The Star Valley Independent has been covering the area for 110 years without missing an edition.  Take a look back in history to see what made the pages of the newspaper 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago.

25-years ago:

A trek to Caribou City, a gold mining ghost town in Idaho, has been set for Saturday, July 19, by the Star Valley Historical Society. . . . Gold was discovered in1870 at Caribou City, which is located on McCoy Creek. This started a gold rush and before the end of 1870 the mining town had more than 500 population and a “Chinatown” was located a short distance below it with a population of about 400 Chinese. During the 1870′s the town grew to 1500. Mining reached a low ebb by 1900 . . . it was reported that the production of gold exceeded 50 million dollars.

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50-years ago:

(photo) Newly completed LDS chapel and recreation hall at Kemmerer was built at a cost of $175,000, providing much needed improvement for members of the Kemmerer Ward.

An impressive flag raising ceremony under the direction of the primary groups of all three Afton Wards was held in front of the Afton Elementary School building at sunrise Tuesday, July 4.

Another daily vacation Bible school will be conducted next week by the Star Valley Community Bible Church under the direction of John Lovegrove, the church’s pastor. It will be held in the lower valley this time, in the home the Lovegroves vacated about three miles north of Etna before moving to Afton recently.

75-years ago:

The State Highway patrolmen arrived in the valley last night, and in accordance with their warning of last trip, a number of car owners have been taken before the judge and fined. Six parties were taken up today and each one fined $5.00 for operating a car without a license.

The A. and R. Success Market announced that they will open, ready for business in their new home in the T.W. Henderson building, just north of the Star Valley Merc.

According to the ruling of Insurance companies, the Afton Fire Truck must not leave the town limits of Afton under any conditions. Only last Monday it went to Auburn, did good service and saved a house that would have burned down, but according to the Insurance regulations they cannot take the truck out of town any more without voiding all the insurance policies carried in Afton.

100-years ago:

Afton has the Largest Creamery in the State.
The Afton celebration of the 4th of July was quite interesting. . . . The Baseball game between Afton and Paris came off in the morning about 10 o’clock, and was not marked by any brilliant playing by either side. . . . The girls and fatmen’s ball game proved the superiority of the gentler sex, when it comes to a showdown. . . . In the foot racing Tom Hale won the 100 and 220 yard races and Ira Kennington took 2nd place in both. In the 50 yd. dash Tom won again with Geo. Burton as 2nd. . . . The Chariot Race between Obbie Papworth and Ed Sandberg was a stirring sight, the horses were neck and neck nearly all the way, but the Papworth team forged the length of the horses ahead to finish up with.