In June 1846 Jesse Applegate, Levi Smith, and 11 other men left their homes near Dallas, Oregon, to develop a southern route from Fort Hall, Idaho, to the Willamette Valley. Their route passed through the gap west of Pigeon Butte, then proceeded southwest to Bellfountain, then southeast to Monroe. As the first wagon road through this part of Oregon, the Applegate Trail contributed much to settlement in this area and served as an important transportation link to California.