Results of Geophysical Survey and Historic Names 

Research of the California Trail Segments Located 

within the Boundaries of the City of Rocks 

National Reserve, Cassia County, Idaho.

By

Albert M. LeBeau III,

Ashley J. Barnett, and Curtis H. Sedlacek

MIDWEST ARCHEOLOGICAL CENTER

Technical Report: No. 130

United States Department of the Interior

National Park Service

Lincoln, Nebraska

2012
All images in this report either are the product of the authors or are used with permission. Figure 

27 (“Undated photo of Daniel and Mary Tickner”) is the property of the Oregon-California Trails 

Association and is used with permission. Figure 29 (“Undated photo of Henry Keck”) and Figure 

30 (“Henry Keck’s gravestone, Dibble Cemetery, Van Buren County, Iowa”) are the property of Bob 

Richards and are used with permission.
RESULTS OF GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY AND HISTORIC 

NAMES RESEARCH OF THE CALIFORNIA TRAIL 

SEGMENTS LOCATED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES 

OF THE CITY OF ROCKS NATIONAL RESERVE, CASSIA 

COUNTY, IDAHO.

By

Albert M. LeBeau III,

Ashley J. Barnett, and Curtis H. Sedlacek

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Midwest Archeological Center

Technical Report: No. 130

United States Department of the Interior

National Park Service

Midwest Archeological Center

Lincoln, Nebraska

2012
This report has been reviewed against the criteria contained in 43CFR Part 7, Subpart 

A, Section 7.18 (a) (1) and, upon recommendation of the Midwest Regional Office

and the Midwest Archeological Center, has been classified as

Available

Making the report available meets the criteria of 43CFR Part 7, Subpart A, Section 7.18 

(a) (1).
i

ABSTRACT

The City of Rocks National Reserve is a location with ties to America’s emigrant 

past. The primary significance at the Reserve is the California Trail and associated 

features. The National Park Service’s National Trails Intermountain Region requested 

the National Park Service’s Midwest Archeological Center assist the City of Rocks 

National Reserve in geophysical survey and historic names research projects. The 

projects utilized geophysical prospection techniques to answer questions posed by 

the Reserve and researched historic names left by emigrants who passed through the 

Reserve. This report documents the methods and results of these projects.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank Kristen Bastis, Chief of Cultural Resources 

at the City of Rocks National Reserve, for her assistance throughout the project. In 

addition, the authors would like to thank Superintendent Wallace Keck for allowing us 

to work in such a beautiful location. Thanks to Lee Kreutzer and Superintendent Aaron 

Mahr with the National Trails Intermountain Region for funding and assisting with this 

project and Dr. Mark Lynott, Jeff Richner, and Steven De Vore for assisting in the preand post-field activities. Thanks also to the Reserve staff for making us feel welcome at 

the City of Rocks National Reserve.
ii
iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract.........................................................................................................................................i

Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................................i

Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................iii

List of Tables ...............................................................................................................................iii

List of Figures .............................................................................................................................iv

Section One................................................................................................................................. 1

Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1

Environmental Context.................................................................................................... 1

Historical Background...................................................................................................... 3

Previous Archeological Research .................................................................................... 5

Current Research............................................................................................................... 7

Interpretations .................................................................................................................. 14

Results ................................................................................................................................ 19

Section Two................................................................................................................................ 23

Historic Names Research ............................................................................................... 23

References Cited........................................................................................................................ 39

Table 1. Previous Archeological Work at City of 

Rocks National Reserve............................................................................................................. 6

LIST OF TABLES
iv

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Villages and Subsistence Areas of Idaho ................................................................. 4

Figure 2. The California Trail .................................................................................................... 5

Figure 3. Map of Survey Areas.................................................................................................. 8

Figure 4. Pinnacle Pass Survey Area (looking south)............................................................. 8

Figure 5. Quarry Site Survey Area (looking east) ................................................................... 9

Figure 6. South Side Survey Area (looking east-southeast) .................................................. 9

Figure 7. Pinnacle Pass Survey Area Map............................................................................... 10

Figure 8. Quarry Site Survey Area Map.................................................................................. 11

Figure 9. South Side Survey Areas Map.................................................................................. 12

Figure 10. Example of 20-meter ropes arranged in a geophysical 

survey grid.................................................................................................................................. 12

Figure 11. Archeological Technician Ashley Barnett conducting magnetic 

survey at South Side Survey Area (looking southeast) ......................................................... 14

Figure 12. Archeological Technicians Curtis Sedlacek and Ashley Barnett

conducting resistance survey at Pinnacle Pass Survey Area ................................................ 15

Figure 13. Quarry Site Survey Area magnetic data ............................................................... 16

Figure 14. Quarry Site Survey Area magnetic data interpretation ...................................... 16

Figure 15. Quarry Site Survey Area Map with magnetic data 

interpretation overlay ............................................................................................................... 17

Figure 16. Pinnacle Pass Resistance Data (left) and Resistance 

Data Interpretation ................................................................................................................... 18

Figure 17. Pinnacle Pass Survey Area map with resistance data 

interpretation overlay ............................................................................................................... 18

Figure 18. Quarry Site Survey Area resistance data............................................................... 19

Figure 19. Quarry Site Survey Area resistance data interpretation..................................... 20
v

Figure 20: Quarry Site Survey Area map with resistance data 

interpretation overlay ............................................................................................................... 20

Figure 21. South Side Survey Area resistance data interpretations..................................... 21

Figure 22. South Side Survey Area resistance interpretations ............................................. 21

Figure 23. South Side Survey Area map with resistance data 

interpretation overlay ............................................................................................................... 22

Figure 24. Register Rock Overview, facing east..................................................................... 24

Figure 25. Camp Rock .............................................................................................................. 24

Figure 26. Ida Fullinwider, Kans. July 12.81 (Camp Rock) ................................................. 26

Figure 27. A. Freeman, June.12.50 and D. Tickner June 12.50 

(Register Rock).......................................................................................................................... 27

Figure 28. Undated photo of Daniel and Mary Tickner....................................................... 29

Figure 29. June 27 1851 H. Keck.............................................................................................. 31

Figure 30. Undated photo of Henry Keck (Image courtesy of Bob 

Richards. Used with permission.)........................................................................................... 36

Figure 31. Henry Keck’s gravestone, Dibble Cemetery, Van Buren 

County, Iowa (Image courtesy of Bob Richards. Used with 

permission.)................................................................................................................................ 36

Figure 32. C. S. Peck & Lady, Buffalo, NY, Aug 10, 1860 

(Register Rock) ......................................................................................................................... 37
vi
1

SECTION ONE

Introduction

Congress created the City of Rocks National Reserve (“the Reserve”) through 

public law 100-696 in 1988. The Reserve is a unit of the National Park Service, managed 

by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation with multiple goals in mind. The 

Reserve is intended to preserve and protect the significant cultural resources within the 

Reserve boundaries related to the emigrant travel along the California National Historic 

Trail, protecting the rural historic setting up to 1988, the founding of the Reserve. The 

Reserve also seeks to manage the recreational use of the park, to protect and maintain 

the natural scenic quality of the Reserve, and to interpret for the public the national 

significance of the Reserve.

The City of Rocks National Reserve contacted the National Park Service Midwest 

Archeological Center (MWAC) to assess the viability of conducting a geophysical 

survey of the California Trail segments that lie within the boundaries of the Reserve. 

In association with the Reserve and the National Trails Intermountain Region (NTIR), 

MWAC archeologists considered the conditions of the Reserve based on telephone and 

email correspondence and decided that a geophysical survey was feasible. Furthermore, 

the Reserve requested that MWAC assist with conducting an historic names survey 

in order to expand interpretation resources of the Reserve and thus enhance visitor 

experience. This report discusses the methods, results and interpretations of the 

geophysical survey, as well as the research of historic names. It presents the research 

questions and provides analysis and suggested answers to those questions.

Environmental Context

The City of Rocks National Reserve is situated within southern Idaho’s Albion 

Range and is characterized by granite spires and domes, which surround three upland 

valleys of the City of Rocks anticline. Elevations in the Reserve range from 5,650 Feet 

(1,720 m) at Circle Creek in the east to 8,867 feet (2,703 m) at Graham Peak in the north 

(“General Management Plan” draft:18-19). The Albion Range, unlike the sedimentary 

ranges that dominate much of the Basin and Range region, is largely composed of 

igneous and metamorphic rock. The dark igneous rock in the Reserve is part of the 

Green Creek Complex, which is one of the oldest rock formations in the United States 

at 2.5 billion years old, while the lighter igneous rock is part of the 25 million-year-old 

Almo Pluton. The Almo Pluton thrusts up through the Green Creek Complex (Harrison 

1972; Thornberry 2010). Multiple periods of uplift throughout geologic time, combined 

with faulting and erosion (primarily fluvial), have produced the topography that exists 

today. Active geologic processes, including alluvial processes, mass wasting, and 

weathering, have more recently altered the landscape, as has tectonic activity centered 

along a fault that runs just east of the Reserve. The pinnacles that are the most obvious 

attributes of the landscape formed as a result of deep weathering of surrounding rock 

(“General Management Plan” draft:21). 
2

CIRO

The Reserve contains two important water sources. Graham Creek flows across 

the northeast corner of the Reserve and Circle Creek flows through the center of the 

Reserve (Thornberry 2010). The Reserve also contains two drainage basins, both of 

which drain into a tributary of the Raft River. The Circle Creek basin receives water 

from three different tributaries, the North, Center and South Circle creeks. This basin 

contains the concentration of granite outcroppings that give the Reserve its name, City 

of Rocks. The second basin is located southwest of Circle Creek, and drains through 

Heath Canyon (Thornberry 2010).

The granitic rocks of the Almo Pluton are the primary influences on the soil types 

present in the Reserve, though granites and granite gneiss of the Green Creek Complex 

and Elba quartzite and embedded schists are also present and, therefore, influence 

local soil formations (“General Management Plan” draft: 25-26). Soils in the Reserve 

mostly consist of Ola-Rock outcrop-Earcree, which is a well-drained soil composed of 

alluvium and colluvium derived from metamorphic rock (USDA et al. 2011). The soil 

composition at the Pinnacle Pass Survey Area consists of Riceton loamy coarse sand 

and Kanlee-Rock outcrop-Earcree complex. Riceton is a relatively young Mollisol that 

forms on alluvial fans. Because Riceton is a relatively young soil, horizons are generally 

poorly-developed, though calcium carbonate deposits do tend to accumulate (“General 

Management Plan” draft:27-28). Kanlee is also a young, poorly-developed Mollisol. Both 

of these soils occur in areas with slightly higher precipitation than other parts of the 

Reserve, leading to higher organic content at the surface due to the denser vegetation 

they support. Typically, Riceton and Kanlee soils support moderately dense shrub and 

grass growth (“General Management Plan” draft:27-28). 

