Oregon Trail Buildings: At Left, a Pony Express Post Office. At Right, Trail Overnight “Motel”.
Rock Creek Station ~25 miles SE of Kearney, NB. The Ox Covered Wagons that traveled the Historic Oregon Trail would come down a long hill to a stream and watering place in the trees at right. Then they would follow the dirt path (between the two wagons at center), pass by the “Motel”, the Post Office, and then proceed up the long steep hill seen in next photos. Because of the sufficient and reasonably good water here, this was one of the most active overnight camping spots for the wagons, probably in several traditional campfire circles. After several years of this being a principle staging area, more permanent buildings were added such as you see in these photos. Because the Oregon Trail was so well established and provided a road where there were otherwise no roads, the Pony Express came this way. Suffiient water and area activity made this an ideal place for the Pony Express Horses to be housed and fed while resting before the next run. Hence, the name “station”. Later, because of the established O.T. route, the first Transcontinental Telegraph Wires came this way and thus the Post Office became also a telegraph office and place for the electrical relays that regenerated and forwarded the telegraph message to the next station.
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(Photo = 127-2800 ...... ZMM Page = None ...... WayPt = 212 1376ft)