The Oregon Trail Journal

June 25 – We visited the Utter Wagon Train Disaster Route. The worst tragedy on the Oregon Train happened near Castle Creek halfway between present day Grandview and Murphy. During September 9 & 10, 1860, the Elijah P. Otter (or Utter) wagon train consisting of 44 emigrants, eight wagons, and more than 50 head of cattle, had a battle with more than 100 Bannock Indians. During the fight, 11 emigrants and some 25 to 30 Indians were killed. Of the 33 emigrants who survived the battle, 17 died or were killed soon after. No other Oregon Trail wagon train suffered greater loss. I took photographs and coordinates of the historical signboard and the location.

I took photographs and coordinates of three roadside historical signs: “The Utter Disaster,” “War Eagle Mines” and “Diamond Gulch.” I took photographs and coordinates of a historic church with a bell in the tower, and two bridges: McGuffy Railroad Bridge (abandoned), and Adrian Bridge on Roswell Road.

We visited the Owyhee County Museum at Murphy, Idaho and had box lunch at long tables in the meeting room. I took photographs and coordinates of two more roadside historical signs: “Starvation Camp” and “Oregon Trail.”

We stopped at the Keeney Pass Historic Site south of Vale, Oregon. I took photographs and coordinates of several historical signboards. A half-mile of deeply worn ruts may be seen through the pass. The group hiked the one-third mile one way to the overlook but I decided when you have seen one Oregon Trail you have pretty much seen them all.

We arrived at Farewell Bend where I took photographs and coordinates of the historical signs. Farewell Bend was the last camp on the weary journey across the Snake River Plains. Here the Oregon Trail left the Snake River and would overland to the Columbia River. We did not get to see the Van Ornum graves of the Utter Disaster. There was a time change from Mountain to Pacific Time in Huntington, Oregon.

We traveled to the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at Flagstaff Hill. We looked at the exhibits and ate a delicious chuck wagon dinner overlooking the valley and then looked at more exhibits.

We traveled to Baker City and the Best Western Sunridge Inn. I took some photographs at the nearby Visitor Center. I went next door to Sonnys for a beer and blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. I wrote in my journal and went to sleep.

From here the trail route turned north, ascending Ladd Pass to the Grande Ronde valley and the Blue Mountains.