Utah Centennial Studies

 


Ghost Riders and Rest Stops Packet B

 

SIMPSON SPRINGS STATION

Dear Students,

This Tooele County Station was one of the main stops on the Stage route through Skull Valley and the West Desert. 'Wood-leg' Davis was the station's first telegraph operator. Water from the fresh springs there was carried by travelers leaving the station. Captain J.H. Simpson discovered the springs when he was surveying a railroad route. Simpson Springs consisted of a fort-like stone structure designed for defense against Indian and outlaw attacks. In your day, Simpson Springs is an ideal place to camp while crossing the desert with shade trees and picnic tables. The station has been reconstructed. From Simpson Springs the road dropped down a rolling sand covered slope across a riverbed to Riverbed Station.