Mormon History, May 20, 1847. Thursday.

[William Clayton Journal] The morning fair but cloudy, light wind from N.W. and cold. At 1/4 before 8 we started out again but had not traveled over 1/4 mile before the roadometer gave way on account of the rain yesterday having caused the wood to swell and stick fast. One of the cogs in the small wheel broke. We stopped about 1/2 hour and Appleton Harmon took it to pieces and put it up again without the small wheel. I had to count each mile after this. 3/4 of a mile from where we camped we crossed a creek 8 feet wide and 2 1/2 feet deep...Opposite to where we are halted, we can see a ravine running up the bluffs and at the foot a flat bottom of about 15 acres. At the farther side of this bottom is a grove of trees not yet in leaf. Brother Brown thinks they are ash and that the place is what is called Ash Hollow and on Fremonts map Ash Creek. We all felt anxious to ascertain the fact whether this is Ash Hollow or not for if it is the Oregon trail strikes the river at this place and if it can be ascertained that such is the fact we then have a better privilege of testing Fremonts distances to Laramie. We have already discovered that his map is not altogether correct in several respects and particularly in showing the windings of the river and the distance of the bluffs from it. I suggested the propriety of some persons going over in the boat and Brother John Brown suggested it to President Young. The boat was soon hauled by the brethren to the river and O[rson] Pratt, A[masa] Lyman, Luke Johnson and J[ohn] Brown started to row over but the current was so exceedingly strong the oars had no effect. John Brown then jumped into the river which was about 2 1/2 feet deep and dragged the boat over the others assisting with the oars. After some hard labor they arrived on the opposite shore and went to the hollow. They soon found the Oregon trail and ascertained that this is Ash Hollow, Brother Brown having traveled on that road to near Laramie last season with the Mississippi company and knew the place perfectly well . . .

[source: George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://amzn.to/william-clayton]