Durkee

The ranch on the board raised no cattle. Express meant the stage, and ranch was the miners' word, borrowed from the Spanish rancho, for a place to eat and sleep. Clark and Sarah Durkee set up the station in 1864 as a Wells Fargo stop and relay point on the road between Umatilla and the Boise Basin mines, and Clark was its first postmaster. When the railroad came through in 1883 the town took the family's name. Since 1979 the valley has also held Oregon's only cement plant, at Nelson, four miles southeast.

What the plaque says

Historic Oregon Trail Durkee This spot was famous in early days as Express Ranch an important relay station on the Umatilla - Boise Basin stage and freight route. It was also a favorite camping place for emigrants and teamsters.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center — 21 mi
  A hilltop museum that Baker City built to revive its economy, above a mile of wagon ruts and the first view the emigrants had of the valley ahead.

More markers nearby

• The Lure of Gold — 20 mi
• The Lone Tree of the Oregon Trail — 21 mi
• Baker — 22 mi
• Farewell Bend — 22 mi