The Final Journey of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau Part 3
The Road not Traveled: Boise to Grave Site

Located on the Idaho State Capitol grounds in the heart of Boise, Doug Hyde’s Hospitality of the Nez Perce interprets the meeting of Captains Lewis and Clark and Nez Perce Chief Twisted Hair, known by his people as Walamottinin. Wrought in bronze, Twisted Hair offers guidance to Lewis and Clark while his son, Lawyer—Hallalhotsoot—plays with trade goods at their feet.

Plan your visit: https://history.idaho.gov/capitol/

Consider also a visit to the Idaho State Museum: https://history.idaho.gov/museum/

Eclectic, funky, whimsical—pick your adjective for Cleo’s Ferry Museum & Nature Trail. Sculptures and art installations abound, so even when the museum building is closed, this is worth a visit. As of this writing, the museum is open Thursdays.

(208) 495-2688

The Owyhee County Museum in Murphy, Idaho is considered by most to be the best place to learn about Owyhee County and its part in the old west. Step back in time and experience life for the miners, ranchers, farmers, and families in early Southern Idaho.

The Mike Hanley Wagon Barn houses 35 wagons, buggies, and stagecoaches from the Owyhee County and Jordan Valley areas. Hanley’s ranch was along the Skinner Toll Road to Silver City, Dewey, and DeLamar. At the time of Jean Baptiste’s final journey, Silver City—then called Ruby—was a hot mining district and regular stop along the route he was following.

Winter hours (Oct–Apr): 10am to 4pm
Summer hours (May–Sep): 10am to 5pm
https://owyheemuseum.org/
owyheemuseummanager@gmail.com
(208) 495-2319

Across from Highway 78, Marsing, and Givens Hot Springs is the Map Rock Petroglyphs Historic District. There is a boat launch and outhouse nearby, but many people come here to see Map Rock, a large basalt rock with a petroglyph map thought to show the Snake and Salmon rivers as well as the areas’ animals. The rock can be seen from Map Rock Road.

The Owyhee Country viewpoint is worth a stop before continuing down the grade. The interpretive sign there reads:

“The name Owyhee applied to these mountains and the shole surrounding region is an outdated spelling of the word “Hawaii”. Fur-trading ships brought Hawaiian natives—then called “Owyhees”—to the Northwest. In 1818, Donald Mackenzie brought the first big brigade of fur hunters to the Snake river valley. He sent several Owyhees to trap in this region—and they never came back. Every since then, this has been called the Owyhee country, and Owyhee county carries the name on.”

Travel a short distance on the Old ION Highway (gravel) to reach the former site of Camp Lyon. Little remains of the fortification, but a sign and its small military cemetery still exist.

Camp Lyon was established to contain hostilities during the Snake War (1864–1868) and prevent further attacks on the freighters and two stage companies operating in this area. Just three days after Jean Baptiste died, Indians on lower Jordan Creek wiped out two bands of Chinese—94 souls. Camp Lyon was abandoned March 1869.

Read more at https://history.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/0357.pdf.

Those making the pilgrimage to the grave of Jean Baptiste sometimes follow long stretches of the Old ION Highway. The present ION Highway is US 95, but the old Idaho-Oregon-Nevada (ION) Highway is essentially the road followed by Jean Baptiste in 1866. Here, a quick detour on the Old ION Highway takes you to an old iron bridge—still in operation—crossing Cow Creek. It is a gentle introduction to travel on the Old ION Highway.

Traveling on the Old ION Highway is a unique experience. As with any remote travel, one needs to be well-prepared. The old road is easy to find on Google Maps, but in some places, not as easy to follow from the ground. Consider the possibility of getting lost, rough road, and no way to get help if needed.

Innskip Station was a rock building providing shelter, water, food, and protection from the Native American uprisings. In 1865, attacks on stations and horse herds had crippled the two stage lines—John Mullan’s Chico and Idaho Stage Company and Hal Beachey’s California and Idaho Stage and Fast Freight Company—that stopped at Innskip Station. These dangers were not likely on Jean Baptiste’s mind when he was brought here to recover from pneumonia. Born February 11, 1805 at the Knife River Indian Villages in present North Dakota, this would be his life’s final destination.

A small portion of the original walls remain.

Here, you finally arrive at your destination—a memorial to Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. The interpretive sign at Jean Baptiste’s grave helps clarify how he came to die here:

Jean Baptiste Charbonneau 1805–1866

This site marks the final resting place of the youngest member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Born to Sacajawea and Toussaint Charbonneau at Fort Mandan (North Dakota) on February 11, 1805. Baptiste and his mother symbolized the peaceful nature of the “Corps of Discovery.” Educated by Captain William Clark at St. Louis, Baptiste at age 18, traveled to Europe where he spent six years, becoming fluent in English, German, French, and Spanish. Returning to America in 1829, he ranged the Far West for nearly four decades, as a mountain man, guide, interpreter, magistrate and forty niner. In 1866, he left the California gold fields for a new strike in Montana, contracted pneumonia enroute, reached “Innskip’s Ranche”, here, and died on May 16, 1866.