Old Ephraim Exhibit Back for the 100 Year Legend

The legend of the giant grizzly, Old Ephraim, dates back to the early 1900s, and Special Collections and Archives at the Merrill-Cazier Library has the bear’s skull.

Legend has it Old Ephraim preyed on sheep in the Cache National Forest, which angered local herders. The size of the bear was said to be anywhere between nine and 13 feet, but this was proven to be a misconception.

Many tried to end Old Ephraim’s life, but he always evaded capture. Eventually, a sheep herder, Frank Clark, killed the bear in August 1923, but he later regretted it.

Now, 100 years after Clark killed Old Ephraim, the Special Collections and Archives team has renovated an exhibit from 2019. The exhibit is available now on the main floor of the library, complete with information, as well as artifacts related to the story and the actual size of the bear.

Clint Pumphrey, manuscript curator, was excited to bring the exhibit back to life because he felt it meant something to the residents of Cache Valley.

“I think most kids in Cache County encounter that story at some point,” Pumphrey said. “It’s been told by so many different people.”

According to Pumphrey, USU having the skull of Old Ephraim provides a personal connection between the story and the locals. 

“It’s not just a story, because there’s something physical that’s left,” Pumphrey said.

Even though Old Ephraim resided in Cache County, the skull wasn’t always held at USU. In fact, the first people in possession of it were the group of Boy Scouts who dug up the remains.

“They sent the skull to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it stayed for over 50 years,” Pumphrey said. 

The Smithsonian didn’t display Old Ephraim, so Orrin Hatch — Utah’s senator at the time —  was able to retrieve the skull and loan it to USU. 

“He actually flew a helicopter to the Quad of USU with a box with the skull in it,” Pumphrey said. “It goes to show how meaningful it is that the senator would bring it in like that to the president.”

Devin Greener, preservation lab coordinator and exhibitions committee chair, worked closely with the College of Natural Resources to put together the current exhibit.

“They sent the bear skull replica, the whole case of bear facts and bear footprints,” Greener said. 

Greener also worked with Patsy Palacios, director of the Mason Wildlife Exhibit at the Quinney Natural Resources Library. 

“She was so generous with her time and with her resources,” Greener said. “And they were super great to work with.” 

The Old Ephraim exhibit doesn’t just educate students and Cache County residents alike, but it also provides a gateway for students to learn about Special Collections and Archives in general.

“They see the bear skull, and then they might ask about other things that we have,” Pumphrey said. “Almost everything we have is intrinsically interesting.”

Apart from Old Ephraim, Special Collections and Archives typically collects history documents, books and photographs of the region.

“It’s fun to be able to work with those materials and share them with the students, faculty and community,” Pumphrey said. 

“That starts a conversation that maybe leads to someone’s passion and research using our materials,” Greener said. “You just never know how it will grow.”

The exhibit will be available through Sept. 25, but the skull is always available to see in the Special Collections and Archives office, which is on the lower level of the Merrill-Cazier Library. 

There is also a digital exhibit available with more information at exhibits.usu.edu/exhibits/show/oldephraim.