An Idaho Falls man disappeared on the river in 1932. Here’s what happened to him
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IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls man disappeared in 1932 and there were “puzzling circumstances” regarding his disappearance.
The story on Nathan A. “Nate” Williams was featured in our weekly Looking Back column, which looks back on what life was like during different periods in east Idaho history.
Where was Williams headed and why?
Williams went to the Greys River country in Wyoming to float down logs that were cut the fall before, according to an article in the Idaho Falls Post Register dated Sept. 9, 1932. Williams — a husband, father and well-known man in the Idaho Falls area who formerly operated a farm about six miles south of town — planned to build a raft out of the logs and float down the river to Idaho Falls.
“According to the information obtained here, Williams, accompanied by another man, a sheepherder, whose identity could not be learned, and the sheepherder’s young son, were driven to the Alpine (Wyoming) country by Gene Morrow, of Idaho Falls, about Aug. 25,” the paper said.
The sheepherder left the camp soon after arriving, and Williams was to “carry the work on alone.”
Morrow returned to Idaho Falls after driving the men to the site of the logs, Bonneville County Sheriff Harry Meppen said.
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But Williams, on the other hand, did not appear in Idaho Falls on his scheduled arrival date of Sept. 1, 1932. His son-in-law became “uneasy when he failed to arrive the following Wednesday.”
A search immediately got underway for Williams.
Searching for Williams
Law enforcement from Idaho and Wyoming started making their way down Greys River to “search the country on each side of the stream.”
“They discovered logs entangled in the rocks of the river,” the article reads.
Tom Steers, a deputy from Idaho Falls, was driving a car down the road to meet the others when they arrived downstream. On his drive, he came across a fisherman from Rexburg. The fisherman, whose name was not shared, said he’d seen a man “answering Williams’ description” leave on his raft of logs around 6:30 p.m. Friday.
“The men then proceeded down the road toward Idaho Falls and at Calamity Point made inquiry regarding Williams,” the Post Register wrote. “They learned … that Williams’ raft had been seen passing that point.”
Officials believed Williams was alive, and Meppen estimated that “with good luck” Williams should arrive at the upper ferry Sunday night.
Did Williams ever arrive back in Idaho Falls?
On Sept. 18, 1932, the Post Register reported Williams made it back to Idaho Falls safely Wednesday evening. He arrived about two weeks late from his trip down the Snake River.
“I’d rather take three trips down the Snake than one down old Wind River,” he said when asked if it was a dangerous trip.
The paper explained Williams had “much experience snaking rafts down the whirling, treacherous waters of Wind River.”
“Loss of his only ax compelled Williams to bring down a smaller raft than he anticipated,” the Post Register mentioned.
Williams told friends he planned to go back to the Greys River country to get the logs he left behind and additional timber.