The Henry Stampede and Stockman's Reunion was held yearly from 1917 to 1956 in Idaho except for one year during World War II. The first Stampede was held at Chub Springs, moved a year later to Henry and finally in 1928 to Soda Springs. It was THE event of the year. At Henry thousands of people gathered yearly by the little settlement, 17 miles north of Soda Springs on present Highway 34. It became a family event. The assemblage spread out along the huge, open range and camped on the flats. The families participated in the 3-day rodeo, dancing all night on a stretched piece of canvas, visiting with friends and neighbors and hunting and fishing there. Local cowboys got their start at the Henry Stampede. It incorporated on October 17, 1922. Old Soda Springs newspapers mention crowds of up to ten thousand at the Henry Stampede in Soda Springs. Famous cowboys came from all over the United States and Canada to compete for the winning money. Many records were broken in all phases of rodeoing and racing. The Henry Stampede was said to rival the Pendleton and Cheyenne rodeos for a time and produced a number of world champion cowboys who are now remembered in Cowboy Halls of Fame. By 1933, rodeos were attracting smaller audiences and smaller rodeos were replacing most large rodeos of the previous years. When interest in professional rodeos decreased, the Henry Stampede fell by the wayside, but will always be fondly remembered by locals and by rodeo fans.
About the Author: Ellen Carney, born and raised in a small Idaho town, has visited nearly all the states in the U.S. and lived in most of those in the West. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a master's from the University of Utah. An award-winning newspaper columnist and author, her 15 books--mostly historical, reflect her deep love of the West. Carney's books have won national and state awards. She originally self-published and distributed her first book Ellis Kackley: Best Damn Doctor in the West, selling over 10,000 copies. Carney's books have twice received honors from the National Federation of Press Women. She was named "Writer of the Year" by the Idaho Writer's League in 1994. Carney has been a newspaper correspondent for the for the Caribou County Sun in Soda Springs for the past 33 years and for the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello for over 20 years. She served as an officer in the Caribou Historical Society, the Idaho Writer's League, and for three terms on the Caribou County Historic Preservation Commission. Carney taught elementary, junior and senior high school students for over twenty years. She has eight children (seven living), 24 grandchildren, and 47 great-grandchildren.