As part of the Yellowstone Geoecosystem, the Teton Valley shares the explosive geologic history that created the volcanically active Yellowstone Plateau.
The valley's natural history is marked by three cycles of colossal volcanic events that occurred in the last 2.1 million years. These cycles produced extraordinarily large explosive eruptions that each created a giant caldera within or west of Yellowstone National Park. Vast areas nearby, such as the Teton Valley and Snake River Plain were spread with enormous volumes of hot, fragmented volcanic rocks. These ancient eruptions create the rich environment that has sustained a plethora of plant, animal, and human life throughout the ages.
The Shoshone-Bannock and Northern Paiute Indian tribes inhabited east central Idaho long before Lewis and Clark made their epic trek across the area in 1805. When the expedition returned from the Pacific Coast, John Colter left the party and journeyed southwest. He discovered Teton Pass and wintered in Teton Valley. Accounts by Lewis and Clark of the richness of the territory attracted trappers and traders to Idaho.
Father DeSmet held the first religious service in the West during 1834 in the Teton Valley near Driggs, or Pierre's Hole as it was known by trappers who gathered there each summer. Although settlers by the thousands passed through on the Oregon Trail, it was not until the discovery of gold in 1860 that the area attracted settlers. The ensuing gold rush brought a need for goods and services, and towns sprang up to serve as trade centers for the gold fields. As the veins of gold played out, miners and transients abandoned the area. Those who remained, including the early Mormon pioneers, turned to farming and irrigated the arid land. Water turned the desert into rich agricultural land, which now yields potatoes, grain, and other crops.
Today, folks describe Teton Valley as "the quiet side of the Tetons." The laid-back approach to life here makes for a very comfortable community. Old original farmsteads located throughout the valley blend with beautiful new homes along the foothills. The population is a diverse mix of pioneer families and recently arrived residents from around the world. Abundant wildlife including moose, deer, elk, and bear, can be found in this mountain valley and help make this a paradise on earth.
A mecca for winter and summer sports, the mountains and rivers attract thousands of visitors each year. Residents can work in the morning and in the afternoon enjoy a few runs at our nearby ski resort, bike the Big Holes, fish the pristine rivers, hike the Alaska Basin Trail or attend a local rodeo.
The valley has a new high school and the area hospital is one of the finest in the region. In addition, the arts community is flourishing and business is booming across the valley. Residents are becoming involved with innovative and lively entrepreneurial and cultural ventures with healthy, collaborative planning for a rich and rewarding future.
The Hoopes Family - delivering a vision of an upscale residential community while preserving the western farming tradition.
John “J.C.” Hoopes arrived in Teton Valley in 1915, spending two years running horses for his brother in the town of Cache. In 1917, he began leasing ground from the State of Idaho and farming fall wheat where River Rim Ranch stands today. In those days, without irrigation and fertilizers, fall wheat was the only viable crop to grow at 6,200 feet. He was a successful farmer and gradually started buying up the plots he was leasing, although he didn’t buy his first tractor until 1930. According to his grandson Brent, he was quite the wheeler-dealer, oftentimes trading teams of horses to add to his acreage. He fathered four sons and a daughter, and Earl, Dan and Clint joined him in the farming operations.
The boys continued to acquire property and each concentrated on a particular area. Earl, along with his sons Brent and Roger, farmed barley and seed potatoes on the bench above the Teton River, and Earl’s estate included 2800 acres of prime ground. Roger and Brent continued the family tradition of buying up adjoining parcels, sometimes trading land with Cousin Jack Hoopes who farmed the J Lazy H Ranch to the west. Ultimately, they partnered with PC Development on 5,400 acres to form River Rim Ranch. According to Brent, they considered a variety of development opportunities, but knew when they met the Potter/Clinton team that their vision of an upscale residential community that preserved the western farming tradition would become reality.