At the Quarry Site, soils are generally characterized as Itca-Birchcreek Rock 

outcrop complex with Arbone loam. In contrast to the young Mollisols at the Pinnacle 

Peak Survey Area, Itca and Birchcreek soils are well-developed Mollisols that form on 

south and west facing mountain slopes from alluvium and residuum of quartzite and 

mica schist (Noe and Kukachka 1994:10; “General Management Plan” draft:28). Arbone 

loam is a relatively young Mollisol that forms from alluvial fan remnants (“General 

Management Plan” draft:27-28). Like Riceton and Kanlee soils, Arbone loam also has a 

denser organic content at the surface than soils that form in dryer areas, as a result of the 

denser vegetation that the soil supports. 

Soils at the South Side Survey Area are typically Arbone loam and Raft River 

loam (USDA et al. 2011). Raft River loam is an Aridisol that forms on south-facing slopes 

of the southwestern part of the Reserve (“General Management Plan” draft:27). Older 

than Arbone and Riceton soils, Raft River soil has existed long enough for carbonates 

to collect and form subsurface horizons. Silica has percolated through the soil and 

cemented these carbonate concentrations, creating duripans. Compared to Arbone 

loam, this soil supports significantly sparser vegetation, as Raft River loam forms under 

dry conditions which lead to low levels of microbial action and, thus lower organic 

content (“General Management Plan” draft:27-29).

The climate is semi arid, with the Reserve annually receiving only about 14 inches 

of precipitation in the lower elevations and 22 inches in the higher elevations (DRI 2011; 

USDA et al. 2011). Summers are typically warm and dry, while winters are usually cold 
3

SECTION ONE

and moist (“General Management Plan” draft:26). Temperatures in the summer can 

vary widely, with temperatures at night occasionally approaching freezing and with 

daytime temperatures approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (DRI 2011; USDA et al. 2011). 

Mean annual air temperature below 6,800 feet is around 42 degrees Fahrenheit; above 

7,400 feet, the mean annual temperature dips about 38 degrees Fahrenheit (“General 

Management Plan” draft:27). Additionally, altitudinal zonation causes temperature 

variations with elevation, while microclimates exist because of variation in aspect. 

Plant life in the Reserve consists of clusters of juniper woodlands combined 

with mountain big sagebrush, curl-leaf mountain mahogany, and various short 

grasses (Harrison 1972). The Reserve includes the northernmost occurrence of pinyon 

pine, which was once a critical food resource for indigenous peoples of the area. The 

vegetation in the Pinnacle Pass Survey Area consists of juniper trees, pinyon pine, and 

mixed grasses. Vegetation at the South Side Survey Area consists mostly of mountain big 

sagebrush and some short grasses. The vegetation at the Quarry Site and Pinnacle Pass 

Survey Areas consists of mixed grasses with mountain big sagebrush. 

Further information regarding the environmental context of the City of Rocks 

National Reserve, including expanded insights into the geology, soils, climate, and 

vegetation, are available in Classification of City of Rocks National Reserve vegetation 

data to support the vegetation mapping program NPS/UCBN/NRTR-2010/313 and 

Natural Resource Condition Assessment City of Rocks National Reserve – Research Natural 

Area NPS/UCBN/NRTR-2010/299 and Monitoring Sage Brush-steppe Vegetation in 

the Upper Columbia Basin Network 2008 Annual Monitoring Report, City of Rocks 

National Reserve, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument and John Day Fossil 

Beds National Monument NPS/UCBN/NRTR-2009/182. In addition, the City of Rocks 

General Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement is currently 

under development. 

Historical Background

The region is rich in natural resources, making it an ideal location for habitation 

(see Figure 1). From the big game hunters of the late Pleistocene to modern day dry 

and irrigated farming, the area around the Reserve continues to support a thriving 

population. This oasis within the Snake River watershed became a stop for weary 

travelers moving west on the California Trail from the 1840s through the 1890s. 

Though archeologists currently know relatively little about the Reserve’s precontact human occupation, archeologists have dated nearby sites (such as Wilson Butte 

Cave, north of the Reserve) to as early as 15,000 BP (Bureau of Land Management 2011). 

During the Proto-historic and historic periods, the Shoshone and Bannock peoples 

called the project area home. The people were semi-nomadic and relied on local 

resources for subsistence. Within the tribes, there existed different groups/clans, which 

are identified by their primary means of subsistence (Murphy and Murphy 1986:287). 

According to Murphy and Murphy, the Shoshone group/clan that inhabited the research 

area was the Tukudeka (Sheep eaters). This name likely stems from the group/clan’s 

dependence on the mountain sheep that inhabited the area.
4

CIRO

Figure 1. Villages and Subsistence Areas of Idaho.

Oral histories and written accounts from the height of the trail’s use in this area 

tell of both positive and negative encounters between natives and emigrants. The influx 

of emigrants into and through the region raised tensions between the populations, 

largely because the emigrants and their livestock were consuming food resources that 

indigenous persons needed for survival. 

The California Trail meandered from Independence, Missouri, through the 

Rocky Mountains and terminated at the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the 

Central Valley (Figure 2). Many missionaries followed American Indian trails from the 

Platte River to the Snake River in the late 1830s, while others blazed their own trails. 

The fur trade had established a route from Independence, Missouri, to Fort Hall, Idaho, 
5

SECTION ONE

based on existing American Indian trails. Fur traders and other ‘mountain men’ took 

missionaries west on the way to their annual fur rendezvous. Then, in 1841, the BidwellBartleson Party blazed a way from Soda Springs, Idaho, to the Great Salt Lake, then west 

to the Humboldt River and through the Sierras. Over time, others refined the route, 

creating the system that came to be known as the California Trail.

It is important to note that the California Trail is not simply a single trail, but 

rather a system of numerous trails leading in the same direction (Bagley 2010:6). Many 

components of the historic California Trail have been designated by Congress as the 

California National Historic Trail. For example, the Salt Lake Alternate (also located 

within the Reserve) was a spur of the California Trail that lead from Salt Lake City 

north to what is now the Reserve. Thus, the Salt Lake Alternate is considered a part of 

the California Trail system. For the purpose of this report, the phrase “California Trail” 

refers to the trail system in its entirety. 

Previous Archeological Research

Previous archeological research within the Reserve has focused primarily on 

the California Trail, though Section 106 surveys have been conducted on campgrounds, 

trails, wells, and other such areas (personal communication Kristen Bastis 08/04/2011; 

see Table 1). Limited funding and the late date (1988) of the Reserve’s creation have 

limited the size and number of archaeological surveys in the Reserve. Table 1 gives a 

brief overview of the archeological work completed at the Reserve.

Figure 2. The California Trail.
6

CIRO

Table 1. Previous Archeological Work at City of Rocks National Reserve.

Author Year Report Title

Haines, Aubrey L. 1972 An Historical Report on the City of Rocks in Southern Idaho

Chance, David H. 1989 Tubaduka and Kamuduka Shoshoni of the City of Rocks and 

Surrounding Country

Chance, David H.; 

Chance, Jennifer V.

1990 The Archaeological Reconnaissance of the City of Rocks 

Reserve

Chance, David H.; 

Chance, Jennifer V.

1992 Archaeology at the City of Rocks, The Investigations of 1991

Attebery, Jennifer 1992 Annotated List of Sources for the History and Culture of City 

of Rocks, Cassia County, Idaho 1890-1940

Chance, David H.; 

Chance, Jennifer V.

1993 Riddles of Stagecoach Station and Other Questions at the City 

of Rocks

Little, William J. 1994 A Historical Overview of Livestock Use in the Area of City of 

Rocks National Reserve from Introduction to 1907

Meyers, Daniel L. 1994 An Ethnographic Overview and Assessment of the Hagerman 

Fossil Beds National Monument and Other Areas in Southern 

Idaho

Jenks, Michael 1995 Idaho Archaeological Survey Archaeological and Historical Sites 

Survey 

Sammons, Dorothy 1996 City of Rocks Mapping Project CEEA 97-6

Sammons, Dorothy 1996 Mapping the California Trail: City of Rocks, Tebiwa 26 (1) p 

92-117

National Park Service 1996 City of Rocks National Reserve Resource Management Plan

Historical Research 

Associates, Inc. and 

Amphion

1996 Historic Resources Study: City of Rocks National Reserve, 

Southcentral Idaho

Sammons, Dorothy 1997 Locating the California Trail at City of Rocks, Idaho in CRM Vol 

20 No 1 1997 NPS

Mead, Holly, A. 1999 Archaeological and Historical Survey Report – OAR –ISU 

Summer Archaeological Investigations at the City of Rocks 

National Reserve

Thomson, James 2000 Pedestrian Archaeological Survey of a Proposed Campground 

for City of Rocks National reserve, Cassia County, Idaho

Lyon, Jason W. 2002 Castle Rock Addition Archaeological Survey NEPE CRM 01-05

Wilson, Douglas C. 2002 Phase 2 City of Rocks, Smoky Point Campground 

Archaeological Site Recording and Evaluation

Lohse, E.S., P 

Santarone, B.Benson, 

C.W. Clellan, C. 

Cordell, D. Ellis, R. 

Hitchcock, N. Holmburg

2006 Technical Paper 06-1: Shock and Awe Rockshelter 

Investigations IDSHPO

Idaho State University 2007 Technical Paper 07-4: Archaeological Testing of the Latrine 

Site, IDSHPO

Idaho State University 2007 Technical Paper 07-5: Archaeological Testing of Site 10-CA1010, IDSHPO

Moser, Coral 2007 Letter Report 07-1: Archaeological Survey of Circle Creek 

Overlook Parking
7

SECTION ONE

Table 1. Concluded.

Author Year Report Title

Lohse, E.S, et al. 2007 Technical Paper 08-1: 2007 Archaeological Testing of the 

Buried Beach Site (10 CA 986), IDSHPO

Owens, Erica 2009 National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory REVISED 

2009 City of Rocks National Reserve

Guenther, Melissa and 2010 Intensive Archaeological Survey of 400 Acres Administered 

L. Suzanne Henrikson By The Bureau of Land Management Within the Castle Rocks 

Interagency Recreation Area. US Department of Interior, BLM, 

Twin falls District, Bulrey Field Office, Burley Idaho

Kvamme, Kenneth L. 2010 Final Report of Geophysical Investigations at Two 

Archaeological Sites Within Castle Rocks State Park

Bastis, Kristen J. 2011 Archaeological Survey of the Circle Creek Overlook Trails 

Project

Current Research

The researchers posed the following research question for the 2011 project to 

gather more information about the Reserve’s past: How do the geophysical signatures of 

known trail segments and known two-track ranch roads compare to one another? Are 

the signatures unique or similar? Establishing a geophysical signature for each of these 

two transportation methods could assist in the documentation and verification of trail 

routes, not only at the Reserve, but also at other locations along major overland trails.

