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Baby Morgan’s Grave: A Tragic Pioneer Story at Summit Meadow

Baby Morgan’s grave – A Lost Child on the Oregon Trail

Tucked in the peaceful meadow near Government Camp, Oregon, lies a quiet grave that tells a heartbreaking story. Baby Morgan’s grave is marked by a small bronze plaque mounted on a random boulder named Chimney Rock by immigrants on the Barlow Trail in Summit Meadow. It honors the memory of an infant girl who died during her family’s perilous journey on the Oregon Trail in 1847.

The Morgan Family’s Journey West

Daniel Morgan and Rachel Woodside were among the brave pioneers who crossed the plains in search of a new life in Oregon. Married in 1841 in Cuba, Illinois, the couple traveled west in 1847 with their children: Seth, Thomas, and Anne. They joined what became known as the “Woodsides Train,” a caravan of families heading for the Oregon Territory.

By June, the party reached Independence Rock in Wyoming. There, tragedy struck. Several members fell ill after eating food contaminated by brass cooking vessels. Rachel, just 25 years old and pregnant, died shortly after giving birth to a baby girl.

The Road to Oregon—and More Loss

Relatives stepped in to care for the motherless children, including the newborn. The wagon train pushed on, crossing Idaho and eventually descending into Oregon along the Barlow Trail.

As they neared Mt. Hood in late October, the baby grew weak. According to family history, the infant was injured during a wagon jolt. Jacob Caplinger, a family member, carried her on horseback, hoping to ease her pain. Sadly, she died not long after, on October 24, 1847.

A Burial Beside Chimney Rock

The family buried the baby at Summit Meadow, near a rock described as looking like a “house and chimney.” That landmark later helped descendants locate the gravesite a century later.

In 1957, family members from the Morgan, Caplinger, and Woodside lines placed a plaque on the rock to honor her memory. Since then, they’ve gathered annually at Summit Meadow to remember her and the sacrifices of all Oregon Trail pioneers.

More Stories from Summit Meadow

The Baby Morgan grave isn’t the only historic site at Summit Meadow. The meadow also served as a key rest stop for emigrants crossing the final, treacherous stretch of the Oregon Trail. It offered fresh grass, water, and views of Mt. Hood before travelers descended into the Willamette Valley.

Nearby, the Summit Meadow Pioneer Cemetery holds other historic markers. One marks the grave of the murdered Perry Vickers, Mt. Hood’s first climbing guide and the builder of the Summit House, the first roadhouse on Mount Hood that offered assistance to the immigrants who were passing through. One belongs to Baby Barclay, while a third, unmarked gravestone stands next to them.

Legacy of a Littlest Pioneer

Today, Baby Morgan’s grave is a quiet but powerful reminder of the hardships faced by early pioneers. It sits just off the historic Barlow Road, drawing visitors who stop to reflect on the fragility of life during westward expansion.

If you’re traveling near Government Camp, take a moment to visit Summit Meadow. It’s a beautiful spot with a deep history—one that speaks softly through the stones and stories left behind.

Sources & Further Reading:

Summit Meadow Pioneer Cemetery

The Historic Gravesites at Summit Meadow

A Legacy of the Oregon Trail

Near Government Camp, Oregon, within view of Mount Hood, at the Summit Meadow Pioneer Cemetery, a small white picket fence encloses three pioneer graves. These simple markers remind visitors of the dangers faced by emigrants traveling the Barlow Road, the final and most treacherous stretch of the Oregon Trail. Though many call it a cemetery, it is not an official burial ground. Instead, it holds historic gravesites, marking the final resting places of some of Mount Hood’s earliest travelers.

A Resting Place Along the Barlow Road

In 1846, Samuel Kimbrough Barlow carved out an overland route around the Columbia River Gorge. This trail became known as the Barlow Road, an alternative to the dangerous river route. However, the journey remained treacherous.

As they crossed over the south shoulder of Mount Hood, pioneers used Summit Meadow as a final place to rest and recover while crossing before the final stretch to the Willamette Valley. Unfortunately, some never left. As a result, families buried those who perished in the meadow’s soft ground.

Marked Graves at Summit Meadow Pioneer Cemetery

Inside the white picket fence, are three stones marking three graves. One belongs to Baby Barclay, while the other marks the grave of Perry Vickers. A third, unmarked gravestone stands next to them. According to local stories, Perry Vickers helped bury the Barclay child, even building a small wooden box for the burial.

Baby Morgan Memorial

Just outside the fenced area, another stone plaque honors Baby Morgan. In October of 1847, an infant known only as Baby Morgan died while traveling the Oregon Trail with her family near Mount Hood. The daughter of Daniel and Rachel Morgan, she was born shortly after her mother died from illness on the trail in Wyoming. As the wagon train neared Oregon, the baby was injured during travel and passed away near what is now Summit Meadow. She was buried beside a distinctive rock said to resemble a house with a chimney, a landmark later used by descendants to locate her grave.

Today, a bronze plaque marks the site, honoring her as one of the Oregon Trail’s youngest pioneers. This grave is significant due to its connection with the early Barlow Trail established just a year before.

Although these are the only visible graves, they represent countless unnamed pioneers who never reached Oregon’s fertile valleys who lie in unmarked graves along the way.

