soule added: "The The next available documented infor- next day we went on to Goose Lake. The mation concerning the w a t e rlevelof 20th we followed the lake shore in theGoose Lake was published in the Fourth water for two miles, the bluff being soAnnual Report (1884) of the U.S. Geo- steep(thisbluffislocated on the ex-logical Survey, when I. C. Russell wrote treme southwestern end or side of Goosein 1882: "Goose Lake has not overflowed, 71. A /q\fl r7q ,,Ic:::: 1,0,4 I (if 0, 0 -(_- -., f(/mar \:/ LakaD '-'ftjarjl? 9 Crg,J \ - "_%__ )o_ fIrDCh e,-_',u" 'I" Cr. ' _J \ 11 II I 'II4-I 'I4, except during a single storm, since 1869.the rocksGrass water and wood good For a term of years prior to that dare, itsand plenty. waters were much lower than at the pres- "Sept. 22.7 AM. S. 5M. Marched ent, as is shown by the fact that a roadback on road two miles(past McGinty crossed the lake basin some four or fiveReservoir). Worked way up the bluff miles from the southern end sita placeCrossed a rolling rocky table land back of which is now covered by fifteen feet of"Rocky Pt" and down again to Lake shore, water.(This statement,if nothing else,followed shore to creek at foot of rocky affirms that the 1846 emigrant trail didwall running down to Lake - Crossed cross at McGinty Point, some four or fivecreek and pulled up on a bench of table miles from the southern end.) During theland. Road very rough and rocky. 12 M." past few yearsit has been rising, and in Thus Major Green 1 a i d out a new 1881itisreported to have overflowedwagon route, replacing the former Apple. for two hours, during a severe gale fromgate T r a iiroutes, heretofore described. th north." This route is part of a present day road The southeast corner of Section31, from the Pease Cabin vicinity, near Flet- Township 46 North, Range 13 East is lo- cher Creek, running southeasterly across a cated on the western side of the south endportion of The Devil's Garden, then des- of Goose Lake.It was located by thecending nearly 1200 feet to the lower end 1871 U.S. Land Office Surveyors.Field of Goose Lake and Valley. notes taken at the 'time state that the shore This road should probably be consid- line was then about 50 feet east of theered a later portion or replacement of the Applegate Trail. We traveled a small por- Sectioncorner(Sand depositedbythe watersof Goose Lake are present daytion of it in August, 1970 and the re- proof of the correctness of the statement).mainder may be passable.This present The U.S. Geological Survey maps ofday road closely approximates theloca- 1962 records the elevation of Goose Laketion of the original Applegate Trail for as 4701 feet, about the same as at presentabout 10miles as shown by the 1871 (1970), and probably in the neighbor- surveys. hood of 3 feet 'higher than it was in 1846. The approximate elevation of the above Chapter IX described Section 31 corner is just under Across Devil's Garden the 4720 foot elevation contourasre- to Clear Lake corded in1962.The elevation for the overflow outlet of Goose Lake (head of VIRGIL K. PRINGLE. one fork ofPitt River)is 4722feet. Wed-Sep-23 (1846)Our road today Therefore Goose Lake at its highest ele-was over a high plain and very stony and vation in the 1869-1881 period, must havewell timbered with pine and cedar (north- exceeded the 1846 elevation by so in ewest of McGinty Reservoir).Camp at twenty feet or more. some holes of water at the head of a Finally we have the diaryrecordof creek (Fletcher Creek). Grass good. The Malor John Green, commanding T r o o p countrygenerallyless mountainous than "B", 1st Oregon Cavalry, with an unknown before.12-2030 miles. number of supply wagons, traveling from Tiu-Sep-24 - Travel today 8 miles For.t Klamath, Oregon eastward over thedown Pool Creek (Fletcher Creek). Road Applegate Trail to Fort Bidwell inSur- tolerable. prise Valley in 1872: Fri-Sep-25----Traveled 14 miles of roll- "Sept. 21. E.12m.Here(the westing road and very rocky. Camp at a good sore of Goose Lake) road runs up againstspring 14 miles (Possibly the springs at "Rocky Point" and becomes impracticableSteele Swamp). for wagonsCamped on spring creek at Sat-Sep-26Travel 8miles of stony "Point", to look for a way to get aroundroad but generally level; but little timber 73. Applegcite Trail ruts leading straight up hill on the eastern face of Fandango Pass.

