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Route of Meek Cut-off, 1845 by Lawrence A. McNary
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3907746Oregon Historical Quarterly, Volume 35 — Route of Meek Cut-off, 1845Lawrence A. McNary
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THE

Oregon Historical Quarterly

Volume XXXV
MARCH, 1934
Number 1

ROUTE OF MEEK CUT-OFF, 1845

By Lawrence A. McNary

After the early 1840s the course of the Oregon trail from the Missouri River to the Columbia was generally established and known. Beyond the Grande Ronde Valley and the Blue Mountains in Oregon the trail varied, and while most of the immigrants crossed the John Day River near what is now McDonald Ferry, and the Deschutes River near the Columbia, others later went more southerly and met the Deschutes at Sherars, and still further up stream. Some pioneer parties reached the Willamette Valley by way of Klamath and Tule basins, and Rogue and Umpqua valleys; others through the Cascade Range to the upper Willamette. But the most frequent objective was the Columbia at The Dalles, and thence to Oregon City by water, or, after 1845, to the south of Mount Hood by what is known as the Barlow trail. The pioneer hazards and vicissitudes of the following years were common to all, varied by individual trains' experiences en route, with stream and mountain crossings, Indian depredations and life taking, and the dreaded fevers.

Some 250 wagons of the migration of 1845 were met on the Snake River by Stephen Meek, who sought to guide them by what he claimed was a shorter and quicker route to the Willamette, south of the Blue Mountains, instead of the accustomed trail to the northwest. About 200 wagons were prevailed upon by Meek, and the trials experienced before reaching The Dalles included high mountain passes, burning sands without water, pursuing stream beds with water reaching high on the wagons, finding placer gold, crossing swift waters in wagon boxes, much sickness, and final arrival by aid of a rescue party. The experiences of the Meek “cut-off” people have attracted much inter​est, and yet are so little known as to facts that legend seems to predominate.

Jesse Harritt, then a man near 30 years of age, and cattle driver in the company of which James McNary was captain, kept a record of the daily advance from the Missouri River to The Dalles. This diary was published in the Transactions of the Oregon Pioneer Association of 1910 and 1911, under the trustful attention of George H. Himes, venerable secretary of the association, but from the many fragmentary accounts and stories of the particular route of the 200 wagons in question, it seems that the information contained in the Harritt record has been singularly overlooked. It is thought that that part of the diary having to do with the way across the state of Oregon from the Snake River to the Columbia, will make clear to the present generation and those to come some of the uncertainties thus long prevailing. Commencing with the crossing of the Snake River it is given, and with the distances and landmarks mentioned there can be little doubt where the immigrants were from day to day. Beginning with August 23 and ending with October 7, 1845, the Harritt diary says:

August 23. Four miles brought us down to Fort Boise. This fort is situated on the north bank of Lewis or Snake River and is owned by the Hudson Bay Company; crossed over to the south side where we encamped.

August 24. Leaving the river we traveled a southwest course over a good road; made an advance of 12 miles and encamped on a stream affording grass and willows.[1]

August 25. Here we left the former route; bearing a little south of west we steered our course over a tolerable good road 13 miles and encamped on the same stream; found grass and a few willows.

August 26. Proceeded 10 miles further up the creek and encamped; found grass and a few willows; had about four miles of very bad road; balance good.

August 27. Commenced winding our way through the Blue Mountains; at noon we left this pleasant stream to the left, turning gradually to the northwest; traveled over a tolerable bad road, reached the head of a small sinking rivulet affording excellent water and timber, cottonwood, willow and alder, the latter being the principal part, of which there is some of the largest I ever saw, measuring from 12 to 14 inches in diameter; traveled 12 miles.

​August 28. Turned to the southwest, passed over a range of mountains; had bad road; traveled five miles and encamped on a small stream; found but little grass; wood plenty.

August 29. Traveled 12 miles over the mountain; had bad road; encamped at a good spring affording plenty water for camp use; none for stock; found tolerable good grass and a few willows.

August 30. Had a fine shower of rain last night. This morning the fog was so thick that we had great difficulty in collecting our cattle; made a start at nine o'clock; traveled 10 miles over huge mountains and encamped on Hill Fork, a beautiful little branch; found good grass and willows; a few rods from us was a warm spring bursting from the side of a lofty mountain—a little above blood heat.

