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HISTORY 

OF 


IDAHO 


The  Gem  of  the  Mountains 


ILLUSTRATED 


VOLUME  111 


CHICAGO 

THE  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
1920 


WILLIAM  E.  BORAH 


Biographical 


HON.  WILLIAM  EDGAR  BORAH. 

Hon.  William  Edgar  Borah,  serving  for  the  third  term  as  a  member  of  the  United 
States  senate,  was  born  at  Fairtield,  Illinois,  June  29,  1865,  his  parents  being  William 
N.  and  Eliza  Borah.  In  the  acquirement  of  his  education  he  attended  the  Southern 
Illinois  Academy  at  Enfield  and  afterward  became  a  student  in  the  University  of  Kansas. 
Determining  upon  the  practice  of  law  as  a  life  work,  he  thoroughly  prepared  for  his 
chosen  profession  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1889.  Through  the  intervening  period 
he  has  continued  in  active  practice  save  for  the  time  he  has  devoted  to  public  service. 
He  opened  an  office  at  Lyons,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  in  1890  and  1891  and  in  the 
latter  year  he  removed  to  Boise,  Idaho,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  soon 
gained  recognition  as  one  of  the  ablest  members  of  the  bar  of  the  northwest  and  a  large 
and  distinctively  representative  clientage  was  accorded  him.  Moreover,  he  became  a 
prominent  factor  in  the  public  life  of  the  community.  His  interests  never  centered 
within  the  mile  radius  of  his  own  home.  He  has  long  been  recognized  as  a  man  of 
broad  vision  and  a  deep  student  of  the  vital  problems  before  the  country,  and  upon  all 
the  important  subjects  which  are  engrossing  public  attention  he  has  kept  abreast  with 
the  best  thinking  men  and  in  fact  has  in  many  respects  been  a  leader  in  public  action 
and  a  molder  of  public  thought.  On  the  14th  of  January,  1903,  In  the  contest  for 
election  of  a  United  States  senator  from  Idaho,  he  received  twenty-two  votes  when  twen- 
ty-six were  necessary  for  a  choice.  In  1907  he  was  elected  to  the  office  for  a  six-year 
term,  was  re-elected  in  1913  and  again  in  1919.  He  has  for  some  years  been  an  acknowl- 
edged leader  of  the  upper  house,  with  many  of  the  representatives  of  republican  forces 
rallying  to  his  support.  His  record  in  connection  with  the  League  of  Nations  and  other 
vital  problems  is  today  a  matter  of  history.  Though  men  may  differ  from  Mr.  Borah, 
they  never  question  the  integrity  of  his  position  and  they  know  that  as  a  factor  in  any 
contest  he  is  always  open  and  aboveboard,  fearless  in  defending  what  he  believes  to 
be  right.  Mr.  Borah  was  a  member  of  the  republican  national  committee  from  1908  until 
1912  and  his  opinions  have  long  carried  weight  in  the  councils  of  his  party. 

On  the  21st  of  April,  1895,  Mr.  Borah  was  married  to  Miss  Mamie  McConnell,  of 
Boise,  Idaho.  In  the  city  which  they  regard  as  their  home,  although  much  of  their 
time  is  necessarily  spent  in  the  national  capital,  they  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
and  the  general  feeling  entertained  for  Mr.  Borah  throughout  Idaho  is  plainly  evidenced 
in  his  third  election  to  the  United  States  senate. 


ERNEST  ELLSWORTH  LAUBAUGH,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Ernest  Ellsworth  Laubaugh,  medical  adviser  to  the  department  of  public  welfare 
of  the  state  of  Idaho  and  recognized  as  an  able  and  eminent  physician,  was  born  in 
Shickshinny,  Luzerne  county,  Pennsylvania,  August  20,  1887.  His  father,  Elmer 
E.  Laubaugh,  is  a  contractor  of  Philadelphia,  where  he  Is  still  active  in  business. 
The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  J.  Sprake,  is  also  living.  She  Is 
a  native  of  England,  while  the  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania. 

Dr.  Laubaugh  of  this  review  was  reared  In  Philadelphia  and  was  graduated  from 
the  Medico-Chirurgical  College  of  that  city,  now  the  Post  Graduate  School  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  completing  his  course  in  1909,  at  which  time  the  M.  D. 
degree  was  conferred  upon  him.  For  eight  months  he  served  as  interne  at  Mercy 
Hospital  at  Wilkes-Barre,  Pennsylvania,  and  then  spent  eighteen  months  as  interne 
in  the  Philadelphia  General  Hospital,  gaining  broad  and  valuable  knowledge  and 
experience,  which  is  never  as  quickly  secured  In  any  other  way  as  In  hospital 


6  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

practice.  He  was  assistant  pathologist  for  serological  work  in  the  Philadelphia  General 
Hospital  in  1912-13  and  assistant  demonstrator  in  physical  diagnosis  at  the  Medico- 
Chirurgical  College  during  1911  and  1912.  He  was  also  assistant  instructor  im 
neurology  at  that  college  in  1912-13  and  then,  seeking  the  opportunities  of  the  north- 
west, came  to  Boise  on  the  1st  of  June  of  the  latter  year.  From  that  date  until 
April  13,  1917,  he  was  bacteriologist  of  the  state  of  Idaho  and  resigned  his  position 
to  enter  the  World  war  as  a  volunteer.  He  was  called  to  the  colors  in  September, 
1917,  and  entered  the  United  States  Medical  Corps  at  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison  at 
Indianapolis,  Indiana.  On  the  15th  of  November,  1917,  he  was  transferred  to  Newport 
News,  Virginia,  and  there  remained  for  twenty  months,  being  discharged  on  the  23d 
of  April,  1919,  with  the  rank  of  captain,  having  entered  the  service  as  a  lieutenant. 
When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  aid  Dr.  Laubaugh  returned  to  Boise  and  on 
the  1st  of  May,  1919,  took  up  his  duties  as  medical  adviser  of  the  department  of  public 
welfare  and  chief  of  the  bureau. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1914,  Dr.  Laubaugh  was  married  to  Elizabeth  C.  Tallman, 
of  Boise,  and  they  have  two  children:  James  Elmer,  born  November  11,  1914;  and 
Lucile,  born  February  29,  1920.  Dr.  Laubaugh  is  a  member  of  the  American  Legion 
and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  State  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  is  now  serving 
as  secretary.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Medical  Reserve  Corps  of  the  United 
States  army  with  the  rank  of  captain  and  is  in  the  United  States  Public  Health  Service 
Reserve  with  the  rank  of  past  assistant  surgeon.  Throughout  his  professional  career 
he  has  largely  been  identified  with  scientific  research  and  investigation,  and  his 
labors  have  been  far-reaching,  resultant  and  beneficial. 


EARLE  C.  WHITE. 

Earle  C.  White,  a  Pocatello  capitalist  whose  labors  have  been  a  most  potent  factor 
in  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the  city  and  th'e  promotion  of  its  business 
interests,  was  born  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  January  15,  1867,  a  son  of  Charles  M 
and  Evelyn  M.  (Cobbe)  White.  The  father  was  born  at  Syracuse,  New  York,  Decem- 
.ber  28,  1823,  and  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Vermont,  January  13,  1843.  They 
were  married  in  Coldwater,  Branch  county,  Michigan,  to  which  state  Charles  M.  White 
had  removed  during  his  youthful  days.  In  the  early  '50s  he  crossed  the  plains  to 
Wyoming  and  later  made  several  other  trips  of  this  order,  gaining  broad  experience 
in  all  phases  of  pioneer  life.  From  Wyoming  he  finally  removed  to  Salt  Lake  City 
Utah,  but  after  two  years  returned  to  the  former  state  and  established  his  residence - 
at  Evanston,  Uinta  county,  where  he  continued  in  the  practice  of  law  for  a  number 
of  years.  He  then  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Paris,  Bear  Lake  county,  where  he 
became  associated  in  law  practice  with  Judge  Alfred  Budge,  with  whom  he  was  thus 
connected  until  1901.  In  1902  he  removed  to  Pocatello,  where  he  continued  in  law 
practice  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  June,  1913. 

"The  snows  of  winter  are  on  his  head, 
But  the  flowers  of  spring  bloom  in  his  heart." 

Earle  C.  White  Is  the  second  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  M.  White  and  in  the 
early  schools  of  Evanston.  Wyoming,  he  pursued  his  education.  He  afterward  began 
reading  law  under  the  direction  of  his  father  and  his  thorough  preliminary  study 
led  to  his  admission  to  the  bar  in  1890.  He  came  to  Pocatello  in  September  1891 
when  the  population  of  the  city  was  about  twenty-five  hundred.  Here  he  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession,  in  which  he  continued  for  some  time,  but  his 
keen  appreciation  of  the  resources  and  advantages  of  this  section  caused  him'  to  aban- 
don the  law  in  1894  and  become  a  potent  figure  in  the  exploitation  of  the  country  He 
especially  operated  in  the  field  of  real  estate,  largely  confining  his  attention  to  Poca- 
tello property,  and  he  is  an  authority  upon  the  resources  and  land  values  of  south- 
eastern Idaho.  He  has  had  much  to  do  with  the  building  and  improvement  of  the 
:ity  and  has  erected  innumerable  houses  which  he  has  sold  or  rented  In  fact  he 
has  operated  most  extensively  as  a  speculative  builder,  transforming  unsightly  vacan- 
into  fine  residential  districts  and  adding  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  city  He  has 
likewise  promoted  many  business  enterprises  of  importance  and  is  now  interested  in 
the  Pocatello  Cold  Storage  Company,  the  Smith  Candy  Company,  the  Pocatello  Pro- 
vision &  Packing  Company  and  in  the  Church  &  White  block,  which  is  one  of  the 
modern  office  buildings  of  the  city.  He  likewise  has  large  interests  in  oil  in  Wyoming 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  7 

In  April,  1890.  at  Chariton,  Iowa,  Mr.  White  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Annette  Fickel.  a  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Elizabeth  J.  Fickel,  the  former  now  de- 
ceased, while  the  latter  is  living  in  Pocatello.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  have  become  parents 
of  four  children,  two  of  whom  died  after  reaching  adult  age.  One  son,  Edward  O.. 
was  in  the  office  with  his  father  and  the  other  son,  Earle  C.(  Jr.,  was  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  under  the  name  of  the  White  Hardware  Company.  The  living  son, 
Leslie  M.,  is  in  training  at  a  military  school  of  Moscow,  Idaho,  and  the  daughter, 
Louise  E.,  is  at  home.  Another  member  of  the  White  household  is  Mrs.  Charles  M. 
White,  who  is  living  with  her  son  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years. 

Mr.  White  is  affiliated  with  all  the  York  Rite  bodies  of  Masonry,  including  Poca- 
tello Commandery  of  the  Knights  Templar,  and  he  is  also  identified  with  the  local 
organizations  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World,  while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star.  She  also  has  membership  in 
the  State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  is  chairman  of  the  Red  Cross  in  Bannock 
county  and  during  the  period  of  the  war  has  devoted  most  of  her  time  to  this  work. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  are  zealous  members  of  the  Pocatello  Presbyterian  church, 
in  which  he  is  serving  as  a  trustee,  while  Mrs.  White  is  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school.  Their  aid  and  influence  are  always  given  on  the  side  of  progress  and  improve- 
ment along  the  lines  which  lead  to  the  material,  intellectual,  social  and  moral  develop- 
ment of  the  community.  Along  many  lines  of  endeavor  they  have  reached  out  help- 
fully for  the  benefit  of  their  fellowmen  and  the  career  of  Mr.  White  is  one  that  should 
ever  serve  as  a  source  of  inspiration  and  encouragement  to  others,  showing  what  can 
be  accomplished  through  individual  effort  combined  with  a  recognition  and  utiliza- 
tion of  opportunities. 


JULIUS  H.  .JACOBSON. 

Julius  H.  Jacobson,  field  agent  for  the  bureau  of  crop  estimates,  in  the  United 
States  department  of  agriculture,  with  offices  in  the  Idaho  building  at  Boise,  was  born 
in  Logan,  Utah,  July  6,  1887,  and  is  the  only  son  of  J.  W.  B.  and  Hannah  (Hall) 
Jacobson,  who  were  natives  of  Sweden.  The  father  died  when  the  son  Julius  was 
but  two  years  of  age.  He  was  reared  in  Logan,  Utah,  and  in  Blackfoot,  Idaho,  and 
in  1909  was  graduated  from  the  Utah  Agricultural  College  in  the  former  city..  In  1910 
he  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States  government  as  an  agriculturist  in  the 
interior  department.  He  served  for  three  years  in  that  department,  being  stationed 
at  various  points  in  New  Mexico  and  Colorado,  and  in  1913  he  entered  the  agricultural 
department  of  the  government  and  has  steadily  been  connected  therewith  in  one  capacity 
or  another  to  the  present  time,  covering  a  period  of  seven  years.  During  the  first 
five  years  of  this  period  he  alternated  between  the  state  of  Nebraska  and  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  being  engaged  in  investigation  and  experimental  work.  Since  1917  he 
has  been  a  field  agent  for  the  bureau  of  crop  estimates  in  the  state  of  Idaho.  For  a 
time  he  had  headquarters  at  Blackfoot,  but  in  January,  1919,  his  office  and  headquar- 
ters were  transferred  to  Boise.  He  has  become  the  owner  of  a  good  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acre  ranch  in  Bingham  county,  near  Blackfoot,  which  he  homesteaded. 

Mr.  Jacobson  is  a  most  alert  and  energetic  man,  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  progress 
in  all  that  he  undertakes,  and  never  stops  short  of  the  successful  accomplishment  of 
his  purpose.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Master  Mason.  He  belongs  also  to  the  Boise  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  to  the  University  Club  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  to  the  American  Society 
of  Agronomy,  connections  which  indicate  the  nature  of  his  interests  in  the  rules  which 
govern  his  condnct. 


CLINTON  E.   NORQUEST. 

Clinton  E.  Norquest,  meteorologist  in  charge  of  the  United  States  weather  bureau, 
was  born  in  Williamsport,  Warren  county,  Indiana,  November  2,  1878.  His  parents 
were  natives  of  Sweden  but  were  married  in  Attica,  Indiana,  in  1877.  The  father, 
Olaf  Norquest,  was  a  contractor  and  builder,  devoting  his  entire  life  to  that  pursuit. 
The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ida  Larm  and  both  have  now  passed  away. 

Clinton  E.   Norquest  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  five  children,  four  of  whom 


8  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

are  yet  living,  but  he  is  the  only  one  in  the  west.  He  was  reared  in  Williamsport, 
Indiana,  and  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  there  with  the  class  of  1895,  win- 
ning first  honors  and  becoming  valedictorian  of  his  class.  He  afterward  engaged  in 
teaching  school  for  two  years  and  then  entered  Wabash  College,  where  he  spent  two 
years  as  a  student.  Again  he  took  up  the  occupation  of  teaching,  which  he  followed 
for  another  two  year  period  in  Indiana,  and  in  1904  he  came  to  the  northwest, 
where  he  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States  weather  bureau  at  Portland, 
Oregon.  Throughout  the  intervening  period  he  has  been  connected  with  the  bureau 
and  after  serving  as  assistant  in  Portland  for  a  few  months  was  made  assistant  in 
the  weather  office  at  Spokane,  Washington,  where  he  continued  for  two  years.  He 
next  became  assistant  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he  also  spent  two  years,  and  in 
September,  1909,  he  was  given  charge  of  the  weather  office  at  Devils  Lake,  North 
Dakota,  a  position  which  he  "filled  for  two  years.  From  1911  until  1918  he  was  chief 
clerk  in  the  weather  office  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  in  1918  he  was  placed  in. 
charge  of  the  Boise  weather  bureau  as  local  meteorologist.  His  training  and  expe- 
rience have  well  qualified  him  for  important  and  responsible  duties  of  this  character. 
Thoroughly  familiar  with  the  scientific  phases  as  well  as  the  practical  features  of  his 
work,  he  is  a  prominent  representative  of  the  weather  bureau  in  the  northwest.  He 
resides  on  Orchard  avenue  on  the  Boise  bench,  where  he  owns  a  fine  little  ranch 
property  embracing  several  acres  of  good  land. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1904.  Mr.  Norquest  was  married  at  Boswell,  Indiana,  to  Miss 
Judith  Smith,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  they  have  two  children:  Kenneth  Smith,  born 
November  29,  1907;  and  Mamie  Elouise,  born  December  19,  1911. 

Mr.  Norquest  belongs  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce.  His  religious  faith 
is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  who  has  attained* 
the  Knight  Templar  degree  of  the  York  Rite  and  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the 
Scottish  Rite.  He  is  a  past  master  of  the  lodge  and  is  the  possessor  of  a  fine  gold- 
watch  which  was  presented  to  him  by  the  blue  lodge  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  in  which 
he  was  made  a  Mason  in  1912.  He  has  ever  been  a  worthy  and  exemplary  follower 
of  the  craft,  loyal  .to  its  teachings  and  its  purposes. 


JOHN  P.  TATE. 

John  P.  Tate  was  a  prominent  and  prosperous  insurance  man  of  Boise  who  passed 
away  April  23,  1911,  when  forty-one  years  of  age.  Being  scarcely  yet  in  the  prime  of 
life,  his  death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  regret  to  his  friends  in  Boise,  who  were  many 
He  was  born  at  Tioenesta,  Pennsylvania,  January  30,  1871,  and  was  reared  in  the  Key- 
stone state  but  in  young  manhood  came  to  Idaho  and  spent  a  year  or  two  at  Nampa, 
where  he  engaged  in  business  as  an  insurance  solicitor.  He  then  came  to  Boise  and 
made  for  himself  a  very  prominent  place  in  insurance  circles,  building  up  one  of  the 
largest  insurance  agencies  in  Idaho,  known  as  the  John  P.  Tate  Agency,  which  is  still 
in  existence,  with  offices  in  the  Sonna  block.  The  business  is  now  owned  by  others  one 
of  whom  is  Philip  Tate,  a  younger  brother  of  John  P.  Tate.  The  latter  was  recognized  as 
one  of  the  most  successful  business  men  in  Boise  and  made  for  himself  a  most  creditable 
and  enviable  position  in  business  circles.  Carefully  investing  his  earnings  he  be- 
came the  owner  and  builder  of  some  of  the  fine  business  blocks  of  the  city  including 
the  John  P.  Tate  building  at  the  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Main  streets,  now  occupied 
by  the  Jenkins  Furniture  Company.  This  was  built  in  1904  by  Mr  Tate  and  is 
still  owned  by  his  widow.  In  addition  to  that  property  Mr.  Tate  built  the  Alaska 
block  on  the  north  side  of  Main  street,  between  Tenth  and  Eleventh  streets  now 
occupied  by  the  Cash  Bazaar.  However,  he  deeded  that  fine  property  to  the  American 
Sunday  School  Union  before  his  death,  retaining  a  third  interest,  which  insures 
»  wife  and  children  a  good  income  from  the  property  as  long  as  they  live 
lowing  their  death  this  will  also  be  the  property  of  the  American  Sunday  School 
anthropic  act  ^^  ***  '"  '""  sympathy  with  her  husband  in  this  splendid  phil- 

It  was  in   1907  that  Mr.   Tate  was  united   in   marriage   to   Miss   Emma   Gekeler 
ho  was  born  near  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  came  to  Idaho  when  a  little  maiden  of 

eight  years  m   company  with   her   parents,    David    and   Catherine   Gekeler      The 

trio  ayborutmS  ?  ^M  CO™vVr0m  Colorado  in  *  wagon  drawn  by  mules,  making  the 
80,  and  Mr.  Gekeler  at  once  took  a  timber  claim  embracing  one  hundred 


JOHN  P.  TATB 


DAVID  GEKELER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  13 

and  sixty  acres  southeast  of  Boise,  which  tract  was  then  all  in  sagebrush.  He  built 
thereon  a  dugout,  into  which  he  moved  his  family,  and  proved  up  on  the  property. 
In  fact  he  still  occupies  that  place  and  is  today  an  active,  hale  and  hearty  man  of 
eighty-two  years.  In  addition  to  his  claim  he  has  mining  interests  at  Clayton,  Idaho, 
and  makes  frequent  trips  to  attend  to  his  business  affairs  in  the  different  localities. 
Mr.  Gekeler  was  born  in  New  York  and  was  married  to  Catherine  Stacey,  who  passed 
away  in  1896,  leaving  three  daughters,  of  whom  Mrs.  Tate  is  the  eldest.  The  other 
two  are:  Carrie,  who  resides  with  her  father;  and  Ermie,  now  the  wife  of  A.  F. 
Prickett,  a  farmer  of  Ada  county. 

In  1918  Mrs.  Tate  erected  a  fine,  modern,  seven-room,  two-story  house  on  a  seven- 
acre  tract  of  land  which  is  a  part  of  the  Gekeler  homestead,  and  here  she  resides 
with  her  four  sons:  David  Gekeler,  born  May  20,  1898;  John  P.,  born  August  30, 
1900;  Philip  W.,  born  January  30,  1902;  and  W.  Paul,  February  8,  1904.  The  two 
eldest  sons  are  now  in  college,  the  former  being  a  student  in  the  Oregon  Agricultural 
College,  while  the  latter  is  attending  the  University  of  Chicago,  taking  a  pre-medical 
course.  Both  had  joined  the  colors  before  the  armistice  was  signed,  being  with  the 
Cadet  Corps  of  their  respective  educational  institutions.  All  four  of  the  sons  have 
attended  the  Garfield  school  in  South  Boise,  in  which  their  mother  was  a  pupil  during 
her  girlhood  days  and  in  which  she  was  also  a  teacher  for  three  years  prior  to  her 
marriage.  Mrs.  Tate  is  an  active  member  of  the  Second'  Presbyterian  church  of  South 
Boise. 

Mr.  Tate  was  a  most  earnest  Christian  man,  keenly  interested  in  the  moral  prog- 
ress of  the  community  in  which  he  lived  and  doing  everything  in  his  power  to  promote 
the  upbuilding  of  Christian  influences  and  extend  the  growth  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
of  which  he  was  a  most  faithful  follower.  He  belonged  to  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  his  life  was  ever  actuated  by  high  and  honorable  principles.  As  he 
prospered  in  his  undertakings  he  felt  that  he  was  simply  the  custodian  to  whom 
was  entrusted  the  care  of  certain  things  and  he  used  his  "ten  talents"  wisely  and 
well.  He  had  the  keenest  sense  of  personal  honor  and  everyone  who  knew  him  spoke 
of  him  in  terms  of  the  warmest  regard.  He  was  largely  an  ideal  husband  and  father 
who  found  his  greatest  happiness  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  his  family  and  regarded 
no  personal  sacrifice  or  effort  on  his  part  too  great  if  it  enhanced  the  interests  of 
his  wife  and  children. 


PAUL   A.   MADER. 

Paul  A.  Mader,  bacteriologist  for  the  state  of  Idaho,  was  born  in  Hummelstown, 
Pennsylvania,  March  23,  1894,  his  parents  being  William  H.  and  Ella  C.  (Longenecker) 
Mader,  who  are  also  natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  The  father  is  a  clergyman  of 
the  Reformed  church  and  for  twenty-five  years  has  been  pastor  of  a  church  of  that 
denomination  at  Easton,  Pennsylvania.  In  fact  it  is  the  only  pastorate  that  he  has 
ever  held,  for  the  period  of  his  service  there  compasses  his  entire  connection  with 
the  ministry. 

Paul  A.  Mader  was  reared  and  educated  in  Pennsylvania,  pursuing  his  collegiate 
work  at  Muhlenburg  College  in  Allentown,  where  he  specialized  in  biology.  He  was 
graduated  from  that  institution  in  i917  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science.  In 
December  of  the  same  year  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  World  war  as  a  private  at 
Fort  Slocum,  New  York.  He  was  immediately  transferred  to  Camp  Stewart,  Virginia, 
where  he  remained  from  January,  1918,  until  October  of  the  same  year,  being  con- 
tinuously engaged  in  laboratory  work  for  the  United  States  army.  On  the  8th  of 
October  he  was  commissioned  a  second  lieutenant  and  in  the  same  month  he  wag 
sent  to  the  army  laboratory  school  at  New  Haven.  Connecticut,  where  he  remained 
as  an  instructor  until  the  31st  of  December,  1918,  when  the  school  was  closed,  the 
armistice  having  been  signed.  For  a  short  time  he  was  then  in  charge  of  a  laboratory 
at  Fort  Slocum,  New  York,  and  on  the  8th  of  February,  1919,  was  mustered  out 
of  the  army. 

During  the  succeeding  spring  and  summer  Mr.  Mader  was  in  charge  of  the  plant 
pathological  laboratory  substation  at  North  East,  Pennsylvania,  near  Erie,  where  the 
work  was  conducted  under  the  Pennsylvania  state  agricultural  department.  He  re- 
signed that  position  on  the  1st  of  October,  1919,  and  on  the  20th  of  the  same  month 
entered  upon  his  duties  as  bacteriologist  of  the  state  of  Idaho. 


14  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

On  the  14th  of  November,  1918,  Mr.  Mader  was  married  to  Miss  Irene  E.  Miller, 
who  was  also  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Westchester  Normal 
School  and  of  the  Philadelphia  Art  School.  At  the  time  of  her  marriage  she  was 
assistant  supervisor  of  drawing  in  the  public  schools  of  Easton,  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mader  have  already  made  for  themselves  a  most  enviable  position  in  the  social 
circles  of  Boise.  Mr.  Mader  has  become  a  member  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  also  belongs  to  the  American  Legion. 


PASCO  B.  CARTER. 

Pasco  B.  Carter,  attorney  at  law  of  Boise  was  born  in  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania, 
on  the  28th  of  November,  1880.  His  father,  Henry  Carter,  was  a  leading  business 
man  of  that  city  and  married  Wilhelmina  Eccleston,  who  was  born  in  Virginia. 
They  became  the  parents  of  six  children:  Charles  Allen,  John  Slade,  Henry  B., 
Mary  Deria,  Wilhelmina  E.,  and  Pasco  B. 

In  the  acquirement  of  his  education  Pasco  B.  Carter  attended  the  East  Liberty 
Academy  at  Pittsburgh  and  after  his  graduation  there  entered  Princeton  University 
in  the  fall  of  1901.  A  four  years'  course  brought  him  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in 
1905  and  he  then  entered  upon  the  study  of  law  in  the  Pittsburgh  Law  School  of  the 
University  of  Pittsburgh,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1908  with  the  LL.  B.  degree. 
He  was  admitted  to  practice  in  both  the  county  and  supreme  courts  of  Pennsylvania 
and  entered  upon  the  active  work  of  his  profession  in  Pittsburgh  but  in  the  fall  of 
1908  was  attracted  by  the  opportunities  of  the  growing  northwest  and  came  to  Boise, 
where  he  has  since  followed  his  profession.  He  was  associated  with  Samuel  H.  Hays,  a 
connection  that  was  maintained  for  over  ten  years,  and  in  1920  he  became  associated 
with  A.  A.  Fraser,  a  well  known  and  prominent  member  of  the  Boise  bar.  Mr.  Carter 
has  been  connected  with  much  important  litigation  and  enjoys  a  merited  reputation 
as  an  able  advocate  and  counsellor.  He  is  ever  actuated  by  a  laudable  ambition  for 
professional  success  and  his  devotion  to  his  clients'  interests  is  proverbial,  yet  he 
never  forgets  that  he  owes  a  still  higher  allegiance  to  the  majesty  of  the  law. 

Mr.  Carter  is  a  Presbyterian  in  religious  faith  and  his  political  belief  is  that  of 
the  republican  party.  He  stands  stanchly  in  support  of  every  cause  or  measure  in 
which  he  believes  and  his  position  upon  any  vital  question  is  never  an  equivocal  one. 
He  is  a  man  of  pleasing  personality,  genial  and  courteous  at  all  times,  and  his 
strongly  marked  characteristics  are  those  which  make  for  personal  popularity. 


REV.  ALONZO  C.  LATHROP. 

Rev.  Alonzo  C.  Lathrop,  pastor  of  the  Emmett  Baptist  church,  to  which  he  accepted 
a  call  in  June,  1913,  had  for  nineteen  years  previously  been  a  representative  of  the 
Baptist  ministry  in  Pennsylvania  and  came  to  the  northwest  from  the  Baptist  -Church 
at  Mount  Union,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  had  served  for  nearly  five  years.  He  was 
born  at  Norwich,  New  York,  March  6,  1867,  being  the  only  son  of  Levi  Albert  and 
Jennie  E.  (Lloyd)  Lathrop,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Empire  state.  The 
father  was  of  French  descent  and  the  mother  of  English  lineage  and  the  former 
belonged  to  one  of  the  old  families  represented  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  while  he 
served  with  the  New  York  troops  in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war,  being  one 
of  the  first  to  answer  President  Lincoln's  call  4 or  volunteers.  In  days  of  peace  he 
followed  the  pursuit  of  farming. 

When  Alonzo  C.  Lathrop  was  but  five  years  of  age  he  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Delaware  and  was  reared  at  Wyoming,  that  state.  He  pursued  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Delaware  and  in  the  Wyoming  Institute,  after  which  he  attended 
the  Bucknell  University  at  Lewisburg,  Pennsylvania,  being  there  graduated  with 
the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  in  the  class  of  1894.  Three  years  later,  or  in  1897,  his 
alma  mater  conferred  upon  him  the  Master  of  Arts  degree.  He  was  licensed  to 
preach  on  the  4th  of  August,  1888,  and  was  ordained  on  the  30th  of  August,  1894. 
He  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  active  work  of  the  ministry  and  in  fact  has  been, 
devoting  his  life  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  since  1894.  He  remained  continuously 
in  Pennsylvania  until  coming  to  Emmett,  Idaho,  where  he  has  been  pastor  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  15 

Baptist  church  for  seven  years.  He  has  a  nice  suburban  home  of  one  and  a  half  acres 
lying  just  east  of  Emmett,  so  that  he  is  enabled  to  enjoy  the  freedom  and  out-of-door  life 
of  the  ranch  and  yet  neglect  no  pastoral  duty. 

At  Woodside,  Delaware,  on  the  24th  of  October,  1894,  Rev.  Lathrop  was  married  to 
Miss  Anna  M.  Barbour,  who  was  born  in  Delaware,  December  12,  1867,  and  Is  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  M.  and  Martha  Frances  (Powell)  Barbour,  the  latter  a  descendant 
of  Revolutionary  war  ancestry.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Lathrop  have  become  parents  of  three 
children:  Martha  J.,  born  July  21,  1895;  Anah  Beatrice,  who  was  born  April  6,  1898,  and 
was  married  December  24,  1919,  to  Cort  Zimmerman  of  Emmett;  and  Carleton  Alonzo, 
born  July  8,  1899.  Both  daughters  have  been  teachers  in  the -public  schools  of  Emmett, 
the  elder  daughter  being  teacher  of  mathematics  in  the  high  school,  while  the  younger 
was  a  teacher  in  the  eighth  grade.  Martha  is  a  graduate  of  McMinnville  College  of 
Oregon  and  Anah  has  studied  in  the  State  Normal  School  of  Lewiston,  Idaho.  The 
son  is  now  in  McMinnville  College  as  a  member  of  the  senior  class  and  was  in  the 
Students  Army  Training  Corps  at  Denison  University  of  Granville,  Ohio,  when  the 
armistice  was  signed. 

Rev.  Lathrop  has  devoted  practically  his  entire  life  to  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
He  is  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments,  constantly  reading  and  studying  in  order  to  render 
more  effective  his  labors  for  the  benefit  of  mankind.  He  has  done  excellent  work  for 
the  church  since  coming  to  Emmett  and  has  been  a  potent  force  in  the  moral  progress 
of  the  community. 


CAPTAIN  CHARLES  F.  DIENST. 

Captain  Charles  F.  Dienst,  who  is  principal  of  the  Boise  high  school  and  whose 
title  is  the  merited  recognition  of  valuable  service  rendered  in  the  World  war  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Expeditionary  Force,  was  born  upon  a  farm  in  northwestern  Mis- 
souri, November  27,  1886,  and  is  a  son  of  John  William  and  Sophia  (Buschling) 
Dienst,  the  former  of  whom  is  a  native  of  Germany.  The  father  came  to  the  United 
States  as  a  lad  of  sixteen  years,  crossing  the  Atlantic  with  an  older  brother  in  1866. 
He  was  married  in  Missouri  in  1876  to  Miss  Sophia  Buschling,  who  was  born  in 
Keokuk,  Iowa,  of  German  parentage.  Mr.  Dienst  died  upon  his  home  farm  in  north- 
western Missouri,  May  6,  1919,  while  his  son  Charles  F.  was  still  abroad  with  the 
American  forces  in  France,  the  father's  death  being  occasioned  by  influenza.  The 
mother  survives  and  yet  occupies  the  old  home  farm  in  Missouri.  Their  family  num- 
bered nine  children,  six  sons  and  three  daughters,  five  sons  and  two  daughters  have 
reached  adult  age. 

Captain  Dienst,  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  this  family,  was  reared  upon 
the  home  farm  with  the  usual  experiences  of  the  farm-bred  boy.  He  supplemented  his 
early  educational  opportunities  by  study  in  the  University  of  Missouri  at  Columbia, 
where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1914,  and  at  Columbia  University,  New  York 
City.  In  the  meantime,  however,  when  but  eighteen  years  of  age  he  had  become  a 
teacher  in  the  Missouri  schools  and  through  that  means  he  earned  the  money  that 
enabled  him  to  pursue  his  university  course. 

When  America  entered  the  war  with  Germany  in  1917  he  was  a  member  of  th« 
faculty  of  the  University  of  Missouri.  In  May  he  joined  the  first  officers  training 
camp  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  and  in  August,  1917,  was  commissioned  a  first  lieutenant 
of  infantry,  and  was  assigned  to  the  Eighty-Ninth  Division  of  the  National  Army. 
He  went  abroad  in  May,  1918,  and  spent  one  year  overseas.  His  service  records  shows: 
"Occupation  of  Lucoy  sector.  August  5th,  1918,  to  September  12.  1918;  Saint  Mihiel 
offensive,  September  12,  1918,  to  September  16,  1918;  Euwezin  sector,  September  16, 

1918,  to  October  7,   1918;    Meuse-Argonne  offensive,  October  20  to  November  11,   1918. 
Army  of  Occupation.  Germany.  November   24,  1918  to  May  6,   1919."     Discharged  May 
28,   1919,  Camp  Upton,   New  York.     He  was  promoted  to  the  rank   of  captain  on   the 
Argonne   field   the  1st   of  November.   1918,   and   returned  to  his   native   land    in   May, 

1919.  During  the  summer  of  that  year  he  was  engaged  in   writing  a  history  of  the 
Three  Hundred  and  Fifty-third  United  States  Infantry. 

Captain  Dienst  was  elected  principal  of  the  Boise  high  school  in  August,  1919,  to 
succeed  O.  O.  Young,  and  is  now  directing  the  educational  interests  under  his  charge. 
Already  he  has  proven  himself  an  able  educator,  imparting  clearly  and  readily  to 


16  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

others  the  knowledge  that  he  has  acquired,  and  since  coming  to  Boise  has  given 
general  satisfaction  as  high  school  principal. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1918,  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas,  Captain  Dienst  was  married  to 
Miss  Lillian  H.  Hawk,  a  teacher  of  the  state  of  Ohio  and  a  graduate  of  the  Ohio 
State  University.  They  now  have  one  daughter,  Marian  Jean,  who  was  born 
February  28,  1919,  while  Captain  Dienst  was  overseas,  her  birth  occurring  at  Mansfield, 
Ohio. 

Captain  Dienst  is  a  member  of  the  national  professional  fraternity  of  Phi  Delta 
Kappa,  the  Boise  Rotary  Club,  and  also  belongs  to  John  M.  Regan  Post  of  the  American 
Legion  at  Boise,  while  along  the  line  of  his  profession  he  is  connected  with  the  Idaho 
State  Teachers  Association  and  the  National  Education  Association. 


McKEEN  F.  MORROW. 

x 

McKeen  F.  Morrow,  a  member  of  the  Boise  law  firm  of  Richards  &  Haga,  with 
offices  in  the  Idaho  building,  was  born  at  Challis,  Custer  county,  this  state,  May  25, 
1887,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  James  Birney  Morrow,  a  prominent  cattleman  who  came 
to  Idaho  in  1867  from  New  York.  His  remaining  days  were  passed  in  the  northwest 
and  he  died  in  Boise  in  1909,  having  removed  with  his  family  to  the  capital  city 
about  twenty-one  years  before.  The  mother  survives  and  now  makes  her  home  at 
No.  420  Washington  street  in  Boise,  and  with  her  lives  her  son,  McKeen  F.,  whose 
name  introduces  this  review.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Vira  Skiff  and 
she,  too,  was  born  and  reared  in  the  Empire  state,  becoming  the  wife  of  Mr.  Morrow 
in  New  York  in  1880. 

McKeen  F.  Morrow  was  graduated  from  the  Boise  high  school  with  the  class  of 
1903,  winning  first  honors  in  his  class.  He  afterward  became  a  student  in  the  University 
of  Idaho,  which  he  attended  from  1904  until  1907,  and  in  the  latter  year  he  won  a 
Rhodes  scholarship  and  was  graduated  from  Oxford  University  in  1909,  receiving  the 
Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  in  the  Honor  School  of  Jurisprudence.  From  1910  until  1912 
ho  was  a  law  student  in  the  University  of  Chicago,  graduating  in  March,  1912,  and  he 
was  admitted  to  the  Idaho  bar  in  the  same  year.  He  has  since  been  associated  with  the 
law  firm  of  Richards  &  Haga,  with  offices  in  the  Idaho  building,  this  being  one  of 
the  foremost  law  firms  of  the  state,  the  partners  being  Judge  J.  H.  Richards,  O.  O. 
Haga,  McKeen  F.  Morrow  and  J.  L.  Eberle.  This  association  with  older  men  of 
broad  experience  has  been  of  great  benefit  to  the  younger  partners  and  Mr.  Morrow, 
building  his  success  upon  wide  general  as  well  as  professional  knowledge,  is  making 
rapid  and  gratifying  progress  at  the  bar. 

Mr.  Morrow  served  in  the  United  States  army  from  June  13,  1918,  until  January 
24,  1919,  as  a  member  of  the  Signal  Corps  in  American  training  camps.  He  is  now 
a  member  of  John  M.  Regan  Post  of  the  American  Legion.  He  has  attained  the 
fourteenth  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite  in  Masonry  and  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Idaho  State  Bar  Association. 


LEWIS  WILLIAMS. 

Lewis  Williams,  collector  of  internal  revenue  for  the  district  of  Idaho,  was  born 
in  Samaria,  Oneida  county,  this  state,  November  19,  1874.  He  is  the  youngest  of 
thirteen  children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living,  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  The 
parents,  William  W.  and  Mary  (Hodge)  Williams,  were  born  in  Wales  and  were 
married  in  that  little  rock  ribbed  country,  becoming  the  parents  of  three  children  ere 
they  left  their  native  land.  The  family  was  a  prominent  one  in  Wales  and  was  the 
possessor  of  a  coat-of-arms.  Many  members  of  the  family  have  become  widely  known, 
including  the  famous  Roger  Williams,  apostle  of  religious  freedom  and  founder  of 
the  colony  of  Rhode  Island.  The  parents  of  Lewis  Williams  came  to  the  United  States 
prior  to  the  Civil  war  as  converts  to  the  Mormon  faith  and  for  several  years  resided 
In  Pennsylvania,  but  later  continued  their  westward  journey  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
The  father  was  a  collier  and  stonecutter  by  occupation  and  during  his  residence  in 
Salt  Lake  he  worked  for  ten  years  on  the  Mormon  temple  of  that  city,  which  was 
then  being  erected.  He  had  charge  of  the  stone  cutters  employed  in  the  construction 


LEWIS  WILLIAMS 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  19 

of  the  Logan  temple,  which  was  erected  at  a  great  cost  and  which  required  a  great 
many  years  to  build.  He  laid  the  first  and  last  stones  of  that  temple.  About  1871  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Oneida  county,  Idaho,  and  settled  at  Samaria,  where  he 
and  his  wife  spent  their  remaining  days.  The  father  died  in  1912  and  the  mother 
passed  away  in  1894.  Mr.  Williams  was  quite  prominent  locally  in  Oneida  county  and 
was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  first  irrigation  project  of  that  locality. 

Lewis  Williams  was  reared  and  educated  in  Oneida  county  and  in  young  manhood 
he  served  as  a  Mormon  missionary  for  twenty-seven  months  in  South  Wales — the  home 
of  his  forefathers.  After  his  return  to  his  native  land  he  followed  farming  and  mer- 
chandising in  Samaria.  He  has  always  given  his  political  allegiance  to  the  democratic 
party  and  was  elected  assessor  of  Oneida  county  in  1916,  resigning  that  position  to 
become  deputy  collector  of  internal  revenue,  to  which  office  he  was  appointed  on  the 
23rd  of  May,  1917.  He  continued  to  act  in  that  capacity  until  August  5,  1919,  when 
President  Woodrow  Wilson  appointed  him  to  his  present  position — that  of  collector 
of  internal  revenue  for  the  district  of  Idaho,  established  by  act  of  congress. 

In  the  Mormon  temple  at  Logan,  Utah,  Mr.  Williams  was  united  in  marriage  on  the 
9th  of  January,  1895,  to  Miss  Sarah  Morse,  also  a  native  of  Samaria,  Idaho,  and 
a  schoolmate  of  his  boyhood  days.  Her  parents  were  William  and  Margaret  (Evans) 
Morse,  who  came  to  this  country  from  Wales  and  were  among  the  early  pioneers 
of  the  western  country.  Like  Mr.  Williams'  parents,  they  crossed  the  plains,  walking 
more  than  a  thousand  miles.  Both  have  passed  away  and  were  laid  to  rest  in  the 
little  village  of  Samaria,  where  Mr.  Williams'  parents  are  also  interred.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Williams  have  been  born  ten  children,  but  Mary,  Margaret  and  William  all  died 
in  infancy.  Those  still  living  are:  Stella,  who  is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of 
Idaho;  Lewis  M.;  Joseph  R.;  Sarah  May;  Milton  M. ;  Thora;  and  Edris. 

A  lifelong  resident  of  this  state,  Mr.  Williams  has  contributed  in  no  small  measure 
to  the  development  and  progress  of  the  districts  in  which  he  has  lived  and  of  the 
state  in  general,  and  he  is  now  making  a  most  capable  official  by  the  prompt  and 
faithful  manner  in  which  he  is  discharging  his  duties. 


REV.  JOSEPH  H.  BARTON,  D.  D. 

Rev.  Joseph  H.  Barton,  D.  D.,  who  has  been  in  the  active  ministry  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century,  came  to  Boise  in  1885  from  Penn- 
sylvania to  accept  the  pastorate  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  this  city.  He  has 
since  been  a  representative  of  the  Presbyterian  ministry  in  Idaho  save  for  a  period 
of  four  years  when  he  was  pastor  of  a  church  at  Union,  Oregon.  His  residence 
during  a  large  part  of  the  time  since  1885  has  been  in  Boise,  and  continuing  to  make  his 
home  and  headquarters  here,  he  has  for  the  past  fifteen  years  acted  as  superintendent 
of  home  missions  for  the  state  under  the  auspices  of  the  general  board  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

Dr.  Barton  was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  Pennsylvania,  April  2,  1856,  a  son  of 
Ebenezer  Barton,  who  was  a  carpenter  and  died  when  his  son  was  but  a  year  old. 
The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rebecca  Craft  and  she  was  of  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  stock,  while  Mr.  Barton's  ancestors  were  from  New  England  and  were  of  English 
lineage.  A  brother  of  Dr.  Barton  became  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  church,  while 
he  has  two  half  brothers  who  are  Presbyterian  clergymen.  The  mother,  after  the  death 
of  her  first  husband,  became  the  wife  of  William  Cowan.  As  stated,  she  became  the 
mother  of  four  sons  who  entered  the  ministry:  William  Barton,  now  deceased;  Rev. 
Joseph  H.  Barton,  of  this  review;  and  David  C.  and  James  A.  Cowan. 

In  the  acquirement  of  his  education  Dr.  Joseph  H.  Barton  was  graduated  from 
the  Washington  and  Jefferson  College  of  Pennsylvania  In  1881  with  the  Bachelor  of 
Arts  degree,  and  in  1911  his  alma  mater  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity.  In  early  manhood  he  taught  school  for  several  years  In  Pennsylvania,  taking 
up  the  work  when  but  sixteen  years  of  age.  After  a  few  years,  however,  he  began 
preparation  for  the  ministry,  which  has  been  his  chosen  life  work,  with  Idaho  largely 
as  the  scene  of  his  labors.  He  continued  at  Boise  for  eight  years,  from  1885  until 
1893.  In  1893  he  went  to  Caldwell,  Idaho,  and  was  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
church  there  for  four  years  and  at  the  same  time  was  one  of  the  instructors  in  the 
College  of  Idaho  at  Caldwell.  In  1897  he  became  general  organizer  of  the  Presbyterian 
Sunday  schools  for  the  synod  of  Utah,  which  included  the  states  of  Utah  and  Idaho, 


20  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

continuing  to  act  in  that  capacity  until  1900,  during  whicfl  time  he  resided  at  his 
present  home  at  No.  1210  Idaho  -street  in  Boise,  which  property  has  been  owned  by  him 
since  1886.  In  1901  he  accepted  the  pastorate  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Union, 
Oregon,  where  he  labored  until  1905,  but  with  the  exception  of  this  period  of  four 
years  spent  in  Oregon,  Dr.  Barton  has  been  continuously  a  resident  of  this  state 
since  1885. 

It  was  on  the  29th  of  June,  1886,  at  Bellevue,  Idaho,  that  Dr.  Barton  was  married 
to  Miss  Eva  Craig,  who  was  born  in  Clarion  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Washington  Female  Seminary.  She,  too,  had  been  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  Pennsylvania  prior  to  her  marriage  and  she  also  taught  in  the  College  of 
Idaho  at  the  same  time  her  husband  was  an  instructor  in  that  institution.  Their 
only  child,  Craig  Barton,  a  bright,  promising  lad,  died  of  spinal  meningitis  when  but 
twelve  years  of  age.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Barton  began  their  domestic  life  in  the  home 
they  now  occupy  and  where  they  have  lived  continuously  since  1886  save  for  a 
period  of  nine  years.  This  residence  was  formerly  the  home  of  one  of  Idaho's 
governors. 

Dr.  Barton  and  his  wife  both  have  a  wide  acquaintance  throughout  Idaho.  While  he 
has  been  in  the  active  work  of  the  ministry  and  in  home  missionary  work,  Mrs.  Barton 
has  been  just  as  active  along  other  lines,  having  been  one  of  the  foremost  women  in 
the  state  in  the  temperance  movement,  the  women's  suffrage  movement,  in  women's 
club  work  and  in  war  work.  She  was  the  first  president  of  the  Woman's  Christian, 
Temperance  Union  in  Idaho,  was  prominent  in  organized  .Sunday  school  work  in. 
the  city  and  state  for  many  years,  was  the  first  president  of  the  Boise  Mothers' 
Congress  and  the  second  state  president  of  the  Mothers'  Congress,  was  instrumental  in 
organizing  the  women's  missionary  work  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the  synod  of 
Idaho  and  for  over  thirty  years  remained  the  leader  thereof.  She  was  also  formerly 
active  in  the  Columbian  Club  of  Boise  and  she, is  now  an  honorary  member  of  the 
National  Women's  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Dr.  Barton 
organized  the  State  Christian  Endeavor  Union  and  for  five  years  served  as  its  presi- 
dent. He  was  chaplain  of  the  territorial  legislature  during  the  fourteenth  and 
fifteenth  sessions,  was  superintendent  of  public  instruction  for  Ada  county  for  one 
term  and  was  appointed  by  Governor  Hawley  to  represent  Idaho  in  the  Third  National 
Peace  Conference,  which  met  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  in  May,  1911.  Thus  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Barton  have  been  most  active  along  all  those  lines  which  make  for  the  uplift  of 
the  individual  and  the  advancement  of  high  moral  standards.  They  have  utilized 
all  those  forces  which  mean  progress  toward  the  right  and  their  influence  has  been  most 
far-reaching  and  resultant. 


BURTON   0.   CLARK,    M.    D. 

Dr.  Burton  O.  Clark,  who  for  twenty-one  months  was  in  active  service  in 
France  during  the  World  war  and  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  physician 
and  surgeon  of  Idaho  who  won  the  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel,  has  recently  resumed 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Emmett,  to  which  he  was  giving  his  attention  prior  to 
America's  entrance  into  the  great  conflict.  A  native  of  Missouri,  he  was  born  on 
a  farm  near  Sheridan,  in  Nodaway  county,  on  the  19th  of  March,  1876,  being  the 
younger  of  the  two  sons  of  William  H.  and  Judith  Mahala  (North)  Clark,  the 
former  now  deceased,  while  the  latter  is  still  living.  The  father  was  born  at  Guilford, 
Connecticut,  February  17,  1838,  and  devoted  his  entire  life  to  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing, passing  away  at  Sheridan,  Missouri,  when  seventy-two  years  of  age.  His  wife 
was  born  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  although  now  seventy-nine  years  of  age,  is 
still  active  and  vigorous  and  yet  makes  her  home  at  Sheridan,  Missouri,  where  she 
and  her  husband  took  up  their  abode  Just  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  war.  On  the 
paternal  side  Dr.  Clark  comes  of  Revolutionary  war  ancestry. 

Reared  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Nodaway  county,  Missouri,  Dr.  Clark  after 
attending  the  common  schools  was  sent  by  his  parents  to  a  Dunkard  college  at 
McPherson,  Kansas,  for  three  years,  his  father  and  mother  being  of  that  religious 
faith.  He  left  the  institution  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  remained  upon  the 
home  farm  until  the  age  of  twenty-six,  conducting  the  place  after  his  father's  death.  In 
the  meantime,  or  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  he  was  married  and  when  twenty-six 
years  of  age  he  left  the  farm  to  enter  a  medical  college  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  from 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  21 

which  he  was  graduated  with  honors  in  1907.  He  at  once  came  to  Idaho  and  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  has  since  successfully  followed.  He 
had  built  up  a  large  practice  of  an  important  character  prior  to  America's  entrance 
into  the  World  war,  but  feeling  that  his  first  duty  was  to  his  country,  he  joined  the 
army,  leaving  Boise  for  overseas  duty  with  the  Idaho  Field  Hospital  Corps,  consisting 
of  eighty  men,  all  of  whom  returned  home  with  one  exception.  Dr.  Clark  was  in 
service  in  France  for  twenty-one  months  and  had  the  distinction  of  being  advanced 
to  the  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel.  He  arrived  in  New  York  on  the  15th  of  September, 
1919,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  on  the  6th  of  October,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Emmett.  He  had  become  commanding  officer  at  Camp  Hospital  No.  26  at  St. 
Aignan,  France,  where  under  him  were  forty-five  doctors,  fifty  nurses  and  four  hundred 
men  who  served  as  hospital  attendants.  The  camp  hospital  at  St.  Aignan  had  two 
thousand  beds  for  patients.  During  the  course  of  the  war  fifty  thousand  patients  were 
handled  through  this  hospital  and  credit  is  given  it  by  the  war  department  for  being1 
the  best  camp  hospital  in  France  and  the  busiest.  Every  special  department  of 
practice  was  there  actively  used,  including  surgery,  medical  practice  and  the  treatment 
of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  also  the  X-ray  and  other  branches  of  professional 
service,  each  represented  by  a  noted  expert  who  had  several  assistants.  The  first 
replacement  depot  was  also  at  St.  Aignan  and  about  five  hundred  thousand  soldiers 
of  the  A.  E.  F.  were  put  through  this  depot.  Only  one  per  cent  of  the  number  died, 
which  is  considered  a  remarkable  record.  Dr.  Clark  was  the  depot  surgeon  there  for 
a  period  of  six  months.  After  the  close  of  hostilities,  when  the  necessity  for  active 
professional  service  had  somewhat  ceased,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Clark  visited  all  the 
famous  battlefields  of  the  war  and  during  the  progress  of  the  war  he  visited  the 
hospitals  and  aid  stations  extending  from  the  front  line  trenches  clear  back  to  the 
hospital  ships.  He  was  in  Paris  the  day  the  first  shell  from  the  famous  German 
long-range  gun  fell  in  the  city,  and  during  that  day  a  shell  from  the  gun  fell  every 
twelve  minutes  and  on  the  second  day  every  six  minutes. 

In  1916  Dr.  Clark  had  taken  a  post-graduate  course  in  Chicago,  but  his  greatest  post- 
graduate work  came  to  him  during  his  twenty-one  months  in  a  war  hospital  overseas 
— an  experience  never  to  be  forgotten.  He  is  now  engaged  again  in  active  practice  at 
Emmett  and  many  of  his  old  patrons  are  returning  to  him,  while  many  new  ones 
are  indicating  the  value  of  his  professional  knowledge  and  experience  by  securing* 
his  services. 

Dr.  Clark  has  two  sons:  Floy  W.,  twenty-one  years  of  age;  and  Raymond  S.,  aged 
seventeen.  The  former  served  in  France  during  the  World  war,  reaching  the  rank  of 
second  lientenant  though  he  was  only  nineteen  years  of  age  when  the  armistice  was 
signed.  He  is  now  a  student  in  Leland  Stanford  University,  while  the  younger  son  is 
a  senior  in  the  high  school  at  Boise.  In  1909  Dr.  Clark  erected  one  of  the  handsomest 
homes  in  Emmett.  He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  member  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine  and  is  a  past  master  of  Butte  Lodge,  No.  37,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  which  position 
he  filled  for  three  years.  He  likewise  has  membership  with  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  a  democrat  in 
politics  and  in  1916  was  a  delegate  to  the  national  democratic  convention  at  St.  Louis 
that  renominated  Woodrow  Wilson.  He  belongs  to  the  Idaho  State  Medical  Society 
and  to  the  American  Medical  Association  and  was  a  member  of  the  Idaho  state 
board  of  health  when  he  entered  the  war.  All  honor  is  due  him  for  the  splendid 
record  which  he  made  overseas  and  the  spirit  of  patriotism  which  he  displayed  in 
making  his  duty  to  his  country  paramount  to  every  other  interest  of  his  life. 


PROFESSOR  CLAWSON  YOUNG  CANNON. 

Professor  Clawson  Young  Cannon,  teacher  of  agriculture  in  the  Boise  high  school 
and  manager  of  the  Boise  high  school  farm,  a  position  which  he  has  held  for  five 
years,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City.  Utah,  October  27,  1885,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late 
George  Q.  Cannon,  who  was  one  of  the  highest  officials  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints,  being  first  counselor  to  the  president  of  the  church  for  many 
vears.  He  was  likewise  a  most  prominent  and  influential  citizen  in  connection  with 
business  and  public  affairs  and  did  much  to  shape  the  destiny  and  promote  the  develop- 
ment of  Utah  He  was  born  in  England  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1849  as  a 
convert  to  the  church.  He  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Utah  and  con- 


22  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

tinued  his  residence  there  until  his  death  in  1901,  leaving  an  indelible  impress  upon 
the  history  of  the  state.  The  mother  of  Professor  Cannon  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Caroline  Young  and  was  a  daughter  of  Brigham  Young,  head  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

Professor  Cannon  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  of  Utah,  being 
graduated  from  the  Utah  Agricultural  College  with  the  class  of  1913.  Prior  to  that^ 
date,  or  from  1905  until  1908,  he  was  a  missionary  of  the  church  in  Belgium.  After  com- 
pleting his  course  of  study  he  taught  for  a  year  in  the  Utah  Agricultural  College  and 
since  December,  1914,  has  been  a  teacher  of  agriculture  in  the  Boise  high  school,  in 
connection  with  which  he  manages  the  high  school  farm  northwest  of  the  city,  making 
his  home  upon  this  farm,  which  was  developed  under  his  direction.  In  addition  he  is 
engaged  in  the  breeding  of  registered  Jersey  cattle  on  his  own  account  and  already 
possesses  a  fair-sized  herd,  which  he  maintains  on  a  farm  which  he  leases  for  this  pur- 
pose and  which  is  situated  near  the  high  school  farm.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the 
American  Jersey  Cattle  Club  and  he  is  keenly  interested  in  everything  that  has  to  do 
with  scientific -breeding  of  cattle.  As  an  instructor  he  is  doing  splendid  work,  leading 
his  pupils  to  thoroughly  understand  not  only  the  actual  work  of  the  farm  but  the  scien- 
tific processes  which  result  in  crop  production. 

On  the  llth  of  September,  1913,  Professor  Cannon  was  married  to  Miss  Winnifred 
Morrell,  a  native  of  Utah  and  also  a  representative  of  one  of  the  families  connected  with 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  there,  both  Professor  Cannon  and  his 
wife  being  still  members  of  the  church.  They  have  three  children,  two  sons  and  a 
daughter:  Rowland  M.,  who  was  born  June  2,  1914;  Robert  Young,  September  11,  1917; 
and  Winnifred,  November  14,  1919. 

Professor  Cannon  belongs  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce.  A  young  man  of 
liberal  education,  "well  descended  and  well  bred,"  he  is  leaving  the  impress  of  his 
individuality  upon  the  educational  history  of  the  state  and  his  labors  are  producing 
direct  results  along  the  line  of  agricultural  progress. 


HON.   EDWARD  B.  ARTHUR. 

Hon.  Edward  B.  Arthur,  a  well  known  live  stock  dealer  who  recently  took  up 
his  abode  at  Ivywild,  a  suburb  of  South  Boise,  has  lived  a  most  progressive  life, 
characterized  at  all  times  by  enterprise,  resulting  in  the  wise  use  of  his  time,  his 
talents  and  his  opportunities.  He  removed  from  Carey,  Idaho,  to  Ivywild  and  through- 
out his  entire  life  he  has  been  a  resident  of  the  west. 

His  birth  occurred  at  Tooele,  Utah,  August  16,  1869,  his  parents  being  Edward  J. 
and  Catherine  (Bennett)  Arthur,  who  were  of  the  Mormon  faith.  The  father  was 
born  in  Wales  and  the  mother  in  England  and  with  their  respective  parents  they 
came  to  the  United  States,  both  the  Arthur  and  Bennett  families  crossing  the  Atlantic 
and  making  their  way  to  Utah  as  converts  to  the  teachings  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  m 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  The  parents  of  Edward  B.  Arthur  were  married  in  1868 
and  he  was  the  eldest  of  their  family  of  twelve  children,  five  sons  and  seven  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  three  sons  and  four  daughters  are  yet  living.  The  mother  died  in 
1889,  but  the  father  survives  and  yet  makes  his  home  in  Utah,  where  most  of  his 
children  are  living. 

Edward  B.  Arthur  was  reared  in  the  Rush  valley  of  Utah  upon  his  father's 
ranch  and  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools,  while  later  he  attended 
the  Brigham  Young  College  at  Provo.  Since  starting  out  in  the  business  world  he  has 
given  his  attention  to  the  raising  of  live  stock,  handling  sheep  and  cattle.  He  has 
manifested  untiring  industry  and  marked  enterprise  in  the  conduct  of  his  business 
affairs,  and  his  sound  judgment  and  energy  have  been  salient  features  in  the  attain- 
ment of  substantial  success. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1900,  in  St.  John,  in  Rush  valley,  Utah,  Mr.  Arthur  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Myrtle  Ann  Eldredge,  who  was  born  in  Coalville,  Summit 
county,  Utah,  May  13,  1881,  a  daughter  of  Hyrum  and  Julia  (Phippen)  Eldredge,  who 
were  also  representatives  of  old  Mormon  families.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur  have  become 
the  parents  of  seven  daughters,  constituting  a  family  of  whom  they  have  every  rea- 
son to  be  proud.  These  are  Myrtle  Eleanor,  Gladys  Afton,  Catherine  Julia,  Rhea  May, 
Fmily  Beth.  Phyllis  Eldredge  and  Margaret,  their  ages  ranging  from  seventeen  to 
three  years. 


EDWARD  B.  ARTHUR 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  25 

It  was  in  1903  that  Mr.  Arthur  removed  with  his  family  from  Utah  to  Carey, 
Idaho,  and  he  lived  in  that  town  and  vicinity  until  1917.  In  the  fall  of  the  latter 
year  he  established  his  family  in  an  attractive  home  in  Boise  and  spent  the  following 
winter  in  the  capital  in  order  to  send  his  oldest  children  to  the  Boise  high  school. 
The  summer  of  1918  was  spent  by  the  family  on  Mr.  Arthur's  ranch  two  and  a  half 
miles  from  Carey,  this  property  comprising  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  rich 
and  valuable  land.  Mr.  Arthur  purchased  a  half  of  the  property  in  1902  and  located 
thereon  in  that  year.  He  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business 
since  coming  to  Idaho  and  his  two  younger  brothers,  John  B.  and  Evan  B.,  have  been 
associated  with  him  in  the  raising  of  sheep  and  cattle  under  the  firm  style  of  Arthur 
Brothers.  The  firm  often  has  as  many  as  ten  thousand  sheep  and  several  hundred 
head  of  cattle.  Edward  B.  Arthur  and  his  two  brothers  have  prospered  during  the 
period  of  their  residence  in  Idaho  and  are  now  rich  men.  They  own  in  all  over  twenty- 
five  hundred  acres  of  ranch  land  in  Idaho  in  addition  to  their  large  flocks  and  herds, 
and  in  the  management  of  their  business  they  display  sound  judgment  and  indefatigable 
enterprise.  Edward  B.  Arthur  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Carey  State  Bank  and 
owns  the  business  conducted  under  the  name  of  the  Service  Motor  Company  on  Ban- 
nock street  in  Boise,  but  stock  raising  claims  the  major  part  of  his  time  and  atten- 
tion. In  the  spring  of  1919  forty-six  hundred  ewes  owned  by  the  Arthur  Brothers 
sheared  an  average  of  eleven  pounds  of  wool  to  the  head.  Edward  B.  Arthur  belongs 
to  the  National  Wool  Growers  Association,  to  the  Idaho  Wool  Growers  Association 
and  also  to  the  Idaho  Horse  &  Cattle  Breeders  Association  and  thus  he  keeps  in  touch 
with  modern  business  methods  along  his  chosen  line  and  with  all  scientific  knowledge 
appertaining  thereto. 

In  the  fall  of  1918  Mr.  Arthur  again  brought  his  family  to  Boise  that  his  daughters 
might  attend  the  high  school.  In  September,  1918,  he  established  his  present  resi- 
dence in  Ivywild,  here  occupying  a  fine  home,  which  he  purchased  in  March,  1918. 
It  is  one  of  the  handsomest  suburban  homes  about  Boise,  being  a  two-story  dwelling 
of  cut  stone,  standing  in  the  midst  of  an  acre  of  ground.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Arthur  is  a  republican  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  Idaho  legislature,  representing 
Blaine  county  during  the  eleventh  session  of  the  general  assembly  during  Governor 
Hawley's  administration.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Fraternally  he  is  an  Elk  and  also  is  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Alert,  and  energetic,  he  is  a  typical  business  man  of 
the  west,  is  a  loyal  and  progressive  citizen  and,  moreover,  is  a  devoted  husband  and 
father  who  finds  his  greatest  happiness  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  his  family. 


JAY  M.  PARRISH. 

Jay  M.  Parrish,  a  member  of  the  Boise  bar,  practicing  successfully  in  this  city  since 
1913,  save  for  the  period  of  his  connection  with  the  United  States  navy  during  the 
World  war,  was  born  at  Kearney,  Nebraska,  August  15,  1891,  his  parents  being  Thomas  J. 
and  Letty  (Megram)  Parrish,  who  are  still  living  at  Kearney,  the  father  being  a  retired 
merchant. 

Jay  M.  Parrish  was  graduated  from  the  Kearney  high  school,  and  in  June,  1913, 
was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Colorado,  after  five  years  devoted  to  study  in 
that  institution,  which  brought  to  him  the  LL.  B.  degree.  He  then  came  to  Boise, 
\vhere  he  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  and  has  since  devoted  his  attention 
to  the  interests  of  his  clients  save  from  the  12th  of  June,  1918,  until  the  1st  of  March, 
1919,  when  he  wore  the  navy  uniform  and  was  numbered  among  the  sailors  of  the  U. 
S.  N.  From  1913  until  1915  he  had  filled  the  office  of  assistant  county  attorney  of 
Ada  county  and  in  his  practice  he  has  made  for  himself  a  creditable  place  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  Boise  bar.  He  is  associated  with  B.  W.  Oppenheim  and  J.  M.  Lampert. 
He  belongs  to  the  Idaho  State  Bar  Association  and  enjoys  the  respect  and  good  will  of 
his  colleagues  in  the  profession. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1915,  Mr.  Parrish  was  married  in  Boise  to  Miss  Ethel 
Elizabeth  Ploeger,  formerly  of  Burley,  Idaho,  but  a  native  of  Guthrie,  Oklahoma.  In 
politics  Mr.  Parrish  is  a  republican  but  has  never  held  office  other  than  the  one  men- 
tioned. He  has,  however,  been  prominent  in  the  public  life  of  the  community.  He 
compiled  the  road  laws,  corporation  laws  and  the  general  election  laws  of  Idaho  during 
1919.  He  is  the  president  of  the  Boise  Automobile  Trade  Association  and  is  chairman 


26  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

of  the  membership  committee  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Fraternally  he  is 
an  Elk  and  a  Master  Mason,  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
He  also  belongs  to  John  M.  Regan  Post  of  the  American  Legion  at  Boise  and  is  a 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Idaho  branch  of  the  American  Legion.  He 
is  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  the  purposes  of  this  organization  to  "carry  on"  and 
promote  the  work  of  the  soldiers  of  the  World  war  by  advocating  Americanization  and 
emphasizing  the  high  ideals  of  democracy. 


J.  LOUIS  EBERLE. 

J.  Louis  Eberle  is  a  lawyer  and  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Richards  &  Haga  of 
Boise,  Idaho,  his  associates  being  Judge  J.  H.  Richards,  Hon.  Oliver  0.  Haga  and 
McKeen  P.  Morrow.  He  was  born  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  October  14,  1890,  and  graduated 
from  the  high  school  at  Butte,  Montana,  in  1908.  He  completed  his  undergraduate 
work  at  the  University  of  Chicago  in  1912  and  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Philosophy.  In  1914  he  graduated  from  the  University  of  Chicago  Law  School, 
receiving  the  degree  of  Juris  Doctor  (cum  laude). 

di  Mr.   Eberle   then  engaged   in   the  general  practice  of  law  at  Butte,   Montana,   for 

nearly  two  years,  coming  to  Boise  in  1915  and  entering  the  employ  of  the  law 
firm  of  which  he  is  now  a  member.  Early  in  1917  he  accepted  the  position  of  office 
attorney  for  the  Idaho  Power  Company  and  the  Boise  Valley  Traction  Company,  and 
filled  such  positions  until  he  resigned  to  enter  the  naval  service,  going  to  the  officers 
training  camp  at  Bremerton,  Washington.  Upon  being  discharged  from  the  navy  he 
returned  to  Boise  and  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Richards  &  Haga. 

On  October  5th,  1918,  Mr.  Eberle  was  married  at  Seattle,  Washington,  to  Miss 
Clare  Holcomb,  daughter  of  W.  G.  Holcomb  of  Idaho.  Mr.  Eberle  is  a  member  of  the 
Phi  Alpha  Delta  fraternity,  Order  of  the  Coif,  Boise  Commercial  Club,  Boise  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  American  Legion,  Elks,  Idaho  Bar  Association  and  is  a  Scottish  Rite 
Mason. 


FRED  W.  JORDAN. 

While  comparatively  a  young  man,  Fred  W.  Jordan  of  Boise  is  numbered  among  the 
pioneers  of  Idaho,  having  been'  a  resident  of  this  state  since  1879  or  for  a  period  of 
forty-one  years;  during  which  time  he  has  gained  an  extensive  acquaintance  throughout 
the  southern  section  of  the  state.  Mr.  Jordan  is  a  native  of  New  York,  his  birth  having 
occurred  near  Elmira,  in  Chemung  county,  on  the  llth  of  November,  1864,  his  parents 
being  Michael  and  Helen  (White)  Jordan,  the  former  a  native  of  the  Empire  state  and 
the  latter  of  Pennsylvania.  They  were  married  in  Pennsylvania  and  for  a  time  were 
residents  of  that  state,  after  which  they  removed  to  New  York,  living  in  Chemung 
county.  Subsequently  they  took  up  their  abode  at  Vinton,  Benton  county,  Iowa,  where 
they  resided  for  two  years,  and  then  went  to  Kansas,  establishing  their  home  in  Wel- 
lington, Sumner  county,  where  they  remained  for  two  and  a  half  years.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period,  or  in  1879,  they  came  to  Idaho  and  the  parents  spent  their  remain- 
ing days  in  or  near  Boise.  However,  Mr.  Jordan  owned  ranch  interests  elsewhere  in 
Idaho.  He  passed  away  in  Boise  in  1916,  while  his  wife  survived  until  1919  and  was 
laid  to  rest  by  his  side  in  the  Morris  Hill  cemetery.  They  are  survived  by  two  sons: 
Fred  W.,  whose  name  introduces  this  review;  and  Archie  Jordan,  who  is  now  a  mining 
man  of  Montana. 

Fred  W.  Jordan  was  a  youth  of  fifteen  years  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Idaho.  He  had  previously  attended  school  in  the  various  localities  where  the  family 
home  had  been  maintained  and  throughout  his  life  he  has  been  largely  engaged  in 
mining,  in  live  stock  raising  and  in  merchandising.  In  early  manhood  he  turned  his 
attention  to  the  cattle  industry,  with  which  he  was  connected  for  twenty-two  years  and 
made  seven  overland  trips  with  cattle  and  horses  from  Oregon  to  points  in  Wyoming 
and  Montana.  At  one  time  he  also  owned  large  landed  interests  in  the  Camas  Prairie 
country  of  Camas  county,  his  possessions  embracing  fourteen  quarter  sections,  now 
worth  about  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  From  1906  until  1908  Mr.  Jordan  was  sales 
manager  for  the  Idaho  Irrigation  Company,  being  connected  with  the  land  department, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  27 

with  headquarters  at  Richfield  and  at  Gooding.  From  1908  until  1910  he  owned  and 
conducted  one  of  the  best  drug  stores  in  the  state  in  the  city  of  Gooding.  To  accom- 
modate this  business  he  and  Ex-Governor  Frank  Gooding  built  what  is  known  as  the 
Merchants  block  in  Gooding — a  white  pressed  brick  two-story  building  which  is  still 
one  of  the  most  substantial  and  attractive  business  houses  of  that  place.  In  1910  Mr. 
Jordan  disposed  of  his  drug  store  and  realty  interests  in  Gooding  and  removed  to 
Boise,  where  he  has  since  carried  on  a  general  land  and  real  estate  business  and  is 
also  interested  in  oil,  his  investments  being  in  oil  property  in  Texas. 

In  May,  1887,  Mr.  Jordan  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Carrie  White,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  sons  and  five  daughters:  Mrs.  Gladys  R. 
Tabler;  Mrs.  Ethel  M.  Roberts;  Mrs.  Helen  H.  Johnson,  of  Seattle;  Marion,  who  is 
employed  as  a  stenographer  and  res-ides  at  home;  Laura,  who  is  also  under  the  parental 
roof;  and  Enoch  Allen  and  Fred  W.,  Jr.,  both  of  whom  are  attending  school  in  Boise. 

Mr.  Jordan  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  and  he  served  for  one  term  as 
commissioner  of  Blaine  county  and  for  one  term  as  a  member  of  the  Idaho  state  senate, 
representing  Gooding  county  in  the  upper  house  during  the  tenth  session.  He  belongs  to 
the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  to  the  Illinois  Commercial  Men's  Association.  He 
is  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing  and  outdoor  sports  and  to  these  turns  for  rest  and 
recreation.  His  business  affairs  have  been  most  capably  conducted,  his  investments 
most  wisely  placed  and  his  sound  judgment  and  enterprise  have  constituted  the  salient 
features  in  his  growing  success.  Dating  his  residence  in  Idaho  from  1879,  he  is 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  history  of  the  state  and  has  been  an  interested  witness  of 
its  progress  from  pioneer  times,  with  their  hardships  and  privations,  to  the  present 
with  its  prosperity  and  opportunities. 


ROBERT  MOBLEY. 

Robert  Mobley  is  one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  Boise,  where  he  has  been  living 
for  nearly  fifty  years,  during  this  period  being  continuously  engaged  in  the  assay 
office,  his  service  commencing  in  1871.  He  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  born  in  Holt  county, 
that  state,  June  17,  1850,  and  now  ranks  as  one  of  the  surviving  members  of  the  band  of 
pioneers  who  settled  in  Idaho  in  an  early  day.  In  company  with  his  parents,  William 
and  Caroline  (Clinger)  Mobley,  he  crossed  the  plains  by  ox-team  in  1854,  going  direct 
to  California,  where  the  mother  died  when  her  son  was  a  mere  lad.  In  1859,  William 
Mobley  took  his  five  children  by  boat  up  to  Corvallis,  Oregon,  but  some  time  later 
he  lived  temporarily  in  Idaho,  after  which  he  returned  to  Oregon,  where  he  died.  All 
of  his  five  children  are  living,  Robert  Mobley  being  the  only  one  in  Idaho. 

Robert  Mobley  removed  from  Oregon  to  Boise  in  1864,  being  then  only  fourteen 
years,  and  he  has  been  living  in  this  part  of  Idaho  ever  since.  During  the  seven  years 
prior  to  1871,  he  worked  at  various  occupations  and  then  entered  the  employ  of  the 
United  States  assay  office  at  Boise,  when  in  his  twenty-first  year.  In  his  youth  he 
was  with  practically  all  the  citizens  of  Boise  and  was  generally  recognized  as  the 
"pet  of  the  town."  When  he  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States  government  it 
was  in  the  capacity  of  a  table  waiter  in  the  mess  house  where  the  laborers  and 
mechanics  who  were  building  the  present  assay  office  got  their  meals.  Later  he  entered 
the  office  of  Judge  John  R.  McBride,  superintendent  of  construction  of  the  assay  office, 
this  being  nearly  fifty  years  ago.  Mr.  Mobley  had  much  to  do  with  the  construction 
of  the  building  and  helped  to  plant  the  original  trees  on  the  grounds  adjacent  to  the 
assay  office,  which  is  now  one  of  the  prettiest  wooded  lots  in  Boise.  He  held  various 
minor  offices  in  the  assay  department  and  was  made  melter,  in  which  position  he 
served  for  twelve  years.  Some  time  later  he  was  appointed  assistant  assayer,  serving 
as  such  for  about  twenty-five  years,  and  he  now  occupies  the  responsible  position  of 
principal  assayer.  Mr.  Mobley  is  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Boise,  his  long 
residence  here  making  him  one  of  the  best  known  men  in  this  part  of  the  state,  where 
he  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem,  and  he  is  now,  as  in  his  early  years,  a  general  favorite 
with  all  classes. 

Mr.  Mobley  was  married  to  Theora  Macy,  who  died  October  6.  1914,  leaving  two 
daughters:  Carolyn  Ella,  wife  of  Lucius  L.  Long,  of  San  Francisco:  and  Mrs.  Roberta 
Alma  Halas,  of  Boise,  who  resides  with  her  father.  Mrs.  Halas  has  one  daughter, 
Olga  Halas,  born  June  18,  1913. 

_Mr.  Mobley  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  order 


28  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

he  is  past  grand  master  of  the  jurisdiction  of  Idaho.  He  was  formerly  an  Elk,  and 
at  present  he  is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  Circle.  He  supports  the 
republican  party  but  has  never  been  a  seeker  after  public  office,  but  gives  a  good 
citizen's  attention  to  all  matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he 
has  resided  for  nearly  fifty  years. 


CORY  A.  PHILPOTT,  D.  D.  S. 

Dr.  Cory  A.  Philpott,  a  practicing  dentist  of  Boise,  where  he  has  made  his  home 
since  1915,  has  in  the  intervening  period  won  an  enviable  place  as  a  representative 
of  his  profession.  He  had  practiced  for  a  number  of  years,  following  his  graduation 
from  the  dental  department  of  the  Northwestern  University  of  Chicago  in  1900.  He 
was  at  that  time  a  young  man  of  twenty-six  years,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  South- 
ern Illinois,  February  26,  1874.  His  father,  Dr.  Charles  Henry  Philpott,  was  also  a 
dentist  by  profession  and  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war.  He  was  born  in  Carroll  county, 
Ohio,  and  died  in  Tecumseh,  Nebraska,  in  1898,  after  having  practiced  dentistry  at 
that  place  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  His  widow  survives  and  is  still  living  at  Lincoln, 
Nebraska.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hattie  E.  Gordon  and  was  born  in  Illinois. 

Dr.  Cory  A.  Philpott,  spending  his  youthful  days  under  the  parental  roof  and  inter- 
estedly watching  his  father's  professional  efforts  decided  to  take  up  the  study  of  den- 
tistry on  his  own  account  and  after  the  completion  of  his  literary  course  entered  North- 
western University  of  Chicago,  where  he  won  his  professional  degree  upon  graduation 
with  the  class  of  1900.  He  had  located  for  practice  in  Tecumseh,  Nebraska,  in  the 
spring  of  1896  and  there  followed  fi"is  profession  for  ten  years,  coming  to  Idaho  in  1906, 
at  which  time  he  located  at  Caldwell,  where  he  opened  an  office  and  practiced  for  nine 
years,  removing  to  Boise  in  1915. 

In  Tecumseh,  Nebraska,  in  1896,  Dr.  Philpott  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Florence  V.  Heilig,  who  had  been  a  schoolmate  of  his  boyhood  days.  Her  parents  had 
removed  to  Tecumseh,  Nebraska,  from  southern  Illinois  in  1879  and  there  she  was 
reared.  Two  sons  and  two  daughters  have  been  born  of  this  marriage:  Harley  G.,  La 
Verne  R.,  Lucile  and  Louise.  The  elder  sen.  twenty-one  years  of  age,  is  now  in  France 
in  the  navy  hospital  service.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Caldwell  high  school.  The  other 
three  are  pupils  in  the  Boise  schools. 

Dr.  Philpott  belongs  to  the  Boise  Elks  Club,  also  to  the  Boise  Commercial  Club 
and  the  Country  Club.  He  is  fond  of  mechanics  and  at  his  home  maintains  a  well 
equipped  machine  shop  for  his  recreation  and  pleasure.  This  mechanical  skill  and 
ingenuity  is  one  of  the  points  in  his  professional  success,  supplementing  as  it  does 
marked  familiarity  with  the  great  scientific  principles  upon  which  dentistry  is  based. 


JACOB  M.  LAMPERT. 

Jacob  M.  Lampert,  one  of  the  prominent  lawyers  of  Boise,  and  junior  member  of 
the  law  firm  of  Oppenheim  &  Lampert,  with  offices  in  the  Idaho  building,  Boise,  is  a 
native  of  Wisconsin,  born  in  Oshkosh,  September  16,  1879,  his  parents  being  Joseph 
and  Susanna  Lampert,  both  of  Swiss  ancestry.  The  father,  who  throughout  his  life 
was  mainly  engaged  at  merchandising,  was  also  born  in  Wisconsin,  in  Outagamie 
county.  February  8,  1849.  His  parents  had  emigrated  from  the  little  republic  of 
Switzerland  in  the  preceding  year  and  settled  in  Wisconsin.  Several  families  of  the 
Lamperts,  all  related,  came  from  Switzerland  on  the  same  ship  in  1848,  and  on  arriving 
in  this  country  the  little  colony  proceeded  westward  and  all  settled  in  the  same  county 
in  Wisconsin,  where  they  became  pioneers.  Joseph  Lampert  is  still  living  and  now 
makes  his  home  in  Stewartsville,  Missouri,  but  his  wife  died  in  1898.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  our  subject  was  Mathias  Lampert  and  the  maternal  grandfather  was  Christian 
Lampert.  The  Hon.  Florian  Lampert,  now  serving  in  congress  from  the  sixth  Wisconsin 
district,  is  a  first  cousin  of  Jacob  M.  Lampert.  Congressman  Lampert  enjoys  the  distinc- 
tion of  having  two  sons  who  graduated  from  West  Point  and  two  sons  from  Annapolis, 
while  five  sons  served  in  France  during  the  World  war,  one  of  whom  made  the  supreme 
sacrifice. 

Jacob  M.  Lampert,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  in  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin. 


DR.  CORY  A.  PHILPOTT 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  31 

and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  place,  graduating  from  the  high  school  there 
in  1895.  Some  time  later  he  entered  the  law  office  of  the  Hon.  Gabe  Bouck,  of  Oshkosh, 
who  in  his  day  was  one  of  the  most  picturesque  characters  in  the  state  of  Wisconsin; 
he  was  prominent  in  democratic  politics  and  served  as  attorney  general  of  Wisconsin 
and  also  as  a  member  of  congress.  From  1902  to  1916,  Mr.  Lampert  was  a  resident  of 
Los  Angeles,  California,  and  during  the  greater  part  of  that  period  was  connected  with 
the  Pacific  Electric  Railway  Company,  being  principally  connected  with  the  legal 
department  of  that  company.  In  1916  he  moved  to  Boise  and  has  since  been  a  member 
of  the  local  bar,  associated  with  B.  W.  Oppenheim,  and  is  now  a  full  partner  with  the 
latter  in  his  legal  practice.  Mr.  Lampert  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  State  Bar  Association 
and  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce,  in  the  affairs  of  which  he  takes  a  warm  interest. 
He  gives  liberally  of  his  time  and  attention  to  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
the  community  in  which  he  has  taken  up  residence. 

On  February  15,  1919,  Mr.  Lampert  was  married  to  Ellen  Kimmell,  a  native  of 
Boise,  where  she  has  spent  her  life,  being  educated  in  the  Boise  public  schools  and  at 
St.  Margaret's  Hall.  Mr.  Lampert  is  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  republican  party. 


C.  WALTER  RIGGS. 

C.  Walter  Riggs,  filling  the  position  of  postmaster  at  Teton,  where  he  is  also 
well  known  in  commercial  circles  as  the  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Teton  Mer- 
cantile Company,  was  born  at  Millville,  Cache  county,  Utah,  May  6,  1878,  his  parents 
being  John  and  Dorothy  (Nielsen)  Riggs,  the  former  a  native  of  Rochdale,  England, 
while  the  latter  was  born  in  Denmark.  The  father  came  to  America  with  his  parents 
when  a  young  child  and  in  1859  crossed  the  plains  with  one  of  the  ox  team  trains  to 
Utah.  He  afterward  made  a  trip  back  across  the  plains  to  help  emigrants  on  their  way 
to  Utah.  He  purchased  land  in  Cache  county,  that  state,  and  cultivated  and  improved  it, 
continuing  to  till  the  soil  there  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  passed  away 
February  20,  1909,  having  long  survived  the  mother,  whose  death  occurred  on  the 
16th  of  April,  1883. 

C.  Walter  Riggs  was  reared  at  Millville,  Utah,  and  supplemented  his  public  school 
training  by  study  in  the  Brigham  Young  College  at  Logan,  which  he  entered  in  1895  and 
from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1898.  He  started  out  upon  his  business 
career  as  an  employe  of  John  E.  Roneche  in  a  general  store  at  Millville,  where  he 
remained  until  October,  1899.  He  was  then  called  to  fill  a  mission  in  the  southern 
states  and  labored  in  Kentucky,  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  conferences  and  during 
the  last  ten  months  of  that  period  presided  over  the  North  Carolina  conference.  He 
served  the  church  for  twenty-eight  months  on  that  mission  and  then  returned  home  in 
1902.  He  afterward  removed  to  Oregon,  where  he  engaged  in  clerking  in  a  hotel  for  a 
short  time,  and  in  1902  he  removed  to  Canyon  county,  Idaho.  Through  the  succeeding 
winter  he  taught  school  and  in  1903  took  up  his  abode  in  Fremont  county,  Idaho,  after 
which  he  engaged  in  teaching  at  Egin,  Sunnydell,  Hibbard  and  in  the  Sugar  Salem  district 
for  a  period  of  five  years.  Subsequently  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Teton  Hard- 
ware Company,  becoming  thus  associated  with  Rudolph  Naef  and  Samuel  Schwendiman. 
The  business  was  conducted  in  this  way  until  1916,  when  they  consolidated  with  the 
Teton  Mercantile  Company  and  erected  one  of  the  most  modern  business  blocks  of  the 
northwest,  which  would  be  a  credit  to  any  city.  The  dimensions  are  sixty  by  one  hun- 
dred and  one  feet  and  the  structure  contains  a  full  basement  and  dance  hall  and 
theatre.  The  Teton  Mercantile  Company  operates  the  entire  business  therein  conducted. 
Mr.  Riggs  was  originally  the  vice  president  and  in  1919  he  was  made  secretary  and 
treasurer.  He  is  the  third  largest  stockholder  in  the  business  and  has  had  much  to  do 
with  its  management  and  development,  making  it  one  of  the  important  commercial 
concerns  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  likewise  owns  an  interest  in  the  Thousand 
Springs  Land  &  Irrigation  Company. 

On  the  30th  of  August,  1905,  Mr.  Rggs  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara 
Hansen  and  to  them  have  been  born  four  children,  namely:  Garda;  Marion,  who  passed 
away  in  January,  1912;  Grace;  and  Edith. 

Mr.  Riggs  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  town  council  and  as  clerk  of  the  village. 
He  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  and  is  keenly  interested  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  community.  He  belongs  to  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  is  ward  clerk  of  Teton  ward,  which 


32  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

position  he  has  occupied  throughout  the  period  of  his  residence  at  Teton.  He  is  also 
senior  president  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-ninth  Quorum  of  Seventy  and  has 
charge  of  the  Sunday  school  teachers'  training  class.  He  is  a  man  of  most  progressive 
spirit,  as  evidenced  in  his  business  career  and  in  every  other  relation  of  life,  and  his 
personal  qualities  make  for  popularity  among  his  many  friends. 


GARDNER  G.  ADAMS.  . 

Gardner  G.  Adams,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Boise,  removed  to  this 
state  from  California  in  1880,  after  spending  twelve  years  in  mining  pursuits  in  Alturas 
county,  California.  He  is  a  native  of  the  golden  west,  his  birth  having  occurred  at 
Vallejo,  Solano  county,  California,  on  the  31st  of  January,  1858.  His  father,  John 
Adams  was  formerly  a  midshipman  of  the  United  States  navy,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  first  went  to  California  in  1847  on  the  old  battleship  Ohio.  For  a  long  period 
the  family  resided  in  that  state  and  there  Gardner  G.  Adams  spent  the  period  of  his 
boyhood  and  youth.  He  became  a  prominent  factor  in  public  affairs  of  his  home  com- 
munity and  from  1880  until  1890  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  in  the  old  town  of 
Sawtooth,  Idaho,  and  was  likewise  postmaster  there  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  Through- 
out all  that  time  he  was  devoting  his  leisure  to  the  study  of  law  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  fifteen  years  or  more  ago.  He  also  learned  stenography  in  California  and  for 
twelve  years  he  was  engaged  in  mining  pursuits  in  Alturas  county.  After  his  removal  to 
Boise  in  1891  he  was  employed  as  a  stenographer  in  the  office  of  James  H.  Hawley  and 
William  Puckett  for  a  period  of  seven  years.  Since  1907  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  law  and  has  also  served  for  two  terms  as  justice  of  the  peace  in  that 
period. 

At  Ketchum,  in  the  Wood  River  valley  of  Idaho,  Mr.  Adams  was  married  on  the 
20th  of  November,  1890,  to  Miss  Mildred  Heaston,  a  native  daughter  of  Idaho,  her  birth 
having  occurred  in  Oneida  county.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  have  been  born  three 
children:  John  G.,  who  is  married  and  resides  at  Buhl,  Idaho,  where  he  holds  a  position 
in  the  First  National  Bank;  Avery  E.,  who  is  married  and  makes  his  home  at  North 
Bend,  Oregon,  where  he  is  connected  with  a  lumber  concern;  and  Marion,  who  is  a 
member  of  the  senior  class  in  the  Boise  high  school.  The  two  sons  are  also  high  school 
graduates. 

Mr.  Adams  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  State  Bar  Association  and  fraternally  is  con- 
nected with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  taking  the  degrees  of  the  lodge  and 
encampment  and  also  the  Royal  Purple  degree.  He  has  been  a  most  faithful  follower  of 
the  order  and  enjoys  the  highest  regard  and  esteem  of  his  associates  in  the  organization. 


JOSEPH  J.   CALDWELL. 

Joseph  J.  Caldwell,  who  became  well  known  in  educational  circles  as  the  super- 
intendent of  the  public  schools  of  Meridian,  was  serving  as  postmaster  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  May  27,  1920.  He  was  born  at  Raleigh,  West  Virginia, 
January  19,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  Caldwell,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Virginia, 
September  2,  1818.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  became  a  colonel  in 
the  Confederate  army  during  the  Civil  war.  His  last  days  were  passed  near  Galva, 
in  McPherson  county,  Kansas,  where  his  death  occurred  January  11,  1884.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha  Ann  Reynolds,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1820 
and  died  at  Raleigh,  West  Virginia,  March  21,  1876.  Their  family  numbered  four 
sons  and  three  daughters  who  are  all  living  with  the  exception  of  our  subject. 

Joseph  J.  Caldwell,  the  only  representative  of  the  family  who  lived  in  Idaho, 
was  reared  to  the  age  of  seventeen  years  upon  the  home  farm  near  Raleigh,  West 
Virginia,  and  in  1879  removed  to  McPherson  county,  Kansas,  in  company  with  his 
father,  brothers  and  sisters.  He  completed  his  education  in  the  McPherson  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1894,  winning  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Pedagogy.  In  the  meantime,  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  had  taken  up  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching  in  the  Kansas  public  schools  and  thus  earned  the  money  which 
enabled  him  to  pay  his  tuition  in  McPherson  College.  From  1880  until  1908,  or  for 
a  period  of  twenty-eight  years,  he  was  engaged  in  school  work  in  the  state  of  Kansas, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  33 

chiefly  as  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  and  teachers'  normal  schools  and  also  did 
institute  work.  He  likewise  served  as  county  superintendent  of  schools  in  Rice 
county,  Kapsas,  for  one  term,  from  1897  until  1899.  For  six  years,  just  before  coming 
to  Idaho  in  1908,  he  was  superintendent  of  the  public  schools  of  Hoislngton,  Barton 
county,  Kansas,  and  then  left  the  Sunflower  state  to  become  a  resident  of  the  north- 
west. Making  Idaho  his  destination,  he  taught  school  for  several  years  at  Meridian 
and  at  Parma,  acting  as  superintendent  of  schools  until  appointed  to  the  position  of 
postmaster  of  Meridian  in  1914  by  President  Woodrow  Wilson.  He  held  the  office  for 
six  years  and  at  his  death  was  serving  his  second  term,  making  an  efficient  officer 
in  that  position  by  the  prompt  manner  and  capability  with  which  he  handled  the 
mails  and  cared  for  the  interests  of  the  patrons  of  the  office. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1887,  Mr.  Caldwell  was  married  in  Kansas  to  Miss  Ida  L. 
Criner,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  and  also  became  a  teacher,  following  the  pro- 
fession in  Kansas  both  before  and  after  her  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caldwell  became 
parents  of  three  children:  Lorrin  L.,  Verne  V.  and  Ardah  L.  The  eldest  son  is 
connected  with  the  traffic  department  of  the  Ellison-White  Chautauqua  System.  The 
second  son  has  recently  returned  from  twenty  months'  service  in  Prance  as  bugler 
and  messenger  of  Company  C  of  the  Second  Engineers,  U.  S.  A.  -  He  was  twice  deco- 
rated and  wears  the  Croix  de  Guerre  of  France,  which  was  awarded  for  "showing 
exceptional  coolness  and  bravery  in  carrying  messages  through  violent  machine  guii 
and  artillery  barrage  on  the  Champagne  front."  His  military  service  was  of  a  very 
arduous  character.  His  command,  with  the  Second  division,  participated  in  the  en- 
gagement at  Chateau  Thierry  from  the  1st  of  June  to  the  10th  of  July,  1918,  this 
being  the  engagement  which  turned  the  tirto  of  war  when  the  German  troops  had 
advanced  so  near  the  French  capital  that  it  seemed  that  it  was  only  a  question  of 
hours  when  the  Parisians  must  fall  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies.  Then  came  the 
St.  Mihiel  battle,  where  for  the  first  time  the  Americans  were  "on  their  own,"  and 
the  Second  division  captured  the  town  of  Thiaucourt,  closing  the  salient  and  making 
it  possible  to  fire  on  Metz  with  the  long  range  guns.  Then  came  the  Champagne  or 
Mont  Blanc  battle  from  the  2d  to  the  26th  of  October.  Here  the  French  had  failed 
to  take  the  hill  after  four  attempts,  and  General  Foch,  calling  for  the  Second  division, 
made  the  drive,  and  after  about  fifteen  days  the  infantry  and  marines  of  the  divi- 
sion were  relieved  by  the  Thirty-sixth  division,  while  the  Engineers  continued  as 
infantry.  In  the  first  eleven  days  in  November  the  Second  division  relieved  the 
Forty-second  or  Rainbow  division  and  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice  was  selected 
as  a  part  of  the  army  of  occupation  and  started  for  the  Rhine  on  the  17th  of  Novem- 
ber, arriving  on  the  13th  of  December.  The  boys  left  Coblenz,  Germany,  July  20,  Brest 
on  the  25th  of  July  and  on  the  5th  of  August  reached  New  York,  where  the  entire 
Second  division  paraded  Fifth  avenue  from  Madison  square  to  One  Hundred  and  Tenth 
street.  The  boys  of  Meridian,  Idaho,  arrived  home  on  the  17th  of  August  and,  as  stated, 
Verne  Caldwell  returned  with  two  decorations  and  is  now  teaching  school  at  King 
Hill,  Idaho.  The  daughter,  Ardah  L.,  is  a  junior  in  Meridian  high  school.  Lorrin, 
the  eldest  son,  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  California.  Mrs.  Caldwell  has  every 
reason  to  be  proud  of  her  family,  all  of  whom  hold  to  the  high  intellectual  standards 
inculcated  by  the  parents.  The  influence  of  the  Caldwell  family  has  ever  been  on  the 
side  of  progress  and  improvement  and  has  upheld  the  legal  and  moral  status  of  the 
community  and  the  state. 


ISAAC    W.    GARRETT. 

Isaac  W.  Garrett  was  long  a  well  known  citizen  of  Idaho  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  was  filling  the  office  of  receiver  in  the  land  office  at  Boise.  He  had  been  for  a 
considerable  period  a  resident  of  the  northwest,  having  first  crossed  the  plains  in  1847  in 
company  with  his  parents.  He  was  at  that  time  nine  years  of  age.  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  October  19.  1838.  Their  destination  was  the  Willamette 
valley  of  Oregon  and  after  reaching  the  Sunset  state,  Isaac  W.  Garrett  there  engaged  in 
teaching  school.  He  was  also  employed  as  purser  on  Columbia  river  boats  and  first  came' 
to  Idaho  during  the  gold  rush  to  Florence  in  1860.  In  1868  he  made  his  way  to  the 
Boise  valley,  where  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  live  stock  business  in  connection 
with  an  uncle,  William  Stark.  Mr.  Garrett  conducted  butcher  shops  in  Placerville  and 
at  Granite  Creek  from  1872  until  1879. 


34  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

In  May  of  the  former  year  Mr.  Garrett  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma 
Child,  of  Boise.  Their  first  three  children  were  born  in  Placerville  and  Mr.  Garrett 
afterward  removed  with  his  family  to  the  Wood  river  country  in  1881.  There  he  took 
up  a  timber  culture  claim  in  the  Spring  creek  district  but  in  the  fall  of  1882  removed 
to  Hailey,  Idaho,  and  was  appointed  deputy  auditor  and  recorder  of  Alturas  county, 
serving  under  John  M.  Canady.  He  was  afterward  elected  auditor  and  recorder  in 
1884  and  by  reelection  was  continued  in  that  office  until  1895.  He  was  also  elected  sec- 
retary of  state  in  the  fall  of  1894  and  served  during  the  term  of  1895-7,  leaving  an 
excellent  record  as  one  of  the  efficient  state  officers.  In  the  fall  of  1895  he  became  a 
resident  of  Boise  and  in  the  spring  of  1898  was  appointed  receiver  of  the  United  States 
land  office,  continuing  to  fill  that  position  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death 
on  the  22d  of  October  of  the  same  year. 

Mrs.  Emma  (Child)  Garrett,  wife  of  Isaac  W.  Garrett,  was  born  in  Indiana  in 
April,  1851,  came  to  Boise  in  1870  and  in  1872  was  married.  She  became  the  mother 
of  twelve  children.  Edward  E.  Garrett,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  born  in  Placer- 
ville, in'  June,  1873,  acquired  a  common  school  education  and  was  chief  clerk  in  the 
office  of  the  secretary  of  state  under  his  father.  He  was  afterward  appointed  receiver 
of  tho  United  States  land  office  upon  the  death  of  his  father  in  1898  and  continued 
to  fill  that  position  until  1907,  when  he  went  to  Los  Angeles,  California,  and  entered 
the  business  circles  of  that  city  in  1910.  There  he  passed  away  in  March,  1915. 
Charles  C.  Garrett,  another  son  of  the  family,  was  born  "in  Boise,  Idaho,  in  March, 
1880,  also  attended  the  common  schools  and  in  1898  entered  the  employ  of  the  United 
States  weather  bureau,  with  which  service  he  is  still  connected.  He  has  been  sta- 
tioned at  various  periods — in  Boise,  in  Spokane,  in  Independence,  California,  in  Denver 
and  in  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  and  is  now  in  charge  of  the  weather  station  at  Walla 
Walla,  Washington. 

Arthur  W.  Garr.ett,  who  was  born  in  Hailey,  Idaho,  in  September,  1884,  attended 
the  public  schools  and  also  pursued  special  work  in  the  University  of  Nebraska.  He 
was  for  eight  years  connected  with  the  United  States  weather  service  and  then  turned 
his  attention  to  merchandising,  establishing  business  at  Meridian,  Idaho,  in  the  spring 
of  1909.  Through  the  intervening  period  of  eleven  years  he  has  conducted  the  busi- 
ness and  is  now  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  that  place. 

Various  members  of  the  family  have  during  many  years  been  actively  connected 
with  affairs  of  government  of  state  and  nation,  and  Arthur  W.  Garrett,  like  the  others 
of  the  household,  has  done  his  full  service  in  public  office.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  village  board  of  Meridian  from  1915  until  1917  and  in  the  spring  of  1919  was 
elected  mayor,  which  position  he  is  still  filling.  The  name  of  Garrett  has  in  many 
ways  been  indelibly  impressed  upon  the  history  of  the  state,  for  twice  the  father 
served  as  a  member  of  the  general  assembly,  filling  the  office  in  1877  and  again  in 
1883  and  serving  also  as  clerk  of  the  house,  while,  as  previously  stated,  he  was  at  one 
time  secretary  of  state  in  Idaho.  Father  and  sons  have  at  all  times  held  to  high 
standards  of  citizenship  and  have  ever  been  most  loyal  to  the  interests  intrusted  to 
their  care,  so  that  the  family  name  has  become  a  synonym  for  valuable  citizenship 
in  Idaho. 


M.   L.   WALKER. 

M.  L.  Walker  comes  from  a  sturdy  stock  of  pioneers  that  emigrated  from  the 
state  of  Kentucky  in  the  days  of  Daniel  Boone,  locating  in  central  Missouri,  carving 
for  themselves  and  their  families  substantial  homes  in  what  was  then  thought  to  be 
a  wilderness.  The  Walker  family  had  much  to  do  with  the  upbuilding  and  early 
history  of  the  great  state  of  Missouri. 

M.  L.  Walker  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  farm  near  the  city  of  Brookfield, 
Missouri,  November  7,  1871,  and  obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and 
the  Brookfield  College,  at  that  time  one  of  the  leading  educational  institutions  of  his 
native  state.  In  1892  'Mr.  Walker  entered  the  service  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad,  holding  various  responsible  positions  for  about  ten  years,  when  he 
entered  the  banking  business  in  Brookfield  which  he  followed  until  the  summer  of 
1906,  removing  to  Grand  Junction,  Colorado,  for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  While  liv- 
ing in  Colorado  he  became  extensively  interested  in  the  development  of  irrigated  lands 
and  the  outdoor  life  in  that  excellent  climate  fully  restored  his  health.  Having  read 


M.  L.  WALKER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  37 

much  of  Major  Reed's  famous  writings  on  the  wonderful  possibilities  of  the  great 
Gem  state,  Mr.  Walker  decided  in  the  spring  of  1908  to  take  up  his  residence  in  the 
city  of  Caldwell,  where  he  at  once  turned  his  attention  to  the  real  estate  business  and 
to  the  improvement  and  development  of  ranch  lands.  Southwestern  Idaho  is  indebted 
to  him  probably  more  than  to  any  other  one  man  for  the  upbuilding  of  its  farming 
community.  He  has  made  a  success  of  this  business  and  has  progressed  where  others 
have  failed — a  fact  due  to  his  pleasing  personality,  his  qualities  of  salesmanship  and 
his  thorough  reliability  in- all  business  dealing.  His  wife  is  also  possessed  of  excellent 
business  ability  and  assists  him  in  the  office  and  in  the  management  of  his  extensive 
business  operations.  As  the  opportunity  presented  Mr.  Walker  has  acquired  exten- 
sive holdings  of  irrigated  lands  and  has  perhaps  transformed  more  sage  brush  desert 
into  productive  farms  than  any  single  individual  in  his  community,  and  being  an 
extensive  advertiser  and  a  stanch  believer  in  the  future  of  Idaho,  has  been  instru- 
mental in  bringing  hundreds  of  families  into  Canyon  county — people  who  have  become 
prosperous  farmers  of  Uie  district  and  are  contributing  steadily  to  its  further  develop- 
ment and  upbuilding. 

In  1909  Mr.  Walker  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Jessie  E.  Dennis,  of  Hannibal, 
Missouri,  a  most  estimable  lady  of  that  noted  city  on  the  Mississippi  made  famous 
by  Mark  Twain,  Huck  Finn  and  Tom  Sawyer.  Tis  said,  that  to  meet  Mrs.  Walker 
in  her  husband's  office  or  in  her  home  is  an  inspiration  for  the  visitor  to  call  again. 
*  *  *  Mr.  Walker  is  by  nature  a  quiet,  unassuming  man  and  it  was  through  per- 
sistent effort  that  the  writer  was  able  to  obtain  an  interview  with  him  for  this  little 
sketch,  and  the  portrait  accompanying  this  biography  is  his  first  since  childhood. 


JUDGE  HARRY  S.  WORTHMAN. 

Judge  Harry  S.  Worthman,  attorney  at  law,  now  practicing  at  Emmett,  has  aided 
in  shaping  the  legislative  as  well  as  the  judicial  history  of  the  state.  He  is  now  filling 
the  office  of  city  attorney  at  Emmett  and  is  also  accorded  a  large  private  practice.  He 
was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  June  11,  1866,  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Hatfield) 
Worthman,  who  were  natives  of  Germany  and  Ohio  respectively.  The  father  was  brought 
to  the  United  States  by  his  parents  when  but  nine  years  of  age  and  during  most  of 
his  active  life  was  a  merchant  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  His  birth  occurred  in  1839  and  the 
year  1848  witnessed  his  arrival  in  the  new  world.  For  about  forty  years  he  was 
a  resident  of  Cincinnati,  where  he  passed  away  July  2,  1889.  His  wife  was  born  near  that 
city  in  1845  and  is  still  in  Cincinnati,  remaining  a  widow.  TJiere  are  five  living  children  in 
her  family,  all  of  whom  remain  in  Cincinnati  with  the  exception  of  Judge  Worthman. 

Reared  in  that  city,  Harry  S.  Worthman  pursued  his  education  in  the  Hughes  higty 
school  and  then  in  preparation  for  a  legal  career  entered  the  Cincinnati  Law  School, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  on  the  23d  of  May,  1888.  For  a  year  he  practiced  his 
profession  there  and  then  removed  to  Ogden,  Utah,  where  he  also  engaged  in  law  practice 
for  a  year.  In  1890  he  opened  an  office  in  Boise,  Idaho,  where  he  remained  until  1905 
with  the  exception  of  a  period  of  sixteen  months  spent  in  the  Philippines — from  May, 
1898,  until  September,  1899.  He  had  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Spanish-American  war, 
holding  a  commission  as  first  lieutenant  of  Company  H,  First  Idaho  Volunteer  Infantry. 
In  1905  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  a  ranch  which  he  owned  three  and  a  half  miles  from 
Emmett,  Idaho,  and  there  he  made  his  home  until  1917,  when  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  law  at  Emmett,  where  he  is  now  accorded  a  large  clientage  and  is  also  serving  as 
city  attorney.  His  devotion  to  his  clients'  interests  is  proverbial,  yet  he  never  forgets 
that  he  owes  a  still  higher  allegiance  to  the  majesty  of  the  law.  In  1894  and  1895  he 
served  as  probate  judge  of  Ada  county  and  he  was  again  called  upon  for  active  political 
service  in  1901,  when  Ada  county  sent  him  as  its  representative  in  the  state  sen- 
ate. He  was  a  member  of  the  upper  house  in  the  sixth  session  of  the  state  legislature 
and  was  made  a  member  of  the  judiciary  committee.  He  has  always  given  his  political 
allegiance  to  the  republican  party,  believing  firmly  in  its  principles  as  factors  in  good 
government,  and  he  has  therefore  worked  earnestly  to  promote  its  success. 

At  Blackfoot,  Idaho,  September  26,  1906,  Judge  Worthman  was  married  to  Miss 
May  L.  Scott,  a  lady  most  prominently  known  in  educational  circles  in  Idaho,  having 
served  for  four  years  as  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction,  from  1903  until 
1907.  She  was  born  at  lola,  Kansas,  October  10,  1868,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  H.  and 
Hannah  M.  (Anderson)  Scott,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  Her  father  was  a  vet- 


38  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

eran  of  the  Union  army,  having  served  for  four  years  in  the  Civil  war,  entering  the 
service  as  a  drummer  boy.  In  her  school  days  Mrs.  Worthman  had  displayed  special 
aptitude  in  her  studies  and  after  removing  to  Idaho  she  became  a  teacher  in  the  schools 
of  Bingham  county.  Later  she  was  chosen  superintendent  of  schools  for  that  county 
and  the  excellent  work  which  she  did  in  that  connection  led  to  her  election  to  the  office 
of  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  She  has  exerted  a  widely  felt  influence 
on  the  intellectual  progress  of  the  state  and  remains  a  prominent  figure  in  those  social 
circles  where  intelligence  and  true  worth  are  accepted  as  the  passports  into  good  society. 
Judge  Worthman  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  State  Bar  Association.  He  is  also  well 
known  in  fraternal  circles,  becoming  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  member  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine.  He  is  past  master  of  Boise  Lodge,  No.  2,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  is  a  member  of  Boise 
Commandery,  K.  T.,  and  of  El  Korah  Temple,  A.  A.  O.  N.  M.  S.  He  is  likewise  con- 
nected with  the  Capital  City  Lodge,  No.  310,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  and  these  organizations  account 
him  one  of  their  valued  representatives.  Both  Judge  and  Mrs.  Worthman  have  many 
iriends  among  Idaho's  leading  citizens  and  they  are  exerting  a*-strongly  felt  influence 
in  the  life  and  thought  of  Emmett. 


MARTIN  CURRAN. 

Martin  Curran,  a  resident  of  Boise,  was  attracted  to  Idaho  in  1881  by  the  mining 
excitement  of  Wood  River  valley,  where  rich  veins  of  ore  had  just  been  struck.  For 
a  considerable  period  he  continued  active  as  a  mining  man  and  later  took  over  a 
valuable  ranch  property,  which  for  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  conducted  and  further 
developed  and  improved.  He  maintains  his  residence  in  the  capital  city.  Neverthe- 
less his  name  is  prominently  known  in  mining  circles,  just  as  it  is  in  connection  with 
the  raising  of  sheep  and  cattle,  and  he  is  regarded  as  a  most  forceful  and  resourceful 
man,  who  carries  to  successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 

Mr.  Curran  was  born  on  the  beautiful  River  Shannon,  in  County  Roscommon, 
Ireland,  in  March,  1853,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1872,  when  a  youth  of 
nineteen  years.  He  at  once  went  to  California,  spending  several  years  in  that  state, 
in  Nevada  and  in  Utah  engaged  in  mining  pursuits.  When  twenty-four  years  of  age 
he  was  boss  of  a  silver  mine  at  Cornucopia,  Nevada,  and  later  was  at  Pioche,  that 
state,  while  subsequently  he  was  at  Silverreef,  Utah.  At  the  last  named  place  he 
acted  as  foreman  of  a  mine  for  a  year  and  in  1881  he  came  to  Idaho,  for  there  was 
great  mining  excitement  in  the  Wood  River  valley  and  it  was  the  lure  of  the  mines 
that  brought  him  to  this  state.  He  became  the  superintendent  of  the  Bullion  group 
of  silver  and  lead  mines  and  so  continued  for  five  years,  while  from  1886  until  1897 
he  was  in  the  Coeur  d'Alene  district  as  superintendent  of  the  Morning  mine,  near 
Mullan,  Shoshone  county.  For  over  three  years  he  continued  there  and  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  Gold  Hunter  mine  near  Mullan  for  seven  years. 

In  1897  Mr.  Curran  retired  from  mining  pursuits  and  removed  to  Boise,  in 
which  city  he  has  lived  the  life  ot  a  prosperous  citizen,  independent  so  far  as  this 
world's  goods  is  concerned.  Notwithstanding  he  has  remained  an  active  factor  in 
business  circles,  chiefly  in  connection  with  live  stock,  raising  both  sheep  and  cattle. 
He  has  excellent  ranching  interests,  being  the  proprietor  of  the  Can-Ada  stock  ranch, 
which  is  located  near  the  line  between  Ada  and  Canyon  counties,  hence  the  name. 
When  it  passed  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Curran  it  was  stocked  with  about  ten  thou- 
sand head  of  sheep,  of  which  eighteen  hundred  were  fine  registered  Hampshires  that 
had  been  imported  from  England  by  the  former  ranch  owner  at  a  cost  of  over  thirty 
dollars  per  head.  All  of  the  sheep  and  other  chattels  passed  into  Mr.  Curran's  pos- 
session along  with  the  real  estate.  It  was  a  peculiar  combination  of  circumstances 
that  led  up  to  the  transfer  of  this  fine  ranch  and  its  excellent  flocks  and  equipment, 
for  Mr.  Curran  did  not  purchase  outright  out  of  voluntary  choice,  but  was  obliged 
to  take  it  all  over  in  order  to  save  himself  on  account  of  large  sums  of  money  that 
had  been  been  loaned  by  him  and  for  which  the  property  had  been  pledged  as  security. 
In  order  to  become  complete  and  undisputed  owner  of  this  property  Mr.  Curran  was 
obliged  to  pay  out  nearly  fifty  thousand  dollars  of  additional  claims  against  the  ranch. 
This  he  did  and  thus  secured  title  to  a  splendid  estate,  and  he  has  since  owned  the 
property  in  fee  simple  without  either  incumbrance  or  claims  against  it.  He  and  his 
sons  have  since  converted  this  into  a  fine  cattle  ranch  and  are  conducting  it  today, 
but  all  reside  at  Boise. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  39 

The  city  home  of  Mr.  Curran  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Bannock  and  First  streets 
and  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  residences  in  that  section  of  the  capital.  It  was 
erected  by  Mr.  Curran  fourteen  years  ago  and  is  a  two-story  brick  veneer  residence, 
fronting  on  both  First  and  Bannock  streets  and  surrounded  by  broad  verandas  on 
both  fronts.  On  one  of  the  other  corners  is  the  beautiful  St.  Luke's  Hospital  and 
within  two  blocks  of  his  home  are  the  handsome  grounds  and  buildings  of  the  United 
States  assay  office,  St.  Margaret's  Hall  and  St.  Theresa's  Academy.  Mr.  Curran 
has  prospered  in  Idaho  and  is  today  one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  the  state.  Besides 
his  fine  home  he  has  other  Boise  property,  in  addition  to  one  of  the  finest  stock  ranches 
in  Idaho.  A  visit  to  his  ranch  is  a  delight  to  all  who  have  that  privilege.  It  is  situated 
about  twenty  miles  west  of  Boise,  just  over  the  line  in  Canyon  county,  and  embraces 
six  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  with  free  water  all  over  it  for  irrigation  pur- 
poses. This  land  is  today  worth  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre  and  Is  highly  improved 
with  splendid,  buildings,  large  silos  and  everything  in  keeping  with  progressive 
methods  of  agriculture  at  the  present  time.  Upon  the  place  are  three  wells  etch  three 
hundred  feet  in  depth.  These  are  artesian  wells,  producing  a  constant  flow  of  the 
finest  water. 

In  1893,  at  Mullan.  Idaho,  Mr.  Curran  was  married  by  Father  Remy  Keyser  to 
Miss  Belle  Flood,  who  was  born  in  Butler  county,  Ohio,  March  17,  1866,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Ronan)  Flood,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland  but  were 
married  in  Butler  county.  Ohio.  When  their  daughter  was  four  years  of  age  they 
removed  to  southeastern  Kansas  and  in  1890  she  came  to  Idaho.  She  was  educated 
in  St.  Anne's  Academy  at  St..  Paul,  Kansas.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Curran:  Martin  Jr.,  Joseph,  Mary  and  William,  aged  respectively  twenty- 
four,  twenty-two,  seventeen  and  fourteen  years.  Joseph  and  Mary  were  born  on  the 
same  day  of  the  month  five  years  apart.  Joseph  returned  from  Camp  Lewis  on  the 
1st  of  February,  1919,  after  six  months'  service  at  that  camp.  The  four  children  are  all 
at  home  and  the  two  eldest  sons,  Martin  and  Joseph,  are  graduates  of  the  Columbia 
College  of  Portland  and  are  now  associated  with  their  father  in  the  live  stock  business 
and  in  the  management  of  the  Can-Ada  stock  ranch,  on  which  they  have  about  two 
hundred  head  of  beef  cattle. 

Mr.  Curran  and  his  family  are  all  communicants  of  St.  John's  Roman  Catholic 
church.  Fraternally  he  is  an  Elk  and  is  likewise  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
Columbus.  Since  coming  to  the  new  world  he  has  five  times  revisited  his  native  land. 
He  returned  first  in  1883,  at  which  time  his  parents  were  both  living.  In  1907  he 
again  vif  ited  Ireland  but  in  the  meantime  his  father  had  passed  away  and  since  then 
his  mother  has  died,  being  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1911.  Mr.  Curran  finds  delight  In 
revisiting  the  scenes  of  his  youth  and  renewing  the  acquaintances  of  his  boyhood  but 
has  no  desire  to  return  to  Ireland  to  live.  He  is  thoroughly  satisfied  with  Idaho  and  its 
opportunities  and  there  are  few  phases  of  the  state's  development  and  upbuilding  with 
which  he  is  not  familiar,  for  he  came  to  the  west  at  a  period  of  early  mining  develop- 
ment and  has  seen  all  the  phases  of  life  that  have  led  to  present  day  conditions.  Work- 
ing steadily  and  persistently  along  well  defined  lines  of  labor,  he  met  substantial 
success  in  his  mining  ventures  anti  eventually,  as  previously  related,  took  up  ranching 
and  now  has  one  of  the  most  valuable  properties  of  the  kind  in  the  state.  His  judg- 
ment in  business  affairs  is  at  all  times  sound,  his  sagacity  keen  and  his  diligence 
unremitting. 


RICHARD  W.  KATERNDAHL. 

Rich-ird  W.  Katerndahl,  attorney  at  law  of  Dubois,  was  born  in  Newark,  New 
Jersey.  April  26,  1885,  a  son  of  Richard  and  Angeline  (Baxter)  Katerndahl.  In  the 
maternal  line  he  comes  of  English  ancestry,  his  mother  having  been  born  in  London. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  was  an  Evangelical  minister  who  engaged 
in  preaching  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  Newark,  New 
Jersey.  He  was  at  the  latter  place  for  nineteen  years  and  his  last  pastorate  was  In 
Chicago,  where  he  departed  this  life  on  the  19th  of  December,  1915.  His  widow  survives 
and  is  now  living  at  Idaho'  Falls,  Idaho. 

The  youthful  days  of  Richard  W.  Katerndahl  were  spent  in  his  native  city  and  his 
education  was  acquired  in  the  schools  there  and  in  the  West  Division  high  school  of 
Chicago.  He  afterward  won  the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  at  Elmhurst  College  and  then 


40  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

entered  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1906.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  pursued  a  post-graduate  course  in  law  at  De  Paul  University,  where 
he  received  his  Master's  degree.  He  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  in  New  York  city 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  there  in  1907.  In  the  spring  of  1908  he  returned  to  Chicago, 
where  he  remained  for  a  year,  and  in  1909  he  came  to  Idaho,  tak'ing  up  his  abode  at 
Idaho  Falls,  where  he  continued  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession  until  1915.  In 
that  year  he  removed  to  Dubois,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 

On  the  10th  of  August,  1918,  Mr.  Katerndahl  enlisted  for  service  in  the  World  war 
and  was  commissioned  a  second  lieutenant.  He  reached  England  two  days  after  the 
armistice  was  signed  and  was  discharged  on  the  19th  of  March,  1919.  He  organized  the 
town  of  D.ubois  as  city  attorney  and  has  always  filled  the  office.  He  has  also  been  high- 
way attorney  and  he  drafted  most  of  the  legislation  on  highways  that  has  been  enacted 
by  the  state.  He  has  made  a  specialty  of  this  and  he  organized  the  Clark  county  high- 
way district  and  also  the  Howe-Berenice  district.  Much  of  his  life  has  been  devoted 
to  public  service.  He  was  at  one  time  city  attorney  of  Idaho  Falls  and  was  also 
county  attorney  of  old  Bingham  county  for  three  months  and  then  resigned. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Targhee  Construction  Company,  devoted  principally  to 
highway  building,  with  the  head  office  at  Salt  Lake  City,  and  is  one  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  that  company.  He  owns  a  dry  farm  in  Clark  county,  but  his  attention 
is  largely  given  now  to  his  law  practice  and  to  his  newspaper  work. 

The  religious  faith  of  Mr.  Katerndahl  is  that  of  the  Episcopal  church  and  in 
politics  he  is  a  republican.  He  has  been  a  delegate  to  state  conventions  since  his  arrival 
in  Idaho  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  state  central  committee.  He  has  become  a 
member  of  the  American  Legion  and  is  keenly  interested  in  the  purposes  of  that  organiza- 
tion to  promote  true  democracy  and  to  advance  the  ideals  of  American  citizenship. 


J.  R.  McCOLLUM. 

J.  R.  McCollum  has  reached  the  Psalmist's  allotted  span  of  three  score  years  and  ten. 
and  at  an  age  when  many  men  would  retire  from  active  business,  he  is  still  closely  asso- 
ciated with  the  farming  interests  of  the  Boise  valley  and  has  a  large  amount  of  land 
under  cultivation.  He  has  been  actively  connected  with  the  development  of  this  section 
of  the  country,  especially  along  the  line  of  agricultural  progress  and  irrigation  projects. 
He  was  born  in  Alabama,  April  10,  1849,  and  is  a  son  of  R.  K.  and  Emeline  (Stovall) 
McCollum,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Tennessee,  where  their  ancestors  had  lived 
through  several  generations.  The  Stovall  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  largest 
families  of  that  state.  J.  R.  McCollum  was  but  eight  years  of  age  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  the  Indian  Territory,  where  his  father  engaged  in  trading  with  the  Indians. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  however,  the  family  were  obliged  to  leave  the  territory 
and  remained  in  Missouri  and  Arkansas  through  the  period  of  hostilities. 

Following  the  death  of  his  parents  J.  R.  McCollum  removed  to  Texas,  where  he 
engaged  in  freighting  and  did  railroad  contracting  for  two  years.  He  then  returned 
to  the  southern  part  of  the  Indian  Territory,  where  he  carried  on  farming  and  also 
engaged  in  freighting  to  Fort  Sill  for  about  a  decade.  In  1879,  during  the  Leadville 
excitement  in  Colorado,  he  took  his  family  to  that  place,  where  he  resumed  railroad 
contracting  and  freighting  until  1882,  which  year  he  wifnessed  his  arrival  in  Pocatello, 
Idaho.  He  then  worked  on  the  construction  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  until 
it  was  completed  to  Huntington,  Oregon,  in  the  spring  of  1884.  He  afterward  engaged 
in  freighting  during  the  following  two  years,  delivering  freight  to  Atlanta.  Idaho,  and 
receiving  thirty-five  thousand  dollars  for  fifty  days'  work  with  eleven  mule  teams,  two 
wagons  each,  the  distance  being  eighty  miles  from  Mountain  Home  to  Atlanta.  In 
1885  he  sold  his  teams  and,  returning  to  the  east,  engaged  in  railroading  with  Kil- 
patrick  Brothers  in  contract  work  on  the  Burlington  route  in  Nebraska.  Kilpatrick 
Brothers  are  today  the  richest  contractors  in  the  United  States.  After  two  years, 
however,  Mr.  McCollum  returned  to  Idaho  and  located  on  his  present  ranch  five  miles 
northwest  of  Caldwell,  where  he  has  eighty  acres  under  the  Cooperative  Ditch  Com- 
pany and  eighty  acres  across  the  Boise  river,  about  three  miles  west  of  Caldwell,  under 
the  Pioneer  Ditch  Company.  He  likewise  has  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  under  the 
Black  Canyon  Irrigation  Project,  which  will  be  under  cultivation  in  the  spring  of 
1920.  His  other  tracts  are  most  highly  cultivated,  planted  largely  to  alfalfa,  and  he 
also  raises  some  fine  stock.  This  land  is  now  worth  two  hundred  dollars  per  acre  yet 


HISTORY  OK   I1)AH<  )  43 

at  one  time  no  one  wanted  it,  regarding  it  as  of  no  value.  Mr.  McCollum  has  been 
an  active  factor  in  the  development  of  his  locality  and  the  upbuilding  of  the  com- 
munity. He  had  charge  cf  the  construction  work  on  the  Caldwell  ditch  for  irrigation 
purposes,  which  he  built  after  withdrawing  from  railroad  construction.  He  has 
always  recognized  the  possibilities  of  the  district  and  labored  to  promote  the  utilization 
of  natural  resources  here  and  has  made  therefore  valuable  contribution  to  the  up- 
building of  his  section  of  the  state. 

In  1868  Mr.  McCollum  was  married  to  Miss  Elvira  Stokes,  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
as  were  her  parents.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCollum  were  born  the  following  children. 
J.  H.,  thirty-seven  years  of  age,  follows  farming  near  his  father's  place  and  is  mar- 
ried and  has  cne  child.  Minnie  is  the  wife  of  Russell  Smith  and  has  eight  children. 
Nora  is  the  wife  of  A.  J.  Dennerline  and  has  one  child,  their  home  being  in  Alaska 
through  the  summer  months,  while  the  winter  seasons  are  spent  with  her  parents.  T.  J.. 
deceased,  was  the  father  of  twin  sons  who  now  live  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCollum.  Nannie 
and  Eddie  have  both  passed  away. 

Mr.  McCollum  and  his  wife  are  people  of  prominence  and  sterling  worth  in  Canyon 
county,  enjoying  the  warm  regard  of  all  with  whom  they  have  been  brought  in  contact. 
His  worth  as  a  citizen  is  widely  acknowledged  and  his  contribution  to  the  upbuilding 
of  the  Bcise  valley  has  been  a  very  tangible  one. 


HAMMOND  C.  WATSON. 

Hammond  C.  Watson  is  the  proprietor  of  Watson's  Jersey  Dairy,  located  just  east 
of  South  Boise  and  a  half  mile  east  of  the  Garfield  school.  He  has  been  engaged  in  the 
dairy  business  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise  for  three  years  and  for  eleven  years  prior  to 
this  period  was  a  dairyman  of  Caldwell,  Idaho.  He  came  to  this  state  in  1906  from 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  bringing  with  him  a  carload  of  his  personal  effects,  including 
a  good  Jersey  cow,  and  from  that  period  to  the  present  he  has  been  engaged  in  furnish- 
ing milk  to  residents  of  this  state. 

Mr.  Watson  was  born  in  East  Central,  Pennsylvania,  November  23,  1879,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  N.  and  Rosa  M.  (Elliott)  Watson,  who  were  also  natives  of  the 
Keystone  state.  The  mother  died  when  their  son  Hammond  was  but  five  years  of 
age  and  the  father  afterward  married  again.  Hammond  C.  Watson,  however,  left 
home  when  but  twelve  years  old  and  has  since  made  his  own  way  in  the  world.  For 
two  years  he  worked  for  an  uncle  on  a  farm  and  at  fourteen  years  of  age  he  entered 
the  employ  of  Jacob  Bower,  whose  daughter  he  afterward  married  when  he  was 
twenty-two  years  of  age.  She  has  since  been  his  faithful  companion  and  helpmate 
and  is  now  a  most  important  factor  in  the  conduct  of  the  Watson  Dairy,  driving  a 
motor  truck  every  day  in  delivering  milk  to  Boise  customers.  She  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Ella  M.  Bower,  being  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Frederick  and  Elizabeth  (Manville) 
Bower,  the  former  of  German  and  the  latter  of  French  descent. 

Mr.  Watson  worked  for  Jacob  F.  Bower  for  three  years,  receiving  eight  dollars 
per  month  and  having  charge  of  the  letter's  farm.  When  seventeen  years  of  age 
he  went  to  work  in  a  foundry  at  Muncy,  Pennsylvania,  where  be  was  employed  for 
three  years.  It  was  soon  after  this  that  he  was  married.  He  continued  actively  in 
industrial  lines  and  for  eight  years  was  head  moulder  in  the  cylinder  department  of 
the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  of  Philadelphia,  a  concern  which  then  employed  eighteen 
thousand  men  and  had  a  pay  roll  of  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Watson  was 
occupying  that  position  at  the  time  of  his  marriage. 

The  year  1906,  however,  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  in  Idaho, 
where  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  dairy  business,  remaining  at  Caldwell  for  eleven 
years,  while  for  three  years  he  has  been  at  Boise.  In  the  spring  of  1918  he  purchased 
Ins  present  ranch  east  of  South  Boise,  comprising  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of 
land,  upon  which  he  has  made  many  improvements,  including  the  building  of  silos  and 
the  addition  of  other  facilities  to  promote  his  dairy  interests.  He  handles  Jersey 
cows  exclusively  and  most  of  his  stock  is  registered.  He  has  now  about  eighty-five 
head  of  fine  Jerseys.  Everything  about  the  place  is  conducted  in  most  sanitary 
and  scientific  manner  and  the  products  of  the  Watson  Dairy  are  eagerly  sought  by  a 
large  number  of  patrons.  When  Watson's  Jersey  Dairy  was  established  near  Boise 
in  1916  they  began  with  a  business  which  insured  the  sale  of  only  two  quarts  of  milk 
per  day.  Their  trade,  however,  grew  with  amazing  rapidity  and  today  the  income  of 


44  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

their  dairy  amounts  to  fifty-five  dollars  daily.  The  dairy  farm  was  giving  an  income 
of  but  four  hundred  and  fifteen  dollars  before  it  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Watson,  while 
today  the  gross  income  is  more  than  twenty  thousand  dollars  annually. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  have  been  born  three  children:  Marguerite,  Miriam  and 
George,  aged  respectively  eight,  six  and  three  years.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  are 
widely  and  favorably  known  and  business  ability  has  brought  them  from  humble 
financial  surroundings  to  a  place  of  affluence.  Mr.  Watson  deserves  much  credit  for 
what  he  has  accomplished  and  he  also  says  that  his  wife  is  largely  responsible  for  his 
success. 


ARTHUR  E.  YOUNG. 

Arthur  E.  Young  is  numbered  among  those  whose  labors  have  constituted  the  most 
forceful  factors  in  the  business  development  of  Dubois,  where  he  is  now  well  known 
as  the  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank.  He  is  a  western  man  by  birth  and  training 
and  possesses  the  spirit  of  enterprise  which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  northwest.  His  birth  occurred  in  Portland,  Oregon,  in  May,  1891,  his 
parents  being  William  and  Caroline  (Young)  Young,  who  were  natives  of  Illinois. 
At  an  early  day  the  father  went  to  Kansas  and  there  engaged  in  farming  and  raising 
cattle  until  about  1884,  when  he  crossed  the  country  to  Oregon  and  purchased  land 
ov6r  the  line  in  Washington.  He  there  engaged  in  ranching  for  a  time  but  finally  re- 
tired and  made  his  home  in  Portland  throughout  his  remaining  days,  passing  away  in 
January,  1906.  His  widow  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  at  Portland. 

Arthur  E.  Young  was  reared  and  educated  in  Portland  and  after  his  textbooks 
were  put  aside  secured  a  situation  with  the  Old  Guarantee  &  Trust  Company  of  that 
city,  remaining  in  the  bank  for  two  years.  He  afterward  spent  six  years  in  the  Mer- 
chants' National  Bank  of  Portland  and  was  also  with  the  Northwestern  National  Bank 
of  Portland  for  a  year.  In  February,  1915,  he  left  the  Rose  City  and  came  to  Idaho, 
obtaining  a  situation  with  the  First  National  Bank  at  Blackfoot.  In  1917  he  removed 
to  Dubois,  Clark  county,  then  a  part  of  Fremont  county,  and  accepted  the  position  of 
cashier  with  the  Security  State  Bank,  now  the  First  National  Bank,  of  which  he  is 
one  of  the  stockholders  and  directors.  This  bank  was  organized  in  October,  1915,  with 
S.  K.  Clark  as  president  and  T.  E.  Wood  as  vice  president.  The  bank  is  capitalized  for 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  has  a  surplus  of  three  thousand  dollars  and  its  deposits 
amount  to  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Young  is  also  a  stock- 
holder and  the  treasurer  of  the  Dubois  Mill  &  Elevator  Company  and  he  lends  the 
weight  of  his  aid  and  influence  to  all  projects  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  community 
and  the  development  of  its  trade  relations. 

In  September,  1916,  Mr.  Young  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret  De  Keyser  and  to 
them  has  been  born  a  son,  Arthur  W.,  whose  birth  occurred  in  July  1919.  Politically 
Mr.  Young  is  a  republican  and  has  served  as  town  treasurer,  while  at  the  present  time 
he  is  a  member  of  the  town  council.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Episcopal  church.  He  is  a 
young  man  of  sterling  worth,  actuated  by  a  progressive  spirit  in  all  that  he  under- 
takes, ar)d  his  laudable  ambition  is  tempered  at  all  times  by  a  recognition  of  the  rights 
of  others  and  his  obligations  in  citizenship. 


PAUL  A.   FUGATE. 

Paul  A.  Fugate,  cashier  of  the  Bank  of  Aberdeen,  of  Aberdeen,  Bingham  county, 
owner  of  several  tracts  of  farm  land,  and  otherwise  identified  with  the  business  life  and 
development  of  that  locality,  was  born  in  Hastings,  Nebraska,  December  18,  1884,  and 
is  a  son  of  Colonel  Marion  A.  and  Isabella  B.  (Dallas)  Fugate,  natives  of  the  state  of 
linois.  Colonel  Fugate  went  to  Nebraska  while  yet  a  young  man,  and  in  partnership 
with  others  he  organized  a  cattle  company  and  engaged  in  farming  and  the  live  stock 
business,  at  the  same  time  doing  some  auctioneering,  in  that  state  until  1912.  In  that 
year  he  came  to  Aberdeen,  Bingham  county,  Idaho,  and  became  associated  with  his  son 
in  the  banking  business.  In  November,  1918,  he  was  reelected  county  commissioner  of 
Bingham  county,  having  served  in  that  capacity  for  two  years  prior  to  that  date. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  45 

Colonel  Fugate  is  largely  interested  in  land,  having  some  extensive  holdings,  and  he 
carries  on  auctioneering  throughout  the  district.  His  wife  is  still  living. 

Paul  A.  Fugate  was  reared  and  educated  in  Hastings,  Nebraska,  and  finished  his 
school  work  at  a  commercial  college.  In  1906  he  and  his  brother  Dallas  came  to  Aber- 
deen, Idaho,  and  bought  a  tract  of  land,  on  which  he  later  made  final  proof.  They 
were  induced,  in  the  first  instance,  to  come  to  Idaho  for  the  benefit  of  their  health. 
In  1909,  Paul  A.  Fugate  and  his  father  and  brother  organized  the  Bank  of  Aberdeen, 
which  they  have  conducted  ever  since.  To  bring  the  bank  to  its  present  sound  position 
was  uphill  work,  and  for  the  first  two  years  of  its  existence,  the  deposits  did  not  exceed 
twenty  thousand  dollars.  Now,  however,  owing  to  careful  handling  of  the  bank's  affairs, 
it  is  in  a  sound  and  prosperous  condition;  its  capital  is  twenty  thousand  dollars;  it 
carries  a  surplus  of  six  thousand  dollars,  and  the  deposits  up  to  the  close  of  last  year 
amounted  to  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  One  year  after  the  opening 
of  the  bank,  Dallas  Fugate  died  and  Paul  A.  Fugate  was  elected  cashier.  He  has  since 
been  serving  the  bank  in  that  capacity  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors. 
His  brother,  Glenn,  is  also  a  stockholder  and  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors. 
Glenn  Fugate  has  recently  returned  Irom  France,  where  he  served  with  the  United 
States  army  for  about  a  year.  In  1917  a  handsome  brick  building  was  erected  and  in 
this  new  home  the  affairs  of  the  Aberdeen  Bank  are  now  conducted. 

On  November  17,  1915,  Paul  A.  Fugate  was  united  in  marriage  to  Florence  Ruth 
Fugate.  They  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  are  earnestly  interested  in 
all  its  work.  Mr.  Fugate  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the  republican  party,  but  has  never  aspired 
to  political  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  various  business  activ- 
ities. In  addition  to  his  connection  with  his  own  bank,  Mr.  Fugate  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Bannock  National  Bank  of  Pocatello.  He  is  the  owner  of  several  farm  tracts,  which 
he  rents,  and  also  owns  city  property.  All  his  business  ventures  have  proved  remarkably 
successful  and  he  is  generally  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  enterprising  citizens  of  Aber- 
deen with  whose  affairs  he  has  been  identified  for  about  fifteen  years. 


ALBERT  ALBRETHSEX. 

At  a  recent  date  Albert  Albrethsen  took  up  his  abode  in  a  beautiful  home  on 
Howard  avenue  in  South  Boise,  where  he  has  a  half  block  of  ground,  his  home  being 
surrounded  by  well  kept  lawns  and  gardens,  adorned  with  flowers  and  fruit  trees. 
While  he  has  lived  here  for  but  a  brief  period,  he  has  made  his  home  in  Idaho  since 
1887,  coming  directly  to  this  state  from  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  bringing  with  him  his 
wife  and  their  three  eldest  children.  He  was  born  in  Denmark,  November  6,  1857. 
in  the  county  of  Frederiksborg,  and  his  wife  was  born  there  on  the  14th  of  April. 
1860.  Her  maiden  name  was  Hanne  Larsen  and  they  were  married  December  14,  1879. 

in  1887  Mr.  Albrethsen,  with  his  wife  and  three  children,  left  Copenhagen  for 
America  on  the  Danish  steamer  Thingvalla  and  were  nineteen  days  in  crossing.  On 
reaching  New  York  they  came  direct  to  Idaho  territory  and  first  settled  on  a  home- 
xtead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  three  miles  south  of  Picabo,  Blaine  county,  in 
the  Wood  River  valley.  There  he  improved  and  developed  his  ranch,  one-half  of 
which  he  afterward  sold  to  his  brother,  Martin  Albrethsen,  who  came  to  America  in 
1883  and  to  Idaho  in  1885,  also  settling  near  Picabo.  He  still  resides  in  Blaine 
county  and  is  a  prosperous  ranchman.  Later  Albert  Albrethsen'  purchased  another 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  adjoining  Carey  but  finally  left  his  ranch  and  removed 
to  Carey  in  19^1,  there  residing  until  1917,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  South  Boise. 
He  disposed  of  his  ranch  interests  in  1916  and  retired  from  extensive  farming  but 
still  has  an  acre  and  a  quarter,  the  care  of  which  will  occupy  his  time  to  some 
extent,  for  indolence  and  idleness  are  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  and  he  could  not 
be  content  without  some  occupation. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albrethsen  have  been  born  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom  are 
yet  living,  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  as  follows:  Mrs.  Christina  Chaumell.  Wil- 
liam, Mrs.  Mary  Melius,  Mrs.  Rosa  Brooks,  Alexander.  Alfred,  Esther  and  Norman. 
All  are  residents  of  Blaine  county.  Two  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albrethsen  died  in 
infancy,  while  a  daughter,  Thora.  passed  away  at  Carey,  Idaho,  when  thirty-one 
years  of  age. 

In   politics  Mr.  Albrethsen   is  a  democrat  and   served  as  county  commissioner  of 


46  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Elaine  county  in  1907  and  1908.  He  was  also  county  assessor  there  through  the  two 
succeeding  years  and  made  an  excellent  record  in  public  office.  He  belongs  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  he  is  fond  of  both  fishing  and  hunting.  While 
they  have  had  a  large  family  of  eleven  children,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albrethsen  are  now 
alone,  living  in  the  midst  of  pleasant  surroundings  and  enjoying  many  of  the  com- 
forts of  life,  which  have  come  to  them  as  the  result  of  well  directed  energy  and 
effort  in  former  years. 


WILLIAM  ROPER. 

William  Roper,  president  of  the  Roper  Clothing  Company  of  Bur  ley,  is  a  native 
Missourian,  having  been  born  in  Dallas  county  in  1883.  He  attended  the  rural  schools 
in  Missouri  and  later  the  South  West  Baptist  College.  He  spent  two  years  in  the 
Springfield  Normal  and  Business  College  and  then  resolved  to  learn  the  mercantile 
business.  He  was  employed  for  seven  years  by  the  Schwab  Brothers  Clothing  Com- 
pany of  Springfield  but  young  Roper  was  very  ambitious  and  realizing  the  limited 
opportunities  in  the  middle  west  and  having  fond  visions  of  owning  a  store  of  his  own 
decided  to  try  the  west.  Coming  to  Bmse  in  1911,  he  secured  employment  with  the 
Alexander  Clothing  Company,  where  he  stayed  for  six  months.  In  1912  he  came  to 
Burley  and  with  I.  E.  Masters  opened  a  small  clothing  store  known  as  the  Roper  & 
Masters'  Store.  A  year  and  a  half  later  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Roper  Tomlinson 
Company,  and  in  1914,  they  purchased  a  store  in  Rupert,  Idaho.  On  July  1,  1917,  the 
Roper  Tomlinson  Company  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Roper  taking  the  men's  clothing  store  in 
Burley  and  the  store  at  Rupert,  while  Mr.  Tomlinson  took  the  ladies'  ready  to  wear 
and  dry  goods  department  of  Burley.  However,  on  January  1,  1920,  Mr.  Roper  pur- 
chased from  Mr.  Tomlinson  this  store,  making  it  a  part  of  the  Roper  Clothing  Com- 
pany's stores.  Thus,  the  Roper  Clothing  Company  has  grown  from  a  very  small  store 
in  1912  to  the  largest  and  most  attractive  of  its  kind  in  southern  Idaho,  now  employing 
from  thirty-six  to  forty  people. 


WILLIAM  J.  McLEOD. 

One  of  the  attractive  commercial  establishments  of  Boise  is  the  haberdashery 
store  owned  by  the  firm  of  McLeod  &  Johnson,  of  which  William  J.  McLeod  is  senior 
member.  They  conduct  business  at  No.  107  North  Eighth  street  and  handle  not  only 
a  full  and  attractive  line  of  haberdashery  but  also  do  a  merchant  tailoring  business. 
Mr.  McLeod  dates  his  residence  in  Idaho  from  1891  and  after  four  years  spent  at  Hailey, 
during  which  time  he  carried  on  merchant  tailoring,  he  came  to  the  capital  city. 

He  was  born  near  Toronto,  Canada,  August  17,  1868,  and  is  of  Scotch  descent.  His 
parents,  Roderick  and  Nancy  (Henderson)  McLeod,  were  natives  of  Nova  Scotia  and 
have  now  passed  away.  The  father,  who  followed  farming  throughout  his  entire 
business  career  or  until  he  put  aside  active  business  interests,  removed  from  Nova 
Scotia  to  Ontario  with  his  parents  when  a  youth  of  but  thirteen  years  and  spent  his 
remaining  days  In  Ontario,  where  he  died  in  1909,  in  his  eighty-first  year,  having 
been  born  in  1829.  His  wife  departed  this  life  in  1886,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four  years, 
her  birth  having  occurred  in  1831.  This  worthy  couple  had  a  family  of  eight  children, 
four  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  three  sons  and  a  daughter  are  yet  living, 
these  being:  Willif-m  J.,  of  this  review;  George  A.,  who  has  been  a  resident  of 
Blaine  county,  Idaho,  since  1886  and  who  served  for  two  terms  as  county  auditor 
there;  Dr.  John  A.  McLeod,  a  prominent  physician  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  who  in 
young  manhood  taught  school  at  Hailey,  Idaho;  and  Mrs.  Janet  Pearson,  the  wife  of 
Robert  Pearson,  of  Clinton,  Ontario.  The  deceased  son  of  the  family  was  Rev. 
Alexander  Henderson  McLeod,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  who  passed  away  in  1906  at 
the  age  of  thirty-five  years. 

