History

The Carlson family has lived on the river since the 1920’s.  Gus Carlson moved to this area when he was 14 and started sheep herding for his uncle.  In 1929 Gus bought his first piece of property and began sheep ranching for himself on the Salmon River.  The ranch is still in operation today by Mick and Gail Carlson.  The rv park and cabins are located within the family ranch.  The bathhouse and rv pads sit in a field that used to be used for lambing sheep and a cattle pen.  The buildings along the river were used to house the sheep and their newborn lambs during the first couple of weeks of their life (Lambing season was March and April).  Keeping the lambs inside and away from predators gave them a much better chance at survival.  The buildings across the road from the rv park were the “cook” and “bunk” house.  The cook “aka” Grandma Gail or a hired cook prepared three hardy meals a day for the herders and lambing crew.  The corral in between the buildings on the river was called the “night corral.”  The night watchman would put all of the sheep inside the corral at night.  Any newborn lambs born in the middle of night would be taken to their own pen with their mother.