Owyhee

[Dave]

I said I would write up somethings about the Owyhee. This river drains some of the biggest most desolate area in the country. The name comes from the early spelling and pronouncing of Hawaii. An early trapping expedition of the Northwest Fur Company explored this area in 1815. About a third of their party was made up of natives from Hawaii. Three of them were sent up this river to set up a camp and explore. They failed to come back to the meeting with the party that fall at the mouth of the Boise River. The next spring some natives led a party to their camp site where they found one skeleton. The others were never found. It is believed they were killed by the Bannock Indians.
When Peter Ogden came through in 1825 mapping the area he called the river Owyhee. The name stuck.
Gold and silver were both found in this area in 1863 a lot of mines and towns sprung up. They were fairly short lived. And only one that I can think of still exists. It is a ghost town where the few residents mine the tourist for their gold.
The water shed for the river is in south east Oregon, south west Idaho, and norther Nevada. The total water shed is 11,049 square miles. That makes it bigger than any of the smallest 8 states. Looking at my road atlas I found a total of 8 tiny bergs and 1 very small town. The only other people on very scattered ranches that run cattle on very huge areas. Wikipedia list under the heading "city" Rome. I have been through there several times. It is indeed by the Owyhee river. Rome has a post office, a gas station/small store, and a restaurant. There is also 2 or 3 houses. Big city. But it is the only gas for about 50 miles to the north and over 100 miles to the south. This is not the kind of country one goes into without a full tank and maybe some spare gas in jugs.

 

[wbvs58]

I said I would write up somethings about the Owyhee. This river drains some of the biggest most desolate area in the country. The name comes from the early spelling and pronouncing of Hawaii. An early trapping expedition of the Northwest Fur Company explored this area in 1815. About a third of their party was made up of natives from Hawaii. Three of them were sent up this river to set up a camp and explore. They failed to come back to the meeting with the party that fall at the mouth of the Boise River. The next spring some natives led a party to their camp site where they found one skeleton. The others were never found. It is believed they were killed by the Bannock Indians.
When Peter Ogden came through in 1825 mapping the area he called the river Owyhee. The name stuck.
Gold and silver were both found in this area in 1863 a lot of mines and towns sprung up. They were fairly short lived. And only one that I can think of still exists. It is a ghost town where the few residents mine the tourist for their gold.
The water shed for the river is in south east Oregon, south west Idaho, and norther Nevada. The total water shed is 11,049 square miles. That makes it bigger than any of the smallest 8 states. Looking at my road atlas I found a total of 8 tiny bergs and 1 very small town. The only other people on very scattered ranches that run cattle on very huge areas. Wikipedia list under the heading "city" Rome. I have been through there several times. It is indeed by the Owyhee river. Rome has a post office, a gas station/small store, and a restaurant. There is also 2 or 3 houses. Big city. But it is the only gas for about 50 miles to the north and over 100 miles to the south. This is not the kind of country one goes into without a full tank and maybe some spare gas in jugs.

What are the roads like there Dave?

Ken

 

[Dave]

What are the roads like there Dave?

Ken

There is one two lane highway (#95( going north to south in far eastern Oregon. Another paved road in Idaho running into Nevada. I have been told it is not a good idea to use that road in the winter months. That is it for paved roads in the entire area. The road out to that ghost town doesn't require 4 wheel drive but you want plenty of ground clearance. 10 miles or more of gravel road which hasn't seen a grader in decades. Driving down highway 95 you will see a mailbox along the road and a two track leading out. No ranch in sight. It might easily be 10-12 miles out that two track to the ranch. The wife owned a ranch that wasn't in that watershed but that general part of the world. Her driveway was 14 miles long.
Imagine an area bigger than the state of Maryland with only 2 paved roads. Both going north and south and they are about 80 miles apart. Any other things which pass as a road it is advisable to have 4 wheel drive, extra gas, food, and water. No cell service and a very long walk to the nearest anything.

 

[Dave]

I saw an ad for a ranch in this area one time that read. "This is dog killing, horse crippling country where your only neighbors are Native Americans and jack rabbits"