Category: Local History
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Tipsy Cows
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,… Read More
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The Oregon Trail and Hudspeth Cutoff in Southeast Idaho
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… Read More
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Historic Paris, Idaho: Bear Lake’s First Permanent Settlement
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.… Read More
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Conestoga Wagons? They’re Made in Bear Lake!
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… Read More
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Which Came First the “Berry” or the “Shake”?
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… Read More
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‘Butch Cassidy;” Robert Leroy Parker
One of the Old West’s most storied personalities was the outlaw “Butch Cassidy”, whose real name was Robert Leroy Parker. In the late 1800s, Cassidy,… Read More
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Military Transport Plane Crash in Bear Lake Area
The Bear Lake region contains many community-service minded groups and individuals, dedicated to help when needed. One such group, known as the Bear Lake Rangers,… Read More
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Gutzon de la Mothe ‘John’ Borglum: Sculpturer of Mount Rushmore
Born in St. Charles, Idaho, in the Bear Lake Valley, in what was then the Idaho Territory in 1867, Borglum became famous for creating the… Read More
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Jim Bridger; Mountain Man & Guide
James Felix Bridger was born on March 17, 1804 in Richmond Virginia. He received no formal education and was illiterate all his life. After… Read More
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James, Jesse Woodson- in Malad?
Jesse James was born September 5, 1847 in Clay county, the “Little Dixie” area of western Missouri, near present-day Kearney. James became a Civil War… Read More