William  J.  McLeod  is  the  youngest  of  the  four  living  children.  The  youthful 
experiences  that  fell  to  his  lot  were  those  of  the  farm-bred  boy,  for  he  was  reared  upon 
his  father's  farm  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  when  the  property  was  sold  and  the 
father  retired  from  active  business,  removing  to  Brucefield,  Ontario.  Not  long  after- 
ward William  J.  McLeod  was  sent  away  to  school,  entering  the  Seaforth  Collegiate 


WILLIAM    ROPER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  49 

Institute  of  Huron  county,  Ontario,  where  he  studied  for  two  years.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  he  put  aside  his  textbooks  and  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to  a  merchant 
tailor  in  the  town  of  Seaforth.  He  spent  three  years  In  learning  the  trade  and  on 
the  1st  of  January,  1891,  came  to  Idaho  as  a  journeyman  tailor.  In  April  of  the  same 
year,  however,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Elof  Anderson  and  engaged  in  the 
merchant  tailoring  business  at  Hailey,  Idaho,  until  the  spring  of  1895,  when  he  sold 
his  Interest  in  the  business  to  his  partner  and  later  in  the  same  year  removed  to 
Boise.  Here  he  again  worked  as  a  journeyman  for  about  four  years  and  in  1899  entered 
into  partnership  with  Carl  O.  Johnson,  forming  the  present  firm  of  McLeod  &  Johnson. 
This  concern  has  been  In  continuous  existence  for  twenty  years  and  has  long  been 
a  thoroughly  established  firm,  conducting  a  successful  business  In  the  capital  city.  They 
are  now  located  in  the  Overland  building,  to  which  they  removed  on  the  1st  of  August, 
1915.  Here  they  have  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  modern  and  up-to-date  men's  furnish- 
ing goods  establishments  in  the  state.  They  carry  an  attractive  line  of  haberdashery 
and  clothing  and  at  the  same  time  maintain  a  fine  merchant  tailoring  department 
They  handle  Kuppenheimer's  ready-made  clothing,  also  the  Hirsh-Wickwire  clothing 
and  are  the  largest  distributors  of  Manhattan  shirts  in  the  state  of  Idaho.  Their 
business  methods  are  such  as  will  bear  the  closest  investigation  and  scrutiny  and 
their  enterprise  and  close  application  are  basic  elements  of  their  growing  and  continued 
prosperity. 

On  the  llth  of  January,  1899,  in  Boise,  Mr.  McLeod  was  married  to  Miss  Pbilena 
De  Chant,  a  native  of  Illinois,  who  was  reared  in  Boise  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jeremiah 
De  Chant,  who  was  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army,  serving  with  the  rank  of  lieutenant. 

Mr.  McLeod  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant 
for  office.  He  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  a  thirty-second  degree  Scottish  Rite  Mason  and  a 
Shriner,  a  member  of  El  Korah  Temple.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World  and  is  an  active  member  and  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Boise  Commercial 
Club.  He  likewise  belongs  to  the  Boise  Rotary  Club  and  his  marked  characteristics  are 
such  as  make  for  a  personal  popularity  wherever  he  is  known. 


AUSTIN  CARLISLE  PRICE. 

Austin  Carlisle  Price,  auditor  and  business  agent  of  the  Idaho  state  board  of 
education,  to  which  position  he  was  called  in  March,  1917,  was  born  at  Hunnewell, 
Missouri,  August  4,  1883,  and  is  the  only  living  son  of  the  Rev.  William  C.  and  Alice 
(Doyle)  Price,  who  are  now  residents  of  Long  Beach,  California.  The  father  devoted 
many  years  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  of  the  Methodist  church  but  is  now  retired. 
He  is  of  Scotch  descent,  while  his  wife  is  of  Irish  lineage.  They  removed  to  Colorado 
Springs,  Colorado,  when  their  son  Austin  was  but  a  year  old.  Both  were  then  school 
teachers  and  the  father  held  the  position  of  superintendent  of  the  public  schools 
of  that  city  for  several  years,  while  the  mother  was  one  of  the  teachers  in  the  grades. 
A  few  years  later  they  removed  to  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon,'  and  not  long  afterward 
settled  upon  a  homestead  in  Canyon  county,  Idaho.  The  father  proved  up  on  this 
property,  living  thereon  for  five  years.  On  leaving  the  ranch  he  entered  the  Methodist 
ministry  in  the  state  of  Oregon  and  was  pastor  in  a  number  of  churches  in  various 
towns  of  Oregon  and  Idaho  but  at  length  put  aside  the  work  of  the  ministry  and  is 
enjoying  a  well  earned  rest  at  Long  Beach,  California. 

Austin  Carlisle  Price  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  various  removals  and  in 
different  localities  was  a  public  school  pupil.  In  1900  he  entered  the  Willamette 
University,  Salem,  Oregon,  at  which  time  his  father  was  pastor  of  a  church  at 
Blackfoot,  Idaho.  He  spent  eight  years  as  a  student  in  the  university,  four  years  in 
the  preparatory  department  and  four  years  in  the  college.  He  was  graduated  there- 
from in  June.  1908,  with  the  Bachelor  of  Science  degree  and  since  then  has  continuously 
resided  in  Idaho.  He  took  up  a  homestead  in  Canyon  county  under  the  Carey  act, 
securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  improved  this  with  buildings  and  still 
owns  the  property  but  is  waiting  for  water  to  further  develop  it  For  nine  and  a 
half  years  he  was  in  the  United  States  reclamation  service,  having  charge  of  the 
distribution  of  the  water  on  the  Boise  project  during  the  last  three  and  a  half  years 
of  that  period.  He  resigned  on  the  1st  day  of  March,  1917,  to  accept  his  present 
position  as  auditor  and  business  agent  of  the  Idaho  state  board  of  education, 
vol.  m— 4 


50  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1911,  Mr.  Price  was  united  in  marriage  in  Boise  to  Miss 
Pearl  Cleworth,  who  was  born  in  the  province  of  Saskatchewan,  Canada,  and  was 
educated  at  the  Northwestern  University  of  Chicago.  She  is  an  accomplished  musician 
and  an  expert  needle  woman.  Her  father,  like  the  father  of  Mr.  Price,  was  also  a 
Methodist  minister  and  she  has  two  brothers  who  are  ministers  of  that  faith,  while 
two  of  her  sisters  are  the  wives  of  preachers  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Price  have  two  daughters:  Laura  Carlisle,  born  April  15,  1912;  and  Eleanor 
Frances,  born  July  11,  1916. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Price  are  consistent  and  faithful  members  of  the  First  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  Boise,  in  which  he  is  serving  as  a  trustee.  They  take  an  active 
part  in  the  church  work  and  do  everything  in  their  power  to  promote  its  growth 
and  extend  its  influence.  Mr.  Price  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club  and 
cooperates  in  the  plans  and  projects  of  that  organization  for  the  upbuilding  of  the 
city,  for  the  expansion  of  its  trade  relations  and  the  development  and  maintenance 
of  high  civic  standards. 


HENRY  F.  STEVENS. 

Henry  F.  Stevens,  proprietor  of  the  Citizens  Coal  Company  of  Boise  and  one 
of  the  partners  in  the  Stevens  Land  &  Livestock  Company,  was  born  at  Fredericks- 
burg,  Virginia,  April  22,  1884,  a  son  of  Lewis  and  Ella  Stevens,  who  are  now  residing 
at  Richmond,  Virginia.  The  father  is  a  veteran  of  the  Confederate  army  and  comes 
of  ancestry  that  for  several  generations  had  been  connected  with  Virginia. 

Harry  F.  Stevens  was  reared  on  a  plantation  near  Fredericksburg  and  in  1904 
came  to  Idaho,  spending  the  succeeding  four  years  in  ranching  near  Idaho  Falls. 
He  then  disposed  of  his  property  there  and  in  1908  removed  to  the  Boise  valley.  He 
devoted  a  year  to  ranching  near  Star  and  another  near  Eagle,  after  which  he  took 
up  his  abode  on  a  ranch  on  Willow  creek,  in  what  is  now  Payette  county.  In  1911 
he  established  his  home  in  the  city  of  Payette,  where  he  engaged  in  the  meat  business 
for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  disposed  of  his  market  and  removed  to  a 
ranch  nearby,  owning  and  residing  upon  that  place  for  several  years.  He  afterward 
devoted  two  years  to  ranching  in  Union  county,  Oregon,  and  for  a  short  time  lived 
near  Wilder,  in  Canyon  county,  but  through  all  this  period  still  owned  his  ranch 
property  near  Payette.  This  he  sold  in  the  spring  of  1919  for  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  dollars  per  acre  and  removed  to  Boise.  On  the  1st  of  April,  1919,  he 
purchased  the  business  of  the  Citizens  Coal  Company  from  Carl  See  and  E.  C.  Laughlin 
and  is  now  sole  owner  of  the  business,  which  is  one  of  extensive  and  gratifying1 
proportions.  He  is  also  a  partner  in  the  Stevens  Land  &  Livestock  Company,  which 
was  organized  on  the  1st  of  November,  1919,  his  associates  in  this  undertaking  being 
C.  Avery  Kingsley  and  Cartee  Wood  of  Boise. 

On  the  6th  of  January,  1909,  Mr.  Stevens  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Fuller,  a 
native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  and  they  reside  at  No.  2413  Ada  street  in  Boise, 
where  they  have  an  attractive  home.  Mr.  Stevens  belongs  to  the  Fraternal  Order 
of  Eagles  and  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce,  while  his  political  allegiance  is 
given  to  the  democratic  party.  He  has  made  steady  progress  since  his  arrival  in  the 
northwest  sixteen  years  ago.  His  business  interests  have  been  carefully  and  intelli- 
gently directed  and  his  progressiveness  has  brought  him  to  the  front  as  one  of  the 
leading  business  men  of  his  adopted  city. 


WILLIAM  J.  LLEWELLYN. 

William  J.  Llewellyn,  a  confectioner  of  Boise,  who  is  conducting  business  under 
the  name  of  Llewellyn's  Chocolate  Shop,  came  to  this  city  in  1907  and  has  since  been 
connected  with  the  candy  industry  as  a  manufacturer  and  retailer.  He  was  born  in 
Salt.  Lake  City,  Utah,  December  31,  1880,  and  is  of  Welsh  lineage,  his  parents  being 
natives  of  Wales  but  married  in  Salt  Lake  City.  They  are  of  the  Mormon  faith.  The 
father  still  lives  in  Salt  Lake  City  at  the  age  of  eighty  years  and  is  hearty  and  vig- 
orous, but  the  mother  passed  away  at  the  age  of  fifty. 

William   J.   Llewellyn   obtained   his   education   in   the  schools   of   Salt   Lake   City, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  51 

continuing  his  studies  to  the  age  of  nineteen,  when  he  began  learning  the  candy  mak- 
ing business,  entering  the  employ  of  the  McDonald  Candy  Company  in  his  native 
city.  He  remained  with  that  company  for  eight  years  and  then  became  a  journeyman 
candy  maker,  spending  four  years  in  San  Francisco.  In  1907  he  came  to  Boise, 
where  he  obtained  employment  with  the  Boise  Candy  Company,  and  in  1909  he  became 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  Pearl  Candy  Company  of  Boise,  which  is  still  a  thriving 
concern  of  this  city.  He  sold  his  interest  in  that  business,  however,  in  1912  and  has 
since  conducted  business  independently,  being  now  the  proprietor  of  Llewellyn's 
Chocolate  Shop,  which  is  one  of  the  most  popular  confectionery  establishments  in 
Boise  and  one  of  the  best  patronized.  He  manufactures  practically  all  of  his  own 
candies  and  confections  and  yet  he  also  keeps  in  stock  the  products  of  other  leading 
candy  manufacturing  concerns  of  the  east  and  elsewhere.  The  confectionery  which 
he  manufactures  is  very  popular  with  his  fellow  townsmen  and  his  business  has 
reached  gratifying  proportions. 

In  Salt  Lake  CityT  on  the  19th  of  January,  1903.  Mr.  Llewellyn  was  married  to 
Miss  Pearl  Hobbs,  a  native  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  and  a  daughter  of  Andrew  Hobbs, 
a  veteran  of  the  Confederate  army.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Llewellyn  are  members  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
four  daughters:  Pearl,  Opal,  Ruby  and  Garnet,  aged  respectively  seventeen,  thirteen, 
ten  and  eight  years.  Mr.  Llewellyn  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  be 
gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  but  is  not  a  politician  in  the 
sense  of  office  seeking.  His  attention  on  the  contrary  is  concentrated  upon  his  business 
affairs  and  his  close  application,  his  capability  and  his  wise  management  have  been 
the  salient  features  in  his  growing  success. 


JAMES  GROVER  BURNS. 

James  Grover  Burns,  a  photographer  who  is  now  conducting  the  Burns  Studio  at 
the  corner  of  Thirteenth  and  State  streets,  in  Boise,  is  a  native  son  of  Idaho,  having 
been  born  on  a  ranch  one  mile  east  of  Meridian,  in  Ada  county,  on  the  21st  of 
January,  1886.  He  is  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters  whose 
father.  Samuel  Martin  Burns,  passed  away  in  August,  1918.  He  was  formerly  a 
rancher  who  owned  a  good  property  near  Meridian,  residing  thereon  for  many  years 
and  later  conducting  a  store  in  Meridian.  He  was  born  in  Missouri  and  crossed  the 
plains  to  Idaho  with  a  wagon  train  when  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  at  once  made 
his  way  to  Boise  and  resided  in  the  Boise  valley  throughout  his  remaining  days, 
being  one  of"  the  pioneer  ranchers  near  Meridian  and  also  one  of  the  first  merchants 
of  the  town.  He  was  married  in  1885  to  Mary  Elizabeth  Pfost,  daughter  of  Isaac  W. 
Pfost,  now  of  Nampa,  and  a  sister  of  Emmitt  Pfost,  the  present  sheriff  of  Ada  county, 
Idaho.  Mrs.  Burns  survives  and  resides  in  Meridian,  and  all  of  her  five  children  are 
yet  living,  as  follows:  James  Grover;  Mrs.  Elsie  Haasch,  of  Parma,  Idaho;  Mrs.  Almia 
Burke,  of  Cambridge,  Idaho:  Mrs.  Apal  Friedline,  of  Boise;  and  Waldo,  of  Meridian. 
The  last  named  was  a  soldier  of  the  World  war,  having  served  as  an  aviator  in  France. 

James  Grover  Burns  has  spent  practically  his  entire  life  in  the  Boise  valley. 
He  was  reared  on  the  home  ranch  and  he  supplemented  his  early  education  by  study 
in  the  University  of  Idaho.  In  1905  he  was  graduated  from  the  Illinois  College  of 
Photography,  having  from  early  boyhood  felt  a  strong  desire  to  make  photography 
his  life  work.  On  the  completion  of  his  course  he  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  where  he 
remained  for  five  years,  since  which  time  he  has  made  his  home  in  Boise.  Through- 
out the  entire  period  he  has  engaged  in  photographic  work  and  since  coming  to  Boise 
about  six  years  ago  has  mnde  a  specialty  of  indoor  photography,  in  which  line  he 
excels,  building  up  an  enviable  reputation  in  this  connection  in  the  capital  city. 
In  fact  when  anyone  in  Boise  wishes  fine  indoor  or  outdoor  photographic  work  done 
in  or  about  his  own  home  the  services  of  Mr.  Burns  are  secured.  In  1919  he  erected 
at  the  corner  of  Thirteenth  and  State  streets  one  of  the  most  artistic  homes  in  Boise — 
a  building  of  the  semi-bungalow  type,  it  being  a  residence  and  studio  combined, 
such  a  combination  as  is  rarely  seen  outside  of  the  large  cities.  The  place  is  of  unique 
design,  wholly  unlike  anything  else  in  Boise  or  the  state,  and  is  admired  by  all 
who  see  it.  The  design  was  made  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burns  and  is  indicative  of  their 
artistic  taste. 

On  the  31st  of  August,  1910.  Mr.  Burns  was  married  to  Miss  Ethel  June  Hedges, 


52  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

a  native  of  "Nebraska,  who  came  to  the  Boise  valley  with  her  parents  when  fourteen 
years  of  age,  the  family  locating  on  a  ranch  near  Meridian  in  1901.  There  she 
spent  her  girlhood  and  was  graduated  from  the  Meridian  high  school,  supplementing 
her  education  by  attending  Cotner  University  at  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  from  which  she 
was  graduated,  and  then  returned  to  Meridian,  where  she  taught  in  thfe  public  schools 
for  several  years  before  her  marriage.  She  was  born  near  Fairbury,  Nebraska,  June 
16,  1887.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burns  has  been  born  a  daughter,  Fern  Lucille,  whose  birth 
occurred  December  24,  1912,  and  who  is  a  little  maiden  of  rare  beauty. 

Mr.  Burns  has  displayed  notable  skill  and  genius  in  photography  and  is  the 
originator  and  inventor  of  some  very  novel  yet  practical  ideas  in  this  line.  He 
originated  the  firelight  idea  of  photography  as  applied  to  studio  work  and  was  award- 
ed a  patent  thereon  in  1909.  The  interior  of  the  Burns  studio-residence  has  many 
innovations  quite  unusual  in  the  way  of  built-in  furniture,  equipment  and  conveniences. 
In  fact  it  is  seldom  indeed  that  any  home  is  so  generously  supplied  with  built-in 
features  and  all  of  an  intensely  practical  and  yet  pleasing  nature.  The  skilled  crafts- 
man who  did  the  work  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Burns  supplied  the  home  with  a 
built-in  bookcase  of  generous  proportions,  also  a  cabinet,  a  complete  writing  desk 
including  drawer  and  pigeon-hole  features,  a  sideboard,  buffet,  china  closet,  kitchen 
cabinet  and  various  other  kitchen  conveniences,  together  with  a  number  of  disappear- 
ing receptacles  in  which  articles  in  quantity  can  be  kept  in  sanitary  condition.  There 
is  a  feature  about  the  place,  however,  that  was  not  built-in  and  that  is  the  hospitality 
which  there  reigns  supreme,  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burns  always  have  a  cordial  welcome 
for  their  many  friends,  the  circle  of  whom  is  constantly  increasing. 


SHERMAN  M.  COFFIN. 

Sherman  M.  Coffin,  a  pioneer  in  the  hardware  trade  at  Boise,  now  sales  manager 
and  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Northrop  Hardware  Company,  a  large  wholesale  con- 
cern, has  been  well  known  in  this  line  of  business  in  the  capital  city  since  1879.  He 
came  to  Idaho  in  that  year  from  Ottumwa,  Iowa,  where  he  was  born  on  the  12th  of 
February,  1860.  He  was  named  in  honor  of  John  Sherman,  the  Ohio  statesman,  and  is 
a  son  of  Thomas  Chalkley  Coffin  and  his  second  wife,  who  in  her  maidenhood  was  Sarah 
Myers.  The  mother  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  in  Boise  at  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-eight  years,  but  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  she  is  closely  approaching  the  cen- 
tenarian mark,  she  is  still  quite  active.  The  father  died  at  Fort  Kearney,  Nebraska, 
in  1865,  after  having  served  his  country  as  a  soldier  in  the  Union  army  during  the 
Civil  war.  He  entered  as  a  private  and  by  reason  of  his  loyalty  and  his  capability  was 
advanced  to  the  rank  of  captain.  The  Coffin  family  has  long  figured  as  one  of  promi- 
nence and  honor  in  Boise,  where  Frank  R.  Coffin,  a  half-brother  of  Sherman  M.,  is  the 
president  of  the  Boise  City  National  Bank,  while  others  are  prominent  in  business  and 
community  affairs. 

Sherman  M.  Coffin  was  reared  in  Ottumwa,  Iowa,  He  left  school  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  and  became  a  clerk  in  a  shoe  store  in  his  native  city,  thus  making  his  initial 
step  in  the  business  world.  He  was  employed  in  that  connection  until  1879,  when  he 
left  Ottumwa  and  came  to  Boise,  chiefly  for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  which  had  become 
impaired.  His  brother,  Frank  R.  Coffin,  was  already  engaged  in  business  here  and 
Sherman  entered  his  store  as  a  clerk  and  thus  learned  the  business.  In  1884  a  branch 
store  was  established  at  Caldwell,  under  the  name  of  Coffin  &  Northrop,  with  Sherman 
M.  in  charge.  Removing  to  Caldwell,  he  managed  the  store,  of  which  he  was  part 
owner,  for  several  years.  In  1897  he  returned  to  Boise  and  reentered  the  hardware 
store  of  Frank  R.  Coffin,  there  remaining  until  1900.  Through  the  succeeding  thirteen 
years  he  was  a  tra'veling  salesman,  being  on  the  road  for  the  Marshall- Wells  Hardware 
Company  of  Duluth,  Minnesota,  and  throughout  the  entire  period  he  made  his  home  in 
Boise.  In  1913  he  purchased  the  hardware  business  of  Loree  &  Son  at  No.  909  Main 
street  and  organized  the  S.  M.  Coffin  Hardware  Company,  conducting  the  business  until 
1917,  when  he  sold  out  to  the  Springer  Hardware  Company.  He  has  since  been  finan- 
cially and  actively  interested  in  the  Northrop  Hardware  Company,  the  largest  whole- 
sale concern  'in  this  line  in  Idaho,  being  continuously  represented  on  the  road  by  six 
traveling  salesmen.  Its  trade  extends  all  over  southern  Idaho  and  southeastern 
Oregon.  It  is  one  of  the  principal  wholesale  concerns  of  Boise,  and  Mr.  Coffin  is  the 
sales  manager  and  also  one  of  the  stockholders.  His  long  connection  with  the  hard- 


SHERMAN  M.  COFFIN 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  55 

ware  trade  has  made  him  a  familiar  figure  in  this  line  of  business  in  Boise,  and  his 
extensive  experience  indicates  his  fitness  for  the  responsible  position  which  he  is  now 
filling. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1884,  in  Ottumwa,  Iowa,  Mr.  Coffin  was  married  to  Miss 
Jessie  Phelps,  an  acquaintance  of  his  boyhood,  and  they  have  two  sons:  Vestal  Phelps, 
a  graduate  of  the  United  States  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis  and  now  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  at  Pocatello,  Idaho;  and  Thomas  Chalkley,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Phillips  Exeter  Academy  and  of  Yale  University  and  is  now  in  England  as  a  naval 
aviator  in  the  service  of  the  United  States.  He  was  formerly  assistant  attorney  general 
of  Idaho  and  is  now  twenty-nine  years  of  age,,  while  the  elder  son  has  reached  the  age 
of  thirty-one.  Both  sons  prepared  for  the  bar  by  the  study  of  law  at  Yale  and  have 
become  recognized  as  leaders  among  the  younger  representatives  of  the  legal  profession  of 
the  state. 

Mr.  Coffin  is  a  prominent  Mason  and  is  a  past  grand  master  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Idaho.  He  keeps  physically  fit  by  a  thorough  system  of  exercises,  in  which  he  engages 
every  morning.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican  and  for  two  years  served  as  city  treas- 
urer of  Boise  but  has  never  sought  nor  desired  public  office.  He  recognizes  and  fully 
meets  his  duties  and  obligations  of  citizenship,  however,  and  gives  stalwart  support  to 
all  movements  for  the  general  good. 


RYLAND  GORTON  SPAULDING. 

Ryland  Gorton  Spaulding  needs  no  introduction  to  the  readers  of  this  volume, 
for  he  is  widely  known  as  the  president  of  the  Boise  Ad  Club  and  as  the  founder  and 
proprietor  of  the  Spaulding  Poster  Service  of  Boise.  In  these  connections  he  has  done 
much  to  further  business  enterprise  and  advance  commercial  interests  in  the  state. 
He  came  to  Idaho  in  1890  from  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  where  he  was  born  November 
27,  1865,  being  the  only  son  of  Almon  W.  Spaulding  and  Dr.  Mary  Elizabeth  (Gorton) 
Spaulding,  who  arrived  in  Boise  in  the  spring  of  1890,  removing  from  Los  Angeles, 
California.  After  a  few  years'  residence  in  Boise  they  took  up  their  abode  upon  a 
fine  ranch  four  and  a  half  miles  west  of  the  city  but  at  that  time  a  tract  of  wild  land 
covered  with  sagebrush.  Today,  however,  it  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  splendidly 
improved  farm  properties  near  Boise.  It  is  situated  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of 
Spaulding  Station,  on  the  Nampa  interurban  line.  Mr.  Spaulding  is  now  eighty-one 
years  of  age,  while  Dr.  Spaulding  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years, 
November  12,  1919.  Almost  throughout  the  entire  period  since  she  attained  woman- 
hood she  had  been  a  practicing  physician,  following  the  profession  for  many  years 
in  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  while  later  she  practiced  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  and 
still  later  in  Boise.  Idaho,  continuing  in  the  work  even  after  locating  upon  the  ranch. 
To  Mr.  nnd  Mrs.  Spaulding  were  born  but  two  children,  the  daughter  being  Mrs.  Allen 
W.  Pride,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work,  and  in  connection  with  her 
record  there  is  also  more  extended  mention  of  her  parents. 

Ryland  G.  Spaulding  was  reared  in  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  and  obtained  a  good 
public  school  education.  In  his  youth  he  learned  the  printer's  trade  and  developed 
a  degree  of  efficiency  that  entitled  him  to  rank  with  the  expert  hand  compositors. 
After  coming  to  Boise  he  was  identified  with  newspaper  interests  in  various  capacities, 
acting  as  compositor,  as  reporter  and  as  city  editor.  He  was  associated  at  different 
periods  with  various  papers  of  Boise  and  of  Salt  Lake  City,  including  the  Statesman 
of  Boise  and  the  Tribune  of  Salt  Lake  City.  In  1899  he  organized  what  is  known 
as  the  Spaulding  Poster  Service  of  Boise  and  southwestern  Idaho  and  has  very  suc- 
cessfully conducted  the  business  since  that  time,  steadily  employing  several  mon. 
Tli is  is  the  chief  business  in  its  particular  line  in  Boise  and  has  all  the  bill-posting 
service  of  the  city.  An  exclusive  poster  service  is  carried  on  and  the  Spaulding  con- 
cern is  noted  for  its  efficiency,  discharging  its  contracts  with  promptness  and  dispatch. 
The  business  has  now  been  established  for  twenty  years  and  has  beccme  one  of  Boise's 
permanent  institutions,  built  and  developed  upon  a  solid  business  basis. 

On  the  9th  of  August,  1896,  in  Boise,  Mr.  Spaulding  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Laura  Mott,  who  was  born  on  a  ranch  near  Parma,  Idaho,  October  24,  1871.  a 
daughter  of  the  late  John  R.  and  Victoria  (Brown)  Mott.  who  were  pioneers  of  this 
state  and  were  born,  reared  and  married  in  Wisconsin.  They  came  to  Idaho  in  1870 
and  both  have  now  passed  away,  the  mother  dying  in  1906  and  the  father  later. 


56  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding  have  become  parents  of  five  children:  Helen  Elizabeth,  who 
was  born  August  21,  1897;  Maxine  Marcella,  whose  birth  occurred  May  5,  1902;  Vic- 
toria Donnazetta,  whose  natal  day  was  May  24,  1906;  Almon  Walter,  born  November 
26,  1908;  and  Mary  Louise,  who  was  born  on  the  24th  of  August,  1917. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church,  contributing 
liberally  to  its  support  and  actively  interested  in  its  work.  Mr.  Spaulding  has  mem- 
bership with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  he  is  the  president  of  the  Boise  Ad  Club. 
His  experience  as  the  head  of  the  bill-poster  service  has  well  qualified  him  to  under- 
take the  duties  involved  in  the  presidency  of  the  Ad  Club  and  he  is  proving  a  most 
efficient  officer  whose  labors  are  effective  and  resultant.  He  is  actuated  by  a  most  pro- 
gressive spirit,  leading  to  the  substantial  development  and  upbuilding  of  his  section  of 
the  country,  and  the  worth  of  his  work  is  widely  acknowledged.  He  is  a  prominent 
representative  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  fraternity,  being  a  past  chancellor  of 
Ivanhoe  Lodge,  No.  3,  and  a  past  grand  chancellor  of  the  state  of  Idaho.  He  is  like- 
wise identified  with  Boise  Aerie,  No.  115,  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  of  which  he  is 
past  worthy  president,  and  he  is  at  present  state , president  of  the  Idaho  State  Aerie. 
Mr.  Spaulding  is  also  a  past,  dictator  6f  Boise  Lodge,  No.  337,  L.  O.  O.  M.  He  gives 
his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  but  has  never  sought  or  desired  office. 
He  was  formerly  active  in  the  Typographical  Union  and  is  now  a  valued  member  of 
the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Motoring  affords  him  recreation  when  leisure  permits. 


LOUIS  P.  KIELDSEN. 

Louis  P.  Kieldsen,  a  brick  and  stone  contractor  of  Boise,  was  born  in  Denmark, 
March  29,  1865.  His  parents,  both  now  deceased,  never  came  to  the  United  States. 
His  father,  James  Kieldsen,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  thus  provided  for  the 
support  of  his  family.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  his  son,  Louis  P.  Kieldsen,  started, 
out  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  brick  and  stone  mason  and  after  serving  his  apprentice- 
ship worked  as  a  journeyman  for  a  few  years,  spending  two  years  of  that  period  in 
Hamburg.  Germany.  In  1888,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  the  new  world,  landing  at  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  from  which  point  he  at  once 
proceeded  to  Fresno,  California,  where  he  remained  for  a  year.  He  then  went  north, 
first  into  Oregon  and  later  to  Washington,  working  at  his  trade  in  various  cities  of 
the  two  states.  For  a  year  and  a  half  he  resided  in  Spokane,  Washington,  and  assisted 
in  rebuilding  the  city  after  the  big  fire  of  1890.  Later  he  returned  to  Fresno,  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  spent  the  following  winter  and  then  for  a  short  time  was  in  Salt 
Lake  City.  In  August,  1891,  he  came  to  Boise,  where  he  has  since  been  located,  and 
after  a  brief  period  he  began  business  on  his  own  account  as  a  brick  and  stone  con-' 
tractor.  In  this  business  he  has  since  continued  and  his  steady  advancement  has 
brought  him  to  a  place  of  leadership  in  this  line.  Among  the  many  important  build- 
ings of  Boise  with  which  he  has  been  connected  in  contract  work  is  the  Overland 
building,  the  Idanha  Hotel,  the  old  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building,  the  Carnegie  library,  the 
Central  school,  the  Washington  school,  the  Garfield  school  and  many  of  the  leading 
business  blocks.  Between  1900  and  1910  he  was  very  active  and  sometimes  had  as; 
many  as  a  dozen  buildings  under  construction  at  the  same  time.  In  1904  he  erected 
his  own  residence  at  No.  409  Jefferson  street,  this  being  one  of  the  substantial  brick 
homes  of  Boise.  He  owns  much  good  rental  property  in  Boise  and  derives  there- 
from a  very  gratifying  income. 

On  the  23d  of  January,  1895,  in  the  capital  city,  Mr.  Kieldsen  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary  Raaen,  a  native  of  Norway,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1888, 
making  her  way  direct  to  Boise.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  four  daughters 
and  a  son:  Lucy  Hope,  Helen  Johanna,  Karen  Marie,  James  Norman  and  Harriet 
Ingeborg,  the  youngest  now  twelve  years  of  age.  The  eldest  daughter  is  a  graduate 
of  the  University  of  California  and  is  now  language  teacher  in  the  Caldwell-liigh 
school.  The  second  daughter,  Helen  Johanna,  will  graduate  from  the  University  of 
California  in  1920.  The  third  daughter,  Karen  Marie,  is  now  a  senior  in  the  Boise 
high  school  and  is  president  of  her  class,  while  the  son,  James  Norman,  is  a  sophomore 
in  the  Boise  high  school. 

Mr.  Kieldsen  has  membership  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  in 
politics  is  an  independent  republican.  He  and  his  family  are  all  connected  with  the 
Christian  Science  church.  Mr.  Kieldsen  has  made  steady  and  substantial  progress! 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  57 

since  starting  in  business  in  Boise  and  has  had  no  occasion  to  regret  his  determination 
to  come  to  the  new  world,  for  here  he  has  found  the  opportunities  which  he  sought 
and  in  their  utilization  has  made  continued  advancement. 


ROY  L.  BATTAN. 

Roy  L.  Bat  tan,  identified  with  the  automobile  trade  as  proprietor  of  the  Lei  ha 
Motor  Supply  Company  at  Letha,  Idaho,  was  born  at  Grove  City,  Illinois,  August  18, 
1880,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Dickinson)  Rattan,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio 
and  of  North  Carolina  respectively.  The  mother  is  now  living  in  Hastings,  Nebraska, 
but  the  father  passed  away  in  1911. 

Roy  L.  Battan  spent  his  early  life  in  Illinois  and  Nebraska  and  was  twelve  years 
of  age  when  his  parents  removed  to  the  latter  state,  settling  in  Hastings.  After 
mastering  the  branches  of  learning  taught  in  the  public  schools  he  entered  the  Univer- 
sity of  Nebraska  at  Lincoln,  from  which  he  was  graduated  on  the  completion  of  a 
civil  engineering  course  in  1907.  In  the  summer  of  that  year  he  made  his  way  west- 
ward to  Spokane,  Washington,  where  he  followed  his  profession  for  several  years, 
also  working  along  the  same  line  in  Idaho.  In  April,  1915,  he  settled  at  Letha  and 
established  the  first  lumberyard  of  the  town,  conducting  it  for  a  year.  He  afterward 
disposed  of  the  business  to  the  Gem  State  Lumber  Company,  for  whom  he  acted  as 
manager  for  three  years.  Retiring  from  the  lumber  business,  he  established  a  garage, 
opening  the  first  garage  at  Letha.  The  business  has  developed  rapidly  and  is  now 
one  of  substantial  and  gratifying  proportions.  The  Motor  Supply  Company  owns  a 
good  building,  well  equipped  for  handling  all  kinds  of  repair  work  and  doing  all  kinds 
of  garage  service,  and  he  carries  a  good  line  of  automobile  tires  and  accessories. 

On  the  4th  of  November,  1908,  Mr.  Battan  was  married  in  New  Plymouth,  Idaho, 
to  Miss  Hattie  Hinchcliff,  who  was  born  in  Rio,  Illinois,  May  17,  1882,  a  daughter  of 
Winfield  Scott  Hinchcliff,  who  resides  at  New  Plymouth,  and  of  Edna  (Biggart)  Hinch- 
cliff, who  passed  away  March  18.  1887.  Mrs.  Battan  was  a  successful  teacher  in 
Canyon,  Elmore  and  Blaine  counties  for  five  years  prior  to  her  marriage  and  is  a 
lady  of  innate  culture  and  refinement.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Battan  have  four  children: 
Thelma  Francis,  who  was  born  February  6,  1912;  Richard  Winfield,  born  June  12, 
1914;  Edna  Mary.  July  3,  1917;  and  John  Charles,  March  2,  1920. 

Mr.  Battan  and  his  wife  are  republicans  in  their  political  views,  giving  earnest 
support  to  the  party  and  its  principles,  and  fraternally  he  is  a  Mason.  Both  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church,  in  which  he  is  serving  as  a  trustee  and  as  superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  school.  They  own  a  fine  bungalow,  one  of  the  prettiest  homes  in  Letha, 
built  in  1916,  and,  moreover,  it  is  the  abode  of  warm-hearted  and  generous  hospitality, 
being  the  center  of  a  cultured  society  circle. 


MORTIMER  J.  PHILLIPS. 

Mortimer  J.  Phillips,  president  of  the  Gem  County  Garage  at  Emmett,  handling 
automobiles  and  motor  car  supplies  as  well  as  doing  all  kinds  of  repair  and  battery 
work,  was  born  at  Wood  River,  Nebraska,  January  31,  1890,  his  parents  being  Samuel 
and  Esther  (Cooley)  Phillips,  who  are  now  residing  near  Fruitland,  Idaho,  where 
they  own  an  apple  orchard.  The  son  was  reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Nebraska 
and  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that  state.  His  father  was  a 
mechanic  and  blacksmith  and  from  early  age  the  son  has  worked  with  tools  and 
along  mechanical  lines.  He  seems  to  have  inherited  his  father's  natural  aptitude  for 
mechanics  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he  made  a  miniature  gas  engine  which 
would  run  and  which  he  still  has  in  his  possession.  At  eighteen  years  of  age  he  built 
a  model  for  a  farm  tractor.  It  was  also  about  that  time  that  he  took  up  automobile 
repair  work  at  Wood  River,  Nebraska,  and  he  has  been  more  or  less  closely  connected 
with  the  automobile  business  continuously  since  1908  or  for  a  period  of  twelve  years. 

Mr.  Phillips  left  his  native  state  in  1911  and  came  to  Idaho,  planting  an  apple 
orchard  of  fifteen  acres  near  Fruitland,  constituting  the  property  that  is  now  occupied 
by  his  father.  While  waiting  for  his  orchard  to  grow  he  took  up  auto  repair  work 
in  Fruitland  and  in  1917  removed  to  Emmett,  where  for  more  than  a  year  he  occupied 


58  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  position  of  head  mechanic  in  the  M  &  M  Garage,  owned  by  Madden  &  Madden. 
In  February,  1919,  he  joined  O.  U.  Chambers  and  J.  I.  Barry  in  the  purchase  of  the 
Wilson  Garage  of  Emmett,  and  soon  afterward  they  changed  the  name  to  the  Gem 
County  Garage  and  incorporated  the  business  with  Mr.  Phillips  as  president,  Mr. 
Chambers  as  vice  president  and  Mr.  Barry  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  Their  garage, 
which  is  one  of  three  in  Emmett,  is  located  at  No.  201  Main  street  and  is  one  of  the 
best  and  most  complete  institutions  of  this  character  in  Gem  county.  They  have 
the  agency  for  both  the  Overland  and  Oakland  cars  in  this  county,  and  not  only  do 
they  store  cars  but  also  do  expert  auto  repairing,  first-class  battery  work,  all  kinds 
of  welding  and  make  a  specialty  of  starting  and  lighting  troubles,  guaranteeing  all 
work.  Because  of  their  efficiency  they  have  gained  a  liberal  patronage. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1914,  Mr.  Phillips  was  united  in  marriage  at  Fruitland,  Idaho, 
to  Miss  Olive  Tanquary,  a  native  of  Illinois  but  a  resident  of  Idaho  from  the  age 
of  nine  years.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  them:  Merne,  born  November  1, 
1915;  Anita,  December  3,  1916;  and  William,  born  June  27,  1919.  Mr.  Phillips  is  a 
member  of  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose  and  he  belongs  to  the  Emmett  Gun  Club.  He  has 
entered  upon  a  line  of  work  for  which  nature  evidently  intended  him  and  his  expert 
skill  in  this  direction  is  the  foundation  of  his  growing  success. 


HENRY  J.  FLAMM. 

Henry  J.  Flamm  is  a  prominent  exponent  of  commercial  enterprise  at  Rexburg, 
where  he  is  conducting  business  as  the  president  and  manager  of  the  Henry  Flamm 
Company,  having  one  of  the  leading  mercantile  establishments  in  his  section  of  the 
state.  Nor  are  his  efforts  confined  alone  to  this  line.  He  recognizes  his  duties  and 
responsibilities  in  other  connections  and  particularly  in  relation  to  the  moral  prog- 
ress of  the  community  and  he  is  now  a  bishop  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints. 

He  was  born  in  Logan,  Utah,  July  14,  1870,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Helena 
(Bock)  Flamm,  who  were  natives  of  Switzerland  and  of  Germany  respectively.  They 
came  to  America  in  early  life  with  their  parents  and  both  families  established  homes 
in  Pennsylvania.  Henry  Flamm  worked  in  the  woolen  mills  of  that  state  until  1852, 
when  he  crossed  the  plains  with  ox  teams  to  Utah,  settling  at  Cottonwood,  where  he 
lived  for  several  years,  being  employed  in  various  ways  there.  He  afterward  went 
to  Logan,  Utah,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  a  number  of  years,  and  then  turned 
his  attention  to  merchandising,  in  which  he  engaged  until  1883.  In  that  year  he 
removed  to  Oneida  county,  Idaho,  settling  in  a  section  which  is  now  included  within 
the  borders  of  Madison  county.  He  engaged  in  farming  until  1886,  when  he  once 
more  took  up  mercantile  pursuits  and  established  the  store  which  has  since  been  de- 
veloped into  the  large  department  store  now  carried  on  under  the  name  of  the  Henry 
Flamm  Company.  This  is  the  largest  and  oldest  mercantile  institution  of  this  char- 
acter north  of  Pocatello.  Mr.  Flamm  continued  in  active  connection  with  the  busi- 
ness throughout  his  remaining  days,  and  his  progressive  spirit,  close  application  and 
unfaltering  enterprise  were  dominant  factors  in  its  upbuilding  and  success.  He  died 
August  19,  1913,  leaving  a  handsome  competence  as  the  reward  of  his  business  en- 
deavors and  an  honorable  name,  which  came  as  the  result  of  an  upright  life.  He 
was  in  the  stake  presidency  at  Rexburg  in  connection  with  Thomas  E.  Ricks,  being 
first  counselor  to  the  president.  He  first  came  to  Rexburg  at  the  call  of  the  church 
to  assist  in  colonizing  the  district.  Mrs.  Helena  Flamm  passed  away  in  Decem- 
ber, 1883. 

Henry  J.  Flamm,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  spent  his  youthful  days  in 
Logan,  Utah,  and  Rexburg,  Idaho,  and  in  both  places  attended  school,  becoming  even- 
tually a  student  in  the  Ricks  Academy,  while  later  he  continued  his  education  in 
the  Brigham  Young  College  at  Logan,  Utah.  He  then  returned  home  and  took  charge 
of  his  father's  office,  continuing  in  that  connection  for  four  years.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  the  business  was  incorporated  and  Henry  J.  Flamm  became  general  man- 
ager of  the  Henry  Flamm  Company  and  has  been  both  president  and  manager  since 
his  father's  death.  The  business  is  capitalized  at  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  and  the  department  store  which  they  own  and  control  would  be  a  credit  to 
a  city  of  much  larger  size.  The  store  comprises  one  building  ninety-four  by  one  .hun- 
dred feet  and  another  thirty-eight  by  thirty-four  feet,  and  they  utilize  two  floors  and 


HEXRY  J.   FLAMM 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  61 

basement.  They  carry  the  largest  stock  of  merchandise  in  the  state,  and  the  firm 
name  has  ever  stood  as  the  expression  of  most  progressive  and  modern  business  meth- 
ods. They  have  always  maintained  the  highest  standards  in  the  personnel  of  the  , 
house,  in  the  line  of  goods  carried  and  in  the  treatment  accorded  patrons.  Mr.  Flamm 
has  valuable  farming  interests  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  IB  also  identified  with 
banking  as  the  vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  and  one  of  its  directors. 
This  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  strongest  moneyed  institutions  of  Madison  county  and 
Mr  Flamm  was  numbered  among  its  founders.  He  is  also  a  partner  of  R.  J.  Corn- 
stock  in  irrigation  and  land  projects  at  Mud  Lake,  Jefferson  county,  where  they  are 
reclaiming  a  large  tract  of  land,  owning  now  ten  thousand  acres. 

In  December,  1891,  Mr.  Flamm  was  married  to  Miss  Lorena  Eckersell  and  though 
they  have  no  children  of  their  own  they  have  reared  two:  John  E.  Terry,  who  op- 
erates a  farm  belonging  to  Mr.  Flamm;  and  May  Darley,  now  the  wife  of  Renaldo 
Harper,  living  at  Albion,  Idaho. 

Mr.  Flamm  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the  democratic  party  and  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  city  council  for  five  terms.  His  father  was  the  first  mayor  of  the 
town  and  chairman  of  the  first  village  board,  while  Henry  J.  Flamm  has  served  as 
chairman  of  the  city  council.  He  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  education 
for  five  or  six  terms  and  is  at  present  its  chairman.  In  religious  belief  he  is  connected 
with  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  is  bishop  of  the  second 
ward,  having  occupied  the  position  for  seven  years.  He  was  previously  counselor 
to  the  bishop  of  the  first  ward  for  fifteen  years  and  has  worked  in  the  various  church 
organizations.  The  name  of  Flamm  is  inseparably  interwoven  with  the  history  of  Rex- 
burg  and  the  development  of  the  city  and  surrounding  district  and  Mr.  Flamm  is 
numbered  among  the  energetic,  farsighted  and  successful  business  men  of  the  city. 


ROBERT  W.  BARBER. 

Robert  W.  Barber  is  the  superintendent  of  construction  for  the  Boise  Artesian 
Hot  &  Cold  Water  Company  and  is  well  known  in  the  capital  city  and  vicinity,  having 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Idaho.  His  wife  is  equally  well  known  throughout  the  state 
and  in  fact  throughout  the  northwest  as  the  owner  of  the  largest  and  most  successful 
rabbit  warren  in  Idaho,  her  fame  In  the  development  of  the  business  making  her  name 
a  familiar  one  throughout  this  section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Barber  was  born  at  Sweet,  Idaho,  November  22,  1879,  a  son  of  Robert  W. 
Barber,  Sr.,  who  died  when  his  namesake  was  but  nine  years  of  age.  The  father 
had  come  to  Idaho  in  pioneer  times,  settling  in  the  vicinity  of  Sweet  when  that  district 
was  entirely  wild  and  undeveloped.  He  became  a  large  ranch  owner  and  prominent 
dealer  in  live  stock,  controlling  extensive  business  interests.  He  married  Charlotte 
Barber,  who  has  also  passed  away. 

Robert  W.  Barber  of  this  review  was  reared  on  Idaho  ranches,  first  living  near 
Sweet  and  later  in  Long  valley.  He  naturally  gave  his  attention  in  early  life  to  the 
pursuits  which  had  claimed  his  attention  in  his  boyhood  and  was  foreman  of  a  large 
ranch  near  Nampa  when  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He  has  always  been  keenly  inter- 
ested in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  and  development  of  the  state  and  for 
several  years  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  Ridenbaugh  Ditch  Company.  Boise,  how- 
ever, has  been  his  home  and  headquarters  for  many  years  and  for  fourteen  years  he 
has  been  connected  with  the  Boise  Artesian  Hot  &  Cold  Water  Company  in  one 
capacity  or  another  and  for  the  last  two  years  has  been  its  superintendent  of  con- 
struction, capably  meeting  the  responsibilities  and  duties  that  devolve  upon  him  in 
this  connection. 

Mr.  Barber  was  married  in  Caldwell,  Idaho,  about  eight  years  ago  to  Mrs.  Selina 
Foster.  She  was  born  in  England.  July  13,  1880,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Elizabeth  (Charlton)  Davidson,  both  of  whom  are  now  residents  of  Springfield,  Illinois. 
When  their  little  daughter  was  but  a  year  old  they  came  to  the  United  States,  leaving 
her  in  England  with  her  grandparents,  and  she  there  remained  until  she  was  fourteen, 
when  she  came  alone  to  the  United  States  and  joined  her  parents,  then  residents  of 
Streator,  Illinois.  Her  education  was  obtained  in  England.  Mr.  Barber  has  two  step- 
sons, Harry  and  Russell  Foster,  aged  twenty  and  sixteen  years.  The  former  is  a 
veteran  of  the  World  war,  having  served  for  fourteen  months  with  the  American 
Expeditionary  Force  as  a  truck  driver.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Barber,  is  one  of  the  best 


62  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

known  and  most  successful  breeders  of  rabbits  in  the  state  of  Idaho.  She  w.  s  formerly 
treasurer  of  the  Idaho  Poultry  &  Pet  Stock  Association  and  is  now  the  secretary  of  the 
Idaho  Rabbit  and  Pet  Stock  Association.  She  is  also  superintendent  for  the  state  of 
Idaho  for  the  National  Federation  of  Flemish  Giant  Breeders  of  America.  Mrs.  Bar- 
ber has  been  a  winner  in  the  poultry  shows  of  Idaho,  Oregon  and  Utah  and  at  the 
Idaho  State  Fair  and  Utah  State  Fair  for  many  years,  winning  many  prizes  on  Flemish 
Giant  rabbits.  A  large  number  of  specimens  of  the  Barber  rabbitry  have  weighed  as 
high  as  sixteen  pounds.  She  raised  one  Blue  Flemish  Giant  doe  that  weighed  sixteen 
and  three  fourth  pounds.  Mrs.  Barber  has  won  many  medals  and  silver  cups  as  the 
poultry  and  pet  stock  shows  and  scores  of  blue  and  red  ribbons.  She  specializes  in 
the  Flemish  Giants  and  she  makes  extensive  shipments  to  other  states.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Barber  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  Boise  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber 
cf  Commerce,  while  at  all  times  both  are  keenly  interested  in  the  development  and 
upbuilding  of  the  state  and  are  supporters  of  all  those  plans  and  projects  which  are 
looking  toward  a  greater  and  better  city  and  commonwealth. 


ARTHUR  M.  WHELCHEL. 

Arthur  M.  Whelchel,  a  photographer  of  Emmett,  was  born  in  Allen  county,  Kansas, 
August  3,  1879,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Henry  and  Irene  Melissa  (Walton)  Whelchel, 
who  were  natives  of  Indiana  and  Illinois  respectively.  The  family  came  to  Idaho  about 
thirty-five  years  ago  and  they  took  up  their  abode  upon  a  homestead  near  Falks 
Store,  between  Emmett  and  New  Plymouth.  The  father  proved  up  on  this  property, 
securing  title  to  the  same,  but  afterward  sold  the  place  and  removed  to  Caldwell, 
where  he  and  his  wife  now  reside. 

Arthur  M.  Whelchel  has  spent  practically  his  entire  life  in  Idaho,  coming  to  this 
state  with  his  parents  when  a  little  child.  After  he  had  completed  a  public  school 
education  he  started  out  to  make  pictures  in  1902.  During  the  years  1902,  1903  and 
1904  he  simply  did  kodak  work  on  the  outside.  In  1905  he  built  the  first  photographic 
gallery  in  Emmett  and  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  photographic  work  here  almost 
steadily  from  that  time,  having  today  the'  only  studio  of  the  kind  in  the  town, 
although  many  others  have  located  in  Emmett  within  this  period  and  tried  to  build 
up  a  business  but  soon  gave  it  up,  as  Mr.  Whelchel  has  always  received  the  major 
portion  of  the  patronage  here.  This  is  merely  a  survival  of  the  fittest,  for  he  does 
excellent  work  in  his  line  and,  moreover,  he  has  that  artistic  sense  which  enables 
him  to  recognize  the  value  of  light  and  shade  and  of  pose,  enabling  him  therefore  to 
get  most  natural  and  lifelike  results. 

In  1905  Mr.  Whelchel  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  Belle  Neal,  a  native  of  Idaho, 
who  -was  born  near  Falks  Store  and  was  a  childhood  acquaintance  of  her  husband. 
They  have  become  the  parents  of  four  children,  Harold,  Marie,  Robert  and  Ralph. 
Theirs  is  one  of  the  attractive  homes  of  Emmett,  a  handsome  six-room  bungalow, 
which  was  erected  by  Mr.  Whelchel  in  1919  and  is  located  on  the  east  side,  in  one  of 
the  best  residence  sections  of  Emmett. 


TIMAN  ADOLPH  JOHNSON. 

American  biography  teaches  us  the  fact  that  it  is  under  the  pressure  of  adversity 
and  the  stimulus  of  opposition  that  the  best  and  strongest  in  men  is  brought  out 
and  developed.  A  proof  of  this  statement  is  found  in  the  record  of  Timan  A.  Johnson 
of  the  Boise  Produce  &  Commission  Company,  whose  determined  effort,  keen  business 
sagacity  and  enterprise  have  brought  him  to  a  prominent  position  in  the  business 
circles  of  the  capital  city.  He  comes  to  Idaho  from  Wisconsin,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Jackson  county  of  that  state  on  the  2d  of  April,  1876,  his  parents  being 
Elias  and  Eline  (Swein)  Johnson,  who  were  natives  of  Norway.  The  father  arrived 
in  the  new  world  in  1849  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  farmers  of  Jackson 
county,  Wisconsin,  where  he  resided  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death  in 
1892,  when  he  was  fifty-nine  years  of  age.  He  was  married  in  that  state,  his  wife 
having  come  to  America  in  the- early  '50s  with  her  parents.  She  is  now  a  resident  of 
Bellingham,  Washington. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  63 

« 

T.  A.  Johnson  of  this  review  was  the  seventh  child  in  a  family  of  twelve.  He 
obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Black  River  Falls,  Wisconsin,  and  when 
eighteen  years  of  age  became  a  student  in  the  Black  River  Falls  Business  College. 
Having  in  the  meantime  started  out  in  life  on  his  own  account,  first  working  for 
fifty  cents  per  day.  He  scorned  no  labor  that  would  yield  him  an  honest  living  but 
was  at  all  times  ambitious  to  win  advancement.  On  the  6th  of  June,  1898,  he  came 
to  Boise  and  secured  a  position  as  driver  of  a  delivery  wagon  for  the  American  Gro- 
cery Company  at  a  salary  of  twenty-five  dollars  per  month.  He  was  afterward  em- 
ployed as  bookkeeper  by  the  Central  Lumber  Company  of  Caldwell,  Idaho,  but  when 
he  had  spent  four  months  in  that  place  he  returned  to  Boise,  where  he  opened  a  little 
grocery  store.  The  undertaking,  'however,  was  unsuccessful  and  he  found  himself 
after  a  short  time  without  funds.  He  then  accepted  a  position  in  the  store  of  the 
John  L.  Day  Company,  a  firm  to  which  he  was  indebted  to  the  amount  of  five  hun- 
dred dollars.  He  worked  out  his  indebtedness  by  paying  over  one-half  of  his  salary  of 
fifty  dollars  per  month.  He  continued  with  the  house  until  it  was  reorganized,  becoming 
the  Boise  Produce  &  Commission  Company,  and  under  the  new  organization  he  soon 
became  manager,  in  which  position  he  has  continued  to  the  present  time,  being  now 
also  one  of  the  principal  stockholders  of  the  company.  Thus  in  the  face  of  diffi- 
culties and  obstacles  which  would  have  utterly  discouraged  a  man  of  less  resolute 
spirit  he  has  made  steady  progress  and  is  today  active  in  the  control  of  one  of  the 
important  commercial  interests  of  the  city.  He  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Boise 
Association  of  Credit  Men. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  1912,  at  Boise,  Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs. 
Lottie  M.  Wilson,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Edith  Carter  of  that  place.  Their  attractive  home 
fs  the  abode  of  warm-hearted  hospitality  which  is  greatly  enjoyed  by  their  many 
friends.  Politically  Mr.  Johnson  maintains  an  independent  course,  voting  according 
to  the  dictates  of  his  Judgment,  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Christian 
Science  church. 


HENRY  CLAY  BRANSTETTER. 

Henry  Clay  Branstetter,  who  enjoys  the  distinction  of  having  resided  in  Boise 
longer  than  any  other  living  citizen,  took  up  his  abode  here  in  1863,  removing  from 
Richmond,  Missouri.  The  little  hamlet  fnto  which  he  came  bore  no  resemblance  to 
the  thriving  metropolitan  city  of  the  present  day.  A  fort  and  a  few  scattered  houses 
through  the  region  constituted  Boise  and  around  was  a  great  unbroken  tract  of  sage- 
brush land.  In  1872  Mr.  Branstetter  located  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Sixth  and 
Jefferson  streets,  where  he  still  makes  his  home,  having  here  resided  for  forty-seven 
years.  "Uncle  Clay  Branstetter,"  as  he  is  familiarly  known  to  every  man,  woman 
and  child  in  Boise,  is  now  in  his  eighty-fourth  year  but  is  as  strong  and  vigorous  as 
many  men  of  sixty-five  years.  He  was  born  in  Ray  county,  Missouri.  January  5. 
1837,  a  son  of  Daniel  Branstetter,  who  was  commonly  known  as  Judge  Branstetter 
and  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1793.  In  1836  he  removed  to  Ray  county,  Mis- 
souri, becoming  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  that  district,  in  which  he  spent  his 
remaining  days.  He  served  for  many  years  as  county  commissioner  and  also  repre- 
sented his  district  in  the  state  legislature.  He  passed  away  in  1858,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-six.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Winifred  Slaughter,  was  born  in 
east  Tennessee  in  1793  and  died  in  Ray  county,  Missouri,  in  1850,  at  the  age  or 
fifty-eight  years. 

Tlie  boyhood  days  of  Htenry  C.  Branstetter  were  spent  upon  his  father's  farm.  On  the 
18th  of  July,  1853,  or  sixty-seven  years  ago,  he  began  work  in  a  store  at  Knoxville,  Ray 
county,  Missouri,  accepting  a  clerkship  there.  Later  on  he  was  interested  in  a  mercan- 
tile business  at  Mile's  Point  in  Carroll  county,  Missouri,  as  a  partner  of  an  older 
brother,  Jacob  Branstetter,  now  deceased.  rAfter  coming  to  Boise  he  worked  for  wages 
for  several  years  in  various  kinds  of  employment  and  in  the  fall  of  1868  he  was  elected 
sheriff  of  Ada  county  and  served  for  one  term,  being  succeeded  by  William  Bryon.  He 
was  one  of  the  early  sheriffs  of  the  county,  filling  the  office  from  1869  until  1871.  He 
was  also  receiver  of  public  moneys  in  the  United  States  land  office  at  Boise  during1 
Grover  Cleveland's  first  presidential  administration  from  1885  until  1889.  Still  higher 
political  honors  came  to  him.  for  Ada  county  elected  him  to  the  state  senate  at  the 
first  general  election  after  Idaho  was  admitted  to  the  Union  in  1890  and  for  two 


64  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

years  he  remained  a  member  of  the  upper  house  of  the  general  assembly.  In  1892  he 
was  again  elected  sheriff  of  Ada  county,  serving  in  that  capacity  from  1893  until  1895. 
He  has  always  been  a  democrat  in  his  political  views  and  a  loyal  supporter  of  the 
party.  Besides  the  offices  mentioned  above  he  has  served  for  several  terms  as  a 
member  of  the  city  council  of  Boise  and  has  exercised  his  official  prerogatives  in 
support  of  many  plans  and  measures  for  the  benefit  and  upbuilding  of  the  city.  At  the 
same  time  he  has  figured  in  business  circles  and  for  about  twenty  years  was  prominently 
known  in  connection  with  the  butchering  business  in  Boise,  at  times  conducting  two 
meat  markets.  His  attention  was  given  to  the  trade  from  1873  until  1892  and  during  that 
period  the  Branstetter  meat  markets  were  the  principal  ones  in  Boise. 

It  was  on  the  16th  of  April,  1872,  that  Mr.  Branstetter  was  married  in  Boise  to 
Miss  Mary  Thews,  who  was  born  in  Maryland,  December  1,  1852,  and  died  March  24, 
1915,  in  her  sixty-third  year.  She  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Charlotte  (Innis) 
Thews,  who  were  natives  of  England  and  were  reared  and  married  in  that  country.  Com- 
ing to  the  United  States,  they  first  lived  in  Maryland  and  later  in  Illinois,  while  in  1869 
they  removed  to  Idaho  and  for  many  years  were  residents  of  Boise.  They  had  a  family 
of  four  children:  William  B.  and  Charles  I.,  who  have  passed  away;  Mary,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Henry  Clay  Branstetter;  and  Alice,  who  has  continuously  resided  in 
Idaho  since  1869.  She  was  born  at  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  and  was  one  of  the  early 
teachers  of  this  state.  She  also  served  for  eight  years  as  postmistress  of  Malad,  Oneida 
county,  Idaho,  and  was  treasurer  of  Oneida  county  for  four  years.  She  has 
recently  completed  ten  years'  service  in  the  state  land  office  at  Boise  and  thus  she 
has  been  very  active  in  the  public  life  of  the  community,  doing  splendid  work  in  these 
various  connections.  She  is  a  member  of  St.  Michael's  Episcopal  church  and  she  is 
the  only  surviving  member  of  the  Thews  family  of  which  Mrs.  Branstetter  was  a  repre- 
sentative. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Branstetter  were  born  five  children.  Mrs.  Winifred 
Schmitter  is  the  wife  of  Colonel  Ferdinand  Schmitter,  a  surgeon  of  the  United  States 
army,  having  the  rank  of  lieutenant  colonel.  Mrs.  Alice  Yeomans  is  the  wife  of  Eugene 
W.  Yeomans,  of  Boise,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mary  Innis  is  living  with 
her  sister,  Mrs.  Schmitter,  in  Washington,  D.  C.  The  two  other  children  of  the  family 
have  passed  away — Thomas  Innis,  who  was  killed  in  the  Civil  war;  and  Charlotte 
Blanche,  who  was  the  wife  of  Francis  Newton  and  departed  this  life  November  8,  1913. 

In  his  fraternal  relations  Mr.  Branstetter  is  a  Mason  and  has  ever  been  a  loyal 
follower  of  the  craft.  His  has  been  an  active  and  useful  life  and  the  sterling  traits  of 
his  character  are  attested  by  all  who  have  come  in  contact  with  him.  He  made  an 
excellent  public  official,  was  a  progressive  "and  enterprising  business  man  and  as  one 
of  the  pioneer  settlers  has  contributed  much  to  the  development  and  upbuilding  of 
the  state.  Moreover,  he  has  been  a  witness  of  the  entire  growth  of  Boise,  being  today 
its  oldest  living  citizen,  and  there  is  no  phase  of  the  city's  development  with  which 
he  is  not  familiar  and  concerning  events  of  historic  importance  here  he  speaks  with 
authority. 


WILLIAM  H.   COPPEDGE. 

Link's  Business  College,  1015  Idaho  street,  Boise,  Idaho,  occupies  a  two-story  brick 
structure  designed  and  built  especially  for  its  use.  Its  local  reputation  and  value  as 
a  practical  educational  institution  of  the  highest  standing  has  long  been  established; 
and  the  fact  that  students  were  enrolled  from  seventeen  states  within  a  period  of  one 
year  shows  that  it  is  gaining  a  national  reputation  and  is  an  important  factor  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  city  of  Boise  and  the  entire  state.  Its  equipment  is  of  the  best  and 
the  very  latest  and  includes  all  of  the  latest  modern  office  appliances. 

The  work  done  in  the  school  is  recognized  and  accepted  as  standard  by  the  educa- 
tors and  educational  institutions  of  the  state.  The  college  is  a  member  of  the  Na- 
tional Association  of  Accredited  Commercial  Schools  and  its  courses  of  study  are 
endorsed  by  the  national  bureau  of  education.  At  this  time  it  enjoys  the  distinction 
of  being  the  only  commercial  school  in  Idaho  that  has  been  admitted  to  the  member- 
ship of  the  National  Association  of  Accredited  Commercial  Schools.  The  training 
given  at  Link's  is  recognized  as  being  superior,  and  the  success  of  its  graduates  has 
gained  for  the  school  an  enviable  reputation  among  business  men  and  the  general 
public.  The  prestige  of  the  college  is  a  distinct  asset  to  its  graduates. 

Link's  Business  College  is  a  school  with  an  ideal.     The  definite  aim  of  its  manage- 


WILLIAM  H.  COPPEDGE 


Vol.  Ill— 5 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  67 

ment  and  teachers  is  to  cause  every  young  man  and  woman  to  see  the  value — the  absolute 
necessity — of  a  thorough  business  education  and  to  assist  them  in  acquiring  it  in  the 
shortest  possible  time  and  at  the  least  possible  expense;  to  give  each  student  a  vision 
of  what  his  life's  work  should  be;  to  create  within  him  a  desire,  an  ambition,  a  de- 
termination to  develop  every  faculty  of  his  being  to  its  utmost  possibilities;  to  help 
h.im  fix  for  himself  a  definite,  abiding  purpose  which  he  must  have  before  he  can 
succeed;  to  maintain  such  a  moral  tone  and  to  conduct  the  affairs  of  the  school  in 
such  a  businesslike  manner  as  to  compel  the  respect  of  all  students  and  merit  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  the  business  public.  The  manager  endeavors  to  perform  his 
whole  duty  toward  all  students  in  an  honest,  earnest,  and  conscientious  manner  and 
with  all  the  ability  and  experience  he  possesses. 

William  H.  Coppedge,  manager  and  principal  owner  of  Link's  Business  College, 
was  born  in  Crawford  county,  Missouri,  November  14,  1873.  He  is  the  only  son  of 
James  Allen  and  Martha  Frances  (Lanter)  Coppedge,  the  former  of  whom  passed 
away  when  his  son  Henry  was  but  five  months  old.  The  father  was  an  agriculturist 
and  his  native  state  was  Kentucky.  The  mother  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Indiana, 
and  she  now  resides  in  Steelville,  Crawford  county,  Missouri.  She  enjoys  the  beet 
of  health  and  though  she  is  nearing  her  seventieth  birthday,  she  is  actively  interested 
in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  her  community  and  spends  much  of  her 
time  in  the  state  work  of  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union.  Mr.  Coppedge's 
only  living  sister,  Mrs.  Anna  Ellen  Harrison,  lives  in  Steelville,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Coppedge  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Missouri,  where  he  developed  a  strong 
physical  constitution  and  learned  some  of  the  most  valuable  lessons  of  his  life.  He 
received  his  early  education  in  the  public  and  city  schools  of  Missouri.  He  then  at- 
tended the  Steelville  Normal  and  Business  Institute,  after  which  he  taught  in  the 
country  schools  for  two  years.  In  1896  he  entered  the  Warrensburg  State  Normal, 
Warrensburg,  Missouri,  from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1900  with  the 
degree  of  B.  S.  D.  He  holds  a  life  diploma  for  teaching  in  Missouri  and  also  for  the 
state  of  Idaho.  After  graduating  from  the  Warrensburg  State  Normal,  he  was  elected 
Principal  of  Mount  Gilead  School,  Kearney  Missouri,  and  later  was  elected  to  the 
superintendency  of  the  Newburg  (Mo.)  schools. 

In  the  spring  of  1902,  Mr.  Coppedge,  entered  Gem  City  Business  College,  Quincy, 
Illinois,  where  he  took  an  extensive  business  training  with  a  view  of  entering  com- 
mercial life.  Just  as  he  was  Completing  his  course  in  Gem  City  Business  College,  a 
splendid  offer  to  accept  a  position  with  Harshaw's  Academy  and  Business  College  was 
offered  him.  He  accepted  the  offer  and  very  successfully  filled  the  position  for  two 
years. 

On  December  29,  1903,  Mr.  Coppedge  was  married  in  Dallas,  Texas,  to  Harriet 
L.  Gresham,  of  Macon,  Missouri.  She  is  deeply  interested  in  child  study  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance,  church  and  Sunday  school 
work.  To  this  union  have  been  born  three  children:  Ramona  Louise,  born  September 
28,  1909;  William  Harold,  September  20,  1911;  and  Helen  Kathryn,  September  12. 
1915. 

At  this  time  Mr.  Coppedge  became  very  anxious  to  see  the  different  parts  of  the 
country.  Not  being  financially  able  to  resign  his  position  and  spend  a  year  or  two 
in  traveling,  he  conceived  the  idea  ot  securing  positions  in  private  commercial  schools 
for  one  or  two  years  at  a  time  in  the  parts  of  the  country  he  desired  to  see.  With 
this  idea  in  mind  he  secured  a  position  with  the  Erie  Business  University,  Erie, 
Pennsylvania.  After  one  year  a  position  was  secured  in  Wood's  Commercial  School, 
Washington,  D.  C.  During  the  two  years  spent  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Coppedge,  visited  all  places  of  interest  in  Washington  and  all  the  historical  points  of 
interest  within  a  radius  of  several  hundred  miles  of  Washington.  He  made  a  special 
study  of  public  men,  political  science  and  economy,  the  people,  business  methods  of  the 
government  offices,  civil  service  rules,  regulations  and  requirements,  and  made  a 
specialty  of  preparing  people  for  government  positions. 

From  Washington,  D.  C.,  he  went  to  Mankato,  Minnesota,  where  he  had  charge 
of  the  shorthand  department  of  the  Mankato  Commercial  College  for  two  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1909  he  went  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  took  charge  of  the  Utah  Business 
College.  After  one  year  in  Salt  Lake  City,  he  came  to  Boise  and  took  charge  of  the 
shorthand  department  of  Link's  Business  College  for  two  years.  He  then  became 
interested  in  Henager's  Business  College  and  returned  to  Salt  Lake  City.  After  a 
period  of  fifteen  months,  the  opportunity  to  buy  Link's  Business  College  came,  he 
severed  his  connection  with  Henager's  Business  College,  bought  Link's  Business  Col- 


68  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

lege  in  June,  1914,  and  has  been  principal  owner  and  manager  to  the  present  time. 
During  the  five  years  under  his  management,  thousands  of  dollars  of  new  equipment 
has  been  added,  the  courses  of  study  have  been  the  arranged  to  meet  the  exacting 
requirements  of  modern  business,  the  enrollment  has  doubled,  and  the  school  ranks 
among  the  largest  and  best  business  schools  in  the  west. 

Mr.  Coppedge  is  deeply  interested  in  public  affairs.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Boise 
Rotary  Club  and  the  Boise  Commercial  Club  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  every- 
thing that  contributes  to  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  his  city  and  state.  He 
is  a  Master  Mason,  an  elder  in  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  and  a  member  of  the 
executive  board  of  the  Idaho  Sunday  School  Association.  He  is  intensely  interested 
in  the  character  building  of  young  people,  especially  young  men.  In  his  work  in  the 
teaching  and  developing  young  men's  classes  in  Sunday  school,  he  is  recognized  as 
a  leader.  His  personal  interest  in  the  individual  student,  his  earnest  attention  to 
those  things  that  develop  the  personality  and  character  of  young  people  have  brought 
the  moral  tone  of  his  school  to  a  very  high  standard  and  made  his  influence  widely 
felt. 


JOHN   OBERMEYER. 

Gem  county  received  a  valuable  addition  to  its  citizenship  when  John  Obermeyer 
arrived  in  this  section  in  1913  to  join  his  three  brothers,  William,  Henry  and  Lewis 
Obermeyer,  who  had  already  become  residents  of  Idaho.  Like  his  brothers,  he  is  a  native 
of  Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  Piano,  Kendall  county,  on  the  27th  of  March, 
1892.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Linz)  Obermeyer,  mentioned  in  connection  with 
the  sketch  of  his  brother  Lewis.  When  he  was  eleven  years  of  age  his  parents  removed 
to  Paw  Paw,  Michigan,  and  he  largely  spent  his  youth  there  in  a  district  which  is 
extensively  given  over  to  the  production  of  grapes,  the  Michigan  vineyards  in  that  sec- 
tion being  among  the  finest  of  the  Mississippi  valley.  The  Obermeyer  brothers  there- 
fore gained  considerable  knowledge  of  grape  culture  while  living  in  that  section  and 
they  have  put  this  knowledge  to  excellent  account  since  coming  to  Idaho. 

In  1913,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years,  John  Obermeyer  arrived  in  this 
state  and  made  his  way  to  Gem  county,  where  his  brothers  were  already  living.  He  has 
since  taken  part  in  the  growing  and  shipping  of  melons  and  other  fruits,  which  business 
has  claimed  the  attention  of  all  the  brothers  through  the  period  of  their  residence  in 
Gem  county.  He  owns  a  ranch  on  the  south  slope  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ranches  owned 
by  his  older  brothers.  His  mother  resides  with  him,  presiding  over  the  household  affairs, 
and  John  Obermeyer  is  busily  occupied  with  the  cultivation  and  care  of  his  vineyards, 
his  orchards  and  his  fields  of  fine  watermelons  and  cantaloupes.  He  personally  super- 
intends the  spraying  and  pruning  and  keeps  the  land  in  excellent  condition  by  the 
use  of  fertilizer,  while  irrigation  supplies  the  needed  amount  of  moisture. 

John  Obermeyer  is  a  Master  Mason  and  a  worthy  exemplar  of  the  principles  of 
the  craft.  Like  his  brothers,  he  is  ambitious,  industrious  and  determined  and  is  mak- 
ing steady  progress,  -his  record,  like  that  of  his  brothers,  making  the  name  of  Ober- 
meyer an  honored  one  in  Gem  county  and  a  synonym  of  all  that  is  progressive  in  the 
way  of  horticultural  development. 


CAPTAIN  JULIUS  F.  SHELLWORTH. 

Captain  Julius  F.  Shellworth  is  now  the  vice  president  of  the  Texida  Oil  Company 
and  is  well  known  in  Boise  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  for  many  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Boise  police  force  and  became  a  captain  and  chief.  He  has  lived  in  this  city 
since  1889,  at  which  time  he  removed  from  Walla  .Walla,  Washington.  He  was  born 
in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  February  19,  1845.  His  father,  a  native  of  England,  died 
when  the  son  was  but  a  little  child.  The  mother  was  a  native  of  Germany.  When  a 
youth  of  but  nine  years  Captain  Shellworth  of  this  review  went  with  an  uncle  to 
Texas  and  for  many  years  lived  in  the  Lone  Star  state.  He  served  with  the  Confederate 
army  during  the  Civil  war,  joining  the  Second  Texas  Cavalry,  with  which  he  was  on 
duty  from  1862  until  1865.  Following  the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Texas  and 
in  that  .state,  on  the  12th  of  July,  1876,  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  L.  Campbell,  who 
was  born  in  Comanche  county,  Texas,  a  daughter  of  C.  C.  Campbell,  a  native  of 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  69 

Louisiana.  Her  father  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Texas  and  a  very  prominent  cattle- 
man of  the  state  in  an  early  day. 

From  1880  until  1886  Captain  Shellworth  was  engaged  in  general  merchandising 
at  Buffalo  Gap,  Taylor  county,  Texas,  a  town  then  situated  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  a  railroad.  A  dreadful  drought  which  occurred  in  1885  and  1886  ruined 
his  business,  his  sales  largely  depending  upon  the  success  of  the  cattle  industry.  The 
cattle  died  as  the  result  of  the  drought  and  he  was  unable  to  collect  from  the  many 
who  owed  him,  so  that  he  was  forced  to  quit  business.  In  1886  he  went  to  Walla  Walla, 
Washington,  and  in  1889  came  to  Boise.  For  a  time  he  engaged  in  the  transfer  busi- 
ness and  in  1893  accepted  a  position  on  the  police  force,  with  which  he  was  connected 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century  or  more.  He  wore  the  first  policeman's  uniform  seen  on 
the  streets  of  Boise.  He  was  chief  of  police  during  the  administration  of  Mayor  Peter 
Sonna  and  was  captain  of  police  for  many  years.  He  finally  resigned  from  that  posi- 
tion on  the  1st  of  November,  1919,  to  devote  all  of  his  attention  to  the  business  of  the 
Texida  Oil  Company,  of  which  he  is  the  vice  president  and  one  of  the  directors.  This 
is  a  Boise  concern  operating  in  the  oil  fields  of  Texas. 

To  Captain  and  Mrs.  Shellworth  have  been  born  five  sons  and  one  daughter  who 
are  yet  living:  Harry  C.;  Nellie  E.,  the  wife  of  Walter  Wallace;  J.  Leslie;  Edgar  C.; 
William  H.;  and  Albert  Lee.  All  reside  in  Idaho  with  the  exception  of  the  last  named, 
who  is  now  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  Two  of  the  sons,  Harry  and  Leslie,  served  in  the 
Philippine  war  as  members  of  Company  H,  First  Idaho  Regiment.  The  youngest  son, 
Albert  Lee,  served  for  eighteen  months  in  France  during  the  World  war,  being  a  captain 
of  engineers  when  the  armistice  was  signed.  Previous  to  this  he  hajd  been  adjutant 
of  the  Third  Battalion  of  the  Twentieth  United  States  Forestry  Engineers,  He  entered 
as  a  private  but  was  soon  advanced  and  his  capability  and  devotion  to  his  country's 
interests  won  him  rapid  promotion. 

In  his  political  views  Captain  Shellworth  of  this  review  is  a  democrat  and  fra- 
ternally he  is  a  Knight  of  Pythias.  He  has  a  very  wide  acquaintance  in  Boise,  where 
for  many  years  he  has  resided,  and  all  who  know  him  speak  of  his  excellent  service 
on  the  police  force  and  his  marked  devotion  to  the  public  welfare. 


IVAN  A.  HOWARD. 

'    Jr* 

Ivan  A.  Howard,  secretary,  treasurer  and  general  manager  of  the  Idaho  Tire  £ 
Rubber  Company,  doing  business  at  the  corner  of  Ninth  and  Bannock  streets  in  Boise, 
dates  his  residence  in  this  city  from  1909,  at  which  time  he  removed  from  Hastings, 
Nebraska,  to  the  northwest.  He  was  born  at  Edgar,  Nebraska,  August  13.  1879,  being 
the  only  son  of  I.  V.  and  Esther  (Moore)  Howard,  who  are  now  living  in  the  Boise 
basin,  in  Boise  county.  Idaho.  The  father  is  the  president  of  the  Missouri  Mining 
Company  of  this  state. 

I.  A.  Howard  was  largely  reared  at  Edgar,  Nebraska,  where  he  pursued  a  public 
school  education  until  graduated  from  the  high  school.  He  later  spent  two  years  in 
the  University  of  Nebraska  and  afterward  pursued  a  business  course  in  the  Chicago 
Athenaeum,  being  there  graduated  on  completing  a  course  in  bookkeeping.  He  subse- 
quently spent  several  years  upon  the  road  as  representative  of  a  large  elevator  company 
of  Kansas  City,  for  which  concern  he  bought  grain.  He  then  returned  to  Edgar,  Nebraska, 
and  was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  grain  and  banking  business  until  1909,  when 
he  came  to  Boise,  where  he  has  since  been  connected  with  the  local  automobile  trade 
in  one  capacity  or  another.  He  is  a  master  mechanic,  thoroughly  familiar  with  motor 
car  construction,  and  on  the  21st  of  July,  1919,  in  partnership  with  Reilly  Atkinson, 
he  purchased  the  business  of  the  Idaho  Tire  ft  Rubber  Company,  of  which  he  has  since 
been  the  secretary,  treasurer  and  general  manager,  with  Mr.  Atkinson  as  the  president. 
The  capital  stock  of  the  concern  was  at  once  increased  from  ten  thousand  to  thirty 
thousand  dollars  and  the  business  was  greatly  enlarged.  In  addition  to  handling  auto- 
mobile accessories  of  every  kind,  the  company  does  a  general,  battery  and  ignition  busi- 
ness and  has  developed  a  most  gratifying  and  substantial  trade. 

About  twenty-two  years  ago  Mr.  Howard  was  married  in  Nebraska  to  Miss  Martha 
Hazel  McDougall  and  they  have  become  parents  of  five  sons  and  two  daughters:  Arthur 
McDougall,  Dorothy.  William,  John  M.,  Donald,  Mary  and  Harold  B.  Fraternally  Mr. 
Howard  is  an  Elk  and  he  also  has  membership  with  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  with  the  Boise  Automobile  Association.  His  experiences  have  been  varied  and 


70  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

as  the  years  have  passed  he  has  constantly  utilized  and  improved  his  opportunities 
with  the  result  that  he  has  made  steady  progress  in  the  business  world  and  is  now  a 
well  known  factor  in  connection  with  the  automobile  interests  of  Idaho. 


GEORGE   W.   McKINLAY. 

George  W.  McKinlay  is  the  president  of  the  Farmers  Implement  Company  of  Rex- 
burg  and  his  business  connections  place  him  in  the  front  rank  of  the  progressive  and 
representative  citizens  of  Madison  county.  Alert  and  enterprising,  he  is  ready  for 
any  emergency  and  for  any  opportunity.  He  was  born  in  Scotland,  May  4,  1857,  and 
is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Isabelle  (Watson)  McKinlay,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  same 
country.  The  father  worked  there  as  a  stationary  engineer  until  1875,  when  he  came 
to  the  new  world,  making  his  way  to  Provo,  Utah,  where  he  continued  in  the  same 
line  of  activity  for  two  or  three  years.  In  1884  he  removed  to  Idaho  and  settled  in 
Madison  county,  then  Oneida  county,  filing  on  land  near  Teton.  This  he  improved 
but  later  lost  it.  He  was  given  a  tract  of  land  by  his  son,  George  W.,  and  his  remain- 
ing days  were  devoted  to  general  agricultural  pursuits.  He  passed  away  in  Teton. 
December  24,  1899,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  The  mother  is  still  living  in  Teton 
and  has  reached  the  notable  old  age  of  eighty-five  years. 

George  W.  McKinlay  was  reared  and  educated  in  Scotland  and  followed  mining 
in  his  native  country  until  1874,  when  he  too  made  the  trip  across  the  briny  deep 
and  began  work  in  the  Alta  mining  district  south  of  Salt  Lake,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  the  mines  for  about  eight  years.  In  less  than  a  year  he  had  earned  enough 
to  bring  his  father,  mother  and  nine  children  to  the  United  States.  He  afterward  fol- 
lowed railroading  for  two  years  and  became  a  contractor  in  connection  with  the  build- 
ing of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  in  Utah.  In  1884  removed  to  what  is  now  Madison 
county,  Idaho,  and  filed  on  land  near  Teton,  which  he  improved  and  which  he  has 
since  owned.  In  1913  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Rexburg,  but  in  the  meantime  he  had 
been  engaged  in  sheep  raising  for  ten  years  and  had  won  a  substantial  measure  of 
success  through  the  sheep  industry  and  through  his  farming  operations.  On  taking 
up  his  abode  in  Rexburg  he  assisted  in  organizing  the  Farmers  Implement  Company, 
of  which  he  was  vice  president  during  the  first  year.  At  the  first  annual  meeting 
however,  he  was  elected  to  the  presidency  and  has  since  served  in  that  capacity.  He 
has  proven  that  he  possesses  marked  capability  in  commercial  lines,  just  as  he  does 
along  agricultural  lines.  He  has  closely  studied  the  trade,  keeps  in  touch  with  the 
market  and  with  every  improvement  made  in  farm  machinery  and  has  supplied  his 
patrons  with  the  best  that  the  leading  implement  manufacturing  houses  of  the  country 
afford.  He  is  today  the  heaviest  stockholder  in  the  Farmers  Implement  Company, 
which  is  erecting  a  modern  cement  and  brick  building  fifty-nine  by  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  on  Main  street,  containing  two  stories  and  basement.  The  firm  occupies 
all  of  the  building,  and  they  have  also  established  branch  houses  at  St.  Anthony,  New- 
dale,  Ashton  and  Teton,  Idaho.  The  business  therefore  covers  a  very  wide  territory 
and  the  trade  is  constantly  and  steadily  increasing,  making  this  one  of  the-  foremost 
enterprises  of  the  kind  in  the  northwest. 

On  the  llth  of  November,  1879,  Mr.  McKinlay  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Margaret  Barclay  and  to  them  were  born  ten  children:  Robert,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Jane,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Moss  and  resides  at  Teton,  Idaho;  Janet,  the  wife  of 
I.  S.  Richmond,  also  a  resident  of  Teton;  William  and  Arthur,  who  are  operating 
their  father's  farm;  Oscar,  who  is  manager  of  an  elevator  at  Rexburg;  Flossie,  the 
wife  of  James  McArthur,  a  resident  of  Wilford,  Idaho;  Laura,  the  wife  of  Chris  Jen- 
sen, of  Rexburg;  Alma,  who  married  Margaret  Burch  and  is  a  farmer  residing  in 
Ma,dison  county;  and  Stella,  who  died  in  1888,  when  but  eight  months  old.  The  wife 
and  mother  passed  away  October  14,  1912,  after  a  short  illness,  and  on  the  3d  of  March, 
1915,  Mr.  McKinlay  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Isabelle  Archi- 
bald Rigg,  who  by  her  former  marriage  had  four  children:  Mary,  the  wife  of  William 
Baugh;  Emeline,  at  home*;  Marvilla,  the  wife  of  Charles  L.  Willard;  and  William, 
residing  in  Teton,  Idaho. 

In  1913  Mr.  McKinlay  built  a  fine  home  in  Rexburg,  which  he  is  now  occupying. 
He  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  in  which  he  is  a  high 
priest,  and  he  has  been  in  the  bishopric  of  the  Teton  ward  for  several  years.  Politi- 
cally he  is  a  democrat  and  he  has  been  prominent  in  political  circles  since  coming 


GEORGE  W.  McKINLAY 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  73 

to  Idaho.  His  ability,  his  civic  loyalty  and  his  personal  popularity  make  him  a  citizen 
whose  influence  is  widely  felt,  and  his  aid  and  support  are  always  given  to  every 
cause  or  project  which  he  believes  will  prove  of  benefit  to  the  community  at  large. 
He  has  been  very  prominently  connected  with  the  commercial,  industrial  and  financial 
interests  of  his  section  of  the  state  during  his  residence  here  and  is  numbered  among 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  1884.  Throughout  the  interim  he  has  occupied  a  position  of 
prestige  among  the  men  who  have  been  active  in  directing  public  affairs  and  in  de- 
veloping the  county  to  its  present  state  of  prosperity  and  progressiveness.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  canal  builders  of  the  Upper  Snake  river  valley,  helping  to  promote 
and  build  the  Canyon  Creek  and  Teton  canals.  He  was  also  one  of  the  promoters  of  * 
the  project  of  putting  the  flume  across  the  Teton  river,  which  carries  the  water  of 
the  Fall  river  to  Teton.  The  cause  of  education  has  also  found  in  him  a  stalwart 
champion  and  for  sixteen  years  he  was  a  most  able  member  of  the  school  board  of 
Moody  creek  and  did  most  valuable  service  for  the  children  of  the  district.  He  was 
one  of  the  promoters  of  the  sheep  industry  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  has  been 
an  oflScer  of  the  Fremont  Wool  Growers  Association  for  many  years.  His  farming 
and  stock  raising  interests  were  carried  on  most  extensively  and  he  has  met  with 
success  in  all  of  his  undertakings.  He  was  among  the  first  to  prove  the  value  of  dry 
lands  and  has  been  among  the  leaders  in  introducing  improvements  of  all  kind  in 
connection  with  the  reclamation  and  development  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He 
has  acted  as  the  adviser  of  Mr.  Harris,  manager  of  the  Farmers  Implement  Company, 
and  his  sound  judgment  and  keen  sagacity  have  been  important  factors  in  the  up- 
building of  one  of  the  leading  business  interests  of  this  section.  There  is  no  phase 
of  public  life  here,  whether  it  has  to  do  with  industrial  development,  intellectual  ad- 
vancement or  moral  progress,  that  has  not  benefited  by  the  efforts  of  George  W.  Mc- 
Kinlay.  He  possesses  the  sterling  characteristics  of  a  self-made  man,  and  his  domi- 
nant qualities  have  found  scope  in  the  opportunities  offered  in  the  growing  western 
country.  This  combination  has  produced  results  which  are  most  gratifying  to  the 
individual  and  to  the  community  at  large. 


HERBERT  HAYLOR. 

Herbert  Haylor,  who  for  seven  years  has  been  secretary  of  the  Emmett  irrigation 
district  and  makes  his  home  in  the  city  of  Emmett,  was  born  in  England,  July  13,  1859,  a 
son  of  John  and  Ann  (Marshall)  Haylor,  with  whom  he  came  to  the  United  States  in 
October,  1865,  the  family  home  being  established  in  Oberlin,  Ohio,  where  the  parents 
spent  their  remaining  days. 

Herbert  Haylor  was  reared  upon  a  farm  near  Oberlin  and  obtained  a  common  school 
education,  after  which  he  was  graduated  from  a  business  college.  In  1885  he  removed 
to  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  several  years.  He  also 
filled  the  position  of  postmaster  of  Irving,  in  Marshall  county,  for  ten  years  and  for 
four  years  served  as  county  recorder,  making  an  excellent  record  for  efficiency  and 
loyalty  in  these  positions.  While  acting  as  county  recorder  he  resided  at  Marysvllle, 
the  county  seat  of  Marshall  county. 

It  was  while  living  in  that  county  that  Mr.  Haylor  was  married  November  30,  1888, 
to  Miss  Anna  Guthrie,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut,  December  5,  1867,  and  is  a  sister  of 
J.  I.  Guthrie,  a  prominent  and  progressive  ranchman  and  breeder  of  shorthorn  cattle, 
living  on  the  Emmett  bench  in  Gem  county. 

After  residing  for  a  time  in  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  Mr.  Haylor  returned  to 
Ohio  and  lived  near  Oberlin  for  three  years,  from  1889  until  1892,  after  which  he  again 
became  a  resident  of  Kansas,  and  it  was  from  1897  until  1907  that  he  was  postmaster 
of  Irving  and  from  1907  until  1911  county  recorder.  In  the  latter  year  he  left  the 
Sunflower  state  for  Idaho  and  has  since  lived  either  in  or  near  Emmett.  He  engaged  in. 
ranching  for  a  year  on  the  Emmett  bench  and  in  1912  he  was  chosen  to  fill  his  present 
position  as  secretary  of  the  Emmett  irrigation  district,  having  been  reappointed  each 
year  since  1912,  and  throughout  the  entire  period  he  has  lived  in  Emmett. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haylor  have  been  born  six  children.  Ethel  is  now  the  wife  of 
Guy  L.  Smith,  of  Portland.  Oregon.  Herbert  Clair  is  married  and  lives  at  St.  Anthony, 
Idaho,  where  he  is  employed  by  the  Utah  Power  Company.  He  served  in  France  with 
the  American  Expeditionary  Force  during  the  World  war  and  on  the  battle  front  made 
a  splendid  record.  He  was  once  wounded  and  once  gassed.  Eva  May  is  the  wife  of 


74  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

William  B.  Temple,  of  Marysville,  Kansas.  John  Randall,  now  a  business  man  of 
Oberlin,  Ohio,  is  twenty-four  years  of  age  and  during  the  World  war  was  connected 
with  the  aviation  service  but  did  not  get  overseas.  Harold  M.,  twenty  years  of  age, 
is  now  pursuing  an  engineering  course  in  the  Ohio  University  and  when  the  war  closed 
he  belonged  to  the  Student  Army  Training  Corps.  Morris  G.,  sixteen  years  of  age,  is  a 
freshman  in  the  Emmett  high  school. 

Mr.  Haylor  is  a  republican  and  besides  the  offices  which  he  filled  in  Kansas  has 

served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Emmett  for  the  past  five  years,  being  still 

the  incumbent  in  that  position.     He  is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow,  is  secretary  of  the 

*  latter  lodge  and  is  also  a  past  grand  and  a  member  of  the  encampment.    He  is  very  fond 

of  hunting  and  fishing  and  belongs  to  the  Emmett  Gun  Club. 


GUY  B.  MAINS. 

Guy  B.  Mains,  who  since  1908  has  been  forest  supervisor  of  the  Payette  national 
forest,  with  headquarters  at  Emmett,  was  born  in  Clark  county,  Wisconsin,  December 
8,  1878,  his  parents  being  Nathan  B.  and  Ella  (Bushnell)  Mains.  The  father,  who  was 
a  lumberman,  has  passed  away.  He  was  born  in  the  state  of  Maine,  while  his  father, 
Robert  Mains,  was  a  native  of  the  south  of  England  and  the  son  of  a  clergyman. 

Guy  B.  Mains  was  reared  in  Clark  county,  Wisconsin,  and  when  fifteen  years  of  age 
was  graduated  from  the  Neillsville  high  school.  He  then  took  up  the  profession  of 
teaching  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  state,  being  thus  employed  for  two  terms. 
When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  made  his  way  to  Seattle,  Washington,  where  he  re- 
mained for  a  year  and  then  returned  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  again  taught  for  two 
more  terms.  He  afterward  attended  the  normal  school  at  Stevens  Point,  Wisconsin,  and 
subsequently  he  spent  four  years  as  a  teacher  in  the  graded  schools  of  that  state.  He 
next  became  identified  with  the  lumber  business,  which  he  followed  for  several  years, 
first  in  Wisconsin  and  later  in  California  and  Idaho.  He  came  to  this  state  in  1905 
and  for  two  years  was  in  the  employ  of  the  old  Barber  Lumber  Company,  with  head- 
quarters at  Boise.  In  1907  he  entered  the  government  forestry  service  in.  the  capacity 
of  supervisor  and  since  1908  has  occupied  his  present  position  as  supervisor  of  the 
Payette  national  forest,  which  includes  one  million,  two  hundred  thousand  acres  of  timber. 
His  position  is  therefore  a  responsible  one  and  he  has  been  most  capable  and  faithful  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duties. 

On  the  19th  of  January,  1908,  Mr.  Mains  was  united  in  marriage  at  Mackay,  Idaho, 
to  Miss  Martha  Keenan,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  they  have  two  children,  Helen  and 
Keenan,  aged  respectively  nine  and  seven  years. 

Mr.  Mains  is  fond  of  hunting  and  outdoor  sports  and  when  leisure  permits  indulges 
his  taste  in  this  direction.  He  belongs  to  the  Emmett  Gun  Club  and  has  membership  in 
the  Emmett  Commercial  Club.  Fraternally  he  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and 
member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  is  also  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order 
of  Elks  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican.  His 
wife  belongs  to  the  Eastern  Star  and  like  Mr.  Mains  has  been  active  in  projects  and 
measures  for  the  public  good.  She  is  now  a  member  of  the  Emmett  school  board  and 
during  the  World  war  she  was  chairman  of  the  Gem  County  Red  Cross,  while  Mr. 
Mains  served  on  the  Council  of  Defense  and  was  one  of  the  Four  Minute  men.  Thus 
they  put  forth  every  effort  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  country  in  the  mighty 
conflict  which  was  being  waged  for  democracy. 


IRVIN  R.  SOLLENBERGER. 

Irvin  R.  Sollenberger.  who  has  for  a  number  of  years  been  identified  with  the  lumber 
trade  and  is  now  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Hawkeye  Lumber  Company  at  Boise,  was 
born  in  Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania,  March  7,  1885.  His  father,  Benjamin  F.  Sollen- 
berger, a  farmer  by  occupation,  is  now  living  in  Dickinson  county,  Kansas.  His  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Susan  Stoner,  also  survives  and  they  have  reared  a 
family  of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  Irvin  R.  is  the  second  in 
order  of  birth.  All  are  yet  living,  namely:  Cyrus;  Irvin  R.;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Albert 
McGraw;  Roy  O.;  Ruth,  the  wife  of  Wilbur  Liddell:  and  Edith,  the  wife  of  Harrison 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  75 

Zook.  Only  two,  however,  are  in  Idaho,  Irvin  R.  and  Roy  O.,  both  of  Boise,  and  they  are 
the  only  two  of  the  family  unmarried. 

Irvin  R.  Sollenberger  was  but  two  years  of  age  when  his  parents  removed  with 
their  family  to  Kansas.  He  pursued  his  education  in  public  schools  of  that  state  and  in 
the  Dickinson  county  high  school  at  Chapman,  Kansas,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1904.  Later  he  completed  a  course  in  a  business  college  at  Chillicothe,  Missouri,  and 
afterward  followed  bookkeeping  and  accounting  and  through  the  past  twelve  years  has 
largely  been  identified  in  that  connection  with  the  lumber  industry.  He  also  has 
lumber  interests  of  his  own,  being  one  of  the  stockholders  and  directors  of  the  Hawk- 
eye  Lumber  Company  of  Boise,  with  which  he  has  thus  been  identified  for  a  number 
of  years.  He  has  been  connected  with  the  Boise  yard  of  the  Hawkeye  Lumber  Company 
as  bookkeeper  and  office  manager  for  the  past  eight  years  and  on  the  1st  of  April, 
1920,  took  over  the  management  of  the  Hawkeye  sawmill  and  lumber  plant  at  Tamarack, 
Idaho,  being  the  only  member  of  the  company  actively  connected  with  the  business. 

Mr.  Sollenberger  is  an  eighteenth  degree  Scottish  Rite  Mason  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  in  which  he  is  now  loyal  knight.  He  is  a  faith- 
ful follower  of  the  teachings  and  purposes  of  these  two  organizations,  exemplifying  in- 
his  life  the  beneficent  spirit  of  Masonry. 


MRS.  SARAH  FRIEDLINE. 

Through  three  decades  Mrs.  Sarah  Friedline  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  and  since 
1897  has  made  her  home  in  Boise,  where  she  now  occupies  an  attractive  residence  at 
No.  1405  Washington  street.  Her  many  -admirable  qualities  and  sterling  worth  have 
given  her  high  social  standing  and  the  circle  of  her  friends  is  almost  coextensive 
with  the  circle  of  her  acquaintance. 

Mrs.  Friedline  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  April  14th,  1848,  and. bore  the  maid«n 
name  of  Sarah  Smith,  being  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Smith.  Ere  she  attained  young 
womanhood  she  became  a  resident  of  Colfax  county,  Nebraska,  and  there  on  the  6th 
of  October,  1869,  she  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Abraham  Friedline,  who  for  a  number 
of  years  was  a  successful  practitioner  of  dentistry  in  Boise. 

Like  his  wife,  Dr.  Friedline  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  the  Keystone  state  May  8,  1848.  His  parents  were  Evan  and  Catherine 
(Pile)  Friedline,  who  were  likewise  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  were  descended  from 
Holland  ancestors  who  came  to  the  new  world  while  this  country  was  still  numbered 
among  the  colonial  possessions  of  Great  Britain.  Evan  Friedline  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming  as  a  life  work  and  to  him  and  his  wife  were  born  thirteen  children, 
which  number  included  Dr.  Friedline  of  this  review.  The  latter  spent  the  period  of 
his  boyhood  and  youth  in  his  native  county  and  there  acquired  a  common  school 
education  such  as  could  be  obtained  at  that  period.  The  little  "temple  of  learning" 
in  which  he  pursued  his  studies  was  a  primitive  structure  with  puncheon  flooes. 
slab  benches  and  other  crude  equipments.  In  the  summer  months  he  worked  upon  the 
home  farm  and  it  was  only  in  the  winter  seasons  that  he  had  opportunity  to  attend 
school,  and  ofttimes  the  snow  was  too  deep  or  the  weather  too  severe  to  permit  of  the 
trip  to  the  little  schoolhouse. 

After  attaining  his  majority  Dr.  Friedline  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Illinois 
and  devoted  several  years  to  farm  work  in  that  state,  but  it  was  his  desire  to  enter 
upon  a  professional  career  and  he  embraced  every  possible  opportunity  of  preparing 
for  the  practice  of  dentistry.  In  1876  he  opened  a  dental  office  in  the  state  of  Nevada 
but  soon  afterward  became  a  resident  of  California,  where  he  engaged  in  dental 
practice  for  six  or  seven  years.  In  1890  he  came  to  Idaho  and  for  five  years  maintained 
an  office  in  Moscow.  He  later  spent  two  years  in  traveling  through  the  eastern  section 
of  the  country  and  in  1897  removed  to  Boise,  where  he  continued  to  make  his  home 
until  his  death.  He  established  the  Denver  Dental  Parlors,  splendidly  equipped 
with  every  scientific  accessory  and  with  the  multitudinous  delicate  little  instruments 
which  are  used  by  the  skilled  and  modern  dentist.  He  possessed  that  mechanical 
ingenuity  which  is  so  necessary  in  successful  dental  practice  and  at  all  times  he  kept  in 
touch  with  the  trend  of  modern  research  and  investigation  concerning  the  care  of  the 
teeth.  As  the  years  passed  he  was  joined  in  business  by  his  sons,  Dr.  George  P.  and 
Dr.  Abraham  G.  Friedline,  who  became  his  successors  as  proprietors  of  the  Denver 


76  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Dental  Parlors,  and  he  also  had  a  grandson  who  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  dental 
profession  in  Boise. 

Not  only  did  Dr.  Friedline  prosper  in  his  professional  undertakings  but  also 
through  other  business  activities  and  investments.  He  became  the  owner  of  valuable 
real  estate  and  mining  properties  and  his  realty  included  a  beautiful  residence  at  the 
corner  of  Fourteenth  and  Washington  streets.  He  also  owned  a  large  apartment  house 
at  Fourteenth  and  State  streets,  containing  eight  different  apartments  of  seven  rooms 
each  and  built  of  brick.  He  made  large  investments  in  mining  enterprises,  becoming 
president  of  the  X-Ray  Mining,  Tunneling  &  Development  Company,  Limited,  which 
was  incorporated  and  capitalized  for  one  million  dollars.  Dr.  Friedline  also  owned 
seven  claims  in  the  Black  Hornet  district  of  Ada  county,  within  twelve  miles  of 
Boise,  he  and  his  sons  holding  three-fifths  of  the  stock  of  that  company  at  one  time. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1869,  in  Colfax  county,  Nebraska,  as  stated,  Dr.  Friedline 
wedded  Miss  Sarah  Smith  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four  children:  Minnie  E., 
Emma,  George  P.  and  Abraham  G.  Emma  and  George  are  twins.  Minnie  is  the  wife 
of  J.  W.  Clark,  of  Bishop,  California,  and  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Hon.  William  M. 
Morgan,  who  became  a  distinguished  attorney  of  Moscow  and  is  now  chief  justice  of 
the  Idaho  supreme  court,  mentioned  at  length  on  another  page  of  this  work.  The  two 
sons,  as  stated,  became  connected  with  their  father  in  his  professional  activities  and 
are  still  active  along  that  line. 

The  military  chapter  in  the  life  record  of  Dr.  Friedline  is  one  of  which  his  family 
have  every  reason  to  be  proud,  for  he  was  but  fifteen  years  of  age  when  in  February, 
1863,  he  joined  Company  A  of  the  Eighty-eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  with  which  he 
at  once  went  to  the  front.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of  Hatch's  River  and  in  various 
engagements  in  which  his  division  took  part  up  to  the  surrender  of  General  Lee's  army 
at  Appomattox.  He  received  his  discharge  June  27,  1865,  and  later  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  ever  proudly  wore  the  little  bronze  button 
that  proclaimed  him  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war.  He  was  active  in  the  work  of  the  organi- 
zation and  greatly  enjoyed  his  companionship  with  his  old  army  comrades.  He  was 
also  prominent  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  prior  to  his  death  was  the  oldest  member 
of  the  order  in  Idaho,  having  become  connected  therewith  in  Nevada  in  1878.  He  filled 
various  offices  in  the  subordinate  lodge  and  also  in  the  grand  lodge  of  Nevada  and 
of  Idaho.  Death  called  Dr.  Friedline  on  the  29th  of  April,  1914.  He  had  many  sterling 
traits  and  his  personal  qualities  and  characteristics  were  such  as  made  for  popularity 
among  all  who  knew  him.  His  carefully  directed  business  affairs  had  enabled  him  to 
leave  his  family  in  very  comfortable  financial  circumstances  and  Mrs.  Friedline  is 
still  the  owner  of  the  attractive  residence  at  No.  1405  Washington  street  and  much 
other  valuable  property,  from  which  she  derives  a  gratifying  annual  income.  She  is  a 
lady  of  innate  culture  and  refinement,  and  during  the  twenty-three  years  of  her  resi- 
dence in  Boise  has  become  most  widely  and  favorably  known. 


JOHN  W.  NORTON. 

John  W.  Norton,  of  Idaho  Falls,  is  the  sheriff  of  Bonneville  county  and,  moreover,  is 
a  native  son  of  the  county,  his  birth  having  occurred  May  27,  1888,  on  a  farm  four  miles 
east  of  Idaho  Falls,  in  Lincoln  precinct.  His  parents  are  John  F.  and  Margaret  (Wil- 
liams) Norton,  the  former  a  native  of  Lehi,  Utah,  and  the  latter  of  Oxford,  Idaho. 
The  father  came  to  this  state  in  1879  and  took  up  a  homestead  in  what  is  now  Bonne- 
ville county,  at  once  undertaking  the  arduous  task  of  converting  wild  land  into  rich 
and  productive  fields.  He  splendidly  improved  this  and  has  remained  active  in  its  cultiva- 
tion since  that  time.  He  has  now  reached  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years  and  the  mother 
is  also  living.  To  them  were  born  five  children:  John  W. ;  Charles  L.,  who  is  engaged 
in  ranching  in  Bonneville  county;  Katherine,  the  wife  of  G.  I.  Clift,  of  Idaho  Falls; 
Jennie,  the  wife  of  Walter  Clement,  who  follows  ranching  in  Bonneville  county;  and 
Franklin  T.,  who  is  likewise  engaged  in  ranching  in  Bonneville  county. 

At  the  usual  age  John  W.  Norton  became  a  district  school  pupil  and  afterward 
continued  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Idaho  Falls  and  in  the  Rexburg  Academy. 
Later  he  was  a  cow  puncher  and  also  engaged  in  freighting  across  the  country  for 
two  years.  He  afterward  took  up  a  homestead  in  Bonneville  county  which  he  im- 
proved and  cultivated  for  six  years  and  then  sold  the  property  and  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  as  special  agent,  remaining  with  that  corporation 


JOHN  W.  NORTON 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  79 

for  a  year  and  three  months.  He  then  accepted  the  position  of  deputy  sheriff  under 
Mr.  Mulliner  and  after  serving  for  a  year  in  that  position  was  made  chief  deputy  and 
so  continued  for  two  years  under  Robert  Aley.  In  November,  1918,  he  was  elected 
to  the  office  of  sheriff,  in  which  capacity  he  is  now  acceptably  serving,  discharging 
his  duties  without  fear  or  favor. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1907,  Mr.  Norton  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  Moss, 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  four  children:  Wiley  M.,  Charles  Reed,  Claude 
J.  and  Leola  May.  While  Mr.  Norton  and  his  family  reside  in  Idaho  Falls,  he  still 
has  farming  interests  in  Bonneville  county.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  His  political  belief  is  that  of  the  republican 
party,  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 
He  has  always  been  most  loyal  to  public  duties  and  obligations  and  is  making  an  excel- 
lent record  as  one  of  the  officials  of  Bonneville  county. 


DONALD  MCLEAN. 

One  of  the  progressive  movements  of  the  age  has  been  the  establishment  of  a 
system  leading  to  the  dissemination  of  knowledge  along  those  lines  which  are  of  vital 
interest  to  the  business  man,  especially  to  the  tiller  of  the  soil,  upon  whose  labors  must 
depend  advancement  and  prosperity  in  every  other  line.  Donald  McLean  is  one  of  those 
recently  connected  with  this  progressive  educational  movement,  having  lately  been 
county  agricultural  agent  for  Twin  Falls  county  and  manager  of  the  Farm  Bureau,  a 
position  that  he  was  well  qualified  to  fill. 

He  was  born  in  Elyria,  Ohio,  May  11,  1885,  and  is  a  son  of  Lester  and  Mary  Dewey 
(Shaw)  McLean.  The  removal  of  the  family  from  the  Buckeye  state  to  the  west 
occurred  during  his  boyhood  days,  his  youth  being  largely  passed  in  Denver,  Colorado, 
for  he  was  but  seven  years  of  age  when  the  family  home  was  established  in  that  city. 
He  pursued  his  education  in  the  schools  there  and  went  east  to  enter  Princeton  Uni- 
versity in  1903.  Two  years  later  he  left  that  institution  on  account  of  the  death  of  his 
father  and  following  his  return  to  the  west  he  became  the  assistant  secretary  of  the 
Baldwin  Sheep  Company  at  Hay  Creek,  Oregon.  He  afterward  returned  to  the  east 
for  further  educational  training,  pursuing  an  agricultural  course  in  the  University 
of  Wisconsin.  He  next  became  associated  with  James  A.  Kelly  &  Company,  prominent 
sheepmen  of  Monte  Vista,  Colorado,  and  still  later  he  was  with  J.  M.  Cunningham  & 
Company.  Lasal,  Utah,  running  thirteen  thousand  head  of  sheep  for  that  company. 
In  1911  he  ran  sheep  for  the  Florence  Live  Stock  Company  at  Mountain  Home,  Idaho, 
and  afterward  entered  the  forest  service,  being  stationed  at  Trinity,  Idaho.  He  gave 
up  that  position  to  purchase  a  ranch  near  Boise  and  resided  thereon  for  three  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  became  a  teacher  of  agriculture  and  other  sciences  at 
New  Plymouth,  Idaho,  and  in  1916-17  was  superintendent  of  schools  at  Roswell. 

In  the  latter  year  he  came  to  Twin  Falls  to  take  the  position  of  county  agricultural 
agent  and  manager  of  the  Farm  Bureau  and  has  served  most  acceptably  in  this  capacity. 
His  wide  university  training,  his  broad  practical  experience,  his  native  intelligence 
and  his  ready  adaptability  made  him  a  most  competent  official  in  this  position.  He 
has  closely  studied  the  conditions  of  the  country  in  Twin  Falls  county,  knows  the 
nature  of  the  soil,  the  possibilities  of  the  climate  and  is  interested  in  everything  that 
has  to  do  with  agricultural  progress  here.  He  is  thus  able  to  give  valuable  instruction 
and  advice  to  those  who  are  engaged  in  ranching  in  this  district  and  the  result  of 
hia  labors  is  manifest  in  a  keener  interest  and  more  valuable  results  in  agricultural 
life  in  this  community. 

Mr.  McLean  resigned  the  county  agency  of  Twin  Falls  county  in  February.  1919, 
to  become  manager  of  the  Roseworth  Ranch  Company.  This  ranch  consists  of  one 
thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty  beautiful  level  acres,  twenty-five  miles  southwest  of 
Buhl,  Idaho,  all  but  four  hundred  of  which  Mr.  McLean  has  reclaimed  out  of  sagebrush 
and  put  into  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  It  is  a  part  of  the  Idaho  Farm  Development 
Company's  new  Irrigation  project  of  ten  thousand  acres  owned  and  promoted  by  E.  T. 
Meredith,  present  secretary  of  agriculture,  and  his  brother  P.  C.  Meredith.  Besides 
managing  the  ranch  Mr.  McLean  has  built  forty-two  miles  of  roads  on  the  project, 
started  the  new  school  which  has  become  standard  for  the  state,  encouraged  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  church  in  which  eight  different  faiths  take  part,  and  helped  generally  in 
the  development  of  a  healthful  community  life  on  the  new  project. 


80  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

In  November,  1919,  Mr.  McLean  married  Mary  Moniea  DeMund,  prominent  in 
charitable  and  social  circles  of  Los  Angeles,  California.  Mr.  McLean  votes  with  the 
democratic  party  and  he  is  a  follower  of  the  Congregational  church,  guiding  his  life  by 
its  teachings. 


SAMUEL   SCHWENDIMAX. 

The  banking  interests  of  Newdale  find  a  substantial  representative  in  Samuel  Schwen- 
diman,  who  is  the  vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  that  place.  He  was 
born  in  Switzerland,  October  8,  1874,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Magdalena  Schwendiman, 
who  were  also  natives  of  that  country  but  came  to  America  in  1886,  settling  at  Paris, 
Bear  Lake  county,  Idaho,  where  the  father  filed  on  land  and  tilled  and  improved  the 
farm,  continuing  its  further  cultivation  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  passed 
away  in  July,  1893,  and  the  mother  afterward  came  with  her  family  to  Fremont  county, 
Idaho,  and  settled  near  Teton,  where  she  purchased  land.  She  also  entered  a  claim 
and  has  since  supervised  the  development  and  improvement  of  the  property. 

Samuel  Schwendiman  was  reared  and  educated  in  Bear  Lake  county  and  when  he 
removed  with  his  mother  to  Fremont  county  he  also  filed  on  land,  which  he  has  since 
owned  and  tilled.  He  has  likewise  been  engaged  in  raising  cattle  and  hogs  and  has 
won  substantial  success  in  the  conduct  of  his  business  affairs.  He  is  now  operating 
eight  hundred  acres  of  land  and  his  farming  interests  are  bringing  to  him  a  very  sub- 
stantial return.  He  assisted  in  organizing  the  First  National  Bank  of  Newdale  and  has 
since  been  vice  president.  Since  its  organization  he  has  always  been  a  director  of  the 
Canyon  Creek  Canal  Company  and  is  now  its  president. 

In  March,  1901,  Mr.  Schwendiman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Matilda  Graham 
and  they  now  have  four  children:  Earl,  Harvey,  Alice  and  Lee.  Mr.  Schwendiman 
belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  is  a  ward  teacher  and 
Sunday  school  teacher,  and  filled  a  thirty-two  months'  mission,  from  April,  1898,  until 
November,  1900,  in  Switzerland,  where  he  had  to  learn  the  French  language.  He  was 
also  second  counselor  to  Bishop  Johnston  of  Teton  ward  for  thirteen  years.  His  political 
support  is  given  to  the  republican  party  and  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  town 
council  of  Teton  and  of  Newdale  and  also  a  member  of  the  school  board.  He  is  the  real 
promoter  and  founder  of  the  town  of  Newdale,  which  is  located  upon  land  which  he 
formerly  owned.  He  now  has  extensive  business  interests  of  a  varied  character,  and 
his  activities  have  ever  been  of  a  kind  that  have  contributed  to  the  general'  welfare 
and  progress  as  well  as  to  individual  success. 


BENJAMIN  P.  HOWELLS. 

Benjamin  P.  Howells,  attorney  at  law  practicing  at  Oakley,  was  born  April  23, 
1866,  at  Tooele,  Utah,  his  parents  being  Benjamin  P.  and  Hannah  (Brown)  Howells. 
He  remained  a  resident  of  Utah  until  he  came  to  Cassia  county,  Idaho,  in  company  with 
P.  M.  Niles,  a  school  teacher  originally  from  Oswego,  New  York.  It  was  through  Mr. 
Niles  that  he  obtained  the  greater  part  of  his  education  and  later  he  took  up  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching  himself,  dividing  his  time  between  that  work  and  cow  punching. 
He  was  employed  as  a  cow  puncher  by  various  cattle  outfits  and  his  experiences  made 
him  familiar  with  all  the  conditions  of  pioneer  life  in  the  west. 

On  the  22d  of  March,  1891,  Mr.  Howells  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Josephine 
Cummins,  a  native  of  Utah  arid  a  daughter  of  Francis  M.  and  Desert  (Severe)  Cummins. 
After  his  marriage  he  taught  school  for  a  time  and  later  purchased  a  ranch  west  of 
Oakley.  He  afterward  sold  that  property  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Oakley,  where  he 
began  the  study  of  law  under  John  Rogers.  He  also  gave  much  time  to  reading  law 
at  home  and  after  thoroughly  qualifying  for  practice,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  on  the 
23d  of  April,  1897.  He  has  since  engaged  in  practice,  making  steady  progress  in  a 
profession  where  advancement  depends  entirely  upon  individual  merit  and  ability.  For 
six  years  he  filled  the  office  of  prosecuting  attorney  in  a  most  capable  and  effective 
manner.  He  has  figured  quite  prominently  in  connection  with  criminal  law  and  has 
specialized  to  a  considerable  extent  in  litigation  having  to  do  with  water  rights  and. 
irrigation  interests.  He  has  been  connected  with  the  principal  law  suits  of  this  char- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  81 

acter,  acting  as  local  counsel  for  the  Twin  Falls-Oakley  Land  &  Water  Company,  and 
his  wide  study  and  broad  experience  have  made  him  largely  an  authority  upon  ques- 
tions relative  to  this  branch  of  litigation. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howells  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children:  Bertie,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  six  years;  Bernice,  who  is  operating  a  ranch;  Byron,  who  is  connected  with 
the  Farmers  Commercial  Bank;  Emily;  Myrl;  and  Leland.  Politically  Mr.  Howells 
is  a  stalwart  republican  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the 
day,  so  that  he  is  able  to  support  his  position  by  intelligent  argument.  He  takes  a 
progressive  stand  on  all  those  questions  which  are  of  vital  importance  to  the  community 
and  is  a  man  of  broad  vision  who  looks  beyond  the  exigencies  of  the  moment  to  the 
opportunities  and  possibilities  of  the  future. 


JOSEPH  A.  HARBERT. 

Joseph  A.  Harbert,  a  prominent  and  progressive  representative  of  the  insurance 
business,  whose  operations  cover  ten  counties  in  southwestern  Idaho,  with  head- 
quarters in  the  city  of  Boise,  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  born  at  Golden,  in  the  south- 
western part  of  that  state,  August  7,  1878,  a  son  of  Francis  Monroe  Harbert  and  Eliza 
Lee  Harbert.  The  father,  who  was  a  farmer  during  his  active  life,  was  born  November 
24,  1843,  at  Mattoon,  Illinois,  and  died  at  Tecumseh,  Oklahoma,  November  30,  1919, 
having  reached  the  age  of  seventy-six  years  and  six  days.  His  wife  was  a  native  of 
Indianapolis,  Indiana,  born  there  October  9,  1837,  and  she  died  at  Romulus,  Oklahoma, 
May  19,  1899,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  Mr.  Harbert  served  with  the  Union  army 
during  the  Civil  war  spending  three  years  and  nine  months  in  the  service,  and  at 
the  end  of 'the  war  receiving  an  honorable  discharge. 

Joseph  A.  Harbert,  was  one  of  eight  children — four  sons  and  four  daughters — 
born  to  his  parents,  and  of  these  two  sons  and  two  daughters  are  living,  Mr.  Harbert's 
only  brother,  Willis  T.,  being  also  engaged  in  the  life  insurance  business  at  Twin  Falls, 
Idaho.  The  daughters  are:  Mrs.  Dora  Boyd,  of  Tecumseh,  Oklahoma;  and  Mrs.  Mar- 
tha Greer,  of  Edmond,  Oklahoma. 

Mr.  Harbert  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  southwestern  Missouri,  where  he  remained 
to  the  age  of  sixteen.  He  then  removed  with  his  parents  to  Romulus,  Oklahoma,  and 
later  entered  the  University  of  Oklahoma.  In  early  manhood  he  taught  school  in  that 
state  and  next  took  up  farming,  at  which  he  remained  for  some  time,  and  for  several 
years  afterward  was  in  the  wholesale  lumber  business  in  Oklahoma  City.  It  was  in 
1915  that  Mr.  Harbert  came  to  Idaho  and  represented  different  insurance  companies 
at  Rigby,  Jefferson  county,  but  in  December,  1919,  he  removed  to  Boise.  For  the  past 
three  years  he  has  been  representing  the  Montana  Life  Insurance  Company,  acting  in 
the  capacity  of  general  agenl,  and  he  has  established  the  first  general  agency  for  that 
company  in  the  state  of  Idaho.  In  his  position  as  general  agent  he  has  been  placed 
in  charge  of  ten  counties  in  southwestern  Idaho,  and  the  business  of  the  company  has 
been  showing  steady  advancement  under  his  direction. 

On  March  13,  1899,  Mr.  Harbert  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Tina  Madole,  who 
is  a  native  of  Missouri,  but  the  marriage  ceremony  took  place  in  Oklahoma.  They  have 
four  children  living,  namely:  Leon,  Beryl,  Mary  Maxine  and  Richard  Lee. 

Mr.  Harbert  gives  his  support  to  the  republican  party  but  has  never  been  a  seeker 
after  public  office.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  taking  a  warm  interest  in  the  affairs  of  these 
popular  organizations  and  in  other  directions  he  gives  of  his  time  and  ability  to  the 
furtherance  of  all  projects  calculated  to  serve  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which 
he  resides. 


HON.  SOREN  YORGESEN. 

Hon.  Soren  Yorgesen,  member  of  the  state  legislature,  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Shelley,  Idaho,  owner  of  a  large  and  well  kept  farm,  and  otherwise  identified  with 
property  interests  in  and  about  Shelley,  is  a  native  of  the  kingdom  of  Denmark,  born 
April  19,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of  Yorgen  and  Maren  (Jensen)  Yorgesen,  also  natives  of 
Denmark.  The  father  worked  as  a  laborer  in  that  country  until  he  emigrated  to  the 

Y<1.  Ill— 6 


82  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

United  States  in  1874,  and  on  arriving  in  America  he  went  to  Racine,  Wisconsin,  where 
he  lived  until  1880,  when  he  removed  to  Nebraska,  but  in  1881  he  went  to  Utah,  residing 
in  that  state  for  ten  years.  Finally,  he  returned  to  Wisconsin  and  made  his  home  with 
a  daughter,  with  whom  he  lived  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1905.  His  wife  pre- 
deceased him  by  fourteen  years,  dying  in  1891. 

Soren  Yorgesen  was  reared  and  educated  in  Denmark  and  at  the  age  of  ten  years 
he  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents.  When  fourteen  years  old  he  started  working 
out  at  such  employment  as  his  hands  found  to  do,  and  in  the  fall  of  1889  he  removed 
to  Idaho  and  came  again  in  1891,  bringing  his  family  to  Shelley,  Bingham  county,. where 
he  bought  a  tract  of  land  adjoining  the  town,  but  made  his  home  four  miles  east  of 
Shelley  on  a  farm  for  five  years.  At  the  end  of  this  period  he  located  in  Shelley  and 
built  a  home  on  the  townsite.  He  has  resided  here  ever  since  and  still  operates  two 
farms  of  two  hundred  acres.  A  part  of  the  original  farm  has  been  platted  and  sold  in 
town  lots,  and  Mr.  Yorgesen  is  properly  regarded  as  one  of  the  prosperous  and  progressive 
men  in  Bingham  county. 

In  the  fall  of  1918,  Mr.  Yorgesen  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature,  where  he  has 
served  his  constituents  with  ability  and  good  judgment.  He  also  served  one  term  as 
county  commissioner  of  Bingham  county  and  has  been  chairman  of  the  town  board  for 
ten  years.  Mr.  Yorgesen  gives  active  support  to  the  republican  party  and  is  always 
prominent  in  its  councils. 

On  June  6,  1886,  Mr.  Yorgesen  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Christensen,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely:  Alonzo  S.,  the  secretary  of  the 
Snake  River  Valley  irrigation  district;  Oscar  C.,  carrying  on  the  farming  operations; 
Lulu,  wife  of  J.  M.  Bowler,  living  in  Shelley;  Eva,  at  home;  Arthur  H.,  who  was 
accidentally  shot  and  died  in  November,  1909;  and  Nora,  who  was  drowned  at  Tampico, 
Mexico,  in  July,  1909.  Mr.  Yorgesen  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  of  the  stake  high  council  of  the  church.  In  1898  he  was  called 
to  fill  a  mission  on  behalf  of  his  church  in  Wisconsin,  where  he  spent  two  years,  most 
of  the  time  in  Milwaukee. 

Mr.  Yorgesen  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  is  president  of  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Shelley,  which  opened  its  doors  for  business  in  September,  1919.  During  the  brief 
period  of  its  existence,  the  growth  of  the  bank  has  been  rapid,  the  deposits  for  the  first 
three  months  being  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dollars.  He  is  also  president  of 
the  Idaho  Grain  &  Produce  Company  and  has  various  other  interests  of  a  commercial 
character.  He  and  two  of  his  sons  are  at  the  head  of  the  Yorgesen  Land  &  Live  Stock 
Company,  and  he  is  interested  in  sheep  and  farming. 


CLOYD  J.  WILSON. 

Cloyd  J.  Wilson  is  identified  with  financial  interests  of  Cassia  county  as  cashier 
of  the  Declo  State  Bank  of  Declo,  which  position  he  has  occupied  since  April,  1918, 
and  of  which  institution  he  is  also  one  of  the  directors.  His  birth  occurred  at  Com- 
merce, Iowa,  on  the  2d  of  September,  1891,  his  parents  being  Jesse  M.  and  Jennie 
(Doty)  Wilson.  The  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  was  passed  in  the  state  of  his 
nativity  and  in  the  acquirement  of  his  education  he  attended  the  schools  of  Ports- 
mouth, Iowa,  and  also  spent  a  year  as  a  student  in  a  commercial  college  at  Council 
Bluffs.  After  putting  aside  his  textbooks  he  secured  a  position  as  messenger  boy  in 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  and  later  became  teller  and  book- 
keeper there.  In  January,  1913,  he  went  to  Afton,  Wyoming,  where  he  acted  as  assis- 
tant cashier  of  the  Afton  State  Bank  until  1915,  when  he  removed  to  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah,  and  became  assistant  auditor  of  the  farm  loan  and  mortgage  firm  of 
Miller  £  Viele.  In  1917  he  returned  to  Afton,  Wyoming,  but  the  following  year  came 
to  Idaho,  locating  at  Burley,  where  he  accepted  the  position  of  paying  and  receiving 
teller  of  the  Bank  of  Commerce.  In  April,  1918,  he  was  made  cashier  of  the  Declo 
State  Bank  at  Declo  and  has  since  ably  served  in  that  capacity.  The  bank  was  or- 
ganized in  November,  1917,  and  the  continued  growth  of  the  institution  is  attributable 
in  no  small  measure  to  the  efforts  and  enterprise  of  its  popular  and  efficient  cashier. 
Into  other  fields  Mr.  Wilson  has  also  extended  his  activity,  being  now  president  of  the 
Declo  Printing  Company.  He  likewise  operates  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  near  Declo 
and  is  widely  recognized  as  a  prosperous  and  representative  citizen  of  Cassia  county. 

In  1915  Mr.  Wilson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Myrtle  Roos,  a  native  of  Utah 


CLOYD  J.  WILSON 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  85 

snd  a  daughter  of  Carl  and  Emma  (Merritt)  Roos.  They  have  become  parents  of  two 
children,  Virginia  and  William.  Mr.  Wilson  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  repub- 
lican party,  while  fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Masons.  His  career  is  most 
commendable  and  the  success  which  he  has  already  attained  augurs  well  for  the 
future. 


WILLIAM  H.  BIGGS. 

William  H.  Biggs,  a  prominent  and  well  known  citizen  of  Boise,  member  of  the 
real  estate  firm  of  Biggs  Brothers,  came  to  Idaho  in  1906  from  Adams  county,  Iowa. 
He  first  located  on  a  ranch  near  Caldwell,  this  state,  where  he  lived  for  some  time,  but 
later  removed  to  another  place,  also  near  Caldwell,  where  he  spent  eight  years.  He 
was  formerly  a  traveling  salesman  out  of  Boise,  and  for  several  years  was  an  automo- 
bile salesman.  Still  later  he  occupied  the  responsible  position  of  manager  for  the  Gordon 
Motor  Company  of  Boise. 

In  1919  William  H.  Biggs  formed  a  partnership  with  his  younger  brother,  John  R. 
Biggs,  and  they  embarked  in  the  real  estate  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Biggs 
Brothers,  with  offices  on  South  Tenth  street,  Boise,  and  though  comparatively  but  a 
short  time  in  the  real  estate  business,  the  scope  of  their  operations  is  steadily  advanc- 
ing and  they  are  becoming  widely  known  as  successful  handlers  of  real  estate. 

Mr.  Biggs  was  -born  on  a  farm  in  Grundy  county,  Missouri,  July  29,  1880,  a  son 
of  Milton  and  Drusilla  (Arnold)  Biggs.  The  father  died  in  Iowa  many  years  ago  and 
the  mother  has  recently  moved  to  Boise  to  reside  near  her  children,  several  of  whom 
are  well  known  residents  of  Boise  and  of  the  Boise  valley.  Mrs.  Biggs  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  March  11,  1856,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Benjamin  and  Rachel  Mary  (Carpenter) 
Arnold.  She  married  Milton  Biggs  on  September  23,  1873,  and  became  the  mother  of 
twelve  children,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living,  and  among  these  children  were  three 
pairs  of  twins.  Milton  Biggs  died  in  Iowa  in  1901,  and  some  time  later  his  widow 
married  Samuel  Teaden,  an  Englishman,  who  died  eight  years  ago.  The  seven  living 
children  of  the  Biggs  family  are;  Lee;  William  H.;  Mrs.  Nora  Thompson,  of  Nebraska; 
Mrs.  Alice  Ridgeway;  John  R.;  and  Clarence  and  Clara,  twins,  the  latter  now  being 
Mrs.  Clara  Landfair,  of  Pontiac,  Michigan. 

William  H.  Biggs  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Adams  county,  Iowa,  and  followed 
farming  up  to  ten  years  ago.  He  was  married  in  Iowa  in  1900,  and  has  two  children, 
Helen  Gertrude,  born  July  26,  1902;  and  Quentin,  born  October  12,  1909.  Mr.  Biggs  is 
a  member  of  the  Royal  Highlanders  of  America.  He  takes  a  good  citizen's  interest  in 
all  matters  calculated  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  community. 


CHARLES  W.   PURSELL. 

Charles  W.  Pursell,  a  prominent  citizen  and  well  known  wholesale  lumber  dealer 
of  Boise,  Idaho,  came  to  this  part  of  the  state  from  Ohio  in  1905  and  has  been  residing 
in  Boise  ever  since.  Mr.  Pursell  was  born  at  Washington  Court  House,  Ohio,  August  14, 
1856,  a  son  of  James  and  Margaret  (Hartzell)  Pursell,  natives  of  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania, 
respectively.  The  father  was  born  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  October  12,  1813,  and  was 
married  to  Margaret  Hartzell,  May  25,  1841.  His  wife  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  May  3, 
1815,  and  died  July  30,  1895,  having  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years.  Mr. 
Pursell  died  on  January  7, 1891,  being  then  seventy-eight  years  old.  Both  deaths  occurred 
in  Ohio.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  Charles  W.  was  the  youngest. 

Charles  W.  Pursell  was  reared  in  Ohio  and  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  state. 
He  was  married  in  that  state,  January  6,  1880,  to  Miss  Anna  M.  Ford,  a  native  of  Maine- 
ville,  Ohio,  born  February  27, 1860,  and  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Mary  Ellen  (Smith) 
Ford.  Her  father  was  born  at  Gray,  Maine,  May  19,  1829,  and  was  married,  July  2,  1855, 
to  Mary  Ellen  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Farmington,  Maine,  January  18,  1836.  Mr.  Ford 
died  in  Ohio,  July  4,  1902,  his  widow,  who  has  now  reached  the  age  of  eighty -four, 
makes  her  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pursell.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ford  were  the  parents 
of  six  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Pursell  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pursell  are  the  parents  of  three  children,  as  follows:  Mrs.  Georgia 
Rogers,  residing  in  Ohio;  Harry  B.,  of  Boise,  living  with  his  parents,  a  veteran  of 


86  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  World  war,  having  served  abroad  for  seventeen  months  with  the  Twentieth  United 
States  Engineers;  and  Mrs.  Helen  Harvey,  wife  of  Gerald  Harvey,  of  Boise. 

Mr.  Pursell  and  his  wife  came  to  Boise  in  1905,  and  they  have  ever  since  been 
identified  with  the  social  and  cultural  activities  of  the  city  of  their  adoption.  Through- 
out the  greater  part  of  his  life  he  has  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and  is  now  a 
director  of  the  Wallowa  Pine  Lumber  Company,  whose  headquarters  are  in  Oregon. 
He  is  generally  known  in  and  about  this  part  of  Idaho  as  one  of  the  most  experienced 
lumber  dealers  actively  engaged  in  the  trade.  He  is  a  warm  supporter  of  the  republican 
party,  as  was  also  his  father,  who  served  as  internal  revenue  collector  in  Ohio  for 
thirteen  years,  and  from  time  to  time  held  various  other  political  offices. 

Mr.  Pursell  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  the  Elks,  in  the  affairs 
of  which  popular  organizations  he  takes  a  warm  interest.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  in  other  directions  he  is  identified  with  the  commer- 
cial progress  of  Boise.  He  is  of  Revolutionary  descent,  as  is  Mrs.  Pursell,  who  also 
is  descended  from  Mayflower  ancestry,  tracing  her  descent  from  Revolutionary  stock 
on  both  sides  of  the  house.  In  1908  she  organized  the  first  chapter  of  the  Daughters 
of  the  American  Revolution  founded  in  Idaho  and  served  as  the  first  regent  of  the 
chapter,  holding  the  office  of  state  regent  for  eight  consecutive  years.  She  is  an  earnest 
member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  is  prominent  in  all  church  affairs.  She  also  gives 
her  services  and  ability  to  the  interests  of  the  Red  Cross,  being  a  vice  chairman  of  the 
Boise  Red  Cross  chapter,  and  she  holds  membership  in  the  Mayflower  Society  of 
Massachusetts. 


MRS.  MARY  K.  PLOWMAN. 

Mrs.  Mary  K.  Plowman,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  respected  citizens  of  Boise, 
who  bears  with  fortitude  the  loss  of  a  son  in  the  World  war  and  who  also  sustained 
like  bereavements  in  the  Philippine  war,  is  the  widow  of  the  late  Kenna  Pool  Plowman, 
who  in  his  day  was  well  known  in  the  mining  districts  of  Idaho  and  who  died  about 
twelve  years  ago  in  Boise. 

K.  P.  Plowman,  as  he  was  generally  known,  was  born  in  Athens,  Tennessee,  about 
1832,  but  left  that  state  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  by  running  away  from  home,  with  Oregon 
as  his  destination,  and  in  1864,  he  removed  to  Idaho.  He  was  twice  married;  first  in 
Oregon  to  a  lady  who  died  some  years  afterward,  leaving  one  son,  Richard  B.  Plowman, 
of  Oregon.  His  second  marriage  took  place  at  Idaho  City,  Idaho,  December  25,  1875,  his 
second  wife  being  Mrs.  Mary  K.  Robinson.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  K. 
Clough  and»was  born  at  Pittston,  Pennsylvania,  December  10,  1854,  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Deborah  (Turner)  Clough,  the  former  born  in  England  and  the  latter  in  Nova 
Scotia.  She  came  to  Idaho  with  her  mother,  who  was  then  a  widow,  in  1864  and 
located  at  Idaho  City.  Her  first  husband  was  George  Elias  Robinson,  who  died  some 
years  later,  leaving  two  children,  Arthur  Clough  Robinson  and  Mrs.  Grace  Jane  Durbin. 
The  date  of  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Robinson  was  January  9,  1870.  By  her  marriage  to 
K.  P.  Plowman,  she  became  the  mother  of  five  children,  namely:  Oscar,  a  mining  man, 
living  in  Alaska,  who  married  Miss  Edith  Oliver,  of  Boise;  Harry,  who  died  of 
smallpox  in  the  Philippines;  Early,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four  years;  Elizabeth 
Katherine,  wife  of  Lee  Thomas,  a  farmer,  living  near  Caldwell,  Idaho,  and  Kenna  Pool 
Plowman,  who  was  killed  in  France  in  1918. 

Kenna  Pool  Plowman,  the  youngest  son,  was  in  Mexico  when  the  order  came  for 
all  men  under  thirty-one  to  register,  and  he  did  not  receive  word  for  some  time  after 
the  registration  date.  Friends  tried  to  persuade  him  not  to  go  on,  warning  him  he 
would  be  imprisoned,  but  he  said  he  was  no  slacker  and  would  make  his  explanation 
to  his  government.  He  walked  nearly  eighty  miles  to  Esenada,  Mexico,  the  nearest 
city,  to  get  to  a  point  of  registration.  "Boole"  Plowman,  as  he  was  familiarly  called, 
was  born  in  Boise,  August  7,  1889,  and  attended  the  Boise  public  school,  following  which 
he  was  engaged  in  the  mining  business.  There  is  an  interesting  little  story  in  connec- 
tion with  his  pet  name.  Mrs.  Plowman  was  attended  by  the  post  physician,  whom 
all  pioneers  recall,  Major  Garard,  an  ardent  Frenchman,  when  the  baby  was  born. 
When  the  Major  announced  the  birth  of  a  son  to  Mr.  Plowman,  he  said:  "What  are  you 
going  to  call  him?"  Mr.  Plowman,  knowing  it  would  bother  the  loyal  Frenchman, 
said  jokingly,  "Blucher."  The  Major  flung  up  his  hands  in  horror  and  said,  "Never •' 
but  the  family,  although  he  was  named  for  his  father,  called  him  "Blucher,"  and  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  87 

child's  first  pronunciation  of  the  word  was  "Boole,"  and  the  nickname  clung  to  him 
from  that  time  on. 

War  is  a  terrible  word  to  Mrs.  Plowman.  Her  first  husband  died  of  tuberculosis 
contracted  during  the  Civil  war;  her  son  Harry  was  killed  during  the  Philippine  war; 
her  son  Arthur  was  wounded  during  the  same  war;  and  in  1918  the  dire  news  reached 
her  that  her  youngest  son,  Kenna  P.,  was  killed  in  action  in  France.  In  her  other 
trials  Mrs.  Plowman  was  able  to  give  way  to  her  grief,  but  in  the  death  of  her  youngest 
son  her  grief  was  too  great  for  tears.  She  has  had  extended  to  her  the  heartfelt 
sympathy  of  all  her  old  pioneer  friends,  many  of  whom  she  has  cheered  in  like  sorrow, 
and  of  still  more  friends  whom  she  has  known  recently.  She  puts  her  trust  and  faith 
in  God,  Who  does  all  things  well,  living  in  that  Christian  faith,  that  when  called  upon 
to  yield  up  the  body,  her  spirit  will  be  released  to  join  on  high  with  those  of  her  dear 
ones  gone  before  in  their  country's  defense. 


J.  M.  CASON. 

J.  M.  Cason,  dating  his  residence  in  the  northwest  from  1905,  has  contributed  largely 
to  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  Idaho  through  his  operations  in  real  estate  and  his 
work  in  structural  engineering  and  contracting.  He  was  born  at  Glasgow,  Missouri, 
August  15,  1850.  There  are  few  men  of  his  age  who  can  claim  to  be  veterans  of  the 
Civil  war.  but  Mr.  Cason  served  with  the  army  and  says  that  his  experience  was  inval- 
uable to  him  inasmuch  as  it  made  a  man  of  him.  When  one  faces  the  stern  realities 
of  life  it  shows  up  his  inherent  weakness  or  inherent  strength  and  with  Mr.  Cason  it 
proved  a  stimulus  to  his  latent  powers  and  qualities.  After  acquiring  a  common  school 
education  he  pursued  a  course  in  mechanical  engineering  in  Pritchett  College  of  Mis- 
souri, from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1873.  Three  years  before  entering 
the  college,  however,  he  had  worked  at  bridge  construction  with  his  uncle,  Louis  P. 
Hume,  who  turned  the  business  over  to  him,  giving  him  no  advice  save  to  "make  good," 
which  he  did.  Realizing  just  what  advanced  training  would  do  for  him  in  this  con- 
nection, Mr.  Cason  entered  Pritchett  College  and  following  his  graduation  he  engaged 
in  clerking  for  a  year.  Failing  health  caused  him  to  go  on  a  farm  for  a  short  time 
that  he  might  enjoy  the  benefits  of  outdoor  life  and  later  he  entered  the  mechanical 
contracting  business  again  and  was  thus  engaged  until  1905.  During  much  of  that 
period  he  was  living  at  Mound  City,  Missouri,  to  which  place  he  removed  in  1879. 
Finding  it  a  live,  progressive  town,  he  decided  to  remain  there  and  he  erected  in  Mound 
City  many  of  its  fine  residences  and  substantial  business  blocks,  for  he  was  not  only 
skilled  in  mechanical  engineering  but  also  possessed  ability  as  an  architect.  He  likewise 
built  a  dredge  and  other  machinery,  which  he  used  in  reclaiming  a  large  area  of  land 
near  Mound  City  which  had  been  overflowed  and  was  rendered  apparently  worthless. 
This  is  now  a  rich  agricultural  district. 

Upon  his  removal  to  the  west  in  1905,  Mr.  Cason  first  located  at  Twin  Falls,  Idaho, 
where  he  remained  for  a  short  time  and  then  removed  to  Payette,  where  he  engaged 
in  contracting  for  four  years  and  during  that  period  built  the  annex  to  the  Commer- 
cial Hotel  and  several  of  the  fine  residences  of  the  city.  Upon  his  removal  to  Parma 
he  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business,  in  structural  engineering  and  contracting  and 
was  active  along  these  lines.  After  constructing  five  homes  in  Parma  he  decided  to 
withdraw  from  building  operations.  He  has  continued  his  work  in  the  other  connections, 
however,  and  is  today  a  progressive  business  man  of  the  city,  energetic  and  determined, 
whose  success  has  never  aroused  the  envy  of  others  because  it  has  meant  also  the  up- 
building of  the  district  in  which  he  lives.  He  has  worked  diligently  and  persistently, 
meeting  and  conquering  difficulties  and  organizing  his  life  along  lines  that  call  for  a 
full  dole  of  labor  with  each  turn  of  the  wheel. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1883,  Mr.  Cason  was  married  to  Miss  Belle  Wiggins,  of 
Forest  City,  Missouri,  and  they  have  three  children:  Maude  Ellen,  the  wife  of  C.  Guy 
Wakefleld,  of  Portland,  Oregon;  Clarence  Otis,  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  who  is  an 
operator  with  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  at  Parma;  and  Alyce  Belle,  who  is  a 
public  reader  and  gives  recitals  at  Portland,  Oregon,  where  she  resides  with  her  sister. 

For  fourteen  years  Mr.  Cason  has  lived  in  the  west,  taking  an  active  and  helpful 
interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  public  progress.  He  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made 
man  inasmuch  as  he  started  out  to  provide  for  his  own  support  when  still  a  young  lad. 
Gladstone  has  said  that  time  is  almost  the  only  asset  which  the  young  man  brings  to 


88  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  starting  point  of  his  career,  and  he  who  would  win  advancement  must  make  wise 
use  of  that  time,  each  hour  contributing  its  full  quota  toward  the  attainment  of  that 
success  which  is  the  ultimate  goal  of  labor. 


JAMES   D.  RUARK. 

James  D.  Ruark,  residing  in  Canyon  county  upon  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  which  he  owns,  is  largely  devoting  his  attention  to  the  raising  of  Red  Polled  and 
Holstein  cattle.  He  was  born  in  Evansville,  Indiana,  May  19,  1888.  His  father,  Shad- 
rach  Ruark,  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1844  and  was  a  son  of  Reason  Ruark,  who  removed 
to  Indiana  in  1825  and  such  was  the  unsettled  condition  of  the  state  that  he"  hunted  in 
all  sections  of  it.  Shadrach  Ruark  became  a  physician  of  Evansville,  Indiana,  where 
he  engaged  in  practice  until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1892.  He  had  married  Sophie 
Blakey,  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in  1848.  Her  father  was  the  owner  of  a  large  planta- 
tion on  Sycamore  island  in  the  James  river  near  Richmond.  He  died  in  Cuba,  having 
gone  there  for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  The  Civil  war  entirely  disrupted  the  Blakey 
home  and  Sophie  Blakey  then  went  to  live  with  relatives  in  Kentucky.  Later  she 
removed  to  Indiana,  where  she  was  married.  Her  death  occurred  in  Idaho,  in  the  home 
where  her  son  James  D.  now  resides,  about  two  miles  west  of  Caldwell.  They  had 
come  to  Idaho  in  1896  and  were  residents  of  Boise  for  a  year,  after  which  they  removed 
to  a  farm  four  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Nampa. 

