Prepared by Bob Barber
February 25, 2022
The large monument above is located in the triangle park between Legends on Main Street, 114 E. Main St. and the Weiser Senior Citizens Center, 115 E. Main St.
The smaller one below is located by the Northwest Corner of the Cove Road Bridge.
The following comments are the results of my research and involvement in a Boy Scout Eagle project in the 1980’s.
When my family moved to Weiser in 1978, we recognized the monument. Growing up in southwest Idaho, we are aware of numerous similar monuments. Upon closer review, I noticed that the round plaque was missing. A few years later, I was asked by Boy Scout Greg Kelley for ideas for an Eagle Service project. Greg agreed to research the monument’s history, replace the missing plaque, erect another monument at the referred-to location (Cove Road Bridge), and publish his project in the Signal-American. (Issue dated August 23, 1984.)
The large monument states: “One mile east you can see the old ford where thousand of emigrants crossed Weiser River on their journey to the North Pacific Country, 1836 —1882, Erected by Boy Scouts of Weiser, 1930”
Why the monuments?
Immigrants and other Americans desiring to carve out a place in the new western frontier, departed from Missouri along what was named the Oregon Trail. It is estimated that over 400,000 people embarked on this adventure. Fur traders blazed the trail in the early 1800’s. Immigrant wagon trains actively used the trail from 1836 through 1882. Many books and movies have given us a glimpse of this journey. Travel on the trail began to decline when the Transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. As the 100-year anniversary of the first wagon trains headed to the West Coast was approaching, many historians began discussing how to celebrate this epic adventure in our nation’s history.
In 1926, led by the persistence of Ezra Meeker, an 1852 Oregon Trail immigrant himself, the US Congress acknowledged the formation of the Oregon Trail Memorial Association and the authorization of minting a commemorative coin. Also at this time, Dr. Minnie Howard, Pocatello, Idaho, was communicating with Washington DC officials to mint a commemorative coin to help finance the local preservation work of Fort Hall, a historic fur trading post that was on the Oregon Trail. The OTMA was created to coordinate the centennial celebration by providing historical information, assisting states in designating marker/monument locations, encouraging local involvement, and designing and marketing the Oregon Trail Commemorative coin to provide funds to accomplish this remarkable endeavor. The Commemorative half dollar coins (see below) provided some of the funds needed. The Association contracted with James Fraser (who created the design for the buffalo nickel) and his wife, Laura, to design the commemorative coin. The coins were minted from 1926 to 1939. The coins were sold to the OTMA for sale to the public. After
reimbursing the mint for the half dollar per coin expense, any additional sales proceeds provided funds for the Trail’s centennial plans. The initial selling price was $1. The coins continue to be highly collectable and are available at many coin stores and through eBay.
Most monuments/ markers built in each state included the identical Trail seal – a replica for the obverse side of the Commemorative coin. These bronze discs were supplied, at cost, by the OTMA.
This undertaking was not limited to areas west of the Mississippi; individuals and organizations on the east coast sponsored a monument by raising funds to construct the individual project. Boy Scout Troops that were active in communities along the Trail and others throughout the country, adopted individual monument and had their sponsor’s name inscribed on it. Many east coast Scouting Troops traveled to their adopted monument when it was completed.
