Wheels of Change

Wheels of Change. . "When we first came in sight of Boise City and valley we were upon a hill seven miles distant." -- Julius Caesar Merrill, 1864 , , Creaking, groaning wheels, the dust so thick that the hunch-back oxen ahead looked more like tawny shadows. Four months into the journey, a little more than 1,600 miles out, and another 400 to go. Then came the river, the beckoning shade of cottonwoods and fish so numerous that many travelers marveled in their journals at the stream thick with salmon. Some, captivated by a river valley "beautiful in the extreme," stayed and became Idaho's own pioneers. , The wagon wheels were more than the means of transporting people and their dreams west. Each wheel left not only a track, but also its imprint. , Walk with the pioneers. Experience this small stretch of the Oregon Trail and, for a few moments, step back into a unique part of our history.