James  D.  Ruark  at  that  time  purchased  a  tract  of  land  of  eighty  acres  and  thereon 
engaged  in  diversified  farming  for  five  years,  after  which  he  sold  that  property  and 
bought  his  present  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  about  two  miles  west  of  Cald- 
well. He  has  here  about  thirty  head  of  thoroughbred  Red  Polled  and  Holstein  cattle 
and  expects  to  engage  extensively  in  the  raising  of  fine  stock.  He  also  raises  alfalfa, 
corn  and  grain  and  formerly  owned  a  stock  ranch  in  Long  Valley,  Idaho,  which  he  has 
recently  sold.  His  present  place  is  a  most  beautiful  farm  located  on  the  Boise  river 
bottoms  and  such  is  the  fertility  of  the  soil  that  he  can  raise  anything  that  will  grow 
in  this  altitude. 

In  1917  Mr.  Ruark  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  L.  Kerby,  a  daughter  of  Marion 
Kerby,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  who  died  eleven  years  ago  in  Caldwell.  Her  brother, 
Frank  Kerby,  is  a  banker  of  Cascade,  Iowa.  Her  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary 
Daily  and  was  a  sister  of  the  pioneer,  John  Daily,  of  Emmett,  Idaho,  who  is  now  living 
retired.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruark  have  become  parents  of  a  son,  James  D.,  Jr.,  who  is  now 
in  his  second  year.  The  parents  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles  and  enjoy 
the  warm  regard  of  all  who  know  them.  Mr.  Ruark  is  accounted  one  of  the  progressive 
young  farmers  of  his  section  of  the  state  and  has  so  wisely  and  carefully  directed  his 
efforts  that  a  substantial  measure  of  success  is  already  his,  while  the  future  will  un- 
doubtedly bring  to  him  still  greater  prosperity. 


GEORGE  ALLEN  CHAPMAN. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  record  that  George  Allen  Chapman,  one  of  the  real  old-timers 
and  pioneer  residents  of  Idaho,  who  for  years  has  filled  the  office  of  deputy  sheriff 
of  Ada  county,  and  who  is  now  in  his  eightieth  year,  is  hale  and  hearty  and  in  the 
enjoyment  of  good  health  and  active  in  the  duties  of  his  office  at  that  advanced  age. 

Mr.  Chapman,  who  now  resides  in  Boise,  came  to  this  state  from  California  in 
1864,  whither  he  had  gone  from  his  home  state — Connecticut — in  1854.  He  was  born  at 
Salisbury,  Connecticut,  May  31,  1841,  a  son  of  Newton  and  Salome  (Dauchy)  Chapman, 
who  also  were  natives  of  Connecticut,  where  they  resided  throughout  their  entire  lives. 
Mr.  Chapman  is  descended  from  old  New  England,  English  and  Revolutionary  stock, 
and  on  his  paternal  side  he  can  trace  his  ancestry  back  to  Ethan  Allen,  it  being 
through  this  source  he  gets  his  middle  name  of  Allen. 

In  1854,  when  but  a  lad  of  thirteen,  he  made  the  journey  to  California  via  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  with  his  father  and  brother,  Mason  Chapman.  His  father  had  been 
to  the  golden  state  some  five  years  earlier,  in  1849,  when  the  gold  boom  was  at  its 
height,  and  after  remaining  in  California  for  some  time  he  returned  to  his  native 
state,  where  he  spent  the  balance  of  his  life. 


JAMES  D.  RUARK 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  91 

Mr.  Chapman  continued  to  reside  in  California  for  about  nine  years,  during  this 
time  being  engaged  at  mining,  and  on  taking  up  his  abode  in  the  Boise  basin  he 
resumed  work  in  the  mines  of  this  district,  remaining  thus  occupied  for  several  years. 
On  severing  connection  with  mining,  Mr.  Chapman  embarked  in  ranching,  first  near 
Parma,  and  later  in  Long  valley  up  to  the  time  of  his  removal  to  Boise,  about  twenty 
years  ago. 

In  1865,  at  Idaho  City.  Mr.  Chapman  was  married  to  Eliza  Clark,  who  is  still  living. 
She  was  born  at  Quincy.  Illinois,  and  came  to  Idaho  with  a  sister  and  a  brother-in-law 
in  1864.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chapman  have  one  son,  Newton  Chapman,  now  a  man  of  middle 
age,  who  is  a  skilled  violinist  and  musician,  and  an  expert  in  the  repairing  of  musical 
instruments. 

Mr.  Chapman  has  lived  in  Boise  for  over  twenty  years,  coming  in  the  first  instance 
to  fill  the  office  of  deputy  sheriff  of  Ada  county  under  Sheriff  Reuben  Robblns.  He  has 
served  in  this  position  for  a  greater  number  of  years  than  any  other  official  who  filled 
the  office,  serving  under  both  democrats  and  republicans.  He  is  himself  a  republican. 
In  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  he  has  ever  had  the  entire  confidence  of  all 
sections  of  the  community.  Among  the  sheriffs  with  whom  Mr.  Chapman  has  served 
may  be  mentioned,  Reuben  Robbins,  Clay  Branstetter,  Joe  Oldham,  Mont  Oliver,  James 
Agnew,  James  A.  Bennett,  James  Roberts  and  Emmett  Pfost — the  present  custodian 
of  the  office.  Mr.  Chapman  states  that  so  many  years  have  elapsed  since  he  first  took 
over  the  duties  of  deputy  sheriff,  that  he  is  unable  to  place  the  exact  date  when  he 
was  appointed.  For  a  man  of  his  advanced  years,  he  is  remarkably  vigorous  and  active, 
and  his  interest  in  the  duties  of  his  office  has  in  no  way  abated.  Popular  with  all 
classes  in  a  community  where  he  has  spent  so  many  years,  he  is  in  a  general  sense 
regarded  as  something  in  the  nature  of  an  institution,  and  the  wish  on  every  side  is 
for  all  that  should  accompany  old  age — love,  honor  and  troops  of  friends. 


WILLIAM  A.  FOSTER. 

William  A.  Foster,  most  efficiently  serving  in  the  onerous  position  of  chief  of  the  Boise 
fire  department,  has  for  almost  three  decades  resided  continuously  in  this  city,  to  which 
he  removed  from  Decatur  county,  Kansas.  He  was  born  at  Grinnell,  Poweshiek  county, 
Iowa,  January  28,  1870,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Janie  Foster,  who  in  1885  removed  with 
their  family  to  northwestern  Kansas,  where  their  son,  William  A.,  remained  until  189o 
and  then  came  alone  to  Idaho.  Here  he  drove  a  team  used  in  hauling  lumber  and  later 
he  was  engaged  in  the  transfer  business.  Subsequently  he  became  connected  with  the 
Shaw  Lumber  Company,  which  he  represented  for  five  years,  and  about  twenty  year* 
ago  he  left  Boise  to  spend  a  year  in  Kansas  and  another  in  Denver.  With  the  exception 
of  that  period  he  has  continuously  resided  in  Boise  for  the  past  three  decades  and  was 
a  young  man  of  about  twenty-one  years  when  he  took  up  his  abode  here. 

Mr.  Foster  became  connected  with  the  Boise  fire  department  in  1903  and  has  been 
identified  therewith  almost  continuously  since.  He  served  for  a  time  in  the  ranks 
but  has  gradually  been  advanced,  acting  for  a  period  as  captain  and  later  as  assistant 
chief  for  five  years,  while  during  the  past  three  years  he  has  been  chief  of  the  depart- 
ment. His  advancement  has  been  regular.  He  has  won  his  promotions  through  merit 
and  ability  and  has  thus  reached  the  top.  When  he  joined  the  department  it  numbered 
but  seven  regular  paid  men.  There  are  now  thirty-nine  members  of  the  department, 
which  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  and  most  efficient  in  the  northwest  Horses  have 
been  superseded  by  auto  trucks  and  engines  of  most  modern  design  have  been  secured. 
There  are  now  four  fire  stations  and  eight  auto  trucks  and  engines.  Mr.  Foster  is 
keenly  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of  the  department  and 
he  belongs  to  the  Fire  Chiefs  Association  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

In  Boise,  on  the  2d  of  October,  1892,  Mr.  Foster  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Martha  Jane  Martin,  who  was  born  in  Missouri,  July  3.  1871,  and  they  have  become  the 
parents  of  five  living  children.  Raymond  L.,  the  eldest,  was  born  September  28,  1893. 
He  served  in  the  World  war,  being  for  several  months  at  Camp  Lewis.  Florence  E.,  born 
December  24,  1894,  was  married  in  January,  1918,  to  William  Mclntosh.  a  resident  of 
Ohio.  Hazel  M.,  born  July  27,  1896,  was  married  in  January,  1918,  to  George  E.  Ganz. 
of  Baker,  Oregon.  Melvin  William,  born  March  17,  1911,  and  Martin  N.,  born  June  2. 
1917,  are  at  home.  They  also  had  one  other  child.  John  H..  who  has  passed  away,  his 
death  resulting  from  an  operation  when  he  was  but  sixteen  years  of  age. 


92  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

On  the  8th  of  November,  1918,  Mr.  Foster  while  out  deer  hunting  in  the  mountains 
met  with  a  severe  accident  caused  by  the  blow-out  of  the  breech  block  of  his  rifle, 
which  struck  him  in  the  right  eye,  destroying  the  sight.  This  organ  has  since  been 
replaced  with  an  artificial  eye  which  is  so  true  to  nature  that  an  observer  can  see 
no  difference.  Fraternally  Mr.  Foster  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  an  Elk  and  his  wife  belongs 
to  the  Ada  Circle  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  of  which  organization  Mr.  Foster  is  a 
member,  and  she  is  likewise  connected  with  the  ladies'  auxiliary  of  the  Odd  Fellows, 
known  as  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah.  Mr.  Foster  gives  his  political  endorsement  to  the 
republican  party  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  but 
has  never  aspired  to  elective  office.  He  has  done  splendid  service  in  his  present  con- 
nection, however,  being  most  true  and  loyal  to  every  duty  that  devolves  upon  him. 


CARL     H.     NORRIS. 

Carl  H.  Norris,  member  of  the  Boise  bar  and  also  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace, 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  courts  of  Idaho,  December  4,  1912.  A  native  son  of 
Iowa,  he  was  born  at  Manchester,  July  2,  1887,  his  parents  being  William  H.  and 
Martha  (Toogood)  Norris.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Manchester  high  scb',ol  with 
the  class  of  1905  and  afterward  spent  a  year  as  a  student  in  Beloit  College  of  Wisconsin, 
later  completing  both  academic  and  law  courses  in  the  University  of  Washington,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1912  with  the  LL.  B.  degree.  Following  America's  entrance 
into  the  World  war  he  entered  upon  active  duty  at  Camp  Lewis  and  he  is  now  a 
member  of  John  M.  Regan  Post  of  the  American  Legion.  He  is  a  York  Rite  Mason  and 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles  and  the  Acacia  fraternity. 


COLONEL  AUGUST  J.  MORITZ. 

Colonel  August  J.  Moritz,  who  devoted  more  than  three  decades  of  his  life  to  the 
military  service  of  the  United  States,  is  now  the  veteran  recording  secretary  of  Ada 
Lodge,  No.  3,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  a  position  which  he  has  steadily  filled  since  the  10th  of  March, 
1893.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1877  from  Atlanta,  Georgia,  being  then  a  member  of  the 
United  States  army.  He  is  now  on  the  retired  list  of  non-commissioned  staff,  having 
been  retired  August  1,  1901,  with  the  rank  of  post  quartermaster  sergeant,  after  having 
been  connected  with  the  army  for  thirty-one  and  a  half  years,  having  enlisted  as  a 
private  at  New  York  city,  New  York,  on  the  21st  of  March,  1870.  His  military 
connections  have  brought  him  wide  and  varied  experiences. 

Colonel  Moritz  was  born  in  Germany,  October  29,  1848,  and  his  parents  never  came 
to  the  United  States.  In  his  youth  he  learned  the  trade  of  harness  making  under  the 
direction  of  his  father  but  never  worked  at  the  trade  after  coming  to  the  new  worFd. 
It  was  in  1868,  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  that  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  in  1870, 
as  previously  stated,  he  joined  the  American  army.  Unlike  many  thousands  of  others, 
he  did  not  leave  Germany  to  escape  military  duty.  On  the  contrary  he  was  anxious 
to  serve  in  the  German  army,  but  his  parents  objected.  Therefore  after  reaching  the 
new  world,  the  military  spirit  being  strong  within  him,  he  joined  the  military  forces 
of  the  United  States  and  for  thirty-one  years  marched  under  the  nation's  starry  banner. 
He  has  returned  to  the  fatherland  just  once  since  first  crossing  the  Atlantic,  that  being 
in  1890,  when  he  was  granted  a  six  months'  furlough  from  the  army.  His  parents 
had  passed  away  in  the  meantime,  but  he  visited  many  other  relatives  and  old-time 
friends  there.  His  father,  August  Moritz,  had  died  in  1884,  while  the  mother,  Mrs. 
Barbara  (Seitz)  Moritz,  died  in  1887. 

Colonel  Moritz  of  this  review  had  for  s^yen  years  been  a  member  of  the  army 
when  he  was  transferred  from  Fort  McPherson,  Atlanta,  to  Fort  Colville,  Washington. 
He  later  spent  six  years  at  Fort  Coeur  d'Alene  as  sergeant  major  of  the  Second  United 
States  Infantry  and  from  1885  until  1890  he  was  post  quartermaster  sergeant  at  Fort 
Spokane,  Washington.  From  October,  1890,  until  February  8,  1892,  he  was  post  quarter- 
master sergeant  at  Vancouver  Barracks,  Washington,  near  Portland,  Oregon,  and  was 
later  transferred  to  the  Boise  Barracks,  where  he  continued  as  post  quartermaster 
sergeant  until  he  was  retired  in  1901. 

In  the  meantime,  or  in  1893,  Colonel  Moritz  had  been  made  recording  secretary  of 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  93 

Ada  Lodge,  No.  3,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  he  has  since  held  the  position.  The  records  of  the 
lodge  throughout  the  intervening  period  are  in  his  handwriting,  which  is  as  plain  as 
print,  he  being  a  skilled  penman.  He  was  made  an  Odd  Fellow,  June  28,  1889,  In 
Spokane,  Washington,  and  has  passed  all  of  the  chairs  in  the  order.  He  belongs  to 
the  encampment  and  is  now  assistant  adjutant  general  in  the  patriarchs  militant 
branch  of  the  order. 

It  was  on  the  21st  of  March,  1875,  at  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  that  Colonel  Moritz 
was  married  to  Miss  Frances  Stein,  a  native  of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  who  passed  away 
January  18,  1915,  and  is  survived  by  a  daughter  and  a  son:  Louise  A.,  who  was  born 
September  16,  1887,  and  is  now  a  graduate  nurse  of  Boise;  and  Henry  L.,  who  is  hold- 
ing a  responsible  position  with  the  Northrop  Hardware  Company.  He  is  married  and 
has  two  children:  August  J.,  two  years  of  age;  and  Eva. 

Colonel  Moritz  is  widely  known  in  Boise  and  other  sections  of  the  state.  He  served 
on  the  staff  of  both  Governor  James  H.  Hawley  and  Governor  John  M.  Haines,  with 
the  rank  of  colonel,  filling  the  position  with  Governor  Hawley,  who  is  a  democrat,  while 
Governor  Haines  was  a  republican. 


ALEXANDER  ROSSI. 

Many  of  the  most  sterling  traits  of  manhood  were  manifest  in  the  career  of 
Alexander  Rossi,  who  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  business  man  of  Idaho,  where 
he  located  in  pioneer  times.  He  was  born  at  Zybrechken  on  the  Rhine,  Germany,  March 
10,  1828,  and  was  only  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  left  that  land  and  came  to 
America,  becoming  thoroughly  identified  with  the  interests  of  his  adopted  country  and 
a  loyal  defender  of  everything  that  stood  for  America's  welfare.  For  three  years 
he  remained  a  resident  of  New  York  city  and  Philadelphia  and  then,  attracted  by  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California,  he  made  his  way  to  the  Pacific  coast,  spending  several 
years  in  that  state.  He  afterward  removed  to  Oregon,  again  becoming  a  pioneer,  as  he 
had  been  in  California.  During  his  residence  in  the  Sunset  state  he  served  in  the 
Indian  wars,  acting  as  quartermaster  in  the  army.  In  business  life  he  became  well 
known  as  proprietor  of  a  machine  shop  at  Oregon  City  and  had  gained  a  substantial 
measure  of  success  when  a  disastrous  flood  swept  away  his  business. 

The  year  1861  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Rossi  in  Idaho  and  at  Lewiston  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  sawmill  business,  taking  charge  of  the  Roby  Mills.  In  1862 
he  removed  to  Idaho  City,  where  he  conducted  an  assay  office  and  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  until  1865.  In  that  year  he  became  a  resident  of  Boise,  where  he  erected 
the  first  sawmills  of  the  city,  becoming  »  member  of  the  well  known  firm  of  Roby  & 
Rossi.  The  partnership  was  maintained  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Roby,  when  Mr.  Rossi 
purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner  in  the  business  and  remained  a  prominent  figure 
in  lumber  circles  until  his  death.  He  was  a  man  of  ready  discrimination  in  business 
affairs,  saw  and  utilized  the  possibilities  of  the  state  and  did  everything  in  his  power 
to  advance  Idaho's  development  and  upbuilding.  He  it  was  who  planned  and  con- 
structed the  famous  Ridenbaugh  ditch.  He  was  also  the  first  assayer  in  charge  of  the 
assay  office  at  Boise  and  was  largely  connected  with  surveying  in  Idaho  and  Oregon 
in  early  days,  having  acquainted  himself  with  the  profession  of  cfvil  engineering  and  of 
assaying  while  still  in  his  native  land.  He  gave  to  the  government  an  entire  block  in 
Boise,  to  be  used  as  a  site  for  the  United  States  office. 

In  February,  1873,  Mr.  Rossi  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Adeline  Mullen,  who 
has  lived  in  Boise  since  1872  and  is  therefore  numbered  among  the  best  known  of  the 
pioneer  women  of  the  city.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Jasper  W.  Seaman,  who  was  born  in 
New  York,  April  2,  1811.  He  went  to  California  in  1849  and  afterward  became  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  Idaho.  He  passed  away  in  Spokane,  Washington,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  He  had  contributed  in  marked  degree  to  the  devel- 
opment and  upbuilding  of  the  west,  having  been  identified  with  pioneer  interests  not 
only  in  California  but  also  in  Portland,  Oregon;  Walla  Walla,  Washington;  and  Boise, 
Idaho.  His  daughter  Mrs.  Rossi  was  born  at  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas,  January  8,  1846. 
Her  first  husband  was  Lewis  Mullen,  who  passed  away  leaving  two  daughters:  Addle, 
the  wife  of  George  Bennett,  of  Denver,  Colorado;  and  Birdenia,  the  widow  of  Frank 
Callaway  and  now  residing  at  home  with  her  mother.  Mrs.  Callaway  has  one  son,  Jack 
Callaway,  a  young  man  of  twenty  years.  Since  the  death  of  Mr.  Rossi  his  widow  has 
continued  to  occupy  the  family  home  in  South  Boise  at  the  corner  of  Boise  avenue  and 


94  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

% 

Rossi  streets,  the  latter  thoroughfare  having  been  so  named  in  honor  of  her  husband. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rossi  were  born  two  sons  and  a  daughter:  Alexander,  who  is  a 
prominent  lumberman  of  Boise  and  was  married  in  February,  1903,  to  Miss  Lola 
Lindsey,  of  the  capital  city;  Kirk,  who  died  in  infancy;  and  Anna,  who  passed  away  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  years. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Rossi  occurred  February  22,  1906,  and  in  one  of  the  Idaho  pub- 
lications— The  Critic — appeared  the  following  mention  of  him:  "Nature  endowed  this 
man  with  the  essential  qualifications  of  a  pioneer.  Practical,  self-reliant,  sturdy  and 
strong,  nothing  daunted  him.  Going  to  California  in  the  '50s,  thence  to  Oregon,  he 
settled  in  the  Boise  Basin  in  1862.  Wherever  he  went  he  immediately  identified  him- 
self with  the  men  who  did  things.  He  was  essentially  a  business  man  but  one  of  large 
affairs.  Petty  things  were  not  to  his  liking;  he  was  an  empire  builder.  If  this  man 
ever  stumbled  or  was  tempted  there  was  no  record  of  it.  To  the  lurings  of  incense — 
rampant  in  the  mining  camps  of  his  youth — he  yielded  not.  Like  the  water  lily  that 
lifts  its  head  above  the  stagnant  pool,  he  was  uncontaminated  by  environment;  but 
out  of  everything  he  got  the  good. 

"The  old  pioneers,  like  the  old  soldiers,  have  been  liberalized  and  softened  by 
observation  and  experience.  By  mixing  with  all  sorts  of  men  and  through  acquaintance 
with  every  condition  of  life,  they  have  become  slow  to  judge  and  quick  to  forgive.  And 
this  is  why  that  we  who  have  come  after  hasten  to  pay  our  tribute  of  love  at  every 
passing  of  a  pioneer. 

"In  his  home  Alexander  Rossi  exemplified  the  virtues  of  the  Jew.  Gentle  and 
generous,  patient  and  sympathetic,  he  attracted  each  and  every  member  of  his  family 
like  a  magnet.  No  matter  how  trying  the  cares  of  the  day,  he  never  failed  to  greet 
his  loved  ones  with  a  smile — a  smile  that  was  a  benediction  and  that  was  never  forced. 
Always  a  student,  he  was  never  a  bore.  He  liked  to  converse  and  was  ready  to  argue, 
but  if  you  needs  must  chatter,  why  chatter  to  yourself. 

"He  had  not  quite  reached  his  seventy-eighth  year  when  his  soul  and  body  arrived 
at  the  parting  of  the  ways.  In  his  death  the  community  lost  a  superior  citizen  and 
a  noble  man.  In  the  home  that  was  his  there  will  always  be  a  vacant  chair." 

Mr.  Rossi  was  long  a  devoted  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he 
attained  the  thirty-second  degree,  and  it  was  he  who  organized  the  first  Masonic 
lodge  at  Payette.  In  politics  he  was  ever  an  earnest  supporter  of  the  democratic  party 
and  for  several  terms  served  as  county  commissioner  of  Ada  county,  yet  could  not 
be  called  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He  did  his  duty  as  he  saw  it,  was 
always  loyal  to  his  honest  convictions  and  his  position  was  never  at  any  time  an 
equivocal  one.  He  was  a  man  of  most  generous  spirit  and  kindly  impulses  who  gave 
freely  where  aid  was  needed  and  who  believed  in  encouraging  every  worthy  act  and 
noble  impulse  in  his  fellow  men.  His  life  was  characterized  by  many  kindly  deeds, 
was  the  expression  of  many  noble  virtues,  and  on  the  pages  of  Idaho's  pioneer  history 
the  name  of  Alexander  Rossi  stands  prominently  forth. 


JAMES  WHITMER  TANNER. 

James  Whitmer  Tanner,  now  deceased,  was  a  man  of  much  influence  in  Twin  Falls 
county.  He  was  engaged  in  newspaper  publication  at  Filer  and  was  a  prominent  figure 
in  political  circles  in  that  section  of  the  state.  His  birth  occurred  at  Nevada,  Iowa, 
December  29,  1858,  his  father  being  Joseph  Tanner.  His  boyhood  days  were  passed  at 
the  place  of  his  nativity  and  his  education  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  there. 
He  afterward  took  up  the  printer's  trade,  which  he  followed  in  Iowa  until  1880  and 
then  removed  to  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he  worked  on  the  St.  Joseph  Gazette. 
Later  he  went  to  Atchison,  Kansas,  where  he  spent  five  years  as  foreman  of  the  Atchi- 
son  Patriot.  In  1885  he  became  a  resident  of  Omaha  and  secured  a  position  on  the 
Omaha  World.  Subsequently  he  edited  the  Fullerton  Post,  published  at  Fullerton, 
Nance  county,  Nebraska,  remaining  in  charge  of  that  paper  for  twenty-eight  years. 
His  various  newspaper  connections  made  him  widely  known  in  journalistic  circles 
and  he  exercised  considerable  influence  over  public  thought  and  opinion  in  the  dif- 
ferent states  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  a  clear  and  trenchant  writer,  bringing  vividly 
to  the  minds  of  his  readers  the  points  which  he  wished  to  emphasize,  and  his  writings 
were  often  most  logical  and  forceful.  In  1899  he  was  elected  to  the  Nebraska  legisla- 
ture and  made  so  acceptable  a  record  during  his  first  term's  service  that  he  was  re- 


JAMES  W.  TANNER 


MRS.  JAMES  W.  TANNER 


Yd.  ra-T 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  99 

elected  and  became  connected  with  much  constructive  legislation  passed  during  the  two 
terms  of  his  connection  with  the  general  assembly  of  that  state. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1910,  Mr.  Tanner  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Filer,  -where 
he  began  the  publication  of  the  Filer  Journal.  He  soon  made 'for  himself  a  creditable 
place  as  a  representative  of  journalism  in  the  northwest,  nor  did  he  confine  his  efforts 
alone  to  this  line.  He  was  the  owner  of  considerable  valuable  real  estate,  building  a 
brick  block  and  also  the  Gem  theatre  of  Filer,  together  with  a  number  of  houses. 

In  1885  Mr.  Tanner  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Millie  Grace  Cook,  a  native 
of  Afton,  Iowa,  and  a  daughter  of  Noah  R.  and  Lavina  (Hosea)  Cook.  Her  father  was 
a  lawyer  of  Iowa  who  on  leaving  that  state  removed  to  Missouri,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  until  his  death.  The  mother  long  survived 
and  passed  away  in  1916.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tanner  reared  an  adopted  son,  Theodore  L., 
who  with  his  mother  now  occupies  a  beautiful  home  in  Filer.  The  death  of  Mr.  Tanner 
occurred  on  the  llth  of  February,  1918  when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  fifty-nine  years. 
He  was  a  democrat  in  his  political  views.  While  residing  in  Nebraska,  Mr.  Tanner 
had  filled  the  office  of  mayor  of  his  town  as  well  as  that  of  legislator  and  he  also 
held  several  local  offices  in  Idaho.  He  belonged  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Bene- 
volent Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur  and  his  religious  faith  was  indicated  by  his  mem- 
bership in  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  was  a  progressive  buisness  man,  a  loyal 
citizen,  a  faithful  friend  and  a  devoted  husband  and  father,  and  his  many  sterling 
traits  of  character  endeared  him  to  all  who  knew  him  and  have  caused  his  memory  to 
be  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  were  his  close  associates.  He  always  held  to 
high  ideals  and  he  not  only  left  to  his  family  a  very  comfortable  competence  but  also 
the  priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished  name. 


CHARLES  W.  IRWIN. 

Charles  W.  Irwin,  chief  of  police  in  Boise,  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  for  a  third 
of  a  century,  removing  to  this  state  from  Eldorado,  Kansas,  when  a  young  man.  In  fact 
he  was  a  youth  of  but  nineteen  years  at  the  time.  His  birth  occurred  in  Kansas  City, 
Missouri,  October  16.  1867,  his  parents  being  William  H.  and  Katherine  (Yost)  Irwin. 
The  father  was  a  farmei  and  live  stock  dealer  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were  repre- 
sentatives of  old  southern  families,  their  respective  fathers,  John  Irwin  and  George  Yost, 
having  been  slave  owners  in  Missouri  at  an  early  day. 

Charles  W.  Irwin  largely  spent  the  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  and  near 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  attending  the  common  country  schools.  Annie  Ralston,  who 
afterward  became  the  wife  of  Frank  James,  was  his  first  teacher  and  she  used  to  board 
with  his  parents. 

As  stated  Mr.  Irwin  arrived  in  Idaho  when  nineteen  years  of  age.  He  was  influenced 
to  take  this  step  by  the  fact  that  he  had  relatives  living  in  the  state,  including  the 
late  John  Strode,  who  was  a  well  know  cattleman  of  the  northwest  For  a  year  Mr. 
Irwin  resided  in  Boise  and  then  went  to  Silver  Mountain,  where  he  worked  in  a  brick- 
yard. He  afterward  returned  to  the  capital  city,  where  he  continued  for  a  brief  time, 
but  has  largely  engaged  in  ranching  during  the  period  of  his  residence  in  this  state 
and  is  one  of  Idaho's  homesteaders.  He  was  also  a  soldier  of  the  Spanish-America  war 
and  at  one  time  served  as  guard  at  the  state  penitentiary  under  Warden  John  Hailey. 
He  was  likewise  a  bailiff  in  the  office  of  the  United  States  marshal  under  Thomas  B. 
Martin,  was  night  watchman  at  the  state  house  under  Governor  Alexander  and  finally 
became  the  chief  of  police  of  Boise.  In  addition  to  all  the  qualifications  which  he  has 
manifested  in  his  business  and  official  connections  he  is  recognized  as  a  most  excellent 
nurse,  especially  in  the  care  of  the  sick  in  extreme  cases  which  female  nurses  could  not 
handle.  When  Ernest  Eagleson  became  the  mayor  of  Boise,  he  appointed  Mr.  Irwin 
captain  of  the  Boise  police  force  and  three  months  later  the  latter  was  made  its  chief, 
proving  a  most  capable  official  in  that  connection. 

It  was  at  Caldwell,  Idaho,  on  the  10th  of  December,  1907,  that  Mr.  Irwin  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Alice  Harrington,  of  Boise,  who  was  born  in  Iowa  but  was  reared 
in  Indiana  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Clara  (Stapleton)  Coatney.  Fraternally 
Mr.  Irwin  is  identified  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  He  is  connected  with  the  Boise  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  Is  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  and  progress-  trf  the  city, 


100  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  extension  of  its  trade  relations  and  the  development  of  its  civic  standards.  His 
service  during  the  Spanish-American  war  was  almost  entirely  at  Honolulu  as  a  member 
of  the  Engineers  Corps.  In  every  relation  of  life  he  has  measured  up  to  high  standards 
of  manhood  and  citizenship  and  he  is  now  giving  to  Boise  excellent  service  in  the 
matter  of  safeguarding  the  rights  and  interests  of  those  who  hold  themselves  amenable 
to  law. 


•     DOW  LORENZO  SELBY. 

Dow  Lorenzo  Selby,  of  the  firm  of  Selby  &  Newman,  dealers  in  real  estate,  insurance 
and  in  live  stock,  with  offices  at  117  North  Tenth  street  in  Boise,  is  a  Hawkeye  by  birth 
and  came  to  Boise  about  fifteen  years  ago  from  Iowa.  The  place  of  his  nativity  was  a 
farm  in  Story  county  and  his  natal  day  February  27,  1866.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  and 
Hannah  (Wise)  Selby,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  He  was  reared  upon  the 
home  farm  in  Iowa,  having  the  usual  experiences  of  the  farm-bred  boy.  He  acquired  a 
high  school  and  also  a  business  college  education  and  in  early  manhood  took  up  the 
profession  of  teaching. 

While  still  a  resident  of  Iowa,  Mr.  Selby  was  married  in  1892  to  Miss  Mildred 
Passage  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children,  two  sons  and  four  daughters: 
Dorothy  I.,  now  the  wife  of  Cartee  Wood,  a  son  of  Judge  Fremont  Wood,  of  Boise; 
Loraine,  the  wife  of  Everett  Barton,  son  of  C.  H.  Barton,  of  Boise;  John,  who  is  a 
veteran  of  the  World  war,  having  served  for  about  eighteen  months  in  France;  Avis, 
a  student  in  the  University  of  Idaho;  Mildred,  who  is  attending  the  Boise  high  school; 
and  Lloyd,  a  pupil  in  the  Whitney  school. 

Coming  to  Boise  about  fifteen  years  ago,  Mr.  Selby  has  since  been  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  and  insurance  business.  For  six  years  he  has  been  associated  with  A.  H. 
Newman  under  the  firm  style  of  Selby  &  Newman  and  has  won  a  very  large  clientage, 
making  his  business  a  profitable  one.  He  not  only  handles  real  estate  and  insurance 
but  likewise  deals  in  live  stock.  He  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  property  values  in  the 
city  and  surrounding  country  and  has  negotiated  many  important  property  transfers. 
He  also  writes  a  large  amount  of  insurance  annually  and  the  livestock  department  of 
his  business  is  also  proving  to  him  a  gratifying  source  of  profit.  His  home  is  on  the 
bench  near  the  Whitney  school,  where  he  owns  a  fine  five-acre  tract  of  land  which  is 
valuable. 

Mr.  Selby  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  church  and  in  the  social 
circles  of  the  city  they  occupy  an  enviable  position,  having  a  circle  of  friends  almost  co- 
extensive with  the  circle  of  their  acquaintance.  Mr.  Selby  is  a  Master  Mason  and 
exemplifies  in  his  life  the  beneficent  spirit  of  the  craft.  In  politics  he  maintains  an 
independent  course,  supporting  the  men  whom  he  believes  best  qualified  for  office 
regardless  of  party  affiliation.  He  is  fond  of  fishing  and  hunting,  to  which  he  turns  for 
recreation  when  leisure  permits.  His  success  is  due  largely  to  his  close  application  and 
indefatigable  energy,  which  have  in  the  course  of  years  brought  to  him  a  large  clientage. 


HERBERT  G.  MYERS. 

Herbert  G.  Myers,  organizer  of  the  firm  of  H.  G.  Myers  &  Company,  conducting  a 
brokerage,  loan  and  insurance  business,  with  offices  in  the  Overland  building  of  Boise, 
is  a  Nebraskan  by  birth.  He  was  born  upon  a  farm  in  Custer  county,  June  6,  1885, 
being  one  of  the  four  sons  of  John  E.  and  Amanda  M.  (Shedd)  Myers,  who  now  reside 
in  Boise,  to  which  city  they  removed  from  Nebraska  about  five  years  ago.  The  father 
is  a  retired  farmer. 

Herbert  G.  Myers  was  reared  on  a  cattle  ranch  in  Custer  county,  Nebraska,  and 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  that  state  and  in  the  University  of  Nebraska  at 
Lincoln.  After  completing  bis  college  course  he  spent  a  year  on  his  father's  cattle 
ranch  and  later  was  for  a  year  editor  and  lessee  of  a  weekly  newspaper  at  Broken 
Bow,  Nebraska,  covering  the  period  from  September,  1908,  until  September,  1909.  He 
came  to  Boise  in  1910  and  here  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  A.  L.  Murphy  &  Com- 
pany, conducting  a  real  estate  and  insurance  agency.  He  has  since  been  identified  with 
the  brokerage,  loan  and  insurance  business  in  Boise  and  for  many  years  has  conducted 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  101 

his  business  interests  under  the  style  of  H.  G.  Myers  A  Company.  He  organized  the 
business  in  1913  and  is  sole  owner.  During  the  past  seven  years  he  has  maintained  offices 
in  the  Overland  building  and  has  secured  a  large  clientage  as  the  years  have  passed. 
He  acts  as  financial  agent  of  large  local  installment  houses,  discounting  their  paper  and 
taking  over  their  customers'  notes.  This  is  the  pioneer  concern  of  the  kind  in  Boise 
and  in  fact  the  only  firm  doing  a  business  of  similar  character  in  Idaho. 

Mr.  Myers  returned  to  his  native  state  for  the  purpose  of  winning  his  bride.  He 
was  married  on  the  24th  of  May,  1910,  at  Broken  Bow,  Nebraska,  to  Miss  Grace  Beck, 
who  had  previously  been  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Nebraska  and  Illinois. 
They  have  become  parents  of  three  children:  Bonnie,  Herbert  G.,  Jr.,  and  Reginald,  aged 
respectively  six,  four  and  one  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers  occupy  an  attractive  modern 
bungalow  which  they  own  at  1411  North  Seventeenth  street,  and  Mr.  Myers  has  also 
become  the  owner  of  a  good  ranch  property  at  Glenns  Perry,  Idaho. 

Fraternally  he  is  an  Elk,  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  is  loyal  to  the 
purposes  of  these  organizations.  His  political  support  is  given  to  the  republican  party, 
and  while  never  an  office  seeker,  his  interest  in  the  general  welfare  and  the  growth 
and  progress  of  the  community  is  shown  in  his  connection  with  the  Boise  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  He  has  profited  by  the  opportunities  of  the  growing  northwest  and  year 
by  year  has  made  steady  progress  in  a  business  way  until  he  now  occupies  an  enviable 
position  in  the  financial  circles  of  his  adopted  city. 


FRANK  M.  EBY. 

Frank  M.  Eby,  a  real  estate  dealer  who  has  been  a  resident  of  Ada  county  for  the 
past  thirty-three  years  and  since  1901  has  made  his  home  continuously  in  Boise,  was 
but  ten  years  of  age  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  the  removal  from  Montana 
to  Idaho  in  1885.  He  was  born  upon  a  farm  in  Tama  county,  Iowa,  May  1,  1875,  a 
son  of  Melancthon  Fillmore  and  Caroline  (Reinig)  Eby,  who  are  now  residing  just 
outside  the  corporation  limits  of  Boise.  Both  of  the  grandmothers  of  Frank  M.  Eby 
are  also  living  and  his  paternal  grandmother,  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Eby,  makes  her  home  just 
south  of  Boise.  She  has  reached  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  The  maternal  grand- 
mother is  still  a  resident  of  Tama  county,  Iowa.  Five  generations  of  the  Eby  family 
are  living. 

Frank  M.  Eby  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  near  Boise  following  the  removal  of 
the  family  to  Idaho,  and  in  the  public  schools  he  acquired  his  education,  also  pursuing 
a  course  in  a  business  college.  He  continued  to  engage  in  farming  until  1905,  since 
which  times  he  has  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  the  real  estate  business, 
handling  both  city  and  country  property. 

On  the  25th  of  December,  1895,  Mr.  Eby  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Charlotte 
Lindsay,  who  was  born  in  Ada  county,  Idaho,  March  28,  1877,  and  passed  away  December 
15,  1919,  leaving  four  living  children:  Fred  B.,  Charles  Dexter,  Melvin  Charles  and 
Andrew  Harold.  The  eldest  son  is  married  and  has  a  daughter  about  a  year  and  a 
half  old.  For  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  Mr.  Eby  has  resided  in  Ada  county  and 
is  therefore  largely  familiar  with  the  history  of  its  development  and  progress,  while 
as  a  real  estate  dealer  he  is  contributing  to  its  steady  advancement.  He  has  gained  a 
large  clientage  in  his  line  of  business  and  has  negotiated  various  important  property 
transfers.  There  have  been  no  spectacular  phases  in  his  life,  his  progress  being  due  to 
his  close  application,  persistency  of  purpose  and  reliability  in  all  of  his  business  affairs. 


NOAH  W.  STRUNK. 

Noah  W.  Strunk,  president  of  the  Overland  Real  Estate  Company  of  Boise,  has 
been  identified  with  the  development  of  the  northwest  for  a  period  of  thirteen  years  or 
since  coming  to  Idaho  in  1907  from  Mountain  Grove,  Missouri.  For  several  years  he 
engaged  in  ranching  before  taking  up  his  abode  in  Boise  in  1913,  since  which  time 
he  has  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business,  in  which  he  is  associated  with  his  brother, 
D.  C.  Strunk,  under  the  name  of  the  Overland  Real  Estate  Company. 

Noah  W.  Strunk  was  born  at  Mountain  Grove,  Missouri.  February  14,  1878,  and 
is  a  son  of  Demcy  and  Prudy  (Wood)  Strunk.  The  father  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 


102  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

war,  having  served  in  the  Union  army  with  the  First  Kentucky  Cavalry.  After  the  close 
of  hostilities  he  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Mountain  Grove,  Missouri,  and  resided 
upon  one  farm  there  for  a  period  of  forty-eight  years,  passing  away  in  1917.  He  had 
tor  almost  two  decades  survived  his  wife,  who  died  in  1899. 

Noah  W.  Strunk  is  one  of  a  family  of  eight  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  yet  living.  He  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm,  early  becoming  familiar  with  the 
best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  caring  for  the  crops.  In  early  manhood  he  taught 
school  for  three  terms  and  he  acquired  a  good  business  education,  thus  becoming  well 
qualified  for  life's  practical  and  responsible  duties.  Ere  leaving  Missouri  he  was 
married  on  the  10th  of  September,  1907,  to  Miss  Rena  Thompson,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  California.  They  became  the  parents  of  two  children:  Cleo,  born  April 
22,  1909;  and  Leo,  August  31,  1914. 

It  was  in  the  year  of  his  marriage  that  Mr.  Strunk  came  from  Mountain  Grove, 
Missouri,  to  Idaho,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  For  six  years  he  was  engaged 
in  ranching  and  in  the  live  stock  business  near  Richfield,  Lincoln  county,  there  remain- 
ing from  1907  until  1913,  when  he  came  to  Boise  and  embarked  in  the  real  estate 
business.  •  He  is  familiar  with  property  values  here  and  has  negotiated  many  important 
realty  transfers,  having  now  a  large  clientage  that  makes  his  business  a  profitable 
one.  He  had  very  little  capital  when  he  came  to  Boise  and  his  success  since  that 
time  is  due  to  his  close  application,  his  thorough  study  of  real  estate  conditions  and 
his  undaunted  enterprise.  He  is  now  a  well-to-do  man,  owning  a  fine  home  which  includes 
two  acres  of  land  at  Wyley  Station,  on  which  is  a  six-room  modern  bungalow  with  all 
improvements.  In  addition  he  has  several  other  good  ranch  properties,  from  which 
he  derives  a  gratifying  annual  income. 

Mr.  Strunk  is  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing,  to  which  he  turns  for  recreation.  In 
politics  he  is  a  republican  but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  He  belongs  to  the 
Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  interested  in  all  that  has  to  do  with  the  welfare 
and  upbuilding  of  his  city.  Those  who  know  him,  and  he  has  gained  a  wide  acquaint- 
ance, regard  him  as  a  progressive  business  man  and  one  who  in  social  relations  has 
ever  commanded  the  confidence  and  goodwill  of  all  with  whom  he  .has  come  in  contact. 


COLONEL  R.  D.  ARNOLD. 

Colonel  R.  D.  Arnold,  an  auctioneer  and  farmer  of  Nampa,  was  born  in  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  September  20,  1880,  his  parents  being  Lindsey  and  Betty  Ann  (Baker) 
Arnold,  who  are  residents  of  Sparta,  Tennessee.  The  father,  who  there  successfully 
followed  farming  and  merchandising,  conducting  a  department  store  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  is  now  living  retired  in  the  enjoyment  of  well  earned  rest.  F.  W.  Arnold, 
brother  of  Colonel  Arnold  of  this  review,  is  in  the  stock  business  in  Valley  county, 
Idaho,  where  he  has  about  two  hundred  head  of  breeding  cattle. 

Colonel  Arnold  attended  the  common  schools  and  Doyle  College  to  the  age  of  six- 
teen years,  when  he  went  to  Nebraska  and  through  the  succeeding  eight  years  engaged 
in  farming.  He  then  removed  to  the  San  Luis  valley  of  Colorado  and  for  two  years 
thereafter  devoted  his  attention  to  farming  and  to  auctioneering.  Once  more  attracted 
by  the  opportunities  of  the  "farther  west,"  he  went  to  Long  Valley,  Idaho,  where  he  not 
only  gave  his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  but  also  to  stock  raising  for  three 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  Nampa  won  him  as  a  citizen  and  throughout 
the  entire  period  of  his  residence  here  he  has  concentrated  his  attention  and  activities 
upon  stock  buying  and  auctioneering.  He  occupies  a  fine  home  standing  in  the  midst 
of  twelve  and  a  half  acres  of  land  near  the  Carnation  condensery  and  conducts  his 
place  as  a  small  dairy  farm.  He  has  recently  built  several  five-room  bungalows  near 
his  residence  and  for  this  property  has  found  a  ready  sale.  He  instituted  his  first 
auction  sale  in  Nampa  on  the  last  Saturday  in  October,  1914,  and  his  business  in  this 
connection  now  .averages  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  year,  all  of  which  is  put 
into  circulation  in  Nampa,  and  the  attendance  at  the  sales,  which  are  conducted  every 
two  weeks  at  the  public  stock  yards,  is  always  between  one  thousand  and  thirty-five 
hundred  people.  This  is  a  source  of  great  benefit  to  the  merchants  of  Nampa,  bringing 
a  large  amount  of  trade  to  the  city,  and  as  a  one  man  factor  he  does  a  great  deal 
toward  attracting  people  and  money  to  this  district.  The  sales,  which  he  has  conducted 
for  the  past  five  years  in  Nampa,  have  been  of  vast  worth  to  the  community  and  to 
him  is  due  the  credit  for  the  establishment  of  the  stock  yards  here.  Each  s^le  will 


COLONEL  R.  D.  ARNOLD 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  105 

average  seventy-five  head  of  cattle  and  the  same  number  of  bogs.    His  associate  in  the 
business  is  George  Harvey  Moore,  of  Nampa. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1907,  Mr.  Arnold  was  married  to  Miss  Edna  Blanche 
Reece,  a  daughter  of  Kimmer  Reece.  of  Ashland,  Nebraska.  They  have  three  children: 
Lindsey  Kimmer,  eleven  years  of  age;  Clarke  Reece,  aged  ten;  and  Hayes  Baker,  aged 
five.  Such  in  brief  is  the  history  of  Colonel  Arnold,  who  is  a  most  progressive  business 
man,  alert  and  energetic.  While  prompted  by  a  laudable  ambition  to  attain  success 
for  himself  and  family,  he  is  at  the  same  time  ever  keenly  interested  in  the  welfare 
of  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his  home  and  his  cooperation  can  at  all  times  be 
counted  upon  to  further  measures  for  the  general  good. 


JOHN  W.  HAYS,  JR. 

John  W.  Hays,  Jr.,  county  assessor  of  Clark  county,  Idaho,  and  a  resident  of 
Dubois,  was  born  in  Waterloo,  Iowa,  in  July,  1879,  his  parents  being  John  W.  and 
Emma  S.  (Reber)  Hays,  the  former  a  native  of  Iowa  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  The 
father  was  a  locomotive  engineer  and  farmer  and  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Blackhawk  county,  Iowa,  until  1887,  when  he  removed  to  Council  Bluffs.  There  he 
turned  his  attention  to  railroading  and  was  transferred  by  the  Union  Pacific  to  the 
Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad,  representing  which  he  came  to  Idaho  in  1889.  Here  he 
followed  railroad  work  throughout  his  remaining  days  and  for  twelve  years  was  a 
resident  of  Dubois.  He  also  lived  for  a  time  at  Boise  and  at  Glenns  Ferry,  Idaho,  and 
passed  away  on  the  18th  of  January,  1918,  having  tor  about  twelve  years  survived  his 
wife,  who  died  in  1906. 

John  W.  Hays,  Jr.,  spent  the  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  at  Waterloo,  Iowa,  up 
to  the  time  when  the  family  home  was  established  in  Idaho.  He  there  pursued  his 
early  education,  which  he  continued  in  the  schools  of  Dubois,  while  later  he  became  a 
student  in  the  Utah  Agricultural  College  at  Logan.  Starting  out  in  the  business 
world  he  became  a  salesman  in  a  general  store  at  Dubois  and  was  thus  engaged  for 
fifteen  years  and  four  months — a  fact  indicative  of  his  capability  and  the  unfaltering 
trust  reposed  in  him.  He  afterward  devoted  three  years  to  the  United  States  forest 
service  at  Mackay,  Idaho,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  took  up  land  near  Dubois 
and  also  purchased  land.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  raising  of  cattle  and 
horses  and  has  continued  in  the  business  since  that  time.  He  is  now  the  owner  of 
six  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  improved  land,  which  he  has  put  in  splendid  shape, 
having  cultivated  the  place  for  nine  years.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  pure 
bred  Percheron  horses  and  Hereford  cattle  and  his  successfully  managed  live  stock 
interests  have  placed  him  among  the  leading  stockmen  of  the  state.  He  is  now  divid- 
ing his  time  between  his  business  affairs  and  official  duties,  for  on  the  25th  of  February, 
1919,  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Davis  to  the  position  of  assessor  of  Clark  county. 
Nine  months  prior  to  his  appointment  he  had  worked  for  the  government  as  inspector 
of  the  six  hundred  and  forty  acre  grazing  land  homesteads  in  eastern  Oregon.  He  is  a 
stockholder  and  the  secretary  of  the  Dubois  Abstract  Company  and  thus  varied  Inter- 
ests are  claiming  his  time  and  energies. 

In  March,  1902,  Mr.  Hays  was  married  to  Miss  Olive  Kendrick.  He  votes  with  the 
democratic  party,  fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  his  religious  belief  is  that  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  is  a  loyal  and  earnest  supporter.  There 
have  been  few  leisure  hours  in  his  life.  He  is  at  all  times  busy  with  one  duty  or 
another  having  to  do  with  the  conduct  of  his  business  affairs,  with  his  official  service 
or  with  his  obligations  in  citizenship.  His  course  has  ever  conformed  to  high  standards 
and  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  valued  residents  of  the  newly  created  county  of  Clark. 


AARON  V.  TALLMAN. 

Aaron  V.  Tallman.  water  master  of  the  Boise  river  and  special  deputy  to  the 
commissioner  of  reclamation  of  Idaho  for  the  Arrowrock  reservoir,  has  filled  these 
positions  for  the  past  six  years,  giving  most  efficient  and  valuable  service.  He  resides 
on  a  good  ten-acre  ranch  adjoining  the  town  of  Meridian  on  the  north,  and  throughout 


.106  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  period  of  his  residence  in  Idaho  he  has  been  closely  studying  irrigation  projects 
and  problems  in  connection  with  the  development  of  the  state  and  the  utilization  of 
its  natural  resources.  Mr.  Tallman  was  born  in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  June  12,  1887, 
and  is  a  son  of  James  G.  and  Jennie  B.  (De  Water)  Tallman.  A  brother  of  A.  V. 
Tallman  is  Dr.  Maurice  H.  Tallman,  also  a  resident  of  the  capital  city. 

Aaron  V.  Tallman  accompanied  his  parents  to  Boise  in  1904  and  in  the  acquire- 
ment of  his  education  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  of  that  city  with  the  class 
of  -1906.  Later  he  took  up  the  study  of  civil  engineering  in  the  State  University  of 
Iowa  at  Iowa  City,  where  he  studied  for  two  years,  and  afterward  continued  his  course 
in  civil  engineering  in  the  University  of  Idaho.  While  a  high  school  pupil  he  played  on 
the  football  team  and  again  on  the  State  University  team.  He  left  the  University  of 
Idaho  in  the  spring  of  1909  and  spent  two  years  on  canal  construction  work  in  his 
state,  being  for  three  and  a  half  years  with  the  United  States  department  of  agriculture 
on  irrigation  investigations  in  southern  Idaho.  ,  He  has  held  his  present  position 
since  1914,  or  for  about  six  years,  and  as  water  master  of  the  Boise  river  he  has  done 
most  important  work.  The  season  of  1919  was  a  particularly  hard  one.  For  years 
there  has  not  been  such  a  drought  as  through  the  past  summer.  It  was  a  time  when 
crop  failures  were  largely  threatened  unless  water  should  be  secured  and  this  had  to 
be  done  by  getting  some  people  to  release  their  priority  of  claim  in  favor  of  others 
who  were  more  in  need  of  water.  The  Idaho  Sunday  Statesman  in  this  connection  said : 
"To  A.  V.  Tallman,  water  master  of  the  Boise  river,  has  been  delegated  the  seemingly 
impossible  task  of  satisfying  everybody  that  he  was  getting  his  just  proportion  of  water. 
Tallman,  as  a  result  of  his  unusual  judgment  in  handling  such  matters  the  past  season, 
has  gained  a  reputation  for  fairness  that  makes  him  the  idol  of  practically  every  farmer 
in  the  valley  today.  Most  persons  who  have  heard  of  Tallman's  rise  would  imagine 
that  it  is  due  to  his  having  done  well  his  regular  official  duties.  But  not  only  has 
Tallman  done  exceptionally  well  with  his  official  duties,  he  also  has  taken  on  his 
shoulders  by  common  consent  duties  which  are  not  prescribed  in  his  official  regula- 
tions. He's  the  peacemaker  for  twenty-five  hundred  farmers!  His  fairness  in  dividing 
the  waters  between  the  various  irrigation  units  at  the  forty-five  headgates  quickly 
made  him  popular  with  the  farmers,  and  they  extended  his  jurisdiction  past  the  head- 
gates  and  right  down  to  their  individual  farms.  Tallman  is  called  out  of  bed  some- 
times at  midnight  to  go  down  into  some  field  and  decide  whether  one  farmer  should 
have  more  water  than  the  other.  He  is  an  expert  on  water  duty.  He  has  rare  judicial 
temperament.  When  he  makes  a  decision  in  a  case  it  sticks.  Sometimes  one  of-  the 
parties  will  have  a  sore  spot  in  his  heart  a  day  or  two  for  Tallman,  but  invariably 
he  comes  later  to  see  the  justice  of  the  decision.  Money  is  not  everything  but  it  is 
the  gauge  of  your  employer's  appreciation.  There  is,  therefore,  significance  in  the 
fact  that  the  water  users  recently  increased  Tallman's  salary  from  twenty-seven  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  per  year  to  five  thousand  dollars!  Through  Tallman's  settling  of 
distribution  difficulties,  sometimes  between  individuals  and  sometimes  between  the 
whole  units  of  the  irrigation  section,  not  a  canal  in  Boise  valley  suffered  crop  losses 
during  the  present  critical  season." 

The  above  shows  how  satisfactory  has  been  the  work  of  Mr.  Tallman  throughout 
the  period  of  his  service  as  water  master  of  the  Boise  river.  Another  paper  has  said: 
"Mr.  Tallman  has  made  a  remarkable  record  on  the  Boise  project.  It  seems  almost 
incredible  that  any  man,  no  matter  how  earnest  and  efficient  he  might  be,  could  satisfy 
everyone.  Particularly  is  Mr.  Tallman's  success  this  year  almost  in  the  nature  of  a 
miracle.  This  has  been  a  year  of  greatest  water  shortage  that  Idaho  has  ever  known. 
Any  inefficiency  on  the  part  of  the  water  master  might  easily  have  brought  about 
disastrous  conditions  in  any  one  of  several  districts.  As  it  is,  the  perils  have  all  been 
met,  the  irrigation  season  is  practically  at  its  close  and  bountiful  crops  will  be 
harvested  everywhere  in  the  valley  by  farmers  who  feel  that  they  have  been  fairly 
and  justly  dealt  with  in  the  matter  of  irrigation  matters.  The  record  made  by  Mr. 
Tallman  this  year,  as  well  as  in  the  past  years,  is  unique.  Members  of  the  Boise- 
Payette  Water  Users'  Association  have  done  well  to  express  their  appreciation  and  con- 
fidence for  services  so  exceptional." 

On  the  4th  of  September,  1910,  Mr.  Tallman  was  married  at  Weiser,  Idaho,  to  Miss 
Grace  Elizabeth  Brenner,  who  was  born  near  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  this 
state  with  her  parents  when  seventeen  years  of  age.  She  has  become  the  mother  of  a 
son  and  a  daughter:  Richard  Grant,  born  September  23,  1912;  and  Betty  Louise,  barn 
August  25,  1914. 

Mr.  Tallman  is  a  member  of  the  American  Association  of  Engineers.  He  belongs 
also  to  the  Beta  Theta  Pi,  a  college  fraternity,  and  is  connected  with  its  Gamma  Gamma 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  107 

Chapter  at  Moscow.  He  is  likewise  identified  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of 
Elks  and  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  a  member  of  El  Korah  Temple  of  Boise. 
Men  who  know  him — and  he  has  a  very  wide  acquaintance — esteem  him  most  highly 
for  his  sterling  personal  worth,  his  Justice  in  the  administration  of  his  duties  and  his 
marked  devotion  to  the  best  interests  and  welfare  of  Idaho. 


JENKINS. 

Lee  Jenkins  is  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Aberdeen  Times,  being  in  partner- 
ship with  his  wife,  Charlotte  E.  Jenkins,  in  the  publication  of  that  journal.  In  early 
life  he  followed  various  occupations  in  different  parts  of  this  country,  and  finally,  as 
has  been  the  case  with  so  many  others  who  have  learned  the  art  of  printing,  he  has 
become  a  publisher  and  newspaper  editor. 

Mr.  Jenkins  was  born  in  San  Francisco,  California,  February  8,  1886,  and  is  a 
son  of  Frank  and  May  (Martini)  Jenkins,  the  former  a  native  of  Nebraska  and  the 
latter  of  San  Francisco.  The  father,  who  is  a  saddler  by  trade,  went  to  California 
in  the  '80s  and  there  was  married  and  worked  at  his  trade  until  1890.  In  that  year 
he  removed  to  Austin,  Texas,  and  after  a  short  stay  in  that  city  went  on  to  Dallas, 
Texas,  where  he  still  resides.  His  wife  died  in  1900. 

Lee  Jenkins  was  reared  and  educated  at  Austin,  Texas,  and  later  learned  harness- 
making  in  his  father's  workshop,  continuing  at  that  business  for  fifteen  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  period  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  trade  of  printer,  in  Montana,  and 
while  learning  it  he  was  also  homesteading  in  that  state  and  at  the  same  time  was 
operating  a  newspaper  at  Enid,  Montana,  his  various  activities  keeping  him  fully  occu- 
pied. Some  time  later  he  went  to  western  North  Dakota  and  continued  in  the  news- 
paper business,  afterward  selling  his  plant  and  paper  to  the  Non-Partisan  League.  He 
then  went  to  Chicago  and  in  1918  he  enlisted  and  was  in  the  salvage  service  for  ten 
months  in  France.  On  receiving  his  discharge  from  the  service  August  9,  1919,  Mr. 
Jenkins  went  to  Hardin,  Montana,  and  later  to  Weiser,  Idaho,  where  he  resumed  work 
at  the  printing  trade.  On  October  10,  1919,  he  removed  to  Aberdeen,  Bingham  county, 
and  bought  the  Aberdeen  Times,  which  he  has  since  been  publishing  in  conjunction 
with  his  wife.  They  operate  the  linotype  machine  used  in  the  production  of  the  paper 
and  also  do  job  printing.  The  paper,  which  was  established  in  February,  1911,  is  popu- 
lar with  the  people  of  Aberdeen. 

On  May  8,  1914,  Mr.  Jenkins  was  united  in  marriage  to  Charlotte  E.  Henderson, 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Harriett  (Paul)  Henderson,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland 
and  the  latter  of  Ontario,  Canada.  Mr.  Henderson  emigrated  to  Canada  at  the  age 
of  thirteen  years  and  in  that  country  he  became  a  rancher.  About  1887  he  removed 
across  the  border  and  settled  in  Wisconsin,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  a  few 
years.  He  then  went  to  Montana  and  took  a  homestead  near  Glendive,  being  engaged 
in  the  cattle  business  for  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  died  June  6,  1919,  but  his 
widow  is  still  living. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jenkins  became  the  parents  of  one  child,  Gertrude  May,  who  was 
born  June  21,  1916,  and  died  October  31,  1916.  Mrs.  Jenkins  is  a  member  of  the  Episco- 
pal church  and  active  in  all  its  good  works.  Mr.  Jenkins  Is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen,  in  North  Dakota,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Yeoman  lodge.  He  gives  his  political  support  to  the  republican  party  but  has  never 
been  a  seeker  after  political  office.  This,  however,  does  not  deter  him  from  giving 
of  his  time  and  ability  to  all  matters  calculated  to  advance  the  welfare  of  his 
adopted  town. 


ROBERT  LAFAYETTE  CLEVELAND. 

Robert  Lafayette  Cleveland,  a  retired  merchant  now  residing  on  Orchard  avenue 
on  the  Boise  bench,  came  to  Idaho  in  1900  from  Rogers,  Arkansas.  He  and  his  family, 
consisting  of  five  sons  and  a  daughter,  located  in  the  town  of  May.  in  Lemhi  county,  where 
Mr.  Cleveland  followed  mercantile  pursuits  for  twenty  years,  establishing  the  first  store 
in  the  town  and  building  the  first  house  there.  Thus  he  contributed  to  the  pioneer 


108  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

development  of  the  place  and  through  the  capable  conduct  of  his  business  affairs  he 
won  a  measure  of  success  that  now  enables  him  to  live  retired. 

Mr.  Cleveland  was  born  December  15,  1849,  a  son  of  Jesse  F.  and  Caroline  (Spriggs) 
Cleveland,  who  were  natives  of  Tennessee,  and  the  birth  of  their  son  occurred  in  Bradley 
county,  that  state.  The  town  of  Cleveland,  Tennessee,  was  named  for  a  great-great- 
uncle  of  Mr.  Cleveland  of  this  review,  who  bore  the  name  of  Colonel  Ben  Cleveland 
and  was  a  Revolutionary  war  officer,  killed  in  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain. 

Spending  his  youthful  days  under  the  parental  roof,  Robert  L.  Cleveland  acquired 
a  public  school  education  and  throughout  practically  his  entire  life  has  given  his  atten- 
tion to  mercantile  pursuits.  On  the  7th  of  October,  1873,  he  was  married  in  Bradley 
county,  Tennessee,  to  Miss  Saloma  Jane  Davis,  whose  birth  occurred  at  Cleveland, 
the  county  seat  of  Bradley  county,  on  the  8th  of  February,  1852,  her  parents  being 
Henry  B.  and  Nancy  (Pickens)  Davis,  the  former  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  the  latter 
of  South  Carolina.  The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  in  their  native  state 
and  continued  residents  of  Tennessee  until  1890,  when  they  removed  to  Seattle,  Wash- 
ington. Seven  years  later  Mr.  Cleveland  took  his  family  to  Arkansas  and  when  three 
years  had  been  spent  in  that  state  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  May.  As  stated,  he  built 
the  first  house  and  established  the  first  store  in  the  town  and  there  he  conducted 
business  for  twenty  years,  supplying  the  needs  of  the  surrounding  community  as  a 
general  merchant  and  enjoying  a  large  trade.  His  wife  served  as  postmistress  of  May 
for  three  years  and  for  seventeen  years  was  a  notary  public  there,  being  the  only 
one  in  the  town.  She  is  still  acting  as  a  notary  public.  Moreover,  she  is  well  known 
as  a  most  capable  nurse,  displaying  unusual  tact,  intuitive  knowledge  and  skill  in  this 
direction.  While  living  at  May  there  was  much  of  the  time  when  the  community  had 
no  physician  and  Mrs.  Cleveland's  services  were  in  constant  demand  in  obstetric  cases 
and  to  her  credit  be  it  said  that  in  attendance  upon  twenty-six  cases  she  never  lost  a 
mother  or  child. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cleveland  were  born  six  children,  five  sons  and  a  daughter,  of 
whom  two  sons  have  passed  away.  One,  Robert,  died  in  1913,  while  the  other,  John 
Franklin,  was  accidentally  killed  by  falling  from  a  power  pole  on  the  2nd  of  February, 
1920,  in  Boise,  dying  two  days  later.  The  four  living  children  are  Mrs.  Mattie  Spencer, 
William  L.,  Grover  E.  and  Ernest  L.  The  youngest  son  is  a  veteran  of  the  World 
war,  having  served  for  more  than  nine  months  in  France  with  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Force,  being  a  sergeant  in  the  motor  transport  department.  He  is  an  automo- 
bile mechanic  and  has  had  several  years'  experience  with  the  various  kinds  of  motor 
cars,  thus  having  obtained  valuable  practical  knowledge  before  he  went  to  France.  His 
skill  in  this  direction  was  therefore  recognized  on  assigning  him  to  the  branch  of  the 
service  for  which  he  was  best  fitted.  He  has  recently  returned  from  France  and  is 
again  with  his  parents. 

It  was  in  July,  1919,  that  Mr.  Cleveland  sold  his  store  at  May  and  in  October  of 
the  same  year  purchased  a  fine  acreage  tract  and  home  on  the  Boise  bench,  this  being 
one  of  the  most  desirable  small  ranch  properties  of  the  locality.  He  has  a  substantial 
frame  residence  with  large  and  commodious  outbuildings  and  five  acres  of  ground.  He 
has  a  great  amount  of  fruit  upon  his  place,  which  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of 
Orchard  avenue  and  is  known  as  the  George  Hillegas  place.  Here  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cleve- 
land are  most  comfortably  situated  and  already  they  have  made  many  friends  in 
the  community. 


JESS  O.  EASTMAN. 

Jess  0.  Eastman,  who  is  engaged  in  the  real  estate,  loan  and  insurance  business  at 
Buhl,  Idaho,  was  born  at  Harvard,  Illinois,  February  4,  1888,  and  is  a  son  of  Otis  and 
Harriet  Eastman.  He  was  a  resident  of  Illinois  through  the  period  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  pursuing  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that  state,  and  on  reaching 
his  majority  he  sought  the  opportunities  of  the  west,  making  his  way  to  Twin  Falls, 
Idaho,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Idaho  Department  Store.  There  he  con- 
tinued till  1911,  when  he  came  to  Buhl  and  for  a  time  with  Charles  J.  Kalina  was  in  the 
clothing  and  men's  furnishing  goods  business  on  Broadway  where  the  office  of  the 
power  company  now  stands.  In  1913  he  purchased  his  partner's  interest  in  the  business 
and  continued  to  conduct  the  store  alone  till  1915,  when  he  sold  to  Sarlat  Brothers  and 
assumed  the  management  of  the  men's  department  of  a  general  store  known  as  the 


JESS  O.  EASTMAN" 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  111 

Golden  Rule.  •  He  continued  in  that  position  for  three  and  one-half  years  and  in  1919 
he  opened  a  real  estate  office  in  the  Citizens  State  Bank  building.  He  handles  both 
real  estate  and  loans  and  is  agent  for  the  Prudential  Life  Insurance  Company. 

In  1911  Mr.  Eastman  was  married  to  Miss  Harriette  Crumb,  a  native  of  Harvard, 
Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Herbert  D.  and  Mary  Crumb,  her  father  being  president 
of  the  Harvard  State  Bank.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eastman  have  been  born  two  children, 
Elizabeth  C.  and  Patricia  M. 

In  politics  Mr.  Eastman  is  a  republican  and  an  active  worker  in  the  party,  han- 
dling the  western  campaign  for  this  section  of  the  country,  and  he  has  been  since  1914 
a  member  of  the  republican  county  central  committee.  He  has  served  as  a  member 
of  the  city  council  of  Buhl  and  is  a  member  of  all  branches  of  the  Masonic  lodge, 
including  the  Mystic  Shrine;  also  of  the  Elks. 

In  1911  Mr.  Eastman  inaugurated  a  movement  for  a  free  municipal  swimming 
pool  in  the  City  Park  and  is  directly  responsible  for  the  success  of  this  very  popular 
resort.  He  has  always  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  progress  and  development  of 
Buhl  and  community.  In  January,  1919,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Buhl  Busi- 
ness Men's  Association,  which  through  his  efforts  and  suggestions  was  reorganized 
as  the  Buhl  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  now  one  of  the  strongest  commercial  organi- 
zations in  the  state.  Mr.  Eastman  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  president.  In  1919 
he  organized  the  Buhl  Improvement  Corporation,  Ltd.,  which  corporation  purchased  the 
unplatted  portion  of  the  Buhl  townsite,  and  was  elected  chairman  of  the  board  of 
directors.  The  purpose  of  the  corporation  is  to  plat  lands,  build  homes,  etc. 


JAMES  H.  STOFIEL. 

James  H.  Stoflel  is  a  traveling  salesman  of  Boise,  well  known  in  the  city  and  also 
popular  throughout  the  territory  which  he  reaches  in  his  trade  connections.  He  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  and  has  passed  the  age  of  fifty  years.  Through  marriage  he 
became  connected  with  one  of  the  old  pioneer  families  of  the  state.  He  wedded  Katharine 
Sisk,  who  was  born  in  Idaho  City,  October  14,  1876,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Stephen  M. 
Sisk,  who  followed  mining  pursuits  and  was  a  pioneer  of  the  Boise  basin.  He  came 
to  this  state  from  California  during  the  gold  excitement  of  the  '60s  and  for  many 
years  resided  in  Long  valley,  where  he  took  up  and  improved  a  homestead.  He  was 
born  March  30,  1833,  in  Kentucky,  and  passed  away  in  Boise,  December  29,  1916,  at  the 
venerable  age  of  eighty-three  years.  His  widow  is  still  residing  in  Boise,  her  home 
being  at  Seventeenth  and  Idaho  streets.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Lizzie  Moore 
and  was  born  in  Iowa,  May  23,  1856.  She,  too,  has  been  a  witness  of  much  growth 
and  progress  of  Idaho  and  is  today  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  women  of  the  state. 

Their  daughter,  Mrs.  Stofiel,  has  spent  her  entire  life  in  Idaho  and  is  well  known 
in  social  and  club  circles.  She  has  been  married  twice.  On  the  30th  of  October,  1892, 
she  became  the  wife  of  William  M.  Lynch,  who  passed  away  leaving  three  children. 
The  eldest,  Edith,  born  July  31,  1894,  was  married  December  3,  1912,  to  Ralph  McColm, 
of  Kuna,  Idaho,  and  they  have  two  sons:  Mark*  Edward,  born  June  30,  1914;  and 
Walter  Lyman,  born  January  28.  1917.  The  second  of  the  family,  Walter  W.  Lynch,  of 
Gooding,  Idaho,  is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  having  served  for  about  eighteen  months. 
.He  was  born  February  3,  1896,  and  is  therefore  now  about  twenty-four  years  of  age. 
While  with  the  army  he  won  promotion  from  the  ranks  to  second  lieutenant.  The 
youngest  of  the  family  is  Mrs.  Ethel  Morgan,  who  was  born  November  2.2,  1897.  She  was 
married  September  27,  1916,  to  Guy  L.  Morgan  and  they  now  have  a  daughter,  Helen. 
Some  years  after  the  death  of  her  first  husband  Mrs.  Lynch  was  married  September  _7. 
1905,  to  James  H.  Stofiel  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  daughters:  Gladys 
Katharine,  who  was  born  January  3,  1907;  and  Josephine  Helen,  born  August  27,  1909. 

Mrs.  Stofiel  is  keenly  interested  in  many  activities  having  to  do  with  the  civic 
welfare,  social  progress  and  educational  and  moral  uplift  of  the  community  in  which 
she  makes  her  home.  She  traces  her  ancestry  back  to  Revolutionary  war  soldiers  and 
te  now  state  registrar  in  Pioneer  Chapter.  D.  A.  R.,  of  Boise.  She  also  belongs  to  the 
Good  Citizenship  Club  of  Boise,  of  which  she  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  is  now 
the  president.  She  is  likewise  a  past  worthy  matron  of  the  Eastern  Star  and  is  an 
active  Red  Cross  worker.  In  fact  she  gives  her  aid  in  support  of  all  measures  which 
look  to  the  benefit  of  mankind  and  the  amelioration  of  hard  conditions  of  life  for  the 


112  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

unfortunate.  She  does  everything  in  her  power  to  promote  those  activities  which  are 
a  matter  of  civic  virtue  and  civic  pride,  and  in  Boise,  where  she  has  long  made  her 
home,  she  has  a  very  extensive  circle  of  warm  friends. 


STERLING  CURTIS  TURNER. 

Sterling  Curtis  Turner  is  assistant  cashier  of  the  Twin  Falls  Bank  and  Trust  Com- 
pany and  a  representative  young  business  man  of  Twin  Falls.  He  was  born  in  Columbia, 
Missouri,  July  31,  1888,  his  parents  being  Sterling  and  Mary  (Carlisle)  Turner.  The 
father  was  also  a  native  of  Columbia,  Missouri,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  He 
afterward  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  and  stock  raising  there,  becoming  one 
of  the  representative  men  of  that  district  where  he  resided  until  1900,  moving  then  to 
the  state  of  Colorado.  There  he  engaged  in  running  cattle  between  Grand  river  and 
White  river  and  passed  away  in  1904  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years. 

Two  years  later,  or  in  1906,  the  family  sold  their  interests  in  Colorado  and  Sterling 
C.  Turner  with  his  two  sisters  and  his  mother  came  to  Twin  Falls,  Idaho.  The  son 
was  then  a  youth  of  about  eighteen  years  and  in  the  schools  of  this  place  he  completed 
his  education  and  made  his  initial  step  in  the  business  world,  securing  a  situation  in 
the  Idaho  Department  Store,  where  he  remained  for  a  short  time.  He  afterward  obtained 
a  clerkship  in  the  Commercial  Savings  Bank,  in  which  he  spent  two  years,  and  then 
went  with  the  Farmers  &  Merchants  Bank,  in  which  he  was  employed  for  a  year. 
On  the  1st  of  October,  1911,  he  accepted  the  position  of  bookkeeper  with  the  TWin 
Falls  Bank  &  Trust  Company  and  in  the  fall  of  1916  was  advanced  to  the  position  of 
assistant  cashier,  in  which  capacity  he  has  since  continued.  He  has  won  his  promotions 
by  capability,  thoroughness  and  devotion  to  the  interests  which  he  represents  and  he 
is  now  possessed  of  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  banking  business  which  will 
undoubtedly  win  for  him  further  advancement  in  the  future.  He  is  interested  with 
his  brother-in-law,  Harry  Eaton,  in  stock  raising  in  Idaho  and  this  constitutes  an  import- 
ant source  of  revenue  to  him.  His  mother  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  with  her 
son  at  the  age  of  sixty-one  years. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Turner  is  a  republican  and  is  thoroughly  conversant  with 
the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  his  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  association  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


ALBERT  E.  TROYER. 

Albert  E.  Troyer,  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  Boise,  Idaho,  where  for 
about  fifteen  years  he  was  identified  with  the  lumber  trade,  being  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  the  Hawkeye  Lumber  Company,  is  a  native  of  the  great  state  of  Illinois,  born 
in  Annawan,  Henry  county,  March  20,  1858,  a  son  of  Lewis  and  Elizabeth  (Morton) 
Troyer,  the  former  being  of  German  and  Irish  extraction  and  the  latter  coming  of 
Scotch-Irish  and  Pennsylvania-Dutch  stock. 

Mr.  Troyer  and  his  wife  and  two  daughters,  Vida  M.  and  Alta  E.,  removed  to 
Idaho  in  1906,  from  Emmettsburg,  Iowa.  On  coming  to  this  state  the  family  located  at 
Boise,  where  they  lived  ever  since,  Mr.  Troyer  having  been  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
the  Hawkeye  Lumber  Company,  whose  mill  and  manufacturing  plant  are  at  Tamarack, 
Idaho,  and  the  ramifications  of  whose  business  extend  all  over  the  state.  This  business 
was  founded  by  J.  J.  Shaw,  William  Briggs  and  A.  J.  Armstrong,  the  latter  two  now 
being  dead. 

Mr.  Troyer  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Illinois,  from  which  his  parents  removed  to 
Iowa  in  1872.  Several  years  of  his  early  manhood  were  spent  in  Nebraska,  and  it  was 
in  that  state  he  first  became  identified  with  the  lumber  business,  with  which  he  was 
also  connected  in  Emmettsburg,  Iowa,  for  ten  years  prior  to  coming  to  Boise. 

On  April  27,  1890,  Mr.  Troyer  was  married  to  Mary  Jane  Gibson,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Catherine  (Bowers)  Gibson,  the  ceremony  taking  place  on  Mrs.  Troyer 's 
twentieth  birthday.  She  was  born  near  Edwardsburg,  Cass  county,  Michigan,  April  27, 
1870,  but  she  was  living  in  Hastings,  Nebraska,  at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  She  is 
a  'member  of  the  Congregational  church,  in  the  affairs  of  which  she  takes  an  ardent 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  113 

interest,  and  has  also  been  active  in  Red  Cross  work  as  well  as  in  all  social  and  cultural 
affairs  calculated  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  she  resides.  She 
is  a  supporter  of  the  democratic  party. 

Mr.  Troyer's  political  affiliation  is  with  the  republican  party,  and  while  living  in 
Iowa  and  Nebraska  he  was  identified  with  public  offices,  having  served  as  alderman  and 
on  the  school  board.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  of  which 
he  is  a  past  grand,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  which  order 
he  is  a  past  chancellor.  Mrs.  Troyer  has  been  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah 
for  twenty  years  and  is  a  past  district  deputy  of  the  order.  Since  coming  to  Boise, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Troyer  have  lost  their  daughter,  Alta,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen. 
The  other  daughter,  Vida,  is  a  well  known  teacher  in  the  Garfield  school,  which  Is 
located  in  South  Boise.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Boise  high  school  and  of  the  Lewis- 
ton  State  Normal. 


HARRY  RANDALL. 

On  the  roster  of  county  officials  in  Madison  county  appears  the  name  of  Harry 
Randall,  of  Rexburg,  who  is  filling  the  position  of  county  treasurer  and  proving  a  most 
faithful  custodian  of  the  public  funds.  He  was  born  in  Cambridgeshire.  England,  Jan- 
uary 11,  1859,  a  son  of  William  and  Sarah  Ann  (Shipley)  Randall,  who  were  also  natives 
of  that  country,  where  the  father  followed  farming  throughout  his  entire  life,  passing 
away  April  1,  1870.  The  mother  long  survived  and  died  in  1913. 

Harry  Randall  was  reared  and  educated  in  England  and  in  early  life  worked  for 
a  time  as  a  farm  hand.  He  also  served  in  the  volunteer  army  for  twelve  years  and  later 
took  up  railroading  as  an  employe  of  the  London  &  Northwestern  Railroad  Company,  with 
which  he  was  connected  at  Manchester,  England,  until  1891.  He  then  determined  to  try 
his  fortune  in  the  new  world  and,  crossing  the  Atlantic,  made  his  way  westward  to 
Logan,  Utah.  He  soon  began  work  as  a  farm  hand  in  that  locality  and  was  thus 
employed  until  1893,  when  he  came  to  Idaho  and  filed  on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  in  Fremont  county,  now  Madison  county,  his  place  being  situated  near  Lyman. 
With  characteristic  energy  he  at  once  began  to  develop  and  improve  his  claim  and 
continued  its  cultivation  for  a  number  of  years,  after  which  he  sold  the  property. 
Before  disposing  of  his  farm  he  was  elected  county  treasurer  of  Fremont  county  in 
1912  and  served  in  that  position  for  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  county  was 
divided  and  he  resigned  his  position.  He  was  then  appointed  treasurer  of  Madison 
Bounty  by  Governor  J.  M.  Haines  and  has  been  reelected  to  this  position  at  each  biennial 
election  since  that  time,  making  a  most  capable  officer,  as  is  indicated  in  his  reelection*. 
While  residing  in  Lyman  he  filled  the  position  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  twelve  years 
and  for  fifteen  years  he  acted  as  school  trustee.  He  has  always  been  most  loyal  to 
the  best  interests  of  the  community  and  over  the  record  of  his  official  career  there 
falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil. 

Nor  have  the  activities  of  Mr.  Randall  been  confined  alone  to  public  service.  He 
was  secretary  of  the  Reid  Canal  Company  for  twelve  or  thirteen  years  and  is  inter- 
ested in  several  business  enterprises,  being  a  stockholder  in  the  United  Mercantile 
Company  of  Rexburg,  in  the  Woodmen  Building  Association,  in  the  Walking  Tractor 
Company,  in  the  Idaho-Montana  Asbestos  Mining  Company  and  in  the  County  Fair 
Association.  His  realty  holdings  include  city  property  in  Rexburg,  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  in  Jefferson  county  and  town  property  at  Lyman,  Idaho. 

On  the  1st  of  March,  1879,  Mr.  Randall  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Setchell  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  six  children:  John  William,  a  resident  of  Rexburg;  Emily, 
the  wife  of  Oscar  Paul,  of  Idaho  Falls;  Maggie,  who  died  in  1904;  Harry,  who  was 
born  in  Logan,  Utah,  and  now  resides  in  Rupert,  Idaho;  Alice,  who  was  born  in  Rex- 
burg and  is  now  the  wife  of  Ralston  Green,  of  Menan.  Idaho;  and  Joseph  S.,  who  was 
born  in  Lyman  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Rexburg.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away 
at  Lyman,  May  7,  1914,  and  on  the  24th  of  May,  1915,  Mr.  Randall  was  married  to 
Mrs.  Flora  Hyde  Phillips,  who  was  born  in  Manchester,  England.  Mr.  Phillips  died  on 
the  14th  of  December,  1909,  six  weeks  after  coming  to  America,  and  to  that  union  two 
children  were  born:  George  Rexburg,  who  was  seventeen  years  of  age  when  he  enlisted 
in  the  United  States  army,  in  which  he  served  for  a  year  and  nine  months  in  France; 
and  William  L.,  aged  thirteen. 

Mr.  Randall  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 
Politically  he  is  a  republican  and  has  always  been  an  active  worker  in  the  ranks  of 

Vol.  Ill     * 


114  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  party  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  its  local  leaders.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  During  his  long  residence  in  this  section  of  Idaho  he 
has  enjoyed  the  esteem  and  goodwill  of  his  fellowmen  and  that  he  nas  the  confidence 
of  the  public  is  attested  by  his  long  retention  in  the  office  of  county  treasurer. 


OLE  E.  LARSON. 

Ole  E.  Larson,  one  of  Idaho's  successful  farmers,  living  in  Canyon  county,  was 
born  in  Dane  county,  Wisconsin,  April  28,  1882.  His  father,  Lars  Larson,  a  native  of 
Norway,  settled  in  Wisconsin  on  coming  to  America  in  the  late  '50s  and  there  followed 
agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death  in  1886.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Lena  Stubru,  is  also  a  native  of  Norway  and  is  now  residing  in  Janesville,  Wiscon- 
sin, with  her  children  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

Ole  E.  Larson  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  state  and 
came  to  Idaho  in  1901,  when  a  young  man  of  nineteen  years.  He  made  his  way  to 
Boise  and  worked  for  the  United  States  government  in  connection  with  the  survey  of 
irrigation  projects  for  four  years.  He  then  homesteaded  seventy-five  acres  of  land  at 
Greenleaf,  Idaho,  which  he  cleared  and  placed  under  cultivation.  Upon  that  tract  was 
a  large  grove  of  trees  and  a  picnic  grounds  known  as  Larson's  Grove,  a  popular  resort 
with  the  surrounding  community.  This  place  he  sold  in  1918  and  purchased  the  old 
Dorman  ranch  about  four  miles  west  of  Caldwell,  comprising  two  hundred  and  seven- 
teen acres  on  the  Boise  river.  In  1919  he  had  twenty  acres  planted  to  hay  and  one  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  acres  planted  to  corn.  He  lives  upon  the  old  C.  C.  Bales  ranch  of  four 
hundred  acres  three  miles  north  of  Caldwell  and  there  has  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
acres  in  corn  and  an  equal  amount  in  hay.  In  the  winter  of  1918-19  he  fed  one  hundred 
head  of  cattle  for  Herbert  Lernp,  of  Boise.  He  is  a  most  industrious  and  energetic 
man,  capable  and  persistent  in  all  that  he  undertakes,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
successful  farmers  of  the  state.  His  farm  is  equipped  with  the  latest  improved  machin- 
ery and  everything  to  facilitate  his  work,  and  his  farm  horses  rank  among  the  best 
in  the  state. 

In  1916  Mr*  Larson  was  married  to  Miss  Lileth  I.  Brown,  of  Wisconsin,  a  lady  of 
liberal  accomplishments  and  education.  They  have  four  interesting  children — Lucile  I.. 
Louis?e,  Edna  May  and  Ola  E.,  the  first  two  now  in  school.  Theirs  is  a  fine  old  country 
home  upon  the  ranch  three  miles  from  Caldwell  and  here  Mr.  Larson  raises  everything 
in  the  way  of  luxuries  for  the  table.  He  is  of  a  most  genial  and  pleasant  disposition, 
cordial  and  agreeable  at  all  times,  never  allowing  minor  things  to  trouble  him,  and  his 
sterling  worth  as  well  as  his  business  ability  has  gained  for  him  a  high  place  in  the 
regard  of  his  fellow  townsmen,  his  friends  being  many. 


ORION  H.  HANSEN. 

Orion  H.  Hansen,  a  druggist  of  Teton,  was  born  in  Collinston,  Utah,  December  2, 
1889,  a  son  of  Hyrum  C.  and  Annie  C.  (Anderson)  Hansen,  who  were  natives  of 
Brigham,  Utah.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  for  several  years  was 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  dairy  business.  The  mother  came  to  Fremont  county 
with  her  parents  when  a  girl,  making  the  trip  on  horseback  and  driving  cattle.  The 
Anderson  home  was  established  in  Fremont  county,  to  which  Hyrum  C.  Hansen  removed 
at  an  early  day.  He  filed  on  land  adjoining  the  town  of  Teton  and  at  once  began  the 
task  of  cultivating  and  improving  the  place,  which  he  continued  to  further  develop 
throughout  his  remaining  days,  but  lived  for  only  a  short  time  after  reaching  Idaho. 
He  passed  away  in  February,  1896,  when  but  twenty-six  years  of  age.  The  mother 
survives  and  is  now  occupying  the  old  home  place. 

Orion  H.  Hansen  was  reared  in  Teton  and  after  mastering  the  branches  of  learning 
taught  in  the  public  schools  here  entered  the  Brigham  Young  College  at  Logan,  Utah. 
He  next  became  a  student  in  the  North  Pacific  College  of  Pharmacy  at  Portland,  Oregon, 
and  there  completed  his  course  by  graduation  with  the  class  of  May,  1918.  He  then 
worked  in  Portland  until  the  spring  of  1919,  when  he  came  to  Teton  and  established  a 
drug  store,  which  he  has  since  successfully  conducted.  He  has  a  well  appointed  store, 


OLE    E.   LARSON 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  117 

carrying  a  large  and  carefully  selected  line  of  drugs  and  druggists'  sundries,  and  his 
patronage  is  steadily  growing.  He  also  has  farming  interests  in  Fremont  county. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1916,  Mr.  Hansen  was  married  to  Miss  Mauri ne  Naylor,  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Siddoway)  Naylor,  who  were  natives  of  England 
and  of  Salt  Lake  City  respectively.  When  a  boy  the  father  came  to  America,  living  for 
a  time  in  Salt  Lake  City.  After  his  marriage  he  made  his  way  direct  to  Idaho  and  filed 
on  land  in  Fremont  county  at  a  later  period,  but  immediately  after  his  arrival  gave 
his  attention  to  the  operation  of  a  sawmill,  that  business  being  carried  on  by  him  for 
several  years.  He  was  an  active  factor  in  business  circles  for  a  long  period  and  now 
lives  retired  in  Teton.  The  mother,  however,  passed  away  in  January,  1894. 

Politically  Mr.  Hansen  maintains  an  independent  course,  voting  for  men  and 
measures  rather  than  party.  His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  is  actuated  by  a  most  progressive  spirit  in  the  conduct  of  his 
store  and  has  made  his  one  of  the  leading  mercantile  establishments  of  Teton. 


HON.  CLIFFORD  F.  COWLES. 

Hon.  Clifford  F.  Cowles,  a  farmer  who  is  extensively  engaged  in  wheat  growing  in 
Teton  county,  near  Felt,  was  born  upon  a  farm  near  Ashville,  New  York,  June  28,  1879, 
his  birthplace  having  long  been  in  possession  of  the  family.  It  was  taken  up  as  a 
homestead  claim  by  his  paternal  grandfather,  who  was  known  as  "Deacon"  Cowles  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  he  was  long  a  deacon  in  the  Baptist  church.  The  parents,  Archi- 
bald W.  and  Martha  J.  (Taylor)  Cowles,  still  reside  upon  the  old  homestead  near  Ash- 
ville, where  the  birth  of  their  son,  Clifford  F.,  occurred.  The  father  was  also  born  upon 
that  farm  and  has  remained  there  throughout  his  entire  life.  He  is  now  past  eighty 
years  of  age,  while  his  wife  has  almost  reached  the  eightieth  milestone  on  life's  Journey. 
In  1915  they  celebrated  their-  golden  wedding,  an  occasion  long  to  be  remembered  by 
all  who  were  present. 

Clifford  F.  Cowles  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  farm,  endeared  to  him  through 
the  memories  of  his  boyhood.  He  attended  the  schools  of  Mayville,  New  York,  being 
graduated  from  the  high  school  with  the  class  of  1898,  and  in  preparation  for  the 
practical  and  responsible  duties  of  life  he  entered  Allegheny  College  at  Meadvllle, 
Pennsylvania,  from  which  he  was  graduated  on  completing  a  course  in  civil  engineer- 
ing. Prior  to  this  time  he  had  taught  school  for  three  years  in  the  Empire  state. 

In  the  fall  of  1905  Mr.  Cowles  arrived  in  Idaho  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of 
his  chosen  profession  in  connection  with  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad.  Not  long 
afterward,  however,  he  resumed  the  profession  of  teaching,  which  he  followed  through 
one  winter  near  Sugar  City,  Idaho,  while  later  he  was  principal  of  the  schools  at 
Ashton  for  two  years.  In  the  fall  of  1909  he  took  up  a. homestead  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  what  is  now  Teton  county  but  was  then  a  part  of  Fremont  county.  He  is 
still  the  owner  of  the  property  and  in  1917  he  bought  another  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  adjoining  his  original  claim,  so  that  he  now  has  an  excellent  ranch  property  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  devoted  to  the  production  of  wheat  and  other  small 
grains,  which  he  cultivates  according  to  dry  farming  processes.  That  the  methods 
pursued  are  splendidly  adapted  to  climatic  conditions  here  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that 
in  1918  he  raised  nearly  seven  thousand  bushels  of  small  grains,  about  one-half  of  which 
was  wheat.  As  the  years  have  passed  he  has  prospered  and  is  now  conducting  business 
interests  which  are  returning  to  him  a  gratifying  profit  yearly.  His  farm  is  situated  seven 
miles  from  Tetonia  and  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Felt,  and  in  addition  to  his  agricultural 
interests  he  has  become  identified  with  other  business  affairs  of  importance  in  this  part 
of  the  state,  being  now  the  vice  president  and  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Farmers  State 
Bank  at  Tetonia,  Idaho,  and  a  partner  and  vice  president  of  the  Felt  Mercantile  Com- 
pany, a  concern  that  has  a  large  general  store  at  Felt. 

On  the  28th  of  January,  1906,  in  Sugar  City,  Idaho,  Mr.  Cowles  was  married  to  Miss 
Grace  Robson,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  New  York  and  was  an  acquaintance  of  his 
boyhood.  They  now  have  a  daughter,  Helen,  seven  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Cowles  is  a 
graduate  of  a  teachers'  training  school  and  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  before  her 
marriage  and  for  two  years  thereafter  continued  actively  in  the  profession. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cowles  are  active  and  prominent  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  They  were  reared  in  the  Methodist  faith,  but  as  there  is  no  church  of  that 
denomination  near  them  they  have  not  neglected  their  duties  in  this  connection  but 


118  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

have  become  earnest  supporters  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  Mr.  Cowles  is 
serving  as  an  elder.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is 
likewise  a  member  of  the  Intermountain  Society  of  Equity,  a  farmers'  organization, 
looking  to  the  protection  of  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  district.  In  politics  he  is 
a  stanch  republican,  giving  to  the  party  his  loyal  support  since  attaining  his  majority. 
He  is  now  serving  for  the  second  term  in  the  Idaho  state  legislature,  having  first  been 
elected  in  1916,  while  in  1918  he  was  again  called  to  the  office  by  a  larger  majority 
although  he  did  not  seek  reelection.  He  is  serving  on  the  committees  on  agriculture, 
horticulture,  militia,  Indian  affairs,  waterways  and  drainage.  He  is  a  close  student 
of  questions  that  have  to  do  with  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  state  and 
never  lightly  regards  the  responsibilities  that  devolve  upon  him  as  one  of  Idaho's  law- 
makers. On  the  contrary,  he  always  attempts  to  inform  himself  thoroughly  regarding 
the  vital  questions  which  come  up  for  settlement  and  his  support  of  a  measure  is  an 
indication  of  his  firm  belief  in  its  value  as  a  factor  in  good  government  or  in  the 
welfare  of  the  commonwealth.  His  genuine  worth  is  acknowledged  by  all  who  know 
him  and  through  the  period  of  his  residence  in  the  northwest  he  has  gained  many 
warm  friends,  the  number  being  almost  coextensive  with  the  circle  of  his  acquaintance. 


JAMES  T.  GAYLE. 

Every  community  has  its  leaders,  the  men  who  are  most  active  in  shaping  public 
opinion  and  directing  business  enterprise.  Of  this  class  James  T.  Gaxle  is  a  represen- 
tative, being  the  secretary  and  manager  of  the  Miller  &  Gayle  Company.  He  was  born 
in  Franklin  county,  Kentucky,  October  12,  1856,  and  is  a  representative  of  old  southern 
families.  His  father,  Dr.  Robert  C.  Gayle,  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  became  a 
physician,  practicing  his  profession  for  many  years  in  Franklin  county,  Kentucky.  He 
made  a  specialty  of  dropsy  cases  and  patients  came  to  .him  from  as  far  east  as  Phila- 
delphia and  as  far  west  as  Colorado.  He  continued  in  practice  in  Kentucky  through- 
out his  entire  life,  passing  away  in  March,  1900.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Susan  M.  Bradley,  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  her  death  occurred  in  December,  1900. 

James  T.  Gayle  spent  his  youthful  days  in  Franklin  county,  Kentucky,  and 
remained  at  home  throughout  the  period  of  his  minority.  He  then  went  to  Indiana, 
where  he  was  employed  at  farm  work  for  three  and  a  half  years.  The  opportunities  of 
the  new  and  growing  west,  however,  attracted  him  and  in  April,  1881,  he  came  to 
Idaho,  spending  the  first  summer  in  placer  mining  at  Leesburg  in  the  employ  of  a 
former  Kentuckian,  who  had  at  one  time  been  his  neighbor  in  the  Blue  Grass  state.  He 
later  entered  the  employ  of  Robert  McNichol  at  Leesburg  and  thus  became  connected 
with  general  merchandising  interests.  He  was  afterward  with  the  firm  of  George  L. 
Shoup  &  Company  at  Salmon,  Idaho,  and  his  capability  and  faithfulness  is  indicated  in 
the  fact  that  he  was  retained  by  that  firm  for  seven  years.  He  then  returned  to 
Kentucky  with  the  intention  of  remaining  and  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business  with  a 
brother  for  a  year  and  a  half,  but  the  lure  of  the  west  was  upon  him  and  he  disposed 
of  his  interests  in  Kentucky  to  return  to  Idaho.  He  then  located  at  Challis,  this  state, 
and  purchased  an  interest  in  a  general  merchandise  store  conducted  by  R.  N.  Hull  & 
Company  and  after  fourten  years  there  he  bought  the  interest  of  another  partner  and 
thus  became  the  holder  of  two-thirds  of  the  stock.  In  September,  1911,  he  disposed  of 
his  business  there  and  came  to  Dubois  in  June,  1912,  at  which  time  he  purchased  a  half 
interest  in  the  general  merchandise  business  of  which  he  is  now  one  of  the  proprietors. 
He  bought  out  F.  A.  Pyke  and  became  the  associate  of  David  Miller,  thus  organizing  the 
Miller  &  Gayle  Company,  of  which  he  is  the  secretary  and  manager.  They  carry  an 
extensive  stock  of  goods  and  are  doing  a  business  of  mammoth  proportions  for  a  town 
the  size  of  Dubois.  They  also  conduct  a  general  store  at  Lakeview,  Montana,  and  Mr. 
Gayle  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Challis.  He  owns  city 
property  in  Boise  and  Spokane,  Washington,  and  is  a  business  man  of  marked  ability 
and  enterprise  whose  ready  recognition  and  utilization  of  opportunities  have  placed 
him  in  a  commanding  position  among  the  merchants  and  enterprising  men  of  his 
section  of  the  state. 

In  October,  1884,  Mr.  Gayle  was  married  to  Miss  Nettie  Kaufman  and  to  them  were 
born  three  children.  Arthur  W.,  who  was  born  in  September,  1885.  is  assistant  cashier 
in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Dubois.  Mildred,  born  in  February,  1892,  is  at  home. 
Walter  Frederick,  born  in  September,  1887,  passed  away  in  February,  1888.  The  wife 


HISTORY  OK  IDAHO  119 

and  mother  died  January.  31.  1919,  after  an  illness  of  two  weeks,  and  her  death  was 
deeply  deplored  by  all  who  knew  her. 

Mr.  Gayle  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of  republican  principles  and  has  served  as  a 
member  of  the  village  board  of  Dubois  since  the  incorporation  of  the  village  in  1915. 
He  was  likewise  a  member  of  the  village  board  of  trustees  and  also  the  school  board  at 
Challis,  Idaho,  and  he  is  at  all  times  keenly  interested  in  those  activities  which  con- 
tribute to  public  progress  and  improvement.  His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Christian 
church.  All  who  know  him  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  warm  regard.  His  standards  of 
life  are  high  and  he  puts  forth  every  effort  to  reach  the  ideals  which  he  holds. 


ARCHIBALD  McKINLAY. 

Archibald  McKinlay,  manager  of  the  Newdale  branch  of  the  Farmers  Implement 
Company  and  one  of  the  board  of  directors  of  that  company,  which  has  its  headquarters 
at  Rexburg,  was  born  in  Scotland.  March  5.  1875.  He  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Isabella 
(Watson)  McKinlay,  who  are  mentioned  more  at  length  in  connection  with  the  sketch 
of  George  W.  McKinlay  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Archibald  McKinlay  was  reared  and  educated  in  America,  having  been  brought  to 
this  country  by  his  parents  when  but  four  months  old.  The  family  home  was  estab- 
lished in  Provo,  Utah,  in  1875  and  there  he  attended  school.  He  removed  to  Idaho  with 
his  parents  in  1884  and  completed  his  education  in  Teton,  Fremont  county.  He  continued 
under  the  parental  roof  until  he  attained  his  majority,  after  which  he  purchased  land 
and  later  bought  other  farm  property  near  Teton.  He  then  began  to  till  the  soil  and 
continued  the  work  of  improving  his  farm  for  about  twelve  years.  For  a  few  years 
prior  to  that  time  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  and  after  engaging  in  fanning  on  his  own 
account  for  twelve  years  disposed  of  his  agricultural  interests  and  turned  his  attention 
to  mercantile  pursuits,  becoming  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers  Implement  Company  of 
Rexburg,  with  which  he  has  since  been  thus  connected.  He.  is  now  in  charge  of  its 
branch  house  at  Newdale  and  erected  a  business  block  at  this  point,  in  which  he  has 
conducted  the  business  for  the  past  three  years.  He  carries  a  large  and  complete  stock 
of  goods  and  is  conducting  an  extensive  business.  He  also  has  important  farming  inter- 
ests, for  he  and  his  brother  own  a  thousand  acres  of  land,  which  they  rent. 

Mr.  McKinlay  was  married  in  September,  1895,  to  Miss  Anena  Anderson  and  to 
them  were  born  five  children:  Anna,  Cecil,  Oswald,  Asahel  and  Lucille.  The  wife  and 
mother  passed  away  about  1913  and  Mr.  McKinlay  afterward  wedded  Debbie  Stevens, 
who  died  leaving  one  daughter,  Shirla.  In  April,  1916,  Mr.  McKinlay  wedded  S.  Louiette 
Stephens  and  they  have  one  child,  Dottie  M. 

Mr.  McKinlay  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Presidents  of  Seventies.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  repub- 
lican party  and  for  twelve  years  he  served  on  the  town  board  of  Teton  but  is  now 
concentrating  his  efforts  and  attention  almost  exclusively  upon  his  business  affairs  and" 
is  developing  a  large  trade  at  Newdale  for  the  Farmers  Implement  Company.  Pro-« 
gressiveness  has  characterized  him  at  every  point  in  his  career,  and  his  energy  and 
industry  have  been  the  basic  elements  of  a  growing  success. 


PROFESSOR  W.  B.  STRONG. 

Professor  W.  B.  Strong  is  a  well  known  figure  in  both  musical  and  insurance 
circles.  He  makes  his  home  at  Dubois,  Clark  county,  where  his  attention  is  largely 
directed  along  the  two  lines  indicated.  Pennsylvania  claims  him  as  a  native  son,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  Erie  county  on  the  16th  of  July,  1860.  His  father,  Mark 
Strong,  was  a  native  of  St.  Lawrence  county,  New  York,  and  became  an  architect  and 
builder  of  Syracuse,  that  state.  There  he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  save  for  a 
period  of  two  years  which  was  passed  in  Erie  county,  Pennsylvania.  He  wedded  Mary 
Bogardus,  who  was  born  in  Onondaga  county,  New  York.  He  passed  away  in  the  year 
1861  and  for  almost  four  decades  was  survived  by  his  wife,  whose  demise  occurred  in 
February,  1900. 

Professor  Strong  was  reared  and  educated  in  Onondaga  county,  New  York.     His 
father  died  during  the  infancy  of  the  son  and  the  latter  in  consequence  had  to  make 


120  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

his  own  way  in  the  world  from  an  early  age.  When  a  tiny  lad  he  sold  papers  and? 
blacked  boots  on  the  streets  of  New  York  city,  of  Boston  and  other  places  in  the  east. 
He  saved  his  money  until  he  had  acquired  a  sufficient  sum  to  meet  the  expenses  of  a 
course  of  study  in  Cazenovia  Seminary  of  New  York.  He  was  graduated  from  that 
institution  with  the  class  of  1879,  but  prior  to  that  he  had  taught  school,  taking  up 
the  profession  when  but  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  made  a  notable  struggle  to  get  an 
education  and  obtain  a  start  in  life.  He  afterward  attended  Syracuse  University  and 
ultimately  was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Tennessee  with  the  class  of  1882. 
He  then  engaged  in  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work  for  a  time  and  later  followed  teaching  in  a 
number  of  different  places  in  the  United  States.  He  has  taught  in  many  southern 
states  and  in  1901  he  went  to  Pullman,  Washington,  becoming  a  teacher  in  the  Wash- 
ington State  College  at  that  place.  There  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1915,  when  he 
removed  to  Dubois,  Idaho,  and  filed  on  land  in  Clark  county,  then  a  part  of  Fremont 
county.  He  afterward  relinquished  his  claim  but  filed  on  other  places  and  has  acquired 
land  in  this  way.  He  became  a  clerk  in  a  Dubois  bank  and  subsequently  took  up  the 
fire  insurance  business,  since  which  time  he  has  conducted  an  agency.  He  is  also  the 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Federal  Farm  Loan  Association. 

In  July,  1893,  Professor  Strong  was  married  to  Miss  Kuria  Long  and  to  them  have 
been  born  three  children:  Juanita;  Vivian,  who  is  a  vocal  artist  now  singing  in 
Seattle;  and  Virginia.  Mrs.  Strong  is  a  teacher  of  voice  culture  in  the  Washington 
State  College  at  Pullman.  Professor  Strong  is  also  a  musician  and  composer.  During 
the  World  war  he  wrote  the  words  and  music  of  a  war  song  on  Idaho  which  was 
circulated  widely  throughout  the  state.  He  had  charge  of  and  directed  the  college  band 
and  orchestra  at  the  Washington  State  College  of  Pullman  and  he  is  now  widely  known 
in  musical  circles.  His  political  endorsement  is  given  to  the  democratic  party  and  at 
the  present  writing  he  is  acting  as  clerk  of  the  town  of  Dubois,  also  as  justice  of  the 
peace,  and  is  now  filling  the  office  of  probate  judge  of  Clark  county.  His  fraternal 
relations  are  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  his  religious  faith  is 
manifest  in  his  membership  in  the  Episcopal  church.  High  ideals  have  characterized 
his  course  throughout  his  entire  life  and  his  high  standards  have  won  for  him  uniform 
confidence  and  respect. 


JOHN  R.  CARPENTER. 

John  R.  Carpenter  lives  at  Eagle,  Ada  county.  His  memory  forms  a  connecting 
link  between  the  primitive  past  and  the  progressive  present.  There  is  perhaps  no  resi- 
dent of  Idaho  who  has  been  more  closely  associated  with  pioneer  events  nor  who  has 
experienced  greater  hardships  and  privations  in  pioneer  days  than  he.  There  is  no 
phase  of  the  state's  development  and  upbuilding  with  which  he  is  not  familiar  and  he 
rejoices  to  see  the  point  of  progress  to  which  Idaho  has  attained.  Mr.  Carpenter  was 
born  in  the  state  of  New  York,  between  Schenectady  and  Albany,  on  the  26th  of  March, 
1846,  and  in  1859  he  crossed  the  plains  with  an  ox  team  in  company  with  his  father, 
John  Carpenter,  who  located  in  Scott's  valley,  Siskiyou  county,  California.  The 
mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  S.  Mallems,  was  a  native  of  England  and 
made  the  trip  around  Cape  Horn  in  a  sailing  vessel  to  San  Francisco,  California,  join- 
ing her  husband  at  Yreka,  that  state,  crossing  the  mountains  by  pack  train  from  San 
Francisco.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  father  when  he  started  for  the  west  to  go  to 
Pike's  Peak,  Colorado,  and  all  the  money  he  had  was  thirty-five  dollars.  While  en 
route,  however,  he  changed  his  plans  and  returned  to  the  Platte  river,  where  he  traded 
his  horses  for  oxen  and  then  went  to  California.  When  he  was  crossing  the  plains 
the  Indians  tried  to  induce  him  to  trade  his  son,  John  R.,  for  buffalo  robes.  The 
Indians  were  very  hostile  at  that  time  and  the  wagon  train  preceding  and  the  one 
following  the  train  with  which  the  Carpenters  traveled  suffered  the  loss  of  several  of 
their  party,  who  were  killed  by  the  red  men.  The  train  with  which  the  Carpenters 
traveled,  however,  journeyed  mostly  by  night  and  in  that  way  evaded  the  Indians. 
However,  much  of  their  stock  was  stolen. 

The  winter  of  1860  was  spent  by  father  and  son  in  mining  on  Indian  creek  in 
Scott's  valley.  They  then  went  down  the  south  side  of  Scott's  river  and  for  two 
seasons  engaged  in  ranching  on  the  old  Shores  ranch,  while  in  1862  they  removed 
to  Auburn,  Oregon,  where  they  spent  the  -winter  in  mining.  While  there  residing 
their  home  was  next  to  a  saloon  in  which  two  men  were  killed  by  a  Spaniard,  who  was, 


JOHN  R.  CARPENTER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  123 

afterward  lynched  and  dragged  by  the  neck  for  several  hundred  yards,  then  hanged  to 
a  tree.  In  the  spring  of  1863  the  Carpenter  family  came  to  Idaho,  traveling  by  ox 
team  to  Idaho  City  but  not  by  the  route  used  at  present.  John  R.  Carpenter  drove 
the  third  wagon  of  the  first  three  ox  teams  that  entered  Idaho  City,  each  wagon  being 
drawn  by  four  yoke  of  oxen.  John  R.  Carpenter  has  seen  as  many  as  four  dead  men 
in  the  streets  of  Idaho  City  at  one  time.  While  there  his  father  became  ill  of  moun- 
tain fever  and  the  son  took  the  ox  team  and  hauled  logs  and  shakes  to  be  used  in  erect- 
ing buildings  in  Idaho  City.  He  made  eight  hundred  dollars  in  this  way  in  a  month. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  lie  and  his  father  started  for  Umatilla  Landing,  Oregon, 
in  order  to  secure  their  supplies  for  the  winter,  carrying  with  them  the  eight  hundred 
dollars  which  the  son  had  earned.  But  when  they  were  encamped  for  the  night  at 
Placerville,  Idaho,  they  were  set  upon  while  .they  slept  and  robbed  of  five  hundred 
dollars.  During  the  mix-up  John  R.  Carpenter  tried  to  take  a  gun  away  from  one  of 
the  robbers  and  was  shot  through  the  hand  and  wrist,  so  that  two  of  his  fingers  are 
useless  today  from  the  wound.  One  of  their  party,  Anderson  by  name,  had  nine  hun- 
dred dollars  fastened  to  his  leg,  and  when  the  three  robbers  entered  their  sleeping 
tent  with  cocked  guns  and  ordered  the  sleepers  to  throw  up  their  hands,  Anderson 
began  to  pull  on  his  pants,  his  idea  being  to  cover  the  money  that  was  fastened  to  his 
leg.  When  again  ordered  to  throw  up  his  hands  or  be  shot,  he  protested,  saying: 
"You  wouldn't  shoot  a  man  who  is  freezing  to  death,  would  you?"  and  continued  to 
pull  on  his  trousers  before  raising  his  hands.  By  so  doing  he  saved  all  his  money, 
while  Mr.  Carpenter's  father  saved  several  hundred  by  slipping  one  of  his  purses 
inside  his  underwear.  The  robbers  were  later  lynched  and  John  R.  Carpenter  of  this 
review  is  one  of  the  few  men  who  knows  where  they  were  buried.  The  trees  to  which 
they  were  hanged  are  still  standing  today  but  are  now  dead. 

John  R.  Carpenter,  because  of  his  wound,  did  not  continue  the  journey  to  Oregon, 
but  returned  to  his  home  in  Idaho  and  almost  bled  to  death  before  he  could*  get  medical 
attention.  His  father  continued  to  Umatilla  and  returned  with  supplies  to  Idaho  City. 
He  later  engaged  in  the  livery  business  there  and  also  in  mining.  About  that  time  a 
fire  broke  out  in  the  town  and  the  household  goods  and  supplies  were  taken  as  fast 
as  possible  to  the  creek  and  unloaded,  and  the  wagons  returned  for  more.  While  the 
wagons  returned  for  the  second  load,  the  first  loads  were  being  stolen.  One  fellow 
attempted  to  get  away  with  two  hundred  pounds  of  flour.  Coming  to  a  hill,  he  found 
it  necessary  to  leave  one  hundred  pounds  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  while  he  carried  the 
other  hundred  to  the  top.  When  he  again  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill,  the  flour  which 
he  had  left  there  had  disappeared,  so  he  hurried  to  the  top  of  the  hill  for  the  flour 
which  he  had  there  deposited  and  discovered  that  it  had  also  been  stolen. 

Mr.  Carpenter  had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  the  Indians  while  in  Siskiyou 
county,  California,  an  arrow  passing  between  his  legs  and  lodging  in  a  tree.  Such 
hairbreadth  escapes  rendered  life  on  the  frontier  anything  but  monotonous,  and  not 
only  were  the  settlers  in  constant  danger  but  they  also  experienced  many  hardships 
and  privations  such  as  always  feature  in  pioneer  life.  Flour  was  very  scarce  in  Idaho 
in  1864.  Two  pack  trains  laden  with  flour  were  en  route  to  Idaho  City,  but  before  they 
could  reach  their  destination  the  flour  was  all  sold  at  thirty-five  dollars  per  sack. 
Mr.  Carpenter  had  seen  the  streets  of  Idaho  City  so  congested  with  teams  that  it  was 
almost  impossible  to  make  one's  way  among  them.  In  the  fall  of  1865  he  and  his 
father's  family  went  to  the  old  Saxon  ranch,  which  his  father  purchased,  and  there 
they  carried  on  farming  until  1876,  when  the  father  sold  the  property  and  returned 
east  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  passed  away  in  1895.  John  R.  Carpenter,  however, 
worked  for  his  father  on  the  ranch  for  only  two  years  and  then  drove  stage  for  Mr. 
Mathews  between  Idaho  City  and  Boise  for  one  winter,  during  which  time  he  hauled 
the  first  prisoners  from  Idaho  City  to  the  penitentiary  in  Boise.  He  next  engaged 
in  freighting  from  Boise  to  Idaho  City  and  subsequently  from  Boise  to  Kelton,  Utah. 
For  two  years  he  drove  stage  over  the  overland  route  for  the  Northwestern  Stage 
Company,  after  which  he  engaged  in  packing  and  freighting.  In  1882  he  went  to  Wood 
River,  Idaho,  stocked  the  new  stage  route  and  built  the  stations  for  "Uncle"  John 
Hailey.  This  road  was  between  Goose  Creek,  Wood  River  and  Mountain  Home.  Mr. 
Carpenter  continued  to  work  for  Mr.  Hailey  for  three  years  and  is  today  one  of  his 
best  friends.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  division  agent  for  the  road  and  was  also  assistant 
superintendent  of  all  Mr.  Hailey's  stage  routes.  After  the  building  of  the  railroads 
the  stages  were  taken  off  all  the  routes  except  that  from  Idaho  City  and  from  Boise 
to  Silver  City,  and  later  ran  only  from  Nampa  to  Silver  City.  Mr.  Carpenter  was 
associated  with  all  these  routes.  He  also  drove  stage  from  Kuna  to  Boise  and 
it  was  his  privilege  to  drive  the  largest  stage  load  of  people,  numbering 


124  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

twenty-two  in  all,  that  ever  went  into  Silver  City.  This  stage  was  drawn  by 
six  horses  and  Mr.  Carpenter  had  practically  but  one  hand  to  use  in  driving, 
as  he  never  recovered  from  the  wound  sustained  in  his  right  hand.  The  horses  had 
been  broken  by  Mr.  Carpenter  and  John  Hailey,  the  latter  saying:  "If  we  cannot  handle 
them,  we  will  make  them  know  they  have  gotten  into  the  wrong  family."  Mr.  Car- 
penter was  known  as  one  of  the  best  stage  drivers  in  the  United  States.  In  1878  he 
met  Rube  Robbins,  chief  of  scouts  for  the  government,  in  Boise,  and  was  the  first 
man  hired  by  him  for  scout  duty.  He  was  afterward  made  messenger  during  the  Ban- 
nock war  and  had  several  narrow  and  thrilling  encounters  with  the  Indians.  He 
served  in  that  capacity  for  about  four  months,  when  the  trouble  with  the  Indians  was 
over,  and  during  that  time  he  always  received  the  best  of  treatment  for  both  himself 
and  'his  horse  from  the  United  States  army  officers.  On  one  occasion  he  started  at 
midnight  to  carry  a  message  to  Colonel  Wagner  at  French  John's  ferry  on  the  Snake 
river.  At  daybreak,  reaching  the  slope  south  of  Caldwell,  he  saw  a  streak  of  dust 
in  the  river  bottom  and  later  learned  that  it  was  made  by  a  man  on  horseback  who  had 
just  escaped  from  the  Indians.  He  reached  the  ferry  simultaneously  with  this  man. 
The  ferryman,  however,  refused  to  ferry  them  across  the  river,  saying  that  they  would 
surely  be  killed  were  they  to  cross,  as  the  Indians  were  numerous  on  the  other  side. 
So  Mr.  Carpenter  and  the  man,  Foster  by  name,  continued  up  the  near  side  of  the  river 
to  the  stage  crossing.  On  the  way  Foster  stopped  to  look  at  some  Indian  hieroglyphics, 
Mr.  Carpenter  waiting  for  him,  and  in  the  meantime  he  discovered  some  Indians  on 
the  sand  bar  in  the  river.  Foster  was  prevented  from  deserting  him  by  Mr.  Carpen- 
ter's threat  to  shoot  him  should  he  attempt  to  do  so.  They  proceeded  on  their  way 
to  the  upper  stage  ferry,  where  soldiers  were  located  who  refused  to  go  with  Mr. 
Carpenter  across  the  river,  so  he  returned  to  Boise  and  reported  that  the  soldiers  were 
afraid  to  cross  the  river  because  of  the  Indians  on  the  other  side,  whom  they  feared 
to  attack.  "His  report  greatly  incensed  the  military  authorities  at  Boise  and  he  was 
told  that  he  was  to  be  hanged  for  reporting  falsely.  Before  this  came  to  pass,  how- 
ever, his  late  companion,  Foster,  who  had  become  separated  from  him,  came  into  Boise 
and  when  interrogated  by  the  military  authorities  corroborated  Mr.  Carpenter's  report, 
so  that  nothing  further  was  ever  said  about  hanging. 

Mr.  Carpenter  also  did  telegraph  repair  work  for  the  government  and  in  one  in- 
stance, when  ordered  to  cross  the  river  and  repair  the  wires,  he  on  account  of  a  pre- 
sentiment of  danger  put  it  off  until  the  next  day.  The  stage  driver,  Billy  Hemmingway, 
who  made  the  trip  that  day  and  with  whom  Mr.  Carpenter  would  have  ridden  had  he 
not  postponed  the  job,  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  as  he  was  alone.  Mr.  Carpenter 
was  sent  with  a  message  to  Colonel  Green,  who  was  located  somewhere  on  Camas 
Prairie.  He  started  in  the  early  morning  with  a  companion,  who,  however,  refused 
to  go  farther  than  Mountain  Home,  so  that  Mr.  Carpenter  continued  the  trip  alone, 
meeting  a  man  from  whom  the  Indians  had  taken  his  gun,  coat  and  hat,  near  Dixie. 
This  caused  the  former  to  change  his  route,  so  as  to  avoid  the  neighborhood  of 
Dixie.  He  saw  a  large  number  of  Indians  but  by  clever  maneuvering  avoided  them, 
and  he  met  friends  who  were  after"  the  Indians,  but  he  continued  on  his  way  alone 
and  at  the  end  of  two  days  and  a  night,  during  which  he  had  nothing  to  eat  but  hard- 
tack, he  finally  found  the  guards  on  the  other  side  of  Camas  Prairie  and  delivered  his 
message  to  Colonel  Green,  who  was  dumbfounded  to  learn  that  he  had  made  his  way 
through  that  portion  of  the  country,  for  the  Indians  were  most  numerous  there  at  the 
time.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  then  sent  back  to  Boise  to  report  that  Colonel  Green  had  gone 
out  after  the  Indians. 

For  two  months  succeeding  these  Indian  troubles  he  rambled  around,  enjoying  the 
hospitality  extended  to  him  by  his  friends  on  account  of  the  glory  he  had  attained  by 
his  work  as  scout  and  messenger.  It  was  after  this  Indian  warfare  that  he  went  to 
the  Wood  river  for  Mr.  Hailey.  In  1895  he  bought  his  present  place  of  ninety  acres,  of 
which  he  platted  and  sold  fifteen  acres  for  the  town  of  Eagle,  of  which  he  was  one  of 
the  two  founders.  He  donated  to  the  Odd  Fellows  the  property  on  which  they  erected 
their  headquarters  and  he  has  been  closely  associated  with  the  development  and 
upbuilding  of  the  town. 

In  1891  Mr.  Carpenter  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Stierman,  of  Mariposa  county, 
California,  a  daughter  of  William  Stierman,  who  went  to  that  state  in  1848.  Her 
mother,  who  prior  to  her  marriage  was  Annie  Otten,  came  to  the  United  States  <rom 
Hanover,  Germany,  in  1858  and  was  married  in  1860.  She  died  in  Idaho  in  1876  and 
Mr.  Stierman  passed  away  in  Ohio  in  1879.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carpenter  are  the  parents 
of  six  children:  J.  R.,  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  who  has  recently  returned  from  over- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  125 

seas  service  in  the  great  European  war  in  France  and  Germany;  May  me  E.,  at  home; 
Anna  M.,  at  home;  Willey  W.,  eighteen  years  of  age;  Henry  L.,  aged  sixteen,  now  at- 
tending high  school;  and  Leona  Dell,  also  in  school.  Such  in  brief  is  the  record  of 
John  R.  Carpenter,  who  has  always  led  a  clean  life  and  is  at  present  strong,  healthy 
and  erect,  appearing  a  man  much  younger  than  his  years,  for  he  has  now  passed  the 
seventy  fourth  milestone  on  life's  journey.  His  entire  course  in  every  relation  has 
commended  him  to  the  confidence  and  goodwill  of  his  associates  and  all  with  whom  ho 
has  been  brought  in  contact. 


EUGENE  M.  MILLER. 

Eugene  M.  Miller  is  the  president  of  the  Miller  &  Gayle  Company,  Ltd.,  doing  busi- 
ness at  Dubois,  Idaho,  and  at  Lakeview,  Montana,  as  general  merchants.  He  occupies 
a  most  enviable  position  in  commercial  circles.  It  is  true  that  he  entered  upon  a 
business  already  established  but  in  enlarging  and  controlling  this,  many  a  young  man 
of  less  resolute  spirit  and  of  more  limited  business  capacity  would  have  failed.  He  took 
up  the  work  with  a  sense  of  sureness  that  comes  from  well  developed  powers.  His  close 
application  and  indefatigable  energy  are  manifest  in  the  continued  progress  of  the  busi- 
ness, which  is  one  of  very  substantial  proportions. 

Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Leesburg,  Indiana,  March  10,  1890,  and  is  a  son  of  David 
and  Millie  (Kaufman)  Miller,  the  former  a  native  of  Lachute,  Canada,  and  the  latter 
of  Utah.  The  father  acquired  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Utah  and  in  1882  removed 
to  Idaho,  settling  on  Birch  creek,  in  Bingham  county.  He  filed  on  land  there  and  he 
and  his  brother  Thomas  were  the  first  settlers  in  that  locality.  There  he  engaged  in 
ranching  until  1897,  when  he  removed  to  Dubois  and  in  connection  with  Mr.  Pyke 
purchased  a  general  merchandise  store.  The  partners  continued  together  until  1912, 
when  Mr.  Pyke  sold  his  interest  in  the  business  to  Mr.  Gayle  and  the  firm  name  of  the 
Miller  &  Gayle  Company  was  fhen  assumed.  Mr.  Miller  continued  in  the  business  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  November  5,  1914,  after  a  year's  illness.  He  was 
a  very  prominent  and  influential  citizen  in  his  part  of  the  state,  widely  known  and 
extremely  popular  because  of  his  many  substantial  and  attractive  traits  of  character. 
His  widow  is  still  living  and  now  makes  her  home  in  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho. 

Eugene  M.  Miller,  spending  his  youthful  days  under  the  parental  roof,  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  of  Dubois  and  in  the  Montana  Wesleyan  College  at  Helena,  Mon- 
tana, and  also  in  the  Idaho  Technical  Institute  at  Pocatello.  He  was  graduated  from 
the  Montana  institution  with  the  class  of  1908  and  from  the  Pocatello  school  with  the 
class  of  1911.  He  then  entered  his  father's  store  and  thoroughly  learned  the  business, 
acquainting  himself  with  modern  commercial  methods  and  with  all  that  has  to  do  with 
the  successful  conduct  of  mercantile  enterprises.  Following  his  father's  death  he  suc- 
ceeded him  as  president  of  the  company.  They  carry  an  enormous  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise and  enjoy  an  extensive  patronage.  Their  trade  comes  from  a  wide  territory 
and  in  addition  to  their  Dubois  establishment  they  also  maintain  a  store  at  Lakeview, 
Montana. 

On  the  16th  of  September,  1914,  Mr.  Miller  was  married  to  Miss  Gladys  Jackways 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children:  David  C.,  who  was  born  November 
3,  1915;  and  Marjorie  M.,  born  June  5,  1917.  Mr.  Miller  and  his  family  occupy  an 
enviable  social  position  and  their  home  is  the  abode  of  warm-hearted  hospitality.  Politi- 
cally Mr.  Miller  is  a  republican  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  vital 
problems  of  the  age.  He  stands  for  progress  and  improvement  in  all  matters  of  citi- 
zenship and  his  support  can  always  be  counted  upon  to  further  any  measure  for  the 
general  good.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
and  religiously  with  the  Episcopal  church,  and  in  these  associations  are  indicated  the 
rules  which  govern  his  conduct  and  shape  his  relations  with  his  fellowmen. 


THOMAS  W.  SMITH. 

Thomas  W.  Smith,  who  recently  retired  from  the  offices  of  auditor  and  recorder  and 
also  clerk  of  the  courts  of  Teton  county,  is  by  profession  an  attorney  at  law,  and  was 
engaged  in  practice  at  Driggs,  but  about  the  first  of  April,  1920,  removed  to  Fairfield, 
Camar,  county.  Idaho,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising,  being 


126  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

owner  with  P.  E.  and  E.  A.  Neely  of  two  thousand  two  hundred  acres  of  farm  land. 
His  official  duties  were  always  discharged  with  marked  promptness  and  fidelity. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Idaho,  near  Preston,  July  31,  1884,  and  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Frances  (Van  Noy)  Smith,  who  were  natives  of  Utah.  The  father 
came  to  Idaho  when  eighteen  years  of  age  and  took  up  land  in  Oneida  county,  now 
Franklin  county,  continuing  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  for  some  time.  He  later  turned 
his  attention  to  general  merchandising  at  Preston,  Idaho,  carrying  on  business  there 
until  1912,  when  he  sold  his  interests  and  removed  to  Driggs,  Teton  county,  where  he 
conducted  a  general  store  under  the  firm  style  of  T.  Smith  &  Sons.  He  was  actively 
engaged  in  that  business  until  the  spring  of  1919  and  is  now  concentrating  his  attention 
upon  the  produce  business.  The  mother  passed  away  in  1913.  In  the  family  were  eight 
children,  seven  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

Thomas  W.  Smith  was  reared  at  Preston,  Idaho,  where  he  pursued  his  early  educa- 
tion. He  also  attended  the  Brigham  Young  University  at  Provo,  Utah,  and  afterward 
entered  upon  the  study  of  law  at  the  University  of  Chicago  and  completed  his  law  course 
in  the  George  Washington  University  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  being  there  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1912.  Returning  to  the  west,  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  in  Preston, 
Idaho,  where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1912,  when  he  removed  to  Driggs,  where  he 
continuously  and  successfully  practiced  until  August,  1913.  He  was  then  appointed 
prosecuting  attorney  of  Madison  county  and  was  elected  to  the  office  in  1914,  Teton 
county  being  at  that  time  a  part  of  Madison  county.  He  served  for  three  and  a  half 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  county  was  divided.  On  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  office  he  removed  to  Driggs  and  resumed  the  private  practice  of  law,  in  which  he  was 
engaged  until  November,  1918,  when  he  was  elected  to  his  present  office,  becoming  auditor 
and  recorder  of  Teton  county  and  also  clerk  of  the  courts.  He  has  likewise  served  as 
city  attorney  of  Rexburg  and  as  city  attorney  of  Driggs,  and  over  the  record  of  his 
official  career  there  falls  no  shadow  of  wrong  or  suspicion  of  evil.  His  public  service 
has  covered  still  another  line  of  activity,  for  he  was  secretary  of  the  County  Council  of 
Defense  during  the  period  of  the  World  war.  He  is  now  government  employment  agent 
and  he  was  one  of  the  Four  Minute  men  during  the  war  and  a  member  of  the  legal 
advisory  board  of  Teton  county.  As  secretary  of  the  County  Council  of  Defense  he 
became  connected  with  every  project  for  the  furtherance  of  national  and  military  in- 
terests and  was  an  active  factor  in  all  the  Liberty  Loan  campaigns.  He  has  always 
voted  with  the  republican  party  and  his  endorsement  of  its  principles  has  been  mani- 
fest in  many  tangible  ways. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  1916,  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Naomi 
Neeley  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  a  son,  Thomas  W.  Jr.,  who  was  born  August 
4.  1917.  In  religious  faith  Mr.  Smith  is  connected  with  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  has  held  various  offices  in  the  church.  He  is  a  broadminded  man, 
keenly  interested  in  vital  questions  and  problems  that  affect  the  individual  and  the  com- 
munity at  large,  and  his  aid  and  influence  are  always  on  the  side  of  progress  and 
improvement. 


P.  A.  LUNDBLAD. 

P.  A.  Lundblad  is  now  living  retired  at  Idaho  Falls  but  for  many  years  was 
actively  connected  with  agricultural  and  industrial  interests  and  by  reason  of  his  close 
application  and  enterprise  in  business  won  the  success  that  now  enables  him  to  rest 
from  further  labors.  Mr.  Lundblad  is  a  native  of  Sweden.  He  was  born  August  13, 
1849,  of  the  marriage  of  John  and  Stena  (Pearson)  Lundblad,  who  were  also  natives  of 
that  country.  The  father  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  flour  in  Sweden  throughout 
his  entire  life  and  passed  away  in  1873,  while  the  mother  died  in  1898. 

P.  A.  Lundblad  was  reared  and  educated  in  Sweden  and  there  learned  the  miller's 
trade  of  his  father.  He  also  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  followed  it  until  1881, 
when  he  came  to  America,  making  his  way  to  Iowa,  where  he  engaged  in  carpentering. 
He  afterward  removed  to  Nebraska,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade,  but  later  he  took  up 
a  homestead,  which  he  owned  and  cultivated  until  1895.  In  that  year  he  arrived  in 
Bonneville  county,  Idaho,  and  purchased  land.  He  also  took  up  a  desert  claim,  which 
he  developed  and  improved,  continuing  its  cultivation  until  1915,  when  he  retired  from 
active  business  life  and  established  his  home  in  Idaho  Falls,  where  he  erected  a  fine 
modern  brick  residence.  This  he  has  since  occupied,  and  his  attention  is  now  given 


P.  A.  LUNDBLAD 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

merely  to  the  supervision  of  his  invested  interests.  His  diligence,  energy  and  enter- 
prise in  former  years  brought  to  him  a  substantial  measuife  of  success  that  now  classes 
him  with  the  men  of  affluence  in  his  part  of  the  state. 

In  March,  1872,  Mr.  Lundblad  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Caroline  Larson  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  six  of  whom  have  died,  while  those  living 
are:  Hilda,  now  the  wife  of  Carl  W.  Peterson,  a  farmer  of  Bonneville  county;  and 
Arthur  W..  who  is  fanning  his  father's  land.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  No- 
vember 12,  1917,  after  an  illness  of  two  years. 

Mr.  Lundblad  is  a  member  of  the  Mission  church,  a  branch  of  the  Lutheran  church, 
and  is  one  of  its  deacons.  His  political  support  is  given  to  the  republican  party  but  he 
has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He  worked  diligently  and 
energetically  for  many  years  at  carpentering  and  at  farming,  and  in  his  industry  is 
found  the  source  of  the  success  which  now  enables  him  to  live  retired  and  yet  enjoy 
all  of  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  He  deserves  much  credit  for  what 
he  has  accomplished,  and  his  record  should  serve  to  inspire  and  encourage  others. 


DAVID  M.  FAJIIS. 

David  M.  Faris,  carpenter  contractor  and  farmer,  formerly  of  Boise,  where  he  lived 
for  fourteen  years,  and  since  1915  residing  on  his  ranch  on  the  Boise  bench  about  one 
mile  north  of  the  County  Hospital,  has  thus  for  a  period  of  almost  two  decades  been 
closely  associated  with  the  industrial  and  agricultural  interests  of  Ada  county.  He  was 
born  in  Iowa,  January  23,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Frances  (Montgomery) 
Faris.  He  was  reared  upon  an  Iowa  farm  and  in  his  youth  began  learning  the  carpenter's 
trade  under  the  direction  of  his  father,  who  was  active  in  that  field  of  labor.  David  M. 
Faris  continued  to  work  at  the  trade  for  several  years  in  Iowa  and  Nebraska  and  in 
1901  came  to  Idaho,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Boise,  where  he  continued  to  engage  in 
carpentering  and  contracting  for  fourteen  years.  While  thus  engaged  he  employed  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  men  and  built  many  of  the  substantial  structures  in  Boise.  In  recent 
years,  however,  he  has  given  his  attention  mainly  to  his  ranch,  which  is  pleasantly  and 
conveniently  situated  on  the  Boise  bench,  not  far  from  the  city.  He  also  rents  adjoining 
ranches  in  the  vicinity  and  is  specializing  in  the  production  of  red  clover. 

On  the  10th  of  November,  1903,  in  Boise,  Mr.  Faris  was  married  to  Miss  Dora  Cox, 
who  was  born  in  Troy,  Kansas,  November  1,  1878,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Isom  and  Emily 
(Edwards)  Cox,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Faris  came  to  Boise  in  1901 
and  it  was  in  the  capital  city  that  they  became  acquainted  and  were  married. 

Mr.  Faris  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  his  wife  is  connected 
with  the  ladies'  auxiliary,  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah.  He  is  a  Modern  Woodman  and  both 
are  connected  with  the  American  Yeomen.  Their  political  support  is  given  to  the  republi- 
can party  and  both  are  members  of  the  United  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Faris  has  been 
frequently  solicited  to  become  a  candidate  for  public  office  but  has  always  refused,  pre- 
ferring to  concentrate  his  time  and  efforts  upon  his  business  affairs,  and  his  diligence, 
determination  and  energy  have  constituted  the  foundation  upon  which  he  has  built  his 
present  prosperity. 


JOHN  E.  PAUL. 

John  E.  Paul,  filling  the  position  of  postmaster  at  Dubois,  has  here  made  his  home 
since  1914  but  has  been  a  resident  of  the  northwest  since  1890,  at  which  time  he  took  up 
his  abode  in  Oregon.  He  is,  however,  a  native  of  Virgil  City,  Missouri,  born  December  23, 
1870.  His  parents,  Valentine  and  Adeline  (Boggs)  Paul,  were  natives  of  Wisconsin  and 
Missouri  respectively.  The  father  became  a  farmer  of  Missouri  and  there  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits  until  1894,  when  he  removed  to  Oklahoma,  where  he  took  up  land, 
which  he  improved  and  cultivated  for  several  years.  He  then  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness and  afterward  resided  in  Geary,  Oklahoma,  throughout  his  remaining  days,  passing 
away  on  the  16th  of  October,  1915.  His  widow  survived  him  for  two  years,  her  death 
occurring  November  3.  1917. 

John  E.  Paul,  after  attending  the  public  schools  of  Virgil  City,  Missouri,  pursued 
a  business  course  at  Sedalia,  that  state,  and  then  accepted  a  position  as  stenographer 

Vol.  Ill— 9 


130  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  where  he  was  employed  until  1890.  Believing  that  the  west 
furnished  better  opportunities,  he  made  his  way  to  Oregon  and  became  a  time-keeper 
on  the  Oregon  Railway  &  Navigation  Railroad,  with  which  he  continued  until  1§00.  He 
then  turned  his  attention  to  merchandising  at  Huntington,  Oregon,  and  successfully 
conducted  his  store  at  that  point  until  1914,  when  he  removed  to  Dubois,  where  he  and  a 
brother  purchased  a  threshing  machine,  which  they  operated  for  two  seasons.  On  the 
20th  of  May,  1918,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Dubois  and  has  since  occupied  that 
position,  giving  general  satisfaction  by  the  prompt  and  careful  handling  of  the  mails  and 
his  courteous  treatment  of  the  patrons  of  the  office.  He  has  made  judicious  invest- 
ments in  property  and  is  now  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  ranch 
land  about  five  miles  from  Dubois.  He  filed  on  eighty  acres,  constituting  a  grazing  tract, 
so  that  he  has  altogether  four  hundred  acres  of  land.  He  personally  farms  this  place 
and  makes  his  home  thereon  through  the  summer  months. 

Mr.  Paul  has  always  given  his  political  allegiance  to  the  democratic  party  since 
age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  He  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  and  the  nature  of  the  rules  which  govern 
his  conduct  is  further  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church. 
He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  Clark  county  and  those  who  know  him  speak  of  him  in 
terms  of  warm  regard.  There  have  been  no  unusual,  no  exciting  and  no  esoteric  phases 
in  his  life's  history.  He  has  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  making  the  most  of  his 
opportunities,  using  his  time  to  good  advantage,  and  has  therefore  gained  the  confi- 
dence and  goodwill  of  his  fellow  citizens. 


S.  CLYDE  IDOL. 

S.  Clyde  Idol  is  editor  and  manager  of  the  Clark  County  Enterprise-Banner  and  is 
widely  known  throughout  this  section  of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Grayson  county, 
Virginia,  October  25,  1879,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel  C.  and  Nancy  (Ross)  Idol,  who  were 
natives  of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia  respectively.  The  father  is  a  newspaper  publisher 
and  is  now  residing  in  Cass  county,  Missouri,  where  he  publishes  the  Pleasantville  Local 
and  the  Belton  Herald.  The  mother  is  also  living.  Prior  to  his  removal  to  Missouri 
Daniel  C.  Idol  was  (engaged  in  newspaper  publication  in  Virginia,  but  made  his  way 
westward  to  Missouri  in  1881. 

S.  Clyde  Idol  was  therefore  reared  and  educated  in  Missouri  and  in  early  life  he 
learned  the  printer's  trade  under  his  father's  direction.  He  has  since  followed  that  line 
of  business  and  has  been  employed  on  various  papers  ih  different  parts  of  the  United 
States.  At  the  time  of  the  Spanish-American  war,  however,  he  put  aside  all  business 
ana  personal  interests  to  join  the  army  and  was  with  jthe  Fifth  Missouri  Volunteer 
Infantry  as  a  private  and  musician.  He  afterward  worked  on  the  Kansas  City  Star 
for  a  number  of  years  and  in  1907  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Idaho  Falls.  There  he 
worked  on  the  Daily  Post  for  two  years  and  then  removed  to  Blackfoot,  where  he 
conducted  the  Blackfoot  Courier  for  two  years.  He  afterward  returned  to  Idaho  Falls 
and  was  receiver  for  the  Idaho  Falls  Daily  Post  until  October,  1918,  when  he  removed  to 
Roberts,  Jefferson  county,  and  purchased  the  Roberts  Sentinel,  but  he  sold  his  interest  in 
Roberts  Sentinel  January  1,  1920,  to  W.  C.  Adams. 

In  November,  1905,  Mr.  Idol  was  married  to  Miss  Virginia  Crumley  and  they  now 
have  a  daughter,  Virginia,  who  was  born  July  12,  1907,  in  Cass  county,  Missouri.  His 
religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Baptist  church  and  his  life  is  actuated  by  high  and  honorable 
principles.  He  has  made  good  use  of  his  time,  his  talents  and  his  opportunities  as  the 
years  have  passed  and  has  gradually  advanced  along  the  line  of  business  which  he  has 
chosen  as  his  life  work,  so  that  he  is  now  conducting  a  profitable  business  at  Dubois. 


HENRY  JONES. 

Henry  Jones  is  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Jones  Brothers,  prominent  cattlemen 
of  Hollister,  Twin  Falls  county.  The  record  of  his  career  is  the  story  of  earnest 
thrift  and  endeavor  and  of  effort  intelligently  guided.  He  was  born  in  Sullivan 
county,  Missouri,  September  23,  1849,  and  is  a  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Tamzy  Jane 
(Meadow)  Jones.  His  boyhood  days  were  passed  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  to 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  131 

the  age  of  nineteen  years  and  in  the  public  schools  he  pursued  his  education.  He 
then  left  Missouri  and  made  his  way  to  Albion,  Idaho,  thus  becoming  identified 
with  the  development  of  the  northwest.  For  a  time  he  operated  a  freighting  out- 
fit to  Boise,  Idaho  basin  and  the  Wood  river  country  and  later  he  rode  the  range. 
Thus  he  became  familiar  with  all  the  phases  of  frontier  life  in  this  state.  He 
afterward  purchased  a  ranch  on  Rock  creek  and  began  its  improvement,  continuing 
its  further  cultivation  until  1907,  when  he  took  up  his  present  ranch  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres.  He  fully  knew  the  arduous  work  that  confronted  him, 
but  his  powers  were  equal  to  the  task  and  as  the  yearn  have  passed  he  has  carried 
forward  the  work  of  development  and  improvement.  He  has  flne  buildings  upon 
his  land  and  he  has  altogether  three  ranches  on  Rock  creek,  one  near  Bruneau  on 
Big  flats.  His  holdings  embrace  altogether  three  thousand  acres  and  he  has  twelve 
hundred  head  of  cattle  upon  his  place.  He  is  likewise  a  prominent  figure  in  finan- 
cial circles,  beinsr  the  president  of  the  State  Bank  of  Kimberly  and  a  stockholder 
in  the  Banks  of  Hollister  and  of  Rogerson.  The  Jones  Brothers  are  also  the. owners 
of  the  Lucky  Strike  mine  at  Stanley  Basin,  a  gold  mining  property  thoroughly 
equipped  with  the  most  modern  machinery. 

In  1885  Henry  Jones  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Wilmoth  Gray,  a  native 
of  Montana  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Susan  Gray.  They  have  become  the 
parents  of  nine  children:  Cora,  Ora,  Thomas,  William  Perry,  John,  Norah,  Pansy. 
Norris  and  Truman.  The  son  John  is  now  a  member  of  the  United  States  navy, 
doing  duty  near  China. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Jones  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  and  his  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican  party.  He  is  keenly 
interested  in  the  vital  questions  and  problems  of  the  day  but  has  never  been  an 
aspirant  for  office  as  his  attention  has  always  been  concentrated  upon  his  business 
affairs.  He  is  a  forceful  and  resourceful  man  who  has  worked  Irs  way  steadily 
upward,  his  sound  judgment  enabling  him  to  avoid  all  unwarranted  risks,  while 
his  progressiveness  has  carried  him  steadily  forward.  He  has  displayed  the  keen- 
est intelligence  in  placing  his  investments,  and  today  the  Jones  Brothers  are  among 
the  oldest  settlers  in  this  part  of  Twin  Falls  county  and  are  the  largest  landowners 
and  cattlemen.  What  they  have  undertaken  they  have  accomplished.  When  one 
avenue  of  opportunity  has  seemed  closed  they  have  carried  out  their  plans  along 
other  lines,  thus  reaching  the  desired  goal.  Taking  advantage  of  opportunities 
and  realizing  the  value  of  existing  conditions,  they  have  progressed  step  by  step 
until  they  have  long  since  outdistanced  many  who  started  out  ahead  of  them  in  a 
financial  way  and  are  today  among  the  most  prominent  business  men  of  their  sec- 
tion of  the  state. 


