Program

Legends & Lore®

Subject

Folklore, Legend

Location

943 Washington St, Montpelier, ID 83254, USA

Lat/Long

42.317475807154, -111.30967133854

Grant Recipient

Montpelier Community Foundation

In the Cache National Forest, a legendary ten-foot-tall grizzly named “Old Ephraim” roamed for three decades. Tales of his cunning spread across the country, even reaching Teddy Roosevelt, though the president dismissed the stories as figments of the imagination. Ephraim was elusive, leaving behind huge, distinct tracks and telltale marks high on trees, earning his nickname “Old Three Toes.” His stealthy behavior made him an expert at stealing livestock, especially sheep, which both impressed and infuriated local ranchers.

Ephraim’s stalking of the Cache National Forest would end in 1923 when Frank Clark, a sheep herder and seasoned trapper, had his fateful encounter with the big bear. One evening, Frank discovered fresh, massive three-toed footprints around a dry pond and knew instantly that Ephraim was in the area. Frank set his trap and waited patiently. When Ephraim appeared, Frank felled him with several shots, bringing down the mighty bear once and for all.

In the aftermath, Frank was filled with mixed feelings of triumph and sorrow. He paid his last respects, skinned Old Ephraim, and buried him. Old Three Toes was no more. Ephraim’s enormous skull was sent to the Smithsonian, where it was displayed as a reminder of the legendary giant bear. Frank, it’s said, never hunted bears again. Instead, he looked to the mountains, feeling their emptiness, missing the wild spirit of the great grizzly that once ruled them.