General Connor Plans Fort and Town Near the Soda Springs in Idaho

On April 29, 1863, the Deseret News in Salt Lake City reported, “For some time past rumors have been in circulation that is was the intention of Gen. Connor to establish a new military post at or near Soda Springs, in Idaho Territory, this spring, in order to hold the Indians in check.”

The News had not paid a lot of attention to these stories, but now they said, “We have been informed on good authority … that within ten days two companies – one of infantry and one of cavalry – will be detached from Camp Douglas for the purpose of establishing a new post somewhere in that vicinity.”

Gen. Patrick E. Connor. Library of Congress.

They considered this “a much better arrangement” because the location placed troops much closer to the flow of emigrants on the Oregon Trail. Camp Douglas, the Army’s base a few miles east of Salt Lake, was too far away to be effective.

The News also applauded “another splendid scheme,” which was to establish a colony for “all the scape-graces at and about Camp Douglas.” Most of the so-called “scape-graces” were, in fact, the remnants of the Morrisites, a group that had split off from the LDS church. Their leader, Joseph Morris, had been shot and killed by a Mormon posse the previous summer. It would be, the News opined, “of inestimable benefit” to move these apostates out of Utah.

References: [Hawley]
“Establishment of a New Military Post,” Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah (April 29, 1863).

Portland Merchants Try to Divert Gold Prospectors to Their Stores

On April 27, 1863, the Oregonian, in Portland, carried the following advertisement:
“Ho! for Boise, John Day and the Powder River Gold Mines!
"Through without detention! The only sure way for miners to reach the new mines, without being detained, is to secure their supplies in Portland! … [We have] 20,000 pounds choice Oregon bacon, 30,000 pounds extra fine flour, 10,000 pounds of assorted beans, 300 pairs of Oregon Gray Blankets, together with a full supply of groceries, boots, shoes and all kinds of mining articles can now be obtained at Harker Bros., No. 123 Front Street, opposite the Upper Wharf, Portland.”

Asa Harker arrived in Portland in the early 1850s and engaged in the dry goods business. In 1857, he and a partner moved into a “new fire-proof brick store” on Front Street. About the same time, Asa opened another store next door, also in a brick structure, with his younger brother James. (Both born in New Jersey, James was then about 24 years old, Asa about 31.) The partner soon retired due to ill health, and the combined store did business as “Harker Brothers.”

Front Street, Portland, 1852. Library of Congress.

Of course, they were hardly the only merchants trying to attract business from the flow of prospectors. A typical issue of the Oregonian (just four pages long) had at least a dozen ads for provisions, tools, rapid transport to the mines, and other goods and services for the eager gold seekers.

References: “Advertisement,” Oregonian, Portland (April 27, 1863).
Joseph Gaston, Portland, Oregon: It’s History and Builders, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago (1911).

Correspondent from Gold Country Writes Back to "the States" (Wisconsin)

On April 25, 1863, the Wisconsin Daily Patriot in Madison, Wisconsin published a letter from an Oregon emigrant to "My dear old friends" back in Wisconsin. The correspondent, Royal A. Pierce, had arrived in the then-thriving mining town of Auburn, Oregon in the fall of 1862.

After discoursing on the geography, climate, and animals of his new home, Pierce wrote, "But the great interest, and the interest to be most sought after in this portion of the world, is the mining interest … Gold has been found here in spots in great abundance."

Many prospectors had rushed into the gold fields, but – in Royal's view – the potential riches should have already drawn even more: "The Indian is the cause of all this delay." Still, he felt that they would soon be subdued.

Gold Cradle. Library of Congress.

Moreover, despite the delay, "Already there are mines discovered, some of which are declared to be very rich. The Boise River mines, around Placerville, and on Moore's Creek, and Granite Creek, are doubtless good, but are too new to enable any one to decide as to their richness."

His advice: "Wait till next year, and then start." He closed with, "This will be a good place for young women, also, as they are in great demand in the matrimonial market."

Pierce helped found Baker City, about eight miles northeast of Auburn. In 1866, he passed the Oregon bar and opened a practice in Baker City.

He moved to Challis, Idaho in 1879, without his wife and children. There, he continued his law practice, and also ran a newspaper for a time.

References: An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Co., Chicago (1902).
Royal A. Pierce, “Patriot Oregon Correspondence,” Wisconsin Daily Patriot, Madison, Wisconsin (April 25, 1863).

Military Expedition into Idaho, Salmon River Gold Mines Flourishing

On April 22, 1863, the Oregonian, in Portland, reported that “a detachment of fifty men, belonging to Capt. Harris’ company of Oregon Cavalry, left Fort Dalles on Tuesday morning for Fort Walla Walla, on their way to the Boise country.”