PROSPER  AVELINE. 

Prosper  Aveline.  one  of  the  pioneer  citizens  of  Boise,  who  formerly  was  engaged 
in  the  fuel  business  for  many  years  but  who  since  1898  has  devoted  his  attention 
mainly  to  various  realty  investments  in  Boise  and  vicinity,  came  to  the  capital  in 
1881  from  Leadville,  Colorado.  He  had,  however,  resided  in  the  latter  place  for 
but  three  years,  removing  to  Colorado  from  the  province  of  Quebec,  Canada.  He 
is  a  French  Canadian  by  birth,  having  been  born  near  Montreal,  Canada.  January 
15,  1862.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and  Angeline  (Dumolin)  Aveline,  also  natives 
of  Quebec,  where  they  spent  their  entire  lives.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation and  passed  away  ten  years  ago,  while  the  mother's  death  occurred  about 
twelve  years  ago.  Both  came  of  French  Canadian  families,  which  have  been 
represented  in  Canada  for  several  generations. 

Prosper  Aveline  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Quebec  and  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  that  locality.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  left  home  and  made 
his  way  to  Leadville,  Colorado,  being  attracted  to  that  district  during  the  mining 
excitement  then  prevalent.  He  was  then  a  "strapping  big  youth  of  eighteen  years, 
weighing  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  pounds"  and  he  could  not  speak  a  word  of 
the  English  language,  for  French  had  always  been  the  tongue  used  in  his  house- 
hold and  among  his  neighbors.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  began  working  on 
a  farm  at  a  wage  of  forty  dollars  per  year.  The  next  year  he  was  paid  forty-five 
dollars  and  the  third  year  received  fifty  dollars.  During  his  last  year  in  Canada 


132  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

he  was  paid  seventy-eight  dollars  for  his  farm  labor.  After  spending  two  years 
in  Leadville,  Colorado,  where  he  received  a  wage  of  two  dollars  per  day,  Mir. 
Aveline  came  to  Boise  in  1881,  for  glowing  reports  had  reached  him  concerning 
the  good  returns  to  be  made  here  in  connection  with  the  wood  and  timber  industry. 
He  was  accompanied  on  his  trip  from  Canada  to  Leadville  and  from  Leadville  to 
Boise  by  his  elder  brother,  Gregoire  Aveline,  who  is  yet  living  in  Boise,  where  he 
is  now  in  the  employ  of  the  Boise-Payette  Lumber  Company.  Still  later  another 
brother,  Eugene  Aveline,  came  to  this  city  from  Canada  and  is  still  here.  The 
Aveline  brothers  for  many  years  were  prominent  in  connection  with  the  wood, 
timber  and  fuel  business  in  and  near  Boise.  All  three  were  expert  axemen  and 
woodsmen  and  the  two  brothers  of  Prosper  Aveline  are  still  identified  with  the 
lumber  and  timber  business,  both  connected  with  the  Boise-Payette  Lumber  Com- 
pany. Prosper  Aveline,  however,  has  since  1898  devoted  his  attention  to  the  con- 
duct of  a  realty  business,  caring  for  his  own  investments  along  that  line.  He 
has  made  judicious  purchases  and  profitable  sales  and  has  greatly  increased  his 
financial  resources  thereby. 

On  the  6th  of  January,  1890,  in  Boise,  Mr.  Aveline  was  married  to  Miss 
Matilda  Jane  Lusk,  then  a  resident  of  this  city  but  a  native  of  Missouri.  They 
have  two  children:  Thoana  M.,  the  wife  of  Otto  M.  Jones,  the  well  known  sports- 
man and  writer,  who  is  now  game  warden  of  Idaho;  and  Dhona  P.,  nineteen  years 
of  age,  who  is  in  the  United  States  navy,  serving  in  the  Philippines  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Aveline  is  a  republican  but  has  never  been  a  politician 
in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  The  only  time  that  he  was  ever  a  candidate  for 
political  office  was  when  in  1919  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  city  council,  in 
which  position  he  is  now  serving,  exercising  his  official  prerogatives  in  support  of 
all  plans  and  measures  which  he  believes  will  prove  of  public  benefit.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  His  business  record 
has  been  marked  by  steady  progress  owing  to  his  close  application,  his  industry 
and  his  fidelity  to  all  the  interests  which  he  has  represented.  His  popularity  and 
the  high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  fellow  townsmen  is  attested  by  the  fact 
that  in  the  election  to  his  present  office  he  received  the  second  highest  number  of 
votes  cast  for  any  of  the  aldermanic  candidates. 


GEORGE  NORTH. 

George  North  was  for  many  years  a  most  prominent,  valued  and  honored  resident 
of  Pocatello.  It  was  he  who  erected  the  first  brick  building  in  Pocatello,  the  location 
being  on  West  Center  street,  and  for  a  long  period  he  conducted  a  clothing  business, 
which  since  his  demise  has  been  carried  on  by  his  sons.  His  business  operations 
also  extended  to  various  other  localities.  In  1889  he  opened  a  clothing  store  at  Sho- 
shone,  Idaho,  where  at  that  time  the  railroad  roundhouse  was  located.  When  the  nar- 
row gauge  waa  built  into  Pocatello  and  the  shops  were  moved  there,  Mr.  North  removed 
his  stock  to  that  city,  opening  his  store  on  South  First  avenue,  where  he  remained 
for  nearly  three  years.  His  next  location  was  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Center  streets 
and  there  he  became  associated  with  Dan  Church,  another  pioneer.  They  conducted 
the  store  at  that  place  for  about  three  years  and  in  the  meantime  Mr.  North  became 
interested  in  the  sheep  business  with  Messrs.  Valentine  and  Douglas.  Finally,  how- 
ever, he  sold  his  interests  in  sheep  and  also  his  store  and  erected  what  was  probably 
tho  first  building  on  Main  street,  again  opening  a  clothing  store  which  he  carried  on 
at  that  point  until  1915,  when  he  built  the  present  home  of  the  House  of  North  on 
the  site  of  his  former  residence.  His  business  judgment  was  manifest  in  each  move 
that  he  made,  for  his  trade  steadily  increased,  and  wherever  he  located,  other  build- 
ings immediately  sprang  up  around  him.  He  had  the  pioneer  instinct  that  caused  him 
continually  to  seek  out  new  localities.  He  was  a  most  enterprising  and  progressive 
business  mam  whose  sound  judgment  was  manifest  in  the  careful  and  successful  con- 
duct of  his  interests.  He  left  a  large  amount  of  property,  including  the  Carlyle 
Hotel,  which  was  thus  named  for  the  son  who  conducts  it.  He  was  also  the  owner 
of  the  Gordon  Apartments,  named  for  his  other  son,  this  being  one  of  the  most  modern 
buildings  of  the  city. 

Mr.  North  was  united  in  marriage  to  Peronne  Hall  Church,  a  native  of  Mankato, 


GEORGE  NORTH 


MRS.  PERONNE  H.  NORTH 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  137 

Minnesota.  Her  father,  Joseph  A.  Church,  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York  and 
became  one  of  the  early  pioneer  residents  of  Minnesota  but  afterward  removed  to  the 
Pacific  northwest  and  passed  away  in  Pocatello,  Idaho,  in  1916.  In  early  manhood 
he  wedded  Minerva  Johnson,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  has  also  departed  this  life 
and  who  was  descended  from  a  long  line  of  Kentucky  ancestors.  The  great-great- 
grandfather of  Mrs.  North  in  the  paternal  line  was  a  first  lieutenant  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  and  thereby  she  is  eligible  to  membership  with  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution,  with  which  organization  she  is  now  identified.  Before  removing 
to  Idaho  her  father  was  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Evanston,  Wyoming.  The  two 
brothers  of  Mrs.  North  are:  D.  W.  Church,  the  former  president  of  the  Bannock  Bank 
of  Pocatello  and  now  commissioner  of  insurance  of  the  state;  and  H.  J.  Church,  who 
is  employed  in  the  shops  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line  at  Pocatello.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
North  were  born  but  the  two  sons,  Carlyle  and  Gordon,  who  are  already  mentioned 
and  who  conduct  the  business  left  by  their  father.  Mrs.  North  also  possesses  splendid 
business  ability  and  established  and  owns  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Oriole  Candy 
Company  of  Pocatello.  She  is  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  her  home  and  sons  and  her 
chief  interest  centers  at  her  own  fireside.  However,  she  is  a  recognized  leader  in  the 
social  circles  of  the  city  and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Study  Club  and  the  Civic 
Club  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  canteen  committee  during  the  World  war.  Her 
splendid  qualities  make  for  social  leadership,  for  she  possesses  executive  ability,  kindli- 
ness and  that  ready  tact  which  enables  her  to  understand  and  adapt  herself  to  any  cir- 
cumstances, combined  with  a  musical  talent  that  insures  her  a  welcome  wherever  she 
goes. 

Death  entered  the  North  household  in  1918,  when  the  husband  and  father  was 
called  to  his  final  rest.  He  had  a  very  wide  acquaintance  throughout  the  state  and 
was  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  Whatever  Mr.  North  undertook 
he  carried  forward  to  successful  completion,  for  he  recognized  that  when  one  avenue 
of  opportunity  seemed  closed,  he  could  carve  out  other  paths  whereby  to  reach  the 
desired  goal.  Moreover,  his  life  measured  up  at  all  times  to  the  highest  standards  of 
integrity  and  honor  in  business,  and  on  the  occasion  of  his  death,  every  mark  of 
respect  possible  was  shown  to  him,  including  the  closing  of  all  the  stores  in  Pocatello 
during  the  hour  of  the  funeral  services.  Arriving  in  Pocatello  in  1888,  there  was 
perhaps  no  man  who  did  as  much  for  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the  town. 
He  stood  at  all  times  for  progress  in  public  affairs  and  his  cooperation  could  always 
be  secured  in  behalf  of  any  plan  or  project  that  looked  to  the  improvement  of  the 
city,  and  on  many  occasions  he  was  the  prime  mover  and  factor  in  advancing  inter- 
ests of  public  worth. 


L.  F.  COOK. 

L.  F.  Cook,  deceased,  was  a  pioneer  settler  of  Idaho,  becoming  a  resident  of 
Owyhee  county  in  1869,  while  in  1879  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm  in 
Canyon  county  that  is  still  in  possession  of  his  family.  Throughout  all  of  the 
intervening  years  to  the  time  of  his  death  he  was-  closely  associated  with  the 
development  and  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  was  ever  a  most 
patriotic  citizen. 

He  was  born  in  Greene  county,  Illinois,  September  16,  1834,  and  in  his  early 
youth  went  to  Texas,  where  he  was  reared.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  volunteer 
for  service  in  the  Confederate  army  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  and  in 
1862  he  was  made  a  second  lieutenant,  while  in  1864  he  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  captain.  Although  he  fought  against  the  Union  at  that  time,  he  became 
a  stanch  and  patriotic  American  and  would  have  gone  to  France  in  defense  of 
world  democracy  in  the  great  war  had  not  his  age  proved  a  barrier  to  his  enlist- 
ment. 

Following  the  close  of  the  Civil  war,  Mr.  Cook  returned  to  his  farm  in  Texas. 
He  was  married  on  the  18th  of  April.  1866,  to  Miss  Ellen  Mclntyre,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  in  the  following  year  they  started  across  the  plains  with  mule  teams, 
driving  from  Texas  to  Owyhee  county,  Idaho,  and  afterward  to  Ada  county,  where 
Mr.  Cook  engaged  in  farming.  In  1879  he  sold  his  property  there  and  removed 
to  the  present  family  home  in  Canyon  county,  which  district,  however,  was  at 
that  time  still  a  part  of  Ada  county.  The  farm  originally  comprised  three  hun- 


138  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

dred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  but  Mr.  Cook  afterward  sold  all  but  eighty  acres. 
He  was  largely  interested  in  stock  raising  and  most  carefully  and  successfully 
directed  his  efforts  along  that  line.  He  annually  handled  a  large  amount  of  stock 
and  the  enterprise  which  he  displayed  and  the  sound  judgment  which  characterized 
his  business  affairs  brought  to  him  a  measure  of  success  that  enabled  him  to  leave 
his  family  in  comfortable  financial  circumstances.  He  also  became  one  of  the 
organizers  and  stockholders  of  the  Franklin  Ditch  Company.  In  the  early  days 
he  and  his  family  had  many  narrow  escapes  from  the  Indians  and  several  times 
were  compelled  to  take  refuge  in  Boise  and  at  Silver  City  to  escape  being  massa- 
cred. They  passed  through  all  of  the  hardships  and  privations  of  pioneer  life 
and  lived  to  see  notable  changes.  Mr.  Cook  contributed  in  substantial  measure 
to  the  work  «of  transformation  as  this  district  was  reclaimed  for  the  uses  of 
civilization. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cook  were  born  ten  children:  Walter  S.,  now  fifty-one 
years  of  age,  living  at  Silver  City;  George  T.,  deceased;  Ira  C.,  forty-eight  years 
of  age,  a  resident  of  Portland,  Oregon;  Mrs.  Anna  Hunt,  residing  in  Vancouver, 
Washington;  C.  M.,  forty-two  years  of  age,  living  at  Silver  City;  Birdie  M.,  a 
twin  sister  of*  C.  M.;  Mrs.  Cora  Fuller,  a  resident  of  Caldwell;  Mrs.  Margaret 
Fluke,  of  Red  Lodge,  Montana,  who  had  a  twin  sister  that  died  at  the  age  of 
three  years;  and  Mrs.  Grace  Sterling,  of  Big  Arm,  Montana.  Birdie  M.  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Caldwell  high  school  and  of  the  Lewiston  Normal  and  taught  school 
for  nearly  fifteen  years  at  Emmett  and  Caldwell.  She  is  the  vice  president  of 
the  Good  Cheer  Club,  in  conjunction  with  which  much  Red  Cross  work  was  done 
during  the  period  of  the  World  war.  She  is  also  active  in  church  work  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Rebekah  Lodge  at  Caldwell. 

The  death  of  the  husband  and  father  occurred  January  12,  1919,  and  was 
the  occasion  of  deep  and  widespread  regret  because  he  had  long  occupied  an  en- 
viable position  in  the  community  as  a  progressive  farmer  and  representative  busi- 
ness man  and  a  loyal  and  valued  citizen.  He  donated  the  land  on  which  was  built 
the  old  Marble  Front  school,  in  the  Marble  Front  district,  and  served  on  the  school 
board  for  many  years.  He  lost  no  ^opportunity  to  assist  in  advancing  the  welfare 
of  his  community,  in  promoting  uts  civic  betterment  and  contributing  to  its  prog- 
ress. Mrs.  Cook  is  one  of  the  well  known  pioneer  women  of  this  section  of  the 
state,  having  for  a  half  century  lived  in  Idaho,  so  that  she  has  witnessed  its  emer- 
gence from  pioneer  conditions  and  its  advancement  to  one  of  the  most  progres- 
sive and  prosperous  states  of  the  northwest. 


G.  D.  SHAKE. 

Thirty  years  have  come  and  gone  since  G.  D.  Shake,  now  deceased,  became  a 
resident  of  Payette  county,  and  through  the  years  in  which  he  lived  in  this  section 
he  developed  an  excellent  farm  property,  on  which  his  family  still  resides.  He  was 
born  at  Glen  Spey,  Sullivan  county,  New  York,  August  22,  1863,  his  parents  being 
George  and  Katherine  Shake,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state.  The  son 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  New  York  and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade 
but  by  chance  became  a  farmer.  In  the  latter  '70s  he  went  to  Minnesota,  settling 
at  Faribault,  where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  while 
there  residing  he  married  Miss  Kittie  Covert,  a  native  of  that  place  and  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Frances  (Ogden)  Covert.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Glen  Spey,  New 
York,  while  her  mother's  birth  occurred  at  Jersey  City,  New  Jersey.  Mrs.  Shake  is 
a  graduate  of  the  high  school  of  Faribault,  Minnesota,  and  is  a  lady  of  culture  and 
refinement. 

Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shake  were  identified  with  farming 
interests  in  Minnesota  for  ten  years  and  in  1890  removed  westward  to  Idaho,  set- 
tling at  Payette,  where  Mr.  Shake  worked  at.  carpentering  for  five  years.  He  then 
purchased  an  interest  in  the  Payette  flour  mills,  of  which  he  became  the  manager, 
but  in  1908  sold  the  business  and  purchased  a  farm  of  forty  acres  in  the  Fruitland 
district,  eight  miles  south  of  Payette.  Upon  this  property  his  widow  still  resides. 
The  land  was  in  alfalfa  when  he  purchased  it,  but  eleven  acres  has  since  been 
planted  to  apples,  which  yielded  their  first  commercial  crop  in  1919,  producing  over 
two  thousand  boxes.  They  are  raising  Jonathan,  Roman  Beauty  and  Delicious  ap- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  139 

pies  and  their  orchard  is  now  In  excellent  condition,  being  cared  for  in  the  most 
scientific  manner. 

Since  the  death  of  Mr.  Shake  on  the  1st  of  April,  1917,  his  widow  and  son 
Rodney  have  conducted  the  farm.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shake  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children.  Homer  H.,  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  married  Ada  Chaboya,  a  native  of 
California,  and  they  now  reside  at  Fresno,  that  state.  Homer  H.  was  educated  at 
Corvallis,  Oregon,  and  is  an  electrical  engineer.  Harold  R.,  twenty-six  years  of  age, 
married  Fern  Calvert,  a  native  of  Kansas,  and  they  have  one  child,  Donna  Marie. 
Harold  R.  was  educated  at  Corvallis,  Oregon,  and  is  a  pharmacist  in  Rezac's  store 
at  Payette.  Rodney  H.,  twenty-four  years  of  age,  is  the  active  assistant  of  his 
mother  in  the  development  and  conduct  of  the  home  farm.  Helen  Frances  is  teach- 
ing school  at  Payette  and  both  she  and  Rodney  were  educated  at  Corvallis.  Oregon. 
Dorothy  M.  is  teaching  school  at  Caldwell,  Idaho.  Lola  J.  is  a  junior  in  the  Fruit- 
land  high  school.  Irene  Alice,  nine  years  of  age,  is  a  pupil  in  the  fourth  grade  of 
the  Fruitland  school. 

The  family  is  one  held  in  high  esteem  throughout  this  section  of  the  state. 
Mr.  Shake  was  a  representative  and  progressive  business  man  whose  labors  enabled 
him  to  leave  a  good  property  to  his  family.  In  all  relations  of  life  he  commanded 
the  respect,  confidence  and  goodwill  of  his  fellowmen  and  enjoyed  in  large  measure 
their  friendship  and  warm  regard. 


C.  T.   MEECHAN. 

C.  T.  Meechan.  engaged  in  farming  near  New  Plymouth,  was  born  in  County 
Antrim,  Ireland,  June  30,  1851,  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Catherine  (McVey)  Meechan, 
who  were  also  natives  of  the  Emerald  isle.  C.  T.  Meeclian  arrived  in  America  on 
the  4th  of  March,  1863,  with  his  mother  and  one  brother,  the  family  home  being 
established  in  New  York,  where  he  attended  school.  After  three  years  a  removal 
was  made  to  Wayne  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  the  family  entered  the  lumber 
business  as  producers,  but  after  nine  years  the  widespread  financial  panic  put  them 
out  of  business.  Farming  was  then  followed  through  the  succeeding  four  years, 
after  which  they  removed  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  and  C.  T.  Meechan  became  foreman 
of  th£  smelting  works  there,  while  his  brother,  Frank  Meechan,  was  also  connected 
with  the  same  business.  They  were  employed  by  Jack  Crook,  who  at  one  time  was 
a  candidate  for  governor  of  Idaho. 

After  four  years  spent  as  foreman  of  the  smelter  C.«  T.  Meechan  homesteaded 
in  Greeley  county.  Nebraska,  securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  farmed 
until  he  came  to  Idaho  in  1902.  He  then  took  up  his  abode  at  Washoe.  in  Payette 
county,  where  he  followed  farming  for  four  years,  and  later  he  worked  for  Dan 
Ruby  as  foreman  of  a  grading  gang,  spending  a  year  and  a  half  in  that  connection 
near  Caldwell.  He  afterward  purchased  his  present  place  of  twenty  acres  near  New 
Plymouth  and  here  carries  on  general  farming  and  also  raises  some  stock.  He  has 
a  most  attractive  home  and  everything  about  the  place  is  indicative  of  his  pro- 
gressive spirit. 

In  1875  Mr.  Meechan  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Ann  Crosby,  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  thirteen  children:  Catherine,  who  is  the  wife 
of  John  Bagley  and  the  mother  of  two  children,  Florence  and  Catherine,  who  are 
with  their  parents  at  Tacoma,  Washington;  Thomas,  who  is  married  and  has  two 
children,  Thomas  and  Annie,  and  who  is  filling  the  position  of  foreman  with  Ar- 
mour &  Company  at  Omaha,  Nebraska;  May.  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Driscoll  and 
the  mother  of  five  children — John,  Cecil.  Vincent.  Catherine  and  Anna,  their  home 
being  at  New  Plymouth;  Helen,  who  is  the  wife  of  Ellis  Snow  and  has  four  chil- 
dren— Nettie,  Florence,  Byron  and  Edward;  James,  who  was  employed  in  the  ship- 
yards at  Portland,  Oregon,  during  the  period  of  the  World  war;  Frank,  who  was 
an  instructor  in  the  steel  works  in  the  service  of  the  government  and  is  still  in  the 
service  at  Newark,  New  Jersey;  Charles,  who  worked  in  the  shipyards  at  Seattle 
during  the  war;  Emmett,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Twentieth  Engineer  Corps  and 
was  on  active  overseas  duty  in  France;  Robert,  who  was  a  meat  inspector  in 
France  and  is  still  in  the  service;  Louis,  who  was  at  Fort  Stephens  for  two  and  a 
half  years;  Veronica,  the  wife  of  John  Walker,  of  Tacoma.  Washington;  Viola,  a 
teacher  at  New  Plymouth;  and  Loy,  who  was  but  three  days  in  the  service  when 


140  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  armistice  was  signed.     Seven  of  the  sons  were  thus  in  the  service — a  most  cred- 
itable military  record. 

Mr.  Meechan  is  truly  a  self-made  man.  Having  lost  his  father  when  but  six 
years  of  age,  he  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources  from  early  youth  and 
by  reason  of  his  unflagging  industry  and  perseverance  he  has  won  substantial  suc- 
cess. He  possesses  a  jovial  temperament  and  genial  disposition  and  wins  friends 
wherever  he  goes. 


ADAM  SAUER. 

Adam  Sauer  was  actively  identified  with  farming  interests  and  later  with  the  real 
estate  business,  in  which  he  continued  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Idaho  Falls  numbered 
him  among  her  progressive  and  representative  citizens.  He  was  born  in  Hessen,  Ger- 
many, July  2,  1865,  of  the  marriage  of  John  and  Catherine  (Knapp)  Saiier,  who  were 
also  natives  of  that  country.  The  father  died  in  Germany  in  1870  and  the  mother 
afterward  married  again  and  in  1883  came  to  America,  settling  in  Utah.  Later  a 
removal  was  made  to  Idaho  and  her  remaining  days  were  spent  in  Bonneville  county, 
where  she  passed  away  in  1894. 

When  Adam  Sauer  was  but  two  years  of  age  he  fell  from  a  window,  which  left  him 
a  cripple  for  life.  He  acquired  the  greater  part  of  his  education  in  Germany  and  in 
1883  came  to  America  with  his  mother,  after  which  he  was  employed  as  a  bookkeeper. 
He  afterward  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in  Idaho  Falls  and  was  thus  active 
throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  also  purchased  and  homesteaded  land  and  carried 
on  farming  for  a  long  period  before  actively  entering  the  real  estate  field.  Utilizing 
every  opportunity  for  judicious  investment,  he  became  the  owner  of  two  thousand 
acres  of  Idaho  land.  At  one  time  he  was  a  director  of  the  Farmers  &  Merchants  Bank. 
He  was  also  secretary  of  three  canal  companies  while  upon  the  farm  and  lie  established 
the  Coltman  postoffice  and  for  nine  years  acted  as  postmaster  while  living  on  the  farm. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1896,  Mr.  Sauer  was  married  to  Miss  Viola  Hall,  a  daughter 
of  "William  and  Ruth  (Oyler)  Hall,  who  are  natives  of  Virginia,  and  there,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Potomac  river,  Mrs.  Sauer  was  born  on  the  17th  of  February,  1873.  Her 
father  was  a  farmer  and  coal  miner  of  Virginia  and  Oklahoma.  In  1902  he  came  to 
Idaho,  settling  at  Idaho  Falls,  and  engaged  in  farming  for  several  years  but  is  now 
living  retired,  making  his  home  in  the  city.  His  wife  also  survives.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sauer  became  the  parents  of  nine  children:  Irvin  A.,  Hazel  C.,  Florence  V.,  Sanford 
W.,  Edna  J.  and  Lucy,  aged  respectively  nineteen,  seventeen,  fourteen,  twelve,  ten  and 
seven  years;  Bessie,  who  died  June  20,  1904,  at  the  age  of  seven  years;  Hilda,  who  was 
born  October  20,  1903,  and  died  on  the  18th  of  August,  1904;  and  Ruth,  who  was  born 
in  June,  1906,  and  died  on  the  27th  of  July  following. 

In  politics  Mr.  Sauer  was  a  republican  and  for  twenty  years  filled  the  office  of 
justice  of  the  peace,  acting  in  that  capacity  while  upon  the  farm  and  also  after  taking 
up  his  residence  in  the  city.  He  was  likewise  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  served 
on  the  school  board.  His  religious  faith  was  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  he  was  on  the  financial  committee  at  the  time  of  the  building 
of  the  auditorium  in  Idaho  Falls.  For  ten  years  he  served  as  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  school  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  secretary  of  the  Quorum  of  Seventy. 
Not  being  able  to  do  missionary  work  himself,  he  furnished  the  means  for  someone  else 
to  engage  in  missionary  labors.  He  at  all  times  stood  for  those  things  which  he  believed 
to  be  true  and  right,  and  his  life  was  guided  by  high  principles. 


C.   H.    LANFEAR. 

Over  a  broad  roadway  shaded  by  beautiful  trees  which  interlace  overhead  one 
reaches  the  home  of  C.  H.  Lanfear,  a  valuable  tract  of  land  of  twenty  acres  pleas- 
antly and  conveniently  situated  six  miles  south  of  Payette.  The  place  is  devoted  to 
the  raising  of  alfalfa  and  fruit  and  is  a  splendidly  developed  property,  supplied  with 
all  modern  improvements.  The  fine  appearance  of  the  place  is  indicative  of  the 
care  and  enterprise  of  the  owner,  who  was  born  in  Oneida  county,  New  York,  Sep- 
tember 4,  1854,  a  son  of  William  J.  and  Solanna  Jane  (Carr)  Lanfear.  The 


ADAM   SAUER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  143 

father  was  a  native  of  New  York  and  In  1857  removed  to  Illinois;  there  he  followed 
farming  until  his  demise  in  1877. 

C.  H.  Lanfear  acquired  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Illinois  and 
then  went  to  Nebraska,  where  he  carried  on  farming  until  1902.  In  that  year 
he  sold  his  property  and  made  his  way  to  the  Payette  valley,  where  he  turned  his 
attention  to  fruit  raising.  He  originally  owned  forty  acres  of  land  across  the  road 
from  his  present  place,  but  ultimately  sold  that  property  and  purchased  his  present 
farm  of  twenty  acres.  He  has  seventeen  acres  of  this  planted  to  apples  and  his 
orchard  in  1919  produced  about  two  hundred  tons.  Upon  the  farm  is  an  attractive 
little  residence  and  fine  outbuildings  and  there  is  every  modern  facility  for  caring 
for  the  fruit  and  protecting  and  cultivating  his  trees.  He  raises  alfalfa  between 
the  trees  in  his  orchard,  thus  making  the  land  yield  a  double  crop. 

On  the  25th  of  December,  1888,  Mr.  Lanfear  was  married  to  Miss  Elnora  Acker- 
man,  of  New  York,  a  sister  of  W.  P.  Ackerman,  of  New  Plymouth,  Idaho.  They 
are  the  parents  of  three  children.  William  F.,  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  married 
Aphie  Shamberger,  a  native  of  Missouri,  and  their  family  now  numbers  four  chil- 
dren: Charles  E.,  Louis  A..  Helen  L.  and  Forest  V.  Grace  is  the  wife  of  Lee  Ader 
and  the  mother  of  two  children.  Hazel  is  at  home  with  her  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lanfear  are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  locality  and  his  life  record  illus- 
trates what  may  be  accomplished  through  a  spirit  of  enterprise  supplementing  un- 
faltering diligence  and  industry. 


SPENCER  V.  RAYMOND. 


Spencer  V.  Raymond,  a  retired  farmer  living  at  Rexburg,  was  born  at  Luke 
Fork,  Wyoming,  while  his  parents  were  crossing  the  plains  on  their  way  to  Utah, 
his  natal  day  being  July  12,  1852.  His  parents  were  William  W.  and  Almira  (Cut- 
ler) Raymond,  natives  of  New  York.  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
drove  across  the  plains  from  New  York  to  Utah  in  1852.  On  the  night  on  which 
Spencer  V.  Raymond  was  born  the  Indians  stole  all  the  horses  from  the  party  and 
they  had  to  harness  their  cows  to  the  wagons  in  order  to  complete  the  journey. 
They  settled  at  Lehi,  Utah,  where  the  father  took  up  land,  which  he  cultivated  and 
developed,  am!  aftet  living  in  that  locality  for  some  time  he  removed  to  Plain  City, 
Utah,  where  he  again  engaged  in  farming,  spending  his  remaining  days  there.  He 
was  the  president  of  a  branch  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
for  a  number  of  years  and  was  a  most  devout  and  consistent  churchman.  He  died  in 
1882,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1900. 

Spencer  V.  Raymond  spent  his  youthful  days  in  Plain  City  and  there  acquired 
ftis  education.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  attained  his  majority  and  then 
took  up  a  homestead  in  Plain  City,  or  rather  preempted  land,  which  he  continued 
to  till  until  1879.  In  that  year  he  removed  to  Menan,  Jefferson  county,  Idaho, 
where  he  entered  a  homestead  claim  and  at  once  bent  every  energy  to  the  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  the  property.  He  remained  thereon  for  fifteen  years  and 
then  sold  his  farm,  purchasing  another  tract  of  land.  His  attention  was  given  to 
general  agricultural  pursuits  until  1913,  when  he  removed  to  Rexburg,  where  he 
has  since  carried  on  dairying.  While  upon  his  farm  he  made  a  specialty  of  handling 
pure  bred  Jersey  cattle.  During  the  period  of  his  residence  at  Menan  he  conducted 
a  store  and  butcher  shop  for  a  time,  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  cattle  and  farming 
interests  at  Blackfcot,  Idaho.  His  business  affairs  have  been  wisely  and  carefully 
managed.  His  diligence  and  industry  have  enabled  him  to  overcome  all  difficulties 
and  obstacles  in  his  path,  which  indeed  have  seemed  to  serve  as  an  impetus  for 
renewed  effort  on  his  part. 

On  the  23d  of  December,  1873,  Mr.  Raymond  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Ells- 
worth, a  daughter  of  Edmund  and  Mary  A.  (Dudley)  Ellsworth,  who  were  natives  of 
New  York  and  New  Hampshire  respectively.  The  mother  drove  an  ox  team  across 
the  plains  when  but  twelve  years  of  age.  She  died  December  14,  1916.  The  parents 
are  mentioned  more  at  length  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Edmund  Ellsworth 
on  another  page  of  this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Raymond  became  the  parents  of  thir- 
teen children,  but  only  one  is  now  living,  Vanness  S.,  who  is  a  physician  practicing 
at  Pocatello,  Idaho,  and  residing  at  Blackf6ot.  He  is  married  and  has  eight  chil- 


144  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

dren.     Aside  from  Dr.  Raymond,  the  other  children  of  the  family  all  died  when  but 
two  or  three  weeks  old. 

Mr.  Raymond  and  family  belong  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  in  which  he  is  a  high  priest.  At  Menan  he  served  as  bishop's  counselor  for 
thirteen  years,  and  he  has  also  been  Sunday  school  teacher  and  ward  teacher.  His 
political  endorsement  is  given  to  the  republican  party,  but  while  he  keeps  well 
informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  he  has  never  sought  nor  desired 
office.  He  has  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  business  interests 
and  for  a  long  period  was  a  successful  farmer  and  stock  raiser  but  is  now  con- 
centrating his  energies  upon  dairying  and  is  meeting  with  good  success  in  this 

connection. 

*  

CHARLES   ROBERTSON. 

Charles  Robertson,  who  has  contributed  in  substantial  measure  to  the  horti- 
cultural and  agricultural  development  of  Canyon  county  and  now  makes  his  home 
in  the  vicinity  of  Caldwell,  where  he  owns  a  valuable  property,  was  born  in  Louisa 
county,  Iowa,  October  28,  1844.  He  there  attended  the  public  schools  to  the  age 
of  fourteen  years,  after  which  he  assisted  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm 
for  two  years,  when  he  joined  the  Seventh  New  Jersey  Infantry  and  served  through- 
out the  Civil  war,  being  a  lad  of  but  sixteen  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment.  He 
participated  in  various  campaigns,  marches  and  battles  and  proved  his  loyalty  to  the 
cause  wherever  he  was  found.  After  the  war  he  went  to  California,  where  he 
remained  for  a  short  time  and  then  removed  to  the  Boise  valley  of  Idaho.  For  a 
year  he  engaged  in  prospecting  and  then  devoted  two  years  to  farming.  He  after- 
ward learned  the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  ten  years  in  the  Boise 
valley  and  at  Silver  City,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  once  more  resumed  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  through  the  intervening  period  has  owned  several  fine  ranches 
besides  one  on  which  he  resides.  The  farm  adjoining  his  home  he  owned  for  twenty 
years  and  it  is  now  the  property  of  his  son.  For  some  years  Mr.  Robertson  engaged 
in  raising  fruit  and  has  done  his  full  share  to  develop  the  fruit  industry  of  the 
state.  He  has  grown  and  pulled  up  three  orchards  and  the  land  is  now  seeded  to 
grain.  He  has  recently  disposed  of  ten  acres  across  the  road  from  his  home  for 
two  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  a  fact  indicative  of  the  increased  value  of  property 
in  this  section  of  the  state. 

In  1867  he  prospected  all  through  the  Salmon  River  country  and  over  its 
ninety  miles  of  Malad  lava  beds,  and  in  that  distance  he  and  his  partner  killed  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  rattlesnakes.  They  were  on  their  way  to  Leesburg,  a  mining 
camp  which  had  just  been  located,  but  when  they  arrived  they  found  that  the 
camp  was  not  proving  remunerative.  On  the  return  trip  they  took  a  short  cut  in 
order  to  avoid  the  snake  infested  country  and  undertook  to  cross  the  Thousand 
Spring  valley  by  a  trail  which  was  recommended  to  them.  They  found  so  many 
game  trails,  however,  that  they  were  unable  to  tell  one  from  the  other  and  wandered 
about  in  a  fruitless  attempt  to  gain  the  right  path.  For  three  days  they  had  been 
without  food  when  finally  they  struck  the  old  emigrant  road  and  met  some  parties 
who  divided  their  supply  of  food  with  them  and  would  accept  no  pay  for  it.  Mr. 
Robertson  and  his  companions  then  made  their  way  to  Boise  without  further 
trouble,  and  through  the  intervening  period  to  the  present  Mr.  Robertson  has  de- 
voted his  attention  to  general  farming  and  fruit  raising  and  has  met  with  a  sub- 
stantial measure  of  success. 

In  1871  Mr.  Robertson  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  Herold,  a  native  of  Illinois 
and  a  daughter  of  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Idaho,  who  crossed  the  plains  from  Illinois 
with  an  ox  team  in  1862.  He  arrived  ultimately  in  Boise  and  then  made  his  way 
to  Idaho  City  with  a  pack  mule.  After  two  years  in  this  state  he  removed  to 
Oregon,  but  in  1869  returned  to  Idaho,  where  he  remained  until  1874,  when  he 
went  to  Iowa,  where  he  passed  away  in  1918  at  the  very  venerable  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  There  were  eight  children  in  his  family  and  on  their  trip  to  Idaho 
City  each  one  rode  a  pack  mule,  making  the  trip  at  the  season  when  the  ground 
was  covered  with  snow.  Mrs.  Robertson  was  then  five  years  of  age  and  there  were 
two  children  younger  than  herself.  While  the  family  were  en  route  to  Idaho  from 
the  east  with  a  wagon  train  and  the  party  was  in  camp  on  the  Snake  river  a  little 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  145 

child  strayed  from  camp  and  could  not  be  found.  The  Indians  at  that  time  were 
very  treacherous  and  troublesome  and  people  were  killed  in  parties  both  preceding 
and  following  their  own.  Mrs.  Robertson  remembers  seeing  a  man  who  was  lynched 
by  a  crowd.  He  was  dragged  by  her  cabin  to  a  nearby  stream,  where  he  was  allowed 
to  remain  until  the  following  day,  having  been  hanged  for  killing  two  brothers  who 
refused  to  play  cards  with  him. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robertson  have  been  born  two  children:  Arthur  D.,  who  lives 
on  the  place  adjoining  his  father's  farm  and  which  was  formerly  owned  by  his 
father;  and  Lina  May,  the  wife  of  William  Rigley,  of  Portland,  Oregon.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Robertson  have  reared  three  children,  of  whom  they  are  very  fond  and  to 
whom  they  have  given  excellent  educational  opportunities.  These  are:  Ella  Agnes 
Rigley,  now  the  wife  of  Robert  Mowbray  and  the  mother  of  one  child,  Leona;  and 
Mamie  Myrtle  and  Bertha  Ellen  Rigley. 

Such  in  brief  is  the  history  of  Charles  Robertson,  who  is  familiar  with  every 
phase  of  pioneer  life  in  the  northwest  and  who  has  lived  to  witness  the  remarkable 
development  and  growth  of  this  section  of  the  country  as  it  has  emerged  from 
pioneer  conditions  to  take  on  all  of  the  improvements  of  present  day  civilization. 


W1LLARD  DETRICK. 

Willard  Detrick,  who  follows  farming  in  Payette  county,  near  New  Plymouth, 
was  born  at  Leon,  Decatur  county,  Iowa,  November  6,  1872,  a  son  of  Charles  W. 
Detrick,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  latter  is  also  a  native  of  Iowa, 
born  at  Fort  DPS  Moines,  April  15,  1850,  and  was  a  son  of  Andrew  Jackson 
Detrick,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee  and  went  to  Iowa  in  1849,  becoming  the 
editor  and  publisher  of  the  Leon  Pioneer,  which  he  published  until  the  time  of 
the  Civil  war.  He  th"en  sold  the  paper  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  Third 
Iowa  Cavalry,  being  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  Upon  his  return  to 
Iowa  he  again  became  owner  of  the  paper,  changing  its  name  to  the  Democrat 
Reporter.  This  paper  is  still  in  existence  as  the  Leon  Reporter.  Willard  Detrick 
has  a  copy  of  the  last  edition  of  the  paper  which  his  grandfather  edited.  Andrew 
J.  Detrick  passed  away  at  Des  Moines  in  1892  and  was  buried  at  Leon.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Susan  Harrington,  was  a  native  of  Illinois 
and  died  in  the  Payette  valley  in  1894.  Charles  W.  Detrick  married  Rhoda 
Brown,  a  native  of  Indiana  and  a  daughter  of  William  and  Christie  Brown.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Charles  W.  Detrick  now  reside  on  a  forty-acre  farm  within  a  short 
distance  of  the  home  of  their  son,  Willard.  They  came  to  the  Payette  valley  in 
1900  and  homesteaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  of  which  they  still 
retain  forty  acres. 

Willard  Detrick  has  been  identified  with  farming  interests  in  the  Payette 
valley  since  he  homesteaded  a  place  of  eighty  acres.  Later  he  purchased  an  addi- 
tional eighty-acre  tract  from  his  father  on  the  same  day  that  he  and  his  father, 
J.  A.  Whittet  and  Allen  Steegal  all  made  their  final  proof  on  section  23,  township 
7  north  and  4  west.  It  seldom  happens  that  an  entire  section  is  proven  up  on 
the  same  day.  Willard  Detrick's  land  was  all  covered  with  sagebrush  and  he  had 
no  means  of  irrigating  it.  As  the  years  have  passed,  however,  he  has  wrought 
great  changes  and  he  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Black  Canyon  Irrigation 
District,  giving  untiring  effort  to  the  promotion  of  the  success  of  that  project.  He 
now  carries  on  general  farming,  raising  alfalfa  and  grain,  and  also  to  some  extent 
raises  cattle,  horses  and  sheep.  His  father's  farm  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  state 
and  Willard  Detrick,  being  a  progressive  and  enterprising  young  men,  is  doing 
everything  in  his  power  to  promote  the  further  development  of  his  place  and  is 
alive  to  everything  tending  toward  the  improvement  of  this  section  and  of  the 
state  in  general.  He  has  upon  his  farm  a  modern  residence,  wired  throughout 
for  electricity  and  supplied  throughout  with  running  water. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1904,  Mr.  Detrick  was  married  to  Miss  Beatrice 
Langley,  a  native  of  the  Payette  valley  in  Canyon  county,  Idaho.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Jennie  (Maryatt)  Langley,  the  former  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
the  state,  having  crossed  the  plains  before  the  era  of  railroad  building.  Langley 
Gulch  was  named  in  his  honor  and  is  nine  miles  in  length,  being  considered  one 
of  the  finest  pieces  of  land  in  the  state.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Detrick  have  been  born 

Vrl.   Ill— 10 


146  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

six  children:      Pauline,  Dora  May,   Oliver  Willard,   Winifred   Ruth,   Charles   Lewis 
and  Robert  Allen. 

From  pioneer  times  Willard  Detrick  has  been  identified  with  Idaho  and  her 
progress.  He  has  a  greatuncle,  Rieley  Harrington,  a  brother  of  his  grandmother 
Detrick,  who  lives  on  Hornet  creek,  at  Council,  Adams  county,  Idaho,  and  who 
became  one  of  the  pioneer  hunters  and  trappers  of  the  state,  having  here  made 
his  home  for  more  than  fifty  years.  With  many  phases  of  development  in  the 
west  the  Detrick  family  has  been  closely  associated  and  Willard  Detrick  is  pos- 
sessed of  the  same  spirit  of  enterprise  that  prompted  his  grandfather  to  aid  in 
the  colonization  of  Iowa  many  decades  ago. 


E.  G.  NELSON. 

In  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  grove  of  trees  of  his  own  planting  stands  the  residence 
of  E.  G.  Nelson,  who  is  one  of  the  progressive  farmers  of  Canyon  county,  conducting 
his  interests  along  lines  that  show  him  to  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  modern  scien- 
tific methods  of  crop  cultivation.  A  native  of  Sweden,  he  was  born  April  28,  1868,  an-1 
came  to  America  with  his  parents,  Gustav  and  Christine  (Hendrickson)  Nelson,  in 
1869.  The  parents  settled  first  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1880  removed 
to  Nebraska,  where  the  father  became  a  pioneer  farmer,  continuing  active  in  the 
development  of  the  soil  there  until  about  five  years  prior  to  his  death,  when  he  retired 
from  active  business.  He  passed  away  in  1906  at  the  age  of  seventy,  and  his  wife  died 
in  the  same  year  at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 

E.  G.  Nelson  was  but  a'  year  old  when  brought  to  the  new  world,  and  his  boyhood 
and  youth  were  therefore  passed  in  Pennsylvania  and  Nebraska,  where  he  became 
familiar  with  the  practical  work  of  the  farm.  After  completing  his  education  he  took 
up  farming,  which  he  followed  in  Nebraska  for  thirteen  years  and  then  removed  to 
Idaho,  settling  in  the  Deer  Flat  district  of  Canyon  county,  eight  miles  southwest  of 
Caldwell,  in  1905.  Here  he  homesteaded  eighty  acres  of  sagebrush  land  which  he 
cleared  and  then  had  to  wait  three  years  for  water.  In  the  meantime  he  earned  a 
living  by  working  on  the  construction  of  an  irrigation  ditch  for  the  reclamation 
service  and  thus  was  able  to  provide  for  his  family.  His  land  is  now  planted  to  corn, 
hay,  alfalfa  and  grain,  and  he  also  has  a  four  acre  orchard.  Potatoes  are  his  most 
profitable  crop.  He  also  raised  hogs  in  large  numbers  until  the  high  cost  of  grain 
made  this  unprofitable.  He  is  planning  in  1920  to  plant  sweet  clover,  as  it  is  a  great 
fertilizer  and  makes  a  bigger  and  better  crop  than  alfalfa.  He  has  a  beautiful  grove  of 
trees  upon  his  place  which  he  planted,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  grove  stands  a  com- 
fortable and  substantial  residence. 

In  1892  Mr.  Nelson  was  married  to  Miss  Josephine  Lake,  a  native  of  Indiana,  who 
removed  with  her  parents  to  Nebraska  during  her  youth.  Her  father  and  mother 
have  now  passed  away.  Mr  and  Mrs.  Nelson  were  married  in  Fullerton,  Nebraska, 
and  have  become  parents  of  seven  children:  Lula  B.,  the  wife  of  Dale  J.  Gilman  and 
now  the  mother  of  two  children,  Lawrence  Nelson  and  Ralph  Calvin;  Elsie  Maud,  who 
is  the  wife  of  G.  F.  Miller  and  has  one  child,  Doris  Nita;  Edward  E.,  who  married  Mary 
Rose  Shaw  and  has  two  children.  Clarence  Edward  and  Evon  Iva;  Audrey  F.,  who  is 
the  wife  of  W.  R.  Bates  and  has  three  children,  Louise,  Aloha  and  Virginia  June;  and 
Elizabeth  May,  Theresa  Eleanore  and  Royal  Stewart,  who  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Nelson  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  removal  to  the  northwest.  While 
in  the  early  days,  before  his  land  was  irrigated,  he  found  it  difficult  to  gain  a  start, 
he  has  since  developed  a  valuable  farm  property,  from  which  he  derives  a  substantial 
annual  income. 


WILLIAM  STRODE. 


William  Strode  represents  important  commercial  interests  in  Nampa  in  con- 
nection with  Young's  Transfer  Company,  of  which  he  is  the  manager.  Moreover, 
he  has  been  closely  connected  with  the  public  life  of  the  city,  having  held  the 
position  of  city  treasurer  for  several  terms.  He  was  born  in  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon, 
October  10,  1877,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sophie  (Yost)  Strode,  the  former  a 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  149 

native  of  Tennessee  and  the  latter  of  Kentucky.  In  1852  the  father  went  to  Cal- 
ifornia, where  he  engaged  in  mining  until  he  removed  to  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon. 
He  passed  away  June  3,  1901,  having  long  survived  his  wife,  whose  death  occurred 
January  22,  1886.  In  their  family  were  eight  children:  Harvey;  Leroy,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  live  stock  business  in  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon;  Sophie,  deceased;  John, 
who  also  is  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business  in  Oregon;  James,  engaged  in  the  cloth- 
ing business  in  Nampa,  where  he  has  served  on  the  city  council;  Charlie  and  George, 
both  of  whom  are  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business  in  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon; 
and  William. 

The  last  named  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  Boise,  Idaho,  in  1880,  and  there 
the  father  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  mining  but  later  turned  his  attention  to  the 
raising  of  stock  in  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon,  while  later  he  again  made  Boise  his 
home.  In  the  graded  schools  of  that  city  Mr.  Strode  of  this  review  was  largely 
educated  and  subsequently  attended  high  school,  from  which  he  received  his  cer- 
tificate in  1896.  He  then  joined  his  father  in  stock  raising  but  in  1903  sold  his 
interest  therein  and  entered  the  lumber  business  in  Nampa,  becoming  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Nampa  Lumber  Company.  After  ten  years  he  disposed  of  hia 
interests  in  that  enterprise  and  organized  the  Young's  Transfer  Company,  of  which 
he  is  now  the  efficient  manager  and  head.  Its  importance  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  they  do  a  general  storage  and  transfer  business  which  requires  the  employ- 
ment of  between  fifteen  and  twenty  people.  The  storage  building  is  seventy-five 
by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  three  floors  and  basement,  and  for  transferring  they 
use  five  trucks  and  four  teams.  Through  the  failure  of  the  Bank  of  Nampa,  of  which 
he  once  served  as  assistant  cashier,  Mr.  Strode  lost  ten  thousand  dollars,  but  un- 
dismayed and  undiscouraged,  he  set  out  to  recuperate  his  losses  and  how  well 
he  has  succeeded  in  evident  from  the  prominent  position  which  he  now  occupies  in 
the  commercial  circles  of  his  city. 

Mr.  Strode  has  always  taken  a  foremost  part  in  promoting  tLe  growth  and 
expansion  of  Nampa  and  for  one  term  served  as  councilman,  a  term  which  was 
fraught  with  visible  results,  for  it  was  during  his  incumbency  that  the  city  hall 
and  fire  station  were  built.  As  city  treasurer  he  rendered  service  to  his  community 
for  two  terms  and  instituted  many  short  cuts  and  simplified  methods  of  great 
benefit  and  convenience  to  the  public.  Fraternally  Mr.  Strode  belongs  to  the  Benevo- 
lent Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  in  which  organizations  he 
is  popular.  While  he  is  an  aggressive  young  business  man,  a  man  typical  of  the 
west,  who  clearly  follows  out  his  plans  in  order  to  reach  his  goal,  yet  always  holds 
to  the  highest  principles,  he  is  genial  and  pleasant  in  manner  and  has  many  friends 
in  Nampa. 


E.   D.    EMERSON. 

E.  D.  Emerson  was  a  lad  of  but  seven  years  when  he  became  a  resident  of 
Idaho  and  through  the  intervening  period  he  has  not  only  been  a  witness  of 
the  growth  and  development  of  the  state  but  has  also  contributed  to  its  progress,, 
especially  along  agricultural  lines.  He  was  born  in  Kansas.  March  7,  1875,  and 
is  a  son  of  J.  M.  and  Martha  (Brilhart)  Emerson.  The  mother,  who  is  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  still  survives  and  is  living  at  Nampa,  Idaho. 

E.  D.  Emerson  spent  the  first  seven  years  of  his  life  in  the  Sunflower  state 
and  was  then  brought  by  his  parents  across  the  plains  in  1882,  the  trip  being 
made  with  wagon  and  mules.  The  family  home  was  established  in  Nez  Perce 
county,  where  the  father  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
and  thereon  E.  D.  Emerson  continued  to  reside  until  1903,  when  his  wife  home- 
steaded  their  present  place  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  Mr.  Emerson  is  now 
engaged  in  raising  alfalfa,  getting  three  crops  per  year  and  two  tons  at  each 
cutting.  This  land  when  homesteaded  was  covered  with  sagebrush  and  other  wild 
growth,  as  was  also  the  surrounding  country.  The  homestead  was  entered  in 
the  year  in  which  the  preliminary  survey  was  being  made  for  the  Boise-Payette 
projeot.  Since  then  Mr.  Emerson  has  purchased  one  hundred  and  ten  acres 
of  land  adjoining  the  homestead,  which  he  will  plant  to  alfalfa.  He  is  raising 
hay  and  alfalfa  and  fattens  cattle  for  the  market,  and  both  branches  of  his  busi- 
ness are  proving  profitable.  He  is  a  tireless  and  diligent  worker  who  has  ever  realized 


150  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the   value  of   unfaltering  industry   and   has   thereby    won    a   substantial    measure   of 
success. 

It  was  in  1902  that  Mr.  Emerson  wedded  Miss  Dessie  Roberts,  of  Oregon,  and 
they  are  now  pleasantly  located  about  sixteen  miles  southwest  of  Caldwell.  They 
have  gained  many  warm  friends  during  the  period  in  which,  they  have  lived  in 
this  section  of  the  state  and  are  everywhere  spoken  of  in  terms  of  warm  regard. 
Mr.  Emerson  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  altogether  for  about  thirty-eight  years 
and  through  this  period  has  witnessed  remarkable  changes  as  the  work  of  devel- 
opment and  improvement  has  been  carried  forward- by  a  resolute  and  enterprising 
class  of  citizens  who,  utilizing  the  natural  resources  of  the  state,  have  made 
the  desert  to  bloom  and  blossom  as  the  rose. 


WILLIAM  BEAVERS. 

William  Beavers,  a  general  cement  contractor  of  Boise,  conducting  business 
in  this  city  since  1900,  was  born  in  New  York  city,  November  19,  18S2,  his 
parents  being  Ernest  and  Eliza  Beavers,  natives  of  Germany,  who  were  married 
in  New  York.  Both  are  now  deceased.  The  father  was  a  butcher  by  trade. 

When  but  ten  years  of  age  William  Beavers  ran  away  from  home  and  came 
to  the  west.  He  first  made  his  way  to  Sun  River,  Montana,  where  he  found 
employment,  and  there  continued  for  five  years.  In  1878,  when  sixteen  years  of 
age,  he  returned  to  New  York  city  to  visit  his  parents,  but  the  lure  of  the  west 
was  upon  him  and  in  1879  he  returned  to  Montana,  where  he  followed  mining 
at  Maiden  and  elsewhere,  and  subsequently  he  spent  two  years  in  Arizona.  In 
1901  he  arrived  in  Boise  and  through  the  intervening  period  he  has  been  engaged 
in  business  as  a  general  cement  contractor.  He  has  built  the  foundations  for 
dozens  of  Boise  buildings  and  many  miles  of  sidewalks.  Among  the  buildings 
on  which  he  has  had  contracts  for  cement  work  is  the  Statesman  building  and 
several  of  the  leading  garages.  At  this  writing  he  is  engaged  in  the  foundation 
work  for  the  two  largest  buildings  now  being  erected  in  Boise.  He  resides  at 
No.  410  Reserve  street,  in  a  solid  concrete  nine-room  residence  two  stories  in 
height,  which  he  erected  about  six  years  ago. 

Mr.  Beavers  was  united  in  marriage  in  1905  to  Miss  Jessie  Harvey,  of  Boise, 
a  daughter  of  the  late  Charles  Harvey  and  a  sister  of  Gus  Harvey,  a  well  known 
sheepman  of  Idaho.  They  have  one  daughter,  Eva,  now  twelve  years  of  age. 
By  a  former  marriage  Mr.  Beavers  has  a  son,  William  G.,  who  is  twenty-two 
years  of  age  and  is  associated  with  his  father  in  contract  work. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Beavers  is  a  Mason  of  high  rank,  having  become  a  Knight 
Templar  in  Boise  Commandery  and  also  a  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is 
loyal  to  the  teachings  and  purposes  of  the  craft,  being  in  thorough  sympathy  with 
its  basic  principles. 


ALBERT  H.  McCONNELL. 

Albert  H.  McConnell,  who  is  actively  identified  with  farming  interests  in  the 
Fruitland  district  of  Payette  county,  was  born  at  Marysville,  California,  December 
21,  1861.  His  father,  David  A.  McConnell,  was  a  native  of  Westmoreland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  went  to  California  in  1849  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 
He  followed  mercantile  pursuits  there  and  established  a  chain  of  stores  in  the 
mining  sections  of  that  state.  He  became  one  of  the  active  and  influential  men  of 
California  and  was  interested  in  many  enterprises  which  were  contributing  factors 
to  the  development  of  the  commonwealth.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Central  Pacific  Railroad  and  was  an  intimate  of  Cyrus  W.  Field.  It  was  only  by 
mere  chance  of  fate  that  he  was  not  associated  with  Field  in  the  building  of  the 
Atlantic  cable.  Under  contract  with  the  United  States  government  he  conducted 
pack  train?  in  Oregon  and  Washington  during  the  Indian  wars.  He  filled  the  office 
of  supervisor  in  Yuba  county,  California,  and  he  was  the  builder  of  the  levee  around 
Marysville  to  keep  out  the  flood  waters  of  the  Sacramento  river.  In  politics  he  took 
a  keen  interest  and  was  a  man  of  influence  in  party  ranks.  In  many  ways  he  left 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  151 

the  impress  -of  his  individuality  and  ability  upon  the  history  of  the  far  west  but 
ultimately  left  that  section  of  the  country  for  the  east.  While  still  in  California 
he  was  married  in  that  state  to  Miss  Elizabeth  McMath,  a  native  of  Michigan,  and 
in  1872  they  removed  to  Michigan,  where  Mr.  McConnell  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business.  Three  years  later  he  went  to  Pittsburgh.  Pennsylvania,  where  he  entered 
the  real  estate  business  with  his  brother  Robert, .but  after  a  year  and  a  half  he  went 
to  Colorado,  where  he  became  largely  interested  in  stock  raising  and  mining.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  active  figures  in  the  development  of  Gunnison  county,  Colorado, 
and  was  known  by  everyone  in  that  district  as  a  most  honorable,  progressive  and 
upright  man.  He  died  in  1904,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  while 
his  wife  passed  away  on  the  old  homestead  in  Gunnison  county,  Colorado,  in  1917. 
In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  A.  McConnell  were  six  children:  Edward  R., 
Albert  H.,  William  N.,  Idella  K.,  Mary  E.  and  Nellie  E.  All  are  yet  living  in  Colo- 
rado with  the  exception  of  Albert  H.  and  William  N.  McConnell,  who  are  now  resi- 
dents of  Fruitland,  Idaho. 

It  was  in  August,  1908,  that  Albert  H.  McConnell  came  to  his  present  home, 
where  he  purchased  seventy  acres  of  land,  forty  acres  of  which  he  still  retains. 
He  has  twenty-five  acres  planted  to  fruit,  mostly  apples  and  prunes,  and  produced 
in  1919  a  splendid  crop,  selling  his  apples  at  one  dollar  and  seventy-five  cents  per 
box.  His  home  is  located  on  the  state  highway  and  is  one  of  the  valuable  farm 
properties  of  the  district.  Mr.  McConnell  was  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  in 
Colorado  and  owned  one  of  the  largest  and  best  ranches  in  that  state  in  Gunnison 
county,  where  he  had  fourteen  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  over  one  thousand  head 
of  cattle.  It  was  for  the  benefit  of  his  health  that  he  removed  to  Idaho  and  here  he 
has  found  good  business  opportunities,  which  he  has  improved  to  the  benefit  and 
upbuilding  of  the  state  as*  well  as  to  the  promotion  of  his  own  fortunes. 

In  1901  Mr.  McConnell  was  married  to  Miss  Marie  Johnson,  a- native  of  Virginia, 
and  to  them  have  been  born  two  children,  Harry  A.  and  Nellie  E.,  both  in  school. 
Payette  county  gained  a  substantial  and  valued  citizen  when  Mr.  McConnell  decided 
to  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  settlers  of  this  district.  Here  his  labors  have  been  at- 
tended with  good  results  in  the  reclamation  and  development  of  wild  land  and  he  is 
now  conducting  a  prosperous  business  and  is  classed  with  the  leading  agriculturists 
and  horticulturists  of  his  neighborhood. 


CHARLES  H.   EAGLESON. 

Charles  H.  Eagleson  is  engaged  in  ranching  and  in  the  live  stock  business,  in 
which  undertaking  he  is  identified  with  three  of  his  brothers,  who,  however,  leave 
the  operation  of  the  ranch  to  him.  He  resides  upon  the  property  and  bends  every 
energy  to  its  further  development  and  improvement  with  good  results.  He  is  the 
youngest  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew  H.  Eagleson  and  was  born  in  Jefferson,  Greene 
county,  Iowa,  June  12,  1876.  Further  mention  of  his  father  is  made  elsewhere  in 
this  work,  which  also  contains  a  biographical  record  of  his  brother,  Ernest  G. 
Eagleson,  who  is  mayor  of  Boise,  and  John  W.  Eagleson,  state  treasurer  of  Idaho. 
The  family  is  prominent  in  the  state,  closely  associated  with  public  activities  and 
interests. 

Charles  H.  Eagleson  was  a  young  lad  when  the  family  removed  to  Boise  from 
the  state  of  Nebraska  in  the  early  '90s  and  was  but  five  years  of  age  when  re- 
moval was  made  from  Iowa  to  Nebraska.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  latter  state  and  of  Boise  and  later  attended  the  Nebraska  Agricultural  College 
at  Lincoln.  Since  putting  aside  his  textbooks  he  has  followed  civil  engineering 
and  farming,  the  greater  portion  of  his  time,  however,  being  devoted  to  agricultural 
pursuits  and  the  live  stock  business  in  connection  with  the  firm  of  A.  H.  Eagleson 
&  Sons,  an  incorporated  concern,  which  was  composed  of  the  father  and  his  four 
sons,  Ernest  G.,  John  W.,  Harry  K.  and  Charles  H.  The  father  was  president  of 
the  company  to  the  time  of  his  death.  The  firm  operates  the  large  Eagleson  ranch 
on  the  "Boise  bench,  south  of  the  city  of  Boise,  embracing  twelve  hundred  acres  of 
fine  farm  land.  They  specialize  in  the  raising  of  Aberdeen  Angus  cattle  and  fine 
hogs,  and  their  crop  production  includes  alfalfa  and  various  grains.  The  business 
management  of  the  farm  is  well  entrusted  to  Charles  H.  Eagleson,  a  progressive 
and  representative  rancher,  whose  labors  are  being  attended  with  substantial  success 


152  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

On  the  19th  of  September,  1906,  Mr.  Eagleson  was  Carried  to  Miss  Mary 
Haynes  Craig,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  who  had  been  an  acquaintance  and  schoolmate 
of  his  boyhood  days  at  Craig,  Nebraska,  a  town  which  was  named  in  honor  of  her 
father,  William  S.  Craig,  the  founder  of  the  town.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eagleson  have  one 
son,  William  Craig  Eagleson,  who  was  born  August  13,  1907. 

Mr.  Eagleson  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine, 
and  the  principles  that  govern  his  life  are  further  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he 
belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  entered  the  officers  training  camp  at 
Eugene,  Oregon,  in  October,  1918,  and  was  there  when  the  armistice  was  signed  on 
the  llth  of  November.  His  loyalty  in  citizenship,  like  his  progressiveness  in  busi- 
ness, is  an  outstanding  feature  in  his  career. 


HON.  DAVID  W.   MOFFATT. 

Judge  David  W.  Moffatt,  of  Nampa,  is  not  only  ably  discharging  his  duties  as 
police  judge  but  also  is  performing  the  functions  of  city  clerk,  being  at  this  writing 
at  the  head  of  both  offices.  He  is  a  conscientious  and  trustworthy  official,  giving 
the  best  that  is  in  him  to  the  service  of  the  public.  He  was  born  at  Sioux  City, 
Iowa,  May  23,  1880,  a  son  of  David  and  Rachel  (Watson)  Moffatt,  the  former  a 
native  of  Mendota,  Illinois,  born  in  July,  1843,  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Iowa. 
The  grandparents  of  our  subject  on  both  sides  were  of  American  and  Scotch  descent. 
The  father  was  connected  with  oil  development  in  Wyoming  and  was  markedly  suc- 
cessful along  that  line,  although  he  was  ahead  of  his  times.  Recently,  however, 
other  members  of  the  family  have  developed  four  gas  wells,  which  are  now  pro- 
ducing about  twenty-five  million  feet  of  gas  a  day,  and  arrangements  are  now 
under  way  to  pipe  it  to  Casper,  Wyoming,  where  it  will  be  used  for  fuel  and  light- 
ing, while  the  balance  will  be  refined  for  gasoline.  The  father  was  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  war  and  received  body  wounds  at  the  battle  of  Donaldson,  Kentucky,  from 
which  he  suffered  ever  afterward.  His  death  in  July,  1911,  may  be  partly  ascribed 
to  this  cause.  Three  years  before  his  demise  he  made  his  home  in  Nampa,  where 
his  widow  is  now  residing  with  our  subject. 

At  the  age  of  five  years  David  W.  Moffatt  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ne- 
braska and  in  that  state  he  attended  the  graded  and  high  schools,  graduating  from 
the  latter.  He  was  then  a  student  in  Ottumwa  College  at  Ottumwa,  Iowa.  For  eight 
years  after  his  arrival  in  Nampa  Mr.  Moffatt  was  connected  with  the  Nampa  Department 
Store  and  while  thus  connected  he  was  elected  to  his  present  office  of  city  clerk  in  June, 
1918.  He  is  also  performing  the  duties  of  police  judge.  He  is  not  in  the  least  a 
politician  in  the  commonly  accepted  sense  of  the  word,  but  on  the  contrary  this 
is  the  first  experience  of  Mr.  Moffatt  in  public  life.  He  has,  however,  in  a  com- 
paratively short  time  demonstrated  his  ability  as  well  as  his  worth  and  the 
general  public  is  highly  pleased  with  the  businesslike  way  in  which  he  discharges 
his  duties.  As  clerk  he  is  efficient  and  work  moves  quickly  off  his  hands,  while 
as  judge  he  is  fair,  conscientious  and  impartial. 

Judge  Moffatt  was  united  in  marriage  in  Nebraska  to  Ruth  Lemen  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Hope,  who  is  attending  high  school,  and  a 
son,  Donald,  twelve  years  of  age.  The  family  are  popular  in  social  circles  of 
Nampa,  where  they  have  many  friends.  Recently  the  judge  sold  his  home  but  at 
this  writing  expects  to  rebuild. 


JOSEPH  COOK. 

Joseph  Cook,  a  farmer  of  Cassia  county,  is  the  own'er  of  four  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  fine  ranch  land  which  he  has  brought  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  or 
converted  into  excellent  pasturage  for  his  stock,  for  he  follows  both  farming  and  stock 
raising.  He  was  born  in  Tooele  county,  Utah,  September  12,  1868,  and  is  a  son  of 
George  and  Maria  (Robbins)  Cook.  The  parents  were  born  in  Yorkshire,  England, 
where  they  were  reared  and  married.  The  father  operated  a  blast  furnace  in  his 
native  country  and  in  1866  he  came  to  the  United  States,  settling  first  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah.  He  traveled  across  the  plains  with  ox  teams  and  after  reaching  his  desti- 


JOSEPH   COOK 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  155 

nation  was  engaged  in  the  butchering  business  for  a  time.  Later  he  took  up  a  home- 
stead twenty  miles  southwest  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  his  original  home  was  a  log  cabin. 
He  continued  the  work  of  developing  and  improving  the  property  and  remained  thereon 
until  1876,  when  he  removed  to  Idaho.  He  then  entered  from  the  government  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  constituting  a  part  of  the  farm  now  owned  by  his  son 
Joseph.  Again  he  built  a  log  cabin  and  once  more  began  the  arduous  task  of  develop- 
ing new  land  and  converting  it  into  rich  and  productive  fields.  He  lived  an  active, 
busy  and  useful  life,  continuing  fhe  further  development  of  the  property  until  his  de 
raise,  which  occurred  in  1888.  when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  sixty-one  years.  For 
three  years  he  had  survived  his  wife,  who  passed  away  in  1885,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one. 
He  was  a  republican  but  not  an  active  politician,  for  he  gave  his  undivided  time  and 
attention  to  his  farm  work  in  order  to  provide  a  comfortable  living  for  his  family. 

Joseph  Cook  spent  his  boyhood  days  upon  the  old  home  ranch,  for  he  was  only 
eight  years  of  age  when  the  family  removed  from  Utah  to  Idaho.  He  was  reared  to 
farm  life,  early  becoming  familiar  with  the  best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  caring 
for  the  crops.  In  1898  he  purchased  the  farm  and  has  since  erected  a  fine  stone  resi- 
dence. He  has  carried  forward  the  work  of  development  and  improvement  along  all 
modern  lines  and  has  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm  from  time  to  time  by 
additional  purchase  until  he  now  has  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  fine  land.  He 
raises  the  various  crops  best  adapted  to  soil  and  climatic  conditions  here  and  he  also 
raises  sheep  and  horses,  both  branches  of  his  business  proving  profitable. 

In  1891  Mr.  Cook  was  married  to  Miss  Edna  Albertson,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and 
Mary  J.  (Hepworth)  Albertson.  Mrs.  Cook  was  born  in  Utah,  where  her  parents  had 
settled  in  pioneer  times.  They  removed  to  Idaho  in  1876,  taking  up  their  abode  upon  a 
ranch  southwest  of  the  present  farm  of  Mr.  Cook,  Mr.  Albertson  also  devoting  his  life 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cook  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children: 
llene,  Violet,  Cherub,  Inez,  Alta  and  Jodie. 

Politically  Mr.  Cook  is  a  republican,  having  supported  the  party  since  age  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  With  the  history  of  Cassia  county  he  is 
thoroughly  familiar.  When  he  came  to  Idaho  the  town  of  Albion  had  not  been  started 
and  the  country  was  known  as  the  Marsh  Basin.  The  Indians  were  numerous,  camping 
along  the  creeks,  and  there  was  every  evidence  and  indication  of  pioneer  life  with  its 
attendant  hardships  and  privations.  Hailey  was  the  nearest  market  and  the  family 
also  at  times  drove  to  Kelton  and  Wood  River  for  supplies,  making  all  these  trips 
by  team.  Mr.  Cook  is  familiar  with  all  the  various  phases  of  Cassia  county's  develop- 
ment and  progress  and  the  work  undertaken  by  his  father  in  pioneer  times  has  been 
splendidly  carried  forward  by  him  according  to  the  progressive  methods  of  modern 
agriculture. 


BRIGHAM  RICKS. 

Brigham  Ricks,  who  is  following  farming,  his  home  being  in  Rexburg,  was 
born  in  Logan,  Utah,  April  27,  1860,  his  parents  being  Thomas  E.  and  Tabitha 
(Hendricks)  Ricks,  of  whom  mention  is  made  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of 
their  son,  Thomas  E.  Ricks,  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Brigham  Ricks  was  reared  and  educated  in  Logan  and  remained  with  his  par- 
ents to  the  time  he  attained  his  majority.  He  afterward  engaged  in  railroad  work 
in  the  employ  of  his  father,  who  was  a  railroad  contractor.  He  spent  a  year  in 
that  way  and  in  1883  came  to  Madison  county,  Idaho,  which  at  that  time  was  a 
part  of  Oneida  county  and  extended  from  Utah  to  Montana.  He  filed  on  land 
which  is  now  within  the  corporation  limits  of  Rexburg.  improved  the  property 
and  has  continuously  cultivated  it.  For  twenty  years  he  was  engaged  quite  ex- 
tensively in  raising  sheep  and  cattle  but  discontinued  this  in  1917.  In  the  early 
days  he  had  much  trouble  and  suffered  many  losses  on  account  of  horse  and 
cattle  thieves  and  one  such  criminal  was  killed  in  Mr.  Ricks'  cabin.  In  addition 
to  his  farm  property  Mr.  Ricks  filed  on  town  lots  in  Rexburg,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home,  now  occupying  a  fine  dwelling,  while  his  industry  and  enterprise 
have  brought  to  him  a  measure  of  success  that  classes  him  with  the  representa- 
tive and  prosperous  citizens  of  his  community.  While  engaged  in  sheep  raising 
he  made  a  specialty  of  Cotswolds  and  his  cattle  were  of  the  Durham  breed.  He 


156  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

is  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers  Implement  Company  and  in  the  Wool  Warehouse 
&  Storage  House  of  Chicago. 

In  January,  1881,  Mr.  Ricks  was  married  to  Miss  Clara  Larson,  a  daughter 
of  Christian  and  Ellen  L.  (Olson)  Larson,  who  were  natives  of  Fredericksburg, 
Norway,  and  came  to  America  in  1873,  settling  in  the  Cache  valley  of  Utah. 
The  father  was  a  cook  on  shipboard  for  a  number  of  years.  Before  crossing  the 
Atlantic  and  after  taking  up  his  abode  in  Logan,  Utah,  he  worked  in  an  imple- 
ment store,  but  was  only  permitted  to  enjoy  his  new  home  for  a  brief  period,  pass- 
ing away  in  August,  1873,  only  a  few  months  after  reaching  that  state.  His  wife 
died  in  September,  1885.  In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ricks  are  eleven  chil- 
dren, namely:  Brigham  C.,  Oliver,  Clara,  Mary  A.,  Harriet,  George,  Wesley,  Al- 
bert, Louise,  Lorin  and  Clifton,  all  of  whom  are  living, 

Mr.  Ricks  gives  his  political  endorsement  to  the  republican  party  and  has 
served  on  the  school  board  but  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office 
seeking.  He  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  is  a 
high  priest.  For  twenty-six  months  he  filled  a  mission  to  the  northeastern  states. 
He  has  ever  done  what  he  could  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  church  and  the  exten- 
sion of  its  influence  and  has  been  an  interested  witness  of  and  an  active  factor 
in  the  work  of  development  and  progress  in  the  community  in  which  he  makes 
his  home. 


CHARLES    M.    JOHNSON. 

Charles  M.  Johnson,  one  of  the  pioneers  and  prosperous  citizens  of  South 
Boise,  took  up  his  abode  in  the  capital  city  in  1894  but  has  been  a  resident  of 
Idaho  since  1888,  having  through  the  intervening  six  years  lived  in  Canyon  county. 
He  came  to  the  northwest  from  Sycamore,  Dekalb  county,  Illinois,  when  a  young 
man  of  twenty-two  years  and  unmarried.  He  spent  five  years  in  Payette  and 
Canyon  counties  in  the  employ  of  A.  Rossi  &  Company,  the  firm  being  composed 
of  Alexander  Rossi  and  W.  H.  Ridenbaugh,  who  were  engaged  in  the  sawmill 
and  lumber  business.  Mr.  Johnson  remained  in  the  employ  of  that  firm  for  twenty 
years  altogether,  five  in  Payette  and  Canyon  counties  and  fifteen  years  at  their 
old  mill  in  South  Boise.  This  mill  was  removed  from  Payette  county  to  South 
Boise  in  1894  and  Mr.  Johnson  came  at  the  same  time.  During  the  last  five-year 
period  of  the  twenty  years  which  he  spent  with  the  firm  he  was  head  sawyer. 
Th«e  mill  stopped  full  work  about  1908,  since  which  time  Mr.  Johnson  has  given 
his  attention  to  other  matters  and  interests. 

During  the  two  decades  he  had  spent  with  the  firm  he  had  carefully  saved 
his  earnings  and  made  some  excellent  realty  investments  in  South  Boise,  so  that 
the  management  of  his  property  fully  claims  his  time  and  attention  at  present. 
He  purchased  some  lots,  built  a  home  on  one  of  them  for  his  own  use  twenty- 
three  years  ago  and  today  his  premises  give  every  evidence  of  thrift  and  prosperity. 
The  house  is  surrounded  by  a  well  kept  lawn  adorned  with  fine  shrubbery  and 
shade  and  fruit  trees,  and  in  fact  everything  about  the  place  is  that  of  a  well  ap- 
pointed suburban  home  and  displays  not  only  good  taste  but  efficient  care.  There 
is  no  trace  of  neglect  to  be  found  anywhere.  A  few  blocks  away  from  his  home 
Mr.  Johnson  purchased  five  acres  several  years  ago,  covering  several  city  blocks, 
and  this  has  been  converted  by  him  into  a  miniature  farm.  Along  the  borders  of 
the  property  are  fine  maple  and  other  shade  trees  and  every  square  foot  of  the  tract 
has  been  brought  to  a  highly  productive  state,  being  devoted  to  the  raising  of  fruit, 
berries,  alfalfa  and  garden  products  and  also  furnishing  a  grazing  lot  for  his  Guernsey 
cattle,  which  he  keeps  for  family  use. 

On  the  llth  of  September,  1895,  Mr.  Johnson  was  married  to  Anna  C.  Swan- 
strom.  who,  like  her  husband,  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  his  birth  having  occurred 
December  6,  1868,  while  Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in  1869.  He  was  twenty  years  of 
age  when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  while  Mrs.  Johnson  was  a  young  woman  of 
eighteen,  and  they  became  acquainted  in  Illinois.  They  have  two  children  living: 
Elmer  C.,  twenty-three  years  of  age,  who  was  in  a  camp  in  New  Jersey  at  the  time 
the  World  war  closed;  and  Esther  M.,  a  young  lady  of  twenty-one  years,  who  is 
teaching  in  the  public  schools. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.     For  thirty-two 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  157 

years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  made  his 
home  in  South  Boise,  where  he  has  contributed  to  the  industrial  development  and 
where  his  wise  judgment  in  the  management  of  his  affairs  and  the  investment  of 
his  profits  has  brought  him  to  a  position  among  the  men  of  affluence  in  the  community. 


CHARLES  W.  DETRICK. 

Charles  W.  Detrick,  Identified  with  farming  in  Payette  county,  near  New 
Plymouth,  is  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Iowa,  his  birth  having  occurred 
at  Des  Moines,  April  15,  1850.  His  father,  Andrew  Jackson  Detrick.  a  native  of 
Indiana,  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war  who  served  with  cavalry  forces  and  was 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  He  married  Susan  Harrington,  a  native  of 
Virginia,  and  it  was  in  1849  that  they  became  residents  of  Iowa,  casting  in  their 
lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  that  state.  There  the  father  published  and  edited 
the  Leon  Pioneer  up  to  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  when  he  sold  the 
paper,  but  after  the  cessation  of  hostilities  he  purchased  it  again  and  changed  the 
name  to  the  Democrat  Reporter,  a  paper  that  is  still  in  existence  under  the  name 
of  the  Leon  Reporter. 

Charles  W.  Detrick  was  educated  in  Iowa  and  there  followed  the  trade  of 
brickmaking  until  he  came  to  Idaho  in  1900.  Here  he  homesteaded  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  the  Payette  valley,  of  which  he  still  retains  forty  acres, 
carrying  on  general  farming  and  to  some  extent  raising  fruit.  He  has  spent  several 
thousand  dollars  in  improvements  on  his  place,  and  he  and  his  wife  in  their  de- 
clining years  are  enjoying  a  goodly  share  of  the  comforts  of  life,  which  have  come 
to  them  through  their  toil  and  industry  in  former  years.  Their  home  is  situated 
in  a  beautiful  grove  of  fruit  and  shade  trees  and  they  well  deserve  all  the  pleasure 
that  life  can  bring  to  them. 

Mr.  Detrick  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rhoda  Brown,  a  native  of  Indiana 
and  a  daughter  of  William  and  Christie  Brown.  This  marriage  was  blessed  with 
four  children:  L.  P.,  who  is  at  home;  Willard,  who  is  married  and  is  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  work;  and  two  who  have  passed  away.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Detrick  enjoy 
the  warm  regard  of  all  who  know  them  and  for  nineteen  years  have  been  residents 
of  Idaho.  Their  sterling  worth  is  attested  by  those  with  whom  they  have  come  in 
contact  and  everywhere  they  are  spoken  of  in  terms  of  respect  and  goodwill. 


M.  M.  GLADISH. 

M.  M.  Gladish  occupies  a  fine  old  home  on  the  corner  of  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful wooded  avenues  in  America.  His  place  is  situated  in  the  Fruitland  district 
of  Payette  county  and  is  largely  devoted  to  the  raising  of  apples  in  a  region  that  is 
fast  becoming  famous  for  the  production  of  fine  fruit.  Mr.  Gladish  was  born  near 
Bowling  Green,  Warren  county,  Kentucky,  January  16,  1838.  His  father,  Elijah 
Gladish,  was  also  a  native  of  Kentucky,  while  his  parents  were  natives  of  North 
Carolina.  Elijah  Gladish  on  attaining  manhood  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  P.  Cook,  a  native  of  Virginia  and  of  German  descent.  In  the  year  1841, 
M.  M.  Gladish  of  this  review  accompanied  his  parents  to  Missouri,  where  his  father 
purchased  land  at  four  dollars  per  acre.  He  settled  in  Lafayette  county,  near  Lexing- 
ton, and  there  passed  away  on  the  old  homestead  many  years  later.  His  wife  de- 
parted this  life  in  1873,  but  Mr.  Gladish  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six 
years,  his  death  occurring  in  1896. 

M.  M.  Gladish  was  a  little  lad  of  but  three  years  when  his  parents  went  to 
Missouri,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  he  joined 
the  army,  becoming  a  first  lieutenant  in  the  Seventy-fifth  Missouri  Regiment,  with 
which  he  served  until  the  close  of  hostilities  in  1865.  After  the  war  was  over  he 
engaged  in  merchandising  at  Warrensburg,  Missouri,  and  also  at  Higginsville,  La- 
fayette county,  where  he  remained  until  1900,  when  he  came  to  the  Payette  valley 
of  Idaho  and  located  on  his  present  place  of  two  hundred  acres,  since  which  time, 
however,  he  has  disposed  of  all  except  thirty-five  acres  of  land,  this  being  all  that 


158  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

he  chooses  to  take  care  of  at  the  present  time.  He  has  twelve  acres  planted  to 
fruit,  having  a  splendid  apple  orchard,  which  yielded  about  five  thousand  boxes 
of  apples  in  1919.  The  remainder  of  his  land  is  planted  to  hay  and  grain  and  the 
farm  is  a  splendidly  developed  property,  most  beautifully  situated. 

In  1874  Mr.  Gladish  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  McKee,  a  second  cousin 
of  General  Grant.  They  became  the  parents  of  one  child,  who,  like  the  mother,  has 
passed  away.  In  1880  Mr.  Gladish  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Fannie  E.  Mills,  a  daughter  of  Sir  Henry  Mills,  of  Dublin,  Ireland.  Her  death 
occurred  in  1906.  There  were  three  children  of  that  marriage:  Elijah,  deceased; 
Henry  A.,  thirty-six  years  of  age,  who  is  at  home  with  his  father  and  who  was 
educated  in  Missouri  and  at  Pleasant  View,  Idaho;  and  William  D.,  who  was  killed 
in  1900  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  pistol  that  was  supposed  to  be  empty. 

While  Mr.  Gladish  has  now  reached  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-one  years,  he 
is  still  an  active  business  man,  displaying  at  all  times  a  most  progressive  spirit. 
His  farming  interests  have  ever  been  carried  on  along  lines  of  modern  progress  and 
improvement.  He  has  a  fine  packing  house  and  cold  storage  plant  upon  his  place 
and  there  is  every  facility  to  care  for  his  fruit.  From  the  time  that  he  located 
in  Idaho  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Farmers  Cooperative 
•Ditch  Company  and  for  many  years  was  president  of  the  board.  He  is  keenly 
interested  in  everything  that  has  to  do  with  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  resides  and  his  aid  and  cooperation  have  always  been  counted 
upon  and  freely  given  in  behalf  of  any  project  or  plan  for  the  general  good. 


O.  F.   SHORT. 

O.  F.  Short,  a  farmer  and  orchardist  of  Ada  county,  living  near  Eagle,  has  so 
directed  his  energies  and  his  activities  as  to  win  a  very  substantial  measure  of  success, 
indicated  in  the  beautiful  home  that  he  occupies — one  of  the  most  attractive  places 
in  his  section  of  the  state.  Mr.  Short  was  born  in  Leaven  worth,  Kansas,  August  7, 
1866,  a  son  of  O.  F.  and  Celia  C.  (Catlin)  Short.  The  father  removed  to  Kansas  in 
early  manhood  and  there  established  and  published  the  Atchison  Champion.  He 
was  also  a  government  surveyor  and  surveyed  nearly  the  entire  state  of  Kansas,  being 
active  in  that  work  from  the  '50s  until  1874,  when  he  was  killed  by  Indians  about 
forty  miles  south  of  Fort  Dodge.  In  the  surveying  party  were  Mr.  Short,  his  son, 
D.  T.,  Allen  Shaw  and  his  father,  .John  Hay  Kuchler  and  another  man,  all  of  whom 
were  massacred  by  the  Indians.  General  Miles  captured  the  murderers  and  they 
were  all  kept  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  for  a  year  and  then  sent  to  St.  Augustine, 
Florida.  Finally  they  were  brought  back  and  released  at  Omaha,  Nebraska,  on 
promise  of  good  behavior,  but  they  immediately  began  depredations  again  and  were 
never  punished  for  their  crimes.  Many  of  them  are  living  today  on  the  Rosebud 
reservation  in  Montana,  where  General  Custer  was  killed.  The  mother  of  O.  F.  Short 
of  this  review  died  in  1912,  at  Grand  Junction,  Colorado.  Fannie  Kelly,  the  famous 
white  queen  of  the  Sioux  Indians,  who  was  captured  as  a  child  by  the  red  men,  inter- 
ceded with  the  Indians  for  Mrs.  Short  following  the  massacre  of  her  husband  and 
obtained  from  the  Indians  five  thousand  dollars  for  her. 

O.  F.  Short  of  this  review  came  to  Idaho  with  his  uncle,  Truman  C.  Catlin,  who 
in  time  was  known  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  stockmen  of  the  state.  Mr.  Short 
worked  for  his  uncle,  riding  the  range  and  driving  cattle  from  Idaho  to  Omaha, 
Nebraska.  He  was  also  employed  on  his  uncle's  ranch  in  Montana,  handling  cattle. 
In  1887,  however,  he  returned  to  Kansas  and  was  there  married  to  Miss  Florence 
Smith,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Truman  C.  Catlin.  They  were  children  together  on  Eagle 
Island  in  Idaho  and  Mr.  Short  fondly  cherishes  the  memory  of  Mrs.  Catlin  as  the  per- 
son who  reared  himself  and  his  wife. 

In  1889  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Short  came  to  Idaho  and  took  charge  of  the  farm  of  T.  C. 
Catlin,  comprising  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  near  Eagle.  Of  this  property  Mr. 
Short  afterward  purchased  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  but  has  since  sold  all  of 
the  place  save  fifty-five  acres,  upon  which  he  now  resides.  Of  this  thirty  acres  is 
planted  to  prunes  and  his  is  one  of  the  finest  prune  orchards  of  the  state.  The  remain- 
der of  his  land  is  devoted  to  general  farming.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Short  have  been  born 
two  children.  Margaret,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  A.  E.  Boyd,  of  Boise,  is  the  mother 
of  four  children:  Alvin;  James  and  Francis,  twins;  and  Florence  Grace.  Oliver 


O.  F.  SHORT 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  161 

Francis  Short,  Jr.,  the  second  child,  married  Ada  Bays.    On  August  30,  1919,  he  met 
an  accidental  death,  leaving  a  wife  and  one  child,  Mary. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Short  are  now  most  pleasantly  situated  in  life.  They  have  erected 
upon  their  farm  one  of  the  beautiful  homes  of  Idaho — a  fine  residence  built  entirely 
of  cobblestones  in  attractive  architectural  design.  The  living  room  is  beamed  in  old 
mission  style  and  the  house  is  modern  throughout.  It  contains  fifteen  rooms,  with 
large  windows  and  broad  porches,  with  a  wide  lawn  surrounding  it,  and  its  furnish- 
ings indicate  the  cultured  taste  of  the  owners.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Short  well  deserve  the 
prosperity  that  has  come  to  them  as  the  reward  of  his  business  enterprise  and 
progressiveness. 


J.    ALBERT  GALLAHER. 

J.  Albert  Gallaher  occupies  valuable  acreage  property  near  Boise.  He  was 
formerly  identified  with  the  bar  but  is  now  living  retired  from  active  connection 
with  the  profession  of  law.  He  was  born  in  Peoria,  Illinois,  April  19,  1860,  and  is 
the  only  living  son  of  the  late  Joseph  H.  Gallaher,  who  passed  away  at  his  home  in 
South  Boise  in  1904,  in  his  eighty-third  year,  after  which  his  remains  were  taken 
back  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  for  interment  by  the  side  of  his  wife,  who  had  passed 
away  in  Jefferson,  Iowa,  on  the  19th  of  January,  1900.  Joseph  H.  Gallaher  was 
born  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  and  was  of  Irish  and  French  descent.  He  was 
married  at  Belle  Vernon,  Pennsylvania,  to  Miss  Diana  Walker  Speers,  whose  birth 
occurred  at  Belle  Vernon  in  1822,  their  marriage  being  celebrated  about  1842, 
when  he  was  twenty-one  and  his  wife  twenty  years  of  age.  Mr.  Gallaher  engaged 
in  the  dry  goods  business  in  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  there  in  1854  at 
the  time  of  the  big  fire  which  destroyed  thirteen  hundred  houses.  All  of  his  prop- 
erty was  swept  away  by  the  conflagration,  and  his  spirit  of  indomitable  enterprise 
was  shown  in  the  fact  that  he  was  the  builder  of  the  first  building  in  the  burned 
district.  Four  years  later,  or  in  1858,  he  disposed  of  his  property  in  Pittsburgh 
and  removed  to  Peoria,  Illinois.  In  1869  he  went  to  Jefferson,  Greene  county,  Iowa, 
where  he  had  entered  a  section  of  land  in  1854,  paying  the  usual  government  price 
of  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre.  Jefferson  afterward  became  the  county  seat 
and  about  one-half  of  the  town  is  built  on  the  lots  which  Mr.  Gallaher  sold.  He 
followed  merchandising  at  Jefferson,  Iowa,  until  1881  and  then  retired  from  active 
business  with  a  very  substantial  competence.  In  1890,  while  still  residing  at  Jeffer- 
son, he  came  to  Boise  and  purchased  a  quarter  section  of  land  south  of  the  Boise 
river,  of  which  one  hundred  acres  is  now  within  the  corporation  limits  of  the  city. 
He  had  the  prescience  to  recognize  something  of  what  the  future  had  in  store  for 
the  district  and  believed  that  his  land  would  rapidly  increase  in  value.  He  paid 
seventy  dollars  per  acre  for  the  property,  which  was  at  that  time  considered  a  high 
price  for  Idaho  ranch  land.  One  hundred  acres  of  the  tract  was  then  in  alfalfa 
and  there  were  many  who  believed  that  it  would  never  increase  to  any  material 
extent  in  value,  but  in  1896  he  was  offered  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  acre 
for  the  property.  With  the  rapid  growth  of  Boise,  however,  prices  quickly  ad- 
vanced and  in  1908  the  heirs  were  offered  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the 
one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  acres  then  still  owned  by  the  family.  Joseph  H. 
Gallaher  continued  to  live  in  Jefferson,  Iowa,  until  after  the  death  of  his  wife  in 
1900  but  made  it  a  rule  to  come  to  Boise  and  spend  every  summer  and  during  that 
period  harvest  his  crop  of  alfalfa,  which  amounted  to  about  six  hundred  tons 
annually.  Following  the  loss  of  his  wife  he  removed  to  his  ranch  in  South  Boise 
and  there  continued  to  live  until  called  to  his  final  rest. 

His  son,  J.  Albert  Gallaher,  lived  in  Jefferson,  Iowa,  from  1869  until  1913. 
He  was  graduated  from  the  law  department  of  the  State  University  of  Iowa 
in  1884,  after  which  he  opened  an  office  in  Jefferson,  where  he  continued  success- 
fully in  law  practice  for  twenty-eight  years.  He  retired  from  the  bar  in  1913  and 
removed  to  Boise,  Idaho,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home  upon  that  portion  of 
the  Gallaher  ranch  that  he  inherited  from  his  father  when  the  property  was  divided 
among  the  children.  He  has  forty-four  acres  of  the  original  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  and  much  of  this  tract  is  planted  to  fruit.  His  orchards  are  in  excellent 
condition  and  he  makes  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  Rome  Beauty  and  Jonathan 
apples.  He  is  now  farming  and  managing  eighty-eight  acres  of  the  ranch,  one-half 

Vol.  Ill- 11 


162  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

of  this  amount  belonging  to  a  sister  in  Nebraska.  His  orchard  has  one  hundred 
and  sixteen  trees  on  three  acres  and  these  trees  are  over  twenty  years  old.  The 
remainder  of  the  tract  of  eighty-eight  acres  which  he  cultivates  is  planted  to  wheat 
and  alfalfa,  sixty-four  acres  being  given  over  to  the  production  of  wheat.  His 
wheat  crop  in  1918  was  about  sixteen  hundred  bushels,  which  sold  at  three  dollars 
per  bushel  for  seed.  The  Gallaher  ranch  has  a  private  perpetual  water  right,  being 
amply  supplied  from  the  Gallaher  ditch,  which  was  dug  before  the  father  purchased 
the  property.  On  July  23,  1915,  he  subdivided  twenty  acres  into  town  lots  fifty  by 
one  hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  with  an  eighteen  foot  alley,  which  he  is  selling,  and  he 
proposes  erecting  bungalows  for  those  desiring  to  buy. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1900,  in  Chicago,  J.  Albert  Gallaher  was  married  to  Miss 
Katharine  A.  Ball  and  they  have  four  children:  Burrell  L.,  eighteen  years  of  age; 
Raymond  A.,  aged  sixteen;  Lyle  T.,  aged  twelve;  and  Diana  W.,  ten  years  of  age.  The 
mother,  Mrs.  J.  Albert  Gallaher,  owns  valuable  rental  property  in  Chicago,  from 
which  she  derives  a  most  substantial  income.  This  includes  a  half  interest  in  a 
twenty-four  apartment  house,  fronting  on  Washington  park,  at  the  corner  of  Fifty-ninth 
street  and  South  Park  avenue,  which  property  she  inherited  from  a  wealthy  bachelor 
uncle. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gallaher  have  become  widely  known  during  their  residence  In 
South  Boise  and  their  circle  of  frifends  is  constantly  increasing  as  the  circle  of  their 
acquaintance  broadens.  While  a  lawyer  of  much  natural  and  acquired  ability  who 
for  many  years  enjoyed  an  extensive  and  profitable  practice,  Mr.  Gallaher  turned 
with  equal  interest  to  the  development  of  the  ranch,  finding  something  most  stimulat- 
ing in  the  production  of  crops  and  fruit,  and  at  the  same  time  his  land  is  constantly 
increasing  in  value  as  the  district  becomes  more  thickly  settled  and  Boise's  growth 
continues. 


HENRY   DICKMAN. 

Henry  Dickman  is  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  comprising  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  acres  of  rich  river  bottom  land  about  midway  between  Caldwell  and 
Nampa.  Here  he  is  engaged  in  dairying,  in  raising  hogs  and  in  cultivating  grain 
and  hay.  Idaho  numbers  him  among  her  native  sons.  He  was  born  about  eight 
miles  below  Boise,  on  Eagle  Island,  November  3,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  Dick- 
man, Sr.,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  came  to  Idaho  in  the  late  '60s  and  exercised  his 
homestead  right  to  the  extent  of  twenty  acres.  He  also  bought  a  forty  acre  tract 
adjoining  his  original  place.  When  he  first  made  his  way  westward  he  passed 
through  Idaho  going  to  Qregon,  where  he  resided  between  six  and  seven  years  and 
then  returned  to  Idaho,  establishing  his  home  about  six  miles  below  Boise  on  the 
foothill  road.  For  a  considerable  period  he  there  resided  but  about  thirty  years 
ago  sold  that  place  and  took  up  a  timber  culture  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
whereon  he  engaged  in  farming  and  in  stock  raising  for  about  fifteen  years.  He 
then  sold  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  his  land  and  retired  from  business  life, 
establishing  his  home  in  Nampa.  He  had  previously  given  to  his  son  Henry  forty 
acres  of  his  place.  He  died  in  Nampa  in  1916,  whife  his  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Paulina  Miller  and  was  a  native  of  Switzerland,  passed  away  in  Nampa 
in  1909. 

Henry  Dickman  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  acquired  his  education  in 
the  little  country  schoolhouse  near  his  father's  farm,  but  at  twelve  years  of  age 
discontinued  his  studies  in  order  to  assist  his  father  in  the  further  development  and 
improvement  of  the  fields.  He  has  always  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits 
and  has  become  a  prosperous  farmer,  owning  now  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
acres  of  excellent  river  bottom  land,  situated  in  a  northerly  direction  from  Nampa 
and  somewhat  to  the  northwest  of  Caldwell.  Here  he  raises  hogs  and  also  a  few 
beef  cattle,  is  likewise  engaged  in  dairying  and  produces  annually  good  crops  of 
hay  and  grain. 

In  1899  Mr.  Dickman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lyda  Callaway,  a  native 
of  Colorado,  who  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents  in  1884.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
W.  T.  and  Amanda  (Wood)  Callaway.  Her  father  is  now  engaged  in  farming  near 
the  Hickman  place,  but  her  mother  passed  away  in  Texas  in  1904.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dickman  have  been  born  four  children:  Meryl  Echo,  eighteen  years  of  age,  now 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  163 

attending  business  college  in  Boise;  Ola  Lloyd,  sixteen  years  of  age,  at  home;  Collis 
Hugh,  aged  fifteen,  who  is  in  school;  and  Mabel  Fern,  who  is  a  student  in  the 
Nampa  high  school. 

Mr.  Dickman  has  labored  diligently  and  persistently  as  the  years  have  gone  by 
to  provide  for  his  family  and  attain  a  comfortable  competence  for  old  age.  That 
he  is  prospering  in  his  undertakings  is  indicated  by  the  fine  appearance  of  his  farm, 
which  is  cultivated  according  to  most  progressive  methods  and  along  scientific 
lines.  His  labors  are  producing  good  results,  and  Mr.  Dickman  is  well  known  as 
an  enterprising  farmer  of  the  Boise  valley,  in  which  he  has  spent  his  entire  life. 


BYRON  A.  BROWN. 

Byron  A.  Brown,  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising  in  the  .New 
Plymouth  district  of  Payette  county,  was  born  in  McLean  county,  Illinois,  Septem- 
ber 24,  1868,  his  parents  being  A.  C.  and  Mahala  L.  (Phillips)  Brown,  the  latter 
a  native  of  Woodford  county,  Illinois,  and  a  representative  of  a  farming  family  of 
that  locality.  The  father  was  both  a  school  teacher  and  farmer  of  Illinois. 

Byron  A.  Brown  acquired  his  early  education  in  his  native  county  and  then 
attended  the  Illinois  State  Normal  University  at  Normal,  in  addition  to  which  he 
pursued  a  business  course.  He  farmed  in  that  state  until  1901  and  in  1902  came 
west  to  Idaho,  settling  on  his  present  home  place  of  forty  acres  three  miles  west 
of  New  Plymouth.  He  likewise  homesteaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  one  mile 
south  and  three  miles  west  of  the  town  and  eventually  he  sold  the  homestead  to  the 
Payette  Valley  Orchard  Company.  He  has  been  keenly  interested  in  everything 
that  has  tended  to  promote  the  development  of  the  county  along  agricultural  and 
horticultural  lines  or  to  advance  its  irrigation  interests,  upon  which  progress  and  pros- 
perity so  largely  depend.  He  has  served  as  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Farmers' 
Cooperative  Ditch  Company. 

In  1894  Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Miss  Effie  Calder,  of  Illinois,  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Mary  Ann  (Empey)  Calder,  who  were  farming  people  of  Illinois. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  Scotland  and  was  a  British  soldier  for  thirteen  years. 
Her  mother  was  born  in  Bath,  England,  and  was  reared  in  London.  Mrs.  Brown 
has  a  sister,  Miss  Jeannetta  Calder,  who  is  her  neighbor  and  cultivates  five  acres  of 
land.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  three  in  number.  Lyle  M.f  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  married  Rene  Eldridge,  a  native  of  Kansas.  Wendell  P.,  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  is  a  high  school  graduate  and  is  now  located  on  a  twenty  acre 
farm  adjoining  that  of  his  father.  Archie  C.,  three  years  of  age,  completes  the 
family.  Mrs.  Brown  taught  school  for  three  years  in  Illinois  before  her  marriage. 
Mr.  Brown  is  now  providing  for  his  own  household  through  carefully  directed 
agricultural  interests  and  has  a  valuable  farm  property,  giving  his  attention  to  the 
general  cultivation  of  the  place  and  to  the  raising  of  stock,  including  about  one 
hundred  head  of  pure  bred  Hampshire  sheep.  He  produces  various  kinds  of  grain 
and  alfalfa  and  his  business  interests  are  bringing  to  him  deserved  success. 

Mr.  Brown  keeps  in  close  touch  with  all  things  political  and  is  well  posted  on 
the  vital  questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  He  has  been  a  school  trustee  for  two 
terms  and  the  cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  stalwart  champion.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


JESSE  S.   BOONE. 

Jesse  S.  Boone  is  one  of  the  proprietors  and  the  manager  of  the  Early  Dawn 
Dairy,  conveniently  situated  about  two  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Boise.  Here  they 
have  a  most  modern  plant  and  the  business  since  its  establishment  in  the  early 
spring  of  1919  has  developed  with  most  gratifying  rapidity.  Mr.  Boone,  who  is 
concentrating  his  entire  time  and  attention  upon  the  management  of  the  business, 
came  to  Ada  county,  Idaho,  in  1904  from  Montana,  where  he  had  been  located  for 
six  and  a  half  years.  He  is,  however,  a  native  of  Missouri,  his  birth  having  there 
occurred  May  6,  1874.  He  is  a  son  of  Milton  C.  Boone,  a  farmer  and  a  veteran  of 
the  Civil  war,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  in  early  manhood  wedded  Anna  Cunning- 


164  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

ham,  a  native  of  Indiana.  Both  have  now  passed  away.  Jesse  S.  Boone  is  also 
a  descendant  of  Daniel  Boone. 

He  was  reared  and  educated  on  a  farm  in  Missouri  and  in  1897  went  to  Mon- 
tana. He  spent  six  years  in  ranch  and  dairy  life  in  that  state  and  in  1904  came  to 
Idaho,  settling  on  a  fruit  ranch  near  Meridian,  comprising  sixty  acres,  of  which  forty 
acres  was  devoted  to  the  production  of  prunes.  He  is  still  the  owner  of  that 
property  and  resided  thereon  until  the  spring  of  1919,  when  he  removed  to  a  point 
two  miles  south  of  Boise  and  in  connection  with  Clyde  E.  Summers,  the  well 
known  undertaker  and  county  coroner  of  Boise,  established  the  Early  Dawn  Dairy. 
They  have  more  than  one  hundred  fine  cows,  sixty  per  cent  of  them  being  splendid 
specimens  of  the  Holstein-Frisian  breed,  while  the  others  are  Jersey  and  mixed 
breeds.  The  company  built  a  new  dairy  barn,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long, 
supplied  with  stanchions  and  with  large  silos  adjoining.  They  have  a  modern 
dairy  plant  near-by,  in  a  separate  building,  which  is  equipped  with  cooling  and 
clarifying  apparatus,  together  with  bottling  machines  and  washing  and  sterilizing 
equipment.  There  is  also  a  cold  storage  room  in  which  the  pure,  bottled  milk  is 
kept  for  twelve  hours  before  delivered  to  the  seven  hundred  customers  of  the  plant 
in  Boise.  The  Early  Dawn  Dairy  represents  an  investment  of  about  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars.  The  product  of  the  dairy  is  distributed  to  the  retail  trade  by 
three  large  Studebaker  motor  trucks  and  they  now  have  seven  hundred  patrons. 
Mr.  Boone  has  also  been  identified  with  other  business  interests  aside  from  his 
orcharding  and  dairying. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1918,  Mr.  Boone  was  married-  to  Miss  Virginia  Brown,  of 
Meridian,  Idaho,  but  also  a  native  of  Missouri.  She  came  to  this  state  a  few  years 
ago  with  her  parents.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boone  has  been  born  a  daughter,  Melva 
Virginia,  born  October  4,  1919. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Boone  is  a  stalwart  republican  and  was  elected 
county  commissioner  from  the  third  district  in  1916,  filling  the  office  until  January, 
1919,  when  he  refused  to  again  become  a  candidate.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  is  a  prominent  Mason,  having  attained 
the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite,  while  with  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine  he  has  also  crossed  the  sands  of  the  desert.  In  all  matters  of  public  concern 
he  takes  a  deep  and  helpful  interest  and  for  several  years  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  advisory  board  of  the  Idaho  State  Fair  Association. 


ALBERT  W.  OSTNER. 

The  pioneer  history  of  Idaho  bears  the  impress  of  the  activity  of  Albert  W.  Ostner, 
who,  remaining  within  the  confines  of  the  state,  has  supported  policies  that  have  con- 
tributed to  its  upbuilding  and  substantial  development  and  who  continues  a  valued  cit- 
izen of  Boise,  where  he  is  giving  his  attention  to  the  conduct  of  his  property  interests. 
He  has  largely  devoted  his  attention  to  mining  in  Idaho,  to  which  state  he  came  with 
his  parents  in  1864  from  San  Francisco,  California,  where  he  was  born  on  the  29th  of 
May,  1858.  He  is  the  only  living  son  of  Charles  Leopold  and  Julia  (Armbruster) 
Ostner.  The  father  was  the  sculptor  who  made  the  equestrian  statue  of  George  Wash- 
ington that  for  many  years  has  adorned  the  capitol  grounds  at  Boise  and  which  is 
kept  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  well  coated  with  gold  paint. 

Charles  L.  Ostner  was  born  in  Germany  on  the  28th  of  December,  1828,  and  was 
given  excellent  educational  opportunities  in  his  native  land.  He  came  to  the  new 
world  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  making  his  way  to  California,  after  which  he  trav- 
eled through  various  western  states,  identified  closely  with  the  pioneer  life  of  that 
section  of  the  country.  In  1862  he  started  across  the  country  for  Florence,  Idaho,  and 
when  between  Lewiston  and  Florence,  and  between  San  Francisco  and  Florence,  he 
became  bewildered  as  to  directions  and  for  forty  days  and  nights  wandered  about 
without  food,  not  even  having  a  match  with  which  to  start  a  fire,  but  finding  plenty 
of  water  during  that  period.  He  was  eventually  picked  up  unconscious  by  a  man 
known  as  Packer  John,  who  took  him  into  camp,  where  he  was  tenderly  cared  for  by 
the  rough  pioneers  until  restored  to  perfect  health.  Soon  afterward  he  again  started 
upon  the  trip,  returning  to  San  Francisco  for  his  family,  whom  he  then  brought  to 
Idaho.  For  several  years  he  followed  ranching  and  mining  at  Garden  Valley,  Idaho, 
and  met  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  life  in  mining  camps  at  that  period. 


CHARLES  L.  OSTNTCR 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  167 

In  the  winter  of  1864-5  he  had  to  travel  twelve  miles  on  snow  shoes  to  secure  many  of 
the  necessities  of  life,  paying  extremely  high  prices  for  all  commodities.  In  1869  he 
brought  his  family  to  Boise  and  in  the  same  year  he  presented  to  Idaho  the  George 
Washington  statue,  on  which  he  had  spent  four  years  of  labor.  Mr.  Ostner  continued 
to  make  Boise  his  home  throughout  his  remaining  days  but  traveled  largely  during 
that  period,  going  on  trips  to  various  parts  of  the  world.  He  passed  away  in  Boise, 
January  8,  1913,  while  his  wife  died  on  the  8th  of  May,  1916,  both  being  about  eighty- 
five  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  death.  They  were  married  in  1852  and  had  a  family  of 
six  children. 

Albert  W.  Ostner,  the  only  living  son,  has  been  a  resident  of  Boise  since  1869.  He 
has  largely  devoted  his  life  to  mining  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  livery  business  for 
many  years  and  in  the  early  days  owned  and  conducted  stage  lines.  In  pioneer  times 
he  acted  in  the  capacity  of  United  States  arn\y  scout  and  mail  coach  driver  and  he  par- 
ticipated in  the  Indian  warfare  on  the  frontier.  While  a  messenger  for  the  United 
States  government  under  General  Bernard  and  also  while  serving  as  a  scout  he  took 
part  in  a  number  of  engagements  with  the  Indians  and  on  several  occasions  sustained 
minor  wounds.  In  1885  and  1S86  he  served  as  deputy  sheriff  under  P.  E.  Kinney  and 
in  1896  and  1897  he  was  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Boise. 

Mr.  Ostner  was  married  May  11,  1884,  and  has  one  son,  Edward  Clarence,  who 
was  born  February  13,  1885,  and  is  a  prosperous  young  business  man  of  Boise.  Mr.  Ost- 
ner resides  at  the  Ostner  Apartments  at  No  612  State  street,  having  here  a  substantial 
brick  and  stone  building,  to  the  management  and  care  of  which  he  now  largely  devotes 
his  attention.  He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  lodge  and  to  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America  and  also  to  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  More  than  a  half 
century  has  come  and  gone  since  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Idaho  as  a  little  lad  of  six 
years.  There  is  no  phase  of  the  state's  development,  settlement  and  upbuilding  with 
which  he  is  not  familiar  and  his  reminiscences  of  the  early  days  and  his  experiences 
on  the  frontier  are  most  interesting  and  present  a  clear  picture  of  the  history  of  the 
northwest. 


G.  T.  MOORE. 

G.  T.  Moore,  now  serving  for  the  third  term  as  justice  of  the  peace  at  Nampa, 
was  formerly  identified  with  farming  interests  and  won  substantial  success  in  the 
development  and  improvement  of  his  fields  but  is  now  practically  living  retired  from 
business.  He  was  born  at  Columbus,  Bartholomew  county,  Indiana,  May  21,  1852. 
and  in  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  lines  is  descended  from  old  American  fam- 
ilies, his  grandparents  all  being  of  American  birth.  When  G.  T.  Moore  was  but 
six  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  to  Davis  county,  Iowa,  and  after  there  residing 
for  four  years  went  to  Wapello  county,  Iowa,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools 
as  opportunity  offered.  At  times,  however,  it  seemed  necessary  that  he  earn  his 
support  and  he  thus  divided  his  attention  between  work  and  school  until  1877, 
when  he  went  to  western  Kansas,  where  he  engaged  in  contracting  and  building. 
He  followed  that  pursuit  in  various  sections  of  the  west,  including  New  Mexico, 
until  1891,  when  he  came  to  Boise,  Idaho,  where  he  engaged  in  the  same  business 
for  a  year.  He  then  took  up  his  abode  upon  a  farm  near  Nampa  and  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  tilling  the  soil  until  1897,  meeting  with  substantial  success  in  the 
conduct  of  his  farm.  He  has  since  sold  the  property  and  has  practically  retired 
from  business. 

In  1882  Mr.  Moore  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Angie  Manca,  of  Las  Vegas, 
New  Mexico,  but  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  They  are  the  parents  of  nine 
children:  Dr.  Lillian  M.  Moore,  a  teacher  in  the  medical  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  California  through  the  past  four  years;  Ruby  F.,  th.e  wife  of  C.  C.  Tro- 
baugh,  a  farmer  living  near  Bowmont,  Canyon  county,  Idaho;  Esther,  the  wife 
of  George  A.  Johnson,  who  was  for  a  time  associated  with  the  Mountain  States 
Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company  at  Boise,  but  is  now  engaged  in  farming  three 
miles  south  of  Nampa;  W.  I.,  who  has  recently  returned  home  from  active  service 
with  the  United  States  navy,  having  been  chief  of  wireless  on  the  United  States 
Ship  Fanning  and  who  is  now  attending  the  University  of  California  at  Berkeley; 
Ada,  the  wife  of  C.  S.  Collier,  who  is  a  railroad  employe  in  San  Francisco,  Califor- 


168  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

nia;   Annie  Ruth,  who  is  also  attending  the  University  of  California;  and  Margaret, 
George  M.  and  Cecilia,  all  attending  school  in  Nampa. 

Mr.  Moore  is  now  devoting  his  attention  to  the  duties  of  his  office  as  justice  of 
the  peace,  to  which  position  he  has  been  reelected,  so  that  he  is  now  serving  for  the 
third  term.  His  decisions  are  strictly  fair  and  impartial  and  have  "won  golden 
opinions  from  all  sorts  of  people."  He  is  strictly  fair  and  impartial  in  his  rulings 
and  the  same  thoroughness  characterizes  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  that 
marked  the  conduct  of  his  private  business  affairs. 


R.  R.  ALEXANDER. 

R.  R.  Alexander  represents  important  interests  in  Boise  as  manager  of  the 
Northwestern  Teachers  Agency,  which  was  founded  through  his  instrumentality 
about  nine  years  ago  and  now  is  the  largest  organization  of  the  kind  in  the  west, 
covering  eleven  states  as  well  as  Hawaii  and  Alaska.  Mr.  Alexander  brings  to  his 
duties  rare  qualifications,  for  he  is  not  only  a  trained  and  experienced  insurance 
man  but  he  also  has  been  admitted  to  the  Idaho  bar,  and  has  had  experience  as  a 
school  teacher,  principal  and  superintendent.  The  head  offices  of  the  Northwestern 
Teachers  Agency  are  located  at  803  Bannock  street,  with  branches  at  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah;  Berkeley,  California;  and  Helena,  Montana;  and  Mr.  Alexander  directs  the 
various  branches  of  the  organization. 

He  was  born  in  New  Richmond,  Indiana,  in  1882,  a  son  of  Bayless  and  Susie 
Alexander.  He  received  his  education  in  his  native  state,  where  he  attended  the 
common  schools  and  then  prepared  for  entrance  into  college,  subsequently  becom- 
ing a  student  in  Wabash  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1903.  In  that 
year  he  turned  his  attention  to  life  insurance  and  selling  that  commodity  in  In- 
diana and  New  York  city  until  he  finished  law  school.  From  1906  until  1908  he  was 
traveling  auditor  for  the  American  Central  Life  Insurance  Company,  and  then  gave 
up  the  insurance  business  and  turned  his  attention  to  teaching.  He  was  high  school 
principal  at  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho,  in  1908  and  1909,  and  then  became  superintendent 
of  schools  at  Salmon,  Idaho,  and  so  continued  for  two  years,  or  until  1911.  In 
1912  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Idaho  but  since  1911  he  has  given  his  whole 
attention  to  the  important  duties  of  manager  of  the  Northwestern  Teachers  Agency. 
In  1915  he  founded  The  Western  School  Supply  Company  in  Boise,  which  covers 
southern  Idaho  and  eastern  Oregon. 

In  1906  Mr.  Alexander  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lulu  Graves  and  to  this 
union  were  born  five  children,  Richard,  Mildred,  Fred,  Robert  and  Graham.  While 
pursuing  his  law  studies  Mr.  Alexander  became  a  member  of  Chancery  Inn,  a  legal 
fraternity,  and  also  a  member  of  Phi  Beta  Ka^)pa.  He  is  'connected  with  the 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  stands  high  in  Masonry,  in  which  he  has 
reached  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite,  also  being  a  Shriner.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Rotary  Club  of  Boise,  in  the  projects  of  which  he  is  helpfully 
interested  and  ever  stands  for  the  progress  and  growth  of  the  city  which  is  now 
his  home  and  business  headquarters.  In  politics  he  has  not  been  active,  preferring 
to  do  his  duties  as  a  private  citizen,  yet  he  ever  keeps  thoroughly  informed  in 
regard  to  the  issues  of  the  day  as  they  affect  his  home  locality,  his  state  and  the 
nation.  As  a  business  man  Mr.  Alexander  stands  high,  enjoying  the  entire  confi- 
dence of  all  who  have  had  dealings  with  him. 


JOHN   L.   EVANS. 

John  L.  Evans,  identified  with  farming  interest's  at  Rexburg,  was  born  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah,  in  November,  1856,  a  son  of  John  T.  and  Elizabeth  (Lloyd) 
Evans,  who  were  natives  of  Wales.  They  came  to  America  in  the  early  '50s  and 
settled  in  Salt  Lake,  where  the  father  was  employed  in  various  ways  for  a  time. 
He  then  entered  the  service  of  the  Utah  Central  Railroad  Company  as  a  carpenter 
and  spent  twenty-five  years  in  that  connection.  He  took  up  a  homestead  twelve 
miles  southwest  of  Salt  Lake  and  continued  its  cultivation  throughout  his  remain- 
ing days,  passing  away  in  1903,  while  the  mother  survived  until  April,  1916. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  169 

John  L.  Evans  was  reared  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  there  learned  and  followed 
the  carpenter's  trade.  He  also  took  up  the  business  of  sheep  shearing  and  gave 
his  attention  to  the  two  industries  until  1903.  when  he  withdrew  from  carpenter- 
ing, since  which  time  he  has  devoted  his  attention  to  farming.  In  1883  he  came 
to  Madison  county,  then  a  part  of  Oneida  county,  and  filed  on  land.  The  following 
year  he  moved  his  family  to  this  section  of  the  state.  His  land  was  situated  three 
and  a  half  miles  from  Rexburg  and  he  improved  and  cultivated  it  but  later  sold. 
He  then  took  up  his  abode  on  an  eighty  acre  tract  which  his  wife  homesteaded  and 
there  they  lived  until  1918,  when  Mr.  Evans  sold  his  farm  and  removed  to  Rexburg, 
at  the  same  time  purchasing  four  hundred  acres  of  dry  farming  land  thirteen  miles 
southeast  of  Rexburg,  since  which  time  his  attention  has  been  given  to  the  further 
development  and  improvement  of  that  place.  His  home  in  Rexburg  is  a  fine  modern 
bungalow  and  he  is  building  another  for  rent.  He  likewise  has  still  another  resi- 
dence, from  which  he  obtains  a  good  rental.  For  four  years  he  has  been  engaged  in 
sheep  raising  and  at  all  times  he  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life,  his  indefatigable 
energy  and  perseverance  bringing  to  him  substantial  success. 

In  October,  1878,  Mr.  Evans  was  married  to  Miss  Laura  Reed,  of  Salt  Lake 
City,  and  to  them  were  born  six  children,  of  whom  four  died  in  infancy,  the  two 
living  being:  Laura  E.,  the  wife  of  Ernest  Rock,  of  Rexburg;  and  Matilda  II.,  the 
wife  of  J.  C.  Coffin,  living  in  St.  Anthony.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  in 
September,  1891,  and  Mr.  Evans  was  married  in  August,  1892,  to  Mrs.  Charles 
McNeil,  by  whom  he  has  three  children:  Lillian,  who  is  the  wife  of  L.  J.  Neville, 
a  resident  of  Clark  county,  Idaho;  and  Harold  H.  and  Lovere  L.,  both  at  home. 

Mr.  Evans  has  served  as  school  trustee  and  four  times  he  has  been  elected  to 
the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  but  would  not  qualify.  He  belongs  to  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Wood- 
men of  the  World,  while  his  political  belief  is  that  of  the  republican  party.  The 
interests  of  his  life  are  broad  and  varied  and  he  stands  at  all  times  for  progress 
and  improvement  in  relation  to  everything  that  has  to  do  with  the  public  welfare. 


CLARENCE  VERNON  HINKLE. 

Commercial  enterprise  finds  a  worthy  representative  in  Clarence  Vernon  Hinkle, 
who  is  now  filling  the  position  of  manager  with  the  firm  of  Reynolds  Brothers, 
Incorporated,  dealers  in  hardware,  furniture  and  implements  at  Twin  Palls.  Watch- 
ful of  every  avenue  opened  in  the  natural  ramifications  of  trade,  giving  closest 
consideration  to  each  phase  of  the  business  and  losing  sight  of  no  detail,  he  has 
steadily  advanced  the  interests  of  the  house  and  has  gained  for  himself  a  creditable 
place  among  the  leading  merchants  of  his  section  of  the  state. 

A  native  of  Kansas,  Mr.  Hinkle  was  born  upon  a  ranch  near  Ottawa,  that 
state,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1891,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (Bloomer) 
Hinkle.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent  upon  the  home  farm  in  Kansas  and  also  for 
a  part  of  the  time  in  town  and  he  supplemented  his  early  educational  privileges  by 
attendance  at  the  Central  Business  College  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  from  which 
institution  he  was  graduated  in  1909,  being  well  qualified  by  thorough  training  for 
the  practical  and  responsible  duties  of  business  life.  In  the  spring  of  1910  he  came 
to  Twin  Falls,  Idaho,  and  for  a  time  was  engaged  in  farming  west  of  the  town.  He 
afterward  looked  for  a  location  at  various  places  and  subsequent  to  a  visit  to  his 
old  home  in  Kansas  he  returned  to  Twin  Falls  and  became  connected  with  the  firm 
of  Reynolds  Brothers.  He  was  active  in  the  establishment  of  the  Twin  Falls  store 
of  Reynolds  Brothers  in  the  fall  of  1916,  at  which  time  he  became  manager  and 
has  since  remained  in  charge.  The  success  of  the  enterprise  is  due  in  no  small 
measure  to  his  efforts  and  in  all  that  he  does  he  is  actuated  by  a  progressive  spirit 
which  prompts  the  successful  accomplishment  of  his  purpose.  In  his  vocabulary 
there  is  no  such  word  as  fail  and  he  has  now  built  up  a  fine  business,  continuing 
as  manager  of  one  of  the  larger  commercial  enterprises  of  its  kind  in  Twin  Falls. 

In  1915  Mr.  Hinkle  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Maude  Fletcher,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Fletcher  and  a  native  of  Montana,  born  near  Helena.  Her 
father  was  a  prominent  stockman  of  that  district  and  on  leaving  Montana  removed 
to  Twin  Falls,  Idaho.  He  purchased  a  ranch  west  of  the  town  and  continued  its 
cultivation  until  1918,  when  he  retifed  from  active  business  life  and  now  makes 


170  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

his  home  in  the  city.     To  Mr.   and  Mrs.  Hinkle  has  been  born  one  child,  Audrey 
Elizabeth. 

Mr.  Hinkle  votes  with  the  republican  party  and  fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is  a  wide-awake  and  alert  busi- 
ness man,  ready  for  any  emergency,  conscious  of  the  strength  that  comes  from  a 
sane  view  of  business  and  of  life  in  general. 


JAMES   W.    SIDDOWAY. 

No  history  of  Teton  would  be  complete  without  extended  reference  to  James 
W.  Siddoway,  in  whose  death  the  community  lost  one  of  its  most  valued  and 
representative  citizens,  a  man  who  had  contributed  in  marked  measure  to  the 
development  and  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  the  state,  and  who  at  all  times  by 
an  upright  life  and  splendid  characteristics  had  commanded  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  those  who  knew  him. 

He  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  September  14,  1861,  his  parents  being  Robert 
and  Emma  (Jackson)  Siddoway,  who  were  natives  of  England  and  came  to  America 
about  1858.  The  father  remained  in  Pennsylvania  for  a  few  years,  working  at 
the  carpenter's  trade,  and  then  removed  westward  to  Salt  Lake,  where  he  wag 
married.  He  went  to  work  for  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  as  a  bridge  builder 
and  prior  to  that  time  he  assisted  in  building  several  flour  mills.  He  continued 
in  the  railroad  service  throughout  his  remaining  days  and  made  his  home  during 
that  period  in  Salt  Lake  City.  He  died  August  14,  1893,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
years,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  6th  of  June,  1828.  His  wife,  who  was 
born  January  29,  1838,  survived  him  until  January  28,  1917. 

James  W.  Siddoway  spent  his  youth  in  Salt  Lake,  where  he  pursued  his 
education.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  his  marriage  and  devoted  his 
attention  to  farming  and  the  operation  of  a  threshing  machine  near  Salt  Lake, 
continuing  in  the  business  until  1885,  when  he  came  to  Fremont  county,  Idaho. 
Here  he  engaged  in  the  operation  of  a  sawmill  and  later  extended  his  activities 
to  include  the  manufacture  of  flour,  in  which  he  was  engaged  for  several  years. 
He  likewise  preempted  land  and  filed  on  land  adjoining  the  town  of  Teton.  He 
bought  farm  property  from  time  to  time  and  for  many  years  continued  the  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement  of  his  land.  In  partnership  with  his  brother  and  with  James 
Briggs,  his  father-in-law,  he  organized  the  Teton  Mercantile  Company,  which  has 
developed  into  a  big  concern,  and  Mr.  Siddoway  was  the  president  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  He  instituted  a  policy  in  the  conduct  of  the  business  that  led  to  its 
rapid  and  substantial  growth.  His  business  methods  were  ever  of  a  most  progres- 
sive character  and  his  energy  and  industry  brought  him  prominently  to  the  front 
in  everything  that  he  undertook.  He  became  engaged  in  sheep  raising  and  was 
identified  with  that  industry '  for  about  eighteen  years,  during  which  period  he 
was  president  of  the  Fremont  County  Wool  Growers  Association  and  also  was 
president  of  most  of  the  irrigation  companies  in  this  part  of  the  state.  He  recog- 
nized fully  the  opportunities  for  the  development  of  the  region  in  which  he  lived 
and  put  forth  every  effort  to  bring  about  modern  day  progress  and  improvement. 
His  cooperation  was  sought  in  connection  with  every  project  for  the  public  good 
and  it,  was  well  known  that  he  carried  forward  to  successful  completion  whatever 
he  undertook.  In  his  vocabulary  there  was  no  such  word  as  fail.  When  one 
avenue  of  advancement  seemed  closed  he  would  carve  out  another  path  whereby 
he  might  reach  the  desired  goal  and  at  all  times  his  activities  and  purposes  measured 
up  to  the  highest  standards. 

Mr.  Siddoway  was  the  father  of  Teton  and  was  recognized  as  a  most  in- 
fluential factor  in  the  erection  of  the  ward  meeting-house  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  was  likewise  largely  instrumental  in  developing 
the  water  system  for  Teton  and  there  are  few  interests  of  public  concern  with 
which  he  was  not  closely  and  beneficially  associated.  In  addition  to  his  other  in- 
terests he  carried  on  general  farming  for  years  and  was  the  owner  of  two  thousand 
acres  of  land  at  the  time  of  his  demise. 

In  March,  1886,  Mr.  Siddoway  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ruth  A.  Briggs, 
a  daughter  of  James  and  Caroline  (Clark)  Briggs,  who  were  natives  of  England 
and  came  to  America  in  early  life,  starting  across  the  country  with  one  of  the 


JAMES  W.  8IDDOWAY 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  173 

famous  handcart  companies.  His  father  and  his  brother  were  frozen  to  death 
when  on  the  way.  After  reaching  his  destination  Mr.  Briggs  took  up  his  abode 
in  Salt  Lake,  where  he  acquired  land.  This  he  improved  and  cultivated  through- 
out his  remaining  days,  save  for  a  period  of  four  and  a  half  years  spent  in  mis- 
sionary work  for  his  church  in  England.  He  died  in  February,  1905,  while  the 
mother  passed  away  in  March,  1909.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Siddoway  were  born  eleven 
children:  Emma;  J.  Clarence;  Caroline,  who  died  September  18,  1890;  Frank  R.; 
Kennetb  W.;  Edith  C.;  Vera  M.;  C.  Ruth;  Ernest  R.;  Elizabeth;  and  Eva. 

Mr.  Siddoway  ever  remained  a  faithful  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints  and  was  counselor  to  the  bishop  of  Teton  ward  for  fourteen 
years.  His  political  endorsement  was  given  to  the  republican  party  and  he  served 
as  county  commissioner  of  Fremont  county  for  one  term,  was  a  member  of  the 
town  board  of  Teton  and  was  chosen  to  represent  his  district  in  the  state  legisla- 
ture. His  official  duties  were  discharged  with  the  same  thoroughness  and  fidelity 
that  marked  the  conduct  of  his  private  business  affairs.  He  remained  throughout 
his  life  a  strong  man — strong  in  his  honor  and  his  good  name,  strong  in  his  ability 
to  plan  and  perform.  The  sterling  traits  of  his  character  established  him  high 
in  public  regard  and  his  example  should  remain  as  a  source  of  inspiration  and 
encouragement  to  all  who  knew  him. 


MISS  JEANNETTA  CALDER. 

Miss  Jeannetta  Calder  is  actively  identified  with  farming  interests  in  the  Payette 
valley,  having  an  excellent  little  tract  of  land  of  five  acres  near  New  Plymouth. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Ann  (Empey)  Calder,  who  were  farming 
people  of  the  state  of  Illinois.  Her  father  was  born  in  Scotland  and  for  thirteen 
years  was  a  soldier,  in  the  British  army.  Her  mother  was  a  native  of  Bath,  Eng- 
land, but  was  reared  in  the  city  of  London.  Jeannetta  Calder  was  one  of  ten  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  are  still  living  and  upon  her  devolved  the  care  of  her  parents' 
home. 

After  coming  to  Idaho  she  took  up  a  homestead  claim  of  one  hundred  and 
sitxy  acres  about  three  miles  west  of  New  Plymouth,  her  homestead  adjoining 
that  of  her  brother-in-law,  Byron  A.  Brown,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this 
work.  She  entered  the  claim  in  1903  and  later  sold  the  property  to  the  Payette 
Valley  Land  and  Orchard  Company  at  a  good  profit.  She  now  owns  and  supervises 
the  cultivation  of  five  acres  adjoining  the  home  of  her  brother-in-law,  who  has  a 
forty-acre  tract  about  three  miles  west  of  New  Plymouth.  She  has  three  acres 
in  alfalfa  and  two  acres  in  pasture  and  she  keeps  a  cow,  horse  and  chickens.  Miss 
Calder  is  a  woman  of  broad  intelligence  who  is  fond  of  reading  and  keeps  in  touch 
with  the  trend  of  modern  thought  and  progress.  She  has  also  displayed  excellent 
business  ability  and  her  enterprise  and  sound  judgment  have  brought  to  her  sub- 
stantial success. 


RICHARD  R.  BARRY. 

Almost  seventeen  years  have  come  and  gone  since  Richard  R.  Barry  departed 
this  life,  but  he  is  yet  remembered  by  many  who  knew  him  as  a  representative  busi- 
ness man,  a  progressive  citizen  and  a  faithful  friend.  He  was  born  in  Blackstone, 
Illinois,  June  9,  1868,  and  was  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  A.  (Cooper)  Barry. 
The  father,  a  native  of  Ireland,  came  to  America  in  early  life,  settling  in  Illinois, 
where  he  followed  farming  and  speculating.  He  was  the  owner  of  large  tracts  of 
land  there  and  afterward  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days, 
passing  away  in  1907,  while  his  wife  died  in  1900. 

Richard  R.  Barry  spent  the  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  Illinois.  In 
early  life,  however,  he  left  home  and  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  worked  along  various 
lines  for  several  years.  Subsequently  he  went  to  Colorado  and  about  1892  pur- 
chased land  and  engaged  in  cattle  raising  near  Idaho  Falls.  He  built  the  first 
building  on  the  east  side  of  the  railroad  in  Idaho  Falls,  erecting  there  a  business 
block.  He  continued  cattle  raising  throughout  his  remaining  days  and  his  carefully 


174  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

directed  business  affairs  constituted  an  element  in  the  attainment  of  substantial 
success. 

In  May,  1896,  Mr.  Barry  was  married  to  Miss' Sadie  S.  Hopkins,  a  daughter  of 
Ezekiel  and  Prances  A.  (Hendrickson)  Hopkins,  who  were  natyves  ot  Ohio  and 
Illinois  respectively.  The  father  was  a  farmer  who  went  to  Utah  at  an  early  day 
and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  that  state  for  many  years.  Subsequently 
he  removed  to  Idaho,  settling  near  Driggs,  where  he  passed  away  in  December,  1910. 
The  mother  survives  and  is  yet  living  at  Driggs.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barry  were  born 
three  children:  Frances  M.(  Alphonsus  and  Florence  L. 

The  family  circle  was  broken  by  the  hand  of  death  when  on  the  "4th  of  April, 
1903,  Mr.  Barry  was  called  to  his  final  rest.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  Ms  political  allegiance  was 
given  to  the  democratic  party.  He  had  gained  a  wide  acquaintance  in  Idaho  Falls 
and  the  surrounding  country  through  his  business  affairs,  and  his  sterling  worth 
had  firmly  established  him  in  the  regard,  confidence  and  goodwill  of  those  who 
knew  him. 


THOMAS   J.   SHERLOCK. 

Thomas  J.  Sherlock,  manager  since  1910  of  the  Boise  Natatorium,  was  born 
in  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  February  18,  1875.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Portland,  Oregon,  and  in  St.  Michael's  College  and  for  several  years  after  his 
school  days  were  over  he  was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  live  stock  business. 
In  early  manhood  he  spent  ten  years  in  railway  service,  being  mostly  connected 
with  dining  car  service  on  the  Southern  Pacific  and  on  the  line  of  the  Oregon  Rail- 
way &  Navigation  Company,  making  Portland  his  home  and  his  headquarters  until 
1910.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Boise  and  accepted  the  position  of  manager  of  the 
Boise  Natatorium,  in  which  capacity  he  has  since  served  under  eight  different  pro- 
prietors, occupying  the  position  notwithstanding  the  changes  in  ownership.  The 
Boise  Natatorium  is  one  of  the  best  known  places  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States. 
It  has  splendid  equipment  and  is  very  commodious.  It  was  completed  in  1892  at  a 
cost  of  eighty-seven  thousand  dollars  and  the  present  value  of  the  property  is  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  making  it  one  of  the  finest  natatoriums 
in  the  United  States.  It  has  some  unique  features,  including  natural  hot  water,  and 
is  a  famous  bathing  resort.  Mr.  Sherlock  is  a  republican  in  politics.  He  has  mem- 
bership with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  also  with  the  Knights 
of  Columbus. 


W.  B.  MITCHELL. 

While  farming  is  pre-eminently  the  life  work  of  W.  B.  Mitchell,  he  belongs  to 
that  class  of  representative  Americans  whose  resourcefulness  enables  them  to  main- 
tain successful  connections  with  various  lines,  and  in  addition  to  his  agricultural 
activity  Mr.  Mitchell  is  connected  with  the  Parma  State  Bank  and  the  Farmers' 
Co-operative  Ditch  Company.  He  was  born  in  Iowa,  November  26,  1869,  but  for 
forty-four  years  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho,  coming  to  this  state  in  1877  with 
his  parents.  His  father,  Alfred  J.  Mitchell,  was  one  of  the  old  timers  who  ar- 
rived just  before  the  Indian  outbreak.  He  came  overland  from  Kelton,  Utah, 
making  the  trip  from  the  terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  by  wagon.  The 
first  irrigation  system  was  just  being  established  in  Idaho,  at  Eagle,  and  Alfred 
J.  Mitchell  settled  near  Parma,  where  he  became  identified  with  the  agricultural 
development  of  the  region.  He  passed  away  in  Portland,  Oregon,  and  is  still  sur- 
vived by  his  widow,  who  now  makes  her  home  at  Parma. 

While  the  school  training  of  W.  B.  Mitcihell  was  somewhat  limited,  owing  to 
pioneer  conditions,  he  has  been  an  apt  student  in  the  school  of  experience  and 
has  learned  much  from  contact  with  the  world.  He  followed  farming  in  connec- 
tion with  his  father  until  1898,  when  he  homesteaded  eighty  acres  of  land  which 
was  covered  with  sagebrush  and  on  which  he  had  to  turn  the  first  furrow.  He 
has  made  of  it  one  of  the  finest  tracts  devoted  to  diversified  farming  in  the  state, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  175 

everything  upon  the  place  being  of  the  best — from  his  house  to  the  stock.  Every 
modern  improvement  is  found  thereon,  together  with  the  best  farm  machinery, 
and  the  Mitchell  home,  indeed  forms  one  of  the  attractive  features  of  the  landscape. 
Having  prospered  in  his  farming  work,  Mr.  'Mitchell  became  a  stockholder  in  the 
Parma  State  Bank  and  also  a  director  and  the  secretary  of  the  Farmers'  Co-opera- 
tive Ditch' Company,  with  which  he  has  thus  been  connected  since  its  inception  in 
1902.  This  ditch  irrigates  about  sixteen  thousand  acres.  In  1902  it  had  about 
sixty-five  stockholders  and  at  present  has  about  four  hundred. 

In  1898  Mr.  Mitchell  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ella  M.  Nelson,  a  native 
of  Utah,  and  they  have  reared  a  boy  and  a  girl,  having  no  children  of  their  own. 
The  former.  George  D.  Kratzberg.  is  in  the  United  States  service  on  the  Battleship 
North  Dakota.  The  girl,  Beatrice  Ferguson,  is  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mitchell. 

Mr.  .Mitchell  is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow  and  has  been  very  active  in  the 
latter  organization.  He  is  also  connected  witli  its  ladies'  auxiliary,  the  Daughters 
of  Rebekah,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  and  his 
wife  have  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  are  most  valued  and  highly 
esteemed  residents  of  the  community.  Mr.  Mitchell  has  been  associated  with  every 
enterprise  that  has  had  for  its  object  the  advancement  and  upbuilding  of  Parma 
and  of  Canyon  county.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican  party 
and  he  has  been  an  active  worker  in  all  the  campaigns  of  the  county  and  state. 
He  filled  the  office  of  county  commissioner  in  1913  and  1914  and  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  since  attaining  his  majority  and  is  now  chairman  of  the 
board  of  education  of  District  No.  8  of  Parma,  Canyon  county.  His  name  is  insepa- 
rably interwoven  with  the  story  of  progress  and  development  in  this  region,  and  his 
name  appears  high  on  the  roll  of  valued  citizens. 


W.  GRANT  WARD. 

W.  Grant  Ward,  one  of  the  prominent  live  stock  men  of  Canyon  cbunty  whose 
sound  judgment  and  enterprise  are  manifest  in  his  successful  operations,  has  never 
allowed  business,  however,  to  so  monopolize  his  time  and  attention  that  his  duties 
of  citizenship  have  been  neglected.  On  the  contrary,  his  fellow  townsmen,  recog- 
nizing his  devotion  to  the  general  welfare,  have  elected  him  mayor  of  Caldwell 
and  he  is  now  serving  most  acceptably  in  that  office.  He  was  born  in  Chillicothe, 
Missouri,  November  5,  1868,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Woodgate)  Ward, 
who  were  natives  of  Indiana  and  Kentucky  respectively  but  removed  to  Missouri 
in  early  life. 

It  was  in  the  schools  of  his  native  state  that  W.  Grant  Ward  pursued  his  edu- 
cation and  in  1891,  attracted  by  the  opportunities  of  the  growing  west,  he  made 
his  way  to  Boulder,  Colorado,  where  he  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  meat 
business  until  1906.  That  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Caldwell,  where  he  again 
took  up  the  meat  business,  which  he  followed  until  1912,  when  he  sold  his  interests 
along  that  line  in  order  to  concentrate  his  undivided  attention  upon  the  develop- 
ment of  a  live  stock  business  on  a  larger  scale.  In  this  undertaking  he  has  become 
associated  with  partners  under  the  firm  style  of  Baker,  Ward  &  Harrington.  The 
senior  partner  is  interested  in  the  firm  only  in  buying  and  shipping,  while  Messrs. 
Ward  and  Harrington  are  also  engaged  in  raising  live  stock,  owning  land  and  stock 
both  separately  and  together.  The  firm  of  Miller,  Ward  &  Harrington  operate 
stockyards  at  Huntington  and  at  The  Dalles,  Oregon,  while  Messrs.  Ward  and 
Harrington  own  together  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Canyon  county  and  four  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  in  Owyhee  county,  some  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  The 
land  is  operated  as  a  stock  ranch  and  at  the  present  time  they  have  two  hundred 
and  fifty  head  of  stock.  They  are  both  excellent  Judges  of  live  stock,  and  their 
investments  have  been  judiciously  made,  while  their  progressive  business  methods 
have  insured  for  them  a  liberal  and  profitable  trade. 

At  Boulder,  Colorado,  in  1904,  Mr.  Ward  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara 
May  Fowler,  who  was  born  in  Sioux  City,  Iowa.  In  fraternal  affairs  Mr.  Ward 
has  taken  quite  an  active  and  helpful  interest.  It  was  largely  through  his  efforts 
that  the  money  was  raised  to  erect  the  building  for  the  Elks  Lodge  at  Boulder, 
Colorado,  and  upon  him  was  conferred  the  honor  of  laying  the  corner  stone.  He 
devoted  much  of  his  time  to  lodge  work  there  and  was  elected  exalted  ruler.  A 


176  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

life  membership  was  presented  to  him  upon  his  retirement  from  that  position  on 
the  10th  of  April,  1905,  this  being  the  only  life  membership  given  to  anyone  by 
that  organization. 

Since  his  removal  to  the  northwest  Mr.  Ward  has  taken  quite  an  active  interest 
in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  Caldwell  and  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  city  council,  while  on  the  22d  of  April,  1919,  he  was  elected 
mayor  of  the  city.  He  stands  for  progress  and  improvement  in  every  possible  way 
and  was  largely  instrumental  in  promoting  the  vote  for  the  bonds  to  cover  street 
paving  and  the  general  improvement  of  the  streets.  He  is  giving  to  the  city  a 
businesslike  and  progressive  administration,  avoiding  useless  retrenchment  just 
as  much  as  useless  expenditure  of  public  funds  and  guided  in  all  that  he  does  for 
the  city  by  a  high  sense  of  business  integrity  and  responsibility.  He  is  a  man  of 
pleasing  manner  and  of  strong  personality  and  has  a  host  of  friends. 


LORENZO  D.  BROWN. 

Lorenzo  D.  Brown,  a  well  known  resident  of  Pocatello,  has  been  closely  associated 
with  pioneer  interests  and  activities  in  Idaho  and  has  also  figured  prominently  in  con- 
nection with  political  interests  in  the  state.  He  was  born  at  Ellenville,  Ulster  county, 
New  York,  May  24,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  David  Brown,  a  native  of  Lackawack,  New 
York,  born  November  28,  1818.  He  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  about  seven 
miles  from  Ellenville,  New  York,  for  more  than  thirty  years.  In  early  manhood  he 
wedded  Sarah  Van  Luven,  who  was  born  in  New  York  in  1830  and  who1  passed  away 
September  28,  1900. 

