Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-02-20
Fort [ IaLl on the Saptin River

there are three potent factors |
III civil government, commerce
and religion. These elements
are frequently symbolized by the flag, |
the dollar mark and the Cross re-
spectively Their advent into the ter
ritory that now constitutes the state
of Idaho occurred when the limits OF
Old oregon extended from the Pa
cific ocean, along the 42nd parallel to
a point IS miles northeast of Rawlins,
Wyo., thence along the continental
divide to the Arctic ocean. Their COM
ing was hand in hand, the first ana
last under the protection of the sec
ond. a relative position, some con-
tend, that they occupy even to this
day. They made their first stand on
the east bank of the Saptin, after
wards known as the Lewis. and now
by the beautiful and poetic name OF
Snake river at a point six miles above
the mouth of the Portneut, 20 miles
above American Falls. and 1888 miles
out of Independence, No. on the Ore
gon Trail.
Strictly speaking, both the flag and
sign of commerce had been seen be-
fore in Idaho, but here was the first
manifestation of the Christian faith in
The first American flag to enter the
state Of Idaho was a small one borne
by George Drewyer CDrouillard), the
interpreter Of the Lewis and Clark
expedition, who. together with Captain
Meriwether Lewis, and John Shields,
entered what is now the state of
Idaho, about o'clock in the afternoon
of Monday, Aug. ~, 1905. Not only
flo hut
first foot print to be made by a white
man in the state, and the place or TINS
Interesting event appears to have been
ut a point about IL miles east OF Sun
field, Lemhi county This expedition
raised a flag at Fort Clatsop during
that winter. but the following spring
It was made over into five gowns with
which food was purchased from the In
dams to sustain the company during
a period Of famine. The second flag
was raised at Fort Astor in 1911, only
TO be lowered again on Oct. 16, 1873
upon the failure of Mr. Astor's enter
prise According to the terms Of peace
following the war of 1872, the British
government permitted Mr.. ]. B. Pre-
vost Oct. 8, 1918, to again unfurl the
American flag over Fort Astoria, but
fore the British flag was again run up
to remain the symbol of authority until
1876 The next episode In the career
of the flag Of the Union in the north
west brings us back to Fort Hall, the
subject of this narrative.
In Command OF Eastern Trader.
It was motley company that COM
posed the cavalcade which emerged
from the pass at the head of Ross
Fork. on the afternoon of Sunday July
j.. 1894 and, following down that
stream nine miles, encamped near
where Fort Hall station is now locat
ed on the Oregon Short Line north
OF Pocatello. The company was in
command of Nathaniel ]. Weyth, a
trader from Cambridge. Mass. and un
der whose protection there travelled, In
addition to his company of so men
and 100 horses, Captain William Stew
art, a veteran under Lord Wellington
at Waterloo, who was travelling fol-
pleasure: Thomas Nuthall a botanist;
j. X Townsend, an ornithologist. ant
Methodist missionary party consist
ing OF Revs. Jason Lee and DAME
Lee, Cyrus Shepard and p. L. Ed
wards,
The following day. Monday. the!
Travelled only six miles to a bend II
the Snake river to the northwest
where the company again encamped
and from a small slough near tn
river spent the day taking trout o
the finest quality and weighing abou
two pounds each. The following morn
ing Mr.. Wyeth rode down the rive
three miles to a point where a small
water way led off from the mai
stream, and which was fringed wit
willow brush that concealed his pres
ence. When he emerged from tn
growth he noticed a large buffalo bul
near by, which he shot, and as h
stood by the carcass and observed tn
wide river which makes a sharp ben
to the south, and the slough formin
a protection to the east with a suit
able point of land sufficient for tn
purpose he then and there located tn
historic Fort Hall, destined to becom
one Of the most important stations o
the famous Oregon Trail, and until tn
building OF Fort Bridger, nine year
later, the second building west OF I'll
Missouri river. 1t was here that III
first flag raising in Idaho was cele
brated, which was the fourth event
the kind west Of the Rocky mountain
and it was here that the first sermo
was preached in that vast territor
the distinction belonging to the METH
odist society. 1t was at Fort Ha
where Mrs. Whitman and Mrs Spaulc
ing, the first American women
cross the continent, were entertalne
two years later, and 1t was here tn;
more than 100000 American pioneer
replenished their scanty stores to Ell
able them to reach the Pacific coas
Before its fail in 1855. the fame
this post had reached the civilized coui
tries of the world. but today the hi
toric spot is deserted and forgotten ar
the only sound that disturbs Il
death-like quietude is the moanf
dirge of the desert winds that plt
In the tree tops of the grove hard b