Star Valley
Encyclopedia
Star Valley is located in the United States
between the Salt River Range
in western Wyoming
and the Webster Range of eastern Idaho
. The altitude of the valley ranges from 5600 feet (1,706.9 m) to 7000 feet (2,133.6 m). Three major Wyoming rivers, the Salt River
, the Greys River
and the Snake River
meet near Alpine Junction
at Palisades Reservoir
. Numerous towns are located in the valley, including Afton
, Thayne
, Bedford
, Etna
, Smoot
, Fairview
, Osmond, Freedom
, Auburn
, Alpine
, Turnerville
and Star Valley Ranch
. When Star Valley was settled in the late 1870s by Mormon pioneers. Primary sources indicate Star Valley was proclaimed the "Star of All Valleys" for its natural beauty by a general authority of the Mormon church. The name was later shortened to Star Valley. Another less supported theory about the origin of the name comes from Starvation (Starve) Valley, a name the area gained during bitter winters in the late 1880s. In the March of 1889, over 40 inches (101.6 cm) of snow fell in two days.
Indians in the summer and fall months until the early 19th century. The natives were drawn to the valley for its abundant game
and the pure salt deposits
found near the present town of Auburn
.
White explorers are known to have traveled through the area as early as 1812, seeking new routes to the West Coast
. Canadian and American trappers followed, frequenting the area through the 1840s. The 1850s and 1860s saw many emigrants passing through the upper Star Valley area via the Lander Road on the Oregon Trail
. White settlement of the area didn't begin in earnest, though, until the late 1870s when Mormon Apostles Moses Thatcher
and Brigham Young, Jr.
chose the valley for colonization. Archibald Gardner
and members of his extended family arrived in 1889, building and operating five mills of various types in the valley.
On October 1, 2011, Thomas S. Monson
, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced in General Conference
that a temple would be built in the valley. The exact location would be disclosed at a later date.
Wyoming°N date=July 2009°W
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
between the Salt River Range
Salt River Range
The Salt River Range is a mountain range in western Wyoming. The 56 mile long range forms the eastern boundary of Star Valley as well as the western boundary of the Greys River valley.The highest point is Mount Fitzpatrick at ....
in western Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
and the Webster Range of eastern Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. The altitude of the valley ranges from 5600 feet (1,706.9 m) to 7000 feet (2,133.6 m). Three major Wyoming rivers, the Salt River
Salt River (Wyoming)
The Salt River is an river draining a valley in Lincoln County in western Wyoming. It is named for several exposed beds of salt and briny salt springs of up 60% pure salt in Idaho that drains into the Salt River via Stump Creek. The Salt River valley was a popular destination for Indians and later...
, the Greys River
Greys River
The Greys River is a tributary of the Snake River, flowing through western Wyoming in the United States. The river is about long, starting high up in the Wyoming Range, south of the town of Alpine in Lincoln County. The river eventually flows into the Snake River in the Snake River Canyon,...
and the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
meet near Alpine Junction
Alpine, Wyoming
Alpine is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 550 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Alpine is located at the southern end of the Snake River Canyon where the Snake River enters Palisades Reservoir. The town is also known as Alpine Junction since it marks the point...
at Palisades Reservoir
Palisades Dam
thumb|300px|Palisades Reservoir in winterPalisades Dam is an earth-fill dam on the Snake River in Bonneville County in the U.S. state of Idaho. The dam was completed in 1957 and provides irrigation water, flood control, and recreation; it features a four-turbine hydroelectric power plant. The dam...
. Numerous towns are located in the valley, including Afton
Afton, Wyoming
Afton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,818 at the 2000 census.Afton is home to the world's largest elk horn arch...
, Thayne
Thayne, Wyoming
Thayne is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 341 at the 2000 census.Randall Luthi, a former Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives, practices law in Thayne and is managing partner of a nearby ranch.-Geography:...
, Bedford
Bedford, Wyoming
Bedford is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 169 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bedford is located at...
, Etna
Etna, Wyoming
Etna is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 123 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Etna is located at...
, Smoot
Smoot, Wyoming
Smoot is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 182 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Smoot is located at...
, Fairview
Fairview, Wyoming
Fairview is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 277 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fairview is located at ....
