Old Ephraim

Individual grizzly bear

Old EphraimOther name(s)| Old Three Toes[1]

|

Species| Grizzly bear
Sex| Male
Died| August 22, 1923
Nation from| United States
Appearance| Deformed foot with three toes
Named after| Folkloric name for the grizzly bear

Old Ephraim was a large grizzly bear that roamed the mountains of Logan Canyon, Utah, in the early 20th century. He became known for killing livestock and evading capture for over a decade. Frank Clark, a local sheepherder, eventually trapped and killed Old Ephraim on August 22, 1923. The bear's death and legacy have since become part of local folklore, and he is often remembered as one of the last grizzly bears in Utah. A monument marks his grave in Logan Canyon.

## Background

[edit]

The name "Old Ephraim" (or "Ol' Ephraim") had been a term popularized in the 19th-century American West to refer to the grizzly bear,[2] and was used in frontier folklore to refer to specific animals. It appears as the name of a bear in a story by P. T. Barnum.[3]

Additionally, Theodore Roosevelt referred to a grizzly bear by the same name in his 1885 book, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, when discussing a bear in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. This indicates that the name "Old Ephraim" was commonly used in various regions of the American West to describe large, powerful grizzlies.[4]

The grizzly bear from the Cache National Forest known as "Old Ephraim" was first identified by its distinctive tracks. The bear lived within a large wilderness from as far north as Soda Springs, Idaho to as far south as Weber County, Utah, before settling in Logan Canyon, about 20 miles east of Logan, Utah.

Frank Clark (born 1879 in Cherry Creek, Idaho)[5] was a part-owner of the Ward Clark Sheep Company since his arrival there in July 1911. During his first summer in the Cache National Forest, Clark counted 154 adult domestic sheep that had been killed by bears in the area.[5]

In 1914, Frank Clark set out to stop Old Ephraim. He set many traps in Old Ephraim's favorite wallows, but the traps were always removed, un-sprung, or flung away.[1] Although Clark seldom saw the bear, dead sheep around the herd indicated its presence.[5] Despite Clark's efforts, Old Ephraim killed more and more sheep without being stopped. He is said to have once killed 50 sheep at a time.[6]

## The story of Old Ephraim

[edit]

By the early 1920s, Clark had become familiar with Old Ephraim’s habits. In the summer of 1923, Clark set a trap in one of Old Ephraim’s favorite wallows, but the bear repeatedly avoided being caught. Each time he found the trap, Old Ephraim either sprung it or tossed it aside.[6]

On the night of August 22, 1923, Clark was awakened by a loud sound near his camp. Armed with a .25-35 caliber carbine, he went to investigate, initially thinking it was a horse in distress. However, upon approaching the creek, Clark realized it was Old Ephraim. The bear, standing on his hind legs with a 23-pound bear trap on his paw and a 14-foot chain wrapped around his forelimb, moved toward Clark. Despite firing multiple shots, the bear continued to advance until Clark's final bullet hit the bear in the brain, killing him.[7]

Clark described the moment as terrifying, recounting how the bear, nearly 10 feet tall by some early accounts, stood before him holding the trap above his head as he advanced. Clark fired at the bear, wounding him several times but failing to stop him. The bear rose again after each shot, and Clark was forced to retreat until his last bullet struck the bear fatally. The bear had taken seven bullets by the time it collapsed.[7][8]

After Old Ephraim’s death, Clark and another herder skinned the bear and buried him near the site of the encounter. Later, Boy Scout Troop No. 43 from Logan, Utah, exhumed the bear’s skull and sent it to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it remained until 1978. The skull was later returned to Utah and is currently on display at Utah State University’s Merrill-Cazier Library.[6][9]

Later, an 11-foot-tall (3.4 m) stone monument designed, lettered, and erected by Max, Arthur, and Howard Jorgensen was placed at the grave site. This memorial was officially dedicated on September 23, 1966.[10][11]

== The reality behind the

Individual grizzly bear

Old EphraimOther name(s)| Old Three Toes[1]

|

Species| Grizzly bear
Sex| Male
Died| August 22, 1923
Nation from| United States
Appearance| Deformed foot with three toes
Named after| Folkloric name for the grizzly bear

Old Ephraim was a large grizzly bear that roamed the mountains of Logan Canyon, Utah, in the early 20th century. He became known for killing livestock and evading capture for over a decade. Frank Clark, a local sheepherder, eventually trapped and killed Old Ephraim on August 22, 1923. The bear's death and legacy have since become part of local folklore, and he is often remembered as one of the last grizzly bears in Utah. A monument marks his grave in Logan Canyon.