August 31. Road tolerable good; made an advance of five miles and encamped on a stream affording the best of water; grass and timber in abundance.

September 1. Made a small move of five miles over bad road and encamped on the same stream opposite Fremont's Peak,[2] one of the loftiest points of the Blue Mountains; found good grass, and alder timber in abundance.

September 2. Made an early start over bad road for three miles; broke one axletree, which detained us about two hours; balance of the road tolerable good; traveled 12 miles and encamped on a small rivulet winding its way through a level valley, with its margin beautifully adorned with small willows.

September 3. Made a new axletree; started late; had good road; traveled seven miles and encamped on the South Fork of Malheur River; found good grass and willows.

September 4. Made an advance of 11 miles and encamped in a deep hollow out of which proceeded a number of fine springs, affording us as good water as ever run, with a few small willows.

September 5. As we advanced we gradually ascended a beautiful mountain; gained the top, upon which grew a number of pine and cedar trees; a few miles further a beautiful landscape appeared to sight; to the west a large valley, to the southwest the Cascade Mountains; to the northwest was the Columbia River. We gradually descended this lofty mountain, entered the valley, down which we proceeded five miles; came to a beautiful little rivulet with its banks shaded by a few small willows, where we encamped, having come 12 miles.[3]

September 6. Continued down this rich valley 14 miles and encamped on Crooked River,[4] a small murmuring stream running to the south, shaded on its banks by a few willows. As we advanced this morning the beautiful scenery increased. This ​valley is one of the most sublime places I ever saw; it is from appearance from 30 to 50 miles wide from north to south the length of which I am not able to determine; the soil is rich and beautifully set over with fine grass intermixed with patches of sage; the mountains to the north in places are thickly set with pine and cedar[5] timber.

September 7. Road beautiful and level; traveled 16 miles; crossed one small stream and encamped on the northern margin of a large lake;[6] had an abundance of fine grass; no wood except sage.

September 8. Road continues delightful; had 10 horses stolen last night by the Indians; travel 10 miles and encamped on a small stream[7] affording good grass and a few small willows. A dreadful occurrence a few minutes after we were in camp,—a sudden death of one infant by that disease which has been fatal before in our company,—the whooping cough.

September 9. Attended to the burial of the deceased this morning before we started; made a start at 10 o'clock; traveled six miles over a delightful road and encamped at a spring; found no wood, and but little grass.

September 10. Made a late start; traveled a west course over a tolerable level road, though very stony in places; found no grass nor water for 25 miles; at one o'clock this morning we gradually descended a long slope; found a good spring affording an abundance of water, and grass, with a few willows.[8]

September 11. Laid by all day to rest our teams.

September 12. Made a small move of five miles and encamped on a small branch; found tolerable grass and cedar timber in abundance.

September 13. Made a start; traveled three miles, met the men who had accompanied the pilot[9] in search of water; found none; we returned to our old encampment and stopped for the night.

September 14. Laid still all day waiting the return of the pilot; he returned late in the evening; found no water.

September 15. Dispatched a company of men with their pack horses loaded with water and provision in search of water.

September 16. The hunters returned this morning at nine o'clock; found water in 25 miles; in a few minutes the companies were in parade for their oxen, made a general collection of stock; between four o'clock and sundown about 80 wagons left the branch for the next encampment; travel all night. At daybreak we reached the place of encampment at a small mountain stream,[10] winding its way through a level valley; found no wood except sage which grew in abundance near its margin; having come 25 miles, we stopped to take some refreshment and rest our teams.

September 17. After taking some refreshment we yoked ​our teams at two o'clock P.M.; traveled six miles and encamped on Sandy,[11] a delightful stream running to the northwest, affording an abundance of fine grass; no wood.

September 18. Three miles down we crossed over to the west side and after a travel of 12 miles we encamped at a good spring; found good grass and some cedar timber.

September 19. Made an advance of 12 miles and encamped again on Sandy; found grass and a few small willows.

September 20. Continued down the creek; passed through several narrow avenues where the mountains closed in on both sides, where we were compelled to follow down the channel of the creek for several hundred yards in water up to our wagon beds; continued to follow its meanders, crossing its channel a number of times; after an advance of 13 miles we encamped; found grass and willows.

