N EWS from the .,. Volume IX, No 21. NEWSLETTER OF nm 0REGON-CAI1FORNIA TRAILS AssocrATION April 1995 THE GREAT PLATTE RlvER ROAD RUNS ~ OCTA Events ~ TO GRAND ISLAND CONVENTION Now that the grass is starting to appear on the prairie, OCTA members are Nebraska to Host the National OCTA Convention, preparmg to head west. Here are some of August 8-12, 1995 the great events scheduled for 1995-for more details, see the Announcements on page 16. by Helen E. Sundell s YOU ARRIVE AT CONVENTION headquarters at the Midtown AprilS-9 California-Nevada Chapter Holiday fun in Grand Island, you will be "camped" on one sponsors Southern Trails A of the trails that followed the Wood River before joining Symposium, Zzyzx, CA. the trail on the north side of the Platte River. From this "camp site," April27 Dr. Norman Wright will convention goers will travel on the Nebraska trails on the north regale Utah Crossroads and south sides of the Platte River, the theme of the 1995 Nebraska with his research on pio­ neer odometers at the Salt convention. Both the speakers and the tours focus on this area of Lake County Commission the trail. Chamber, 7:00 P.M. After the busmess meeting and welcome Wednesday morning, Merrill Mattes, our keynote speaker, will evaluate "The OCTA Rev­ Mayl Nominations due for Friends of the Trail Award. olution," describing the organization's impact on trail preservation and research. To prepare us for our journey along the Platte, Gary May20 Joint Gateway/Trails Head Zaruba, from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, will review chapter field trip. Meet at Pony Express National 19th-century art and artists along the Platte River. Dr. Will Locke, Memorial, 9:00. from Hastings College, Hastings, Nebraska, uses a Mormon hand­ cart replica as part of his program. Convention attendees will have May21-22 Utah Crossroads invades Nevada on a Hastings Cut­ a "hands-on" handcart experience as "Some must push and some off field trip from Pilot must pull." Peak to the Ruby Moun­ Friday's program follows Platte River trail history as Dr. tains. Gilbert Adrian, from Hastings College, speaks about the flora and June 1 Nominations to Awards fauna indigenous to the region. Charles Trimble, an Oglala Sioux Committee due. and president of the Nebraska State Historical Society, will de­ scribe the impact of the western migration on American Indians. June4 National Trails Day. Dr. Jim Hanson, Jr. will deal with the years of the fur trade m Aug. 8-12 Annual National Conven­ Nebraska and Dr. Roger Blair will talk about the years of the tion, Grand Island, NE. (See GRAND ISLAND CONVENTION on page 6) '-----------------....! Page2 NEWS FROM THE PLAINS April 1995 grants did often have swine-and legend holds that. one man crossed at THE EDITOJ~'s CORNER least part of the trail with pigs for power--''swine" appeared nowhere FRIEND DAVID WHITTAKER issue for Robby's continuing adven­ in the acrostic. The correct word is old me history is the most tures on the Bear River and the Hud­ "swale," whose dictionary definition M umbling of professions-­ speth Cutoff. is "a low track of marshy land," but but he could have rephrased this truth Current events crowded out sev­ whose true meaning to all trail as "history and editing." Careful read­ eral interesting historical items that hounds is, "the trace of an old wagon ers will note that News frum the Plains have come my way, but Harold road." has further updated its look, reflecting Schindler contributed a contempo­ John Bidwell's "Earliest Explo­ not only the ongoing evolution of the rary account of Sutter's Fort that con­ rations of Colusa County" caught the newsletter's design, but also a need to firms a long-held suspicion: as a good attention of several readers, notably correct the basic historical integrity of Swiss, the captain pronounced his John R. Gibson of Rocklin, CA. John's our masthead. How, pray tell, can a name Sooter. Experienced Sutter careful examination of the Bidwell masthead be historically incorrect? hands will note how early and suc­ literature turned up a few holes in Two of America's most noted trail ex­ cessfully Sutter promoted his favorite your editor's scholarship. John sent perts and two of my favorite people, fabrications-additional evidence me a copy of C. C. Royce's John Bid­ LaMar Berrett and Greg Franzwa, that you shouldn't believe everything well, Pioneer, Statesman, Philanthropist: wrote to explain. The masthead on you read, even in News from the A Biographical Sketch and Addresses, our January issue showed the drover Plains. (You can believe