Bear River Battleground
National Historic Landmark

Bear River Battleground

Preston, Franklin County, Idaho
Listed
March 14, 1973
Type
Site
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
73000685

About this property

Bear River Massacre Site, near Preston, Idaho, is the site of the Bear River Massacre, in which a village of Shoshone Native Americans were attacked by the California Volunteers on January 29, 1863. Estimates of Shoshone casualties are as high as 384. It is also known as Bear River Battleground or Massacre at Boa Ogoi. The incident has one of the highest recorded casualty counts of the American Indian Wars of the 19th century, but was overshadowed at the time by events of the ongoing American Civil War. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1990.

Location

Preston, Franklin County, Idaho
42.13898, -111.92397

Categories

NATIVE AMERICANMILITARY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Bear River Battleground

This page lists Bear River Battleground. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Franklin County Courthouse
Industrial
3.8 mi
US Post Office-Preston Main
Industrial
3.9 mi
Cowley, Matthias, House
Industrial
4 mi
Oneida Stake Academy
Industrial
4.1 mi
Hatch, L. H., House
Industrial
10.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Bear River Massacre
1863Indian Wars
7.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bear River Battleground listed on the National Register?

Bear River Battleground was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 14, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Bear River Battleground?

Bear River Battleground is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Bear River Battleground a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Bear River Battleground has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Bear River Battleground?

The period of significance for Bear River Battleground is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1863.

Can I research the history near Bear River Battleground?

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