Editing Montpelier, Idaho (section)

==History==
As happened for many western towns, the name has been changed numerous times. First it was known as Clover Creek by Oregon Trail travelers, later it became Belmont and finally was given the name Montpelier by [[Brigham Young]], one of the early leaders of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church), after the capital of his birth state of [[Vermont]].  The city was first settled in 1864.<ref>[[Leonard J. Arrington]]. ''History of Idaho''. Vol. 1, p. 273</ref>

The [[Oregon Short Line Railway]] started in Granger, Wyoming from the existing Union Pacific station, and reached Montpelier on August 5, 1882 (the rail line reached Huntington, Oregon in 1884). The terminal was located here until 1972. The railroad brought a population that made Montpelier the county's "Gentile Town" as opposed to nearby Mormon-run [[Paris, Idaho|Paris]] that was the [[county seat]]. Both cities would have [[Tabernacle (LDS Church)|tabernacle]]s built in their city limits.

U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 89|89]] and [[U.S. Route 30|30]] intersect in Montpelier.

On August 13, 1896, the Bank of Montpelier was the site of a heist by [[Butch Cassidy]] and members of [[Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch]], [[Elzy Lay]] and [[Henry "Bub" Meeks]], who were supposedly trying to get enough money to bail out fellow gang member [[Matt Warner]].<ref>Idaho State Historical Society: Public Archives and Research Library, inmate files: Henry "Bob" Meeks, #574.</ref> They escaped with roughly $7,000. This historical footnote has become a notable component of the town's identity and is commemorated by a plaque on Washington Street (Highway 89).

On 3 April 2022, LDS Prophet Russell M. Nelson announced that an [[LDS Temple]] would be built in Montpelier.<ref name="deseret-1">{{Cite news |last=Toone |first=Trent |date=2022-04-03 |title=17 new temple locations announced by President Nelson to close conference |work=Deseret News |url=https://www.deseret.com/2022/4/3/23006433/new-temple-announced-by-president-nelson-at-april-2022-general-conference |access-date=2022-04-03}}</ref>