The territory now
comprising Bannock county first entered the pages of
history when, in 1662, the French Sieur de la Salle
planted his country's flag in what he called
"Louisiana," after his sovereign, Louis XIV, of France.
In order to prevent England from gaining it, and hoping
at the same time to win an ally, Louis XV ceded
Louisiana to Spain in 1762. Napoleon traded it back from
Carlos IV of Spain, but later sold it. This was the
territory purchased for the United States by Thomas
Jefferson in 1803 and for which the country paid
$15,000,000. It included the greater part if not all, of
the present state of Idaho, and certainly all of Bannock
County.
The northwestern section of this purchase became known
as the Northwest Territory and included all land west of
the summit of the Rocky Mountain range, between the
forty-ninth and forty-second parallels of latitude. This
was later called the Oregon territory, and contained not
only the present state of Oregon, but also Washington,
Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming.
In 1789, Captains Robert Gray and John Kendricks skirted
the coast of this territory and traded for furs with the
Indians, and three years later Captain Gray discovered
the Columbia River, up which he sailed several miles.
The Lewis and Clark expedition, which left St, Louis in
May 1804, headed by Captains Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark, gave such encouraging accounts of the
resources of the Northwest Territory that many of the
more adventurous people in the states were induced to
undertake settling it.
For a time Spain, Russia and Great Britain, as well as
the United States, claimed the northwest, there being
some dispute between the latter two countries as to the
boundary line between Canada and the northern limits of
the Louisiana purchase.
Great Britain and the states, by treaty of October 20,
1818, agreed that the subjects of both countries should
settle the territory jointly for a period of ton years.
Before the ten years had passed, both Spain and Russia
had ceded their claims to the United States the former
in 1810, the latter in 1824. At the expiration of the
ten years, the treaty between Great Britain and the
United States was renewed indefinitely, to be annulled
by either party after one year's notice.
In his History of Idaho, Mr. Hiram T. French gives the
following brief sketch of Jim Bridger, after whom
Bridger Street in Pocatello was named:
"Among the men who trapped on the headwaters of the
Missouri and its tributaries for the fur companies,
probably none was better known than Jim Bridger. He made
his headquarters at a place now in southwestern Wyoming,
which became known as Fort Bridger, and was later one of
the landmarks along the old 'Oregon Trail.'
"Jim Bridger is authoritatively credited with being the
first white man to see Salt Lake. In 1824 he was
trapping along Bear River in what is now Idaho
territory. He followed the stream to the canyon leading
out of Cache valley. Climbing the high hills, he saw off
to the south a large body of water. His interest
aroused, he went on until he reached the shore, tasted
the water and found it salty. Later an exploring party
went around the lake and determined that it had no
outlet.
"After having spent many years among the Indians,
Bridger lost his life at their hands."
The fate of Jim Bridger was not an uncommon one in the
early days. A number of white men deserted their own
kind to become the adopted members of Indian tribes.
They took to themselves Indian wives, and dressed, spoke
and lived as Indians. But their fate was nearly always
the same. Sooner or later they were usually killed by
the people of their adoption.
Two American expeditions visited this country in 1832,
one headed by Captain Bonneville. U. S, A., and the
other by Captain Wyeth.
Already some of the names in this narrative must have
struck the reader's ears as locally familiar Clark,
Lewis, Bonneville and Wyeth. All the cross streets in
Pocatello, except Center, which divides the city into
north and south, are named after early explorers, Indian
fighters, hunters or men who otherwise distinguished
themselves in daring during the early days. Hence, Wyeth
Street, Bonneville street, etc. The streets parallel
with the railway on the east side of the city are
numbered, while those on the west are named for the
various presidents, as Arthur, Garfield and Hayes.
In this way Pocatello has linked to herself the names
and there fore the history and adventures of the daring
and hardy pioneers of the great northwest. The history
of her street names would be one of romance and
adventure, of daring and hardship, suffering and
triumph, such as it would be hard to equal. For this
heritage of nomenclature, the city is indebted to Daniel
Church, former mayor of Pocatello, to the Tribune, and
others who selected this system of names.