Lorenzo  D.  Brown  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years  when  he  became  a  pupil  in  Beloit  Col- 
lege at  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  and  there  studied  medicine.  He  did  not  complete  the  course, 
however,  but  in  the  spring  of  1874  went  to  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  there 
when  General  Grant  and  Emperor  Don  Pedro  of  Brazil  started  the  great  Corliss  engine 
at  the  Centennial  Exposition  on  the  10th  of  May,  1876,  and  was  one  of  the  thousand 
men  who  fired  the  one  thousand  shots  at  the  first  ringing  of  the  third  Liberty  Bell  at 
midnight  on  the  1st  of  January,  1876.  He  belonged  to  the  Pennsylvania  State  Militia  as 
a  member  of  Company  B.  Third  Regiment.  At  a  later  period  he  returned  to  Wisconsin 
and  afterward  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  where  he  became  bookkeeper,  occupying  that 
position  for  about  two  years.  He  next  became  a  fireman  in  the  employ  of  the  Colorado 
Central  Railroad,  with  which  he  was  connected  for  four  years.  On  the  6th  of  July, 
1884,  he  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  engineer  and  served  in  that  capacity,  however, 
for  only  seven  months,  after  which  he  made  his  way  to  Eagle  Rock,  Idaho,  arriving  on 
the  17th  of  March,  1885.  There  he  ran  a  switch  engine  for  about  three  months  in  the 
employ  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  made  night  foreman 
of  the  shops  under  John  S.  Hickey,  who  was  then  the  master  mechanic  of  the  Oregon 
Short  Line.  Seven  months  later  he  left  the  position  of  foreman  to  resume  the  position 
of  engineer  and  so  continued  until  December  15,  1900,  when  he  entered  the  office  of 
the  assessor,  serving  as  deputy  under  William  H.  Coffin  for  more  than  a  year.  He 
next  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Bannock  Abstract,  Deposit  &  Trust  Company,  of  which 
he  was  the  secretary  and  treasurer  for  six  years.  He  then  disposed  of  his  interests  in 
that  business  and  became  associated  with  Earl  C.  White  on  the  7th  of  June,  1910,  but 
withdrew  from  the  firm  of  Earl  C.  White  &  Company  to  become  a  candidate  for  the 
office  of  assessor  on  the  republican  ticket.  He  has  been  quite  prominent  in  public  affairs 
and  in  1894  was  elected  to  the  general  assembly  of  Idaho,  of  which  he  was  a  member  at 
the  time  that  Dubois  was  defeated  and  Heitfeldt  elected. 

During  the  period  of  his  early  residence  in  Idaho,  when  engaged  in  railroad  work, 
he  witnessed  many  unusual  scenes,  one  of  which  made  an  indelible  impression  upon 
him.  It  was  about  thirty  years  ago  when  one  day  he  stopped  his  engine  for  water  at 
the  Blackfoot  water  tank,  about  one  mile  east  of  the  present  site  of  the  town  of  Black- 
foot.  While  the  engine  stood  there  a  Mr.  Hall  and  his  nephew  were  shot  by  a  drunken 
Indian,  one  bullet  killing  both  men.  They  fell  into  their  camp  fire  and  were  very  badly 
burned  ere  they  were  finally  removed.  Mr.  Brown  was  forced  to  stand  by  and  witness 
their  burning,  as  in  accordance  with  the  coroner's  laws  governing  such  incidents,  he 
did  not  dare  touch  the  men.  He  has  lived  to  witness  much  of  the  development,  growth 
and  progress  of  the  state  and  has  at  all  times  been  keenly  interested  in  its  advance- 
ment and  improvement. 


LORENZO  D.  BROWN 


voi.  m-i 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  179 

On  the  28th  of  September,  1914,  Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Maud 
M.  Kelly,  of  Pocatello,  the  daughter  of  William  Kelly,  a  pioneer  and  head  blacksmith  of 
the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  under  Mr.  Hickey.  Her  mother  passed  away  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1914.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  has  been  born  one  son,  Harold  David,  now  about 
two  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  well  known  in  Pocatello,  where  they  have 
many  friends,  and  his  business  and  political  activities  have  brought  him  prominently 
to  the  front  in  connection  with  the  public  interests  of  this  section  of  the  state. 


FREDERICK    KRESS. 

Frederick  Kress,  who  follows  farming  near  Caldwell,  in  Canyon  county,  was 
born  in  Evansville,  Indiana,  April  17,  1865.  His  father,  William  Kress,  died  when 
the  son  Frederick  was  but  a  year  and  a  half  old  and  he  was  thus  left  an  orphan, 
for  his  mother  had  passed  away  about  six  months  before.  He  was  then  reared  by 
a  guardian  until  eighteen  years  of  age  although  he  practically  took  care  of  himself 
from  the  time  that  he  reached  the  age  of  ten.  From  his  old  home  in  Indiana  he 
came  to  Idaho  in  1889,  making  his  way  to  Boise,  which  at  that  time  had  a  popu- 
lation of  about  twenty-eight  hundred.  He  began  work  on  the  survey  of  the  New 
York  canal  and  remained  with  the  company  for  two  years,  after  which  he  spent 
an  equal  period  on  the  United  States  geological  survey,  his  work  being  at  the  head 
waters  of  the  Boise  and  Payette  rivers.  He  afterward  engaged  in  placer  mining 
on  the  Boise  river  for  two  years  and  then  went  to  Thunder  Mountain,  where  he 
worked  for  the  Sunnyside  Mining  Company,  surveying  roads  and  tramways  and 
running  levels  in  the  mine. 

A  year  later  Mr.  Kress  purchased  a  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  two 
miles  west  of  Caldwell  and  for  fourteen  years  he  resided  thereon,  devoting  his 
attention  to  its  cultivation  and  improvement.  On  selling  that  property  he  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  of  forty  acres,  one-half  of  which  is  devoted  to  the  pro- 
duction of  fruit  and  the  remainder  to  hay  and  grain.  He  has  been  very  successful 
in  his  orcharding  and  in  his  different  undertakings  and  is  now  the  possessor  of 
one  of  the  finest  forties  in  the  country.  An  air  of  neatness  and  thrift  pervades  the 
place  and  everything  is  well  cared  for,  while  the  spirit  of  progress  and  improve- 
ment that  he  has  manifested  has  made  his  farm  a  very  valuable  one. 

In  1888  Mr.  Kress  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sophia  Ruark,  who  died  in 
1917.  In  August,  1918,  he  wedded  Miss  Sue  Adams,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  They 
are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Canyon  county,  where  they  have  a  circle  of 
friends  almost  coextensive  with  the  circle  of  their  acquaintance.  Mr.  Kress  is  a 
self-made  man  who  from  early  life  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources 
and  who  through  diligence  and  determination  has  gained  a  creditable  place  in  the 
business  world.  Those  who  know  him  recognize  his  sterling  worth  and  speak  of 
him  in  terms  of  warm  regard. 


MARK  A.  KURTZ. 

A  third  of  a  century  has  passed  since  Mark  A.  Kurtz  became  a  resident  of  Nampa 
and  through  the  intervening  period  from  the  time  of  his  original  settlement  here  to 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  closely  associated  with  the  development  and  upbuild- 
ing of  this  section  of  the  state,  his  labors  constituting  a  valuable  contributory 
factor  to  the  work  of  general  improvement  and  progress.  A  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, he  was  not  only  born  in  the  historic  town  of  Gettysburg,  near  which  was 
fought  one  of  the  most  sanguinary  battles  of  the  Civil  war,  but  was  also  born  in 
the  historic  house  in  which  Lincoln  wrote  his  famous  speech  for  the  dedication 
of  the  Gettysburg  monument.  His  natal  day  was  July  15,  1841,  and  after  com- 
pleting his  education  at  the  college  of  Gettysburg  he  entered  upon  his  business 
career  in  connection  with  a  mercantile  firm  of  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  and  had 
there  served  for  a  year  when  the  Civil  war  broke  out.  He  volunteered  to  aid  his 
country  in  preserving  the  Union  and  Joined  Company  F  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-sixth  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  with  which  he  was  connected 
throughout  the  duration  of  the  war,  participating  in  a  number  of  hotly  contested 


180  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

engagements.  When  hostilities  were  over  he  resumed  merchandising  but  this 
time  became  connected  with  the  business  interests  of  Philadelphia,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1869.  In  that  year  he  went  west  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  where  he  once 
more  entered  mercantile  circles.  In  1886  he  returned  to  the  east  and  delivered 
lectures  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  making  his  headquarters  in 
Philadelphia  for  a  year. 

It  was  in  1887  that  Mr.  Kurtz  became  a  resident  of  Nampa,  Idaho,  which  at 
that  time  could  boast  of  a  population  of  but  one  hundred  and  fifty,  contained  a 
section  house  and  a  few  other  buildings  but  no  churches.  Mr.  Kurtz  purchased 
a  ranch  located  about  three  miles  north  of  Nampa  and  Mrs.  Kurtz  one  on  the  south 
side  of  the  railroad  tracks,  on  which  a  portion  of  the  present  city  stands.  The 
Northwest  Nazarene  College  has  been  built  upon  the  tract,  just  west  of  the  park, 
which  Mrs.  Kurtz  donated  to  the  city  of  Nampa  in  memory  of  her  husband  in  1907. 

He  was  keenly  interested  in  everything  that  had  to  do  with  the  welfare  and 
progress  of  Nampa  and  was  largely  instrumental  in  bringing  capital  into  Canyon 
county  for  its  development  and  upbuilding.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  progress 
of.  the  city  and  in  all  that  pertained  to  its  welfare. 

In  1873  Mr.  Kurtz  was  married  to  Miss  Belle  Bristol,  a  daughter  of  William 
Bristol  of  Warsaw,  New  York,  who  was  descended  from  British  ancestry  in  both 
the  paternal  and  maternal  lines,  early  representatives  of  the  family  becoming 
residents  of  New  York  and  of  the  New  England  states.  Mr.  Bristol  was  one  of 
the  first  directors  of  the  Buffalo,  Rochester  &  Pittsburgh  Railroad,  also  a  director 
of  the  Union  Bank  of  Rochester  and  a  prominent  business  man  of  the  state.  His 
widow  is  still  living  in  New  York  and  is  now  more  than  eighty  years  of  age. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Kurtz  occurred  October  23,  1906,  at  Nampa.  The  news- 
papers throughout  the  entire  state  published  eulogies  concerning  him  that  showed 
the  kindly  feeling  and  high  respect  everywhere  entertained  for  him.  The  worth 
of  his  character  was  acknowledged  by  all,  for  throughout  his  life  he  had  been  a 
reliable  business  man  whose  labors  were  far-reaching  and  effective  in  behalf  of 
the  community  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce organized  in  Nampa.  He  was  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  of  1889 
and,  gifted  by  nature  with  marked  oratorial  power,  often  addressed  the  public 
upon  the  issues  and  vital  questions  of  the  day.  He  belonged  to  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  and  throughout  his  entire  career  was  as  true  and  loyal  to  his 
country  as  when  he  followed  the  nation's  starry  banner  on  the  battlefields  of  the 
south.  Mrs.  Kurtz  still  makes  her  home  in  Nampa  and  is  most  highly  esteemed 
throughout  the  city  and  surrounding  country.  She  gave  the  park  to  the  city  as  a 
playground  for  the  people  and  because  of  her  deep  interest  in  Nampa,  her  adopted 
home.  She  is  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement  who  has  traveled  extensively  through 
the  older  settled  sections  of  Europe  and  through  the  Holy  land. 


WILLIAM  H.  THOMPSON. 

Progressive  ranching  interests  are  typically  represented  by  William  H.  Thomp- 
son, who  owns  a  fine  property  on  the  Boise  bench  about  three  and  a  half  miles 
south  of  the  city.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Washington  county,  Wisconsin,  March 
19,  1860.  His  father,  Robert  Thompson,  was  a  native  of  Ireland  but  spent  most 
of  his  mature  life  in  Wisconsin.  He  married  Elizabeth  Thompson,  also  a  native 
of  Ireland  but  not  a  relative.  They  were  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians,  coming  from 
the  north  of  Ireland.  About  1840  they  came  to  the  United  States  and  here  they 
reared  a.  large  family,  of  whom  two  sons  and  five  daughters  are  now  living.  One 
son  and  a  daughter  reside  in  the  state  of  Idaho,  the  sister  of  our  subject  being 
Mrs..W,  C.  Annett,  of  Boise. 

To  the  age  of  eleven  years  William  H.  Thompson  was  reared  on  the  Wisconsin 
home  farm  but  at  that  time  took  up  his  residence  on  a  farm  in  Clay  county,  Iowa. 
His  father  died  in  Washington  county,  Wisconsin,  in  1871  and  the  following  year 
the  mother  removed  with  her  children  to  Clay  county.  William  H.  Thompson 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Wisconsin  and  Iowa  and  in  his  early 
manhood  was  connected  with  railroad  contracting  in  the  service  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific  .Railroad  on  the  line  from  Winnipeg,  Manitoba,  to  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
this  being  in  the  years  1881  and  1882.  Later  he  was  employed  in  a  similar  capac- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  181 

ity  with  the  Northern  Pacific  from  a  point  in  North  Dakota  to  Helena,  Montana, 
following  railroad  and  canal  work  at  that  time  for  several  years.  In  1889  he  came 
to  Idaho  as  subcontractor  on  the  New  York  canal  in  the  Boise  valley.  His  years 
of  experience  and  close  application  to  the  work  well  fitted  him  for  this  important 
position.  In  1890-1  he  built  several  miles  of  this  canal  and  was  so  well  pleased  with 
conditions  in  Idaho  that  he  decided  to  remain  here,  selecting  Ada  county  as  specifi- 
cally suitable  for  his  plans.  Turning  his  attention  to  agriculture,  he  in  1895,  in 
partnership  with  several  others,  organized  what  was  known  as  the  Ada  County 
Irrigation  Company,  which  took  up  the  work  of  the  New  York  Canal  Company, 
the  latter  having  abandoned  the  project.  The  new  company  proceeded  to  complete 
the  canal,  which  in  1906  the  United  States  government  to»k  over,  and  jt  thus 
became  part  of  the  great  Arrowrock  reclamation  system.  This  particular  section, 
however,  is  operated  by  the  New  York  Canal  Company,  Ltd.,  and  Mr.  Thompson 
has  been  its  president  for  several  years  past.  Shortly  after  the  government  took 
over  the  property  he  entered  into,  a  contract  with  it  for  enlarging  the  canal  at  an 
expenditure  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  and  this  improvement  required  two 
years  to  complete.  During  those  years,  1906-8,  he  sometimes  employed  as  many 
as  two  hundred  men.  Meanwhile,  however,  in  the  early  '90s,  having  perceived 
the  wonderful  possibilities  of  the  Boise  valley  irrigated  lands  along  the  New  York 
canal,  he  made  real  estate  investments  in  this  section  and  now  owns  many  hundreds 
of  acres.  His  home  ranch,  upon  which  he  Besides,  comprises  two  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  and  is  splendidly  improved.  There  he  has  large  stock  interests,  rais- 
ing horses,  cattle  and  hogs  and  he  also  gives  considerable  attention  to  the  grow- 
ing of  alfalfa.  Attacking  everything  that  he  does  with  an  indomitable  spirit,  he 
has  made  great  strides  along  agricultural  lines.  Besides  being  president  of  the 
New  York  Canal  Company  and  having  extensive  ranching  interests,  Mr.  Thompson 
also  serves  as  president  of  the  board  of  drainage  commissioners  of  district  No.  2, 
comprising  Ada  and  Canyon  counties.  His  importance  in  regard  to  irrigation 
projects  is  further  indicated  by  the  position  which  he  holds  as  president  of  the 
Idaho-Iowa  Lateral  Reservoir  Company  and  president  of  the  Hillcrest  Irrigation 
District.  Moreover,  he  has  taken  a  laudable  interest  in  the  public  affairs  of  Ada 
county,  having  served  as  county  commissioner  from  the  third  district  and  acting 
as  chairman  of  the  board  during  the  years  1909  and  1910. 

In  November,  1883,  Mr.  Thompson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma 
Culver,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  and  in  their  family  are  seven  living  children,  four 
sons  and  three  daughters;  Ruby;  Roy  W.;  Isabelle,  the  wife  of  Carl  Ross;  Elsie; 
Neal;  Glenn;  and  Gerald.  Miss  Elsie  Thompson  is  now  assistant  secretary  of  the 
Idaho  State  Fair  Association.  Neal  Thompson  was  in  the  service  of  his  country 
in  France,  being  a  member  of  the  Artillery  Corps. 

Mr.  Thompson  is  a  republican  in  politics  and  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  State 
Grange.  There  is  great  credit  due  him  for  what  he  has  achieved,  as  he  began 
life  practically  empty-handed  and  now  represents  ranching  and  irrigation  interests 
which  are  not  only  of  great  value  to  himself  but  are  also  of  vital  importance,  to 
his  county  and  state. 


R.    GORDON    BILLS. 

R.  Gordon  Bills  is  conducting  an  extensive  business  under  the  name  of  the 
Bills  Auto  Company,  having  garages  at  Blackfoot,  Shelley  and  Aberdeen,  Idaho. 
The  successful  management  of  these  interests  indicates  his  business  capability  and 
sagacity.  At  the  same  time  he  is  proving  an  excellent  official  as  one  of  the  county1 
commissioners  of  Bingham  county.  He  makes  his  home  at  Blackfoot  a'nd  is.  a 
western  man  by  birth  and  training,  being  imbued  with  the  progressive  spirit  which 
has  ever  been  a  dominant  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  west. 

He  was  born  at  Denver,  Colorado,  in  March,  1892,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
A.  and  Etta  (Neil)  Bills,  the  former  a  native  of  Utah,  while  the  latter  was  born  in 
Illinois.  The  father  became  a  farmer  of  Utah  and  followed  that  pursuit  there  until 
1906,  when  he  removed  to  Rigby,  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  and  purchased  land. 
This  he  continued  to  cultivate  until  1917,  when  he  sold  the  property  and  removed 
to  Blackfoot,  where  he  still  resides.  The  mother  is  also  living.  Mr.  Bills  has 


held  various  offices  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  being  an 
active  and  prominent  churchman. 

R.  Gordon  Bills  was  reared  and  educated  at  Riverton,  Utah.  He  continued 
with  his  parents  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  when  he  and  a  brother  went  to  Cal- 
ifornia, where  be  worked  in  a  garage,  remaining  there  until  1914,  when  he  came 
to  Blackfoot  and  engaged  in  the  automobile  business.  He  had  a  capital  of  five 
humdred  dollars  to  invest,  and  he  and  his  brother  turned  their  attention  to  the 
automobile  business,  continuing  together  in  this  line  for  nine  months,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  Gordon  Bills  purchased  the  interest  of  his  brother  and  has  since 
carried  on  the  business  atone  under  the  style  of  the  Bills  Auto  Company.  He  has 
the  Ford  agency  and.also  operates  a  garage  at  Shelley  and  at  Aberdeen,  the  garage 
at  Shelley  being  the  largest  in  Bingham  county.  However,  he  is  now  building  at 
Biackfoot  the  largest  garage  in  the  state,  erecting  this  mammoth  structure  at  a 
cost  of  sixty  thousand  dollars.  In  dimensions  it  is  seventy-five  by  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet  and  two  stories  in  height,  with  full  basement.  In  the  conduct 
of  the  business  Mr.  Bills  displays  a  most  progressive  spirit.  He  has  splendidly 
equipped  plants  at  the  three  points  and  is  conducting  a  business  that  is  constantly 
increasing  in  volume  and  importance.  He  employs  competent  managers  and  expert 
mechanics  and  to  the  business  in  the  three  cities  he  gives  personal  attention  and 
supervision.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Beet  Growers  Sugar  Company  at 
Rigby. 

In  August,  1910,  Mr.  Bills  was  married  to  Miss  Zora  Wright,  he  being  then 
but  eighteen  years  of  age.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  three  children:  Vir- 
ginia, who  was  born  December  6,  1912;  Paul  G.,  born  in  June,  1915;  and  Neil 
W.,  born  March  29,  1919. 

Mr.  Bills  gives  his  political  endorsement  to  the  republican  party  and  was 
elected  county  commissioner  of  Bingham  county,  being  probably  the  youngest 
man  in  the  state  to  hold  that  office,  having  been  chosen  to  the  position  when  but 
twenty-six  years  of  age.  He  has  membership  with  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  Rotary  Club.  Mr.  Bills  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for 
what  he  has  accomplished.  Starting  out  in  life  empty-handed,  he  has  worked 
his  way  steadily  upward  for  he  came  to  Bingham  county  in  1914  with  practically 
nothing.  Since  then  he  has  developed  an  extensive  business  and  his  fortune  is  now 
one  of  quite  substantial  proportions. 


JAMES  LAIDLAW. 

James  Laidlaw,  for  years  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  prosperous  sheep  raisers 
and  wool  growers  in  and  about  Ada  county,  Idaho,  and  well  known  as  a  citizen  of  the 
first  rank  since  he  has  come  to  Boise,  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  born  in  the  land  of  the 
heather  and  thistle,  November  24,  1869,  a  son  of  Alexander  and  Margaret  (Pagan) 
Laidlaw,  also  natives  of  Scotland,  where  they  are  still  living  and  where  the  former 
was  a  shepherd  during  his  active  life.  The  parents  have  spent  all  their  lives  in  the 
old  country,  and  the  members  of  the  family  who  have  come  to  America  are  James 
Laidlaw  and  his  brother  William,  the  latter  living  at  Rupert,  Idaho. 

James  Laidlaw  grew  up  in  Scotland  and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  country. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  in  1892,  Mr.  Laidlaw  emigrated  to  America  and  has  ever 
since  been  identified  with  the  sheep  industry.  On  arriving  in  this  country,  he  came  to 
Idaho  and  settled  in  Cassia  county,  where  he  lived  for  two  years,  being  engaged  as 
a  sheep  herder  for  the  first  fifteen  months.  Mr.  Laidlaw  then  decided  to  open  up  in 
the  sheep  industry  on  his  own  account,  and  for  a  quarter  century  his  sheep  interests 
have  been  gradually  growing,  until  he  is  now  rated  as  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
substantial  men  in  the  sheep  business  in  his  part  of  Idaho;  in  fact  he  has  come  to 
be  known  as  the  "sheep  king"  of  Elaine  county.  His  wool-growing  interests  for  years 
have  been  in  Blaine  and  Minidoka  counties,  chiefly  in  Blaine  county  for  pasture  during 
the  summer  season,  while  the  lambing  sheds  and  winter  feeding  grounds  are  in  Minidoka 
county,  near  Rupert,  Idaho. 

Mr.  Laidlaw  has  met  with  unusual  success  and  prosperity  since  he  first  embarked 
in  the  sheep  business,  and  it  is  a  tribute  both  to  his  energy  and  business  sagacity  to 
record  that  in  twenty-five  years  he  has  accumulated  a  handsome  fortune.  Since  June, 


JAMES  LAIDLAW 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  185 

1907,  he  has  resided  at  210  State  Street,   Boise,  where  he  owns  a  very  fine  modern 
two-story  cut-stone  home,  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  Boise. 

On  June  19,  1907,  Mr.  Laidlaw  was  united  in  marriage  to  Genevieve  Alice  Treadgold, 
who  was  born  near  Port  Huron,  Michigan,  February  22,  1887,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Manton  and  Mary  Frances  (Templeton)  Treadgold,  both  of  whom  now  live  in  Oregon, 
but  were  born  in  Canada  and  are  of  English  descent.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Laidlaw  four 
children  have  been  born:  James  Alexander,  called  "Sandy,"  born  May  29,  1908; 
Frederick  Manton,  born  March  27,  1910;  Annabel  Jean,  July  5,  1914,  and  Geraldine, 
April  9,  1919.  Mrs.  Laidlaw  is  an  earnest  member  of  the  Episcopalian  church  and 
takes  a  warm  interest  in  all  social  and  cultural  movements  in  and  about  Boise. 

Mr.  Laidlaw  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  Woolgrowers  Association,  and  he  and  his 
partner,  Robert  Brockie,  own  five  thousand  nine  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  ranch, 
lauds  in  Blaine  county,  while  the  number  of  sheep  which  passes  through  their  hands  in 
the  course  of  twelve  months  runs  into  several  thousand.  Mr.  Laidlaw  paid  a  visit 
to  his  parents  in  Scotland  in  1904.  His  parents  are  now  living  retired,  having  reached 
the  age  of  about  seventy-five  years  each. 


J.  E.  RUTLEDGE. 

What  an  interesting  story  would  be  unfolded  if  the  life  record  of  J.  E.  Rutledge,. 
with  all  of  its  pioneer  experiences,  its  hardships,  its  privations,  its  possibilities  and 
its  opportunities,  could  be  given  in  detail!  There  is  no  phase  of  the  development 
of  Idaho  with  which  Mr.  Rutledge  is  not  familiar,  'for  through  a  third  of  a  century 
he  has  lived  in  this  state.  He  was  born  at  El  Paso,  Illinois,  November  13,  1867, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thompson  and  Martha  Ellen  (Wheeler)  Rutledge.  When  he  was  a 
youth  of  seventeen  years  he  left  home  and  went  to  Montana  and  thence  made  his 
way  to  Oregon,  while  in  1887  he  arrived  in  Long  Valley,  Idaho.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  valley,  where  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  live  stock  business. 
En  route  from  Montana  he  and  his  brother,  I.  M.  Rutledge,  with  whom  he  has. 
always  been  associated  in  business,  passed  through  the  Big  Hole  basin  of  Montana 
when  there  was  but  one  rancher  in  that  district  and  where  the  grass  grew  so  high 
that  it  entirely  covered  the  axles  of  their  wagons.  In  reply  to  their  query  as  to 
what  could  be  raised  there,  the  rancher  gave  a  characteristic  answer:  "Hell  and 
hay."  It  is  now  a  very  productive  section.  The  nearest  postofflce  to  the  place  at 
which  the  brothers  settled  was  thirty-five  miles  distant.  The  country  was  overrun 
with  bears,  and  deer  could  be  seen  in  every  direction,  they  were  so  numerous.  The 
party  consisted  of  Mr.  Rutledge  of  this  review,  his  three  brothers,  a  sister  and  his 
father  and  mother.  On  leaving  Weiser  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  ford  the 
Weiser  river  eighteen  times  between  their  starting  point  and  Salmon  Meadows,  as. 
there  were  no  bridges  and  scarcely  any  sort  of  road.  In  the  early  days  they  had 
to  build  their  houses  of  logs  and  their  tables  and  doors  were  made  of  split  logs,  as 
there  were  no  sawmills  in  the  country.  The  snowfall  there  was  very  deep  and 
they  had  to  use  snowshoes  to  haul  hay  on  hand  sleds  for  the  stock.  Even  then  a 
great  number  of  their  stock  died  for  want  of  food. 

Mr.  Rutledge  has  seen  the  Indians  in  such  numbers  that  their  band  would  be 
miles  long  as  they  passed  through  the  country.  Although  the  winters  were  very 
hard,  Mr.  Rutledge  says  that  Long  Valley  was  one  of  the  finest  stock  countries  in 
the  world  twenty  years  ago,  as  it  grew  the  best  possible  grass  and  hay.  He  con- 
tinued there  to  engage  in  stock  raising  until  1910,  conducting  his  live  stock  inter- 
ests on  an  extensive  scale  and  ranging  his  cattle  in  that  section  of  the  state.  During 
the  winter  months  he  and  his  family  would  leave  the  district  so  that  the  children 
could  attend  school  but  would  return  to  Long  Valley  in  the  spring.  Mr.  Rutledge 
has  ridden  after  stock  ever  since  he  can  remember  and  still  likes  it.  He  is  a  man 
of  genial  disposition  and  jovial  temperament  who  looks  much  younger  than  his 
years,  probably  due  to  his  out-of-door  life.  In  the  earlier  days  he  and  his  associates 
would  catch  white  fish  in  Payette  lake,  in  the  early  part  of  November,  to  the  extent 
of  thousands  of  pounds  for  their  winter  supply,  and  the  last  time  that  he  seined 
for  them,  he  pulled  in  a  ton  at  one  haul. 

In  1910,  however,  Mr.  Rutledge  sold  his  interests  there  and  removed  to  the 
vicinity  of  Star,  Idaho.  A  year  later  he  purchased  his  present  place  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  and  a  half  acres  near  Middleton,  where  he  has  a  fine  residence — 


186  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

one. of  the  attractive  homes  of  the  town.  He  also  owns  a  ranch  of  four  hundred 
and  fifty-eight  acres  at  Jerusalem,  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  Brownlee  creek, 
these  places  being  devoted  to  the  raising  of  stock.  At  present  he  has  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  head  of  cattle  and  he  buys  and  sells  in  large  numbers.  He  feeds 
all  of  his  stock  and  he  employs  progressive  methods  in  their  care  and  preparation 
for  the  market.  In  his  business  affairs  he  has  always  displayed  sound  judgment 
as  well  as  enterprise  and  he  has  won  substantial  and  well  merited  success. 

Mr.  Rutledge  was  married  to  Miss  Lovie  L.  Landreth,  of  Iowa,  and  they  have 
become  the  parents  of  ten  children,  Jesse  L.,  who  is  on  the  ranch  at  Jerusalem, 
was  in  the  army  in  France  for  seventeen  months  with  the  Forest  Engineers  and  had 
just  left  the  harbor  of  Halifax  a  few  hours  before  the  big  explosion  occurred  there. 
Perry  E.  is  at  the  ranch  with  his  brother  Jesse.  Percy  L.,  who  is  associated  with 
his  father,  was  at  Camp  Lewis  and  afterward  in  California  in  training  for  infantry 
service  but  did  not  get  across.  Nellie  I.  is  the  wife  of  C.  E.  Personette  and  lives 
at  home.  Lovie  Elsie  is  employed  in  an  abstract  office  in  Caldwell.  Pansy  is 
employed  in  the  telephone  office  in  Caldwell.  Clyde,  Ira,  Joy  and  Beth  are  also 
under  the  parental  roof.  Mr.  Rutledge  has  a  most  Interesting  family,  has  led  an 
active  and  useful  life  and  has  made  valuable  contribution  to  the  upbuilding  and 
development  of  Idaho,  his  labors  having  contributed  much  to  its  agricultural 
progress,  while  as  a  stock  raiser  he  is  widely  known  and  his  ranch  properties  are 
the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  well  directed  energy  and  thrift. 


JAMES  B.  NEWPORT. 

James  B.  Newport  is  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  property  of  eighty  acres 
about  two  miles  northwest  of  Notus  and  in  the  conduct  of  his  place  he  displays 
undaunted  energy  and  sound  business  judgment — qualities  leading  to  substantial 
success.  Mr.  Newport  was  born  in  Dallas  county,  Missouri,  December  14,  1876. 
His  father,  David  Newport,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  in  young  manhood 
removed  to  Missouri,  where  he  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  Bennett,  a  native  of 
that  state.  He  followed  farming  and  stock  raising  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1906,  when  he  was  seventy-two  years  of  age.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  1892. 

James  B.  Newport  acquired  his  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  state  and 
when  sixteen  years  of  age  left  home  and  made  his  way  direct  to  Parma,  Idaho. 
There  he  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming,  which  he  followed  for  two  years  and 
then  removed  to  Notus,  purchasing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  connection 
with  his  brother,  John  B.  Newport.  They  also  bought  a  small  herd  of  cattle  and  a 
cattle  range  north  of  Cambridge,  on  the  Weiser  river,  and  followed  the  cattle 
industry  for  eight  years  in  connection  with  farming,  having  altogether  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  head  of  cattle.  When  eight  years  had  passed,  however,  they 
dissolved  partnership,  James  B.  Newport  purchasing  his  present  place  of  eighty 
acres  about  two  miles  northwest  of  Notus.  To  his  original  tract  he  has  added  other 
eighties  until  he  now  has  an  excellent  farm  property  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres.  Much  of  his  land  is  now  being  cultivated  and  his  progressiveness  is  manifest 
in  the  methods  which  he  has  followed  to  develop  his  place.  He  assisted  in  organiz- 
ing the  Black  Canyon  irrigation  district  and  has  been  chairman  of  its  board  of 
directors  since  the  organization  in  1910.  He  spent  two  years  on  a  homestead  in 
the  Black  Canyon  irrigation  district.  He  deserves  great  credit  for  his  persistent 
efforts  in  getting  the  government  to  again  take  up  the  Black  Canyon  project  after 
it  has  been  abandoned  and  withdrawn  from  the  Boise-Payette  project,  of  which  it 
was  originally  a  part.  He  and  his  associates  have  labored  untiringly  for  more  than 
seven  years  with  the  reclamation  service  to  get  them  to  reconsider  the  irrigating 
of  this  portion  of  land  and  they  are  just  now  getting  water. 

In  April,  1902,  Mr.  Newport  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Wignall, 
a  native  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  they  have  four  children:  Artie  A.,  attending 
high  school  in  the  Tendavis  district;  Georgia,  an  eighth  grade  pupil;  A.  Kendall, 
also  in  school;  and  Ivan  Woodrow,  who  is  five  years  of  age.  The  home  of  the 
family  is  a  beautiful  residence,  modern  and  complete,  which  was  erected  by  Mr. 
Newport  at  a  cost  of  six  thousand  dollars.  It  is  supplied  with  a  private  lighting 
and  sewerage  system,  the  plans  for  which  were  furnished  by  the  government  upon 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  187 

the  request  of  Mr.  Newport.  Everything  about  the  place  is  thoroughly  modern, 
convenient  and  attractive  and  Mr.  Newport  finds  his  greatest  happiness  in  promoting 
the  welfare  and  comfort  of  his  family.  Politically  he  is  connected  with  the  demo- 
cratic party  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  from  Canyon  county. 
He  stands  at  all  times  for  progress  and  improvement  in  matters  of  citizenship,  and 
no  plan  or  project  for  public  benefit  fails  to  receive  his  hearty  endorsement  and 
earnest  support. 


CHARLES  J.  COON. 

Charles  J.  Coon  is  actively  identified  with  farming  not  far  from  New  Plymouth, 
in  Payette  county,  and  his  enterprise  and  industry  are  constituting  the  foundation 
upon  which  he  is  building  substantial  success.  He  was  born  in  Nebraska,  April  21, 
1878.  His  father,  Christopher  Columbus  Coon,  is  a  native  of  Ohio  and  in  early  life 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  wedded  Mary  Kutch,  a  native  of  Indiana,  who 
has  now  passed  away,  but  the  father  still  makes  his  home  in  Nebraska. 

Charles  J.  Coon  was  reared  in  that  state  and  there  resided  until  about  thirty- 
one  years  of  age,  when  in  September,  1909,  he  came  to  the  northwest  and  settled 
where  he  still  resides,  securing  seventeen  and  a  half  acres  of  land,  which  he  pur- 
chased four  miles  west  of  New  Plymouth.  He  now  has  eight  acres  planted  to  fruit, 
while  the  balance  is  devoted  to  the  raising  of  alfalfa.  He  also  raises  a  crop  of 
alfalfa  between  the  fruit  trees.  In  the  year  1919  his  orchard  produced  eighty  tons 
of  apples,  which  he  sold  at  fifty  dollars  per  ton.  In  addition  to  his  home  place  he 
rents  thirty-five  acres,  on  which  he  raises  wheat,  hay  and  potatoes,  and  in  1919 
his  what  crop  amounted  to  about  two  hundred  bushels.  He  likewise  has  excellent 
stock  upon  his  place,  keeps  a  registered  Jersey  bull  and  five  cows  and  to  some 
extent  engages  in  dairying. 

On  the  12th  of  August,  1909,  Mr.  Coon  was  married  to  Miss  Cena  Feddersen, 
a  native  of  Nebraska  and  a  daughter  of  Christ  and  Anna  (Solbeck)  Feddersen,  who 
were  natives  of  Denmark  and  were  married  at  Dwight,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Coon  was 
educated  in  Nebraska  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  a  son,  Beck- 
ford.  By  a  former  marriage  Mr.  Coon  had  two  children:  Leland,  eighteen  years 
of  age;  and  a  daughter,  Marjorie.  Both  are  at  home.  The  family  occupies  an 
attractive  residence  and  an  air  of  neatness  and  thrift  pervades  the  farm,  indicating 
the  progressive  spirit  and  enterprise  of  the  owner. 


CLINTON   R.    AND    WILLIAM    G.    SHIPMAN. 

Clinton  R.  and  William  G.  Shipman  constitute  the  firm  of  Shipman  Brothers, 
who  are  well  known  sheepmen  and  general  farmers  of  Twin  Falls  county.  Both 
were  born  at  Rock  Rapids,  Iowa,  the  former  on  the  25th  of  January,  1880,  and 
the  latter  on  the  28th  of  May,  1878.  They  are  sons  of  George  A.  and  Anna  B. 
(Ebright)  Shipman.  The  father  is  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  while  the 
mother's  birth  occurred  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  In  young  manhood  George  A.  Ship- 
man removed  to  the  middle  west,  settling  in  Jones  county,  Iowa,  where  he  lived 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  afterward  took  up  a  homestead  in  Lyon  county,  Iowa, 
and  upon  a  tract  of  wild  land  built  a  log  cabin  and  also  a  barn  with  straw  roof. 
He  had  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which  he  cultivated  and  improved 
for  five  years.  He  next  removed  to  Rock  Rapids,  Iowa,  where  he  still  makes  his 
home,  but  is  now  living  retired  at  the  age  of  seventy-three'  years.  His  wife  also 
survives  and  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy-two.  Mr.  Shipman  has  long  been  a 
stalwart  supporter  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  his  political  faith  is  that  of  the 
republican  party. 

Clinton  R.  and  William  G.  Shipman  spent  their  boyhood  days  at  Rock  Rapids, 
Iowa,  and  were  educated  in  the  public  schools,  their  youthful  days  being  passed  in 
the  usual  manner  of  the  farm-bred  boy  who  divides  his  time  between  the  work  of 
the  schoolroom  the  pleasures  of  the  playground  and  the  tasks  of  the  farm.  Clinton 
R.  Shipman,  after  finishing  his  education,  engaged  in  the  cement  contracting  busi- 
ness in  eastern  South  Dakota  in  southwestern  Minnesota  and  northwestern  Iowa 


188  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  • 

and  met  with  a  considerable  measure  of  prosperity  in  that  undertaking.  Later 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  banking  business  becoming  assistant  cashier  of  the 
State  Bank  of  America  at  Bisbee,  North  Dakota.  His  brother,  William  G.,  also 
became  interested  in  the  bank  but  gave  his  attention  largely  to  the  supervision  of 
their  cement  business.  At  length  on  account  of  the  condition  of  his  health,  Clinton 
R.  Shipman  sold  the  bank  and  purchased  North  Dakota  land.  This  he  cultivated 
for  a  time  and  then  disposed  of  his  property  making  investment  in  Iowa  land, 
which  he  afterward  sold.  In  the  spring  of  1918  he  and  his  brother  purchased 
their  present  farm,  comprising  three  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres  of  good  land 
in  Twin  Falls  county,  Idaho.  They  carry  on  general  farming  and  sheep  raising 
and  their  business  interests  are  wisely  and  profitably  conducted.  They  also 
own  a  laundry  at  Rock  Rapids,  Iowa,  and  have  made  investments  in  property 
which  returns  a  good  income. 

In  1907  William  G.  Shipman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  May  King,  a 
daughter  of  R.  K.  King,  a  native  of  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Esther  and  King.  Clinton  R.  Shipman  was  married  to  Jennie  B.  Jen- 
nings, a  daughter  of  T.  B.  and  Carrie  (Kaylor)  Jennings  and  a  native  of  Cedar 
Falls,  Iowa.  The  three  children  of  their  marriage  are  Horace,  Ruth  and  George. 

The  Shipman  brothers  are  stalwart  supporters  of  the  republican  party  and 
they  are  consistent  members  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Through  the  greater 
part  of  their  lives  they  have  been  associated  in  their  business  interests,  the  labors  of 
the  one  ably  supplementing  and  rounding  out  the  efforts  of  the  other,  so  that  theirs  is 
a  strong  business  combination.  They  are  now  concentrating  their  attention  largely 
upon  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  the  sheep  industry  and  are  winning  substantial 
success  in  their  undertakings. 


F.  L.  ROSE. 

In  the  thirteen  years  of  his  residence  in  Idaho,  F.  L.  Rose  has  made  rapid  progress 
along  business  lines  and  is  today  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  property  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  pleasantly  and  conveniently  situated  five  and  a  half  miles  south- 
west of  Caldwell.  A  native  son  of  Iowa,  he  was  born  January  18,  1867,  his  parents 
being  Stephen  Gilbert  and  Rose  Linda  Jane  (Ogden)  Rose,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio, 
in  which  state  they  were  reared  and  married.  In  the  fall  of  1859  they  removed  to  Iowa, 
becoming  pioneer  residents  of  that  section,  and  there  the  father  engaged  in  farming 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1883.  The  mother  survived  for  some  time  and 
passed  the  last  three  years  of  her  life  in  Oklahoma,  reaching  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-eight  years. 

In  his  youthful  days  F.  L.  Rose  was  early  trained  to  the  work  of  field  and  meadow 
and  after  his  father's  death  he  continued  to  cultivate  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Iowa 
until  1893,  when  he  removed  to  Oklahoma,  where  he  carried  on  general  farming  for 
twelve  years.  In  1906  he  arrived  in  Idaho  and  located  on  his  present  home  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  about  five  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  Caldwell.  The  place  was 
practically  a  desert  tract  at  that  time,  on  which  grew  nothing  but  sagebrush.  Mr.  Rose 
worked  on  the  various  irrigation  ditches  for  three  years  and  as  soon  as  water  was 
available  for  irrigation  purposes  he  concentrated  his  entire  time  and  attention  upon 
the  development  of  his  farm.  He  now  has  forty-five  acres  planted  to  potatoes  and  he 
raises  a  large  amount  of  clover  seed.  He  also  cultivates  corn,  wheat,  oats  and  barley 
and  during  the  winter  months  he  feeds  a  large  number  of  cattle  which  he  buys  in  the 
fall.  He  has  a  fine,  imposing  home  and  is  planning  extensive  improvements  thereto. 
There  is  also  a  splendid  silo  upon  his  place  and  large  and  commodious  outbuildings, 
which  were  erected  at  a  cost  of  several  thousand  dollars  and  which  furnish  ample  shel- 
ter for  grain  and  stock. 

In  1888  Mr.  Rose  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Grace  Vanderburg,  of  Iowa,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  eleven  children.  Thomas  G.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven  years,  was  married  and  left  one  daughter,  Gilberta.  Jessie  was  burned 
to  death  in  Oklahoma  when  but  three  years  of  age.  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Robert 
Brown,  living  near  Star,  and  they  have  one  son,  Blaine.  Charley  B.,  twenty-two  years 
of  age,  married  Merle  Kaiser.  William  J.,  twenty  years  of  age,  was  a  member  of  the 
Quartermaster's  Corps  of  the  United  States  army  in  France  during  the  great  World 
war.  Guy  A.,  eighteen  years  of  age,  is  assisting  his  father  upon  the  home  farm.  The 


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HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  191 

other  members  of  the  family  are  as  follows.    Irene;  Estelene;  Frank  and  Fred,  twtns; 
and  Ima  Rose. 

The  member^  of  the  family  are  well  known  socially  throughout  their  section  of 
Canyon  county  and  in  business  circles  Mr.  Rose  has  made  a  creditable  name  and  place, 
for  he  has  been  found  to  be  a  man  of  thorough  reliability  as  well  as  enterprise  and  pro- 
gressiveness.  He  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  try  his  fortune 
in  the  northwest,  for  here  he  has  found  the  business  opportunities  which  he  sought  and 
in  their  utilization  is  making  steady  progress  toward  the  goal  of  prosperity. 


•  CHARLES    O.    PICARD. 

Charles  O.  Picard  is  now  living  retired  in  Caldwell,  enjoying  a  rest  which 
he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  merits.  For  many  years  he  was  actively  engaged 
in  the  butchering  business  in  Caldwell  and  his  progressive  commercial  methods 
and  undaunted  enterprise  brought  to  him  substantial  rewards  of  labor.  Mr. 
Picard  was  born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  January  20,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Louis 
and  Louise  (Wait)  Picard.  The  father  was  descended  from  Huguenot  ances- 
try, his  progenitors  having  left  France  on  account  of  religious  persecution.  They 
settled  in  Quebec,  where  representatives  of  the  name  have  since  lived.  The 
mother  of  Charles  O.  Picard  was  born  in  Montreal  and  was  of  Scotch  and  British 
stock.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Louis  Picard  removed  from  Montreal  to  Shefford  county, 
Quebec,  during  the  youth  of  their  son  Charles.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and 
stock  grower  there  and  for  many  years  conducted  business  along  that  line. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  Quebec. 

Charles  O.  Picard  remained  a  resident  of  his  native  land  until  1878,  when, 
at  the  age  of  thirty  years,  be  removed  to  Wyoming  and  there  was  employed  by 
Marsh  &  Hutton  in  the  butchering  business  for  five  years.  He  was  also  inter- 
ested in  the  sheep  business  with  Don  Cameron,  but  disposed  of  his  interests 
to  the  editor  of  the  Rod  and  Gun.  In  1883  he  removed  to  Caldwell,  where  he 
became  engaged  in  the  butchering  business  as  a  partner  of  Mike  Roberts  in 
1885.  He  was  thus  associated  until  February,  1919,  or  for  a  period  of  a  third 
of  a  century.  He  then  leased  his  interest  in  the  business  to  Dave  Baird  for  five 
years  but  still  retains  his  share  in  the  business  block  which  houses  the  shop. 
This  is  a  building  twenty-five  by  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  on  Main  street, 
in  the  heart  of  the  city.  He  also  owns  a  ninety  acre  ranch  two  miles  west  of 
Caldwell,  but  he  has  practically  retired  from  active  business  life. 

It  was  after  coming  to  Idaho  that  Mr.  Picard  was  married  to  Miss  Char- 
lotte Moe,  a  native  of  Trondjem,  Norway,  who  came  to  Idaho  in  1880,  making 
the  trip  by  stage  to  Silver  City  from  Winnemucca,  Nevada,  then  the  nearest  rail- 
road point — a  distance  of  more  than  two  hundred  miles.  Mrs.  Picard  has  a 
sister  living  here,  Mrs.  Josephine  Bronsell,  whose  husband  was  one  of  the  earliest 
and  best  known  of  the  pioneers  of  the  state,  and  he  and  his  wife  lived  in  Silver 
City  for  more  than  forty  years.  The  only  relative  of  Mr.  Picard  living  in  this 
section  of  the  country  is  Mrs.  Charles  Oakes,  who  is  his  niece.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Picard  are  people  of  gentle  breeding  and  natural  refinement,  whose  genuine 
worth  is  recognized  by  all  with  whom  they  have  come  in  contact,  and  in  Cald- 
well, where  they  have  so  long  resided,  they  have  a  circle  of  friends  almost  co- 
extensive with  the  circle  of  their  acquaintance. 


L.  B.  MAKINSON. 

The  farming  interests  of  Payette  county  find  a  worthy  representative  in  L.  B. 
Makinson,  whose  life  of  diligence  and  determination  has  resulted  in  the  attainment 
of  a  substantial  measure  of  success.  His  place,  today  a  valuable  property,  was  a 
tract  of  wild  land  when  it  came  into  his  possession,  but  the  sagebrush  has  been 
replaced  with  a  fine  orchard  and  fields  of  grain.  Mr.  Makinson  was  born  in  Wis- 
consin, July  22,  1859.  His  father,  Evan  Makinson,  a  native  of  England,  became  a 
resident  of  Wisconsin  in  1848.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Frances 
Carpenter,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  were  married  in  Illinois  and  both  are 


192  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

now  deceased.  The  father  died  during  the  infancy  of  L.  B.  Makinson,  and  the 
mother  in  1864  went  with  her  family  to  Minnesota,  settling  in  Wabasha  county. 

L.  B.  Makinson  was  at  that  time  a  lad  of  but  five  years.  He  was  there  reared 
and  educated  and  after  attaining  sufficient  age  he  took  up  farming  on  his  own 
account  in  Minnesota  and  was  thus  engaged  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
four,  when  he  went  to  Nebraska  and  became  actively  engaged  in  merchandising  at 
Linwood  in  addition  to  carrying  on  agricultural  pursuits.  The  year  1903  witnessed 
his  Arrival  in  Payette  county,  Idaho,  and  he  purchased  sixty  acres  of  land  two  and 
a  half  miles  west  of  New  Plymouth,  thereon  devoting  his  attention  to  general  farm- 
ing, including  the  raising  of  hay,  grain  and  fruit.  He  produced  about  two  carloads 
of  apples  in  1919.  He  has  improved  his  place  from  the  raw  sagebrush  land  and 
the  tract  which  seemingly  gave  no  promise  when  it  came  into  his  possession  is  now 
a  valuable  farm,  equipped  with  all  modern  conveniences  and  bringing  to  him  a 
substantial  financial  income. 

Mr.  Makinson  takes  a  most  active  interest  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  and  upbuilding  of  his  section  and  his  state.  He  has  served  as  manager, 
as  president  and  member  of  the  board  of  the  Noble  Ditch  Company  and  at  the 
present  writing  is  the  ditch  rider.  He  served  on  the  school  board  for  twelve  years 
and  was  instrumental  in  developing  the  district  from  a  primary  to  a  high  school 
district.  He  is  now  the  president  and  manager  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Telephone 
Company  of  Fruitland  and  any  project  that  has  to  do  with  the  upbuilding  of  the 
community  finds  in  him  a  stalwart  champion. 

In  1888  Mr.  Makinson  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Slocum,  a  native  of  Missouri 
and  a  sister  of  Mrs.  William  Homan  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Boor,  who  are  residents  of 
Idaho.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Makinson  have  four  children.  Ralph  C.,  twenty-nine  years 
of  age,  married  Alice  Whealdon  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  Hospital  Corps  in 
France  during  the  World  war.  James  H.,  twenty-six  years  of  age,  was  a  member  of 
Company  L,  Three  Hundred  and  Twelfth  Infantry,  Twenty-eighth  Division,  and 
was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  the  Argonne  but  is  now  at  home.  Ethel  is  the  wife 
of  Arthur  Eldridge  and  the  mother  of  one  daughter,  Ruby  Marie.  Clyde  S.,  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  is  at  home. 

By  reason  of  his  alert  and  progressive  spirit,  his  recognition  of  the  opportuni- 
ties of  the  district  and  his  utilization  of  these  opportunities  Mr.  Makinson  is  spoken 
of  as  a  "live  wire"  and  has  indeed  been  a  dynamic  force  in  the  development  of  his 
section  of  the  state. 


HARRY   A.   ROBB. 

Harry  A.  Robb  was  a  notably  progressive  and  enterprising  business  man  who 
contributed  much  to  the  development  and  upbuiMing  of  Nampa,  where  for  many 
years  he  was  identified  with  commercial  pursuits.  He  was  born  at  Creston,  Iowa, 
and  was  but  thirty-four  years  of  age  when  death  claimed  him  on  the  26th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1913.  He  was  a  son  of  William  and  Kate  (White)  Robb,  the  latter  of  Cres- 
ton, Iowa,  but  now  deceased.  In  that  city  Harry  A.  Robb  pursued  his  education 
in  the  graded  schools  and  after  his  textbooks  were  put  aside  served  for  two  years 
as  business  manager  of  the  daily  paper  published  by  his  father,  when  owing  to  ill 
health  and  in  accordance  with  the  doctor's  advice,  he  went  to  Pueblo,  Colorado, 
where  his  uncle,  A.  H.  White,  of  the  firm  of  White  &  Davis,  conducted  the  largest 
mercantile  business  of  the  city.  There  Mr.  Robb  became  advertising  manager  for 
the  store  and  so  continued  during  the  four  years  of  his  stay  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Robb  was  not  satisfied  with  his  opportunities  but  was  constantly  on  the 
alert  to  secure  a  suitable  location  for  the  establishment  of  a  business  of  his  own. 
After  thorough  investigation  he  made  Nampa  his  objective  and  in  1903  opened 
the  first  exclusive  men's  and  boys'  wearing  apparel  establishment  in  the  city  under 
the  name  of  the  Robb  Clothing  Company.  In  1905  he  established  a  similar  store 
at  Roosevelt,  Idaho,  a  mining  camp,  conducting  the  business  there  under  the 
name  of  the  Robb  Mercantile  Company,  and  in  1906  he  opened  still  another  ex- 
clusive men's  furnishing  store  at  Weiser.  It  was  his  plan  to  establish  a  chain  of 
such  stores  in  the  principal  towns  of  Idaho,  but  death  claimed  him  before  he  was 
able  to  further  expand  his  interests.  He  was  a  man  of  keen  business  ability,  am- 
bitious both  for  his  own  interests  and  for  the  development  of  the  state.  He  was 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  193 

regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  advertisers  of  the  west  and  in  advertising  he  used 
the  slogan:  "Robb,  the  Clothier.  Don't  be  afraid  of  the  name."  This  naturally 
caught  the  attention  and  awakened  the  interest  of  the  public.  His  advertisements 
were  never  without  a  sense  of  humor,  which  caused  the  public  to  look  forward 
to  their  appearance.  His  campaign  of  advertising  forced  other  firms  to  resort  to 
the  same  methods,  so  that  the  advertising  business  greatly  increased  and,  as  Mr. 
Robb  humorously  expressed  it,  when  he  and  his  family  first  came  to  Nampa  they 
lived  at  the  hotel,  while  the  newspaper  proprietor  lived  in  a  small  house;  but 
after  a  few  years  of  advertising  he  was  forced  to  live  in  a  tent  (upon  the  doctor's 
request),  while  the  newspaper  proprietor  moved  to  the  hotel.  Mr.  Robb  always 
felt  that  advertising  paid  and  paid  generously.  During  the  fire  of  1906,  which 
destroyed  a  considerable  portion  of  the  town,  when  the  fire  had  broken  out  in  the 
same  block  in  which  his  store  was  located,  he  with  his  wife's  help  removed  a  stock 
valued  at  twenty  thousand  dollars  to  a  place  of  safety,  although  he  was  quite  ill 
at  the  time.  The  following  day  this  stock  was  placed  on  sale  in  another  business 
location.  The  determination  of  a  man  who  was  ill  at  the  time  gave  renewed  con- 
fidence to  the  population,  who  endeavored  to  take  a  more  cheerful  view  of  the 
calamity  that  had  visited  them.  In  twenty  hours  Mr.  Robb  put  his  business  on  a 
cash  basis  from  a  fifty  thousand  dollar  credit  business  and  promoted  one  of  the 
largest  sales  ever  made  in  the  state,  this,  too,  during  a  time  of  financial  depression. 
He  was  a  man  of  notable  business  genius  and  could  have  been  a  leader  in  any 
metropolitan  city  had  his  health  permitted  him  to  live  in  the  east.  One  of  the 
reasons  of  his  success  was  due  to  his  expressed  belief  that  "all  members  of  the 
firm  should  not  be  asleep  at  one  time,"  and  in  this  way  he  managed  always  to  be 
just  a  little  ahead  of  his  competitors.  Upon  his  death  Mrs.  Robb,  a  woman  of 
attractive  personality  and  fine  business  qualities,  settled  up  the  estate  and  closed  out 
the  stores,  feeling  that  her  family  required  her  undivided  attention. 

It  was  in  Pueblo,  Colorado,  in  1898,  that  Mr.  Robb  wedded  Miss  Florence  M. 
Evans,  a  daughter  of  John  B.  Evans,  a  native  of  Wales  and  an  expert  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  steel.  Her  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna  Knoff  and  both 
parents  are  now  deceased.  The  mother  was  born  in  Virginia  and  Mrs.  Robb  is  also 
a  native  of  that  state.  She  has  become  the  mother  of  three  children:  Ed,  now 
seventeen  years  of  age,  who  while  attending  school  is  also  a  clerk  with  the  Oregon 
Short  Line  Railroad;  Harry,  aged  eleven;  and  Bill,  aged  eight.  With  her  three 
interesting  sons  Mrs.  Robb  has  recently  moved  into  a  new  home.  She  possesses 
literary  talents  and  will  doubtless  be  heard  from  in  literary  circles  in  the  near 
future. 

Mr.  Robb  was  a  Mason  and  a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  was  one  of  the  most  alert 
and  enterprising  members  of  the  Commercial  Club,  cooperating  most  heartily  in 
all  of  its  well  devised  plans  and  projects  for  the  general  good.  In  his  demise 
Nampa  indeed  lost  one  of  her  valued  citizens — one  whose  worth  was  widely  ac- 
knowledged and  one  who  had  made  valuable  contribution  to  her  welfare  and 
progress. 


WILLIAM   A.   FORREST. 

The  rapid  growth  and  development  of  our  great  western  country  is  one  of  the 
wonders  of  the  world,  and  yet  on  careful  consideration  it  is  not  so  much  a  matter 
of  marvel,  for  this  section  of  the  country  has  been  settled  by  enterprising  men  from 
the  east  who  have  recognized  the  opportunities  for  advancement  in  a  new  section 
and  have  utilized  their  former  experience  in  the  upbuilding  of  this  district  in 
accordance  with  the  most  progressive  ideas  of  business.  To  this  class  of  men 
belongs  William  A.  Forrest,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Buhl  Department  Store 
at  Buhl,  Twin  Falls  county. 

He  was  born  in  Neenah,  Wisconsin,  on  the  18th  of  April,  1875,  and  is  a  son 
of  Alexander  B.  and  Rebecca  (Thomas)  Forrest.  His  youthful  days  were  spent 
under  the  parental  roof  in  his  native  county  and  his  educational  opportunities  were 
those  afforded  by  the  public  school  system  of  the  state.  Entering  upon  his  busi- 
ness career  at  Neenah,  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  dry  goods  store  there  and  later 
he  continued  his  education  by  attendance  at  Lawrence  College  at  Appleton,  Wis- 
consin, and  in  the  Northwestern  Indiana  University  at  Valparaiso,  from  which  he 

Vol.  Ill— 13 


194  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1901.  He  was  thus  splendidly  equipped  by  liberal 
educational  training  for  life's  practical  and  responsible  duties. 

Seeking  a  favorable  field  of  labor  in  which  to  give  scope  to  his  industry  and  en- 
terprise— his  dominant  qualities — Mr.  Forrest  removed  to  the  west,  settling  first  at 
Grand  Encampment,  Wyoming,  where  he  obtained  a  clerkship  in  a  general  store, 
there  remaining  for  seven  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  removed  to 
Rock  Springs,  Wyoming,  and  became  buyer  for  a  large  department  store,  in  which 
he  also  acted  as  assistant  manager.  In  May,  1912,  he  removed  to  Idaho  Falls  and 
was  manager  of  the  Neuber-Scott  Dry  Goods  Company,  with  which  he  was  asso- 
ciated for  three  years.  He  then  entered  into  partnership  with  W.  T.  Wade  and  they 
purchased  the  business  of  the  Swanner  Mercantile  Company  of  Buhl  in  May,  1916. 
The  partnership  with  Mr.  Wade  has  since  been  continued.  They  were  one  of  the 
first  to  engage  in  the  men's  furnishing  goods  business  in  Buhl.  They  also  handle 
dry  goods  and  ladies'  ready-to-wear  garments,  having  an  attractive  store  on  Broad- 
way, conducted  under  the  name  of  the  Buhl  Department  Store.  Their  purchases 
are  carefully  made,  their  orders  being  judiciously  placed,  and  they  give  to  their 
customers  the  benefit  of  the  most  attractive  goods  placed  upon  the  market  by  east- 
ern and  western  manufacturers.  They  maintain  the  highest  standards  in  the  per- 
sonnel of  the  house,  in  the  line  of  goods  carried  and  in  the  treatment  accorded 
patrons,  and  thus  they  have  secured  a  very  gratifying  business. 

In  1905  Mr.  Forrest  was  married  to  Miss  Eleanor  C.  Rowen,  a  daughter  of 
Judge  J.  Brown  and  Ellen  C.  (Trotter)  Rowen,  the  former  a  native  of  Denver, 
Colorado,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois.  Her  father  became  a 
judge  in  Wyoming,  to  which  state  the  family  removed,  and  later  they  continued 
their  westward  journey  to  the  Pacific  coast,  being  now  residents  of  Seattle,  Wash- 
ington. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Forrest  have  become  the  parents  of  five  children:  William 
A.,  who  died  May  5,  1918,  at  the  age  of  eleven  and  a  half  years;  John  R.;  Mary  E.; 
Carola  C.;  and  Rowena  L. 

In  politics  Mr.  Forrest  maintains  an  independent  course,  voting  for  men  and 
measures  rather  than  party.  He  is  serving  as  secretary  of  the  board  of  education; 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  in  these  associations  are  found  the  rules  which 
govern  his  conduct  and  shape  his  relations  with  his  fellowmen,  making  him  a  man 
whom  to  know  is  to  esteem  and  honor* 


S.  S.  FOOTE. 

A  most  progressive  citizen,  capable  business  man  and  one  whose  resourcefulness 
contributed  in  marked  measure  to  the  development  of  this  section  of  the  state  passed 
away  when  on  the  8th  of  August,  1918,  S.  S.  Foote  was  called  to  his  final  rest.  He  was 
born  December  10,  1846,  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  a  son  of  Asa  and  Caroline  (Hale) 
Foote.  His  education  was  acquired  there  in  the  graded  schools  and  in  a  college, 
although  he  did  not  complete  his  college  course.  Later  he  studied  under  a  private 
tutor  and  was  thus  well  equipped  for  life's  practical  and  responsible  duties.  Moreover, 
in  the  school  of  experience  he  was  constantly  learning  lessons  of  value.  At  the  age 
of  seventeen  he  left  home  and  sailed  before  the  mast,  making  his  way  around  Cape 
Horn  to  San  Francisco.  During  that  voyage  his  leg  was  twice  broken  in  rough 
weather.  He  afterward  went  to  Sacramento,  where  he  pursued  a  business  course,  and 
there  he  learned  the  milling  trade.  He  devoted  several  years  thereafter  to  the  milling 
business  in  California  and  in  1867  came  to  the  Boise  basin  of  Idaho,  where  he  followed 
mining  for  a  year  and  then  returned  to  Sacramento,  where  he  was  again  identified  with 
milling  interests  until  1872. 

In  the  latter  year  Mr.  Foote  again  came  to  Idaho  and  entered  the  employ  of  J.  M. 
Stevenson,  of  Middleton,  as  a  miller.  Not  long  afterward,  associated  with  Abner  Pack- 
ard, he  purchased  the  mill,  which  they  conducted  under  a  partnership  relation  for 
twelve  years.  People  came  from  a  radius  of  one  hundred  miles  with  wheat  to  exchange 
for  flour  and  the  wagons  and  teams  crowded  the  streets  of  the  little  city.  In  1885  Mr. 
Foote  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Packard  and  in  1899  tore  down  the  old  mill  and 
removed  everything  to  Caldwell,  where  he  rebuilt  his  mill,  installing  a  modern  plant 
upon  the  site  of  the  present  mill  of  the  Idaho  Milling  Company.  After  conducting  the 
business  successfully  for  six  years  his  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  year  before 


S.  S.  FOOTE 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  197 

a  store  building  which  he  owned  was  burned  to  the  ground.  Mr.  Foote  sold  the  mill 
site  to  another  company,  who  put  up  a  mill,  after  whibh  he  returned  to  Middleton  and 
settled  upon  his  ranch  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  entering  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness in  this  city.  The  principal  part  of  Middleton  as  it  stands  today  has  been  built 
upon  a  portion  of  his  ranch.  He  also  laid  out  a  Foote  addition  to  Caldwell  on  the  north 
side  near  the  courthouse,  and  thus  with  resolute  spirit  and  determined  purpose  he 
sought  to  retrieve  the  losses  caused  by  the  fire  in  Caldwell.  At  the  time  the  mill  burned 
it  was  filled  with  grain  and  flour  and  it  was  more  than  a  month  before  the  fire  ceased 
to  burn.  Just  before  it  was  destroyed  Mr.  Foote  had  purchased  the  interests  of  all  the 
Caldwell  men  who  had  subscribed  liberally  to  the  mill.  He  was  a  most  resourceful  and 
enterprising  business  man  and  contributed  in  marked  measure  to  the  development  and 
upbuilding  of  the  section  of  the  state  in  which  he  lived.  For  some  time  he  was  asso- 
ciated with  Mr.  Wallace  in  the  grocery  business  in  Middleton  but  closed  out  the  store 
just  prior  to  his  demise.  He  also  figured  in  banking  circles,  becoming  one  of  the 
founders  and  stockholders  of  the  Middleton  State  Bank,  of  which  he  was  made  a  direc- 
tor and  the  first  president.  He  was  also  a  stockholder  and  director  of  the  Caldwell 
Commercial  Bank  when  it  was  first  organized  and  at  the  time  of  his  demise  he  was  a 
director  of  the  Boise  Valley  Traction  Company. 

In  1885,  at  Sacramento,  California,  Mr.  Foote  was  married  to  Miss  Cordelia  Wil- 
son, a  native  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  James  Wilson,  who  was  born  in 
New  Hampshire.  They  became  the  parents  of  four  children.  Georgia,  the  eldest,  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  Gerhauser.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Lewis- 
ton,  Idaho,  and  she  also  spent  four  years  in  the  preparatory  department  of  the  College 
of  Idaho  at  Caldwell  and  continued  her  education  as  a  freshman  in  that  college  after 
which  she  taught  for  two  years  at  Moscow  and  four  years  in  Caldwell.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gerhauser  has  been  born  one  child,  Marion.  Harold  E.,  after  fifteen  months'  foreign 
service,  has  returned  home  from  France,  where  he  was  a  top  sergeant  in  the  Engineers 
Corps.  He  was  called  with  Idaho  Guard  to  the  border  and  patrolled  railroads  in  Mon- 
tana. He  was  educated  in  the  College  of  Idaho,  spending  four  years  in  the  academy. 
He  and  his  brother  have  taken  charge  of  the  two  ranches  left  by  their  father  and  are 
raising  grain  and  stock,  one  ranch  being  located  at  Middleton  and  the  other  at  Star. 
Joy  Ruth  is  the  wife  of  Everett  Corn.  She  spent  five  years  in  the  College  of  Idaho  as 
a  student  and  then  served  for  two  years  as  bookkeeper  in  the  bank  at  Middleton.  The 
younger  son  is  S.  S.  Foote,  who  is  now  farming  with  his  brother.  Excellent  educa- 
tional advantages  have  been  accorded  the  family.  The  younger  son  was  for  four  and 
a  half  years  a  student  in  the  College  of  Idaho  and  one  year  in  Cor  vail  is,  Oregon. 

The  family  circle  was  broken  by  the  hand  of  death  when  on  the  7th  of  August, 
1918,  Mr.  Foote  was  stricken  with  paralysis,  passing  away  the  following  day.  Up  to 
that  time  he  bad  been  about  and  attending  to  his  business  as  usual.  His  remains  were 
interred  in  the  cemetery  at  Middleton,  the  funeral  service  being  conducted  by  Dr.  J. 
W.  Boone  on  the  lawn  where  he  had  been  accustomed  to  sit  in  his  leisure  moments — 
a  place  that  he  Iqved  well. 

Mr.  Foote  was  a  man  of  remarkable  self-control,  was  widely  known  for  his  kind- 
ness to  others  and  it  was  proverbial  that  no  one  ever  appealed  to  him  for  aid  in  vain. 
He  assisted  many  boys  in  gaining  a  start  in  life  and  was  ever  ready  to  encourage  them 
and  point  out  to  them  paths  which  would  lead  them  forward.  He  was  a  man  of  irre- 
proachable integrity,  whose  word  was  as  good  as  any  bond  and  who  enjoyed  the 
unbounded  faith  of  his  fellowmen.  He  always  respected  the  rights  of  others  and  at 
the  same  time  demanded  from  others  the  same  consideration  of  his  own  rights.  The 
worth  of  his  life  work  was  widely  acknowledged  and  the  many  sterling  traits  of  his 
character  won  for  him  the  warmest  regard  of  all  who  knew  him.  His  best  traits  of 
character,  however,  were  reserved  for  his  own  fireside  and  in  his  home  he  was  an  ideal 
husband  and  father. 

It  was  Mr.  Foote  who  gave  the  ground  for  a  church  organization  and  Mrs.  Foote 
who  organized  the  Sunday  school  out  of  which  developed  the  Baptist  church  of  Middle- 
ton.  At  the  time  of  Mrs.  Foote's  arrival  here  there  were  no  Sunday  school  services  at 
Middleton  and  the  services  in  Caldwell  were  held  but  twice  a  month.  She  soon  set  to 
work  to  change  this  condition.  Caldwell  had  been  founded  but  two  years  before  her 
arrival  in  Idaho  and  she  felt  that  moral  influences  should  be  a  potent  force  in  the  de- 
velopment of  this  new  district.  Her  labors  have  been  untiring.  She  has  served  as 
organist  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Middleton  and  her  younger  daughter  is  now  filling 
that  position,  while  her  younger  son  is  superintendent  of  the  Baptist  Sunday  school. 
Mrs.  Foote  helped  to  found  the  Carnegie  library  in  Caldwell  and  her  portrait  is  among 


198  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

those  of  its  promoters  which  hang  upon  the  library  wall.  She  was  also  the  organizer 
of  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union  at  Middleton  and  was  awarded  a  life 
membership  by  the  local  union.  She  has  always  been  most  ardent  and  zealous  in  her 
work  for  the  church  and  in  support  of  all  those  agencies  which  make  for  the  uplift  of 
the  individual  and  the  betterment  of  the  community  at  large. 


JOHN  MCMILLAN. 

John  McMillan,  of  Boise,  well  known  as  a  representative  of  farming  and 
sheep  raising  interests  in  Idaho,  came  to  the  state  in  1886  and  throughout  the 
intervening  period,  covering  a  third  of  a  century,  has  been  connected  with  the 
sheep  industry.  He  has  likewise  extended  his  efforts  into  other  fields  of  business 
and  since  1900  has  been  the  president  of  the  Idanha  Hotel  Company.  A  native  of 
Scotland,  his  birth  occurred  on  the  old  homestead  in  Kirkcudbrightshire  on  the  12th 
of  May,  1857,  his  parents  being  Anthony  and  Agnes  (McFadzen)  McMillan,  who 
were  also  born  in  the  land  of  hills  and  heather  but  who  in  1886  joined  their  son 
John  in  Idaho  and  remained  residents  of  this  state  until  called  to  their  final  rest. 
The  father  died  in  1906,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-nine  years,  and  the  mother's 
death  occurred  in  1908,  when  she  was  seventy-seven  years  of  age.  They  were  life- 
long members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

John  McMillan,  who  was  one  of  a  large  family,  was  reared  upon  the  old  home- 
stead in  Scotland  and  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  in  Douglass 
Academy,  after  which  he  assisted  in  the  further  development  and  improvement  of 
the  home  farm  until  1882,  when  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years  he  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  New  York.  For  three  months  thereafter  he  was  employed  on  railroad 
construction  in  Pennsylvania  and  subsequently  spent  four  months  in  a  stove  fac- 
tory in  Scranton,  Pennsylvania.  Attracted  by  the  opportunities  of  the  west,  how- 
ever, he  made  his  way  to  Laramie,  Wyoming,  late  in  1882  and  there  engaged  in 
herding  sheep  until  1884,  when  he  was  made  foreman  of  a  sheep  ranch  and  so 
continued  until  1886.  He  then  began  raising  sheep  at  Mayfield,  Idaho,  where  he 
resided  from  1886  until  1889,  and  afterward  operated  independently  in  sheep  rais- 
ing at  Mayfield  from  1889  until  1894.  In  the  latter  year  he  removed  to  Boise 
and  was  actively  interested  in  the  sheep  industry  at  this  point  until  1917.  His 
interests  continually  developed  in  extent  and  importance  and  he  became  known  as 
one  of  the  prominent  representatives  of  sheep  raising  in  the  state.  Extending  his 
activity  into  other  business  fields,  he  became  instrumental  in  building  the  Idanha 
Hotel  and  since  1900  has  been  the  president  of  the  Idanha  Hotel  Company,  which 
erected  one  of  the  finest  hostelries  of  this  (section  of  the  country.  He  has  long  been 
recognized  as  a  man  of  sound  business  judgment  and  keen  discernment  and  his 
energy  has  brought  him  to  a  place  in  the  foremost  rank  among  the  successful 
business  men  of  Boise. 

On  the  20th  of  November,  1895,  in  Boise,  Mr.  McMillan  was  married  to  Miss 
Clara  Hubbell,  a  daughter  of  Norman  S.  Hubbell,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  they  have 
one  son,  John,  Jr.,  who  was  born  March  28,  1897,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
Boise  high  school  with  the  class-  of  1915.  Mrs.  McMillan  is  a  native  of  Union, 
Oregon,  but  was  reared  and  educated  in  Boise. 

Mr.  McMillan  has  always  turned  to  hunting  and  fishing  for  recreation.  His 
fraternal  relations  are  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  of  the 
Boise  Commercial  Club  he  is  one  of  the  directors.  He  has  taken  active  part  in  pol- 
itics as  a  stalwart  advocate  of  republican  principles  and  has  frequently  been  called 
to  office:  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  house  of  representatives  of  Idaho  in  1893-4 
and  in  1907  became  representative  of  Ada  county  in  the  state  senate  for  a  two 
years'  term.  In  1908  he  was  made  postmaster  of  Boise  and  occupied  the  position 
for  four  years.  While  in  the  legislature  and  senate  he  gave  most  careful  considera- 
tion to  the  vital  questions  which  came  up  for  settlement  anti  his  support  of  any 
measure  was  proof  of  his  firm  belief  in  its  efficacy  as.  a  factor  in  good  government 
or  as  a  means  of  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  state.  In  a  review  of  his  record  it 
4s  easy  to  trace  the  steps  of  the  orderly  progression  which  has  brought  him  from 
a  most  humble  position  as  a  laborer  in  connection  with  railway  construction  to  a 
place  among  the  most  substantial  and  representative  business  men  of  his  adopted 
state.  This  has  resulted  from  no  unusual  opportunities  or  any  special  talents  but 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  199 

has  come  as  the  result  of  close  application,  of  unfaltering  energy  and  a  determined 
purpose  that  has  enabled  him  to  overthrow  all  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his 
path  and  push  steadily  forward  toward  the  goal  of  prosperity. 


JOSEPH  L.  SEWELL. 

Joseph  L.  Sewell,  a  wholesale  dealer  in  hides  and  tallow  at  Boise,  comes 
to  this  state  from  Utah,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Ogden  on  the  24th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1866.  He  is  the  eldest  of  seven  children  whose  parents  were  Joseph  B. 
and  Melissa  (Wilson)  Sewell.  The  father,  who  was  a  commercial  traveler  dur- 
ing his  active  business  life,  was  born  in  England  and  died  in  Oregon,  November 
26,  1891,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years.  He  had  come  to  the  United  States 
when  a  youth  of  fourteen  years  in  company  with  his  parents,  Joseph  and  Emily 
Sewell,  who  were  early  settlers  of  Utah.  Joseph  B.  Sewell  is  still  survived  by 
his  widow,  who  now  lives  at  Grand  Junction,  Colorado,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one 
years,  making  her  home  with  a  daughter.  The  five  sons  and  two  daughters  of 
the  family  are  all  yet  living,  namely:  Joseph  L.;  Esther,  now  the  wife  of  Edward 
D.  Stone;  George  E.;  James  E»,  living  in  Boise;  Ernest  B.,  of- Salt  Lake  City; 
Frank,  a  resident  of  Richland,  Oregon;  and  Grace,  the  wife  of-  Frank  Bork.  of 
Richland,  Oregon. 

Joseph  L.  Sewell  spent  his  youthful  days  in  Utah  and  is  indebted  to  the 
public  school  system  for  his  educational  opportunities.  la  1891  he  removed  to 
La  Grande,  Oregon,  where  he  spent  six  years  in  the  employ  of  D.  H.  McDaneld 
&  Company,  a  large  Chicago  concern  dealing  in  hides,  tallow,  wool,  pelts  and  furs. 
He  acted  as  manager  and  buyer  for  the  firm  at  La  Grande  and  in  1897  he  removed 
to  Boise  as  representative  of  the  same  firm.  He  afterward  purchased  the  Boise 
business  from  the  Chicago  concern  and  has  since  conducted  it  under  his  own 
name  and  on  his  own  account.  He  has  been  in  business  for  himself  for  more 
than  twelve  years  and  is  today  the  pioneer  in  his  line  in  the  city  and  the  only 
resident  of  Boise  engaged  in  the  business.  He  has  built  up  a  trade  of  substan- 
tial proportions  and  through  well  directed  energy  and  perseverance  has  made 
his  undertaking  one  of  substantial  profit.  , 

Mr.  Sewell  was  married  in  Ogden,  Utah,  February  2,  1890,  to.  Miss  Apna 
Lucy  Aldous,  who  was  born  in  Huntsville,  Utah.  They  are  parents  of  two  sons: 
Joseph  C.,  born  December  31,  1891;  and  Harry  A.,  December  9,  1894.  Both  were 
in  the  military  service  of  the  United  States.  The  former  is  an  expert  in  commer- 
cial art  work,  which  he  followed  in  Chicago  for  a  few  years  prior  to  the  war, 
there  establishing  a  good  business.  The  younger  son  was  a  student  in  the 
Northwestern  University  of  Chicago  before  called  to  the  colors. 

Mr.  Sewell  belongs  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  interested  in 
every  effort  of  that  organization  to  develop  the  city,  to  promote  its  trade  rela- 
tions and  to  secure  the  adoption  of  those  standards  which  have  their  root  in 
high  civic  ideals.  He  belongs  to  the  Woodmen  of  (he  World  and  his  political 
allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican  party  where  national  questions  and  issues 
are  involved,  but  at  local  elections  he  casts  an  independent  ballot. 


F.    J.    GRABER. 

F.  J.  Graber  has  become  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  eighty-seven  acres  four 
miles  southwest  of  Wilder,  on  which  he  is  producing  excellent  crops  and  engag- 
ing in  the  manufacture  of  syrup.  His  activities  have  been  wisely  directed  and 
he  is  meeting  with  a  substantial  measure  of  success  as  the  years  go  by,  dating 
his  residence  in  Idaho  from  1906.  He  had  previously  lived  in  Minnesota  and 
Iowa  but  is  a  native  of  Switzerland,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  Land  of 
the  Alps  on  the  3d  of  January,  1860.  His  parents  were  Jacob  and  Barbara 
Graber,  who  came  to  the  United  States  when  their  son,  F.  J.,  was  but  eight  years 
of  age,  establishing  their  home  in  Burlington,  Iowa,  where  they  still  reside,  both 
being  now  past  the  age  of  eighty  years. 

F.    J.    Graber   remained   in    Iowa   for   a    decade   and    then    removed   to    Blue 


200  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Earth  county,  Minnesota,  where  he  followed  farming  for  eighteen  years.  Attracted 
by  the  opportunities  of  the  growing  northwest,  he  came  to  Idaho  in  1906  and 
settled  on  his  present  place  of  eighty-seven  acres  four  miles  southwest  of  Wilder. 
This  he  homesteaded,  for  it  was  at  that  time  a  tract  of  wild  and  unbroken  land, 
the  only  crop  produced  being  the  native  sagebrush.  He  and  his  sons  cleared 
the  place  and  have  brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  fields  now  being 
devoted  to  the  raising  of  alfalfa,  clover  and  wheat.  All  of  the  land  is  under 
cultivation  save  a  small  strip.  In  addition  to  the  production  of  crops  Mr.  Graber 
is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  syrup  from  sorghum,  a  work  which  he  under- 
took five  years  ago.  He  has  built  a  fine  little  plant  for  the  manufacture  of  this 
product  and  everything  about  the  plant  is  thoroughly  complete  and  modern.  His 
business  has  greatly  stimulated  the  growth  of  sorghum  in  the  district  and  in 
1918  Mr.  Graber  made  three  thousand  gallons,  having  a  market  in  Boise  for 
all  that  he  can  produce.  The  syrup  is  put  up  under  the  name  of  F.  J.  Graber 
&  Sons. 

In  1884  Mr.  Graber  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nancy  Elizabeth  Bow- 
man, a  native  of  Iowa.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  seven  children  who 
are  yet  living,  while  two  have  passed  away.  Those  living  are:  Golda  May,  the 
wife  of  George  E.  Hudson,  of  Wilder,  and  the  mother  of  five  children;  Edgar 
H.,  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  associated  in  business  with  his  father:  Edna  Sarah, 
a  twin  of  Edgar  and  the  wife  of  Ray  Winter,  by  whom  she  has  two  children; 
Glenwood  F.  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  who  has  recently  returned  from  New 
York,  where  he  was  with  the  Eighth  Division  of  the  Twelfth  Infantry  Supply 
Company  when  the  armistice  was  signed;  Elsie  Belle,  the  wife  of  Charles  Schultz 
and  the  mother  of  one  child;  Harold  H.,  who  is  fifteen  years  of  age  and  is 
attending  school;  and  Wayne  L.,  aged  twelve,  also  in  school.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Graber  certainly  have  a  fine  and  happy  family  and  the  young  men  are  splendid 
types  of  physical  manhood. 

Mr.  Graber  has  ever  been  recognized  as  a  man  of  diligence  and  determina- 
tion and  through  the  utilization  of  these  qualities  he  has  worked  his  way  steadily 
upward  since  he  started  out  in  the  business  world  on  his  own  account.  After 
farming  in  Iowa  and  Minnesota  for  a  number  of  years  he  came  to  the  northwest 
to  utilize  the  opportunities  of  this  rapidly  developing  section  of  the  country  and 
is  now  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  and  manufacturers  of  the  Fargo  district 
of  Canyon  county. 


MRS.  HARRIET  H.  ANDREWARTHA. 

Mrs.  Harriet  H.  Andrewartha  occupies  an  attractive  old  home  at  No.  1111  Grove 
street,  in  Boise,  which  she  has  occupied  for  the  past  third  of  a  century.  She  is  num- 
bered among  the  pioneer  women  of  the  state,  having  come  to  Idaho  territory  in  young 
womanhood  as  a  school  teacher  from  the  state  of  Georgia  in  1874.  Her  maiden  name 
was  Harriet  H.  Dunagan  and  she  was  born  in  White  county,  Georgia,  July  31,  1849. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Frederick  Dunagan,  a  musician  of  ability,  who  also  taught  music 
and  who  became  a  prospector  and  miner,  going  to  California  as  a  gold  seeker  in  the 
early  '50s.  Later  he  came  to  Idaho,  living  in  old  Alturas  county  for  many  years.  He 
afterward  removed  to  Baker,  where  he  passed  away  in  1907.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Louisa  A.  Kerbow,  passed  away  in  Boise  about  twenty  years  ago. 

Their  daughter  Harriet  was  reared  upon  a  plantation  in  White  county,  Georgia,  to 
the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  she  became  the  wife  of  Benjamin  West,  of  a  fine  old 
Georgia  family.  One  child  was  born  of  that  marriage,  William  Lee  West,  whose  birth 
occurred  before  his  mother  was  seventeen  years  of  age.  The  marriage  of  Benjamin 
West  and  Harriet  Dunagan  proved  an  unhappy  one,  the  young  husband  turning  out  to 
be  altogether  unworthy,  and  a  legal  separation  followed.  The  son  is  now  a  resident  of 
Idaho,  making  his  home  in  Boise  county. 

Mrs.  Andrewartha  was  not  quite  twenty  years  of  age  when  she  came  to  the  territory 
of  Idaho  in  1874  to  teach  school,  bringing  with  her  her  young  son.  She  taught  school 
for  several  years  in  old  Alturas  county,  now  Elmore  county,  and  for  a  considerable 
period  resided  on  a  ranch  at  what  is  known  as  Mayfield  before  becoming  a  resident  of 
Boise.  In  1881  she  was  married  to  the  Rev.  John  Andrewartha  in  old  Alturas  county. 
He  was  a  Methodist  minister  and  a  man  of  splendid  qualities  and  high  standing.  In 


MRS.  HARRIET  H.  ANDREWARTHA 


DR.  BERTHA  IRENE  ANDREWARTHA 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  205 

1885  a  daughter  was  born  to  them  while  they  were  still  residing  on  Mrs.  Andrewar- 
tlut's  ranch  at  Mayfield,  which  she  had  homesteaded  and  which  comprised  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land.  Their  daughter  there  born  was  named  Bertha  Irene  and  grew 
to  young  womanhood,  becoming  a  skilled  physician.  She  was  graduated  from  the 
Willamette  College  of  Oregon  but  became  a  victim  of  tuberculosis  and  passed  away 
when  but  twenty-four  years  of  age. 

About  1889  Mrs.  Andrewartha  sold  her  ranch  to  John  McMillan,  of  Boise,  and  re- 
moved to  the  capital  city,  where  she  purchased  a  large  block  of  real  estate  on  Grove 
street,  between  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  streets.  This  property  she  improved  by  erecting 
several  houses  thereon,  including  three  large,  comfortable  homes  and  five  cottages,  all 
of  which  she  rents  to  desirable  tenants,  thus  enjoying  a  good  income. 

Rev.  John  Andrewartha  died  seven  years  ago  and  Mrs.  Andrewartha  has  since  re- 
mained a  widow.  She  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  Boise  and  also  belongs  to  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  She  is  a  woman  possessed 
of  good  business  ability  and  of  natural  culture  and  refinement  and  is  most  widely  and 
favorably  received  in  the  best  social  circles  of  the  city.  In  fact  her  own  home  is  the 
center  of  a  cultured  society  and  warm-hearted  hospitality  is  always  there  found. 


HON.   A.   E.   CALLAWAY. 

In  many  respects  A.  E.  Callaway  left  the  impress  of  his  individuality  and 
ability  upon  the  history  of  Idaho.  The  later  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  Caldwell 
and  for  a  long  period  he  was  closely  associated  with  the  agricultural  development  of 
the  Boise  valley  and  at  the  same  time  was  keenly  alive  to  the  interests  and  upbuild- 
ing of  Canyon  county  and  for  a  number  of  terms  served  as  a  member  of  the  legisla- 
ture before  Idaho  was  admitted  into  the  Union.  He  was  born  in  Missouri,  March  5, 
1823,  and  there  acquired  a  common  school  education  while  spending  his  boyhood 
days  in  the  home  of  his  parents,  James  and  Katherine '  (Markham)  Callaway,  who 
were  natives  of  Virginia.  They  were  married  in  that  state  and  removed  to  Mis- 
souri at  an  early  period  in  its  development,  taking  up  their  abode  in  what  is  now 
known  as  Callaway  county  and  which  was  named  in  their  honor.  They  were  among 
the  people  prominent  in  the  early  development  of  that  state,  sharing  in  the  hard- 
ships and  privations  incident  to  frontier  settlement.  The  father  was  there  killed  by 
a  falling  tree. 

A.  E.  Callaway,  reared  in  Missouri,  was  a  young  man  of  about  twenty-five  or 
twenty-six  years  at  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California.  Hoping  to  win 
fortune  in  the  mines,  he  crossed  the  plains  with  an  ox  team  in  1849  and  he  fol- 
lowed both  farming  and  mining  in  the  Yreka  country,  living  much  of  the  time  in 
Siskiyou  county  until  1862,  when  he  sold  his  property  there  and  came  to  Idaho, 
attracted  by  the  gold  excitement  in  this  state.  He  went  first  to  Florence  and  thence 
came  to  the  Boise  basin,  where  he  remained  until  1870.  In  that  year  he  removed  to  the 
Boise  valley  and  settled  on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  a  portion  of  which 
is  now  within  the  western  limits  of  Caldwell.  One  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  of 
this  land  is  still  in  possession  of  his  widow  and  returns  to  her  a  good  rental.  Mr. 
Callaway  continued  to  cultivate  his  land  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  the  26th  of  July,  1901. 

On  the  16th  of  February.  1870,  Mr.  Callaway  had  wedded  Miss  Mary  Jane 
Fulton,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  although  the  marriage  took  place  in  Idaho.  Her 
mother,  Mrs.  Ellen  (Howard)  Fulton,  had  died  in  Ohio  and  she  afterward  came 
with  her  father,  Frank  Fulton,  by  o'x  team  across  the  plains  in  1863.  They  first 
made  their  way  to  Oregon  and  afterward  came  to  Idaho,  where  Mr.  Fulton  married 
again,  his  second  wife  bearing  the  maiden  name  of  Belle  Clemmons,  whom  he 
wedded  in  1864,  soon  after  her  arrival  here  from  the  east.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Callaway 
became  the  parents  of  six  children.  Abner  Kenton,  forty-eight  years  of  age,  mar- 
ried Adah  Asbill,  a  native  of  Lake  county,  California,  and  they  have  three  children: 
Inez  Early,  who  is  attending  the  University  of  Idaho  at  Moscow  and  is  an  exceed- 
ingly precocious  student;  Kathryne;  and  Stephen.  Nellie  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
Sinsel,  of  Boise,  and  the  mother  of  one  child,  Frank,  sixteen  years  of  age.  Kittie 
Lee  is  the  wife  of  Edward  Hedden,  surveyor  general  of  Idaho,  and  while  they  have 
no  children  of  their  own,  they  are  rearing  an  adopted  daughter,  Gertrude.  Frank 
Early,  forty-three  years  of  age,  married  Minnie  Johnson,  of  Oregon,  and  they  are 


206  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

living  at  Ely,  Nevada,  with  their  three  children:  Douglas,  aged  ten;  Virginia  Lee; 
and  Dugan,  aged  five.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Callaway  also  lost  two  children,  Marianne 
Johnson  and  Eflie  Eulalia. 

Mr.  Callaway  lived  through  all  of  the  Indian  troubles  and  experienced  all  of 
the  trials  incident  to  those  harassing  times.  On  many  occasions  it  was  thought  that 
their  lives  would  not  be  spared,  yet  Mr.  Callaway  lived  to  witness  much  of  the 
transformation  and  development  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  to  bear  an  active 
part  in  the  work  of  progress  and  improvement.  He  was  a  leader  in  his  community 
and  for  seven  terms  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  territorial  legislature,  thus  doing 
much  to  shape  the  early  policy  of  the  commonwealth.  He  aided  in  laying  a  broad 
and  safe  foundation  upon  which  to  build  its  later  progress  and  prosperity,  his 
service  ever  being  of  a  most  valuable  character. 


F.  H.  HOSTETLER,  D.  V.  S. 

Dr.  F.  H.  Hostetler,  who  has  since  1905  engaged  in  the  practice  of  veterinary 
surgery  at  Nampa,  was  born  in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana,  March  22,  1874,  and  when 
ten  years  of  age  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  McPherson  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  acquired  his  education  together  with  considerable  experience  at 
farming.  When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  entered  upon  a  six  years'  experience  as  a 
school  teacher  and  then  took  up  the  study  of  veterinary  surgery.  In  1905  he  came 
to  Nampa,  Idaho,  and  at  once  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which 
has  steadily  increased  until  it  today  extends  throughout  the  entire  Boise  valley, 
his  work  recommending  him  wherever  and  whenever  he  has  had  an  opportunity  to 
show  results.  He  is  a  specialist  in  parturient  paresis,  or  what  is  commonly  known 
as  milk  fever  in  cows,  which  disease  is  fatal  if  not  treated  at  once.  Dr.  Hostetler 
has  saved  over  ninety-five  per  cent  of  cases  of  this  kind  under  the  treatment  which 
he  pursues.  His  operating  tables,  rooms  and  surgical  instruments  are  the  best 
that  can  be  procured  and  he  is  in  a  position  to  take  care  of  his  patronage  as  well 
as  it  could  be  cared  for  in  the  larger  cities. 

Dr.  Hostetler's  interest  in  the  science  of  veterinary  surgery  was  awakened  at  a 
rery  early  age,  for  his  father,  Abraham  Hostetler,  was  a  veterinarian  of  Indiana  and 
Kansas,  practicing  successfully  for  thirty  years.  He  passed  away  in  the  latter  state 
in  1905  and  is  still  survived  by  his  widow,  who  yet  makes  her  home  in  Kansas. 

On  the  7th  of  April,  1898,  Dr.  Hostetler  was  married  in  Missouri  to  Miss 
Dessie  Yoder,  a  native  of  Michigan,  and  they  have  become  parents  of  five  children: 
Virtie  D.,  who  was  graduated  from  the  Nampa  high  school  in  1918  and  became  a 
teacher;  Leo  F.,  who  completed  a  high  school  course  in  1919;  Orval  H.,  attending 
high  school;  and  Anna  Velma  and  Adelia  Lillian,  who  are  also  in  school. 

Dr.  Hostetler  and  his  family  not  only  occupy  a  pleasant  home  in  Nampa  but 
he  also  owns  a  good  ranch  near  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  city  council  and 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  substantial  residents  of  Nampa  and  a  prominent  repre- 
sentative of  its  professional  interests. 


BENJAMIN  S.  HOWE. 

Benjamin  S.  Howe,  secretary  of  the  Boise  Artesian  Hot  &  Cold  Water  Company, 
was  born  in  Newton,  Massachusetts.  October  21,  1841,  and  has  therefore  passed 
the  seventy-eighth  milestone  on  life's  journey  but  bears  his  years  lightly  and 
would  readily  pass  for  a  man  of  less  than  three  score  and  ten.  He  has  been  a 
resident  of  Idaho  for  thirty-three  years  and  has  made  his  home  in  Boise  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  or  since  1894,  when  he  removed  to  this  city  from  Silver  City, 
Owyhee  county,  Idaho,  where  he  had  previously  been  engaged  in  mining  for  seven 
years.  Throughout  the  period  of  his  residence  in  Boise  he  has  been  the  secretary  of 
the  Boise  Artesian  Hot  &  Cold  Water  Company  and  has  thus  figured  prominently 
in  connection  with  one  of  the  important  business  interests  of  the  capital. 

Mr.  Howe  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  B.  and  Nancy  Turner  (Warren)  Howe,  the 
former  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and  the  latter  of  Massachusetts.  In  the  paternal 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  207 

and  maternal  lines  he  is  descended  from  Revolutionary  war  ancestry  and  both  the 
Howe  and  Warren  families  were  established  in  New  England  at  an  early  period 
In  the  colonization  of  the  new  world. 

Benjamin  S.  Howe  was  reared  in  Roxbury,  now  a  part  of  the  city  of  Boston, 
and  there  pursued  a  public  school  education,  after  which  he  served  an  apprentice- 
ship to  the  trade  of  steam  boiler  maker  but  never  followed  that  pursuit.  Following 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  he  enlisted  in  1861  as  a  private  In  Company  A. 
Twenty-Second  Massachusetts  Regiment,  with  which  he  participated  in  a  number 
of  minor  engagements,  and  was  honorably  discharged  late  In  1862  owing  to  ill 
health.  He  returned  to  his  home  in  Massachusetts,  where  he  continued  until  1865. 
when  he  left  that  state  and  made  a  trip  with  a  freight  wagon  train  to  New  Mexico. 
Subsequently  he  made  several  other  trips  across  the  plains,  covering  the  distance 
eighteen  times  in  all,  or  for  nine  round  trips.  In  1866  he  became  a  resident  of 
Nebraska  City,  Nebraska,  and  was  there  making  his  home  when  that  state  was 
admitted  to  the  Union.  He  was  also  a  resident  of  Denver  in  1876,  when  Colorado 
was  admitted  to  the  Union,  and  when  Idaho  became  a  member  of  the  great  sister- 
hood of  states  in  1890  he  was  a  resident  of  Silver  City,  BO  that  his  experience  is 
such  as  few  men  can  boast  of — identification  with  three  different  states  at  the 
time  of  their  admission  to  the  Union. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  1912,  Mr.  Howe  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Agnes 
Gavin,  of  Boise,  a  native  of  Boston,  Massachusetts.  He  had  previously  been  mar- 
ried in  the  Old  Bay  state  to  a  Miss  Dillingham  in  1865,  but  she  passed  away  some 
years  prior  to  his  second  marriage.  During  the  World  war  Mrs.  Howe  was  chairman 
of  the  receiving  committee  at  the  Belgian  relief  headquarters  and  was  very  active  in 
Red  Cross  and  other  war  work. 

In  politics  Mr.  Howe  is  a  democrat  but  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  poHtical 
office,  nor  has  he  desired  to  serve  in  any  position  of  political  preferment.  He  has 
membership  in  the  Boise  Commerical  Club,  is  also  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks  and  is  identified  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  thus 
maintaining  pleasant  relations  with  his  old  army  comrades  who  wore  the  nation's 
blue  uniform  from  1861  to  1865.  In  matters  of  citizenship  he  has  ever  been  as 
true  and  loyal  to  his  country  as  when  he  followed  the  nation's  starry  banner  on 
the  battlefields  of  the  south. 


J.  H.   COLE. 

J.  H.  Cole,  engaged  in  farming  near  New  Plymouth,  Payette  county,  was  born 
in  Iowa,  March  19,  1858,  his  parents  being  James  Jerome  and  Nancy  Jane  (Kanaw- 
yer)  Cole.  The  father  was  born  in  Illinois  and  when  a  young  man  removed  with 
his  bride  to  Iowa.  In  May,  1862,  they  went  to  California,  crossing  the' plains  by 
ox  team.  They  had  no  trouble  with  the  Indians  save  in  one  instance,  when  two 
young  men  who  were  of  their  party  wantonly  killed  an  old  Indian  woman.  These 
murderers  were  given  over  to  the  Indians  to  deal  with  as  they  saw  fit.  The  party 
were  five  months  on  the  road  before  reaching  Folsom  City,  California,  in  the  fall  of 
1862.  The  father  then  engaged  in  teaming  from  Sacramento,  California,  to  Nevada 
for  two  years  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  removed  to  the  Willamette  val- 
ley of  Oregon,  where  he  carried  on  farming  for  five  years,  raising  fruit  and  gen- 
eral grain  crops.  He  afterward  sold  his  property  there  and  took  up  his  abode  on 
the  Pitt  river  in  Modoc  county,  California,  where  he  raised  cattle  and  also  engaged 
in  teaming  from  Redding  and  Red  Bluff  to  Alturas,  the  family  there  residing  for 
five  years.  The  Indians,  however,  were  troublesome  in  Modoc  county  and  Mr.  Cole 
would  have  been  killed  on  one  occasion  had  he  not  been  quicker  on  the  draw  than 
the  Indian.  He  removed  with  his  family  from  that  locality  to  Tulare  county,  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  followed  sheep  raising  for  eight  years.  He  next  went  to  Lewis- 
ton,  Washington,  where  he  carried  on  farming  and  cattle  raising  for  eight  years, 
having  there  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  about  twelve  miles  south  of 
Asotin.  At  a  subsequent  period  he  returned  with  his  family  to  California  for  a 
short  time  and  then  removed  to  Long  Valley,  Idaho,  where  he  lived  for  two  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  interval  he  went  to  Winneinucca,  Nevada,  where  a  brief 
period  was  passed,  and  from  that  place  removed  to  Vancouver,  Washington,  where 
he  remained  for  one  year  and  later  went  to  the  Willamette  valley,  near  Corvallis,* 


208  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Oregon,  where  he  lived  for  eighteen  months.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  returned 
to  the  old  homestead  in  Crook  county,  Oregon,  near  Prineville,  and  thereon  passed 
away  on  the  21st  of  August,  1896.  The  mother  died  at  Traver,  California,  in  1903, 
at  the  home  of  her  eldest  son  and  youngest  daughter. 

It  was  in  1901  that  J.  H.  Cole  came  to  Idaho,  settling  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
north  of  New  Plymouth.  There  he  engaged  in  raising  cattle  for  three  years,  after 
which  he  disposed  of  his  place  and  removed  to  his  present  location,  having  forty 
acres  of  land  two  miles  east  of  New  Plymouth.  This  is  known  as  the  old  Tyler 
place  and  hereon  Mr.  Cole  is  devoting  some  attention  to  dairying. 

On  the  18th  of  July,  1887,  at  Lewiston,  Idaho,  Mr.  Cole  was  married  to  Miss 
Henrietta  Carpenter  and  to  them  have  been  born  four  children:  James  Herbert, 
thirty  years  of  age;  Albert  lone,  aged  twenty-eight;  Annie  Christina;  and  Mary 
Alice.  All  are  married  and  have  families.  Mrs.  Cole's  father,  James  Henry  Car- 
penter, was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  the  state  of  Idaho  and  homesteaded  in 
Long  Valley.  He  owner  and  conducted  a  dairy  for  twenty-five  years,  his  place  being 
about  two  miles  northwest  of  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cole.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Car- 
penter are  now  residents  of  Ontario,  Oregon,  and  have  reached  the  ages  of  seventy- 
three  and  sixty-seven  yea'rs  respectively.  The  former  can  drive  an  automobile  like  a 
boy.  James  Herbert  and  Albert  lone,  the  two  sons  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cole,  have  home- 
steads on  the  upper  Big  Willow  creek,  where  they  are  engaged  in  sheep  raising. 

Mr.  Cole  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  west,  living  in  this  section  of  the  country 
throughout  the  period  of  pioneer  development  and  experience.  He  was  in  Tulare 
county,  California,  during  the  Mussel  Slough  riots,  when  every  man's  life  in  that 
vicinity  depended  upon  his  prowess  with  the  gun.  That  Mr.  Cole  survives  is  indic- 
ative of  his  skill  in  that  connection.  His  reminiscences  of  pioneer  times  are  most 
interesting  and  his  memory  forms  a  connecting  link  between  the  primitive  past  and 
the  progressive  present. 


HENRY  OBERMEYER. 

The  name  of  Obermeyer  is  inseparably  interwoven  with  the  history  of  Idaho  and 
Henry  Obermeyer  is  the  eldest  of  four  brothers,  Henry,  William,  Lewis  and  John,  who 
are  known  as  the  "Watermelon  Kings"  of  the  state.  All  four  have  been  prominently 
and  extensively  engaged  in  growing  and  shipping  melons  and  other  fruits  in  Gem 
county  and  have  contributed  much  to  its  development  and  progress  through  the  conduct 
of  their  individual  interests.  Henry  Obermeyer  is  the  owner  of  the  famous  Frozen 
Dog  ranch,  which  is  situated  four  and  a  half  miles  northeast  of  Emmett  and  is  one  of 
the  most  splendidly  developed  ranch  properties  of  this  section  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Obermeyer  was  born  in  Kendall  county,  Illinois,  September  30,  1885,  and  is 
a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Linz)  Obermeyer,  who  were  natives  of  Germany  but  came 
to  the  new  world  in  early  life  and  were  married  in  Illinois.  Mention  of  them  is 
made  on  another  page  of  this  work.  Henry  Obermeyer  was  reared  at 
Piano,  Illinois,  in  his  native  county,  and  acquired  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools  there,  after  which  he  attended  the  University  of  Chicago,  also  De  Paul 
University  of  Chicago  and  the  Notre  Dame  University  of  Indiana.  He  took  an  active 
interest  in  athletics  during  his  college  days  and  played  full-back  on  the  football  team, 
acting  as  captain  of  a  football  team  during  two  years  of  his  college  life  and  winning 
a  well  earned  reputation  as  a  crack  player. 

On  the  7th  of  May,  1910,  Mr.  Obermeyer  was  married  to  Miss  Katheryne  A.  Ewing, 
who  was  born  in  West  Superior,  Wisconsin,  January  9,  1891,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
Watterson  Ewing  a  well  known  newspaper  man  of  Chicago,  and  nephew  and  namesake 
of  the  distinguished  editor,  Henry  Watterson,  of  the  Louisville  (Ky.)  Courier-Journal. 
Two  daughters  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Obermeyer:  Mary  Lillian,  born  February 
9,  1911;  and  Elizabeth  Katheryne,  December  13,  1913.  Both  are  now  in  school,  attend- 
ing St.  Margaret's  Hall  of  Boise. 

In  June,  1910,  Mr.  Obermeyer  came  with  his  family  to  Idaho  and  they  have  since 
lived  near  Emmett,  on  the  south  slope,  where  he  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  growing 
of  fruits,  including  grapes  and  melons.  His  three  brothers  previously  mentioned  hare 
also  become  actively  interested  in  the  same  business.  They  are  not  partners,  yet  their 
activities  and  interests  are  mutual  and  to  a  large  extent  they  cooperate  in  the 
conduct  of  their  affairs.  They  are  the  largest  individual  shippers  of  melons  and  grapes* 


HENRY  OBERMEYER 


m— it 


.    HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  211 

in  the  northwest.  In  1919  they  shipped  out  of  the  Payette  valley  over  one  hundred 
carloads  of  melons  and  grapes  for  which  they  received  over  ninety  thousand  dollars, 
the  products  all  being  grown  on  their  several  ranches  on  the  famous  south  slope  of 
Gem  county. 

In  1919  Henry  Obermeyer  purchased  and  removed  to  the  famous  Frozen  Dog  ranch 
four  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Emraett,  this  being  one  of  the  most  noted  as  well  as' one 
of  the  most  highly  improved  ranches  in  the  Payette  valley.  It  is  situated  a  few  miles 
up  the  slope  east  of  his  former  home  ranch  and  those  of  his  brothers,  Will,  Lew  and 
John.  This  ranch  was  developed  by  Colonel  W.  C.  Hunter,  well  known  author  and  for 
years  a  member  of  the  staff  of  The  Chicago  Tribune.  Colonel  Hunter  purchased  and 
developed  the  property  for  his  permanent  home,  spending  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  in 
the  improvement  of  the  place,  which  included  the  erection  of  a  beautiful  nine-room 
bungalow  and  the  development  of  a  splendid  orchard.  Irrigation  pipes  were  laid  between 
the  rows  of  trees  and  the  best  fruit  packing  house  and  air  storage  plant  in  the  valley 
was  built  on  the  place  with  a  capacity  of  thirty  carloads.  Every  device  and  accessory 
of  the  model  ranch  and  orchard  property  was  secured  as  part  of  the  equipment.  Two 
years  after  developing  this  property  Colonel  Hunter  passed  away  and  his' son,  Duncan 
Hunter,  then  took  charge,  proving  not  only  a  capable  manager  but  also  one  of  the  most 
popular  citizens  of  the  community  by  reason  of  his  jovial  nature  and  democratic  spirit, 
but  death  made  him  a  victim  of  the  influenza  and  in  1919  the  property  was  sold  to 
Henry  Obermeyer,  who  is  the  owner  of  six  other  places  on  the  famous  Emmett  south 
slope.  His  total  land  holdings  .embrace  six  hundred  and  ten  acres,  there  being  two 
hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  in  the  Frozen  Dog  ranch,  of  which  one  hundred  and 
three  acres  are  under  irrigation,  thirty-three  acres  being  planted  to  prunes  -and 
apples,  while  seventy  acres  are  in  alfalfa.  His  trees  are  in  the  finest  possible  condi- 
tion and  another  most  important  feature  of  his  place  is  his  fiel^,  of  watermelons.  His 
shipments  in  1919  were  forty-eight  cars  of  watermelons,  six  cars  of  apples  and  'eight 
cars  of  mixed  fruits,  such  as  peaches  and  grapes.  He  expects  to  ship  at  least  one 
hundred  carloads  in  1920,  finding  a  ready  market  for  the  products  in  eastern  Idaho, 
western  Wyoming  and  Montana.  He  and  his  brothers  have  shown  what  can  be  accom- 
plished in  the  way  of  melon  production  in  this  state  under  favorable  conditions  And 
their  example  is  being  followed  by  many  others. 

Mr.  Obermeyer  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  thirty-second  degree  Scottish  Rite  Mason 
and  also  a  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  likewise  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star  and  also  prominent 
in  women's  club  circles,  being  now  president  of  the  Crescent  Improvement  Club  of 
Emmett.  Mr.  Obermeyer  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  and 
belongs  to  the  Commercial  Club.  He  is  fond  of  hunting,  fishing  and  athletics  but  the 
demands  of  his  constantly  developing  business  leave  him  little  time  for  outside  affairs. 
That  he  is  a  man  of  most  progressive  spirit,  alert  and  energetic,  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  within  a  few  years  he  has  acquired  and  improved  seven  different  ranch  properties  in 
Gem  county,  within  the  borders  of  which  he  has  made  his  home  for  only  a  decade,  but 
within  that  time  he  has  gained  a  place  among  the  leading  citizens  of  this  part  of  the 
state  and  has  justly  won  the  title  of  Melon  King  of  Idaho.  With  a  nature  that  could 
never  be  content  with  mediocrity,  he  has  pushed  his  way  forward,  obstacles  and  diffi- 
culties in  his  path  seeming  to  serve  but  as  an  impetus  for  renewed  effort  on  his  part 
and  a  stimulus  for  greater  activity. 


HERMAN  R.  NEITZEL. 

Herman  R.  Neitzel,  founder  of  the  Bannock  Motor  Sales  Company  and  num- 
bered among  the  representative  business  men  of  Idaho's  capital  city,  was  born  in 
Germany,  whence  he  came  to  America  when  eight  years  of  age  with  his  parents  John 
H.  and  Augusta  (Magdanz)  Neitzel.  Upon  their  arrival  in  the  new  world,  the  family 
located  in  South  Bend,  Indiana,  where  the  parents  spent  their  remaining  days,  rear- 
Ing  a  family  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  still 
survive. 

Herman  R.  Neitzel  spent  his  boyhood  in  South  Bend,  profiting  by  the  advan- 
tages afforded  the  youth  of  the  time  and  period  and  laboring  assiduously  to  master 
the  intricacies  of  a  new  language  and  customs  that  were  strange.  At  an  early  age 


212  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

he  became  connected  with  the  Studebaker  Company,  at  South  Bend,  as  bookkeeper 
and  accountant,  and  this  association  continued  for  a  period  of  ten  years. 

In  1895,  Mr.  Neitzel  removed  to  Nebraska,  locating  in  Murdock.  At  the  time 
of  his  location  there,  Murdock  was  nothing  but  a  station  and  he,  therefore,  became 
one  of  its  first  citizens.  He  entered  actively  into  the  upbuilding  of  the  town  and 
made  it  his  residence  place  for  the  ensuing  fifteen  years.  He  was  the  founder  and 
sole  owner  of  the  Bank  of  Murdock,  an  institution  which  had  no  little  part  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  surrounding  country  and  which  is  still  enjoying  a  prosperous 
career.  He  also  served  as  the  first  mayor  of  Murdock  and  in  other  ways  contributed 
toward  the  advancement  of  the  new  community. 

Since  1910,  Mr.  Neitzel  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho,  making  his  home  in  Boise. 
He  at  once  became  identified  with  various  business  affairs  throughout  the  state.  He 
is  the  owner  of  a  large  general  store  at  Murphy,  Idaho,  though  he  has  devoted  the 
major  part  of  his  time  and  attention  to  the  affairs  of  the  Bannock  Motor  Sales  Com- 
pany, organized  in  1914.  The  company  acts  as  distributing  agent  for  Maxwell  and 
Chalmers  motor  cars,  and  the  Garford  motor  trucks,  and  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  throughout  Idaho  and  adjoining  states. 

In  addition  to  his  other  business  interests,  Mr.  Neitzel  is  known  as  one  of  the 
prominent  orchardists  of  the  west,  being  the  owner  of  a  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acre  apple  orchard,  with  sixteen  thousand  trees,  now  seven  years  old  and  in  full 
bearing.  The  varieties*  grown,  include  Jonathans,  Roman  Beauties,  Stayman  Wine- 
saps  and  Delicious,  and  the  ripened  fruit  is  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 

In  Plattsmouth,  Nebraska,  on  the  26th  of  April,  1899,  Mr.  Neitzel  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Nellie  J.  Guthmann,  and  to  them  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren, Francis  Herman,  John  Milton  and  Elizabeth  Anne. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Neitzel  has  always  been  a  republican.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Boise  Lodge  of  Elks,  the  Boise  Commercial  Club  and  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  His  entire  life  has  been  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  progress 
that  has  taken  cognizance  of  both  needs  and  opportunities,  and  in  the  communities 
in  which  he  has  lived  his  efforts  have  been  in  full  accord  with  constructive  advance- 
ment. 


EDWIN  B.   BRUSH. 

Edwin  B.  Brush,  an  enterprising  farmer  and  sheep  raiser  of  Canyon  county, 
making  his  home  at  Parma,  was  born  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  November  12,  1892, 
a  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrews,  who  died  from  injuries  sustained  from  a  prairie 
fire  in  Minnesota  when  their  son  was  but  a  few  weeks  old.  He  was  then  adopted 
by  Mr,  and  Mrs.  G.  H.  Brush  and  has  known  no  other  parents.  Mr.  Brush  was  born 
in  Bloomfield,  Vermont,  and  when  six  years  of  age  was  taken  by  his  parents  to 
Wisconsin  and  there  remained  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-five,  when  he 
removed  to  Minnesota,  where  he  carried  on  farming  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In 
1898  he  came  to  Idaho,  accompanied  by  his  family,  and  settled  on  his  present  home 
place  of  eighty  acres  in  the  Roswell  district,  where  he  located  as  a  pioneer.  The 
land  was  covered  with  a  growth  of  wild  sagebrush  and  there  was  but  one  dwelling 
in  Parma,  which  at  that  time  was  his  postoffice  address,  being  situated  about  four 
miles  north  of  his  home.  Mrs.  Brush  passed  away  August  20,  1917. 

Edwin  B.  Brush  obtained  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Roswell  and 
in  a  business  college  in  Boise,  where  he  completed  his  course  in  1913.  He  has  since 
devoted  his  entire  efforts  to  farming  upon  the  home  place,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
raising  alfalfa,  grain  and  hogs  and  has  also  given  considerable  attention  to  sheep 
raising  in  later  years.  He  is  now  largely  developing  his  flocks  and  has  eleven 
hundred  head.  It  is  his  purpose  to  give  more  and  more  attention  to  sheep  raising. 
On  the  1st  of  July,  1919,  he  shipped  eleven  hundred  head  of  sheep  for  mutton  and 
purchased  two  thousand  head  of  ewes  for  breeding,  ranging  them  on  the  government 
range,  while  during  the  winter  months  they  are  fed  upon  the  home  range.  At 
present  Mr.  Brush  employs  from  one  to  three  people  according  to  the  season.  As 
his  father  is  becoming  quite  old,  Edwin  B.  Brush,  who  is  an  only  child,  is  more  and 
more  largely  assuming  the  responsibilities  of  the  entire  farm,  thus  relieving  his 
father  of  its  care  and  labor. 

In    1916   Edwin    B.    Brush    was    united   in   marriage   to   Miss   Esther   Olson,    of 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  213 

Wilder,  and  they  now  have  one  child,  Pauline.  Having  resided  in  Idaho  from  the 
age  of  six  years,  Mr.  Brush  is  well  known  in  Canyon  county,  where  he  was  reared 
and  where  he  has  always  lived  since  coming  to  the  west.  Actuated  by  a  spirit  of 
progress,  he  has  made  a  creditable  place  for  himself  in  business  circles,  and  what 
he  has  already  accomplished  and  the  methods  that  he  has  pursued  indicate  that  his 
future  career  will  be  worthy  of  attention  and  Interest. 


EDWARD    MUMFORD. 

Edward  Mum  ford  is  numbered  among  Idaho's  native  sons,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  the  Boise  valley,  three  miles  south  of  his  present  home,  on  the  Boise 
river,  November  17,  1876.  He  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  pioneer  families 
of  the  state  and  has  himself  pioneered  in  Alaska.  His  father,  David  Mumford,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  March  25,  1847,  and  when  but  seven  years  of  age  went 
to  Wisconsin  with  his  parents,  who  died  in  that  state.  After  reaching  adult  age 
he  wedded  Mary  Froman,  who  was  a  native  of  Missouri  and  came  to  Idaho  in 
1864.  It  was  in  1866  that  David  Mumford  arrived  in  this  state,  having  crossed 
the  plains  with  pack  horses,  while  the  lady  whom  he  later  made  his  wife  made 
the  Journey  by  ox  team.  They  were  married  on  the  old  Froman  ranch  in  1875. 
After  reaching  Idaho,  David  Mumford  first  homesteaded  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Boise  river  where  it  flows  into  the  Snake.  He  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  unbroken  land,  which  he  improved  and  devoted  largely  to  the  raising 
of  cattle.  After  some  time  he  sold  that  property  and  made  investment  in  the 
place  upon  which  his  son  Edward  now  resides.  His  original  homestead  was 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Carlyle  farm,  Mr.  Mumford  selling  it  to  Mr.  Carlyle. 
His  next  purchase  comprised  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  acres  eight  miles  from 
Caldwell  and  again  he  performed  the  arduous  task  of  reclaiming  a  wild  tract 
for  the  purposes  of  civilization.  He  and  his  family  experienced  all  of  the  hard- 
ships, trials  and  privations  of  frontier  settlement  and  at  one  time  had  to  leave 
the  ranch  and  seek  safety  from  the  Indians  by  fleeing  toward  Caldwell.  As  con- 
ditions changed  Mr.  Mumford  prospered  in  his  undertakings  and  became  one  of 
the  largest  live  stock  raisers  in  the  state,  continuing  active  in  the  business  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1910.  His  widow  survives  and  is  now 
living  in  Caldwell  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  Her  daughter  Ora  is  living  with 
her  and  is  a  teacher  in  the  Lincoln  school. 

Edward  Mumford  was  reared  under  the  parental  roof,  attended  the  rural 
schools  and  afterward  the  city  schools  of  Caldwell  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years 
took  up  the  live  stock  business  in  connection  with  his  father.  He  now  carries 
on  diversified  farming  and  raises  Durham  cattle  for  beef.  A  notable  event  in  his 
life  history  was  a  trip  which  he  made  with  a  party  over  the  Dawson  trail  to 
Alaska.  He  was  connected  in  this  enterprise  with  George  W.  Froman.  It  was 
in  1898  during  the  great  excitement  there  attending  the  discovery  of  gold  that 
these  two  men  took  a  thousand  head  of  cattle  from  Montana  which  they  shipped 
by  rail  to  Seattle,  where  they  started  upon  an  ocean  trip  of  eighteen  hundred 
miles  and  afterward  drove  them  across  the  almost  impassable  Chilkoot  pass  in 
the  Alaska  mountains  for  more  than  seven  hundred  miles.  On  the  trip  they  had 
one  hundred  and  forty-one  pack  and  saddle  animals  and  seventy-eight  men.  It 
was  an  undertaking  unparalleled  in  history.  One  man  died  on  the  trip  and  it 
was  not  until  three  months  and  seventeen  days  had  been  spent  upon  the  road 
that  they  reached  their  destination.  They  landed  their  cattle  at  Carmac's  Post 
on  the  Yukon  river  and  swam  them  across  the  river  and  then  drove  them  down 
the  north  bank  to  Pelly,  where  they  were  slaughtered.  Mr.  Mumford  then  entered 
the  live  stock  industry  in  connection  with  Mr.  Froman  and  they  made  five  more 
successful  trips  to  Alaska,  taking  at  each  time  about  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  head  of  cattle  and  five  hundred  head  of  sheep.  The  trips  were  made  by  water 
from  Seattle  up  the  Yukon  river. 

In  1907  Mr.  Mumford  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Alta  Rowland,  a  native 
of  Idaho  and  a  daughter  of  J.  D.  Rowland,  one  of  the  state's  earliest  and  most 
prominent  pioneers.  Her  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Frances  Newland  and 
was  born  on  the  old  Newland  place  two  miles  west  of  Caldwell  in  1867.  She  and 


214  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

her  parents  passed  through  all  of  the  thrilling  experiences  of  the  Indian  wars.    Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mumford  have  become  the  parents  of  but  one  child,  Dolores  Maurine. 

There  has  been  much  of  the  picturesque  in  the  life  record  of  Edward  Mum- 
ford,  who  is  familiar  with  Idaho's  history  from  the  time  of  pioneer  development 
to  the  present.  He  was  one  of  the  best  broncho  busters  of  his  day  and  rode  the 
range  for  years.  His  Alaskan  experiences  were  intensely  interesting  notwith- 
standing the  many  difficulties  of  the  trip  and  there  is  no  section  of  the  northwest 
with  which  Mr.  Mumford  is  not  familiar.  For  forty-four  years  he  has  been  a 
resident  of  Canyon  county  and  is  acquainted  with  the  various  important  events 
which  have  had  to  do  with  shaping  its  annals  and  promoting  its  progress.  He 
has  been  active  in  connection  with  the  agricultural  development  of  this  section 
of  the  state  and  is  today  one  of  the  highly  respected  and  progressive  farmers  of 
Canyon  county. 


M.  W    CARLYLE. 

There  is  perhaps  no  resident  of  Canyon  county  whose  life  record  illustrates  more 
clearly  the  spirit  of  western  progress  and  enterprise  than  does  that  of  M.  W.  Carlyle, 
who,  following  the  most  advanced  methods  in  his  farming  and  stock  raising  interests, 
has  become  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  his  section  of  the  state.  He  was  born 
January  29,  1882,  on  a  farm  two  miles  northeast  of  Parma,  Idaho,  and  is  a  son  of  W.  H. 
Carlyle,  who  is  mentioned  at  length  on  another  page  of  this  work.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  the  district  schools  of  Roswell  and  at  Parma  and  through  vacation  periods 
he  became  familiar  with  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  thus  gaining  that  initial  expe- 
rience which  was  of  immense  value  to  him  when  he  started  out  in  life  on  his  own 
account.  He  was  nineteen  years  of  age  when  he  began  farming  three  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  situated  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  his  present  home.  He  de- 
voted his  attention  to  mixed  farming  for  six  years  and  then  purchased  two  hundred 
and  seventy-six  acres  from  his  father,  about  two  and  a  quarter  miles  south  of  his  first 
farm,  which  he  sold  two  years  later.  He  has  since  made  investment  in  eighty  acres  in 
one  tract  and  forty  acres  in  another  and  these  adjoin  the  home  place,  making  him  the 
owner  of  an  extensive  and  valuable  tract  of  land.  He  raises  hay,  grain,  alfalfa  and 
clover  seed  and  annually  gathers  large  crops.  Through  crop  rotation  and  the  wise  use 
of  fertilizers  he  keeps  his  land  in  excellent  condition.  He  raises  hogs,  cattle  and 
horses  and  this  adds  materially  to  his  income.  He  is  now  devoting  his  attention  to 
the  raising  of  registered  hogs  and  expects  soon  to  begin  the  breeding  of  registered 
cattle.  When  a  young  man  he  rode  the  range  for  several  years  and  he  is  familiar  with 
every  phase  of  development  along  the  lines  of  agriculture  and  stock  raising  seen  in 
the  west,  from  the  early  days  when  the  country  was  open  to  the  present  time  when  it  is 
a  succession  of  highly  cultivated  fields  or  rich  pasture  lands,  affording  food  to  fine  stock. 

Mr.  Carlyle  assisted  in  developing  the  Island  High  Line  Ditch  Company,  of  which 
he  is  the  president.  This  company  is  capitalized  for  ten  thousand  dollars  and  the 
project  supplies  water  to  a  large  acreage.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  Ross-Dilley 
ditch,  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  state.  This  ditch  takes  water  from  the  Boise  river.  He 
likewise  owns  a  half  interest  in  a  threshing  outfit  which  threshes  a  great  deal  of  clover 
and,  alfalfa  seed.  In  all  that  he  undertakes  Mr.  Carlyle  is  actuated  by  a  most  pro- 
gressive spirit.  He  is  a  young  man  of  undaunted  energy  and  obstacles  and  difficulties 
in  his  path  seem  but  to  serve  as  a  stimulus  for  renewed  effort  on  his  part.  He  has 
closely  studied  conditions  bearing  upon  the  agricultural  development  of  his  section  of 
the  country  and  has  constantly  sought  for  improvement  and  advancement  along  the 
lines  to  which  he  is  devoting  his  life  work. 


EDWARD    C.    PENCE. 

Edward  C.  Pence,  secretary,  treasurer  and  manager  of  the  Graves  Drayage 
&  Storage  Company  of  Boise,  is  one  of  Idaho's  native  sons.  He  was  born  in  the 
Payette  valley  on  the  20th  of  January,  1876;  and  is  the  eldest  son  and  second 
chii'd-  of  Peter  and  Anna  (Bixby)  Pence,  the  latter  a  daughter  of  Seth  Bixby, 
formerly  a  well  .known  ranchman  and  live  stock  dealer  of  this  section  of  Idaho, 


M.  W.  CARLYLE 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  217 

having  become  a  pioneer  settler  of  the  Boise  basin.  Anna  Bixby  was  the  first 
white  child  brought  to  the  Boise  basin  and  with  every  phase  of  pioneer  life  be- 
came familiar  during  the  formative  period  in  the  history  of  the  state.  On 
reaching  womanhood  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Peter  Pence,  who  is  now 
living  retired,  making  his  home  in  Payette.  However,  he  still  retains  the  presi- 
dency of  the  First  National  Bank  of  that  place. 

Edward  C.  Pence  was  reared  on  a  ranch  in  the  Payette  valley  and  in  the 
town  of  Payette  and  his  educational  advantages  were  those  offered  by  the  public 
schools  of  the  state  supplemented  by  study  in  the  University  of  Idaho  and  in  the 
Portland  University  of  Portland,  Oregon.  He  spent  one  year  in  each  of  those 
higher  institutions  of  learning  and  put  aside  his  textbooks  in  1894,  when  eighteen 
years  of  age.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  live  stock  business,  in  which 
he  engaged  with  his  father  until  1898  and  afterward  alone  until  1911,  becom- 
ing one  of  the  prominent  and  successful  live  stock  dealers  of  his  section  of  the 
state.  He  established  his  home  in  Boise  in  1910  and  in  the  following  year  pur- 
chased a  controlling  interest  In  the  Graves  Drayage  ft  Storage  Company,  of 
which  he  has  since  been  the  secretary,  treasurer  and  manager.  The  offices  of  the 
company  are  at  No.  215  South  Tenth  street  and  the  firm  has  built  up  a  good  business. 
It  was  established  in  1892  by  Nelson  Graves  and  the  name  has  since  been  retained. 
In  addition  to  his  interests  in  this  business  Mr.  Pence  Is  now  developing  a  ranch  in  the 
Salmon  River  valley,  devoted  to  the  raising  of  cattle  and  sheep. 

On  the  2d  of  April,  1902,  Mr.  Pence  was  married  to  Miss  Bess  Venable,  of 
Payette,  Idaho,  who  was  born  in  Missouri  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Payette  high 
school.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pence  have  been  born  a  son  and  a  daughter,  Walter 
Earl  and  Mildred  Elizabeth,  aged  respectively  thirteen  and  ten  years. 

Mr.  Pence  belongs  to  the  Boise  Commercial  Club  and  fraternally  is  con- 
nected with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  has  been  a  witness  of 
the  wonderful  transformation  wrought  in  Idaho  through  the  past  forty-three 
years.  He  can  tell  the  story  of  its  growth  and  progress  and  rejoices  sincerely 
in  what  has  been  accomplished.  At  the  same  time  he  has  contributed  to  the 
general  development,  his  aid  being  at  all  times  given  to  well  defined  plans  and 
measures  for  public  welfare. 


FRANK  P.  MOSELEY. 

Frank  P.  Moseley,  deceased,  was  a  representative  farmer  at  Filer,  Twin  Falls 
county.  He  was  born  in  Lee  county,  Illinois,  October  1,  1852,  his  parents  being 
Joseph  and  Margaret  Moseley,  who  were  natives  of  England  and  of  Pennsylvania 
respectively.  The  father  came  to  the  close  of  a  long  and  useful  life  in  Illinois  on 
the  22d  of  June,  1886.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  Clintob, 
was  twice  married  and  by  her  first  husband,  a  Mr.  Moore,  she  had  one  son,  John 
Moore,  who  together  with  his  stepbrother,  William  Moseley,  a  son  of  the  mother's 
second  marriage,  served  in  the  Civil  war.  They  were  members  of  Company  A, 
Seventy-fifth  Illinois  Infantry.  They  were  for  two  years  and  eleven  months  with 
the  Union  army,  valiantly  defending  the  interests  of  the  country  in  that  long 
conflict. 

Frank  P.  Moseley,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  educated  in  his 
native  county  and  in  1876  removed  to  Page  county,  Iowa.  There  he  was  married 
on  the  26th  of  November,  1879,  to  Miss  Lovisa  A.  Beers,  a  native  of  Peoria  county. 
Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  William  and  Adaline  (Belshee)  Beers.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  and  her  mother  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  They  were 
married  at  Shenandoah,  Iowa,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming.  In  1848,  with 
his  wife  and  children,  he  drove  across  the  country  to  California  in  search  of  gold. 
For  three  years  he  remained  upon  the  Pacific  coast  and  then  returned  by  way  of  the 
ocean  and  the  Isthmus  route  to  the  middle  west,  settling  in  Peoria  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  carried  on  general  farming.  In  the  spring  of  1875  he  again  went  to  Iowa 
and  afterward  removed  to  Gage  county,  Nebraska,  where  he  again  gave  his  attention 
to  general  agricultural  pursuits.  Both  he  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  that  county, 
the  father  dying  in  September,  1899,  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years,. 


218  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

while  his  wife  departed  this  life  in  1905,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  He  was 
a  democrat  in  his  political  views  and  was  at  all  times  a  progressive  citizen. 

In  the  fall  of  1879,  Frank  P.  Moseley  went  with  his  bride  to  Thayer  county, 
Nebraska,  which  he  had  visited  in  the  previous  spring.  There  he  resided  until  1883 
and  then  removed  to  Gage  county,  Nebraska,  where  he  homesteaded  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land.  He  erected  upon  that  place  good  buildings  and  began  the  de- 
velopment and  improvement  of  the  property,  to  which  he  added  from  time  to  time 
as  his  financial  resources  increased  until  he  was  the  owner  of  seven  hundred  acres 
of  fine  land  in  that  section  of  the  state.  He  continued  a  resident  of  Nebraska  until 
1912,  when  he  removed  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Filer.  He  had  previously  made  several 
visits  to  the  state  in  search  of  a  favorable  location  and  purchased  here  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  also  drew  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  the 
Salmon  tract.  He  built  a  fine  home  on  Yakima  street  in  Filer  and  concentrated  his 
efforts  and  attention  upon  the  development  and  improvement  of  his  farm.  In  his 
farming  operations  Mr.  Moseley  met  with  substantial  success.  Practical  and  en- 
ergetic in  all  that  he  undertook,  he  succeeded  in  transforming  much  of  his  land 
from  a  wild  tract  into  highly  productive  fields  and  for  his  products  found  a  ready 
sale  on  the  market,  thus  adding  to  his  income  year  after  year. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moseley  were  born  six  children:  May,  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
F.  E.  Drake,  of  Filer;  Ross  F.,  also  living  at  Filer;  Ida  J.,  the  wife  of  E.  L.  Feese, 
of  Wymore,  Nebraska;  Paul  F.,  also  located  at  Wymore,  Nebraska;  Maud  M.,  the 
wife  of  T.  L.  Cartney,  of  Filer;  and  Max  J.,  who  is  likewise  living  at  Filer. 

Mr.  Moseley  gave  his  political  endorsement  to  the  republican  party  from  the 
time  that  he  attained  his  majority  and  was  a  stalwart  supporter  of  its  principles 
but  never  an  office  seeker.  He  belonged  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
his  religious  faith  was  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  to  the  teachings 
of  which  he  strictly  adhered.  He  was  always  fair  and  just  in  his  dealings  and  up- 
right in  all  business  transactions,  and  the  sterling  worth  of  his  character  won  for 
him  the  respect  and  unqualified  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  died  at  Filer, 
May  10,  1915. 


ANDREW    J.    FLACK. 

Andrew  J.  Flack,  secretary  and  manager  of  the  Boise  Cooperative  Creamery 
Company,  has  made  his  home  in  Boise  since  1906  but  dates  his  residence  in  Idaho 
from  1889.  He  removed  to  the  northwest  from  Illinois,  his  native  state.  His 
birth  occurred  upon  a  farm  in  Randolph  county,  Illinois,  October  4.  1865,  his 
parents  being  John  J.  and  Rebecca  (Lickiss)  Flack,  the  former  also  a  native  of 
Illinois,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  England.  The  father  was  of  Irish  descent 
and  a  son  of  Abner  Flack,  whose  father  came  from  Ireland  in  his  boyhood  days 
and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Illinois.  John  J.  Flack  was  a 
farmer  and  civil  engineer.  He  was  born  in  Perry  county,  Illinois,  December  16, 
1832,  and  after  living  for  many  years  in  that  state  removed  to  the  northwest, 
his  death  occurring  in  Boise  a  few  years  ago,  when  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
seventy-eight  years.  His  widow  survives  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years  and 
yet  makes  her  home  in  Boise.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters. 

Andrew  J.  Flack  of  this  family  was  reared  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  In 
Perry  county,  Illinois,  and  began  his  education  in  the  country  schools,  while 
later  he  continued  his  studies  in  Du  Quoin  Seminary.  In  1889  he  came  to  Idaho 
with  his  parents,  brothers  and  sisters.  They  brought  with  them  the  first  car 
load  of  thoroughbred  Jersey  cattle  ever  introduced  into  this  section  of  Idaho.  The 
family  located  on  a  ranch  in  Franklin  county  and  there  Andrew  J.  Flack  devoted 
his  attention  to  ranching  and  to  the  raising  of  sheep1  and  dairy  cattle  until  1906, 
when  he  became  a  resident  of  Boise,  to  which  city  his  parents  removed  the  follow- 
ing year.  He  devoted  his  attention  to  large  interests  in  the  Boise  valley  and  still 
retains  those  interests.  In  1913  he  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Boise 
Cooperative  Creamery  Company,  of  which  he  has  since  been  the  secretary,  and 
in  1916  he  was  also  made  manager  and  continues  in  the  dual  position  at  the 
present  time.  This  company  owns  and  operates  six  cheese  factories  and  one 
creamery,  all  in  Ada  county  with  one  exception.  The  creamery,  located  in  Boise, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  219 

has  a  capacity  of  one  thousand  pounds  of  butter  per  day.  The  six  cheese  fac- 
tories include  five  in  Ada  county  and  one  in  Canyon  county,  with  a  capacity  of 
seventy-five  thousand  pounds  of  cheese  per  day.  The  business  has  thus  reached, 
very  extensive  proportions,  becoming  one  of  the  most  important  interests  of  the 
kind  in  the  state,  and  Mr.  Flack  is  a  member  of  the  State  Dairymen's  Association. 
Besides  managing  the  six  cheese  factories  and  creamery  he  also  manages  all  of 
his  ranching  interests,  which  comprise  nearly  eight  hundred  acres  of  land  In 
Idaho.  He  is  a  forceful  and  resourceful  business  man  of  marked  energy  and 
determination  and  carries  forward  to  successful  completion  whatever  he  under- 
takes. In  his  vocabulary  there  is  no  word  as  fail  and  his  persistency  of  purpose 
is  combined  with  unfaltering  honesty  in  all  his  dealings. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1905,  in  Franklin  county,  Idaho,  Mr.  Flack  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Susie  Pilgrim,  who  was  born  in  Utah  and  was  a  teacher  prior  to  her 
marriage.  They  now  have  a  daughter,  Adelaide,  eleven  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Flack  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  in  politics 
is  a  democrat  but  not  an  office  seeker.  For  recreation  he  goes  to  his  ranches, 
finding  keen  pleasure  in  the  management  of  his  farming  and  stock  raising  in- 
terests. There  is  no  phase  of  dairying  or  cheese  manufacturing  with  which  he 
is  not  thoroughly  familiar  and  he  has  always  maintained  the  highest  standards 
in  the  products  of  his  plants,  which  are  conducted  with  the  utmost  regard  for 
cleanliness  and  sanitation,  while  the  most  advanced  and  scientific  methods  are 
employed  in  the  manufacture  of  both  cheese  and  butter.  Thoroughness  and 
energy  have  been  dominant  qualities  in  the  attainment  of  the  success  of  the  com- 
pany, which  places  Mr.  Flack  among  the  men  of  affluence  in  his  adopted  city. 


FRED   H.   TORNETEN. 

Fred  H.  Torneten  is  living  retired  in  Idaho  Falls,  making  his  home  at  No. 
190  Twelfth  street,  where  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  leaving  the  farm,  where 
for  many  years  he  had  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  born 
in  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  April  13,  1860,  of  the  marriage  of  Henry  and  Louise 
(Steineke)  Torneten,  who  were  natives  of  Germany  and  came  to  America  in  the 
'40s  as  young  people.  The  father  established  a  brickyard  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa, 
and  there  was  accidentally  killed  in  a  runaway  in  1868.  The  mother  long  survived, 
passing  away  in  August,  1911. 

Fred  H.  Torneten  was  reared  at  Council  Bluffs,  where  he  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools.  His  opportunities  were  limited  owing  to  his  father's  early  death 
and  when  but  twelve  years  of  age  he  began  to  earn  his  own  living  and  worked 
in  various  ways  to  the  age  of  twenty-nine.  He  was  ambitious,  however,  to  engage 
in  business  on  his  own  account  and  eventually  rented  land  in  Pottawattamie 
county,  Iowa,  where  he  carried  on  farming  for  six  years.  He  then  purchased 
property  in  that  county  and  continued  its  further  cultivation  and  improvement 
until  February,  1910,  when  he  sold  and  came  to  Idaho  Falls  on  account  of  his 
health.  He  had  previously  been  overcome  by  the  heat,  which  greatly  affected  his 
health,  which,  however,  seems  to  have  been  restored  in  the  splendid  climate  of 
Idaho.  He  purchased  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  seven  miles  south- 
east of  Idaho  Falls  and  this  he  has  further  developed  and  improved,  making  it 
a  valuable  farm  property,  which  he  continued  to  cultivate  for  seven  years.  He 
then  put  aside  farm  work  and  rented  the  place  to  his  son-in-law,  while  he  took 
up  his  abode  in  Idaho  Falls  and  purchased  the  fine  modern  residence  that  he 
now  occupies.  He  made  a  specialty  of  raising  shorthorn  cattle  in  Iowa  and  has 
been  very  successful  in  all  of  his  farming  operations,  being  now  in  possession  of 
a  handsome  competence  as  a  reward  of  his  labors  in  the  development  of  the  fields 
and  the  improvement  of  his  stock. 

On  the  8th  of  March,  1889,  Mr.  Torneten  was  married  to  Miss  Ida  Meppin 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  four  children.  Henry,  who  was  drafted 
and  went  into  the  army  July  26,  1918,  was  stationed  at  Camp  Lewis,  Washing- 
ton, and  was  discharged  in  April,  1919.  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  John  Altman, 
who  is  farming  in  Bonneville  county.  Elsie  is  the  wife  of  George  Hennrich,  who 
Is  cultivating  her  father's  land,  and  George  follows  farming. 

Politically  Mr.   Torneten   is   a  republican   and  served   as   township  trustee   in 


220  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Iowa  for  eight  years  and  for  an  equal  period  as  road  overseer.  He  has  not  sought 
nor  desired  office  since  coming  to  this  state  but  concentrated  his  efforts  and 
attention  upon  his  farming  interests-  until,  feeling  that  his  success  justified  the 
course,  he  put  aside  further  business  cares  and  is  now  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his 
former  toil  in  well  earned  rest. 


MARK  WILTON. 

From  1893  until  his  death  Mark  Wilton  lived  in  South  Boise  and  vicinity,  his  last 
home  being  on  a  well  kept  and  highly  productive  ranch  of  twelve  acres  just  east  of  the 
city.  There  he  lived  for  twenty  years  and  the  splendid  appearance  of  his  place  indi- 
cated his  life  of  untiring  activity,  intelligently  directed.  His  place  was  situated  about 
three-fourths  of  a  mile  east  of  the  Garfield  school.  Before  coming  to  Idaho  in  1893  he 
was  a  resident  of  Granite  Mountain,  Montana. 

Mr.  Wilton  was  born  in  Cornwall,  England,  on  the  12th  of  August,  1859.  a  son  of 
George  and  Catherine  (Stephens)  Wilton,  who  always  remained  residents  of  England. 
It  was  in  1883  that  Mark  Wilton  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  for  a  period  of  six  years  was 
a  resident  of  Iowa,  Pennsylvania,  South  Dakota  and  Montana.  He  then  returned  to 
his  native  land  in  1889  to  visit  his  father  and  other  relatives,  his  mother  having  passed 
away  during  the  period  of  his  absence  in  this  country.  He  spent  ten  months  in  visiting 
in  his  native  land  and  during  that  period  he  was  married  on  the  28th  of  March,  1890, 
to  Miss  Emily  Richards,  who  had  been  an  acquaintance  of  his  boyhood  days  and  with 
whom  he  had  corresponded  throughout  the  entire  period  of  his  stay  in  the  United 
States.  One  of  his  main  objects  in  returning  to  England  was  to  persuade  her  to  become 
his  bride  and  bring  her  to  the  new  world.  They  became  the  parents  of  two  daughters: 
Ada,  now  the  wife  of  Ira  Cooper,  of  Boise;  and  Pearl,  who  married  John  Cowe,  of  Ada 
county,  living  in  the  Bench-Lambert  addition  to  Boise.  They  also  had  one  son,  Leonard, 
who  was  younger  than  the  two  daughters  and  was  accidentally  killed  by  falling  from 
the  top  of  a  tall  cottonwood  tree  which  he  had  climbed.  He  fell  forty-three  feet.  He 
was  but  nine  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  accident  and  if  living  now  would  be  a 
youth  of  eighteen. 

Mr.  Wilton  was  a  member  of  Plymouth  Brethren  church  and  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Bible  Students'  church.  His  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  republican 
party.  He  was  keenly  interested  in  all  that  has  to  do  with  public  progress  and  improve- 
ment in  his  community  and  his  aid  and  cooperation  were  freely  and  heartily  given  in 
support  of  all  plans  and  measures  for  the  public  welfare.  He  passed  away  August  24, 
1919. 


L.  c.  MCCARTY. 

L.  C.  McCarty,  an  apiarist  who  has  developed  a"n  extensive  business  in  bee 
culture  and  the  production  of  honey  at  Nampa,  was  born  in  Vernon  county,  Wis- 
consin, August  29,  1873.  There  he  attended  the  graded  schools  and  when  nine- 
teen years  of  age  he  entered  the  jewelry  business,  to  which  he  devoted  about 
thirteen  years  of  his  life.  Then  owing  to  ill  health  he  disposed  of  his  interests 
and  went  to  Colorado,  where  he  had  a  brother  living.  He  devoted  two  more 
years  to  the  jewelry  trade  in  that  state  and  then  took  up  the  study  of  bee  culture, 
to  which  he  had  given  some  attention  in  Wisconsin  and  in  which  his  brother  was 
engaged  in  Colorado. 

