Old Ephraim (sometimes known as Old Three Toes due to a deformity in his foot) was a large

grizzly bear The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America. In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...

that roamed the mountains of

Logan Canyon Logan Canyon is a canyon in the western United States in northeastern Utah, which cuts its way through the Bear River Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range. It is popular for both summer and winter activities, especially rock-climbing, hi ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, 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. (He should not be confused with

Three Toes of Harding County Three Toes of Harding County was the nickname given to a solitary North American male Great Plains wolf who killed livestock at ranches in Harding County, South Dakota, USA, over a thirteen-year period in the early 20th century. His hunting range ...

, another predator with the same nickname.)

Background

The name "Old Ephraim" (or "Ol' Ephraim") had been a term popularized in the 19th-century American West to refer to the

, 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 Phineas Taylor Barnum (July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding with James Anthony Bailey the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He was ...

. Additionally,

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

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 The Bighorn Mountains ( or ) are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana in the United States, forming a northwest-trending spur from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately northward on the Great Plains. They are separa ...

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

. This indicates that the name "Old Ephraim" was commonly used in various regions of the American West to describe large, powerful grizzlies. The name may also have biblical origins, referencing the figure Ephraim from the book of Genesis.Old Ephraim: The Reality, USU Special Collections & Archives
Accessed September 6, 2024. 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 Soda Springs is a city in Caribou County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 3,133 at the time of the 2020 census. The city has been the county seat of Caribou County since the county was organized in 1919. In the 1860s, Soda Springs ser ...

to as far south as Weber County, Utah, before settling in

, about 20 miles east of

Logan, Utah Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 United States Census, 2020 census recorded the population at 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Ca ...

. Frank Clark (born 1879 in Cherry Creek, Idaho) 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 Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to ...

that had been killed by bears in the area. In 1914, Frank Clark set out to stop Old Ephraim. He placed many traps in Old Ephraim's favorite resting and feeding spots, but the traps were always reportedly found disturbed, either removed, un-sprung, or thrown aside. Although Clark seldom saw the bear, dead sheep around the herd indicated its presence. Despite Clark's efforts, Old Ephraim killed more and more sheep without being stopped. He is said to have once killed 50 sheep in a single incident, an example of

surplus killing Surplus killing, also known as excessive killing, henhouse syndrome, or overkill, is a common behavior exhibited by predators, in which they kill more prey than they can immediately eat and then they either cache or abandon the remainder. The t ...

observed in nature.

The story of Old Ephraim

By the early 1920s, Frank Clark had become well-acquainted with Old Ephraim's habits. In the summer of 1923, he set a trap in one of the bear's favorite resting spots, but Old Ephraim reportedly continued to avoid or disable the traps."Frank Clark Tells the Story of Downing Old Ephraim"
*The Herald Journal*, July 23, 2020. Accessed September 6, 2024. On the night of August 22, 1923, Clark was awakened by a loud noise near his camp. Armed with a .25-35 caliber carbine, he went to investigate, initially thinking a horse was in distress. However, upon approaching the creek, he reportedly saw Old Ephraim standing on his hind legs, with a 23-pound bear trap on his paw and a 14-foot chain wrapped around his forelimb. Despite firing several shots, Clark could not stop the bear, who continued advancing, holding the trap above his head. It was only after seven bullets, with the final one hitting the bear in the brain, that Old Ephraim finally collapsed and died. 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 The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

in Washington, D.C., where it remained until 1978. The skull was returned to Utah and is now displayed at

Utah State University Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public university, public land grant colleges, land-grant research university with its main campus in Logan, Utah, United States. Founded in 1888 under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts as Utah's federal ...

’s Merrill-Cazier Library.

The reality behind the legend

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 -- slightly larger than average but not extremely large as folklore would claim.

Size and strength

Old Ephraim's strength and ability to outwit traps has been a subject of local lore. Some stories from the time claim that Old Ephraim could bite through a 6-inch aspen log in one bite, while others suggest that the bear could remove traps without setting them off. These stories have contributed to the myth of Old Ephraim as a larger-than-life figure, although more conservative estimates of his capabilities provide a more realistic view.Wharton, Tom. "Whatever Happened to Old Ephraim, Utah's 'Last' Grizzly." *The Salt Lake Tribune*, 2016. Accessed September 6, 2024.
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Date of death

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, however, support the later date of August 1923.

Folklore and legacy

Old Ephraim’s story became a 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 menace 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 "Lobo, the King of Currumpaw" is the first story of author Ernest Thompson Seton's 1898 book '' Wild Animals I Have Known''. Seton based the book on his experience hunting wolves in the Southwestern United States. Summary Lobo was a North Americ ...

and the last mountain lions of the West.Sierra Club: Inside the Legacy of Old Ephraim and Outlaw Animals
Accessed September 6, 2024. A stone monument commemorating Old Ephraim was erected at his gravesite in Logan Canyon in 1966. Designed, lettered, and erected by Max, Arthur, and Howard Jorgensen, the monument stands 11 feet tall, representing the height of the bear as reported in local stories. The monument also features a poem written by Nephi J. Bott:

Exhibitions and honors

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. In 2024, Utah State University Libraries commemorated the 101st 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.100 Years of Legend: USU Libraries Honors Old Ephraim in New Exhibit
Accessed September 6, 2024.

Trail to Old Ephraim's grave

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. The trail to the gravesite is approximately 5.4 miles one way and offers scenic views of the Bear River Range. The monument stands at the gravesite, marking the legacy of one of Utah’s last grizzly bears.Old Ephraim Booklet: The Legendary Grizzly of the Bear River Range. Utah State University, 2019. Accessed September 6, 2024. Additionally, it is a popular destination for hikers and mountain bikers, with the trail being accessible from spring through fall. Old Ephraim’s legacy continues through the stories passed down by Cache Valley residents and the physical monument at his grave. He remains a symbol of the region's former wilderness and is remembered as a cultural and historical landmark.

References

External links

*{{Cite web , url=http://digital.lib.usu.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/Ephraim , title=Old Ephraim , work=digital.lib.usu.edu , publisher=Utah State University , accessdate=September 6, 2024
"Ephraim" items in the Utah State University collection
Accessed September 6, 2024. Individual grizzly bears History of Idaho History of Utah 1923 animal deaths Individual wild animals Utah folklore Idaho folklore