Captain Bonneville's expedition was one of exploration
only. Captain Wyeth came to trade with the Indians, but
in this he met with small success. The Hudson Bay
Company, a wealthy English corporation, had entered the
territory and was most ably represented by Doctor
sometimes called Captain McLoughlin. He was an
honorable, kind and brave man, but farseeing and shrewd.
He covered the country with a network of English,
Canadians, French and Indians, and met American
competition everywhere by offering higher prices for
furs than his rivals could afford. Consequently Captain
Wyeth 's expedition was not a business success, but he
deserves more than passing notice, not only because his
name is now a household word in Pocatello, but more
especially because he established Fort Hall, which he
named after a member of the firm for whom he had come
west.
Captain Nathaniel Wyeth, having heard of the profits to
be made in fur trading, led an expedition over land from
Boston, arriving at Fort Vancouver in the fall of 1832.
Here he was to meet a vessel laden with supplies and
sent by a Boston company with which he was associated.
But the ship never came. After waiting all winter Wyeth
decided that she had been lost, and returned to Boston.
In 1834, Captain Wyeth returned to the northwest and
this time a ship containing supplies did come to meet
him. In his party were three Methodist ministers Rev.
Jason Lee, Rev. Cyrus Shepherd and Rev. T. L. Edwards,
who were the first missionaries to land in Oregon. It
was on this second trip that Captain Wyeth built Fort
Hall, on the banks of the Snake River, as a trading
post, and here, on July 27, 1834, Rev. Jason Lee
conducted the first Christian service held in Idaho.
Competition with the Hudson Bay Company and the loss of
many men by desertion and death, finally forced the
captain to sell out and return to the east.
Two women deserve notice here as being the first white
women to pass through what is now Bannock County. They
are Mrs. Whitman, wife of the Rev. Dr. Marcus Whitman,
afterward killed by the Indians, and after whom Whitman
College in Oregon, and Whitman street in Pocatello, are
named, and Mrs. Spalding, wife of the Rev. Spalding.
They came to the Northwest in 1836, and settled in
Oregon.
Another expedition, under Captain John C. Fremont, after
whom Fremont Street, Pocatello, is named, was 6ent to
survey parts of this territory in 1843.
At this time the condition of Americans in the Northwest
Territory was far from satisfactory. They had undergone
great hardships and risks in order to establish
themselves in the new land, but their home government
had done nothing to either protect or organize them.
Petition after petition was sent to congress, but
without effect. So, on May 20, 1843, the Americans met,
at a place called Shampoig, near where Salem, Oregon,
now stands, and organized a provisional government,
designating Oregon City the capital. The first
legislature met in a carpenter shop, and adopted the
laws of the state of Iowa, because an Iowa man, with a
copy of the. Iowa laws in his pocket happened to be
present.
This provisional government was entirely successful and
continued until 1846, when a new government was formed
and Hon. George Abernathy was elected governor.
In this same year, 1846, Great Britain ceded to the
United States her claim to the Northwest Territory, with
the exception of the Hudson Bay Company's holdings and
those of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company. In July
1863, the United States purchased the interests of these
companies for $450,000 and $200,000 respectively, the
final payments being made in 1865.
On March 3, 1853, congress passed an act creating and
organizing Washington territory, which included all the
Northwest Territory except the present state of Oregon.
Ten years later to a day, the territory of Idaho was
created and organized, containing all of Washington
territory, except the present state of Washington. The
following year, 1864, Montana was cut off from the
territory of Idaho, and that of Wyoming in 1868, when
Idaho took her present geographical limits, being three
hundred miles long across her southern portion and only
sixty across the northern panhandle.
In February 1864, the territory of Idaho was divided
into Shoshone, Nez Perce, Idaho, Boise, Owyhee, Alturas
and Oneida Counties, the last of which included the
present county of Bannock. Soda Springs was the first
county seat, which was afterward moved to Malad City.
Bingham county was created January 13, 1885, out of the
northern and eastern parts of Oneida county, the
southern part of which was made into Bannock County,
March 6, 1893. This county was named after the Bannock
Indians, who were its original inhabitants, and who
still own many acres within the county limits.
