RonnieAdventure #0220 - Idaho, 2016 Part II

When pioneers on the Oregon Trail traveled through southern Idaho, they passed by "Beer Springs;" so named because the water tasted like Lager Beer -- only flat. Unfortunately the spring is now at the bottom of Alexander Reservoir; thus, current travelers can not stop and sample the "flat" beer. However, there are numerous other springs surrounding the community of Soda Springs that are located on public lands and are open to the public free of charge.

Hooper Springs Park is located just north of the community of Soda Springs and contains a nice covered "soaking pool," in addition to picnic tables and playground equipment.

Also located north of town are the Formation Springs and Cave Park, which is jointly managed by the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The spring contains a high concentration of travertine (calcium carbonate) that forms pools and ledges in the stream-bed. There was reported to be a cave inear the spring, but the underbrush has grown so high that I could never find the cave entrance or the travertine pools!.

It is not possible to miss the entrance to Formations Springs Park because the road is marked by a "buck-and-pole" fence (the only one in the area).

The area around the community of Soda Springs contains some of the largest phosphate deposits in the world and, in addition to the areas being mined, there are an additional 50,000 reserve acres that have been identified as containing economically mineable phosphate. We drove by the Monsanto plant that processes phosphate from the local mines and we were informed that phosphate from the plant is primarily used for fertilizer and the herbicide RoundUp. Unfortunately, there are also 17 Superfund sites in the area from historic phosphate mining!

Located about a mile west of Soda Springs is the original townsite and the location of Camp Connor. The townsite was moved to its present location by Brigham Young in 1870 and all that remains of Camp Connor is a roadside marker. 

The old farming settlement of Bancroft is located on Highway 10 at the Chesterfield Road junction. Most of the stores in Bancroft have closed and the population is listed at just over 300 people.

The town of Chesterfield is north of Bancroft and was once a thriving Mormon community located directly on the Oregon Trail. Today, Chesterfield is a ghost town.

Unknown Source

In 1879 Chester Call settled in the area and then persuaded other relatives and church members to join him. As emigrants passed through Chesterfield, the local residents "fed the hungry, nursed the sick, replenished their supplies and exchanged fresh horses for weak or lame ones." However, with the coming of the railroad, Chesterfield faded into the sunset.

The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers have started a restoration project to restore and rebuild many of the old buildings. Free guided tours are offed throughout the summer months or you can obtain a map at the General Sore and take your own self-guided tour.

The guided tour meets at the Holbrook Mercantile General Merchandise building and the first stop is the Call-Muir Log Cabin that was constructed in 1882. (You have to take the guided tour if you want to enter any of the buildings.)

The Pioneer Meeting House was constructed in 1887 and now serves as a museum and relic hall. 

The Amusement Hall was constructed in 1895 and was torn-down in the 1950. In 2003 the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers rebuilt the structure from old bricks, using photographs and counting the number of bricks on each side of the building. The building is now available for dances, family reunions, and youth activities. And, of course, there are antique quilts displayed on all of the walls. 

There are a number of other cabins and houses around the town-site that have been restored and can be toured with a guide, or driven by on your own self-guided tour.

Ruger Dugout on the side of a hill (part sod)

Denmark Jensen Log Home

Jasper Perkins Log Cabin

Muir-Butterfield Home

Higginson-Holbrook Home

We camped two nights by the Portneuf River, adjacent to "Idaho's World Famous Natural Hot Springs" in Lava Springs, so I decided to take advantage of the "healing waters." I don't know about the "healing waters," but after about scalding my foot in the first pool, I retreated to the fifth pool (the temperature decreases with each downstream pool) and still found it too hot for my enjoyment. (They said that water temperature in the fifth pool was 105 degrees Fahrenheit, but I think that temperature was too low by several degrees.)