The item said that the force would acquire what reinforcements it could at Fort Walla Walla. With the Civil War raging in the East, the Army was hard pressed to find units to spare. A few weeks earlier, the Oregonian had described the hostility of the Indians, and how few troops were available. Their advice: “Every one who goes to Boise should go well armed.”

The previous month, an advance guard for a larger expedition had entered the region, intent upon building a fort in the Boise Valley. However, site selection and construction would not even begin for another six week or so.

Also on April 22nd, the Golden Age, in Lewiston, announced that rich new gold fields had been found near Florence and Warren’s Camp. The reports out of Warren’s “were so extravagant,” the newspaper said, that they “did not wish to use them at present.” They would wait for some confirmation.

Early Florence. Idaho State Historical Society.

From Florence, a local claimed that “two thousand men could get constant employment there during the summer.” Moreover, if enough men did show up, “More gold would be taken out this season than was taken out last year.”

References: “From the Upper Columbia,” Oregonian, Portland (April 29, 1863).
Carolyn Thomas Foreman, “Colonel Pinkney Lugenbeel,” Chronicles of Oklahoma, Vol. 24, No. 4, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma City (1946).
“Military Expedition to Boise,” Oregonian, Portland (April 22, 1863).

Borders of Idaho Territory Reported in the West (Finally)

Over a month after Congress created Idaho Territory, and 150 years ago (April 18, 1863) today, the Oregonian, in Portland, finally published a general description of the new entity. Somewhat awkwardly worded, the item said, “The boundaries of the new Territory include all that portion of Washington lying east of Oregon, and all lying east and north of the entire boundary of Oregon. This includes Lewiston, Florence, Oro Fino, Elk City and Boise river.”

The newspaper didn’t bother to describe the eastern boundary of the new Territory. The Organic Act defined that as “the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west of Washington [D.C].” That border, the line between today’s Montana and the Dakotas, ran south all the way to the northern border of Colorado Territory. As described in my blog of March 4th, the resulting "geographic monstrosity" was substantially larger than Texas.

Idaho Territory.
U. S. General Land Office maps combined.

The Oregonian next summarized the structure of the Territorial government: “The bill provides for the usual officers, and a Legislative Assembly consisting of a Council and House of Representatives. The Council will consist of seven members, to serve for two years, and the House of thirteen members, elected annually. Previous to the first election, the Governor is required to have a census of the inhabitants taken, and the representation in the Legislature is to be apportioned as equally as possible.”

The “usual officers” included a governor, judges, an attorney general, and so on … all of whom would be appointed by the President. That difference would lead to future heated disputes between those officials – mostly outsiders – and the locally-elected legislature.

References: [Hawley]
“The Territory of Idaho,” Oregonian, Portland (April 18, 1863).

Guest Blog: Paris, Idaho; Pioneer Families Rich and Budge

A bit over a week ago, a fellow blogger, “Leslie Ann,” offered me the chance to do a guest blog for her site, Ancestors Live Here (it’s included on my “Links” page). As you can tell from her title, her blog leans more toward genealogy and family history. Leslie has done a remarkable amount of work for her blog, and she even has another one called Lost Family Treasures. Amazing.

Anyway, in keeping with her theme, and the fact that she has roots in Paris, Idaho, I prepared an article that has a bit of town history. But most of the material involves two prominent Paris family heads: Charles Coulson Rich (who founded the town) and William Budge (who became President of the LDS Bear Lake Stake). She has the article posted here.

Vigilantes Disbanded, Delegate Candidates Abound, Miners Stalled by Deep Snow

Rover, our "sesquicentennial correspondent" whom we heard from on April 7th and 12th, wrote another letter on April 16, 1863. He first noted that the Lewiston “Protective Association” (Vigilance Committee) had met and voted to disband. Members judged that the county government “was now thoroughly organized, and the various offices filled by competent men.”

During the Association’s tenure, the vigilantes had “hanged three murderers and highwaymen, and exiled 200 thieves and gamblers.” Because of their work, Rover went on, “Not a single crime of any kind has been committed in Lewiston during the past five months.”

Another sign of progress: “In anticipation of the early organization of the new Territory of Idaho, candidates for Delegate to Congress are beginning to feel the public pulse as to their chances for honor and glory.”

Eventually, nearly a dozen candidates would vie for the job. As historians Beal and Wells put it, “Idaho did not suffer from any lack of candidates for delegate to Congress in the first territorial election.”

Rover observed that little mining progress had been made around Florence or Warren’s Diggings: “The snow in that region is three feet deep, and not thawing enough to afford water for mining purposes.”

Idaho Mountain Snow. National Park Service photo.

Also, parties that had tried to get through to the Boise Basin had turned back “owing to the deep snow” in the mountains. In fact, Rover reported, “A number of pack trains and a large number of miners [are] camped at the foot of the mountains.”

References: [B&W]
Rover, “Letter from Lewiston,” Evening Bulletin, San Francisco, California (May 5, 1863).