The historic ranch on Kirkwood Bar offers a taste of canyon life from the 1930s, when people got their supplies by boat. This site has bee restored by the U.S. Forest Service and contains many historic and prehistoric artifacts. Chinese massacre of 1887 Other historic sites along the river are Robinson Gulch, where historians believe three outlaws massacred 20 Chinese miners in 1887, and Dug Bar, where Chief Joseph and his people and horses forged the Snake River on a flight from General O.O. Howard. The incident, long a well-hidden skeleton in Wallowa County's closet, involved the killing of 10 to 30 Chinese gold miners. Over the years, local historians have tried to document the incident, but their work has been sketchy at best.
Confusion also exists over the method of killing.
Its 652,488 acres straddle Hells Canyon, from the peaks of Idaho's Seven Devils Mountains on the east to Oregon's rimrock and mountain slopes on the west. The recreation area was created to preserve the free-flowing character of the Snake River in Hells Canyon for future generations and to protect its archaeological, historical and ecological values. It was also established to enhance recreation opportun-ities and public enjoyment of the area. The area is generally undeveloped and remote. There are only a few campgrounds and good roads.