Category: Local History

Minerva Bernetta Kohlhepp Teichert was a prolific American painter of Western art and subjects from the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Minerva’s faith impacted her artwork throughout her life. Independent and opinionated, Minerva was an outspoken political conservative and women’s rights advocate. Born on August 28, 1888, in Ogden, Utah…

Cokeville’s Rural SchoolsFrom 1908 to 1918, homesteaders claimed large portions of the valley, and the school system struggled to educate the student-aged children in the outlying areas. But in the ensuing years, “many who had come seeking good farms were disillusioned by crop failures and inadequate water rights and abandoned or sold their claims to…

The Cokeville area in Lincoln county, Wyoming shares a fascinating history. Cokeville was not originally a Mormon settlement, but was settled gradually by many groups and individuals who saw opportunities on the banks of Smiths (named after noted mountain manJedediah Smith) Fork and the Bear River.Despite some local folklore, Cokeville was not named for a…

So you’ve done all the normal Bear Lake things- been to the beach, returned with a sunburn; grabbed the traditional meal of a burger, french fries and a famous raspberry shake; taken in the zipline at Bridgerland Adventure Park; maybe you’ve even attended a memorable performance at The Pickleville Playhouse, booing and hissing- all in…

For generations, the railroad was the dominant force in southeastern Idaho, and its payroll the largest in the country. The Oregon Short Line Railroad laid the original track through southeast Idaho. Organized in 1881, the line was intended to be the shortest route (“the short line”) from Wyoming to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. According…

J. Patrick Wilde was a noted recorder of life in Bear Lake. His prolific collections of historical tales and legends fill several volumes. His book, “Tidbits: Odd and Obscure Amazing- Amusing Facts, Stories Statistics of Bear Lake History” contained an amusing anticdote from the early 1900s. In an article titled, “How Now Brown Cow,” he…

The storied Oregon Trail stretched from Missouri through southern Wyoming into the Bear River Valley, along the shores of Bear Lake, continuing through present-day Montpelier and Soda Springs. There spurs separated the Main Trail and The Hudspeth Cutoff before converging near The City of Rocks, in Idaho’s Cassia County. The Oregon Trail was originally a…

After arriving in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began to colonize the western frontiers. Commonly called ”Mormons,” they had been driven from their homes in Illinois & Missouri.They were anxious to establish their own state so it could enter the Union. Calling their territory…

Newcomers to the Bear Lake Valley are often surprised to see a covered wagon or two in the lakeside area. Heads often turn at the sight of a semi-load of the wagons on highways, on their way to destinations across the U.S. Old relics from the past?Not at all- those handsome vehicles are newly-made, honest-to-goodness…

It’s kind of a chicken and egg question, and to be honest, we don’t know the answer… “raspberries” and “milkshakes” have been the perfect combination in Bear Lake longer than most people can remember. All we know is that eating a delicious “raspberry milkshake” is usually among the most memorable memories visitors retain from their…