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Posted on May 1, 2013 at 9:41 AM by GayDawn Oyler
Paris Paris City Hall
Historical Tidbits When the first European and American explorers/trappers began traveling into what is now southern Idaho trapping beaver and seeking to trade with the nomadic American Indians, the Shoshone and Bannock Tribes were the principle tribes living in the region. The Gros Ventre and Blackfoot Indians of the northern Plains also made periodic excursions into the area. In 1818 Donald Mackenzie led a party of trappers into the Bear Lake Valley and named the Bear River. For several years, British and American fur-trading companies sponsored rendezvous in various area locations including Bear Lake Valley. The rendezvous were like a traveling general store, where trading companies brought trade goods to mountain locations to barter for furs. Several hundred trappers and Indians came great distances to the rendezvous to barter with the trading companies as well as with each other. On July 2, 1834, Nathaniel J. Wyeth, one of the rendezvous merchants who concluded the rendezvous system was becoming less effective, led a party of trappers into the Bear River Valley. He believed permanent trading posts would work better and was en route to build his Fort Hall trading post near what is now Pocatello. Osborne Russell, who was traveling with Wyeth and his trappers, wrote his observations when he first saw Bear Lake Valley. He said they “fell onto a stream called Bear River which emptied into the Big Salt Lake. This is beautiful country. The river which is about 20 yards wide runs through large fertile bottoms bordered by rolling ridges which gradually ascend on each side to the high ranges of dark and lofty mountains upon whose tops the snow remains nearly year round...” The first immigrants traveling overland to Oregon Country’s Willamette Valley began passing through Bear Lake Valley in 1841. The route, later called the Oregon Trail, passed through what is now Montpelier and continued north along the Bear River to Soda Springs before turning west. For nearly two decades, most Oregon Trail immigrants heading to Oregon and California followed this route. In 1862 Brigham Young, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church) headquartered in Salt Lake City, received favorable reports regarding the valley’s settlement potential. Young was anxious to locate arable land in the Intermountain West where the swelling numbers of church converts from Europe and America could successfully settle. Charles C. Rich, a member of the Church’s ruling Quorum of Twelve Apostles, wrote that the (Bear Lake Valley) country possessed an abundance of water for irrigation; there were favorable locations for towns, good soil, abundant grass hay, plenty of fish and game; and a climate favorable for hardy grains and vegetables. He felt it was well worth an attempt at colonization. The Church’s Indian policy was that of peace and providing food and other help to the Indians. Young negotiated with area Shoshone and Bannock tribal chiefs about Bear Lake Valley settlement. The chiefs agreed that Church immigrants could settle on the north end of the lake but not on the lake’s south shore where they held their traditional encampments—a place now in Utah that includes a location called Rendezvous Beach. On August 23, 1863, Young asked for an advance party of several families and single men from Cache Valley, Utah, to follow Charles C. Rich and build a wagon road—46 miles—across the mountains from what is now Preston to the north end of Bear Lake Valley. On September 18, the party left with nine wagons. They took eight days blazing a trail consisting of removing trees and rock and filling ravines sufficient to make the road passable by horse-drawn wagons. When the party came down out of the mountains into the Bear Lake Valley, they chose a favorable location on a level plain adjacent to creeks with crystal-clear water flowing down from the mountains into the lake’s north shore wetlands and Bear Lake Outlet. One of the men, Fredrick Perris, surveyed the town and then returned to Cache Valley. Those who remained to settle the new community named their town after Perris but spelled it the same as the famous city in France. Perris platted the town under the direction of Charles Rich who, along with his son, would later survey the other townsites. They used the surveying methodology commonly used for towns started by the Church. They used the North Star to lay out the township on a north-south and east-west axis in 10-acre blocks separated by six rods (96 feet) wide streets. They subdivided each 10-acre block designated residential into one-acre home sites. Moving out from the center of town, they platted farm lots. The settlers drew for their lots. Sleights cabin, built the first fall (1863) Paris was