Shortly after the first emigration, discussion arose regarding the establishment of a southern route into the Willamette Valley. The hardships encountered in getting to Oregon City from The Dalles and the fact that there was only one accessible route in case of problems with the British caused great uneasiness.

Early in 1846, the citizens of Polk County sponsored a party led by Levi Scott, a pioneer of 1844, to find such a route. About 70 miles into the exploration, four members of the party deserted. The hostile country of the Rogue River and Umpqua Valleys still lay before them so it was decided to turn back rather face hostile Indians with such a small party.

Upon his return, Scott organized a second party. It consisted of himself, John Scott, Henry Boygus, Lindsay Applegate, Benjamin Burch, John Owens, John Jones, Robert Smith, Samuel Goodhue, Moses Harris, David Goff, Bennett Osburn, William Sportsman, William Parker and Jesse Applegate, all emigrants of 1843, 1844, and 1845.

On June 20, 1846, the company gathered near present day Dallas in Polk County to begin their journey. Their explorations would take them along the base of the Calapooya Mountains in a southeasterly direction to the South side of Spencer Butte where they followed a dim trail into the Umpqua Valley. They crossed the North Umpqua and followed the trail into the Umpqua Canyon, along the valley, over the ridge to the top of the mountains, and then southward along the backbone of the mountains. Indian signs were many, and a California party just ahead of them had been attacked a short time before.

The party divided on June 26th. One group went back to determine if the canyon would allow wagon passage. They found that it would. On their return they found that a party of Indians had collected at the Rogue River ford with the intent of opposing their crossing. After camping on the prairie that night they advanced in two divisions the next morning. They were allowed to cross without confrontation and on June 29 they viewed the Rogue River Valley from a low ridge of hills.

After crossing the valley they camped on Emigrant Creek at the foot of the Siskiyous. At this point they left the California Trail they had been following and turned eastward into an unexplored region.

They moved along the north bank of Emigrant Creek, ascended the mountains to the east. After camping in a little valley called Round Prairie, they explored the area for a few days to find a pass into the Klamath country. Finally, on July 4, they moved along the ridge toward the north where they were able to cross the summit of the Cascade ridge and descend into the Klamath country.

From the Lower Klamath Valley they moved on into the Tule Lake Valley and then eastward through the hilly country between Langell Valley and Clear Lake. Late in the afternoon of July 8 they reached the basin of Goose Lake where they camped on a little stream. The next day they moved up to a summit of the ridge that was the division between the waters of the Pacific, the Humboldt and the Salt Lake basins. They continued eastward across the desert, through a canyon, and around a ridge they named Black Rock. Here they found grass, water and a large number of hot springs.

The party divided, with half going east and half south to explore the region for a short-cut across the desert from Black Rock. After finding a direct route from Black Rock to the Humboldt it was decided that a small group would turn off and go directly to Fort Hall for supplies while the remainder of the party would explore the area from the Humboldt Valley to the Hot Springs Valley.

It was decided that Jesse Applegate, Harris, Goff, Owens and Boygus would go directly to Fort Hall for supplies. Boygus, hearing that a party had left Fort Hall for St. Louis, decided to join them. He left the company and took a cutoff to overtake the party. It is suspected that he was killed by Indians near Fort Hall.

At Fort Hall, a party of emigrants was encountered and persuaded to come by the new route. William Kirkendall and Charles Putnam, members of this emigrant group, agreed to accompany Applegate to improve the road and Levi Scott and David Goff remained to guide the emigrants.

On August 9th, 90-100 wagons left Fort Hall to attempt the new "Southern Route". To the front wagons fell the task of clearing the road. The rear companies lagged behind, due in no small part, to the desire to have a well-broken road to follow.......to be continued

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