OREGON-CALIFOR NIA TRAILS ASSOCIATIO N =NEWS FROM THE PLAINS= WINTER2011 VOL:XXVI NO. I Construction Near Mountain Meadows Site Historic Trails Damaged by Pipeline By John Krizek Lake to Southern California wagon had clipped and sliced its way across OCTA Board Member road (1848-ca. l 869), originally historic trail paths. developed to connect the new "It appears to be a case of various Pipeline construction in southern Mormon settlement in Utah with cultural resource evaluations required Utah has caused significant damage the west coast, is being considered for construction approvals not to historic trails in Holt Canyon near for inclusion in the National Historic adequately identifying such historic the infamous Mountain Meadows Trail System. The two trails roughly resources," Smith said. "The pipeline massacre site. overlap for several miles in Holt contractor apparently was operating Portions of the Old Spanish Canyon, approximately 35 miles within their established corridor. National Historic Trail and the Salt west of Cedar City, UT. But the corridor was too wide, and Lake to Southern California wagon The mostly-underground UNEV should never have been allowed road were damaged, according to T. pipeline is a 399-mile project to run through such a historically Michael Smith, preservation officer designed to carry petroleum products sensitive area. Tragically for our of the Crossroads Chapter of the between Woods Cross, UT, and Las American history, destruction of a Oregon-California TrailsAssociation. Vegas, NV. Several weeks ago, National Historic Trail segment has The Old Spanish Trail (1829-48) was Smith and Al Matheson of the Old been the result." a pack train route connecting Santa Spanish Trail Association (OSTA) Additionally worrisome, according Fe and Southern California. The Salt noticed the pipeline construction to Smith, is a proposal to put a transmission line across the Mountain Meadows National Historic Site, at the south end of Holt Canyon. In 1857, some 120 men, women and children, members of an Arkansas­ to-California wagon train, were killed at the site by a Mormon militia and Indians. Many of their bodies are interred in a mass grave at a monument at the site. While the extent ofthe trail damage is still being assessed, as part of the mitigation for this trail damage OCTA is working with OSTA, the Bureau of Land Management, and the pipeline contractors to better mark the trails and avoid additional damage. The UNEV Pipeline project Damage to the historic trail is clearly evident at the right ofthis photo, where is a partnership between Holly the newly disturbed ground crosses the trail. (Photo by Al Matheson) C01poration and Sinclair Oil. on11ut1-C.\Ufo,~:A '•HILS •S,,)t!Afl:l~ 2011 OCTA Officers Officers, except Preservation Officer, are voting members of the Board NEWS~PLAINS: Bill Martin, President, 706 Country Club Road, Georgetown, TX 78628; Wmtet 2011 Vol. XXVI No l [email protected] l=dllszc Duane lies, Vice President, P.O. Box 310, Holton, KS 66436; [email protected] Candy Moulton Star Route Box 29 Lethene Parks, Secretary, 13020 NE 93rd Street, Vancouver, WA 98682; Encampment, WY 82325 [email protected] 307/327-5465 [email protected] Marvin Burke, Treasurer, 10548 Quivas, Northglenn, CO 80234; [email protected] ConldbYting Editors Leslie R. Fryman, National Trail Preservation Officer, 6944 La Havre Way, Citrus Heights, CA 95621; [email protected] Sm Martin Deborah & Jon Lawrence Glenn Harrison, Past President, 1132 30th PL. SW, Albany, OR 97321- Travis Boley 3419; [email protected] Kathy Conway 2011 OCTA Board of Directors Frank "Pinky0 Ellis, Casper, WY Committee A - Headquarters, Oregon-California Trails jnellis_ [email protected] Operations, and Publications Association Patricia KA. Fletcher, Chair Patricia Etter, Mesa, AZ. Patricia Etter News from the Platns [email protected] Matthew Ivory Published quarterly Paul Massee Patricia KA Fletcher, Sequim, WA P.O. Box 1019 Duane lies, V-P, Officer Liaison [email protected] Independence, MO Committee B - Finances, Grants, 64051-0519 Matthew Ivory, West Valley City, UT Long Range Planning, and 88M11--6282 [email protected] 816-836-0989 (fax) Governance [email protected] Doug Jenson, Idaho Falls, ID Barbara Nether1and, Chair [email protected] Pinky Ellis Doug Jenson Copyright 2011 John Krizek, Prescott, AZ. Quackgrass Sally [email protected] Marvin Burke, Treasurer, Officer Liaison OCTA 16 a 501(-c)(3} Fem Linton, Green River, WY Committee C - Preservation, Not For Profit °'1}anltabon [email protected] Collections, Public Relations, and Property Management ••• Barb Netherland, Scottsbluff, NE Fem Linton, Chair [email protected] John Krizek News From the Plains Bil!Symms Paul Massee, Gig Harbor, OR Pat Surrena [email protected] Lethene Parks, Secretary, Spring Issue Deadline Officer Liaison Quackgrass Sally, Bridger, MT [email