settled. Before winter set in, they built twenty cabins of aspen logs with pole roofs covered with sod for the settlers who would remain. A second group of settlers arrived in October. In addition, they built animal shelters and corrals and cut sufficient meadow hay to last the winter. When spring arrived and the snows melted sufficiently to allow passage over the new mountain road, 700 additional settlers came into the valley. In addition to Paris, the central city for the valley, the pioneers established seven other settlements that extended over an area about 12 miles north, 10 miles south and eight miles west of Paris. Even though they had their own land, the pioneers worked as a community for the common interests of all. When they first arrived, they cut trees to build a community corral on one of the city lots. Each night they herded all of the livestock into the corral, and the men would take turns standing guard against predators. After building their shelters, the settlers prepared and, later, planted a community garden and built a log meetinghouse for public gatherings and church services. They worked together to divert water from streams and construct canals and ditches to irrigate their land. They augmented the food supplies they brought and, later, raised in their gardens with wild game and native plants and fruits such as dandelions, pigweeds, thistles, fir greens, sego lily roots, chokecherries, serviceberries and native currants. They dug root cellars to keep their food cool during the summer, but not allow it to freeze in the winter; gathered wood for fuel; and harvested and stored grass hay for their livestock. They dried fruit and preserved the meat by drying it or placing it in crocks of salt brine and built ice houses—blocks of ice placed in sawdust. Ice stored in this manner took several months to fully melt. They plowed the ground and planted crops that would mature in the high-mountain climate, such as grain and alfalfa hay. They used an organized barter system that had proved effective in other early Church settlements. Under the Church concept of tithing, each person donated 10 percent of their increase and labor to the Lord. Local Church leaders managed a “tithing house” which served like a central bank with goods and labor as “currency” with which needed public and private infrastructure was built, the economy grew and the needs of the poor were met with dignity. Many of the Bear Lake Valley families were from Switzerland and had an affinity for dairying. Community leaders saw the compatibility of the dairy industry and the crops suited for the high-mountain climate. They encouraged the settlers to pool their resources; expand pasturelands; build a creamery and cheese factory, with pasteurizing and cream separating equipment freighted in from the east; and build a tannery and leather-working shop. About 125 families became investors and participants in the new and successful enterprise, selling their production locally and in the Utah market. In 1863 when Idaho became a territory and the town of Paris was founded, the law was clear that the boundary between Idaho and Utah Territories was the 42nd Parallel—the historic dividing line between Spanish, later Mexico, and English land claims. However, in 1863 no one knew where the actual boundary line was. For nearly a decade, most of the north Bear Lake Valley and north Cache Valley settlers thought they lived in Utah Territory. In fact, Bear Lake Valley’s Charles C. Rich served in the Utah Territorial Legislature. In 1872 when the federal government finally surveyed the boundary line, the settlers and governments of the two territories discovered the boundary went a mile south of Franklin in Cache Valley and through the center of Bear Lake with the northern half of the lake located in Idaho Territory and the southern half in Utah. The practical effect of correcting the error in Idaho was to significantly change Idaho’s 1870 Census numbers—a 19 percent change, from 14,999 to 17,804—and cause north Bear Lake and Cache Valley citizens to travel more than twice the distance to do their territorial business. On November 17, 1884, the Oregon Short Line Railroad (OSL) completed a railroad connection between the railheads at Granger, Wyoming, and Huntington, Oregon—a distance of 472 miles. The rail line angled from Granger in a northwesterly direction through Montpelier, Soda Springs, Pocatello and Caldwell before connecting with the rail line in Huntington. The railroad reached Montpelier in 1882. Even though the railroad did not pass through Paris, residents benefited directly from railroad services. The railroad had a major positive impact on the economies of the city and valley. On January 5, 1875, the Territorial Legislature created Bear Lake County with Paris as the county seat. On July 14, 1897, Paris became an incorporated village.
