Subject: Star Valley Publisher: Star Valley Historical Society Publishing Date

103 Pages·2014·43.41 MB·English

STARVALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
HISTORICAL BOOKS INVENTORYDETAILS
1. Overview
TitleofBook: Reflections ofOurPast
Author: StarValley HistoricalSociety
Subject: StarValley
Publisher: StarValley HistoricalSociety
Publishing Date: 2010
Number ofPages: 98
ID#: 117
Location: Website
2. Evaluation
Evaluator's Name(s): Kent and Polly Erickson
Date ofEvaluation: August2014
Key Words: (Please referto the table ofcontents)
IncludedNames: (Too many tolist)
3. Svnopsis:
This bookwas compiled for theWyomingStateHistoricalSocietyAnnual
Trek held in StarValleyJune 17-20,2010. It consists of28 shortaccounts of
significant events and people.
4. Other
"^Table ofContents
*Some pictures
HefCections of our Tast
A
ComjJiCcLtixm ofJ-CistoricaCData
Star yaCCey 3{istoricaCSocietyfor
IVyoming State J-fistoricaCSociety JAnnuaClrek
June 17-20, 2010
'flCKW0WLef)6eMeNTi.
This l>t&r Valltjy tlistorie&l l)oei(stg grat(s/allg &eknowli2dg(2s thiz (sjjorts o/ all who
haV(2 contribat(sd directly and indirizetly to the publication o/ this booklet. Besides the
individual authors, historical research writers and photographers we recognize the
tlistorical Society 0/ficers and the following: Margamt Ta^ill^r, f>an T)oek§tad^r, Star
\Pallizg Indizpi^ndiznt and KRS\P Uadio Station: fifton Civic Cfzntfzr, Salt C^nt^r and
Linda Sarras, Print Stan fiom^stmd U^zstaarant, Country Kitehizn Cat^r^rs, 3rucjZ
Robinson, 3ogd €ddin§, 3ox U Ranch, 3u§ Unizs, Town of fifton & Canyon \PiiZWPark,
fiuburn picnic Sh^itfzr and RocJi Church, flisz^n^ tiizinur and thfz piay Cast for 2010,
h>3.S. Church Tabfzrnaeifz and picnic firm, 3ar J Wranglers (I^^kson fiolfz), aH th^
^ntjzrtainszrs;anyone who may ha assisted with any ofthiz. activitiizs.
This publication is issued to commemorate the Wyoming l)tate Historical liociety's
ojjieial visit to litar Valley, June l7'-20,2010. This booklet Wasdesigned to enlighten these
most welcome visitors on the several selected sites which they might visit.
The expected end result and bene/it of this publication is a better understanding
and appreciation of l)tar Valley and near-by 6reys River, the people and history. It is
our sincerest hope that visitors will take this booklet to their respective home chapters
and share it with others.
We, the officers of the i>tar Valley tlistorical l»ociety and membership of the
l)Ociety sincerely hope you enjoy this booklet and your time spent with us.
Gordon Tueller, President
Sae Perkes, Vice President
Ron Tinderson, Vice President
Judy 0riekson, .Ijee/Treasurer .
PUBLICATION
This bookletwas printed at
Afton, Wyoming, June 1, 2010
©y
PrintStar
for and on behalfofthe
STARVALLEY HISTORICALSOCIETY
Box 1212- Afton WY 83110
StarValley Historical SocietyPresident
Gordon Tueller&his wife Margaret
. rr-
Vice President, Gae Perkes Secretary/Treasurer, Judy Erickson
4
Vice President, Ron Anderson
EK
INDEX
Page
1. Historical Sketch ofStarValley 1
2. The Lander Trail 3
3. SwiftCreek &The IntermittentSpring 7
4. The Elkhorn Arch 10
5. TheAfton Tabernacle 11
6. Archibald Gardner Monument 12
7. The End ofa CowTown (story) 14
8. History ofSulphur HotSprings 16
9. They Made it From Scratch [story) 17
10.Old Rock Church 19
11.The Outlaws 21
12.StarValleyAviation 26
13.The BakerCabin 29
14.Freedom Arms 30
15. Cheese Production in StarValley 31
16.SaltWorks 35
17. Two Strings to a Corset [story) 37
18. Merrill-Davis Shoot-out [story) 38
19. Robbery in Afton (story) 42
20.CrowCreek 43
21.An Indian Episode (story) 46
22.The StarValley Bank Robbery 49
23. Afton Hall ofFame 60
24. Snake River Canyon 83
25. Home, Home on the Greys 83
26. How Deadman Got It's Name 91
27. Her Heart is Buried There 93
28.No Cup ofTea For Mrs. HelenYoung 96
this way. It is said that the "Lander Trail"
led over smaller and less dangerous streams
besides being a little shorter than the Oregon
Trail. For this reason we suppose emigrants
chose this route.
