Goodbye Rockies!

While all this was going on with Fremont and his "survey expedition", Captain Walker was once again busy buying and selling horses, furs, and leading wagons to the West.  In fact, it is reported that he passed the Donner Party, warning them that the route they were on was too dangerous and even directing them to use the Walker Pass route...Of course we know the party paid no attention to Captain Walker, resented his advice and called him a "Missouri puke".  They went on their way where 48 of them perished by starving or freezing.  Experienced trailblazers and guide vs.  greenhorn settlers...


It was during that year 1847,  that it is believed Walker's wife, children and family were killed or possibly contracted cholera which was sweeping through the tribes, decimating them.  In one year, half of the Cheyene died in 2 weeks alone. 

Joe Walker was almost 50 years old when he went home to Missouri briefly, but the people were just too "mean to stay" says Joe.
He  left Missouri for good on September 2, 1847.  On his way back to California he stayed in the mountains a bit longer than normal, stopping at Fort Nonesense which was now in ruins.  He met up with an old trail guide, Joe Chiles, who was leading his last group of settlers to California.  This was the last time anyone saw Captain Walker in the central Rockies after spending 20 years in those mountains.  The pleasure of the country had gone for Joe, so alone he returned to California where he spent the rest of his life.

Next Time: 2 Bad Apples...

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This Day in History:  On November 25, 1876,  U.S. troops under the leadership of General Ranald Mackenzie destroy the village of Cheyenne living with Chief Dull Knife on the headwaters of the Powder River. The attack was in retaliation against some of the Indians who had participated in the massacre of Custer and his men at Little Bighorn

Fort Nonsense

The fort was named Fort Bonneville but it was a well known truth throughout the West that a better name was Fort Nonsense.

Looking back it was a good summer camp and easily accessed by wagon trains for supplies an safe from the Indians, but it lacked food and pasture.  A great  location, it was centrally located to most warring tribes in the mountains and the plains.

Fort Nonsense controlled the Snake River Pass from Oregon to California, and repelled anyone  coming from the Pacific Ocean.  Hmmm - remember Bonneville's true reason for partnering with Walker on this expedition?

Walker did not take part in the construction of the fort but went looking for free trappers to replace the lost Delaware Indians.

Next time..Moving So Soon?