Timeline

1800-10-31 b. Peter Lassen

1848-02-02 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1843-12-30 "On both sides, the mountains showed often stupendous and curious-looking rocks, which at several places so narrowed the valley, that scarcely a pass was left for the camp. It was a singular place to travel through-shut up in the earth, a sort of chasm, the little strip of grass under our feet, the rough walls of bare rock on either hand, and the narrow strip of sky above. The grass to-night was abundant, and we encamped in high spirits." -- John C. Fremont

1849-08-16 "We started about six o'clock, with anxious hearts and sad forebodings on our perilous journey . . . As I walked on slowly and with effort, I encountered a great many animals, perishing for want of food and water, on the desert plain. Some would be gasping for breath, others unable to stand, would issue low moans as I came up . . . my sympathies were excited at their sufferings, yet, instead of affording them aid, I was a subject for relief myself . . . after covering nearly forty hours without food or water . . .we found this to be an oasis in the desert. A large hot spring [Black Rock Spring] . . . but we found the grass nearly consumed, and our cattle could barely pick enough to sustain life. (Alonzo Delano, August 16-17, 1849)

1849-09-25 "The road terminated as it were, at the edge of the very apex of this hill, and I looked down . . . the declevity and its base, retained vestiges of unfortunate traveling in the shape of broken wagons, wheels, hubs, tires, axels, and 3 dead oxen. (Goldsborough Bruff, September 25, 1849)

1859-04-26 d. Peter Lassen

2000-12-21 President Clinton signed The Black Rock Desert - High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trail National Conservation Area Act of 2000, which established 797,000 acres as a NCA and about 75,000 acres as wilderness.