, Osmond, Freedom
Freedom, Idaho and Wyoming
Freedom is an unincorporated community in both northeastern Caribou County, Idaho, and northwestern Lincoln County, Wyoming in the United States. Located on U.S. Route 89 and Idaho State Highway 34, it sits on the Idaho/Wyoming state line...
, Auburn
Auburn, Wyoming
Auburn is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 276.-Geography:Auburn is located at...
, Alpine
Alpine, Wyoming
Alpine is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 550 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Alpine is located at the southern end of the Snake River Canyon where the Snake River enters Palisades Reservoir. The town is also known as Alpine Junction since it marks the point...
, Turnerville
Turnerville, Wyoming
Turnerville is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 155 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Turnerville is located at .....
and Star Valley Ranch
Star Valley Ranch, Wyoming
Star Valley Ranch is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 776 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on November 8, 2005; at the 2000 census, it was only a census-designated place .-Geography:...
. When Star Valley was settled in the late 1870s by Mormon pioneers. Primary sources indicate Star Valley was proclaimed the "Star of All Valleys" for its natural beauty by a general authority of the Mormon church. The name was later shortened to Star Valley. Another less supported theory about the origin of the name comes from Starvation (Starve) Valley, a name the area gained during bitter winters in the late 1880s. In the March of 1889, over 40 inches (101.6 cm) of snow fell in two days.
History
Star Valley was inhabited mainly by ShoshoneShoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
Indians in the summer and fall months until the early 19th century. The natives were drawn to the valley for its abundant game
Game (food)
Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated. Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world. This will be influenced by climate, animal diversity, local taste and locally accepted view about what can or...
and the pure salt deposits
Salt lick
A mineral lick is a natural mineral deposit where animals in nutrient-poor ecosystems can obtain essential mineral nutrients...
found near the present town of Auburn
Auburn, Wyoming
Auburn is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 276.-Geography:Auburn is located at...
.
White explorers are known to have traveled through the area as early as 1812, seeking new routes to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. Canadian and American trappers followed, frequenting the area through the 1840s. The 1850s and 1860s saw many emigrants passing through the upper Star Valley area via the Lander Road on the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
. White settlement of the area didn't begin in earnest, though, until the late 1870s when Mormon Apostles Moses Thatcher
Moses Thatcher
Moses Thatcher was an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
and Brigham Young, Jr.
Brigham Young, Jr.
Brigham Young, Jr. served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1899 until his death. His tenure was interrupted for one week in 1901 when Joseph F...
chose the valley for colonization. Archibald Gardner
Archibald Gardner
Archibald Gardner was a 19th century pioneer and businessman who helped establish communities in Alvinston, Ontario, Canada, West Jordan, Utah and Star Valley, Wyoming based on flour mills and lumber mills...
and members of his extended family arrived in 1889, building and operating five mills of various types in the valley.
On October 1, 2011, Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...
, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced in General Conference
General Conference
In the United Nations system of specialized agencies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency or UNESCO, General Conferences are the recurring meetings of Member States. General Conference sessions are usually held yearly or biennially at the headquarters of the Agency...
that a temple would be built in the valley. The exact location would be disclosed at a later date.
Communities
- AftonAfton, WyomingAfton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,818 at the 2000 census.Afton is home to the world's largest elk horn arch...
- AlpineAlpine, WyomingAlpine is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 550 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Alpine is located at the southern end of the Snake River Canyon where the Snake River enters Palisades Reservoir. The town is also known as Alpine Junction since it marks the point...
- AuburnAuburn, WyomingAuburn is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 276.-Geography:Auburn is located at...
- BedfordBedford, WyomingBedford is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 169 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bedford is located at...
- EtnaEtna, WyomingEtna is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 123 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Etna is located at...
- FreedomFreedom, Idaho and WyomingFreedom is an unincorporated community in both northeastern Caribou County, Idaho, and northwestern Lincoln County, Wyoming in the United States. Located on U.S. Route 89 and Idaho State Highway 34, it sits on the Idaho/Wyoming state line...
- GroverGrover, WyomingGrover is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 137 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Grover is located at...
- ThayneThayne, WyomingThayne is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 341 at the 2000 census.Randall Luthi, a former Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives, practices law in Thayne and is managing partner of a nearby ranch.-Geography:...
- SmootSmoot, WyomingSmoot is a census-designated place in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 182 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Smoot is located at...
External links
Wyoming°N date=July 2009°W