Bogged down at Clear Lake. Not an emigrant wagonS but some early fraveler. 74. today. Good camp (Possibly at Mammoth (ClearLake),wateredourcattleand Spring). 8 miles. passed on over stony roads, and atlast Sun-Sep-27We are now in the rangecamped without water, good grass, in sight of country of lakes of which the Klamathof another 1 a k e(Tule Lake); distance Lake is the largest known. Make 9 miles about 14 miles. and camp by a pretty lake (Clear Lake). Road good and level.Weather fine. 9 The Applegate Trail's several branches miles. acrossor around Goose Lake came to- gether again on the west side about two LESTER G. HULIN. miles due west of the north end of the (Oct.)2nd,(1847).Today ourpresent causeway.This po i n talsolies roads were very rocky, so much so thatabout one half mile southeast of the sou- Miss Davis could not ride She had to bethern end of the present McGinty Reser- carried on a stage, and a wagon broke, so voir.It can further be pin-pointed as ly- we did not make more than 6miles; ing within inches of the common corner camped without w at e r(northwestof of sections 29-30-3 1 & 32, Township 46 South Mountain). North, Range 13 East, in California. The Sun. 3rd.Moved this morning at sun- land lying west of Goose Lake was first rise down to a branch (Fletcher Creek) surveyedin 1871, and about 100 yards about 2½ miles and camped until noon, east of this common corner a blazed juni- then pushed on about 6 miles down theper tree still stands which bears the 1871 branch and camped; distance 8½ miles date. (somewhere on the present Bedart Ranch, Afterhe Lassen Trail separated from near the junction of Willow and Fletcherthe Applegate Trail near Davis Creek, all Creeks). of our contemporary diarists of the giant M. 4h.Aftertraveling d o w n this 1849 gold rush made their way into Cali- branch about 4 miles we turned to thefornia over it.From Davis Creek west- right; passed a ridge(southeastern spurward we have but five contemporary di- of Blue Mountain), and in 6 miles fromaries to support the Pringle (1846) and branch we came to GolFs(Pot Hole) Hulin (1847) diaries.One, Major Green spring; camped here;distance today 10 (1872), traveling eastward,j o i n e d the miles. The roads here are very rocky andtrail at the "Stone Bridge" so cannot be have been since leaving the lake (Gooseused as a reference farther west. Two, the Lake). Soule and Terwilligerdiaries(1844) 5th. Upon leaving the springs (Potboth turned intothe Yreka Trail near Hole) in 4 miles we came to another finelatter day Laird's Landing on Lower Kla- spring (Steele Swamp Springs) and fol-math Lake. The Beeson and Williams di- lowed down the Branch about 3 miles, ariesof 1853 continue into the Rogoe then crossed aridge to another go o dRiver Valley where both cease their re- camping place (Mammoth Spring); downcordings as they settled there. the same to its confluence with the first After leaving the shores of Goose Lake, branch(Willow Creek)and crosseda the trail climbed a gradual slope slightly very swampy place(part of Clear Lakeeast of McGinty Reservoir, then entered Meadows, reclaimed by Jesse D. Cart inthat site near its upper end to continue the late 1870's, and now under the waters northwestward across a very rocky plateau of Clear Lake Reservoir)and camped; some ten miles to Fletcher Creek, about a distance today, 12 miles. mile and a half below the old Mulkey W. 6th.Passed around a large swamp place. filled with ducks, geese and cranes; then The trail is extremely difficult to pin- passing a good spring (Applegate Spring,point in this section, and it is only with once site of Jesse D. Carr's Clear Lake the aid of the 1871 U.S. Land Surveys that Ranch headquarters) we came to a lake any part has been relocated.It was across 75. this rocky stretch that theMiss Davis',the South Mountain drift fence crossing mentioned by Hulin as being wounded bybelow the old Mulkey place. The trail then Indian arrows at Fandango Valley, had toserpentined down the canyon, crossing and be carried on a 'stage" (stretcher) due torecrossing the stream bed many times to the roughness of the road.From otheravoid encroaching rims, marshy spots and sources it has been learned that Miss Davispools of water. recoveredandreachedh e rdestination The canyon ceased and a level sage cov- safely. eredvalley,locationofthelatterday Each of our remaining diarists madeWillow Creek Ranch, was crossedstill but abrief notation oft h is10 milefollowing down the creek. The creek and stretch, but from what little they did re-emigrant road then entered another can- cord, we gather they were impressed byyon which was followed by the latter for itsrockiness'. approximately two miles before turning Beeson on August 19, 1853 wrote thatm o r e westerly across another extremely itwastwelvemilesover rough stonyrocky flat.Altogether Fletcher Creek was roads to a canyon (Fletcher Creek). followed for about 8 miles by the Apple- Williams, September 27, 1853:"Fol- gate Trail. lowed the Lake about three miles, then The original trail or one of its branches turned to the left and traveled 15 mileshere crosses a more or lesslevel, rocky over a rocky road to Pitt River Valley. (In flat, lying between Fletcher Creek and the a round-about way Fletcher Creekisa southeastern arm of Blue Mountain. Again tributary of Lost River, which, in the be- an 1871 blaze on an old juniper tree has ginning was believed by the Applegate ex- been located near the trail and is easy to ploring parry to be the headwaters of the reach.This juniper is located about 100 SacramentoRiver.Thismistake causedfeet northeast of the common corner of considerable confusion among t h egold Sections 21-22-27 & 29, Township 46 rushes of 1849, leading them to believeNorth, Range 10 East, of California. Fur- they were much closer to the Sacramentother, itis about 400 feet southeast of a Valley than they actually were.Fletcher stock-saltlick,to whichacarcan be Creek emptied i n t o Boles Creek, Bolesdriven on a dim road leading south from Breek into Willow Creek, Willow Creekthe Mowitz Road. Range cattle still use into Clear Lake Marsh, and the overflow the old trail across thisrockiest of rock of this marsh became the headwaters offlats and up Fletcher Creek canyon to the LostRiver), which we reachedaboutvicinity of the Willow Creek Ranch, now dark; very weary." owned by the Bedart Brothers enterprises. Soule, September 21, 1854: "Traveled Beeson on August 19, 1853 wrote that seventeen miles to a dry creekthe coun- the canyon was rough and rocky and con- try is generally level here, but verystony tained a great deal of timber. Further, the and rocky (to Fletcher Creek):' canyon was full of spring-holes eight or Terwiliger, October 2, 1854: "Went 14ten feet deep containing fish. miles over stony roads and came to Indian Williams, September 28, 1853: "Trav- Creek(Fletcher Creek).Followedita eled down the valley seven or eight miles. ways and found good grass and camped.A little after noon met a company of vol- Plenty of pine wood." unteersfromthe Rogue RiverValley, Major G r e en, September21, 1872: bringing the joyful intelligence that three "Road from last nights camp (on Fletcher days' journey ahead are supplies sent out Creek) followed up a summit of Gooseby the Government for the relief of emi- Lake mts (remember Green was traveling grants.Also men to guard them safely eastward), a long rocky table land and into the valley. Joyfulness to us, who have then same on long gradetoshore ofbeen living on half a slice of bread and goose Lake." poor beef for three days.Camped with Fletcher Creek Canyon was entered near them about 2 o'clock." 76. Juniper tree near the trailacross Devil's Garden, with surveyor's 1871 blaze and inscrip- tion still visible after 100 years. Terwilliger, October 3, 1854:Follow- (Pot Hole Springs). ed creek 6 miles. Met 75 Rangers with Williams, September 28th:"Traveled provisionsforthe imigrants who weretill near dark, mostly over rough roads." short. We laid by therest of the day. Soule, September 22, 1854: "Traveled Some of the boys went to get some salt of fifteen miles to Willow S p r i n g sand soldiers.They gave them 20 pounds of camped." beef, 25 pounds of flour, some sugar and Terwilliger, October 4th:"Left creek. coffee. Were not Out of anything but salt. 10 miles to Willow Springs and nooned. N. Ball and M. Stone went with Rangers." (The distanceindicatesthat W ill ow Major Green, September 19, 1872:Springs might beSteele Swamp.)All "Camped in Dry Creek valley after rollingRangers but 25 were going back to Yreka over the worst piece of rocky country onon account of no provisions.They had top of ground - for miles neither wheel of beef cattle with them.They killed one wagon nor foot of horse ever touched thetoday, shot it 6 times then it got up and soilGround covered with loose roundran around then they knifed it." rocks as thick as they can be planted - A Major G r e e n, September19, 1872: Devil's Garden of the most a p p r o v e d "GoffsSpring(Pot H o 1 e) - Marsh type.(This is thefirst use of the termmounds with clear good water oozing out "Devil's Garden" yet found, and is nowof top and sides - Road to this point runs applied to approximately that section ly-over a rocky rolling timbered country and ing between Pot Hole Springs and Gooseis quite disinct." Lake and south to the Pitt River Rim.) Pot Hole Springs is located some two "Sept. 20: Road runs up valley of Drymiles west of Blue Mountain, the land- creek(Flecher Creek)toa high rockymark towardwhich the Applegate ex- butte and here takes easterly branch of theploring party were aiming theircourse. valley. Numerous water holes in the valley The springs were originally called Goff's making the road very winding and diffi-Spring in h o n o rof the party's newly cult to travel with wagons. elected lieutenant who wasto assist the "Road leads up to near head of Drycaptain, Jesse Applegate in commanding creek valley then ru.rns off on to a rocky the expedition.It also seems to have been plateau - the valley becoming very marshy. known as Willow Springs by some emi- Camped on edge of rocky bluff.Wood grants.Perhaps there were willows there water and grass plenty and good. Road up in those days.The Krogue family once valley dangerous and difficult." lived at Pot Hole. Two of their children, The Applegate trail continues westerly a boy and a girl, were born there. from the salt lick, one and a half miles As previously explained in Chapter II, to cross a shelf on the southeastern shoul- under 1851, the grave of Lloyd Dean der of Blue Mountain.Once over thisShook is located within a few feet of the summit the old trail becomes quite dis-main spring in the unfenced area.Con- tinct as it descends the western slope. The siderable research has been made, but no trail was found here through the original further evidence relating to a Shook fam- UU.S. Land surveys and the Hulin diaryily of 1851 has been uncovered. recording of Monday, October 4,1847. Leaving Pot Hole Springs the present Itisan authentic spot that should beroad leadsnorthwesterly, 4½ miles to marked and preserved. From the foot of Steele Swamp.It coincides with the old this descent to Pot Hole Springs, approxi- trail for the first three miles. In this dis- mately 3½ miles, the present road andtance there is one spot where the ruts of the oldtrail seem to coincide in mostthe old trail show plainly on the north- places. eastern side of the present road. The several diarists have littletosay Approaching Steele Swamp, theemi- regarding this section. Beeson noted onlygrant trail swung more westerly to avoid that it was seven miles to Willow Springs a rocky stretch of country crossed by the 78. present road. This caused the emigrants inApaw Flats is quite plain as it was one of many instances to miss the main springs the main routesoftravelbetween the andonly strikethe marsh lands nearlyKiamath Basin and Pitt River Valley until one mile west of the springs.For those 1910 when the dam for Clear Lake Res- who did turn aside to stop, excellent grass ervoirwas completed. and camping facilities were available. The Mammoth Spring at the eastern edge of Steele Swamp Springs were evidently thethe original Clear Lake Meadows has been Rushing Springs' of some, which others in more recent times, covered by the waters thought to beRussian Springs'. of Clear Lake Reservoir during the early It was about two miles from the head of part of some years.The waters of the theSteeleSwamp Springs, orless,de- spring empty into Willow Creek, which pending on where theindividual camp in turn empty into the old swamp or mea- site had been, to Boles Creek which is the dow. This swamp overflowed to the west South Fork of Willow Creek. to form Clear Lake and to the northeast After crossing Boles Creek the trail for to become the headwaters of Lost River. the next four miles, tothe Clear Lake This series of springs, creeks, swamps and Meadows or Swamp, led acrossa moremeadows, except in dry seasons or late in open stretch of county,literally covered the year formed a rather formidable bar- by hundreds of acres of apaws, one of therier to wagon travel. The emigrants, how- Modoc Indian's main sources of food. ever, who came late in the year seem to About one mile and a half west of thehave crossed without too much difficulty. Boles Creek Crossing, and one mile north After passing Mammath Spring, seven of the trail,is the location of the Modocor eight mileswere traveled along the Indian Chief, Captain Jack'slast hidingnorth shore of Clear Lake Swamp and place.It was here, on Willow Creek in aMeadows before r e a c h i n g 'Applegate small cave on the south rim, that he was Springs".These springs located near the captured Sunday, June1st,1873 to endnortheastern corner of Clear Lake served the Modoc War.The trailacrossthese firstas an emigrant camp site,thenas

