The Final Journey of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau Part 2
Crossing Nevada: Fernley to Grave Site

At the Flying J Travel Center in Fernley, Nevada is an interpretive area explaining the history of the Fernley Swales. Settlers traveling west in the mid-nineteenth century–such as the Stevens-Townsend-Murphy party of 1844, the Donner Party in 1846, and the gold seekers of 1849–crossed Nevada leaving depressions in the soil. Those near Fernley are the last seven miles of the Forty-Mile Desert—an area between the Humboldt and Carson Rivers that had no water and became legendary on the trail. Today, the swales are still visible.

When Jean Baptiste made his finally journey, gold and silver rushes were in full swing at Star City, Nevada and Ruby (Silver City), Idaho. To get to those mines, untold numbers of miners and teamsters followed the old California Trail along the Humboldt River in a reverse migration.

In 1866, Jean Baptiste’s route likely departed the Emigrant Trail along the Humboldt River and went up the Buena Vista valley on the east side of the Humboldt Range. The freighters and stages went this way to service the mines in Unionville and Star City. At Unionville, Nevada Historical Marker #145 is located where the pavement starts/ends on State Highway 400. Here, the scenery is large, but footprint from these two mining towns is nearly non-existent.

For those who prefer gravel to freeways, leave I-80/US 95 at exit 119 and follow the gravel Lovelock-Unionville Road east to traverse the Humboldt Range via Spring Valley Pass. After the pass, Unionville Road turns abruptly north and shortly after becomes State Highway 400 at the Unionville historical marker.

Thunder Mountain Indian Monument is an eclectic desert art installation made by the late Chief Thunder, Frank Van Zant. “Three stone and concrete buildings remain, and more than 200 concrete sculptures depicting Native Americans and their protective spirits, massacres, and injustices against them.” (Wikipedia)

Also known as Lightning Mountain, this is a must-see for anyone traveling along the “Cowboy Corridor”. The site is being restored by dedicated family members and volunteers as a State of Nevada Historic Site Restoration Project.

http://thundermountainmonument.com/

Just above the site where thousands of wagon trains forded the Humboldt River on the long trek to California, sits the Humboldt Museum. The modern brick building mirrors its historic predecessor, a church turned museum. Also on site is the Greinstein Building– an 1880’s store, and the Richardson-Saunders House—an 1899 Eastlake style home. Together, the buildings house the story of the community.

Remains from the Ice Age of 13,000 years ago, wonderful beaded and quilled regalia from an American Indian collection, vintage automobiles, keepsakes from Winnemucca’s “art Nouveau” period, and an early soda manufacturing scene are just some of the displays awaiting your visit.

No matter what time of day you see Oregon’s Pillars of Rome, they will appear different as light plays on its 100-ft high rock formations. The formation is about five miles long, and they were a landmark to Oregon Trail pioneers crossing the Owyhee River near here. Jean Baptiste would have noticed them too.

Getting here requires some travel on the gravel Old ION Highway, so slow down and enjoy the views!

Note: Those making the pilgrimage to the grave of Jean Baptiste sometimes follow longer stretches of the Old ION Highway. The present ION Highway is US 95, but the old Idaho-Oregon-Nevada (ION) Highway is essentially the road followed by Jean Baptiste in 1866. A visit to the Pillars of Rome and Old Iron Bridge are a gentle introduction to travel on this old wagon road.

Traveling longer distances on the Old ION Highway is a unique experience. As with any remote travel one needs to be well-prepared. The old road is easy to find on Google Maps, but sometimes not as easy to follow on the ground. Consider the possibility of getting lost, rough road, and no way to get help if needed.

The Old Iron Bridge is near the original Owyhee Crossing where Jean Baptiste may have fallen into the river and contracted pneumonia. It is still a functioning bridge for the Old ION Highway. Due to mainly Paiute depredations in the summer of 1865, there were no stage lines running in May 1866. Jean Baptiste either hooked up with a freighting company or provided his own transportation, and he is said to have fallen from horse.

When you reach today’s Rome Station, you are only one stage stop away from your destination at Danner. But for “the rafting and white-water enthusiast, Rome is the entry point for a great ride down the wild & scenic Owyhee River past beautiful canyons, wildflowers, and wildlife.” (https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/destinations/parks-forests-wildlife-areas/pillars-of-rome/) Here, the traveler will find rest, food, lodging, RV park, and gas. With its knotty pine interior and outside eating area, this place preserves the vibe of the unique ION Highway.

As you climb out of the Owyhee valley a couple of highway pull-outs offer views looking back on the Owyhee River and Pillars of Rome. The lower pull-out has a well-weathered interpretive sign about the Owyhee country.

Innskip Station was a rock building providing shelter, water, food, and protection from the Native American uprisings. The Snake War (1864–1868) brought soldiers to the area and Indian raids in 1865 had crippled the two stage lines—John Mullan’s Chico and Idaho Stage Company and Hal Beachey’s California and Idaho Stage and Fast Freight Company—that stopped at Innskip Station. These dangers were not likely on Jean Baptiste’s mind when he was brought here to recover from pneumonia. Born February 11, 1805 at the Knife River Indian Villages in present North Dakota, this would be his life’s final destination.

A small portion of the original walls remain.

Here, you finally arrive at your destination—a memorial to Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. The interpretive sign at Jean Baptiste’s grave helps clarify how he came to die here:

Jean Baptiste Charbonneau 1805–1866

This site marks the final resting place of the youngest member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Born to Sacajawea and Toussaint Charbonneau at Fort Mandan (North Dakota) on February 11, 1805. Baptiste and his mother symbolized the peaceful nature of the “Corps of Discovery.” Educated by Captain William Clark at St. Louis, Baptiste at age 18, traveled to Europe where he spent six years, becoming fluent in English, German, French, and Spanish. Returning to America in 1829, he ranged the Far West for nearly four decades, as a mountain man, guide, interpreter, magistrate and forty niner. In 1866, he left the California gold fields for a new strike in Montana, contracted pneumonia enroute, reached “Innskip’s Ranche”, here, and died on May 16, 1866.

For lodging, return to Rome Station or continue east and north on Highway 95.