Fort Hall, Idaho
Record of the Week for August 15, 2021
This week's interesting General Land Office record features a survey plat that displays the townsite of Fort Hall, Idaho. Fort Hall was originally built as a fur trading post in 1834. The fur trading post was destroyed by a flood in 1863, but in 1960, a replica was built in nearby Pocatello, Idaho, in an effort to preserve the legacy of the original layout of the trading post.
Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth
Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth was a successful businessman from Massachusetts. He was responsible for many expeditions out West but is notably known for founding the Fort Hall fur trading post.
The townsite of Fort Hall, Idaho 4S 34E
This townsite plat shows the east half of the northeast quarter of section 35 and the west half of the northwest quarter of section 36. It was accepted on August 17, 1921, by Surveyor General Virgil W. Samms.
The fur trade that took place at Fort Hall was a very lucrative enterprise among the Rocky Mountain region. Although it was originally used for fur trading, Fort Hall later became a multi-use area.
Fort Hall was also used as a stop for many settlers heading out West during the 1840s. It was in a prime location as it could be a way station for settlers traveling the Oregon-California Trail.
The Civil War brought big changes for the fort. A massive flood of the nearby Snake River in 1863 washed away much of the fort. It was rebuilt in 1864, and was used by volunteer soldiers of the Union Army but was abandoned by 1866.
Currently, the replica of Fort Hall stands about 30 miles away from the original site. The original location is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places despite not having any remains left.
