Wards and Branches of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Portneuf Stake, Idaho

This page includes the boundaries of wards and branches around 1930's, a timeline history, and how to obtain the records.

Source for this page: p.672.

Portneuf Stake
Stake boundaries as of about 1930 — see Encyclopedic History..., p.672.


 * Area of the County:Marsh Valley and Bannock County, Idaho
 * Headquarters in (town):Downey, Idaho
 * Boundaries of stake:

Portneuf Stake of Zion consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in Marsh Valley and immediate neighborhood in Bannock County, Idaho, with headquarters at Downey. The stake, which includes farming districts, extends north to Pocatello Stake, east to the Bannock Stake, south to the Oneida and Malad stakes, and west to the mountains, which divide Marsh Valley from Malad and Bannock valleys.

History Timeline up to about 1930


 * 1915 - The first L. D. S. settlers in Marsh Valley belonged to the Malad Stake, later to the Cache Stake, and still later to the Oneida Stake, and when the Pocatello Stake was organized in 1898 the settlements in Marsh Valley became a part of that stake, where they remained until Aug. 15, 1915. On that date a conference of the Pocatello Stake was held, the south part of the Pocatello Stake was organized into a new stake named the Portneuf Stake of Zion.

Obtain the Records

 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Wards and Branches
Arimo, Cambridge, Downey, Garden Creek, Grant, Lava, Lava Hot Springs, Marsh Center, McCammon, Merrill, Swan Lake, Topaz, Virginia and Woodland.

Arimo Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.28-29.

Boundaries:

Arimo Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of Latter-day Saints who reside in and near the village of Arimo, which is a station on the Oregon Short Line Railroad, about seven miles south of McCammon, five miles southeast of Garden Creek, and nine miles north of Downey.

History timeline


 * 1912 - The first L. D. S. settler in the Arimo district belonged to the Marsh Valley Ward and later to the Garden Creek Ward, where they belonged until Dec. 29, 1912, when they were organized into a separate bishop’s ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Cambridge Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.111-112.

Boundaries:


 * Cambridge Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing somewhat centrally in Marsh Valley, extending north to the Virginia Ward, east to the mountains, south to Downey, and west to the Oregon Short Line Railroad tracks and the Virginia Ward.

History timeline


 * 1891 - Up to 1891 the saints on Nine Mile Creek constituted a part of the Marsh Valley Ward, but on Nov. 4, 1891, the Cambridge Branch, previously organized, was organized as a bishop’s ward named Cambridge.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Downey Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.197.

Boundaries:

Downey Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in and near the town of Downey, an important station on the Oregon Short Line Railroad, in the south end of Marsh Valley. History timeline


 * 1907 - The members of the Church in Downey originally belonged to the Cambridge Ward, but on June 16, the Cambridge Ward was divided and the south part of the same organized as the Downey Ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Garden Creek Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.273.

Boundaries:

Garden Creek Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Ida., consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in the north end of Marsh Valley, on the west side of Marsh Creek, and principally on Garden Creek, a tributary of Marsh Creek. The village of Garden Creek is about four miles west of the Arimo station on the Oregon Short Line Railroad, seven miles southwest of McCammon, and ten miles northwest of Downey.

History timeline


 * 1880 - In the spring of 1880 the saints who had settled on Garden Creek were organized as a branch of the Marsh Valley Ward.
 * 1887 - The branch was organized as the Garden Creek Ward in 1887.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Grant Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.299.

Boundaries:

Grant Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in the extreme south end of Marsh Valley, partly on an elevated plateau which separates Marsh Valley from Cache Valley. History timeline


 * 1895 - A regular presiding Elder was set apart in 1895.
 * 1899 - On Aug. 27, 1899, the south branch of the Cambridge Ward (also called Calvin) was organized as a separate ward, named Grant.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Lava Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.418.

Boundaries:

Lava Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of the Latter-day Saints living in a scattered condition up and down Portneuf Creek in Portneuf Canyon for a distance of seven miles.

