CARIBOU CITY First known as Iowa Bar or Iowa City, this camp finally settled on the name Caribou City. This was the largest settlement in the area, and with a population of fifteen hundred in 1885, it was a close rival to Eagle Rock (later to become Idaho Falls). The hillsides around Caribou City have been extensively placer mined, with deep gullies gouged into the ground and entire hills washed away. Many miles of large metal pipe was used to bring down the water for the sluice boxes, and this pipe still remains. The quartz mines were located far above town near the mountain top. As was the fate of so many mining camps, Caribou City was leveled by fire in 1885 and never rebuilt. The road in becomes quite rough and is barely passable for a pickup. |
KEENAN CITY Keenan City, situated at the confluence of Barnes Creek and City Creek, has the distinction of being the first town in present Bonneville County. The town was built near the site of the original discovery and had a population of five hundred, plus a Chinese community of several hundred. There is ample evidence of early placer mining extending up Barnes Creek for several miles. The remains of several old log cabins can be found here and there up the creek bottom, but at the old town site there is nothing left. |
