Granite Creek Station was on the western edge of the Black Rock Desert, on the road was known as the Fort Kearny-South Pass-Honey Lake Wagon Road, also called the Humboldt Wagon Road. Consisting of two stone buildings and a corral, it was the first -- and welcome- stop with fresh water for travelers crossing the Black Rock Desert heading west. On April 1, 1865, the station was attacked by a Snake Indian war party and the three men there were killed. In December of that year, the U.S. Army began stationing soldiers along the route, and on June 20, 1866, they occupied Granite Creek Station and named it Camp McKee. They abandoned the station in October of that same year and moved their belongs to Fort McGarry, about sixty miles to the northeast.
It's unknown what "McKee" the camp was named after, but possibly it was Medal of Honor winner Sergeant George McKee or maybe even Captain Samuel McKee. Who knows.
"Snake" was a general term used at the time to refer to Indians from the
Northern Paiute, Bannock and Western Shoshone tribes that lived near the Snake River. The Snake Indian War lasted from 1864 to about 1868, and took place in various locations all over Nevada, California, Oregon, and Idaho Territory. Native tribes were angry about white settlers encroaching on their lands and competing for game and water. Some events were pretty ugly.
Route of Travel
The original Nobles' Route departed from the Applegate-Lassen Route at Black Rock and proceeded southwest across the desert to Granite Creek some three miles north of present-day Gerlach. Here the emigrants rested in the meadow and obtained water in a small canyon west of the meadow (Amesbury 1967:17). In the 1860s, Granite Creek functioned as a stage station due to its location at the intersection of the Chico- Susanville to Idaho route and the route to Humboldt River country. In 1865 the "station was the victim of Indian attacks. California volunteer troops and U.S. Infantry moved in to protect the stages and Camp McKee
was established. Basically, the camp was a tent city, but two major stone foundations still remain to mark the site of the Granite Creek Station (BLM Cultural Resource Site Records, HS 2). There is no trace of the trail between Granite Creek and Black Rock, but the route can be inferred because Nobles headed directly to Black Rock Point from Granite Creek. The following is a quote from John A. Dreibelbis, who passed over the Nobles' Route several times in the summer and fall of 1853: Black Rock Springs to Granite Creek, 22 miles."Course south of southwest; road excellent over a perfect desert, as smooth as a planed floor and nearly as hard, and not a vestige of vegetation on it for twenty-two miles. This stream comes out of a notch of the mountain range on the right hand, pretty well at the
end. Leave the desert by turning into this gap half a mile to camp; bunch grass on the foot hills. It will be readily seen that between this point and Rabbithole, a material cut-off could be effected, so that forty-six miles might be made in thirty, with fully as good road, but no water; the cut-off, however, would be but six miles longer than from Black Rock to Rabbithole." ( Howell -
North 1857:327)
-EMIGRANT TRAILS IN THE BLACK ROCK DESERT
A Study of the Fremont, Applegate-Lassen , and Nobles' Routes in the Winnemucca District
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
Peggy McGuckian Jones, Archeologist
July 1978
The stations was part of a series of attacks on stations and settlements all over the area.
More Concerning Indian Affairs.
UNIOVNILLE, April 13- A party just in from Granite Creek Station, on the Honey Lake Road, report having found the bodies of Creel, Simmons and Curry, who were killed by Indians. There were indications of their having made a desperate resistance. Withington's Camp, in Golconda district, was attacked a week ago tonight. It was occupied by four men and an Indian boy. The boy was killed, one of the men wounded and seven horses driven off.
-Gold Hill Daily News, April 20, 1865
This was not going to end well for the local tribes.
The following extract is taken from a private letter, addressed to Miles Chapin, dated. Unionville, May 4th. "Albert Simmons. (brother of J. H. Simmons, of Oroville) was killed at Granite Creek Station, on the Humboldt and Honey Lake road, distant about one hundred miles from this place, on the 1st of April. I arrived at the Station on the 9th and found his skeleton with the exception of both arms, which we were unable to find. The flesh was entirely gone except the feet. We recognized him by his front teeth. It was a horrible sight. The remains were all buried in one grave. The boys made a noble defence and only left the house when the burning roof fell in. Albert was killed about 300 yards from the house, on the road to Deep Hole Station. I have been unable to find out anything of his business affairs, but understand he owns a station on Smoke Creek. I will ascertain, as soon as possible, the condition of his affairs and write J. H S. The Indians are still raising sad havoc, murdering small parties where ever they find them. Unionville this morning is almost deserted, everybody who could raise a horse having gone to chastise a party of the red devils who attacked and killed several men at Cunningham ranch, distant 25 miles from this place, before or about midnight, last night. Cunningham made his escape and got here before day. He reports two men killed before be left. The Indians followed him within 10 miles of this place. From this time on, it will be very unhealthy for Indians to show themselves in Humboldt. The idea about there being some good Indians is exploded.
-The Weekly Union Record, May 13, 1865
Sometimes the native locals weren't the worst trouble-makers.
HOMICIDE -- The Humboldt Register gives the particulars of a homicide committed at Granite Creek Station, west of Black Rock, on the 24th of July. Two soldiers from Camp McGarry called at the station in the absence of the proprietor, George Jackson, and helped themselves to liquor. Afterwards Jackson returning found the soldiers there and intoxicated. He refused to give them any more, and they abused him in severe language. He knocked one down, and they left for camp, got their guns, and came back to fight. After some words and threatenings, Jackson armed himself with a Spencer rifle and shot one of the soldiers, named Daniel Sweeny, as he was rushing upon him with his gun ready to fire. The other soldier, Edward Bates, immediately fled to camp. After an examination before Judge Barry, Jackson was discharged, fully exonerated - R. R. Reveille
-Daily Union Vedette, August 15, 1867
More gruesome details written a few years later. "Puck" Waldron's murder of the Indian probably precipitated the attack on Granite Springs Station.
