Washakie Ward Chapel - Utah History

This historic meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in the former Northwestern Shoshone settlement of Washakie, Utah was built from 1937-39. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been purchased and renovated by a private party after years of abandonment.

Below is information from the National Register Nomination Form:
Repeated conflicts between the Native Shoshoni Indians settled near the Bear River and the local militia led to a treaty in 1863 that forever changed the lifestyle of the Shoshoni. As a result, the LDS Church decided to set up a community named Washakie near the Utah/Idaho border in 1880 in order to teach "white" farming techniques and to help integrate the Shoshoni into both American and Mormon society. Using missionaries to direct this effort, by 1886, 250 inhabitants lived here year-round, owning their property in common and maintaining their farms and homesteads.

Construction on the small Washakie Ward Chapel began in 1937 and sits in the middle of a large fenced lot. Dedicated on January 22, 1939, the building served this local Shoshoni farming settlement that consisted of about 125 LDS members by this time. Upon completion of the building, the first all-Native American Indian bishopric in the Church was installed to lead the ward with Moroni Timbimboo as Bishop. Out-migration from the community began with WWII and continued until 1960 when the Ward was downgraded to a Branch. In 1966 the congregation was completely discontinued and the building and property were sold. Not just the LDS chapel, but the entire community project was abandoned at this time, with all the remaining families evicted and all 184 acres of property either returned to the tribe or sold. The small brick chapel is the most significant of only a few remaining structures from this community that remains. In 1998 the building, still vacant and in disrepair, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Dedication of this new, modern, $7,000 ward chapel of the Washakie Shoshone Indian Ward will be held tomorrow, Elder George Albert Smith of the Council of the Twelve giving the dedicatory prayer, and 100 Indian members of the Church participating. Bishop Joseph Parry and his two Indian counselors were in charge of arrangements for the dedicatory ceremonies. The chapel, in the Milad, Idaho Stake, is located at Washakie, Utah, near the Utah-Idaho border in Box Elder County.