Survey Area

To answer this question, MWAC surveyed three areas (Figure 3). The first 

survey area is located to the south of Pinnacle Pass. This area is characterized by 5% 

to 10% slope with mountain big sagebrush, pinyon pine, and mixed grasses covering 

the ground. Surface visibility was good with greater than 30% of the ground surface 

visible. The second survey area is the Quarry Site, characterized by 2% to 3% slope with 

mountain big sagebrush and mixed grasses covering the ground. Surface visibility was 

good with greater than 30% of the surface visible. The third survey area is the South Side 

Site. This area is flat and lies on the floor of Junction Valley. The vegetation is mountain 

big sagebrush and mixed grasses. The ground visibility was also good at this site with 

greater than 30% visible ground surface. Good visibility in these areas was the result 

of lower-density vegetation, which in turn meant that the researchers could operate 

geophysical equipment in these areas. 

Surface Features

At the Pinnacle Pass Survey Area (Figure 4), both the modern ranch road and 

historic trail are visible. The ranch road ranges from one meter to two-and-one-half 

meters wide with a maximum depth of 0.25 meter in the deeper ruts. The historic trail 

has a noticeable swale that ranges from one meter to two meters wide with a maximum 

depth of one meter. 
8

CIRO

Figure 3. Map of Survey Areas.

Figure 4. Pinnacle Pass Survey Area (looking south).
9

SECTION ONE

At the Quarry Site Survey Area (Figure 5), the archeologists noticed the ranch 

road due to lack of dense vegetation compared to the surrounding vegetation. The ranch 

road at this site ranges from one meter to one-and-one-half meters with a depth of 0.25 

meter in the deeper ruts. No historic trail existed at this location, so this location served 

as a control area, surveyed 

to identify the geophysical 

signature of a known ranch 

road with no possible 

confusion of a trail segment 

overlapping a ranch road. 

Figure 5. Quarry Site Survey Area (looking east).

The third location was 

the South Side Survey Area 

(Figure 6). Two portions of 

the historic trail are visible at 

this location. The first section 

consists of a deep swale that 

is one meter to two meters 

across with a maximum depth 

of one meter. The second 

section is an ephemeral trail 

segment that is less obvious 

than the deeper section of trail. This trail segment is at surface level and is approximately 

one meter to one-and-one-half meters wide. The archeologists identified this section 

due to the decreased density of vegetation compared to the surrounding area.

Figure 6. South Side Survey Area (looking east-southeast).

Survey Methodology

MWAC staff employed magnetic gradient and resistance meter survey techniques 

to investigate and identify known segments of the California Trail and ranch roads in 

the survey areas to answer the 

research question. To lay out 

the grids at each survey area, 

the MWAC crew first placed 

a datum point (marked with a 

large orange plastic stake) just 

outside of the desired survey 

area. The crew measured off 

of this datum point to locate 

the corners of each grid, then 

placed wooden stakes at the 

corners of each grid. These 

stakes formed the outline of 

the grids. 

At Pinnacle Pass, the 

MWAC crew set up three 

20-meter by 20-meter grids 
10

CIRO

aligned to magnetic north. Grid one at the Pinnacle Pass site was the southernmost and 

grid three was the northernmost (Figure 7). At the Quarry Site, the MWAC crew placed 

one 20-meter by 20-meter grid aligned to magnetic north (Figure 8). The MWAC crew 

placed two partial grids at the South Side location aligned to magnetic north (Figure 

9). The first grid at the South Side location is approximately fifteen meters southeast of 

the datum and grid two is approximately fifteen meters northeast of the datum. Grid 

one is 20 meters by 15 meters and grid two is 20 meters by 10 meters. The crew elected 

to use partial (rather than full 20-meter by 20-meter) grids due to the vegetation 

density at the site.

MWAC staff used twenty-meter ropes to outline all of the grids, with the ropes 

spaced at two-meter intervals (oriented north to south). This method was used for all 

survey areas, regardless of the placement of full or partial grids. The ropes are marked 

with alternating colors (red and blue) that denote half meter and one-meter intervals, 

and are designed to aid in the surveying effort by keeping measurements equally 

spaced (Figure 10). 

Figure 7. Pinnacle Pass Survey Area Map.
11

SECTION ONE

Archeologist LeBeau created sketch maps of each area at the time of each survey, 

noting obstacles and other features present and Archeological Technician Curtis 

Sedlacek used a Trimble Geo XH 3000-series hand-held global positioning satellite 

system (GPS) with an external antenna, capable of sub-one meter accuracy, to map 

the project areas. Additionally, LeBeau photographed each survey area using a Nikon 

Coolpix P500 14 megapixel camera.

The geophysical instruments employed in this study begin recording data from 

the southwestern corner of each grid, running in a zigzag pattern to collect data. The 

instrument’s operator begins recording data at the southwest corner of the grid, walking 

north along the rope. When the operator reaches the end of the line, s/he moves one 

half meter to the east (in between the first and second rope) and begins walking south 

as the machine again records data. Upon reaching the southern edge of the grid, the 

operator turns and repeats the process, until s/he has recorded data along all of the grid’s 

transects. At that point, the grid is finished, and the operator moves on to the next grid.

Figure 8. Quarry Site Survey Area Map.
12

CIRO

Figure 9. South Side Survey Areas Map.

Figure 10. Example of 20-meter ropes arranged in a geophysical 

survey grid (South Side Survey Areas, looking east-southeast).
13

SECTION ONE

The three geophysical instruments used for this project were the Geoscan 

Research FM36 fluxgate gradiometer, the Geoscan FM256 fluxgate gradiometer, and 

the Geoscan Research RM15 resistance meter. Due to an equipment malfunction, the 

MWAC crew replaced the Geoscan Research FM36 with the Geoscan Research FM256. 

All grids that the crew surveyed with the FM36 were re-surveyed with the FM256 to 

maintain data consistency.

Magnetic Gradient Survey

Instrument: Geoscan Research FM256 fluxgate gradiometer

Specifications: 0.05nT (nano-tesla) resolution, 1nT absolute accuracy.

Survey Type: Magnetic gradient

Operators: Ashley Barnett and Curtis Sedlacek

A magnetic gradient survey is a non-intrusive, passive geophysical survey that 

measures the magnetic variations of subsurface soils. The magnetometer measures both 

the magnitude and the direction of magnetic fields associated with subsurface deposits. 

Deposits with strong magnetic properties, such as ferrous metal objects, result in strong 

magnetic signatures. Archeologists trained in geophysics can also frequently identify 

less intense magnetic signatures associated with cultural deposits or activities, such as 

hearths, trails, and structural footprints (for additional details about magnetic surveys, 

see Bevan 1998:18-29, Clark 2000:64-98; David 1995:17-20; Gaffney and Gater 2003:36-

42, 61-72; Gaffney et al. 1991:3-5, 2002:7-9; Heimmer and De Vore 1995:7-20, 2000:55-58; 

Kvamme 2001:357-358, 2003:441, 2005:430-433; Lowrie 1997:229-306; Milsom 2003:51-

70; Mussett and Khan 2000:139-180; Scollar et al. 1990:375-519; Weymouth 1986:341-370; 

De Vore and LeBeau 2011: 13-27; and De Vore 2005:5-13). At all survey locations, the 

MWAC crew conducted the magnetic surveys at one-meter intervals with eight readings 

collected per meter (Figure 11). 

Resistance Survey

Instrument: Geoscan Research RM15 resistance meter with PA5 multiprobe array

Specifications: 0.05 ohms resolution, 0.1 ohms absolute accuracy

Survey type: Resistance

Operators: Ashley Barnett, Curtis Sedlacek, and Albert LeBeau

Resistance survey is a minimally intrusive, active geophysical technique that 

involves penetration of the ground with small probes. This type of survey sends a 

small electrical current through the ground to another set of probes (placed in the 

ground several meters away) to complete the circuit. The instrument measures the soil’s 

resistance to the current. Since different soils and subsurface deposits are characterized 

by variations in resistance to electrical currents, archeologists can use resistance meters 

to identify variations in subsurface deposits, which may indicate cultural deposits (for 

additional information involving the technical aspects of resistance meters, see Bevan 

1998:7-18; Carr 1982; Clark 2000:27-63; David 1995:27-28; Gaffney and Gater 2003:26-36; 

Gaffney et al. 1991:3-5, 2002:7-9; Heimmer and De Vore 1995:29-35, 2000:59-60; Kvamme 

2001:358-362, 2003:441-442, 2005:434-436; Lowrie 1997:203-219; Milsom 2003:83-116; 

Mussett and Khan 2000:181-232; Scollar et al. 1990:307-374; Weymouth 1986:318-341; 

De Vore and LeBeau 2011:13-27; De Vore 2005:5-13). At all of the locations, the MWAC 
14

CIRO

Crew conducted the resistance survey at one-meter intervals with a one reading per 

meter collection rate (Figure 12).

Figure 11. Archeological Technician Ashley Barnett conducting 

magnetic survey (using a Geoscan Research FM256 fluxgate 

gradiometer) at South Side Survey Area (looking southeast).

Interpretations

Magnetometry

Initially, LeBeau was confident that processing and post-processing of the 

magnetic data would allow the archeologists to gain insights into the subsurface deposits 

in the Reserve. During the interpretation process, LeBeau used a zero mean traverse 

processing routine to remove heading errors. He then interpolated the X and Y-axes to 

smooth out the image and applied low pass filters to remove any high frequency, smallscale spatial detail to improve the visibility of larger, weak anomalies. These processing 

routines are standard procedures used to transform the raw (numerical) data recorded 

by the instrument into images that archeologists can effectively interpret. 

After analyzing the data, it became evident that post-processing would be unable 

to overcome the effects of the large quantity of ferrous metal debris present at the 

Pinnacle Pass and South Side Survey Areas. Ferrous metal debris present throughout 

the survey areas (in this case both below the surface and in barbed wire fencing above 

the surface) causes strong magnetic anomalies that obscure the more subtle magnetic 

signatures of the trails and ranch roads, thus rendering the magnetic data ineffective for 

differentiating between cultural and environmental features in these survey areas.

The Quarry Site 

is the singular exception 

to the above-mentioned 

difficulty with the magnetic 

survey. Later research 

by Chief of Cultural 

Resources Kristen Basis 

(personal communication 

11/09/2011) indicates that 

this site may never have 

been a true quarry, but 

was simply a place where 

the previous landowner 

removed surface rocks 

and disturbed vegetation. 

A massive anomaly, 

however, is located within 

the eastern portion of the 

grid (Figures 13-15). After 

applying the filters, LeBeau 

identified a linear feature. 

