Historic S. Idaho
1. Kelton Road
The Kelton Road was built in 1864 to transport freight
from Kelton Utah to the city of Boise and then on to the
mines in Northern Idaho. The Kelton Road had nineteen
stations they are Black's Creek, Baylock, Canyon Creek,
Rattlesnake, Cold Springs, King Hill, Clover Creek,
Malad, Thousand Springs, Payne's Ferry, Desert, Rock
Creek, Mountain Meadows, Goose Creek, Oakley,
Summit, City of Rocks, Raft River, Clear Creek and
Crystal Springs with Kelton as the final destination.
Changes were made in 1871 when Glenn's Ferry was
estalished. It eliminated and abandoned all stations
from Canyon Creek to Rock Creek Stations. It also
eliminated the stations of Rock Creek, Raft River and
Clear Creek. Only Malad remained as a station in
Southern Idaho until Salmon Falls Creek replaced it in
1879. THe freight was transported overland by mules and
later replaced by horses when stagecoaches came in to
use. The telegraph and the Oregon Short Line replaced it
in 1883 when the railroad came. The town of Kelton was
abandoned in 1940. All that remains of the old town is
some old buildings and a graveyard. Shoshone replaced
Kelton as a real-head in 1883. The Kelton Road ruts
follow the old Oregon Short Line grade south of Bliss.
2. Bliss
A town on Interstate 84 that is home to 275 people.
Founded in 1881 by David Bliss as a rail town on
the Oregon Short Line, the City of Bliss is a
growing town of 275 people that is serviced by
Interstate 84, Highway 26, the Union Pacific
Raoilroad and Highway 30 on the Thousand Springs
Scenic Byway.
Just north of here is the old town of Bliss which is
now part of Proctor St. It is all that remains of the
old town.
3. Clover Cr. Station
A rest station on the Kelton Rd.
About 11 miles east of King
Hill and 6 miles north of Bliss
is the runes of the Clover Creek
Station.
The station in 1870 by the
Hailey State Line to serve as a
rest station on the Kelton Road.
It was was abandoned in 1871 when Glenn's Ferry was established
over the Snake River resulting
in the station being buried under
the Clover Creek Canal.
Freight was transported
overland from other stations to
the city of Bliss from other
stations until the rail road came
in 1883.
4. Bell Rapid Ruts
Ruts of the Old Oregon Trail.
Right across the river from here are
the ruts of the Old Oregon Trail.
Starting in Independence Missouri,
the Oregon Trail went overland to
Oregon City, Oregon were it ended.
At Fort Hall the trail split into five
cut off trails and the one California
Trail the cutoffs are Goodale's
Cutoff, Hudspeth cutoff, North and
South oregon Trail, and Lander
Road.
Goodale's Cutoff and Hudspeth
Cutoff, were abandoned because of
rocks and snow diverting all traffic
on to the south bank of the Snake
River.
The trail follows the south bank and
crosses the river at Glenn's Ferry.
5. Chinese Graveyard
Standing next to the tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad and the
rodeo grounds are the eight white crosses of the Chinese killed in
an explosion of dynamite when building the Oregon Short Line
Railroad in 1883. The Chinese were brought to the U.S. to build
the railroads of the Central Pacific, and the Oregon Short Line.
Most of the Chinese Worked as miners in the mines of Idaho.
The Crosses were destroyed in a fire in 1988 and were rebuilt by
the Union Pacific Railroad and Painted white.
