Muddy Station

CROSSING AT MUDDY CREEK

This is the point where the emigrant trail crossed the Muddy Creek on its way to The Great Salt Lake City. Along its banks are the remnants of many old camps which date from early mountain men to the building of the railroad. In 1858 when Johnston and his contingent of 3000 marched on Salt Lake they camped along its banks. The special correspondence of the New York Herald describes the Muddy Creek as he ovserved it in 1858:

"The Muddy, in contradistinction to its name, is a pleasant little stream of clear good water, abount eight feet wide and about one foot deep."

Captain Albert Tracy recorded the event of crossing the muddy:

"Within a short period, however, we reach and descended the banks of the Little Muddy, and crossing, camped upon the opposite side. One of my company wagons upsets--of itself, of course, coming across the bridge this side of the old camp, but I am pleased to record, that for sundry items lost in the stream, Alexander orders a qratuitious issue. So that we get well in case again, and the weary sogers have their supper,."

Adjoining this area can still be seen tin cans and other metal objects left by numerous wagon trains of emigrants on their way to the Gold Rush and to Salt Lake. Across the stream is the site of the Overland Stage and Pony Express Station. This station was established by Moses Byrne in 1860 and operated until the railroad was completed in 1869. The station was not much more than a couple of shacks with dirt floors.