This linear feature corresponds with the location of the known ranch road (indicated by 

red lines in Figure 14). The light blue circle is a magnetic anomaly. The light yellow most 

likely indicates the western extent of the disturbed area. 
15

SECTION ONE

Figure 12. Archeological Technicians Curtis Sedlacek 

and Ashley Barnett conducting resistance survey (using 

a Geoscan Research RM15 resistance meter with PA5 

multiprobe array) at Pinnacle Pass Survey Area (looking 

north).

Resistance 

The resistance meter records soil variations in resistance to electrical current. A 

soil’s resistance to an electrical current is affected by the soil’s moisture content. Because 

compact soils have less air space between soil particles than non-compacted soils, the 

amount of moisture present 

in compact soils differs when 

compared to surrounding 

non-compacted soils. Thus, 

since resistance depends upon 

soil moisture, the resistance of 

compact soils will differ from 

the resistance of surrounding 

non-compacted soils. 

For this project, the 

resistance survey produced 

more functional data than 

the magnetic survey. LeBeau 

used de-spike routines, 

interpolation, and high pass 

filters to remove random 

measurements, creating an 

image that could be interpreted. 

High pass filters remove low 

frequency, large-scale spatial 

detail, such as a slow changing geological background trend. (For a more detailed 

explanation of these methods, please consult see Steven L. De Vore’s forthcoming report 

“Geophysical Prospection and Archeological Investigations of the Proposed Bridge 

Replacement, Entrance Road Realignment, and New Visitor Parking Lost Project at the 

Fort Larned National Historic Site, 14PA305, Pawnee County, Kansas” [p. 21]). 

LeBeau identified five anomalies within the grids at Pinnacle Pass (Figures 16 and 

17). LeBeau interpreted the first anomaly as the (visible) swale left by the California Trail, 

while he interpreted the second as the ranch road. LeBeau interpreted the third anomaly 

as an ephemeral trail segment of the California Trail. The fourth is an as-yet unidentified 

anomaly, which remains unidentified because only a portion of the anomaly lies within 

the grid. As a result, there is not enough of the anomaly present in the data to allow for 

interpretation. The fifth anomaly may be another ephemeral California Trail segment. 

The features interpreted as trail segments all exhibit somewhat higher resistance than 

the surrounding soils, while the ranch road does not appear clearly in the image.

At the Quarry Site, the ranch road and disturbed area are visible in the resistance 

data. LeBeau identified a circular anomaly in the northwest corner of the grid (Figures 

18-20). This may have been a staging area for heavy equipment when the quarry was in 

operation. A rectangular anomaly is present in the southeast portion of the grid. The 

anomaly consists of a high-resistance rectangular outline (which appears as a dark 

area) enclosing a low-resistance area (which appears as lighter shades within the darker 
16

CIRO

Figure 13. Quarry Site Survey Area magnetic data. 

Figure 14. Quarry Site Survey Area magnetic data interpretation.
17

SECTION ONE

outline) (see Figure 19). The rectangular shape of the anomaly suggests some sort 

of enclosure (such as a corral or pen) or structure may have once been present at the 

site, or perhaps stones were piled in a rectangular heap in this area. This anomaly, in 

conjunction with the anomalies in the southwest portion of the grid, likely constitutes 

areas where the subsurface was (to some extent) disturbed, with a possible staging area 

in the northwest portion of the grid and a ranch road running between the two areas. 

In the resistance data from the South Side Survey Area, the trail segments of 

both grids were apparent in the data compared to the surrounding landscape (Figures 

21-23). In the northern grid, the ephemeral trail appeared as an area of lower resistance 

than the surrounding soil while, in the southern grid, the (visually) more distinct trail 

segment appeared as an area of higher resistance. The difference in resistance between 

the ephemeral and more distinct trail segments is due to the variation in soil compaction 

compared not only to the surrounding soils, but also compared to one another. LeBeau 

identified the other linear features present in the data as cow paths because they correspond 

to the cow paths located on the sketch and GPS maps. Furthermore, in the geophysical 

data, the cow trails exhibit slight variabilities in resistance depending upon surrounding 

Figure 15. Quarry Site Survey Area Map with magnetic data 

interpretation overlay.
18

CIRO

Figure 16. Pinnacle Pass Resistance Data (left) and 

Resistance Data Interpretation (right).

Figure 17. Pinnacle Pass Survey Area map with 

resistance data interpretation overlay.
19

SECTION ONE

soil conditions. These 

resistance values may be 

higher or lower, depending 

on surface conditions, 

soil compaction, moisture 

content, substrate material, 

and natural resistivity of 

the soils.

Figure 18. Quarry Site Survey Area resistance data.

Results

This project has 

shown that geophysical 

techniques are capable of 

differentiating between 

historic trails and twotrack ranch roads at the 

City of Rocks National 

Reserve. Using a Geoscan 

Research RM15 resistance 

meter with PA5 multiprobe 

array, MWAC archeologists 

discovered that the historic 

trails present in the Reserve exhibit clear differences from two-track ranch roads. 

Though the resistance signatures of the various trails are not consistent from one trail 

to the next (that is, some trails are highly resistant while others exhibit low resistance to 

electrical currents), the consistency lies in the clarity of the signatures. 

In both the Pinnacle Pass Survey Area and the South Side Survey Area, known 

trails appear much more clearly than do the two-track ranch roads. The depth and 

compaction of the ruts and swales of the trails were well-developed. Due to the large 

numbers of emigrants who traveled via the trail for an extended period of time, the 

compaction of the soil of the ruts and swales of the trail enabled those features to retain 

moisture. Conversely, due to the differences in wheelbase, wheel materials, distribution 

of weight, and limited use, the ranch roads did not develop deep compact swales capable 

of retaining as much moisture as the California Trail swales. In the resistance data, the 

ranch roads are faint and hard to distinguish from the surrounding soils. In the trail 

segments, there is a distinct change in resistance compared to the surrounding soils, 

making the features more noticeable in the data. The South Side site is a good example of 

changes in the trail segment and background resistance, as there is a distinct separation 

between the trail and the surrounding soils (for example, see Figure 21). 

It is important to note that, due to the heavy vegetation and rough terrain, the 

MWAC crew surveyed fewer grids than would have been ideal. While more information 

is necessary to make broad generalizations, the researchers feel they have established a 

foundation for future work. 
20

CIRO

Figure 19. Quarry Site Survey Area resistance data interpretation.

Figure 20. Quarry Site Survey Area map with resistance 

data interpretation overlay.
21

SECTION ONE

Figure 21. South Side Survey Area resistance 

data interpretations.

Figure 22. South Side Survey Area resistance 

interpretations.
22

CIRO

Figure 23. South Side Survey Area map with resistance data 

interpretation overlay.
23

SECTION TWO

Historic Names Research 

City of Rocks National Reserve, located just north of the Nevada-Utah border of 

Idaho, is situated along a portion of the California Trail. While the area’s rugged terrain 

presented challenges for emigrants (as well as a route through the mountains at Granite 

Pass), the unusual landscape also inspired the awe of persons traveling westward 

(National Park Service 2011). Many wrote their names (often with axle grease) on the 

monoliths that dot the landscape, recording their passages through this breathtaking 

environment. Though many names have faded from the monoliths due to the forces of 

erosion (including not only wind, rain, and snow, but also the past effects of cattle 

rubbing against the rocks), many remain legible. More than a simple curiosity, these 

names and dates offer the possibility of gaining greater insight into the individuals 

who traveled the California Trail, allowing the Reserve to educate visitors about the 

cultural history of the Reserve, and the complex reasons that led so many persons to 

pick up and move across a continent. Thus, the history of City of Rocks is not merely 

its own history, but is also part of a larger history of the hundreds of thousands of 

individuals who emigrated across North America, which is why the Reserve has been 

set aside for protection. 

This study aims to identify as many individuals as possible who recorded their 

names on the rocks within the Reserve’s boundaries during the period of historical 

significance (1842-1882). Therefore, to be included in the study, an inscription must 

be legible, must be written on a monolith that is on federal land within the Reserve’s 

boundaries, and must include a name and a date no later than 1882. These parameters 

eliminated many of the names recorded on the stones throughout the area, as many are 

no longer legible, are written on rocks on private land, do not provide a date, or provide 

a date outside of the period of significance. Using a list compiled by Opal Durfee, Chief 

of Cultural Resources Kristen Bastis identified eleven names on two rock outcrops 

(Register Rock and Camp Rock) that conform to the study’s parameters. On Register 

Rock (Figure 24), the following inscriptions have been included in the study: 

“July 23, 1849, G. Meyer”

 “W. Moorh...” (included due to proximity to G. Meyer)

“C. S. Peck & Lady, Buffalo, NY, Aug 10, 1860” 

“A. Freeman June.12.50” 

“D. Tickner June 12.50” 

“H. Keck, June [July?] 29 [27?], 1850” 

and “T. S. [or C?] Slate, Ju[ne? or July?] 3 ’59” 

From Camp Rock (Figure 25), the following names have been included in the study: 

“John Galliher 1880” 

“Ida Fullinwider Kans. July 12, 81”

“J. Keller July 25 1879”

and “David 1876”
24

CIRO

Figure 24. Register Rock Overview, facing east.

Figure 25. Camp Rock.
25

SECTION TWO

On 11 August 2011, Chief of Cultural Resources Bastis accompanied MWAC field 

crew members Curtis Sedlacek and Ashley Barnett to Register Rock and then to Camp 

Rock, where they located and recorded the inscriptions. Sedlacek took digital images of 

the inscriptions, while Barnett took black and white photographs and completed a photo 

log for both the digital images and photographs. All of the names identified by Chief of 

Cultural Resources Bastis were located and photographed for the study.

While Mrs. Durfee’s list is invaluable, most specifically because of the ongoing 

and inevitable degradation of the inscriptions, the author has interpreted several of the 

inscriptions differently than Mrs. Durfee. Many of these differences in interpretation 

are the results of variations in perception of the writing styles. For example, the 

inscription that Archeological Technician Barnett interpreted as “G. Meyer,” Ms. 

Durfee interpreted as “J. Weyer.” Ultimately, however, these interpretive differences had 

no influence on the results of the study, as Archeological Technician Barnett was unable 

to trace any of these questionable names using either spelling. 

In order to identify these individuals, the author used genealogical websites 

(primarily Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org) in addition to general internet searches 

to illuminate their identities. Of the 11 inscriptions considered in this project, the 

author was able to identify the following five names with some degree of certainty: 

Ida Fullinwider, A. Freeman and D. Tickner (considered together, which is explained 

below), H. Keck, and C. S. Peck & Lady. The other inscriptions included names that were 

too common (i.e. “David”), incomplete (i.e. “Moorh...”), or lacking in temporal details 

(i.e. “John Galliher 1880”) to identify with any degree of certainty. For three of the five 

identified individuals, however, the author has pieced together significant details about 

their lives.