It was from the "Salt Works" in Stump
Creek that the freighters got their loads of
salt to carry to Montana people for their
domestic-use in the early days. The route of
travel the freighters followed was from
Stump Creek along the "Lander Trail,"
then past Idaho Falls and into Montana. Mr.
Stump was one of the first men to operate
SouthEndenteringStar Valley
the "SaltWorks" there.
HISTORICAL SKETCH of
Bear Lake people used to make trips to the
Salt Works in Crow Creek canyon, where
Just alittSleTAnoRrthVoAfLouLrEvYalleys is the
they got their supplies of salt and would
return. It is possible that it was in this way
Yellowstone Park. Idaho is in sight on that the first road from Montpelier to the
the west and the great coal fields of
"SaltWorks" was made.
Wyoming are just over the ridges to the
Apostle Moses Thatcher, while seeking new
south, the mountains east are a picturesque
places suitable for homes for the Mormon
branch of the Salt River Range and on the
people, visited this valley about 1880 or
west is the Tygee Range. Salt River winds
its way through the center of our valleys. before. He called it Star Valley from the
formation of the mountain peaks, and
Fed by countless springs clear as crystal and
cold as ice, and the many canyon creeks, it because it seemed to him such a star of
forms one of the largest of Snake River's valleys.
tributaries. About the lO"^ of June 1879, four couples
It is probable that "the first possessors of and one single man went to Lower Star
Valley for the purpose oflocating homes.
this country were the buffalo, the antelope,
the elk and the deer: then came the Indian:
This party came by way of Montpelier
who was followed by the trapper: who in
canyon crossing the creek about twenty
his turn had the explorer at his heels: to be
times, following the Old Salt Works road
followed by the pioneerand settler."
where tlie road ended. From there they built
Since the "Lander Trail," a cut offtrail of their own road on down Crow Creek to the
present site of Fairview, then followed the
the old "Oregon Trail" passes through our
upper valley, there is no doubt many "Lander Trail" to where Auburn is now
emigrants on their way to Oregon passed located and went on down to the lower end
of the upper valley where they pitched Auburn was settled in 1879, with nine
camp. people being the first settlers to arrive. The
following year others arrived including two
The following day two men were chosen to
well-known trappers. Most of the families
go and explore the Lower Star Valley. After
who first came to Auburn stayed only for a
looking the valley over they decided that the
seasonortwo and then moved away.
present site ofFreedom was the best place to
settle. A couple of contractors for railroad ties
entered this valley by way of"The Lander
Part of the company returned to bring the
Trail," through Stump Creek Canyon,
remainder of their families and stock from
crossed over the mountains to Lower Star
their previous home in Bear Lake: while the
Valley and went on down to Snake River
others remained to build log houses to live
about a mile and a half from where Salt
in. When the remainder of their families
River empties into it. Here they and their
arrived, this made a total of27 souls in their
employees cut timbers for ties for the Utah
colony.
Northern Railroad. Floated the logs down
the river to a boom at Big Bend where the
The winter of 1879-80 being a very hard
logs were taken out and counted. They
one, the colony lost nearly all their cattle
and horses and they themselves, came near worked there in 1881-82. Afterwards this
railroad was standardized and called Oregon
starving. Their supplies were snowed in at
what is now known as Beaver Canyon. The Short Line. There still remains an old
wagon road following down Snake River on
men packed flour in on snow shoes from
this side, which was probably built at that
there to keep their families from starvation.
Two trips were made to Caribou and four time.
trips to Beaver Canyon and one to
Montpelier for flour, averaging 75 pounds
per man each trip. This saved the lives of
the colony.
