Weiser Area, Idaho
By Ron Marlow
The area along the Snake River where the Boise, Owyhee, Malheur, Payette and Weiser rivers form the one big River, Indians called this "Their Territory." They were mainly Northern Shoshoni, Bannocks and Northern Paiutes. The upper reaches of the Payette and Weiser Rivers were home to a group called "Mountain Shoshoni." Nez Perce tribes were farther north but made hunting expeditions to the southern areas. They didn't get along with other tribes as their language was different and food requirements different also.
One of the earliest trappers was Peter Weiser, who was, in earlier years, a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. He trapped up and down the Salmon River, and was killed by Indians in 1810. Northern Indians such as the Nez Perce, Spokane, Flatheads and Cayuse made hunting expeditions down the Weiser River drainage. They would congregate in the area where all the rivers joined the Snake and called it "A Great Peace Valley." It was a rendezvous for all, which could last a month or so and where treaties were made, horses were traded, tribal items bartered such as coastal shells, tanned animal hides and surplus food. It was a celebration of the beginning of the fishing season.
Things changed with the invasion of the white explorers in 1811. Wilson Price Hunt’s party crossed Idaho and up the Weiser River on their way to the Pacific Ocean. Facing starvation they broke up into three groups, one was led by Donald MacKenzie who reached the Weiser River. Following an old Indian trail, known as the "Old Boise Trail," on to Lewiston. In three weeks they reach the Clearwater River. This was the first white man's party to penetrate the Weiser country.
MacKenzie return to the Snake River country in 1820 and held councils with the Indians across the region. Indians were anxious to trade skins for white trade goods. Hudson's Bay Company moved into the Weiser River country. The American "Rocky Mountain Fur Company," had trappers in the region and competition was keen.
By the 1840s beaver pelt prices declined and demand fell off. With the departure of the trappers, the Indians, once more, return to their lifestyles and rendezvous "The Peaceful Valley."
Emigrants began to arrive in the Idaho and Oregon territories via the Oregon Trail in 1843. Hostilities began in earnest with the discovery of gold and the influx of miners. In July 1862, a wagon train led by Tim Goodall crossed the Payette River and up the Weiser River on the old Indian trail looking for a shortcut to the Pacific. This opened up the country for more emigrants and miners on their way to "the Warren Diggins."
Military troops had to be dispatched to protect settlers on the Weiser and Payette Rivers. By 1867 Indian reservations had been established, many "hostiles" were rounded up and forced to move to the reservation at Fort Hall. Indians on the Weiser River and its tributaries retreated into the Salmon River country. Several families stayed behind and settled in Indian Valley. In 1871 there were eight Indians permanently settled there with no intention of moving to Fort Hall.
By 187? there were only 11 Indian families with 30 more families on the upper Weiser River. White settlers became an easy with their Indian neighbors when news of Custer's Massacre of 1876, the Nez Perce War of 1877, and the so-called Bannock War of 1878 reached them. Indians began to fear for their safety in light of these developments. They left the area to the apparent safety of the Malheur Reservation in Oregon. Because of the living conditions there, some joined with the renegade Bannocks in their rampage against the settlers.
Those that survived the battles with the military escaped to the safety of the Salmon River mountains. This was short lived as they were hunted down in a few years and forced to move to the Lemhi and Fort Hall reservations. In later years their descendents became respected leaders at Fort Hall. One of the earliest houses to be built in the Weiser area was on the point of the hill, south side of the Weiser River and a mile south. In the early 1860s it was a tavern run by Mr. and Mrs. William Logan. It was made of willows, plastered with mud.
You brought your own bed roll. (See previous story "Mysteries")
Settlers began arriving in 1872. Some settled on Monroe Creek east of the present Weiser. Hitt and Russell built a sawmill in 1874 and building began. The first newspaper, " News Letter" was published in 1874. The first courthouse was built in 1881. The Oregon Short Line railroad came through town in 1884 and built their depot 1 1/2 miles west of the Old Town. Weiser was the jumping off point to all the northern valleys. It became a terminal for livestock shipping, freight shipments to the Seven Devils area mines and mail terminal for upper valley residents. Herds of cattle, sheep and pigs were driven to Weiser to be loaded on rail cars for markets.
On September 23, 1887, a petition was circulated to incorporate Weiser and on October 13, 1887 it became a village. Sol Jeffreys was elected as chairman of the Board of Trustees with O. M. Harvey as clerk and Herman Hass as treasurer. Pete Roberts was the first marshal, with N. M. Hanthorn as magistrate. One of the first orders of business was to levy a property tax of five mills. Another annoyance was the herds of cattle, pigs and sheep that roamed around town waiting for shipment on the railroad. Action was taken by the trustees to eliminate this.
Old Town was destroyed by a fire in 1890 which was caused by a kerosene lantern breaking in the bar at the Weiser Hotel. It was decided to build a new town near the Oregon Short Line Railroad depot farther up the track. Since there were two brick yards, most buildings were constructed of brick, including the new Vendome Hotel. An electric power plant was constructed in 1902-1903 but was constantly in trouble trying to supply power to the fast growing town. It was greatly improved by January 1909.
Adequate city water was a problem has water was pumped from the Snake River and through filters to the town. In low water years there wasn't enough water and a well had to be drilled. Whenever a fire occurred, residents were forbidden to use water for their own use so the fire department would be assured adequate pressure.
A better and faster mode of transportation was needed to link the upper valleys with the Weiser terminal. Railroad roadbed crews started excavating March 23, 1899. The first spike was driven May 18, 1899, by vice president Thomas Bates of the Pacific and Idaho Northern Railroad (The PIN). The following spring 1900, track laying began. The rail line ran up the Weiser River, through towns and valleys.
Work stopped January 31, 1911 and a depot was built at the end of the line. This was short of the town of Meadows. Business men moved to the area around the depot and name their town New Meadows. Mixed freight and passenger trains began running in 1911. By 1913 regular passenger train service was inaugurated. Because of the rough terrain track maintenance was costly as well as equipment breakdowns. Customers found that freight rates were extremely high on their shipments of ore, timber, cattle, sheep and hogs. When roads were built, trucks took over most shipments, as they could pick up and deliver goods and livestock to consumers or the railhead at Weiser. Soon timber was almost the only commodity hauled by rail, most of which went to the sawmill at Emmett.
Originally the planners expected the PIN railroad to hall ore from the Seven Devils mining area, and to connect north and south Idaho. Because of financial difficulties the line stopped at the depot at New Meadows. The expectations were never realized.