History timeline


 * 1890 - First settlers were organized into a branch of the Church called the Dempsey Branch as a part of the Garden Creek Ward Oct. 18.
 * 1909 - The name of the ward was changed from Dempsey to Lava in 1909.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Lava Hot Springs Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.417-418.

Boundaries:

Lava Hot Springs Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing on the Portneuf River about twelve miles east of McCammon, and extending from Topaz up said river to a point 3 1/2 miles above where Fish Creek empties into the river. History timeline


 * 1908 - In 1908, the lower part of that Dempsey ward was organized as a separate ward named Topaz. When the town of Lava Hot Springs was founded and later grew in importance, the headquarters of the Topaz Ward were established there, and the name of the ward changed from Topaz to Lava Hot Springs.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Marsh Center Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.479.

Boundaries:

Marsh Center Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock County, Idaho, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in the central part of Marsh Valley. It extends north and south about six miles and is bounded on the west by the mountains, and on the east by the Oregon Short Line Railroad tracks.

History timeline


 * 1872 - About 1872 the saints in Marsh Valley, a branch of the Church being organized at that time and placed under the jurisdiction of the Malad Ward.
 * 1879 - On Nov. 16, the saints in Marsh Valley were organized as a bishop’s ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

McCammon Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., page not found in Jensen Encyclopic History of the Church.

Boundaries:

McCammon Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in and near McCammon, an important railroad station on the Oregon Short Line Railroad, situated in the north end of Marsh Valley, 25 miles southeast of Pocatello, 17 miles northeast of Downey.

History timeline


 * 1890 - On April 27, 1890, the saints were organized into a branch of the Church, as a part of the Garden Creek Ward.
 * 1894 - This branch was organized as the McCammon Ward Dec. 9, 1894.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Merrill Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.489.

Boundaries:

Merrill Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in a scattered condition on their respective farms on Marsh Creek, in the north end of Marsh Valley.

History timeline


 * 1919 - Merrill Ward is an outgrowth of McCammon Ward and came into existence Jan. 19, 1919, when the northwest part of the McCammon Ward was separated from the parent ward and organized as the Merrill Ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Swan Lake Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.851.

Boundaries:

Swan Lake Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in the extreme north end of Cache Valley, on the Rim of the Basin, so-called.

History timeline


 * 1911 - Swan Lake Ward is an outgrowth of Oxford in Cache Valley, but at a meeting held May 29, the saints residing in the extreme north end of Cache Valley, near the historic Swan Lake, were organized into a bishop’s ward.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Topaz Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.882.

Boundaries:

Topaz Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in that part of Bannock County which lies along Portneuf River between McCammon and Lava Hot Springs.

History timeline


 * 1908 - The Topaz Ward dates back to 1908 when it was organized from the lower part of the Dempsey Ward.
 * 1910 - When Lava Hot Springs became a place of importance, the name of Topaz was changed to Lava Hot Springs Ward. Topaz as a new ward, with new boundary lines, was created June 19, 1910.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Virginia Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.917-918.

Boundaries:

Virginia Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of Latter-day Saints residing in that part of Marsh Valley which extends north to the McCammon Ward, east to the mountains, and south to Cambridge Ward.

History timeline


 * 1893 - Only four families of saints resided in that locality in 1893, and these first saints attended meetings in Cambridge, which at an early day was called Nine Mile Creek.
 * 1912 - In February, 1912 a branch of the Church, belonging to the Cambridge Ward, was organized.
 * 1915 - This branch was organized as a ward June 13, 1915.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.

Woodland Ward
See Encyclopedic History..., p.960.

Boundaries:

Woodland Ward, Portneuf Stake, Bannock Co., Idaho, consists of the Latter-day Saints residing in the southwest part of Marsh Valley, on the two small streams known respectively as Marsh Creek and Birch Creek.

History timeline


 * 1882 - As early as 1882 the saints in Marsh Valley were organized as a branch of the Church.
 * 1891 - The branch became a part of the Marsh Center Ward, where it belonged until Dec. 5, 1891, when the Woodland part of the Marsh Valley Ward was organized and called Woodland.

Obtain the Records


 * List of church and other records at the FamilySearch Library.
 * For additional resources, see Church History Library.