 Ida Fullinwider 

Ida Fullinwider (Figure 26) was born in January of 1865 in Kansas, most likely 

in Washington Township in Anderson County, to Samuel L. and Amanda Fullinwider 

(1865 Kansas State Census [schedule No. 1] Washington Township, Anderson County, 

Kansas; p. 44, family 304, dwelling 269, lines 6-11, July 25, 1865). By 1875, the family 

was still living in Anderson County, but had moved to the town of Colony (1875 Kansas 

State Census [schedule No. 1] Colony, Ozark Township, Anderson County, Kansas; p. 3, 

family 25, dwelling 25, lines 33-40, March 1, 1875). From at least 1865 to 1875, Ida’s father, 

Samuel, worked in agriculture, but by 1880, Samuel was “keeping hotel” (1880 United

States Census [schedule No. 1] Ozark Township, Anderson County, Kansas; p. 6, family 

43, dwelling 43, lines 23-31, June 4, 1880). When Ida was about 16 years old, in the spring 

of 1881, it appears that Samuel and Amanda decided to pack up their family, ostensibly 

including their seven children, ages four to twenty-one, and head to California. 

It appears that Ida did not remain in California for long. On October 1, 1885, she 

married J. W. Carroll in Colony, Kansas (Carpenter 1998). Though they were married in 

Kansas, it is possible she met her husband during her travels west, as he was from Utah 

Territory (Carpenter 1998). It appears that Ida and J. W. eventually moved to Utah, as a 

Salt Lake County Death Record shows that Ida died on February 2, 1887, at age 22 in Salt 

Lake City from complications of paralysis. She was buried in section M of the Mt. Olivet 
26

CIRO

Salt Lake City Cemetery, lot 101 (Utah State Historical Society 2000; Salt Lake City 

Death Records 1908-1949, digital folder 004139695, page 342, no. 13645). It is unclear 

whether Ida and J. W. ever had any children.

The information available about Ida Fullinwider is scarce, perhaps due to her 

gender and age as well as the social norms of the time. In the late 19th century, a woman’s 

social status was directly tied to her husband’s social status. As a result, women often 

appear less frequently in the historical record than do their male counterparts. This may 

very well explain why so little information exists about Ida (Fullinwider) Carroll. 

A. Freeman & D. Tickner

According to the Oregon-California Trails Association’s research materials 

(2011), Daniel Tickner was born in Graves End, Kent, England around 1812 and 

immigrated to the United States in 1826. He eventually settled in Albion, IL, with his 

parents and other family members. In 1840, Daniel married Mary Wood, and they made 

their home in Albion, where he worked as a blacksmith. Their first child, Ellis Sarah, was 

born in Albion in 1847. In 1850, Mary’s parents asked Daniel to travel to California to 

retrieve his brother-in-law, John, who had gone in search of gold. A. Freeman, a friend 

of Daniel’s, accompanied him on the trek (which they made on horseback). It was on 

this trip that Tickner and Freeman wrote their names in axle grease on Register Rock 

(Figure 27). Daniel apparently worked as a blacksmith in California while waiting, for 

an unknown reason, for John to return with them. Tickner, Freeman, and Wood took 

a different route home, traveling by horse or mule to Mexico City, then to Mt. Orizaba 

and Vera Cruz, where they boarded a ship which took them to New Orleans. From New 

Orleans, the group traveled via steamer up the Mississippi River back to Illinois, where 

Figure 26. Ida Fullinwider, Kans. July 12.81 (Camp Rock).
27

SECTION TWO

Tickner found that Mary had given birth to their second child, Leon Francisco (OregonCalifornia Trails Association 2011).

In 1852, Tickner once again headed to California, this time with his wife, 

children, and two brothers-in-law (Oregon-California Trails Association 2011). It is 

unclear whether John was one of his brothers-in-law who accompanied the family this 

time. The family made this trip in a covered wagon rather than on horseback. Tickner 

purchased land from the Estudillo family (land which had originally been obtained by 

the Estudillo family via Spanish land grant). Daniel continued working as a blacksmith, 

but also ran a ferry between Hayward and San Francisco (Haywards Journal 9 October 

1906). Additionally, Daniel and his brothers-in-law farmed and sold the produce in San 

Francisco. Mary gave birth to another son, Frank Semor, in November 1854, and shortly 

thereafter the family decided to return to Illinois (1900 United States Census (schedule 

No. 1) Peachtree Township, Monterey County, California; p. 4, family 67, dwelling 67, 

line 78; June 6, 1900). This time, the family traveled by boat from California to the Pacific 

coast of Panama, then traveled via the new Panama Railway to the Gulf of Mexico, 

where they must have then boarded another ship, most likely to New Orleans, eventually 

returning to Illinois (Oregon-California Trails Association 2011).

In 1857, however, Daniel and Mary once again headed back to California, traveling 

this time with Mary’s brothers William, Benjamin, and James, James’ wife Catherine 

and son Ellis, and Mary’s sister Martha and her husband John West (possibly the same 

John whom Daniel traveled to California to find in 1850) “and their children” (OregonCalifornia Trails Association 2011). Delayed in leaving Illinois by John’s indecisiveness 

about departing, the group eventually pulled out of Omaha on the 5th of June. This 

trip would soon prove treacherous, as that night the group was attacked by American 

Figure 27. A. Freeman, June.12.50 and D. Tickner June 12.50 (Register Rock).
28

CIRO

Indians and one of Martha and John West’s children, Laura, would die of cholera before 

they reached Ft. Laramie. Shortly after crossing the South Pass (in western Wyoming), 

they learned of Brigham Young’s declaration of war against the United States and 

subsequently decided to take an alternate route to California (presumably through Idaho 

once again). After passing Thousand Springs Valley, Idaho, but before they reached the 

Humboldt River in Nevada, John and Martha West (with their children) separated from 

the Tickner and Woods families, taking a wagon and joining another group (Oakland 

Herald “Oldest Mason” 25 October 1905). 

On August 12, the Tickner and Woods families again found themselves in 

jeopardy, reportedly outnumbered and attacked by a large group of Native Americans 

and white men (Oregon-California Trails Association 2011). The attack occurred along 

the Humboldt River, en route from Gravelly Ford to Stony Point in what is now Nevada. 

The convoy suffered significant losses, as Catherine, her unborn child, and her young 

child Ellis (accounts vary as to whether Ellis was a boy or girl) perished in the attack 

(Oakland Herald “Oldest Mason” 25 October 1905; Oregon-California Trails Association 

2011). James, William, and Benjamin Wood all suffered gunshot wounds, but survived 

due to the assistance of a physician’s widow traveling with a nearby ox-led caravan. In 

addition to the loss of life and injuries, the group also lost three mules and a wagon, as 

well as a significant amount of money in the incident. Some of the money was reportedly 

recovered at a later date, but it unclear how much or by what manner. The family 

regrouped, buried the dead the next morning, and then continued on in the company of 

the party that came to their aid (Oregon-California Trails Association 2011). Several of 

the men who attacked the group continued to follow the party, and the party managed 

to capture one of the native men. The captive later tried to escape, but was shot by one of 

the members of the party (Oregon-California Trails Association 2011).

The group pushed westward, likely crossing the Sierra Nevada via the Henness 

Pass Road (Oregon-California Trails Association 2011). By mid-to-late September, the 

Tickner family reached San Leandro, California. Daniel and Mary Tickner and William 

Wood purchased 160 acres of land in proximity to Richmond, California, and planted 

grain and potatoes on half of the acreage. The use of the remainder of the property is 

uncertain. Daniel again established himself as a blacksmith and bought a boat to ship 

crops to market in San Francisco. In January of 1858, Mary gave birth to a fourth child, 

Catherine Elena (Oregon-California Trails Association 2011; 1860 United States Census 

[free schedule], Township Number One, Contra Costa County, California; p. 41, family 

315, dwelling 316, line 20; June 21, 1860). 

Late in their lives, Daniel and Mary (Figure 28) resided with Mary’s brother, 

James Wood, in Hayward, California (Oregon-California Trails Association 2011). At the 

age of 81, Daniel stood 5’10” tall, had gray eyes and gray hair, and was still working as a 

blacksmith (Great Register of Monterey County 1866-1896, page 71, no. 4710). The events 

of the family’s last journey along the California Trail had so traumatized Daniel that he 

refused to discuss the events for quite some time (Oregon-California Trails Association 

2011). Eventually, he shared his story in a newspaper interview in 1905 that honored him 

at 93 years old as the “oldest living Mason” in California at the time (Oregon-California 

Trails Association 2011). The Oakland Herald (“Oldest Mason” 25 October 1905) 

stated that Daniel had become “a member of Live Oak Lodge of Masons, in Oakland” 
29

SECTION TWO

during one of his first trips to California, but later formed a new lodge, Oakland Lodge 

No. 188, with several other members (Freemasons 1918:16). By age 93, Daniel’s eyesight 

had diminished, but he continued to help Mary around the house and still participated 

in the lodge (Oakland Herald “Oldest Mason” 25 October 1905). 

Daniel, who had become a naturalized citizen of the United States on August 

28, 1867, after living in the U. S. for more than three and a half decades, passed away 

on October 8th, 1906, just over a year after the article detailing his life was published 

(Great Register of Santa Clara County 1866-1898, p. 98, no. 7661; Haywards Journal 9 

October 1906). His funeral was held on Wednesday, October 10th, at Eucalyptus Lodge 

243, F. & A.M, in Hayward (Haywards Journal 9 October 1906). He was survived by a 

large extended family, including Mary and their four children, Mary’s brother James 

(with whom they lived), many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and appears to 

have many descendents living in northern California and beyond (Haywards Journal 9 

October 1906; Ancestry.com). 

H. Keck

Henry Keck, Jr. was the son of Henry and Mary (Hardin) Keck and was born 

in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, on December 4th, 1823 (Keck, the Early Days” 2007; 

Keosaqua Republican July 18, 1918). The family moved from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, 

to a farm in Harrisburg Township near Utica, Iowa, in 1846 (Keck, “The Early Days” 

2007). A discrepancy exists for the dates of this move. Joseph Keck reported that the 

family moved in 1846, but Henry’s obituary stated that they moved in 1849. On March 

27, 1850, Henry and his brother Joseph, along with 22 other men, departed Iowa with the 

goal of reaching California. They traveled in six ox-teams, with seven cows and three 

Figure 28. Undated photo of Daniel and Mary Tickner (image provided by 

Oregon-California Trails Association, used with permission).
30

CIRO

horses in the company. Joseph kept a detailed journal of the trip, which has provided 

significant insight into their voyage west. His journal is available through the Van Buren 

County [Iowa] GenWeb Project (http://iavanburent.org/JAKeckPapers/KeckJournal.

html). On April 26th, the group awoke in Kanesville (now Council Bluffs, Iowa) to 

discover their oxen and cows were missing; they managed to locate all but one ox and 

two cows. While in town looking for the three missing animals, Henry and Joseph met a 

Morman Mexican War veteran who gave them information about the route to Salt Lake 

City. Two members of the party stayed on the Iowa side of the Missouri River to search 

for the missing cattle, while the remainder crossed the river on April 27th. The following 

day, the men returned with the missing cattle, and the group was once again on their 

way west (Keck, “To California” 2007).

