Restoring a landmark...

Wednesday, November 19, 2014
People representing the various groups helping to restore the Canyon Creek Station tour the site Nov. 12.

The group huddled close together to block out the bitter cold as Stanley Norstebon took them around the ruins. Silhouetted against the cloudy sky, the jagged brick walls of the historic landmark were all that had withstood the test of time.

A bit of caution was advised as Norstebon pointed out the features of what had once been Canyon Creek Station -- one of the last remaining structures in Elmore County directly connected to the Oregon Trail. Off to his side was one of the station's walls that seemed precariously close to collapsing beneath its own weight.

Continuing their walk around the site, he then pointed out the former kitchen building. Aside from the original chimney surrounded by loose piles of bricks, there was little left standing to indicate this was once a viable part of the station.

How it used to be: William Mariam Daniels stands in front of Canyon Creek Station in this photo, which was taken some time between 1880 and 1890.

Despite the site's condition, there was some progress to note during the visit. Work had begun to restore one part of the station with expectations that a new roof could eventually cover the structure.

On Nov. 12, members backing the restoration effort met at the site for a firsthand look at the project and what work remained.

The landmark's current state was a stark contrast to its days when it served countless travelers making the trek across the western United States. Historians can trace the importance of the Canyon Creek area to the earliest days of the Oregon Trail.

Historical records indicate that approximately three million people used the Oregon Trail and others like it to cross the United States between 1845 and 1857. According to accounts written down by those making the journey, the toughest part of the trail took them through Elmore County.

The 70-mile trek between Three Island Crossing in Glenns Ferry and Blacks Creek on the county's western border was a four- or five-day trek, according to recorded accounts.

Water was one of the critical resources that settlers sought when they established camps along the trail for themselves as well as their horses. Canyon Creek was among these locations, said John Hiler, a representative with the Idaho Heritage Trust, which is helping support an effort to restore the station.

The canyon walls shielded the area from the harsh desert climate, making the area an oasis with lush, green fields surrounding the creek. It was one of the main reasons why travelers along the Oregon Trail had used the area as a designated campsite as early as 1843.

In 1874, Archibald Daniels and his family built the Canyon Creek Station north of what is now Mountain Home. The station included a front building that served as a living quarters for his family with three guest rooms on the second floor.

Behind the station was a separate cook shack and food storage building. A covered breezeway connected both buildings, allowing travelers to safely entry and exit the station without the fear of being attacked by Indian tribes in the region.

Both buildings were built to withstand the test of time. Crafted from lava rock excavated from the surrounding canyon, the exterior walls of the station itself were 18 inches thick with larger bricks used to construct the kitchen building all of which was held together with horse hair mortar.

The Daniels family housed those traveling through the state on the Oregon Trail as well as those using the Kelton Freight Road and Overland Stage routes. They ran the stage stop until 1884 when the Oregon Shortline Railroad was completed, although the station itself remained open until 1921.

For the next 55 years, the buildings found a new purpose as the home for a working farm.

However, everything came to an end Dec. 16, 1976, when a fire swept through both buildings. All that remained were the original exterior brick walls, which were in danger of deteriorating due to exposure to the wind and rain.

This is how the station looked 25 years ago when Norstebon bought the land surrounding the station as well as the site itself. At the time, the land was owned by a company in California.

"I made them an offer, they made a counteroffer and I made another offer, and after three times back and forth, we came to the right amount for me," he said.

Over the years, Norstebon and his family have done what they could to preserve the station ruins. They cleared most of the debris while sorting through the bricks of both buildings and leaving them on the site.

But at the same time, the land surrounding the station remained a working farm, he said.

Because the Canyon Creek Station is considered a ruin, it doesn't qualify to be included on the National Register of Historical Places. This kept it from gaining access to funding that would've helped restore the station to its original condition.

However, the restoration effort gained support from the Idaho Heritage Trust and the Idaho chapter of the California-Oregon Trails Association.

"The family made a decision that they really want to see this preserved and protected for the next generations," said Katherine Kirk, president of the Idaho Heritage Trust.

In fact, the family went ahead and created a lot adjustment to designate a separate parcel for the historic landmark itself, she added.

"If we do not act now in the preservation of this historic building, it will continue to turn into a pile of rubble, and our valuable history will be lost with it," said Anita Fickle, one of Norstebon's four children.

Preserving the station is important since there are only two others like it in Elmore County, one of which is located on private property, according to Kirk.

"This is one that we really have access to that we can preserve," Kirk said. "So we made it a priority to save the station and keep the walls from falling down."

The initial $4,000 grant presented by the historical foundations allowed work to begin to rebuild and reinforce one of the original brick walls in the two-story station building. Additional work was done to install new bolts that are expected to eventually support a new roof over the station.

"We're just in the beginning steps," Fickle said.

The goal is to putting the building back together as close as possible to its original condition, using the original bricks that are still on the site. To keep things accurate, the project brought in Fred Walters, a historical architect, with mason Budd Landon performing the actual restoration work.

The roof will keep rain and snow from seeping into the rock and causing the station to decay even further. For now, that's when the preservation project will end with no plans to rebuild the interior or to add windows and doors.

Among those attending last week's meeting were representatives from the Idaho Bureau of Land Management. Representatives with heritage organization want to establish a partnership with the BLM in hopes of working together to preserve the station, which might speed up the restoration process, Fickle said.

"We are also exploring avenues of possibly donating the stage stop to BLM so that it will be preserved into the future," she added.

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  • I would like to donate to this effort, who do I contact?

    -- Posted by oceanbrzzz on Fri, Dec 19, 2014, at 7:09 AM
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