Klamath County Historical Society members placing a wreath of flowers on the Lloyd Dean Shook 1851 grave at Pot Hole Springs. Mark Runnels. finder of the grave. kneeling. 79. headquartersfor A r m yand Volunteercamp on Clear Lake at a point where the units who traveled Out from the Yrekaregular soldiers had made their quarters." and Jacksonville country for the protec- (This was the last entry made by Mrs. tion and reliefofemigranttrains.In Williams, but her n e p h e w, Orson A. 1871 it became the headquarters of theStearns, a 10-year old boy at the time, in Jesse Applegate family stock raising enter- later years filled out the diary from mem- prise.During the Modoc War it becameory.) the headquarters for different U.S. Army Soule, September 23, 1854: "Traveled groups, especially cavalry who made use ofone half dayten milesSwamp Creek Clear Lake Meadows to supply their horses (Boles Creek). with forage.Later in the 1870's itbe- "Sep.24:Traveledtwelve milesto came the headquarters of the Jesse D.Clear Lake - the soldiers are stationed Carr 80,000acre Clear Lake Ranch, or here." cattle spread.All was abandoned in the (Rewritten in1915): "W epassed 1909-10 period when Clear Lake Dam was Willow S pr i n g s and journeyed on to constructed forming the Clear Lake Res- Swamp Creek. Here we had to cut down ervoir of present times. tules and bridge the creek.It was narrow We will now turn to our contemporarybut very deep and lacked a current to wash diarists as they travel between Pot Holeaway the rules. Twelve miles on the 24th Springs and Applegate Springs: brought us to Clear Lake. At this place J e s s e Applegate's Waybill, April6, were twenty-five volunteers, under Crosby, 1848: as captain, because a short time before the Around the Lake 20 miles Indians had murdered a whole train and (Around Goose Lake) burned their wagons.This happenedat Canion Creek 8 miles Bloody Point on Tule Lake. When Cros- (Fletcher Creek) by, who was in Yreka, heard of it he Down Canion Creek 10 miles raised a small company of men and came (Down Fletcher Creek) out to help us in, for they were looking Goff's Springs [warm water]8 miles for the Stone brothers' arrival." (Pot Hole Springs) Terwilliger, October 4: "Went 8 miles Big Springs 4rnilesand came to Russian spring and camped. (Steele Swamp Springs) 'Oct. 5:18 (?) miles to Clear Lake Shallow Lake 10 miles and camped. (Clear Lake) "Oct. 6: Went 3 miles along lake and On August 20th, 1853 Beeson traveled 6 camped by spring(Applegate Spring). miles from Pot Hole Springs to "RushingRained all day and night." Springs" where he found excellent water, Major G r e e n, September 17, 1872: good grass and wood. The next day he"Ranch of Jesse Applegate. Road crosses traveled15miles over muddy roads toa swale through which, and a rocky canon, Clear Lake. He met a company of U.S.the waters of Clear Lake when high flows Dragoons there, from whom he learned ofout to the head of Lost riverthen cross- an Indian War then in progress in thees 2 miles beyond four marshy branches Rogue River Valley. of Willow creekover which bridges of Williams, September 29th: "Camped onTules had to be made. Wagons m jr e d the margin of a small marsh lake (Steeledown and were two hours getting across. Swamp); no good water and too miry for "Crossed a rolling rocky plateau, road the stock to drink. very bad and invisible for milesGarnped "Sep. 30: Startedat d awn; traveledin Willow creek Meadows (Steele about three miles; found very poor water,Swamp) a pretty little valley - Wood but stopped and got breakfast and baitedwater and grass abundant and good. Laid thecattle passed Klamath Lake(Clearover at this camp one day. Lake Swamp) at the right and made our "Sept. 19:Passed a copious spring of 80. good water, one of the sources of Willowa broad, rich botttom (Tale Lake Basin), creek (Steele Swamp Spring?) - Pulledgood grass, and in about 12 miles came to wagons across a rock table land the roadthe Lost River (Sacramento) and camped. following the valley not being practicable (This is the first known use of the name for long teams." "Lost River" found to date.)This water setch is about 18 miles; about 3 miles Chapter X farther brought us to the ford (at Stone Through the Lake Country Bridge), where we camped for the day. (Here we saw Indians who appeared more VIRGIL K. PRINGLE. brave than the Diggers; they are probably 'Mon-Sept-28 (1846) our route forClamet [Modoc] Indians.) 9 or 10 miles over a rock ridge (between 'F. 8th. Crossed Lost river, over the hill Clear and Tule Lakes), the balance of theor divide to a large swamp (part of Lower day's travel level bottom (Tule LakeKlamath Lake), d o w n thisto a lake Basin) and quite extensive. Make 22 (Clamett [Lower Klamath Lake proper], miles. about 3 miles down the lake, and camped "Tue-Sep-29 - Overtook the foremost (at Sardine Flat); distance about 12 or 14 company last night (at the Stone Bridgemiles. on Lost River), which makes our com- "S. 9th. Continued around the lake and pany 50 wagon's strong. Found some cattleswamp, then through a small pass (south- missing this morning owing to the ineffi-west of Laird's Landing), and in about 5 ciency of our guard. They were driven off miles from our last camp we came to a by Indians (Modocs). The day spent try-small creek (Willow Creek); I called it ing to recover them. 2081. Crooked creek; on about 2miles and "Wed-Sep-30Found all our cattle but crossedanother& t r e am (Cottonwood ten head that the Indians succeeded inGreek) and camped; distance 7 miles. getting off.Went ahead 12 miles and "Sun. 10th. We found plenty of water camped on the Kiamath La k e (Lowerfor 5 miles today (Hot Creek and Indian Kiamath Lake).Crossed the SacramentoTom Lake); we should have come here to River(Lost River) on a singular rockcamp, but did not, so we did not make the (the Stone Bridge) which made a shallow next camping, but tooka ridge in the ford. The river generally swimming. Road timber and found a small opening (Bear good except one steep point (location ofValley, southwest of Keno) with good the old Merrill dump ground, due south ofgrass but no water, camped here; distance Merrill) which was bad. 16 miles." 'Thu-Oct-i - Made 12 miles on the coast of the lake (Lower Kiarnath) and The water level of Clear Lake in 1846 camp onacreek thatenters the lakewas about 4423 feet elevation, while that (Willow Creek). Road good. of Tule Lake was about 4035 to 4040 "Fri-Oct-2 - Still crooking round the feet.This elevation differential accounts inlets of the lake, make 8 miles and camp for the fact that Lost River was able to at a fine bold spring but not cold (head offlow from the former into the latter after Hot Greek at the old D Ranch). winding ina huge circle for what is "Sat-Oct-3Make our last drive on theclaimed to be nearly 100 miles.Further, lake.Travel 12 miles and camp near the as the wild goose flew in those days, it outlet of Klaxnath River (near the laterwas approximately 6½ miles between the day Teeter's Landing between Worden and waters of the two lakes. By the emigrant Keno). Road good." trail it was about 8 miles. The Applegate Trailleft Clear Lake LESTER G. MuLIN. some two miles west of the later Apple- 'T. (October) 7th, (1847. This morn-gate Ranch Springs by way of a small ra- ing we moved by 5½ A.M.; soon came onvine at the northwestern extremity of the 81. SI. I

