The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1916-02-24

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, cross the continent, were entertained
: two years later, and it was here that
, more than 100000 American pioneers
replenished their scanty stores to en-
, able them to reach the Pacific coast
Before it's fall in 1855, the fame of
} this post had reached the civilized coun.
tries Of the world, but today the his
toric spot is deserted and forgotten and
the only sound that disturbs the
death-like quietude is the moanful
dirge of the desert winds that play
in the tree tops of the grove hard by,
the same grove in which Jason Lee, 81
years ago, introduced the Christian
faith to the wilds Of the Pacific north
west
Favorite Feeding Ground
The story of Fort Hall, replete with
intrigue, pathos, courage, hope and
failure of those who were present. when
it was founded, is one of unmeasured
interest to students of history and a
brief narrative of it's most salient fea-
lures may be not amiss. The fort was
located at the northern extremity of
natural meadow consisting of more
than one hundred thousand acres of
rich bottom land, formed by the con-
fluence of the Snak. and Portneuf
rivers. A large number of bright
sparkling streams, fed by countless
number of pure cold springs, traverses
the valley at intervals of about three
miles, all of which teemed with trout
and beaver. 1t had been favorite
feeding ground during the winter sea-
sons for deer, elk and buffalo. The
country properly belonged to the Sho-
shones or Snake Indians, but the
dreaded Blackfeet were wont to swoop
down upon these bountiful game fields
and the ubiquitous wanderings of this
powerful tribe is evidenced by their
name being given to one Of the prin
cipal streams of the locality.
A great Indian trail from the south
which crossed the divide near Malad
city and followed down Bannock
creek and up the Snake river on its
way to the headwaters of the Missouri,
intersected another of even greater
importance near where the fort was
located. 1t was the last mentioned
trail that Mr.. Wyeth and his party had
followed for some 1900 miles and
which afterwards became known as the
Oregon trail. From a commercial
standpoint the country was claimed by
the Hudson Bay company, first uu-
der the command of Alexander Ross,
then Peter Skene Ogden, Donald Nc
Kenzie and others. At first their trad
ing expeditions were fitted out at Spo-
kane House, located nine miles north
west of the present city of Spokane,
WASH, thence by way of Flathead Post
and the Bitter Root valley, but Me-
Kenzie established headquarters at old
Fort Walla Walla and reached the ter
ritory by way of the trail that after
wards constituted the Columbia river
section of the Overland route, and still
later followed by the o. S. L. and O. R.
& N. railways.
Wyeth had been west as far as Fort
Vancouver two years before and had
attempted to establish himself Gin such
branches of business as may be expedi-
10
Sultana, at the Society islands, which
he had engaged to bring out his goods
by way of Cape Horn, caused the ex-
pedition to end in disaster. Accepting
the hospitality of the Hudson's Bay
company, he set out FOR the east by
way of the Spokane House, Flathead,
Bitter Root and the i'ortneuf, thence
by way of the Yellowstone and Mis-
souri, rivers. While engaged in max
ing a bull boat on the Bighorn river,
near where the Burlington now
crosses that stream north of Sheridan
Wyo.. he contracted with Milton Sub
lette, on the part of the Rocky Noun
tain Fur company to bring out for that
company the following year $4,000
worth of merchandise. After passing
Fort Union at the mouth of the Vel
lowstone he made the remaining part
of the journey to Independence III the
company Of only two Indian lads, one
a Nez Perez and the other, Baptlste,
boy of 10, son Of Francis Payette and
his Flathead wife. At that time, 1888,
this may be considered to have been
a Journey hazardous in the extreme,
the entire route being through a coun-
try infested with hostile tribes.
Trading Company Organized
Undaunted by complete failure we
find Mr.. Wyeth, after his arrival at
Cambridge, actively engaged IN the