Bear Lake Realty: The Reserve - Bear Lake Real Estate

CLUB RESERVE MEMBERS

A Season for Every Soul

There’s something magical about the seasons, and The Reserve at Bear Lake enjoys them all. Imagine summers filled with barbecues, sunbathing and water sports. Leaves changing color in the fall littering neatly landscaped yards and lanes with splashes of color, inciting the imagination.

The long winter months can’t last long enough as days filled with skiing, snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, and ice-fishing end with quiet nights warming by the fire with hot chocolate, family and friends. Don’t pick your season. Appreciate them all.

Bear Lake Valley History

The Bear Lake area was first visited in the winter of 1811-12 by a small group of trappers who had separated from the Wilson Price Hunt Expedition. These trappers discovered and named the river and lake Miller after Joseph Miller, their leader and guide, who was probably the first white man to explore the Bear Lake Valley. Six years later Donald McKenzie and his party came to this valley and renamed the river and lake after many black bears they had discovered.

In 1826, Jim Bridger, with the Ashley Party, followed Bear River to the Great Salt Lake. Thomas L. Smith, known as “Peg Leg Smith,” was the first settler in the Bear Lake Valley. He operated a cattle business, trading post, and horse exchange on an island in the Bear River near what is now Dingle, Idaho.

Under the direction of Brigham Young, hundreds of Mormon pioneers seeking homes helped settle the Bear Lake Valley. In 1863, Apostle Charles C. Rich led an exploration party into the valley to select a permanent townsite. They chose the westside of the valley at North Twin Creek, which was later named Paris Creek. The settlement they created is named Paris.

Politically and geographically it was not definitely known whether the Bear Lake settlements were all in Utah Territory or partly in Idaho. The people followed their hopes and desires by accepting the jurisdiction of the Utah government. The whole of the Bear Lake Valley remained under the government of Utah until after the federal surveyor, Daniel G. Mayor, determined that the forty-second parallel cut the valley in two, running almost exactly through the middle of the lake (1871-72). Thus, in 1872 the Idaho portion automatically became part of Oneida County and remained so until 1875, when it became the tenth county in the State. Consequently, Paris became the county seat and Montpelier has become the largest population center and houses approximately half of the county’s populace. Other communities include Bennington, Bern, Georgetown, Blooming, Ovid, Fish Haven, Liberty, St. Charles, Pegram, Geneva, and Dingle.

The principal crops of Bear Lake County are wheat, oats, barley, alfalfa, meadow hay, and several kinds of garden vegetables. Father south in the Bear Lake region, raspberries are grown. The wide ranges are excellent areas for the raising of livestock.

The census of 1910 stated the population of Bear Lake County to be 7,729; while the most current census on 2000 shows a population of 6411.

Bear Lake, from which the county derives its name, is one of the most attractive scenic areas of Idaho. It is 20 miles long by 8 miles wide, its elevation is 5,924 feet above sea level, and it abounds in fish of many kinds, such as several varieties including Bonneville Cisco, Sculpin, Utah Sucker, and Cutthroat Trout. There are other scenic points in the county. Northwest of the lake are St. Charles Canyon and Minnetonka Cave. To the northwest is Bloomington Canyon at the summit is Bloomington Lake, nestled below huge cliffs. Northwest of Paris is Canon Basin, in which is an ice cave of blue limestone and ice formations. Big game abounds in the forests, and fishing in the streams and lakes is excellent.


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About Bear Lake The Lodge Calendar of Events Amenities Gallery	CLUB RESERVE MEMBERS A Season for Every Soul There’s something magical about the seasons, and The Reserve at Bear Lake enjoys them all. Imagine summers filled with barbecues, sunbathing and water sports. Leaves changing color in the fall littering neatly landscaped yards and lanes with splashes of color, inciting the imagination. The long winter months can’t last long enough as days filled with skiing, snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, and ice-fishing end with quiet nights warming by the fire with hot chocolate, family and friends. Don’t pick your season. Appreciate them all. Bear Lake Valley History The Bear Lake area was first visited in the winter of 1811-12 by a small group of trappers who had separated from the Wilson Price Hunt Expedition. These trappers discovered and named the river and lake Miller after Joseph Miller, their leader and guide, who was probably the first white man to explore the Bear Lake Valley. Six years later Donald McKenzie and his party came to this valley and renamed the river and lake after many black bears they had discovered. In 1826, Jim Bridger, with the Ashley Party, followed Bear River to the Great Salt Lake. Thomas L. Smith, known as “Peg Leg Smith,” was the first settler in the Bear Lake Valley. He operated a cattle business, trading post, and horse exchange on an island in the Bear River near what is now Dingle, Idaho. Under the direction of Brigham Young, hundreds of Mormon pioneers seeking homes helped settle the Bear Lake Valley. In 1863, Apostle Charles C. Rich led an exploration party into the valley to select a permanent townsite. They chose the westside of the valley at North Twin Creek, which was later named Paris Creek. The settlement they created is named Paris. Politically and geographically it was not definitely known whether the Bear Lake settlements were all in Utah Territory or partly in Idaho. The people followed their hopes and desires by accepting the jurisdiction of the Utah government. The whole of the Bear Lake Valley remained under the government of Utah until after the federal surveyor, Daniel G. Mayor, determined that the forty-second parallel cut the valley in two, running almost exactly through the middle of the lake (1871-72). Thus, in 1872 the Idaho portion automatically became part of Oneida County and remained so until 1875, when it became the tenth county in the State. Consequently, Paris became the county seat and Montpelier has become the largest population center and houses approximately half of the county’s populace. Other communities include Bennington, Bern, Georgetown, Blooming, Ovid, Fish Haven, Liberty, St. Charles, Pegram, Geneva, and Dingle. The principal crops of Bear Lake County are wheat, oats, barley, alfalfa, meadow hay, and several kinds of garden vegetables. Father south in the Bear Lake region, raspberries are grown. The wide ranges are excellent areas for the raising of livestock. The census of 1910 stated the population of Bear Lake County to be 7,729; while the most current census on 2000 shows a population of 6411. Bear Lake, from which the county derives its name, is one of the most attractive scenic areas of Idaho. It is 20 miles long by 8 miles wide, its elevation is 5,924 feet above sea level, and it abounds in fish of many kinds, such as several varieties including Bonneville Cisco, Sculpin, Utah Sucker, and Cutthroat Trout. There are other scenic points in the county. Northwest of the lake are St. Charles Canyon and Minnetonka Cave. To the northwest is Bloomington Canyon at the summit is Bloomington Lake, nestled below huge cliffs. Northwest of Paris is Canon Basin, in which is an ice cave of blue limestone and ice formations. Big game abounds in the forests, and fishing in the streams and lakes is excellent.