In mid-May, the group grew to 34 as two more teams joined the party. Across 

Nebraska, Joseph wrote frequently about the changes in landscape they experienced, as 

well as the vast herds of bison they encountered. The weather fluctuated often, ranging 

from snow to hailstorms, to scorching heat. Gnats plagued the teams, and Joseph 

reported on May 25th that many of their party were “covered with blotches” from gnat 

bites (Keck, “To California” 2007). They saw many people as they traversed Nebraska 

Territory, including people they had known back home. Keck wrote specifically about 

how friendly and outgoing the Native Americans who approached their group were. 

Some sought money, others sought food, and still others simply stopped to exchange 

pleasantries (Keck, “To California” 2007). 

On May 29th, 1850, the convoy arrived at the ferry across the North Platte River 

from Ft. Laramie, where they waited for their turn to cross (Keck, “To California”

2007). Since they were towards the back of a long line, they settled in for the evening 

and entertained themselves with songs and Henry and Joseph took time to write 

letters home. Their journey across (present-day) Wyoming was characterized by ups 

and downs: physically, as the terrain become rougher, and emotionally, as the forces 

of nature wreaked havoc on the men and their animals. Henry and another member 

of the team became ill on June 20th with what Joseph described as “something like the 

mountain fever” (possibly Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) (Keck, “To California” 2007).

The crew reached the Raft River, four miles east of the City of Rocks, on June 27th

after a rough day of travel (Keck, “To California” 2007). One of their wagons had tipped 

over crossing a creek, resulting in not only the loss of food and other provisions, but also 

spilling Henry (who was still ill) into the water. Two days later, the group passed through 

City of Rocks (Figure 29), which Joseph called “Steeple Rocks” (a name frequently 

employed by other trail emigrants) and probably refers to Pinnacle Pass. Joseph wrote 

that “the passage through is just wide enough to admit a wagon” and that “the road...

was rough and hilly and some places very sidling” (Keck, “To California” 2007). That 

night, they camped along Goose Creek. On July 2nd, the team awoke to tragedy. David 

Boner, one of their members, was missing. They found David’s body in the creek near 

their camp, where he had gone to bathe the night before. Joseph noted that he had 

heard “splashing in the water,” but assumed David was just swimming around in the 

creek. After finding David’s clothes on shore and a handprint along the bank, they 

surmised that David had slipped into water that was deeper than he anticipated and 

then panicked when he could not climb up the steep, slippery bank. They buried David 
31

SECTION TWO

“close to the road on the South side,” and Joseph carved a “head board stating his 

name, cause of death, place of residence, and age” (Keck “To California” 2007). 

On July 18th the team reached the desert of northern Nevada (Keck “To 

California” 2007). Like many others, they lightened their load by dropping off every 

item that was not a complete necessity; Joseph remarked on the array of items cast off 

along the trail throughout the desert: “...the West half of the desert is strewn with all 

manner of plunder that has been thrown away to lighten up the loads; wagons that were 

abandoned to pack through[,] casks[,] tents[,] log chains, guns[,] even clothing” (Keck 

“To California” 2007). They quickly approached the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, 

which signaled the beginning of yet another arduous stage of the journey. The next day 

brought much adventure, as the group had to lighten their load once again as they began 

to cross the Forty-mile Desert. Despite shedding the superfluous gear, the animals 

struggled under the heat and difficulty of walking in the sand. One of the oxen could 

not make it to water, so the team left it behind, and Henry and Joseph returned for it 

later with water and food. The animal, however, was gone when they returned, so Henry 

struck out looking for it. As it was late, Joseph elected to take a rest in an abandoned 

wagon while Henry searched. Joseph awoke and discovered an armed “Indian behind 

some Sage [sic] brush a sneaking up towards” him. He gave a shout, sending the would-be 

attacker running, but the event so deeply frightened Joseph that he would later compose 

a song about the incident (Keck “To California” 2007; Keck “Letter Home” 2007). 

Henry went hunting on July 29 but returned only with strawberries. Three days 

later, Henry had better success, returning to camp around noon with a blacktail deer. 

They sold a portion of the meat for cash, and had also been selling milk from one of their 

cows as they made their way through the mountains. Someone had even offered to buy 

two of their cows for 150 dollars (a hefty sum, according to Joseph, as they had purchased 

Figure 29. June 27 1851 H. Keck.
32

CIRO

the cows for just ten and twelve dollars back in Iowa), but they turned down the offer 

because of the valuable milk the cow was producing (Keck “To California” 2007). 

Joseph walked ahead on August 3rd to explore the relatively small settlement of 

Weavertown, but found little opportunity for the group there, and the group decided to 

continue to on Sacramento (Keck “To California” 2007). They arrived August 5th, and set 

about finding work. Henry and Joseph, along with Benjamin Keyes and an unidentified 

man from their team, found employment digging a well and, although Joseph seriously 

injured his foot, each of them made twelve and a half dollars that day. Since Joseph was 

injured, Henry and Joseph let the other two men finish digging the well, and Henry 

quickly found employment as a cook at a hotel. Joseph reported that Henry’s salary was 

one hundred twenty-five dollars per month, plus room and board for both of them. After 

his foot healed somewhat, Joseph began working as a clerk at the same hotel (Keck “To 

California” 2007). 

The brothers stayed on at the hotel for a month, then moved on to Mormon 

Island (about halfway between Sacramento and Sutter’s Mill, along the American 

River) to mine, probably gold (Keck “To California” 2007). Joseph reported that they 

worked at Mormon Island for five weeks, earning 450 dollars. Henry and Joseph moved 

throughout the area frequently, constantly in search of better mining prospects. That 

fall, they mined in Auburn, Nevada City, Rough and Ready, and Ophir, where they built 

a log cabin in which to winter over. They made enough money that they were able to 

send some home to Iowa on at least one occasion (Keck “To California” 2007).

Henry and Joseph left Ophir on February 11th and relocated to Indian Canyon, 

where they were quite successful, bringing in 500 dollars each in five weeks (ostensibly 

from mining), according to Joseph’s journal (Keck “To California” 2007). It is important 

to note that these figures have been taken directly from Joseph Keck’s journal and that 

Joseph seems to have exaggerated at times. For example, on August 1, Joseph wrote 

that one of their cows “gave six to eight quarts of milk per day through the” Sierra 

Nevada, a volume which is extremely difficult to believe considering the physical stress 

the cow endured, such as walking many miles each day, often having little on which 

to graze. At the end of March, Henry headed back to Ophir, leaving his money with 

Joseph, who stayed behind in Indian Canyon. During Henry’s absence, a man named 

Mr. Jackson reportedly stole 800 dollars of Henry’s money from Joseph. Henry headed 

back to Ophir early, but was unsuccessful in getting his money back. Early May brought 

snowmelt and the increased water levels made mining difficult, so the brothers began 

working in the redwood logging industry. During this time, Henry continued living at 

their claim in Indian Canyon, while Joseph worked 10 miles away at Bear River (Keck 

“Letter Home” 2007). 

In a letter dated June 4th, Joseph extolled the glories of California to another 

brother back home in Iowa. Besides the climate and abundant fresh produce, he also 

praised the ease with which one could earn a living. He also included in the letter the 

song he had written about their journey across the Nevada desert the summer before:
33

SECTION TWO

Song on Crossing the Desert by J. A. Keck

1. Dear Brother I will now tell you

What happened unto me

As I was coming ‘cross the plains

This golden land to see

2. We crossed the desert in the night

It was a lonesome road

The road was long the sand was deep

We had a heavy load

3. Full forty miles it was across

No water on the way

And many cattle there was left

To rotten and decay

4. As we were coming cross the sand

The heaviest of the road

One of our steers did there give out

And so we left our load

5. We then did turn our cattle loose

And to the water drove

We got them all but one across

We could not make him move

6. Henry and I then started back

To take the steer some feed

We took some water in a sack

For he was much in need

7. ‘Twas dark before we reached the place

Where we had left him lay

And when we came upon the spot

Behold he strayed away

8.Henry he then traveled on

To try and find the steer

And I then laid me down to rest

In a wagon that was near

9.I had not laid there very long

Before I locked [sic] around –

And there I saw before my eyes

And Indian on a mound
34

CIRO

10. A crawling up on hands and feet

As slyly as a cat

With bow and arrows in his hands

To kill me as a rat

11. The moon was shining very bright

It was a pleasant eve

I gave one yell, the Indian ran

Im [sic] sure I did not grieve

12. For I was left there all alone

Amoung [sic] the savage crew

Without a weapon in my hand

An La, what could I do.

13. And when the Indian he had left

I traveled on the road

Towards the place where we had left

Our wagon and our load

14. I had not traveled very far

Before I saw a tent

I asked them if they had seen

Which way my Brother went

15. They told me they had seen him pass

Inquiring for a stray

He found a train a working him

And coming on the way

16. I saw him coming close at hand

I told him of my fright

We got the steer but could not drive

Him all the way that night

17. We drove him nearly into camp

When it was getting late

The steer was tired and would not go

We left him to his fate

18. I started early back net [sic] morn

To drive the steer to shore

I looked all around for him

And thought he was no more

19. I thought perhaps the Indians

Had drove him off to eat

Thinks I they’ll have a jolly time
35

SECTION TWO

In eating his tough meat.

20. In the evening when we started back

To fetch our wagon too

We put six yoke of cattle on

And bid that place adieu.

F I N I S

 (Source: “Letter Home June 4th 1851,” by Joseph A. Keck, transcribed by Rich and 

Nancy Lowe, 2007)

Henry’s obituary in the Keosaqua Republican (July 18, 1918) stated that Henry 

returned to California in the spring of 1852 and stayed until 1855, after which he 

returned to Iowa and married Mary Nixon. The couple settled into the house in which 

Henry and his parents had moved a year after first relocating to Iowa (Keck “Early 

Days” 2007; Keosaqua Republican July 18, 1918). Henry and Mary had five children: 

Ella, Anna Bell, Sallie, Elmer, and Henry Judson, and many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Ella and Anna Bell preceded Henry in death, and Mary passed away in 

1899, but his other three children continued living nearby. Henry (Figure 30) passed 

away in the family home (in which he lived with Elmer) on July 5, 1918, at the age of 94 

(Keosaqua Republican July 18, 1918). Of his thirteen siblings, only two sisters, Lida B. 

