John Bidwell
In 1840, John Bidwell began to assemble
emigrants from Missouri to open a
road to California; and a year later,
he set out with a party of 69
Pacific coast pioneers.
When they reached here, August 12, 1841, half of
his group decided to go northwest to Oregon
instead. But his California crew turned south
down Bear River to try a terrible route west
of Salt Lake. So Joseph R. Chiles returned
east in 1842 to find a practical
California Trail across Idaho
through Fort Hall and
Granite Pass.
