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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1961)
o o o e 3-MdwiM 2f etate snft3tfir$ . jmkvtu KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 39. l - I M i W . . if yrf jr.unwin county Historical society F leld Trip f . Jje on "I HOI Hole bDrinas. California Shook S5'I Sunday, September 24, 1961 iiirttr,s'Eon&x& by Devere and Helen Helfrlch WALL OF CHINA The ruins of an old stone wall in Modoc County have long aroused the curiosity of many persons. Through the generosity of Devere and Helen Helfrich and of Ken McLeod and his late wife, Edith McLeod, the story of the wall is given to the public. Ruins of the wall were visited on a recent trek to Pot Hole Spring and the grave of an immigrant lad, Lloyd Dean Shook, 14, who died and was buried near the old Applegate Trail in 1851. The trip was sponsored by the Klamath County County Historical Society. Dotted lines on map show wall that closed gaps in natural rimrock barrier for livestock. Map by Devere Helfrich A . , i . -- "' .v 1 i t V! ONCE UPON A TIME The old wagon wheel ruts are still to be found where once men and women and child ren passed by this spot, westward bound on the Apple gate Trail. The trail crosses the strip of sagebrush be yond the fence. Pot Hole Spring is in the foreground, marked by forest service marker. The water is warm, 80 to 85 deqroes the year around, and the small water area is full of tiny fish, none over two inches long. There is water cress too, tender and delicious. The grave of Lloyd Dean Shook, who died when only 14 and who hat not been identified up to the present time with any fam ily, known to have come west along the Applegate Trail, is to the right from the small juniper tree. It was th finding of this grave, historians say, that definitely plac es Pot Hole Spring as a camping place on the trail. VISIBLE ROAD Looking west on Applegate Trail to Clear Lake in background. This is the trail between Steel Swamp and Clear Lake. See map. Fifteen men who laid out this trail in 1846 traveling east did not mention in later writinqs that they had passed Clear Lake or Pot Hole Spring. That year approximately 100 wagons came over the trail west from Fort Hall in what is now Idaho. One man, David Goff, was left to lead the train west. In 1847 Jesse or Lindsay Applegate, leaders of the exploration party, wrote a way bill or guide on the trail and mentioned "Goff Spring," which probably was Pot Hole Spring. EDIBLE These are epaws on Dobie Flats between Steejp Swamp and Clear Lake en the Applegate Trail. This looks southeast tovgird Blue Mountain in the back ground. Indian tribes once ate epaws, a (mall, slim bulb. White flowers of plant dot flat land among the small sagebrush. Pot Hole Springs Caravan Travels Route To Modoc County's 'Great Wall Of China' By RL'TH KING Many of the secrets of man's great migration to the West on the American Continent still are locked in the mists of yesteryear. Many will never be revealed. Many remain to be discovered. as in the Klamath country and neighboring Siskiyou and Modoc counties where some who still live here are linked by blood lines with those who came this way. Historical societies of this lo cal region, the Klamath County Historical Society and the Siski you County Historical society. united by the common bond of the Applegate Trail, delve a bit furth er eacii year into those shadowy days when the wagon trains creaked and rolled across this cor ner of Oregon and beyond to cut deep the ruts of travel to California and to the Willamette Valley to the north in Oregon. Some of the physical evidence of those days remain for all to view. Some of the great effort and the faith needed to bring new blood to a new country, and the pathos on the trail, continues to be brought to light as contribu tions to future generations. Most recent was the discovery of the grave of a 14-year-old boy, Lloyd Dean Shook, after a cen tury of anonymity. A Klamath Palls boy, Mark Runnels, found the grave. His discovery has been1 heralded as proof that immigrants westward bound actually stopped at Pot Hole Springs in Modoc County on their way to the Wil lamette Valley. The trail, still visible near the grave, is proof that wagons trav eled that way, but not until Mark Runnels found an upthrust of lava rock embedded in the soil, carry ing the deeply carved story of tragedy, had historians been sure enough to say, "they stopped here. Thus was another link of the long trip from east to west forged Early this fall, the Klamath County Historical Society invited the public and the Siskiyou Coun ty Historical Society to join an auto caravan to Pot Hole Springs. Devere and Helen Helfrich, whose cameras have recorded still visible spots on most of the Old Oregon Trail and other wagon ways across the land, conducted the field trip. Junior historians and those who are familiar with stories of the old days took sack lunches and cameras. The caravan stopped briefly at Dry Lake where Kenneth McLeod told the story of the Modoc Indian War battle at Dry Lake on May 10, 1873, first battle of the last Indian war won by the white man. Here also is the grave of L. A.I Clark, marked by a traditional headstone bearing the inscription L. A. Clark. Died May 11. 