12/08/2025
The Springs (Idaho City, ID) – 1865
Just over 160 years ago, Idaho City’s Warm Springs Resort experienced one if the territory’s most famous shootouts.
When Idaho became a territory in March 1863, Sumner Pinkham was appointed Sheriff of Boise County. The country was in the middle of a civil war and Pinkham was a strong Unionist. In Idaho City that put him in a minority. That same year J. Ferdinand Patterson, a gambler and bit of a dandy, rode into Idaho City and liked what he saw, mainly a large population of Yankee haters that shared his views. It wasn’t long before Ferd became their head man. It also didn’t take long for Patterson to butt heads with the Sheriff, with Sheriff Pinkham always coming out on top.
After the war ended, the Unionists in Idaho City, and probably in every city in the U.S., took great joy in rubbing it in, and the southerners seethed. On July 23, 1865 Pinkham took a carriage from Idaho City out to the hot springs about a mile out of town (they are still there) and took a soak. On his way out Patterson came in.
As he cleared the door, Dunn, who was talking to Pinkham, heard Patterson say “You damn son of a bitch, you have been talking about me” and started shooting.
Ferds friends saddled a horse for him and he lit out down the creek towards Boise. He didn’t run fast enough. Orland “Rube” Robbins caught up with him at the halfway house about 14 miles from Idaho City and put him under arrest. The posse soon arrived and escorted Ferd back to Idaho City. A vigilante group was formed to remove Ferd from the jail and string him up, but Sheriff Bowen deputized a couple hundred friends of Ferds and held them off. Negotiations were held. Cooler heads prevailed. The trial was held and the result was as expected. Ferd Patterson was a free man, but figured Walla Walla, Washington might be a healthier climate than the Basin.
📷: Bob Hartman/Idaho History 1800 to Present
#1865
