Bernard's Ferry
National Register of Historic Places

Bernard's Ferry

Murphy, Owyhee County, Idaho
Listed
May 21, 1978
Type
Site
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
78001090

About this property

Bernard's Ferry is a historic site located on the Snake River north of Murphy off State Highway 78 in Owyhee County, Idaho. J.C. Bernard began operating a ferry at the site in 1884. He opened a road, utilizing the ferry, between mining town of Silver City and the Oregon Short Line railhead at Caldwell. A hotel and horse barn at this site were built to serve the stagecoach and freight lines which used the road and ferry. Bernard's ventures were successful until a bridge was built at Walter's Ferry in 1920. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The listing includes three contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and one contributing site. The buildings are a horse barn, an octagonal silo, and two outbuildings which are simple gabled stone and frame structures. The barn, a "good late nineteenth century horse barn" was deemed to be "one of the finer stylistic examples of its period in Idaho with its octagonal cupola, gable returns, and diamond windows."

Location

Murphy, Owyhee County, Idaho
43.38471, -116.66467

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
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
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

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Noble Horse Barn
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12.4 mi
Owyhee County Courthouse
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12.9 mi
Wiley, Orton H., House
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13.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bernard's Ferry listed on the National Register?

Bernard's Ferry was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 21, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Bernard's Ferry?

Bernard's Ferry is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bernard's Ferry?

The period of significance for Bernard's Ferry is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1884.

Can I research the history near Bernard's Ferry?

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