From "Haven in the Wilderness, The Story of Frances Zaunmiller Wisner of Campbell’s Ferry, Idaho" by Carol Furey-Werhan

Sister Mary Alfreda Elsensohn in her Book "Pioneer Days in Idaho County (volume two, pp 457-458) cites information she obtained from the files of Payette National Forest at McCall that gives the following details of the Three Blaze Trail construction: As the Thunder Mountain gold rush boom developed, the need for a single direct route from the northwestern area direct to the diggings became evident. The demand grew until the problem was met by the donation method in the spring of 1900 when the sum of three thousand dollars was collected from prospectors, miners, and businessmen to construct such a route.

Campbell and Stonebraker, transportation owners, were awarded the contract for location and construction. Starting from the present town of Grangeville they crossed the Buffalo Hump country, through Dixie, to the mouth of Trout Creek on the Main Salmon. Here Campbell constructed the ferry which still bears his name. They followed up Little Trout Creek to the present site of Burnt Knob Lookout, then along Highline Ridge south of Flossie Lake to the crossing of Chamberlain Creek at the mouth of Moose Creek, where a winter stopover cabin was built. This cabin, now fast decaying (1942) and known as the "Smokehouse," still stands about three miles up Chamberlain Creek from the present site of the Chamberlain Basin Ranger Station. Through Moose Creek Meadows, the trail climbs the ridge east of Moose Creek and continues on top to Ramey Ridge. From Ramey Ridge the trail comes to the mouth of Ramey Creek, then down Big Creek to the mouth of Monumental Creek and up Monumental Creek.

Tragedy marked the trail the next winter after its completion when Campbell progressed ahead of his party and became lost in a heavy snowstorm near the head of Lodgepole Creek; he was never seen afterwards. Searching parties failed to learn what fate overtook him but the supposition was that a broken snowshoe spelled his doom in the deep snow.

Jim Moore, who lived continuously near Campbell's Ferry, even prior to its construction, related the following data on the use of this trail:

In two years, from 1900 to 1902, nearly 1,800 men passed Campbell's Ferry going into the Thunder Mountain area. Modes of transportation varied from back pack and mules during the summer, to snowshoes and skis, with supplies dragged on elk and deer hides, during the winter.

Mr. Moore further stated that he carried on a profitable business in supplying hides and meat to these travelers.

Warren and Rose Aiken Cook lived along the river and operated Campbell's Ferry in the early 1900s. Later Fred Silge (or Silgee), operated the ferry for a number of years. One day while making a river crossing, he fell into the river and his body was never found.

Robert Hylands homesteaded the eighty-five acre Campbell's Ferry Ranch in 1927. In 1933, Joe Zaunmiller, who came to the river after leaving his father's wheat farm in Walla Walla, Washington, was working for Hylands at the ferry. Hylands later gave half interest in the ranch to Joe and his wife Emma. When Hylands died, the other half interest in the ranch was inherited by a sister and brother who sold it back to the Zaunmillers.