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I.' : Bloody Point on the eastern ehoresof Tule Lake. Emigrant trail came down the gulch beyond the point.Indian attacksprobably took place near the junipers in the left center of picture. Foreground wascovered by tules bordering the lake. 83. lake.It then ran westerly some 4½ miles tory.Its route later became the old Modoc to the summit of the intervening ridgeCounty wagon road to Big Valley. between the two lakes which is a northerly Lastly,thethirdornorthernbranch extension of Horse Mountain, known astrail is still quite distinct and may easily Raspberry Hill in the emigrant days. Thebe traced down the hillside where it enters old trail is easily traced between the twothe Tule Lake bottoms, almost east of the lakes except for one small field of aboutpresent Stanley Johnson farm buildings. It 80 acres extent, and naturally it was inmay 'have come into use as a by-pass after thisfieldthat thetraildivided.Threethe Bloody Point Massacre since it is more distinct places can be located where thein the open and misses the more danger- trail (or possibly a much later farm roadous Bloody Point Gulch camp site. in one instance, the southern branch) des- In1872, on September15th, Major cendsthebluffsadjoining theeastern Green recorded: ". .. Camped on theLake soreline of Tule Lake. Much dependsopposite point where Old Emigrant road upon which branch or branches were usedturns off from the Pitt river road. This is by the early emigrants to determine thealso "Bloody point" where 12 emigrants location of Bloody Point. were killed by indians in 1847 (1852). We h a v e two pieces of informationOpposite this camp isa natural bridge which seem to indicate the middle branch leading from the main land to an Island in as the more likely location of the original'the lake, consisting of a long narrow level trail location.1st. A picture isin exist- strip of firm ground - Grass and water ance of 0. C. Appiegate, youngest son of plenty wood scarce.16 miles (from the Lindsay Applegate, pointing out the high, Stone Bridge camp). sharp promontory near the middle trail "Sept.16. Took old emigrantroad branch and immediately south of the oldpulling up a steep bad hill on to a rocky Meyers ranch as being Bloody Point. 2nd. plateau.Travel easterly across a r o c k y This locationisa Is o indicated by therolling country to Clear Lake and camped Abbott-Williamson Railroad Survey report where road first touches the Lake - Road of 1855in which Abbott recorded onfrom Lake to Lake very bad.Grass and August 12th: 'We then found ourselves on water abundant and good.Wood not the edge of an abrupt descent of 200 feet,plenty at camp.8 miles." which conducted to the shores of Rhett Green's recording can easily be identi- lake (Tule Lake).This lake was aboutfied as the sand-spit leading from the east- fourteen miles long and eight miles broad. ern shore line of Tule Lake to The Pen- it was bordered by a wide belt of rule, the insula upon which the present town of home ofvast numbers ofwater fowl,Newell, Californiaislocated.His des- which rose in clouds at our approach. cription and sketch accompanying his day's "On the bluff our trail joined an enli- notation, indicates that he used the nor- grant road, which followed down a nar-thern branch trail. row ravine to the level of the lake.This The name "Bloody Point" as now ap- ravine was once the scene of a Moody mas- plied by the U.S.G.S. places the site some sacre. A party of Indians lay in ambush,two miles farther north, and would seem until an emigrant train reached the mid- to be an erroneous location. dle of the descent, and then attacked and One cannot help but wonder why the killed nearly the whole party.Rhett lakeemigrant trail struck the Tu.le Lake shore- is a secure retreat, where thevages can line in the vicinity of Bloody Point. Why escape among the tule,in the i rlightdidn't they travel the route adopted by the canoes, and defy a greatly superior force."old C.airr Road between the two lakes?It However, the southern branch trail, aleft Clear Lake at the same point as did much straighter and easierdescent near the emigrant trail, but ran more north- Little Horse Mountain, would also havewesterly to enter the Tule Lake Basin near passed beneath this same high promon- the present State Line Road, about one mile 84 south of the present Dalton-Byrne Ranch "Sacramento River (long drive)... 20 homes, or approximately 3½ miles northmiles (Lost River near Hatfield) of Bloody Point. "Crossing of Sacramento (Rock Bridge The original exploring party traveled a 4 miles (Stone Bridge) route somewhat approximating the pres- Beeson, on August 22, 1853 camped at ent Clear Lake Dam or Kowoloski Road,practically the same site, then layed over probably leaving the old lake bed near theone day before traveling five miles to the present Loveness sawmill. Since Levi Scottnatural bridge which he estimated as about was with the exploring parry and led botha rod wide and four rods long. He thought the 1846 and 1847 migrations, surely hethe water to be some 10 feet in depth on must have known of this more northern,both sides of the bridge. better and less dangerous route.Evidently Soule, September 25 (1854): Traveled we must search elsewhere for the reason,twenty miles to Lost River and Tule Lake but for the present can only surmise. Indians plentiful (Modoc Indians). Tule Lake in 1846 was very low and Rewritten in 1915: "At the Natural continued that way for several years.InBridge on Lost River we camped.Five fact, according to Aolbert Carter, an emi-hundred Indians (probably 50 would have grant of that year who much later wrote aseemed like 500 to the travel weary emi- series of articles in which he remembered: grants) came to our camp and asked for 'Afterfollowing the river(Lost River) Muck-a-muck. We had none for them. six or seven miles (below Stone Bridge) They were big strong Indians and after- the stream is formed into what is knownwards caused the government a great deal as Tule Lake." of trouble. The Modoc was being one of Scaling this distance on a U.S.G.S. map,the several Indian wars of our country. we arrive at the 4035 to 4040 foot elev-They wrestled and threw our boys as fast ation contour, and it can probably be as-as they could get up. Then they would sumed to closely represent the shorelinemake the air ring with their shouts, but at of Tule Lake in the September-Octoberlast Dan Rodaball threw their bully three period of 1846.In later years the laketimes. Then they were still as death. Wil- surface raised until by 1871, according tolard Stone hired an old Indian and his Lindsay Applegate, ". .. it is now probablysquaw to stay with us that night and all ten feet deep over the b r i d g e (Stonethe rest left at the old Indian's command. Bridge)." Then we felt safe when one of their num- The original trail turned across the thenber was with us." dry bed of Tule Lake about one fourth Terwilliger, October 7:"Rainy morn- mileeastof th e presently designateding. Went 10 miles and came to Tule Bloody Point to circle near but south ofLake. Nooned, after this went 12 miles the present Great Northern railroad sidingaround lake. The most wild geese, ducks, of Kalina.It crossed the Oregon-CaLifor- swan and brant I ever saw. Sid shot one nia State Line just west of the corner ofwith Joseph's revolver. Saw plenty of In- Modoc and Shasta Counties where they dians this afternoon. Came to Lost River join Klamath County. Then keeping justand camped at dark. inside Oregon itarrived at Los River "Oct. 8: Sunday. Went up river aways about one mile north of Hatfield,Cali- and crossed on 'the natural bridge. Bridge fornia on the stare line.As told by theis a foot under water and is solid rock. d'iarists this was one of their camp sites. Otherwise should have had to ferry." The trail then followed up the left bank The first known use of the Stone or of Lost River to cross that stream at theNatural Bridge by white men was during Stone Bridge. the winter of 1826-27 when Peter Skene We will now bring our diarists up toOgden and his Hudson's B a y Company the Stone Bridge. Jesse Applegate in hisFur Brigade crossed there three different Waybill of 1848: times.The bridge islocated two miles 85. The Stone Bridge ford of Lost River. southeast of Merrill. Oregon, as it appeared in 1922 on the day construction of the diversion dam began. east and one mile south of Merrill, Ore- 1872. gon on the Lava Beds Road, where it now Lieut. H e n r y Larcom Abbott of the serves as the base upon which a diversion Abbott-Williamson Railroad Survey party dam was constructed in 1921. gave perhaps the best description of the Capt. John C. Fremont and his com-Stone Bridge when he wrote on August pany used it twice during May, 1846 to13, 1855: We followed up the eastern be followed in July by the Applegate emi-bank of Lost river, through a dusty sage grant trail blazing party offifteen menplain almost destitute of grass, to the Na- andtheemigration whichfollowedin tural Bridge.The river was here about September. eighty feet wide and very deep; but it was The emigration of 1846 was the first tospanned by two natural bridges of con- have difficulties with the Modoc Indians glomerate sandstone from tentofifteen who had permanent camps on both sidesfeet in width, parallel to each other, and of Lost River belowthe Stone Bridgenot more than two rods apart. The water from a quarter of a mile on the right bank,flowed over both of them. The top of the to half mile or more on the left bank. most northern one inclined down stream, Ten head of oxen were s to 1 en andbut it was only covered to a depth vary- driven several miles south along the wes- ing from six inches to two feet. The other tern shore line of Tule Lake where theywas nearly horizontal, but the water, be- were slaughtered among therules.Ten ing unusuallyhigh,was toodeepfor men went in pursuit and all that was ac- fording.T her eareprobably hollows complished was the burning of five Indian under botharches,through whichthe huts and all their supplies, including many river flows. Emigrants cross here with their baskets full of seeds. loaded wagons.There is no ford for a A number of skirmishes took place inconsiderable distance above, and none be- this immediate neighborhood during thelow. We passed over without difficulty, next few years, including the so called Ben The river, which wasfullof short Wright massacres and the first battle ofbends, was often sunk as much asthirty the Modoc Indian War on November 29,feet below the plain." 86. By 1881, Tule Lake waters had risen to Soule, September 26 (1854): 'Travel- their highest recorded level, and the Stoneed twenty miles to Kiamath L a k e and Bridge was probably then under fifteen feet camped. of water. A wagon bridge was built up- 'Sep. 27.Traveled twelve miles to a stream about one mile (survey of Decem-large spring (Head of Willow Creek on ber27, 1883), to be replaced in laterthe Yreka Trail) and campedthirty or years by one located about 50 feet belowforty Indians camped here too." the old crossing. Terwilliger, Oct. 8: "Went 15 miles. After crossing Lost River the trail ranSome stony road. Came to Klamarh Lake southwesterly about two miles to cross aand camped(Sardine Flat). low but steep divide (at the old Merrill "Oct. 9: Cold day. 10 miles to Willow dump ground) then turned south someSprings and cam p e d(on the Yreka five sandy miles along the extreme easternTrail) shore lineof Little or Lower Kiamath Rimrocks and lava flowsnext forced Lake.Possibly in retalliation for the des- the trail to detour away from the lake truction of their rule huts on Tule Lake,shore for two miles. The main lake was the Modocs on September 30th, 1846 fol- again reached at what is now known as lowed the emigrant train and a memberSardine Flat, so named for the many dis- who was lagging behind was overtakencarded sardine cans, relics of early travel- and killed. ers camping at the siteas had the emi- The Rev. A. E. Garrison in later yearsgrants before them. Another 4½ miles of recalled:". .. here theykilled by teamsterfollowing along the lake shore and detour- (David Tanner). The teamster bad pleur-ing around lava formations brought the isy in his side and could not ride in theemigrant trail to the location later to be- wagon. I tried to get him to ride but hecome Laird's Landing. said the jolting of the wagon hurt his side, In the early 1900's, Laird's Landing be- one evening he hadfallen behind thecame a noted stage and freight stop. Here train.I was terribly alarmed at him forfreight and passengers to and from the doing so, and scolded him much, tellingCalifornia railheads of Bartie and Grass him of the danger. The next day he did itLake were transferred from wagon to boat again, the Indians came on him and filled or visa versa on the lap to or from KIa- him full of arrows, then stripped him ofmath Falls, Oregon by water. his clothing,...' Westerly from Laird's Landing lies Big Our traildiairistsare dwindling fast,and Little Tableland w i t h a low gap and the few that are left have by now be- through which the trail continued. Two come somewhat lax in theirrecordings, miles from the Landing is the location of giving but little pertinent information ofthe junction of the Applegate and Yreka use in relocating the old trail.However, Trails. The latter branched to the left in what we have will be carried up to the1851, or no later than 1852, to follow junction of the Yreka a n d Applegateup Willow Creek past the old Van Brim- Trails at this time. mer Ranch, settled in 1864. Over both of Jesse Applegate's Waybill of 1848: these trails passed most of the troops and First Camp on Kiamath Lake10 miles supplies headed east for the Lava Beds (Sardine Fiat on Lower Lake) during the Modoc War. The Yreka Trail First Creek 7 milessaw the most use, even down to and in- (Willow Creek) cluding early freighting days, therefore it Beeson, on August 4, 1853 noted whileis much plainer and easier to locate today. traveling south of Lower Klamath Lake, an The Applegate Trail ran northwesterly Indian canoe and fishing gig hid in thefrom the Yreka Junction, fording Willow tules. The next day he continued aroundCreek in a little over one mile. T h en the lake, camping somewhere southwest of crossing a dusty sage flat to the eastern present day Worden, Oregon. baseof Mahogany Mountainthetrail 87. Devere Heifrich standing in the Applegate Trail remains east ofLaird's Landing on Lower Klamath Lake.

