The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-05-12

We have today re-lved in a pageant
the days of the Oregon Trail-and
clothed with living flesh and blood the
history of yesterday.
And now, at the close of the days
events, we have met here to dedicate
to the hardy pioneers who trod this
Trail, and to the honored Trail, itself,
an everlasting memory, carved from
granite, that will last forever, handing
down from generation to generation
the memory and respect that we bear
for those who were the advance guard
of our Western Civilization. And to
the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton who have conceived and execut-
ed the purpose of thus marking the
Trail, who have adopted as a mark this
highly appropriate monument, speak
ing of rest upon the very spot where
trod the weary pioneer, our gratitude is
due. Life has no nobler purpose than
keeping alive the memories of bravery
and fortitude, and watering the seeds
of courage and self reliance that they
may bloom and flourish forever-a no.
BILE puide and consummation to be
hoped for-for the generations yet to
come.
Here on this spot the Pioneer ira
yersed the Oregon Trail To many
the words Oregon Trail. mean moth
ing; to many, little; to others, hall
forgotten pictures of other days; to
some, the Pioneers and their descend.
ents. the words are fraught with sig
nifcance, filled with memories, thrilled
with fancies.
Some call the Trail old, yet it is no
- g rs rh
a chapter of yesterday preceding thu
chapter OF today in the Book Of Time
Old, do they say-why, there within
sound of our voices the Boise rive
carved and chiseled an older trai
through still elder trails of lava, lead
ing back to ancient volcanic peak
that once famed in an older time, pill
lars of smoke by day, pillars of fir
bv NIGHT, What a spectacle! Thi
whole valley asmoke and aflame. Riv
ers and lakes steamed and Kissed wit
the intrusion of the molten lava, an
turned aside and burst and carved ne,
channels to the sea. Yet even thi
was but yesterday, and in the Book c
Time, recent history. Back of thu
still. this spot was covered with glacie
ices from the north. and back turtle
vet. before the ice pack came, equs
torial palms grew here, elephant-hk
mastadons browsed in luxurious troll
ical foliage, and still back, the water
OF the sea swept deep over where W
stand. All this wonderful story is r.
corded in sea-shells high on tt
mountains to the east of us. in rocl
Scared by the ancient ice packs,
bone and tusk of mastadon, and trop
DAVIS travel to the west OF us, and
the lava stones beneath our very fee
So the Oregon Trail is not old. II
dates cut into this granite seat ma
the time period of the Trail l84O- lSt
the period between President Polk al
President Lincoln; the period betwe
the war with Mexico and the y
War. The period beginning with CT
and Webster and ending with Lincol
Grant and Seward. AT the commenc
ment Of that time, not one state !
west of the Missouri. All south
latitude AZ. the south boundary Of Oh
gon and Idaho, and west ot.the Roc
Mountains-belong to Mexico; a
ali north of that line was claimed
England and the United States, a
was held under treaty OF JOINT
CupdI1OD-dt tHC OSBihA'Ho ~
gon Trail. There was not one town
importance. with the possible exc exc
ton of Santa Fe in what is now N
Mexico and San Francisco, hum
village. There was no Seattle,
Portland. no settlements, with the
cention of about two church missile
in Oregon and Spanish missions
California. nothing in the way of Ct
lization, except these missions q
temporary trading posts inhabited
fur traders. both American and
glish, and for the most part OF frei
Canadian extraction. Strange m
these fur trappers. We shall ne
know their like again: We have
to wave the wand of imagination,
to touch this stone. and this type
man of the early frontier stands
fore us. bronzed by the heat OF we Is
suns, tall, 1.-the and sinewy., nc
dressed in fur cap leather clothing