CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Museums | Monuments | History | Butch Cassidy

The Bear Lake valley is a land rich in culture and history ranging from its pioneer ancestry to the influence of the railroad. So pull up a chair, sit a spell, and check out the links on the left to find out more about Bear Lake valley's illustrious past! Examples of history and culture include:

• Fur trappers and mountain men gather together on the southern shores of Bear Lake to trade supplies, furs and conversation. Rendezvous Beach between Garden City and Laketown, Utah honors the memories of these sturdy early visitors to the valley.
• Oregon/California Trail emigrants rested at the Clover Creek Encampment in present-day Montpelier after descending the difficult Big Hill. Scenes like these are re-created at the National Oregon/California Trail Center in Montpelier, Idaho.
• After arriving in the valley, the Mormons created townships reflecting their european roots such as Bern and Geneva (Switzerland), Georgetown (England, although named after Mormon leader George Q. Cannon) and St. Charles (England), and Paris (France, although named after Brigham Young's friend Thoms E. Perris who surveyed the town). Montpelier; however, was not named after the town in France, but by Brigham Young after a town in his native birth state of Vermont. He also named Bennington and Ovid after similar towns in Vermont.
• Pioneer Historic Byway in the Southeast Idaho - Travel the trails of the early Mormon Pioneers.
• Take a road trip through the Bear River Heritage Area that straddles the Idaho-Utah border. It is home to a strong agricultural economy, history-laced landscape, and abundant natural beauty. Retrace the footsteps of early fur traders, Mormon settlers, and generations of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation.
• Butch Cassidy and his gang robbed the Bank of Montpelier at 3:13 pm on August 13, 1896 after the 13th deposit in the amount of $13.00, then raced out of town.
• PIONEERING ADVENTURES: Pioneer style living farm, wagon rides, handcart trek & entertainment, dutch oven dinner, farm animals & camping, 2nd N. 220 West, P.O. Box 275, Paris, ID 83261, (208) 945-3349 and (435) 713-4059.