In speaking of conditions at the time when the first
seven counties were created, Mr. John Hailey, in his
"History of Idaho," says: "Quite a percentage of the
whole population was engaged in some kind of trade,
merchandising, hotel and restaurant-keeping, butcher,
feed and livery business, blacksmithing, sawmilling and
carpentering. A large number were engaged in the
transportation of merchandise and passengers. Some few
had settled on ranches and were cultivating and
improving them. A few were engaged in the stock business
and many more than was necessary were engaged in the
saloon and gambling business, with a few road agents,
ready and willing to relieve any person of his ready
money without compensation, whenever a favorable
opportunity presented itself. The primary object of all
seemed to be to gather gold. But I think I may
truthfully say that ninety-five per cent of these people
were good, industrious, honorable and enterprising, and
to all appearances desired to make money in a legitimate
way."
In this same connection Mr. Hailey also says: "Most of
the first settlers of Idaho were poor in purse, but were
rich in muscle and energy, and most all possessed a good
moral character. The rule that was in common practice
was for each person to attend to his own private
business, and to have an affectionate regard for his
neighbors and his neighbors' rights, and to extend a
helping hand to the unfortunate that needed help. I
speak from experience, having an extensive business and
social acquaintance with many of the early settlers of
Idaho, when I say (with a few exceptions), the early
settlers were as noble, patriotic, industrious,
unselfish, intelligent, good, generous, kind and moral
people as ever were assembled together in like number
for the reclamation and development of an unsettled
country, inhabited only by untutored, savage Indians,
wild animals and varmints." Surely, we people of Idaho
have a proud heritage to live up to!
The following list of prices, quoted by Mr. Hailey from
the Boise News of December 26, 1863 published at Bannock
City (afterward Idaho City) may give pause to some
people who complain of the present high cost of living:
"Prices current. Corrected weekly by Higbee & Company,
dealers in general merchandise, groceries and
provisions, corner Main and Wall street, Bannock City.
Groceries and produce
Butter, per pound $ 1.25
Chickens, per dozen 36.00
Eggs, per dozen 2.00
Ham, per pound 75
Lard, per pound 40 to .50
Salt, per pound 35 to .40
Side bacon, per pound 60 to .70
Tea, per pound $ 1.50 to 2.00
Flour, per 100 lbs $33.00 to 36.00
Onions, per pound 25 to .30
Rice, per pound 50
Sugar, per pound 70 to .75
Candles, per pound 1.00
Nails, cut, per pound 40 to .50
Clothing
Women's hip boots $30.00
Women's calf boots 6.00
Men 's calf boots 12.00
Woolen drawers, per pair $1.50 to 2.00
Red drawers, per pair. $2.50 to 3.50
Men 's quilted brogan 3.50
Gum boots, long legs 12.00
Gum boots, short legs 11.00
Men's cavalry boots $12.00 to 15.00
Men's boots, long gr 10.00
Cal. best blankets 16.00
Salem blankets $13.00 to 15.00
Oregon socks, per doz 9.00
Best Cal. wool shirts $3.00 to 4.00
Buck gloves, per doz. .$18.00 to 30.00
Red undershirts, per doz $30.00 to 36.00
Wines and Liquors
Best Champagnes, per doz. $48.00
Cal. Wine, per case 24.00
Claret Wine, per ease 24.00
Sherry, per gal., in wood 7.00
Port, per gal, in wood 7.00
Baker's Bitters, per case $24.00 to 30.00
Goddard Brandy, per gal 10.00
Hermitage Whiskey, per gal. 7.00
Kerosene Oil, per gal. $8.00 to 9.00
(The above prices were usually paid in gold dust at the
rate of $16.00 to the ounce, when the real value of gold
dust was only $14.50 to $15.00 per ounce.)
The above list has been considerably shortened in
reproducing it.
The History of Bannock County
Idaho, By Arthur C. Saunders, Pocatello, Idaho. U. S.
A., The Tribune Company. Limited, 1915
History of
Bannock County, Idaho
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