Thefirstpublicbuilding inAfton. theAfton MeetingHouse
(1886-92), vi'<35usedasthefirstschoolhouse, andalsoasa
churchbuilding.
A number ofMormon Church leaders came
Thisbuildingwasbuilt byMoneyWelch inAuburn~ used to Star Valley in the early "Pioneer days of
asfurcache. Star Valley" and located at the present site
ofAfton.
The winter of 1889-90 is commonly known higher class of horses and cows and our
as the "hard winter" due to the loss of so creameries, all bespeak improvement.
many cattle from starvation. Snow was so
There is no end of interesting incidents that
deep that the roads to Montpelier became
occurred in Pioneer days in Star Valley. But
impassable, so towards spring the men
space and time is limited. We wish to leave
organized themselves, appointed A. Lu Hale
with each one here an increased respect for
as chairman and started out to open up the
the early pioneers, our parents who have
road. At Snow Slide they were met by the
done so much for our Western land.
Montpelier people, helped out to Montpelier
and treated royally. This trip was long and
(The above was found in the collection of
hard but they succeeded in getting supplies Historical Data collected by Ha Young, one of
before the spring thaw set in. the original members ofStar Valley Historical
Society. It was written in 1915 by a group that
The so-called Jackson Hole Indian War presenteda churchpageant in thatyear.)
occurred in the summer of 1895. The
Indians ofthat region violated the game law
and as a result several Indians were killed
and others brought to trial. It was rumored
LANDER-CUT
through Star Valley that the Indians had
banded themselves together to war upon the
whites. While in truth the whites and the
Indians were both in a state of great fear,
' --
neither wishing to go to war. The incident is
f.$ •o«e•
known as the "Indian Scare." lAxn*niAii.
It is a mystery how the pioneers of these
valleys managed to live. The nearest THE LANDER TRAIL
railroad is 50 miles away. The road in
Ihe first wagons crossed the
places followed the creek beds, and upon T
continental divide at South Pass in
leaving these, the road was a little better and
1836. However, the first wagons did
often lead over high hills and through steep
not reach Oregon until 1843. With a route
canyons. Sometimes in winter, flour was
established to the West Coast people came
hauled over these roads by men on snow
by the thousands, including the Mormons in
shoes. The snow used to fall from 2 to 6
1847. The original road led from SouthPass
feet deep, literally snowing everything in.
to Fort Bridger and then to Cokeville,
Under these conditions it was no small
Wyoming and to Montperlier, Idaho before
undertaking to pioneer this country.
proceeding westward to Oregon and
The progress that has come to the country is California.
wonderful. Our schools, our public
This original route known as the Oregon
improvements, the prosperous homes, the
Trail or California Trail soon became
productive farms of hay and grain, the
crowded, over-grazed and generally un-
acceptable. By the mid 1850s the public route. From that time on the cut-offbecame
was clamoring for the Federal Government the principal road west and was officially
to do something to improve conditions for named the Pacific Wagon Road but called
the travelers. Money was finally approp the Lander Cut-offby those who used it.
riated to build such a road in 1857 by the
Following the westward migration the road
U.S. Congress.
was used as a stock trail to bring sheep,
In 1857 the United States Department ofthe cattle and horses from the coastal states to
Interior hired Frederick W. Lander, an stock the vast cattle and sheep ranches of
engineer ofSalem, Massachusetts to locate a central and eastern Wyoming. In the 1880s
new route. That year 1857 the Utah War until the mass production ofthe automobile
with the Mormons was going on and the and improvements of the highways the
stated congressional desire was to establisha Lander Cut-offwas used by the locals to go
new road to avoid the Salt Lake Valley in back and forth to the Green River country.
general and the Mormons in particular. The last covered wagon observed on the
Lander Cut-offwas in 1912.
Lander and his small engineer group
surveyed this area in the summer of 1857
and proposed a road from South Pass to Big .LANDER CUT-OFF.
Piney and hence up Piney Creek to LaBarge DESCENT TO THE RIVER
Creek and then over Commissary Ridge to THE EMI6RANT TRAILLEAVES RS. ROAD 10072
AND BE6INS IT^DESCENT DIRECTLY NORTH DOWN
the Smith Fork River. From there the road
rms RIDCE TO THE SALT RIVER HAVIN6 TRAVELED
would go over to Salt River and enter Star ADISTANCE OF 17.BMILES FROM THE LABARCE
MEAOONS OVER R0U6H MOUNTAIN TERRAIN.