After  four  years  of  successful  business  as  an  apiarist  in  Colorado,  L.  C. 
McCarty  removed  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Nampa  in  1909.  Through  the  intervening 
period  he  has  won  a  place  among  the  foremost  apiarists  of  the  state,  his  apiary 
numbering  eight  hundred  colonies  of  bees.  He  leases  his  feeding  ground  from 
the  farmers,  who  have  been  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  bees  are  essential  t» 
a  large  yield  of  white  clover  and  alfalfa.  This  section  is  ideal  for  both  the  health 
of  the  bees  and  for  honey  production.  The  market  demand  is  twelve  pounds  of 
honey  to  the  gallon  and  in  this  state  it  never  fails  to  run  overweight.  Mr.  Mc- 
Carty is  the  largest  individual  bee  raiser  and  one  of  the  most  successful  in  Idaho 
and  his  knowledge  of  the  business  in  every  detail  is  surpassed  by  none.  In  1918 
his  yield  of  honey  was  over  fifty  thousand  pounds,  most  of  which  was  comb 


X 


\ 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  223 

honey,  and  he  finds  a  market  for  his  product  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  has  the 
most  thorough  equipment  for  the  conduct  of  the  business,  including  everything 
from  the  extracting  plant  to  the  automobile  truck  to  take  the  output  to  the  trade. 
Owing  to  the  excellent  quality  of  his  honey  he  can  demand  and  secure  the  highest 
market  price. 

In  1899  Mr.  McCarty  was  married  to  Miss  Belle  Randall,  of  Vernon  county, 
Wisconsin,  and  they  have  four  children:  Harold  T.,  a  gasoline  engine  expert  in 
the  employ  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line  at  Pocatello;  Aileen,  Belle  and  Leonard, 
who  are  attending  school  in  Nampa.  Mr.  McCarty  has  recently  erected  a  fine 
new  residence  in  Nampa,  where  he  and  his  family  are  most  comfortably  situated 
and  where  they  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles.  His  success  in 
business  is  due  to  the  thoroughness  with  which  he  has  mastered  the  work  which 
he  has  undertaken.  He  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  scientific  phases  of  bee 
culture  and  the  production  of  honey,  and  at  the  same  time  practical  experience 
has  splendidly  qualified  him  for  the  work.  His  opinions  are  accepted  as  conclusive 
on  any  disputed  question  relating  to  the  raising  of  bees  and  the  handling  of  the 
product,  for  his  success  demonstrates  the  efficiency  and  practicability  of  his 
methods.  ' 


A.  L.  WILSON. 

A.  L.  Wilson  is  a  leading  stockman  of  Canyon  county  who  has  done  much  to 
win  for  this  district  its  reputation  as  a  breeding  center  for  shorthorn  cattle  and 
Poland  China  hogs  throughout  the  northwest.  A  most  progressive  spirit  has  actuated 
Mr.  Wilson  in  his  stock  raising  interests  and  a  visit  to  his  farm  is  a  delight  to  all  who 
have  appreciation  for  fine  bred  stock. 

Mr.  Wilson  is  a  native  son  of  Iowa.  He  was  born  in  Marshall  county,  May  8, 
1879,  his  parents  being  David  and  Mary  (Jay)  Wilson,  the  former  a  native  of 
Indiana,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Iowa  and  was  of  Scotch  and  English  lineage. 
It  was  in  October,  1907,  that  the  family  came  to  Idaho  and  David  Wilson  home- 
steaded  a  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  upon  which  his  son,  A.  L.  Wilson, 
now  resides.  The  land  was  then  all  wild  and  undeveloped,  being  covered  with  a 
native  growth  of  sagebrush,  and  he  even  had  to  clear  a  space  for  his  house.  He 
lived  upon  this  land  three  years  before  there  was  water  with  which  to  irrigate  It 
and  he  developed  the  place  from  a  barren  tract  to  one  of  rich  fertility,  the  fields 
being  now  most  highly  cultivated.  He  still  lives  upon  eighty  acres  of  the  original 
homestead,  while  his  son,  A.  L.  Wilson,  farms  the  other  eighty  acre  tract.  The 
family  has  long  been  one  of  prominence  and  influence  in  the  community.  They 
were  among  the  first  families  to  assist  in  the  organization  of  the  Society  of  Friends 
here  and  to  aid  in  the  erection  of  a  church  and  seminary.  This  organization  has  a 
membership  of  over  four  hundred  in  the  Greenleaf  district  and  their  school  is  one 
of  the  best  in  the  state.  A  peace  loving  people,  they  have  ever  stood  for  progress 
and  improvement,  and  the  Wilson  family,  loyal  to  the  teachings  of  their  church,  have 
become  prominent  factors  in  the  material,  intellectual  and  moral  progress  of  the 
community  in  which  they  live.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  Wilson  were  born  five  chil- 
dren: Vernon  S. ;  Glenn  W. ;  Carl  D.;  Joel,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years; 
and  A.  L.,  of  this  review. 

The  last  named  acquired  his  early  education  in  Marshall  county,  Iowa,  where 
he  attended  the  Friends  Seminary  for  thirteen  years.  He  then  pursued  a  business 
course  in  La  Grande  Seminary  and  the  agricultural  course  in  the  Iowa  Agricultural 
College  at  Ames.  He  was  thus  well  qualified  by  liberal  educational  training  for 
life's  practical  duties  and  responsibilities.  During  the  period  of  his  residence  in 
Idaho  he  has  become  extensively  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business  and  introduced 
the  "big  type  with  quality"  of  Poland  China  hogs  in  this  state.  He  had  a  hard  fight 
for  recognition  but  finally  won  out  and  today  these  are  the  popular  hogs  of  Idaho. 
Throughout  his  entire  life  Mr.  Wilson  has  been  a  breeder  of  fine  stock.  He  had 
followed  the  business  successfully  in  the  east  before  coming  to  Idaho  and  substantial 
success  has  attended  his  labors  here.  Not  only  does  he  raise  the  finest  Poland  China 
hogs  but  has  also  had  forty  head  of  shorthorns  in  his  herd.  In  19  IS  he  sold  forty- 
six  head  of  Poland  China  hogs  at  public  sale  at  an  average  of  one  hundred  dollars  per 
head.  These  hogs  were  distributed  throughout  the  states  of  Washington,  Montana, 


224  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Idaho  and  Oregon.  Canyon  county  has  become  widely  known  as  the  breeding  center 
for  shorthorn  cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs,  for  there  are  more  breeders  of  these  two 
types  of  stock  here  than  in  any  other  county  in  the  northwest.  At  present  Mr.  Wilson 
has  twenty-five  head  of  fine  shorthorns  in  his  herd.  He  paid  twelve  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  for  a  two  year  old  shorthorn  bull,  which  was  the  highest  price  paid  up 
to  that  time  for  a  bull.  The  animal  weighs  two  thousand  pounds  and  won  the  second 
prize  at  the  state  fair  in  1918.  Mr.  Wilson,  however,  makes  a  specialty 'of  hogs  and 
there  are  few  men  in  the  state  who  are  his  equals  in  hog  raising  and  the  production 
of  fine  animals.  He  has  two  boars,  weighing  seven  hundred  pounds  and  a  thousand 
pounds  respectively,  and  his  carefully  managed  business  affairs  have  made  him  one 
of  the  most  prominent  stockmen  of  his  section  of  the  state.  He  is  conducting  his 
interests  under  the  name  of  A.  L.  Wilson  &  Sons.  He  farms  his  eighty  acres  and 
raises  hay,  grain  and  alfalfa.  Where  sagebrush  grew  five  years  ago  he  is  now  har- 
vesting five  tons  of  alfalfa  to  the  acre.  He  is  thoroughly  alive  and  alert,  energetic 
and  discerning,  and  his  opinions  upon  the  lines  of  business  in  which  he  engages  are 
considered  authoritative.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  future  of  the  state  and  its 
prosperity  and  assisted  in  organizing  the  Farm  Bureau  of  Canyon  county,  of  which 
he  is  serving  as  vice  president  and  as  a  committeeman  of  the  live  stock  department. 

On  the  8th  of  March,  1899,  Mr.  Wilson  was  married  to  Miss  Grace  M.  Hines,  a 
native  of  Iowa,  her  birthplace  being  within  six  miles  of  that  of  her  husband,  although 
they  never  met  until  a  year  and  a  half  before  their  marriage.  They  have  become  the 
parents  of  seven  children:  Marie,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Floyd  Ford;  Jessie  D., 
seventeen  years  of  age;  Russell  Glenn,  aged  fifteen;  Ross  D.,  fourteen;  George  W., 
twelve;  Violet  L.,  eight;  and  Kenneth,  who  is  in  his  fourth  year. 

With  his  removal  to  the  northwest  Mr.  Wilson  recognized  the  opportunities  of 
the  country  and  its  possibilities  and  through  the  passing  years  has  so  conducted  his 
interests  as  to  win  for  himself  a  substantial  measure  of  success,  becoming  the  owner 
of  an  excellent  farm  property,  in  the  midst  of  which  stands  a  substantial  residence 
that  is  now  the  abode  of  his  interesting  family. 


CARLOSS  RIEMAN  SEE. 

Carloss  Rieman  See,  conducting  business  as  one  of  the  partners  in  the  Citizens 
Coal  Company  of  Boise,  came  to  the  city  in  1917,  after  thirteen  years'  residence  in 
Minidoka  county,  Idaho.  He  was  born  in  Greencastle,  Jasper  county,  Iowa,  Novem- 
ber 25,  1871,  a  son  of  Charles  Frederick  See,  also  a  native  of  Iowa,  born  in  1839 
and  a  son  of  Charles  See,  who  removed  from  Kentucky  to  Iowa  during  the  pioneer 
epoch  in  the  history  of  the  latter  state.  The  father  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade  and 
after  following  that  pursuit  for  some  time  turned  his  attention  to  farming.  His 
death  occurred  in  Nebraska  in  1893.  In  early  manhood  he  had  wedded  Sarah  M. 
Maffitt,  who  was  born  near  Piqua,  Ohio,  and  who  still  survives  him,  now  making  her 
home  at  Heyburn,  Idaho.  Mr.  See  was  a  soldier  of  the  Union  army,  serving  as  a 
member  of  Company  K,  Twenty-fifth  Iowa  Regiment,  during  the  Civil  war  and  in 
days  of  peace  he  was  as  true  and  loyal  to  his  country  as  when  he  followed  the  nation's 
starry  banner  on  the  battlefields  of  the  south. 

Carloss  R.  See  was  largely  reared  upon  a  Nebraska  farm,  the  family  home  being 
in  Saline  county,  where  he  attended  the  common  schools,  while  later  he  pursued  a 
course  in  a  business  college  at  Lincoln,  Nebraska.  He  removed  from  Nebraska  to 
Idaho  in  1904  and  turned  his  attention  to  ranching  in  what  is  now  Minidoka  county, 
where  he  lived  until  the  fall  of  1917.  In  Minidoka  county  he  developed  an  excellent 
ranch  and  gave  his  attention  and  energies  to  its  cultivation  for  about  fourteen  years. 
That  he  might  afford  his  children  better  educational  opportunities  he  at  length  re- 
moved to  Boise  and  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  Citizens  Coal  Company,  which 
is  one  of  the  oldest  concerns  of  the  kind  in  the  city,  dealing  in  fuel,  seeds  and  feed. 
Their  warehouse  is  at  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Front  streets.  The  business  was 
founded  by  Ed  Goodrich  in  the  latter  part  of  the  '80s  and  has  had  a  continuous  and 
successful  existence  since  that  time. 

In  Omaha,  Nebraska,  on  the  22d  of  September,  1898,  Mr.  See  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Bertha  E.  Coates,  a  native  of  that  state,  who  was  educated  in 
Lincoln.  They  became  parents  of  four  children,  three  daughters  and  a  son,  Gladys, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  225 

Dorothy,  Carl  and  Betty  Lou.    Gladys  is  now  a  student  in  the  University  of  Idaho. 

In  politics  Mr.  See  is  a  republican  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office. 
He  turns  to  fishing  as  his  chief  recreation  and  greatly  enjoys  a  trip  into  the  open 
that  gives  him  opportunity  to  use  the  reel  and  rod. 


HAMILTON  MAJOR. 

When  Hamilton  Major  first  saw  his  present  farm  it  was  a  raw  tract  covered 
with  sagebrush  and  seemingly  promised  nothing  for  the  future,  but  he  recognized 
the  possibilities  of  the  country  and  his  labors  have  been  directed  ever  "toward  Its 
further  development  and  improvement.  In  the  conduct  of  his  own  farm  he  has 
wrought  a  marked  transformation  and  today  has  an  excellent  property.  Mr.  Major 
was  born  in  Iowa,  August  13,  1859,  a  son  of  Albert  and  Mary  Ann  (Kinder)  Major, 
who  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  When  Hamilton  Major 
was  but  a  young  lad  he  was  left  an  orphan  and  was  early  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources,  so  that  he  is  truly  a  self-made  man,  having  depended  entirely  upon 
individual  effort  and  ability  for  the  attainment  of  his  prosperity.  In  1906  he  traded 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  Nebraska  land  for  eighty  acres  in  Payette  county, 
upon  which  he  now  resides.  He  had  not  seen  the  property  at  the  time  the  transfer 
was  made.  He  disposed  of  thirty  acres  and  now  farms  the  other  fifty.  The  place  is 
located  one  mile  east  of  New  Plymouth  and  here,  he  is  engaged  in  general  argicul- 
tural  pursuits,  his  fields  being  successfully  cultivated  in  the  production  of  various 
crops.  He  has  twenty-nine  head  of  graded  stock  upon  his  place,  including  twelve 
horses.  He  also  has  two  hundred  Buff  Orpington  chickens,  fifty  Toulouse  geese 
and  fifty  mammoth  bronze  turkeys,  and  he  expects  soon  to  engage  quite  extensively 
in  the  raising  of  Guernsey  dairy  stock.  Each  day  he  is  more  pleased  with  the 
property  transfer  which  he  made  "sight  unseen,"  as  he  recognizes  the  fertility  and 
productiveness  of  the  soil  and  the  attractiveness  of  the  climate. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1912,  Mr.  Major  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Josalina 
McClelland,  a  native  of  Kansas,  where  her  parents  settled  in  pioneer  times.  The 
father,  B.  C.  McClelland,  is  now  living  with  Mrs.  Major  and  is  seventy-two  years 
of  age.  The  mother,  Mrs.  Isabella  Lorenna  Alton  (Johnson)  McCleHand,  died  in 
Kansas  in  1916.  For  a  number  of  years  Mrs.  Major  was  a  successful  school  teacher, 
imparting  readily  and  clearly  to  others  the  knowledge  that  she  had  acquired.  By 
her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  two  daughters,  lLorenna  and  Anna. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Major  are  now  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Payette  county  and  the 
sterling  worth  of  their  character  is  recognized  by  many  friends  as  well  as  by  the 
business  associates  of  Mr.  Major. 


ELMER  K.  LORIMER. 

Elmer  K.  Lorimer,  is  the  founder,  president  and  manager  of  Lorimer's  City  Dye 
Works  of  Boise.  He  came  to  Idaho  from  Spokane,  Washington,  in  1909,  but  had 
learned  the  cleaning  and  dyeing  business  largely  in  Iowa  and  Chicago,  beginning 
work  along  that  line  while  a  youth  in  Omaha,  Nebraska.  With  his  removal  to  the 
west  he  settled  at  Walla  Walla,  Washington,  where  he  first  established  a  business  of 
his  own  in  1903.  He  subsequently  conducted  a  cleaning  and  dyeing  establishment 
at  Pendleton,  Oregon,  and  thence  removed  to  Spokane,  where  he  remained  until 
1*909,  when  he  came  to  Boise.  He  thus  had  long  and  varied  experience  in  the  line  of 
his  chosen  occupation  before  establishing  Lorimer's  City  Dye  Works.  Boise  at  that 
time  had  twenty-seven  small  places  in  which  such  work  was  done,  but  gradually  he 
has  taken  over  the  business  accorded  all  the  other  establishments  and  today  Lori- 
mer's City  Dye  Works  is  the  only  concern  of  the  kind  in  Boise.  It  is  located  at  Nos. 
913  to  919  Idaho  street,  where  the  business  was  opened  in  1916.  The  building  hag 
twelve  thousand  square  feet  of  floor  space  and  is  one  of  the  most  modern  and  up-to- 
date  plants  of  the  kind  in  the  west.  In  fact  no  finer  plant  could  be  found  in  any  of 
the  larger  cities.  The  City  Dye  Works  has  become  an  institution  quite  as  well 
known  in  Boise  as  any  other  business  institution  of  which  the  city  has  reason  to 

Vol.  Ill— 15 


226  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

be  proud.  Its  trade  comes  from  several  states.  The  business  was  incorporated  in 
1917  with  Mr.  Lorimer  as  the  president  and  manager  as  well  as  the  principal  stock- 
holder. He  has  built  up  an  establishment  of  which  he  has  every  reason  to  be  proud. 
Mr.  Lorimer  was  married  May  15,  1901,  in  Iowa,  to  Miss  Artie  M.  Ving  and 
they  have  a  son  and  two  daughters:  Kenneth  V.,  Thelma  and  Maxine.  Fraternally 
Mr.  Lorimer  is  connected  with  the  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  he  belongs 
to  the  Boise  Commercial  Club.  He  is  fond  of  baseball  and  athletics  of  all  kinds 
and  formerly  played  the  national  game,  but  his  attention  and  energies  are  chiefly 
directed  to  his  business  and  he  has  just  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  success  which  he 
has  achieved  in  this  connection. 


WALTER  F.  THODE. 

Walter  F.  Thode,  assistant  cashier  of  the  Overland  National  Bank  ©f  Boise,  was 
born  in  Peoria,  Illinois,  July  13,  1878,  a  son  of  John  and  Louisa  (Metzgar)  Thode.  The 
father  was  born  in  Denmark  and  the  mother  in  Illinois  of  German  parentage.  Their 
family  numbered  eight  children,  of  whom'*  six  are  living,  and  the  parents  and  seven 
of  their  children  are  still  residents  of  Peoria,  Illinois. 

Walter  F.  Thode,  the  only  member  of  the  family  who  has  come  to  Idaho,  graduated 
from  the  Peoria  high  school  with  the  class  of  1897  and  for  several  years  thereafter 
engaged  in  business  as  a  retail  dealer  in  hay  and  grain  in  his  native  city.  Before 
leaving  for  the  northwest  he  was  married  in  Peoria  on  the  17th  of  September,  1901,  to 
Miss  Bessie  Turner,  who  was  there  born  August  14,  1880,  a  daughter  of  Tracy  and 
Armilda  (Payne)  Turner,  who  are  now  residing  near  Grenada,  Mississippi.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thode  were  reared  in  Peoria  and  he  was  graduated  from  the  high  school 
there  in  1897  and  his  wife  the  following  year.  Following  their  marriage  they  lived 
for  some  time  in  their  native  city  and  in  1912  came  to  Boise,  where  they  have  since 
made  their  home.  Throughout  the  intervening  period  Mr.  Thode  has  been  identified 
with  the  banking  business  and  is  now  connected  with  the  Overland  National  Bank, 
while  previously  he  occupied  a  position  with  its  predecessor,  the  Idaho  Trust  &  Savings 
Bank.  His  position  is  that  of  assistant  cashier. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thode  have  been  born  five  children:  Elizabeth,  who  is  a  senior 
in  the  high  school;  Helen,  a  freshman  in  the  high  school;  Mildred  June;  Marjorie;  and 
Walter  F.,  Jr.  Mr.  Thode  is  a  Mason  and  has  taken  the  Royal  Arch  degree  and  he  is 
also  connected  with,  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  while  politically  he  main- 
tains an  independent  course.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  is  much  interested  in  the  purposes  and  plans  of  that  organization  to  further  develop 
and  upbuild  the  city.  In  the  spring  of  1920  he  purchased  a  highly  improved  ten-acre 
ranch  on  Vista  avenue  on  the  Boise  bench,  near  the  Whitney  school. 


A.  HOWARD  YOUNG,  M.  D. 

Dr.  A.  Howard  Young,  a  physician  and  surgeon  and  also  an  osteopathic  practitioner 
who  has  attained  high  professional  rank  in  Dubois  and  Clark  county,  was  born  in  North 
Carolina,  February  8,  1862.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Rebecca  (Plummer)  Young,  the 
former  a  native  of  Virginia,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  North  Carolina.  The  father 
became  a  farmer  of  the  "Old  North  State"  and  thus  continued  until  April,  1861,  when 
he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Confederate  army,  with  which  he  was  on  active  duty 
for  two  years.  He  then  contracted  measles  and  the"  disease  terminated  his  life  at  New- 
bern,  North  Carolina,  in  1863.  After  remaining  a  widow  for  a  time  the  mother  married 
again  and  continued  to  reside  in  her  native  state  until  1880,  when  the  family  removed 
to  West  Virginia,  where  she  passed  away  in  1910. 

A.  Howard  Young  was  reared  and  educated  in  North  Carolina,  attending  a  sub- 
scription school,  but  not  content  with  conditions  and  opportunities  at  home,  he  ran 
away  and  became  a  pupil  in  a  Kentucky  school.  He  afterward  took  up  the  profession 
of  teaching  in  the  Kentucky  mountains,  having  among  his  pupils  members  of  the  Hatfield 
and  McCoy  families  that  have  figured  in  connection  with  the  famous  feuds  of  that 
region.  Mr.  Young  continued  to  teach  and  also  to  attend  school  in  West  Virginia  for 
a  number  of  years  and  in  1884  he  removed  to  Missouri.  There  he  again  taught  school 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  227 

and  as  his  financial  resources  increased  as  the  result  of  his  economy  he  purchased  land, 
which  he  cultivated  until  1898.  He  then  went  to  Kirksville,  Missouri,  where  he  studied 
osteopathy,  being  graduated  with  the  class  of  1901.  He  afterward  went  to  Warsaw, 
Indiana,  where  he  practiced  for  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  Pueblo,  Colorado,  where 
he  remained  as  an  osteopathic  practitioner  until  1911.  He  then  sought  the  opportuni- 
ties of  the  northwest,  making  his  way  to  Portland,  Oregon,  where  he  practiced  until 
1915.  On  account  of  his  health  he  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Kellogg,  where  he  followed 
his  profession  from  May  until  October.  In  1913  he  went  to  Los  Angeles,  California, 
where  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  at  the  Pacific  Medical  College,  being  there  gradu- 
ated with  the  class  of  1914.  Because  of  the  condition  of  his  health  Dr.  Young  then 
traveled  upon  the  road  for  the  Associated  Pharmacists  of  New  York,  his  territory  being 
Oklahoma.  On  the  29th  of  May,  1917,  he  located  in  Dubois,  Clark  county,  Idaho,  where 
he  has  since  engaged  in  practice  both  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  and  as  an  osteopath. 
This  is  an  ideal  combination  and  Dr.  Young  was  wise  enough  to  recognize  that  both 
schools  of  healing  have  their  value  and  uses  each  scientific  method  as  it  is  needed.  He 
also  secured  a  homestead  in  Clark  county  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  about  seven- 
teen miles  from  Dubois. 

On  the  26th  of  November,  1885,  Dr.  Young  was  married  to  Miss  Hettie  Kincaid  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  a  son,  Gordon  R.,  who  was  born  September  27,  1887, 
and  for  the  past  few  years  has  been  on  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Los  Angeles  Times  and 
is  now  quite  well  known  as  a  magazine  writer. 

Politically  Dr.  Young  is  a  democrat,  having  supported  the  party  since  age  conferred 
upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  He  is  a  valued  and  exemplary  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  with  which  he  has  been  connected  for  thirty-three  years,  and  he  likewise 
oelongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  His 
religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Christian  church.  He  is  a  broad  and  liberal-minded  man 
who  places  no  fictitious  values  upon  the  conditions  and  opportunities  of  life  but  recog- 
nizes that  from  individual  effort,  intelligently  directed,  comes  all  that  is  worth  while. 
rie  is  indeed  a  self-made  man  whose  educational  and  financial  progress  is  the  direct 
result  of  personal  effort  and  he  has  made  for  himself  a  creditable  position  in  profes- 
sional circles. 


C.   RAY   ISENBURG. 

C.  Ray  Isenburg,  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Ashton,  was  born  in  Emer- 
son, Nebraska,  August  4,  1892,  and  is  a  son  of  Gus  A.  and  Jennie  (Betcke)  Isenberg, 
the  former  a  native  of  Germany,  while  the  latter  was  born  at  Emerson,  Nebraska. 
The  father  came  to  America  with  his  parents  when  a  lad  of  but  thirteen  years,  the 
family  home  being  established  at  Emerson,  Nebraska,  where  Gus  A.  Isenburg  afterward 
engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  in  which  he  continued  until  April,  1915.  He  then 
came  to  Fremont  county,  Idaho,  and  engaged  in  the  banking  business  and  also  in  the 
drug  and  sheep  business.  He  likewise  holds  large  landed  interests  in  Fremont  county. 
In  1911  he  purchased  the  controlling  interest  in  the  Ashton  State  Bank,  of  which  he 
was  the  vice  president  until  1915.  In  1912  the  bank  was  nationalized  and  its  capital 
stock  increased  to  thirty-five  thousand  dollars  and  since  that  time  it  has  been  still 
further  increased,  being  now  capitalized  for  sixty  thousand  dollars.  Its  surplus  and 
undivided  profits  now  amount  to  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  and  its  deposits  to  four 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  officers  are:  R.  \X  Merritt,  president;  Gus  A.  Isenburg, 
vice  president;  C.  Ray  Isenburg,  cashier;  and  C.  M.  Isenburg,  assistant  cashier.  G.  A. 
Isenburg  has  contributed  in  no  small  measure  to  the  success  of  this  institution.  He 
has  proven  a  capable  and  obliging  official,  doing  everything  in  his  power  to  further  the 
interests  of  the  patrons  of  the  bank,  and  at  the  same  time  has  most  carefully  safe- 
guarded the  institution.  His  varied  business  interests  have  constituted  a  most  important 
element  in  the  growth  and  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  the  state. 

C.  Ray  Isenburg  was  reared  in  Emerson,  Nebraska,  and  after  completing  his  high 
school  course  there  entered  Creighton  University  of  Omaha,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated with  the  class  of  1912,  thus  becoming  well  qualified  by  liberal  educational  training 
for  the  work  that  he  has  since  taken  up.  He  came  to  Ashton  and  secured  a  position  in 
the  First  National  Bank  at  a  salary  of  twenty-five  dollars  per  month.  In  1913  he  was 
made  assistant  cashier  and  in  1917  was  elected  cashier.  He  has  also  become  one  of  the 
stockholders  and  directors  of  the  institution  and  is  doing  everything  in  his  power  to 


228  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

promote  its  development  and  make  it  a  force  for  good  in  business  circles  of  this  section 
of  the  state. 

In  the  spring  of  1917  Mr.  Isenburg  was  married  to  Miss  Ada  Larsen  and  to  them 
was  born  a  daughter,  Ruby  A.,  whose  birth  occurred  February  10,  1918.  The  wife  and 
mother  passed  away  April  23,  1919,  after  an  illness  of  six  months. 

Politically  Mr.  Isenburg  is  a  republican  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions 
and  issues  of  the  day,  recognizing  the  obligations  and  duties  of  citizenship  as  well  as 
its  privileges.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  loyally  adheres  to  its 
principles.  Like  his  father,  he  has  made  for  himself  a  creditable  place  in  the  business 
world.  Parental  authority  did  not  intervene  to  secure  his  advancement,  but  by  indi- 
vidual effort  and  capability  he  has  worked  his  way  upward,  proving  his  worth  in  every 
position  that  he  has  held,  and  he  now  occupies  a  creditable  place  in  the  regard  of  the 
banking  fraternity  of  Idaho. 


HERMAN  STRICKER. 

Herman  Strieker,  who  is  engaged  in  ranching  on  Rock  creek,  in  Twin  Falls  county, 
was  born  in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover,  Germany,  March  12,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Frank 
and  Elizabeth  (Teamond)  Strieker.  For  forty-three  years  he  has  lived  in  the  locality 
which  is  now  his  home  and  is  familiar  with  every  phase  of  the  development  and  up- 
building of  the  section  in  which  he  resides.  He  left  Germany  for  the  United  States  in 
1856,  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  first  took  up  his  abode  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where 
he  learned  the  machinist's  trade.  He  was  afterward*  employed  as  clerk  in  a  grocery 
store  until  the  15th  of  April,  1861,  when  his  loyal  interest  in  his  adopted  land  caused 
his  enlistment  in  the  Union  army  as  a  member  of  Company  C,  Fifth  Ohio  Regiment, 
with  which  he  served  for  three  months.  In  the  meantime  he  reenlisted  for  three  years' 
service  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Kernstown,  Virginia.  He  was  afterward  with 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  was  present  in  the  engagement  at  Port  Republic  and  in 
the  operations  in  the  Shenandoah  valley.  He  also  participated  in  the  battle  of  Bull 
Run  and  the  battle  of  Antietam,  while  at  a  later  date  he  took  part  in  the  sanguinary 
battle  of  Chancellorsville.  He  was  also  in  the  hotly  contested  engagement  at  Gettys- 
burg and  later  at  Bridgeport,  Alabama,  at  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge 
and  New  Hope  church,  Georgia.  At  the  last  named  place  he  was  wounded  and  was  in 
the  hospital  at  Kingston,  Georgia,  for  a  time,  but  recovering  from  his  injuries,  he  went 
with  Sherman  on  the  celebrated  march  to  the  sea  and  was  at  Raleigh,  North  Carolina, 
when  the  news  of  President  Lincoln's  assassination  was  received.  In  1865  he  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Camp  Dennison,  Ohio.  f 

Mr.  Strieker  then  returned  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
for  a  short  time.  In  1867  he  went  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  where  he  clerked  in  a  hotel, 
and  later  he  was  for  a  time  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming.  He  next  peddled  goods  along  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  and  in  the  spring  of  1869  he  went  to  South  Pass,  Wyoming,  but 
soon  afterward  removed  to  Salt  Lake,  Utah,  where  he  bought  up  eggs,  which  he  shipped 
to  White  Pine,  Nevada.  In  the  spring  of  1870  he  took  a  load  of  passengers  to  Gold 
creek,  Montana,  and  afterward  went  to  Corinne,  Utah,  where  he  purchased  goods,  with 
which  he  drove  across  the  country  to  Springtown,  in  the  Snake  river  canyon.  There 
he  established  a  store,  which  he  conducted  until  1877,  when  he  purchased  his  present 
ranch  on  Rock  creek,  Twin  Falls  county,  Idaho.  He  built  upon  the  place  a  log  store 
and  other  buildings  and  began  the  development  and  improvement  of  the  property.  He 
homesteaded  the  land  upon  which  he  took  up  his  abode  and  from  time  to  time  he  has 
added  to  his  holdings  until  he  now  has  nine  hundred  and' sixty  acres  of  valuable  land, 
which  he  utilizes  largely  in  the  raising  of  cattle  and  horses. 

In  1882  Mr.  Strieker  was  married  to  Miss  Lucy  Wolgamott,  a  native  of  Iowa  and  a 
daughter  of  Jacob  Wolgamott,  who  was  an  undertaker  at  Birmingham,  Iowa.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Strieker  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children:  Bernard,  Clyde,  Roland,  Mavis, 
Blythe  and  Gladys. 

Mr.  Strieker  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  and  for  twenty-two  years  he 
served  as  postmaster  of  Rock  Creek,  Idaho.  Having  lived  in  this  district  for  forty-three 
years,  he  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  every  phase  of  the  country's  development  and 
progress.  He  has  seen  the  wild  land  reclaimed  and  cultivated  and  the  work  of  devel- 
opment and  enterprise  carried  forward  until  this  is  now  a  populous  and  prosperous 
section  of  the  state.  He  has  always  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  general  development 


I 


HERMAN  STRICKER 


MRS.  HERMAN   STRICKER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  233 

and  Improvement  and  his  reminiscences  of  pioneer  times  are  most  interesting.  The 
experiences  of  his  life  have  been  broad  and  varied,  covering  active  service  through 
almost  the  entire  period  of  the  Civil  war,  connection  with  mercantile  interests  in  the 
east  and  identification  with  every  phase  of  pioneer  life  in  the  west. 


BENJAMIN  M.  WOOD. 

Benjamin  M.  Wood  is  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Wood  &  Bray,  automobile  dealers 
of  Ash  ton.  He  started  upon  life's  journey  in  Fountain  county,  Indiana,  November  28, 
1875,  his  parents  being  James  and  Orpha  (Osborn)  Wood,  who  were  natives  of  the 
Hoosier  state.  The  father  followed  farming  there  throughout  his  entire  life  save  for 
a  few  years  prior  to  his  demise,  when  he  lived  retired,  removing  to  Hillsboro,  Indiana, 
where  he  spent  his  remaining  days  in  the  enjoyment  of  well  earned  rest.  He  passed 
away  in  August,  1900,  while  his  wife  died  in  September,  1905.  At  the  time  of  the 
Civil  war  James  Wood  joined  the  Union  army  and  participated  in  the  defense  of  the 
federal  government. 

Benjamin  M.  Wood  was  reared  and  educated  at  Hillsboro,  Indiana,  remaining  with 
his  parents  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He  then  learned  the  barber's  trade, 
which  he  followed  for  five  years,  and  in  1903  he  removed  to  St.  Anthony,  Idaho,  where 
he  again  worked  at  his  trade  for  three  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
filed  on  land  five  miles  southwest  of  Ashton  and  at  once  began  to  break  the  sod  and 
till  the  fields.  He  purchased  more  land  from  time  to  time  as  his  financial  resources 
permitted  and  is  now  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
which  he  cultivated  until  1915.  He  has  since  rented  the  place  and  in  that  year  he 
came  to  Ashton,  where  he  engaged  in  the  automobile  business.  He  handles  the  Dodge, 
Nash  and  Hudson  cars  and  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Overton  Bray,  with  whom 
he  has  since  been  connected  in  business.  In  April,  1919,  they  erected  one  of  the  most 
modern  garage  buildings  in  the  state  at  a  cost  ot  twenty  thousand  dollars.  They  have 
splendid  equipment  for  the  care  and  repair  of  cars  and  their  business  as  automobile 
dealers  has  reached  gratifying  proportions. 

On  the  3d  of  December,  1895,  Mr.  Wood  was  married  to  Miss  Lydia  Ross  and  to 
them  have  been  born  four  children:  Daisy,  the  wife  of  Raymond  Berry,  who  is  cashier 
of  the  bank  at  Teton;  Rhea,  the  wife  of  Glenn  Maddox,  who  resides  on  a  farm  west  of 
Driggs,  Idaho;  and  Mary  and^  Earl,  who  are  attending  school. 

Politically  Mr.  Wood  is  a  republican  and  for  two  years  he  has  served  as  a  member 
of  the  town  council  of  Ashton.  He  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the 
Christian  church,  while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Both 
are  people  of  genuine  worth,  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  know  them,  and  their 
influence  is  a  potent  force  toward  the  moral  progress  of  the  community  in  which  they  live. 


ARTHUR   H.   WILKIE. 

The  English  historian,  Macaulay,  has  said  that  the  history  of  a  country  is  best  told 
in  the  lives  of  its  people;  nor  is  the  history  of  a  country  merely  the  biographical  records 
of  a  few  eminent  men.  It  is  the  story  of  the  daily  endeavor  of  many  and  their  united 
efforts  to  uphold  the  interests  of  their  country.  Each  community  has  its  citizens  who 
are  playing  an  Important  part  in  the  work  of  general  progress  and  improvement  and 
at  Ashton  this  class  finds  a  representative  in  Arthur  H.  Wilkie,  an  attorney  at  law. 

He  was  born  in  Syracuse,  New  York,  May  20,  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  Frederick  C. 
and  Sarah  E.  (Adams)  Wilkie,  who  were  natives  of  the  state  of  New  York.  The  father 
was  a  merchant  and  engaged  in  the  clothing  business  in  New  York  until  1878,  when  he 
removed  to  Wyoming.  There  he  worked  on  a  stock  ranch  until  1883,  when  he  removed 
to  Washington  county,  Idaho,  and  engaged  in  railroad  construction  for  a  time.  He  filed 
on  land  in  that  county  and  began  its  cultivation,  continuing  the  work  of  further  im- 
provement throughout  his  remaining  days.  During  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  in  1861 
in  the  Fifth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery  and  was  commissioned  captain.  At  the  close 
of  the  struggle  he  was  honorably  discharged  with  the  rank  of  major.  He  passed  away  in 
1907,  having  for  a  long  period  survived  his  wife,  who  died  in  March,  1884. 


234  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Arthur  H.  Wilkie  was  reared  and  educated  in  Washington  county,  Idaho,  and  after- 
ward engaged  in  the  sawmill  and  lumber  business,  to  which  he  devoted  his  energies 
from  1898  until  1911.  In  the  meantime,  or  in  1909,  he  began  reading  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  on  the  21st  of  April,  1913,  after  thorough  preparation  for  the  pro- 
fession. In  the  same  year  he  removed  to  Fremont  county  and  opened  an  office  at 
Ashton,  where  he  has  since  practiced.  He  is  thorough  and  earnest  in  the  preparation 
of  his  cases  and  is  seldom,  if  ever,  at  fault  in  the  application  of  legal  principles  by 
reason  of  his  wide  study  and  his  analytical  mind.  He  is  also  one  of  the  stockholders 
in  the  Ashton  Enterprise,  a  weekly  paper,  for  by  trade  Mr.  Wilkie  is  a  printer,  having 
learned  the  trade  in  Boise,  where  he  worked  for  four  years  before  taking  up  work  in 
a  sawmill.  His  efforts  and  attention,  however,  are  now  entirely  concentrated  upon 
his  law  practice,  and  he  has  a  fine  law  library,  which  enables  him  to  keep  in  touch 
with  all  the  legal  principles  and  with  precedents  as  well. 

In  1905  Mr.  Wilkie  was  married  to  Miss  Lillian  E.  Whiffin  and  they  have  become 
the  parents  of  five  children:  Waldo  W.,  Fred,  Audrey  H.,  Arthur  Weld  and  one  who 
died  in  infancy. 

In  politics  Mr.  Wilkie  is  independent  and  for  two  terms  he  served  as  town  attorney 
of  Ashton.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
He  has  gained  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  during  the  period  of  his  residence 
in  Fremont  county  and  recognition  of  his  ability  has  come  to  him  in  a  large  practi.ce, 
so  that  he  is  today  accounted  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  of  this  section  of  the  state. 


JOHN  CUDDY. 

While  more  than  two  decades  have  passed  since  John  Cuddy  was  called  to  his  final 
rest,  he  is  yet  remembered  by  many  of  the  residents  of  the  Salubria  valley,  of  Boise 
and  of  other  sections  of  the  state,  and  his  name  will  be  found  upon  the  pages  of  Idaho's 
pioneer  history  for  generations  to  come.  He  is  numbered  among  those  who  have  laid 
broad  and  deep  the  foundation  upon  which  has  been  built  the  present  prosperity  and 
progress  of  the  commonwealth.  In  1865  he  became  a  resident  of  Idaho,  being  then  a 
man  of  about  thirty  years.  He  was  born  in  County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  November  15, 
1834,  and  was  only  about  six  years  of  age  when  his  parents,  Michael  and  Catharine 
(Murphy)  Cuddy,  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  their  family  of  ten  children,  while  one 
of  the  number  having  married,  remained  on  the  Emerald  isle.  The  parents  landed  at 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  continued  their  residence  in  New  England,  the  father  dying 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  while  the  mother  reached  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-three. 

John  Cuddy  was  their  youngest  child.  The  opportunities  of  his  youth  were  extreme- 
ly limited  and  from  an  early  age  he  depended  entirely  upon  his  own  resources  for  a  living. 
He  largely  acquired  his  education  through  attendance  at  night  schools  and  also  in  the 
school  of  experience  learned  many  valuable  lessons,  for  he  possessed  an  observing  eye 
and  retentive  memory  and  was  thus  continually  adding  to  his  knowledge.  In  his  youth- 
ful days  he  acquainted  himself  with  the  machinist's  trade  and  operated  a  stationary 
engine.  His  identification  with  the  west  dated  from  1852,  when  by  way  of  the  Isthmus 
route  he  made  his  way  to  San  Francisco,  where  for  a  time  he  was  employed  in  a  ware- 
house. He  also  engaged  in  mining  on  the  Tuolumne  river  and  operated  a  sawmill,  and 
in  1856,  after  four  years'  residence  in  California,  he  made  his  way  northward  to  the 
Puget  Sound  country,  where  he  manufactured  lumber  for  a  time  and  later  became 
engineer  on  a  tow  boat. 

While  in  Washington,  John  Cuddy  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Edward  Tyne,  a  man 
of  good  education  and  fine  business  talents.  Their  friendship  dated  from  the  time  when 
they  became  acquainted  by  working  in  the  sawmills  and  lumber  camps  of  Washington. 
Both  were  from  County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  and  this  naturally  drew  them  together.  Mr. 
Cuddy  was  at  that  time  superintendent  of  a  sawmill  owned  by  Meigs  &  Company  of 
San  Francisco  and  had  three  hundred  men  under  his  direction,  he  acting  as  head 
sawyer  in  the  mill,  while  Edward  Tyne  acted  as  saw  filer.  The  two  became  bosom 
friends  and  after  spending  several  years  in  connection  with  sawmilling  interests  in 
Washington  they  came  to  Boise  in  1864,  bringing  with  them  a  stock  of  groceries,  liquors, 
paints  and  oils.  Mr.  Cuddy  made  the  trip  with  this  stock  of  goods  from  San  Francisco, 
traveling  by  water  up  the  coast  and  over  the  river  route  to  Umatilla,  Oregon,  and  thence 
by  freight  team  proceeding  to  Boise.  The  firm  of  Cuddy  &  Tyne  conducted  a  profitable 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  235 

* 

business  in  Boise  until  1869,  when  they  removed  to  the  Salubria  valley  in  Washington 
county,  Idaho,  and  built  there  a  sawmill  and  flour  mill,  which  were  the  first  in  that 
part  of  the  country.  Their  plants  were  ready  for  operation  in  1870.  Mr.  Cuddy  made 
a  trip  to  San  Francisco  to  buy  machinery  for  these  mills  and  on  his  return  he  was 
accompanied  by  Delia  and  Nora  Tyne,  who  were  sisters  of  his  partner  and  were  coming 
to  Idaho  to  pay  him  a  visit.  The  acquaintance  thus  begun  was  continued  and  on  the 
10th  of  January,  1871,  the  marriage  of  John  Cuddy  and  Delia  Tyne  was  celebrated.  The 
lady  had  come  to  the  United  States  alone  when  a  girl  in  her  teens  from  her  native 
country  of  Ireland  and  joined  an  elder  sister  in  New  York  city.  There  they  resided  for 
several  years,  being  in  the  eastern  metropolis  at  the  time  the  funeral  parade  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  occurred,  which  historic  event  they  witnessed.  The  sister  of  Mrs.  Cuddy  with 
whom  she  remained  in  New  York  was  the  second  of  the  Tyne  family  to  come  to  the 
United  States,  the  first  being  Edward  Tyne,  previously  mentioned  as  the  friend  and 
partner  of  Mr.  Cuddy.  Later  the  sister  Nora  Tyne  arrived  and  accompanied  Delia  Tyne 
to  the  west  to  visit  their  brother.  Nora  afterward  married  a  Mr.  Wade  and  is  now  a 
widow,  living  in  San'Jfran  Cisco. 

Having  arrived  safely  in  the  Salubria  valley  with  his  milling  machinery,  the  mills 
were  soon  equipped  and  were  ready  for  operation  in  1870.  The  following  year  Mr.  Cuddy 
purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner,  Edward  Tyne,  who  died  some  years  later  in 
Albany,  Oregon.  Becoming  sole  proprietor,  Mr.  Cuddy  carried  on  the  business  alone, 
devoting  his  attention  to  the  manufacture  of  lumber  and  flour,  and  it  is  said  that  for 
many  years  nearly  every  house  in  the  district  in  which  his  mill  was  located  was  con- 
structed from  lumber  which  he  manufactured,  while  almost  every  household  was  familiar 
with  the  flour  that  he  made.  Difficulties  and  obstacles  confronted  him  in  early  pioneer 
times,  but  as  the  years  passed  and  the  country  became  more  thickly  settled  he  was 
accorded  a  more  liberal  patronage  which  made  his  business  a  profitable  one  and  he 
gradually  approached  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  goal  of  success.  Not  only  did  he  operate 
his  mills  but  he  also  owned  and  conducted  a  valuable  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Salubria  and  won  recognition  as  a  leading  agriculturist 
and  stock  raiser  of  his  section  of  the  state. 

A  contemporary  biographer  said  of  Mr.  Cuddy:  "When  he  brought  his  materials  and 
supplies  from  Boise  to  build  his  mills,  there  were  no  bridges  in  this  part  of  the  state 
and  so  he  and  Mr.  Tyne  built  a  boat,  which  they  carried  with  them.  On  reaching  a 
stream  that  was  not  fordable  they  loaded  their  supplies  in  the  boat  and  swam  their 
stock  across,  thus  eventually  reaching  their  destination.  Salubria  is  only  seventy-five 
miles  distant  from  Boise,  but  at  that  time  it  required  twenty-one  days  to  make  the 
trip  tc  -and  from  the  capital  city.  He  located  seven  miles  from  any  habitation,  and  the 
mountain  near  which  he  built  his  mill  and  home  soon  became  known  as  Cuddy  mountain, 
a  name  which  it  still  bears.  The  first  winter  after  his  arrival  in  the  Salubria  valley 
the  roads  became  so  blocked  with  snow  that  for  three  months  Mrs.  Cuddy  saw  no  one 
but  her  husband  and  baby.  On  one  occasion  he  loaded  two  four-horse  teams  with 
dressed  hogs  and  bacon  and  started  for  the  city,  but  the  snow  and  mud  under  it  were  so 
deep  that  it  required  four  days  to  go  nine  miles.  They  left  the  loads  and  went  back 
to  the  house  to  sleep  at  night.  At  another  time  Mr.  Cuddy  went  to  Boise  for  a  ton  of 
salt  and  was  commissioned  by  a  neighbor  to  purchase  a  can  of  kerosene.  He  paid  one 
hundred  and  sixty  dollars  for  the  salt  and  secured  the  oil,  but  when  he  reached  home  he 
found  that  it  had  leaked  on  the  salt,  rendering  it  unfit  for  use,  and  thus  he  was  obliged 
to  make  the  trip  again  for  more  salt.  The  first  load  he  left  exposed  to  the  weather,  and 
at  the  end  of  a  year  the  oil  had  evaporated  so  that  the  salt  could  be  fed  to  the  stock. 

"In  1877,  when  the  Nez  Perce  war  broke  out,  the  settlers  were  in  Imminent  danger 
and  many  of  them  packed  up  their  goods,  left  their  homes  and  went  to  Weiser.  Mr. 
Cuddy  sent  his  family  to  Boise  and  thus  they  lived  in  constant  danger  of  the  red  men, 
who  again  and  again  went  on  the  warpath.  The  men  always  wore  their  cartridge 
belts  to  the  fields  where  they  worked  and  at  the  slightest  noise  glanced  apprehensively 
around,  fearful  of  seeing  Indians.  In  1878  the  Bannocks  went  on  the  warpath  and  when 
the  news  reached  Mr.  Cuddy  he  put  his  family  in  a  wagon  and  took  them  down  the 
valley  to  a  fort  which  was  built  for  protection  for  the  settlers.  No  less  than  ten  times 
did  he  thus  take  his  wife  and  children  from  home,  for  he  had  taken  part  in  an  Indian 
war  in  Oregon  in  1865,  and  he  knew  of  the  cruelties  and  treachery  of  the  savages. 
Gradually,  however,  as  civilization  advanced  and  the  country  became  more  thickly 
populated,  the  Indians  were  subjugated  and  thus  departed  for  other  regions,  leaving  this 
fair  district  lo  yield  its  splendid  gifts  in  return  for  the  labors  of  the  white  race." 

As  the  years  passed   five  children  came  to  bless  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and   Mrs. 


236  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Cuddy,  Kate,  Nellie,  John,  Marie  and  Edward,  to  whom  were  given  good  educational 
opportunities.  All  are  yet  living  with  the  exception  of  Edward,  whose  death  was 
occasioned  by  influenza  in  the  fall  of  1918.  He  was  at  that  time  a  resident  of  Centralia, 
Washington,  where  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  merchandising.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  thirty-eight,  leaving  a  wife  and  two  children.  The  daughters  Kate  and  Nellie  reside 
with  their  mother  in  Boise,  as  does  the  son  John,  while  the  youngest  daughter,  Marie, 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Idaho  State  University  and  is  now  a  well  known  teacher  in  the 
Longfellow  school  of  Boise.  Three  of  the  members  of  the  family  were  students  in  the 
University  of  Idaho  at  the  same  time.  Soon  after  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Cuddy 
removed  with  her  family  to  Boise  and  for  many  years  has  occupied  a  comfortable  home 
of  her  own  at  No.  1204  North  Eleventh  street. 

Mr.  Cuddy  was  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  of  which  his  widow  and 
children  are  communicants.  Politically  he  was  a  republican,  but  the  honors  and  emolu- 
ments of  office  never  had  attraction  for  him,  although  he  served  on  the  county  board 
of  commissioners  for  eight  years.  At  all  times  he  stood  loyally  for  those  interests  which 
have  to  do  with  the  public  welfare  and  municipal  progress.  He  indeed  bore  active  part 
in  planting  the  seeds  of  civilization  on  the  western  frontier,  and  his  life  work  was  one 
of  signal  service  through  the  vigor  which  he  lent  to  the  pioneer  era  in  making  this 
region  habitable,  in  bringing  its  resources  to  light  and  in  stamping  his  intensely  practi- 
cal ideas  upon  its  milling  industry — a  business  which  perforce  must  be  one  of  the  fore- 
runners of  settlement  and  civilization.  Cuddy  mountain  was  named  in  his  honor  and 
will  forever  stand  as  a  monument  to  his  enterprise  and  to  his  memory. 


WILLIAM  L.  HANKINS. 

William  L.  Hankins,  the  president  of  the  Clark  County  Title  &  Abstract  Company  and 
the  manager  of  the  National  Park  Lumber  Company,  important  business  enterprises  of 
Dubois,  was  born  in  Asheville,  North  Carolina,  October  19,  1872.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
W.  and  Roxie  L.  (Hall)  Hankins,  the  former  a  native  of  Missouri,  while  the  latter 
was  born  in  North  Carolina.  The  father  was  a  farmer  of  Missouri,  to  which  state  his 
father  had  removed  at  an  early  day.  In  1872,  John  W.  Hankins  returned  to  North 
Carolina,  where  he  remained  until  1874  and  then  again  went  to  Missouri,  driving  across 
the  state  from  St.  Louis  to  Springfield.  In  the  latter  district  he  took  up  the  occupation  of 
farming,  which  he  followed  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  November,  1881.  The  mother 
still  survives  and  is  now  living  in  Asheville,  North  Carolina. 

In  his  native  city  William  L.  Hankins  was  reared  and  when  but  thirteen  years  of 
age  he  left  school  to  take  Up  the  cabinetmaking  trade,  which  he  learned  in  his  grand- 
father's shop.  He  continued  to  follow  that  business  until  1889,  when  he  removed  to 
Oklahoma,  where  he  purchased  town  lots  in  Oklahoma  City.  He  accepted  a  position  as 
manager  there  with  the  William  Cameron  Lumber  Company  and  remained  in  that 
connection  for  three  years.  The  company  then  sold  their  business  to  the  Arkansas 
Lumber  Company,  with  which  Mr.  Hankins  continued  until  1896,  when  they  in  turn 
sold  to  the  Gloyd  Lumber  Company  of  Kansas  City.  Mr.  Hankins  was  still  retained  in 
the  service  of  the  new  company  until  1900,  when  he  resigned  his  position  and  went  to 
Colorado.  There  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Newton  Lumber  Company  at  Colorado 
Springs  in  the  responsible  position  of  manager  and  so  served  until  1902,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  Cripple  Creek.  In  1907  a  second  transfer  took  him  to  Boulder,  Colorado, 
and  he  continued  with  the  Newton  Lumber  Company  until  1910,  when  he  again  went 
to  Oklahoma.  There  he  was  made  general  manager  with  the  Morse-Campbell  Lumber 
Company  and  so  continued  until  March  1,  1913,  when  he  went  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
He  became  the  manager  of  the  branch  of  the  Baker  Lumber  Company  at  Richfield,  Utah, 
and  served  at  that  place  until  January,  1915,  when  he  removed  to  Malad,  Oneida  county, 
Idaho  and  accepted  a  position  as  manager  of  the  Malad  Lumber  &  Hardware  Company. 
In  that  connection  he  continued  until  December  15,  1917,  when  he  came  to  Dubois  and 
was  made  manager  of  the  National  Park  Lumber  Company.  He  has  so  continued  to  the 
present  time  and  has  further  extended  the  scope  of  his  activities  by  becoming  one  of 
the  organizers  on  the  31st  of  March,  1919,  of  the  Clark  County  Title  &  Abstract  Company, 
in  which  he  is  associated  with  J.  C.  Palmer  and  E.  M.  Whitzel.  He  has  since  been  presi- 
dent and  manager  of  this  company  and  is  carefully  guiding  its  destiny  and  directing  its 
business  expansion.  He  is  also  a  well  known  figure  in  lumber  circles  of  the  intermountain 
country,  where  his  activities  have  been  of  wide  scope  and  importance.  In  addition  to 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  237 

his  other  interests  he  is  the  owner  of  a  dry  farm  of  eighty  acres  and  he  has  also 
purchased  another  eighty-acre  tract  adjoining.  He  likewise  has  made  further  invest- 
ments in  land  which  he  hires  men  to  cultivate.  However,  he  has  given  much  personal 
supervision  to  his  farming  interests  and  for  seven  months  drove  out  morning  and  nisht 
to  his  ranch — a  distance  of  twenty  miles.  He  is  the  secretary  and  manager  of  the 
Dubois  Mill  &  Elevator  Company. 

On  the  28th  of  January,  1910,  Mr.  Hankins  was  married  to  Miss  Ruby  E.  Best  and  to 
them  have  been  born  two  children:  Gertrude,  whose  natal  day  was  April  12,  1915;  and 
William  Lee,  whose  birth  occurred  on  the  5th  of  August,  1917. 

Politically  Mr.  Hankins  is  a  republican  and  meets  with  a  sense  of  conscientious 
obligation  every  duty  of  citizenship.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  has 
served  as  worshipful  master  in  his  lodge  at  Dubois.  He  belongs  to  the  Episcopal  church 
and  his  life  at  all  times  has  been  the  expression  of  high  principles  and  worthy  motives. 


S.  W.  VAIL. 

About  five  miles  northwest  of  Caldwell  is  situated  the  fine  farm  of  S.  W.  Vail, 
who  is  now  numbered  among  the  leading  farmers  of  Canyon  county.  His  life  ex- 
periences have  been  broad,  interesting  and  ofttimes  thrilling,  for  there  is  no  phase 
of  cowboy  life  in  the  west  with  which  he  is  not  familiar,  as  he  rode  the  range  in 
Colorado,  Wyoming,  Montana  and  various  other  sections  of  the  country  and  there 
came  to  him  all  of  the  knowledge  of  wild  life  in  the  open  in  that  period  of  western 
history  to  which  time  has  lent  a  picturesque  phase. 

Mr.  Vail  was  horn  in  Sparta,  Wisconsin,  May  4,  1860,  a  son  of  William  and 
Phoebe  (Wallace)  Vail,  who  were  natives  of  Canada  and  of  Scotland  respectively, 
while  their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Wisconsin,  where  the  father  died.  The 
mother  afterward  became  the  wife  of  William  Dixon,  and  the  family  removed  in 
1869  to  Iowa,  where  Mr.  Dixon  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  In  1871  they 
went  to  Smith  county,  Kansas,  where  they  remained  through,  the  winter  and  then 
removed  to  Norton  county,  Kansas,  where  Mr.  Dixon  engaged  in  cattle  raising.  The 
mother  passed  away  in  Kansas  in  1870. 

In  1900  S.  W.  Vail  came  to  Idaho  but  previous  to  this  resided  in  various  parts 
of  the  west.  He  had  been  a  buckaroo  and  broncho  buster  in  Kansas  during  the 
period  of  Indian  troubles  in  that  state  when  Mr.  Vail  and  the  cowboys  were  the 
only  ones  the  Indians  feared,  the  red  men  knowing  that  when  they  were  pursued 
by  the  aforementioned  that  there  would  be  some  real  fighting,  and  when  the  smoke 
of  battle  cleared  away  there  were  many  Indians  to  the  credit  of  the  cowboys.  In 
1873,  when  but  thirteen  years  of  age,  Mr.  Vail  went  with  a  party  that  drove  a  band 
of  forty-five  hundred  head  of  cattle  from  Gonzales,  Texas,  to  Montana,  and  he  was 
the  only  white  person  in  the  party  until  they  reached  Ellis,  Kansas,  the  others  being 
Mexicans  and  negroes.  The  stock  was  wintered  at  Ellis,  Kansas,  and  the  following 
spring  the  trip  was  resumed,  the  stock  being  driven  to  Horseshoe  Bend  on  the  Little 
Missouri  river,  in  Montana.  This  portion  of  the  trip  was  made  with  the  aid  of 
white  men  and  the  entire  trip  consumed  two  years.  It  was  after  this  time  that  Mr. 
Vail  worked  for  the  L.  F.  outfit  in  Colorado,  of  which  W.  W.  Iliff  was  the  head. 
He  was  known  as  the  cattle  king  of  Colorado.  From  1870  until  1877  Mr.  Vail 
engaged  in  freighting  from  Sidney,  Nebraska,  to  Deadwood,  South  Dakota,  driving 
ox  teams.  He  then  went  to  Wyoming,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Converse 
Cattle  Company,  with  which  he  remained  for  seven  years,  or  until  1885.  He  was 
the  foreman  on  the  Red  Cloud  reservation  to  protect  the  interests  of  that  company 
and  was  authorized  by  the  United  States  government  to  remain  on  the  reservation. 
In  that  way  he  associated  with  the  Indians  and  ate  with  them  and  witnessed  many 
of  their  war  dances  and  sun  dances.  After  traveling  around  the  country  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  he  returned  to  Kansas,  where  he  was  married. 

Mr.  Vail  wedded  Miss  Amanda  Myers,  of  Norton  county,  Kansas,  and  they  have 
become  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Edna,  now  the  wife  of  Alexander  Ballentine. 
?.  prominent  sheepman  of  Idaho;  Margie,  at  home;  Blanche,  who  is  now  at  the  Star 
ranch  in  the  pines  of  Colorado  for  the  benefit  of  her  health;  Albert,  who  is  twenty 
years  of  age  and  is  associated  with  his  father  in  business;  Russell,  aged  seventeen, 
also  at  home;  George,  aged  thirteen;  and  Carrie. 

As  stated,  it  was  in  1900  that  Mr.  Vail  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Dixie  on  the 


238  HISTORY  OF  ID^HO 

Boise  river,  on  the  Charles  Myers  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  at 
that  time  was  a  tract  of  unbroken  land  save  that  a  small  family  orchard  had  been 
planted.  Mr.  Vail  cultivates  forty  acres  of  his  farm  and  uses  the  remainder  for 
pasture.  He  raises  cattle  and  a  few  sheep.  He  also  owns  eighty  acres  about  a  half 
mile  north  of  his  home  place.  He  is  likewise  engaged  in  bee  culture  and  has  about 
two  hundred  hives.  His  business  affairs  are  wisely  and  carefully  conducted  and 
are  bringing  to  him  a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1919,  Mr.  Vail  took  a  trip  back  to  his  old  home  in  Kansas. 
The  Commercial  Club  there  gave  a  banquet  in  his  honor  and  he  then  learned  that 
he  was  the  oldest  living  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Norton  county,  Kansas.  He  is  a 
charter  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  Camp  which  was  organized  at  Edmond. 
Kansas,  and  this  lodge  also  held  a  banquet  in  his  honor  and  he  was  visited  by  all  of 
the  old  settlers.  His  old  friends,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Commercial  Club,  presented 
him  with  a  life  membership  in  the  club  in  recognition  of  the  fact  that  he  had 
"Broken  up  more  sidewalk  in  the  town  than  anyone  else,"  as  he  "used  to  buck  his 
bronchps  on  the  sidewalk."  In  1917  Mr.  Vail  and  his  wife,  accompanied  by  Charles 
Vail  and  his  wife,  were  riding  in  an  automobile  near  the  fair  grounds  at  Boise  when 
Mr.  Vail  slowed  the  car  down  to  put  on  his  gloves.  In  so  doing  he  accidentally 
opened  the  gas  throttle  and  the  car  jumped,  crashing  into  a  telephone  pole.  The 
car  was  overturned  and  wrecked  and  Mr.  Vail  had  his  collarbone  broken  and  his 
chest  crushed,  while  the  others  with  him  were  badly  shaken  up.  For  some  time  his 
life  was  despaired  of  but  he  has  now  fully  recovered  from  his  injuries.  He  and  his 
family  reside  in  an  attractive  home  near  Caldwell  and  his  excellent  farm  property  is 
the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  well  directed  energy  and  thrift.  When  one  could 
ride  the  open  range  for  miles  and  miles  without  seeing  a  trace  of  human  habitation 
Mr.  Vail  was  a  cowboy  in  the  west.  He  has  lived  to  see  remarkable  changes  and 
has  aided  in  carrying  forward  the  work  of  transformation  until  now  the  great  western 
country  is  largely  settled  with  a  prosperous  and  contented  people  and  there  are  few 
districts  in  which  one  can  see  the  evidences  of  frontier  life.  He  is  now  profitably 
conducting  business  interests  in  Canyon  county  and  is  numbered  among  the  repre- 
sentative residents  there. 


W.  S.  STUART. 

-  Actuated  by  a  spirit  of  progressiveness  in  all  that  he  undertakes,  W.  S.  Stuart  is 
accounted  one  of  the  representative  farmers  and  stockmen  of  Payette  county.  He  was 
born  in  Linn  county,  Missouri,  October  24,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  Jane 
(Scott)  Stuart,  who  were  natives  of  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  and  in  early  life  came  to 
America,  settling  in  Illinois.  The  father  followed  the  blacksmith's  trade  and  also  the 
occupation  of  farming  until  his  death.  He  removed  with  his  family  to  Missouri,  where 
he  passed  away  fifty-two  years  ago,  and  his  wife  died  four  years  later.  One  of  their 
daughters,  Mary  Jane,  became  the  wife  of  J.  P.  Nesbitt,  one  of  the  best  known  and  most, 
progressive  pioneer  settlers  of  the  Payette  valley.  Another  daughter,  Isabella,  is  the 
wife  of  George  W.  Byers,  of  Star  Valley,  Nevada,  and  thus  the  family  has  become  closely 
associated  with  the  development  of  the  west.  A  niece  of  W.  S.  Stuart  is  Mrs.  Jessie  E. 
Heap,  living  in  Payette  county.  Not  only  has  the  family  been  connected  with  the 
pioneer  development  of  the  west  but  has  also  been  noted  for  its  patriotic  spirit  and  six 
nephews  of  W.  S.  Stuart  served  in  the  World  war. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1881  that  Mr.  Stuart  came  west  with  his  elder  brother, 
John  G.,  and  located  at  Falk,  about  two  miles  from  his  present  home.  He  was  still  a 
youth  in  his  teens  and  there  attended  school.  He  afterward  went  to  Garden  Valley,  where 
he  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming,  and  later  engaged  in  mining  at  Quartzburg,  where 
he  boarded  with  the  mother-in-law  of  Governor  James  H.  Hawley.  Mr.  Stuart  continued 
in  the  Boise  basin  for  eight  years  and  all  the  time  was  interested  in  a  ranch  three 
miles  west  of  Falk,  in  connection  with  his  brother,  who  passed  away  while  W.  S.  Stuart 
was  engaged  in  mining.  He  then  returned  and  took  charge  of  the  business.  At  that 
time,  in  addition  to  his  other  interests,  he  had  about  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  and 
purchased  another  ranch,  known  as  the  McFarland  ranch,  comprising  one  hundred  and 
fifty-nine  acres.  While  making  his  home  thereon  he  preempted  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  adjoining.  He  afterward  purchased  eighty  acres,  known  as  the  Maggie  Pool  place, 
and  subsequently  made  further  investment  in  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  at  Pearl,  nine 


W.  S.  STUART 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  241 

miles  east  of  Emmett,  and  this  he  operated  as  a  stock  ranch.  He  afterward  purchased 
the  Jim  Patten  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  whereon  he  raises  stock.  He  has 
over  three  hundred  head  of  horses  and  cattle  and  at  times  has  had  as  high  as  four 
hundred  head.  In  the  early  days  he  ranged  his  stock  west  of  the  Weiser,  on  Monroe 
and  Rock  creeks,  where  he  held  government  reservations.  He  assisted  in  building  the 
Noble  irrigation  ditch,  one  of  the  large  irrigation  ditches  of  the  state,  and  was  a  director 
of  the  company.  Thus  in  many  ways  he  has  contributed  to  the  development,  reclama- 
tion and  improvement  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Stuart  has  passed  through  all  of  the  hardships,  privations  and  experiences  of 
frontier  life.  In  18S1  he  aided  in  protecting  a  large  number  of  women  from  the  Indians 
when  they  were  on  the  warpath.  During  the  early  days  when  the  cattle  rustlers  were 
very  active  he  had  many  of  his  cattle  stolen.  For  many  years  he  has  been  engaged  in 
the  cattle  business  and  is  one  of  the  most  progressive,  successful  and  best  known  stock- 
men of  his  section  of  the  state.  He  is  planning  to  build  a  fine  home  upon  his  place  near 
Fa  Ik  For  the  past  twelve  years  his  nephew,  W.  S.  Lumsden,  has  been  with  him,  the 
nephew  being  an  orphan,  to  whom  Mr.  Stuart  has  proved  both  parent  and  friend, 
educating  him  and  doing  for  him  as  if  he  were  his  own.  Mr.  Lumsden  is  an  intelligent 
and  enterprising  young  man  of  thirty  years  and  is  proving  of  much  assistance  to  Mr. 
Stuart  in  the  conduct  of  his  stock  raising  interests. 


HERBERT  S.  BOWN. 

Herbert  S.  Bown  was  actively  identified  with  farming,  his  interests  including 
dairying  and  the  raising  of  alfalfa  and  grain  in  the  vicinity  of  Nampa,  and  when 
death  called  him  the  district  lost  one  of  its  representative  business  men.  He  was 
born  in  Iowa,  August  4,  1856,  and  crossed  the  plains  with  his  parents  by  ox  team 
when  he  was  only  eight  years  of  age,  the  family  home  being  established  three  miles 
east  of  Boise.  He  thus  became  familiar  with  all  of  the  experiences  of  frontier  life, 
with  its  privations,  its  hardships  and  its  opportunities.  He  acquired  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Boise,  which  he  attended  to  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and  later  he 
rode  the  range  for  several  years.  In  1883  he  married  and  in  the  same  year  home- 
steaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  including  eighty  acres  on  which  his 
widow  now  resides.  Up  to  the  time  of  his-  death,  which  occurred  December  20,  1917, 
he  devoted  his  attention  to  dairying  and  to  the  production  of  alfalfa  and  grain.  His 
widow  and  her  three  sons  now  conduct  the  farm,  devoting  most  of  their  attention 
to  dairying. 

It  was  in  1883  that  Mr.  Bown  wedded  Sophania  Duncan,  of  California,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  six  children:  Grace,  the  wife  of  Elmer  Tadlock,  of  Twin 
Falls;  Robert  L.,  thirty-five  years  of  age,  who  is  married  and  lives  on  a  farm  adjoin- 
ing the  old  home  place;  Joseph  S.,  aged  twenty-nine,  who  is  married  and  owns  and 
operates  a  threshing  machine;  Charles  A.,  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  Clifford 
B.,  aged  nineteen,  at  home  with  their  mother;  and  Herbert  S.,  aged  sixteen,  also 
working  with  his  brothers  on  the  farm. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bown  was  an  earnest  republican  and  while  not  a  politician,  he 
served  for  twelve  years  on  the  school  board.  He  was  intensely  interested  in  all 
political  questions  and  issues  and  gave  earnest  support  to  all  plans  and  projects 
for  the  general  good.  With  every  phase  of  frontier  life  and  the  subsequent  develop- 
ment and  upbuilding  of  the  state  he  was  closely  associated,  and  his  labors  constituted 
a  substantial  contribution  to  the  work  of  progress  and  improvement,  while  his 
genuine  value  as  a  man  and  as  a  citizen  was  widely  acknowledged  by  all  who  knew 
him. 


CHARLES   E.  CHRISMAN. 

Charles  E.  Chrisman,  freight  agent  at  Boise  for  the  Union  Pacific  System  and 
the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railway,  which  position  he  has  filled  continuously  since 
1892,  was  born  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  August  28,  1852,  a  son  of  Samuel  R.  and 
Sophronia  (Long)  Chrisman,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Kentucky  re- 
spectively. Both  have  now  passed  away.  The  father,  who  was  a  carpenter  by  trade. 

Vol.  HI— 16 


242  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

was  a  Union  man  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  and  served  in  the  Home  Guard  at- 
Owensboro,  Kentucky,  where  he  lived  during  the  period  of  hostilities. 

Charles  E.  Chrisman  was  reared  in  Owensboro  and  acquired  a  good  public 
school  education.  In  his  youthful  days  he  spent  four  and  a  half  years  as  an  employe 
in  a  grocery  store  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  he  returned  to  his  native  city  of  Louis- 
ville, where  he  was  employed  for  a  short  time  in  the  wholesale  wood  and  willow 
ware  business.  He  then  became  a  freight  clerk  on  an  Ohio  River  packet  line  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  or  in  1873,  made  his  way  westward  as  far  as  Central 
City,  at  that  time  called  Lone  Tree,  Nebraska,  where  he  spent  the  winter  employed 
in  a  grocery  store.  In  the  spring  of  1874  he  removed  to  Rawlins,  Wyoming,  where 
he  remained  until  1892.  It  was  there  that  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  Company  in  1874.  The  first  four  and  a  half  years  of  his  connection 
with  the  corporation  were  spent  as  a  clerk  in  the  Rawlins  station  and  later  he  was 
for  a  short  time  baggage  and  express  agent  at  Laramie,  Wyoming,  but  in*1881  re- 
turned to  Rawlins  as  station  agent  and  has  served  in  that  capacity  continuously  since 
or  for  a  period  of  thirty-nine  years.  He  remained  as  station  agent  at  Rawlins  from 
1881  unt.il  3892  and  then  came  to  Boise,  where  he  has  since  represented  the  com- 
pany, covering  a  period  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  No  further  testimonial 
is  needed  concerning  his  faithfulness  and  capability  than  the  fact  that  he  has  been 
so  long  retained  in  the  service  of  a  railroad  company,  for  it  is  a  well  known  fact 
that  the  most  thorough  efficiency  must  be  maintained  on  the  part  of  employes  of  the 
railroads. 

At  Rawlins,  Wyoming,  on  the  17th  of  June,  1878,  Mr.  Chrisman  was  married  to 
Miss  Julia  Ann  McEvoy,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  they  have  five  children,  two  sons 
and  three  daughters:  Charles  B.,  Lora,  Florence,  Alberta  and  Finis  Edward.  All  are 
married  with  the  exception  of  Lora  and  the  younger  son  is  now  serving  the  govern- 
ment in  a  shipyard  at  Seattle.  Mrs.  Chrisman  is  very  prominent  in  the  work  of  the 
Catholic  church  and  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Children's  Home  at  Boise. 

Mr.  Chrisman  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  democratic  party.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  Mason.  He  is  fond  of  outdoor  sports,  especially  baseball,  taking  great  delight 
in  our  national  game.  Almost  his  entire  life  has  been  devoted  to  railroad  service 
and  as  the  years  have  passed  increasing  power  and  capability  have  won  him  promo- 
tion that  has  insured  him  his  position  and  won  for  him  a  substantial  salary. 


HARRY    T.    WEST. 

Harry  T.  West,  who  is  engaged  in  ranching  on  section  16,  township  11,  range 
18,  near  Kimberly,  in  Twin  Falls  county,  was  born  at  Aurora,  Illinois,  May  26, 
1864,  and  is  a  son  of  William  C.  and  Mary  H.  (Stoutemyer)  West.  The  father 
was  born  at  Carlisle,  Ohio,  which  was  also  the  birthplace  of  the  mother.  They 
were  married  there  and  the  father  engaged  in  business  as  a  carpenter  and  con- 
tractor. He  afterward  removed  with  his  family  to  Wichita,  Kansas,  where  he 
continued  his  building  operations,  and  in  1895  he  became  a  resident  of  Boise, 
Idaho.  On  his  removal  to  this  state  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming  as  well 
as  to  contract  work.  He  passed  away  in  Seattle,  Washington,  in  1908,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-two  years,  while  the  mother  died  in  1909,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight.  The  father  had  given  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party.  He 
was  not  an  office  seeker  but  had  always  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention 
upon  his  business  affairs. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Harry  T.  West  were  largely  passed  in  Wichita,  Kansas, 
where  he  pursued  his  education,  and  after  putting  aside  his  textbooks  he  secured 
a  clerkship  in  the  Kansas  State  Bank.  He  also  worked  for  a  mortgage  company 
for  a  time  and  afterward  removed  to  Helena,  Montana,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
mortgage  loan  business  on  his  own  account.  In  1891  he  came  to  Idaho,  settling 
first  in  Boise,  where  he  engaged  in  the  mortgage  loan  business,  and  later  he 
made  investment  in  a  farm  where  the  Soldiers'  Home  now  stands.  He  likewise 
became  the  owner  of  two  other  ranch  properties.  In  1903  he  obtained  land 
through  the  Carey  act,  acquiring  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  which  he  developed 
and  improved,  taking  up  his  abode  thereon  in  1904.  To  that  property  he  has 
added  from  time  to  time  as  his  financial  resources  have  increased  until  he  is  now 
the  owner  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  well  improved  land,  on  which  are 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  243 

found  good  buildings  and  all  modern  equipments.  He  has  planted  eighty  acres 
to  sugar  beets  and  he  also  carries  on  general  farming. 

In  1888  Mr.  West  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lena  Oliver,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  a  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Mary  (McKay)  Oliver.  Mrs.  West 
died  February  7,  1907,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight  years,  leaving  five  children: 
Marguerite,  Dorothy,  Helen,  Oliver  and  Harry.  In  August,  1909,  Mr.  West  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  May  McCrait,  a  native  of  Minne- 
apolis. Minnesota,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Leona  McCrait. 

Mr.  West  has  always  given  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party 
and  he  has  filled  a  number  of  offices,  serving  as  deputy  assessor  at  Boise  and  also 
as  deputy  clerk  and  recorder  there.  In  1907  he  was  elected  to  represent  his 
district  in  the  state  legislature  and  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  division  of 
the  county.  From  1907  until  1911  he  was  district  clerk  and  recorder,  and  in 
all  the  various  offices  which  he  has  filled  he  has  proven  competent,  able  and  loyal. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Elks  and  the  Masons,  and  his  high  rank  in 
the  latter  organization  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  is  also  a  Mystic  Shriner. 
He  has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  this  section  of  the  state  and  his  business  ability 
is  demonstrated  in  the  success  which  he  has  won  in  the  conduct  of  his  important 
ranching  and  other  interests.  He  now  has  a  valuable  property  which  is  the  visi- 
ble evidence  of  his  life  of  well  directed  energy  and  thrift,  and  his  labors  are 
constituting  an  important  element  in  the  agricultural  progress  of  Twin  Falls 
county. 


RICHARD  STORY  SHERIDAX. 

Richard  Story  Sheridan,  the  general  manager  of  the  Capital  News,  published 
in  Boise,  was  born  at  Roseburg,  Oregon,  September  5,  1859.  His  education  was 
acquired  in  the  public  schools  of  Roseburg,  in  the  Santa  Clara  College  at  Santa 
Clara,  California,  and  in  the  University  of  Oregon  at  Eugene.  He  figured  promi- 
nently in  connection  with  public  interests  during  his  residence  in  his  native  state 
and  for  five  years  filled  the  office  of  receiver  of  public  moneys  in  the  United  States 
land  office  at  Roseburg,  Oregon,  covering  the  period  from  1894  until  1899.  He  was 
also  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Oregon  state  legislature,  representing  his  district 
in  the  house  of  representatives  in  1893.  In  February/  1901,  he  removed  to  Boise 
and  founded  the  Capital  News,  which  he  has  since  published,  covering  a  period  of 
nineteen  consecutive  years.  He  has  been  in  charge  as  general  manager  through  the 
entire  time,  and  the  growth,  development  and  success  of  the  paper  are  largely  at- 
tributable to  his  business  management  and  thorough  knowledge  of  journalism. 
He  has  kept  pace  with  the  progress  that  has  brought  about  many  changes  in  meth- 
ods of  newspaper  publication  during  the  last  few  years,  and  has  made  the  Capital 
News  one  of  the  most  .interesting  dailies  published  in  the  northwest. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1886,  at  Canyonville,  Oregon,  Mr.  Sheridan  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Jessie  F.  Levens,  and  they  are  prominently  known  in  the  social 
circles  of  their  adopted  city.  In  the  progress  and  upbuilding  of  the  community 
Mr.  Sheridan  has  taken  deep  and  helpful  interest,  making  the  News  a  medium  of 
support  for  all  projects  and  movements  which  he  believes  will  be  of  benefit  to  com- 
munity, commonwealth  or  country. 


GEORGE  P.  WARD, 

George  P.  Ward  is  living  at  No.  260  G  street  in  Idaho  Falls,  where  he  has 
made  his  home  since  1910,  when  he  put  aside  the  more  active  duties  of  farm  life 
and  removed  to  the  city.  He  was  born  in  England,  August  20.  1854,  and  is  a  son 
of  George  and  Sarah  A.  (Plant)  Ward,  who  were  natives  of  England,  in  which 
country  the  mother  passed  away  in  1859.  In  1861  the  father  brought  his  family 
to  the  new  world,  crossing  the  continent  to  Wellsville,  Utah.  He  was  a  baker  by 
trade,  but  on  coming  to  America  purchased  land  and  turned  his  attention  to  farm- 
ing, which  he  followed  until  1884,  in  Utah.  In  that  year  he  removed  to  Idaho 
and  made  investment  in  farm  property  in  Bingham  county,  taking  up  a  homestead 


244  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

which  he  improved  and  cultivated  throughout  his  remaining  days,  his  death  oc- 
curring in  1901. 

George  P.  Ward  was  a  resident  of  Utah  throughout  the  period  of  his  minority 
and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  state.  After  reaching  manhood  he  rented 
land  in  Utah  and  carried  on  farming  there  until  1884,  when  he  removed  to  Idaho 
and  took  a  preemption  in  Bingham,  now  Bonneville  county.  The  place  was  entirely 
destitute  of  improvements  an,d  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  the  development 
of  the  property  in  order  to  convert  it  into  a  good  farm.  He  secured  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  land  and  continued  to  till  the  place  until  1910,  when  he  rented 
it  to  his  son  and  removed  to  Idaho  Falls,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home. 
He  was  very  successful  as  an  agriculturist  and  in  1918  he  erected  the  Underwood 
Hotel  building  at  Idaho  Falls.  He  also  owns  five  residences  in  the  block  in  which 
he  resides.  He  also  has  other  city  property  and  from  his  real  estate  interests  de- 
rives a  very  substantial  income.  He  is  likewise  a  stockholder  and  director  of  the 
Farmers  &  Merchants  Bank  and  also  of  the  lona  Mercantile  Company  and  of  the 
Rushton  Brothers  Mercantile  Company  of  lona.  He  .manifests  sound  business  judg- 
ment, readily  discriminating  between  the  essential  and  the  non-essential  in  all  in- 
vestments and  business  affairs,  and  thus  he  has  gained  a  very  substantial  measure 
of  prosperity. 

In  December,  1874,  Mr.  Ward  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Bindrup  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  nine  children:  George  B.,  who  is  operating  his  father's 
farm  and  also  one  of  his  own;  William  A.,  a  resident  farmer  of  Bonneville  county; 
Mary  A.,  the  wife  of  David  R.  Clark,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Bonneville 
county;  Charles,  who  died  December  21,  1899;  Martha  E.,  the  wife  of  Carl  Shipley, 
a  resident  of  Bancroft,  Idaho;  Nephi  O.,  living  at  Salmon  City,  Idaho;  Alice  M., 
the  wife  of  Luke  Obrey,  of  Shelley,  Idaho;  John  O.,  who  has  just  returned  from 
France,  where  he  served  for  a  part  of  the  time  as  truck  driver  and  a  part  as  a 
machinist,  as  driver  hauling  provisions  up  to  the  front  and  receiving  an  honorable 
discharge  after  twenty-five  months  spent  in  the  army;  and  Melvin  P.,  at  home. 

Mr.  Ward  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and 
served  for  three  months  on  a  mission  to  the  northern  states.  He  votes  with  the 
republican  party  and  always  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the 
day,  but  has  never  sought  nor  desired  office.  What  he  has  accomplished  should 
serve  to  inspire  and  encourage  others,  showing  what  may  be  achieved  through  in- 
dividual effort  when  guided  by  sound  judgment. 


BALDWIN  FOX  BROWN. 

Baldwin  Fox  Brown,  one  of  the  well  known  sheepmen  of  Canyon  county,  living 
at  Caldwell,  has  been  identified  with  the  northwest  since  1900  and  took  up  his 
abode  in  his  present  home  city  in  1906.  Almost  the  width  of  the  continent  separates 
him  from  his  birthplace,  for  he  was  born  on  the  Hudson,  in  New  York,  February 
11,  1876.  His  father,  Josiah  Quimby  Brown,  and  his  grandfather,  Nathaniel  Brown, 
were  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state,  were  Quakers  in  religious  faith  and  farmers 
by  occupation.  As  the  years  passed,  the  father's  financial  resources  increased  and 
he  became  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  his  home  locality.  Both  he  and  the 
grandfather  died  on  the  old  homestead.  The  ownership  of  the  old  Trinity  church 
In  New  York  city  has  several  times  been  contested  in  the  courts  by  a  member  of  the 
family,  who  made  claim  to  it  by  right  of  inheritance.  Anneka  Jans,  who  held  the  first 
deed  to  the  property,  was  a  member  qf  the  Brown  family.  The  mother  of  Baldwin 
F.  Brown  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ma'ry  K.  Roach.  She  was  a  native  of  New  York 
and  a  daughter  of  William  Roach,  a  farmer,  who  died  during  the  girlhood  of  Mrs. 
Brown.  By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  five  children.  King,  the 
eldest,  is  a  prominent  man  of  Idaho,  residing  in  Caldwell.  The  daughters  are 
Mary,  Blanche  and  Golda,  all  residents  of  New  York. 

The  other  member  of  the  family  is  Baldwin  Fox  Brown,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review.  He  was  reared  in  the  east  and  his  career  is  the  result  of  eastern  train- 
ing, grafted  upon  western  enterprise  and  opportunity,  the  result  being  most  de- 
sirable. He  first  came  to  the  west  in  1900,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-four  years, 
ahd  settled  in  Malheur  county,  Oregon,  where  he  began  his  career  as  a  sheepman. 
In  1906  he  removed  to  Caldwell,  Idaho,  although  previous  to  this  time  he  had  made 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  245 

the  city  his  headquarters.  Throughout  the  period  of  his  connection  with  the  west 
he  has  engaged  In  sheep  raising  and  now  has  two  bands  of  sheep,  each  numbering 
about  seventeen  hundred,  which  he  ranges  in  the  De  Lamar  mountains,  and  he  and 
his  wife  own  two  hundred  acres  of  partially  improved  land  in  Owyhee  county. 

Mr.  Brown  returned  east  for  his  bride  and  on  the  6th  of  April,  1907,  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Helen  Billings  Granger,  a  native  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  a 
daughter  of  Reed  Bartlett  and  Hester  (Gill)  Granger,  who  were  natives  of  Maine. 
The  progenitor  of  her  maternal  ancestry  nine  generations  removed  was  Richard 
Warren,  who  came  to  America  on  the  Mayflower,  while  Robert  Bartlett,  the  founder 
of  the  Bartlett  family,  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1623  and  settled  in  Plymouth, 
Massachusetts,  where  he  passed  away.  Both  parents  of  Mrs.  Brown  are  deceased. 
Her  father  was  a  first  lieutenant  in  the  Third  Massachusetts  Cavalry  during  the 
Civil  war,  and  on  his  return  was  for  twenty  years  manager  of  a  New  York  medical 
journal.  Her  great-grandfather  in  the  maternal  line  was  a  United  States  senator 
from  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  her  father's  grandfather  served  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  She  has  a  picture  of  her  father  taken  in  uniform  as  a  member  of  a 
group,  one  of  which  was  Admiral  Farragut,  and  she  has  in  her  possession  the  sword 
which  her  father  wore  during  the  Civil  war.  Her  ancestors  were  among  the  fore- 
most builders  of  the  American  commonwealth.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  has  been 
born  a  son,  Edward  Caswell,  whose  birth  occurred  November  19,  1910,  and  who  is 
now  in  school. 

Mr.  Brown  has  recently  erected  a  beautiful  home  at  No.  1602  Cleveland  boule- 
vard in  Caldwell,  and  the  family  home  is  a  most  hospitable  one,  its  good  cheer  being 
greatly  enjoyed  by  their  many  friends.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Brown  is  a  re- 
publican and  is  greatly  interested  in  the  political  questions  and  conditions  of  the 
state.  He  stands  at  all  times  for  progress  and  improvement,  and  his  cooperation  can 
at  all  times  be  counted  upon  to  further  any  plan  or  measure  that  is  calculated  to 
advance  the  general  good.  With  his  removal  to  the  west  he  found  the  opportunities 
which  he  sought  and  in  their  utilization  has  made  continuous  progress  toward  the 
goal  of  prosperity,  which  is  now  not  far  ahead  of  him. 


JOHN  NAGEL. 

A  successful  industry  in  Boise  is  represented  by  John  Nagel,  of  Nagel's  Soda 
Water  Manufacturing  Company,  which  was  founded  in  1875,  so  that  it  now  can 
look  back  upon  over  a  third  of  a  century's  successful  existence.  The  plant  is  located 
at  No.  109  North  Thirteenth  street. 

John  Nagel  was  born  in  Germany,  July  6,  1865,  and  in  1880  came  to  the 
United  States  with  his  parents,  together  with  his  brothers  and  sisters,  there  being 
six  children  in  the  family,  of  whom  John  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  and  is  the 
only  one  to  make  his  home  in  Idaho.  Upon  landing  at  New  York  the  Nagel  family 
at  once  proceeded  to  the  west,  locating  in  Winnemucca,  Nevada.  The  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Johanna  Dickman,  died  in  Winnemucca  in  1882.  The  father,  also 
named  John  Nagel,  was  a  miller  by  trade.  He  later  removed  to  California  and  in 
that  state  passed  away  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

John  Nagel,  Jr.,  spent  his  boyhood  days  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years  in  Ger- 
many, where  he  was  principally  educated.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  Winnemucca, 
Nevada,  and  there  he  learned  the  soda  water  and  soft  drink  trade  before  he  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  For  several  years  he  continued  to  make  his  headquarters 
in  Winnemucca  but  in  early  life  occasionally  went  to  other  places,  where  he  worked 
for  wages.  Thus  he  passed  a  year  at  Los  Angeles,  California,  and  another  year  at 
Helena,  Montana.  About  1888  he  embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account  at 
Battle  Mountain,  Nevada,  where  he  became  a  partner  in  a  soda  water  factory.  A 
year  later,  however,  he  sold  out  and  subsequently  spent  five  years  at  Baker  City. 
Oregon,  going  there  in  1888.  In  1893  he  came  to  Boise  and  has  now  for  over 
twenty-five  years  been  a  resident  of  this  city.  In  1895  he  purchased  his  present 
soda  water  factory,  which  had  been  established  in  1875  by  Charles  Leyerzapf,  and  he 
has  since  conducted  this  enterprise  under  the  name  of  Nagel's  Soda  Water  Manu- 
facturing Company.  Thoroughly  understanding  the  business  and  having  had  wide 
experience  in  his  line  and  possessing  the  necessary  managerial  qualities,  he  has  had 
most  unusual  success  and  as  his  profits  have  increased  has  invested  in  much  val- 


246  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

uable  property  in  Boise  besides  owning  a  splendid  home  at  No.  107  North  Thir- 
teenth street,  which  he  built  about  fifteen  years  ago.  The  factory  is  a  substantial 
brick  structure  which  was  erected  in  1897.  In  addition  to  the  excellent  returns 
which  come  from  his  business  he  receives  a  gratifying  income  from  his  rental 
property  and  also  from  moneys  which  he  has  loaned  out  upon  various  securities. 

In  San  Francisco,  California,  August  7,  1894,  Mr.  Nagel  married  Louise  Un- 
verzagt,  an  acquaintance  of  his  youth  at  Winnemucca,  Nevada,  where  both  made 
their  homes  in  the  '80s.  Mrs.  Nagel  was  then  only  a  little  girl.  She  was  born  in 
Canyon  City,  Oregon,  February  24,  1874,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the 
mother  of  four  children,  a  son  and  three  daughters:  Carrie,  the  wife  of  A.  C. 
Blomgren,  of  Boise;  Mildred,  aged  twenty-two  years;  John,  nineteen;  and  Louise, 
sixteen. 

Mr.  Nagel  has  become  thoroughly  Americanized  and  has  ever  been  loyal  to 
the  purposes  of  this  government.  He  belongs  to  the  Boise  Limit  Club,  a  club  whose 
members  have  purchased  the  full  limit  of  War  Savings  Stamps,  or  one  thousand 
dollars  worth.  He  is  a  republican  but  has  never  aspired  to  office  although  he  is 
thoroughly  informed  concerning  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  and  well  fitted 
to  take  any  public  position.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club  and 
fraternally  belongs  to  the  Elks,  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles.  He  finds  needed  recreation  in  hunting,  of  which  he  is 
very  fond,  and  also  enjoys  a  game  of  cards  as  occasion  offers.  His  religious  faith 
is  that  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  he  is  devoted  to  the  work  of  that  organization. 
There  is  much  that  is  creditable  in  the  career  of  Mr.  Nagel,  as  he  has  made  his 
own  way  in  the  world  and  has  truly  earned  the  proud  title  of  a  self-made  man. 


ANTONIO    AZCUENAGA. 

Antonio  Azcuenaga,  a  well  known  live  stock  man  of  Boise,  representing  the  Span- 
ish element  in  the  citizenship  of  the  capital,  has  here  resided  for  a  period  of  ten 
years,  or  since  1909,  and  throughout  the  intervening  years  he  has  been  regarded  as  one 
of  the  successful  sheep  men  and  wool  growers  of  the  district.  'Recently  on  account 
of  changed  conditions  affecting  the  possibilities  of  ranging  the  sheep  and  greatly 
affecting  prices,  he  has  withdrawn  from  the  sheep  industry  and  now  gives  his  attention 
to  his  extensive  cattle  and  land  interests  in  both  Idaho  and  Oregon. 

Mr.  Azcuenaga  was  born  in  Spain,  January  17,  1868,  his  parents  being  Luis  and 
Saturnlna  Azcuenaga,  who  were  of  that  region  known  as  the  Basque  district,  its 
people  speaking  a  somewhat  different  language  from  that  of  other  sections  of  Spain. 
Both  the  father  and  mother  died  before  their  son  Antonio  was  seven  years  of  age,  and 
he  soon  came  to  be  the  main  support  of  the  little  family  consisting  of  a  younger 
brother,  an  elder  sister  and  himself.  While  still  but  a  mere  lad,  he  obtained  em- 
ployment in  a  manufacturing  establishment,  making  baskets  used  for  conveying  car- 
goes in  the  loading  of  vessels,  and  by  his  industry  and  "faithful  service  soon  won  the 
favor  and  goodwill  of  his  employers,  who  later  aided  him  in  arranging  for  transpor- 
tation to  America.  From  his  meager  earnings,  despite  the  heavy  demands  made 
upon  him,  for  the  support  of  those  dependent  upon  him,  he  managed  to  accumulate  two 
hundred  dollars  and,  in  1887,  being  then  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, seeking  the  greater  opportunities  here  to  be  found.  Landing  at  New  York,  he 
proceeded  westward  to  Nevada,  where  he  found  employment  as  a  sheep  herder,  and  for 
the  ensuing  thirty-three  months  continued  steadily  at  the  work. 

In  1889  he  went  to  the  state  of  Oregon  and  spent  twenty  years  in  Malheur  county, 
connected  with  sheep  raising  at  first  as  a  herder  but  after  1893  carrying  on  business 
on  his  own  account.  The  first  bunch  of  sheep  he  ever  owned  numbered  twelve  hun- 
dred head,  representing  his  half  interest  in  a  flock  of  twenty-four  hundred  head  which 
he  owned  with  a  partner.  Some  of  his  sheep  he  bought  for  as  low  a  price  as  a  dollar 
and  a  half  per  head  and  wool  was  then  selling  at  six  cents  per  pound.  In  addition 
to  his  sheep  interests,  he  purchased  a  blacksmith  shop  in  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon, 
which  he  conducted  for  ten  years,  having  in  the  meantime  learned  the  trade  and  be- 
coming quite  proficient  thereat.  He  also  conducted  an  extensive  general  merchandise 
business  in  Jordan  Valley  for  a  number  of  years  preceding  his  removal  to  Boise. 

After  removing  to  Boise  in  1909  Mr.  Azcuenaga  continued  in  the  sheep  business, 
operating  in  both  Idaho  and  Oregon  until  1917,  when  he  disposed  of  his  sheep  and 


ANTONIO  AZCUENAGA 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  249 

turned  his  attention  to  beef  cattle.  In  the  past  he  has  owned  at  times  as  many  as 
twenty  thousand  head  of  sheep.  In  1908,  before  leaving  Oregon,  he  became  the  chief 
organizer  of  the  Azcuenaga  Live  Stock  &  Land  Company,  of  which  he  has  continuously 
served  as  president  This  company  is  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Idaho  and  asso- 
ciated with  Mr.  Azcuenaga  in  the  enterprise  are  two  partners,  one  of  whom  is  his 
younger  brother,  Augustine  Azcuenaga,  who  resides  in  Oregon. 

On  the  31st  of  January,  1901,  Antonio  Azcuenaga  was  married  in  Boise  to  Miss 
Maria  Conception  Uberuaga,  also  a  native  of  Spain.  They  have  become  the  parents 
of  five  children:  Daniel  Albert,  who  is  seventeen  years  of  age;  Inez,  a  maiden  of 
thirteeen;  Antonio  Adrian,  who  is  a  youth  of  eleven,  and  Fernando  Pedro,  nine  years 
of  age.  All  are  students  in  the  public  schools  of  Boise.  One  son,  Richard,  died  at  the 
age  of  five  years. 

Mr.  Azcuenaga  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club.  He  and  his  family 
are  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  belonging  to  the  Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd.  As 
the  years  have  passed  he  has  prospered  in  his  undertakings  since  coming  to  the  new 
world  and  he  now  owns  many  valuable  tracts  of  land  in  both  Idaho  and  Oregon,  which 
he  is  irrigating  and  is  developing  as  rapidly  as  possible,  thus  contributing  in  sub- 
stantial manner  toward  the  material  welfare  and  development  of  the  country. 


GEORGE  H.   B.   HARRIS. 

George  H.  B.  Harris  was  for  many  years  prominently  identified  with  farming 
interests  near  Rexburg  but  at  length  put  aside  the  active  work  of  the  fields  and  took 
up  his  abode  in  the  town.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Rexburg  the  Farmers  Imple- 
ment Company  solicited  his  assistance  as  collector  and  salesman,  in  which  capacity 
he  served  for  about  six  months,  and  since  that  time  has  been  floor  salesman  for  the 
company. 

Mr.  Harris  was  born  in  Pleasant  Grove,  Utah  county,  Utah,  April  10,  1857, 
and  is  a  son  of  George  H.  A.  and  Ann  (Burraston)  Harris,  who  were  natives  of 
England  and  came  to  America  in  1852.  For  a  time  the  father  was  clerk  of  the 
courts  of  Provo,  Utah,  and  finally  became  a  resident  of  Pleasant  Grove.  For  sev- 
eral years  he  taught  school  and  later  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand,  while  next  he 
engaged  in  general  merchandising  for  some  time.  He  then  bought  land  and  con- 
tinued its  cultivation  for  a  considerable  period,  or  until  1887,  when  he  came  to 
Rexburg,  Madison  county,  then  a  part  of  Bingham  county.  He  afterward  made  his 
home  with  his  children  throughout  his  remaining  days,  passing  away  April  3,  1919, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  The  mother  had  died  in  May,  1863. 

George  H.  B.  Harris  was  reared  at  Pleasant  Grove  and  pursued  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  there.  He  remained  with  his  father  until  he  attained  his 
majority  but  worked  for  others  during  that  period,  as  there  was  a  large  family  and 
he  was  the  eldest  son.  He  began  to  provide  for  his  own  support  when  eleven  years 
of  age,  going  to  the  mines  with  his  father  and  there  working  for  a  time.  He  cut 
wood  In  American  Fork  canyon  when  the  snow  was  up  to  his  shoulders  and  for  some 
time  herded  cattle  and  in  fact  did  almost  every  kind  of  work.  He  is  truly  a  self- 
made  man  and  one  who  deserves  much  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished.  He 
met  many  hardships  and  difficulties  in  the  early  days  but  resolutely  pushed  his  way 
forward.  He  went  to  Frisco,  Utah,  where  he  burned  charcoal,  and  later  he  worked 
in  the  Horn  silver  mine,  working  one  shift.  He  left  there  because  his  wages  were 
cut  and  then  turned  his  attention  to  getting  out  wood,  which  he  sold  at  four  dol- 
lars per  cord.  He  continued  in  that  work  until  1881,  or  for  a  period  of  six  years. 
In  1882  he  made  his  way  to  Wood  river,  Idaho,  and  was  employed  in  the  vicinity 
of  Hailey,  Bellevue  and  Ketchum  for  one  summer  in  teaming.  He  then  returned 
home,  where  he  continued  through  the  winter,  and  the  next  spring  he  once  more 
went  to  Wood  river,  Idaho,  where  he  contracted  to  furnish  wood,  which  he  hauled 
for  nine  dollars  per  cord.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  2d  of  October  one  of  the  wheels 
of  his  wagon  broke  when  he  was  in  the  mountains,  but  he  managed  to  fix  it  and 
make  his  way  into  the  open.  On  October  17,  1883,  he  arrived  at  Roberts,  then 
Market  Lake,  in  Bingham  county,  but  did  not  remain  there  very  long.  He  and 
his  brother  James  journeyed  up  the  north  fork  of  Snake  river  and  across  Rocky 
Ford  near  Parker  to  Teton  island  and  on  the  23d  of  October,  1883,  filed  on  the 


250  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

• 

southwest  quarter  of  section   8.  township   6   north,  range   40  east,  B.   M.      He  then 
hauled  a  set  of  house  logs  to  his  land  and  returned  to  Pleasant  Grove,  Utah. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  1884,  Mr.  Harris  was  married  to  Miss  Victoria  Sandgreen 
and  in  the  month  of  May  they  came. to  Idaho  with  three  span  of  horses  and  two 
wagons,  one  team  being  driven  by  a  half-brother,  Carlos  Vivian  Harris,  now  in 
Canada.  They  arrived  at  the  north  fork  of  the  Snake  river,  six  miles  west  of  Rex- 
burg,  but.  on  reaching  the  ferry  found  that  the  river  had  overflowed  its  banks 
from  a  quarter  to  a  half  mile,  but  they  managed  to  cross  on  the  ferry  to  the  south 
bank.  The  goods  in  each  wagon  had  to  be  divided  into  several  small  boatloads, 
which  were  taken  from  the  south  bank  of  the  river  to  the  edge  of  the  flood  waters. 
The  horses  were  led  through  the  water,  the  men  going  in  up  to  their  armpits.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harris  finally  arrived  at  the  homestead  and  they  lived  in  the  wagon  box 
that  summer  while  he  built  a  log  house.  He  also  erected  other  buildings  and 
continued  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  the  farm  until  1917,  when 
he  removed  to  Rexburg.  He  now  rents  the  farm  for  two  thousand  dollars  per  an- 
num. His  land  is  splendidly  irrigated  and  was  brought  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation by  Mr.  Harris,  who  transformed  a  wild  tract  of  sagebrush  land  into  one 
of  the  rich  and  productive  farms  of  his  section  of  the  country.  He  was  the  orig- 
inator of  the  Salem  Canal  Company  and  has  assisted  in  digging  many  ditches  which 
have  constituted  important  additions  to  the  irrigation  interests  of  the  state.  While 
he  has  won  a  very  substantial  measure  of  success,  in  the  early  days  the  crops  were 
very  poor  and  it  required  unremitting  labor  to  bring  about  the  changes  that  have 
been  wrought.  With  his  removal  to  Rexburg,  Mr.  Harris  found  that  he  could  not 
content  himself  to  remain  idle  and  entered  the  employ  of  the  Farmers  Implement 
Company,  of  which  his  son,  Cyrus  A.,  is  manager. 

Mr.  Harris  has  always  been  a  prominent  churchman.  In  August,  1885,  the 
High  Council  of  Bannock  was  organized  and  Mr.  Harris  was  made  a  member.  On 
the  23d  of  November,  1885,  he  was  chosen  and  ordained  bishop  of  Salem  ward,  in 
the  Bannock  stake,  and  remained  bishop  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  years.  He  filled  a 
four  months'  mission  to  the  northwestern  states,  has  held  various  offices  in  the 
church  and  is  now  a  high  priest  and  bishop.  He  has  also  been  prominent  in  sec- 
ular affairs  and  served  as  assessor  and  collector  in  1905  and  1906,  while  for  three 
years  previous  he  had  been  deputy  assessor  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  road 
overseer. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  have  been  born  thirteen  children,  eleven  of  whom  are 
still  living,  namely:  George  V.,  who  was  born  July  23,  1885,  and  is  still  at  home; 
Geneva  V.;  Cyrus  A.,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Ida  C.,  at 
home;  Alvin  Edward,  who  during  the  World  war  served  in  France  with  Twentieth 
Engineers  from  October,  1917,  until  his  discharge  in  August,  1919;  Lilly  Eliza, 
who  is  teaching  school  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  Shorland  A.,  who  was  also  in 
France  in  the  aviation  service,  having  enlisted  in  November,  1917,  and  being  hon- 
orably discharged  in  June,  1919;  Nina,  Effie,  Lydia  and  Edna  Viola,  all  of  whom 
are  yet  at  home.  Those  deceased  are:  Florence,  who  died  in  1904;  and  Norma 
Beatrice,  who  died  when  two  weeks  old. 

Mr.  Harris  and  his  family  remain  devoted  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Later-day  Saints  and  in  politics  he  is  a  republican.  He  stands  for  all 
that  is  of  worth  to  the  community  and  his  aid  and  influence  have  always  been  on 
the  side  of  progress  and  improvement.  He  certainly  deserved  much  credit  for 
what  he  has  accomplished  in  a  business  way.  Starting  out  in  life  empty-handed  when 
a  lad  of  but  eleven  years,  he  has  advanced  step  by  step  as  the  result  of  his  industry, 
his  perseverance  and  his  faithfulness.  He  has  made  judicious  investments,  has 
wisely  conducted  his  business  affairs  and  is  now  one  of  the  men  of  affluence  in 
Madison  county. 


W.  S.   ROBINSON. 

W.  S.  Robinson,  who  owns  and  occupies  a  farm  two  miles  south  and  a  half 
mile  east  of  Wilder,  in  Canyon  county,  was  born  in  Indiana  September  16,  1874. 
His  father,  W.  H.  Robinson,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Hoosier  state,  where  he  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming.  He  served  in  the  Civil  war  with  the  rank  of  ser- 
geant and  was  wounded  in  the  head  on  the  second  day  of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  251 

this  injury  ultimately  causing  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1877.  His  wife,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Jemima  A.  Ferris,  died  in  Indiana  in  1910,  although  she 
had  previously  resided  for  several  years  in  Idaho. 

\V.  S.  Robinson  acquired  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Jasper  county, 
Indiana,  the  place  of  his  birth.  In  1900,  when  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  removed 
to  Kansas,  where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  as  yard  foreman  until  1906. 
That  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Idaho.  He  drove  from  Salt  Lake  City  to  Twin 
Falls  by  team  and  thence  came  by  train  to  his  destination.  He  located  on  his 
present  farm,  then  a  tract  of  sagebrush  land  of  eighty  acres,  which  he  homesteaded. 
He  had  to  wait  three  years  for  the  development  of  an  irrigation  project  to  furnish 
water  to  his  land,  but  in  the  meantime  he  cleared  it  and  put  it  in  condition  for  the 
first  crop.  While  thus  engaged  he  had  to  haul  all  water  for  his  stock  and  for  house- 
hold purposes  from  the  Snake  river,  a  distance  of  three  miles.  The  first  crops 
which  he  raised  were  wheat,  oats  and  alfalfa.  He  now  gives  much  of  his  attention 
to  the  raising  of  alfalfa  and  also  has  thirty  acres  in  corn.  He  has  good  outbuildings 
and  ten  head  of  registered  shorthorn  cattle.  In  fact  everything  about  the  place  is 
indicative  of  his  practical  and  progressive  methods  and  enterprising  spirit.  He 
keeps  his  buildings  in  good  repair  at  all  times  in  order  to  furnish  ample  shelter  for 
grain  and  stock  and  his  labors  are  bringing  to  him  a  substantial  measure  of  success. 

In  1909  Mr.  Robinson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Ettie  Long,  of 
Indiana,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Susan  Long.  Her  father,  who  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  has  passed  away,  but  the  mother  still  resides  in  Indiana.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Robinson  are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  district  in  which  they  reside, 
having  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends  throughout  Canyon  county. 


WILLIAM   M.    MITCHELL. 

William  M.  Mitchell  is  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  William  M.  Mitchell  & 
Son,  owners  of  the  Eighth  Street  Grocery  &  Meat  Market,  which  is  located  at 
Eighth  and  Fort  streets,  Boise.  This  successful  business  enterprise  enjoys  a  large 
patronage,  its  success  being  largely  built  on  the  reliable  methods  which  have  ever 
been  the  policy  of  the  house.  Mr.  Mitchell  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Will  county, 
Illinois,  July  1,  1862,  and  is  the  only  living  son  of  Daniel  Harrison  and  Asenath 
Hannah  (Mullen)  Mitchell,  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Ohio  respectively.  The  father 
was  an  agriculturist.  The  family  was  established  in  Kentucky  by  the  paternal 
grandfather,  who  removed  from  Virginia  to  that  state,  walking  the  entire  distance 
and  carrying  a  whipsaw  on  his  back. 

William  M.  Mitchell  was  reared  on  Illinois  farms,  his  parents  removing  from 
WTill  county  to  Kankakee  county,  that  state,  when  he  was  but  six  years  of  age. 
In  that  county  he  remained  until  1900,  when  he  removed  to  Iowa,  and  for  about 
twelve  years  was  engaged  in  farming  in  Blackhawk  and  Buchanan  counties.  In 
1912  he  came  to  Boise  and  a  year  later  he  and  his  son  Kenneth  purchased  the 
Eighth  Street  Grocery  on  the  corner  of  Eighth  and  Fort  streets,  where  they  have 
since  conducted  a  strictly  high  class  grocery  and  meat  market.  Reliability  has  al- 
ways been  the  watchword  of  the  firm  and  Mr.  Mitchell's  thorough  education  has 
also  been  a  factor  in  his  success  as  it  has  made  him  a  thorough  business  man.  He 
not  only  attended  the  public  schools  but  also  was  a  student  in  Valparaiso  University 
at  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  and  in  early  manhood  taught  school  for  two  terms  in  Kan- 
kakee county,  Illinois. 

On  March  12,  1889,  Mr.  Mitchell  married  Leura  Frances  Mills,  the  ceremony 
being  performed  in  Joliet,  Illinois.  She  was  born  in  Ohio,  February  19,  1866,  but 
was  reared  and  educated  in  Illinois  and  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  was  a  teac"her 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  state.  To  this  union  were  born  three  children,  a  son 
and  two  daughters:  Kenneth  Mills,  born  February  5,  1890,  was  married  on  the 
9th  of  June.  1915,  to  Mary  Jane  Johnston,  of  Boise,  a  daughter  of  Duncan  Johnston, 
who  is  in  charge  of  the  Ada  County  Hospital  near  Boise;  Frances  A.  is  the  wife  of 
A.  B.  Cory,  of  Nampa,  Idaho;  Elizabeth  Asenath  is  attending  the  Boise  high  school, 
being  in  the  senior  class.  Kenneth  Mills  Mitchell  has  attained  high  rank  in  Ma- 
sonry, being  a  member  of  the  Scottish  Rite.  He  is  engaged  in  business  wHh  his 
father  and  through  his  youthful  energy  has  largely  contributed  toward  the  success 
of  the  business. 


252  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

In  his  political  affiliation  William  M.  Mitchell  is  a  republican,  but  has  never 
been  active  in  public  affairs  since  coming  to  this  state.  He  belongs  to  the  Presby- 
terian church  and  also  to  the  Masons,  belonging  to  the  Scottish  Rite  bodies,  and, 
moreover,  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club,  in  whose  projects  for  expan- 
sion he  always  takes  a  great  interest.  His  career  is  a  creditable  one  and  has  always 
been  guided  by  the  strictest  principles  of  honesty  and  good  purposes. 


IVER    PETERSON. 

Iver  Peterson  follows  farming  upon  land  which  he  homesteaded  and  which 
accordingly  came  into  his  possession  as  a  wild  and  undeveloped  tract.  His  place 
adjoins  the  city  limits  of  Nampa  on  the  east  and  he  has  resided  thereon  for  more 
than  twenty-eight  years.  A  native  of  Denmark,  he  was  born  February  19,  1861, 
and  was  but  two  and  a  half  years  of  age  when  his  father  died.  The  mother  after- 
ward married  again  but  passed  away  when  her  son  Iver  was  but  thirteen  years  of 
age.  At  the  time  of  her  second  marriage  Iver  Peterson  left  home  and  from  that 
time  forward  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world.  His  educational  opportunities 
were  extremely  limited  and  whatever  success  he  has  achieved  is  the  direct  outcome 
of  his  persistent  purpose  and  his  earnest  labor. 

Mr.  Peterson  left  his  native  land  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  made  his 
way  to  Nebraska,  where  he  worked  for  a  year  at  farming.  In  1883  he  came  to 
Idaho  and  was  employed  on  the  construction  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad 
until  it  was  completed  to  the  Huntington  bridge  in  Oregon.  He  afterward  worked 
as  section  hand  for  about  three  years  and  then  spent  three  years  at  farm  labor  on 
the  Boise  river.  During  the  next  two  years  he  cultivated  rented  land,  after  which 
ue  preempted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  near  where  the  Hulbert  dairy  farm  is 
now  located,  on  the  road  between  Nampa  and  Caldwell.  He  proved  up  on  this 
claim  and  sold  it,  after  which  he  entered  into  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law, 
Patrick  White,  who  homesteaded  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  upon  which  Mr. 
Peterson  now  resides.  Mr.  White  died  in  1916  and  Mr.  Peterson  then  became  sole 
owner  of  the  place,  which  is  pleasantly  and  conveniently  located  on  the  eastern 
border  of  Nampa,  so  that  the  advantages  of  city  life  are  easily  obtainable.  He  car- 
ries on  dairying  and  milks  twenty  co.ws.  In  1899  he  sold  eighty  acres  of  the  home- 
stead but  it  is  his  purpose  to  retain  the  other  eighty.  In  addition  to  his  dairying 
he  raises  alfalfa  and  grain,  and  he  has  a  fine  barn  where  he  can  feed  twenty  head 
of  stock  and  which  also  contains  two  box  stalls. 

In  1890  Mr.  Peterson  was  married  to  Miss  Isabella  White,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
who  came  direct  from  the  Emerald  isle  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Boise  with  her  brother, 
Charley  White,  in  1888.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson  have  four  children.  Charley, 
twenty-seven  years  of  age,  joined  the  United  States  army  and  participated  in  the 
battle  of  the  Argonne  with  Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-first  Machine  Gun 
Battalion,  while  later  he  was  with  the  army  of  occupation  in  Germany.  Agnes 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Conrad  Winter,  who  was  also  in  Prance  as  a  member  of  E  Com- 
pany, One  Hundred  and  Ninth  Infantry,  and  was  in  all  of  the  important  drives  in 
which  the  American  troops  participated  from  the  1st  of  October,  1918,  until  the 
armistice  was  signed.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winter  have  one  child.  Francis  I.,  eighteen 
years  of  age,  was  graduated  from  the  Nampa  high  school  in  1919.  Lawrence  I., 
sixteen  years  of  age,  is  a  junior  in  high  school. 

Mr.  Peterson  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  come  to 
the  new  world,  for  here  he  has  found  the  business  opportunities  which  he  sought 
and  in  their  utiliization  has  made  steady  progress,  winning  a  place  among  the 
substantial  farmers  of  his  community. 


ELOF  ANDERSON. 

Elof  Anderson  is  a  self-made  man  of  Boise.  This  term  does  not  imply  merely 
that  his  success,  which  is  of  substantial  proportions,  has  been  acquired  through 
his  own  efforts,  but  it  indicates  that  he  has  also  determined  and  given  shape  to  his 
own  character  and  has  fixed  at  a  high  plane  the  standards  which  have  governed 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  253 

his  life  in  all  of  its  relations.  He  was  born  in  Smaland,  Sweden,  on  the  llth  of 
December,  1859.  His  father,  Anders  Gummeson,  was  born  in  1825  and  after  arriv- 
ing at  years  of  maturity  he  was  married  to  Christina  Fredericks,  a  native  of  Sweden, 
born  in  1827.  The  former  died  in  1905,  surviving  for  two  years  his  wife,  who  passed 
away  in  1903. 

Their  son,  Elof  Anderson,  acquired  a  public  school  education  in  Sweden  but 
has  always  been  a  student  of  men,  of  affairs  and  of  books  and  is  continually  learning 
from  experience  many  a  valuable  life  lesson.  He  early  began  learning  the  tailor's 
trade,  which  his  father  had  previously  followed,  and  after  being  employed  as  a 
tailor  in  Stockholm  for  a  short  time  he  sailed  for  the  new  world  in  1882,  hoping 
to  find  better  business  opportunities  and  conditions  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
He  went  first  to  Leadville,  Colorado,  but  after  a  brief  period  there  passed  took  up 
his  abode  in  Hailey,  Idaho,  July  20,  1884.  He  was  attracted  by  the  chances  of  the 
great  west  and  in  Hailey  he  opened  a  merchant  tailoring  establishment,  which  he 
successfully  conducted  for  eleven  years.  In  1895  he  came  to  Boise,  where  he  has 
now  made  his  home  for  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century  and  throughout  the  entire 
time  he  has  maintained  a  position  as  one  of  the  foremost  merchant  tailors  not  only 
of  the  capital  city  but  of  the  entire  state.  He  made  it  his  purpose  to  satisfy  his  cus- 
tomers by  giving  to  them  all  that  is  newest  and  best  in  workmanship,  in  style  and 
quality  of  goods,  and  the  integrity  of  his  methods  soon  became  recognized  as  one 
of  the  salient  factors  in  his  growing  patronage.  As  he  prospered  he  made  invest- 
ments in  real  estate,  becoming  the  owner  of  much  valuable  property  in  and  near 
Boise,  including  a  splendidly  developed  farm.  His  judgment  as  to  real  estate  values 
is  keen  and  decisive  and  his  sagacity  has  been  again  and  again  demonstrated  in  his 
purchases  of  realty. 

On  the  19th  of  February,  1887,  in  Hailey,  Idaho,  Mr.  Anderson  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Emma  W.  White,  a  native  of  Cambridgeshire,  England,  and  theirs 
is  one  of  the  attractive  homes  of  Boise,  hot  only  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  it  is 
commodious  and  beautiful  but  also  because  it  is  the  center  of  a  cultured  society 
circle.  In  it  are  found  those  things  which  have  ever  been  an  inspiration  to  higher, 
holier  life — the  best  literature,  the  finest  music  and  various  works  of  art.  He  in- 
herited a  love  of  music  which  has  found  expression  in  his  devotion  to  such  com- 
posers as  Chopin,  Beethoven,  Mozart,  Lizst  and  Wagner.  He  is  not  only  familiar 
with  their  compositions  but  also  with  the  story  of  the  lives  of  the  composers  and 
the  purposes  which  dominated  them  in  the  production  of  their  great  oratorios  and 
operas.  He  finds  his  association  with  master  minds  of  all  ages  in  his  well  ordered 
and  carefully  selected  library.  He  is  equally  a  lover  of  nature — the  flowers  of  the 
fields,  the  birds,  the  beautiful  trees,  the  mountain  ranges,  and  all  lead  him  from 
nature  up  to  nature's  God.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  and 
his  political  support  is  given  to  the  republican  party.  When  one  reviews  his  life 
record,  notes  the  trend  of  his  thought  and  his  activity,  it  seems  that  he  has  made 
his  career  the  embodiment  of  the  Channing  symphony:  "To  live  content  with 
small  means;  to  seek  elegance  rather  than  luxury  and  refinement  rather  than 
fashion;  to  be  worthy,  not  respectable,  wealthy,  not  rich;  to  study  hard,  think 
quietly,  talk  gently,  act  frankly;  to  listen  to  stars  and  birds,  to  babes  and  sages, 
with  open  heart;  to  bear  all  cheerfully,  do  all  bravely,  await  occasions,  hurry  never. 
In  a  word,  to  let  the  spiritual,  unbidden  and  unconscious,  grow  up  through  the 
common." 


ANDREW   RASMUSSON. 

One  of  the  attractive  farm  residences  in  the  Falk  district  of  Payette  county 
is  the  property  of  Andrew  Rasmusson,  an  enterprising  agriculturist  and  fruit  raiser, 
who  comes  to  this  state  from  Norway.  He  was  born  in  the  southern  part  of  that 
country  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1869.  On  his  way  westward  he  crossed 
the  Missouri  river  on  a  footbridge  supported  by  iron  piers.  After  remaining  for  a 
short  time  in  Iowa  he  removed  westward  to  Placerville,  Idaho,  traveling  by  rail  to 
Kelton,  Utah,  and  thence  to  his  destination  by  stage.  He  there  engaged  in  mining 
for  two  years,  after  which  he  turned  his  attention  to  cattle  raising  near  Falk  in 
the  Payette  valley.  The  ranges  were  open  in  those  days  and  he  devoted  some  time 
to  his  stock  raising  interests.  Seeing  the  opportunity  for  securing  land,  he  home- 


254  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

steaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  now  known  as  the  Strohbehn  place,  near  Falk. 
He  also  purchased  his  present  home  property  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
which  is  situated  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  Falk,  and  at  different  periods  he 
has  sold  and  owned  other  lands.  He  has  wrought  notable  changes  upon  his  place, 
having  greatly  improved  his  farm,  which  is  now  one  of  the  valuable  properties  of 
the  neighborhood.  He  has  upon  it  a  very  fine  home,  built  of  concrete  blocks  in 
attractive  style  of  architecture,  and  there  is  an  excellent  family  orchard  upon  the 
place  that  yields  an  abundance  of  fruit.  Mr.  Rasmusson  is  now  devoting  his  time 
largely  to  the  live  stock  business  and  has  one  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  forty  head 
of  sheep.  He  likewise  has  planted  about  eighty  acres  of  his  land  to  alfalfa  and 
twenty  to  grain.  His  farm  presents  a  most  attractive  and  pleasing  appearance  and 
an  air  of  neatness  and  thrift  pervades  the  place.  In  all  that  he  undertakes  he  man- 
ifests a  progressive  spirit  and  keeps  in  touch  with  the  most  advanced  methods  of 
land  cultivation  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

In  1885,  at  Weiser,  Idaho,  Mr.  Rasmusson  was  married  to  Miss  Stena  Kesgard, 
whose  parents  were  pioneers  of  Idaho,  having  come  to  this  state  in  1868.  The 
father  has  now  passed  away,  but  the  mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ras- 
musson have  become  the  parents  of  two  children.  Lena  C.  is  a  Red  Cross  nurse 
in  the  Army  Nurses  Corps  at  the  Letterman  Hospital  at  San  Francisco,  California. 
Louis  W.,  twenty-one  years  of  age,  is  at  home  with  his  parents. 

There  is  no  phase  of  pioneer  life  and  development  in  the  northwest  with  which 
Mr.  Rasmusson  is  not  familiar.  He  was  one  of  the  volunteer  scouts  in  the  state 
militia  for  two  years  during  the  Bannock  war  and  his  home  was  an  old  camping 
grounds  of  the  Indians  and  even  today  many  Indian  relics  are  found  upon  his 
place.  Mr.  Rasmusson  was  one  of  the  party  that  with  Peter  Pence  was  called  to 
guard  the  stage  from  the  Indians  between  Falk  and  Weiser,  and  during  that  time 
a  young  man  named  Ballantine  was  murdered  by  the  Indians  on  Squaw  creek, 
about  fifty  miles  from  Mr.  Rasmusson's  home.  The  days  of  hardship  and  pioneer 
privation  have  long  since  passed  and  with  the  work  of  general  improvement  and 
development  through  all  the  intervening  years  Mr.  Rasmusson  has  been  closely 
associated.  He  built  his  own  irrigation  ditch  and  takes  water  out  of  the  Payette 
river,  so  that  he  is  independent  of  the  larger  irrigation  projects.  When  he  came 
to  this  district  lumber  was  selling  at  one  hundred  dollars  per  thousand  and  had 
to  be  sawed  with  a  whipsaw.  The  first  home  he  built,  situated  on  the  Strohbehn 
place,  is  today  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  and  the  lumber  of  which  it  was  con- 
structed he  purchased  at  one  hundred  dollars  per  thousand  feet  in  Emmett.  The 
house  in  which  he  lived  in  the  Boise  basin  was  built  of  logs.  This  is  in  marked 
contrast  to  his  present  home,  which  is  one  of  the  beautiful  farm  residences  of  the 
district  and  stands  as  a  monument  to  the  life  of  industry  and  diligence  which  he  has 
led.  He  is  interested  in  bee  culture  as  well  as  in  regular  farming  pursuits  and  now 
has  one  hundred  hives  of  bees.  His  personal  popularity  and  the  confidence  reposed  in 
him  by  his  associates,  are  fully  evinced.  Nor  is  Mr.  Rasmusson  remiss  in  the  duties 
of  good  citizenship,  for  he  stands  for  all  that  he  believes  to  be  of  benefit  to  his 
community.  He  is  wide-awake,  well  read  and  ever  ready  to  champion  an  improve- 
ment or  cause  that  will  help  his  fellowmen. 


ROBERT  McGUIRE. 

Ten  miles  west  of  Caldwell,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Boise  river,  is  the  farm  of 
Robert  McGuire,  who  there  preempted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  which  was 
covered  with  sagebrush  and  willows.  His  place  today  bears  no  resemblance  to  the  tract, 
which  came  into  his  possession,  for  it  has  all  been  cleared  and  brought  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  The  results  which  he  has  achieved  rank  him  with  the  leading 
farmers  of  Canyon  county.  Mr.  McGuire  is  a  native  of  New  Brunswick,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  York  county  on  the  28th  of  March,  1857.  His  lather,  James  McGuire,  was 
born  in  Ireland  and  came  with  his  mother  to  America,  being  reared  in  Philadelphia. 
Following  the  attainment  of  his  majority  he  went  to  New  Brunswick,  where  he  wedded 
Nancy  Dale  and  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming. 

Robert  McGuire  was  reared  upon  the  old  homestead  farm,  which  his  brother  John 
still  cultivates.  He  remained  in  his  native  country  until  1872,  when  at  the  age  of  fifteen 


ROBERT  McGUIRE 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  257 

years  he  went  to  Portland,  Maine,  and  there  learned  the  carriage  making  trade  and 
blacksmith  ing  with  the  Kimball  carriage  concern.  He  spent  two  and  a  half  years  In 
that  connection  and  then  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  obtained  a  position  as 
blacksmith  at  a  lumber  mill.  In  1876  he  left  the  east  and  made  his  way  to  California, 
settling  at  Eureka,  Humboldt  county.  There  he  worked  at  lumbering  in  the  redwoods 
for  over  a  year.  Later  he  went  to  British  Columbia  and  was  employed  in  the  mines  at 
McDaines  Creek.  He  walked  alone  over  a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles  and  spent 
over  two  thousand  dollars  in  prospecting,  but  the  only  compensation  which  he  received 
was  his  experience.  He  then  returned  on  foot  to  Fort  Yale  on  the  Fraser  river  and 
boarded  a  boat  as  a  stowaway,  going  to  Esquimau,  near  Victoria,  British  Columbia. 
His  clothes  were  badly  worn  and  he  was  in  a  sorry  plight.  When  he  was  discovered, 
the  captain  allowed  him  to  work  out  his  passage.  He  then  traveled  over  the  Puget 
Sound  country  but  could  not  find  employment  for  more  than  thirty  dollars  per  month. 
He  later  traveled  through  eastern  Oregon  and  at  Walla  Walla,  Washington,  he  was 
employed  by  William  Glassford,  remaining  in  that  city  for  a  year. 

In  1881  Mr.  McGuire  came  to  Idaho,  making  his  way  to  Boise,  where  he  entered 
the  employ  of  M.  H.  Goodwin,  a  lumber  merchant.  In  the  spring  of  1882  he  Joined 
Monte  Gwinn  in  the  purchase  of  a  sawmill  on  Daggett  creek  and  this  they  operated  for 
four  years,  after  which  they  sold  out  and  Mr.  McGuire  came  to  his  present  location, 
which  is  ten  miles  west  of  Caldwell,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Boise  river.  Here  he  pre- 
empted one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  all  covered  with  sagebrush  and  willows, 
and  with  characteristic  energy  he  at  once  began  to  clear  and  develop  the  place,  which 
is  n«w  a  highly  cultivated  farm.  He  has  a  herd  of  two  hundred  head  of  shorthorn 
cattle,  forty  of  which  are  registered  animals,  and  he  also  raises  a  few  horses.  His  fields 
are  devoted  to  the  production  of  wheat,  oats,  barley  and  alfalfa  hay.  To  his  original 
purchase  he  has  added  forty  acres,  so  that  his  farm  now  comprises  two  hundred  acres 
in  all.  On  this  is  a  beautiful  home  situated  among  fine  trees  and  he  has  an  unfailing 
supply  of  artesian  water. 

In  1882  Mr.  McGuire  was  married  to  Miss  Laura  Gcss,  a  native  of  Idaho,  and  to 
them  were  born  six  children.  Winneford  is  the  wife  of  Roy  Maxey,  of  Boise.  Myrtle 
is  the  wife  of  Lee  Rowland.  Alia  is  the  wife  of  William  Downen.  Mabel  is  the  next 
of  the  family.  Robert  Emmett,  twenty-one  years  of  age,  was  in  training  at  Moscow, 
Idaho,  when  the  armistice  was  signed.  Willa  Catherine  is  a  graduate  of  the  Boise  high 
school.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  at  their  home  in  1911  and  the  daughter 
Mabel  is  now  acting  as  housekeeper  for  her  father.  His  son,  Robert  Emmett,  and  his 
son-in-law,  Lee  Rowland,  conduct  a  ranch  of  two  hundred  acres  near  the  home  of  Mr. 
McGuire,  that  having  been  the  property  of  the  former's  mother.  Mr.  McGuire  is  an 
alert  and  energetic  business  man  whose  activities  have  been  carefully  and  wisely 
directed,  and  although  he  has  met  hardships  and  difficulties  and  has  had  many  trials  to 
overcome,  he  has  steadily  advanced  and  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  Canyon 
county. 


NORMAN  GRATZ. 

The  high  reputation  which  the  Franklin  car  enjoys  among  all  those  who  know 
aught  in  regard  to  automobiles  is  ably  upheld  by  Norman  Gratz,  a  progressive 
dealer  and  distributor  of  the  Franklin  automobile,  which  is  manufactured  at  Syra- 
cuse, New  York,  for  southwestern  Idaho.  Mr.  Gratz  has  represented  this  firm  for 
over  five  years  and  in  the  course  of  that  time  has  built  up  a  very  gratifying  busi- 
ness in  his  territory.  His  success  is  largely  due  to  his  eminent  business  ability,  his 
straightforward  dealing  and  his  pleasant  personality — all  qualities  which  stand 
for  successful  salesmanship.  He  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  January 
10,  1879,  a  son  of  Edward  and  Frances  (Donalson)  Gratz,  natives  of  Philadelphia 
and  the  state  of  Tennessee  respectively.  The  mother  passed  away  many  years4 
age,  but  the  father  is  still  living  and  yet  makes  his  home  in  Philadelphia.  When 
disruption  threatened  this  nation  he  voluntarily  took  up  arms  in  defense  of  the 
Union  and  throughout  the  Civil  war  served  as  a  commissioned  officer. 

Norman   Gratz  was  reared  in   Philadelphia  and  in  that  city  received   his  edu- 
cation,  which   included  a  course   in   Rugby  Academy.     Later  he  took   up  chemical 
engineering  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  but  had  to  forego  the  completion  of 
his  studies  because  of  ill  health.     The  year  1901  marked  his  arrival  in  Idaho,  his 
'removal  to  this  state  being  occasioned  by  his  acceptance  of  the  position  of  manager 

Vol.  Ill— 17 


258  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

of  the  operations  of  the  Union  Gold  Dredging  Company  in  the  Boise  basin.  He 
ably  discharged  his  duties  in  this  connection  for  a  period  of  seven  years,  being 
located  during  that  time  in  Centerville,  Boise  county.  He  displayed  not  only  keen 
insight  into  mining  conditions  but  also  proved  himself  a  man  of  rare  executive 
ability.  He  was  interested  in  the  company  as  a  stockholder  but  finally  sold  out 
and  removed  to  Boise,  since  which  time  he  has  given  his  entire  attention  to  the  auto- 
mobile business.  During  the  first  four  years  of  his  residence  in  this  city  he  was 
at  the  head  of  the  local  agency  of  the  Cadillac  cars  but  since  1913  he  has  had  the 
sole  agency  of  the  Franklin  car  for  southern  Idaho.  As  irrefutable  evidence  of  his 
ability  as  a  distributor  and  also  of  the  good  points  which  are  represented  in  the 
Franklin  car  it  may  be  said  here  that  he  has  placed  over  one  hundred  cars  in  this 
field. 

On  May  8,  1904,  Mr.  Gratz  was  united  in  marriage  to  'Miss  Margaret  Havird, 
who  was  born  in  the  Boise  basin,  her  grandparents  having  made  their  entrance 
into  Idaho  among  the  early  pioneers  in  the  '60s.  To  this  union  two  daughters  have 
been  born,  Helen  and  Katherine,  aged  fourteen  and  twelve  years  respectively. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gratz  occupy  a  very  prominent  position  in  the  social  circles  of 
their  city,  in  which  they  have  many  friends,  all  of  whom  are  agreed  as  to  their 
high  qualities  of  mind  and  character.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican,  thoroughly  in- 
formed in  regard  to  the  purposes  of  that  party,  as  he  ever  keeps  well  versed  on 
the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  but  is  not  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office 
seeking.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial-  Club  and  in  the  movements 
for  a  Greater  Boise  he  takes  an  active  and  helpful  part.  Fraternally  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Boise  Elks  Club.  His  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  member- 
ship in  St.  Michael's  church.  Mr.  Gratz  has  proven  himself  a  reliable  business 
man  whose  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond  and  who  ever  puts  his  business  reputation 
before  the  mere  accumulation  of  wealth.  He  finds  recreation  from  his  arduous 
duties  in  motoring,  fishing  and  hunting,  thus  well  dividing  his  time  between  work 
and  play,  finding  in  the  exercise  of  these  sports  that  recreation  which  fits  him  for 
his  business  duties. 


L.  L.  YOUNG. 

L.  L.  Young,  a  farmer  of  Canyon  county  whose  interest  in  public  affairs  and 
devotion  to  the  general  welfare  are  manifest  in  his  services  as  county  commissioner, 
was  born  in  a  log  house  in  Burt  county,  Nebraska,  March  2,  1862.  His  parents, 
Andrew  and  Edvinnia  (Brand)  Young,  were  pioneers  of  Nebraska,  having  removed 
from  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  that  state  in  1856.  The  mother  was  a  native  of  New 
Jersey  and  died  in  Nebraska  in  1913.  The  father  was  born  in  Germany,  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1849  and  passed  away  in  1895  at  Oakland,  Nebraska,  where  he 
had  been  engaged  in  merchandising.  Mayland  Brand,  the  maternal  grandfather 
of  L.  L.  Young,  was  at  one  time  owner  of  the  land  upon  which  the  city  of  Columbus, 
Ohio,  now  stands,  having  removed  there  in  1833  from  New  Jersey.  The  ancestors 
of  the  Brand  family  were  among  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  of  Massachusetts. 

L.  L.  Young  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
county,  which  he  attended  to  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  and  was  one  of  the  class 
which  took  the  first  course  in  the  Agricultural  College  held  there  in  1891.  In  the 
same  year  the  Farmers  Institute  was  established  there  and  Mr.  Young  was  elected 
secretary,  a  position  which  he  held  for  fifteen  years.  Four  sessions  were  held 
each  year  and  the  work  was  carried  forward  most  successfully,  Mr.  Young  never 
missing  a  single  meeting  of  these  sessions.  He  became  widely  known  throughout 
the  state  and  was  elected  state  vice  president  of  the  Farmers  National  Congress 
and  reelected  every  two  years  for  eight  consecutive  years.  He  was  also  vice  presi- 
dent of  the  State  Live  Stock  Breeders  Association  for  one  year  and  was  appointed 
delegate  at  large  to  represent  Nebraska  at  the  convention  of  the  National  Live 
Stock  Association  for  several  years.  He  was  also  one  of  those  who  had  charge  of 
the  county  exhibit  at  the  state  fair,  where  he  won  the  gold  medal  and  six  hundred 
dollars  in  cash.  He  always  took  an  active  part  in  the  county  fairs  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  was  superintendent  of  the  horticultural  department.  He  was  like- 
wise active  in  the  social  life  of  the  community  and  in  its  moral  development, 
acting  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  for  twenty  years.  At  the  same  time 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  259 

he  was  a  most  capable  and  successful  business  man,  having  one  of  the  most  finely 
managed  stock  farms  in  Nebraska,  devoted  to  the  raising  of  registered  Hereford 
cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs.  His  place  comprised  five  hundred  acres  of  Hurt 
county  land.  His  activity  in  politics  was  for  the  good  of  the  community  and  the 
state  rather  thain  for  personal  gain  or  prominence. 

Coming  to  Idaho  in  1908,  Mr.  Young  went  to  Idaho  Falls  and  in  company 
with  Governor  Davis  looked  over  the  dry  farming  district,  studying  the  conditions 
of  the  country  between  that  place  and  Nampa.  He  then  returned  over  the  same 
route,  making  further  study  and  comparisons,  and  finally  decided  to  locate  in  the 
vicinity  of  Nampa,  where  he  purchased  four  hundred  and  sixteen  acres  of  raw 
land,  covered  with  sagebrush.  This  he  enclosed  with  a  hog  tight,  high  woven  wire 
fence  and  proceeded  to  improve  the  land,  which  is  now  under  irrigation  and  has 
thirty  thousand  dollars  worth  of  improvements  upon  it.  He  has  an  acre  and  a 
half  under  roof.  His  barn  is  one  of  the  finest  and  largest  in  the  state,  being  sixty- 
six  by  one  hundred  feet.  His  residence  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  seven  thou- 
sand dollars  and  is  modern  in  every  respect.  He  has  more  than  three  hundred 
and  fifty  head  of  registered  Hereford  cattle  and  a  large  number  of  registered  Poland 
China  hogs,  making  a  specialty  of  handling  pure  breeds.  He  is  equally  careful 
in  his  production  of  grain,  using  nothing  but  selected  grains  for  seed  in  the  pro- 
duction of  wheat,  corn,  oats  and  barley.  He  has  had  large  exhibits  of  grain  at 
Madison  Square  Garden  in  New  York,  at  Pittsburgh,  Chicago,  Fort  Worth,  Texas, 
at  San  Francisco,  Omaha,  Nebraska,  and  in  various  eastern  cities.  He  regards 
southern  Idaho  and  the  Boise  valley  in  particular  as  a  potters'  clay  which  can  be 
worked  into  any  form  from  the  farmer's  standpoint.  He  says:  "Its  productive- 
ness has  almost  no  limit,  and  it  is  especially  adapted  to  diversified  farming."  He 
believes  that  the  soil  can  be  developed  until  it  will  produce  from  seventy-five  to 
one  hundred  bushels  of  wheat,  from  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  bushels  of  oats,  and  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  bushels  of  corn  or 
barley,  in  fact  that  amount  is  being  produced  in  the  last  two  grains.  He  has  sam- 
ples of  wheat  and  oats  raised  on  his  place  that  have  never  been  surpassed  in  hard 
and  soft  wheat  and  black  and  white  oats.  He  conducts  his  farm  on  the  most  scien- 
tific principles  and  uses  the  most  thoroughly  up-to-date  equipment. 

In  1895  Mr.  Young  was  married  to  Miss  Helen  D.  Sackett,  a  native  of  New 
York  and  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Sackett,  a  Civil  war  veteran,  who  was  wounded, 
captured  and  incarcerated  in  Andersonville  prison.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  are  the 
parents  of  five  children:  Louis  A.,  twenty-two  years  of  age,  who  has  recently  re- 
turned from  the  Mexican  border;  Charles  E.,  aged  twenty;  Harold  C.,  seventeen; 
Miles  M.,  fifteen;  and  Dean  A.,  thirteen.  The  children  are  all  associated  with  their 
father  in  the  work  of  the  farm  and  are  a  credit  to  the  family  name. 

The  history  of  the  Young  family  is  one  of  which  its  members  have  every 
reason  to  be  proud.  L.  L.  Young  had  four  brothers — one  being  now  deceased,  and 
none  of  them  ever  used  profane  language  or  alcoholic  liquors,  and  the  same  can 
be  said  of  his  cousins.  His  wife  also  has  four  brothers  and  four  sisters,  all  of  whom 
have  led  exemplary  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  are  consistent  members  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  progressive  democrat.  In  fact 
progressive  is  a  word  that  has  been  exemplified  in  his  career,  whether  in  relation 
to  his  business  affairs,  his  farming  interests  or  the  welfare  of  the  community.  He 
stands  at  all  times  for  those  things  which  are  best  and  has  ever  held  to  high  ideals. 


EUGENE   LOONEY. 

Eugene  Looney,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  Boise  for  about  fourteen  years, 
is  not  only  a  representative  sheepman  of  the  state,  in  which  connection  he  is  widely 
known  in  Idaho  as  well  as  Oregon,  but  his  name  is  also  identified  with  banking  in- 
stitutions and  he  is  vice  president  of  Oakes  &  Company.  Today  he  is  numbered 
among  the  most  substantial  citizens  of  the  commonwealth  and  there  is  great  credit 
due  him  for  what  he  has  achieved  in  life,  for  his  prosperity  has  come  to  him  entirely 
through  his  own  efforts  and  labors.  Mr.  Looney  has  been  a  builder  who  has  created  busi- 
ness interests  which  are  proving  of  great  value  to  general  development  and  while 
doing  so  he  has  never  infringed  upon  the  rights  of  others  so  that  his  success  has 
not  been  built  on  other  men's  failures.  On  the  contrary  while  making  his  own 


260  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

fortune  he  has  many  times  extended  assistance  to  others  who  have  been  struggling 
on  the  way  and  has  thus  landed  them  on  the  solid  ground  of  prosperity.  It  is 
therefore  but  natural  that  he  has  made  many  friends  and  all  who  know  him  are 
agreed  as  to  his  high  qualities  of  character  which  ever  dominate  his  business 
transactions.  Mr.  Looney  came  to  Boise  in  1905  from  Mitchell,  Oregon,  and  dur- 
ing the  past  third  of  a  century  has  been  largely  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business, 
mainly  sheep,  but  has  also  mercantile  interests  both  in  Oregon  and  Idaho,  being 
vice  president  of  Oakesi  &  Company  and  thus  identified  with  one  of  the  largest 
wholesale  grocery  houses  of  this  state.  He  also  is  a  director  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Boise. 

