The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-07-31

the city of Pocatello is named was
Bannock chief. Pocatello was q
leader of q band of Indians, but he
never was a ichief and was. never
so recognized by the Indians them
selves. The title was given him by
the white men simply because he
was q leader and because the. Amerf-
cans are VIGOROUSLY careless in their
designation of titles.
Il have in my possession signed
affidavits from three reputable In
dams that Pocatello was not chief,
but the leader of an Indian band. A
certain Mr.. Nichols, who came to
Utah when he was five years old and
learned the Indian language per-
fectly told me first hand Of having
seen Pocatello given thorough
whipping for trying to sit in the
council ring of the chiefs.
''Pocatello, as leader of this band
of Indians, which committed depre-
dations upon white man and Indian
alike, caused the whites great deal
of trouble, and it was not until
troops had been sent out here and
several bloody battles fought, that
POcatello and his band was subdued.
Pocatello then signed a treaty with
the whites, in which he promised to
settle down and be good Indian,
and also that he would remain with
in the confines bordered on the one
side by the BannOck mountains and
on the other by Camas Prairie. This
treaty was made in the early sixties
and was never broken by the In
dams.
1T was Pocatello's early career
that earned him his name, which
means He does not keep to the road,
and was given him because he hid in
ambush and waylaid travellers from
the side of the road. 1t positively
does not mean He who begs pork
and tallow' as is a common story go
ing the rounds. He wouldn't have
pork as a gift and had no use for
tallow, so that couldn't be true.
Shortly aft9r the treaty was
made with Pocatello, survey was
made greatly restricting the boun-
daries of the FIT. Hall reservation,
which survey was confirmed by con-
gress in February, 1869. This sur
vey was very displeasing to the In
dams and for good reason, as it cut
them off from Camas Prairie, one Of
their chief sources of food supply. !
For hundreds of years the Bannock |
Indians had been making an annual
to Camas Prairie for |
their years supply of camas root. a |
fleshy root which they dug up and
which supplied the starchy element |
Of their food. To deprive them OK
the privilege of going to Camas |
Prairie was great injustice and
the Indians were not to be blamed |
Tor Directing. Again troops were
sent out to quell the Indian disturb
ances and in 1870 the Lincoln Val
ley Fort Hall was built.
ut is interesting to trace the cir
,uitous route the name, Fort Hall,
las travelled. 1t was first applied
% an old fort built, not for military
but as fur trading post.
IL o lNdLHdulCl w yOtA, Oil AAC |
ian fur trader, built the fort and
it for the head of his COM
,any, a man living in Boston. Its
lite is sixteen miles from Pocatello
III the bank of the Snake in what
s known as the Bottoms, 81 miles
rom Spring creek bridge, where in
1854. l. N. Ireland, now living at
North Garfield avenue, built Ben
Halliday stage station, since then
nd now called the adobes.'
1.-THE northwest territory was then
eutral ground and the fur industry
vas largely in the hands of power
ul British concern, the famous Hud-
on Bay company. Wyeth soon felt
he keen competition of this UNI
crupulous organization, and under
ressure brought to bear by it, was
orced to sell his interests to the
1udson's Bay, which he did in 1887.