Fort Hall: Origins of an Oregon Trail Outpost
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Newsletter ofthe Oregon-California Trails Association July 1997 I Fort Hall: Origins of An Oregon Trail Outpost (One ofthe highlights ofOCTA 's convention in Pocatello will be a chance to walk in the footsteps offar traders who helped open the West. Fort Hall, during its short history, was a vital link in that effort. Barely 20 years after it was established, the original fort was abandoned. Its heyday was during the period from about 1843 to about 1849, after which the Hudspeth Cutoff opened to the south. The Fort was abandoned by the Hudson's Bay Company in the mid 1850s and fell into disrepair. In fact, the original site was eventually lost and wasn't "re-discovered" until 1916. That the Fort was established at all was due to a failed business venture and a dramatic series ofevents which left Nathaniel Wyeth angry and vengeful. The following is excerpted.from a story written by Bill Carnes for the Old Fort Hall Broadsheet published in conjunction with the Rendezvous held each June at Fort Hall. About 1830, Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth, a young businessman in cambridge. Massachusetts, became interested in <>Rgon. He The Fort Hall Replica at Pocatello, Idaho borrowed heavily from business and personal assets to fo.rm his own trading company for the Columbia River fur trade. By 1832, however, William Sublette had exclusive rights to supply the Rocky Moumain Fur Company with the needed trade goods OCTA Points To Pocatello for the annual fur trader rendezvous. Finishing touches are being put on plans for the 15th annual Wyeth, not discouraged, attached himself to a Sublette convention of the Oregon-California Trails Association, expedition which left Independence, Missouri, on May 11, scheduled in Pocatello, Idaho, August 10-17. 1832, and reached the Pierre's Hole Rendezvous (near The convention is planned around "Fort Hall - Hub of the Yellowstone) on July 8. Reaching the Portneuf River in late West" and convention ~hairman Mike Bateman said total July, Wyeth cached six loads of furs and goods, then·followed registration is expected to reach 500 people. the Portneuf to the Snake River Valley, but found it already It's not too late to register, althongh there is a $15 penalty for trapped out by the Hudson's Bay Company. registration after July 1. For information, call convention ~ After parting with Sublette near the junction ofthe Snake and chair Jim Allen at (208) 235-1326. Owyhee Rivers in soothwest Idaho, Wyeth crossed the Blue There will be p~on tours of the Lander Road (full as Mountains to Fort Walla Walla and arrived at Fort Vancouver of June 2nd) and Hudspeth Cutoff on August 10-11-12 and a in October. Before leaving Boston, Wyeth had arranged for a two-day archaeology field trip and workshop on August 11-12. supply ship to meet him on the Columbia River. Soon after The OCTA Board ofDirectors meets on Tuesday. August 12, arriving at Fort Vancouver he was told that the ship had been and the convention officially gets underway on Wednesday, lost in the Sooth Pacific. His initial trading venture has failed August 13, with the annual membership meeting and papers Still certain of the commercial poss11>ilities, Wyeth spent the and presentations. See "Wyeth & Fort Hall, "Page 6 See "Pocatello, "Page 5 Page2 News From The Plains July 1997 From the Edi ~.or's Desk • • • For OCTA members, all trails lead to the Portoeuf Valley and gathering of trail buffs is a great opportunity to totally immerse Pocatello, at least for the month of August. yourself in the history of the westward movement, increase By the time OCTA 15th annual convention ends, places like your own knowledge of trails, and meet a lot of people who the Lander Road, the Hudspeth Cutoff: Soda Springs, Massacre ~ your interests in preserving our heritage. If you can't Rocks, the Portneuf River, the Bidwell·Bartleson route, City of make it to Pocatello, mark your calendar for Pendleton, Rocks, Register Rocle and, of Oregon. in 1998. course, Fort Hall will no longer Ofcourse. the convention isn't all that OCTA members are up be just words in books or on old to this summer. We've also included articles about a pair of ~---- trail maps. outings sponsored by the Califomia·Nevada chapter, one to the We will have seen these 40·Mile Desert and another along the Donner Tl3il. A desert historic locations with our own outing and a mountain outing, perhaps representing ex.1remes eyes, walked in the footsteps of of the emigrant experience. the Hudson Bay Company and OCT A chapters are also up to a wide range of activities, Natbamel