In 1851, Susan Amerlia Cranston wrote of traveling 15 miles, then 5 miles more to a marshy hollow at Hot Springs Creek, which wound to the right of their direction of travel, and of moving through the marsh for 3 miles before leaving it to their right. The Main Oregon Trail followed Hot Springs Creek for several miles through marshy ground with willows and tall grass. The dark water caused some emigrants to think it was bad. After traveling up the east side of the creek, the trail crossed it and headed across the desert again. During 1852-1854, thousands of emigrants followed the North Alternate Oregon Trail in an attempt to find better water and grass than what remained along the Main Oregon Trail, and it rejoined the Main Oregon Trail and Hot Springs Creek near this site.