The Dalles to Canyon City Wagon Road

THE DALLES TO CANYON CITY WAGON ROAD The John Day River (called Walla Walla- little river) area was the original homeland to several tribal villages. Tákšpaš was the principal village of the lower John Day River, whose people, the Tákšpašlama, became enrolled in the Warm Springs and Umatilla tribes. The tribes settled this area due to the wealth of water, salmon, eels, plant foods, and game. A Rush of Newcomers The discovery of gold at Canyon Creek in 1862 brought a rush of new people to the area. Within a year, nearly 10,000 fortune hunters trekked to the gold fields from the nearest access and supply point at The Dalles, over trails that became The Dalles – Canyon City Wagon Road. Several place-names along this long-standing Indian Trail system remain on record and are referred to by their historical names by the elders in the Warm Spring community. The most popular routes went south to cross the Deschutes River at Sherars Bridge or Maupin. Other routes went east from The Dalles to cross the lower Deschutes River before turning south. The routes converged near Shaniko and Antelope. Antelope was a stagecoach stop on the road to the mines. A post office opened there in 1873, with Howard Maupin the first postmaster. Henry H. Wheeler opened a stagecoach line between The Dalles and Canyon City in May 1864. The stagecoach made three round trips a week with passengers, mail, and the Wells Fargo express. In 1866, Wheeler and the express agent survived an armed attack on the stagecoach, riding its horses bareback to escape. Wheeler County, established in 1899, bears his name. In 1862, Colombus Sewell, a free Black miner from Washington DC came to Canyon Creek in search of gold and found success hauling freight on The Dalles-Canyon City Road. Sewell regularly made the 6-week round trip aboard a wagon pulled by 12 horses. Sewell lived in Canyon City with his wife Louisa and their two sons and worked into the 1890s.