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 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

• Fairfield, "Fairfield's Pioneer History of Lassen County, California," 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 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 1876 Bancroft map has "Smoke Creek Depot" on the west side of the desert.
• 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"
• Township 31 North -- Range 18 East -- Sheet 1 (T31NR18E.1) (1866) shows Smoke Creek Station.
• Helen S. Carlson, "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 rook 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 ()
  • The map might be the 1881 Gibbs map of California and Nevada.
• Jeffrey D. Johnson, "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 Cemetery

The following people are buried at the Smoke Creek Station Cemetery.

• January 18, 1863, Private John Smith, shot by his commanding officer Lt. Henry W. Williams. Possibly killed at Deep Hole.
• November 9, 1863, Private Gustavus W. Platt died from typhoid fever.
• July 3, 1864, Sergeant William McCoy, age 28, died of an unknown illness.
• November 17, 1865, Private David O’Connell killed in action near Black Rock at the Pine Forest battle.

The cemetery was found by the Lassen County Historical Society in 1864. In 1868, the society erected a cross at that location.

Smoke Creek Station - WP Railroad Station

The other is located on the WP Railroad south of Reynard and west of Wild Horse Canyon .

• Smoke Creek (GNIS)
• P.A. Glancy and F.E. Rush. "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.