Ralston and Sophia E. Kerr, survived him. The obituary described Henry as “a kind 

and loving father, a good neighbor and commanded the love and esteem of an extensive 

acquaintance throughout the country” (Keosaqua Republican July 18, 1918). Henry had 

been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for his entire life, and his funeral 

took place at the church in Utica, Iowa. Henry was buried in Dibble Cemetery in 

Harrisburg Township (Figure 31).

C. S. Peck & Lady

Charles S. Peck was born in 1834 in Buffalo, New York (Outcalt 1925:60). 

Charles’ brothers, James and John, headed to California in 1849, and Charles followed 

in 1852. They settled in the vicinity of the Merced River in Merced County, joined in 

1853 by Frank, another brother. According to John Outcalt (1925:60), Charles “built the 

first stone building in Snelling [California].” He moved to Mariposa County at some 

point, where he mined for six years before heading back to New York in 1859. Upon 

returning to New York, he married a woman named Adaline Cook, and they had a son 

named James born in January of 1860 in Buffalo. A few months after James was born, 

Charles, like Henry Keck and Daniel Tickner, packed up his family and headed back to 

California, settling in Snelling once again (Outcalt 1925:60) (Figure 32). The following 

year, Adaline gave birth to a daughter, Jessie (1880 United States Census [schedule No. 

1], Merced, Merced County, California; p. 360, family 230, dwelling 227, line 45; June 

12, 1880). Around 1865, another daughter, Lydia, joined the family, followed five years 

later by Addie (1880 United States Census [schedule No. 1], Merced, Merced County, 

California; p. 360, family 230, dwelling 227, lines 46-47; June 12, 1880). The 1900 Census 

indicated that Adaline had given birth to five children, but only four survived to that 

point (1900 United States Census [schedule No. 1] Township No. 2, Merced County, 
36

CIRO

Figure 30. Undated photo of Henry Keck (image 

courtesy of Bob Richards, used with permission).

Figure 31. Henry Keck’s gravestone, Dibble Cemetery, Van Buren County, 

Iowa (image courtesy of Bob Richards, used with permission).
37

SECTION TWO

California; p. In 1870, Charles and his family still lived in Snelling (1870 United States 

Census [schedule No. 1], Snelling, Merced County, California; p 249, family 39, dwelling 

48, lines 3-9). Charles worked as a brick mason at this time. In 1872, Charles may also 

have been farming seventy-five acres of land along the Merced River, possibly growing 

cotton (State of California 1874:315-316). The 1880 Census indicates that Charles was 

still employed as a brick mason, though he had been unemployed for part of the previous 

year (1880 United States Census [schedule No. 1], Merced, Merced County, California; 

p. 360, family 230, dwelling 227, line 42; June 12, 1880). By 1900, the census listed Charles 

not only as a [brick] mason, but also as a contractor (1900 United States Census [schedule 

No. 1] Township No. 2, Merced County, California; p. 304, family 362, dwelling 345, line 

15). The Peck’s daughter, Jessie, continued to live with her parents in 1900, having not 

married by that point. Charles passed away sometime between 1900 and 1920. The 1920 

Census shows that Adaline was widowed and living with her daughter, Lydia and sonin-law William Buskir in Oakland, California, as well as with two of her nephews and a 

niece-in-law (1920 United States Census (schedule No. 1) Oakland, Brooklyn Township, 

Alameda County, California; p. 257, family 96, dwelling 72, lines 12-17; January 5, 1920). 

Conclusions

The names considered for this project began as just that—names—but have 

become much more. Vital records, trip journals, ancestry web sites, and many other 

sources have brought life to the names. No longer just names scrawled in axle grease 

on Register Rock and Camp Rock, Ida Fullinwider, Daniel Tickner, Henry Keck, and 

Charles S. Peck were individuals, living at a time most visitors to the Reserve can only 

imagine. Perhaps they chose to write their names because so many others had before 

them (Joseph Keck certainly noted that many people had done so at Independence 

Rock [Keck “To California” 2007]), or perhaps they understood the implications of their 

actions: that they were participating in something greater than their own emigration, 

Figure 32. C. S. Peck & Lady, Buffalo, NY, Aug 10, 1860 (Register Rock).
38

CIRO

that they were a small part in a mass movement of persons which would forever change 

the nation.

What may be most surprising is the fact that the individuals considered in this 

report, with the exception of Charles Peck’s wife, Adaline, completed the dangerous 

westward journey more than once. Daniel Tickner’s account of the attack on his family 

and Joseph Keck’s harrowing tale of his near-demise demonstrate that death, whether 

by accident, suicide, murder, or disease, was always a possibility for everyone who 

traveled the California Trail. Even a successful journey along the trail, however, did not 

guarantee prosperity or longevity, as illustrated by Ida Fullinwider’s short life. What the 

trail did guarantee was change: change in location, change in perspective, change in 

everyday life. While these individuals moved, often frequently, across the landscape in 

search of new beginnings, Register Rock and Camp Rock stood still, bearing witness to 

those who passed.
39

REFERENCES CITED

Aho, K., and A. D. Forman

2010 Classification of City of Rocks National Reserve vegetationdata to support the 

vegetation mapping program: City of Rocks National Reserve. Natural Resource 

Technical Report NPS/UCBN/NRTR—2010/313. National Park Service, Fort 

Collins, Colorado. 

Bagley, Will

2010 So Rugged and Mountainous: Blazing the Trails to Oregon and California, 1812-

1848 University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma.

Bell, J., and D. Barton. 

2010. Natural resource condition assessment: City of Rocks National Reserve – 

Research Natural Area. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/UCBN/NRTR—

2010/299. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. 

Bevan, Bruce W.

1998 Geophysical Exploration for Archaeology: An Introduction to Geophysical 

Exploration. Special Report No. 1. Midwest Archeological Center, Lincoln, 

Nebraska.

Brock, Richard K and Donald E. Buck

2010 A Guide to the California Trail to the Humboldt River, 3rd ed. Trails West, Inc, 

Reno, Nevada.

Bureau of Land Management, Idaho BLM, Shoshone Field Office

2011 “Wilson Butte Cave” webpage http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/shoshone/wilson_

butte_cave/wilson_butte_cave/discoveries/what_was_found.html (accessed 30 

August 2011).

Carpenter, Linda. 

1998 Anderson County, Kansas Marriages, 1857-94 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, 

USA: The Generations Network, Inc. Accessed via Ancestry.com and available 

online at http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=0&

msT=1&gss=angs-c&gsfn=Ida&gsln=Fullenwider&uidh=umk&pcat=34&h=207

4&recoff=15+16&db=ksandrsn&indiv=1 (accessed 2 September 2011). 

Carr, Christopher

1982 Handbook on Soil Resistivity Surveying: Interpretation of Data from Earthen 

Archeological Sites. Research Series, Volume 2. Center for American Archeology 

Press, Evanston, Illinois.

Clark, Anthony

2000 Seeing Beneath the Soil: Prospecting Methods in Archaeology. Reprint. Routledge, 

London. Originally published in 1990 by B. T. Batsford, Ltd., London.
40

CIRO

David, Andrew

1995 Geophysical Survey in Archaeological Field Evaluation. Research & Professional 

Services Guidelines No. 1. Ancient Monuments Laboratory, English Heritage, 

London.

De Vore, Steven L. and Albert M. LeBeau III

2011 “Geophysical Prospection and Archeological Investigations of the Proposed 

Bridge Replacement, Entrance Road Realignment, and New Visitor Parking Lot 

Project at the Fort Larned National Historic Site, 14PA305, Pawnee County, 

Kansas,” forthcoming. United States Department of the Interior, National Park 

Service, Midwest Archeological Center. Report on file.

De Vore, Steven L.

2005 “Geophysical Investigations of Three Areas along the Santa Fe National Historic 

Trail in the Kansas City Metro Area, Jackson County, Missouri,” Midwest 

Archeological Center, National Park Service. Report on file.

DRI

2011 Western Regional Climate Center. http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/index.html 

(accessed 30 August 2011).

Durfee, Opal

n.d. Unpublished notes, on file at the City of Rocks National Reserve archives.

Freemasons

1918 Fiftieth anniversary, Oakland Lodge no. 188, Free and Accepted Masons, 

Oakland, California, 1868-1918. Available via the Internet Archive at http://www.

archive.org/details/fiftiethannivers00freerich (accessed 29 August 2011).

Gaffney, Chris, and John Gater

2003 Revealing the Buried Past: Geophysics for Archaeologists. Tempus Publishing, 

Stroud, Great Britain.

Gaffney, Chris, John Gater, and Sue Ovenden

1991 The Use of Geophysical Techniques in Archaeological Evaluations. Technical 

Paper Number 9. Institute of Field Archaeologists, University of Birmingham, 

Birmingham, England.

2002 The Use of Geophysical Techniques in Archaeological Evaluations. Paper No. 6. 

Institute of Field Archaeologists, University of Reading, Reading, England.

Great Register of Santa Clara County 

1866-1898 California State Library, California History Section;  Great Registers, 1866-

1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll No.: 28; FHL Roll No.: 977080. p. 98, 

no. 7661. Accessed via Ancestry.com at http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=Vie

w&r=an&dbid=2221&iid=32421_227330-00409&fn=Daniel&ln=Tickner&st=r&

ssrc=&pid=6750259 (accessed 22 August 2011).
41

REFERENCES CITED

Harrison, Rollo B.

1972 A Guide to the Geology of the Albion Mountain Range of Cassia County, Idaho. 

Northern Arizona University.

Haywards Journal

1906 Vol. XXX, No. 58, Oct. 9, 1906 Hayward(s), Alameda Co., California. 

Transcribed by Timothy Wallace Newcomb, Feb. 17, 1997, courtesy of Leigh 

Prideaux (personal communication, 26 August, 2011).

Heimmer, Don H. and Steven L. De Vore

1995 Near-Surface, High Resolution Geophysical Methods for Cultural Resource 

Management and Archeological Investigations. Revised edition. National Park 

Service, Denver, Colorado.

2000 Near-Surface, High Resolution Geophysical Methods for Cultural Resource 

Management and Archaeological Investigations. In Science and Technology in 

Historic Preservation, edited by Ray A. Williamson and Paul R. Nickens, pp. 53-73. 

Advances in Archaeological and Museum Science, Volume 4. Kluwer Academic/

Plenum Publishers, New York.

Hill, William E

1993 The California Trail: yesterday and today, 2nd ed. pp. 182-185, Tamarack Press, 

Boise, Idaho.

