Idaho History Index

Idaho's First Railroad - When Brigham Young first sent Mormon farmers into the Cache Valley in 1856, he knew transportation would be a problem for the settlers. The long valley stretched from

Idaho's  First Paved Road - The following is from the “Report of the State Engineer A. E. Robinson of Idaho for 1911 and 1912.” The sum of $20,000 was appropriated by the 11th Legislative Assembly to provide for the macadamizing of....

The Nez Perce and their Appaloosas - One of the reasons the Nez Percé warriors were so effective against the US cavalry was their distinctive horse. Named after the Palouse River, the Appaloosa was....

History of Indians mascot is tied to baseball - Recently a question has resurfaced concerning Pocatello High School’s tradition of using the name “The Indians.” Such monikers....

The man behind the PHS Indians name - The man behind the Pocatello Indians baseball club of 1900 was a local celebrity named Billy Trapp. Billy first appeared in Hailey, Challis, and Clayton in the 1880s as....

Pocatello High becomes home of the Indians - In 1922, Poky High first published its fight song. It was blatant plagiarism of a University of Illinois loyalty song, but it included a nonsense phrase that would play a larger part in Poky High’s history. The line read....

A well-preserved view of Pocatello's early days - While searching through an archive recently, a beautifully preserved photo appeared that provides one of the clearest views ever into Pocatello’s earliest days.... 

The history of Pocatello's airfields - On June 17, 1902, Pocatello saw a land rush with thousands scrambling on horses, wagons and buggies for recently ceded Fort Hall Reservation parcels of ground. At the time, there were fewer than 10 automobiles in all of Idaho and they were more toys than reliable transportation. However, just 548 days later, the Wright brothers successfully achieved powered flight on Dec. 17, 1903. Just under seven years later, the first powered flight in Idaho occurred in Lewiston on Oct. 13, 1910....

Untangling the complicated history of Pocatello's name - Studying Idaho history can be an exercise in frustration. Studying Pocatello history can drive the historian mad. You would think it would be pretty simple. After all....

Idaho's trail of tears - The treaty period with the Shoshone and Bannock in southern Idaho began in 1863 after Col. Patrick Connor and the California Volunteers rode up from Salt Lake to “severely chastise” the Indians. Only after the infamous march and massacre at Bear River did Connor make an effort to broker treaties with the Indians....

Clearing up confusion about Fort Hall history - When social media posts appear discussing the history of “Fort Hall,” confusion seems inevitable. Not because anyone is getting their facts wrong, but the facts themselves are so garbled that folks throw their hands up in frustration....

Nuclear planes and wiener roasts - There is a persistent urban myth that there exists an airstrip four miles long in the Arco desert. While that strip does not exist, it is understandable why people think it does given that the project it was intended for seems so insane — a nuclear-powered airplane.

Women have a long history of surprising men in times of turmoil - During World War II, a massive propaganda campaign by the United States encouraged women to enter the workforce to keep the factories and industries running for the war effort. The face of that campaign became “Rosie the Riveter” with her sleeve pulled up over a flexed arm and the slogan, “We can do it!” Rosie was an effective campaign and thousands of women responded. However, despite what some may think, it was not unprecedented....

The massacre that never happened - In 1862, the United States was in the midst of a civil war, the outcome of which was still very much in doubt. Oregon Territory had only been admitted into the Union four years earlier and what would be Idaho was still part of Washington Territory with a veritable stampede of miners racing to the gold fields....

Beware old history books - Beware old history books — sometimes they are about as accurate as a Facebook meme....

Not quite carved in stone - July 4, 1931, was to be a celebration recognizing the emigrants that crossed the Portneuf River near Pocatello on their way to Oregon. The Wyeth Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) gathered around an Idaho-shaped stone monument for a group photograph at the corner of South Fifth Avenue and East Carter Street on what is now the Idaho State University campus...

Mining the Bonanza Bar - For many years, what we call Idaho was the place no emigrant wanted to stop. As the wagon trains rolled over the hills toward Fort Hall, the travelers were confronted with a view of the high desert Snake River Plain. Usually arriving in July or August the vista was dispiriting, even the three buttes were ominous far away in the distance....

The mystery of Tilden bridge - For a historian (amateur, third class) maps are both boon and bane, especially in Idaho. There are not too many maps prior to 1900 that are worthy of cartographic aplomb. Maps from the late 1800s are either highly specific to one place or a general idea of what you might expect if you keep going on a wagon road in that direction yonder, unless you miss the trail by the third sagebrush....

The twisting turning tale of two gangsters who just won't stay buried - Were two desperados lynched on the American Falls railroad bridge? That is a question that resurfaced when a photo of the trestle appeared on the Facebook group “Idaho History 1800 to Present.” I originally said, “Probably not,” but as most historians know, sometimes new evidence comes to light and old conclusions must be reconsidered....

The muddied complicated history of the name 'Idaho' - The man pictured here, as far as I know, never made it to the Gem State. His name was Josh Billings and, much like Mark Twain, he was a well-known 19th century writer of humor and penetrating sayings. It is sad that he does not get more attention since he had twice the wit of Twain, meaning of course that he had a full amount of that faculty. As such, it is to one of Mr. Billings’ aphorisms that I would like to draw your attention: “It ain’t ignorance causes so much trouble; it’s folks knowing so much that ain’t so.”...

Examining Idaho's gold rush - In 1864, Idaho was a territory, but the lines were pretty rough. That was OK, though, since there were only two things people wanted to know: where was the gold and how could you get there? A Mr. George Woodman took a trip sometime in 1862 or 1863 to the new mining fields and made up a map that an enterprising bookseller in San Francisco promptly published to sell to 49ers looking for a new Eldorado....