September 21. Down the creek 10 miles; had bad road; we encamped; found grass, willow and cedar timber in abundance.

September 22. Three miles brought us to the foot of a huge mountain,[12] where we commenced ascending through thick cedar timber; at two o'clock P.M. we gained the top, the scene of the country became beautiful and level; passed through several groves of pine and cedar timber; at 11 o'clock we came to a stream affording an abundance of grass and timber, where we encamped, having come 14 miles.

September 23. Started late; had good road; traveled 12 miles; stopped at nine o'clock at a spring; found good grass; no wood except a little sage.

September 24. Road good; traveled 14 miles through the level plain and stopped for the night without wood or water.

September 25. Made an early start; traveled six miles and encamped on Chutes or Fall River.[13] This river is the most singular in character of any we have seen; it washes the eastern margin of the Cascade Mountains and flows with a rapid current through a deep cavern of rock, having a channel from 20 to 30 yards wide and is from 300 to 400 feet below the level plain.

September 26. Turned a northeast direction; traveled three miles and encamped at a good spring in company with about 200 wagons.[14]

September 27. Laid by all day to rest.

September 28. Traveled eight miles and encamped on a small branch;[15] found good grass and wood.

September 29. This morning we ascended a huge mountain;[16] were compelled to double our teams; gained the top at 12 o'clock we continued our journey over the level plain until eight o'clock, when we encamped on the margin of a bluff, down which we descended 200 feet and found a small stream of ​water[17] shaded by a beautiful grove of pine trees; distance 10 miles.

September 30. Traveled 10 miles and encamped on a small branch; found a few willows.[18]

October 1. Had bad road; traveled six miles and encamped at a good spring; found a few willows.[19]

October 2. Road continues bad; traveled four miles and encamped on Chutes or Fall River.[20]

October 3. Spent the day in crossing the river. Had no timber to make boats; were compelled to make boats of our wagon beds to cross our families and goods.

October 4. Rigged our wagons, loaded up and traveled three miles to a delightful stream shaded by a few cottonwood trees, where we encamped for the night.[21]

October 5. Traveled 12 miles and encamped in a beautiful white oak grove;[22] found no water.

October 6. Made an early start; traveled five miles to a branch,[23] where we stopped to take breakfast, rested two hours and started again; five miles further brought us to another stream[24] where we encamped for the night.

October 7. Eight miles brought us to the mission[25] on the Columbia River, where we got a fresh supply of provisions.

Fort Boise being at the confluence of the Boise River with the Snake almost west of Parma, Idaho, the crossing of the latter and a southwest course of 12 miles took the train to the Owyhee, which enters the Snake from the south, a few miles upward from Fort Boise. The succeeding two days' travel was still along or near the Owyhee, while the next four days (northwest and westerly) took them through the mountainous region between the watershed of the Owyhee and that of the South Fork of the Malheur. The next four days (westerly) to the South Fork of the Malheur River a few miles above the entrance of Middle Fork.

September 4th and 5th, still proceeding westerly, approach was made on the latter day to the "beautiful valley," but being ​the level plateau east of Malheur Lake, known now as Crane Prairie. It may well have had the appearance of a valley to the travelers. The next encampment is designated as on Crooked River, an inconsequential stream from the north, entering the lake basin. The 7th brought them to Malheur Lake, and while the printed text does not state which side, the original diary locates the encampment on the northern margin. September 8th, 9th and 10th, travel was along or near Silvies River and to the west of its watershed. On the 12th, probably on the present Silver Creek.

From the last point, Stephen Meek and the train in charge met with difficulties which have been variously attributed to want of knowledge by the pilot, deliberate deceit, or incompetence, with the result of several days' delay, fear of Indians, and much suffering. It would appear from the statement of those versed in the geography of the region that Meek led the course to the south and west, where desert exists, instead of to the northwest, where on the morning of the 17th the headwaters of the now Crooked River were reached after a night advance of 25 miles. The writer is not unmindful that claim is made to the train having gone as far west and south as Wagontire Mountain, and indeed since there were several companies, each under separate command, individual divergence may have been as far as the Wagontire region, but the mileage given by Mr. Harritt does not permit this.

