Mary Barlow Wilkins

“ His answer was: "God never made a mountain that had no place to go over or around it and I'm going to hunt that place." Nineteen volunteered to follow him, but their captain, by word of final warning added: "I want no one to go with me, who will be guided by the word 'can't'."
Barlow, having heard of the Indian trail, thought he could easily widen it for wagons, but that was found to be impossible for wagon travel on account of the deep snow, although it was possible for loose cattle as they could walk over the frozen snow. ”

“ When the Dalles was reached, preparations were made by many in the party to go down the Columbia in the usual way—in French bateaux and on rafts. There were only two boats at hand, so the delay would be long and tedious; the river trip was exceedingly dangerous; the many rapids and cascades did not appeal to Captain Barlow, so he began to prepare his party for the long coveted desire of making the entire trip by land. At Fort Hall, he had been told of the impossibility of going over the so-called insurmountable Cascade mountains. ”

“ On March 30,1845, the start was made for the Oregon country. The family had seven wagons with thirteen cows and oxen, besides several draft and saddle horses. They were well equipped with provisions, camp comforts and a liberal allowance of money. People came from far and near to bid them farewell. Independence, Missouri, was the general rendezvous for all western immigrants. Here, Barlow bought more cows at five dollars a head and several horses at ten dollars each; one of them sold for $300.00 cash when they reached Oregon, and another was exchanged for a half section of land. ”

“ Many in this generation of Barlows were inventors and pioneers in many first efforts of frontier life and investigation. Thomas Harris Barlow was a noted gunsmith and manufactured not only many of the best Kentucky rifles and breech loading cannons, but was the inventor of a planitarium which was used in teaching astronomy in many of the universities and schools throughout the Atlantic coast. ”

“ A toll was established to defray expenses, but on account of many not being able to pay the two dollar and a half toll, the road was operated at a financial loss. Albert Gaines, Mr. Barlow's son-in-law, was the first toll-gate keeper. However, its importance to emigrants made it necessary to keep the road open. One hundred and fortyfive wagons, bringing approximately a thousand people and many droves of cattle and horses arrived by this route in 1846, and the number increased year by year. ”

“ Nothing of note happened till they reached the mouth of the Deschutes river, where they had to drive out into the Columbia river and circle around on the sand bar to reach the bank of the Columbia on the opposite side of the Deschutes. ”

“ A force of forty men was employed and a passable road was built to the cache in the mountains, near the present site of Government camp. Mr. Barlow superintended the road construction that summer and looked after improvements on the road two months every year it was owned by him. ”

“ Finally, after due deliberation, it was decided to leave the wagons and heavy plunder in a mountain cache and leave three men to guard if through the winter. The women and children would be taken out on horses and oxen back. As provisions were low, it was decided that only one man would better stay. ”