Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1909-05-28
IDAHO HISTORY.
BY Byrd Trego.


Everybody knows that Lewis &
Clarke crossed northern Idaho in
1905, but it Is not generally known
that Capt. Henry, a trapper, visited
the headwaters of Snake River in
1910, named Henry's Lake and Hen
rvs Fork, built some log houses in
Island Park and abandoned the coun-
try in the spring of 1911.
In the fall of 1911, Capt. VIM. P.
Hunt, of John Jacob Astor's expidi-
ton camped at the place while they
built canoes to take their party of
As persons down the river. Here
they left n horses and several men,
and started down the stream on the
10th of October. On the 21st they
passed the present site of Idaho Falls
Blackfoot on the %, American Falls
Falls on the Gath, and were obliged
to abandon the boats above Twin
Falls on the 26th. Most of the party
finally reached the mouth of the Co.
lumbia, travelling most of the way
afoot. The following year some OF
the party came back through Idaho
on their way to st. Louis, passing
Twin Falls, Soda Springs and enter
ing Star Valley where they were rob-
bed of their horses. Floating down
the river they touched at Sunnydell,
went afoot via Rexburg, and back
into the mountains to. gain the head
waters of the Missouri, but came out
on the North Platte, reaching St.
Louis IN 1913.
In 1923 party was organized in
st. Louis to send out a hundred men
to explore and trap in the Rocky
Mountains. The scattered out all
over the West, and met once a year
in rendezvous or convention at some
central point, generally in South
western Wyoming. The annual rem
devious developed into a great trad
ing period lasting a month or so
when supplies from st. Louis were
received for furs sent back, by pack
train via South Pass, Laramie Pass
and the Platte River and the Kaw to
the Missouri.
These men established Ft. Bridger,
post at Utah Lake, named many
places, such as Humboldt River,
Humboldt Mountains, Walker Lake
Hams Fork, Blacks Fork and Ash
ley's Fork, opened the trail from
Great Salt Lake to Southern Califor-
mia, and another via the Humboldt,
another to Sante Fe, and others in
all directions from the upper Green
River Country. They were the trail
makers and map makers of the West
and every year they received a cara
van from st. Louis and returned one
1881 Capt. Bonneville (Bonvil)
led an exploring party into Idaho
that spent five years exploring The
Plateau and the Pacific coast.
In 1882 the Flathead Indians sent
four braves to st. Louis to get copy
of the White Mans Book of Heaven
Here they met Capt. Clarke who had
been among their people in 1867
and he entertained them and made
them presents, but they could not
read and he gave them no Bible
Only one of the Indians got back
alive to tell the story of their disap.
pointment. This effort of the In.
dians to get some of the White Mans
religion resulted in the Methodist
Missionary Society sending Jason Lee
in 1884 to establish mission among
the Indians on the Pacific coast, and
he preached the first Protestant ser.
mon ever delivered west of the Rocky
Mountains at Fort Hall. Idaho, July
27, 1884. In October following Lee
established Willamette Mission, now
Willamette University.
Rev. Lee Travelled in company with
Captains Sublette, Wyeth and Mckay
of the U. S. Army, and who establish.
ed on that trip, FIT. Laramie, FIT. Hall
and Fort Boise. The first time the
government ever sent men overland
to plant the Stars and Stripes on the
Pacific Slope was this instance, and
Capt. Wyeth, at FIT. Hall on July 13
1894, marks the beginning of Ameri
can occupation of the Oregon Coun
try.
In 1886 the Presbyterians sent
Marcus Whitman and Rev. Spauld
ing to establish a mission among tht
Nez Perces, (noses pierced.) z
In 1899 Rev. Spaulding bought al
old printing outfit at Honolulu, and
moved it to North Idaho where hi
printed an Indian bible.
In 1899 Rev. Spaulding induced
the Nez Perces to send a large bant
of horses east in care of himself ant
five Indian boys, the proceeds of tn,
sale of horses to be used to brint
missionaries, teachers and books ant