Wyeth, and teamed a ranging from repairing and replacing trail markers to marking lot more about the role of trails to worldng with local and federal agencies to preserve soutbeastem Idaho trails in the and protect historic Jandmarks and trails. opening of the American West. And because active OCTA members spend so much time This issue of News From The Plains includes articles with their eyes on the ground as they walk old trails, we've also designed to help you increase your enjoyment ofthe convention included stories about the use of metal detectors to verify trails and your trip to Idaho. There's a background piece on just how and the old ·questton of what to do when you do :find an artifact. Nathaniel Wyeth came to establish Fort Hall and an article by Finally, there's a good report on the important work that's Peter Boag which offers some insights into what it was like to being done by our National Trails Preservation Office. There travel acros.1 Idaho in the middle of the 19th CentUiy. Our are some enormous issues - and threats - involving trails that thanks to the Fort Hall Replica Commission for allowing us to should be of concern to all OCTA members. publish these articles here. Enjoy the issue, let us know what you think of it, and we'll If you haven't made up your mind about going to Pocatello, see you in Pocatello! it's not too late and we highly reamnnend it Our annual - Bill Martin !J I!! ,,. ~ ~!-~------------------------~------~,~ Submission NEWS FROM THR PLAINS Guidelines Editor Bill Martin News From The Plains welcomes timely Contributing Editon submissions of news, features and photos Jeanne Mmer related to the work of the orw,ui:71lfion Lyndia Carter and its members and the preservation of Jackie Lewin our trails heritage. Mail Submissions To: Material is due 30 days prior to publication dates. 1908 Tuolumne Drive Material is best sent either on a computer disk Reno NV 89523·1228 (in DOS or text format) (702) 747•28fi0 bot make sure you include a bani copy. e-mail: [email protected] Pictures are appreciated but cannot always be returned. Copyright C 19'1'1 by the ~allfomia Trail• Assodation P.O. Box: 1019 J:ndepeodc:nce, MO 64051-0519 Ifyou any call have questions, please (816) 252,-2276 Fax (816) 836-0989 e-mail: [email protected] Editor Bill Martin at (702) 747·2860 or e-mail at [email protected]. OCTA is a 501 (c X3) Not For Profit Organimtion Next Deadline Is September 1, tm ... .A:. __... ~ i1 ·-----------------='" July 1997 News From The Plains Page 3 F~TkP~ • • • time with them. I have talked with News From The Plains Editor Bill Martin. and he has agreed to feature our staff and ocrA is a volunteer organization and functions so headquarters in a special article in the NFP. I think you all will sua:essfol1y because of the time, knowledge, and resources that enjoy getting to know our headquarters staff. its members donate. This is my last message to you as president, and I have taken In the last issue I placed a .n::quest for volunteer aid in the time to reflect about my six years as a board member and my two management and coordination of the National Park Service years as president. This is an experience I would not trade. cost-share grant program. As a iesult, Sandra Waggoner and Sure, there have been ups and downs in handling Sandra Dragoo, members from lncHaoa, volunteered to take this orgaoimional matters, but the ups far outweigh the downs. I responsibility. have learned a tremendous amount from all of you. Of utmost I want to thank them for their wi1lingne,q and enthusiasm in importance are the wonderful OCTA members from all walks of helping OCTA In addition, they will come to Independence for life who join in their interest in learning about and preserving two or thn:e days a year and help the headquarters staff with any the trails. task needed. Some of you have been able to devote a considerable amount Perhaps some of you may be coming through Independence of time to OCTA. and I certainly admire your dedication. and could make arrangements to donate a day. Perhaps you One of my priorities as president bas been to encourage would like to speak to area schools or groups about the trail. Or development of new long range goals for OCTA. Chuck Martin maybe you could spare a couple of hours during the convention and the Long Range Planoing Committee have been reactivated to help with book sales at the OCTA table. Or maybe you could and are working on setting goals. They will be o1rering a report read articles from the Overland Joumal and News From the at the mid-year meeting. Their suggestions will continue to Plains on to a tape for our visually impaired members to enjoy.