Driving down Interstate 84 today, you might be forgiven for thinking your route follows that taken by the pioneers of the middle 19th century coming to the new lands of Oregon. The hardest part of the Oregon Trail came at the end, from The Dalles through the Cascades. Before the Barlow Trail became a viable alternative in 1847, pioneer families put their wagons onto handmade rafts floating them through Columbia Gorge, whitewater of the Cascades Rapids and all. The river served as a highway for Lewis and Clark in their journey to the Pacific Ocean. It did not serve as such a fine route for the settlers who came later. But today, we focus on the Trail crossing the arid Columbia Plateau.

The Columbia Plateau in Oregon stretches in a west – east direction for over a hundred miles. Fairly level, it slowly gains elevation to the south before rising into the western extension of the Blue Mountains, a range demarcating the easter end of the plateau. The Columbia River runs a canyon marked by sand dunes in many areas. Tall basalt cliffs rise directly out of the river in many places.

OREGON TRAIL NEAR THE END

I have written in earlier posts about the Barlow Trail option pioneers had after 1847. Here, they traded the pitfalls of the river for an arduous journey up and around the south side of Mt Hood.

Another post described the final parts of the Oregon Trail as it crossed the John Day River before finally reaching the Columbia near Deschutes Crossing. Wagons then headed up through Fairbanks Gap. Scaling above the cliffs on the south side of the river, the Trail avoided steep riverside cliffs along the Columbia near Celilo Falls.

The wagons then descended the lower part of Fifteenmile Creek into The Dalles. There the pioneers had a decision to make. To take the river route through the mountains or continue with their wagons south on the Barlow Trail.

OREGON TRAIL IN OREGON

How many people came west on the Oregon Trail? I have seen estimates of 250,000, 400,000 and even 500,000. That is a lot of people, livestock and wagons. The Trail in Oregon is the last section of a journey running from Missouri through Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho before finally crossing the Snake River into Oregon.

The path taken by pioneers in Oregon parallels Interstate 84 in large sections. Both Trail and Interstate come northwesterly from Farewell Bend on the Snake River. They then move up through the Burnt River to the Powder River valley. From there, they went through the Grand Ronde valley. Then it was up through the Blue Mountains and rolling north by northwest down into the Umatilla River valley. as far as where the small town of Echo stands today.

deviations from the norm

Prior to 1847, most pioneers headed up to the Whitman Mission – Waiilatpu – on the Walla Walla River. From there, they followed that river to its confluence with the Columbia following the Columbia west from there. After the killings at the Mission, the overlanders cut out the northward jaunt. This shortened distance and time on the trail.

Remember, the Oregon Trail was not some established highway on which the pioneers set out upon. There were always minor branches going off this way and that. From Echo, one path followed the Umatilla River to its confluence with the Columbia. Another option led across the arid Columbia Plateau to find the Columbia where Boardman is today.

Going downstream from either of these intersections with the Columbia meant the pioneers faced serious cliffs, shifting sand dunes and a scarcity of wood along the river front further along especially between the Willow Creek and John Day confluences with the Columbia, a serious problem when moving with a wagon.

ARMY COMES WEST TO PROTECT

The U.S. Regiment of Mounted Riflemen organized at Jefferson Barracks in St Louis, Missouri in 1846 under the command of Colonel Persifor F. Smith. The regiment was organized originally to protect travelers on the Oregon Trail, but the Mexican War intervened. Fighting without their horses – the horses lost in a storm as the regiment sailed across the Gulf of Mexico to Veracruz – the regiment played a large role in General Winfield Scott’s campaign gaining the general’s praise for their role.

Colonel Smith saw himself promoted to brigade commander during the campaign, with William Loring assuming command of the regiment back at Jefferson Barrack in 1848. A year later, in response to the Whitman killings, the regiment marched out along the Oregon Trail to fulfill the original purpose of their existence. Leaving two companies at Fort Laramie and another two at Fort Hall on the Snake River, the other companies reached Oregon City in November 1849.

Their route followed the Umatilla River to the Columbia skirting the Columbia Plateau to the north. The difficult travails of the Riflemen and other groups along this route led most overlanders to take a better path.

A BETTER PATH? THE COLUMBIA PLATEAU

The path most took headed west from Echo, paralleling the Columbia about eight to ten miles south. Wagons crossed dry lands of the vast Columbia Plateau with springs set roughly a day’s journey apart over ground that was relatively flat.

From Echo, the pioneers headed to the first main watering hole at Butter Creek. One of the few places wagon ruts can be still seen is nearby at the Echo Meadows Trailhead just north of the Oregon Trail Road a little over five miles west from Echo.

Continuing west on the Oregon Trail Road to its intersection with Oregon Highway 207, if you turn north for about 0.75 miles, there is a small roadside sign mentioning the trail crossing at Butter Creek, close to where Madison Road crosses the small creek.

