Three Island Crossing event honors local rancher
Source: Capital Press, by Terrell Williams
August 03, 2007
Bud Allen re-enacts historic Oregon Trail wagon ford
In 1988, at the third annual Three Island Crossing near Glenns Ferry, Idaho, Bud Allen was the first person in nearly 150 years to cross the Snake River in a horse-drawn wagon.
This month, at the 22nd annual Three Island Crossing, Allen's picture is on the entry pass button and he is being honored for his long-time participation and support of the three-day event.
"(Bud Allen) is actually what kept the crossing alive back in the early 1990s," says Daryl Keck, another crossing participant. "He probably did more than any one person to keep this going. He really went all out ... Now he's finally getting recognized. There're some of us who've been after this for several years."
The 22nd Annual Three Island Crossing in Glenns Ferry will be held this year on Aug. 10 and 11. The event is listed as one of the top 10 most-attended events in the state.
After Three Island State Park was dedicated in 1971, the crossing event was organized in 1986 to re-enact this Oregon Trail milestone, where pioneers began fording the river here in 1843 on their way to Fort Boise. In the first two years of the crossing, only horses and riders forded this wide section of the river. After wading most of the way across, they swam through the final channel with holes estimated to be 16 feet deep. It was dangerous, to be sure, but the riders generated little interest.
So at the third crossing, local rancher Bud Allen decided to re-enact real pioneer history by crossing with a wagon and team of horses. His wagon, built by his nephew Morris Hamlin, was designed to separate so the sealed wagon box could float as the heavy wheels rolled across the river bottom. Chains and sliding rings on the wagon bolsters kept the box and axles in alignment. Bud also devised a leverage trip release, so with one quick and easy pull of the rope he could disconnect the double tree and his team of horses would be free. Additional safety measures came from Bud's sons Rick, Jody and Buddy, all three skilled horsemen, who served as outriders across the river, holding ropes and guiding the wagon to avoid a dangerous hole in the swift current. Bud also was the first in more than a century to have his wagon and team ride across the river on a ferry, right where Glenns Ferry transported Oregon Trail pioneers just above the Three Island crossing.
These days, Allen will offer good advice when asked, but he keeps his boots on shore.
"That last channel is swift and dangerous," Allen said, describing the river at Three Island State Park. "From there you get the full brunt of the river." Before crossing the first year with his wagon, Allen went out with friends in a boat and tried to explore the channel depth with a 15-foot pole.
"But there was no way you could push that pole to the bottom," he said. "It doesn't look that swift, but it takes you downstream just as fast as you're going across."
Each year before the crossing, Allen would practice for a month to teach his horses to swim and to get to know the river channels.
"The bottom shifts in the river and it isn't exactly the same every year," he said. "There're deep holes you've got to know."
At first, Allen assumed that light horses would be better to swim the channel, but he found that draft horses do better because they have more resistance to the current. He also discovered that the animals have big differences in swimming ability.
"Some horses definitely swim better than others," he said. "Some horses don't swim worth a hoot. They start thrashing and rearing instead of swimming, and the next thing you know they might be tipped over on their sides."
Allen's best team, Barney and Clyde, stuck their noses out and swam like beavers, he recalled, and loved to eat moss along the way.
Allen said he wanted to be a part of Three Island Crossing because he is inspired by the perseverance of the Oregon Trail travelers.
"The crossing is a live history," he said. "It keeps people aware of our pioneer history."
Although he is officially retired, Allen still rides horses regularly to tend cattle and take care of ranching chores. His family includes 15 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. He also sings and plays mandolin in his musical band, the Allen Ranch Rendezvous.
Dale Smith, president of the Three Island Committee, describes Allen as "a cowboy at heart," with "a lot of spirit.
"If he tells you he's going to do something, he goes at it 100 percent," Smith said.
"He's put in a lot of hours (to promote the crossing), a lot of effort and a lot of money out of his own pocket. He's been involved in the community and he loves history of the West."
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