Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1882-08-17
WOOD RIVER.
WHO DISCOVERED ITS MINERAL
WEALTH

Matt. Williams, and DAYS Whitmcr
Followed The Yankee Fork Boys Did
Mt Come Until 1873.
The discover of America by Chris.
topher Columbus has been questioned
and the achievement credited to Ice
Ian Ter, and others, and latterly to the
Chm csc, and the honor of applying
steam is claimed by Falton's relatives
and an Eag,ishma1 ovec tho water.
1t appears our duty, therefore, as
Wood River will un !oubt IDLY become
the greatest, lar gest, AMI most pro~-
porous Of all M ming sections, to settle
the question in time as to the discov-
erers OF the first mineral bodies i'll
these hills.
1t has been reported by several
travelling correspondents that tac dis
covcry of the galena, gold and silver
ores Of the Wood River country was
made by party Of prospectors from
Yankee Fork, who, after the Indians
had been driven out by the Rocky
Bar volunteers, rode boldly up Salmon
river, and chen fearlessly crossed the
divide and rode down Wood River.
De.v.ng into the porphyry hills
they captured the rich galena samples
which, brought back to Yankee Fork,
started the wave of excitement that
has now extended over the entire
country.
AS Haileyis the county scat, and we
have the records here, we boldly as
scrt, and have the records as proof Of
the assertion, that Becky Bar, and not
Yankee Fork, is entitled to the dis
t;nction Of fitting out the first pros
pc ,tor; and like ferdinand and lsa-
bella, of Spain, who started out Col
umbus, Rocky Bar intends to be dis
t.ngu shes in this act if she never
distinguished herself in any other
way.
John Callahan, brother Of Warren
P. Callahan, County Auditor, formerly
Of Rocky Bar, packed his horses with
; grub and tools, and in 1873 started
= out for this then unknown worldsswhich,
, like Columbus, he found iafest d with
savagcs speaking unknown lingo. Mr..
= Callahan was an experienced Pros
. pector, and feared not Inlians. lie
. d,lv,l and dug, and was rewarded
= shortly after his arrival on Woo
! Riv>r, by finding rich flat which he
:. traced to the lie lge. This lclge he
!. located and named the "Galon;
Aline," which, therefore, is the pioneeI
location Of Wood River. Mr.. Gala
e han then straiga.way returned to the
Bar, showing his specimens, whiol
n were examined by many old miner
there, and tic probabilities were freely
;, discussed as 10 the chances Of mine
even cost lining a ledg, of o'e a
:. wide as the county road, and as long
. too, ofsu,h tack being applying prop
:, o,itioa. M. Cal!ahln, w, admit, wa
= searching TO. free gold plaeers, aht
galcna ha Il littl, attraction 70, Ilah;
- miners at that t.m,. Hi; fad there
fore remained TN Envelope
The Galena miac i; lo,atcl nca
Bellevue, AMI on what is known a
= Gail han's Peak, an excellent land
mark for tourists (pieces OF this peal
- arc now for sale to tourists by We
George). The Minnie Moro is no
!, far distant-which may prove Mr.. Ca!
lahan's knowledge of good prose- ectin!
:. ground.
- The location of tao Gales1a min
by Mr.. Callahan is the fist on record
It was recorded September 3, 1873
6. AMI next in order are locations b,
nc other miners now on Wood River, bu
er then from Rocky Bar, viz: Sim An
e. de-son, on Smokey, in 1874, and Mai
10 Williams and Dave Whitmer, o.
,g Camas, tae same season The Challi
IN boys came over in 1878, and locate
he mines where Galena City now stanls
as and we fnl by the records that I. Z
,g MurHey and Mr.. Smiley, oftic Emma
l. were the locators.