The Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain Wagon Road, commonly known as the Santiam Wagon Road, was constructed from Sweet Home, Oregon, to the Deschutes River in Central Oregon by 1868. It was a privately built toll road. The first tollgate on the road was established on John Gilliland’s claim east of Sweet Home, with Gilliland the gatekeeper and road superintendent.
An eastern tollgate was established on Cache Creek south of Suttle Lake.
John McKee became the western gatekeeper and moved the tollgate in 1890 to a mile west of Lower Soda Falls. Jacob Nye replaced McKee in 1891. The road was heavily used in the 1870s and 1880s. Freight wagons loaded with wool from Eastern Oregon were transported over the road to the Willamette Valley woolen mills. The wagons were then loaded with vegetables and fruits to transport back east over the road. The road was also used by travelers between Central Oregon and the Willamette Valley. Numerous cattle and sheep were also herded over the road…