A sign on the banks of the Malheur River in Vale, Oregon states: OREGON TRAIL MALHEUR CROSSING Near this spot was the crossing of the Malheur by the Old Oregon Trail. Here passed the ill-fated Whitman party in 1836, the weary travelers of the Great Migration in 1843 and in that year Captain Fremont in his explorations. The nearby hot springs offered a resting place where baths could be taken and clothing washed. Thus, it appears that the eastern Oregon community of Vale (population 1,500) made an early use of geothermal hot water. Today there are approximately ten hot water wells used for space heating, ranging in temperature from 140° to over 210°F. All of these wells are located on the east bank of the river