Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-02-20

Wyeth left Fort Hall. after the flag
episode heretofore related, he crossed
the Snake at the Indian ford four miles
below the. fort and followed the trail
through the Soldier country, and the
Boise river TO it's mouth where he re-
crossed. He arrived at Fort Walla
Wal'a on Sept. 2. two days behind the 4
party with whom the missionaries had
travelled from Fort Hall. In his jour
nal of that date he noted, "Mr. Mckay
fer some reakcn enaineu in the
mountains"
Established Fort Boise.
This reason Is better explained
when we trace the doings of that wary
denlzen of the forest, who, with a suit
able crew at his command. halted on
Boise river. at a point about three
miles southwest OF the present town
of Notus and about 10 miles from the
mouth of the river. where he COM
menced the erection Of an establish
ment that afterwards became known
as Fort Boise, the fourth station ON
the Oregon Trail. That the move
ments of Mr.. Mckay were not made
known to the Americans Is evidenced
by the fact that they were not men,
toned by any ono at tho time save the
above quotation However. when
Mrs. Whitman. the first American
woman to look upon the waters Of tho
Columbia arrived there on August
10. 1896, she noted in her journal the
following;
Arrived at Snake Fort about noon.
1t is situated on Bigwood river. SO
called because the timber is larger
than any to be seen this side Of the
mountains. 1t consists chiefly OF cot
tonwood and Is small compared with
timber In the states. Snake Fort Is
owned ana was built by Mr.. Thomas
Mckay, one of our company, whom
we expect to leave here He with Mr..
Mcleod. gave us a hearty welcome:
dined with them" .
Boise river was first known as
= Reeds River, after the name of
member OF the Hunt party who was
killed on the South Fork in 1912. Wood
river appears to correspond with the
word Boise in the French, and the
river took that name after the estab-
lishment OF the fort)
When Mr.. Farnham, Of the Peoria .
Party" came through the country in
t 1889, he found the fort had been NOV
ed to the bank OF the Snake, and Mr..
o Payette engaged in building the adobe
= walls which were then about COM
= pleted The point where it WAS To-
s Gated appears to have been about two
= miles below where the Boise ut that
o time Joined the Snake river. In the
y SOS the channel of the Boise changed
n and flowed into tho larger stream at u
e point about 200 feet south Of TIE fort
q In 1853, according to the Journal OF
Mr.. Theodore Winthrop, the Buildings
d were destroyed by high water. but I'M
h medately rebuilt. The walls were
e standing yet in the SOS during tho
= early mining excitement, but at tho
+: present time the site is in tho middle
8 of the Snake river, the channel hav-
1t ing encroached upon the land to that
t extent.
That Mr.. Mckay established a fort
d on the Boise to protect their trade,
Is as far as possible, against the en-
n croachment of the Americans on the
6 east there can be no doubt and after
IS Mr.. Wyeth delivered to the Hudson's.
n Bay company, Fort Hall, the suprem-
J. acy OF that organization was we'll nigh
II complete. Ha had rolled a stone In
Is the garden OF the Rocky Mountain Fur
t. company that they had some difficulty
In getting out" Both Fort Hall and
% Fort Boise were famous landmarks on
IS the Oregon trail and volumes could be
: written of each. After Hudson's Bay
i company took over the former, adobe
l walls were substituted for the timbers
Is used by Mr.. Wyeth. and they were
~ kept whitewashed as were those OF
t. Fort Boise. Their white battlements
t. could be seen for many miles In either
g direction. and tho number OF pioneers
rIA ~,
r kindly feelings for these establish
is ments and the most hospitable treat
er ment accorded them by the men in
r charge, would number. perhaps. not
r less than zoe, 900.
Had Fort Hall not been built. Il il
i altogether likely that Fort Boise would
lr not have existed. What effect that
t. would have had on American occupa-
III ton OF old oregon is difficult to faith
le om Without the building Of Fort
Hall 1t Is hard to conceive how the
IS emigrants could have reached the
y, Columbia in time to hold the nation
n al boundary as far north as the forty
n ninth, parallel. Other means might
Id have been adopted, but of this we
IN cannot even speculate. 1t Is enough
of to know that their building, and the
n willingness OF their officers to assist
al American pioneers to the extent of
lg their ability, was OF inestimable value
ne to our government in the acquisition
or of disputed territory. 1t Will be, in
re time to come, a matter OF great regret
V that sectarian controversies, grow
al ing out of the Whitman massacre at
st Walla Walla, have been allowed to i'm
in pair our feeling of appreciation for
Id the uniform kindness accorded our
n countrymen by the officers of the
be Hudson's Bay company, who were
hit measured by any standard desired, the
sc peer of the best of us.
he From 1895, the year that the Oregon
'ss Trail began to attract public attention
ell and for "A years thereafter during