History & Context

Native Americans lived in the Teton Valley for hundreds of years before trappers and explorers arrived in the 19th century, following game to high elevations during the warm summer months and moving south for the winter. A rush of permanent settlers arrived around 1889: hard-working, religious farmers and ranchers drawn by the readily available land and plentiful natural resources. Many of the pioneers were Mormon converts from Utah with northern European roots, who had heard stories of potential wealth and the beauty of the Idaho landscape.

Historically, Victor was isolated from Jackson, Wyoming by the Teton Range and so it developed an independent economy; although the towns are only 25 miles apart, the arduous trip over Teton Pass by wagon or sleigh required two to four days. In the first decades after settlement, families in Victor lived off the land and started small businesses, but Victor’s population accelerated and its economy diversified when the railroad was completed in 1913. Victor was an important stop between two high mountain passes and it became a lively railroad town, growing to include hotels, pool halls and saloons, cafés, a cheese factory, a movie theater, a high school and the only bank for miles around. The population decreased after World War II as young people left to build their lives elsewhere, though some stayed to take over their parents’ farms and businesses and many are now returning in their retirement.

For most of the year it’s now an easy 30-minute drive to Jackson for shopping or work. Victor no longer has an active railroad or its own high school, and most of its early businesses have closed down as people look to Jackson for goods and services. The newest boom is coming through second home-owners and real-estate speculators, drawn to the Victor area for its beauty, its proximity to the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and lower property prices compared to Jackson. One third of Teton County’s land use is in the National Forest System, and Victor is increasingly aware of both the benefits and drawbacks of flooding its wilderness backcountry with people.

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