Elliott Cutoff
| Elijah Elliott | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 6 or 7, 1817 Fleming County, Kentucky |
| Died | April 8, 1856 Pleasant Hill, Oregon |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Jane “Polly” McCall |
| Occupation | Farmer, Election Judge, Wagon Train Guide |
The Elliott Cutoff was a covered wagon road that branched off the Oregon Trail at the Malheur River where present-day Vale, Oregon, U.S. is today. The first portion of the road was originally known as the Meek Cutoff after Stephen Meek, a former trapper who led over 1,000 emigrants into the Harney Basin in 1845. There were considerable difficulties for the 1845 train and after reaching a hill known as Wagontire, the people left Meek and split into groups. They turned north at the Deschutes River and finally returned to the traditional Oregon Trail near The Dalles, Oregon.
In 1853 another group left the Oregon Trail at Vale, Oregon. This emigration was led by Elijah Elliott who followed, with some exceptions, Meek's 1845 route. But instead of turning north at the Deschutes River, Elliott turned south and traveled up the Deschutes River about 30 miles where a newly built trail had been prepared for the wagon train. This new road crossed the Cascades in the Willamette Pass and was known as the Free Emigrant Road. No toll would be collected on this road.
As emigrants came to Oregon, the majority traveled on the Oregon Trail to the Portland, Oregon area. It was not practical to journey too far south once arriving in Western Oregon, so most emigrants settled in northwestern Oregon.
In the early 1850s, residents of the Upper Willamette Valley attempted to attract more emigrants to Central Oregon. One of the suggestions was to build a road over the Cascades that would bring emigrants directly to the upper valley. This road would save emigrants over 130 miles (210 km), avoid the difficult crossing at the mouth of the Deschutes and the difficult choice of reaching Portland by boat or by traveling over the Barlow Road.
Finding a way over the Cascades was challenging, and several possibilities were presented but most were deemed impractical. Finally, a survey party was formed to explore the Willamette Pass. It was through this pass the Klamath Indians came to trade with the Kalapuya Indians. The survey party was formed and became known as the Road Viewers. Men who took part in the survey included William Macy, John Diamond, William Tandy, Joseph Meador, Alexander King, Robert Walker, and a J. Clark.
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