Goodale's Cutoff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Goodale's Cutoff
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 Location in Idaho
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Arco, Idaho |
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| Built | 1852 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000735 |
| Added to NRHP | May 01, 1974 |
Goodale's Cutoff was a special side path of the famous Oregon Trail. It started in Idaho, United States. This shortcut helped pioneers travel to new lands. It was an important route for many years.
Contents
What Was Goodale's Cutoff?
Goodale's Cutoff was a branch of the main Oregon Trail. It began near Fort Hall in Idaho. The path crossed the Snake River Plain and the Lost River. Then, it turned west towards the area of Boise. It also crossed a place called Camas Prairie.
This cutoff rejoined the main Oregon Trail near Boise. It then ran north of the main trail. Travelers crossed the Snake River into Oregon at Brownlee's Ferry. This path allowed people to reach places like Eagle Valley and Pine Valley. It also led to gold mines in Auburn. The cutoff finally met the main Oregon Trail again near Baker City, by the Powder River.
Why Was This Path Created?
In 1852, a man named John Jeffrey started telling people about this trail. He wanted to use old paths that the Shoshone people had used for a long time. Jeffrey hoped this would bring more business to his ferry. His ferry was on the Blackfoot River.
At first, not many people used this new path. It was used only a little from 1852 to 1854.
A Safer Journey
By 1862, the Northern Shoshone and Bannock tribes were worried. More and more settlers were moving into their lands. This caused some conflicts. In 1862, Shoshone Indians attacked a wagon train. This happened at a place called Massacre Rock. Ten people were killed in this attack.
Because of these dangers, a man named Tim Goodale led a large group of people. He guided 1,095 people, 338 wagons, and 2,900 animals. They traveled safely from Fort Hall to Old Fort Boise. They used the cutoff that Jeffrey had first explored.
This journey showed how safe Goodale's Cutoff could be. By 1863, most wagons chose this path. Seven out of every ten wagons going from Fort Hall to Boise used Goodale's Cutoff. It was safer than the main Oregon Trail at that time.
Today, you can still see parts of Goodale's Cutoff. It is visible along U.S. Highway 20, U.S. Highway 26, and U.S. Highway 93. These roads are between Craters of the Moon National Monument and Carey.
Images for kids
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Goodale's Cutoff in 1862
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Goodale's Cutoff of the Oregon Trail at Lava Lake, west of Arco, ID
See also
In Spanish: Atajo de Goodale para niños
