A Close Encounter with Halfway House?

Sir Richard Burton, the world famous explorer, apparently passed quite close to Half Way House on a dark October night in 1860. Burton was traveling across the United States, and had stopped in Salt Lake City to gather material for City of Saints, his book about the Mormon settlements. He resumed his westward trip to San Francisco on the commercial stage line which followed Simpson’s route and the Emigrant Road as it approached Carson City. The pages below, taken from City of Saints, tell us a great deal about travel in the unsettled West, and the hazards confronting the indefatigable Englishman. The account begins with an evening departure by stagecoach from China Town (Dayton). It was a cold, rainy night and the driver and passengers alike had fortified themselves with alcohol. The “long divide” Burton refers to lies between Dayton and Carson City, where Half Way house was situated.

Burton’s misadventure probably took place a good six months after Half Way House was built, and certainly close by. It is interesting to speculate about why the party, after the second mishap, and “unwilling to risk their necks by another trial” walked down to Dutch Nick’s without stopping at or mentioning Half Way House. The soft spots which caused Burton’s coach to tip over sound similar to sandy spots Carson City pioneer, Robert Fulstone, describes in his memoir in roughly the same area. In Fulstone’s day, the tracks had to be packed with sagebrush to keep the heavy freight wagons from digging in and bogging down. But this was not until the toll road entrepreneurs had consolidated the loosely defined stage roads into more manageable routes. Burton’s driver—like many others—probably took his coach along whatever track he thought best. Half Way House was in a good location, but not necessarily on the only passage through the hills above Dutch Nicks. Burton’s party could easily have been using one of these alternatives and, in the cold and darkness—not to mention their inebriation—walked right by Half Way House.

Toll Road Notice – Territorial Enterprise, April 1860

Courtesy of the Nevada State Library and Archives

TOLL ROAD NOTICE

KNOW all men by these presents, that we, the undersigned, claim the exclusive right of a Toll Road commencing at a stake at the Junction of American Ravine and Gold Canyon, at Silver City, County of Carson and Territory of Utah; running thence S. 84 deg. 00 W. 80 rods to a stake in said American ravine; thence south 144 rods to the summit; thence S. 26 deg. 00 W. 156 rods; thence 34 deg. 00 W. 200 rods to a stake on Gold Hill road; thence south 34 deg. 00 W. as before, until it intersects the Old Emigrant Road at WilliamÆs Half Way House. Said road following this our survey as near as practical. Given under our hands this 14th day of April, A. D. 1860.

HENRY KELLY,
JAMES KELLY,
JOHN McDONNELL,
JAMES ALLEN

April 14th, 1860.

Clow & Perry Survey Map, March 1861

Territorial Enterprise, April 28, 1860

Courtesy of the Nevada State Library and Archives

NOTICE

WE, the undersigned, citizens of the United States, have claimed and settled a certain tract of land, situated in the County of Carson, Utah Territory, bounded and described as follows, to-wit: Beginning at a stake and mound near the Emigrant Road, about three miles in a northerly direction from Nicholas Ambrosia’s Ranch, know as “Dutch Nick’s,” and running thence north 10 deg. 00″ E 300 rods; thence N 80 deg. 00″ W 160 rods, to a stake and mound; thence S18 deg. 00′ W 300 rods, to a stake and mound; thence S 80 deg. 00″ E 160 rods, to the place of beginning; containing 300 acres. Also, a tract of land situated about one and a half miles in a westerly direction from the above mentioned tract, described as follows: Commencing at a stake on the south side of ravine, and running W. 80 rods; thence N. 20 rods; thence E. 80 rods; thence south to the place of beginning; containing 10 acres, which we claim with the Springs thereon situated, for the purposes of irrigation and all other uses we may desire: and still further, we claim the right of way to convey said Springs to the first mentioned tract. THOS. H. WILLIAMS,
WM. H. CLOW.
April 23d, 1860