Bear River City was one of the notorious end-of-track towns along the original Union Pacific transcontinental railroad line. Initially called Gilmer, it was first settled by lumberjacks who arrived in 1867 and supplied ties to the approaching railroad. The settlement grew to nearly 2,000 people as construction of the Echo Tunnel in Utah and the onset of winter delayed tracklaying. Renamed Bear River City, the boomtown became known for exceptional rowdiness, with a few stores and boarding houses alongside numerous saloons and gambling parlors serving a nefarious crowd. The Frontier Index, a traveling newspaper printed at various points along the Union Pacific route, called it the liveliest city, if not the wickedest in America, and angered the town's lawless element by endorsing vigilante activity to eliminate undesirables. On November 20, 1868, an unruly mob burned down the Index office, and law-abiding citizens fought back in a battle that lasted well into the night. Order was restored by the time troops arrived from Fort Bridger the next morning. The town ultimately declined not because of the riot but because the Union Pacific refused to build a siding connecting it to the mainline, prompting residents to move on to Evanston for better prospects.