View source for Smoke Creek Station

Note that there are two Smoke Creek Stations, one to the west of the [[Smoke Creek Desert]], the other to the east.

=Smoke Creek Station - stage station=
One is listed in the [https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/summary/850306 GNIS] as being "ruins with grave" at 40.5515682 -119.9507620.  This location is to the west of the Smoke Creek Desert and is on the stage road from Chico to the mines in Idaho.

One source states it was 10 miles from [[Mud Springs Station]] and 14 miles from [[Buffalo Springs]].<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chico-weekly-courant-route-to-owyhee/129705511/ Route to Owyhee and Montana]," The Chico Weekly Courant, March 3, 1866, p. 2.</ref>

Another source states it was 10 miles from Mud Springs Station and 15 miles from Buffalo Springs.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chico-weekly-courant-the-chico-route/134218506 The Chico route to Ruby City, I. T.]," The Chico Weekly Courant, May 12, 1866, p. 1.</ref>

Yet another source states that Smoke Creek Station was 4 miles from [[Rush Creek]] along a graveled road (!) and "Here we found plentyh of water and good feed, and a store kept by Messrs. Washburne & Co."<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chico-weekly-courant-idaho-stage-roa/106531396/ Idaho Stage Road]," The Chico Weekly Courant, Jul 7, 1866, p. 2.  Brief description of stations.</ref>

An 1857 map shows a "Trading Post" at that approximate location of Smoke Creek Station.<ref>"[https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~204708~3002259 Map of the Western Division of the Fort Kearney South Pass and Honey Lake Road]," 1857.</ref>