## Background

[edit]

The name "Old Ephraim" (or "Ol' Ephraim") had been a term popularized in the 19th-century American West to refer to the grizzly bear,[12] and was used in frontier folklore to refer to specific animals. It appears as the name of a bear in a story by P. T. Barnum.[13]

Additionally, Theodore Roosevelt referred to a grizzly bear by the same name in his 1885 book, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, when discussing a bear in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. This indicates that the name "Old Ephraim" was commonly used in various regions of the American West to describe large, powerful grizzlies.[4]

The grizzly bear from the Cache National Forest known as "Old Ephraim" was first identified by its distinctive tracks. The bear lived within a large wilderness from as far north as Soda Springs, Idaho to as far south as Weber County, Utah, before settling in Logan Canyon, about 20 miles east of Logan, Utah.

Frank Clark (born 1879 in Cherry Creek, Idaho)[5] was a part-owner of the Ward Clark Sheep Company since his arrival there in July 1911. During his first summer in the Cache National Forest, Clark counted 154 adult domestic sheep that had been killed by bears in the area.[5]

In 1914, Frank Clark set out to stop Old Ephraim. He set many traps in Old Ephraim's favorite wallows, but the traps were always removed, un-sprung, or flung away.[1] Although Clark seldom saw the bear, dead sheep around the herd indicated its presence.[5] Despite Clark's efforts, Old Ephraim killed more and more sheep without being stopped. He is said to have once killed 50 sheep at a time.[6]

## The story of Old Ephraim

[edit]

By the early 1920s, Clark had become familiar with Old Ephraim’s habits. In the summer of 1923, Clark set a trap in one of Old Ephraim’s favorite wallows, but the bear repeatedly avoided being caught. Each time he found the trap, Old Ephraim either sprung it or tossed it aside.[6]

On the night of August 22, 1923, Clark was awakened by a loud sound near his camp. Armed with a .25-35 caliber carbine, he went to investigate, initially thinking it was a horse in distress. However, upon approaching the creek, Clark realized it was Old Ephraim. The bear, standing on his hind legs with a 23-pound bear trap on his paw and a 14-foot chain wrapped around his forelimb, moved toward Clark. Despite firing multiple shots, the bear continued to advance until Clark's final bullet hit the bear in the brain, killing him.[7]

Clark described the moment as terrifying, recounting how the bear, nearly 10 feet tall by some early accounts, stood before him holding the trap above his head as he advanced. Clark fired at the bear, wounding him several times but failing to stop him. The bear rose again after each shot, and Clark was forced to retreat until his last bullet struck the bear fatally. The bear had taken seven bullets by the time it collapsed.[7][8]

After Old Ephraim’s death, Clark and another herder skinned the bear and buried him near the site of the encounter. Later, Boy Scout Troop No. 43 from Logan, Utah, exhumed the bear’s skull and sent it to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it remained until 1978. The skull was later returned to Utah and is currently on display at Utah State University’s Merrill-Cazier Library.[6][9]

Later, an 11-foot-tall (3.4 m) stone monument designed, lettered, and erected by Max, Arthur, and Howard Jorgensen was placed at the grave site. This memorial was officially dedicated on September 23, 1966.[10][14]

== The reality behind the

Individual grizzly bear

Old EphraimOther name(s)| Old Three Toes[1]

|

Species| Grizzly bear
Sex| Male
Died| August 22, 1923
Nation from| United States
Appearance| Deformed foot with three toes
Named after| Folkloric name for the grizzly bear

Old Ephraim was a large grizzly bear that roamed the mountains of Logan Canyon, Utah, in the early 20th century. He became known for killing livestock and evading capture for over a decade. Frank Clark, a local sheepherder, eventually trapped and killed Old Ephraim on August 22, 1923. The bear's death and legacy have since become part of local folklore, and he is often remembered as one of the last grizzly bears in Utah. A monument marks his grave in Logan Canyon.

## Background

[edit]

The name "Old Ephraim" (or "Ol' Ephraim") had been a term popularized in the 19th-century American West to refer to the grizzly bear,[15] and was used in frontier folklore to refer to specific animals. It appears as the name of a bear in a story by P. T. Barnum.[16]

Additionally, Theodore Roosevelt referred to a grizzly bear by the same name in his 1885 book, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, when discussing a bear in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. This indicates that the name "Old Ephraim" was commonly used in various regions of the American West to describe large, powerful grizzlies.[4]

The grizzly bear from the Cache National Forest known as "Old Ephraim" was first identified by its distinctive tracks. The bear lived within a large wilderness from as far north as Soda Springs, Idaho to as far south as Weber County, Utah, before settling in Logan Canyon, about 20 miles east of Logan, Utah.