Mr.  Looney  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Rogersville,  Hawkins  county,  Tennessee, 
September  12,  1864,  being  one  of  a  family  of  seven  sons  and  four  daughters  whose 
parents  were  James  G.  and  Nancy  Jane  (Harrell)  Looney,  natives  of  Tennessee 
and  members  of  old  families  of  that  state,  but  both  are  now  deceased.  The  father 
was  an  agriculturist  and  live  stock  man.  Eugene  Looney  was  reared  upon  the 
home  farm  and  early  became  acquainted  with  agricultural  labors  and  methods. 
He  remained  at  home  until  nineteen  years  of  age  and  during  that  time  acquired 
a  common  school  education  as  good  as  his  circumstances  permitted.  He  then,  in 
company  with  James  H.  Oakes,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  but  was  chiefly  reared 
in  Hawkins  county,  Tennessee,  set  out  for  the  west  to  seek  his  fortune.  The  two 
men,  who  thus  were  boy  pals,  have  been  intimately  associated  in  business  ever 
since,  Mr.  Oakes  now  being  president  of  Oakes  &  Company.  Their  careers  have 
progressed  evenly  and  their  friendship  has  become  firmer  as  the  years  have  passed, 
-the  same  close  and  friendly  connection  existing  between  their  families.  Both 
live  in  beautiful  homes  of  their  own  on  Harrison  boulevard — one  of  Boise's  most 
fashionable  thoroughfares — their  houses  being  but  one  block  apart,  on  the  same 
side  of  the  street.  The  Oakes  home  is  at  No.  1201  and  the  Looney  home  at  No.  1305 
and  both  are  among  the  handsome  residences  of  the  capital.  In  the  fall  of  1905, 
having  come  from  Mitchell,  Oregon,  in  the  same  year,  Mr.  Looney  began  the  con- 
struction of  his  present  home,  while  Mr.  Oakes  arrived  in  this  city  from  Mitchell 
shortly  afterward.  They  had  been  associated  in  a  general  merchandise  business  at 
Mitchell  under  the  firm  name  of  Oakes  &  Looney,  having  removed  to  Oregon  in 
1884.  They  first  located  in  the  vicinity  of  Hay  Creek,  Oregon,  where  both  worked 
on  ranches.  About  a  year  later  Mr.  Looney  became  interested  in  the  sheep  industry, 
perceiving  in  that  business  an  excellent  opportunity  to  advance  his  interests.  This 
was  in  1885  and  he  has  been  engaged  in  sheep  raising  more  or  less  ever  since, 
or  for  a  third  of  a  century,  both  in  Oregon  and  Idaho,  and  at  this  writing  has 
large  sheep  interests  in  the  latter  state.  He  also  has  made  valuable  Investments 
in  lands  in  Oregon  and  Idaho. 

At  Mitchell,  Oregon,  in  1891,  Mr.  Looney  married  Miss  Gertrude  Shrum,  a 
native  of  Oregon  and  a  granddaughter  of  one  of  the  signers  of  Oregon's  first  state 
constitution.  They  have  two  living  daughters,  Tennie  Belle  Looney  and  Ellen 
Looney,  graduates  of  St.  Margaret's  Hall  of  Boise. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Looney  is  a  democrat  but  since  coming  to  this  state 
has  not  held  public  office.  While  a  resident  of  Wheeler  county,  Oregon,  however, 
he  filled  the  office  of  county  commissioner  for  six  years.  He  belongs  to  the  Boise 
Commercial  Club,  in  which  organization  he  is  actively  interested,  and  fraternally 
is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 


ALFRED  GEORGE  KENNARD. 

A  high  grade  and  modern  printing  establishment  stands  as  evidence  of  the 
business  ability  as  well  as  long  experience  along  his  particular  line  of  Alfred 
George  Kennard,  better  known  as  "Al"  Kennard.  Although  he  has  been  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  for  only  five  years  he  has  already  done  big  things  in  the 
way  of  building  up  a  printing  plant.  He  is  located  at  No.  319  North  Eighth  street, 
Boise,  having  made  his  home  in  this  city  since  1913,  although  he  has  lived  in  the 
state  since  1909.  He  arrived  in  Idaho  from  South  Dakota  but  was  born  in  Iowa, 
in  the  town  of  Grundy  Center,  July  21,  1886.  He  is  a  son  of  George  N.  Kennard, 
a  n-ative  of  England,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated,  attending  among  other 
institutions  of  learning  Oxford  College.  As  a  young  man  he  came  to  the  United 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  261 

States  in  1872.  For  many  years  he  was  engaged  in  educational  work,  mostly 
teaching  in  Iowa,  and  for  six  years  was  superintendent  of  the  schools  of  Grundy 
county,  Iowa.  Later,  however,  he  gave  up  that  profession  and  devoted  thirty 
years  of  his  life  to  scientific  farming,  specializing  in  the  raising  of  blooded  stock, 
being  thus  engaged  in  Brookings  county,  South  Dakota,  where  he  died  September 
3,  1917.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Marie  Eberline  and  she  was  a  native  of 
Iowa.  Her  death  occurred  in  South  Dakota  in  1904. 

Their  son,  Alfred  George  Kennard,  was  one  of  a  family  of  eleven  children, 
five  daughters  and  six  sons,  alt  of  whom  are  now  living.  Two  of  the  family  are 
located  in  Boise,  Alfred  George  and  one  sister,  Lula,  who  is  taking  training  in 
St.  Alphonsus  Hospital.  Mr.  Kennard  of  this  review  passed  his  early  youth  in 
Iowa,  where  he  remained  until  twelve  years  of  age,  there  beginning  his  education. 
At  that  time  the  family  removed  to  South  Dakota  and  he  continued  his  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  that  state.  Showing  an  inclination  and  taste  for  printing, 
he  then  became  an  apprentice  to  the  printer's  trade  in  a  newspaper  office  at 
Brookings,  South  Dakota.  There  he  completed  his  apprenticeship  and  he  has  since 
followed  the  printing  business,  first  in  South  Dakota,  later  in  Iowa  and  North 
Dakota  and  finally  in  Idaho.  In  Fessenden,  North  Dakota,  he  conducted  a  news- 
paper for  a  short  time  but  in  1909  he  came  to  Idaho,  being  placed  in  charge  of 
the  mechanical  department  of  the  Caldwell  News,  which  position  he  held  for 
about  two  and  a  half  years,  coming  to  Boise  in  1913  as  manager  of  the  printing 
plant  which  he  now  owns.  Then  it  was  but  a  small  affair,  being  located  in  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  building,  but  as  manager  he  immediately  bent 
his  energies  toward  its  development.  In  1915  he  was  enabled  to  purchase  the 
plant  and  on  June  15,  1918,  removed  it  to  its  present  location  at  No.  319  North 
Eighth  street.  This  is  a  most  desirable  location,  in  fact  there  could  not  be  a 
better  one,  as  his  place  of  business  is  located  within  a  block  of  the  federal  build- 
ing, the  Idaho  building  and  the  statehouse  and  only  two  blocks  from  the  Over- 
land building  and  the  county  courthouse.  In  the  five  years  in  which  Mr.  Kennard 
has  been  in  business  he  has  achieved  most  remarkable  success  in  the  printing  line. 
Combining  practicability  with  good  taste,  having  thorough  experience  and  also 
business  ability  and  executive  force,  he  has  thrown  his  whole  personality  into  the 
business,  which  has  become  a  distinctive  feature  of  the  commercial  life  of  the 
city.  He  never  makes  promises  which  he  cannot  keep  and  the  work  turned  out 
of  his  plant  comes  fully  up  to  expectations.  It  is  therefore  but  natural  that  his 
patrons,  appreciating  good  service  and  first  class  work,  are  increasing  rapidly. 
Mr.  Kennard  gives  special  attention  to  high  grade  printing  and  in  this  line  has 
achieved  signal  and  very  pleasing  results. 

On  the  6th  of  January,  1908,  Mr.  Kennard  was  united  in  marriage  in  Kingston, 
Wisconsin,  to  Lillian  Volkmann,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  and  they  have  two  daugh- 
ters living,  Virginia  Marie  and  Helen  Rosalie,  aged  respectively  seven  and  five 
years.  A  son,  Robert  James,  died  at  the  age  of  ten  months. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kennard  are  very  popular  among  the  younger  social  set  and 
have  many  friends  in  Boise.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club,  in 
the  purposes  of  which  he  is  helpfully  interested,  and  fraternally  belongs  to  the 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  while  his 
religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  membership  in  St.  John's  cathedral.  While  a 
young  man,  Mr.  Kennard  has  achieved  a  business  success  which  is  truly  remark- 
able and  worthy  of  commendation,  being  a  forcible  example  of  what  may  be  accom- 
plished in  the  new  cities  of  the  west  and  particularly  the  capital  city  of  this  state 
when  there  is  the  will  to  dare  and  to  do. 


HARRY  W.   BARRY. 


Harry  W.  Barry,  editor  of  the  Buhl  Herald,  published  at  Buhl,  Twin  Falls 
county,  was  born  in  Halifax,  Pennsylvania,  but  in  his  boyhood  days  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Meriden,  Kansas,  where  he  pursued  his  education.  He  supple- 
mented his  public  school  training  by  study  in  the  Kansas  State  Normal  School 
at  Emporia,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1912.  He  became 
Identified  with  the  northwest  as  an  educator,  for  on  the  completion  of  his  normal 
course  he  accepted  the  position  of  principal  of  the  high  school  at  Buhl,  Idaho, 


262  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  acceptably  filled  that  position  for  three  years,  imparting  readily  and  clearly 
to  others  the  knowledge  that  he  had  acquired  and  moreover  stimulating  pupils 
with  much  of  his  own  zeal  and  interest  in  the  work.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  the  Buhl  Herald  in  connection  with  W.  L. 
Squires.  The  partnership  was  maintained  until  1918,  when  Mr.  Barry  acquired 
the  interest  of  Mr.  Squires  and  is  now  sole  owner.  The  Herald  is  a  weekly  paper, 
having  a  well  equipped  office  on  Broadway,  and  is  democratic  in  its  political  com- 
plexion. It  has  gained  a  good  circulation  owing  to  the  progressive  methods  of 
Mr.  Barry,  who  puts  forth  every  effort  to  give  to  his  patrons  all  of  the  local  and 
general  news  that  is  of  real  interest.  Mr.  Barry  has  likewise  become  the  owner 
of  farm  lands  and  other  real  estate  in  this  section  of  Idaho. 

In  1917  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Barry  and  Miss  Harriet  Stein, 
a  native  of  Garnett,  Kansas,  and  a  daughter  of  Edwin  Stein.  Her  father  was  a 
Civil  war  veteran  who  served  for  four  years  under  General  Sherman. 

Mr.  Barry  is  a  Scottish  Rite  Mason  and  is  a  worthy  exemplar  of  the  teachings 
and  purposes  of  the  craft.  In  all  matters  of  citizenship  he  has  manifested  a  most 
progressive  and  loyal  spirit  and  in  September,  1918,  he  enlisted  as  a  member  of 
Company  B  in  the  officers'  training  camp  at  Moscow,  Idaho,  where  he  remained 
until  the  28th  of  December.  The  armistice  having  in  the  meantime  been  signed, 
he  was  then  discharged  and  returned  to  Buhl,  where  he  is  concentrating  his  efforts 
and  attention  upon  the  business  of  editing  and  publishing  the  Buhl  Herald. 


W.  H.  CARLYLE. 

W.  H.  Carlyle,  who  is  actively  engaged  in  general  farming  in  Canyon  county,  was 
born  in  central  Kentucky,  February  11,  1858.  His  parents  died  when  he  was  but  three 
years  of  age  and  he  was  reared  by  strangers  to  the  age  of  ten  years,  "when  he  started  out 
to  provide  for  his  own  support.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own 
resources  and  whatever  success  he  has  achieved  or  enjoyed  is  the  direct  outcome  of  his 
persistent,  intelligent  labor.  He  worked  as  a  farm  hand  until  1877,  when  he  went  to 
Antioch,  California,  and  there  farmed  for  others  for  three  years.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  made  his  way  to  old  Fort  Boise,  Idaho,  on  the  Snake  river  at  Keeny  Ferry, 
three  miles  west  of  Parma,  and  secured  employment  on  the  ranch  of  George  Holbrook. 
After  working  for  Mr.  Holbrook  for  one  summer  he  married  his  daughter,  Callie  Augusta, 
and  then  rented  her  father's  farm,  which  he  cultivated  for  one  year.  He --next  purchased 
one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  on  the  south  side  of  the  Boise  river,  about  four 
miles  southwest  of  the  place  of  his  father-in-law,  and  thereon  gave  his  attention  to  the 
raising  of  grain  and  stock  for  a  period  of  two  years.  The  place  was  practically  raw  land 
when  it  came  into  his  possession,  but  few  furrows  having  as  yet  been  turned.  Upon  it  was 
an  old  log  cabin,  with  sagebrush  and  trees.  With  characteristic  energy  Mr.  Carlyle  began 
the  development  and  improvement  of  the  property  and  as  the  years  have  passed  his  labors 
have  wrought  a  marked  transformation.  After  two  years  "he  bought  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  acres  where  he  now  resides  and  sold  the  first  place  to  his  son,  M.  W.  Carlyle. 
In  1890  he  purchased  McConnell  Island,  comprising  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  acres, 
which  joins  his  present  place.  McConnell  Island  was  a  real  island  when  Mr.  Carlyle  made 
the  purchase,  but  the  west  channel  has  since  closed,  joining  the  land  to  hip  home  farm, 
the  closing  being  caused  by  the  shifting  of  the  river.  He  has  since  also  sold  the  McConnell 
place  to  his  son,  M.  W.  Mr.  Carlyle  took  up  a  homestead  one  mile  north  of  his  present 
place  in  1884  and  partially  improved  it,  selling,  however,  in  1919.  He  obtains  water  for 
irrigation  purposes  from  the  High  Island  Irrigation  Company,  of  which  his  son,  M.  W. 
Carlyle,  is  the  president.  Father  and  son  are  stockholders  of  the  company,  together 

with  Charles  Ross,  Mel  Youman,  • Maxem,  Niel  O'Donnell,  Pat  O'Donnell,  Fred 

J.  Walmsby,  George  Tanner  and  Louis  Bacon.  The  ditch  carries  ten  thousand  inches 
of  water  and  is  of  immense  value  to  the  district  covered.  Mr.  Carlyle  is  also  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Roswell  Ditch  Company. 

Mrs.  Carlyle  was  born  in  Iowa  and  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents  in  1868,  the 
Holbrook  home  being  established  near  the  present  home  farm  of  her  husband.  There 
the  family  lived  for  twenty-five  years  and  her  parents  now  reside  at  Ola,  Idaho,  where 
her  father,  G.  H.  Holbrook,  is  engaged  in  farming  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  has 
reached  the  age  of  eighty-one  years,  while  his  wife  is  about  the  same  age.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Carlyle  have  become  parents  of  three  sons  and  a  daughter:  M.  W.,  one  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  265 

progressive  business  men  of  this  section  of  the  state,  now  thirty-seven  years  of  age  and 
farming  near  his  father,  while  also  actively  connected  with  irrigation  interests;  P.  B., 
thirty-four  years  of  age,  who  is  farming  near  Roswell;  Harvey  C.,  twenty-nine  yean  of 
age,  who  is  associated  with  his  father  in  farm  work;  and  Lizzie  C.,  the  wife  of  Willis 
Harrold,  a  farmer  located  northwest  of  the  Carlyle  place. 

The  life  history  of  W.  H.  Carlyle  should  serve  as  an  inspiration  and  source  of 
encouragement  to  others,  showing  what  can  be  accomplished  when  one  has  the  will  to 
dare  and  to  do.  Starting  out  in  life  when  a  lad  of  but  ten  years,  having  little  education 
and  experience  to  guide  him  at  that  time,  he  has  since  learned  many  valuable  lessons 
in  the  school  of  experience  and  through  his  unremitting  industry  and  perseverance  has 
reached  a  place  among  the  leading,  progressive  and  representative  farmers  of  Canyon 
county. 


JOHN   W.    ANDERSEN. 

John  W.  Andersen  is  the  proprietor  of  the  Owyhee  Market,  a  high  class  estab- 
lishment at  No.  1022  Main  street,  Boise.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  for 
sixteen  years,  having  come  here  in  1904  from  Madelia,  Minnesota.  He  is  one  of 
those  valuable  American  citizens  whom  Denmark  has  furnished  to  this  country, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  that  land,  October  10,  1860.  There  he  received  his 
education  and  at  the  age  of  about  nineteen  years  decided  upon  emigration  to  the 
United  States,  having  heard  wonderful  reports  in  regard  to  the  opportunities  here 
presented.  He  arrived  in  America  in  the  spring  of  1880.  His  father,  Andrew 
Hansen,  was  a  fisherman,  and  his  mother  was  Mattie  Maria  Christianson.  Both 
are  deceased,  having  passed  away  in  their  native  country  after  their  son,  John  W., 
had  come  to  the  United  States.  Our  subject  has  two  brothers  and  one  sister  living, 
their  home  being  in  Denmark.  He  was  the  only  member  of  the  family  to  leave 
Denmark  and  has  never  seen  any  of  the  family  since  coming  to  this  country  as  he 
has  never  returned  to  his  native  land. 

After  attending  school  there  to  the  age  of  thirteen  Mr.  Andersen  became  a 
sailor  and  for  three  years  was  employed  on  seagoing  vessels  plying  between  Den- 
mark and  Greenland.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  attended  a  sailor's  academy 
in  Denmark  for  a  year  and  then  became  a  licensed  sailor.  For  the  two  years 
Immediately  preceding  his  coming  to  this  country  he  was  second  mate  on  vessels 
plying  chiefly  on  the  Mediterranean  and  he  thus  saw  a  great  deal  of  the  world 
in  his  youth.  Anxious,  however,  to  investigate  conditions  in  America,  he  crossed 
the  ocean  to  Boston  in  1880,  reaching  that  city  on  May  10th  of  that  year.  He 
crossed  as  an  ordinary  seaman  and  at  that  time  had  not  definitely  decided  to  re- 
main, but  upon  investigation  found  conditions  to  his  liking  and  has  therefore  never 
returned  to  the  old  world.  For  a  few  months  he  sailed  on  Lake  Superior,  having 
made  his  way  to  the  middle  west,  but  then  decided  to  give  up  a  sailor's  life  and 
located  in  Wisconsin,  where  he  spent  four  years  at  Neenah,  there  learning  the 
butcher's  trade.  From  1885  until  1904  he  made  his  home  in  different  points  in 
Minnesota,  spending  six  years  of  this  time  in  Minneapolis,  where  he  embarked  in- 
dependently in  the  meat  business,  owning  two  markets  in  that  city.  His  enterprise, 
however,  was  nipped  in  the  bud  when  he  was  caught  in  the  financial  upheaval  of 
1893,  when  he  was  obliged  to  forego  business  there.  The  financial  storm  com- 
pletely wrecked  his  fortunes  and  he  then  went  to  Madelia,  Minnesota,  there  be- 
ginning anew  in  a  modest  way,  undiscouraged  and  undismayed  by  misfortunes  that 
had  not  been  of  his  own  doing.  He  first  worked  for  a  butcher  but  later  bought 
the  shop  and  conducted  it  until  1904,  when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Boise.  Since 
his  arrival  he  has  been  identified  with  the  meat  business  here  and  in  1916  he 
established  the  Owyhee  Market  at  No.  1022  Main  street,  which  is  now  one  of 
Boise's  leading  meat  establishments.  The  best  goods  in  his  line  can  be  had  there 
and  he  has  built  up  a  high  class  custom,  ever  adhering  to  the  strictest  business 
principles.  His  reputation  in  the  commercial  world  is  high  and  he  enjoys  the 
utmost  confidence  of  all  who  know  aught  of  him  or  his  business  affairs. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1889,  Mr.  Andersen  wedded  Fredrikka  M.  Larsen,  also 
a  native  of  Denmark,  who  was  brought  to  the  United  States  when  a  young  girl 
of  but  nine  years  in  1881,  crossing  with  an  uncle  and  his  family.  To  this  union 
were  born  five  children,  four  daughters  and  a  son:  Hazel  M.,  now  Mrs.  Fred  H. 


266  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Vogt;  Gladys  E.,  who  holds  a  responsible  position  in  the  civil  service  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  being  a  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  disbursing  clerk  and  formerly  private 
stenographer  to  the  governor  of  Idaho;  Agnes,  the  wife  of  Conley  Robbinett,  of 
Vale,  Oregon;  Andrew  D.,  the  only  son;  and  Wilhelmina  Sophia,  the  youngest  of 
the  family.  Andrew  D.  Andersen,  a  splendid  young  man  now  twenty-three  years 
of  age,  is  in  the  military  service  with  the  troops  in  France.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
he  joined  the  Second  Idaho  Regiment  and  for  six  months  served  on  the  Mexican 
border  in  1916.  Upon  America's  entrance  into  the  World  war  he  reenlisted  as  a 
volunteer  and  in  November,  1917,  went  to  France.  He  is  a  sergeant  in  Company 
F,  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Engineers  Corps.  Miss  Wilhelmina  Sophia  Ander- 
sen, known  to  her  friends  as  "Minnie,"  now  a  young  lady  of  eighteen,  is  a  graduate 
of  Link's  Business  College  and  is  now  an  efficient  stenographer,  being  employed 
in  Boise. 

Mr.  Andersen,  although  he  is  now  nearing  his  sixtieth  birthday,  is  a  remark- 
ably well  preserved  and  young  looking  man  for  one  of  his  age,  but  as  he  himself 
says,  he  has  been  too  busy  to  worry  and  therefore  has  retained  his  youthfulness. 
Moreover,  his  early  'seafaring  life  undoubtedly  has  had  much  to  do  with  his  re- 
markable health.  He  is  very  popular  among  the  business  men  of  Boise,  among  whom 
he  occupies  an  enviable  position,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club, 
in  whose  projects  he  is  deeply  interested.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


J.    H.    STOCKTON. 

A  commodious  residence,  built  of  stone,  in  attractive  style  of  architecture  and 
standing  in  the  midst  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  land  bordering  the 
corporation  limits  of  Parma,  is  the  home  of  J.  H.  Stockton,  who  as  the  years 
have  passed  has  wrested  success  from  the  hands  of  fate  and  is  now  profitably 
conducting  an  excellent  farm.  He  was  born  in  Crawford  county,  Missouri,  August 
3,  1867,  a  son  of  Harland  Smith  and  Amanda  (Myers)  Stockton,  who  were  natives 
of  Missouri.  In  1875,  when  Mr.  Stockton  of  this  review  was  eight  years  of  age, 
the  family  removed  to  Idaho,  settling  on  Canyon  Hill,  near  Caldwell,  where  the 
father  rented  land  and  carried  on  general  farming  for  about  four  years.  He 
afterward  removed  to  Riverside  Ferry,  on  the  Snake  river,  between  Big  Bend  and 
Nyssa,  and  there  conducted  a  dairy  for  two  years,  when  with  his  family  he  removed 
to  the  Parma  district  and  purchased  a  ranch  which  is  now  the  property  of  W.  F. 
Stockton,  the  youngest  brother  of  J.  H.  Stockton.  With  this  son  the  father  lives 
and  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  The  mother  died  upon  the  farm 
in  1896.  They  were  worthy  pioneer  settlers  of  the  northwest,  having  crossed  the 
plains  from  Missouri  by  ox  team,  being  most  of  the  spring  and  summer  upon  the 
way.  During  the  long  trip  their  little  daughter,  Nancy,  died  from  illness  contracted 
while  en  route  and  was  buried  on  the  Little  Platte  river.  Harland  Smith  Stockton  ia 
one  of  the  veterans  of  the  Indian  wars  and  also  the  Civil  war  and  was  a  member 
of  the  state  militia,  which  he  assisted  in  organizing  and  which  finally  succeeded 
in  quelling  the  Indian  depredations  in  the  state.  He  has  his  honorable  discharge 
from  the  service  and  is  drawing  a  pension  in  recognition  of  the  valuable  aid  which 
he  rendered  to  Idaho  in  this  connection. 

J.  H.  Stockton  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  and  his  youthful  experiences 
were  those  of  the  farm-bred  boy  who  lives  on  the  western  frontier.  As  time  passed 
he  contributed  to  the  notable  changes  which  have  occurred,  bringing  Idaho  from 
a  primitive  state  to  one  of  rich  fertility  and  development.  He  is  now  busily 
engaged  in  farming  on  a  tract  of  land  of  one  hundred  and  forty-two  acres  adjoining 
Parma  and  all  the  modern  equipments  and  accessories  of  a  model  farm  of  the 
twentieth  century  are  found  upon  his  place.  The  beautiful  home  has  previously 
been  mentioned  and  in  addition  to  this  building  there  are  large  and  substantial 
outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock. 

In  1889  Mr.  Stockton  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Glennon,  who  was  born 
in  Garden  Valley,  Idaho,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Patrick  Glennon,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
who  went  to  California  in  1849  and  in  the  late  '50s  came  to  Idaho.  He  ran  away 
from  home  when  twelve  years  of  age  and  crossed  the  ocean  on  a  sailing  vessel. 
He  had  a  brother  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  who  had  come  to  the  new  world 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  267 

several  years  before,  and  Patrick  Glennon  was  determined  to  Join  him  at  any 
hazard.  When  he  landed  in  Boston  he  was  stolen  by  a  man  who  represented  him- 
self as  the  brother  of  the  boy  and  who  kept  him  for  two  years  before  his  real 
brother  discovered  his  whereabouts  and  claimed  him.  In  the  meantime  he  had 
been  subjected  to  all  kinds  of  hardships  and  ill  treatment.  When  he  came  to 
Idaho  he  worked  in  the  mines  of  the  Boise  basin  and  then  purchased  a  farm  of 
two  hundred  acres  in  Garden  Valley,  upon  which  his  .remaining  days  were  spent, 
his  death  occurring  in  1909.  His  wife  had  passed  away  in  1896.  Their  daughter, 
Mrs.  Stockton,  was  a  pupil  of  her  future  husband  in  the  school  in  Garden  Valley. 
She  has  a  brother,  James  Glennon,  who  is  living  near  Caldwell  and  is  connected 
with  the  Cooperative  Ditch  Company. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stockton  have  been  born  five  children:  Mary  Eldora,  the  wife 
of  Robert  Mangun,  of  Silver  City;  Smith  Patrick,  twenty-three  years  of  age,  who 
has  a  farm  of  forty  acres  adjoining  his  father's  place;  John  Huston,  seventeen  years 
of  age,  now  attending  Mount  Angel  College  in  Oregon;  Arthur  Edwin,  thirteen 
years  of  age;  and  Paul  Chester,  at  home.  There  have  been  no  unusual  phases  in 
the  life  record  of  Mr.  Stockton,  who  was  reared  as  a  farm  boy  and  has  always 
followed  agricultural  pursuits.  Persistency  of  purpose  and  indefatigable  energy 
have  brought  him  to  his  present  position  as  a  capable  and  successful  agriculturist. 


ABRAHAM  FRANK. 

Abraham  Frank,  familiarly  known  to  his  friends  as  "Abe"  Frank,  is  the 
proprietor  of  the  Frank  Grocery  at  the  corner  of  Thirteenth  and  O'Farrel  streets, 
Boise.  For  thirty-nine  years  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  and  is  therefore 
numbered  among  the  pioneers  of  the  state.  During  most  of  this  period  he  has 
made  his  home  in  Boise,  where  he  is  not  only  well  known  on  account  of  his  genial 
ways  but  also  has  gained  a  business  reputation  that  speaks  well  for  his  high 
qualities  of  character.  For  twenty  years  he  was  proprietor  of  a  cigar  and  tobacco 
store  at  No.  807  Main  street,  known  as  the  Parrott  Cigar  Store,  but  on  August  10, 
1918,  he  closed  out  his  stock  and  on  October  25th  of  that  year  he  purchased  his 
present  grocery  at  Thirteenth  and  O'Farrel  streets,  which  for  many  years  had 
been  known  as  Hart's  Grocery  and  for  the  past  eight  years  was  owned  by  James 
Spivey.  Mr.  Frank  readily  adapted  himself  to  his  new  line  and  has  already  added 
a  large  number  to  his  list  of  customers. 

Abraham  Frank  was  born  in  Lawrenceburg,  Indiana,  November  23,  1854,  his 
parents  being  Leonard  and  Mary  (Meyer)  Frank,  both  now  deceased.  They  were 
natives  of  Germany  but  became  acquainted  in  this  country  and  were  married  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  about  1851.  There  was  an  older  child  in  their  family,  Mrs.  Jennie 
,  Frank  Weil,  a  widow,  residing  at  the  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Bannock  streets,  in 
Boise.  She  and  her  husband,  Lazare  Weil,  became  pioneer  residents  of  Boise  in 
1874.  He  was  widely  known  throughout  the  city  as  the  founder  and  owner  of  the 
Weil  Cigar  Store  at  No.  921  Main  street,  which  is  now  conducted  by  his  two  sons. 
His  death  occurred  seven  years  ago.  Our  subject  also  has  a  brother,  Louis  Frank, 
who  resides  in  Cincinnati. 

Abraham  Frank  was  chiefly  reared  in  the  state  of  Louisiana,  whither  his 
parents  had  removed  when  he  was  but  two  years  old.  He  spent  his  youth  in 
Amite  City  and  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana,  the  family  removing  in  1872,  when  he 
was  eighteen  years  of  age,  to  Shreveport,  where  the  father  was  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits,  having  an  establishment  of  his  own.  In  1880  Abraham  Frank, 
after  due  consideration  of  the  possibilities  here  presented,  decided  to  remove  to 
Idaho  and  immediately  acted  upon  his  decision.  In  the  cigar  business  he  became 
exceedingly  well  known  and  popular  and  it  seems  that  this  quality  continues  with 
him  in  the  grocery  business,  which  he  recently  purchased  from  Mr.  Spivey.  Upon 
acquiring  the  establishment  he  renamed  it  the  Frank  Grocery. 

On  December  15,  1889,  Mr.  Frank  was  united  in  marriage  to  Imogene  Parrott 
and  they  have  many  friends  in  Boise.  He  belongs  to  the  Boise  Commercial  Club, 
in  whose  projects  he  is  much  interested,  and  fraternally  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  being  a  past  chancellor  of  the  lodge.  For  eighteen  consecutive 
years  he  was  master  of  exchequer  of  Ivanhoe  Lodge,  No.  3,  K.  P.,  of  Boise.  Mr. 
Frank  has  always  supported  the  democratic  party  but  has  never  permitted  his 
name  to  appear  on  any  ticket  for  public  office,  yet  he  served  as  deputy  sheriff  of 


268  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Alturas  county,  Idaho,  by  appointment  for  a  short  time  several  years  ago.  While 
in  that  office  he  at  one  time  attempted  to  make  peace  between  two  antagonists  but 
was  shot  in  the  hip  during  his  laudable  effort  and  the  wound  has  caused  him  more  or 
less  trouble  ever  since.  Mr.  Frank  is  a  valued  member  of  the  B'nai  B'rith  Society, 
in  which  he  enjoys  the  highest  standing. 


WILLIAM   D.   BUCKMAN. 

William  D.  Buckman  represents  important  manufacturing  interests  in  Boise, 
being  at  the  head  of  the  Pearl  Candy  Company,-  manufacturers  of  and  wholesale 
dealers  in  candies  and  confections,  devoting  their  attention  entirely  to  that  business. 
The  establishment  is  located  at  Sixth  and  Idaho  streets.  Mr.  Buckman  became  pro- 
prietor of  the  business  August  4,  1915,  since  which  time  he  has  given  his  whole 
attention  to  the  upbuilding  of  his  interests.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Boise  since 
1901,  having  removed  here  from  Washington,  North  Carolina,  where  he  was  born 
May  20,  1872,  of  the  marriage  of  Charles  Guy  and  Annie  Buckman,  natives  of 
Massachusetts  and  North  Carolina  respectively.  The  father,  who  was  a  brick- 
mason  by  trade,  became  a  resident  of  North  Carolina  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  In 
that  state,  however,  he  turned  his  attention  largely  to  merchandising  and  during 
the  Civil  war  served  in  the  commissary  department  of  the  Confederate  States  Navy. 
Both  parents  are  now  deceased,  having  passed  away  in  North  Carolina.  In  their 
family  were  thirteen  children,  but  only  two  are  now  living,  a  sister  of  our  subject 
making  her  home  in  North  Carolina.  - 

William  D.  Buckman  was  reared  and  educated  in  Washington,  North  Caro- 
lina, there  attending  the  common  schools  and  later  augmenting  his  education  by 
a  business  course.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  turned  his  attention  to  mercantile 
pursuits  in  connection  with  his  father,  the  latter  conducting  a  variety  and  con- 
fectionery store.  His  mother  had  passed  away  when  he  was  but  ten  years  of  age 
and  he  became  head  of  the  store  before  his  father's  death,  taking  upon  his  shoul- 
ders many  of  his  father's  duties.  However,  perceiving  better  business  opportuni- 
ties in  the  northwest,  he  decided  in  1901  to  make  his  way  to  Boise  and  first  had 
a  cigar  store  here.  Later  he  became  interested  in  the  Idaho  Candy  Company 
and  remained  one  of  its  owners  and  officers  until  1915,  when  he  sold  his  interest 
and  invested  in  the  Pearl  Candy  Company.  Later  he  became  sole  owner  and  has 
so  well  conducted  his  affairs  and  developed  the  business  that  the  Pearl  Candy 
Company  is  now  doing  an  extensive  business  over  southern  Idaho  and  eastern 
Oregon  and  also  a  part  of  Nevada,  having  become  one  of  Boise's  permanent  and 
substantial  manufacturing  institutions.  Much  of  its  success  is  due  to  the  enter- 
prise and  foresight  as  well  as  business  reliability  of  Mr.  Buckman. 

On  December  14,  1909,  William  D.  Buckman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs. 
Stella  Scovel,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  who  by  her  former  marriage  had  one  son, 
Cornelius  Patrick  Scovel,  who  served  his  country  in  France,  being  in  the  medical 
department  of  the  army,  and  is  now  associated  in  business  with  his  father. 

Mr.  Buckman  has  ever  given  his  aid  and  support  to  worthy  public  measures 
but  has  never  been  active  in  public  life,  devoting  most  of  his  time  to  his  home. 
He  finds  recreation  in  motoring  trips  with  his  family,  which  are  occasions  of  great 
enjoyment  to  them.  He  supports  the  republican  party,  and  his  religious  faith  is 
that  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  while  fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows and  the  Yeomen.  Moreover,  his  name  is  found  on  the  roster  of  the  Boise 
Credit  Men's  Association. 


A.   C.   PATHEAL. 

A.  C.  Patheal,  who  follows  farming  and  fruit  raising  in  the  Fruitland  district 
of  Payette  county,  was  born  near  Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  December  18,  1857,  and 
removed  to  Kentucky  with  his  parents,  John  and  Mary  (Kirkwood)  Patheal,  who 
located  near  Monticello,  that  state.  His  father  served  as  a  Union  soldier  during 
the  Civil  war  and  while  on  a  furlough  was  killed  by  one  of  Quantrell's  guerrillas. 
In  1874  the  mother  removed  to  Illinois,  where  she  conducted  a  farm. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  269 

A.  C.  Patheal  was  but  an  infant  at  the  time  of  his  parents'  removal  to  Ken- 
tucky and  there  he  pursued  his  education  in  a  private  school.  He  accompanied  his 
mother  to  Illinois  when  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  and  in  1880  he  went  to  McCook 
county,  South  Dakota,  where  he  took  up  a  homestead  claim  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres.  There  his  mother  later  joined  him  but  afterward  returned  to  Illinois, 
where  she  passed  away.  Mr.  Patheal  continued  to  follow  farming  in  South  Dakota 
for  twenty  years  and  then  sold  his  property,  afterward  removing  to  the  Payette 
valley,  where  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  including  his  present  place  of  forty 
acres,  for  he  has  since  sold  one-half  of  the  tract.  It  was  raw  sagebrush  land  when 
it  came  into  his  possession  and  Mr.  Patheal  has  continuously  remained  upon  the 
place  save  for  a  period  of  two  years  which  he  devoted  to  meeting  the  requirements 
of  the  law  in  regard  to  securing  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
Benewah  county,  Idaho,  on  which  there  is  fine  pine  and  fir  timber.  In  Payette 
county  he  carries  on  mixed  farming  on  the  home  place  near  Fruitland  and  in  1919 
raised  about  seven  thousand  boxes  of  apples.  He  helped  to  develop  the  Farmers 
Cooperative  Ditch,  which  irrigates  this  section,  and  his  aid  and  influence  have 
always  been  given  on  the  side  of  progress  and  improvement. 

On  the  16th  of  December,  1883,  Mr.  Patheal  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mis- 
Gladys  Chapman,  who  was  born  near  Detroit,  Michigan.  She  is  a  daughter  of  B.  F. 
and  Mary  (Jackson)  Chapman,  the  former  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York  and 
the  latter  of  Michigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Patheal  have  become  the  parents  of  four 
children.  Fr*.nk,  thirty-four  years  of  age,  married  Viola  Ring  and  has  one  son, 
Glenn  Chapman,  who  is  now  six  years  of  age.  Charles  A.,  thirty  years  of  age,  mar- 
ried Gail  Kutch  and  has  two  children,  Wilma  I.  and  Wilber  C.  Benjamin  F.,  twenty- 
nine  years  of  age,  married  Alice  B.  Riffle  and  has  three  children:  Beatrice  C.,  Lois 
N.  and  Naomi  Ruth.  Florence  L.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Bert  Melcher,  died  leaving 
a  daughter.  Gladys  E. 

Throughout  the  present  century  A.  C.  Patheal  has  resided  in  Idaho  and  has 
been  regarded  as  one  of  the  men  of  enterprise  in  his  section  of  the  state.  What- 
ever he  undertakes  he  carries  forward  to  successful  completion  and  his  diligence 
and  determination  are  unfaltering. 


WILLIAM  W.  SHEAFFER. 

As  founder  and  owner  of  the  Sheaffer  Baking  Company,  a  wholesale  concern 
located  at  No.  1704  Fairview  avenue,  Boise,  William  W.  Sheaffer  occupies  an  im- 
portant position  in  the  commercial  circles  of  the  state.  The  Sheaffer  Baking  Com- 
pany is  largely  a  wholesale  concern  but  it  also  maintains  a  retail  department  at  its 
plant,  much  of  its  goods,  however,  being  shipped  t6  outside  points.  Mr.  Sheaffer 
came  to  this  city  from  Greenriver,  Utah,  in  1910  and  ever  since  has  made  good -use 
of  his  time  and  opportunities,  building  up  an  establishment  which  stands  as  a  credit 
to  his  enterprise,  industry  and  honest  business  methods.  He  was  born  in  Westmore- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  August  18,  1879,  a  son  of  William  J.  and  Sarah  J. 
(Cresswell)  Sheaffer,  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  both  now  deceased.  The 
family  is  of  old  Pennsylvania  Dutch  ancestry. 

William  W.  Sheaffer  was  taken  by  his  parents  from  the  Keystone  state  to 
Guthrie  Center,  Iowa,  when  but  six  months  old.  Two  years  later  the  family  took  up 
their  residence  in  Coon  Rapids  and  there  he  was  reared  and  received  his  education, 
which  he  completed  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  when  he  removed  to  Omaha,  where  he 
learned  the  baker's  trade.  This  was  in  1897  and  he  was  connected  with  the  trade  in 
that  city  until  1900,  when  he  returned  to  Coon  Rapids,  now  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  best  methods  employed  in  the  baking  process.  There  he  was  employed  for  three 
years  in  a  bakery,  returning  at  the  end  of  that  time  to  Omaha,  where  he  continued 
to  work  at  his  trade  as  a  journeyman  baker  until  1907.  Again  he  spent  some  time 
at  Coon  Rapids  and  then  was  for  two  years  In  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  working  at  his 
trade.  In  1906  he  removed  to  Greenriver,  Utah,  where  he  established  himself  in 
the  baking  business  independently,  being  so  Engaged  in  the  retail  trade  for  three 
years.  The  year  1910  marked  his  arrival  in  Boise,  where  he  soon  afterward  estab- 
lished the  Sheaffer  Baking  Company,  the  success  of  which  is  evident  from  the  large 
business  which  he  now  transacts.  The  establishment  is  one  of  the  most  important 
wholesale  bakeries  of  the  state,  its  business  annually  increasing  because  of  the  fair 


270  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  honorable  methods  which  Mr.  Sheaffer  has  ever  followed.  His  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  business,  his  past  experience  in  various  places  and  connections  and  his 
thorough  understanding  of  what  is  wanted  by  the  public  have  also  been  important 
factors  in  the  promotion  of  this  large  wholesale  business.  Since  1913  the  plant  has 
been  at  its  present  location,  the  capacity  being  about  eight  hundred  loaves  of  bread 
per  day. 

At  Coon  Rapids,  Iowa,  August  2,  1902,  Mr.  Sheaffer  was  married  to  Miss  Elsie 
Elizabeth  Davis,  a  native  of  Guthrie  county,  Iowa,  and  they  have  two  children: 
Ethel  Opal,  whose  birth  occurred  on  the  27th  of  tMarch,  1903,  and  who  is  now 
attending  the  Boise  high  school;  and  Milton  Clyde,  born  November  15,  1909.  The 
parents  are  well  liked  in  Boise,  where  they  have  many  friends,  the  family  residence 
being  No.  1109  North  Twenty-first  street. 

Mr.  Sheaffer  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  State  Bakers  Association  and  fraternally 
is  quite  prominent,  being  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  having  served  as  clerk  of  the  Woodmen 
camp  at  Greenriver,  Utah,  during  the  entire  period  of  his  residence  there.  He  is 
fond  of  automobiling  and  has  agreeable  social  qualities  which  make  him  desirable 
in  any  circle.  He  and  his  family  attend  the  Presbyterian  church,  being  much  inter- 
ested in  the  work  of  that  organization.  There  is  much  that  is  commendable  in  the 
career  of  Mr.  Sheaffer,  who  has  attained  substantial  success  entirely  through  his 
own  labors,  and  he  now  occupies  a  creditable  position  in  the  business  world. 


JAMES  W.  WILSON. 

James  W.  Wilson,  proprietor  of  the  Wilson  Bakery  of  Boise  and  ex-president  of 
the  Idaho  Master  Bakers  Association,  was  born  in  Keith,  Scotland,  December  22,  1862, 
and  is  the  eldest  of  fourteen  children,  seven  sons  and  seven  daughters,  whose  parents 
are  James  and  Margaret  (Grant)  Wilson,  still  residents  of  the  town  of  Buckie,  Scot- 
land. The  mother  is  a  second  cousin  of  General  U.  S.  Grant.  Twelve  of  her  fourteen 
children  are  still  living,  but  James  W.  is  the  only  one  in  the  United  States.  How- 
ever, two  brothers  and  one  sister  live  in  Canada  and  the  others  are  still  in  Scotland. 
One  brother,  Robert,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  has  been  serving  .in  the  great  World 
war  with  the  Gordon  Highlanders  and  has  been  twice  wounded.  Another  brother, 
John  Wilson,  was  chief  engineer  of  a  British  mine  sweeper  in  the  Mediterranean  sea. 

James  W.  Wilson  left  Scotland  in  1884,  when  twenty-two  years  of  age,  and  made 
his  way  first  to  Toronto,  Canada.  He  had  previously  served  for  three  years  as  an 
apprentice  at  the  baker's  trade  in  Scotland,  but  after  reaching  Toronto  he  was  not 
able  to  get  work  at  his  trade  and  joined  an  engineering  outfit  to  build  the  snow  sheds 
for  the  Canadian  Pacific  over  the  Cascade  Mountains  in  British  Columbia.  This  was 
soon  after  the  Riel  rebellion  in  Canada  and  from  Winnipeg  westward,  in  every  vil- 
lage, the  Indians  were  wearing  soldiers'  caps,  blouses  or  belts  that  they  had  captured 
from  the  Canadian  soldiers.  Returning  to  Toronto,  Mr.  Wilson  worked  for  eighteen 
months  in  Nasmith's  bakery,  one  of  the  largest  plants  in  Canada  at  that  time.  After 
a  year  devoted  to  the  bakery  business  in  Toronto  in  connection  with  Mr.  Nasmith, 
Mr.  Wilson  sold  his  interest  to  his  brother,  who  was  also  a  baker,  and  went  to  Win- 
nipeg. He  did  not  like  the  cold  winters  of  Toronto  and  found  weather  conditions  no 
better  in  Winnipeg.  Later  he  removed  to  Minneapolis  but  again  found  it  too  cold  and 
made  his  way  westward  to  Portland,  Oregon.  The  rainy  seasons  there  did  not  suit 
him  and  on  receiving  a  telegram  from  William  Krall,  offering  him  a  position  in  a 
bakery  at  Boise  in  1888,  he  decided  to  accept  and  here  found  the  ideal  climate  which 
he  had  been  seeking.  For  a  year  and  a  half  he  was  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Krall  and 
then  went  to  Weiser,  where  he  acted  as  cook  in  the  new  Weiser  hotel  opened  by  Mc- 
Greggor  &  Cockley.  When  opportunity  offered  to  purchase  the  business  of  Mr.  Krall 
in  May,  1890,  he  returned  to  Boise,  which  at  that  time  had  a  population  of  twenty- 
five  hundred.  Progressive  methods  at  once  marked  the  new  venture.  He  soon  in- 
stalled the  first  free  delivery  in  the  city  and  he  also  sent  to  Minneapolis  for  a  car 
load  of  Pillsbury  flour,  which  made  a  much  better  bread  than  the  native  flour  of  the 
district.  The  excellence  of  his  product,  combined  with  the  free  delivery  system,  soon 
enabled  him  to  outdistance  all  competitors  and  command  the  trade  of  the  city.  His 
bakery  was  situated  on  the  west  side  of  Seventh  street,  between  Main  and  Idaho. 
In  those  early  days  Mr.  Wilson  was  for  five  years  a  member  of  the  volunteer  fire 


JAMES  W.  WILSON 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  273 

company  of  Boise  and  each  Christmas  the -city  council  gave  to  the  firemen  a  Christ- 
mas dinner,  in  which  Mr.  Wilson's  part  was  to  roast  two  dozen  turkeys,  five  dozen 
chickens  and  a  young  pig.  Throughout  the  years  of  his  connection  with  the  bakery 
business  here  he  has  kept  in  touch  with  every  modern  improvement  and  great  strides 
have  been  made  in  the  methods  of  baking,  all  of  which  have  become  features  of  .Mr. 
Wilson's  business.  His  products  are  of  the  highest  quality,  their  excellence  being 
attested  by  his  continually  growing  trade. 

In  Boise,  on  the  2d  of  May,  1894,  Mr.  Wilson  was  married  to  Miss  Ada  Anderson, 
who  was  born  in  Muscotah,  Kansas,  April  18,  1869,  and  came  to  Boise  with  her  parents 
in  1890.  Her  father,  Judge  Alfred  Anderson,  is  a  well  known  Boise  citizen.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wilson  have  a  daughter,  Adonis  Grant,  who  was  born  in  Boise  on  the  19th  of 
September,  1899,  and  is  now  a  senior  in  the  Boise  high  school. 

Mr.  Wilson  is  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  of  Boise,  of 
which  he  is  a  past  noble  grand.  This  lodge  was  organized  in  the  basement  of  the 
Wilson  bakery  on  North  Thirteenth  street  and  he  became  its  first  secretary.  In  politics 
he  is  a  republican  but  has  never  been  a  politician.  He  may  well  be  termed  the  father 
of  the  Idaho  Master  Bakers'  Association.  He  took  the  initiative  In  forming  the  or- 
ganization and  was  made  its  first  president.  Later  he  served  for  a  second  term  in 
the  office  and  at  the  recent  meeting  of  the  association  in  Pocatello  he  was  chosen  for 
the  third  time  as  its  chief  presiding  officer.  In  the  early  days  he  was  a  member  of 
Company  A  of  the  Idaho  National  Guard  and  in  1889  his  company  was  under  arms  for 
two  days  in  the  armory,  ready  to  light  a  band  of  Indians  that  crossed  into  Montana 
and  was  defeated  finally  at  the  battle  of  Wounded  Knee.  In  1892  Mr.  Wilson  was 
again  called  into  action  when  his  company  went  forth  to  aid  in  quelling  the  insur- 
rection in  the  Coeur  d'Alenes.  Mr.  Wilson  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  de- 
termination to  come  to  Idaho,  for  here  he  found  the  opportunities  and  the  conditions 
which  he  sought  and  in  the  utilization  of  the  former  has  made  steady  progress  toward 
the  goal  of  success.  He  has  long  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  busi- 
ness men  of  the  city  and  it  is  hard  to  imagine  what  Boise  would  be  without  the  Wil- 
son bakery  and  its  popular  proprietor. 


J.  J.  HASBROUCK. 

J.  J.  HasBrouck  is  the  owner  of  a  good  farm  property  in  Nampa,  whereon  he 
is  engaged  in  dairying  and  market  gardening.  He  was  born  in  the  state  of  New 
York,  March  28,  1861,  a  son  of  Abram  E.  HasBrouck,  who  was  likewise  a  native 
of  the  Empire  state  and  a  direct  descendant  of  French  Huguenots  who  had  lived 
for  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  right  where  the  original  stock  had  settled  in  .Ulster 
county.  The  mother,  who  in  her  maidenhood  was  Elizabeth  Deyo,  was  also  a 
Huguenot  but  traced  her  ancestry  back  to  both  French  and  Holland  stock.  In  his 
home  locality  Abram  E.  HasBrouck  was  a  man  of  prominence  and  Influence  and 
for  three  terms  represented  his  district  in  the  state  legislature  of  New  York,  so  that 
his  activity  extended  as  well  to  matters  of  general  concern  in  the  commonwealth. 
For  some  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  at  Highland  on  the  Hudson. 
There  are  two  historic  HasBrouck  houses  in  the  state  of  New  York,  one  at  New- 
burgh,  where  Washington  made  his  headquarters  during  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  where,  it  was  reported,  he  was  offered  a  crown  which  he  refused,  and  the  other 
at  New  Paltz,  New  York.  The  first  one  is  now  owned  by  the  state  of  New  York, 
being  preserved  as  a  historical  monument,  while  the  other  is  owned  by  the  Hugue- 
not Society  of  America  and  is  used  as  a  memorial  house.  It  was  built  by  Abram 
HasBrouck,  six  generations  removed  from  J.  J.  HasBrouck  of  this  review.  The 
HasBrouck  and  DuBois  families  settled  at  the  same  time  in  Wallkill  Valley,  New 
York,  and  their  descendants  have  intermarried  for  three  generations  back.  J.  J. 
HasBrouck  of  this  review  was  in  New  York  city  in  1906  and  1907,  when  they 
were  celebrating  the  anniversary  of  the  laying  out  of  Upper  New  York,  and  there 
he  met  an  uncle,  Ezekiel  Elting,  a  very  old  gentleman,  who,  however,  still  retained 
a  memory  concerning  all  of  the  traditions  of  the  original  event  which  was  being 
celebrated.  Abram  E.  HasBrouck,  the  father,  remained  a  resident  of  the  Empire 
state  throughout  his  entire  life  and  in  his  later  years  put  aside  business  cares, 
passing  away  in  1910.  His  wife  also  died  in  New  York. 

J.   J.   HasBrouck   was   accorded   an   academic   education,   pursuing  his   studies 

Vol.  Ill— 18 


274  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

until  1876.  In  1883  he  went  to  Arkansas,  where  he  fallowed  farming  and  milling 
near  Hardy,  but  disposed  of  his  interests  there  in  1899  and  came  to  Nampa,  Idaho, 
for  his  reading  concerning  the  opportunities  offered  in  this  section  of  the  state  led 
him  to  desire  to  cast  in  his  fortunes  with  the  residents  of  Canyon  county.  After  a 
brief  period  spent  at  Nampa  he  bought  the  old  Captain  Bernard  homestead,  which 
is  now  within  the  corporate  limits  of  the  city,  the  original  tract  containing  eighty 
acres,  of  which  Mr.  HasBrouck  has  sold  twenty  acres.  He  is  now  carrying  on  a 
dairy  business  and  also  market  gardening  and  his  enterprise  and  diligence  are 
bringing  to  him  a  substantial  measure  of  success.  He  breeds  his  herd  to  the  Guern- 
sey cattle  and  has  some  of  the  finest  cows  in  the  state. 

In  1886  Mr.  HasBrouck  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mattie  Dalgarn,  whose 
father  was  a  farmer  near  Bowling  Green,  Indiana.  They  have  five  children.  Irving 
J.,  born  in  New  York  and  now  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  married  Zella  Ingraham, 
of  Idaho,  and  resides  at  Barber,  this  state.  Edith,  born  in  Arkansas,  is  the  wife 
of  E.  W.  Rice,  a  nephew  of  Hon.  J.  C.  Rice,  assistant  chief  justice  of  Idaho,  and  son  of 
W.  P  .Rice.  DeWitt,  who  was  born  in  Arkansas  twenty-five  years  ago,  became  a  mem- 
ber of  Battery  C,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-sixth  Field  Artillery,  and  was  with  the  army 
of  occupation  in  Germany  after  participating  in  all  of  the  intensive  campaigns  in 
which  the  American  forces  took  part  in  the  great  world  war.  The  Sixty-sixth  Brigade 
of  the  artillery,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  fired  over  fifty-three  per  cent  of  the  total 
ammunition  expended  by  the  artillery  of  the  American  army  overseas.  Harold  E., 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  born  in  Arkansas,  became  a  corporal  of  Battery  B  of 
the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-sixth  Field  Artillery  of  the  Sixty-sixth  Brigade,  so  that 
his  military  experiences  were  similar  to  those  of  his  brother.  Ralph  Deyo,  nineteen 
years  of  age,  born  in  Nampa,  is  at  home  with  his  parents. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  HasBrouck  is  a  beautiful  home  built  of  brick 
and  artificial  stone,  with  interior  hardwood  finishing.  It  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
twelve  thousand  dollars  and  if  built  today  would  cost  twenty  thousand  dollars.  It 
is  surrounded  by  a  splendid  lawn  adorned  with  fine  old  trees  and  stands  as  a  mon- 
ument to  the  enterprise,  business  ability  and  progressive  spirit  of  the  owner. 


C.   B.  ANDERSON. 

C.  B.  Anderson;  who  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  his  success  as  a  farmer, 
resides  in  the  Huston  district  of  Canyon  county,  not  far  from  Caldwell.  He  was 
born  in  Sweden,  June  6,  1862,  and  there  acquired  his  early  education  while  spend- 
ing his  boyhood  days  in  the  home  of  his  parents,  Andrew  and  Christine  (Daniel- 
son)  Jones,  who  were  farming  people  of  that  country,  in  which  they  spent  their 
entire  lives. 

C.  B.  Anderson  remained  in  Sweden  to  the  age  of  seventeen  years  and  in  1880 
bade  adieu  to  friends  and  native  country  and  sailed  for  the  new  world,  making  his 
way  first  to  Mankato,  Minnesota.  In  that  locality  he  worked -as  a  farm  hand  for 
three  years  and  then  took  up  work  in  the  stone  quarries,  being  thus  engaged  for 
twenty  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  removed  to  Montana,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  same  line  of  work  for  nine  years.  He  had  had  little  experience 
as  a  farmer  in  this  country  when  he  came  to  Idaho  in  1906  and  purchased  a  relin- 
quishment  claim  of  eighty-three  acres  upon  which  he  now  resides.  The  land  was 
covered  with  sagebrush  and  was  destitute  of  all  improvements.  He  cleared  it  and 
has  brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  carries  on  mixed  farming,  raising 
hay,  grain  and  clover  seed  and  also  does  a  small  dairy  business.  He  has  a  fine 
orchard  upon  his  place  for  family  use.  At  the  Panama  Pacific  Exposition  in  San 
Francisco  in  1915  he  was  awarded  the  second  prize  for  the  finest  Swedish  select 
oats.  He  sowed  his  crop  on  the  8th  of  June  and  cut  on  the  8th  of  September,  pro- 
ducing his  crop  with  irrigation.  In  1919  he  obtained  from  his  land  about  three 
tons  of  alfalfa  to  the  acre  at  a  cutting.  He  has  proven  very  capable  and  efficient 
in  all  of  his  farm  work  and  is  meeting  with  well  deserved  success. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  1906,  Mr.  Anderson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Jessie 
B.  Ferris,  the  widow  of  Albert  Scarth,  whom  she  married  September  25,  1898,  and 
who  passed  away  in  1902.  He  was  a  native  of  Kansas.  By  her  first  marriage  Mrs. 
Anderson  had  a  daughter,  Ardath  M.,  who  is  now  a  student  in  the  College  of  Idaho 
and  expects  to  continue  her  education  at  Corvallis,  Oregon.  To  the  second  mar- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  275 

riage  has  been  born  a  son,  Harold  C.,  now  twelve  years  of  age  and  a  pupil  in  the 
district  school.  For  nine  years  Mrs.  Anderson  has  served  on  the  school  board  as  a 
most  efficient  and  progressive  member  and  during  the  term  of  her  incumbency 
there  has  been  erected  one  of  the  finest  small  school  buildings  in  the  state,  a  story 
and  basement  in  height.  It  is  built  of  cement  brick  and  is  of  beautiful  architec- 
ture. Mrs.  Anderson  was  largely  instrumental  in  getting  the  school  for  the  district. 
In  the  basement  is  a  large  community  hall  with  a  seating  capacity  of  two  hundred. 
The  work  of  Mrs.  Anderson  has  indeed  been  of  value  along  educational  lines  and 
she  is  also  regarded  as  one  of  the  social  leaders  of  the  community.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Anderson  have  an  extensive  circle  of  warm  friends,  and  he  has  made  for  him- 
self a  most  creditable  position  as  a  representative  agriculturist  of  his  section  of 
the  state. 


H.    B.    STRAWN. 

One  could  not  go  far  amiss  in  his  search  of  information  concerning  horticultural 
possibilities  in  Idaho  to  seek  that  information  from  H.  B.  Strawn,  who  is  one  of 
the  m'ost  progressive  and  successful  fruit  raisers  of  Payette  county,  having  large 
and  well  developed  orchards  which  receive  the  most  scientific  care  and  which  pro- 
duce splendid  crops.  Mr.  Strawn  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  was  born  September  28, 
1877,  a  son  of  J.  I.  and  Alice  (Wallack)  Strawn,  who  were  also  natives  of  the 
Buckeye  state.  William  Strawn,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  H.  B.  Strawn,  was 
one  of  the  honored  pioneer  residents  of  Ohio  and  passed  away  within  three  miles 
of  his  birthplace  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  In  1881  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
J.  I.  Strawn  removed  with  their  family  to  Iowa,  settling  in  Clarke  county,  where 
the  father  purchased  a"  farm  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  devoting  his  remain- 
ing days  to  its  cultivation.  He  passed  away  upon  the  homestead  there  in  1905 
and  the  mother  is  still  living  in  that  state. 

H.  B.  Strawn  remained  a  resident  of  Iowa  until  1909,  when  he  came  to  Idaho 
and  located  on  his  present  farm  of  sixty  acres  in  the  Fruitland  district  of  Payette 
county.  The  land  had  been  cultivated  for  only  one  year.  He  built  his  residence, 
barns  and  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock,  continuing  the  work  of 
improvement  as  it  was  needed  and  planting  his  orchards.  His  fruit  crop  in  1919 
netted  him  ten  thousand  dollars.  He  is  one  of  the  few  horticulturists  who  always 
has  a  market  arranged  for  in  advance  in  the  east.  Mr.  Strawn  has  a  regular  buyer 
in  Kansas  and  knows  that  there  will  always  be  a  sale  for  his  products.  He  has 
twenty-three  acres  planted  to  prunes  and  apples,  making  a  specialty  of  the  raising 
of  Winesap,  Jonathan  and  Roman  Beauty  apples.  He  also  cultivates  a  rented 
orchard  of  eight  acres.  In  the  midst  of  his  place  is  a  fine  home  and  Mr.  Strawn 
says  that  his  property  is  not  for  sale.  In  fact  he  believes  so  thoroughly  in  Idaho 
property  as  a  good  investment  that  he  has  no  desire  to  dispose  of  his  land,  which 
is  yielding  to  him  a  very  substantial  income  as  the  reward  of  the  care  and  labor 
which  he  bestows  upon  it. 

In  1898  Mr.  Strawn  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nettie  Slinker,  a  native  of 
Iowa  and  a  daughter  of  Levi  and  Maggie  (Houlet)  Slinker.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Strawn 
have  been  born  eight  children,  as  follows:  Clarence  R.,  a  young  man  of  nineteen 
years;  A.  Lucile;  Lester  H.,  a  youth  of  fourteen;  Hazel  R.;  Chester  G.,  who  is  ten 
years  of  age;  H.  Keith,  aged  seven;  Mary  Alice;  and  Ross,  who  is  but  a  year  old. 
The  family  occupies  a  prominent  social  position,  just  as  Mr.  Strawn  stands  in  an 
enviable  place  in  business  circles. 


MATEO  ARREGUI. 

Mateo  Arregui,  a  wool  grower  and  sheep  man  of  Boise,  who  is  a  well  known 
member  of  the  Basque  colony  of  this  city,  was  born  in  Spain,  September  21,  1876, 
the  youngest  in  a  family  of  eight  children  whose  parents  were  Domingo  and  Maria 
Ygnacia  Ytuarte  Arregui.  The  mother  died  when  her  son  Mateo  was  but  five  years 
of  age  and  the  father,  who  long  survived,  passed  away  in  1904,  at  which  time 
Mateo  Arregui  was  in  Spain,  having  returned  to  that  country  from  the  United 


276  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

States,  where  he  had  already  spent  six  years.     The  father  was  a  farmer  in  Spain 
and  owned  a  small  flock  of  sheep,  numbering  about  twenty-five. 

Mateo  Arregui  was  'reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years  was  drafted  into  the  Spanish  army,  Spain  being  at  that  time  at  war  with 
the  Cubans.  Mr.  Arregui  was  sent  with  the  Spanish  army  to  Cuba  under  com- 
mand of  General  Weyler  and  spent  fourteen  months  on  the  island — a  year  or  so 
before  the  Spanish-American  war  of  1898.  From  Cuba  he  returned  to  Spain  in 
1897,  having  been  granted  the  privilege  of  going  home  to  assist  in  the  care  of  his 
father,  who  was  then  more  than  sixty  years  of  age. 

In  1899  Mr.  Arregui  came  to  the  United  States,  landing  at  New  York  city,  and 
at  once  proceeded  to  Nevada,  where  he  spent  three  years  in  herding  sheep  and 
doing  other  ranch  work,  receiving  a  wage  of  from  fifteen  to  forty  dollars  per  month. 
In  1902  he  came  to  Idaho  and  entered  upon  active  connection  with  the  sheep  in- 
dustry in  this  state  as  a  herder  in  Elmore  county.  In  1904  he  returned  to  Spain 
to  visit  his  father  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  marrying  an  old  sweetheart  of  his 
boyhood.  While  the  son  was  in  Spain,  the  father  became  ill  of  pneumonia  and 
passed  away. 

It  was  on  the  14th  of  January,  1905,  that  Mr.  Arregui  wedded  Miss  Adriana 
Celaya  and  at  once  they  started  for  the  United  States  with  Idaho  as  their  destina- 
tion. They  soon  established  a  home  in  Boise,  where  they  have  since  lived.  Mr. 
Arregui  has  been  identified  with  the  sheep  and  wool  industry  throughout  the  in- 
tervening period.  While  he  came  to  Idaho  as  a  herder,  he  carefully  saved  his  earn- 
ings until  he  was  enabled  to  own  sheep,  and  through  the  intervening  years  he  has 
prospered,  carrying  on  the  business  of  sheep  and  wool  growing  and  conducting 
business  as  a  partner  of  Jose  Arostegui  under  the  firm  name  of  Arregui  &  Arostegui. 
They  now  have  several  thousand  sheep  grazing  on  the  Idaho  ranges. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arregui  are  the  parents  of  three  living  children:  Juan,  born 
July  12,  1909;  Carmen,  whose  birth  occurred  on  the  30th  of  October,  1913;  and 
Rose,  whose  natal  day  was  October  14,  1917.  One  other  child,  a  son,  the  first 
born,  was  accidentally  killed  by  being  thrown  from  a  horse  at  the  age  of  seven 
years.  This  was  Teodoro,  who  was  born  November  9,  1905,  and  died  November 
10,  1912.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arregui  are  Catholics  in  religious  faith,  having  mem- 
bership in  the  Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd  of  Boise,  and  he  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Columbus.  Ever  ready  to  respond  to  the  call  of  opportunity,  Mr. 
Arregui  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  in  business  circles  and  has  con- 
tributed in  no  small  measure  to  Idaho's  reputation  as  a  leading  sheep  raising 
district. 


JOSEPH   R.   POWELL. 

Joseph  R.  Powell,  devoting  his  attention  to  the  conduct  of  a  dairy  business 
and  to  the  raising  of  alfalfa,  makes  his  home  in  the  Lone  Star  district  of  Canyon 
county,  not  far  from  Nampa.  A  native  of  Kentucky,  he  was  born  near  Bowling 
Green.  October  26,  1868,  and  there  attended  the  public  schools  until  he  reached 
the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  his  mother  died  and  he  left  home,  starting  out  in  the 
world  to  provide  for  his  own  support.  He  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  and 
afterward  became  foreman  of  a  large  stock  and  tobacco  plantation,  whereon  he 
remained  until  1892.  In  that  year  he  removed  to  Sioux  Falls,  South  Dakota,  and 
became  foreman  for  Dr.  Morgan,  having  charge  of  his  fine  racing  stock  for  three 
years.  During  the  succeeding  two  years,  covering  the  period  of  widespread  finan- 
cial panic,  he  traveled  over  twenty-six  states,  looking  for  a  place  to  locate.  At  that 
time  the  rates  were  cut  and  travel  was  very  cheap.  Mr.  Powell  finally  decided  on 
Idaho  as  a  place  of  residence  and  took  up  a  homestead  six  miles  southeast  of  Nampa, 
in  Ada  county.  He  then  began  working  for  Tom  Mellen  at  sheep  raising  and  in  the 
meantime  complied  with  the  law  regarding  his  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres.  For  five  years  he  continued  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Mellen  and  then  began 
the  improvement  of  his  farm,  which  he  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  his 
only  neighbors  being  the  coyote  and  the  jack  rabbit.  His  farm  was  under  the 
Boise-Payette  project  and  he  had  to  wait  five  years  for  water,  but  when  the  place 
was  ultimately  irrigated  he  made  rapid  strides  in  its  development  and  converted  it 
into  a  valuable  farm.  He  raised  hogs  and  cattle  and  both  branches  of  his  business 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  277 

proved   profitable.      In   November,    1918,   he  sold   his   original   homestead   and    pur- 
chased his  present   place  of  thirty-five  acres,  situated  three  miles  west  of  Nampa. 
in  the  Lone  Star  district.     Here  he  conducts  a  small  dairy  and  also  raises  alfalfa 
gathering  good   crops  annually. 

While  Mr.  Powell's  father,  R.  P.  Powell,  still  remains  a  resident  of  Kentucky, 
his  home  being  at  Austin,  Mr.  Powell  has  four  brothers  who  came  to  Idaho  at  his 
request.  Lacy,  who  is  now  living  with  his  brother  Dick,  sold  his  farm  for  thirty 
thousand  dollars  and  has  practically  retired  from  business.  Allen  is  situated  two 
miles  east  of  Nampa  on  eighty  acres  of  land,  Hayden  has  eighty  acres  at  Melba  and 
Dick  resides  three  miles  east  of  Narapa  on  a  tract  of  forty  acres.  The  five  Powell 
brothers  have  thus  contributed  in  substantial  measure  to  the  agricultural  develop- 
ment of  this  section  of  the  state,  the  worth  of  their  labors  being  widely  recognized. 

In  1907  Joseph  R.  Powell  was  married  to  Miss  Laura  Williamson,  of  Cherokee, 
Kansas,  and  they  have  one  son,  Roy,  now  ten  years  of  age.  The  parents  enjoy  a 
wide  acquaintance  in  Ada  and  Canyon  counties  and  the  warmest  regard  is  enter- 
tained for  them  by  all  who  know  them.  Mr.  Powell  served  for  two  terms  on  the 
school  board  of  Ada  county  and  was  likewise  road  commissioner  of  that  county 
for  two  terms.  He  is  keenly  interested  in  everything  that  has  to  do  with  the  wel- 
fare and  progress  of  his  community  and  the  state  at  large  and  his  support  can  be 
counted  upon  to  further  any  measure  for  the  general  good. 


WILLIAM  HALE  WICKS. 

William  Hale  Wicks,  well  known  in  horticultural  circles  as  an  educator  and 
author  as  well  as  a  practical  fruit  grower,  is  now  director  of  the  bureau  of  plant 
industry  for  Idaho,  with  offices  in  the  state  capitol  at  Boise.  He  was  born  in  Macon 
county,  Illinois,  November  30,  1881,  a  eon  of  Francis  and  Alice  Matilda  (Rife) 
Wicks,  the  former  now  deceased.  The  removal  of  the  family  to  the  northwest 
made  him  a  pupil  in  the  schools  of  Corvallis,  Oregon,  where  he  completed  the  high 
school  work  by  graduation  in  1899.  He  then  entered  the  Oregon  Agricultural  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1904  with  the.B.  S.  A.  degree,  while  in  1906 
his  alma  mater  conferred  upon  him  the  M.  S.  degree.  He  also  won  the  M.  S.  degree 
from  the  agricultural  department  of  Cornell  University  at  Ithaca,  New  York,  in 
1907.  His  educational  work  has  taken  him  to  various  sections  of  the  country. 
He  was  assistant  horticulturist  at  the  Oregon  Agricultural  College  from  1904  until 
1907  and  was  professor  of  pomology  and  assistant  horticulturist  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Agricultural  College  at  Durham.  New  Hampshire,  in  1908  and  1909.  In  the 
fall  of  the  latter  year  he  accepted  the  professorship  of  horticulture  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Idaho  at  Moscow,  there  remaining  until  1914,  when  he  became  professor  of 
horticulture  in  the  University  of  Arkansas  at  Fayetteville,  where  he  continued  for 
four  years. 

In  1913  and  1914  he  was  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  by-products  committee 
of  the  North  Pacific  Fruit  Distributors,  and  in  1913  he  was  a  trustee  of  the  Sixth 
National  Apple  Show  at  Spokane,  Washington.  He  served  as  consulting  horticul- 
turist to  the  Kootenai  Orchard  Company  at  McArthur,  Idaho,  in  1911  and  1912  and 
was  commissioner  of  horticulture  of  the  Arkansas  Commission  at  the  Panama  Pa- 
cific International  Exposition  in  1914.  He  has  also  served  as  judge  of  horticul- 
tural products  at  various  fairs  and  expositions.  He  is  the  author  of  numerous 
experiment  station  bulletins,  scientific  papers  and  popular  articles  on  fruit  growing 
and  his  opinions  are  largely  accepted  as  authority  throughout  the  country  upon 
the  subjects  on  which  he  writes.  He  has  been  investigator  in  marketing  fruits  and 
vegetables  for  the  United  States  bureau  of  markets  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  filling 
the  position  from  September,  1918,  to  April  1,  1919.  He  is  now  director  of  the 
bureau  of  plant  industry  of  the  state  of  Idaho.  His  entire  life  work  has  been 
educational  and  he  has  the  faculty  of  making  the  science  back  of  his  work  of 
illuminating  value  to  the  horticulturist  who  is  doing  the  actual  work  of  producing 
fruit  in  the  orchards  and  on  the  farms. 

In  1904  Mr.  Wicks  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Cara  Helen  Mary  Wilson, 
a  daughter  of  Bushrod  W.  Wilson,  of  Corvallis,  Oregon,  now  deceased.  They  have 
become  the  parents  of  two  children:  a  son,  Belmyn  Augustus,  and  a  daughter,  Bev- 
erley  Justine. 


278  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Episcopal  church  and  Mr. 
Wicks  is  identified  with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  His  membership  in  scientific 
societies  is  very  broad.  He  is  connected  with  the  Luther  Burbank  Society,  the 
American  Genetic  Association,  the  Society  for  Horticultural  Science  and  the  Potato 
Association  of  America.  Through  experiment,  study,  investigation  and  research 
work  he  has  continually  broadened  his  efficiency  in  educational  circles,  rendering 
his  service  of  greater  practical  value  in  the  development  of  the  horticultural  in- 
terests of  the  country. 


EDWIN  B.  FLETCHER. 

Edwin  B.  Fletcher,  formerly  a  ranchman  but  now  living  retired  at  No.  1115  State 
street,  Boise,  was  born  in  Wisconsin,  October  13,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and 
Isabella  (Rigg)  Fletcher.  The  father  died  when  his  son  Edwin  B.  was  but  two  years 
of  age  and  he  was  left  an  orphan  by  his  mother's  death  when  a  lad  of  only  seven  years. 
He  was  then  bound  out  to  strangers,  with  whom  he  lived  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  his 
time  being  passed  in  Irving,  Kansas,  to  which  state  his  parents  had  removed  during  his 
infancy.  When  sixteen  he  left  the  family  with  whom  he  had  resided  and  went  to 
Manhattan,  Kansas,  entering  school  near  there.  Later  he  attended  St.  Mary's  College, 
a  Catholic  institution  of  Kansas,  and  pursued  his  studies  at  intervals  there  through  a 
period  of  five  years.  He  taught  one  term  of  school  in  young  manhood  in  Jackson 
county,  Kansas,  but  with  that  exception  has  largely  devoted  his  life  to  farming.  He 
left  the  Sunflower  state  in  1881  as  a  member  of  a  construction  crew  that  was  building 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  through  Nebraska.  He  worked  in  that  way 
for  about  a  year  and  in  1882  came  to  Idaho  but  remained  for  only  a  few  months,  after 
which  he  went  to  Washington,  settling  near  Pullman.  He  lived  at  that  place  and  at 
other  points  in  Washington  from  1882  until  1904,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Idaho.  He  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Twin  Falls  for  two  and  a  half  years  and 
since  1908  has  made  his  home  in  Boise.  He  manages  several  valuable  ranches  which 
he  owns,  two  of  these  being  situated  in  Ada  county  and  one  in  Twin  Falls  county.  His 
success  is  the  direct  outcome  of  his  energy  and  enterprise,  for  he  started  out  in  the 
business  world  empty-handed  and  in  fact  is  not  only  a  self-made  but  also  a  largely  a 
self-educated  man. 

In  1897,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years,  Mr.  Fletcher  was  married  in  Spokane,  Wash 
ington,  to  Miss  Ellen  Gertrude  Ryan,  who  was  born  in  New  York  of  Irish  parentage, 
and  they  have  five  children:  Maria,  Eleanor,  Olivia,  George  and  Thomasina,  their  ages 
ranging  from  twenty-two  down  to  eleven  years,  and  all  are  at  home. 

The  family  are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church  and  Mr.  Fletcher  belongs  to 
the  Knights  of  Columbus.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat  and  while  residing  in  Washing- 
ton served  for  one  term  as  county  commissioner  of  Garfield  county.  Otherwise  he  has 
not  sought  or  filled  office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his 
business  affairs,  which  have  enabled  him  to  provide  a  most  comfortable  living  for  his 
family  and  an  attractive  home.  Such  has  been  his  success  that  he  is  now  practically 
living  retired,  making  his  home  in  Boise  and  leaving  the  active  work  of  developing  his 
ranches  to  others. 


W.  H.   ROGERS. 

W.  H.  Rogers,  who  is  farming  in  the  Deer  Flat  district  of  Canyon  county, 
was  born  in  Marin  county,  California,  November  22,  1873.  His  parents  are  O.  G. 
and  Anna  M.  (Van  Doran)  Rogers,  the  latter  a  daughter  of  W.  H.  Van  Doran,  a 
pioneer  hotel  man  of  Petaluma,  California.  Anna  M.  Van  Doran  crossed  the 
Isthmus  en  route  to  California,  riding  a  mule,  in  the  early  '50s,  with  her  parents 
as  they  journeyed  from  Illinois  to  the  Pacific  coast.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  O.  G. 
Rogers  are  now  residents  of  Idaho  and  are  living  with  their  son,  W.  H.,  enjoying 
good  health. 

W.  H.  Rogers  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county  in  early  youth 
and  in  1883,  when  a  lad  of  ten  years,  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  state  of 
Washington.  There  they  remained  until  1906,  when  they  came  to  Idaho,  bringing 


EDWIN  B.  FLETCHER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  281 

with  them  a  splendid  outfit,  so  that  they  did  not  suffer  the  inconveniences  caused 
by  the  lack  of  farm  implements,  as  did  many  of  the  other  settlers. 

It  was  on  the  31st  of  December,  1911,  that  W.  H.  Rogers  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Odessa  A.  Posey,  a  native  of  Indiana  and  a  daughter  of  George  W.  and 
Mary  J.  (Querry)  Posey.  Her  father  died  when  Mrs.  Rogers  was  but  eight  years 
of  age.  The  mother  was  also  a  native  of  Indiana  and  Mrs.  Rogers  has  a  brother, 
W.  T.  Posey,  who  is  a  station  agent  at  Middleton,  Idaho.  Mrs.  Rogers  home- 
steaded  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Idaho,  filing  on  her  property  July  14,  1905,  while 
proof  was  accepted  April  21,  1911.  She  taught  school  in  the  meantime  in  order 
to  make  money  to  pay  for  the  necessary  improvements.  Mr.  Rogers  homesteaded 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  adjoining  the  claim  of  the  lady  who  afterward  became 
his  wife.  He  filed  on  his  property  December  27,  1905,  and  proof  was  accepted 
April  7,  1913.  Both  took  up  raw  sagebrush  land  and  toiled  early  and  late  to  put 
it  in  shape  for  the  first  crop.  They  could  not  raise  anything  without  water  and 
had  to  wait  four  years  before  the  irrigation  system  was  developed.  Since  then  rapid 
strides  have  been  made  in  the  development  of  the  property  and  Mr.  Rogers  is  now 
successfully  carrying  on  general  farming  and  stock  raising  and  all  of  the  land  which 
was  taken  up  by  himself  and  wife  is  today  under  cultivation  save  a  few  acres.  They 
also  have  fifty-five  head  of  cattle,  including  five  head  of  registered  shorthorns. 

Mrs.  Rogers  taught  school  for  four  terms  in  the  Deer  Flat  district  and  during 
the  period  of  the  World  war  she  was  most  active  in  Red  Cross  work.  The  hardships 
and  privations  of  the  earlier  period  of  their  residence  here  are  now  past  and  gone 
and  prosperity  is  attending  their  labors.  Great  changes  have  been  made  and  the 
sagebrush  was  cleared  away  and  water  brought  to  the  farm,  which  is  today  a  valua- 
ble property,  producing  large  and  substantial  crops. 


CHARLES   A.    NELSON. 

Charles  A.  Nelson,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  now  residing  on  the  Boise  Bench,  about 
two  miles  south  of  Boise,  was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  27th  of  August,  1875.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1901,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-six  years,  at  which 
time  he  was  already  an  expert  carpenter  and  cabinet  maker.  His  father  was  the 
owner  of  a  farm  in  Sweden  and  thereon  Charles  A.  Nelson  was  reared  to  the  age 
of  sixteen  years,  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  cabinetmaking.  He  had  already 
acquired  a  fondness  for  the  use  of  tools  while  in  the  manual  training  department 
of  the  schools  of  his  native  country  and,  developing  his  natural  skill  and  ingenuity 
in  that  direction,  he  became  very  proficient  both  in  cabinetmaking  and  in  carpen- 
tering. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1901,  he  sailed  for  America  on  the  Campania  of  the  Cunard 
line,  and  on  the  same  steamer  was  Miss  Anna  Matilda  Olson,  his  future  wife,  who  had 
been  a  schoolmate  of  his  in  their  childhood  days.  They  landed  at  New  York  and 
immediately  afterward  both  started  west  for  Chicago,  where  Miss  Olson  had  rela- 
tives. Mr.  Nelson,  however,  did  not  remain  in  Chicago  but  made  his  way  at  ones 
to  Hailey,  Idaho,  where  he  arrived  on  the  15th  of  May,  1901,  just  fourteen  days 
after  leaving  Goteborg,  Sweden.  He  spent  several  months  in  Blaine  county  and 
Elmore  county  and  filed  on  a  homestead  in  the  latter  county  in  1901.  In  the  same 
year  he  purchased  an  adjoining  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  with 
characteristic  energy  began  the  development  of  his  three  hundred  and  twenty  acre 
ranch,  upon  which  he  resided  for  several  years.  In  the  meantime  his  former 
schoolmate.  Miss  Olson,  had' come  to  Idaho  from  Chicago  and  on  the  30th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1903,  they  were  married.  They  took  up  their  abode  on  the  Elmore  county 
ranch,  near  Hill  City,  and  there  remained  until  the  fall  of  1917.  when  Mr.  Xelson 
sold  that  property  and  purchased  ten  acres  of  fine  land  on  the  Boise  Bench,  pay- 
ing two  hundred  and  ten  dollars  per  acre.  Upon  this  place  he  has  erected  an  at- 
tr.Mtive  modern  bungalow  at  a  cost  of  four  thousand  dollars,  supplied  with  bath, 
with  running  water  and  also  equipped  with  a  heating  plant.  Here  he  and  his  family 
are  most  pleasantly  located  and  he  works  at  his  trade  of  carpentering  in  Boise  and 
vicinity. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  have  become  parents  of  three  Children:  Emma,  born  June 
30,  1904;  Oscar,  whose  birth  occurred  October  3,  1908;  and  Arthur,  whose  natal 
day  was  December  16,  1912.  Mr.  Nelson  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  de- 


282  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

termination  to  come  to  the  new  world,  for  the  business  opportunities  which  he 
sought  have  yielded  him  a  measure  of  success  that  is  gratifying.  Not  only  is  he 
the  owner  of  his  excellent  place  on  the  Boise  bench  but  also  has  interests  in  copper 
mines  in  Elmore  county. 


CHARLES  H.  DRAKE. 

Charles  H.  Drake,  one  of  the  prosperous  ranchmen  and  well  known  farmers 
residing  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise,  dates  his  residence  in  Idaho  from  1885.  He  was 
born  in  New  Jersey,  January  31,  1874,  and  is  the  second  son  of  the  late  Daniel  D. 
Drake.  When  the  family  removed  from  New  Jersey  to  Idaho  in  1885  Charles  H. 
Drake  was  but  eleven  years  of  age.  He  has  since  lived  in  this  locality,  at  first 
residing  with  his  parents  on  the  home  ranch  in  South  Boise,  which  was  their  first 
home  in  Idaho.  In  the  early  '90s  they  removed  to  what  is  now  known  as  the  Drake 
ranch  southwest  of  Boise  and  of  this  property  Charres  H.  Drake  is  now  the  owner 
of  seventy  acres.  He  has  a  splendid  set  of  new  buildings  upon  it,  which  were  erected 
in  1913,  and  all  modern  improvements  such  as  are  found  upon  the  model  farm  of 
the  twentieth  century.  His  home  is  a  modern  bungalow  with  built  in  furniture,  a 
fine  plumbing  system,  bathroom  and  hot  water  and  electric  lights  throughout  the 
house.  The  barns  and  outbuildings  are  ample  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock  and 
there  is  a  fine  young  orchard  of  five  acres  upon  the  place,  chiefly  devoted  to  peaches 
and  prunes.  Mr.  Drake's  ranch  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  of  its  size  in  the  Boise 
valley.  It  is  almost  level,  having  a  gentle  slope  to  the  north  from  the  Ridenbaugh 
ditch,  which  extends  along  its  southern  border  and  supplies  it  with  water.  The 
father,  Daniel  D.  Drake,  paid  only  one  thousand  dollars  for  the  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acre  tract  in  the  latter  part  of  the  '80s.  The  son  and  present  owner,  Charles 
H.  Drake,  has  refused  four  hundred  dollars  per  acre  for  his  tract  of  seventy  acres. 
This  certainly  indicates  the  general  rise  in  land  values  and  the  improvements  which 
have  been  put  upon  the  place  by  Mr.  Drake. 

It  was  on  the  15th  of  November,  1899,  that  Charles  H.  Drake  was  married 
to  Miss  Emma  Tuly  Johns,  a  daughter  of  Edwin  and  Jane  Johns,  the  former  a  pio- 
neer of  South  Boise,  who  has  now  passed  away,  while  the  latter  is  still  living.  Mrs. 
Drake  was  born  on  the  old  Johns  homestead  in  South  Boise,  October  28,  1876. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drake  are  widely  known  in  this  section  of  the  state  and  are 
very  prominent  people.  He  has  for  more  than  twenty  years  been  a  rider  on  the 
Ridenbaugh  ditch,  devoting  about  seven  hours  a  day  for  seven  months  in  the  year 
to  this  work,  and  at  the  same  time  he  carries  on  his  ranching  operations.  His  sec- 
tion of  the  ditch  is  six  miles  in  length.  His  home  fields  are  very  productive,  raising 
fifty-five  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre  in  1918,  while  the  yield  in  1919  was  about 
fifty  bushels.  He  milks  about  ten  cows  all  of  the  time  and  continuously  employs  a 
hired  man  upon  his  place.  The  proximity  of  the  ranch  to  the  city  enables  the 
family  to  enjoy  all  of  the  advantages  of  city  life.  They  have  a  free  mail  delivery 
daily,  with  ice  delivered  to  their  refrigerator  every  other  day,  and  thus  while  en- 
joying the  comforts  of  town  life,  they  also  have  the  freedom  and  pleasures  of 
country  life. 

Mr.  Drake  is  interested  in  all  affairs  of  public  concern  and  supports  •'many 
measures  for  the  general  good.  At  one  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  trus- 
tees of  the  Idaho  Home  for  the  Feeble-Minded  at  Nampa  and  was  serving  on  the 
board  when  the  building  was  erected.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  dem- 
ocratic party  and  fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  both  are 
held  in  the  highest  esteem,  having  a  circle  of  friends  almost  coextensive  with  the 
circle  of  their  acquaintance. 


WILLIAM   C.   JOHNSON. 

Fifty-eight  years  have  come  and  gone  since  William  C.  Johnson  took  up  his 
abode  upon  his  present  farm,  comprising  five  hundred  acres  of  rich  and  valuable 
land,  on  which  he  is  engaged  in  raising  stock  and  in  general  farming,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  he  has  passed  the  eightieth  milestone  on  life's  journey. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  283 

He  was  'born  in  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  November  25,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of 
Charles  B.  and  Keziah  (Trapp)  Johnson,  who  were  natives  of  Tennessee.  The 
mother  died  during  the  early  boyhood  of  her  son  William.  The  father,  who  was 
a  farmer,  came  across  the  plains  in  1850,  traveling  with  ox  team  and  wagon  to 
Oregon.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  son  William,  who  remembers  vividly  many 
incidents  of  the  trip.  They  had  no  trouble  with  the  Indians,  but  there  was  much 
sickness  among  the  party,  his  mother  dying  on  the  Platte  river  at  Ash  Hollow  of 
cholera,  while  his  sister  passed  away  on  the  following  day  of  the  same  disease. 
They  were  buried  together  with  nothing  to  mark  their  grave  save  a  wooden  slab. 
While  the  party  were  crossing  the  Cascade  mountains  they  were  caught  in  a  bliz- 
zard and  had  to  unyoke  their  oxen  and  leave  their  wagons,  fleeing  to  save  their 
lives,  their  wagons  remaining  there  until  the  following  spring.  At  length  they 
reached  Milwaukee  on  the  Willamette  river,  about  three  miles  above  Portland. 
Oregon,  where  they  remained  for  about  six  weeks,  when  assistance  came  to  them 
from  friends  at  Corvallis,  then  called  Marysville.  They  removed  to  Corvallis,  and 
Charles  B.  Johnson  afterward  purchased  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
near  that  city  where  the  State  Agricultural  College  now  stands.  There  he  resided 
and  carried  on  farming  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1876. 

William  C.  Johnson  assisted  his  father  in  the  development  of  the  home  farm  near 
Corvallis  until  1861,  when  he  went  to  Walla  Walla,  Washington,  where  he  carried 
on  farming  for  two  years.  He  next  removed  to  Oroflno,  Idaho,  but  after  a  few  days 
returned  to  Walla  Walla,  where  he  again  took  up  farming.  In  May,  1886,  he  once 
more  came  to  Idaho,  bringing  with  him  a  bunch  of  cattle.  For  two  years  he  was 
employed  by  E.  E.  Taylor,  of  Emmett,  and  subsequently  worked  for  Burch  &  John- 
son, cattlemen,  driving  cattle  for  them  until  1871.  In  the  winter  of  1872  he  taught 
school  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  his  present  home,  taking  his  examination 
for  a  teacher's  certificate  in  Boise.  For  four  winters  he  continued  teaching,  being 
one  of  the  early  educators  of  that  section  of  the  state.  In  the  spring  of  1872  he 
purchased  a  few  head  of  cattle  and  started  in  the  live  stock  business,  which  he  has 
followed  ever  since. 

In  1874  Mr.  Johnson  was  married  to  Miss  Nancy  A.  King,  a  native  of  Missis- 
sippi, who  was  then  residing  upon  her  father's  farm,  adjoining  the  home  of  Mr. 
Johnson.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Johnson  located  near  his  present  farm 
property.  He  purchased  his  present  place  on  the  Payette  river  in  1878.  This  is 
a  most  beautiful  spot,  where  he  has  five  hundred  acres  of  good  land  and  an  at-< 
tractive  country  residence  which  stands  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  grove  of  trees 
overlooking  the  river.  '  He  still  raises  stock  and  does  general  farming  and  also  has 
an  excellent  orchard  upon  the  place,  although  he  raises  fruit  merely  for  family 
use  and  not  for  commercial  purposes. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  been  born  seven  children.  Mary  Elizabeth  is 
the  wife  of  H.  C.  Flint  and  the  mother  of  \hree  children,  Meta,  Calvin  and  Verna 
Elizabeth.  Lora  L.  married  George  Baxter  and  has  four  children,  Helen,  Carrie, 
Crayton  and  Clifford.  Ella  E.  is  the  wife  of  Herman  Kaeser  and  the  mother  of 
three  children,  Dorothy,  Harold  and  Donald.  Effie  is  the  wife  of  John  Howard 
and  has  two  children,  Robert  and  Clara  May.  Charles  W.  married  Miss  Grace 
Christenson  and  they  have  one  child,  Walter.  Ruth  is  the  wife  of  Lee  Boyd  and 
has  five  children,  Margaret,  Marvin,  Mildred.  Catherine  and  Elsie.  Edward  C.,  the 
youngest,  married  Mabel  Fletcher. 

In  community  affairs  Mr.  Johnson  has  taken  a  deep,  active  and  helpful  inter- 
est. He  served  as  commissioner  of  Ada  county  for  two  terms  and  for  one  term  in 
Canyon  county  after  the  division  of  the  territory.  He  has  served  as  a  member  of 
the  school  board  for  a  number  of  years  and  was  also  deputy  assessor  of  Ada  county 
for  two  years.  His  official  duties  were  discharged  with  the  same  promptness  and 
fidelity  that  has  characterized  the  conduct  of  his  business  affairs,  making  him  a 
representative  and  prosperous  farmer  of  the  New  Plymouth  district. 


NICK   COULINS. 

Nick  Collins,  president  and  founder  of  the  Boise  Athletic  Club  and  Physical 
Culture  School,  was  born  in  Chicago,  Illinois.  September  29,  1881,  a  son  of  John 
and  Mary  (Sweeney)  Collins,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland,  where  they  were  reared 
and  married.  Soon  afterward  they  came  to  the  United  States,  arriving  in  this 


284  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

country  about  a  year  before  the  birth  of  their  eldest  son,  Nick.  The  father,  who 
was  a  painter  by  trade,  died  in  1913,  in  Toronto,  Canada,  while  the  mother  sur- 
vives and  makes  her  home  in  Detroit,  Michigan. 

Nick  Collins  was  reared  in  the  cities  of  Chicago  and  Detroit  and  began  earn- 
ing his  living  as  a  newsboy  in  the  place  of  his  nativity.  He  was  always  fond  of 
clean  athletics  and  while  still  a  newsboy  in  his  teens  became  an  amateur  boxer  and 
wrestler.  Later  he  became  a  professional  boxer  and  wrestler,  belonging  to  the 
lightweight  (135)  class.  He  won  many  events  in  various  cities  in  the  country  and 
is  still  in  the  game  to  some  extent,  although  most  of  his  time  and  attention  since 
1913  have  been  given  to  his  athletic  school  in  Boise.  He  came  to  Boise  in  1913  and 
a  year  later  founded  the  Collins  Physical  Culture  School,  which  was  owned  and 
conducted  by  him  as  a  private  institution  until  May  6,  1919,  on  which  date  the 
school  was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Boise  Athletic  Club  and  Physical 
Culture  School,  with  Mr.  Collins  as  president.  The  business  is  capitalized  at 
twelve  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  In  May,  1919,  the  club  and  school  were 
established  at  their  present  quarters  at  No.  712  West  Idaho  street  and  the  insti- 
tution has  had  a  most  prosperous  career  under  Mr.  Collins'  management.  He  is 
popular  with  all  classes  and  particularly  with  those  who  are  fond  of  clean  sport. 
He  gives  class  and  private  instruction,  specializing  in  exercises  for  business  men, 
and  features  of  the  club  and  school  are  boxing,  wrestling,  weight  reducing  massages 
and  alternating  showers.  He  also  makes  a  specialty  of  physical  culture  training  for 
ladies  and  children.  About  twice  a  month  during  the  season  he  pulls  off  either 
a  boxing  match  or  wrestling  event,  choosing  the  Pinney  Theatre  in  Boise  for  all  the 
big  events  and  the  Liberty  Gardens  for  the  smaller  ones.  Mr.  Collins  has  brought 
many  of  the  best  wrestlers  and  boxers  to  Boise  to  participate  in  these  contests. 
While  touring  as  a  professional  he  traveled  through  Canadian  as  well  as  American 
cities  and  became  widely  known  throughout  the  two  countries.  He  has  built  up  a 
good  institution  in  Boise,  his  being  the  only  physical  culture  school  in  Idaho. 

Mr.  Collins  is  a  Roman  Catholic  in  religious  faith  and  is  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  and  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  also  with  the  Loyal  Order 
of  Moose.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  the  republican  party  but  he  has  never 
sought  nor  desired  office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  along 
the  line  of  his  chosen  life  activity. 


MRS.   DELLA  F.   ROE. 

The  number  of  women  who  have  become  successful  breeders  of  chickens  in  and 
near  Boise  is  notable.  Mrs.  Delia  F.  Roe,  of  Ivywild,  South  Boise,  is  among  this 
number,  giving  her  attention  to  the  breeding  of  Rhode  Island  Reds,  her  efforts  bring- 
ing her  steadily  into  prominence  in  this  connection.  She  has  closely  studied  the 
most  scientific  methods  of  caring  for  the  birds  and  this,  added  to  her  practical  ex- 
perience, had  produced  results  most  gratifying.  Mrs.  Roe  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
A.  Roe,  a  well  known  and  popular  grocery  salesman  traveling  out  of  Boise.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Delia  F.  Janssen  and  is  of  Danish  and  German  descent  in 
the  paternal  line  and  of  German  and  French  lineage  in  the  maternal  line.  She 
was  born  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  November  26,  1879,  her  father  being  George 
H.  Janssen,  who  was  a  pioneer  business  man  of  that  city.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
were  born  in  Germany,  but  they  were  married  in  Milwaukee.  The  former  has 
passed  away,  but  the  mother  survives  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Chicago.  For  many 
years  George  H.  Janssen  was  a  successful  merchant  and  developed  a  considerable 
estate. 

Charles  A.  Roe  was  born  in  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin,  January  24,  1880,  and  is  a 
son  of  the  Rev.  John  P.  Roe,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  who  was  graduated  from 
Cornell  University  and  devoted  his  life  to  the  work  of  the  church  but  is  now  de- 
ceased. He  was  a  brother  of  E.  P.  Roe,  the  famous  novelist.  In  the  maternal  line 
Mr.  Roe  is  also  a  direct  descendant  of  Cotton  Mather,  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
colony  of  Rhode  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roe  were  married  in  Milwaukee,  February 
5,  1903.  They  resided  in  Chicago  for  several  years  but  in  1907  came  to  Boise  and 
in  1913  located  at  the  present  home  in  Ivywild,  the  place  being  in  fact  a  small  farm. 
Here  Mrs.  Roe  is  giving  her  attention  to  the  breeding  of  Rhode  Island  Reds  and  ia 
the  owner  of  many  fine  birds.  She  ships  fancy  birds  to  various  parts  of  Idaho  and 
Oregon  and  for  seven  years  has  been  a  successful  exhibitor  at  the  Boise  poultry 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  285 

shows  and  also  at  Salt  Lake  City,  where  she  has  won  many  blue  and  red  ribbons  and 
also  one  fine  silver  cup,  donated  by  Moses  Alexander,  then  governor  of  Idaho. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roe  have  two  daughters:  Hazel  Mary,  born  August  12,  1904- 
and  Katherine  Helen,  born  April  27,  1908.  Both  are  now  students  in  Boise,  attend- 
ing St.  Margaret's  Hall. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roe  are  members  of  the  Idaho  Poultry  &  Pet  Stock  Asso- 
ciation, of  which  Mr.  Roe  is  one  of  the  directors  and  of  which  Mrs.  Roe  waa  for- 
merly assistant  secretary.  Mr.  Roe  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  he  and  his  wife  and  their  daughters  are  Episcopalians  in  religious 
faith.  The  family  is  one  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Boise,  where  they  have  a 
circle  of  friends  almost  coextensive  with  the  circle  of  their  acquaintance. 


J.  W.  BRANDT. 

Idaho  owes  her  wonderful  development  along  agricultural  and  horticultural 
lines  to  such  men  as  J.  W.  Brandt,  who  is  a  most  progressive  farmer,  his  home 
being  in  the  iLone  Star  district,  not  far  from  Nampa.  He  was  born  in  Germany 
but  in  early  youth  became  a  resident  of  Illinois,  crossing  the  Atlantic  with  his 
parents,  Louis  and  Margaret  (Bebhur)  Brandt,  who  were  also  natives  of  Germany. 
The  father  had  engaged  in  merchandising  in  the  old  country  but  followed  agricul- 
tural pursuits  in  Illinois  and  Nebraska,  spending  his  last  days  at  Glenville,  Ne- 
braska, where  he  lived  retired  for  some  years  prior  to  his  demise,  which  occurred 
in  1903.  His  wife  died  in  Nebraska  in  1915. 

It  was  in  1865  that  J.  W.  Brandt  came  to  the  new  world.  When  he  had  at- 
tained his  majority  he  started  out  in  business  life  on  his  own  account,  making  his 
way  to  western  Nebraska,  where  he  took  up  a  homestead  and  engaged  In  its  cul- 
tivation for  eight  years.  He  then  sold  that  property  and  removed  to  Colorado, 
where  he  conducted  the  live  stock  business  on  an  extensive  scale,  having  one  thou- 
sand head  of  cattle.  He  continued  the  business  there  for  seventeen  years  and  then 
removed  to  Idaho,  settling  on  his  present  place  of  eighty-three  acres  about  thiee 
miles  west  of  Nampa,  in  the  Lone  Star  district  of  Canyon  county.  He  contracted 
with  the  United  States  government  on  seventy-five  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  con- 
struction work  on  the  Boise-Payette  project,  his  contract  being  in  the  Nampa- 
Meridian  irrigation  district,  which  is  a  part  of  the  project  indicated.  This  work 
occupied  his  attention  for  four  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  the 
Boise-Payette  Water  Users'  Association  for  seven  years  and  in  that  time  was  sent 
,  to  Washington  to  work  for  the  extension  bill,  and  through  his  efforts  in  behalf  of 
the  Water  Users'  Association  a  bill  was  passed  to  extend  the  time  of  payment  for 
water  from  ten  to  twenty  years.  This  bill  saved  the  people  and  the  project  from 
ruin.  Mr.  Brandt  accomplished  a  most  important  work  in  that  connection,  leading 
ultimately  to  the  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  the  state  in  large  measure  and  to 
the  prosperity  of  many  of  the  farmers. 

Since  that  time  Mr.  Brandt  has  given  his  attention  exclusively  to  farming  and 
Is  now  the  owner  of  four  places  besides  the  one  on  which  he  resides,  all  of  which 
are  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Two  of  the  farms  comprise  eighty  acres  each, 
another  is  seventy-five  acres  in  extent  and  the  other  forty  acres.  He  has  also  re- 
cently sold  two  farms,  one  of  sixty-seven  acres  and  one  of  twenty  acres.  He  rents 
most  of  his  land  now  and  devotes  the  remainder  to  mixed  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing but  has  largely  retired  from  active  business,  deriving  his  income  from  his  sub- 
stantial investments.  His  home  is  ideally  located  and  is  modern  in  all  respects. 

In  1886  Mr.  Brandt  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ida  S.  Pickering,  of  Ne- 
braska, daughter  of  Albert  Pickering.  They  have  four  children.  Harry  C.,  who 
is  twenty-nine  years  of  age  and  follows  farming  on  the  Snake  river,  ten  miles  west 
of  his  father's  farm,  wedded  Miss  Martha  Ulrich  and  has  one  child.  Vilas.  Mar- 
garet L.  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Smith,  an  agriculturist  residing  two  miles  north  of 
Nampa.  Francis  T.,  who  is  twenty-four  years  of  age,  makes  his  home  with  his 
father.  Lawrence  A.,  a  young  man  of  twenty  years,  resides  with  his  father  and  is 
farming  the  home  place  on  his  own  account. 

There  is  no  phase  of  pioneer  life  with  which  J.  W.  Brandt  }s  not  familiar. 
He  was  reared  in  Nebraska  during  the  period  of  its  early  development  and  be- 
came a  homesteader  in  the  western  section  of  that  state  on  attaining  his  ma- 


286  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

jority.  Later  he  rode  the  range  in  Colorado  when  raising  stock  in  that  state 
for  a  period  of  seventeen  years.  He  then  came  to  Idaho  to  become  identified 
with  its  development  and  now  he  is  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  For- 
gotten are  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  frontier  life  save  as  a  memory 
from  which  the  unpleasant  features  have  faded.  He  has  lived  to  witness  the  re- 
markable development  and  growth  of  the  various  sections  in  which  he  has  resided 
and  has  the  consciousness  of  having  borne  his  full  part  in  the  changes  which  have 
occurred,  leading  to  present-day  progress  and  prosperity. 


BERT  O.  McCULLOCH. 

The  development  of  the  great  sugar  industry  in  the  west  has  elicited  the  co-. 
operation  of  many  alert  and  energetic  young  business  men  who  have  become  impor- 
tant factors  in  the  upbuilding  of  this  great  business  interest.  Among  the  number  is 
Bert  O.  McCulloch,  superintendent  of  the  plant  of  The  Amalgamated  Sugar  Company 
at  Burley,  Cassia  county,  Idaho.  He  was  born  in  Logan,  Utah,  November  19,  1883, 
and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Ida  McCulloch.  His  boyhood  days  were  passed  at  thQ 
place  of  his  nativity  and  his  early  education  was  there  acquired  in  the  public  schools, 
while  afterward  he  attended  the  Utah  Agricultural  College  and  the  Brigham  Young 
College.  In  1903  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Amalgamated  Sugar  Company  at  Logan 
in  the  capacity  of  mechanic  in  the  sugar  beet  plant.  There  he  remained  for  six  years. 
In  1903  he  took  up  the  work  of  sugar  boiling  as  a  specialty  and  followed  this  until 
1908  at  Logan  and  at  Lewiston,  Utah.  In  1908  he  became  assistant  factory  foreman 
and  in  1910  was  made  general  factory  foreman,  so  continuing  at  the  various  plants  of 
the  company  until  1916,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Burley  and  took  his  present  posi- 
tion as  superintendent  for  The  Amalgamated  Sugar  Company.  In  this  important  posi- 
tion he  has  since  continued,  making  an  excellent  record  as  supervising  head  of  the 
factory  at  Burley. 

In  1904  Mr.  McCulloch  was  married  to  Miss  Maud  F.  Maughan,  a  native  of  Logan, 
Utah,  and  a  daughter  of  Charles  W.  and  Jane  F.  (Farns)  Maughan.  They  have  be- 
come parents  of  five  children:  Vernon  B.,  Verrell,  Mildred,  Harriett  and  Robert 
Boyd. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints.  In  politics  Mr.  McCulloch  is  a  republican,  stanchly  supporting  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  party,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  have  had  no  attraction 
for  him.  He  has  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  the  line  of  business  in 
which  he  embarked  in  early  manhood.  Thoroughly  acquainting  himself  with  the 
various  phases  of  the  business,  he  has  gradually  worked  his  way  upward  by  reason 
of  his  increasing  knowledge  and  advancing  skill  as  well  as  his  trustworthiness  and 
diligence.  His  salient  qualities  have  been  valuable  assets  in  a  business  way  and  his 
position  is  today  one  of  large  responsibility  in  which  he  fully  meets  the  requirements. 


SAMUEL   M.   BELSHER. 

Samuel  M.  Belsher  is  the  owner  of  the  Belsher  Rabbitry  at  South  Boise.  He 
has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  since  March,  1904,  coming  to  this  state  from  Montana. 
He  was  born,  however,  near  Corinth,  Mississippi,  December  16,  1855,  a  son  of 
Troupe  B.  Belsher,  who  served  as  a  captain  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the 
early  part  of  the  Civil  war  and  died  of  pneumonia  at  Bowling  Green,  Kentucky, 
while  the  war  was  still  in  progress.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Frances 
Rebecca  Wooten  and  was  a  second  cousin  of  Jefferson  Davis,  president  of  the 
southern  Confederacy.  When  the  battle  of  Corinth  was  fought,  Samuel  M.  Belsher 
of  this  review  could  hear  the  cannon  roar  from  his  home,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles. 
In  fact  he  was  in  one  of  the  battles  of  the  war — that  of  Brice's  Crossroads.  He 
and  his  mother  had  ridden  a  family  horse  to  a  near-by  store,  the  boy  sitting  be- 
hind his  mother,  and  on  the  way  home  they  were  caught  in  between  the  Union 
and  Confederate  lines.  The  firing  was  begun  before  they  could  escape,  but  they 
tested  the  fleetness  of  their  horse  in  a  two-mile  ride  which  brought  them  to  safety. 

Samuel  M.  Belsher  was  reared  on  a  Mississippi  plantation  and  taught  school 


BERT  O.  McCULLOCH 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  289 

in  his  native  state  in  early  manhood.  While  still  residing  in  Mississippi  he  was 
married  February  23,  1877,  to  Miss  Evelena  Petty,  who  was  born  on  a  plantation 
in  Tennessee,  May  29,  1857,  the  daughter  of  Junior  Nelson  Petty,  who  also  served 
with  the  Confederate  forces.  In  1878  Mr.  Belsher  and  his  wife  removed  to  Texas 
but  afterward  returned  to  Mississippi,  from  which  point  they  made  their  way  to 
Montana  in  1886,  continuing  residents  of  that  state  for  eighteen  years  or  until 
1904.  There  Mr.  Belsher  had  a  ranch  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  one-half 
of  which  he  homesteaded.  As  the  years  passed  he  developed  and  improved  his 
property,  making  it  a  productive  tract  of  land.  In  1904,  however,  he  left  Montana 
and  came  to  Boise,  since  which  time  he  has  occupied  his  present  home  on  Longmont 
avenue  in  South  Boise.  In  the  meantime  he  has  held  various  civic  positions.  He 
was  a  school  director  of  the  Garneld  school  for  two  years,  also  served  for  several 
years  as  a  police  officer  and  has  held  other  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility. 
He  has  now  for  a  number  of  years  been  a  prominent  breeder  of  New  Zealand  Red 
rabbits,  the  Belsher  Rabbitry  being  one  of  the  best  in  Boise.  He  has  been  an  ex- 
hibitor at  the  Boise  poultry  and  pet  stock  shows  for  some  time  and  his  rabbits 
have  won  scores  of  ribbons  and  several  silver  cups.  He  breeds  fancy  stock  and 
ships  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States.  The  rabbitry  now  contains  about  two  hun- 
dred fine  specimens  and  in  addition  to  the  raising  of  rabbits  Mr.  Belsher  is  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  raising  pure  bred  Buff  Orpington  chickens,  concentrating  his 
efforts  and  attention  upon  these  lines  of  business  at  the  present  time.  At  this 
writing,  in  1920,  he  is  president  of  the  Idaho  Rabbit  &  Pet  Stock  Association,  of 
which  he  formerly  served  as  vice  president  for  two  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Belsher  have  seven  living  children,  two  sons  and  five  daughters, 
all  of  whom  are  married  and  reside  in  Boise  with  the  exception  of  one  daughter. 
These  are:  Mrs.  Anna  Ora  Peabody;  Mrs.  Fannie  Stewar^;  Troupe  M.,  who  is  a 
clerk  in  the  Boise  postoffice;  Mrs.  Maud  Burden,  of  New  York  city;  John  P.,  who 
is  a  captain  of  the  South  Boise  fire  department  and  who  saw  four  years'  service  in 
the  United  States  navy;  Mrs.  Myrtle  Nelson;  and  Mrs.  Edna  Fanckboner.  There 
are  now  eleven  grandchildren.  Mr.  Belsher  and  his  wife  are  consistent  Christian 
people,  the  former  belonging  to  the  Baptist  church  and  the  latter  to  the  Methodist 
church.  Mr.  Belsher  was  formerly  a  deputy  grand  master  in  the  Independent  Or- 
der of  Odd  Fellows.  Both  he  and  his  wife  give  their  political  allegiance  to  the 
democratic  party  and  are  keenly  interested  in  those  activities  which  make  for 
higher  ideals  in  citizenship  and  for  the  substantial  development  of  the  community 
and  commonwealth  in  Vhich  they  reside. 


R.   H.    PARK. 

R.  H.  Park  is  the  president  of  the  Idaho  State  Federation  of  Labor  and  is 
well  known  throughout  the  state,  particularly  in  labor  circles.  He  came  to  Boise 
in  1907  from  Atwood,  Kansas,  but  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
Hardin  county,  that  state,  February  27,  1876.  His  father,  R.  H.  Park,  Sr.,  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade  and  was  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army,  serving  as  a  member 
of  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and  First  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry.  His  father,  who 
also  bore  the  name  of  R.  H.  Park,  went  to  Hardin  county,  Ohio,  from  New  York 
in  pioneer  times,  so  that  the  family  has  long  been  represented  there.  The  mother 
of  R.  H.  Park  of  this  review  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Bradshaw  and  died 
when  her  son  was  a  lad  of  nine  years.  When  he  was  but  eight  years  of  age,  or  in 
1884,  the  family  removed  from  Ohio  to  Rawlins  county,  Kansas,  where  the  father 
secured  a  soldier's  homestead  claim  and  proved  up  on  the  property.  Later  he 
removed  to  Atwood.  in  the  same  county,  where  he  conducted  a  blacksmith  shop. 

It  was  there  during  his  youthful  days  that  his  son,  R.  H.  Park,  learned  the 
printer's  trade,  beginning  work  when  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  has  since  fol- 
lowed the  trade,  but  unlike  the  average  printer,  he  has  not  gone  from  place  to 
place  but  has  worked  at  his  trade  in  only  three  states — Kansas,  Arkansas  and  Idaho. 
However,  he  has  had  some  newspaper  eperience,  being  the  owner  and  editor  of  a 
paper  at  Atwood,  Kansas,  for  four  years — a  weekly  which  was  published  under  the 
name  of  the  Patriot. 

It  was  while  living  in  Atwood,  Kansas,  that  Mr.  Park  was  married  on  the 
13th  of  May,  1900,  to  Miss  Josephine  Randall,  who  was  at  that  time  a  teacher. 

Vol.  Ill— 19 


290  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

She  was  born  in  Missouri  but  was  reared  and  educated  in  Kansas,  being  a  daughter 
of  O.  C.  R.  Randall,  a  lawyer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Park  came  to  Boise  in  1907  and 
here  he  has  since  made  his  home  with  the  exception  of  about  fourteen  months 
spent  at,  Weiser,  Idaho. 

Mr.  Park  has  been  very  prominent  in  union  labor  circles  in  the  state  and  is 
now  serving  for  the  third  term  as  president  of  the  Idaho  State  Federation  of 
Labor,  having  been  elected  for  the  third  term  at  Pocatello  in  January,  1920.  He  is 
also  a  member  and  was  formerly  the  president  of  the  Boise  City  Typographical  Union 
No.  271.  In  1917  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  international  convention  of  the  Typo- 
graphical Union  at  Colorado  Springs  and  he  is  an  ex-president  of  the  Boise  City 
Trades  and  Labor  Council.  Mr.  Park  is  also  entitled  to  membership  in  the  Span- 
ish-American War  Veterans,  for  he  served  during  the  conflict  of  America  with 
Spain  as  a  member  of  the  Twenty-second  Kansas  Volunteer  Infantry. 


J.  WESLEY  DOTSON. 

J.  Wesley  Dotson,  a  wheat  raiser  of  Canyon  county  and  also  engaged  in  the 
production  of  the  famous  Idaho  potatoes,  was  born  in  Kansas,  November  8,  1856, 
his  parents  being  Pleasant  and  Mary  (Campbell)  Dotson,  who  were  natives  of 
Tennessee  and  soon  after  their  marriage  removed  to  Kansas.  The  father  purchased 
a  farm  in  the  Sunflower  state  and  there  carried  on  the  work  of  tilling  the  soil  until 
1905,  when  he  came  to  Idaho  with  his  family  and  homesteaded  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  wild  land  two  miles  northwest  of  the  farm  upon  which  his  son  J. 
Wesley  now  resides.  There  his  attention  was  given  to  the  cultivation  of  the  fields 
and  the  care  of  his  crops  until  his  life's  labors  ended  on  the  6th  of  December,  1917. 
For  a  long  period  he  had  survived  his  wife,  who  passed  away  in  Kansas  in  1895. 

J.  Wesley  Dotson  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  Sunflower  state  and  there 
remained  until  he  was  thirty-eight  years  of  age.  He  then  came  with  his  father  to 
the  northwest  and  homesteaded  eighty  acres  of  land  and  is  still  residing  upon  forty 
acres  of  that  tract.  He  has  sold  the  other  forty.  He  and  his  father  cleared  the 
land  and  placed  it  under  cultivation  and  he  now  produces  annually  good  crops  of 
both  potatoes  and  wheat.  His  fields  are  naturally  rich  and  productive  and  respond 
readily  to  the  care  and  labor  which  he  bestows  upon  them. 

In  1899  Mr.  Dotson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Blanche  Smith,  a  native  of 
N°braska,  in  which  state  the  wedding  was  celebrated.  They  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children:  Terry  F.,  eighteen  years  of  age;  Mary  E.,  at  home;  Alice  S., 
vho  is  attending  the  Huston  district  school;  Mabel  L.,  also  in  school;  Amy  M.; 
Frances  D. ;  and  Orval  P.,  who  is  but  a  year  old.  This  is  an  exceptionally  bright 
family  of  which  the  parents  have  every  reason  to  be  proud. 

Mr.  Dotson  is  bending  his  efforts  and  energies  to  the  further  development  and 
improvement  of  his  land  in  order  to  provide  a  good  living  for  those  dependent  upon 
him,  and  he  is  meeting  with  substantial  success  in  his  undertakings. 


WILLIAM  D.  THAYER. 

William  D.  Thayer  owns  and  operates  a  truck  line  between  Boise  and  southern 
Idaho  points,  doing  long  distance  heavy  hauling.  He  was  born  in  Michigan,  August 
16,  1871,  a  son  of  William  F.  Thayer,  also  a  native  of  that  state,  where  he  followed 
various  occupations.  He  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  having  joined  the  Union 
army,  with  which  he  did  active  service  on  southern  battlefields.  He  married 
Lorinda  Greenfield,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  removed  westward  to 
Colorado  in  1878,  when  their  son  William  was  but  seven  years  of  age,  after  having 
lived  for  a  considerable  period  in  Michigan.  From  Colorado  they  came  to  Idaho, 
settling  in  Boise,  where  they  resided  for  several  years  before  William  D.  Thayer 
became  a  resident  of  this  state.  Both  the  father  and  mother  passed  away  in  Boise 
and  were  laid  to  rest  in  one  of  the  cemeteries  of  the  city. 

William  D.  Thayer  was  largely  reared  in  Colorado  and  learned  the  blacksmith's 
trade  in  Denver,  beginning  work  along  that  line  when  twenty  years  of  age.  He 
came  to  Idaho  from  Eagle  county,  Colorado,  fifteen  years  ago  and  has  since  made 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  291 

his  home  in  South  Boise  save  for  a  brief  residence  at  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon.  He 
continued  to  follow  blacksmithing  for  twenty-eight  years  in  Colorado,  Idaho  and 
Oregon  and  in  1919  he  put  aside  work  of  that  character  and  is  now  engaged  in 
long  -distance  trucking  and  hauling.  He  operates  two  large  trucks  which  ply  be- 
tween Boise  and  other  towns  in  southern  Idaho  and  already  he  has  been  accorded 
a  liberal  patronage  of  this  character.  Many  years  ago  he  conducted  a  horseshoeing 
shop  at  Cripple  Creek,  Colorado,  when  that  place  was  enjoying  a  boom.  After  com- 
ing to  Idaho  he  built  a  blacksmith  shop  on  Broadway  in  South  Boise  but  later  sold 
the  property.  He  has  led  a  life  of  thrift  and  industry  and  is  now  the  owner  of  one 
of  the  attractive  homes  of  South  Boise — a  splendid  two-story  frame  residence  which 
he  erected  several  years  ago. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1898,  at  Canon  City,  Colorado,  Mr.  Thayer  was  married 
to  Miss  Dorcas  Barrett  Orcutt,  who  was  born  in  Kansas,  April  4,  1871,  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  Orcutt.  They  have  become  parents  of  four  children:  Verna  Lorinda, 
who  was  born  June  9,  1899;  Florence  Mabel,  January  4,  1901;  Ronald  Thomas, 
October  6,  1905;  and  Lois  Winifred,  February  22,  1911. 

Mr.  Thayer  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  past  grand  of  the  local  lodge.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  American  Yeomen,  as  is  his  wife,  and  she  is  like- 
wise connected  with  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah,  the  ladies'  auxiliary  of  Odd  Fel- 
lowship. In  politics  Mr.  Thayer  maintains  an  independent  course,  voting  according 
to  the  dictates  of  his  judgment  with  little  regard  for  party  ties.  He  served  on  the 
South  Boise  city  council  for  two  years  but  otherwise  has  neither  sought  nor  filled 
office,  his  attention  being  fully  given  tc  his  business  affairs,  and  his  earnest  labor 
and  persistency  of  purpose  have  constituted  the  foundation  upon  which  he  has  built 
his  present  prosperity. 


CHARLES  FREMONT  KUTNEWSKY. 

Important  insurance  interests  are  ably  represented  in  Boise  by  Charles  Fre- 
mont Kutnewsky,  agency  manager  of  the  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society  for  the 
state  of  Idaho,  with  headquarters  in  Boise.  He  was  born  in  Groveland,  Tazewell 
county,  Illinois,  June  4,  1863,  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (Knox)  Kutnewsky,  both 
of  whom  haye  passed  away.  The  father  was  a  merchant  miller  and  politically 
was  an  old  line  whig,  an  ardent  republican,  a  mugwump  abolitionist  and  a  stanch 
supporter  of  Lincoln.  Charles  F.  Kutnewsky  was  one  of  a  family  of  seven  children, 
five  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living,  but  he  is  the  only  one  residing 
in  Idaho.  His  parents  named  him  Charles  Fremont  after  John  Charles  Fremont, 
the  first  republican  candidate  for  president. 

Mr.  Kutnewsky  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Illinois  and  also 
attended  college  in  that  state,  being  a  student  in  the  State  University  at  Champaign. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  he  went  to  Redfield,  South  Dakota,  with  his  parents  and  there 
built  a  flour  mill  for  his  father,  for  six  years  acting  as  its  manager.  He  not  only 
became  prominent  as  a  business  man  there  but  also  participated  in  the  public  life 
of  the  city,  serving  as  councilman,  while  many  other  political  favors  were  bestowed 
upon  him.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society  of 
New  York  on  the  1st  of  January,  1900,  as  general  agent  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 
two  of  his  brothers  then  being  associated  with  the  society,  H.  F.  and  Fred  H.,  under 
the  firm  name  of  Kutnewsky  Brothers.  They  continued  their  insurance  interests 
in  Salt  Lake  City  until  1912,  when  Mr.  Kutnewsky  of  this  review  was  transferred 
to  Boise  as  agency  manager  for  Idaho.  Ever  since  he  has  ably  represented  the 
company  in  this  state,  where  through  his  efforts  a  very  important  and  large  busi- 
ness has  been  built  up.  He  is  thoroughly  informed  in  regard  to  all  lines  of  Insur- 
ance and  particularly  the  policies  which  are  covered  by  the  Equitable  Society.  He 
is  most  painstaking  and  exact  in  explaining  the  terms  of  his  policies  to  his  clients 
BO  that  no  misconception  can  arise  after  the  deal  is  concluded  and  therefore  his 
reputation  is  high. 

On  April  16,  1889,  Mr.  Kutnewsky  was  married  to  Miss  Lela  Coates,  a  school- 
mate of  his  boyhood  at  Groveland.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Columbian  Club  of 
Boise  and  takes  an  active  part  in  many  of  the  charitable  as  well  as  social  affairs 
of  the  city  Two  sons  and  two  daughters  were  born  of  this  union:  Fremont  C., 
who  was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Utah  and  became  a  sergeant  in  the  One 


292  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Hundred  and  Forty-fifth  Field  Artillery  in  France,  belonging  to  the  headquarters 
company;  Donald  E.,  who  was  first  sergeant  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth 
Engineers,  also  in  France  and  also  belonged  to  the  headquarters  company;  Ruth, 
who  acts  as  chief  clerk  to  her  father  in  the  Equitable  office;  and  Margaret,  attend- 
ing the  Boise  high  school. 

Mr.  Kutnewsky's  importance  in  regard  to  the  insurance  interests  of  the  state 
is  evident  from  the  fact  that  he  is  a  member  and  an  ex-president  of  the  Gem  State 
Association  of  Life  Underwriters.  He  is  very  prominent  in  the  Masonic  order, 
being  a  Knight  Templar  and  Shriner  and  is  captain  of  the  Arab  Patrol  of  El  Korab 
Shrine.  For  ten  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  South  Dakota  State  Militia,  rising 
from  the  ranks  to  the  position  of  major.  War  interests  have  taken  a  great  amount 
of  the  time,  efforts  and  energy  of  Mr.  Kutnewsky,  who  was  largely  responsible  for 
the  success  of  the  first  Liberty  Loan  in  Ada  county,  being  chairman  during  the 
campaign.  He  also  was  a  member  of  the  State  Council  of  Defense  and  thus  in  every 
possible  way  demonstrated  his  complete  accord  with  the  government  in  making  the 
world  safe  for  democracy. 


ARTHUR  FRANK  GRAVES. 

It  is  a  well  recognized  fact  that  the  progress  and  reputation  of  a  community 
are  largely  influenced  by  real  estate  activities  and  the  quality  of  the  men  who  are 
back  of  realty  transactions,  in  fact  any  municipal  organization  can  be  more  or  less 
made  or  unmade  by  its  real  estate  fraternity.  Boise  has  been  fortunate  in  having 
a  high  type  of  such  men,  who  are  conservative  and  at  the  same  time  progressive 
and  thus  have  established  a  reputation  for  reliability  as  well  as  an  up-to-date  and 
keen  commercial  sense.  Arthur  Frank  Graves,  who  is  dealing  in  real  estate  and 
insurance  at  No.  905  Idaho  street,  Boise,  is  one  of  these  men  and  his  experience  as 
well  as  opinion  are  always  at  the  disposal  of  his  clients. 

He  was  born  in  Junction  City,  Kansas,  November  12,  1875,  and  was  the  fourth 
in  a  family  of  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  born  to  George  and 
Mary  (Brockley)  Graves,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  England  and  were  there 
reared  and  married,  the  ceremony  being  solemnized  in  London.  In  1870  they  came 
to  the  United  States,  locating  in  Junction  City,  Kansas.  The  father  was  born  Jan- 
uary 29,  1841,  and  the  mother  on  the  14th  of  August  of  the  same  year,  while  their 
marriage  took  place  on  the  31st  of  March,  1866.  Both  are  yet  living  and  both  have 
passed  their  seventy-seventh  birthday,  now  making  their  home  in  Topeka,  Kansas, 
whither  they  removed  from  Junction  City  in  1894.  Their  golden  wedding  was 
celebrated  March  31,  1916,  and  at  that  time  they  had  seven  living  children  and 
twenty-three  grandchildren.  In  fact,  there  has  never  been  but  one  death  in  the 
family  thus  far  and  that  was  when  Andrew  Thomson,  a  grandson,  was  killed  in 
action  at  Vimy  Ridge,  in  France,  April  9,  1916.  This  gallant  young  man  was  serv- 
ing with  the  Canadian  troops.  Three  other  grandsons  were  in  the  government 
service,  two  in  France  and  one  in  Washington,  D.  C.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  George  Graves,  who  was  born  in  1810  and  died  in  1855,  while  the  great-grand- 
father, George  Graves,  passed  away  in  1827. 

Arthur  F.  Graves  was  reared  and  educated  in  Junction  City,  Kansas,  where 
he  received  a  common  and  high  school  education,  and  subsequently  he  spent  two 
years  in  the  Dunkard  College  at  McPherson,  Kansas.  The  father  was  engaged  in 
carriage  making,  having  a  shop  of  his  own,  and  under  his  guidance  Mr.  Graves  of 
this  review  learned  the  trade  and  at  the  early  age  of  eighteen  took  charge  of  the 
Junction  City  establishment,  which  he  conducted  for  eight  years.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-six,  however,  he  sold  out  and  for  six  years  thereafter  was  on  the  road, 
selling  wagonmakers'  supplies.  In  1908  he  came  to  Boise  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  and  insurance  business,  having  built  up  a  very  gratifying 
trade  as  the  years  have  passed.  He  is  thoroughly  informed  in  regard  to  city  and 
country  property,  has  studied  the  situation  from  every  angle  and  gives  the  benefit 
of  his  knowledge  to  his  customers.  He  also  has  a  loan  and  rental  department. 
He  has  bought  and  sold  real  estate  on  his  own  account,  especially  farm,  ranch  and 
orchard  property,  and  is  today  the  owner  of  some  good  prune  orchards  near  Boise. 
His  insurance  department  is  of  considerable  importance  and  he  writes  yearly  a  large 
number  of  policies.  Mr.  Graves  is  the  owner  of  a  prune  orchard  of  twenty  acres 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  293 

which  is  situated  three  miles  from  Boise  and  this  property  he  has  developed  him- 
self, planting  its  eighteen  hundred  trees  over  six  years  ago.  The  orchard  is  now  in 
bearing  and  promises  to  yield  its  owner  a  large  return  in  the  future. 

On  November  14,  1898,  Mr.  Graves  wedded  Miss  Mary  Nixon,  ol  Milford,  Kan- 
sas, and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Opal,  who  was  born  June 
4,  1904.  Mr.  Graves  is  a  democrat  in  his  political  affiliation 'but  although  he  keeps 
well  informed  in  regard  to  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  he  has  never  aspired 
to  public  office,  preferring  to  give  his  whole  attention  to  his  important  business 
interests.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow  and  an  Elk  and  is  popular  in 
those  organizations.  He  belongs  to  the  Boise  Commercial  Club,  in  whose  all- 
embracing  projects  for  a  greater  city  he  takes  an  intelligent  and  helpful  interest. 


GASPARD  J.  GENEREUX. 

One  of  the  prosperous  commercial  concerns  of  Boise  is  that  of  Genereux  ft 
Butler,  tinners  and  sheet  metal  workers.  They  do  a  general  contracting  business 
for  everything  in  their  line  and  now  employ  a  considerable  force  of  workmen,  the 
success  of  the  enterprise  being  largely  due  to  Gaspard  J.  Genereux.  He  was  born 
at  Crookston,  Minnesota,  March  10,  1885,  and  on  both  sides  is  of  French  Huguenot 
descent.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Quebec,  Canada,  and  there  they  were  mar- 
ried. The  father,  Telesphore  Genereux,  is  now  a  resident  of  Boise  and  keeper 
of  the  State  Fair  grounds.  .The  mother,  who  was  in  her  maidenhood  Alphonsine 
Verville,  passed  away  at  Nampa,  Idaho,  in  1912.  The  parents  had  come  to  Idaho 
long  before  their  son  Gaspard  arrived  in  the  state. 

The  latter  received  a  common  school  education  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  en- 
tered upon  an  apprenticeship  to  the  tinner's  trade.  He  has  ever  since  worked  at  this 
occupation  and  as  a  journeyman  was  employed  in  various  places  before  coming  to 
Boise  in  1912.  Here  he  became  foreman  of  the  tin  shop  of  Carlson  &  Lusk,  con- 
tinuing in  that  position  for  about  two  years,  but  in  1914  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Ellsworth  E.  Butler,  who  also  was  an  employe  of  Carlson  &  Lusk,  and  they 
bought  out  their  old  firm  and  established  the  present  one  of  Genereux  &  Butler. 
Their  plant  is  located  at  No.  115  South  Eighth  street  and  there  they  conduct  a  mod- 
ern and  up-to-date  establishment,  having  filled  some  of  the  most  important  contracts 
along  their  line  in  the  city  and  state.  The  success  of  the  firm  is  in  part  due  to 
Mr.  Genereux,  who  not  only  has  had  valuable  experience  in  his  line  but  also  pos- 
sesses that  executive  ability  necessary  to  the  conduct  of  any  successful  business 
enterprise. 

On  March  10,  1907,  at  Crookston,  Minnesota,  Mr.  Genereux  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Thea  Storing,  a  native  of  Minnesota  and  of  Norwegian  descent,  and  to 
this  union  has  been  born  a  son,  Virgil  N.,  whose  birth  occurred  'December  25,  1908. 
Mr.  Genereux  is  a  member  of  the  Commercial  Club  and  also  belongs  to  the  Odd 
Fellows.  He  is  fond  of  outdoor  sports,  particularly  baseball,  and  formerly  was 
an  enthusiastic  player.  There  is  much  that  is  creditable  in  his  career  and  all  who 
know  him  speak  of  him  in  the  highest  terms. 


LUDWIG  STEPHAN. 

In  years  of  continuous  connection  with  the  bakery  trade  in  Boise,  Ludwig 
Stephan  has  but  one  predecessor  in  the  city  and  throughout  all  these  years  he  has 
conducted  business  interests  along  substantial  and  thoroughly  reliable  lines,  giving 
to  the  public  goods  of  the  highest  quality  and  thus  well  meriting  the  liberal  pat- 
ronage that  has  always  been  accorded  him.  He  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  April 
13.  1858,  his  parents  being  Jacob  and  Ernestina  (Frey)  Stephan,  who  were  also 
natives  of  that  country,  where  the  father  owned  and  operated  a  flour  mill.  He  there 
died  in  1894,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  Ger- 
many in  1872,  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years. 

Ludwig  Stephan  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  seven  children, 
four  sons  and  'three  daughters.  He  was  a  pifpil  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native 
country  to  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and  then  started  upon  his  business  career  as 


294  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

an  apprentice  to  the  baker's  and  confectioner's  trade.  After  working  for  two  years 
he  traveled  over  Germany  as  a  journeyman  baker  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years, 
according  to  the  military  ruling  of  his  native  country,  he  had  to  join  the  German 
army,  in  which  he  served  for  three  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he 
resumed  work  at  his  trade  in  Rohrbach,  Alsace-Lorraine,  then  a  part  of  Germany 
but  now  again  a  part  of  France  as  the  result  of  the  victory  of  the  Allied  armies. 
Thinking  to  find  better  opportunities  in  the  new  world,  Mr.  Stephan  sailed  for  the 
United  States  and  made  his  way  at  once  to  Silver  City,  Idaho,  where  he  arrived  on 
the  7th  of  April,  1893.  His  choice  of  a  location  was  influenced  by  the  fact  that 
his  elder  brother,  Jacob  Stephan,  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  Owyhee 
county.  Ludwig  Stephan  also  turned  his  attention  to  the  lumber  business,  in  wnich 
he  continued  for  four  years,  after  which  he  made  a  trip  to  Germany  and  spent  three 
years  largely  visiting  old  friends.  In  1900,  however,  he  again  came  to  the  United 
States  and  for  a  year  was  engaged  in  business  in  Brooklyn,  New  York.  In  1902  he 
arrived  once  more  in  Idaho,  taking  up  his  abode  in  Boise,  where  he  secured  em- 
ployment in  connection  with  the  City  Bakery.  In  1904,  however,  he  embarked  in 
business  on  his  own  account  by  the  purchase  of  the  bakery  of  Walter  Brand  and 
through  the  intervening  period  he  has  developed  one  of  the  leading  wholesale  and 
retail'  bakery  establishments  in  the  state,  known  as  the  Imperial  Bakery.  His 
products  are  of  the  highest  standard  and  twelve  skilled  workmen  are  employed 
in  the  baking  of  two  thousand  loaves  of  bread  together  with  a  goodly  number  of 
cakes  and  confections  daily.  After  some  time  Mr.  Stephan  admitted  his  son,  August 
J.,  to  a  partnership  in  the  business  and  they  are  still  associated  in  the  conduct  of  the 
Imperial  Bakery,  which  is  now  located  at  No.  922  Front  street.  The  son,  like  the 
father,  has  won  prominence  as  a  baker  and  is  the  secretary  of  the  Idaho  Master 
Bakers'  Association.  He  also  holds  a  prominent  position  in  fhe  United  States 
Food  Administration  for  Idaho,  to  which  place  he  was  appointed  by  R.  F.  Bicknell, 
the  state  administrator,  and  Herbert  C.  Hoover,  the  national  administrator.  He 
was  called  to  Washington  in -a  conference  together  with  other  food  administrators 
from  all  over  the  United  States  and  he  did  his  full  share  in  promoting  and  observ- 
ing the  food  regulations,  particularly  in  the  use  of  wheat  substitutes. 

On  the  12th  of  November,  1883,  Ludwig  Stephan  was  united  in  marriage  in 
Bavaria,  Germany,  to  Miss  Bertha  Schneider,  a  daughter  of  Philip  Schneider,  of 
that  country.  They  became  parents  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter.  August  J.,  pre- 
viously mentioned,  was  born  August  2,  1884,  and  was  married  February  22,  1907, 
to  Miss  Mamie  Part,  a  native  of  Iowa.  Rudolph  Carl,  born  July  13,  1888,  was 
associated  with  his  father  in  business  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Boise, 
August  2,  1912,  as  the  result  of  an  operation  for  appendicitis.  He  had  been  mar- 
ried on  the  2d  of  June  of  that  year  to  Miss  Laura  Overholzer,  a  native  of  Seattle, 
Washington.  The  daughter,  Amelia  Ernestine  Elizabeth,  born  April  11,  1892,  is 
the  wife  of  Lorenz  Lundquist,  of  Boise. 

In  addition  to  the  attractive  home  which  Ludwig  Stephan  owns  in  Boise  he 
has  a  valuable  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Cassia  county,  Idaho.  He  and  his  family 
attend  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and  he  belongs  also  to  the  Knights  of  Columbus, 
to  the  Sons  of  Hermann  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  Politically  he  is  a  dem- 
ocrat but  has  never  been  ambitious  to  hold  office.  While  of  German  birth,  he  has 
remained  loyal  to  his  -adopted  country  through  the  period  of  the  World  war  and  has 
aided  government  aims. 


MIGUEL   GABICA. 

Miguel  Gabica,  a  sheep  raiser  and  wool  grower  of  Boise,  who  is  a  representative 
of  the  Spanish  colony  of  the  city,  was  born  December  7,  1868,  in  Spain  and  was  there 
reared.  He  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-five  years  when  in  1893  he  left  that 
country  and  went  to  Cuba,  where  he  remained  for  a  year  and  a  half  in  and  near 
Havana,  working  on  sugar  plantations.  In  1895  he  left  Cuba  and  proceeded  by  boat 
to  New  York,  after  which  he  came  to  the  west.  He  made  his  way  first  to  Nevada, 
but  after  forty-five  days  spent  in  that  state  came  to  Boise.  He  was  at  first  employed 
as  a  sheep  herder  but  in  1902,  having  carefully  saved  his  earnings,  began  the  rais- 
ing of  sheep  and  wool  on  his  own  account.  In  this  undertaking  he  was  associated 
with  John  Archabal,  a  fellow  countryman,  who  had  preceded  him  to  Idaho  and  who 


MIGUEL  GABICA 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  297 

is  today  one  of  the  most  successful  sheep  and  wool  men  of  Boise.  The  business 
relations  bewteen  Mr.  Gabica  and  Mr.  Archabal  have  since  continued,  covering  a 
period  of  seventeen  years,  with  mutual  pleasure  and  profit.  Mr.  Archabal  gave  to 
Mr.  Gabica  his  start  in  the  sheep  business,  selling  him  a  bunch  of  sheep  on  time  in 
order  to  enable  him  to  engage  in  the  business.  Today  both  men  are  rated  among  the 
prosperous  residents  of  Idaho,  the  greater  part  of  their  wealth  having  been  made 
during  the  past  few  years  or  through  the  period  of  the  war  with  Germany,  which 
caused  the  prices  of  mutton  and  wool  to  soar  skyward. 

Since  coming  to  the  new  world  Mr.  Gabica  has  made  one  visit  to  Spain — in  1903, 
returning  that  he  might  see  his  parents,  both  of  whom  were  then  living.  He  spent 
six  months  in  his  native  country  and  since  that  time  his  father  has  passed  away,  but 
the  mother  yet  makes  her  home  in  Spain.  Mr.  Gabica  has  been  married  twice.  He 
has  four  sons,  one  left  motherless  by  the  death  of  his  first  wife.  Three  children  have 
been  born  of  the  second  marriage,  their  mother  being  also  a  native  of  Spain.  The 
four  sons  are  Jose,  John,  Jesus  and  Louis.  Mr.  Gabica's  career  illustrates  what  can 
be  accomplished  through  close  application  and  hard  work.  Unwearied  industry  has 
brought  him  steadily  forward  to  the  goal  of  success  and  he  is  today  one  of  the  well 
known  sheep  men  and  wool  growers  of  Boise. 


ALEXANDER  BOAS. 

Alexander  Boas,  proprietor  of  the  Kandy  Kitchen  of  Boise,  where  he  has  made 
his  home  since  1910  and  throughout  the  entire  period  has  beep  engaged  in  the  con- 
fectionery and  catering  business,  was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  July  8,  1874,  a  son 
of  Louis  and  Minnie  (Strauss)  Boas,  both  of  whom  have  now  passed  away.  The 
father  was  born  in  Germany  and  the  mother  in  France,  but  they  were  married  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  having  come  to  the  new  world  in  early  life.  Alexander  Boas  is 
their  only  living  son,  but  he  has  two  sisters,  both  of  whom  are  married,  one  living 
in  Cleveland  and  the  other  in  Wisconsin.  The  father  died  when  the  son  Alexander 
was  still  an  infant  and  the  mother  passed  away  soon  after  he  had  reached  manhood. 

Mr.  Boas  of  this  review  was  reared  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  attended  the  public 
schools  to  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  when  his  textbooks  were  put  aside  and  he 
began  working  in  Deklyn's  confectionery  establishment  in  Cleveland,  his  employer 
being  the  leading  caterer  of  that  city,  whose  services  were  in  demand  by  the  most 
prominent  people  of  Cleveland,  including  John  D.  Rockefeller  and  Mark  Hanna. 
In  Mr.  Deklyn's  establishment  Mr.  Boas  thoroughly  learned  the  candy  and  catering 
business,  with  which  he  became  familiar  in  principle  and  detail,  and  his  labors 
have  since  been  continuously  and  successfully  directed  along  that  line.  He  spent 
three  years  with  Mr.  Deklyn  and  for  ten  years  before  removing  to  Boise  was  en- 
gaged in  the  candy  and  catering  business  in  Canton,  Ohio,  where  he  had  a  very 
liberal  patronage.  He  manufactured  all  of  the  candies  which  he  sold,  and  among 
his  customers  were  such  well  known  personages  as  William  McKinley,  W.  R.  Day 
and  others. 

In  April,  1910,  owing  to  the  fact  that  his  health  had  become  somewhat  im- 
paired in  the  east,  Mr.  Boas  removed  to  Boise  and  found  that  the  Idaho  climate  was 
most  beneficial  to  him.  He  fully  regained  his  health,  and  liking  the  city  and  its 
people  as  well  as  the  climate,  he  decided  to  remain  here.  On  his  arrival  he  looked 
about  him  and  tried  to  obtain  employment  but  was  unable  to  do  so,  every  con- 
fectioner in  Boise  meeting  his  request  with  a  negative  answer.  His  only  alternative 
was  to  buy  one  of  them  out  and  that  is  what  he  did.  He  is  the  only  one  connected 
with  the  trade  interests  in  Boise  who  was  here  at  the  time  of  his  arrival,  the  other 
retail  confectioners  all  having  quit.  This  is  a  case  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest. 
He  has  prospered  as  a  candy  manufacturer  and  caterer  of  Boise  and  the  Boas 
Kandy  Kitchen  at  No.  115  North  Eighth  street  is  one  of  the  most  complete  and 
attractive  retail  confectionery  establishments  of  the  west.  It  is  equipped  with  a 
soda  fountain,  supplying  soft  drinks  of  all  kinds,  and  has  a  most  attractive  ice 
cream  department  for  serving  customers.  Mr.  Boas  has  been  located  at  his  present 
place  since  November,  1915,  when  he  removed  from  Main  street.  He  is  now  the 
pioneer  retail  confectioner  in  Boise  and  his  business  has  reached  most  gratifying 
and  satisfactory  proportions. 

In  Canton,  Ohio,  in  1896,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Boas  and  Miss  Lillie 


298  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Ganter,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Canton.  They  now  have  a  son,  Louis  Boas, 
born  in  Canton,  Ohio,  December  14,  1900.  An  analyzation  of  the  career  of  Mr. 
Boas  indicates  that  unfaltering  enterprise  has  been  one  of  the  strong  basic  ele- 
ments in  his  success.  The  thoroughness  with  which  he  mastered  the  trade,  the 
progressive  spirit  which  has  actuated  him  at  every  point  in  his  career  and  his  un- 
questioned reliability  have  been  dominant  features  in  placing  him  in  the  front  rank 
of  the  trade  circles  of  Boise. 