Applegate Trail leading to Laird's Landing on Lower Klamcith Lake. Trail led past the grove of trees, right center. then through the low pass in the distance. The trees were probably set out by Dock Skeen in the late 1870's or early 1880's. The old barn at Laird's Landing can be seen to right of the grove. turned more northerly to reach the springweather basin, a point was reached that in head of Cottonwood Creek. later years became the old John F. Miller This location became the site of the oldranch and later still the Downing ranch. John Fairchild "JF" Ranch in the mid-Here in 1847, Hulin and the Applegate 1860's, and served as army headquartersTrail branched from the original 1846 at times during the Modoc War. About routeto follow up a draw into more one mile north of the ranch buildingsmountainous and timbered country. Bear was the homesite of the Hot Creek groupValley was reached in 6 miles and served of Modoc Indians, and about two milesas a camp site for many. northeast at a spring is the location of Pringle and the 1846 trail turned north- Captain Jacks birthplace. easterly from the Miller Lake junction Three miles fromCottonwood Creekpassing through what is now the com- brought the trail to Hot Creek, also set-munity of Worden and pursuing a course tled during the 1860's as the headquartersapproximately that of the present Keno- of the Dorris 'D' Ranch. The trail circledWorden paved road,although probably around the head of Hot Creek, between itc los e r to the Kiamath River.Pringle's and the rather steep hillside from whichdiary indicates a camp was made very near the creek flowed. later day Teeter's Landing on the present Continuing slightly west of north down Calmes Ranch. the west side of Hot Creek and Indian We once again return to our few re- Tom Lake, the California - Oregon Statemainingdiarists,beginning with Jesse Line was crossed in 5½ miles through aApplegate's Waybille of 1848: low gap.This crossing point is exactly Second Creek (Fish Creek 3 miles 2080 feet east of the center of present (Cottonwood Creek) Highway 97 at the state line. Third Creek (Big Spring 6 miles Circling MillerLake,a shallow wet (Hot Creek)

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The head of Hot Creek, later to become the headquarters of the "D" Ranch. The trail passed around the head of the creek and followed down the left side of the creek. 89. ,, ; S , IfT'';' L V V.

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The Applegate Trail trace to the right of the rail fence and north of State Highway 66, some five miles west of Keno, Oregon. 91. er's Landing on October 3rd, made theirto become the old Anderson Ranch. Just way on October 4th, some 4 miles to thebelow the bend of the river was the lo- fording place on Klamath River. This ford cation of the 1847 and later crossings. was about one mile below present Keno, LESTER G. HULIN. or slightly above the present Pacific Power M. (October) 11, (1847). This morn- and Light Recreation area. Here at an ex- ing we in about 6 miles came to Clamet tremely rocky riffle, the river was crossed.river, crossed, then passing into the tim- Many years later, John Connelley built aber; we did not come to grass or water bridge at the same site. Both sites are nowbefore dark; we were obliged to camp in under the waters of the Keno Dam Reser-heavy timber. Distance 12 miles." voir.Farther uistream Whittle'sFerry, In 1847, Levi Scott again leader of the predecessor of Keno, was established onemigration, a n d by now q u i t e familiar the more quiet waters of Klamath River.with the country, traveled through Bear Later yet,the present Keno Bridge siteValley to bypass the Keno route and save was put in use by the construction of aseveral miles. From Bear Valley, the trail pole bridge. dropped down a draw on the north slope To support Pringle'sdiary,there areof Chase Mountain past what later became two 1846reminiscences written manythe old Chase Stage Station on the Yreka- yearslater. isit.A. E. Garrison wrote: Linkville wagon road, and from there, in "We crossed the Kiarnath river just at the a little over a mile reached and forded outlet of the Lake at a very rocky ford,Klamath River just below the big eddy next was the Siskiyou(Cascade) Moun- where the river turns sharply south. This tains which was heavily timbered and asite is less than ½ mile above the present great job it was to cut a road across, butState Highway 66 bridge at the old Mc- we had a long way back provisioned and Collum sawmill site.This site also is now sent young men ahead to open the road,covered by a Pacigc Power and Light Res- so we got over the mountain quite well." ervoir backed up from the John C. Boyle 2nd.Tolbert Carter wrote:'. .. we pro- Dam. ceeded down the lake till it closes in and Stearns, an 1853 emigrant, was speak- forms Klamath River, a stream four oring of this same section of road many live rods wide, one of the worst crossingsyears later when he wrote: "The camp at that wagons ever madeboulders from aBear Valley seemed to be near the sum- foot through to the size of flour barrelsmit of the pass, and soon the wagons but no accidents occured We then had thewere going down another gulch towards Siskiyou(Cascade)Mountains tocross; the Klamarh River, which was reached in but fortunately we found no difficulty ina distance of five or six miles. The river tvo days' up and down passage." and a shallow or riffle where it made the After crossing the river the trail turned turn with a large stone projecting above almost due west slightly over five miles tothe water near the center of the stream Spencer Creek, first known as Wet Ass andmarking the direction of the ford.After Clear Creek, which was forded one fourthcrossing the river the road followed up a mile from the Klaamth River.This sec- little glade towards the northwest (on the tion, later improved, became a portion ofold Anderson Ranch meadow) the old Southern Oregon Wagon Road in West of the Klaniath River, the Apple- 1869 between the Rogue RiverVolley gate Trail between 1846 and 1869, when and the Klamath Basin. Part of the road,it was replaced by the Southern Oregon together with the ford still sees limitedWagon Road, for the most part remained use. in the same location. One half mile west of Spencer Creek, the Klamath River makes a sharp -bend to Jesse Applegate's Waybill of 1848 des- the south. Bordering the river to the westcribed it thus: at the bend was a beautiful meadow, later "Crossing of Kiamath river1O miles 92. Remains of the old trail up Hayden Mountain at the same location the SS Road nears the summit from the eastern side. Dick Hessig in the foreground. First water in Beaver Creek 18 milesthe mountain and camp at a high flat, (Sheepy Creek) good grassand water(possibly Sheepy 'At the leaving of the Kiamet river,Creek, a branch of Johnson Creek, in turn the road entersthe timber of the Cas-a branch of Jenny Creek). Road toler- cades Mountain, and as Beaver Creek isable except a steep hill to go down (Jenny thefirstcamp, parties should make anCreek Hill). Our teams very weak. early start and the first one, should send Thu-Oct-8 - Rest our teams and im- persons ahead to open the road.Goodprove t h e road."(Probably camped at grass on Beaver creek. Round Prairie). 'Crossing of Beaver Creek 6 miles LESTER G. HULIN. (Main Jenny Creek) "(October) 12th, (1847). Passing on Round Prairie (good camp) miles over the mountain (Hayden) we in about Head waters of Rogue river8 miles 9 miles came to the beaver dams and (Emigrant Creek)." camped for the day (Sheepy Creek). VIRGIL K. PRINGLE. "W. 12th. Followed dovn this branch "Mon-Oct-5 (1846) - Cross a spur (Johnson and Jenny Creeks)over hills, (Hayden Mountain) of the Sis-que (Cas- &c., and about noon came to Big Hill cade) Mountains and camp without watercreek (Jenny Creek); nooned here, then or grass(slightly over 1 mile north ofon to Little Prairie (Round Prairie a e a r old Weyerhaeuser Camp No. 3). RoadPinehurst) and camped; distance about 11 bad and rough (up the Double-S Grade), miles. 10. From the Klamath River westward to 'Tue-Oet-6Move six miles to a tol-the Rogue River Valley we have but one erable camp (north of old Weyethaeuserman's reminiscences, those of Orson A. Camp No. 4, somewhere near the former Stearns, to supplement our two Applegate Parker Stage Station on the Southern Ore- Trail diarists, Pringle and Hulin.These gon Wagon Road), road fair. reminiscences were wrilten in 1909 and 'Wed-Oct-7 - Cross another spur of 1919. 93. Puckett Glade, on Sheepy Creek, north of the old Weyerhaeuser Camp No. 4.The emigrant trail ran through the timber to the left of this picture.

