Abundant grass and brush near springs and intermittent streams in Edwards Creek Valley made it an important ecological area for Native Americans. Shoshone Indians wandered here seasonally to gather wild seeds and small game and settled here in winter camps, and later Northern Paiutes also lived in the valley. In 1854, Colonel John Reese discovered a route through Edwards Creek Valley that was shorter than the Humboldt Trail. Surveyor James Simpson established it in 1859, and it was followed by the Pony Express, the Overland Telegraph, and the Overland Mail stages. In 1862 it also became an Austin gold rush passageway, and the route remained the region's principal commercial artery until 1880.