protected] February 24, 2011 Bill Martin, President & ex officio on all Pat Surrena, Littleton, CO committees mtnman [email protected] Send materials to [email protected] Bill Symms, Yachats, OR [email protected] Page 2 Winter 2011 Preservation Workshop: Learning About and Enjoying Trails By Ted Heil Welch thoroughly covered these locations of some of the long-gone OCTA Nebraska Chapter topics, and· by the end of the road ranch buildings are marked with workshop we could recognize the fence posts close to the creek. How can you distinguish between different classes of trails and how to We explored the entire site, different conditions of a historic describe and document them. walking in the very paths the traders trail-is it unaltered, used. or We learned about principles oftrail and emigrants took on their way to verified? How can you identify the location and verification, how to find and from Santa Fe. It was exciting kind of trail segment in which you and research historical resources, and and awe-inspiring to be there and stand-is it a depression, swale, rut, check the reliability of physical and envision the sights and sounds of or track? The best way I know is to get document evidence. The mapping wagons, drivers, mules, horses, and to an OCTA-sponsored Preservation portion of the training even included other travelers on the trail. You can of Historic Trails Workshop. the practical use ofGlobal Positioning learn more about the site's history at < In the company of 20 or so fellow System (GPS) receivers to ensure the www.santafetrailresearch.com/main­ trail enthusiasts, I had the opportunity most accurate possible identification rnute/santa-fe-chisholm-trail.html>. to attend such a workshop in July. of trail locations. After hiking around the pasture, om Participants from Kansas, Nebraska, The workshop next considered hosts provided a wonderful picnic Oklahoma, and even Colorado marking the trail, and the policies lunch, which we enjoyed under the gathered in Galva, KS, to learn that OCTA has in place that cover shade of some old homestead trees. how to map, mark, and monitor trail the various types of markers and So what did I learn at the segments. installation. We learned how visual Preservation Workshop? The site of the workshop in inspection and photographic records I learned all about OCTA's program McPherson County offered a can be used to monitor the trail for mapping, marking, and monitoring unique locati9n for our education, segments, and that collaborations our historic trails. I learned there as numerous historic. trails cross the with landowners can help maintain is much that can be done, even on area, including the Santa Fe Trail. the integrity ofthe segments. the eastern end of the trails where Cherokee Trail, Chisholm Trail, and The workshop also included agricultural land use has eradicated several old Indian trails. The weather discussion about the legal aspects of most visible trail segments. Research was hot, as you would expect for July mapping, marking, and monitoring is needed to verify and document in central Kansas, but it didn't keep trails on both public and private land, routes as accurately and precisely as us from learning about preservation and OCTA resources to support the practicable, and if possible mark the and getting out to see some wonderful activities of local chapters. trail to ensure its location and history Santa Fe Trail segments. For our field exercise on Sunday is remembered in the future. The workshop materials, developed morning, we had the privilege of Right now it's mostly book learning by OCTA members, included visiting S()me well-preserved Class for me, but I'm looking forward to an information binder for each l swales of the Santa Fe Trail on applying what I've learned to increase participant as well as the Mapping private land. The pasture (located at our knowledge and understanding Emigrant Trails (MET) Guide, both N 38.42613 W 97.32286) has never of the trails. I learned a wonderful of which have been refined and been broken and is the site ofFrench quote from Welch, who, in response revised over the years. (The MET Frank's road ranch about six miles to a question about walking in trail Guide is available online as a PDF SW of the Santa Fe Trail's well­ segments, said, "It's okay to walk file on OCTA's web site.) known Cottonwood Creek crossing. in the trails. The trails were made Our presenter was David Welch, If you look at the pasture using an by people who walked there before OCTA's funner National Preservation Internet map viewer (such as Google us. We're not trying to keep people Officer. The training centered on Maps), you can see it is almost the last from going near trails, we want them the three primary activities of trail visible trace before the trail is lost in to enjoy and appreciate them." mapping, marking, and monitoring.