Frank Clark (born 1879 in Cherry Creek, Idaho)[5] was a part-owner of the Ward Clark Sheep Company since his arrival there in July 1911. During his first summer in the Cache National Forest, Clark counted 154 adult domestic sheep that had been killed by bears in the area.[5]

In 1914, Frank Clark set out to stop Old Ephraim. He set many traps in Old Ephraim's favorite wallows, but the traps were always removed, un-sprung, or flung away.[1] Although Clark seldom saw the bear, dead sheep around the herd indicated its presence.[5] Despite Clark's efforts, Old Ephraim killed more and more sheep without being stopped. He is said to have once killed 50 sheep at a time.[6]

## The story of Old Ephraim

[edit]

By the early 1920s, Clark had become familiar with Old Ephraim’s habits. In the summer of 1923, Clark set a trap in one of Old Ephraim’s favorite wallows, but the bear repeatedly avoided being caught. Each time he found the trap, Old Ephraim either sprung it or tossed it aside.[6]

On the night of August 22, 1923, Clark was awakened by a loud sound near his camp. Armed with a .25-35 caliber carbine, he went to investigate, initially thinking it was a horse in distress. However, upon approaching the creek, Clark realized it was Old Ephraim. The bear, standing on his hind legs with a 23-pound bear trap on his paw and a 14-foot chain wrapped around his forelimb, moved toward Clark. Despite firing multiple shots, the bear continued to advance until Clark's final bullet hit the bear in the brain, killing him.[7]

Clark described the moment as terrifying, recounting how the bear, nearly 10 feet tall by some early accounts, stood before him holding the trap above his head as he advanced. Clark fired at the bear, wounding him several times but failing to stop him. The bear rose again after each shot, and Clark was forced to retreat until his last bullet struck the bear fatally. The bear had taken seven bullets by the time it collapsed.[7][8]

After Old Ephraim’s death, Clark and another herder skinned the bear and buried him near the site of the encounter. Later, Boy Scout Troop No. 43 from Logan, Utah, exhumed the bear’s skull and sent it to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it remained until 1978. The skull was later returned to Utah and is currently on display at Utah State University’s Merrill-Cazier Library.[6][9]

Later, an 11-foot-tall (3.4 m) stone monument designed, lettered, and erected by Max, Arthur, and Howard Jorgensen was placed at the grave site. This memorial was officially dedicated on September 23, 1966.[10][17]

## The reality behind the the legend

[edit]

Many elements of Old Ephraim’s story have been exaggerated over time. Initial reports described the bear as standing nearly 10 feet tall and weighing over 1,100 pounds. However, modern analysis of the bear’s skull suggests he was closer to 7 feet, 6.5 inches tall and weighed approximately 550 pounds.[4]

### Size and strength

[edit]

Old Ephraim was reputed to have remarkable strength. Some reports claimed he could bite through a 6-inch aspen log in one bite. Clark also mentioned the bear’s ability to remove traps without triggering them. The encounter between Clark and Old Ephraim, in which Clark used seven bullets to bring the bear down, has contributed to Old Ephraim's formidable reputation.[18][7]

### Date of death

[edit]

There is some uncertainty about the exact date of Old Ephraim’s death. While most sources, including Clark’s own accounts, place the event on August 22, 1923, some sources—including a 1928 retelling in Nature Magazine—suggest that Old Ephraim may have been killed as early as July 1922. The Smithsonian’s records support the earlier date.[4]

### Name confusion

[edit]

The name "Old Ephraim" was not unique to this bear. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, "Old Ephraim" was commonly used to refer to grizzlies in the American West. Theodore Roosevelt, in his 1885 book Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, referred to a bear in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming by the same name. Clark claimed that Old Ephraim was named after a bear from a P. T. Barnum story, but the name may also have biblical origins, referencing the figure Ephraim from the book of Genesis.[4][18]

## Folklore and legacy

[edit]

Old Ephraim’s story became part of the folklore of the American West. Despite Clark’s description of Old Ephraim as a bear that only killed what he needed to survive, local stories often depicted the bear as a threat to livestock and people. Old Ephraim’s reputation as an “outlaw animal” is similar to that of other notable predators, such as Lobo the King of Currumpaw and the last mountain lions of the West.[19][6][9]

A stone monument marks Old Ephraim’s grave in Logan Canyon. The monument, erected in 1966, features a poem by Nephi J. Bott:

> Old Ephraim, Old Ephraim, your deeds were so wrong,  Yet we build you this marker and sing you this song. To the king of the forest so mighty and tall, We salute you, Old Ephraim, the king of them all. — *Nephi J. Bott*[18][9]

## Exhibitions and honors

[edit]

Old Ephraim’s skull was exhumed by Logan Boy Scout Troop 43 a few months after his death and sent to the Smithsonian Institution for verification. It remained there until 1978, when it was returned to Utah State University, where it is displayed in the Special Collections at the Merrill-Cazier Library.[18]

