Wood, Water & Grass:  Meek Cutoff of 1845

The Meek Cutoff is perhaps the most infamous of all Oregon Trail branches. In 1845, following mountain man Stephen Meek, settlers in over 200 wagons took a more direct route across Oregon’s High Desert in an attempt to reach The Dalles. Twenty-three died during the attempt.

Researchers James H. and Theona J. Hambleton relate the history of the Meek Cutoff through the words of the diarists that lived through the ordeal. Proper correlation of diaries written in 1845 by Cooley, Harritt, Field, Herron and Parker and the McClure diary written in 1853 reveal the actual location of the Meek Cutoff Trail.

Included in the book are 53 USGS Quadrangle maps showing the actual trail location and many color photos of the remains of the trail itself. Bibliography and index are included. The culmination of nine years of extensive research by the Hambletons, Wood, Water & Grass: Meek Cutoff of 1845 gives a clearer picture and better understanding of the 1845 Meek Cutoff while helping to dispel many controversies that have been created in previous writings of the trail.

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