| Show THROUGH IDAHO for several years atter after dr fellows in the tall of 1866 1865 haj had located bis big ranch on bridge creek in the south end of what is now called gentile valley the locality was known as fellows valley but when the first ward was organized i in n 1874 it was named mound valley because of the numerous mounds and ridges with which the valley abounds soon after this when a number of gentiles began to locate ranches on the west side of bear river they took a determined stand that no mormon lP should ever settle on that side of the river and when a postoffice post office was established they managed to have it named gentile valley postoffice post office and got a bitter apostate appointed postmaster so determined were these outsiders that their pet name should gain the day that the postmaster refused to deliver any mail matter that happened to be addressed to mound valley at this time there was a regular ward organization on the east side of the river and meetings meet were held every sabbath the gentiles on the west side declared that no do mormon meeting should ever tie be held on their side of the river and threatened that if it should he be attempted they would break it up in disorder solomon H hale now a member of the oneida stake presidency had just bought the oldest gentile claim od 00 the west side of which mr isaac burton was the original owner and hearing of this determination on the part of the outsiders he immediately invited bishop robert H williams who presided over the ward on en the east side to come over and hold a meeting in bis big house was 14 1876 the outside element turned out almost to a man and came to the meeting but instead of disturbing it as they had threatened they paid the strictest attention to co the preaching and since that time no general effort has been made to keep the 11 armons out soon afterwards a number of gentiles sold their claims to the brethren who continued to increase in number on that side of the river until it was found necessary to give them a separate ward organization in the beginning of 1881 solomon H hale was then appointed bishop of the new ward and there are now only five gentile families on the west side of the river mound valley or gentile valley is a strange spot to describe in traveling along the river fiver the stranger might be tempted to call it a mere canyon with an average width of one mile which would include the bottom lands along the river but including the bluffs mounds ridges and high benches which extend all over the valley to the base of the mountains on either side I 1 should describe it as d a valley measuring about twenty miles in length with a width of about eight miles at the upper or north end and tapering off to a canyon at the lower end the bear river which meanders through it from north to south divides it into an eastern and western pirt art the eastern portion being the I 1 largest a r est in its course entering the va valley ney from the north the river receives as tributaries tributa ries from the east side whiskey creek trout creek warm creek and bridge creek besides a number of smaller streams from the west it takes in the waters of burton creek cotton cottonwood wood creek and a number dumber of other streams named after the respective ranches located on them trout creek on the east and cottonwood on the west side are the two largest tributaries tributa ries of bear river in this section of country the ranches and farm houses are scattered all through the valley and are mostly situated near the points where the many streams put into the river water for irrigation purposes so far has been supplied from these streams but efforts are now being made to take out the river on both skies sides which however will be very expensive as a great deal of blasting and bluming will have to be done in the extreme north end of the valley on the east side of the river there Is id a fine level bench country consisting of very rich soil boll and sufficient of it to contain a town of considerable size it is with a view to bringing this tract of country under cultivation that a 9 few enterprising brethren from salt lake county are taking out the river a short distance below suda soda point or a few miles west of the famous soda springs gentile valley abounds in natural wonders and curiosities the numerous crags crevices chasms and other volcanic formations met with in the north end of the valley prove that at some period in the worlds history this country has been subject to a most ter terrific rifle shaking up or side of the river there is a wonderful cave about a quarter of a mile in length through which a very cold current of air is continually passing and also a stream of water flowing which freezes at c certain ertain points all the year round on this account thin thim subterranean passage is known as the ice cave in the south end of the valley on the east side of the river and about half a mile east of bishop robert H williams illiams W residence is another of natures nature wonders bridge creek a stream of considerable size here shoots I through a large hole bole in a solid rock wall spanning the canyon and then leaps to the depth of 40 feet within a horizontal distance pf af about 50 yards it is a most beautiful sight eight both when viewed from the