In 2023, Utah State University Libraries commemorated the 100th anniversary of Old Ephraim's death with an exhibit titled Old Ephraim: 100 Years of Legend. The exhibit features Old Ephraim's skull, Frank Clark's handwritten account of the encounter, and other artifacts related to the bear.[20]

## Trail to Old Ephraim's grave

[edit]

Visitors can access the trail to Old Ephraim’s grave by traveling to the Right Hand Fork of Logan Canyon. The trailhead is well-marked, and the route follows a path through Ricks Canyon and Steel Hollow. A stone monument, representing the height of Old Ephraim, stands at the gravesite.[9][7]

Old Ephraim's Grave Trail

Length| 5.4 miles (8.7 km)
Location| Logan Canyon, Utah
Use| Hiking, Mountain biking
Difficulty| Moderate
Season| Spring through Fall
Sights| Stone monument, scenic views of Bear River Range
Hazards| Rocky terrain, wildlife
Surface| Dirt

The trail to Old Ephraim’s grave is about 5.4 miles one way and is accessible from Right Hand Fork Road in Logan Canyon. The monument, an 11-foot-tall stone marker, commemorates the bear’s height and legacy. The trail offers scenic views of the Bear River Range and passes through dense forests and rocky terrain.[8] Additionally, it is a popular hiking and mountain biking destination, open from spring through fall.

Old Ephraim’s legacy lives on not only through the memorial, but also through stories passed down by generations of residents in Cache Valley. Today, he remains a symbol of the wilderness that once defined the region, and his grave has become a historical and cultural landmark.[8][9]

## See also

[edit]

* List of individual bears

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Clarke, Linda Weaver (October 27, 2008). "Old Ephraim, the Ten-Foot Grizzly Bear". American Chronicle. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
2. ^ Brown Gary, The Great Bear Almanac, The Lyons Press, New York, 1993. P 28.
3. ^ Barnum, Phineas Taylor (1896). Forest and Jungle, Or, Thrilling Adventures in All Quarters of the Globe: An Illustrated History of the Animal Kingdom. Werner.
4. ^ a b c d e f Old Ephraim: The Reality, USU Special Collections & Archives. Accessed September 6, 2023.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Biographical History of Frank Clark". digital.lib.usu.edu. Utah State University. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Frank Clark Tells the Story of Downing Old Ephraim". The Herald Journal. July 23, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
7. ^ a b c d e f g h "The Story of Old Ephraim". Malad Idaho. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
8. ^ a b c d e Old Ephraim Booklet: The Legendary Grizzly of the Bear River Range. Utah State University, 2019. Accessed September 6, 2023.
9. ^ a b c d e f g Wiersdorf, G. William. "The Tale of Old Ephraim -- the Great Grizzly of the Cache National Forest". Cache Valley Tourist Council. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
10. ^ a b c Boss, Peggy (May 17, 1978). "Old Ephraim Returns After 60 Years in Washington". Student Life, Utah State University. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
11. ^ DuHadway, Kate (July 9, 2011). "Final resting spot of legendary grizzly 'Old Ephraim' worth a trip". hjnews.com. The Herald Journal. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
12. ^ Brown Gary, The Great Bear Almanac, The Lyons Press, New York, 1993. P 28.
13. ^ Barnum, Phineas Taylor (1896). Forest and Jungle, Or, Thrilling Adventures in All Quarters of the Globe: An Illustrated History of the Animal Kingdom. Werner.
14. ^ DuHadway, Kate (July 9, 2011). "Final resting spot of legendary grizzly 'Old Ephraim' worth a trip". hjnews.com. The Herald Journal. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
15. ^ Brown Gary, The Great Bear Almanac, The Lyons Press, New York, 1993. P 28.
16. ^ Barnum, Phineas Taylor (1896). Forest and Jungle, Or, Thrilling Adventures in All Quarters of the Globe: An Illustrated History of the Animal Kingdom. Werner.
17. ^ DuHadway, Kate (July 9, 2011). "Final resting spot of legendary grizzly 'Old Ephraim' worth a trip". hjnews.com. The Herald Journal. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
18. ^ a b c d [https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=4542803&itype=CMSID Wharton, Tom. "Whatever Happened to Old Ephraim, Utah's 'Last' Grizzly." *The Salt Lake Tribune*, 2016. Accessed September 6, 2023.
19. ^ Sierra Club: Inside the Legacy of Old Ephraim and Outlaw Animals. Accessed September 6, 2023.
20. ^ 100 Years of Legend: USU Libraries Honors Old Ephraim in New Exhibit. Accessed September 6, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* "Old Ephraim". digital.lib.usu.edu. Utah State University. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
* "Ephraim" items in the Utah State University collection. Accessed September 6, 2023.