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

the Pacific and to the 18th parAll9|
our present boundaries. The Hud
sons Bay company, however, stub
bornly refused to yield and 1t wa
not until 1856 that they abandoned
Fort Hall and not until 1858 tina
they withdrew to their own countr,
and then only after the United State!
government had paid the comEan,
an exhorbitant price for their mod
est holdings.
Fort Hall was then a military
post of the American government
until 1860, when it was abandoned
After that until new fort was es
tablished, the name of Fort Ha.
was applied to the United States en-
campment in the vicinity, wherever
| it happened to be located. The
abandoned fort was legally common
property, so in 1854, Mr.. Ireland
| took all that was valuable of it and
| incorporated in into the Ben HALL
day stage station on Spring creek
2.7 miles to the southeast. The fol-
| lowing year a disastrous flood, the
worst known to either whites or
Indians, swept the Bottoms and what
was left of the old fort was RACED
to the ground.
There was no Fort Hall building
then, continued DR.. Howard, until
1870, when the Lincoln Valley Fort
Hall was built as protection
against the Indians following the
unjust reservation survey of 1868.
1t stood until 1902, when 1t was dis
mantled and the useable timbers
taken to what was then known as
Ross Fork, where an Indian school
was built. Ross Fork was head
quarters for both the Fort Hall In
dian school and the Fort Hall In
dian agency, then May 1, 1912, when
by act of congress, rthe name Ross
Fork was changed to Fort Hall, and
now the railroad station, the post
office, the Indian agency and the In
dian school all go by the name of
Fort Hall.
"Resuming the story Of POcatello
DR.. Howard said, After Pocatello
made the treaty I spoke of, he was
always a good Indian and caused no
further trouble. He was a man of
outstanding character and in many
respects deserving of high praise.
He was very fond Of dress and loved
to wear finery discarded by the white
men. frequently. q new Indian
agent coming to the fort would be
dressed rather formally and would
wear a tall silk hat A few days of
pioneer life and the high hat would
be discarded. That was Pocatello's
chance and he usually managed to
get possession of the hat. Those who
remember him say that he was u.s.
ually seen wearing this formal head
gear, which undoubtedly contrasted
strangely with his Indian blanket.
wv. N. Schilling, who was the
licensed government trader for the
dent about Pocatello and his high
hat Mr.. Schilling and his Indian
friend were crossing the Blackfoot
river. The waters were high and
Pocatello's pony floundered, caus-
ing the high hat to be lost in the |
rough. waters. Pocatello spent a |
long time trying to recover his treas
ure and when he was finally forced |
to give up the search as hopeless, a |
more disconsolate Indian never rode |
a pony This Mr.. Schilling dealt |
justly with the Indians and was very |
highly respected by them,' added |
the doctor.
"a Mr. Oliver, of American Falls.
an old man, is the only white man
who witnessed the burial of Poca-
tello. The body was weighted and
cast into the bottomless spring on
the road to Aberdeen ferry, near
Horse Island. The ceremonials last
ed two days and included the Staying
Of the dead Indians sixteen ponies,
which were also thrown into the
pool. This took place in the dead
Of winter with two feet Of snow
on the ground. Mr. Oliver said that
he could not stand the CORY spec
tacle, nor the discomfort and did not
remain for the whole ceremony, but
the Indians, Injured to cold and hard
ship, and borne up by what was to
-hCAA a oASA Ou 0otyy oOUbtAOcc 0AN
lot think of 1t in that light at all.
1.-THE people of Pocatello have
very limited time in which to study
1t first hand some of the historical
andmarks of this neighborhood, for
when the American Falls dam is
quilt, the old Fort Hall site as well
Is the grave of Pocatello, will be
thirteen feet under water and for
,ver lost. Everyone who possibly
,an should visit these historic spots
low while they may. The walls of
he old fort are in ruins, but the
noat which protected 1t on one side
md the rifle pits are still discern
lble. The spot is remembered by
ONE Indians and few white men
till living and there is not doubt
nut that 1t is the authentic site of
he original fort
WARRANT GALL