A NATIVE AMERICAN TRAIL
Native peoples crossed the Blue Mountains long before the first explores and fur trappers. In 1834, John Kirk Townsend found the Cayuse and Nez Perce, very friendly towards us, each of the chiefs taking us by the hand with great cordiality,... anxious to point out to us the most expeditious route to the lower country.""... the indians came to us in abundance ... and traded us some of their horses for cattle and shirts & Brought us plenty of Salmon fish and Sold for shirts and powder and lead...." -- Abalsom B. Harden, August 30, 1847
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WAGON WHEELS TO AUTOMOBILES
During the mid-1800s, thousands of American emigrants labored along this ridge. Since then, stage coach, train and automobile roads have paralleled the Oregon Trail over these mountains.Only traces of the original road remain, yet the ideals of those who crossed the continent in wagons have not been lost. As we pursue our dreams for a better life, we join the emigrants on the Oregon Trail."Through all our trials I cannot say that I have ever regretted that we have undertaken this journey." -- Asahel Munger, August 31. 1839

A BEAUTIFUL ROUGH ROAD
"Commenced the ascent of the Blue Mountains It is a lovely morning, and all hands seem to be delighted with the prospect, of being so near timber again, after weary months of travel, on the dry dusty sage plants, with nothing to receive the eye; just now the men are halloing, to hear their echo ring through the woods." -- Amelia Stewart Knight, August 18, 1853Although pleased by the change in scenery, emigrants found little time to enjoy these forested slopes.Here we began climbing the Blue Mountains, and if they don't beat the devil." -- David Maynard, September 2, 1850

ON THIS RIDGE…
"... we traveled on for the Blue Mountains cutting our way through the fallen timber... We found it very laborious ... with our dull axes that we had not ground since we left Missouri having no grinding stone to grind them & our hands being very tender - cutting those dry sticks which sprung the skin loose from our hands." -- Ninevah Ford, emigrant of 1843 (recollection)
"... Here we found and passed some of our advanced company repairing a broken wagon ... we camped on the ridge and drove down into a deep hollow to water and grass. We had to carry water half a mile up a very steep hill to camp. We are now in the Blue mountains and find it very rough country. Much more so than the Rocky mountains, and our worn-out teams seem to appreciate the difference equal to ourselves." -- P.V. Crawford, August 22-22, 1851

PARADE OF SURVIVORS
On August 15, 1853 Henry Allyn wrote the following about his second day in the Blue Mountains: "Elizabeth and father still quite unwell ... We noon on the mountain and take our mules down into a doleful cavern and found a little grass and water, the pines growing as though they intend to tower above the mountains."A parade of emigrants wore the Oregon Trail into the landscape. Determined survivors of the long trek became worn much like the trail."Found hard hills to day and very stoney. Saw 5 graves and 5 dead cattle. The weather cold and dusty." -- Martha S. Reed, September 21, 1852

During the period of Oregon's Provisional Government ( 1841-1849), residents traveled by Indian trails, water courses, or on privative rough-hewn wagon roads etched by emigrant settlers. During the days to the Territorial Government (1849-1859), and long before the State Highway Commission was established in 1917, travel and commercial transportation was often the result of ambitious, enterprising Oregonians such as the Alphonso Boone family of Clackamas County.

Alphonso Boone, grandson of the frontiersman Daniel Boone, emigrated to Oregon with 10 children in 1846. The family established homesteads on the Willamette River between present-day Oregon City and Butteville. By 1847, the Boones established a ferry crossing on the Willamette near this marker. and eldest son Jesse began clearing a path through Marion, Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah Counties known today as Boones Ferry Road.

Jesse Boone operated the ferry until his death in 1872. The ferry continued in private hands for several years until Clackamas County, and finally, the State of Oregon assumed control in the early 1900s. Boones Ferry crossed the Willamette for 107 years carrying thousands of horses, cows, buggies, automobiles, and pedestrians.

By the early 1950s, the cable-drawn ferry 12 cars and made up to 300 crossings per day. The ferry was decommissioned in 1954, shortly after completion of the Boone Bridge across the Willamette River.