When the first European and American explorers/trappers began traveling into what is now southern Idaho trapping beaver and seeking to trade with the nomadic American Indians, the Shoshone and Bannock Tribes were the principle tribes living in the region. The Gros Ventre and Blackfoot Indians of the northern Plains also made periodic excursions into the area. In 1818 Donald Mackenzie led a party of trappers into the Bear Lake Valley and named the Bear River. For several years, British and American fur-trading companies sponsored rendezvous in various area locations including Bear Lake Valley. The rendezvous were like a traveling general store, where trading companies brought trade goods to mountain locations to barter for furs. Several hundred trappers and Indians came great distances to the rendezvous to barter with the trading companies as well as with each other. On July 2, 1834, Nathaniel J. Wyeth, one of the rendezvous merchants who concluded the rendezvous system was becoming less effective, led a party of trappers into the Bear River Valley. He believed permanent trading posts would work better and was en route to build his Fort Hall trading post near what is now Pocatello. Osborne Russell, who was traveling with Wyeth and his trappers, wrote his observations when he first saw Bear Lake Valley. He said they “fell onto a stream called Bear River which emptied into the Big Salt Lake. This is beautiful country. The river which is about 20 yards wide runs through large fertile bottoms bordered by rolling ridges which gradually ascend on each side to the high ranges of dark and lofty mountains upon whose tops the snow remains nearly year round...” The first immigrants traveling overland to Oregon Country’s Willamette Valley began passing through Bear Lake Valley in 1841. The route, later called the Oregon Trail, passed through what is now Montpelier and continued north along the Bear River to Soda Springs before turning west. For nearly two decades, most Oregon Trail immigrants heading to Oregon and California followed this route. In 1862 Brigham Young, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church) headquartered in Salt Lake City, received favorable reports regarding the valley’s settlement potential. Young was anxious to locate arable land in the Intermountain West where the swelling numbers of church converts from Europe and America could successfully settle. Charles C. Rich, a member of the Church’s ruling Quorum of Twelve Apostles, wrote that the (Bear Lake Valley) country possessed an abundance of water for irrigation; there were favorable locations for towns, good soil, abundant grass hay, plenty of fish and game; and a climate favorable for hardy grains and vegetables. He felt it was well worth an attempt at colonization. The Church’s Indian policy was that of peace and providing food and other help to the Indians. Young negotiated with area Shoshone and Bannock tribal chiefs about Bear Lake Valley settlement. The chiefs agreed that Church immigrants could settle on the north end of the lake but not on the lake’s south shore where they held their traditional encampments—a place now in Utah that includes a location called Rendezvous Beach. On August 23, 1863, Young asked for an advance party of several families and single men from Cache Valley, Utah, to follow Charles C. Rich and build a wagon road—46 miles—across the mountains from what is now Preston to the north end of Bear Lake Valley. On September 18, the party left with nine wagons. They took eight days blazing a trail consisting of removing trees and rock and filling ravines sufficient to make the road passable by horse-drawn wagons. When the party came down out of the mountains into the Bear Lake Valley, they chose a favorable location on a level plain adjacent to creeks with crystal-clear water flowing down from the mountains into the lake’s north shore wetlands and Bear Lake Outlet. One of the men, Fredrick Perris, surveyed the town and then returned to Cache Valley. Those who remained to settle the new community named their town after Perris but spelled it the same as the famous city in France. Perris platted the town under the direction of Charles Rich who, along with his son, would later survey the other townsites. They used the surveying methodology commonly used for towns started by the Church. They used the North Star to lay out the township on a north-south and east-west axis in 10-acre blocks separated by six rods (96 feet) wide streets. They subdivided each 10-acre block designated residential into one-acre home sites. Moving out from the center of town, they platted farm lots. The settlers drew for their lots. Sleights cabin, built the first fall (1863) Paris was settled. Before winter set in, they built twenty cabins of aspen logs with pole roofs covered with sod for the settlers who would remain. A second group of settlers arrived in October. In addition, they built animal shelters and corrals and cut sufficient meadow hay to last the winter. When spring arrived and the snows melted sufficiently to allow passage over the new mountain road, 700 additional settlers came into the valley. In addition to Paris, the central city for the valley, the pioneers established seven other settlements that extended over an area about 12 miles north, 10 miles south and eight miles west of Paris. Even though they had their own land, the pioneers worked as a community for the common interests of all. When they first arrived, they cut trees to build a community corral on one of the city lots. Each night they herded all of the livestock into the corral, and the men would take turns standing guard against predators. After building their shelters, the settlers prepared and, later, planted a community garden and built a log meetinghouse for public gatherings and church services. They worked together to divert water from streams and construct canals and ditches to irrigate their land. They augmented the food supplies they brought and, later, raised in their gardens with wild game and native plants and fruits such as dandelions, pigweeds, thistles, fir greens, sego lily roots, chokecherries, serviceberries and native currants. They dug root cellars to keep their food