Submitted by scott on Sun, 07/14/2013 - 11:01

Dugway Station/Dugout (N39 51 29.7 W113 02 09.6) (M#89)

Location: SE1/4SW1/4 Section 13, Township 11 South, Range 11 West, Salt Lake Meridian, 10 ½miles from Riverbed. 

Water for Dugway Station had to be hauled from Simpson’s Springs. Although three wells were dug over several years, one reaching a depth of 120 feet, no water was found. Noted as a “substation” by Horace Greeley, nothing very permanent was ever constructed at the site. In 1860 a shelter was placed over a dugout and an adobe chimney installed. In the 1890′s, the location was utilized as a halfway stop by the Walters and Mulliner Stage Co. on the route between Fairfield and Ibapah. A monument is located at the site today. Physical evidence at the station site is limited to a disturbed area containing poorly preserved metal objects (possibly from a corral or blacksmithing area north of the wash) and some concentrated stone.

Also known as Shortcut Pass, it is located on BLM land east of Dugway Pass, which connects the Dugway mountain range to the north and the Thomas range on the south. The station was located ~1½ mile south of the modern road, about 8¼ miles west of Riverbed. Burton says that the station was simply a dugout roofed over with split cedar logs, with a crude adobe chimney. Three wells were attempted, the deepest being dug to a depth of more than 153 feet. All were dry, and water had to be hauled from Simpson or Riverbed. Nothing remains but a monument. 

http://www.expeditionutah.com/featured-trails/pony-express-trail/utah-pony-express-stations/

DUGWAY STATION

Most sources agree on the identity of this station, listed as Dugway in the 1861 mail contract.  Fike and Headley place this site ten and one-half miles from River Bed Station.  A dugout with an adobe chimney probably served as the main structure at the station, noted for its three deep wells and lack of water. Someone hauled water from Simpson's Springs to Dugway on a regular basis. Dugway also experienced some activity in the 1890s as a stopping point for the Walters and Mulliner Stage Line from Fairfield to Ibapah. As late as 1979, a monument marked the station site area.

http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/poex/hrs/hrs7a.htm#116

Linked Chapters

Marker Category
Pony Express
Geolocation

39.858100891113, -113.03592681885

Geofield
Roughing It

Twain Site Comments