BOMBING RANGE PRESERVING HISTORY

The Trail heads west across irrigated fields becoming lost for a few miles before reappearing inside the Boardman Bombing Range. You can see the tracks on Google Maps, but not in person. To find where the Trail comes out of the Bombing Range make your way to Wells Springs. From the east, head south on Oregon 207. Turn right onto Bombing Range Road – there is an Oregon Trail route sign pointing the way – after about 13 miles.

The Oregon Trail signed route will take you eventually back to Boardman and I-84 along the east side of the Navy’s Boardman Bombing Range. But instead of going all the way, turn left – west – onto Little Juniper Road after a mile and a half. In a little over three miles, turn right – north – onto Well Spring Road. Here, you are off pavement, but onto a good gravel road. Windmills of the Wheatridge Wind Farm can be seen to the north of Little Juniper and east of Well Spring Roads.

Two miles north, the road comes to the southern border of the Bombing Range. The road turns left – west – becoming Immigrant Lane. In less than a mile, Well Spring is off on the left opposite the range.

BOMBS AND HISTORY

There is a seven-mile segment of the Oregon Trail running through the Bombing Range. To hike this section, you have to get permission from the Naval Weapons Station at 541-481-2565. Note that the area has been leased by ranchers. Included in this segment are continuous wagon ruts. There are also bomb craters from practice bombing near the end of World War Two. Luckily, the craters did not destroy any of the Trail.

On the side of Immigrant Lane is the foundation of an old stage station. Well Spring does not bubble as much as in the past, water levels affected by nearby wells used for irrigation.

About 400 feet to the west on the north side of the road is a one of the largest pioneer cemeteries along the Oregon section of the Trail. There is a marker for Colonel Cornelius Gilliam who died in a gun accident here during the Cayuse War in 1848. His gun caught on a rope he was retrieving from the bottom of a wagon. The gun went off killing him.

WILLOW CREEK AND FOURMILE CANYON

After about five miles further to the west, Immigrant Lane turns left – south – for another mile before another 90 degree turn to the west as it intersects Oregon Highway 74 at the hamlet of Cecil. Pioneers could rest their cattle here at the waters of Willow Creek before making the next long two-day push over to the John Day River crossing.

Turn right onto the highway and then left onto Cecil Lane. In about 200 feet, after crossing over Willow Creek, turn right onto Fairview Lane. Fairview Lane heads north a short distance before turning up a ravine to move up out of the Willow Creek valley. On the ridge are more windmills part of the Willow Creek Wind Farm. Fairview Lane approximates the Trail route which ran a little to the north. In about three miles the lane intersects with Fourmile Canyon Road where you veer right.

About a half mile on, the BLM erected the Fourmile Canyon Historic Site. Shepherds Flat Wind Farm windmills are on the ridges to the south here. A little over a mile on Fourmile Canyon, turn left onto Eightmile Canyon Road and head south about one mile to Oregon Trail. Make a right and in about a mile continue to the right – the road is now Montague Lane. A little over a half mile and you reach Oregon Highway 19.

Turn left for a quarter mile to see an Oregon Trail plaque honoring W. M. Weatherford along the highway before retracing your steps to the north. Weatherford who walked the trail at 17. Eventually, he settled as a wheat farmer in the area just north which is today the small Shuttler Flat Industrial Area alongside the west side of the highway.

DOWN TO THE JOHN DAY RIVER

Turn right onto Cedar Springs Road – passing through the Shuttler Flat Industrial area with spare windmill blades lying about – in another quarter mile past Montague Lane. Here the Oregon Trail is reaching for the John Day River. But in doing so, you first pass the giant Waste Management Landfill set amidst windmills of the Leaning Juniper Wind Farm. The landfill buries wastes from the metropolitan Seattle and Portland areas – Seattle wastes arrive by train while Portland deliveries come by truck. Methane created by the decaying garbage is also used in a small electric generating plant. The sweet, sick smell of garbage decay will keep the car moving quickly down the valley.

Next door is Chemical Waste Management which is the only landfill in the State to take care of hazardous wastes. They recently were hit with a penalty for accepting 2.5 million pounds of radioactive fracking wastes from North Dakota.

Reaching Cedar Springs took the pioneers a long day from Willow Creek. Be careful around the ranch next to the road. The sign warning about livestock on the road is quite accurate. Especially if you take the hard right onto Blalock Canyon Road at the ranch, to head north back to Interstate 84.

Passing on down the road past Cedar Springs, continue straight on as Blalock Canyon Road goes off to the right. About a mile further, turn to the right onto Lower Rock Creek Lane dropping down to the McDonald Crossing of the John Day River in about two miles. The actual trail stayed higher up only coming down to the river above the actual crossing. Wagon ruts are still visible descending from the plateau above.

THE REST OF THE STORY

I have already included a post about the Trail on the other side. The Trail ascended out of the John Day canyon onto the plateau of Sherman County – the Columbia Plateau still – before eventually dropping down to the Columbia River, finally, near Biggs Junction and crossing the Deschutes River a little further downstream.

To return to Interstate 84, retrace the miles back up Lower Rock Creek Lane to Cedar Springs and turn left when you reach Blalock Canyon Road. This drops you onto the interstate in about five miles. Again, watch out for livestock on the road.