American Indians first created trails through these mountains hundreds of years ago. In 1825 and 1826, Hudson Bay Fur Company trappers led by Peter Skeene Ogden crossed this pass, and in 1862 more travelers made the difficult journey by stagecoach and freight wagon. When lumbermen moved into the vast ponderosa pine forests, plans were made for a railroad to haul logs to a sawmill in Baker City. The first 22 miles of track ran through the mountains to McEwen, and by 1910 the line reached Prairie City, extending more than 80 miles. Nicknamed the "Stump Dodger," the railroad carried logs, livestock, passengers, and other freight, reflecting dreams, fortunes gained and lost, and the use of local resources to sustain life in the region. Remnants of the rail line still remain nearby.