THE MURDER OF LUCIUS ARCULARIUS
During the winter of 1864-65 the Granite Creek station on the emigrant road between Shaffer's and the Humboldt river was owned by Andrew Litch, who afterwards lived many years in Honey Luke valley, and Lucius Arcularius. The latter, known to both white and red men as "Lucius," was a man who was liked by everybody. The only fault ever found with him was that he was too kind to the Indians. He hired them to work for him and loaned them guns and ammunition with which to hunt rabbits, and Mr. Lomas says "All this was quite at variance with Honey Lake gospel." Not far from the first of March, Arcularius started from the station on horseback and alone to go to Susanville. Lafayette Marks says that two or three days after he started some one going toward the Humboldt stopped at the station and the men he had left there inquired if they had met him on the road. The traveler replied that he had seen nothing of him. Some of them then went to the Smoke Creek station and were told there that he had not passed that place. Lomas says that W. V. Kingsbury, who kept the Smoke Creek station, came to Shaffer's and made inquiries about Arcularius. Harper says that some one went to Susanville and told the story of the miming man and that Joe Hale and Nick Curran, and perhaps others went out to look for him. However this may have been, a party started to follow his tracks after he left Deep Hole springs. They had no trouble in following them to Wall springs, but from there they were hard to trace. Finally, after hunting for several hours, they found his body with two bullet holes in it about three hundred yards from Wall springs. It would seem from appearances that two Indians lay in ambush and shot him. His horse turned sharply to one aide and ran about a hundred yards and then he fell off. The Indians stripped him of his clothes and threw him into a bunch of grease brush. They took away everything he had, and as his horse was not found, probably they got that, too. The party went to the Granite Creek station and fixed up a box and came back and buried him.
THE MASSACRE AT GRANITE CREEK STATION
Soon after the middle of March Litch left the station in charge of A. J. Curry, Cyrus Creele, and Al. Simmons. A week or two days after he was gone an Indian who used to come there quite often came into the house and said in a tantalizing sort of way, "Where Lucius? Where he gone? When he come back?" A fellow called "Puck" Waldron, who happened to be there, grabbed up a gun, and putting it into the Indian's face, told him to look into it. He then pulled the trigger and killed the Indian dead. Probably there was another Indian or two outside who saw them take the body out and bury it, and these must have gone away after more Indians and come back as soon as they could. The following from "The Humboldt Register" (Published et Unionville, Nevada) of April 15, 1865, tells the sequel.
"THE BUTCHERY AT GRANITE CREEK STATION
"On the 7th, a small party, composed of W. R. Usher, Fox of Jesse, M. S. Bonifield, Col. L. A. Buckner, and John Woodward left Unionville for a reconnaissance of a portion of the Honey Lake road. They overtook and joined another party, thirteen men from settlements along the river, out on the same mission. On the ninth the party reached Granite Creek station, eighty-five miles from here, owned by Andrew Litch and Lucius Arcularius. Arcularius had been killed by the Indians at Wall spring a month ago, and Litch was here for authority to act as administrator. The house, furnished with five guns and a good supply of ammunition, was left in charge of A. J. Curry, Cyrue Creele, and Al. Simmons. On the first of April a large column of smoke was seen rising from the vicinity, and the supposition is the station was that day attacked by the Indians. The walls of the house occupied by the men were built from thick pieces of sod. They had made ten loopholes for their rifles on the side attacked. The attack was made from a stone corral about thirty paces off, in front of the house. (To the east and lower than the home.) The whole front of the corral is bespattered with lead of the bullets fired from the home. By appearance the fight is supposed to have lasted about half a day. Curry was killed by a shot through a loophole-- a body in the house having been recognized by persons acquainted with him. The legs from below the knees were missing. "The Indians must have exhausted their ammunition, for they fired long missiles before leaving, made from the screw ends of wagon bolts, each about an inch long and partially smoothed. Two of these were found—one in a bellows near the home, and the other planted two inches deep in wood. Near the lodging place of the latter was a blood stain, and it is supposed the missile had killed a dog belonging on the place---a savage animal, intolerant of Indians. His skin was tanned, but left on the ground. "The Indians gained possession of a storehouse adjoining the dwelling by tearing out a wall. (The station house was on a little flat above the desert and faced toward the east It was built of sod and had a shake roof. Ten or twelve feet back, or west, of it was a stone building, perhaps ten feet long and six feet wide, which was used for a storeroom. The Indians dug through the back wall of this building.) This enabled them to reach and fire the roof (of the larger building), and then it is supposed that Creek and Simmons resorted to flight, taking that desperate chance in preference to burning (They took their guns, but didn't carry them very far.) Creole steak out across the flat towards Hot Springs. The flat is all alkali, very wet, and the tracks are left plain. Three Indians, two on horseback and one on a mule, pursued him and captured him; brought him back to the house, and all the conditions attest that he was burned to death. A portion of the skull, a jaw-bone, and some small piece of bone were found, the other portions of the body having been reduced to ash. At the point where the arms would be, were large rocks piled up, everything indicated that he had been thus weighted down; and then a large pile of sawed lumber was built up over this—stubs of the sawed lumber near these marks were found—and the poor fellow thus burned up. ' "Simmons took the road to Deep Hole station. He ran about thirty or forty rods, and there the mark of a pool of blood denotes that he fared not quite so badly-- having been shot down. The body was dragged off a short distance and much mutilated. The remains of all the men, such as were found, were buried by this party on the ninth.
-Fairfield's Pioneer history of Lassen County, California, 1870