Farewell Bend

In eastern Oregon pioneers on the Oregon Trail took a final rest at Farewell Bend before leaving the Snake River to travel wearily inland on their way to Oregon City. Oregon Trail emigrants traveled through the Snake River country for over 300 miles. Hardship and danger were constant companions, and death, particularly at river crossings, was not uncommon. The river also sustained life, however, providing water and fish in abundance. For many emigrants in 1852, bidding "farewell Snake" at this site was bittersweet. Camp sites along the Oregon Trail were determined by the presence of water, grazing for livestock, or simply the end of a long, exhausting day. Although emigrants camped at Farewell Bend, a typical day's journey brought emigrants from the Malheur river through the alkali desert to camp at nearby Birch Creek. Water was available along this route but it was often tainted and many emigrants found themselves "most all sick from the effects." Farewell Bend provided a welcome respite for emigrants recovering from the effects of bad water and other illness. The emigrant road from the Snake River Crossing to Farewell Bend was dry, dusty, and extremely arduous; it was also the end of the trail for many already exhausted oxen. George Belshaw, emigrant of 1853, noted that his "cattle is dying...some of them bleeds at the nose and dies in a few minutes after working through the day." Water holes were few and with the distance between them great emigrants often faced a life-threatening dilemma: to press on and risk losing their teams to fatigue or to stop and risk that they would die of thirst.