Kansas State Census

1865 1865 Kansas State Census (schedule No. 1) Washington Township, Anderson 

County, Kansas; p. 44, family 304, dwelling 269, lines 6-11, July 25, 1865. Kansas 

State Census Collection, 1855-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.

com Operations Inc, 2009. Available online at http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?ht

x=View&r=an&dbid=1088&iid=ks1865_10158&fn=Ida&ln=Fullinwider&st=r&s

src=&pid=2221533 (accessed 17 August 2011).

1875 1875 Kansas State Census (schedule No. 1) Colony, Ozark Township, Anderson 

County, Kansas; p. 3, family 25, dwelling 25, lines 33-40, March 1, 1875. Kansas 

State Census Collection, 1855-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.

com Operations Inc, 2009. Available online at http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?ht

x=View&r=an&dbid=1088&iid=ks1875_10202&fn=Ida&ln=Fullenwider&st=r&

ssrc=&pid=3614831 (accessed 16 August 2011). 

Keck, Joseph A.

2007 “Early Days in Van Buren County.” Transcribed by Richard and Nancy Lowe. 

Available via the Van Buren County Iowa GenWeb Project at http://iavanburen.

org/JAKeckPapers/Keck-EarlyDays.html (accessed 16 August 2011).

2007 “Letter Home June 4th 1851.” Transcribed by Richard and Nancy Lowe. 

Available via the Van Buren County Iowa GenWeb Project at http://iavanburen.

org/JAKeckPapers/Keck-LetterHome.html (accessed 16 August 2011).
42

CIRO

2007 “To California For Gold,” Joseph A. Keck’s Journal, March 27, 1850—August 

10, 1851. Transcribed by Richard and Nancy Lowe. Available via the Van 

Buren County Iowa GenWeb Project at http://iavanburen.org/JAKeckPapers/

KeckJournal.html (accessed 16 August 2011).

Kornfeld, Marcel, George C. Frison, and Mary Lou Larson

2010 Prehistroic Hunter-Gatherers of the High Plains and Rockies, 3rd ed. Left Coast 

Press, Walnut Creek, California.

Kvamme, Kenneth L.

2001 Current Practices in Archaeogeophysics: Magnetics, Resistivity, Conductivity, 

and Ground-Penetrating Radar. In Earth Sciences and Archaeology, edited by Paul 

Goldberg, Vance T. Holliday, and C. Reid Ferring, pp. 353-384. Kluwer Academic/

Plenum Publishers, New York.

Lowrie, William

1997 Fundamentals of Geophysics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United 

Kingdom.

Milsom, John

2003 Field Geophysics. Third Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, United 

Kingdom.

Murphy, Robert F and Yolanda Murphy

1986 Northern Shoshone and Bannock. In Great Basin Edited by Warren L. 

D’Azevedo, pp. 284-307. Handbook of American Indians Vol.11, William C. 

Sturtevant, general editor, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Mussett, Alan E., and M. Aftab Khan

2000 Looking into the Earth: An Introduction to Geological Geophysics. Cambridge 

University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

National Park Service

2011 “History and Culture: California Trail.” City of Rocks National Reserve.

http://www.nps.gov/ciro/historyculture/index.htm (accessed 16 August 

2011).

Forthcoming“General Management Plan” draft (Vegetation Report and Natural 

Resource Condition Assessment). City of Rocks National Reserve.

Noe, Harley R and Francis R. Kukachka

1994 “Soil Survey of Cassia County, Idaho, Eastern Part.” http://soildatamart.nrcs.

usda.gov/Manuscripts/ID708/0/id708_text.pdf (accessed 21 December 2011).

Oakland Herald

1905 “Oldest Mason in State Celebrates Birthday.” Wednesday evening, 25 October, 

1905, from Suburban Towns. Transcribed by Timothy Wallace Newcomb, Feb. 17, 

1997, courtesy of Leigh Prideaux (personal communication, 26 August, 2011).
43

REFERENCES CITED

Oregon-California Trails Association 

2011 “Daniel Tickner: Emigrant Profile.” Available via the Oregon-California Trail 

Association at http://www.octatrails.org/learn/people_places/profile_tickner_

daniel.php (accessed 16 August 2011).

Outcalt, John

1925 History of Merced County, California with a Biographical Review of the Leading 

Men and Women of the County who Have Been Identified With Its Growth and 

Development From the Early Days to the Present. Transcribed by Kathy Sedler and 

Liz Brase. Historic Record Co., Los Angeles. Available via the Merced 

County (California) GenWeb Project at http://www.cagenweb.com/merced/

Merced.Outcalt.pdf (accessed 22 August 2011).

Rodhouse, T. J. 

2009 Monitoring sagebrush-steppe vegetation in the Upper Columbia Basin Network: 

2008 annual monitoring report for City of Rocks National Reserve, Hagerman 

Fossil Beds National Monument, and John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. 

Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/UCBN/NRTR—2009/182. National Park 

Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. 

Salt Lake County Death Records

1908-1949 Digital Folder 004139695, page 342, no. 13645. Accessed via Familysearch.

org at https://www.familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12326-15898-

23?cc=1459704&wc=11061996 (accessed 2 September 2011). 

Scollar, I., A. Tabbagh, A. Hesse, and I Herzog

1990 Archaeological Prospection and Remote Sensing. Topics In Remote Sensing 2. 

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England.

State of California

1874 Appendix to Journals of Senate and Assembly of the Twentieth Session of the 

Legislature of the State of California. Vol. III. G. H. Springer, State Printer; 

Sacramento. Available online at http://books.google.com/books?id=EE0phzT0e

CcC&lpg=PT221&ots=R1Oh2p2odl&dq=merced%20county%20california%20

AND%20%22C.%20S.%20Peck%22&pg=PT221#v=onepage&q&f=false 

(accessed 29 August 2011).

Thornberry-Ehrlich, T. 

2010 City of Rocks National Reserve: geologic resources inventory report. Natural 

Resources Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR. National Park Service, Denver, 

Colorado.

United States Census

1860 1860 United States Census (free schedule), Township Number One, Contra 

Costa County, California; p. 41, family 315, dwelling 316, line 20; June 21, 1860. 

1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.

com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original 
44

CIRO

data: 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 

1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 

n.d. Accessed via Ancestry.com at http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r

=an&dbid=7667&iid=4211316_00525&fn=Daniel&ln=Tickner&st=r&ssrc=&p

id=10103418 (accessed 22 August 2011).

1870 1870 United States Census (schedule No. 1), Snelling, Merced County, 

California; p 249, family 39, dwelling 48, lines 3-9. Year: 1870; Census Place:  All 

Townships,  Merced,  California; Roll:  M593_74; Page:  249A; Image:  493; Family 

History Library Film:  545573. Accessed via Ancestry.com at http://search.

ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7163&iid=4259312_00493&fn=C+S

&ln=Peck&st=r&ssrc=&pid=3002 (accessed 1 September 2011). 

1880 1880 United Stated Census (schedule No. 1), Merced, Merced County, 

California; p. 360, family 230, dwelling 227, lines 42-47; June 12, 1880. Year: 1880; 

Census Place:  Merced,  Merced,  California; Roll:  68; Family History Film: 

1254068; Page:  360C; Enumeration District:  43; Image:  0723. Accessed via 

Ancestry.com at http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=67

42&iid=423998000728&fn=Charles+S.&ln=Peck&st=r&ssrc=pt_t11979042_

p85492785_kpidz0q3d85492785z0q26aidz0q3d8323287975z0q26pgz0q3d32771z

0q26pgPLz0q3dpidz0q257caid&pid=14261899 (accessed 22 August 2011).

1880 1880 United States Census [schedule No. 1] Ozark Township, Anderson County, 

Kansas; p. 6, family 43, dwelling 43, lines 23-31, June 4, 1880. Year: 1880; 

Census Place:  Ozark,  Anderson,  Kansas; Roll:  372; Family History Film: 

1254372; Page:  177B; Enumeration District:  17; Image:  0358 Accessed via 

Ancestry.com at http://search.ancestry.com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&db

id=6742&iid=4241239-00360&fn=Ida&ln=Fullennider&st=r&ssrc=&p

id=48923399 (accessed 16 August 2011).

1900 1900 United States Census (schedule No. 1) Township No. 2, Merced County, 

California; p. 304, family 362, dwelling 345, line 15-16, June 19, 1900. Year: 1900; 

Census Place:  Township 2,  Merced,  California; Roll:  T623_ 93; Page:  15A; 

Enumeration District:  45. Accessed via Ancestry.com at http://search.ancestry.

com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7602&iid=004118435_01240&fn=Charles+S

&ln=Peck&st=r&ssrc=&pid=36405569 (accessed 1 September 2011).

1900 1900 United States Census (schedule No. 1) Peachtree Township, Monterey 

County, California; p. 4, family 67, dwelling 67, line 78; June 6, 1900. Year: 1900; 

Census Place:  Peachtree,  Monterey,  California; Roll:  T623_ 94; Page:  4B; 

Enumeration District:  13. Accessed via Ancestry.com at http://search.ancestry.

com/iexec?htx=View&r=an&dbid=7602&iid=004118436_00601&fn=Frank+S&l

n=Tickner&st=r&ssrc=&pid=36436112 (accessed 22 August 2011).

1920 1920 United States Census (schedule No. 1) Oakland, Brooklyn Township, 

Alameda County, California; p. 257, family 96, dwelling 72, lines 12-17; January 5, 

1920. Year: 1920;Census Place:  Oakland,  Alameda,  California; Roll:  T625_89; 

Page:  4A; Enumeration District:  83; Image:  525. Accessed via Ancestry.com 
45

REFERENCES CITED

at http://search.ancestry.com/Browse/view.aspx?dbid=6061&path=California.

Alameda.Oakland.83.7 (accessed 1 September 2011). 

Utah State Historical Society, comp.

2000 Utah Cemetery Inventory [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com 

Operations Inc. Original data: Utah State Historical Society. Utah Cemetery 

Inventory. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: 2000. Accessed via Ancestry.com at http://

search.ancestry.com/cgibin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=0&msT=1&gss=an

gsg&gsfn=Ida&gsln=Carroll&mswpn__ftp=Kansas%2c+USA&mswpn=19&ms

wpn_PInfo=5%7c0%7c1652393%7c0%7c2%7c3249%7c19%7c0%7c0%7c0%

7c0%7c&msbpnftp=Kansas%2c+USA&msbpn=19&msbpn_PInfo=5%7c0%7c

1652393%7c0%7c2%7c3249%7c19%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c&uidh=umk&p

cat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=205207&recoff=10+12&db=utahburials&indiv=1 

(accessed 2 September 2011).

USDA, NRCS, DOI, NPS

 2011 Soil Survey of City of Rocks National Reserve, Idaho.

Weymouth, John W.

1986 “Geophysical Methods of Archaeological Site Surveying,” In Advances in 

Archaeological Method and Theory, Volume 9, edited by Michael B. Schiffer, pp. 

311-395. Academic Press, Orlando, Florida.
46

CIRO