Because so few survived and the place so remote, details of the tragedy have always been “sketchy” at best but speculation is that the emigrant train bound from Missouri had been keeping one of the largest gathering of Indians at bay for a couple of days by long range rifles. When the train finally stopped to camp at Almo Creek, the Indians ambushed them. Immediately circling the wagons the travelers held their ground. For 3-4 days they fought for survival but eventually the entire party was all killed. As time has all but erased details of the massacre it’s difficult to assess blame and come to a complete understanding, and is another example of the complexities of understanding the history of the west.
Soon an unnamed road would offer us passages to Lynn and then Gross Creek, a small town with a couple of turn-of the century buildings. If you’re in Gross Creek you’re close enough to Etna so you should stop and visit, but keep in mind Etna’s not the kind of place you’ll even remember you visited.
There is a barren beauty about the land but traveling a dirt road can be monotonous and we had a sense of relief when we finally hit State Highway 39 and began to veer east.
Of course, we had to stop at Kelton and make our way to Locomotive Engine Springs. Few realize in the barren land north of the Great Salt Lake one of the most dramatic human accomplishment happened as two railroad companies raced to complete their segments of the intercontinental railroad. Today the rail lines are a memory as most of the tracks were pulled up to supply efforts during World War II.