Johnson Creek wag called Beaver Darn Creek by the emigrants. Beaver dams and houses (center of picture) were still in existance when this picture was taken in May 1971. 94. Group ofe KIwnaThKlcmczth CotLnty County Historical Hstoricai SocietySociety member.members following following (fow, down the AppiegoteAppt.got' Trail wherewhere Ii it entesa enters Janzzv 'enny CreekCreok CanyonCanyon.

The Jenny Creek Wagon Slide down which the emigrants traveled from 1846 to 1868, ond up which our first Kiamath Basin pioneers hod to climb with their wagons. 95. Stearns, the nephew of Velina A. Wil- hitched to the wagons and the journey re- liams, was a lad 10 years of age when hesumed. The mountain at this point being crossed the plains in 1853. He spent hisvery steep and rocky it was necessary to early years near Phoenix, Oregon, enlist- double team to get up, as the cattle were ing in the Oregon Volunteers at 21, afterall poor and footsore and unable to pull which he was stationed at Fort Kiamath.even the now nearly empty wagons over Mustered out in1867, he homesteadedany very steep grades without doubling. along the Kiamath River about half-way "All the women and children old en- between Klamath Falls and Keno, whereough to walk went ahead of the wagons, he resided until hisdeath in 1926. He traveling through heavy timber, over was perhaps the one person most familiar steep, rocky ranges for several hours, they with the old emigrant trail and the variousfinally came to a more open, level coun- roadsthat supercededit.T h e r e f o r e try(Puckett Glade on Sheepy Creek), through the aid of hisreminiscences, wewhere there was occasional open glades have been able to reconstruct the route ofand the dry bed of a stream, which evi- the old trail with a considerable degree ofdently rantoward the west.Following accuracy. down stream,adrystream,sometimes Stearns, in his 1919 appendage to thealong near itsbed, again through heavy Williams diary, stated that 'after crossingtimbered borders, n i g h t overtook them the river the road followed up alittle where the bed of the stream (Johnson glade(Anderson R a n c h Meadow o nCreek into which Sheepy Creek runs) Grubb Spring Creek) towards the north- turned down a rocky canyon, and teh road west, thence leaving the glade, which here climbed a spur of themountain to its terminated in a deep gully leading up to- left (the northwestern shoulder of Parker wards thetimbered mountains (Hayden Mountain).After climbing this moun- Mountain) that we were informed was a tam and following along its summit for a part of the Cascade Range, beyond which mile or two the road suddenly seemed to the Rogue River Valley lay. Following up drop down over its summit nearly per- the south bank of this g u 11 y (Grubbpendicularly into the dark depths below Spring Creek, dry most of the year), we (the old emigrant wagon slide into Jenny soon en:tered the heavy timber and aboutCreek), the wagons were all stopped and five miles from the river came to a nicethe drivers instructed to unhitch all but spring (Grubb Spring, then located aboutthe wheel oxen; they then cut down small 11/4 miles southeast of the present Grubb trees and hitched them to the hind axle of Spring)at the foot of the steep moun-each wagon, and after chaining the hind tain.Here the cattle were loosened ftomwheels, plunged into the darkness below. the wagons and with their yokes on turnedTiey had hard work to keep the wagons loose to graze awhile and the people inin the road, so steep it was that the sorely the train ate their noonday lunch." crowded oxen were with difficulty kept Their guide having recently been overbefore the crowding wagons. At last after the road was ableto direct the emigrantsa descent of what seemed to be a mile as to the distances between camping places, (perhaps 3/ of a mile), the road came to and expected to reach a camp called Roundthe crossing of a creek (Jenny Creek), and Grove Prairie(approximately1 m i 1 efollowing along n e a r(1/4to ½ mile northwestf present Pinehurst on Jennynorth) its course, over sharp steep ridges Creek) about sundown (the dis:tance to be for a mile or more, they crossed another covered and the difficulties to be encoun-creek (Beaver Creek) in a deep canyon. tered would seem to make this an almostCrossing this creek and up over the can- impossible afternoon's drive), from whichyon's rim, they came out into an open place they could reach the head of the val- prairie surrounded with groves of small ley (Rogue River Valley) in another day.pine trees.This they learned was Round Dinnerover,thecattlewere again Grove Prairie (now k n o w n as Round 96. Prairie), and they made camp turning thetions at the trail's intersection with town- tired cattle loose in the prairie and put-ship lines. They are not too accurate be- ting out guards,..." tween township lines but give the general In relocaitng rhe Appiegate Trail across line of the emigrant trail, which in most the Cascade Mountains, we find that the casescanbe approximated on modern 1846 and 1847 branches rejoined sometopographical maps. place in the old Anderson Ranch Meadow, 2nd. The known location of the Sou- where Grubb Spring Creek enters the Kla- thern Oregon Wagon Road fromold- math River near the big bend. timers' descriptions, GLO surveys, an early From this point westward to the sum- Weyerhaeuser Timber Company s u r v e y mit of Green Springs Mountain, the trail and sections still in use today. has become almost non-existant, except for 3rd. ThediariesofPringle,Hulin, a few short stretches which can stili be Beeson and the reminiscences of Stearns. located and positively identified. 4th. Days and weeks of personal study, Numerous factors have contributed toretracing by car and on foot, with a gen- the destruction of the old trail, but log-eral knowledge of where they had to go ging operations have been mainly respon- and routes most likely to be chosen.In- sible. T h e s e logging operations in thecluded inthis research was many hours Hayden, Parker and Green Springs Moun- lost by the trial and error method in trac- tains have resulted in its almost complete ing Out every conceivable resemblance to destruction.Logging railroad spurs an dan abandoned trail. truck roads are especially destructive, be- Followingisarecapitulationofthe ing built in many instances squarely upon emigrant trailas associated with present the old ruts. Then too, the entire adjoin- day features and names: ing vicinity has been completely torn up The Applegate Trail followed up the by the dragging of logs to the landings onsouth side of Grubb Spring Creek (it can the railroad spurs.In a few instances firesstill be traced here in a few places)to have contributed to the destruction. Melt- Grubb Spring Reservoir which appears on ing snows have washed out the trail inan old map, to have been the original places, making it almost impossible to dis- Grubb Spring site.It then turned south- tinguishbetween a stream-bed and thewesterly about ½ mile to enter a steep, wagon ruts.Old roads of early home- narrow gulch, crossing under what is now steaders and timber-claimers further con-a high fill on the old Weyerhaeuser Rail- fuse the situation and it is extremely dif-road bed No. 100, approximately 1½ ficult to distinguish between them and the miles south of present Grubb Spring. The old trail.Last but far from least is thetrail climbed to the first bench