Saturday, April 13, 2019

Traveling Dirt Roads


What do you see in this photo? What don't you see? I would venture to say that few people in the eastern part of the United States have been anywhere where you could see this far without a tree or a structure or anything except a dirt road and one small sign. This is my kind of country. If you would like to know where this is, it was taken from Canyon Station of the Pony Express Trail in the Western Utah Desert. Here is an explanation about the stations from Utah.com's article entitled "Pony Express Trail."
The Canyon Station was located northwest of this site in Overland Canyon. Built in 1861, it consisted of a log house, a stable, and a dugout where meals were cooked and served. In July 1863, Indians killed the Overland agent and four soldiers, and burned the station. The Overland Station was built in 1863 at the present marked site, which was a more defensible location. Stone outlines of the 1863 station are still visible.
There are remnants of a round fortification built just behind the station which served as a lookout and place of refuge. It probably never had a roof so defenders could speedily climb over the wall and begin firing through the rifle ports. The depression on the south side of the parking lot indicates where the corral and blacksmith shop were probably located.

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