North Fork Salmon River, impassable route — John Ordway: September 2, 1805
The party set out around 7 a.m. and traveled roughly 13 miles northeast through extremely difficult terrain, crossing several cold spring-fed creeks lined with beaver dams, tall pine and balsam fir, and alder. They had to cut paths through dense thickets in an area they named Dismal Swamp, about six miles across. Steep, rocky mountainsides forced them to carry loads up by hand; some weak horses fell backward and one gave out entirely. Hunters found no game beyond a few pheasants. They camped in a thicket near the creek.
horses and set out about 7 oClock, and proceeded on. the way
we had to go was verry bad some places thick bushes and logs to
pass over, other places rockey. our course about N. E. crossed
several creeks or large Spring runs the water of which was verry
cold. Saw a nomber of large beaver dams and beaver ponds on
this creek, the pine and balsom fer timber tall and strait, and
pleanty. Some of the pine is large enofe for canoes or boards &.C.
considerable of common alder along the creeks and runs, we
proceeded on up the creek passed through verry bad thickets
where we were oblidged to cut a road for our horses to pass
through, handsom tall strait pine and balsom fer and a little
cotton [wood] intermixed, crossed Several branches. Some
places muddy, we call this place dismal Swamp. Several beaver
dams in it &C. Some places Steep along the edge of the moun-
tains and verry rough and rockey. the mountains make close on
each side of the creek and [are] high covred with pine, this is a
verry lonesome place. some of our weak horses fell backward
climeing the steep rockey hills, and mountains, we had consid-
erable of trouble this day carr[y]ing several of the horses loads
up the steep rockey mon* one of the horses gave out so that he
could not carry his load, we went 13 miles this day and Camped
1 “nearly as steep as the roof of a house.” Whitehouse.
2 Today’s route led overland from the camp on Boyle’s Creek to a stream
which they called Fish Creek, but which is now known as North Fork of Salmon
River. The camp was about ten miles above the mouth of Fish Creek.
280 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS [Sept. 3
in a thicket near the creek.1 it was about six miles through the
thicket which we call the dismal Swamp, nothing killed this day
by the hunters only a fiew fessents [pheasants], no game of any
kind to be seen in these mountains.
Read this entry in modern English AI-translated
We gathered the horses and set out about 7 o'clock, and proceeded on. The way we had to go was very bad — some places thick with bushes and logs to pass over, other places rocky. Our course was about N.E. We crossed several creeks or large spring runs, the water of which was very cold. We saw a number of large beaver dams and beaver ponds on this creek. The pine and balsam fir timber was tall, straight, and plentiful. Some of the pine is large enough for canoes or boards, etc. There is a considerable amount of common alder along the creeks and runs.
We proceeded on up the creek and passed through very bad thickets where we were obliged to cut a road for our horses to pass through. There were handsome, tall, straight pine and balsam fir, with a little cottonwood intermixed. We crossed several branches. Some places were muddy. We call this place Dismal Swamp. There are several beaver dams in it, etc. Some places were steep along the edge of the mountains and very rough and rocky. The mountains close in on each side of the creek and are high, covered with pine. This is a very lonesome place.
Some of our weak horses fell backward climbing the steep rocky hills and mountains. We had considerable trouble this day carrying several of the horses' loads up the steep rocky mountains. One of the horses gave out so that he could not carry his load. We went 13 miles this day and camped in a thicket near the creek. It was about six miles through the thicket which we call the Dismal Swamp. Nothing was killed this day by the hunters, only a few pheasants. No game of any kind was to be seen in these mountains.
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