DAY 5 -- YELLOWSTONE TRIP 1926

July 31, 1929 (Saturday)

Ina writes:

We passed through Rigby, Lorenzo, Thornton, and Rexburg, a nice small town where they had parking in the middle of the street. Next was St. Anthony’s Falls where we ate lunch. It developed that Earle was feeling pretty bum with summer flu symptoms. We gave him aspirin and got quinine for him. Vance drove.

There was a fine park here at St. Anthony right by the river and falls – free, with things to amuse the children. The cascades were very pretty, and there was a monument to the World War men – a soldier, all equipped, stepping forward. [This was undoubtedly the “doughboy” statue at Veteran Memorial Park in St. Anthony, dedicated May 30, 1923.]

Ashton was our next place of interest. We stocked up there for the Park, but this was unnecessary for there are places right along where supplies are to be had. The scenery began to be much finer from here on. Robinson River and Warm River join at Warm River Station.

We camped this night at Pond’s Resort in the Targhee National Forest. We had a nice camp to ourselves among the lodgepole pines and had much merriment about bears coming into camp. There was a dance at the Pond place and Lynn and Vance dressed up and went and had a good time.

We had a nice broad, shallow river here. Lynn and Vance got a bath, though no swim.

This P.M. we sidetracked to see the big falls on the Snake, a truly wonderful sight, located about 40 miles from Yellowstone Park. Vance took pictures. Dad had gripes [intestinal upset] from something he ate so didn’t take the half mile walk down to where we could see it. There was a large handsome log hunting lodge there not 40 rods from where we stood – rustic and very nice.

Enlargement of photo above

[Both Ina and Shirley mention a detour to view "the great falls on the Snake.” It seems like this should be Shoshone Falls (called the Niagara of the West), located near Twin Falls, but on Day 4, Ina just says, “We came from Twin Falls to Idaho Falls,” with no mention at that point of viewing waterfalls. Did they think the cascade at Pond’s Lodge was “the great Snake River Falls?”

Online research provided the following: “When your family camped at Pond's Lodge in 1926, Charles Pond had just bought the lease to the resort the previous fall. At that time, a short walk down the trail along the river led to a sharp, natural scenic cascade where the water tumbled through the basalt rock. The reason you won't see that exact, wild natural waterfall today is because the river was altered ten years after your family's visit. In 1936, a small concrete hydroelectric dam was built right on top of that cascade.” This seems to fit Ina’s description and the photos.]