Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-29
BEAR LAKE VALLEY.
A sketch OF lis First settlement AND
Present Condition.

yether have ntotrl membership OF l3l3,
divided into 7a5 families, little in ,x-
cess Of three.fiiths Of tho entire mem
bershlp Of the Stake. Bear Lake
County embraces the extreme SOUTH
cast corner OF the State Of Idaho, and
Ia one ofthe smallest but most thickly
uopulated counties ~ the State. It,
area Is about $50 square miles, and liz
pouulation, according to the United
States census, COOL, Ia 1890. The
greater portion u the county consists
OF mountains, covered In many places
with heavy growth Of pine timber,aud
the lower bills with nutritious grasses,
anording excellent facilities for
pasturage; while the settled part
Il confined 10 the famous
Bear Lake Valley, extends uorth aud
south through nearly the entire leug IN
oftho coun,y,with an average width OF
about six miles. The entire valley, In
Guiding that part thereof lying In Rich
County, Utah, Is nearly hfty miles
long. and varies In width from one to
eight miles. Toe surface u the valley
issomew hat uneven In many places,
which makci irrigation rather difficult
In some Of tho settlements, but the
soil IA generally very rich and produc-
tive, and water wherewith TO irfignte
itamplc.
Hear Lake County IL divided into
six Justices' preclucts, thirteen voting
precincts and twenty school Districts.
The renowned Rear Lake nCsiles In
the south pn1 N tho valley and covers
nu urea Of upwards OF one hundred
square miles IL II twenty miles long
with nm average width Of five miles, IT,
widcsi part -from tho mouth OF snow
Creek on the west side 10 Eden on tbs
east sido-near the boundary liHe Ice.
tween Idaho and Utah, Is seven and
One.half miles. This "a oue VI the flu
cat sluctH Of water In the
Rocky Mountains and abounds in fish
Of various kinds, such w several kinds
Of trout (snlmon trout, silver trout
specified trout and mountain brook
trout. also mullut aud white fsh, a.
well ns chuh. The lake Is fed by
reveral mountain streams and these
also abound In fish; " has an outlet
cmptying Into Bear River Ia the north.
The shores Of tho lake are mostly
sandy and gravclly, in some places
rocky, thus ationiiug n Gle n and cay
approach. The water IN shallow Tor
e0me stance out, when II gradually
dcOrens t. an extent not as yet deter
minvd. The water Ia very clear
nnording view oi thc bottom at a
depth OF ten or fifteen feet.
Paris, the headquarters VI the Bear
Lake Stake ami the county seat u
bear Lake county, l. the largest scttlc-
mput IN Bear Lake valley. 10 "
beautifully situated on the north bank
Of Paris creeE, near the base Of the
mountains on the west eide Ui the
valley, ton miles southwest Of Mont
Keller, the nearest railway station, and
eight miles northwest Of the north end
uf the lake. Paris chn boast VI u large
number Of fine brick buildings, aud
amoug IL public structures the ilno
stake Tabernacle towgtsup high above
everything else In the town. it IL one
Of the finest stake houses owsed by
the Ialtei-dhy Snints; and IA built OF
arpecies OF granite aud red sandstone,
hnuled a distance OF sixteen miles
from tho place where they were
quarrled Oh the east eide Of the lake.
Paris has also hne twO-story court
house, two wofd houses, one school
house, two stores, n hrst-class roller
mill, a number Of shoTs, etc. The town
T. divided into two wards, Ut which
William Wet prcaiivs ~ Bishop over
the south OF Flint Ward, ami Robert
Price over the north nr SECOND Ward.
The former has total membership N
an, or 10 families, and the latter 500
niombors, or S. families. Paris wss
first settled by Apostle Charles q.
P.sh aud many Others In the fall o.
1868, nnd Is the Oldest settlement IN
Hear Lake Valley.
bloomington, one Of the most pros
porous settlements In the Valley, lies
Two miles south Of Paris, on beautiful
stream Of water, and surrounded by
some Of the best farming laud In the
county. BESIDES raising all kinds OF
small grain suitable to the climate,
bloomington also produces fruits OF
various kinds, and " II estimated tina.
one hundred bushels u choice apples
were raised there this year, besides
large quantities Of plums and cherries
and lew pears. This place may al
most be called suburb oi Paris, being
70 adjacent thereto; William Hulme Is
the Bshon. The place was first settled
in the spring OF 1864.
Saint Charles, thus named In honor
~ Charles q. Rlch, IL Furnishing
settlement, aud second 20 Paris In size,
situated about six miles south Of
bloomington or eight miles south OF
pari-, aud mile aud half west Of
the north end OF hear Lake. Like
Paris and Bloomington, II pestlcs vt
the foo. OF the mountains which sepa-
rates Bear Lake from Cache Valley,
and f. surrounded by fertile lands and
and well cultivated farms. A large
number Of the inhabitants are Scaudi-
navians, mostly swedish. John A.
Hunt Is the Bishop; the ward numbers
b3s souls, or lO5 families, and Ia CON
sequeutly the second largest ward IN
the Bear Lake Stake. St,Charles was
settled In the spring Of 1864.
Fish Haven wRrd embraces thu vii.
lage OF thRt name and the settlers llv.
Ing on their farms north ana South Of
the village along the shores Of the lake.
The village N most beautifully situated
Ru the west bank Of the lake aud COM
mands very excellent view OF the
whole surface of the sa.nc rs well az OF
nearly the entire valley. In the sum.
ner season 1t Is visited by hundreds Of
tourists who come to enjoy the boauti.
fll scenery, the fresh air, "a bath In AMI
boat ride on the lake.
Fish Haven claims 10 raise the best