Malheur River and Hot Springs
The emigrants made their way from the
Snake River to the Malheur River across what
Sarah Sutton, in 1854, described as "the most
dusty dry and hot bare desert that any person
ever travers'd..." Vale was the point at which
they crossed the Malheur River, watered livestock,
camped and washed their clothing; many
emigrants took advantage of river water heated
by nearby hot springs.
Left camp at 11 o'clock &
traveled briskly over a sandy
country suffered considerable for
water as the day was exceedingly
hot came to a creek about 6
o'clock & never was water to me
more exceptable though of a very
indifferent quality, passed down
the Creek a short distance at the
foot of a mountain & found
boiling water running out of the
ground. It made its appearance
just above the age of the water in
the River in a Boiling state for
over a hundred yards it runs
more or less. One of our
company cooked a fish which he
caught from the creek in about
two minutes perfectly through.
Medorem Crawford,
September 3, 1842
