Surprise Valley / Barrel Springs Back Country Byway

Notable Events

1. 1843John C. Fremont's exploration and mapping expedition came through the north end of the valley between Christmas and New Years, meeting a small band of Paiute who reacted as if they had never seen white people before. surprisevalleychamber.com
2. 1846The Applegate Trail, established in 1846, led from the Humboldt River in Nevada to the Willamette Valley in Oregon; its convergence with the Lassen route at Fandango Pass is marked as a historical landmark. ohp.parks.ca.gov
3. 1848Peter Lassen established the Lassen Cutoff, which turned south at Goose Lake toward the northern mines and settlements of California. ohp.parks.ca.gov
4. 1849In the gold rush of 1849 the route over Fandango Pass was the principal route to California, and the most used wagon train route came through the Surprise Valley. surprisevalleychamber.com
5. 1863Various dates have been given for the inception of the post at the present town of Fort Bidwell, but it was most probably established sometime in 1863. militarymuseum.org
6. 1864The town of Cedarville, where the byway loop begins and ends, was founded as a stopping place for wagon trains. blm.gov
7. 1865The first building in the Deep Creek settlement, now Cedarville, was built as a trading post by James Townsend, who was killed in an Indian fight the next year. hmdb.org
8. 1865Abandoned early in 1865, the post was reestablished as a log-built two-company post on July 17, 1865, close to its original location. militarymuseum.org
9. 1865Fort Bidwell, named for John Bidwell, was established in 1865 as one of the last early military posts north of Benicia. ohp.parks.ca.gov
10. 1867William T. Cressler and John H. Bonner purchased the building and ran it as a trading post and general store until larger quarters were built in 1874; their firm played a major part in the settlement and development of Surprise Valley and Modoc County. hmdb.org
11. 1867The post's troops fought in the Battle of Infernal Caverns with General George Crook and later in the Modoc War and the Bannock and Nez Perce campaigns. militarymuseum.org
12. 1890The reservation was transferred to the Department of the Interior; the property became a government Indian school and the headquarters for the Fort Bidwell Indian Reservation. militarymuseum.org
13. 1893The fort operated until 1893 and was one of the last early military posts north of Benicia to be abandoned. ohp.parks.ca.gov
14. 1898From 1898 to 1930 the fort served as a non-reservation boarding school for Indians. ohp.parks.ca.gov
15. 1949The fort site at the west end of Bridge Street in Fort Bidwell was registered as a state historical landmark. ohp.parks.ca.gov
16. 1951A field beside the byway erupted mud and water from the hot springs; mud particles were thrown about a mile into the air and pea-sized pellets landed as far as four miles away. surprisevalleychamber.com
17. 1956The convergence of the Applegate Trail and the Lassen route at Fandango Pass, east of Fort Bidwell, was registered as a state historical landmark. ohp.parks.ca.gov
18. 1977After the land for Cedarville Park was donated to Modoc County in 1957, the building was reconstructed in 1977 with funds from the State Recreational Bond Act of 1974. hmdb.org

People

• James Townsend, Built the first building in Cedarville as a trading post and was killed in an Indian fight (built the trading post in 1865 and was killed in 1866).
• John H. Bonner, With William T. Cressler, purchased the trading post and built the mercantile, banking and ranching firm that played a major part in the settlement and development of Surprise Valley and Modoc County (purchased the post in 1867).
• William T. Cressler, With John H. Bonner, purchased the trading post and built the mercantile, banking and ranching firm that played a major part in the settlement and development of Surprise Valley and Modoc County (purchased the post in 1867).
• Jesse Applegate, With fourteen others, established a trail south from the Willamette Valley and east to Fort Hall, the Applegate Trail over Fandango Pass (established the trail in 1846).
• Virgil K. Pringle, Emigrant diarist who crossed the pass and described the camp above it (journal entry September 20, 1846).
• John Bidwell, Major, California Volunteers, a veteran of the Mexican War and a pioneer California settler; the post at Fort Bidwell was named for him.
• Peter Lassen, Established the Lassen Cutoff, which turned south at Goose Lake to the northern mines and settlements of California (established the cutoff in 1848).
• Frank Lewis, Sergeant at the Fort Bidwell cavalry post, well liked by the troopers, who raised money for his tombstone.
• John C. Fremont, Explorer who named the Great Basin and led the mapping expedition that passed the valley (came through between Christmas and New Years in 1843).

Sources

1. fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/byway/2333
2. blm.gov/blog/2026-05-28/more-time-travel-nations-250th-exploring-blm-back-country-byways-oregon-and
3. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Surprise_Valley_(Modoc_County,_California)
4. surprisevalleychamber.com/info/BarrelSpringsBackCountryByway-BLMBrochure-1992.pdf
5. blm.gov/office/applegate-field-office
6. blm.gov/office/northern-california-district-office
7. ohp.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/546
8. ohp.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/430
9. hmdb.org/m.asp?m=10245
10. hmdb.org/m.asp?m=87845
11. militarymuseum.org/FtBidwell.html