Horse Shoe Bend

Gold was struck in Boise Basin (over the ridge to the east) in 1862, and the rush to these new mines came through here.<br><br> Traffic came by steamer up the Columbia to Umatilla, and thence overland. At first there were only pack and saddle trains, but in 1864, John Hailey, famous Idaho pioneer, ran stages this way, and a toll road up Harris Creek was opened shortly. Though other routes to the Basin also developed, freighters continued to come through Horse Shoe Bend for many years.