Shoshone Restore Bear River Massacre Site, the Deadliest Slaughter of Native Americans in U.S. History
On January 29, 1863, the Bear River Massacre occurred in southeastern Idaho, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 250 to 500 Shoshone individuals, including families. Led by Colonel Patrick Edward Connor of the Union Army, this incident eclipsed the fatalities of both the Sand Creek and Wounded Knee massacres. In 1990, the site received designation as a National Historic Landmark, later being renamed in 1993 to honor its painful past. In 2018, Brad Parry of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation acquired 350 acres to revive the local ecosystem. His historical work earned him the premier Schnitzer Prize of the West.
Key facts
- Bear River Massacre occurred January 29, 1863, in southeast Idaho.
- Estimated 250 to 500 Shoshone killed by Union Army troops.
- Colonel Patrick Edward Connor led the attack.
- Death toll higher than Sand Creek (1864) and Wounded Knee (1890).
- Site declared National Historic Landmark in 1990, renamed in 1993.
- Brad Parry purchased 350 acres of the site in 2018.
- Restoration includes removing invasive species and restoring Bear River flow.
- Project aims to return 13,000 acre-feet of water to Great Salt Lake annually.
- Darren Parry's book published in 2019 provides Indigenous perspective.
- Mae Timbimboo Parry preserved oral histories despite boarding school system.
Entities
Institutions
- Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation
- Smithsonian Institution
- Smithsonian's National Postal Museum
- Deseret News
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Union Army
- Third Regiment California Volunteer Infantry
- Seventh Cavalry Regiment
- Lakota Indian Agency Police
- Pine Ridge Reservation
- Fort Washakie
- Schnitzer Prize of the West
Locations
- Idaho
- United States
- Bear River
- Great Salt Lake
- Montana
- Little Bighorn River
- South Dakota
- Wounded Knee
- Wyoming
- Utah
- Nevada
- California
- County Kerry
- Ireland