The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-01-19
FORT LtMHi

sionaTies recorded all pertinent do
| ings. which writings are lodged in the
church archives. Mr.. David Moore
was the historian of the Fort Lemhi
colony and his record of their do
| ings is published as a supplement to
| Che history of the Bannock Stake
and called the Salmon River Mission
of Zion. The Lemhi Historical
society is making efforts to have this
| spot segregated az state park. our
governor has recommended such an
action to our Legislature in which n
bill Will soon be introduced TO make
this historic place a pioneer reserve
under the name OF Fort Lemhi Park.
After il is established il will be fitting
that their history as written by the
published in full. Al present extracts
| only will be made to illustrate this
article. There was also poet Of the
colony, Richard Margetts. the bard
| referred TO in last weeks article
The historian says, They called
their location Fort Limhi, after Lin
hi, Nephite king mentioned in the
Book of Mormon" In a letter from
the l.. ID. S. Historians office OF Sep
ember %. 1916, in answer to the
query as 10 the origin OF this name Il
says. "Lemhi is named after Limhi. a
book of Mormon character, who was
also king over a small number of
Nephites who came from Zarahmia
southward 10 the land of Lehi-
Nephi." all of which is mythical,
Legendary and scriptural history.
However this name came to be ap.
| piled TO not only their Notifications,
but TO the river Indians. the Indian
| reservation, the county, the range of
mountains the forest reserve and to
| the lowest pass in the continental
divide, all tributary to this settlement.
A sacred duty among all Aormons
is to convert others TO their faith.
Al every annual conference persons
are selected by the church authorities
to go upon proselyting journeys and
this selection is termed called" II
is done without regard to age or
pecuniary conditions.
The historian says, Fort Limhi. on
The east fork OF Salmon river was
| .ounded as missionary station
among the Bannock Indians This
was done under the direction OF
| President Brigham Young. who,
| also, about the same time, establish.
! ed frontier settlements on Green river
/ east and Carson valley west, with a
/ view OF extending the borders of Zion
The intervening valleys and suitable
points to be- filled subsequently with
settlements of the Saints"
1T was at the annual conference OF
| the church, held in Salt Lake City
April T. 1855, that number of breth'
ern were called TO go and locate a
settlement among the bufralo-huntinR
| Bannbcks and Shoshone Indians in
| the far of north, in what was then
| Oregon territory, and Elders Thos. S
Smith of Pennington, Davis Co, Utah
Ia man of considerable experience
was appointed TO take charge OF the
| colony. Most Of the brethern who
were called on this mission, made
preparations at once TO fill 1t, and on
the 18th of May, 1855, Pres Smith
| together with other brethern. left
their homes in Pennington. and other
places and on the 18th they arrived
| on Bear river north of Brigham City
The party of q men with l3
| wagons each pulled by two yoke of
| oxen They also had a few COWS
| After crossing Snake riveEs the his,
| torian states. ON the 2nd OF June the
| journey was resumed. and a north.
| eaSterly course taken for about sixty
miles over an almost trackless waste
of barren sage brush plain. and along
/ the right bank of the river until
| Market lake was reached Then the
camp turned TO the left and travelled
in northwesterly direction. over
rocks, sage brush and sand. by way
of Mud lake and up Spring creek
| tnOw Birch creek) until they reach.
| I'd the Salmon river pass. Through
| This part Of the country they made an
| entire new road. not having as much
as an Indian trail TO guide them
| Continuing through the Pass over the
| divide 10 the upper valley OF the
/ salmon river. the head waters OF the
| east branch Of that river now known
As Lemhi river. was soon reached
I and herePres. Smith called q halt Sc
| leCtinE five brethren OF the camp. he
| proceeded on the l4th OF June. about
Thirty miles further down the river
to explore for suitable place to 10
| cate a settlement on the 18th they
! selected a site for a fort and a tract
! for farming land With that energy
and determination Characteristic oi
| Mormon pioneers the brethren com
monced at once TO make improvements
by the 10th Of August they
had built a for wall and gates seven
houses and the blacksmith shop. be
sides breaking and planting several
acres Of land. and doing a great deRl
of fencing
! The fort inclosed a space Of ~ rods
square and WAS built on the river
] bottom beneath a rim OF low foot bills
and was made by placing timbers OF
end IN an entrenchment and fillinI
the space between the standing tim
/ bers with mud The timbers hay,
now roited away leaving a mud wal
exposed 1t is about twenty mile'
above the point where that stream
unitps with the main Salmon rive
Lake City 10 Fort Limhi. the roar
the missionaries generally Travelled
i in ls55-5s. vas about 379 miles
on the 18th OF November. Capt Dur
fee and company returned tfToH
I T'tshl 70 the fort with twelve wagons
. laden with supplies Of wheat. coTI
, and other seeds and several hundre,
r pounds Of -four Five families alst
accompanied the bTethern"
! by the beginning Of December.
Z L. a.Fh - - a -. .