City of Rocks Historic Resources Study

COVER

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

METHODOLOGY

NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CITY OF ROCKS

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF ROCKS REGION

Introduction
American Indian Use and Habitation
Fur Trade and Exploration
Overland Migration
     Junction of Trails
     The Salt Lake Alternate, South Pass to City of Rocks
The City of Rocks
     The Lander Road, Fort Keamy to Honey Lake
     Emigrants' Response to the City of Rocks
"The Indian Menace"
The Kelton Road — "The Stage Era"
     Buried Treasure
Open Range Cattle Industry
Settlement
Agricultural Development of the Lowland Valleys
Agricultural Development of the City of Rocks - Dryland Farming
Stockraising
     Range Wars
     The Federal Presence
     The Stockraising and Taylor Grazing Acts
     Taylor Grazing Act
     Growing Beef and Raising Wool
Building a Home: The City of Rocks Built Environment
     Proving Up
     Irrigation Systems
     The Transportation Network
Growth of a Stable Community
     "At Home"
     A Barter Economy
     Moonlighting
Conservation and Recreation
Conclusion

HISTORICAL CULTURAL RESOURCES IN THE CITY OF ROCKS NATIONAL RESERVE

Overland Migration
Resources Related to Settlement
Recommendations Regarding the National Register Eligibility of Cultural Resources within City of Rocks National Reserve

NOTES

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Secondary Sources
Thesis and Reports
United States Government Reports and Bulletins
Land Status Records and Census
United States Forest Service Documents
Archival Collections and Oral Histories

APPENDIX A: Diary References to City of Rocks

APPENDIX B: List of Improvements in Patented Claims at Time of Patent

Cover. "The Covered Wagon" (Idaho Historical Society, Boise, Idaho, photograph 78-37.107/D.)

Figure 1. Region map, City of Rocks National Reserve. (Map prepared by USDI National Park Service, 1994.)

Figure 2. Vicinity map, City of Rocks National Reserve. (Map prepared by USDI NPS, 1994.)

Figure 3. View of Twin Sisters from Kelton Road, 1943. (Idaho State Historical Society photograph #73-221.289/0.)

Figure 4. Key Features, City of Rocks National Reserve. (Map prepared by USDI, NPS, 1994.)

Figure 5. Hudson's Bay Company Snake Country Expeditions, 1824-1828. (Gloria Griffen Cline, Peter Skene Ogden and the Hudson's Bay Company, (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1974), pp. 57, 84.)

Figure 6. The California Trail, Missouri to the Sacramento Valley. (USDI National Park Service, Eligibility/Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment for National Historic Trail Authorization, Washington D.C.: United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1987.)

Figure 7. Emigrant Trails of Southern Idaho (including Alternative Routes along the California Trail). (Daniel J. Hutchison, Bureau of Land Management, and Larry R. Jones, Idaho State Historical Society, eds., Emigrant Trails of Southern Idaho, 1994, inside front cover.)

Figure 8. Concord Coach. (Idaho State Historical Society photograph #69-161.1)

Figure 9. The Kelton Road, Kelton, Utah to Boise, Idaho. (HRA 1996, from David Chance, "Historical Sketch of the Kelton Road," 1993, draft manuscript prepared for the National Park Service Pacific Northwest Region.)

Figure 10. Horse-drawn Thresher. (Idaho State Historical Society photograph #1274-C.)

Figure 11. Hay derricks. (Idaho State Historical Society photographs, #60-52.137-140.)

Figure 12. Beaver Slide. (Idaho State Historical Society photograph #77-5.158)

Figure 13. Pre-1910 Homestead and Desert Land claims within the City of Rocks National Reserve. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 14. Patented Homestead Claims within the City of Rocks National Reserve, 1888-1929. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 15. Sagegrubber. (Idaho State Historical Society photograph #72-221.822/b.)

Figure 16. Deadline. (David Grover, Diamondfield Jack, A Study in Frontier Justice, (Reno: University of Nevada Press, 1968), p. 14.)

Figure 17. Juniper-post, barbed-wire fence at City of Rocks National Reserve. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 18. Ditch network associated with Circle Creek Ranch, Circle Creek Basin, City of Rocks, 1903. (Mary Ann Tracy, "Final Proof," Desert Land Entry #567, National Archives, Suitland, Maryland.)

Figure 19. Single set of trail ruts on north side of Pinnacle Pass - view to north. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 20. Looking west to City of Rocks entrance near Circle Creek. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 21. Looking east from inside the Circle Creek basin to the small conical knoll and the two routes of the California Trail. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 22. Trail ruts on south side of Pinnacle Pass - view to north. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 23. Camp Rock (10CA504) to right with "Elephant head" and "Pagoda" (10CA585) to left - view to east. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 24. Register Rock (10CA574). View is to south from County Road - formerly the California Trail. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 25. Site 10CA59l— the "Monkey's Head" - view to east. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 26. Detail of inscriptions at the "Monkey's Head" — 10CA591. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 27. Detail of eroded inscription at 10CA596, "Kaiser's Helmet". (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 28. Detail of inscriptions on Register Rock. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 29. Looking southwest into Circle Creek basin from main City of Rocks access road. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 30. Looking north across Circle Creek basin to granite formations that rim the basin. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 31. The Twin Sisters viewed from the Twin Sisters basin - view to west. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 32. Overview of juniper post and barbed-wire fence. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 33. Pole stock corral located within Eugean Durfee homestead withdrawal - view to northeast. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 34. Looking north to large limber pine that marks the location of the Thomas Fairchild homesite. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 35. Building ruin at the Moon homesite. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 36. Foundation remains at the John Hanson homesite. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 37. Looking north northeast to residential building cluster, ruins of Tracy's Circle Creek Ranch. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 38. Overview of irrigated hay meadow on Circle Creek Ranch, the residential building cluster is located at the extreme right of photo - view to northeast. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 39. Detail of excavations on Mica Knoll. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 40. Detail of roofed excavation on Mica Knoll - view to north. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 41. Tipple and ore bin at Vein White mica mine. Main excavation is behind (southwest) this structure. (Historical Research Associates, Inc., 1995.)

Figure 42. City of Rocks Cultural Landscape. (Amphion)

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