My husband Glen, our sweet dog, Chloe, and I are off on our
“big trip” as our granddaughter, Lily, describes it. We often take off for a week on Passport In
Time Archaeology projects or for several days working on the trails but a month
is something we haven’t done in years. Our plan is to follow the Oregon-California Trail West to East from Placerville, California to Independence, Missouri.
We started from Placerville on Friday, Sept. 27th
and spent the day traveling to Elko, Nevada.
The California Trail Interpretive Center just west of Elko was our first
stop on Sat.
Several new exhibits have
been added since we were there last. I
liked the 40 Mile Desert exhibit. The
people in the exhibit were realistically really dirty and looking very
discouraged. The ox was huge.
Another exhibit we hadn't seen was about the
Donner Party. The video explaining their
ordeal was projected behind a gauzy screen creating an interesting effect.
Wells, Nevada is the exit for Twin Falls, Idaho. The
Parting of the Ways for the Oregon Trail and the California Trail is east of
Twin Falls so we headed north. At lunch
time we pulled off at Willow Creek where the Bishop Cutoff left the California
trail and headed over low hills to meet the main trail near Wells. There was a carsonite marker indicating the
California Trail but we couldn't see any visible sign of the trail.
Rock Creek Station and the Stricker Home Site was our next stop. It includes the Sticker House, Rock Creek Store, a pioneer cemetery, and numerous outbuildings. This historic site was an early transportation center serving the Oregon Trail, Overland mail stage route, and the Kelton Freight Road.
Rock Creek Station and the Stricker Home Site was our next stop. It includes the Sticker House, Rock Creek Store, a pioneer cemetery, and numerous outbuildings. This historic site was an early transportation center serving the Oregon Trail, Overland mail stage route, and the Kelton Freight Road.
It is off the main roads, southeast
of Twin Falls near Hanson, but it is well worth the time and distance. The Oregon Trail
goes right through it. We pulled in
there after three o’clock and hoped to just be able to look around at the
grounds as the buildings are only open on Sunday afternoon.
Looking west on the Oregon Trail to the RockCreek Store
My great grandfather rode a big, white horse on the Oregon
Trail from Iowa to Walla Walla, Washington in 1864 when he was eight years old
and would certainly have stopped there as it was the only store on the trail
for miles in either direction. His family was with him of course. As we were walking around a man motioned us
to come over to a building that turned out to be a new interpretive
center. Gary Guy is the Site Coordinator
and Care Taker of the site and he very graciously offered to let us into the
center. After spending some time there
he also gave us a tour of the Stricker Home built in 1900. It was really interesting as it hasn’t been
extensively restored and looks much as it did when Lucy Stricker passed away in
1949 including much of the original furniture.
Stricker Home
We pushed on to camp at Massacre Rocks State Park on Saturday night. More on that later.
Dee
