In 1877, when General O.O. Howard tried to get more than 600 Nez Perce Indians to settle on a North Idaho reservation, conflict erupted here. On their way to Yellowstone Park, Chief Joseph's Nez Perce people reached Hole in the Rock Station, four miles north of here, on August 16 and shut down stage service to Montana. Howard's cavalry and volunteers followed only a day behind until August 20, when an Indian force made off with over 100 army mules. That raid halted military pursuit and forced Howard to continue his Nez Perce campaign for six more weeks.