cool during the summer, but not allow it to freeze in the winter; gathered wood for fuel; and harvested and stored grass hay for their livestock. They dried fruit and preserved the meat by drying it or placing it in crocks of salt brine and built ice houses—blocks of ice placed in sawdust. Ice stored in this manner took several months to fully melt. They plowed the ground and planted crops that would mature in the high-mountain climate, such as grain and alfalfa hay. They used an organized barter system that had proved effective in other early Church settlements. Under the Church concept of tithing, each person donated 10 percent of their increase and labor to the Lord. Local Church leaders managed a “tithing house” which served like a central bank with goods and labor as “currency” with which needed public and private infrastructure was built, the economy grew and the needs of the poor were met with dignity. Many of the Bear Lake Valley families were from Switzerland and had an affinity for dairying. Community leaders saw the compatibility of the dairy industry and the crops suited for the high-mountain climate. They encouraged the settlers to pool their resources; expand pasturelands; build a creamery and cheese factory, with pasteurizing and cream separating equipment freighted in from the east; and build a tannery and leather-working shop. About 125 families became investors and participants in the new and successful enterprise, selling their production locally and in the Utah market. In 1863 when Idaho became a territory and the town of Paris was founded, the law was clear that the boundary between Idaho and Utah Territories was the 42nd Parallel—the historic dividing line between Spanish, later Mexico, and English land claims. However, in 1863 no one knew where the actual boundary line was. For nearly a decade, most of the north Bear Lake Valley and north Cache Valley settlers thought they lived in Utah Territory. In fact, Bear Lake Valley’s Charles C. Rich served in the Utah Territorial Legislature. In 1872 when the federal government finally surveyed the boundary line, the settlers and governments of the two territories discovered the boundary went a mile south of Franklin in Cache Valley and through the center of Bear Lake with the northern half of the lake located in Idaho Territory and the southern half in Utah. The practical effect of correcting the error in Idaho was to significantly change Idaho’s 1870 Census numbers—a 19 percent change, from 14,999 to 17,804—and cause north Bear Lake and Cache Valley citizens to travel more than twice the distance to do their territorial business. On November 17, 1884, the Oregon Short Line Railroad (OSL) completed a railroad connection between the railheads at Granger, Wyoming, and Huntington, Oregon—a distance of 472 miles. The rail line angled from Granger in a northwesterly direction through Montpelier, Soda Springs, Pocatello and Caldwell before connecting with the rail line in Huntington. The railroad reached Montpelier in 1882. Even though the railroad did not pass through Paris, residents benefited directly from railroad services. The railroad had a major positive impact on the economies of the city and valley. On January 5, 1875, the Territorial Legislature created Bear Lake County with Paris as the county seat. On July 14, 1897, Paris became an incorporated village.
Historic Paris Tabernacle
Between 1884 and 1889 local church member artisans constructed the Church’s imposing Paris Tabernacle of Romanesque design, a house of worship in which Church leaders periodically held valley-wide conferences
Tabernacle under construction
Amenities and Attractions Today The Paris 4th of July celebration attracts people from throughout the valley. It begins with a 9-mile Fun Run that starts in Montpelier and ends with a chuck-wagon breakfast at the finish line in Paris. The all-day event includes a parade, a pageant in the historic tabernacle and a youth rodeo held at the fairgrounds. Bear Lake State Park, comprising 966 acres, has two locations on the east side of the lake. The North Beach Unit, located at the top of the lake, offers a 2-mile-long beach. The East Beach Unit has a 1½-mile-long beach. Both facilities have ramps for boaters and water skiers. The lake is 20 miles long and up to 8 miles wide. The 19,000-acre Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge starts a few miles southeast of the city and comprises most of the wetlands bordering the lake’s north shore. This Refuge provides habitat for various species of duck, goose, Sandhill Crane, Trumpeter Swan and White-Faced Ibis. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game manages the Montpelier Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located east of Paris. It comprises 2,100 acres of mule deer and elk habitat. The Georgetown Summit WMA is located north of Paris and provides 3,349 acres of elk and mule deer habitat. Oregon Trail immigrants cut a wide swath as they passed through the Bear Lake Valley. Wagon ruts are still visible on some parts of the trail. The National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier is an interpretive center providing a history of life on the Oregon Trail. The city’s most spectacular amenities are the outdoor recreation options available in the nearby public lands. Fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, biking and ATV riding are prominent summer activities, while Nordic skiing and snowmobiling are winter favorites. In the winter, anglers come with nets to catch Bonneville cisco—one of three species of white fish of the Salmon family indigenous to Bear Lake. The cisco live in the deep cool water until they rise in schools each January to spawn over the limited rocky areas of the lake. Many people come from long distances to enjoy these activities. Welcome to Paris sign The newspaper used to be published in this home. Paris Peak Fielding Academy before it burned down
Welcome to Paris sign The newspaper used to be published in this home. Paris Peak Fielding Academy before it burned down
Historic Paris Tabernacle Paris in the early days. Old Dance Pavilion where the dances were held. Bear Lake County Courthouse, today. Courthouse in the early days.