Pioneer celebration returns to Glenns Ferry

Under the supervision and guidance of mountain man Rick Lind, Patrick Sutphin squarely planted a tomahawk into the log on just his fourth attempt. The tomahawk demonstration was one of this year's highlight in the mountain man encampment during the Three Island Days celebration on Saturday.

by Tim Bondy

Mountain Home News

"As we came over the rise and the Snake River unveiled itself. My kids pointed and screamed Wagons Ho!"

The wagon rides were a big draw at this year's Three Island Crossing celebration and in future years, event organizers are hoping to bring back the river crossing reenactment and maybe even a full wagon train.

Anthony Riley recalled the excitement his children expressed when they first showed up at Three Island Crossing State Park on Saturday as a yearly tradition returned to the Glenns Ferry area.

Following a four-year absence, the Three Island Crossing celebration resumed last week. The historic event honors the thousands of pioneers who crossed the Snake River in wagons near Glenns Ferry in the late 1800s.

Event organizer Rich Wills said the community wanted to bring back the tradition of the crossing reenactment and celebration because it's one of those things that put Glenns Ferry on the map. However, the Snake River crossing -- a tradition of the yearly event -- was called off this year because the river conditions were too dangerous with a horse drowning during a practice earlier this month.

Barbecued chicken and ribs were one of the highlights for guests who attended the Three Island Crossing celebration in Glenns Ferry last Saturday. Cliff Rediker, owner of a mobile catering service out of Buhl, said the ribs spent about eight hours in the smokehouse before being served to people at the event. "We underestimated the crowd and sold out of our barbecued chicken but we were ready with our ribs," Rediker said.

The biggest draw for this year's event was the mountain man camp that included five teepees and a trading post. The camp depicted what life was like for the fur-trapping mountain men when they came down out of the mountains to trade with the Indians and pioneers traveling on the Oregon Trail during the mid-1880s.

Leigh "Mangy Moose" Kelley and Jay "Bird" Edmons set up their portion of the mountain man camp with the tools, weapons and clothing one would have seen during the famous mountain man rendezvous of the 1830s.

"We do our best to honor the way famous mountain men like (Jim) Bridger and "Liver Eating" (Jeremiah) Johnson would have lived in a camp on one of the many emigrant trails back in the day," Kelley said.

Nena Halsey, a ranger from Thousand Springs State Park near Haggerman, helped out at this year's Crossing event. Looking back on the day, said her favorite part so far was the mountain man camp and all the wagons on display.

He emphasized that they try to make camp as original as possible while staying in character and using their mountain man names during the entire event.

Edmon said life in camp, while easier than back in the day, certainly is much more rustic than the modern day pioneers in the campers and motor homes located in the state park today.

Visitors at the next teepee were treated to tomahawk throwing lessons provided by mountain man Rick Lind. Throughout the afternoon, there was a steady crowd adults and some youngsters attempting to plant the "business end" of the throwing hatchets into a large log set up for the demonstration.

Glenns Ferry native Riley Travdt wanted to be part of the wagon crossing event, but the reenactment was called off because the river conditions were just too dangerous this year.

"It's great that the kids can come out here this year and learn even more about life on the Oregon Trail," said Riley, who added that his two boys attended the Wagons Ho frontier days demonstration in Mountain Home during the past two years.

There was a row of six vendors set up on the far side of the mountain man encampment selling everything from wine barrel furniture to craftsmen made bone-handled knives and they stayed busy throughout the early afternoon hours.

"The furniture made out of wine barrels was one of the most unique things we've seen at any fair or festival this year," said Shyla Burns, who made the trek from her home in Boise. "And the owner said almost all the material and barrels are locally sourced, and we really appreciate that."

A charity auction was held at center stage this year with locally crafted items such as wine from the nearby Crossing Winery. Two bottles of wine and two wine glasses went for $90 to a Glenns Ferry resident. Other items included a wine rack made from horse shoes and a homemade quilt that went for only $55 or well below market value, according to Wills.

The history of the pioneer days and the Oregon Trail was a draw for a retired couple from Texas who made plans to attend the event after visiting Glenns Ferry earlier this year.

"We heard about the Three Island Crossing reenactment while we were traveling out to Seattle in June and made a point to come back for this event," Ray and Olene Brame said. "It's these types of really unique events that makes stopping at small towns so much fun."

Ray Brame added that they were in St. Louis a few years ago and attended a pioneer days reenactment depicting the gathering of all the wagon as they were setting off on the Oregon Trail.

"Unfortunately, the wagon crossing reenactment at Three Island was cancelled this year, but we think we'll be back in the future," Olene Brame said.

She would've liked to have seen what she called "the rest of the story," in reference to the crossing itself. It would've been a memorable experience for a couple of old teachers.

While next year's Three Island Crossing celebration events will likely take place, there is still some questions about the wagon crossing.

Wills, who is also president of the Three Island Crossing Days organization, said the highlight of this year's event was the horse and buggy and wagon rides plus the music.

"(But) we have a big vision for next year, too," he said.

Wills said that restarting the Three Island Crossing event after a lengthy hiatus was the tough part but expects the planning for next year will be much easier.

"We had about 40 volunteers that got this year's event together and most of the planning was done only in the last four months," Wills said while explaining he'd like to see a full wagon train and of course, a river crossing next year.