Valley at the south end and then to Auburn
where it would leave the valley up Stump
Creek and on over to Wayan, Idaho and then
to FortHall, Idaho.
THE LANDER TRAIL
The advantages ofthe new road were; it was
shorter by at least seven days and there were Increased immigrant travel west in the
fuel, game and good water. The 1850's brought demands for better roads.
Surveys were made and it was obvious the
disadvantage was they had to climb steeply
over 9,600 ft. high mountain passes. The better route lay from South Pass to the Bear
Utah War was over by the summer of 1858 River or further south through northern
Utah. But the "mormon question" as it was
so Mr. Lander hired Mormon emigrants
from Salt Lake City to do the labor on the called brought decision to avoid that
territory and go further north. It is ironic
new road. The work was accomplished by
September of that year and the road was that the road that was located to avoid their
opened to traffic. territory (Mormon) was to be built by
Mormon laborers.
The following year 1859, the first full year
The Oregon Trail from South Pass went
of operations, over 13,000 people and
south-west to Fort Bridger and then north
79,000 head of stock crossed over the new
west to the Bear River coming in at what is
now Sage Junction. Several private roads ofbridges, alkali plains, and deleterious and
went directly west from South Pass, coming poisonous waters, and to furnish fuel, water,
out near Cokeville thus saving several days and grass to the ox-team emigration. And it
travel. After the Lander Trail was put in use is neither the very shortest nor the very best
these other roads fell into disuse. The which would be selected for a winter route
Lander Trail was situated to the north ofthe in the vicinity of the same parallel of
above roads - well watered, lots of wood latitude."
and good grass. All prime requirements for
"The great upper valley of Green River and
immigrant travel.
ofthe New Forks, its principal tributary, has
Following are exerpts from the Congress been surveyed and mapped. This well
ional Record 1858-1859 Ex. Doc. 108. This timbered and abundantly grassed region is
is mostly taken from a report by the project undoubtedly suited to agriculture purposes,
director, the man who gives his name to the and is one of the immense herding grounds
trail, Frederick West Lander. He was killed ofthe Shoshone tribe ofIndians.
during the Civil War:
The first Wahsatch, or Bear River, moun
"The location ofthis road, as constructed by tain range divides John Gray's River, a main
Mr. Lander, is as follows: beginning at tributary of Lewis' Fork of the Columbia,
Gilbert's trading station, in the South Pass, it from Green River Valley.
passes along the base of the Wind River
Through several low passes in the more
Mountains, heading Little and Big Sandy
northern chain passage may be made to the
Creeks; thence west, across the Green River
headwaters of the Snake or to Wind River,
basin, crossing the New Fork, Green River,
the principal tributary of the Yellowstone.
and White Clay and Bitter-root Creeks to the
Passing in a westerly direction, the second
valley ofPiney Creek; thence up this valley
Wahsatch range and main divide, separating
through Thompson's Pass to the headwaters
the waters of the John Gray from the Salt
of LaBarge Creek; thence, via the head of
River, is encountered. Both of these rivers
Smith's Fork of Bear River to the valley of
are large tributaries ofLewis' Fork. Further
Salt River. The road continues down this
westward a third range is encountered,
fertile valley ofthis creek to the head ofthe
dividing the waters of Salt River fi-om the
Smoking Creek, and the valley of John
head of the Blackfoot River, and a fourth
Gray's Lake to Blackfoot Creek, lower
lower and more broken range of mountains
down; thence over to Ross Creek. Passing
is crossed near the open valley of Bear
several miles down this creek the road
River."
crossed over to Snake River or Lewis' Fork
ofthe Columbia, near the mouth ofPannock
"In the event of the suspension of Mormon
River; thence down the valley direct to City
hostilities, the work on the southern route
Rocks; a total distance of345.54 miles from
could be done cheaper by contracts with the
Gilbert Station. Utah population and sale to them of the
materials of the expedition on hand than in
It is especially and emphatically an im
any otherway.
migrant road, as located as to avoid the tolls