Jonathan Wells Diary, July 29 - August 7, 1850

Monday, July 29

Five miles from mornings camp we struck the river and again left it. Camped again where we could not get to the river. Got but little grass and that we were obliged to pack all about 40 rods in mud and water to our hips. We had made 25 miles.

Tuesday, July 30

We left camp at daybreak this morning. Drove 8 miles and stopped to cut hay for the desert. We were obliged to cross the river half a mile from where we could get with our teams and half as far from the river on the other side and back through water and mud to the road. We crossed the grass in a wagon box. The river is very high. Swimming deep.

Wednesday, July 31

We left camp today at 12:00 o'clock with our hay. Drove 15 miles and camped on a slough. Poor grass and bad water.

Thursday, August 1

We continued down the river course through the dry road, sandy and very dusty. Made about 20 miles.

Friday, August 2

The road has been much the same as yesterday. W struck the river at about 5 o'clock and camped. Made 18 miles. Crossed the river for grass.

Saturday, August 3

We left the river this morning and struck the bluffs for 15 miles, then came to a creek or slough with a number of springs. Water very good. Drove 22 miles.

Sunday, August 4

We drove 8 miles down the river and again cut grass for the 50 mile desert.

Monday, August 5

Lay in camp and dry our hay and rest the horses for a hard siege.

Tuesday, August 6

Drove 20 miles. No feed except what we had with us, or water and very salt. We camped on the last slough or water of the Humboldt River, in common seasons but we were told we had two more sloughs to cross.

Wednesday, August 7

We started early this morning and came to the slough spoken of. We found them very bad to cross, the water deep and a muddy bottom. Got our things wet. We baited our teams and started for Salmon River about 0ne o'clock P.M. We drove until six o'clock when we stopped for supper and to feed our horses. Started again at sundown. Drove till one o'clock and again feed until daybreak. Hitched up and drove till 8 o'clock A.M. Stopping for breakfast. We got to the river at about 1:00 P.M. Ourselves and horses almost worn out. Lay by the rest of the day.

 For some reason the journal ends here even though some very rough mountains (Sierra Nevada) had to be crossed. His reference to Salmon River was a stumper for me for a long time. I finally found an atlas containing maps from the 1850's. A map published in 1852 by C. D. Gibbs, Stockton, California answered my question.

The map shows a river draining into Pyramid Lake labeled Salmon Trout River. Jonathan must have left the Trout part off. This is the Truckee River now. Yesterday using Google Search I found out it had been named the Salmon Trout River in 1844 by Fremont and changed to the Truckee later by emigrants.