natural bridge above and the level below it is quite certain that the creek formerly passed over the ledge of rock already mentioned and that the fall at that time was nearly sixty feet high but that in course of time the water forced a hole through the hallwhich wall which bradu ally increased i in u size U until atil it became large enough to admit the whole stream this natural bridge thus formed immediately above the falls is what has given the name to the creek within a dl distance stace of a mile above this wonderful place there are a number of other falls but bode aone so high as the one described there are two ward organizations in gentile valley namely mound valley in the east and mormon ward on the west side of bear river both extend through the entire length of the valley from north to south mound valley ward presided over by bishop robert ff williams contains forty two families of saints and mormon ward presided over by bishop ernest F hale thirty families both wards have a north and south district and hold meetings and sunday schools to pa two different places in each ward nearly every sabbath there are three in the valley namely cleveland and gentile valley on the north side aide and sago on trout dreek creek on the east side aide the mormon ward meetinghouse on the west side ride of the he river may be considered the most moot central point in the valley lt it is a respectable lumber building by far the best meetinghouse in the valley situated on an elevation overlooking the river this point is about 32 miles by road northeast of oxford and 27 miles by way of Ri verdale northeast of preston also 24 miles southwest of soda springs having preached to the saints at the mormon ward meetinghouse on tuesday evening bishop hale started with me for chesterfield on saturday morning but after traveling about three miles he h placed me in charge chance of elder geo M smith who with a light conveyance and a y pair of fast traveling horses borses brought me to this place in three and a hah haff hours a Ji distance stance of 82 miles from brother smiths ranch on bear river I 1 was sogn made welcome at the house of elder judson S tolman and yesterday I 1 addressed the saints at chesterfield in their new meetinghouse chesterfield ward embraces all the saints 61 families residing on the head waters of the portneuf Port neuf biver like the people of gentile val ley they live in a very very scattered condition on their farms and ranches principally on the main branch of the portneuf Port neuf torance creek twenty fou four r mile creek and eighteen mile creek the junction of these four foul streams form the portneuf Port neuf river there is some very good land here and the saints considering the short time they have been here have made good progress and their public enterprise is shown in the erection of one odthe of the finest fi nest meeting houses in the oneida stake it is a brick building 50 by 32 feet with fine vestry on the west end beautifully situated on an elevated piece of ground which was surveyed into a townsite about five years ago this townsite contains 36 35 10 acre blocks divided into lute lots of aj 2 acres each it is sume somewhat what hilly and broken but most of the lots can be improved from the point where the meetinghouse is located a fine view is had of the principal part of the valley the townsite is 25 miles northwest of soda springs 11 miles north of squaw creek the nearest railway station on the oregon short line 40 miles southeast of blackfoot the county seat 25 miles southwest of old fort hall and 35 miles north of the centre theof of mormon ward in gentile valley As AB yet the townsite has no buildings erected on it except the meetinghouse meeting house and a store kept by brother ira call this is owing to the fact tb atthe tho land is not yet et in market because of a mistake in the government survey k ut as soon as a legal title has been secured many of the people pu purpose to move on to the site As it is now dow the saints are scattered for a uis ounce of ten miles anti and more between eighteen mile creek on an the southeast and christian belsons nelsons Nel sona sons ranch on the main Port neut on the northwest three families ot of outsiders reside within the limits of the ward one of which has caused the brethren considerable trouble portneuf Port neuf valley is actually a continuation of gentile valley in coming from the latter valley northward the traveler simply ascends on to a high bench which continues for about twenty five miles anu which at this point divides the waters falling into th great suit salt lake from those running into the pacific ocean trough the port neuf snake and columbia rivers reckoning th it t the portneuf Port neuf valley commences where gentile valley ceases to be known by that name it measures about forty miles from north to south and is from three to twenty miles wide its widest part being where chesterfield is 18 located the elevated bench referred to above is full of voi volcanic canic rocks and is entirely destitute of water save for a little stream called squaw creek which rises in the mountains west but after running a few miles in an easterly direction sinks on the plain near the railway station bearing its name dame ANDREW JENSON JEMSON chesterfield bingham k 0 idaho may 12 1890 |
