Show FROM EAGLE ROCK TO TETON much interest is manifested in this large and new country and I 1 thought a short sketch of it would Inte interest reet the numerous readers of the NEWS it is all in bingham county idaho eagle rock is a station on the utah northern where the railroad crosses the S snake river there the traveler leaves the railroad train for the wagon and turns his face to the northeast toward the hills is lona iona ward while on the direct line of travel is lewisville lewis ville presided over by bishop R F jardine the last named place is on the south of what is called here the dry wash but not so dry but that it is a menace to life to ford it at a t t this h Is season of the year the settlers at louisville have made a good start and are now erecting a meeting house from louisville the traveler crosses the dry wash to menan this place with la bell is situated on what is called the island formed by the dry wash and the south fork of snake river the farms on the island are rich producing excellent crops the distance from eagle rock to eo menan is twenty miles leaving menan there are two routes one by the upper ferry and ford and one by the ferry at big buttes the frimer way cannot be traveled at the present owing to the high water so the latter is the preferred road the whole country is of volcanic formation and the big buttes are extinct craters I 1 made the ascent of one and found myself well paid for the effort by the magnificent scene presented from its summit A magnini ent view of the whole country from eagle rock that I 1 had left to rexburg in the distance can be obtained the rivers meandering through green meadows and fringed by cottonwood timber constitute a most interesting picture exhibiting a rich country capable of sustaining thousands of inhabitants the south fork of the river comes into the valley from the southeast and forms a junction with the north fork at the buttes about eight miles further to the northeast the north fork is joined by the teton and southwest of this junction is the north ferry distant about six miles from the buttes from the ferry to rexburg is six miles of good and almost straight road the burg as it ft is popularly called here is the principal town quite a business is carried on there be being 1 three stores for general me merchandise r one drug store one for wagons and agricultural ample ments mends one for musical merchandise and one of cour sein the shape of a saloon from rexburg to teton basin the distance is forty miles five miles to moody creek where the road starts over a rolling country until canyon creek is reached it is a gradual ascent to this last point from moody is fifteen miles at canyon creek I 1 saw a lot of teams at work making a canal to out that stream on to a large tract of splendid land above the present s site I 1 te of teton which is about seven miles northeast of rexburg Rex burg it is a heavy undertaking but will develop some excellent country leaving canyon creek the road again runs over rolling hills for a distance of fifteen miles to the basin the teton basin is a valley about thirty miles long by twelve miles wide the rivers course is along its west side the valley lies a little west of north the river runs through to the northwest then changes its course to the southwest until its junction with snake river biver the basin is well watered by large streams from the east the stream farthest to the north is called badger creek and work is being done to take jaae jilis h t is stream out on to some fine land the next stream to the south is leighs creek where some of the water is taken out and and some of the land and claimed to the south again is the teton coming from those magnificent peaks crowned with perpetual snows this last named water is quite a stream and on its border is located the future town of pine arbor which now consists of a store three cabins a tent and several covered wagons the locators are scattered over a large tract of country to the south of teton creek is darby creek on which there is some good land and aind a fine stream of water south of darby is sioux creek where some settlers have made a location built a cabin without door or window and got the water on to the land jand to the south routh again we re trail and warm creeks and a number of smaller streams which have not been named by the pioneers the south end of the valley is surrounded by high mountains and is full of grass bei being ng well watered but it is said the snow falls very deep there in winter winte r the north end is surrounded by rolling hills and one of the best stock rangers I 1 have ever seen timber is handy to get at present the creeks being lined with cottonwood and pine while the canyons are well su supplied lied with poles and house logs were there is not however a great abundance of saw timber but little attempt has been made TO 10 raise grain in the teton basin but potatoes have been produced successfully cess fully for the last seven years stock raising has been the occupation of the settlers up to this year there are various opinions as to the climate but there is every evidence that it will be cold enough for anything there is said to be coal in the south end of the basin the water Is very nice and soft the streams are well supplied with fish and game is quite abundant abunda pt this Thi latter condition will not last long for the hunters are killing the animals off fast or are driving them away by the constant chase the days are warm but the nights quite cold and there have been frequent frosts severe enough to injure 1 vines TRAVELER basis BASIN june 1889 |