At the encampment made on the morning of the 17th, or that of the night of the same day, was the discovery of the much written and talked of "Blue Bucket" gold mine. The Herren family, later well-known residents of Marion County, carried buckets and other utensils of the trip, painted blue, for ready distinction from other equipment. Some of the younger members of the family were sent for camp water, who noted yellow pebbles in the stream bed, several at least of which were deposited in the buckets and taken to camp. Probabilities of gold were discussed, and upon the statement that if gold the metal would be malleable, some one of the party (possibly James Terwilliger, after whom the Portland boulevard was named, as he was the blacksmith of one company), hammered the nugget ​into a disc on a wagontire. The father of the writer, who was then 18 years of age, told of witnessing this. No excitement or much interest was exhibited, as concerns of more import were in the minds of all. The golden pebbles, however, were brought to the Willamette Valley, but whether preserved is not known.

September 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st, they were still on or near the Crooked River and morning of 22nd about five miles below present Prineville, when they ascended to the plateau before reaching the great gorge. The next 32 miles brought them to the breaks of the Deschutes River about 11 miles northwest of present Madras, above present Mecca. Either the crossing appearing impracticable or the country beyond difficult of negotiation, they turned northeast three miles and encamped at Sagebrush Spring "with 200 wagons," this being about one mile west of the present highway and four miles from its crossing of Hay Creek. The next encampment was on the now line between Jefferson and Wasco counties, at the Bolter place. The "huge" mountain, on the morning of the 29th, was the ascent to the plateau to the west, and a few miles south of the junction of the Dalles-California and Sherman highways. The following three days were to the Deschutes at the mouth of Buck Hollow Creek, by way of the upper branches of Bakeoven Creek.

The descent of the train down the precipitous incline of Kerr Point, between Kerr Canyon and Buck Hollow, and the crossing of the Deschutes River here, were perhaps the most adventurous work of these travelers of plains and mountains, across the state. The scars of the wheels, deepened and widened by the winds and snows of intervening years, still are to be seen, as are they at other places. The level flat on the east side of Buck Hollow from the bed of this stream at Kerr Canyon to the Deschutes, a distance of a mile, terminated with a perpendicular wall of basalt 20 to 30 feet high at the latter stream. The crossing was solved by the wagons entering the bed of Buck Hollow Creek where first met, and following this stream down to the water level of the Deschutes. The wagon boxes were calked and the crossing made by the improvised boats, which were either pulled by line from the opposite shore or behind the swimming oxen. Here the unusually rapid stream has consider

  1. ↑ The Owyhee River enters the Snake from the south, a few miles above the Boise River, from the north. This encampment was on the Owyhee.
  2. ↑ There appears no mountain now known as Fremont's Peak, in this vicinity, but this being soon after Fremont's trip from the Columbia River to California, a prominence may have been known locally by this name.
  3. ↑ Ascending from the watershed of South Malheur River, to the now Crane prairie.
  4. ↑ A small stream from the north, toward the lake basin, and not the present Crooked River.
  5. ↑ Juniper.
  6. ↑ Malheur Lake.
  7. ↑ Silvies River.
  8. ↑ Leaving Silvies River Valley.
  9. ↑ Stephen H. L. Meek.
  10. ↑ Headwaters of Crooked River.
  11. ↑ Crooked River.
  12. ↑ Ascent from Crooked River Valley to the plateau to the north, about five miles west of Prineville.
  13. ↑ About 11 miles northwest of Madras.
  14. ↑ Sagebrush Spring.
  15. ↑ Present highway crossing of Trout Creek, at the Bolter place.
  16. ↑ Ascending from Trout Creek Valley, west to the plateau.
  17. ↑ Bakeoven Creek.
  18. ↑ Tributary of Buck Hollow Creek.
  19. ↑ Near east side of Buck Hollow.
  20. ↑ Confluence of Buck Hollow Creek with Deschutes River.
  21. ↑ This stream is on the place now owned by E. L. Webb of Tygh Valley.
  22. ↑ Tygh ridge.
  23. ↑ Fifteenmile Creek or Pine Hollow.
  24. ↑ Eightmile Creek.
  25. ↑ The Dalles.
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