Spinning Wheel on Display Inside Old Store in Franklin (ID) [1]
With its profound beauty and substantial history, the Pioneer Historic Byway, located in the southeastern corner of Idaho, is a beloved landmark. Travel the byway to hear the area’s riveting stories of heartache and triumph that will impress you and touch your heart for years to come.
Much of the Pioneer Historic Byway consists of remnants of the area’s settlement by Mormon pioneers. Their labors and resounding dedication to their religion led to the establishment of several of the towns located on this byway. One such place is Franklin, the oldest town in Idaho, located at the southernmost point of the byway, one mile north of the Idaho-Utah border. Originally founded in 1860 by 13 Mormon pioneer families who mistakenly thought they were settling in Utah, Franklin's Historic District is home to many historic buildings, including the Hatch House. Lorenzo Hill Hatch, Franklin’s first mayor and second Mormon bishop, built the house in 1870 and it still stands today, with several modifications to the first floor, yet almost none on the second. The house was occupied by Hatch’s descendants until the 1940s. Today, this stone Greek Revival house is a museum and provides a glimpse into the past. Take a moment to wander around this time capsule and imagine the stories it has to tell.
The spirit of the nation's past lingers a few miles northwest of the Pioneer Historic Byway. Walk through the dusty and silent remains of Chesterfield for an untouched example of pioneer life in the American West. Settled in 1880, this town eventually reached a population of 400. Today it represents a world that existed before modern technology. Harsh climate and bad crop seasons led settlers to abandon the town, leaving 23 early-American structures behind, many of which are now on the National Register of Historic Places. The best-preserved building is the Chesterfield Meetinghouse, now leased to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers who converted it into a museum. Stop by and play the original pump organ, which remains the centerpiece of this Greek Revival building.
As you continue on your byway journey, a more melancholy atmosphere arises when you approach the Bear River Massacre National Historic Site, about five miles northwest of Preston on the byway. At this site, hundreds of Shoshone Indians and their families were surprised at dawn and brutally murdered by an American Army unit. With the massive emigration that came from the Oregon Trail, fights between settlers and the Shoshone Indians quickly became frequent occurrences. Once the United States Army was brought in, these fights escalated, and on January 29, 1863, a battle was fought. What had started as a battle quickly turned into a massacre, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Shoshone Indians. Today, a trail and path with interpretive signs detailing the history of that fateful day stands overlooking the Bear River Valley a few miles west of Preston. The site, designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1990, is now being considered for National Monument status.
Take a journey on the Pioneer Historic Byway and discover priceless pieces of history that reveal some of the nation’s most captivating memoirs. Learn of battles won and lost, explorations, emigrations, and the ghosts of the past that have all shaped the land and culture of this region today.
Encounters with Birds on the Pioneer Historic Byway
Pioneer Historic Byway Overview