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| OCTA CA-NV Chapter Trails History | Updated on December 8, 2005 |
| Yahoo Overland_Trails Discussion List |
| Lassen Thread Message # 24 |
| date | November 28, 2005 |
| author | Stafford Hazelett |
| subject | More Silva on Fremont and Lassen |
|
I am passing this along to the list from Richard Silva who is off-list. What was "attached" is now at the bottom of the page. I have done a little editing for clarity. Stafford >Attached is some work I have done on Fremont's route north to Tulelake>Basin. I will work on the route north from Tulelake. This will be much >easier. I need to do some editing, I thought you might like to see it >before the edit maybe :-)? > >Fremont did not follow the trapper trail up Cow Creek. He did explore it >and turned around back to Lassens. I have his maps and have studied them, >this is what I come up with. >Maybe this will bring out more info.? Unless you >know the area from the Sacramento River north it is hard to set his route >to the Pit River. By his map and description of high mountains and snow, part >of this route has possibilities. I have been over most of the area. Fremont >could have joined the trapper trail somewhere on lower Hat Creek, even if >his map does not show that route. In his journal on the return to the >Sacramento Valley he entered it more to the north, close to the trapper >trail up Cow Creek, which he explored before he set out to the north, >maybe. His >map does not show this route. > From Tulelake to the Lost River, Fremont will cross southeast of today's >Klamath Falls [at about] 6 miles, at the ford near Olene Hot Springs on >Highway 140. >This is also where Ogden would cross on his turn around south of Tulelake to >Oregon via the Siskiyou Trail [in 1826-27]. This was a natural ford lot of >artifacts were >found. Later the rest of the story. >Frémont's 1846 Route North From Lassens > >Frémont arrived at Lassens March 30, 1846, stayed six days.. Our position >on the river being in 39º 57' 00'' latitude, and longitude 121º 56' 44'' >(This is in error) 6.1 miles east. > >April 5, continued up the Sacramento River. > >April 7, We traveled toward the Shastl peak. Leaving the Sacramento, at a >stream called Red Bank Creek (Red Bluff today) 5 miles south is French >Crossing. Note Wilkes Expedition, maps shows French Crossing, have >studied this crossing with BLM. >Continuing on north, We encamped on a large stream called Cottonwood >Creek. We continued sixteen miles up the valley, and encamped..We are now >near the head of he lower valley..The valley of the Sacramento is divided >into upper and lower.. The upper known to the trappers as Pitt >river.. April 8. > >April 9, ..we boated the river, and continued our journey eastward toward >the foot of the Sierra..we crossed a creek ..called Cow Creek..Turning >southward , we retraced our steps down the valley, and reached Lassens, on >Deer River on the evening of the 11th. > >April 14th and 15th, established the longitude of the place in 120º 56' >44'' longitude, latitude obtained 39º 57' 04'' (This is in error) near >60 miles east, possible error in my book? The Expeditions of John Charles >Frémont,Vol 2 MaryLee Spence and Donald Jackson. > >On the 24th I left Lassen's.. Travelling up the Sacramento over ground >already described, we reached the head of the lower valley.. > > > >April 26th left the Sacramento , going up one of the many pretty little >streams that flow into the main river..around the head of the lower >valley. On either side low, steep ridges..called Nozah River. > > > > > >(Frémont's map shows east of the mouth of Cottowwood Creek. Is Battle >Creek. If Frémont followed Battle Creek? There is also another alternate >Noble Route along Battle Creek, starting west of Deer Flat, Note Allen >Tyrell, 1860 journal > > > >September 15, Came 14 miles and camped at Pine Grove. The cattle are >driven a mile and a half to Sturgeon Flat to find feed which is none of >the best. We buy hay at 1 ½ cts. for the horses and keep. them here. The >water here is good and is conducted from a spring to a large trough >furnishing an abundance. Road today best we have in these mountains having >mostly been descending and smooth. There is a fine little tavern here >besides a blacksmithshop and dwelling >houses. >Jackson Myres and Albright separated from us about 8 miles taking the left >hand to Red Bluff. This road leads to the same place but the one they took >was 15 miles nearer.. > > > >I had only an observation for latitude,..40º 38' 58'' ..The day following >we found a good way along a flat ridge; there was a pretty stream in a >mountain valley on the right.. Could this be Hat Creek? > > > >The next day I continued up the stream on which we had slept, and with it >the mountain slope rose rapidly,..On crossing one of the high ridges, >snow..and an hour before noon we reached a pass in the main ridge of the >Sierra Nevada..where the snow was in patches. This pass..is in the >terminating point of the northern link of the Sierra Nevada chain, which >the cascade range takes up with link of the Shastl peak. Between the >pints of these links the upper Sacramento River breaks down on its way to >the Bay of the San Franciso and the Tlamath River to the sea. Possible >following part of the Nobles Pass Trail to Butte Creek turning north to >the Pit River east of Pittville on the "First Old Yreka Road, Old Lassens >Trail" Lockhart Wagon Road, and Lassen Trail (Note: Military Records of >this route. Frémont's map show his route in this area, east of the Pit River, > >On the 29th of April I encamped on the upper Sacramento River, (Pit River) >above Fall River,.. I obtained observations here, which gave for longitude >121º 07' 59'' and for latitude 40º 58' 43'' (In error, Should be adjusted >west not as much error as his other longitudes, l put route east of Pit >River as of his map. Map shows crossing of the Pit River and also crossing >the hill southwest of Bieber from the Fall River Valley. > >..And the next day again encamped on it at the upper end of a valley, to >which, from its marked form, I gave the name Round Valley (Big Valley). By >observation the longitude here is 121º 01' 23'' latitude 41º 17' 17'' In >error Adjusted longitude 5.2 miles west to east side of Pit River. > >On the first of May I encamped on the southeastern end of a lake, which >afterwards I named Lake Rhett..I obtained observations here which placed >this end of the lake in longitude 121º 15' 24'' latitude 41º 48' 49''. >(In error) Adjusted longitude 5.32 miles west to Copic Bay, drawing by Mr. >Kern is earliest record of the Tulelake area, with this I can adjust his >camp almost exact. Working with the BLM on marking his camping area. > >Frémont after leaving Round Valley he would follow very close to the >trappers trail crossing the Pit River following Turner Creek to Copic Bay, >just to south of Tulelake Lake. that he named. This route is also the 1827 >route of Ogden and 1829 route of Mcleod Also working with the BLM on >marking these routes. > >[To Be] Continued > |
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