Bannock Street in Milad was originally part of the Oregon Trail and then in the 1860s Milad became a major stopping place for freight wagons on their way to the gold mines in northern Idaho. On the return trip the wagons carried gold shipments, so the trail from northern Idaho to Milad became known as the "Gold Road."
The Evans Co-Op Building has a very unique shape and is the oldest department store in Idaho. In addition to the department store, the building once housed a bank and other retail space.
Also in Milad is one of the most unusual LDS church buildings that I have ever seen. The building has stained glass windows, crosses on the building walls, and no tall spiral. Across the street from the church is a nice park with an old jet aircraft mounted on poles and just down the street are two old grain elevators.
Samaria is just a few miles east of Malad and is the log cabin birthplace of Olive Davis Osmond, mother of the famous singing family.
Also locate in Samaria is the homestead of D.H. Anderson. David Hutton Anderson started out as a sheepherder and then kept expanding and buying-out other ranchers until he became known as "The Sheep King of Idaho."
The small community is also decorated with a number of painted bicycles around town.
The Samaria cemetery contains one of the more unusual oddities that I have seen in my travels. Apparently, Benjamin Waldron's leg was amputated on October 30, 1878; so his leg was buried in the Samaria cemetery and a grave marker was erected that contained a sculptured image of a leg. However, when Benjamin died April 13, 1914, they buried him on the other side of the cemetery in a different grave; thus, one person is buried in two different graves in the same cemetery.
Holbrook is a small community that is slowly dying. There are even some buzzards sitting on the fence waiting for the community to take its last breath. Many of the buildings have been abandoned and the community grain elevator has been converted into a single family residence. I just feel sorry for the kid that has the top floor bedroom - nice view but lots of steps!
Twin springs is located about seven miles up the road and was a major campground for people traveling westward during the California Gold Rush. Parties often traveled at night to reach the springs because it was the only water for 22 miles. Wagon tracks can still be seen crossing the hills to the west. Camping is allowed at the Springs, but there are no services.
Also in this area there are large fields of wild orange flowers!
I stopped in American Falls to see the falls; but, unfortunately, all I saw were some rocks on the downstream side of the American Falls Dam. Apparently, the water is now retained in the reservoir and only released as needed downstream.
Adjacent to the parking lot is an Oregon Trail Monument indicating that at this point the trail was on the south side of the Snake River. There was also a beautiful lilac bush near the marker.
Massacre Rocks State Park is located a few miles downstream and is an interesting place to stop. Historically, the area was called "Devil's Gate," but has now been changed to "Massacre Rocks" because this is the location where two pioneer emigrant wagon trains were ambushed by Indians on August 9, 1862. There is a campground and a visitor center that has exhibits explaining the battle.
Also located in the State Park is an area called "Devil's Garden" that contains unusual rock formations that appear to be growing out of the ground. A sign states: "The unusual rock formations you see in the Devil's Garden likely formed when gases and water came to the earth's surface through narrow vents after a volcanic eruption. Dissolved minerals in the water, acting like cement, hardened as they reached the surface. Years of weathering eroded away uncemented particles around the vents, leaving the more resistant pinnacles you see today."
Albion (Idaho) was founded in 1879 and in 1893 it became home of the Albion State Normal School to train teachers. In 1951 the teaching program was transferred to Idaho State University in Pocatello and the campus was abandoned. It is rumored that the vacant buildings are haunted!
Also in Albion is the location of the Old Cassia County Jail that held Diamondfield Jack, who is best know for his role in the Idaho Sheep and Cattle War. After Jack allegedly killed two sheepherders he was tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He narrowly escaped hanging twice and then other cattlemen confessed to the crime, so the pardon board decided that Jack was not guilty and turned him loose after six years in the Cassia County Jail.
Wagon tracks from the California Trail can still be seen crossing the mountains just south of Albion. Over 250,000 people passed through this area on their way to California.
City of Rocks was a popular campsite on the California Trail because it marked a point that was about 100 days from Missouri and 800 miles of the 1,200 mile journey. Today, City of Rocks is a National Reserve managed by the National Park Service and a popular recreation spot for campers and rock climbers. The State of Idaho also manages part of the area for backpackers and rock climbers, but there are no services in the State Park.
It is possible to make a loop through City of Rocks and then exit through Emery Canyon and follow a different road back to Burley.
Burley is best known for the famed "Spudman" Triathlon and the Idaho Regatta. It also has an old water tower and grain elevator!
Very interesting, my dad was born in Albion. My grandfather was a painter for the college there. My father went to school and graduated from the college there. I haven't been back in years. Thanks for the memories!
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