* Fairfield, "[http://books.google.com/books?id=NRcVAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA262&ots=P_OCd4uKAn&dq=%22Smoke%20creek%20station%22%20railroad&pg=PA261#v=onepage&q=%22Smoke%20creek%20station%22%20railroad&f=false Fairfield's Pioneer History of Lassen County, California,]" 
* p. 241: In 1861, "Fred Hines   and  L.   N.   Breed  kept  the   Smoke   Creek  station  this summer  and  fall."
* p. 261: "In the fall of 1861 J.H. Breed bought his brother's share of the Smoke Creek Station and probably got the part that belonged to [[Fred Hines | Hines]] a little later on. He stayed there the following winter and in the spring sold out to I.J. Harvey who had been employed to buy the property for a United States Army Post During the winter of 1862-63 William V. Kingsbury established a trading post at Smoke Creek and afterwards kept a station or hotel in connection with it. He stayed there until late in the 60's." 
* "The  following  is  his  advertisement,  which  was  something out  of  the  common,  as  it  appeared  in  "The  Sage  Brush"  of January  12,  1867 :"
** "WELL- WHILE  YOU  ARE  ABOUT  IT  LOOK  HERE  !   !
** "The  Celebrated  Smoke  Creek  Station,  situated  on  the Humboldt,  Idaho,  East  Bannock,  Reese  River,  Salt  Lake,  Sur- prise Valley,  New  York,  London,  Paris,  Japan  and  China  road, in  fact  from  which  point  you  can  go  anywhere  if  you  want  to,  is still  running,  commanded  by  that  well  known  individual,"
** "SMOKE  CREEK  SAM."
** "Owing  to  the  immense  travel  to  the  above  localities,  we have  made  arrangements  to  accommodate  it  all,  in  a  superior and gentlemanly  like  manner.  We  are  endeavoring  to  induce  the directors  of  the  Pacific  Railroad  to  locate  the  terminus  of  the road at  Smoke  Creek,  it  being  we  think,  the  most  central  point for  it.  San  Francisco  may  'buck'  a  little  against  it,  but  geo- graphical position  will  tell."
** "It  is  unfortunate  for  San  Francisco  to  be  located  so  far away  from  Smoke  Creek  but  we  cant  help  it  now.  —  Speaking  of square  meals/  torch  light  processions,  baled  hay  and  'sich' like,  there  is  where  we  understand  ourselves.  We  can  converse upon  those  subjects,  in  connection  with  that  commercial  article called  cash,  with  the  most  perfect  aplomb  and  nonchalance."
** ""We  most  respectfully  invite  those  going  anywhere  to  call on  us.  Kingsbury  &  Co."
* In 1863, Lieutenant Tillinghast was in command of Smoke Creek Station.  He demanded that travelers either take an oath of allegiance to the Union or else "try their hands at packing a fifty pound sack of sand"<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-marysville-appeal-bitter-pill/115517111/ Bitter Pill]," November 4, 1863, Marysville Daily Appeal, p. 2.</ref>.  Sympathizers of the Confederacy who did not want to make the pledge developed a "Rebel Cut Off" path around the station that added only a day.
* In 1865, Fort Churchill was said to be "a much more pleasant place than Smoke Creek Station."<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/article/chico-weekly-chronicle-record/120027393/ Fort Churchill]," December 23, 1865, Weekly Union Record, Oroville, p. 3.</ref>
* The 1876 Bancroft map has "Smoke Creek Depot" on the west side of the desert. <ref>[http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~215908~5502250:California,-Nevada,-Utah-And-Arizon Bancroft's Map Of California, Nevada, Utah And Arizona], Published By A.L. Bancroft, & Compy. Booksellers & Stationers San Francisco Cal. 1876.</ref>
* In 1911, The Nevada Historical Society stated: "[[Roop]], which is also known as Smoke Creek is situated in the central portion of Washoe County on its western boundary line one hundred and twenty five miles from Reno.(footnote a: RL Polk & Co Nevada State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1907 1908)  Roop was settled about 1860 and took its name from Roop County which was formerly the northern division of what is now Washoe County.(footnote b: Authority of Mr JH Smith Buffalo Meadows Nevada) Roop County in turn took its name from Isaac Roop (Footnote c: Miss MA Taylor of Reno says that Mr Roop had two daughters Jane and Susan for whom Janesville and Susanville in California were named.) who was elected Governor under the Provisional Territorial Government by the people of Western Utah in 1859"<ref>"[https://books.google.com/books?id=HshYAAAAMAAJ&lpg=PA92&ots=ABYH-8e1q5&dq=Sheephead%20Spring%20nevada&pg=PA85#v=onepage&q=roop&f=false Biennial Report of the Nevada Historical Society,"] Issue 2, p, 85, 1911.</ref>
* [http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/u?/hmaps,1138 Township 31 North -- Range 18 East -- Sheet 1 (T31NR18E.1)] (1866) shows Smoke Creek Station.
* Ruhlen states that "[[Camp Smoke Creek| Camp (and Depot) Smoke Creek]]" was near the Smoke Creek Station.<ref name="Ruhlen">Col. George Ruhlen, "[https://www.onlinenevada.org/sites/default/files/EarlyForts_Ruhlen_1964_Part2.pdf Early Nevada Forts]," Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, p. 51, Vol. VII, No. 3-4, 1964.</ref>  Ruhlen also describes Camp Pollock (June-July 1864) as being near Smoke Creek Camp, but that Pollock was on the California-Nevada line that had recently been surveyed.
** [https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/4izxqo Sheet 47b of Wheeler's survey] shows the location of the depot.
* Helen S. Carlson, "[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Nevada_Place_Names/7GyVDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Henry+W.+Williams%22+nevada&pg=PT507&printsec=frontcover Nevada Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary,]" p. 219, located about 5 miles east of the California/Nevada Line.  This location appears on a 1881 map. and is near [[Robbers Roost]]. Carlson states that the station was established by Lieutenant Henry W. Williams from Fort Crook California on December 15, 1862.  In October 1863, Nevada Volunteers were ordered to replace the California troops and moved to [[Granite Creek Station]].   Smoke Creek Station was abandoned in 1866 (<ref name="Ruhlen">Col. George Ruhlen, "[https://www.onlinenevada.org/sites/default/files/EarlyForts_Ruhlen_1964_Part2.pdf Early Nevada Forts]," Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, p. 51, Vol. VII, No. 3-4, 1964.</ref>)
** The map might be the [http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/5bd142 1881 Gibbs map of California and Nevada].
* Wentworth gives a summary of the Smoke Creek Station, "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/3740770 Trailing Sheep from California to Idaho in 1865: The Journal of Gorham Gates Kimball]," Edward N. Wentworth, Agricultural History, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Apr., 1954), pp. 49-83.
* Jeffrey D. Johnson, "[http://www.juliacbulette.com/?p=108 Julia’s Unequivocal Nevada Klampout #32]" (2011).  Description of Smoke Creek Station, included quotes by [[Joseph Goldsborough Bruff]] and [[Edward Griffin Beckwith]]

=Smoke Creek Station - WP Railroad Station=
The other is located on the WP [[Railroad]] south of [[Reynard]] and west of Wild Horse Canyon <ref>Helen S. Carlson, "[http://books.google.com/books?id=BixwbIM7ZvAC&lpg=PA219&dq=Reynard%20Nevada&pg=PA219#v=onepage&q=Reynard%20Nevada&f=falseNevada Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary]," p. 219</ref>.
* [https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/summary/843784 Smoke Creek] (GNIS)
* P.A. Glancy and F.E. Rush. "[http://images.water.nv.gov/images/publications/recon%20reports/rpt44-smoke_creek_san_emidio.pdf Water-resources appraisal of Smoke Creek–San Emidio Desert, Nevada and California]." Water Resources Reconnaissance Series Report 44. 1968 (Cover includes image of the Smoke Creek Desert.  Inside photo of the "deserted railroad town of Smoke Creek")  The map on p. 82 shows the location of Smoke Creek and Wild Horse Canyon.

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Smoke Creek Desert]]