of Hayden new growth of young timber and under-Mountain where it traveled the same gen- brush which now makes it almost impos-eral routeas the later Southern Oregon sible to follow any trace of the trail inWagon Road, now approximated by the places. SS fire road. Where the present SS road However, we have several sources uponzig-zags up thelast p i t c h of Hayden which to draw that enables us to pin-pointMountain, the old trail went straight up. or closely approximate the route as travel- It is nearly 4 miles between the top of ed by the emigrants between 1846 and the SS Grade and Cold Spring (location 1869, when the Applegate Trail was re- of the Puckert timber-claim and Station). placed by the Southern Oregon WagonThe Southern Oregon Wagon Road can Road, which in turn was superceeded in still be traveled here, but the old trail has theearly1920's by the present paved been lost, although the GLO survey mdi- State Highway 66. cates it was from ¼ to ½ mile farther 1st.Government Land Office (GLO) north.The trail came past Cold Spring, Survey maps, daring back to 1858 in mostand accordingtoPrentice Puckett, was cases, which are fairly accurtetoloca- still in evidence when they moved there 97. Trail marks up to the Green Springs Mountain Summit (left center of picture) from Keene Creek. Present day reservoir construction has ruined most of the Keene Creek Wagon Slide. in the 1890's. It ran about 30 to 40 feetThen veering more westerly it crossed the north of the spring and is perhaps thepresent Fredenburg Spring Road, spur No. trace that still can be seen at that locaion.41 and present Moon Prairie Road, in a West of Cold Spring the trail (accord- shallow swale about 1½ miles north of ing to the GLO survey) still kept north ofHighway 66. the Southern 0 r e g o n W a g o n Road Continuing down this swale almost ½ through a saddle on the southern slope ofmile, thetrailturned northwesterly to Grouse Hill, then turned northwesterlysuddenly drop into jenny Creek Canyon. to circle a low timbered ridge, where itPreviously described by Stearns, this drop reachedtheupper drainage of Sheepywas known as the "Jenny Creek Wagon Creek, w h i c h combined w i t h JchnsonSlide". After seeing it and walking both Creek into which it flows, was called Bea-down and up, then only can some of the ver Dam Creek by the emigrants, and washardships anddifficultiesoftheemi- cirded to the south. grant's passage be realized.The lower Once past Puckett Glade (location ofportion,nearly 200 yards,isat a 45 the old Puckett homestead on S h e e p ydegree angle, and it is almost unbeliev- Creek) which is crossedy Weyerhaeus-able that wagons were ever pulled up it, er logging spur No. 36, the trail for theeven empty.This, however, was done by next 2½miles continued down Sheepythe 1848 "Gold Rushers" from Oregon and Johnsdi Creeks, closely approximatingto California, and 'by the pioneer settlers spur No. 41-1, althoughdetouringtoof the Klamath Basin between 1867 and cross over rocky ridges. 1869. Somewhere near the p r e s e a t Moon Stearnsfurther describesthe original Prairie Road crossing of Johnson Creek,trail, as remembered in 1909 in his reini- the trail climbed from the canyon to fol-niscences published that year in the Kia- lowfor approximately 1½ miles, spurmath Republican: No. 47, or the old Moon Prairie Road. "...Those who have traveled across the 98. mountain between Ashland and the Kiarn- The actual ford across Jenny Creek was ath Basin at any time during thepast not difficult, especially in the fall of the twenty years are want to declare it was no year when the emigrants arrivedthere. wonder this country did not settle upThey hadencountered many that were the roads were so atrocious thatno oneworse. Two entrances to the ford have would willingly go over them thesec- been found, within a few feet of each ond rime, and yet, compared with whatother, and threeexitsscattered over a they once were, they are now equalto aspace of nearly 100 yards. turnpike. The next two miles was over the fairly 'The oldroad, asformerly traveled,open, southern slope of Little Chinquapin was the old emigrant trailfirsttraveled Mountain, northwest of Jenny Creek,to by the Applegate party in 1846 when theyBeaver Creek (which shows on the 1858 caine out from the Williamette valley,... GLO survey map under the same name). "As the objective point of these emi- Again the crossing was easy arid is justa grants was westward, and they never an-few feet above the old Southern Oregon ticipated any attempt to returnover theWagon Road crossing(the1 a t t e r by road, their only concern in crossinga bridge). mountain range was to find a partcicable About 1/4 mile farther and beautiful way up; the going down was easy. TheirRound Prairie was reached.Here was a usual mnde of descent was to remove allfavoritec a m psite,everythingneeded, their teams except the wheeloxen (gen-wood, water and grass were plentiful. erally a pair well broken to steer and hold PRINGLE. back), chain or tie fast the hind wheels Fri-Oct-9 (1846)Travel ten miles of and fasten a good sized tree byrope ortolerable road and camp on the head ofa chainto serve asdrag, and down theybranch of Rogue River (a branch of Tyler went. Now between Ashland, or ratherCreek which heads near School Ho u s e between the Soda Springs (Old WagnerRanch andissometimescalledSchool Soda Springs, approximately1 mile be-House Creek).Timber heavy and fine low the junction of Emigrant and Tylerand the land good but very rough and Creeks and the KIamath there were threebroken between this and Kiamath River. or four such wagon slides. One of them,10. M. at Jenny creek over one fourth of a mile Sat-Oct-10---Engaged all day in mak- long; the Keene creek not quiteso longing 3 miles, the branch sonear impass- hut steeper as the teamsters usedto say, able. Found tolerable route at last. 'It hung over a little; the Green Springs "Sun-Oct-li - The valley opens and summit and Strychnine hill,justbelow 'we pass some very pretty locations. Timber Tyler's. At these p1aces it was necessary toin a great many varieties, some entirely unload all wagons(when traveling east) new to me. Make 10 miles and camp at and pack on animals or carry on the backsa considerable sized creek (Ashland Creek of individuals the entire load,as it rookiii the present city of Ashland, Oregon), four good horses to pull the emptywagons the best camp we have had for several up these places. When pack animals were days.road very good, high mountains used, as was frequently the case,no trouble around.10 miles-2,168." was experienced. HULIN. 'When the weather was good the task "T.(Sept.)13th (1847)Continued of hauling supplies, though tedious andon over the Mts. through the timber about slow, was not dangerous, but sometimes 8 miles; we descended a steep hillto a the early rains or Snows wouldcome andcreek (Keene Creek) up to the top of the catch the settler on the wrong side of theRogue river Mt.(Green Springs Sum- mountain, when trouble of a serious andmit), then down for about 2 miles and often dangerous character ensued,as many camped (near the present School House can testify to their sorrow." Ranch); distance about 10 miles. 99. First view by the emigrants of the upper reaches ofRogue River Valley from the summit of Green Springs Mountain. Trail led past the siteof the buildings (left center) and across the open space beyond. Jean Hessig inforeground.