1911.' Age 61. Native of Illinois. Up to this time there is no known rec ord of such a man or his death, in this country, except the grave. or why he should be buried at a lonely spot off the beaten path of travel. The grave is 10 miles south of Tulclake in California. Each year, mysteriously, a small bouquet of flowers of the garden variety is placed upon the grave around Memorial Day. Dcyond. another 10 miles, is the overflow dam which keeps the wa ter in Clear Lake from running away to the Dry Lake country. Pelicans and other birds nest on Bird Islands that center the body of water, now shrunken by the dry years. Here, Lorraine Quillan, a member of the Klamath County Nature Society and an ardent bird watcher, spoke on Pelicans that nest on the islands and other bird life. Close by Clear Lake are portions of an old stone wall, one of the most controversial man-made bar riers in the days when the white man, eager for gain, had pushed the red man from his hunting grounds and was pitting wit against many odds in the accumu lation of wealth. Here are the remnants of a dream ... the Chinese Wall. Information on the Wall, des tined to involve the hopes of one man, Jesse D. Carr, of California, encroaching settlers, congression al action, the lives of hundreds of Chinese laborers, and the U.S. Bu reau of Reclamation, has been compiled from a number of sources. The late Edith Rutenic McLeod, of Klamath Falls, delved into old books, studied newspapers, and talked to oldtimcrs for facts to write "Modoc's Wall of China, Horse High and Hog Tight," read during the caravan's trek that summer Sunday by Annabelle Newton. Mrs. Newton's continuing interest in the history of the Klam ath country has been fruitful in the preservation of those facts that are vital to the Klamath Ba sin. Frank Payne, who lived here years ago, the late Robert A. Em mitt, who lived Klamath country history. Devere and Helen Helf rich, Ken McLeod and historical bits gathered from here and yon, information contained in brochures found in' museums, all have con tributed to the history of the Chi nese Wall and the Applegate Trail used here. Travelers have wondered at glimpses of the wall, seen from highways and wandering by-roads. Much of iU great length now lies across the arid land, torn down and scattered. The great slabs of lava rock are mute testimony to the back-breaking hand labor of the Chinese brought to an alien and inhospitable land from the San Francisco Bay Area. Portions of it still standing are armpit high to a tall man, rea sonably level, the rock is laid close enough together to turn ev erything except snakes, field mice and insects. Cowboys who once rode the range called it "The Wall of Chi na," said Mrs. McLeod in her story. 'In that stone wall lies a story of the Old West: a story of one of the old cattle barons, of strong men and vast domains, of thou sands of head of cattle and the men who retained their kingships (Continued on Page 3) - ' - YOUNG HISTORIANS Lots of teen-agers are Inter ested in the happenings of the past that contributed to the development of this community. Several historically minded youths asked permission to go alonq on the trip to Pot Hole Spring, taking cameras to record what they saw. These four are members of the Klamath County Junior Historical Society at spot on Chinese wall. Left to right are Thomas Gospodnetich, Steve Brow, Mark Runnels, grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Devere Helfrich, who., found the headstone at the grave of Lloyd Dean Shook , at Pot Hole Spring; and Qouglas Young. THIRD STOP This is portion of old Chinese wall near Clear Lake, 40 miles south' east of Klamath Falls, ordered built by Jesse D. Carr, early day California cattle baron, to close gaps in natural perimeter of rimrock. The wall enclosed thousands of acres of range land and Clear Lake. Wall was built by hundreds of imported Chinese. Later, much of it was torn down, A paper on the wall, written by the late Edith Ru tenic McLeod, was read at this stop by Annabelle Newton, member of the Klamath County Historical Society. V;..v v.. y :j1?ZCJZv persons who traveled to Pot ess58 NOT FORGOTTEN Within this circle of interested Hole Sprinq is a grave. The markeiobears the inscription, "L. A. Clark, Died May 1 1, 1911, aged 61, a native of Illinois." It has never been determined why L. A. Clark was buried at this spot just off the Clear Lake turnoff at Dry Lake, how he cam to be in this remote part of Northern California or where he was bound. Each year, close to Memorial Dey, someone places a few flowers upon the grave. Ken McLeod meoss9hort talk on Modoc War and Battle of Dry Lake at this point. aii rnotos by neien and Devere neitricn .-v. ;.rv-e.-;, ,40',' -',, ,,'l , .... ,'i IF STONES COULD TALK Probably few persons live today who remember the building of the stone wall on the Jesse D. Carr Ranch near Clear Lake, But the stor--ies of the building of that wall are legion, iome fact, some legend. The wall "shoulder high to a horse" kept cattle herds inside on Carr land and near water, but it also kept out other livestock and land seekers, according to all newspaper records. Dover Helfrich stands beside part of wall still intact on north side 'of Clear Lake near old ranch headquarters. The wall was built between 1875 and 1882. $mmL v&Cf CONJECTURE Those who pass this way can only guess at what happened at this spot near the Applegate Trail where Lloyd Dean Shook was left when wagon train moved on. Mark Runnels placed wreath of garden flowers mad by his, grandmother, Helen Helfrich, upon the grave. T . 0