Perry Vickers: A Mount Hood Legend

Among the graves rests Perry A. Vickers (1845–1883), an early settler, mountaineer, and innkeeper. He arrived in Oregon in 1865 and built Summit House, a way station for weary travelers along the Barlow Road. His lodge offered food, supplies, and shelter to those crossing the mountains.

In addition to running the lodge, Vickers became Mount Hood’s first known climbing guide. In 1870, he lit bonfires near Illumination Rock, hoping people in Portland could see them. Because of this, he helped promote Mount Hood as a climbing destination.

Tragically, his life ended in 1883. While serving on a posse, he was shot and killed. To honor his legacy, his final resting place became his beloved home at Summit Meadow, where he had spent much of his life helping others.

Perry Vickers buried in the Summit Meadow Pioneer Cemetery.

No Entry, No Official Cemetery

Though the white picket fence surrounds these graves, there is no entrance. The lack of a gate or walkway reinforces that this was never a formal cemetery. Instead, it serves as a memorial, preserving the history of a few Barlow Road pioneers.

A Reminder of Oregon’s Pioneer Past

The gravesites at Summit Meadow Pioneer Cemetery offer a glimpse into Oregon’s pioneer era. More importantly, they remind visitors of the sacrifices, struggles, and stories of those who made the journey west.

Even though the markers are few, their significance remains powerful. Ultimately, they tell the story of hope, hardship, and survival in Oregon’s early days

Summit Meadow Pioneer Cemetery

Arlie Mitchell Barlow Road’s last Tollgate Keeper

Arlie Edward Mitchell, 89, thought to be the last living Barlow Road tollgate keeper, dies June 1. (1976)

Mitchell died in Gresham after an extended illness. Services were held Monday with internment at Lincoln Memorial Park.

In his later years Mitchell was well known for his recollections of operating the Barlow tollgate. He was present in 1970 when the tollgate near Rhododendron was dedicated.

He recalled that it was his duty during his period as a gatekeeper from 1906 to 1908 to keep track of the people, animals and wagons that passed through the gate.

That included counting sheep, flocks of them brought across the Barlow’s route over Mt. Hood. Mitchell recalled one flock of sheep that numbered about 3000.

He liked to tell the story of the Indian woman so fat that she got stuck in the small gate. Everyone had a good laugh including her Indian companions who teased her before helping her out of her predicament.

Mitchell was born Dec. 6, 1886, the son of Stephen and Ellen Mitchell, on a farm near Sandy.

He attended a public school two miles from his home and went to work at an early age in sawmills and logging camps. For several seasons he worked with Lige Coalman as a guide on Mt Hood.

He was widely known as a builder. In 1908 he helped build the first grade and high school in Sandy and the Odd Fellows Hall. Years later he helped build Smith’s Garage and did some work on the Masonic Hall.

He spent four years in the Forest Service building and maintaining telephone lines. He traveled by saddle horse with a pack horse to carry his tools, tent and personal belongings, cooking his meals over a campfire.

Mitchell joined the Navy in 1917 eventually making 16 crossings from New York to Europe. He served in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and France and remembered the great cheering for “The Yanks” on Armistice Day in Belfast.

Mitchell served aboard the captured German vessel, “Emporator”, which was pressed into service as a troop ship and transport. Eventually he was transferred to a destroyer travelling through the Panama Canal.

He was fond of telling about a week’s stop in Mexico where he swapped an old pair of dungarees for a bunch of bananas.

Following his discharge. from the Navy Mitchell worked on bridges at Zigzag River znc Sill Creek. He buillt many summer homes including his own.

In 1928 he married Anna Ringness. A few years later he drew a homestead in Tule Lake, Calif., where the couple lived a year building a house and farm home for his brother, Harry, who survives him. Also surviving is another brother, John, of Sandy.

after “proving up” the homestead the Mitchells moved back to the Faubion area on Mt. Hood. He became treasurer of the Faubion Summer Home Association and held office for at least 35 years. He also served several times as a director of the Welches School Board.

Mitchell is survived by his wife, Anna, Rhododendron; a son, Edward; a daughter, Ellen and four grandchildren.

Reliance Mt Hood Stages

Reliance Mt Hood Stages – First Autos to Mount Hood

Reliance Mt Hood Stages – In the early days of the road to Mount Hood, after the immigrant era, the road allowed the burgeoning new city of Portland to access the mountain for recreation. Mountain climbing and hiking the trails in the foothills in those days was the primary activity in the area. Skiing had yet to become an activity on the mountain.

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Automobiles were starting to become a practical means of transportation, but was still primitive. Most people didn’t own a car which gave stage companies an opportunity to carry fun seekers to and from the lodges and roadhouses on Mount Hood. This also gave inn keepers an opportunity to host these people because a trip to Mount Hood wasn’t a simple day trip. Many times a trip to The Mountain was a week minimum investment in time.

Lodges such as Arrah Wanna, Welches Ranch, Tawney’s Mountain Home, La Casa Monte, The Rhododendron Tavern and the Government Camp Hotel all sprang up due to a need to recreational lodging.

The flyer below gives a great representation of the mileage, the lodging available and cost of a trip to the mountain.

Those days were primitive and simple and difficult compared to this day and age, but the life that was lived seems much more fun and adventure filled than the way we live today.

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