In the Applegate Trail trough descending from Green SpringsSummit on the western side. This portion of the old trail is visible from the highway about200 feet north of the summit. Continuation of landscape in the picture at the left, from the GreenSprings Summit. Present day grade of Highway 66 atupper right, and U.S. Interstate 5 (in the distance) climbing to the summit of the Siskiyou Mountains.

4 Remains of the old trail (one-hall mile west of the summit)as it descends from the Green Springs Mountain into Rogue River Valley. 101. "F.14th.Continued descendingt h e south, they were told was the Mountain stream(School House, Tyler and Emi- house. The one directly ahead where their grant Creeks) on which we camped lastroad crossed acreek(Hill Creek) and night. The valley increased in width and intersected anotherr o a d(theoriginal the face of nature became more interestingroad south over the Siskiyou Mountains during the day.Several Mt. branches hadinto California, later to become old U.S. increased the main stream (Bear Creek) Highway 99) was that of a Mr. Hill, who, considerably.At noon we saw some In-it seemed was a former acquaintance of dians and their lodges and shantees. TheyMyron Stearns, one of the emigrants, and ran like wild men from us;aswild ashere he and his family concluded to stop, deer,they seem, before the white man.leaving the othersto proceed down the Passed on to one of these streams and valley. Some three miles farther they stop- camped (near Ashland). The grass andped for noon, where a Mr. Condra lived. water, timber and soil is of good quality. The latter had been a member of the train Distance today, about 10 miles." up to the time they reached Goose Lake On August 28, 1853 Beeson probablywhen he, together with several other fami- descending into the Keene Creek Canyon,lies who were going to Yreka, pulled out recorded that it was the steepest moun- ahead, and he had reached home before we tain he had come down yet.Evidently hegot into the valley. Some one of the men stayed that night at the summit of Greenbought a watermelon here and it was a Springs or just over it. grand treat for the few who helped eat it. Stearns inhis1919 reminiscences of Condra had a water wheel in Bear Creek 1853wrote:...... thefinaldaysclimb (somewhere near Ashland) and attached (from RoundPrairie)commenced.It to it was a contrivance for pounding up was some threeorfourmiles throughwheat and corn into a course meal. He rocky, timbered benches, crossing one or called it a pounder, and it was similar to two more small mountain streams, beforea rude arastra such as the Mexicans use the real climb commenced, and whileit for crushing rock, only the levers that car- was rough enough, in no place was asried the stones for crushing were raised steep a mountain encountered as the firstand dropped into wooden hoppers, instead climbofthedaybefore(up Haydenof dragged around in a circle over the Mountain). material. coming out on the top of a moun- "After the noon day lunch the train tain (east of Keene Creek) they saw opencontinued on its way until nearly evening timber ahead and way beyond that otherthey made camp by the side of a mountain timbered mountains. Here the road seem- stream (Wagner Creek) just above where ed to drop down again steeply into athere was a fine, large garden. canyon (Keene Creek Wagon Slide) "The next morning the camp was vis- "Not waiting for the wagons, they (the itedbyseveralnear-bysettlers,among children) ran down the steep road, untilthem John Beeson, and son (Welborn, the reaching the foot, they came toa creekdiarist), who persuaded some of them to (Keene Creek), where they were pursuad-take up land near them...... ed to remain until the wagons caught up, We must now say "Good-bye," to our and where they stopped for noonday lunch. emigrant travelers of the Applegate Trail, Thanight a camp was made soon Welborn Beeson, Velina A. Williams and after reaching the foot of the mountain onOrson A. Stearns.But, toPringle and Emigrant Creek. The following morningHulin, we will only bid "Farewell," since after a drive of some four miles and cross- it is now planned that in the near future, ing over the divide (Songer Gap), to thewe will continue the Applegate Trail to west of the Emigrant Creek, they came inits end in the Willamette Valley. sight of the first settlement seen for over In attempting to retrace the Applegate four months. One house, with fields to theTrail from Round Prairie westward into 102. the Rogue River Valley, many problemsmile to a point near the Keene Creek Di- have arisen. Some have been satisfactorilyversion Dam, whereitturneddirectly solved, while others cannot positively bewest, to climb to the summit of Green so declared. Springs Mountain. From Round Prairie we have but one As indicated by the 1858 GLO survey source upon which to rely for the next 5of Thompson this may first have been miles, the 1858 GLO survey of Davidabout 250 yards south of the present sum- Thompson. According to this survey, the mit crossing, but if so, no signs have been emigrantt r a iiledsouthwesterly from found to date.The same survey, and a Round Prairie to join present State High-later one by Peter Applegate, also indicates way 66 at Lincoln. From that point it ap-another crossing of the summit(at the proximates the highway to Tub Spring,present highway crossing), butthrough but ran below it, passing just south of thesome error, the summit is placed about /8 Lincoln Ranger Station.At Tub Springof a mile east of where it is actually lo- the trail led northwesterly up the swalecated, andthis leads to present day dis- back of the spring, to again join the high- agreement.s way at the point where the concrete cov- The Applegate Trail should not be con- ered canal leading to the Keene Creek Di-fused with the Southern Oregon Wagon version Dam now crosses. Road, which definitely crossed the Green The present highway seems to occupy Springs summit at the present Highway the route of the old trail for the next crossing (and isstill very much in evi- of a mile. As indicated by the GLO sur- dence, as also is an earlier emigrant trail, vey, it would have spilled over into thewhich Ibelieve is the original and only Keene creek Canyon due west of the Hyatt emigrant route over the summit).The Lake and Highway 66 junction at approxi-old stage and freight road can be traced mately the same location the present power on both sides of the summit, just below line descends into the canyon. the present highway in each case. To the This canyon hillside has been complete-east, the stage road crossed Keene Creek lybutchered by logging operations, theon a rickety wooden bridge, now under power line right of way and canal cons-the present reservoir waters and followed truction. At the very top of the incline,up a ravine and can easily be followed, on about 20 to 30 feet north of the power foot,tothe Hyatt Lake road about ¼ line,is the remains of what might havemile north of Highway 66, opposite the been the top of the Keene Creek WagonChinquapin Mountain road.It is thought Slide. To bear this out, we have the state- by some to have been the original emi- rnents of three who traveled it: grant trail, but does not seem to meet the Hulin(1847)."...wedescendeda conditions as recorded by the GLO survey steep hill to a creek. and diarists'descriptions. Beeson (1853)."..and down the The Southern Oregon W a g o n Road steepest hill we have come yet." between Round Prairie and Keene Creek Stearns (1853 as remembered in 1919) lay betwen ¼ and 3/4 of a mile north of "Here the road seemed to drop down againthe emigrant road and present Highway steeply into a canyon.. 66.It ran over the southern slopes of Stearns f u r t h e r described the KeeneLittle Chinquapin Mountain, w h e r eit Creek Wagon Slide in his 1909 reminis-passed Twentymile Spring and continued cences w hen he wrote:". .. The Keenewestward better than ½ of a mile north creek (Wagon Slide)not quite so longof Tub Spring. (as the Jenny Creek Slide) but steeper as About 50 yards down the highway on the teamsters used to say, 'It hung over athe westernslopes of G r e e nSprings little'!" Mountain the emigrant trail dipped sharp- After arrivingatthebottom of thely to the left or southwest and can easily canyon, the trail ran upstream about 1/4 be walked untilit rejoins(in about ½ 103. Near the bottom of Green Springs Mountain the trail followed down the backbone ol Tyler Creek in the canyon, right background, and School House Creek, lower fore- ground, crossing the latter on a rock ledge and continuing downstream to Emigrant Creek. mile)theold Southern Oregon Wagon recently walked up an old road below the Road, and present county road, below thepresent, supposedly S o u t h e r n Oregon old Summit Ranch Stage Station. Wagon Road, and downstream from the For the next mile or so, to School Housejunction of Tyler and Sc h 00 1House Ranch,the emigrant trailisbelow the Creeks.It may or may not be on the lo- present road which follows the originalcation of the emigrant trail, oritsfirst stage road most of the distance.Below replacement.Regardless,Ihalf expected the ranch buildings, the roadispoorly as I approached each turn, to meet some kept, but follows the stage road, down thebelated emigrantstillstruggling to get ridge, to what we understand isthe olddown that brush choked and rock filled Tyler Ranch. Between these two ranches gulch.Warning, thereis Poison Oak in the emigrant trail and stage road are prob- abundance here. ably the same. The point or peninsula between the two At this point we run into difficulties.creeks where the emigrant wagons slid off, The GLO survey isuseless except as topresumably into Tyler Creek, may be Or- the general location, and the diarists areson A. Stearns' 'Strychnine Hill". The old of no help, except Pringle, who ws amongroad up the creek bottom is completely the lead wagons in that first year of 1846,washed out above the creek junction, and and wrote that it took them all day towhere it eventually wound up needs fur- snake 3 miles.It can well be believed.Ither research, but time was running short 104. in getting this manuscript to the printer water levels. The Southern Oregon Wagon and I began o tire, so Road was a short distance south of old Much research must be done in thisHighway 66 where it dropped down the area.But, if anyone wishes to hunt outhill from Songer Gap to Hill Creek and thetrail, remember t h i s,the emigrant may also have been the approximate route wagons were high-wheeled and had a high of the Applegate Trail. center of gravity.It was relatively easy to There were riosettlers in Rogue River travel straight up or down hills, but veryValley when the first emigrants arrived, difficult to pass around a side-hill, as thenor until the emigration of 1852 arrived. wagons could easilytip over and often In that year it is possible that a Mr. Hill did, unless held by several men with ropesarrived to settle on the creek named for attachedto the wagons from the upper him.After 1852itseemslikelythat side. ranches were laid out and settled upon Did the emigrantstravel th e Tylerwhich may have changedtheoriginal Creek stream bed at any time, or did theyroute of the emigrant trail. pull Out of the canyon and travel the steep By August18, 1854 when Ives and northern slopes?Again remember, theyHyde made their GLO survey, Hill had were making their own road down a pre- a house and field. This seems to have been viously untraveled canyon, and theyevi- near the old Klamath Junction buildings, dently came through in one day. and was the first house encountered by After reaching and crossing Emigrantthe Stearns wagon train upon their arrival Creek toitsleft bank, a more level flat in Rogue River Valley late in September, was encountered.Following down stream 1853. for over a mile, the trail recrossed Emi- In the beginning the Applegate Trail grant Creek to the right bank just abovebranched from or joined, depending upon the junction of the present graveled roadthe direction being traveled, the old Hud- with Highway 66. It then continued downson's Bay Company Fur Brigade trail at stream with the present highway tothe this point.It was not untilafter gold latter's crossing of Emigrant Creek. Herewas discovered in the Yreka and Jackson- the trail kept down the route of old 66ville vicinities that wagon traffic began to to a point below the mouth of Sampsontravel up and down it, and then only in Creek, where both crossed Emigrant Creekvery limited numbers. Whatever else the to climb the same ravine with the presentApplegate Trail may have accomplished, highway to Songer Gap. it brought to the attention of prospective The present highway s w 1 n g s to thehome seekers, knowledge of a bountious south to cross Hill Creek and join old new land. Highway 99 north of the old Barron Stage As a final word, the "3 miles'traveled Station I/ of a mile or so. Old Highway by Pringle and other emigrants on Oc- 66,afterpassing through Sooger Gap,tober 10, 1846 stand out as one of the swung to the north to cross Hill Creekmost rugged and spectacular trailroutes about 3/4 of a mile north of the present yet viewed by this writer. Highway 66 crossing, and join old High- To retrace their s t e p s, imagine their way 99 at what was once known as Klam-trials and tribulations, makes one wonder ath Junction, now underthe waters ofif they were not a breed far superior to Emigrant Reservoir, at least during highsome of us today.

105. W t.

A. -

I

Through the sand dunes to Black Rock in 1959. a six mile walk without waterin 108 Idegree temperature.

Looking east along the Applegate Trail between Antelope and Rabbit Hole Springs. Antelope Mountains in background. 106.