everything in Reminiscences, Etc., of General John on the right side of the oxen, whereas the excellent historical series Hal is Bidwell, published in Chico in 1907. oxen were always driven from the left writing for The Salt Lake Tribune's ob­ The "Reminiscences" match the Bid­ side. How did a great scholar like servance of the Utah Statehood Cen­ well material in Colusa County so your current editor make such a bone­ tennial.) closely that I must agree with Mr. headed error? As he learns every day, Buffalo Chips has drawn praise Gibson that both versions were taken the breadth of his knowledge is only from several educators who are using from the same source and edited sep­ matched by the depth of his igno­ it in their classrooms, but the feature arately. The source may be Bidwell's rance-perhaps there's a lesson here needs your help. I know every one of recollections in the Bancroft Li­ for other experts, but I suspect it's a this issue's contributors personally­ brary-but perhaps Mike Gillis of lesson I'll have to learn repeatedly. I and I relied on my son for our first California State University at Chico, believe the newsletter's design is piece of artwork. Most depressing is who is working on a Bidwell biogra­ starting to gel, and appreciate the the apparent lack of interest in our phy, can solve these mysteries in many helpful suggestions I've re­ Classroom of the Quarter award-we time for the 1999 OCTA convention ceived from readers. I confess my ini­ received not a single nomination, and in Chico. tial desire to incorporate lots of only a casual comment by my daugh­ "white space" in the design has been ter alerted me to the excellent work r.==============;i overcome by the sheer volume of being done by David Dahlkamp, her OCTA news, and want to issue a blan­ history teacher. I recognize that such NEWS FROM THE ket apology to the many people who journalistic nepotism is not appropri­ PLAINS sent in items that simply didn't fit. ate, but I'm at the mercy of our mem­ We have excellent contributions bers. I hope to move the text to an Ed- to enliven our annual convention ucators' page and fill Buffalo Chips issue. Helen Sundell outlines some of with kid's stuff-pictures, poems and Editor Will Bagley the fun to be had at this summer's puzzles. If you don't like Buffalo Assistant Editor Robert Hoshide OCTA convention in Grand Island. Chips, ignore it, and it will go away. Jay Mennenga describes the history of Otherwise, parents and teachers, con­ Copyright© 1995 by the Nebraska's Fort Kearny. Treasurer tribute. Oregon-California Trails Jim Budde presents his annual reports Association on OCTA's finances. Robby Gun­ stream takes us over the Oregon Trail WOOPS 1451 Kensington Avenue through Wyoming and Idaho, explor­ Salt Lake City, UT 84105-2647 our weary editor somehow ing the Sublette Cutoff on a modem­ (801) 487-3727 managed to confuse pigs with day muleback expedition that will ex­ E-Mail: [email protected] cite the admiration and envy of all Yswales in the January 1995 trail lovers. Stay tuned in our next "Overland Acrostic." While emi- Ne~d Sub1nissinn Dei1dlinc for Nn1 1~_!1·uw t/1e l1/11i11;j is June 1, 1 YlJ5 April 1995 NEWS FROM THE PLAINS Page3 ITH SPRING ALWAYS COMES the familiar itch to tune up the old 4-wheel-drive COR.NER Wand start working on the trail. But as TH,E PRESIDENT'S Randy Brown reminds us, how we go about this task tells a lot about our real interest. Is it really his­ OCTA is incorporated, require that 50 percent or more of toric trails preservation? Or is it just to have a good time our members must return their ballots for an election of di­ with friends in the great outdoors? rectors to be legal. If the former, why is it that Randy's National Trails For this reason, it is important to vote even if you don't Marking Committee has received no reports-not one-of know the candidates. You really can't go far wrong because trails marking activities by chapters? For the lack of docu­ every name on the ballot that you will soon receive is mentation, it appears, a lot of the Carsonite markers we someone who is more than qualified to serve. So study the have put in the ground might as well be on the moon. candidates and make your choices. Then make sure to get What makes this question compelling today is that your ballot in the mail. OCTA has been entrusted under the National Park Ser­ Now, from all indications, Helen Sundell and her Ne­ vice's Challenge Cost Share Program to place hundreds of braska team have done an outstanding job in arranging for markers on major trails over the next two years.