GLEN  McCULLOUGH. 

Glen  McCullough,  one  of  the  successful  sheepmen  of  Idaho,  living  at  Nampa, 
was  born  at  Echo,  Umatilla  county,  Oregon,  where  he  attended  the  graded  schools 
to  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  after  which  he  spent  two  years  as  assistant  of  his 
father,  B.  F.  McCullough,  one  of  the  prominent  stockmen  of  Oregon,  devoting  his 
attention  to  the  raising  of  horses  and  cattle  and  owning  a  large  ranch  on  the  Uma- 
tilla river,  about  twenty-five  miles  west  of  Pendleton.  He,  too,  i&  a  native  of 
Oregon,  showing  that  the  family  has  been  identified  with  that  state  from  earliest 
pioneer  times.  His  wife  has  passed  away. 

Glen  McCullough  was  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  when  he  entered  the  employ 
of  R.  N.  Stanfield,  the  sheep  king  of  the  northwest,  who  today  in  partnership  with 
his  two  brothers  and  Glen  McCullough  owns  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  thou- 
sand head  of  sheep,  twenty  thousand  head  of  which  are  ranged  in  Idaho.  When 
eighteen  years  of  age  Glen  McCullough  became  foreman  for  Mr.  Stanfield  and  later 
was  admitted  to  a  partnership  and  made  manager  of  the  business.  For  the  past 
five  years  he  has  resided  in  Nampa  and  for  four  years  preceding  had  made  Nampa 
his  headquarters.  The  company  owns  most  of  its  range  and  handles  breeding  ewes 
and  bucks  and  mutton  and  breeding  lambs.  In  the  spring  of  1919  the  company  had 
about  six  thousand  head  of  mutton  lambs.  Mr.  McCullough  is  improving  his  breed- 
ing stock  each  year  and  in  the  present  year  has  about  four  thousand  head  and  will 
ultimately  have  fifteen  thousand  head  of  fine  breeding  ewe  lambs.  He  has  also 
begun  the  raising  of  beef  cattle  from  fine  bred  shorthorns  and  Hereford  bulls  and 
already  has  the  nucleus  of  a  herd  numbering  about  one  hundred  head.  In  Idaho 
the  ranges  of  the  company  extend  from  the  Snake  River  to  the  Silver  City  country 
and  Mr.  McCullough  maintains  a  fine  office  in  the  Hickey  building  at  Nampa. 

In  the  spring  of  1917  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Glen  McCullough  and 
Miss  Laura  E.  Morgan,  a  daughter  of  Edward  Morgan,  a  pioneer  mining  man  of 
Silver  City,  Idaho,  where  he  served  as  mine  manager.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCullough 
are  the  parents  of  a  son,  Edward  Glen. 

Both  mentally  and  physically  Mr.  McCullough  is  a  splendid  type  of  young  and  vigor- 
ous western  manhood  and  the  course  which  he  has  pursued  impresses  those  who  know 
him  with  the  fact  that  he  is  a  liberal-minded  man  of  broad  vision,  capable  of  han- 
dling big  things.  If  the  state  could  boast  of  more  young  men  like  him  its  progress 
would  be  broader  and  more  rapid.  He  has  the  "twelve-cylinder"  force  and  is  in  the 
game  both  early  and  late  with  an  enthusiasm  that  shows  he  is  in  love  with  his 
work  and  stimulated  by  the  laudable  desire  to  attain  notable  success  therein. 


MATHONI   W.   PRATT. 

Mathoni  W.  Pratt,  living  at  Driggs,  is  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  fifteen 
acres  of  valuable  farm  property  in  Teton  county  and  to  the  supervision  of  his  inter- 
ests is  giving  his  attention.  He  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  July -6,  1856,  and  is  a 
son  of  Parley  P.  and  Mary  (Wood)  Pratt.  The  mother,  who  was  born  in  Scotland, 
was  reared  in  England.  The  father  was  a  native  of  New  York  and  crossed  the  plains 
with  the  Mormon  pioneers  of  1847.  He  established  his  home  in  Salt  Lake  City 
and  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  distinguished  families 
of  that  state.  His  brother,  Orson  Pratt,  was  the  first  Mormon  to  view  the  valley 
at  Salt  Lake.  Parley  P.  Pratt  became  a  farmer,  but  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
was  devoted  to  the  work  of  the  church.  He  built  the  road  through  Parley's  canyon, 
which  was  named  in  his  honor,  extending  that  highway  up  to  Parley's  park,  which 
comprised  eight  or  ten  thousand  acres  of  land.  This  property  he  afterward  sold 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  299 

for  a  yoke  of  oxen.  He  was  a  man  of  liberal  education  and  of  high  purpose,  de- 
voting most  of  his  life  to  the  interests  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  first  apostles.  He  had  charge  of  European  mis- 
sions and  in  many  ways  he  greatly  furthered  the  interests  of  the  cause.  He  com- 
posed some  of  the  Mormon  hymns  and  he  was  the  originator  of  the  Millennial  Star, 
published  in  Liverpool.  He  filled  a  very  important  mission  in  Canada  prior  to 
that,  and  when  not  busy  with  his  labors  abroad  for  the  church  he  made  his  home 
In  Salt  Lake  City,  where  his  last  days  were  passed.  He  suffered  martyrdom  while 
returning  from  his  last  mission  in  the  spring  of  1857.  In  the  meantime  he  had 
taken  an  important  part  in  the  organization  of  Utah  territory  and  was  sent  out  to 
explore  the  southern  section  of  the  state,  traveling  through  the  country  to  California. 

Mathoni  W.  Pratt  was  reared  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  there  pursued  his  education 
in  the  common  schools.  He  started  upon  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  a  general 
merchandise  store,  in  which  he  was  employed  for  four  years.  He  then  became  con- 
nected with  the  wholesale  dry  goods  department  of  Zion's  Cooperative  Mercantile 
Institution,  with  which  he  was  associated  for  thirteen  years.  On  the  expiration  of 
that  period  he  became  associated  with  the  Young  Brothers  Company,  dealers  in 
musical  instruments,  and  was  thus  engaged  until  1889,  when  he  came  to  the  Teton 
valley,  settling  in  what  was  then  Bingham  county,  Idaho.  A  part  of  that  county 
has  now  become  Teton  county.  He  filed  on  land  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from  Driggs 
but  did  not  prove  up  on  the  property.  Instead  he  went  to  another  section  of  the 
county  and  took  up  another  homestead,  nor  did  he  prove  up  on  that.  However, 
he  did  secure  title  to  a  desert  claim  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres.  He  also  en- 
gaged in  general  merchandising,  conducting  a  store  for  some  time.  During  the 
widespread  financial  panic  of  1897  he  had  to  leave  Teton  county  and  returned  to 
Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  again  entered  into  active  connection  with  Zion's  Coopera- 
tive Mercantile  Institution  in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  department,  with  which  he 
was  associated  for  six  years.  He  next  went  to  Portland,  Oregon,  where  he  con- 
tinued for  a  year  and  a  half  and  then  returned  once  more  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  various  lines  of  business.  In  1917  he  again  came  to  the 
Teton  basin,  where  he  had  always  retained  farming  interests.  He  came  back  to 
look  after  his  landed  possessions  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and 
fifteen  acres  of  improved  farm  property,  which  he  refits  and  which  returns  to  him 
a  good  income. 

On  the  17th  of  November,  1880,  Mr.  Pratt  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Sheets 
and  to  them  were  born  six  children:  Pearl,  at  home;  Mathoni  W.,  Jr.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  general  agricultural  pursuits  in  Idaho;  Noel  S.,  who  is  a  well  known  at- 
torney of  Salt  Lake  City  and  is  now  teaching  in  the  Latter-day  Saints  University; 
Harold  S.,  who  follows  farming  in  Idaho;  Florence,  the  wife  of  Clifford  L.  Evans, 
of  Salt  Lake  City;  and  Orson  S.,  also  a  resident  of  Salt  Lake  City.  The  wife  and 
mother  passed  away  in  1917.  Mr.  Pratt  married  Agnes  Ure,  by  whom  he  has  three 
children,  namely:  Melvin  U.,  Mary  U.  and  Claron  U.,  all  of  whom  are  attending 
school. 

Politically  Mr.  Pratt  has  always  been  a  republican.  His  religious  faith  is 
that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  in  which  he  is  now  a  high 
priest.  He  has  held  numerous  offices  in  the  church  and  was  the  first  bishop  of  the 
first  ward  organized  in  Teton  county  when  the  ward  covered  both  the  Teton  and 
Jackson  valleys.  In  1875  and  1876  he  filled  a  mission  to  Missouri  and  to  Illinois. 
Like  others  of  the  name  and  his  honored  father,  he  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
furthering  progress  along  many  lines  and  the  worth  of  his  work  is  widely  ac- 
knowledged. 


GEORGE  D.   CROCKETT. 

George  D.  Crockett,  a  rancher  and  cattleman  living  at  Rock  Creek,  Twin  Falls 
county,  was  born  in  Elko  county,  Nevada,  August  18,  1878,  and  is  a  son  of  Edwin 
M.  and  Phoebe  A.  (Davis)  Crockett.  The  father  was  born  on  Fox  Island,  in  the 
state  of  Maine,  and  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Rochester,  New  York.  In  the  year 
1850  the  grandparents  in  the  paternal  line  removed  to  the  west,  settling  near  Des 
Moinep,  Iowa,  and  there  took  up  land  which  the  grandfather  improved  and  devel- 
oped, continuing  its  cultivation  for  a  number  of  years.  He  afterward  made  his  way 


300  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

westward  to  Utah  with  ox  teams  but  en  route  stopped  in  different  states,  gradually, 
however,  pushing  farther  west  until  he  settled  in  Provo,  Utah,  and  afterward  in  the 
Cache  valley.  There  he  took  up  ranch  land  and  built  thereon  a  log  house,  which 
constituted  his  initial  step  in  the  work  of  improving  his  farm.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  died  on  the  old  homestead  there. 

Their  son,  Edwin  M.  Crockett,  pushed  on  from  Utah  to  California,  whither  he 
went  in  search  of  gold,  remaining  on  the  Pacific  coast  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
not  only  followed  mining  but  also  took  up  a  ranch  where  Los  Angeles  now  stands, 
obtaining  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  afterward  traded  that  land  for  horses, 
which  he  drove  through  to  a  point  near  Helena,  Montana.  In  that  state  he  engaged 
in  mining  and  later  turned  his  attention  to  merchandising  at  Logan,  Utah,  while  sub- 
sequently he  came  to  Idaho  and  took  up  the  ranch  upon  which  his  son  George  D. 
now  resides.  He  secured  squatter's  rights  to  the  property  and  after  the  land  had 
been  surveyed  he  homesteaded  and  continued  the  further  development  of  the  farm 
until  his  death.  He  participated  in  a  number  of  Indian  fights  in  the  early  days,  in- 
cluding the  Black  Hawk  war  in  Utah,  and  there  was  no  phase  of  frontier  life  with 
which  he  was  not  thoroughly  familiar.  He  witnessed  the  marvelous  growth  and 
development  of  this  great  Intermountain  section  of  the  country  and,  as  stated,  was 
for  a  time  connected  with  the  upbuilding  of  the  Pacific  coast.  He  died  in  1914 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1907  at  the  age 
of  fifty-eight.  In  politics  he  was  a  republican. 

George  D.  Crockett  spent  his  boyhood  upon  the  home  farm  and  supplemented 
his  early  educational  privileges  by  study  in  the  Albion  Normal  at  Albion,  Idaho, 
and  a  business  college  at  Salt  Lake.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  forestry  in- 
terests, with  which  he  was  connected  for  seven  years  in  Idaho,  and  then  went  upon 
the  ranch  where  he  now  makes  his  home.  His  labors  have  wrought  a  marked 
transformation  in  the  appearance  of  the  place,  which  is  now  a  valuable  property, 
the  fields  being  arable  and  highly  productive,  while  the  buildings  are  substantial 
and  at  all  times  an  air  of  neatness  and  thrift  pervades,  the  place. 

In  1909  Mr.  Crockett  was  married  to  Miss  Carrie  M.  Hansen,  a  daughter  of 
John  F.  and  Anna  Hansen  and  a  native  of  Cassia  county,  Idaho.  Her  father  was 
at  one  time  engaged  in  farming  at  Cottonwood  and  afterward  removed  to  Albion, 
where  he  filled  the  office  of  county  recorder  for  a  number  of  years.  Later  he  was 
engaged  in  merchandising  in  Rock  Creek  for  a  number  of  years.  He  has  always 
been  more  or  less  active  in  the  public  life  of  the  district  in  which  he  has  resided. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  now  living  at  Twin  Falls,  where  he  is  occupying  a  posi- 
tion in  the  auditor's  office.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crockett  have  three  children,  Marjorie, 
George  Donald  and  Edward  David. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crockett  are  widely  and  favorably  known,  occupying  an  enviable 
position  in  the  social  circles  in  which  they  move.  Mr.  Crockett  is  a  republican  in 
his  political  views  and  is  keenly  interested  in  the  vital  questions  and  problems  of 
the  day  but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  He  gives  his  undivided  time  and 
attention  to  ranching  and  cattle  raising  and  is  numbered  among  those  who  are  thus 
successfully  engaged  in  the  Rock  Creek  district. 


WILLIAM  A.   HARWELL. 

William  A.  Harwell,  a  ranchman  whose  home  property  is  situated  ten  miles 
west  of  Emmett,  came  to  Idaho  from  Texas  in  1899  and  has  lived  in  what  is  now 
Gem  county  for  a  period  of  fifteen  years,  spending  ten  years  of  this  time  upon  his 
present  place.  Mr.  Harwell  is  a  native  son  of  Texas,  his  birth  having  occurred 
about  sixty  biles  north  of  Austin  on  the  2,8th  of  February,  1862.  His  parents  were 
Sebum  and  Mary  (King)  Harwell,  both  natives  of  Mississippi  and  both  now  de- 
ceased. 

William  A.  Harwell  was  reared  upon  a  Texas  farm  and  throughout  his  entire 
life  has  been  a  farmer,  cattleman  and  cattle  herder.  The  period  of  his  minority 
was  passed  in  Texas  and  in  1887  he  was  married  in  that  state  to  Miss  Mattie  Ladd, 
who  was  born  in  Texas,  February  27,  1865,  being  a  daughter  of  John  and  Malissa 
(Salter)  Ladd,  the  latter  a  native  of  Alabama.  Both  her  father  and  mother  have 
departed  this  life.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harwell  removed  from  Texas  to  Oklahoma  in 
1894  and  after  five  years  came  to  Idaho  in  1899.  As  stated,  they  have  lived  upon 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  301 

their  present  ranch  property  for  a  decade  and  the  enterprise  and  industry  of  Mr. 
Harwell  are  manifest  in  the  excellent  appearance  and  productivity  of  the  place. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harwell  have  been  born  six  children  who  are  yet  living  and 
they  have  also  lost  one.  The  first-born,  John,  whose  birth  occurred  February  7, 
1888.  passed  away  December  14.  1906,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Willa,  born 
December  14,  1891,  was  married  October  10,  1910,  to  Ray  Price,  who  died  June 
11,  1918,  leaving  his  widow  and  three  children:  Milton,  William  and  Florence. 
Ruby,  born  December  14,  1896,  was  married  July  2,  1914,  to  Marshall  Ray  and 
they  have  four  children,  Larene,  Lawrence,  Joyce  and  Dorothy,  the  last  two  being 
twin  daughters,  born  July  20,  1919.  Nora,  the  fourth  of  the  family,  born  April 
20,  1898,  was  married  in  November,  1918,  to  Parley  Yergenson  and  they  have  one 
child.  Fay.  Garnett.  born  April  19,  1901,  is  now  in  the  United  States  military 
service,  having  joined  the  army  as  a  volunteer  in  1917,  just  after  war  was  declared 
with  Germany.  He  continued  with  the  army  throughout  the  period  of  hostilities 
and  is  still  in  the  service.  Jesse,  born  May  29,  1904,  and  Clarence,  born  January 
17,  1907,  complete  the  family. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harwell  are  people  of  sterling  worth,  living  quiet,  unostentatious 
lives  but  supporting  all  those  interests  which  make  for  good  citizenship.  They 
own  an  excellent  ranch  which  supplies  them  with  the  comforts  of  life,  and  being 
the  possessors  of  a  motor  car,  they  find  it  easy  to  travel  about  the  country  as  their 
wishes  dictate.  Mr.  Harwell  has  won  a  substantial  measure  of  success  as  the  years 
have  passed,  having  started  out  in  life  empty-handed,  while  now  he  is  the  owner 
of  an  excellent  ranch  property. 


WILLIAM  W.  SELCK,  SR. 

One  of  the  pioneers  of  the  vicinity  of  Lewisville,  Jefferson  county,  is  William 
W.  Selck,  Sr.,  who  for  years  has  been  a  prominent  man  in  the  religious  affairs  of 
his  community.  He  was  born  in  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  October  26,  1845,  a  son 
of  John  H.  and  Alicia  (Hitchinson)  Selck,  the  former  being  a  native  of  the  same 
country  as  his  son  and  the  latter  of  England.  The  father,  who  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  painter  and  artist  in  the  old  country,  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
with  his  family  in  1863  with  the  intention  of  settling  in  the  far  west.  During  the 
overland  journey  the  mother  died  at  the  age  of  forty  years  and  was  buried  a 
half  day's  journey  east  of  Laramie,  Wyoming.  The  father  and  son  continued 
westward,  finally  locating  in  Provo,  Utah,  where  the  former  resumed  his  occu- 
pation and  there  worked  at  the  same  the  rest  of  his  life,  which  ended  in  1888 
when  he  was  seventy-six  years  of  age. 

While  still  living  in  Denmark  William  W.  Selck  was  preparing  himself  for 
pharmaceutics  and  had  already  passed  two  examinations  in  that  science.  Soon 
after  he  came  to  Utah,  a  young  man  of  eighteen  years,  he  secured  a  position  with 
Godfrey  Mitchell  &  Company,  the  pioneer  wholesale  and  retail  drug  house  In  Salt 
Lake  City,  and  he  remained  with  this  firm  for  a  year  and  a  half.  For  another 
year  he  clerked  in  different  stores  in  Utah,  where  he  learned  the  business  methods 
of  his  adopted  country,  and  then  went  to  Nevada.  There  he  became  a  bookkeeper 
on  the  Overland  Farm,  an  irrigated  tract  of  two  thousand  acres  which  was  owi.ed 
by  the  Wells-Fargo  Express  Company.  During  his  two  years  of  employment  on 
this  farm  he  was  convinced  of  the  great  possibilities  of  farming  by  irrigation  in 
the  semi-arid  regions  of  the  west,  but  in  1867  he  severed  his  connection  with  Ms 
employers,  and  went  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  was  married,  after  which  he 
made  his  home  in  Kamas,  Utah,  until  coming  to  Idaho  in  1885.  He  located  in  that 
part  of  Bingham  county  which  is  now  included  in  the  county  of  Jefferson,  and  he 
bought  land  to  which  he  soon  afterward  added  by  claim  eighty  acres  near  the 
town  of  Lewisville.  He  decided  upon  a  site  in  the  incorporate  limits  of  L«\vk--ville 
to  build  his  home,  which  he  constructed  of  logs  hewed  out  by  his  own  hand.  He 
still  makes  his  home  in  this  rustic  cabin  which  is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the 
country  round.  Sometime  after  he  located  in  Jefferson  county,  he  bought  four 
hundred  acres  of  school  land  but  hard  times  cut  short  its  improvement  and  he 
was  compelled  to  allow  it  to  revert  back  to  the  state.  Following  this  misfortune 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Consolidated  Wagon  &  Machine  Company  as  head 
bookkeeper  and  remained  with  this  firm  for  sixteen  years.  On  the  expiration  of 


302  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

this  term  of  service  he  practically  left  active  pursuits  and  is  now  living  a  life  of 
semi-retirement  on  his  farm  near  Lewisville.  Here  he  busies  himself  with  the 
upkeep  of  his  fine  orchard  of  seven  and  one-half  acres,  and  he  also  has  a  well- 
eq.uipped  apiary  which  includes  twenty  stands  of  bees. 

Mr.  Selck  has  been  twice  married.  On  November  23,  1867,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Annie  C.  Sorenson,  who  died  after  a  long  illness  on  May  10,  1914, 
and  to  them  were  born  the  following  children:  Clarissa  Eliza,  who  is  the  widow  of 
Thomas  H.  Boyce  and  now  resides  in  L'ewisville,  Jefferson  county;  William  W.,  Jr.; 
Irena,  the  Avife  of  Hon.  Robert  Gilchrist,  state  senator;  Henry  E.,  and  John  H.  and 
Ernest  H.,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  In  July,  1915,  Mr.  Selck  was  again  mar- 
ried, his  second  wife  being  Rosena  Pfost. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Selck  are  devoted  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints  and  the  former  almost  from  the  beginning  of  his  residence  in 
Jefferson  county  has  been  a  prominent  participant  in  the  activities  of  this  denom- 
ination in  his  section.  In  1889  he  was  made  clerk  to  the  bishop  of  the  stake, 
which  extended  from  Montana  to  Utah,  and  since  1908  he  has  served  as  clerk  of 
the  Rigby  stake.  Furthermore  he  has  spread  abroad  the  teachings  of  his  church 
in  the  home  mission  field.  He  finds  his  political  creed  in  the  policies  and  platform 
of  the  republican  party  and  has  not  played  a  passive  part  in  the  public  affairs  of  his 
county  and  community.  After  Jefferson  county  was  organized  by  the  state  legis- 
lature, the  chief  executive  of  the  commonwealth  appointed  Mr.  Selck  judge  of  ihe 
probate  court  and  he  served  one  year  in  this  capacity.  For  the  last  ten  years  he 
has  been  a  notary  public  and  at  present  he  is  justice  of  the  peace. 

Although  Mr.  Selck  is  seventy-four  years  of  age,  he  is  not  content  with  the 
inactive  life  which  many  men  of  his  age  feel  that  they  must  live,  and  this  spirit 
of  ceaseless  industry  characterizes  all  the  lines  of  endeavor  he  has  ever  essayed.  As 
he  now  leads  his  quiet  life  of  semi-retirement  among  his  bees  and  orchard  trees,  he 
can  well  revert  with  retrospect  to  his  years  that  have  passed  with  the  assurance 
and  satisfaction  which  come  from  a  task  well  done. 


S.    H.   VASSAR. 

S.  H.  Vassar,  actively  engaged  in  farming  in  the  vicinity  of  Caldwell,  was  born 
in  Missouri,  October  7,  1867,  but  in  the  early  '70s  removed  to  Kansas  with  his  parents, 
John  R.  and  Martha  (Isgrig)  Vassar.  In  1890  the  father  with  all  of  his  family  save 
S.  H.  Vassar  of  this  review  came  to  Idaho.  In  the  meantime  he  had  visited  various 
parts  of  Kansas  and  after  his  parents'  removal  he  remained  in  the  Sunflower  state. 
There  he  pursued  farming  and  stock  raising  until  1902,  when  he  also  came  to  Idaho 
and  made  investment  in  eighty  acres  of  land,  whereon  he  now  resides,  two  miles  east 
of  Caldwell.  His  father  had  purchased  a  farm  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Caldwell  and 
there  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  until  a  short  time  prior  to  his  death, 
when  he  sold  the  property.  He  passed  away  in  Boise,  October  20,  1909,  and  his  wife 
died  in  1912.  Two  daughters  and  a  son  of  the  family  are  yet  living  in  Idaho,  these 
being  Mrs.  Hattie  McMahan,  of  Weiser;  Mrs.  Lilly  Drummond,  of  Nampa;  and  Wil- 
liam Vassar,  who  resides  in  Caldwell.  Two  brothers,  Simpson  and  Henry  L.  Vassar, 
are  living  in  Spokane,  Washington,  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Lottie.  Cook,  makes  her  home 
in  Portland,  Oregon. 

The  youthful  days  of  S.  H.  Vassar  were  spent  in  the  usual  manner  of  the  farm- 
bred  boy  and  throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  carried  on  general  agricultural  interests, 
his  success  being  the  direct  outcome  of  his  industry  and  perseverance.  In  1885  he 
married  Miss  Eunetta  Wilson,  a  native  of  Illinois,  their  marriage  being  celebrated  in 
Kansas.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  ten  children.  Emery,  thirty-two  years  of 
age,  is  living  at  home.  Ira  wedded  Mary  Pearson,  a  native  of  Emmett,  Idaho,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Samuel,  now  in  his  first  year.  John  married  Bessie  Bodle,  of  Kansas. 
Grace  is  the  wife  of  James  Havey.  Susie  married  Francis  Bodle.  Norah,  William, 
Cecil,  Mabel  and  Gladys  are  all  yet  under  the  parental  roof. 

S.  H.  Vassar  has  ever  been  fond  of  the  chase  and  when  leisure  permits  indulges 
his  love  of  hunting.  He  has  at  his  home  two  deer  and  a  fawn  and  two  fine  specimens 
of  elk.  Some  time  ago  he  contemplated  selling  his  farm  but  after  taking  a  trip  away 
from  home  became  thoroughly  convinced  that  his  home  and  land  could  not  be  sur- 
passed anywhere.  He  has  reared  an  interesting  family,  his  sons  being  energetic  and 


S.  H.  VASSAR 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  305 

enterprising  young  business  men,  and  the  worth  of  the  family  to  the  community  is 
widely  acknowledged.  For  more  than  seventeen  years  Mr.  Vassar  has  now  lived  in 
Idaho,  making  his  home  throughout  the  entire  period  upon  his  farm  near  Caldwell,  and 
his  labors  and  active  life  are  manifest  in  the  excellent  appearance  of  his  place. 


E.   O.   JOHNSTON. 

E.  O.  Johnston,  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  a  farm  of  twenty-five  acres  in  the 
Fargo  district,  was  born  in  Ohio,  April  11,  1863,  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Margaret 
Jane  (Osborn)  Johnston,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Buckeye  state.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  there  but  died  in  Indiana  in  1914,  having  removed  to  the  latter  state 
in  1866.  There  he  followed  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death.  His  wife  passed 
away  in  Indiana  in  1917.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew  Johnston  were  the  parents  of  three 
sons.  Thomas  married  Annie  Parkinson,  of  Indiana,  and  has  five  children:  Alva, 
Leita,  Margaret  Jane,  Dorothy  and  Andrew.  They  reside  near  the  home  of  E.  O. 
Johnston  in  Canyon  county.  Rolla,  the  other  brother,  married  Miss  Mary  Redding 
and  they  have  four  children:  Clara,  Earl,  Leila  and  Ivah.  Their  home  is  at  Fargo. 

E.  O.  Johnston  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Indiana  until  1880  and  fol- 
lowed various  pursuits  there  until  1885,  when  he  went  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  where 
he  learned  the  baker's  trade,  which  he  followed  until  1907.  In  that  year  he  came 
to  Idaho  and  purchased  his  present  place,  which  was  a  relinquishment  claim  of 
eighty  acres  of  raw  land  covered  with  sagebrush.  He  has  cleared  and  lev- 
eled this  land  and  in  1910  water  was  available  for  irrigating  purposes  from  the 
Boise-Payette  project.  Since  that  time  he  has  sold  all  but  twenty-five  acres  of  his 
original  claim.  He  carries  on  mixed  farming  and  cultivates  all  but  two  acres  of  his 
place.  His  has  been  an  active  and  useful  life  in  which  he  has  accomplished  his 
purposes  by  honorable  methods,  winning  the  regard  and  respect  of  his  fellowmen. 
He  keeps  upon  his  farm  a  few  fine  cows  and  does  dairying  in  a  small  way.  He 
also  has  twenty-five  colonies  of  bees  upon  his  place  and  expects  soon  to  greatly 
enlarge  his  business  in  the  way  of  bee  culture  and  the  production  of  honey.  He 
is  a  man  of  resolute  purpose,  carrying  forward  to  successful  completion  whatever 
he  undertakes,  and  he  is  regarded  as  a  substantial  citizen  of  the  community  in 
-wh»<*h  he  makes  his  home. 


DAVID  M.  JOHN. 

David  M.  John,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Idaho,  who  came  to  the  state  in  1877 
from  Utah,  was  for  twenty-five  years  a  resident  of  Cassia  county,  where  he  engaged 
in  ranching  and  raising  live  stock.  He  is  now  residing  in  Emmett  and  is  well 
known  in  this  section  of  the  state.  A  native  of  Wales,  his  birth  occurred  Novem- 
ber 21,  1859,  his  father  being  David  John,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in  Wales,  there 
passing  away  when  his  son,  John  M.,  was  a  little  lad  of  but  six  years.  The  mother 
afterward  came  to  America  with  her  four  children,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  1866, 
when  David  M.  John  was  but  seven  years  of  age.  The  family  were  seven  weeks 
upon  the  water,  crossing  in  a  sailing  vessel.  The  mother  had  become  a  convert  to 
the  teachings  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  at  once  went 
to  Utah,  settling  in  Goshen.  There  she  later  became  the  wife  of  Henry  Bray,  who 
met  death  in  the  mines  at  Stockton,  Utah,  in  1881,  Just  a  year  after  their  marriage. 

In  the  meantime  David  M.  John  had  located  on  Goose  creek,  in  Cassia  county, 
Idaho,  where  he  took  up  his  abode  on  the  10th  of  April,  1881.  The  following  year 
his  mother  joined  him  upon  the  ranch  and  spent  her  remaining  days  in  Idaho, 
passing  away  in  Emmett,  March  13,  1913,  when  she  had  reached  the  advanced 
age  of  seventy-nine  years.  From  1881  to  the  present  David  M.  John  has  continued 
to  make  his  home  in  Idaho  and  after  living  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  Cassia 
county  he  came  to  Gem  county,  and  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett,  has  engaged 
in  dealing  in  Idaho  lands  and  in  horses,  cattle  and  sheep.  His  business  affairs  have 
been  carefully  and  successfully  conducted  and  in  all  of  his  transactions  he  has  dis- 
played sound  Judgment  and  thorough  reliability. 

Mr.  John  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  and  while  in  Cassia  count7 
vol.  ni— 20 


306  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  several  years.  He  was  also  county  assessor  for 
six  years  and  county  commissioner  for  two  years  and  for  an  extended  period  served 
as  school  trustee.  He  was  likewise  deputy  assessor  of  Canyon  county  while  Gem 
county  was  still  a  part  of  Canyon  county.  Since  taking  up  his  abode  at  Emmett 
he  has  served  as  mayor  of  the  city,  filling  the  office  in  1916  and  1917. 

Mr.  John  makes  his  home  with  John  W.  Cook,  of  Emmett.  These  two  have 
been  practically  inseparable  for  the  past  thirty  years.  Both  have  prospered  in  their 
business  affairs,  gaining  financial  independence.  In  fact  they  have  been  associated 
in  business  for  many  years,  owning  their  land  and  live  stock  in  common.  The 
term  "true  pals"  certainly  indicates  their  close  relationship.  Their  friendship  is 
remarked  by  many,  for  comparatively  few  friends  can  stand  the  test  of  business 
relations  as  well.  These  two  work  together  in  entire  harmony  and  hold  their  in- 
terests and  pleasures  in  common. 


JOHN  NELSON. 

John  Nelson  is  living  practically  retired,  although  occupying  his  farm  of  fifty 
acres  at  Parma,  where  he  has  a  beautiful  home  supplied  with  every  comfort.  He 
was  born  in  Weber  county,  Utah,  in  Round  Valley,  just  east  of  Ogden,  June  19,  1866, 
and  is  a  son  of  Ole  and  Annie  (Jensen)  Nelson.  The  mother  survives  at  the  age 
of  eighty-six  years  and  is  living  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Walter  Mitchell,  at  Parma. 

John  Nelson  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  com- 
pleted his  studies  after  coming  to  Idaho  in  1888.  He  bought  his  first  home  in  the 
state  in  the  Cache  valley  of  Oneida  county,  where  he  lived  with  his  mother  for  four 
years  and  carried  on  general  farming.  He  then  sold  that  property  and  removed 
to  Parma  in  the  interest  of  Fred  J.  Kiesel,  for  whom  he  was  foreman  for  two  years 
in  a  farm  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres.  Mr.  Nelson's  present  home  is  a  portion 
of  the  Kiesel  farm.  When  he  assumed  the  management  of  that  farm  it  was  all  new 
land  and  he  brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  afterward  took  charge  of 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  raw  land  for  the  general  manager  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  with  headquarters  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  This  place  is  now  the 
Borden  ranch.  Mr.  Nelson  remained  there  for  two  years  and  then  returned  to  the 
employ  of  Fred  J.  Kiesel,  who  by  that  time  had  become  owner  of  fifteen  hundred 
acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  put  a  carload  of  pure  Percheron  horses  and  a 
stallion  and  raised  horses  for  the  market.  The  fine  stallion,  Comet,  was  sold  to 
George  Lane  of  Calgary,  Canada.  It  was  considered  one  of  the  finest  horses  in  the 
state.  Another  stallion,  Admiral  Togo,  was  presented  to  the  Japanese  naval  hero 
of  that  name  and  was  the  finest  horse  that  was  raised  unnn  the  Kiesel  place, 
weighing  twenty-three  hundred  pounds.  It  was  afterward  presented  to  the  emperor 
of  Japan.  The  Kiesel  property  was  subsequently  sold  in  small  farms  and  in  fact 
the  last  of  it  was  sold  within  the  year  1918.  Mr.  Kiesel,  who  died  April  22,  1919, 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years,  made  his  home  in  Ogden,  Utah,  but  he  did  much  for 
the  development  and  upbuilding  of  Idaho.  In  1906  he  put  upon  his  farm  in  this 
state  five  registered  Hereford  bulls  and  a  carload  of  heifers.  That  year  he  also 
stocked  with  two  hundred  head  of  registered  .Lincoln  ewes  and  Mr.  Nelson  was 
interested  with  him  as  a  partner  in  the  last  two  enterprises.  At  length,  however, 
he  sold  his  interest  in  the  stock  to  Mr.  Kiesel  in  1913  and  has  now  practically  retired 
from  business,  living  upon  his  farm  of  fifty  acres  near  Parma.  Whatever  he  does 
is  for  the  pleasure  of  doing.  He  finds  keen  joy  in  the  work  of  development  and  he 
has  a  beautiful  home  at  Parma  supplied  with  every  comfort. 

In  1895  Mr.  Nelson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Evie  Holmes,  of  Colfax,  Wash- 
ington, who  died  November  1,  1919,  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years.  They  became  the 
parents  of  five  children:  Bismarck  Blaine,  twenty-two  years  of  age,  who  was  in 
France  with  the  Service  of  Supplies  Division;  Fred  Donovan,  aged  twenty,  at  home 
with  his  parents;  Birchell  Holmes,  seventeen  years  of  age,  attending  school;  John 
Roosevelt,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years;  and  Minnie  Maud,  ten  years  of 
age,  also  in  school. 

Mr.  Nelson  is  keenly  interested  in  affairs  of  public  concern.  He  was  the  village 
trustee  of  Parma  for  seven  years  and  exercised  his  official  prerogatives  in  support 
of  many  plans  and  measures  for  the  general  good.  He  is  a  prominent  Odd  Fellow 
and  has  taken  all  the  degrees  and  now  has  a  petition  in  for  the  order  of  canton. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  307 

His  life  has  ever  been  actuated  by  a  progressive  spirit,  and  while  a  most  successful 
business  man,  he  has  never  centered  his  interests  along  a  single  line  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  other  activities  but  in  every  relation  has  met  the  duties  that  have  de- 
volved upon  him  and  has  labored  for  general  good  as  well  as  for  individual  success. 


GEORGE   T.    MAYHEW. 

George  T.  Mayhew,  fire  chief  at  Nampa  and  known  to  the  country  at  large 
through  his  athletic  record,  was  born  in  Trenton,  Ontario,  Canada,  December  25, 
1874.  He  was  there  educated  in  the  public  schools  to  the  age  of  eighteen  years, 
when  he  entered  the  drug  business  with  his  adopted  brother,  James  Spaulsbury. 
Two  years  later  he  went  to  Toronto,  Canada,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  drug 
business  with  Dr.  L.  Bentley,  and  in  the  meantime  he  trained  for  all-round  ath- 
letics, developing  notable  efficiency  in  shot  throwing,  hockey  and  lacrosse  and 
especially  in  sprinting.  In  the  latter  he  excelled,  beating  such  men  as  Charles 
Crew,  Thomas  Humphrey  and  George  Nolan,  all  of  whom  were  well  known  in  the 
athletic  world.  Mr.  Mayhew  has  taken  part  in  foot  races  all  over  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  and  while  he  has  practically  retired  from  the  sporting  field,  he  occa- 
sionally yet  enters  a  race  and  it  is  said  that  he  always  gets  away  with  the  prizes. 
In  1901,  at  the  Pan-American  Exposition  in  Buffalo,  he  raced  with  the  best  sprinters 
on  th*  American  continent  and  was  an  easy  winner. 

In  1902  Mr.  Mayhew  came  to  Nampa,  Idaho,  where  he  remained  but  a  short 
time  and  then  went  to  Seattle,  Washington,  but  soon  afterward  returned  to  Nampa. 
A  litle  later  he  became  connected  with  the  Mayflower  Mining  Company  of  Arco, 
with  headquarters  at  Nampa,  and  he  likewise  became  chief  of  the  volunteer  fire 
department  of  Nampa  and  was  retained  as  chief  when  the  paid  department  was 
organized  in  1910.  He  brought  to  the  department  considerable  actual  experience, 
as  he  had  been  associated  with  fire-fighting  interests  in  other  cities.  During  his 
incumbency  there  has  been  installed  an  up-to-date  fire  alarm  system  and  many 
modern  equipments  and  apparatus  for  fighting  fires,  these  beiqg  secured  under  the 
administration  of  Mayor  E.  H.  Dewey. 

In  1907  Mr.  Mayhew  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Marie  Rockwell,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Frank  Rockwell  and  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  highly 
respected  families  of  Nampa.  Mr.  Mayhew  belongs  to  Lodge  No.  37.  K.  P.,  of 
Nampa,  and  is  a  loyal  follower  of  the  purposes  of  that  organization.  While  he  is 
well  known  in  athletic  circles  throughout  the  entire  country,  in  Nampa  he  has 
made  for  himself  a  most  creditable  place  in  connection  with  the  development  of 
the  fire  system  of  the  city  and  he  has  gained  many  friends  throughout  the  north- 
west by  reason  of  his  many  admirable  characteristics. 


CLAYTON  BANE  KNOX. 

Clayton  Bane  Knox,  proprietor  of  the  City  Transfer  at  Emmett,  is  the  eldest 
son  of  Douglas  Knox,  an  honored  pioneer  resident  of  Gem  county,  and  was  born 
upon  a  ranch  about  two  miles  below  Emmett,  December  15,  1870.  He  has  there- 
fore passed  the  forty-ninth  milestone  on  life's  journey  and  the  entire  period  has 
been  spent  either  in  Emmett  or  upon  the  Knox  ranch  below  the  city.  He  con- 
tinued upon  the  home  farm  to  the  age  of  twelve  years,  when  the  ranch  was  sold, 
and  since  then  has  lived  in  the  town.  His  educational  opportunities  were  those 
afforded  by  the  public  schools  and  after  his  textbooks  were  put  aside  he  became 
engaged  in  the  sheep  business  but  about  seven  years  ago  he  and  his  brother,  De 
Loss  D.  Knox.  organized  the  Emmett  City  Transfer  business,  which  they  have  since 
carried  on,  making  it  one  of  the  successful  industrial  enterprises  of  Gem  county. 
Theirs  is  practically  the  only  transfer  business  in  Emmett  and  its  operating  equip- 
ment consists  of  two  large  two-ton  trucks,  a  Republic  and  a  Denby,  besides  several 
teams  and  wagons.  The  business  is  managed  by  Clayton  B.  Knox  almost  entirely, 
his  brother  giving  his  attention  to  other  matters. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1893,  Mr.  Knox  was  married  to  Miss  Minnie  Alice  Knouse, 
who  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents  from  Kansas  when  a  girl  of  fourteen  years. 


308  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

They  have  eleven  living  children:  Edna,  now  the  wife  of  Knox  McDowell,  a  lawyer1 
of  Seattle;  Ethel,  a  teacher  in  the  Emmett  schools;  and  Douglas,  Roy,  Richard, 
Fred,  Leslie,  John,  Howard,  Cecelia  and  Minnie,  all  under  the  parental  roof,  con- 
stituting an  interesting  family  of  seven  sons  and  four  daughters. 

Politically  Mr.  Knox  is  a  democrat  but  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  political 
office.  He  served,  however,  for  fifteen  years  as  deputy  sheep  inspector.  He  is  a 
director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Emmett  and  is  interested  in  all  those  con- 
ditions and  activities  which  have  to  do  with  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  city, 
his  support  being  counted  upon  at  all  times  to  further  measures  or  movements  for 
the  general  good.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Master  Mason  and  also  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


JOHN  BATEMAN. 

There  fall  to  the  lot  of  few  men  such  varied  experiences  as  have  come  to  John 
Bateman,  now  a  well  known  apiarist  of  Canyon  county,  Idaho.  Born  in  Detroit, 
Michigan,  June  9,  1853,  he  was  reared  in  Canada,  was  a  Hudson  Bay  trapper  at 
the  age  of  twelve  years,  rode  the  range  in  South  Dakota  in  young  manhood  and 
afterward  became  a  member  of  the  United  States  cavalry.  He  was  on  active  duty 
in  the  Philippines,  has  been  a  hunter  and  trapper  in  the  mountains  of  Idaho  and 
is  now  engaged  in  bee  culture  in  Canyon  county.  Such  is  the  outline  of  his  life. 
The  story  in  detail  is  a  most  interesting  one.  His  father,  John  T.  Bateman,  was  a 
ship  carpenter  and  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  came  to  America  when  eighteen  years 
of  age.  Before  the  birth  of  his  son  John  he  had  followed  mining  in  Montana.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Bateman,  who  was  a  third  cousin,  in  Quebec,  Canada,  and  both 
have  passed  away.  The  mother  died  when  her  son  John  was  but  six  years  of  age 
and  he  was  then  sent  to  his  grandparents  in  Middlesex  county,  Ontario.  When  he 
was  a  youth  of  twelve  years  they  sent  him  into  the  far  north  with  a  Hudson  Bay 
trapper,  with  whom  he  proceeded  to  Newfoundland,  using  dog  teams,  and  went 
to  the  mouth  of  th$  Mackenzie  river,  where  they  engaged  in  trapping,  Mr.  Bate- 
man remaining  in  that  work  until  he  reached  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  He  re- 
ceived one-third  of  his  catch  for  his  pay,  which  amounted  to  thirty-four  thousand 
dollars.  His  grandparents  sent  him  to  live  in  the  open  on  account  of  his  weak  lungs 
and  the  life  which  he  follqwed  brought  an  entire  cure  from  any  pulmonary  trouble. 
From  the  far  north  the  company  with  which  he  worked  went  to  Seattle,  Washington, 
and  took  passage  with  their  furs  for  Liverpool,  England,  and  from  there  proceeded 
to  the  east  coast  of  Ireland  and  on  to  Hongkong,  China,  distributing  and  selling 
their  furs  in  all  of  these  places. 

Mr.  Bateman  afterward  returned  to  New  York  city  and  then  made  his  way 
west  to  South  Dakota,  where  he  worked  for  the  Hash-knife  outfit  in  trailing  cattle 
in  the  spring1  of  1873.  A  decided  change  occurred  when  in  1874  he  joined  the 
Seventh  Cavalry,  U.  S.  A.,  with  which  he  served  until  1885.  His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  Clarke  and  was  a  native  of  New  York,  died  in  that  year  at 
the  Pine  Ridge  agency  in  South  Dakota,  leaving  a  son,  Thomas,  who  is  now  a 
physician  in  the  United  States  service  in  France. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife  Mr.  Bateman  roamed  through  several  states,  riding 
after  cattle,  hunting  and  trapping.  He  then  joined  the  Third  Artillery  as  a  member 
of  Battery  D  and  went  to  the  Philippines,  while  later  he  was  transferred  with  his 
command  to  Cuba.  He  was  handling  a  three-inch  dynamite  gun  in  the  battle  of 
San  Juan  Hill  when  he  received  a  severe  wound  from  a  shell  that  almost  decapitated 
him.  This  wound  caused  a  portion  of  his  skull  to  be  removed  and  substituted  in 
its  place  is  a  large  silver  plate.  Severe  as  were  his  injuries,  he  ultimately  recovered 
and  was  returned  to  his  company,  with  which  he  went  to  China  when  the  Boxer 
war  broke  out.  He  served  with  the  rank  of  third  sergeant  and  participated  in  the 
capture  of  Pekin.  Later  he  was  sent  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  where  he  contracted 
typhoid  fever  and  was  then  transferred  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  after 
his  recovery  he  received  an  honorable  discharge. 

Mr.  Bateman  next  went  to  Wyoming  and  proceeded  on  horseback  to  Montana, 
where  he  rode  for  the  Two-A-Bar  outfit  for  two  years.  On  the  expiration  of ,  that 
period  he  made  his  way  to  Vale,  Oregon,  and  rode  the  range  for  Miller  &  Lux  for 

years,  while  subsequently  he  was  employed  by  the  French-Glenn  outfit  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  309 

Harney  valley  of  Oregon  for  one  year.  Later  he  devoted  his  time  to  hunting  and 
trapping  in  the  Juniper  mountains  of  Idaho  for  six  years,  after  which  he  settled 
down  to  the  raising  of  bees  at  Caldwell,  entering  into  partnership  with  S.  W.  Vale. 
They  have  about  three  hundred  colonies  and  Mr.  Bateman  is  recognized  as  a 
thorough  bee  man,  conversant  with  every  phase  of  the  business.  His  labors  have 
resulted  in  the  production  of  a  large  amount  of  honey  through  his  scientific  care 
and  housing  of  the  bees  and  his  product  finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  market.  He  has 
lived  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  the  open,  has  always  been  a  lover  of  nature 
and  has  entered  upon  experiences  that  have  brought  him  a  broad  knowledge  of 
the  world  and  its  people.  Though  denied  the  opportunities  offered  in  the  schools 
after  reaching  the  age  of  twelve  years,  he  has  nevertheless  learned  many  valuable 
lessons  in  the  school  of  experience,  a  year's  travel  bringing  him  an  understanding 
of  conditions  and  events  which  could  not  be  acquired  in  four  years  of  study. 


JOHN  B.   DAVIES. 

John  B.  Davies,  one  of  Idaho's  pioneers,  who  has  resided  in  or  near  Emmett 
through  practically  his  entire  life,  or  for  a  period  of  more  than  half  a  century, 
came  to  this  state  in  1862  with  his  parents  from  Racine,  Wisconsin,  being  then  a 
babe  in  his  mother's  arms,  less  than  a  year  old.  He  was  born  in  Racine,  August 
31,  1861,  a  son  of  Thomas  J.  and  Margaret  (Williams)  Davies.  The  father  was 
born  in  Wales  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  young  manhood,  being  married 
in  Wisconsin.  His  wife  was  probably  of  American  birth  but  of  Welsh  descent,  her 
parents  having  come  from  the  little  rock-ribbed  country  of  Wales  to  the  new  world. 
John  B.  Davies,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  the  firstborn  child  of 
his  parents,  who  in  the  spring  of  1862  crossed  the  plains  to  Idaho  with  wagons  and 
proceeded  at  once  to  Fort  Boise,  now  the  capital  of  the  state.  Another  child,  a 
daughter,  whom  they  named  Idaho  Platte  Davies,  was  born  while  they  were  en 
route  to  the  west,  her  birth  occurring  on  the  Platte  river  in  a  covered  wagon.  She, 
however,  passed  away  at  the  age  of  twe've  years.  The  father  met  an  accidental 
death  shortly  after  reaching  this  state  and  in  the  spring  of  1867  his  widow  became 
the  wife  of  Douglas  Knox,  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  residents  of  Idaho,  who  is 
mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work  and  who  is  now  living  in  Emmett  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six  years.  Mrs.  Knox  passed  away  in  1885,  her  death  being  the  occasion 
of  deep  and  widespread  regret  not  only  to  her  immediate  family  but  to  all  with 
whom  she  had  been  brought  in  contact  during  the  long  period  of  her  residence 
in  this  state. 

John  B.  Davies  was  mainly  reared  on  the  Douglas  Knox  ranch  about  a  mile 
below  Emmett.  His  educational  opportunities  were  very  limited,  as  there  was  no 
school  that  he  could  attend  nearer  than  Boise.  He  has  always  been  a  ranchman 
and  dealer  in  live  stock  and  is  still  the  owner  of  a  good  ranch  property  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  three  miles  below  Emmett.  Until  a  recent  date  it  was 
just  double  its  present  size,  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  being  comprised  within 
the  boundaries  of  his  farm.  After  having  lost  his  only  son,  who  died  in  Prance 
during  the  recent  World  war,  he  sold  one-half  of  his  ranch,  including  that  portion 
on  which  the  buildings  stood,  and  removed  to  Emmett,  where  he  has  a  comfortable 
home  and  about  a  dozen  good  town  lots. 

On  the  19th  of  March,  1888,  Mr.  Davies  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Ellen  Jack- 
son, who  was  born  in  Daviess  county,  Missouri,  June  21,  1865,  a  daughter  of  John 
L.  and  Susanna  A.  (Garr)  Jackson.  Her  father  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Indiana, 
December  25,  1830,  and  was  married  in  Carroll  county,  Illinois,  August  3,  1851, 
to  Susanna  A.  Garr.  Ten  years  later,  on  the  3d  of  August,  1861,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  E.  Twenty-third  Missouri  Infantry,  with  which  he  served  for  over  three 
years  in  the  Civil  war,  being  honorably  discharged  with  the  rank  of  sergeant  at 
Atlanta,  Georgia,  September  22,  1864,  his  three  years'  term  having  expired.  He 
came  from  Kansas  to  Idaho  in  1873,  settling  first  at  Boise,  but  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  removed  with  his  family  to  Emmett.  He  passed  away  at  the  Soldiers 
Home  in  Boise,  March  16,  1915.  His  wife  was  born  in  Hamilton  county,  Indiana, 
September  17,  1833,  and  died  near  Weiser,  Idaho,  November  17,  1905.  Their 
daughter,  Mrs.  John  B.  Davies,  was  one  of  ten  children,  of  whom  seven  are  living. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davies  was  born  but  one  child,  a  son,  John  T.,  who  went  to 


310  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

France  with  the  American  army  and  was  mortally  wounded  in  battle  on  the  5th 
of  October,  1918,  passing  away  in  a  hospital  in  France  about  a  month  later.  He 
was  born  June  17,  1890,  and  was  therefore  twenty-eight  years  of  age  when  his 
death  occurred.  He  had  always  resided  on  the  ranch  with  his  parents  and  was  a 
most  devoted  son.  He  carried  a  ten  thousand  dollar  government  insurance  on  his 
life,  but  the  fifty-seven  dollars  and  a  half  which  is  now  paid  to  his  parents  monthly 
is  but  poor  consolation  indeed  for  the  loss  of  their  only  and  deeply  loved  son. 

Mr.  Davies  is  a  Mason  who  exemplifies  in  his  life  the  beneficent  spirit  of  the 
craft.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat  but  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  office.  His 
life  has  been  most  exemplary  in  many  respects.  That  he  has  lived  at  peace  with 
his  fellowmen  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  has  never  had  a  lawsuit,  and  that 
he  has  been  honorable  in  all  business  affairs  is  manifest  in  the  fact  that  he  has 
never  been  sued  nor  has  he  ever  sued  anyone.  He  has  never  taken  a  drink  of 
liquor  in  his  life,  and  at  all  times  his  integrity  and  sterling  worth  of  character 
have  been  recognized  by  his  fellowmen,  who  ever  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  the 
warmest  regard,  for  his  life  measures  up  to  the  highest  standards. 


MATT  NICHTER,  D.  V.   S. 

Dr.  Matt  Nichter,  a  successful  veterinary  surgeon  of  Caldwell,  who  is  also  winning 
a  well  earned  reputation  as  an  auctioneer,  was  born  in  Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana, 
September  21,  1872.  His  father,  Jacob  Nichter,  ca*me  from  Germany  and  settled  in 
Indiana  prior  to  the  Civil  war.  He  was  accompanied  on  his  emigration  to  the  new 
world  by  his  wife,  who  in  her  maidenhood  bore  the  name  of  Mary  Kuntz.  Both  have 
now  passed  away. 

Dr.  Nichter  attended  the  graded  schools  of  his  native  county  to  the  age  of  twelve 
years,  when  he  started  out  to  provide  for  his  own  support  by  farm  work.  He  was 
thus  engaged  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-six,  when  he  went  to  Indianapolis, 
where  he  was  employed  by  one  of  the  largest  firms  in  the  United  States,  handling 
fine  bred  horses  at  Indianapolis  and  at  La  Fayette.  Dr.  Nichter  spent  five  years  in 
that  connection,  after  which  he  went  to  Chicago  and  entered  the  Chicago  Veterinary 
College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1906.  Immediately  after- 
ward .  he  made  his  way  westward  to  California  and  later  located  in  Nevada,  where  he 
continued  in  practice  at  Yerington  for  two  years  and  at  the  same  time  conducted 
a  stage  line  from  that  point  to  Wabuska,  on  the  main  line  of  the  Central  Pacific 
Railroad. 

After  traveling  through  various  parts  of  California,  Nevada  and  Oregon  and  thus 
carefully  investigating  the  opportunities  and  interests  of  the  west  he  settled  in  Cald- 
well, Idaho,  in  1908.  He  does  all  the  veterinary  work  for  the  Caldwell  stock  yards, 
in  addition  to  which  he  has  a  large  private  practice  throughout  the  state.  He  has 
lately  taken  up  the  general  auctioneering  business,  which  has  proven  very  profitable 
to  him,  his  first  sale  amounting  to  forty-five  hundred  dollars  in  five  hours.  He  is 
now  conducting  semi-monthly  auction  sales,  which  promise  to  develop  a  very  large 
business  at  Palmer,  Star  and  Caldwell.  Dr.  Nichter  has  been  the  owner  of  one  of 
the  finest  road  horses  in  the  state.  When  he  purchased  the  animal  it  was  almost 
unmanageable,  but  by  careful  and  judicious  handling  he  made  it  one  of  the  finest  and 
best  known  horses  of  the  entire  country,  it  being  now  in  the  possession  of  Ben  Huston, 
of  Caldwell.  Along  well  defined  lines  of  progress  Dr.  Nichter  has  steadily  advanced 
and  is  now  occupying  an  enviable  position  in  business  and  professional  circles. 


WALTER    KNOX. 

Walter  Knox,  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  pioneer  families  of  Gem  county, 
was  born  on  the  Knox  ranch  a  mile  below  Emmett  on  the  2d  of  September,  1873, 
and  is  the  fourth  child  and  third  son  of  Douglas  and  Margaret  Knox,  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  was  reared  on  the  home  ranch  to  the  age  of  twenty 
years  and  early  became  familiar  with  the  best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  car- 
ing for  the  crops.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources, 
and  in  1893  he  and  his  two  brothers,  Clayton  and  De  Loss,  purchased  the  Dick 


DR.  MATT  NICHTER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  313 

and  Tom  Williams  ranch  on  Haw  creek,  seven  miles  north  of  Emmett.  Walter 
Knox  later  acquired  by  purchase  the  interests  of  his  brothers  in  this  property, 
which  contained  about  six  hundred  acres  of  land,  one-half  of  which  was  under 
cultivation.  It  was  devoted  to  dry  farming,  but  the  land  produced  good  crops  of 
alfalfa  and  grain  and  Walter  Knox  remained  upon  that  ranch  from  1893  until 
1910,  being  the  sole  owner  for  the  greater  part  of  that  period.  In  addition  to  the 
cultivation  of  grain  and  alfalfa  he  also  raised  many  head  of  cattle  and  sheep,  but 
eventually  sold  his  ranch  property  at  a  good  price  and  removed  to  Emmett  in  order 
to  secure  better  educational  opportunities  for  his  children. 

Prior  to  this  Mr.  Knox  had  acquired  a  good  home  property  in  Emmett,  the 
house  which  he  now  occupies  having  been  built  in  1907.  Previous  to  1910  his  wife 
and  children  had  occupied  the  residence  during  the  school  year,  while  he  remained 
alone  upon  the  ranch.  He  did  not  find  this  a  pleasant  way  to  live,  however,  being 
separated  from  his  wife  and  children  for  about  three-fourths  of  the  year,  so 
eventually  he  sold  the  ranch  in  1910  and  since  that  time  they  have  all  occupied 
the  town  house,  which  is  a  comfortable  home,  standing  in  the  midst  of  a  half-acre 
of  ground  and  completely  enclosed  by  a  well  kept  boxwood  fence.  The  dwelling 
contains  ten  rooms  with  modern  equipment  and  there  is  a  considerable  amount  of 
fruit  upon  the  place,  together  with  beautiful  shrubbery,  flowers  and  gardens  and  a 
well  kept  lawn  that  renders  the  home  very  attractive. 

On  the  25th  of  August,  1897,  Mr.  Knox  was  married  in  Emmett  to  Miss  Carrie 
May  Fulton,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents 
when  she  was  about  seven  years  of  age.  Her  birth  occurred  in  Pittsburgh,  Penn- 
sylvania, February  19,  1878,  her  parents  being  Hugh  and  Elizabeth  Fulton.  Her 
father  died  September  13,  1897,  but  her  mother  still  resides  in  Emmett.  Walter 
Knox  and  his  wife  have  six  living  children:  Harry,  born  June  23,  1898;  Willard 
Alvin,  who  was  born  March  22,  1900,  and  on  the  10th  of  June,  1919,  married 
Freda  Kessel,  of  Emmett;  Guy,  born  February  22,  1902;  Raymond,  January  9, 
1906;  Margaret,  December  22,  1913;  and  Robert  Thomas,  January  9,  1919.  They 
also  lost  one  son,  Ancil,  who  was  born  December  30,  1903,  and  passed  away  June 
18,  1919,  his  death  being  occasioned  by  pneumonia  following  an  attack  of  influenza. 

Mr.  Knox  is  a  loyal  supporter  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  a  past  grand  in  the  local  lodge  of  the  latter. 
His  wife  is  connected  with  the  Rebekah  degree  and  both  belong  to  the  American 
Yeomen.  Mr.  Knox  is  a  democrat  in  his  political  views  and  for  two  years  served 
as  county  commissioner  of  Gem  county,  making  a  creditable  record  in  that  position. 
He  is  always  loyal  to  every  interest  that  has  to  do  with  the  welfare  and  progress 
of  his  community,  and  like  the  other  representatives  of  the  Knox  family,  is  held 
in  high  regard  in  the  section  of  the  state  in  which  his  entire  life  has  been  passed. 


BOISE  G.  RIGGS. 

Boise  G.  Riggs,  of  Emmett,  has  throughout  his  entire  life  been  identified  with 
ranching  and  stock  raising  interests.  He  was  born  February  26,  1865,  being  a 
native  of  the  city  whose  name  he  bears.  He  is  the  second  of  the  three  living  sons 
of  the  late  Henry  C.  Riggs,  an  honored  pioneer  settler  of  the  state,  who  is  men- 
tioned elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  has  lived  in  Emmett  or  its  vicinity  since  1871, 
or  from  the  time  when  he  was  six  years  of  age,  his  parents  removing  from  Boise  to 
a  homestead  nine  miles  northwest  of  Emmett.  Upon  this  place  his  boyhood  and 
youth  were  passed  and  he  assisted  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing  the  home 
property,  which  was  a  tract  of  wild  land  when  it  came  into  possession  of  the  family. 
Throughout  all  the  intervening  years  he  has  been  known  as  a  ranchman,  as  a 
cowboy  or  as  a  dealer  in  live  stock,  and  what  he  has  undertaken  he  has  accom- 
plished, winning  a  substantial  measure  of  success  through  the  careful  direction  ot 
his  business  affairs. 

On  the  8th  of  March,  1888,  Mr.  Riggs  was  married  to  Miss  Clara  Alice  Jack- 
son, who  was  born  in  Daviess  county,  Missouri,  April  21,  1867,  and  came  to  Idaho 
in  1873  with  her  parents,  John  L.  and  Susanna  (Garr)  Jackson.  Mrs.  Riggs  is  a 
sister  of  Mrs.  Mary  Ellen  Davies,  of  Emmett,  and  she  has  several  other  sisters  and 
brothers.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Riggs  have  been  born  five  children:  Mrs.  Clara  Kriezen- 
beck,  Boise  G.,  Mrs.  Mona  Bane,  Mrs.  Nellie  Whiteside  and  Bernice  M.  The  last 


314  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

named  is  now  employed  as  a  stenographer  and  is  the  only  one  at  home,  the  rest 
having  married  and  gone  to  homes  of  their  own. 

While  Boise  G.  Riggs,  as  previously  stated,  was  named  for  the  city  which  is 
his  birthplace,  Ada  county,  Idaho,  was  named  in  honor  of  his  older  sister,  Ada 
Riggs,  now  deceased.  In  politics  Mr.  Riggs  is  a  democrat  and  is  chairman  of  the 
democratic  central  committee  of  Gem  county.  He  served  as  deputy  game  warden 
of  Idaho  for  two  years,  from  April,  1917,  until  April,  1919.  He  belongs  to  the 
Loyal  Order  of  Moose  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Idaho  Pioneers  Society.  He  is  a  quiet,  unassuming  man 
whose  interests  are  centered  in  his  home  and  his  family  ai}d  who  has  put  forth  his 
most  earnest  effort  to  provide  for  their  welfare  and  promote  their  happiness. 


MONTGOMERY  TAYLOR  BROWN. 

Montgomery  Taylor  Brown,  who  is  ranching  near  Kimberly,  in  Twin  Falls 
county,  was  born  in  Todd  county,  Kentucky,  July  8,  1848,  a  son  of  Daniel  T.  and 
Elizabeth  P.  (Hopson)  Brown.  His  boyhood  was  passed  in  his  native  state,  his 
education  acquired  in  its  public  schools,  and  afterward  he  engaged  in  the  livery 
business  and  in  farming  there  until  1877,  when  he  made  his  way  westward,  taking 
up  his  abode  in  Elko  county,  Nevada,  where  he  lived  for  two  years.  He  afterward 
removed  to  Stockton,  California,  and  later  drove  cattle  back  to  Nevada.  Subse- 
quently he  drove  cattle  from  Nevada  to  the  north  side  of  the  Snake  river,  this 
being  in  1878.  He  afterward  went  to  Oakley,  Cassia  county,  Idaho,  where  he  took 
up  a  stock  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  This  he  preempted  and  improved, 
calling  it.  the  Mountain  Meadow  ranch.  He  worked  for  Messrs.  Russell  and  Bradley 
until  1892  in  cattle  raising  and  then  sold  the  ranch,  becoming  a  candidate  for  the 
position  of  auditor  of  Cassia  county.  He  was  elected  to  that  position  on  the  demo- 
cratic ticket  and  made  so  creditable  and  excellent  a  record  in  office  that  he  was 
reelected  and  continued  in  the  position  until  he  had  spent  twelve  years  in  that 
way.  He  afterward  removed  to  Boise,  where  he  acted  as  a  guard  at  the  prison  for 
two  years,  and  eventually  he  took  up  Jiis  abode  at  Albion,  Idaho.  He  was  after- 
ward a  candidate  for  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Cassia  county  and  was  elected  to  that 
position  in  1902,  serving  for  two  years.  He  remained  in  Albion  for  two  years  more 
and  then  took  up  his  abode  in  -Twin  Falls  county,  where  for  a  time  he  cultivated 
a  rented  farm.  In  1912  he  removed  to  a  farm  property  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  belonging  to  his  sons,  and  has  since  lived  thereon.  They  have  converted 
the  place  into  a  productive  and  highly  improved  tract  and  run  a  number  of  head 
of  cattle  and  horses  upon  'it,  the  various  departments  of  the  ranch  work  proving 
profitable. 

In  1884  Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Miss  Katie  Parke,  a  daughter  of  Ira  C. 
and  Vashti  Parke  and  a  native  of  Utah.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  in  that  state  and 
also  engaged  in  sheep  raising.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  become  the  parents  of 
seven  children:  Hazel  D.;  Mabel  C.;  Lloyd  T. ;  Hudson  W.;  Zula,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  ten  years;  Montie  B.;  and  Birch  E. 

Mr.  Brown  has  always  been  a  stanch  advocate  of  democratic  principles  and 
his  support  of  the  party  has  been  prompted  by  a  firm  belief  in  its  platform  as  a 
factor  in  good  government.  He  has  membership  with  the  Masons  and  his  life  has 
been  guided  by  high  and  honorable  principles.  Whenever  he  has  held  office  he  has 
discharged  his  duties  with  promptness,  fidelity  and  capability,  in  business  affairs 
has  been  found  thoroughly  reliable  and  in  every  relation  of  life  has  commanded 
the  confidence  and  goodwill  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


JOHN   S.   FISCHER. 

For  the  past  seven  years  John  S.  Fischer  has  been  engaged  in  the  mortgage 
loan  business  in  Boise  as  manager  in  southern  Idaho  and  eastern  Oregon  for  Mil- 
ler &  Viele,  of  Salt  Lake  City,  who  are  financial  correspondents  for  the  intermoun- 
tain  states  of  the  Union  Central  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Cincinnati.  Mr. 
Fischer  was  born  near  Clarington,  Monroe  county,  Ohio,  April  9,  1877,  a  son  of 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  315 

John  and  Eliza  (Davis)  Fischer,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Buckeye  state. 
The  mother  passed  away  five  years  ago,  but  the  father  is  still  living.  For  many 
years  he  followed  farming  but  is  now  retired  from  active  business,  enjoying  in 
well  earned  rest  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war, 
having  served  in  the  Union  army  when  a  mere  lad  in  his  teens.  Konrad  Barlow, 
one  of  the  great-grandfathers  of  Mr.  Fischer  in  the  maternal  line,  served  under 
Napoleon  in  his  campaigns  in  Europe.  He  subsequently  came  to  the  United  States, 
spending  his  last  days  on  this  side  of  the  water. 

John  S.  Fischer  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  Monroe  county,  Ohio,  and  at- 
tended the  country  schools  to  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  he  became  a  rural 
school  teacher.  When  the  Spanish-American  war  broke  out  he  had  taught  two 
terms  of  school.  True  to  the  military  spirit  which  has  actuated  his  ancestors, 
he  Joined  the  army,  serving  as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Seventh  Ohio  Regi- 
ment, and  was  stationed  at  Camp  Alger,  Washington,  D.  C.,  being  detailed  for 
service  in  the  quartermaster's  department.  In  1901  he  went  to  Oklahoma,  where 
he  took  up  a  homestead,  and  was  there  engaged  in  the  newspaper  business,  as  he 
was  in  Missouri,  covering  a  period  of  several  years.  He  also  served  as  United 
States  commissioner  at  Texhoma,  Oklahoma,  and  was  a  very  prominent  figure  in 
republican  circles  there.  He  was  a  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks  of  the  republi- 
can party  and  served  as  secretary  of  the  first  republican  state  convention  held  in 
Oklahoma.  His  newspaper  experience  covered  a  period  of  several  years  in  Okla- 
homa. 

In  1912  Mr.  Fischer  came  to  Boise  as  manager  for  Miller  &  Viele  and  his  field 
of  operations  covers  southern  Idaho  and  eastern  Oregon.  Since  coming  to  Idaho  he 
has  acquired  some  good  farm  land  and  ranch  property  in  this  state  and  in  Ore- 
gon. He  has  over  eleven  hundred  acres  in  the  two  states  and  he  still  has  his  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acre  homestead  in  Oklahoma.  As  manager  for  Miller  &  Viele 
his  business  connections  cover  a  wide  field  and  involve  large  responsibilities  and  his 
seven  years'  work  in  Boise  has  proved  his  capacity  in  this  connection. 

On  the  15th  of  June,  1908,  Mr.  Fischer  was  married  to  Miss  Georgie  Caper- 
ton,  a  native  of  Alabama  and  a  daughter  of  George  S.  and  Mary  H.  Caperton.  Her 
father  was  a  Confederate  soldier,  serving  throughout  the  war.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fischer 
have  two  sons:  John  Sylvester,  commonly  known  as  Jack,  born  April  27,  1910; 
and  Leigh  Henderson,  born  August  26,  1915. 

Mr.  Fischer  is  identified  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  also 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club  and 
the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church — associations  that  indicate  the  nature  of  his 
interests  and  the  rules  that  govern  his  conduct. 


JOHN  R.  McCONNELL. 

John  R.  McConnell,  concentrating  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  sheep  and 
cattle  raising  and  ranching  at  Emmett,  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Iowa,  Decem- 
ber 2,  1876,  being  one  of  nine  children,  seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  whose  par- 
ents were  George  W.  and  Mary  E.  (McConnell)  McConnell,  who  though  of  the 
same  name  were  not  related.  The  father  was  born  in  Iowa  and  now  lives  at  Walla 
Walla,  Washington.  The  mother,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  passed  away  in  1902,  after 
which  Mr.  McConnell  married  again.  John  R.  McConnell  has  five  brothers  who  are 
yet  living:  Frank  A.,  Orville  G.,  Richard  L.,  Charles  E.  and  Harold,  and  also  a 
half  brother,  Ross  McConnell.  All  of  his  own  brothers  reside  in  or  near  Emmett. 

John  R.  McConnell  was  but  two  years  of  age  when  brought  by  his  parents  to 
Idaho  in  1878.  His  father  took  up  a  desert  claim  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
on  which  the  city  of  Caldwell  now  stands.  The  Oregon  Short  Line  had  not  yet 
reached  that  point  and  in  fact  was  not  built  to  that  place  until  about  two  years  later 
and  not  until  after  George  W.  McConneH  had  sold  his  section  of  land,  which  he 
kept  for  only  about  a  year  and  then  let  it  go  for  the  meager  sum  of  three  hundred 
dollars.  The  greater  portion  of  the  city  of  Caldwell  has  since  been  built  upon  his 
original  desert  claim  and  is  today  valuable  property. 

The  youth  of  John  R.  McConnell  was  largely  spent  upon  McConnell's  Island  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Boise,  which  was  named  in  honor  of  the  family,  some  older 
brothers  of  George  W.  McConnell  having  taken  up  the  land  on  this  island  many 


316  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

years  before.  John  R.  McConnell  attended  the  public  schools  of  Idaho  and  was 
graduated  from  the  Caldwell  high  school  with  the  class  of  1892.  He  later  entered 
the  University  of  Idaho,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1903.  There  was  a 
period  of  seven  years,  from  1892  until  1899,  when  he  was  out  of  school.  Since 
his  completion  of  his  university  course  he  has  devoted  his  attention  to  ranching 
and  the  raising  of  live  stock  and  has  resided  throughout  the  entire  time  either  near 
or  in  Emmett.  He  has  owned  and  occupied  several  ranches  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
city  and  four  years  ago  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Emmett  in  order  to  afford  his  chil- 
dren the  opportunity  of  attending  the  town  schools.  He  now  has  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  homes  of  Emmett,  formerly  the  bungalow  residence  of  Dr.  B.  O.  Clark 
at  the  corner  of  Second  and  McKinley  streets.  Mr.  McConnell  purchased  this  prop- 
erty in  1917,  at  the  time  Dr.  Clark  entered  the  service  in  the  World  war.  The 
building  was  erected  in  1912. 

It  was  on  the  23d  of  July,  1905,  at  Enterprise,  Oregon,  that  Mr.  McConnell 
was  married  to  Miss  Maude  Lyman,  who  was  born  at  Harrisville,  Michigan,  April 
8,  1882,  a  daughter  of  'Don  and  Mary  Ann  (Sinclair)  Lyman,  who  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Canada  respectively.  The  father  was  born  January  13,  1858,  and 
the  mother  in  Ontario,  Canada,  June  8,  1859.  She  passed  away  December  23, 
1915,  but  Mr.  Lyman  survives  and  is  now  living  at  Twin  Falls,  Idaho.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Connell has  three  sisters  and  two  brothers.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the 
mother  of  five  children:  Evelyn,  born  April  13,  1907;  George  B.,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred April  27,  1909;  Robert  V.,  whose  natal  day  was  October  7,  1910;  John, 
born  December  6,  1913;  and  Eleanor  May,  who  was  born  June  21,  1917. 

Mr.  McConnell  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  member  of  the  Mystic 
Shrine  and  also  has  membership  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 
He  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  Idaho  Wool  Growers  Association.  In  politics  he 
is  a  republican  but  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  office,  preferring  to  devote  his 
attention  to  his  business  affairs,  and  by  reason  of  his  close  application  he  has  be- 
come one  of  the  successful  sheep  men  of  Gem  county,  having  had  as  many  as 
eighteen  thousand  sheep  in  the  past  which  he  owned  in  connection  with  others.  At 
the  present  writing  he  has  about  seven  thousand  ewes  and  ranges  largely  on  his 
own  lands.  His  business  affairs  have  been  carefully  and  extensively  conducted  and 
he  is  one  of  the  prominent  sheep  and  cattle  men  of  Gem  county. 


H.  i.  MCLAUGHLIN. 

• 

H.  I.  McLaughlin,  who  carries  on  diversified  farming  and  stock  raising  near 
Notus,  was  born  in  Ohio,  February  9,  1859,  but  in  1862  was  taken  to  Illinois  by 
his  parents,  Charles  and  Rachel  (Calvill)  McLaughlin,  who  settled  in  Marshall 
county  of  the  latter  state.  There  the  father  engaged  in  farming  until  1889,  when 
he  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for  three  years.  On 
the  expiration  of  that  period  he  retired  from  active  business  to  enjoy  his  remaining 
days  in  well  earned  rest.  He  passed  away  in  Iowa  in  1899,  while  his  wife  died  in 
Illinois  in  1877. 

H.  I.  McLaughlin  went  to  Nebraska  in  1882.  The  days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  had  been  passed  in  Illinois  and  in  the  public  schools  of  Marshall  county  he 
had  acquired  his  education.  He  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-three  years  when  he 
went  to  Nebraska,  where  he  remained,  however,  for  only  a  short  time  and  then 
removed  to  Colorado,  where  in  the  spring  of  1883  he  came  to  Idaho.  Here  he 
entered  the  employ  of  T.  C.  Catlin  on  Eagle  island  and  eight  months  later  made 
his  way  to  the  lower  Boise  valley  and  purchased  the  Boon  ranch.  After  three  years, 
however,  he  sold  that  property  and  turned  his  attention  to  cattle  raising  in  Mal- 
heur  county,  Oregon,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  afterward  brought 
his  cattle  to  Long  valley,  Idaho,  and  during  all  the  intervening  time  he  had  retained 
his  residence  in  Idaho.  He  homesteaded  his  present  place  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  1889  and  has  since  bought  eighty  acres,  and  his  labors  are  manifest 
in  the  excellent  appearance  of  his  place  today,  for  it  is  one  of  the  highly  developed 
farms  of  the  district.  After  five  years  devoted  to  the  cattle  business  in  Idaho  Mr. 
McLaughlin  sold  his  interests  to  his  brother,  E.  V.  McLaughlin,  who  is  now  in 
California,  and  William  McGuffin,  who  is  now  a  seed  merchant  of  Boise.  At  the 
present  time  H.  I.  McLaughlin  carries  on  diversified  farming,  raising  the  various 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  317 

crops  best  adapted  to  soil  and  climatic  conditions  here.  He  is  also  engaged  in 
dairying  and  in  stock  raising,  handling  hogs,  sheep,  cattle  and  horses.  His  farm  is 
pleasantly  situated  three  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Notus  and  he  has  upon  his 
place  an  old-fashioned,  homelike  residence,  nestled  in  a  grove  of  fine  old  trees — a 
most  attractive  place,  making  one  wish  to  linger  longer  there. 

In  May,  1897,  Mr.  McLaughlin  was  married  to  Miss  Carrie  M.  Stafford,  a  daugh- 
ter of  G.  D.  Stafford,  one  of  the  best  known  pioneers  and  highly  respected  citizens 
of  Idaho.  Mrs.  McLaughlin  crossed  the  plains  with  her  parents  by  ox  team  and 
wagon  and  endured  all  of  the  hardships  and  trials  that  feature  in  pioneer  life. 
The  Indians  at  that  time  occasioned  much  trouble,  both  on  the  plains  and  in  Idaho. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  McLaughlin  have  become  the  parents  of  five  children.  Marvin  \V  . 
born  June  13,  1897,  was  graduated  in  May,  1919,  from  the  College  of  Idaho. 
Edith  M.  will  graduate  from  the  same  college  in  the  class  of  1920.  Sydney  E.  is 
now  a  high  school  pupil  and  will  enter  college  in  1920.  Anna  L.  is  also  attending 
high  school.  Harvey,  a  little  lad  of  nine  years,  is  now  a  pupil  in  the  common 
schools.  This  is  at  family  of  which  the  parents  have  every  reason  to  be  proud. 
The  sons  assist  their  father  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  and  Mr.  McLaughlin 
continues  to  engage  in  the  further  development  of  the  property,  which  is  the  vis- 
ible evidence  of  his  life  of  well  directed  energy  and  thrift.  He  has  worked  dili- 
•  gently  and  persistently  as  the  years  have  passed  and  whatever  success  he  has 
achieved  is  the  direct  outcome  of  his  own  labors,  so  that  he  may  truly  be  called  a 
self-made  man. 


WILLIE   WESLEY   WILKERSON. 

Willie  Wesley  Wilkerson,  a  prosperous  and  leading  business  man  of  Emmett, 
is  the  proprietor  of  the  Corner  Grocery  in  that  city — a  business  house  which  enjoys 
a  large  trade.  Mr.  Wilkerson  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Iowa,  Febuary  6,  1879, 
a  son  of  William  B.  Wilkerson,  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  who  was  born  at  Lexington, 
Kentucky,  and  who  married  Sarah  Flesher,  a  native  of  the  Shenandoah  valley  of 
Virginia.  The  father  is  now  deceased,  but  the  mother  is  still  living,  making  her 
home  in  Iowa. 

Willie  Wesley  Wilkerson  of  this  review  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  a 
family  of  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living, 
but  is  the  only  one  residing  in  Idaho.  His  youthful  experiences  were  those  of  the 
farm-bred  boy.  for  he  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  he  reached  the  age 
of  eighteen  years  and  then  began  learning  the  barber's  trade  at  Palmyra,  Iowa,  fol- 
lowing the  business  for  only  three  years,  however.  On  attaining  his  majority  he 
made  his  way  westward  to  Boise,  Idaho,  where  for  a  year  and  a  half  he  was  employed 
in  a  dairy  near  that  place.  He  then  went  to  Huntington,  Oregon,  where  he  spent 
eleven  years  and  during  the  first  five  years  of  that  period  was  employed  as  clerk 
in  a  general  store,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  purchased  the  business  and  later 
admitted  George  W.  Mutch  to  a  partnership  under  the  firm  style  of  Mutch  &  Wil- 
kerson, a  connection  that  was  maintained  for  six  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  Mr.  Wilkerson  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  business  to  his  partner  and 
removed  to  Ontario,  Oregon,  where  he  lived  for  three  years,  being  employed  as 
clerk  in  a  wholesale  house.  In  October,  1916,  he  came  to  Emmett  and  in  connec- 
tion with  Ross  McPherson  established  the  Corner  Grocery.  Three  months  later  he 
bought  the  interest  of  his  partner  and  since  that  time  has  conducted  the  business 
alone  with  the  assistance  of  his  wife,  who  is  an  excellent  saleswoman  and  is  pos- 
sessed of  splendid  business  ideas. 

It  was  on  the  19th  of  July,  1905,  at  Huntington,  Oregon,  that  Mr.  Wilkerson 
was  married  to  Miss  Nellie  Pearl  Girton.  She  was  born  at  Heppner,  Oregon,  Novem- 
ber 22,  1888,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  W.  and  Embree  Trimbire  (Bolanger) 
Girton,  both  of  whom  are  now  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilkerson  have  two  children: 
Blanche  Mildred,  born  September  23,  1906;  and  Billy  Earl  Mutch,  born  March 
10,  1908. 

Mr.  Wilkerson  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  his 
wife  is  connected  with  the  ladies'  auxiliary,  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah,  both  having 
passed  all  of  the  chairs  in  their  respective  organizations.  Mr.  Wilkerson  is  a  repub- 
lican in  politics  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  at  Huntington,  Oregon, 


318  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

for  two  terms,  but  his  time  and  attention  have  chiefly  been  concentrated  upon  his 
business  affairs  and  his  close  application  to  the  duties  at  hand,  his  thoroughness 
and  enterprise  have  been  salient  factors  in  his  progress  and  success. 


SYLVESTER  HILL. 

Sylvester  Hill,  a  retired  farmer  living  at  Boise,  was  born  in  Dekalb  county,  Illi- 
nois, June  7,  1855.  After  attending  the  common  schools  and  a  business  college  at 
Naperville,  Illinois,  he  started  out  in  the  business  world  as  a  traveling  salesman  for 
William  Deering  in  the  sale  of  harvesting  machinery.  He  traveled  in  sixteen  different 
states  and  was  representative  of  the  Deering  interests  for  fourteen  years,  being  for 
seven  years  special  man,  two  years  assistant  manager  and  for  the  next  five  years 
manager  for  the  state  of  Minnesota,  with  headquarters  in  Minneapolis. 

On  account  of  failing  health  Mr.  Hill  resigned  his  position  in  that  city  and  as- 
sisted in  organizing  the  Favorite  Implement  &  Carriage  Company,  of  which  he  was 
vice  president  and  sales  manager,  also  having  charge  of  the  shipping  department. 
After  three  years  the  firm  closed  out  its  business  on  account  of  the  sudden  death  of 
its  president,  J.  F.  Byrne.  At  that  time  Mr.  Hill  went  to  West  Pullman,  Illinois,  and 
became  identified  with  the  Piano  Manufacturing  Company  as  its  district  manager  for 
northern  Iowa.  The  company  was  engaged  in  the  building  of  mowers  and  binders 
and  Mr.  Hill  remained  with  the  house  for  five  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Min- 
nesota and  for  an  equal  period  was  connected  wit'h  the  Milwaukee  Harvester  Company. 

In  the  fall  of  1901  he  arrived  in  Roswell,  Idaho,  where  he  purchased  a  forty-acre 
tract  of  raw  land  covered  with  sagebrush,  paying  twenty-three  dollars  per  acre  for 
this  property.  After  improving  it,  he  sold  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  acre 
in  1906.  He  then  homesteaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  Roswell  Heights  and 
brought,  the  land  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  raising  alfalfa  and  as  many  as  from 
two  to  four  carloads  of  hogs  each  year.  In  1917  he  sold  that  place  for  thirty-five  thou- 
sand dollars.  His  next  business  venture  was  in  connection  with  the  building  of  forty- 
three  divisions  of  the  Golden  Gate  Irrigation  Ditch,  under  contract,  for  the  United 
States  reclamation  service.  He  was  for  nine  years  secretary  and  treasurer  for  the 
Riverside  irrigation  district,  which  furnishes  water  to  Roswell,  and  thus  for  an  ex- 
tended period  he  was  identified  with  the  development  of  the  irrigation  interests  of 
Idaho,  which  have  meant  so  much  in  connection  with  the  settlement  and  improvement 
of  the  state.  He  is  now  retired  from  active  business  and  occupies  an  attractive  home 
at  1315  Hays  street,  Boise,  to  which  city  he  removed  from  Parma;  in  1919.  It  has  been 
said  that  no  correct  analysis  can  be  made  of  any  man's  life  and  character  without 
knowing  something  of  his  ancestry,  and  in  delving  into  the  records  of  the  Hill  family 
we  find  that  W.  S.  Hill,  father  of  Sylvester  Hill,  was  possessed  of  the  same  spirit  of 
pioneering  that  brought  the  son  to  the  northwest.  The  father  was  born  at  Brown- 
ville,  Jefferson  county,  New  York,  April  5,  1826,  and  went  west  to  Chicago,  Illinois, 
in  1835.  His  father,  Arunah  Hill,  had  made  his  way  to  Chicago  in  1834,  when  scarcely 
anything  marked  the  site  of  the  present  city  save  old  Fort  Dearborn.  There  he  estab- 
lished a  cooperage  shop  and  supplied  flour  barrels  to  Gage  Brothers,  one  of  whom  was 
the  father  of  Lyman  J.  Gage,  afterwards  secretary  of  the  treasury.  Mr.  Hill  also 
made  pork  barrels  for  J.  Y.  Scammon,  packer  and  shipper.  W.  S.  Hill  remained  in 
business  with  his  father,  Arunah  Hill,  until  the  gold  excitement  broke  out  in  Cali- 
fornia, when  he  went  overland  to  the  Pacific  coast,  driving  an  ox  team  across  the 
plains.  He  successfully  engaged  in  mining  on  the  Trinity  river  in  northern  Cali- 
fornia for  two  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  Chicago  and  a  little  later  bought 
land  in  Dekalb  county,  Illinois.  He  then  located  thereon  and  followed  farming  there 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1897.  His  father  had  passed  away  in 
Dekalb  county  in  1855  and  lies  buried  in  Rosehill  cemetery  of  Chicago.  He  was  a 
native  of  North  Adams,  Massachusetts,  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  New  England 
families.  In  the  maternal  line  Sylvester  Hill  is  connected  with  the  Field  family  of 
New  York,  his  mother  having  been  Elizabeth  Field,  who  was  born  at  Houndsville, 
Jefferson  county,  New  York,  and  accompanied  her  parents  on  their  removal  westward 
to  Dekalb  county,  Illinois,  in  1845.  She  was  related  to  the  Marshall  Field  family  and 
her  ancestors  came  from  England  to  the  new  world  in  1629,  settling  in  Dorchester, 
Massachusetts.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Hill  occurred  in  Dekalb  county,  Illinois,  in  1868 
and  there  her  remains  were  interred. 


SYLVESTER   HILL 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  321 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  pioneer  spirit  has  been  strongly  manifest  in  the 
ancestors  of  Sylvester  Hill  and  in  accordance  therewith  he  came  to  Idaho,  casting  in 
his  lot  with  the  early  settlers  who  were .  reclaiming  this  region  for  the  purposes  of 
civilization  and  aiding  in  the  founding  of  a  great  commonwealth  east  of  the  Cascade 
range.  On  the  12th  of  October,  1881,  Mr.  Hill  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Emma 
E.  McKinzie,  of  Yorkville,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  Hugh  and  Mary  (McKinnon)  McKinzie. 
who  were  natives  of  Scotland  but  were  brought  to  America  in  infancy.  Her  mother 
died  in  1901  and  her  father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  passed  away  thirty 
years  before.  From  a  sturdy  ancestry,  therefore,  come  the  two  children  of  Sylvester 
Hill:  Bernlce.  a  young  lady  living  at  home;  and  Clarence  S.,  an  able  attorney  of 
Caldwell,  married  Leah  Wood,  of  Twin  Falls,  January  31,  1920. 

Starting  out  in  life  on  his  own  account  when  a  youth  in  his  teens,  Sylvester  Hill 
throughout  his  entire  career  has  made  wise  use  of  his  time,  his  talents  and  his  op- 
portunities. He  has  thoroughly  mastered  every  task  assigned  him  and  he  early 
recognized  the  eternal  principle  that  industry  wins.  Industry,  therefore,  became  the 
beacon  light  of  his  life  and  it  has  been  through  this  quality  that  he  has  made  steady 
advance  as  the  years  have  gone  on,  bringing  him  at  length  to  a  position  of  affluence 
where  he  can  rest  from  further  business  cares,  giving  his  attention  merely  to  the 
supervision  of  his  investments. 


STANLEY  B.  FAIRBANKS. 

Stanley  B.  Fairbanks,  filling  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Teton  county  and  making 
his  home  at  Driggs,  was  born  in  Garfield  county,  Utah,  July  11,  1874.  He  is  a  son 
of  Cornelius  M.  and  Emily  (Davis)  Fairbanks,  natives  of  New  Jersey.  The  father 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 'Utah,  having  crossed  the  plains  in  1847  with  one 
of  the  early  trains  of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  He  shared  in  all  of  the  hardships, 
privations  and  difficult  experiences  that  constituted  the  lot  of  the  early  settlers. 
•  The  mother  made  her  way  to  Utah  in  1856,  each  coming  to  the  west  with  their 
respective  parents.  They  were  reared  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  finally  became  resi- 
dents of  Utah,  where  Mr.  Fairbanks  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  for  several 
years.  He  afterward  went  to  southern  California  and  to  Nevada,  spending  several 
years  in  those  states,  but  had  to  leave  .that  section  on  account  of  high  taxes. 
Finally  he  returned  to  Utah,  settling  in  Garfield  county,  where  he  purchased  land 
and  engaged  in  stock  raising  for  a  number  of  years.  His  next  removal  took  him 
to  Sevier  county,  that  state,  where  he  made  his  home  until  1912.  when  he  removed 
to  Driggs,  Teton  county,  Idaho,  where  he  has  since  resided.  The  mother  is  also 
living. 

Stanley  B.  Fairbanks  was  largely  reared  in  Sevier  county,  Utah,  and  remained 
with  his  parents  until  he  attained  his  majority.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1900  and 
filed  on  land  near  Driggs,  thus  becoming  one  of  the  agriculturists  of  Teton  county. 
He  continued  to  till  the  soil  and  further  improve  his  property  until  1916,  when  he 
rented  his  place  and  accepted  the  position  of  deputy  sheriff  of  the  county,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  two  years.  He  was  then  elected  sheriff  in  November,  1918, 
and  has  since  occupied  that  position,  the  duties  of  which  he  has  discharged  in  a 
most  prompt  and  fearless  manner.  His  fellow  townsmen,  appreciating  his  worth 
and  ability,  have  on  various  occasions  called  him  to  public  office.  For  some  years 
he  served  as  school  trustee  and  the  cause  of  education  has  ever  found  in  him  a 
stalwart  champion.  In  former  years  he  was  for  some  time  actively  engaged  in  the 
cattle  business,  but  his  attention  is  now  concentrated  almost  entirely  upon  his 
official  duties. 

On  the  16th  of  May,  1895,  Mr.  Fairbanks  was  married  to  Mary  R.  Beautler 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Lloyd,  who  was  born 
September  8,  1897,  and  died  April  6,  1902;  David  E.,  who  was  born  March  27,  1902, 
and  died  on  the  6th  of  April  of  the  same  year;  Maude,  born  November  7,  1903; 
Cornelius  M.,  May  6,  1906;  and  Reed  Stanley,  October  27,  1911. 

Mr.  Fairbanks  is  an  active  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints.  He  is  serving  as  a  member  of  the  high  council  and  has  held  other 
offices  in  the  church.  For  years  he  was  counselor,  was  superintendent  of  the  Young 
Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association,  and  for  twenty-six  months  he  served  on  a 
mission  in  northern  Illinois,  laboring  in  Chicago,  Rockford,  Joliet  and  Nauvoo. 

V.;l.    III      •_'! 


322  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

His  efforts  have  been  attended  with  excellent  results  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  church 
and  in  all  connections  he  is  recognized  as  a  capable  and  forceful  man  who  accom- 
plishes his  purposes  and  carries  forward  to  successful  completion  whatever  he  under- 
takes. 


DR.   DAN   P.   ALBEE. 

Dr.  Dan  P.  Albee,  a  rancher  living  on  Rock  creek,  in  Twin  Falls  county,  was 
born  in  Arcata,  California,  on  the  9th  of  January,  1856,  a  son  of  Joseph  P.  and 
Caltha  (Putnam)  Albee.  His  boyhood  days  were  largely  passed  in  his  native 
state  and  he  began  his  education  there  but  went  to  the  east  for  a  professional 
course  and  was  graduated  from  the  medical  department  of  Columbia  University 
of  New  York  with  the  class  of  1888.  He  then  returned  to  California,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  until  1891,  when  he  removed  to  Oxford, 
Idaho,  where  he  opened  an  office,  continuing  in  practice  until  1894.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Oakley,  Idaho,  where  he  followed  his  profession  until  1905,  when  he 
established  his  home  on  Rock  creek,  where  he  has  since  continued  save  for  a 
year  and  a  half,  which  he  spent  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  at  Buhl, 
Idaho.  At  length  he  purchased  a  ranch  on  Rock  creek  and  is  engaged  in  bee  cul- 
ture in  connection  with  ranching.  He  is  now  operating  the  ranch  of  Lawrence 
Housen  and  is  successfully  engaged  in  cattle  raising.  His  -business  affairs  are 
being  most  wisely  and  judiciously  managed,  and  his  labors  are  bringing  to  him  a 
substantial  measure  of  success. 

In  1894  Dr.  Albee  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Laura  C.  Hansen,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Lawrence  and  Karen  Hansen  and  a  native  of  Denmark.  They  have  one  child, 
Joseph  Porter.  In  politics  the  Doctor  is  a  democrat.  Twice  he  has  served  as 
county  commissioner  and  has  been  a  most  loyal  supporter  of  those  interests  which 
he  believes  will  bring  about  the  highest  political  and  civic  development.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  connected  with  the  Masons,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Wood- 
men of  the  World.  Those  who  know  him,  and  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance,  recog- 
nize in  him  a  man  of  strong  mentality  and  marked  capability  whose  interests 
and  activities  have  been  most  intelligently  directed  and  whose  worth  as  a  business 
man  and  as  a  citizen  is  widely  acknowledged. 


HAL  H-AROLD  PRESTEL,  D.  v.  s. 

Dr.  Hal  Harold  Prestel  has  won  prominence  as  an  able  and  successful  veter- 
inary surgeon  of  Emmett,  where  he  located  for  practice  in'  1913.  He  was  born  on 
a  farm  in  Montcalm  county,  Michigan,  September  15,  1881,  being  the  fifth  in  a 
family  of  six  sons  born  to  John  W.  and  Caroline  (Dell)  Prestel.  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father  served  as  a  soldier  of  the  Union  army  during 
the  Civil  war  and  throughout  his  active  business  career  devoted  his  attention  to 
farming  and  to  the  lumber  industry,  being  at  one  time  identified  with  lumber  in- 
terests at  Payette,  Idaho.  He  passed  away  in  Portland,  Oregon,  in  1915,  while 
his  wife  died  at  Payette,  Idaho,  in  the  year  1909. 

H.  H.  Prestel,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  reared  on  a  Michigan 
farm  and  acquired  all  of  his  academic  education  in  that  state.  When  twenty  years 
of  age  he  left  Michigan  for  the  great  northwest  and  at  once  proceeded  to  Aber- 
deen, Washington,  where  he  secured  employment  in  a  lumber  mill.  Subsequently 
he  worked  on  a  ranch  at  The  Dalles,  Oregon,  and  later  came  to  Idaho.  He  had 
been  reared  on  a  farm  and  had  always  been  much  interested  in  live  stock,  especially 
horses,  so  that  finally  he  determined  to  take  up  the  study  of  veterinary  surgery. 
In  1907,  therefore,  he  entered  the  Chicago  Veterinary  College  and  at  the  end  of 
three  years  was  graduated  from  that  institution  in  1910.  He  then  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  at  Payette,  Idaho,  which  city  had  been  his  home  since  1901, 
and  there  he  remained  until  1913  with  the  exception  of  a  period  of  twelve  months, 
in  1911  and  1912,  when  he  was  a  veterinary  surgeon  of  Tilbury,  Ontario,  Canada. 
For  the  past  six  years  he  has  followed  his  profession  in  Emmett,  where  he  has 
been  very  successful,  having  built  up  a  most  lucrative  practice.  His  home  at  No. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  323 

/ 

310  Fourth  street  is  one  of  the  handsomest  bungalows  in  Emmett  and  is  most 
beautifully  furnished.  In  the  rear  stands  a  splendid  veterinary  hospital,  built  of 
concrete  blocks,  in  attractive  design.  The  home  was  erected  by  Dr.  Prestel  in  1917. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Association  of  Veterinary  Surgeons. 

On  the  13th  of  May,  1911,  in  Ontario,  Canada,  Dr.  Prestel  was  joined  in  wed- 
lock to  Miss  Marie  Louise  Boismier.  who  was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  the 
province  of  Ontario  and  comes  of  a  French  Canadian  family.  Both  the  Doctor  and 
his  wife  are  Roman  Catholics  in  religious  faith  and  they  enjoy  an  enviable  social 
position  in  Emmett.  The  chief  interests  of  Dr.  Prestel  are  his  home  and  his  pro- 
fession, and  his  many  excellent  qualities  have  won  for  him  the  esteem  and  friend- 
ship of  all  who  know  him. 


DAVID  M.  STOKESBERRY. 

David  ,M.  Stokesberry,  who  for  the  past  eleven  years  has  been  police  judge 
of  Emmett,  was  prior  to  that  time  a  successful  rancher,  first  in  Ada  county  and 
later  in  Gem  county.  He  was  born  in  Edgar  county,  Illinois,  October  17,  1859,  and 
is  a  son  of  Joshua  and  Bethany  (Reynolds)  Stokesberry.  He  was  seven  years  of 
age  when  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Osage  county,  Kansas,  the  family  home  being 
there  established  in  the  fall  of  1867.  He  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  that  county 
and  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  ranching  until  a  few 
years  ago,  when  he  disposed  of  his  ranching  interests  and  removed  to  Emmett.  Since 
1909  he  has  been  city  clerk  and  judge  of  the  police  court  and  has  made  a  most 
capable  official,  discharging  his  duties  with  marked  promptness  and  fidelity.  He 
came  to  Idaho  in  1892  and  for  a  time  resided  at  Meridian  but  eventually  removed 
to  Emmett,  where  he  has  since  occupied  a  place  among  its  most  highly  respected 
and  substantial  citizens. 

Mr.  Stokesberry  was  married  thirty-five  years  ago  in  Melvern,  Kansas,  to  Miss 
Cynthia  Hatfield,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  they  have  become  parents  of  four  children, 
two  sons  and  two  daughters:  Walter;  Malissa,  now  the  wife  of  John  Howard; 
Lucien;  and  Rowena.  Walter  and  Lucien  are  married  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stokes- 
berry now  have  eight  grandchildren. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Stokesberry  has  always  been  a  stalwart  republican 
since  age  conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  "He  belongs  to  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  a  past  grand  in  the  local  lodge,  while  his 
religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist  church.  His  life  has  been  guided  by  high 
and  honorable  principles  and  integrity  as  well  as  progressiveness  in  business  has 
brought  to  him  a  substantial  competence,  while  his  faithfulness  in  office  has  made 
his  political  record  an  irreproachable  one. 


JOHN  BRIMBERRY. 

John  Brimberry,  now  living  retired,  making  his  home  at  322  South  Twelfth 
street  in  Nanipa,  was  born  in  southern  Illinois,  September  12,  1860,  his  parents 
being  Joseph  and  Mary  E.  (Jones)  Brimberry,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
while  the  latter  was  born  in  Iowa.  They  removed  to  Illinois  in  the  early  '50s,  when 
land  there  was  worth  only  twenty-five  cents  an  acre,  and  the  father  purchased  six 
hundred  acres  at  that  price.  Both  he  and  his  wife  died  on  the  old  homestead. 

It  was  in  the  year  1879,  when  nineteen  years  of  age,  that  John  Brimberry 
left  Illinois  and  removed  westward  to  Kansas.  He  purchased  a  farm  in  Mont- 
gomery county,  comprising  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  and  there  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits  for  seven  years,  after  which  he  sold  out  and  removed  to 
Independence,  the  county  seat,  where  he  lived  for  one  year.  Having  thus  spent 
eight  years  in  the  Sunflower  state,  he  again  started  westward,  with  Idaho  as  his 
destination,  and  took  up  a  homestead  five  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Nampa.  Thereon 
he  resided  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  carefully  cultivating  his  place 
during  that  period.  At  length  he  sold  out  and  established  his  home  in  Nampa, 
purchasing  a  fine  residence  at  No.  322  South  Twelfth  street,  where  he  lives  re- 
tired from  active  business,  although  he  still  buys  and  sells  land  whenever  he  can 


324  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

do  so  to  advantage.  There  is  perhaps  no  better  judge  of  land  in  the  state  and  no 
little  of  his  success  has  been  due  to  his  judicious  purchases  and  profitable  sales. 

In  August,  1882,  Mr.  Brimberry  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza  H.  Jones, 
a  native  of  Illinois  and  a  daughter  of  John  Melton  and  Amanda  (Daugherty)  Jones, 
the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  The  father  died  in 
Illinois  and  the  mother  came  in  1888  to  Idaho,  passing  away  at  Boise  in  1902. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brimberry  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children.  Lena  Pearl  is 
the  wife  of  Hayden  Powell  and  the  mother  of  one  son,  Eugene,  now  eight  years 
of  age.  Laura  Hazel  is  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Gilbert  and  has  two  children,  Elenore 
and  Juanita. 

Mr.  Brimberry's  military  service  covered  connection  with  the  state  militia  at 
a  time  when  the  troops  were  called  to  duty  at  Coeur  d'Alene  by  Governor  Steunen- 
berg  to  suppress  the  rioters,  some  of  whom  they  captured  and  brought  to  Nampa, 
from  which  point  they  were  sent  to  California,  where  they  were  tried  and  con- 
victed. This  was  just  before  the  governor  was  assassinated.  Mr.  Brimberry  has 
ever  manifested  a  progressive  citizenship  that  has  prompted  his  active  cooperation 
with  plans  and  measures  for  the  general  good.  He  is  keenly  interested  in  the  north- 
west and  its  development  and  his  labors  have  constituted  an  important  element  in 
progress  here.  His  business  affairs,  wisely  and  carefully  conducted,  have  brought 
him  success  and  his  life  record  shows  what  can  be  accomplished  when  there  is  a 
will  to  dare  and  to  do  and  when  enterprise  and  sagacity  point  out  the  way. 


THOMAS  H.  BOYCE. 

The  late  Thomas  H.  Boyce,  who  was  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and  success- 
ful farmers  of  the  southeastern  part  of  Idaho,  was  born  in  the  vicinity  of  South 
Cottonwood,  Utah,  July  19,  1859,  and  died  at  his  home  one-half  mile  northwest 
of  Lewisville,  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  October  30,  1914,  after  an  illness  of  one 
week.  He  was  a  son  of  William  and  Phoebe  (Spears)  Boyce,  both  originally  from 
the  state  of  Michigan,  who  joined  a  party  of  immigrants  in  1851,  crossed  the 
plains  by  ox-team  and  finally  settled  not  far  from  South  Cottonwood,  Utah.  There 
they  spent  the  rest  of  their  lives,  which  were  quietly  uneventful,  applying  them- 
selves diligently  to  agriculture.  The  father  died  in  1887,  and  the  death  of  the 
mother  occurred  April  6,  1908,  after  she  had  reached  the  age  of  eighty-six  years. 

From  boyhood  Thomas  H.  Boyce  was  a  farmer  and  he  received  his  training  in 
this  occupation  under  the  excellent  tutelage  of  his  father,  whom  he  assisted  in 
tilling  the  paternal  acres  until  he  became  a  man.  In  1883  he  associated  himself 
with  a  group  of  settlers  whose  destination  was  southeastern  Idaho  and  after  care- 
fully spying  out  the  land  in  this  section  for  a  suitable  location,  Mr.  Boyce  settled 
near  Lewisville,  now  Jefferson  county.  Here  he  filed  a  claim  on  the  tract  which 
his  wife  still  owns.  At  the  beginning  his  holding  was  a  mere  expanse  of  wild,  new 
land  but  by  sheer  strength  of  will,  consistent  application  and  hard  labor  he  im- 
proved his  farm  until  at  the  time  of  his  death  it  was  considered  one  of  the  most 
modern  and  best  equipped  in  the  state  of  Idaho.  Besides  farming  Mr.  Boyce  had 
other  business  interests  and  was  a  stockholder  in  the  C.  A.  Smith  Mercantile  Com- 
pany of  Lewisville.  He  participated  in  the  construction  of  the  Park  and  Lewis- 
ville canal,  an  irrigation  project  which  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  important 
factors  in  the  agricultural  development  of  this  section,  and  he  secured  the  first 
water  right  from  the  Government  on  record. 

On  May  25,  1885,  Mr.  Boyce  was  married  to  Clarissa  E.  Selck,  who  still  sui- 
vives  and  is  now  residing  in  Lewisville.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William  W.  and 
Annie  C.  (Sorenson)  Selck,  early  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Lewisville,  Jefferson 
county,  of  whom  further  mention  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mr,  and  Mrs 
Boyce  became  the  parents  of  ten  children,  who  in  order  of  birth  are  as  follows: 
William  H.,  born  October  27,  1887;  George  F.,  December  13,  1889;  Eliza  C.,  April 
29,  1892;  Ivy  I.,  who  was  born  July  30,  1894,  and  died  March  2,  1896;  Clarence 
L.,  born  July  12,  1896;  Ernest  L.,  who  was  born  October  23,  1898,  and  whose  death 
occurred  on  January  28,  1899;  Ir6ne,  who  was  born  March  11,  1900,  and  died  June 
13,  1902;  Reed  Smoot,  born  April  18,  1902;  L.  Eileen,  in  April,  1905,  and  Thomas 
R.,  November  23,  1907i 

Mr.  Boyce  was,  as  is  his  wife.,  a  lifelong  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  325 

of  Latter-day  Saints,  which  he  served  at  different  times  in  various  capacities.  From 
1891  until  1893  he  disseminated  the  teaching  of  his  church  as  a  missionary  in  Hol- 
land and  later  in  England,  and  in  November,  1902,  he  was  called  to  Beaver  City, 
Utah,  on  a  mission  for  the  Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association.  Again, 
in  December,  1907,  he  was  sent  as  a  missionary  to  the  Central  States  but  bad  health 
compelled  him  to  give  up  his  work  in  the  July  of  the  following  year.  At  the  time 
of  his  death  he  was  high  counselor  of  the  Rigby  stake.  Mr.  Boyce  did  not  affiliate 
with  any  political  party,  preferring  to  exercise  his  right  of  franchise  independently. 
However,  this  did  not  prevent  him  from  taking  a  keen  interest  in  public  affairs. 
One  of  the  most  successful  farmers  in  Jefferson  county,  he  showed  how  effectually 
a  man  can  use  his  religion  in  conducting  his  business  affairs,  and  in  all  his  dealings 
he  was  actuated  by  the  spirit  of  strict  honesty  and  that  of  the  Golden  Rule.  He  was 
a  man  whose  influence  could  ill  be  lost  to  his  community,  but  his  example  can  well 
be  emulated  by  generations  to  come. 


ALEXANDER  CRUICKSHANK. 

Alexander  Cruickshank  is  a  successful  sheepman  who  resides  on  a  thirty-acre 
ranch  a  half  mile  east  of  Emmett  and  owns  altogether  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  in  Gem  county.  He  was  born  in  Scotland  on  the  7th  of  January,  1860, 
and  there  spent  the  first  twenty-two  years  of  his  life.  In  1882  he  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Nebraska,  where  he  made  his  home  for 
many  years  before  coming  to  Idaho  in  1904.  Here  he  has  won  prosperity  in  the 
sheep  industry  and  has  come  into  possession  of  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
excellent  land  in  Gem  county,  making  his  home  on  a  tract  of  thirty  acres  east  of 
Emmett. 

On  the  16th  of  September,  1895,  Mr.  Cruickshank  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Annie  Stewart,  of  Denver,  Colorado,  who  was  born  in  Scotland,  October  13, 
1867,  and  who  came  to  the  United  States  when  nineteen  years  of  age.  They  became 
acquainted  while  visiting  at  Leadville,  Colorado,  and  were  there  married.  To 
them  have  been  born  four  children,  as  follows:  Wesley  S.,  who  is  married;  George 
A.;  Donald  P.,  who  was  at  Camp  Funston  when  the  armistice  was  signed  that  ter- 
minated hostilities  between  Germany  and  the  allies;  and  Mary  M.,  who  is  sixteen 
years  of  age  and  is  a  senior  in  the  Emmett  high  school. 

Mr.  Cruickshank  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party,  while 
fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  His  wife  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Emmett  and  has  ever  taken  an  active 
and  helpful  part  in  its  work.  Mr.  Cruickshank  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret 
his  determination  to  establish  his  home  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  for  here  he  has 
found  the  opportunities  which  he  sought  and  through  their  wise  utilization  has  won 
a  place  among  the  prosperous  and  representative  ranchmen  of  Idaho. 


MRS.  JULIA  MAMMEN. 

Mrs.  Julia  Mammen  is  numbered  among  the  pioneer  women  in  Canyon  county 
who  have  witnessed  the  entire  development  of  this  region,  sharing  in  the  hard- 
ships and  privations  incident  to  the  settlement  of  the  frontier.  She  has  lived  to 
witness  remarkable  changes  as  the  years  have  passed  on  and  the  work  of  prog- 
rt-^-s  and  improvement  has  been  carried  steadily  forward.  A  native  of  Tennessee, 
her  father,  Albie  Gray,  was  likewise  born  in  that  state,  but  her  mother,  Mary  (Al- 
len) Gray,  was  born  in  Virginia.  Her  father  died  during  her  infancy  and  her 
mother  came  west  to  Idaho  with  her  three  daughters  and  one  son  in  1882,  living 
where  Caldwell  now  stands.  The  family  also  lived  at  Walters  Ferry  for  a  time. 
On  the  22d  of  May,  1887,  she  became  the  wife  of  John  R.  Mammen,  who  was  at 
that  time  living  on  an  island  which  he  homesteaded  and  which  still  bears  the  name 
of  Mammen  Island.  Mrs.  Mammen  also  homesteaded  one  hundred  and  fifty-five 
acres  and  her  present  landed  possessions  comprise  five  hundred  acres  all  in  one 
tract  and  including  Mammen  Island.  It  was  in  1864  that  Mr.  Mammen  arrived  in 
this  state.  He  was  born  in  Louisiana,  but  during  his  childhood  his  parents  re- 
moved with  their  family  to  Illinois  and  passed  away  in  that  state.  In  his  youth- 


326  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

ful  days  Mr.  Mammen  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  store  at  Vandalia,  Illinois,  and 
in  that  connection  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  until  he  had  become  head  clerk 
by  the  time  he  attained  his  majority.  However,  he  sought  the  opportunities  of 
the  growing  west  and  made  his  way  to  Idaho,  where  he  homesteaded  and  devoted 
his  attention  to  farming  and  stock  raising  throughout  his  remaining  days.  There 
is  no  phase  of  pioneer  life  with  which  he  was  not  familiar,  including  the  hard- 
ships which  came  from  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  Indians.  He  had  to  fight  the 
Indians  on  more  than  one  occasion.  The  people  endured  many  hardships  at  their 
hands,  their  stock  being  stolen  by  the  red  men,  who  also  committed  other  minor 
depredations. 

Mr.  Mammen  was  twice  married.  By  his.  first  marriage  he  had  a  son,  George 
Walter,  who  was  born  January  26,  1871,  and  died  in  young  manhood.  The  chil- 
dren of  the  second  marriage  were  three  in  number:  Bonnie,  who  has  been  teach- 
ing at  Notus,  Idaho;  Bessie,  the  wife  of  Earl  E.  Cox,  living  near  Homedale,  where 
he  follows  farming;  and  Bertha,  the  wife  of  Hubert  R.  Newman,  a  farmer  living 
near  Lake  Lowell.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newman  have  one  son,  Hubert  Ross,  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cox  also  have  a  son,  Loyd  Earl,  now  in  their  first  years. 

Mrs.  Mammen  still  occupies  the  old  homestead  but  leases  her  land,  from  which 
she  derives  a  very  substantial  annual  income.  She  is  systematic  and  careful  in 
the  management  of  her  business  affairs,  displaying  sound  judgment  in  the  con- 
trol of  her  interests.  From  her  young  womanhood  she  has  lived  in  this  section. 


GEORGE   D.   HOGGAN. 

The  late  George  D.  Hoggan,  who  owned  and  operated  a  large  harness  making 
establishment  in  Rigby  for  a  number  of  years,  was  born  in  Wapello  county,  Iowa,  April 
4,  1856,  a  son  of  George  and  Margaret  (Drummond)  Hoggan,  both  originally  from  Scot- 
land. The  elder  Hoggan  and  his  family  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1844  and 
located  first  in  Wapello  county,  Iowa,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming  for  sev- 
eral years.  In  1859,  with  his  family  he  joined  a  party  of  emigrants  whose  destination 
was  the  far  west,  and  after  a  tedious  journey  behind  their  plodding  oxen  they  arrived 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  where  Mr.  Hoggan  resumed  his  trade  of  weaving,  which  he 
had  followed  in  Scotland.  A  few  years  later,  however,  he  abandoned  it  and  returned 
to  farming,  which  he  continued  to  follow  the  rest  of  his  life,  his  death  occurring  in 
February,  1879,  after  he  had  reached  the  age  of  sixty-one  years,  and  that  of  his  wife, 
the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  in  1883,  at  which  time  she  was  also  sixty-one 
years  of  age. 

Of  the  eight  children  born  to  his  parents,  George  D.  Hoggan  was  the  sixth  in  order 
of  birth.  After  he  had  secured  a  public  school  education,  he  was  apprenticed  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  to  learn  harness  making,  his  first  employer  being  C.  H.  Crow  of 
Salt  Lake  City,  with  whom  he  remained  for  twelve  years.  At  the  end  of  this  period 
he  worked  in  shops  in  several  cities  of  the  west  until  he  came  to  Rigby,  Idaho,  in 
1904.  He  was  the  first  man  to  engage  in  the  harness  business  in  Rigby,  starting  out 
very  modestly  in  a  small  room  sixteen  feet  square  with  a  stock  valued  at  less  than 
five  hundred  dollars.  Due  to  his  earlier  experience,  superior  workmanship  and  good 
business  sense,  his  enterprise  prospered  until  he  had  one  of  the  most  modern  and  best 
appointed  harness  shops  in  the  state.  Finally,  in  order  to  accommodate  his  shop  and 
stock  of  goods,  he  was  compelled  to  erect  a  modern  two-story  building,  which  is  still 
used  for  that  purpose.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  Mr.  Hoggan  during  his  lifetime  enjoyed 
remarkable  success  in  his  business  undertakings,  for  in  addition  to  his  harness  mak- 
ing establishment  he  had  accumulated  considerable  urban  and  rural  property  which 
his  wife  still  owns. 

At  Salt  Lake  City,  November  29,  1877,  Mr.  Hoggan  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Edith  F.  Harrison,  who  was  born  in  England  in  November,  1860.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  Ralph  and  Mary  J.  (Edmunds)  Harrison,  both  of  whom  were  originally  from  Eng- 
land. They  emigrated  to  America  in  1866  and  located  in  Salt  Lake  City,  where  the 
father  plied  his  trade  of  machinist  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  met  his  death  acci- 
dentally in  the  shops  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  June  19,  1875,  and  his  wife,  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Hoggan,  survived  until  1891.  Mr.  Hoggan's  death  occurred  April  7, 


GEORGE   D.   HOGGAN 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  329 

1910,  and  since  that  time  his  wife  has  continued  to  make  her  home  in  Rigby,  where, 
with  the  able  assistance  of  her  sons,  she  looks  after  her  business  interests. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoggan  were  born  eleven  children,  four  of  whom  are  deceased; 
namely,  Walter  T.,  who  died  In  March,  1919;  Mary  M.,  whose  death  occurred  after 
she  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years,  and  two  who  died  in  infancy;  the 
others  being:  George  R.,  Wilfred  W.,  James  D.,  who  is  in  the  harness  business  at 
Driggs,  Idaho;  Edith,  the  wife  of  E.  W.  Ball,  an  artist,  who  has  recently  returned 
from  serving  two  years  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Force  in  France;  Ivy  and 
Ivan,  who  are  twins;  and  Milton.  The  youngest  son,  Milton,  enlisted  in  Company  M. 
Idaho  National  Guard,  April  1,  1916,  and  was  sent  to  France  in  the  following  year. 
While  there  he  was  transferred  to  the  Rainbow  Division.  He  is  now  at  home  after 
seeing  hard  service  in  the  trenches  for  eleven  months,  during  which  time  he  was 
gassed  and  slightly  wounded.  Since  the  death  of  Mr.  Hoggan  his  sons  have  continued 
his  harness  business  which  is  now  operated  under  the  firm  name  of  George  D.  Hoggan 
ft  Sons,  Ltd.,  in  which  the  daughter,  Edith,  also  has  an  interest.  Under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Hoggan  brothers  the  business  has  continued  with  unabated  success  and 
it  now  has  a  large  stock  of  goods  which  invoices  at  about  thirty-five  thousand  dollars. 

During  his  lifetime  Mr.  Hoggan  was  a  very  active  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  When  he  was  a  mere  lad  of  sixteen  years  he  was  an 
officer  of  the  Seventy  and  he  was  then  made  a  high  priest,  in  which  capacity  he  was 
serving  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Three  of  his  sons  have  also  rendered  valuable  service 
to  the  denomination  of  their  father  in  the  mission  fields.  Ralph  was  for  three  years 
and  three  months  in  the  Marquissis  islands  of  the  Society  group;  James  D.,  two  years 
in  the  western  states,  and  Ivan,  two  years  and  eight  months  in  England  and  Glasgow, 
Scotland.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hoggan  was  a  republican  and,  although  he  never  sought 
political  honors,  the  high  order  of  his  citizenship  was  a  thing  well  known  among  his 
friends  and  neighbors. 


ROBERT   B.  WILSON. 

Robert  B.  Wilson,  an  orchardist  of  Emmett,  who  has  been  a  factor  in  the 
public  life  of  the  community  and  has  contributed  in  substantial  measure  to  devel- 
opment, growth  and  progress  in  his  district,  has  filled  the  office  of  auditor  and 
recorder  of  Gem  county  and  at  one  time  was  principal  of  the  Emmett  public  schools. 
In  fact  his  interests  and  activities  have  covered  a  very  wide  scope  and  his  work 
has  in  many  ways  been  directly  beneficial  to  the  county.  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  native  of 
Jackson  county,  Illinois.  His  birth  occurred  December  27,  1869,  and  after  attend- 
ing the  public  schools  he  entered  the  Valparaiso  University  of  Indiana,  from  which 
in  due  time  he  was  graduated  on  the  completion  of  a  course  in  law  and  also  a 
course  in  the  commercial  department.  Thus  liberal  education  well  qualified  him 
for  life's  active  and  practical  duties  and  it  has  ever  been  characteristic  of  him  that 
he  has  carried  forward  to  successful  completion  whatever  he  has  undertaken. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ida  Will,  also  a  native  of  Jackson 
county,  Illinois,  although  her  birthplace  was  in  a  distant  section  of  the  county  from 
that  in  which  Mr.  Wilson  was  born  and  they  were  unacquainted  until  after  they 
had  reached  adult  age.  Mr.  Wilson  was  then  a  young  school  teacher  and  was 
employed  to  teach  the  school  in  the  neighborhood  where  his  wife  had  attended 
school  in  her  girlhood,  although  she  had  then  completed  her  course.  However,  he 
went  to  board  in  the  Will  home  and  thus  formed  the  acquaintance  of  the  young 
lady  whom  he  wedded  on  the  24th  of  February,  1895.  She  was  born  October  8, 
1866,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Arab  (Bouscher)  Will,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  the  Keystone  state  and  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  descent. 

It  was  in  the  year  1898  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  came  to  Idaho  and  for  one 
winter  resided  at  Silver  City,  where  Mr.  Wilson  engaged  in  teaching  school.  They 
then  removed  to  Emmett  that  he  might  become  principal  of  the  Emmett  schools, 
which  he  taught  for  two  years  with  three  assistant  teachers.  Since  that  time  he 
has  lived  in  or  near  Emmett  and  he  and  his  wife  now  reside  on  a  fifty-acre  fruit 
farm  which  is  pleasantly  and  conveniently  located  a  mile  and  a  half  southeast  of 
Emmett.  They  homesteaded  eighty  acres  there  in  1900  but  have  since  sold  thirty 
acres,  so  that  their  present  property  embraces  fifty  acres,  nearly  all  of  which  is 
planted  to  orchards.  They  are  specializing  in  the  production  of  peaches  and  their 


330  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

fruit  trees  are  now  in  excellent  bearing  condition.  Mr.  Wilson  utilizes  the  most 
scientific  methods  in  the  care  of  his  trees,  spraying  them  and  otherwise  keeping 
them  healthful,  and  the  fruit  produced  is  of  splendid  quality. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  have  been  born  six  children:  Ruth,  who  was  born 
February  2,  1896,  and  is  now  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools;  Glenn,  who  was  born 
January  16.  1898;  Leota,  born  January  29,  1900,  also  a  teacher;  Ina,  born  April 
15,  1902;  Blanche,  January  3,  1906;  and  Arah  May,  December  31,  1911. 

Mr.  Wilson  is  a  prominent  and  representative  citizen  who  enjoys  the  warm 
regard  of  all  who  know  him.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic 
party  and  he  served  Gem  county  as  its  first  county  clerk,  auditor  and  recorder, 
making  an  excellent  record  in  office.  While  he  has  never  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  law,  his  knowledge  thereof  has  been  of  immense  value  to  him  in  business  and 
public  .affairs.  His  legal  and  commercial  training  have  well  qualified  him  for  life's 
practical  and  responsible  duties.  He  early  learned  to  discriminate  between  the 
essential  and  the  non-essential  in  business  affairs  and  his  entire  career  has  been 
marked  by  progress  that  has  brought  him  to  a  most  creditable  place  among  the 
orchardists  of  Emmett. 


CHARLES    EDWIN    JACKSON. 

Charles  Edwin  Jackson  has  for  the  past  fourteen  years  been  numbered  among 
the  prosperous  ranchmen  of  Gem  county,  residing  on  a  highly  improved  tract  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  two  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Emmett,  which  is  de- 
voted to  the  raising  of  live  stock  and  the  growing  of  alfalfa.  His  birth  occurred 
at  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  on  the  2d  of  November,  1844,  his  parents  being  James 
and  Miranda  (Babb)  Jackson,  who  were  natives  of  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee 
respectively.  Their  marriage,  however,  was  celebrated  in  Illinois.  They  had  two 
sons:  Charles  Edwin,  of  this  review;  and  Louis»H.,  who  died  at  his  home  in  Cali- 
fornia four  years  ago,  leaving  a  widow  and  one  son.  The  latter  practiced  law  at 
Iowa  City,  Iowa,  for  many  years  before  removing  to  California  and  filled  the  office 
of  county  attorney  while  living  in  the  Hawkeye  state.  The  mother  of  these  chil- 
dren passed  away  when  the  son  Charles  was  but  four  years  of  age  and  the  father 
afterward  wedded  Miss  Malinda  Wilhoit,  by  whom  he  had  five  children,  namely: 
James  A.;  Alice,  who  is  the  widow  of  William  Preston  Bradley  and  resides  in  St. 
Louis,  Missouri;  Nellie,  the  wife  of  Charles  M.  Hamilton,  of  Hamilton,  Kansas; 
Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  B.  Higdon,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  and  a  daughtei 
who  died  in  childhood.  James  Jackson,  the  father,  passed  away  in  1878,  while 
Mrs.  Malinda  (Wilhoit)  Jackson  was  called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  20th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1905, 

James  Ansel  Jackson,  the  younger  half  brother  of  Charles  E.  Jackson,  was 
born  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  September  25,  1862.  At  Neal,  Kansas,  on  the  25th 
of  December,  1889,  he  married  Miss  Lucy  Holton  Potter,  whose  birth  occurred  at 
Danville,  Illinois,  January  19,  1867,  her  parents  being  Dennis  George  and  Elizabeth 
Margaret  (Haptonstall)  Potter,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland  and  the  latter  of 
Virginia.  Dennis  G.  Potter  emigrated  to  the  United  States  when  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  just  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  and  was  in  his  seventy-first 
year  when  he  passed  away.  His  widow  makes  her  home  in  Kansas.  To  James  A. 
Jackson  and  his  wife  have  been  born  three  children.  Lucile.  whose. birth  occurred 
September  26,  1890,  became  the  wife  of  Ray  J.  Lyman  on  the  28th  of  June,  1917, 
and  now  resides  at  Berkeley,  California,  with  her  husband  and  daughter,  Laura 
Jean,  born  July  14,  1919.  Ray  J.  Lyman  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Cali- 
fornia. Rein  Everett,  who  was  born  March  8,  1897,  served  with  the  American 
Expeditionary  Forces  in  France  for  nineteen  months  during  the  period  of  the 
World  war  and  is  now  attending  an  Oregon  college.  Edwin  Charles,  whose  natal 
day  was  December  26,  1900,  is  a  student  in  the  Idaho  Technical  Institute  at  Pocatello. 

Charles  E.  Jackson,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  came  to  Idaho  from 
Loveland,  Colorado,  in  1904  and  after  residing  for  two  years  near  Blackfoot  re- 
moved to  the  ranch  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies  in  the%icinity  of  Emmett.  He 
arrived  in  this  state  in  company  with  his  younger  brother,  James  A.  Jackson,  and 
the  latter's  wife  and  three  children,  in  whose  home  he  has  lived  for  many  years 
as  one  of  a  contented  and  congenial  family.  As  above  stated,  he  has  a  valuable 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  331 

ranch  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  two  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Emmett. 
in  the  operation  of  which  he  has  won  a  most  gratifying  degree  of  success.  He 
usually  supports  the  men  and  measures  of  the  republican  party  but  does  not  hesitate 
to  cast  an  independent  ballot  if  his  judgment  so  dictates.  He  has  passed  the  seventy- 
fifth  milestone  on  life's  Journey  and  enjoys  the  respect  and  esteem  which  should  ever 
be  accorded  one  of  his  years  whose  career  has  been  at  all  times  upright  and 
honorable. 


H.  G.   RICHARDS. 

H.  G.  Richards,  winning  substantial  success  as  the  result  of  his  efforts  in  horti- 
culture, is  now  engaged  in  the  production  of  some  of  the  wonderfully  fine  apples  for 
which  Idaho  is  famous.  He  has  an  excellent  tract  of  land  in  Canyon  county,  not 
far  from  Nampa.  He  was  born  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  state  of  Iowa,  No- 
vember 2,  1879,  and  his  parents,  W.  H.  and  Anna  (Waggoner)  Richards,  were  natives 
of  Ohio.  In  1889  they  removed  to  Idaho  with  their  family,  settling  in  Long  Valley. 
They  brought  with  them  two  carloads  of  thoroughbred  Holstein  cattle,  with  which 
they  stocked  their  ranch  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  and  in  1891  they  re- 
moved to  Cambridge,  Idaho,  where  Mr.  Kichards  took  up  the  business  of  live  stock 
raising  and  farming.  When  another  two  years  had  passed  he  removed  to  Nampa  and 
carried  on  farming  in  the  Deer  Flat  district,  where  he  had  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  in  connection  with  his  sons.  The  family  then  numbered  father,  mother 
and  three  sons:  H.  G.,  Frank  W.  and  Herbert  M.,  the  sons  being  actively  associated 
with  their  father  in  the  conduct  of  the  business.  They  farmed  upon  the  property  near 
Xampa  until  1906,  when  the  government  reclamation  service  bought  the  farm.  H. 
G.  Richards  and  his  brother,  Frank  W.  Richards,  then  purchased  the  place  upon 
which  the  former  now  resides  about  three  and  a  quarter  miles  south  of  Nampa.  In 
addition  to  the  development  of  this  place  they  also  engaged  in  the  land  business  in 
Nampa  until  1915,  when  they  closed  their  office  there.  In  1908  the  father  and  his 
son,  Herbert  M.  Richards,  had  removed  to  California  and  are  now  residents  of  Vallejo, 
where  the  father  lives  retired.  There  the  mother  passed  away  in  1918.  The  brother 
is  now  a  business  man  in  Vallejo. 

Since  taking  up  his  abode  near  Nampa,  H.  G.  Richards  of  this  review  has  care- 
fully and  systematically  cultivated  his  place.  He  has  sold  much  of  the  land  but  still 
retains  eighty  acres  of  the  property  and  one-half  of  the  farm  has  been  planted  to 
apples,  while  the  other  forty-acre  tract  is  devoted  to  the  production  ot  clover,  which 
he  is  raising  for  seed.  He  was  offered  forty-five  dollars  per  ton  for  his  apple  crop 
of  1919.  He  has  raised  splendid  crops  for  the  past  three  years,  producing  some  of 
the  finest  apples  that  have  been  raised  in  Idaho.  His  brother  recently  sold  his 
interest  in  the  farm,  so  that  H.  G.  Richards  is  now  sole  proprietor. 

in  1918,  at  Caldwell,  Idaho,  Mr.  Richards  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Hildegarde  La  Valley.  He  has  recently  built  a  beautiful  home  upon  his  farm  on  a 
height  overlooking  the  surrounding  country,  where  a  lovely  scene  spreads  out  before 
him.  The  home  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  has  been  elegantly 
furnished,  no  expense  being  spared  to  make  it  comfortable,  tasteful  and  attractive. 
Moreover,  it  is  the  abode  of  warm-hearted  hospitality,  its  good  cheer  being  greatly 
enjoyed  by  the  many  friends  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richards. 


DR.  WILLIAM  C.  NYE. 

Dr.  William  C.  Nye,  a  well  known  veterinarian  and  stockman  of  Rigby.  Jefferson 
county,  where  he  has  lived  for  eighteen  years,  was  born  in  Ogden,  Utah,  January  28, 
1885,  a  son  of  Dr.  Ned  O.  and  Maude  (Perry)  Nye,  the  father  being  originally  from 
Macon  county,  Illinois,  and  the  mother  from  Lynn  county,  Iowa. 

Dr.  Ned  O.  Nye  spent  his  early  life  with  his  parents  on  a  farm  near  Decatur. 
Illinois,  and  there  received  his  elementary  education.  In  his  early  manhood  he 
evinced  a  marked  bent  toward  the  veterinarian,  profession  and,  in  order  to  pre- 
pare himself  effectually  for  it,  he  entered  a  school  of  veterinary  surgery  while 
living  in  Illinois.  Soon  after  he  had  completed  three  years  of  his  course,  he  re- 


332  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

moved  with  his  parents  to  Smith  county,  Kansas.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four  he 
left  the  parental  roof  and  went  farther  west  settling  in  Ogden,  Utah,  where  he  was 
in  the  railway  mail  service  for  seven  or  eight  years.  He  then  turned  to  the  veter- 
inarian profession  for  which  he  had  been  trained  in  his  youth  and  at  the  same 
time  gave  considerable  attention  to  the  breeding  and  care  of  race  horses,  of  which 
he  had  a  number.  In  1901  he  disposed  of  his  stock  interests  in  Utah  and  came 
to  Idaho,  settling  in  that  part  of  Jefferson  county  which  was  then  a  part  of  Fremont 
county,  where  he  bought  a  relinquishment.  He  busied  himself  with  the  improve- 
ment and  operation  of  his  farm  until  1906,  when  he  rented  it  and  returned  to  the 
veterinarian  school  to  complete  the  training  which  was  interrupted  when  he  was 
a  young  man.  On  the  termination  of  his  course  he  returned  to  Jefferson  county 
and  opened  his  office  in  Rigby.  Here  his  practice  expanded  to  such  an  extent  that 
he  admitted  his  son,  Dr.  William  C.  Nye,  to  partnership,  the  firm  operating  under 
the  name  of  Nye  &  Nye.  Dr.  Ned  O.  Nye  has  other  business  interests  in  Jefferson 
county  besides  those  related  to  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  he  is  also  a  stock- 
holder in  a  packing  company  of  Ogden,  Utah. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ned  O.  Nye  are  the  parents  of  one  other  child  besides  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  Elwood  L.,  who  is  also  a  veterinarian  and  is  now  in  the  United  States 
army,  being  stationed  at  Schofield  barracks,  near  Honolulu,  as  post  veterinarian 
with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant.  Politically  the  father  is  a  republican  and  he  has 
served  the  citizens  of  Rigby  first  as  marshal  and  then  as  police  judge.  He  also  finds 
time  to  take  an  active  interest  in  the  fraternal  affairs  of  the  community,  being 
a  member  of  the  Maccabees  and  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Dr.  William  C.  Nye  has  spent  eighteen  years  of  his  life  in  Rigby,  where  he 
pursued  his  high  school  education.  He  afterward  entered  the  State  Agricultural 
College  at  Fort  Collins,  Colorado,  where  he  studied  general  science  for  two  years 
preparatory  to  the  veterinarian's  course  which  he  will  complete  with  one  more 
year  of  work.  He  is  now  practicing  his  profession  in  Rigby,  where  he  is  associated 
with  his  father  under  the  firm  name  of  Nye  &  Nye.  In  connection  with  their  gen- 
eral practice,  they  operate  a  large  and  well  appointed  veterinarian  hospital  and 
also  carry  on  an  extensive  business  in  importing  pedigreed  bulls  and  horses,  the 
latter  of  which  are  chiefly  range  horses  destined  for  government  use. 

On  December  27,  1917,  following  the  declaration  of  war  by  the  United  States 
against  the  imperial  German  government,  Dr.  Nye  enlisted  in  the  service  of  his 
country  and  was  stationed  at  Fort  Collins,  Colorado.  Sometime  prior  to  his  enlist- 
ment he  had  served  on  the  Mexican  border,  where  he  gained  much  valuable  military 
experience  of  which  he  made  ample  use  in  the  capacity  of  drill  sergeant  while  he 
was  stationed  at  Fort  Collins.  He  is  unmarried  and  he  makes  his  home  with  his 
parents  in  Rigby,  where  he  takes  a  proper  interest  in  all  the  good  works  carried 
on  in  the  community. 


STERLING   PRICE   BANE. 

When  the  work  of  progress  and  development  had  been  carried  forward  to  only 
a  slight  degree  in  the  Payette  valley,  Sterling  Price  Bane  took  up  his  abode  in  this 
section  of  the  state,  establishing  his  home  near  Emmett  in  1882,  or  about  thirty- 
eight  years  ago.  He  was  then  a  youth  of  eighteen  years  and  began  work  as  an 
employe  on  the  ranch  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  He  was  born  at  Tioga, 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  March  30,  1864,  and  is  a  son  of  Clayton  and  Martha  P.  (Moore) 
Bane.  The  father  was  born  in  Bracken  county,  Kentucky,  while  the  mother  was 
a  native  of  Tennessee  and  they  were  married  in  Missouri.  They  had  a  family  of 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  Sterling  P.  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth, 
and  all  are  yet  living.  The  father  was  a  veteran  of  the  Mexican  war. 

While  born  in  Illinois,  Sterling  Price  Bane  was  largely  reared  in  Cass  county, 
Missouri,  and  from  Colorado  he  came  to  Idaho  but  had  been  in  the  former  state 
for  only  a  brief  period.  Throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  followed  farming  and 
the  raising  of  live  stock.  As  stated,  he  was  first  employed  on  the  ranch  which  he 
now  occupies.  Later  he  homesteaded  and  purchased  the  property,  entering  a  claim 
to  a  part  of  the  land  about  twenty-four  years  ago.  His  present  ranch  embraces 
two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  and  the  soil  is  naturally  rich  and  productive,  so  that 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  333 

it  has  responded  generously  to  the  care  and  labor  which  he  has  bestowed  upon  the 
fields.  He  has  also  made  the  raising  of  live  stock  a  feature  of  his  business  and 
both  branches  of  his  life  work  have  brought  to  him  substantial  success. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1S90,  Mr.  Bane  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Nellie  Miller,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  December  4,  1869,  a  daughter  of  Abram 
Miller,  who  was  a  Civil  war  veteran,  having  served  with  the  Union  army.  He  was 
born  in  Tennessee  and  devoted  his  life  to  the  occupation  of  farming.  He  married 
Maria  Bowling,  also  a  native  of  Tennessee,  in  which  state  they  were  reared  and 
married  and  afterward  went  to  Illinois.  Mrs.  Bane  was  reared  in  Gentry  county, 
Missouri,  to  the  age  of  twelve  years  and  then  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents. 
By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  three  children.  William  J.,  who  was 
born  August  16,  1891,  married  Mona  Leona  Riggs,  a  daughter  of  Boise  Riggs,  their 
wedding  being  celebrated  on  the  16th  of  October,  1915.  They  now  have  two  chil- 
dren: Thomas  William  Bane,  born  July  26,  1916;  and  Minnie  Kathleen,  born 
September  17,  1917.  The  second  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bane  is  their  only  daugh- 
ter, Martha  Belle,  who  was  born  July  5,  1893.  Their  younger  son  is  John  Clayton 
Bane,  who  was  born  September  3,  1895,  and  he  and  the  daughter  reside  with  their 
parents,  while  William  J.  Bane  and  his  family  occupy  another  residence  but  upon 
the  old  home  ranch. 

Mr.  Bane  is  a  Mason  and  is  a  past  master  of  Butte  Lodge,  No.  37.  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  of  Kmmett.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  democrat,  giving  unfaltering  allegiance 
to  the  party,  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  Idaho  state  senate  during  the  fourteenth 
session  of  the  general  assembly,  representing  Gem  county  in  the  upper  house.  He 
has  also  served  for  one  term  as  county  commissioner  of  Canyon  county,  when  Gem 
was  still  a  part  of  Canyon  county.  Since  taking  up  his  abode  upon  his  present 
ranch  he  has  lived  in  three  different  counties  of  Idaho — Ada,  Canyon  and  Gem — 
as  the  divisional  changes  in  the  state  have  been  made.  He  has  witnessed  wonder- 
ful progress  as  the  state  has  become  settled  and  developed  and  he  has  always  borne 
his  part  in  bringing  about  this  desirable  change.  He  now  has  a  splendid  ranch 
property  on  which  are  found  fine  fields  of  hay  and  grain  and  he  also  raises  beef 
cattle  and  horses.  Everything  about  his  place  is  indicative  of  the  care  and  super- 
vision of  a  practical  and  progressive  owner. 


WILLIAM    H.   SHANE. 

William  H.  Shane,  who  lives  on  a  ranch  one  mile  northwest  of  Emmett,  came 
to  Idaho  from  Grand  Junction,  Colorado,  and  prior  to  his  removal  to  the  west  re- 
sided at  Coon  Rapids,  Carroll  county,  Iowa.  His  birth  occurred  in  Guthrie  county, 
Iowa,  on  the  20th  of  August,  1869,  his  parents  being  Jacob  and  Adaline  (Mingus) 
Shane.  The  father  was  born  in  Vermilion  county,  Indiana,  in  1838,  while  the 
mother  first  opened  her  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  in  the  state  of  North  Carolina  on 
the  1st  of  March,  1841.  Jacob  Shane  was  married  when  twenty  years  of  age  and  he 
and  his  wife  reared  a  family  of  nine  children,  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of 
whom  are  still  living.  The  father  passed  away  in  Carroll  county,  Iowa,  in  1900, 
but  the  mother  yet  survives  and  now  makes  her  home  at  Lincoln,  Nebraska.  The 
greater  part  of  their  lives  following  their  marriage  was  spent  in  Guthrie  county, 
Iowa. 

William  H.  Shane  was  reared  on  an  Iowa  farm  and  continued  to  reside  in  that 
state  until  thirty-three  years  of  age.  In  1902  he  removed  to  Grand  Junction,  Colo- 
rado, and  subsequently  came  to  Idaho,  locating  at  Emmett,  where  he  remained  for 
two  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  took  up  his  abode  on  his  present 
ranch  a  mile  northwest  of  the  town  and  in  1910  erected  thereon  a  ten-room  modern 
bungalow,  constituting  one  of  the  attractive  suburban  homes  of  the  vicinity.  He 
has  served  as  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Emmett  Irrigation  District  for  eight  con- 
secutive years  and  has  been  its  president  for  the  past  five  years. 

On  the  30th  of  September,  1891,  in  Iowa,  Mr.  Shane  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Ella  Howell,  who  was  born  in  Wapello  county,  Iowa,  July  14,  1872,  a 
daughter  of  George  N.  and  Lucinda  (Hickman)  Howell,  the  former  a  native  of 
New  York  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  Mr.  Howell  passed  away  when  his  daughter 
Ella  was  ten  years  of  age,  and  his  widow  died  in  April,  1920,  at  Coon  Rapids,  Iowa. 
Their  family  numbered  six  children,  two  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  are 


334  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

yet  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shane  have  four  sons,  as  follows:  Clare  W.,  Fred  H.,  Hardie  I., 
and  Carl  R.  Clare  W.  and  Fred  H.  are  married  and  reside  on  ranches  near  Emmett  in 
Gem  county.  Clare  W.  and  Hardie  I.  joined  the  United  States  army  at  the  time 
of  the  World  war  but  were  still  at  Camp  Lewis  when  the  armistice  was  signed. 

In  politics  Mr.  Shane  is  a  republican  but  has  always  declined  public  prefer- 
ment, feeling  that  he  would  rather  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his 
business  affairs.  His  wife  gives  her  political  support  to  the  democratic  party.  They 
are  Methodists  in  religious  faith  and  fraternally  Mr.  Shane  is  identified  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  he  is  a  past  grand,  while  his  wife  is 
a  member  of  the  Rebekahs.  Mr.  Shane  has  gained  an  extensive  and  favorable  ac- 
quaintance during  the  period  of  his  residence  in  Gem  county  and  enjoys  an  enviable 
reputation  as  one  of  its  substantial  and  esteemed  citizens. 


JOSE    NAVARRO. 

Jose  Navarro,  successfully  engaged  in  wool  growing  at  Boise,  is  a  well  known 
member  of  the  Spanish-Basque  colony,  who  came  to  this  city  in  1908  from  the  Jordan 
valley  of  Oregon,  where  he  had  resided  from  1889  until  1908.  He  was  born  in  Spain, 
August  27,  1868,  the  son  of  a  farmer,  and  in  1887  came  to  the  United  States,  then  a 
young  man  of  nineteen  years.  He  spent  two  years  in  Nevada  and  in  1889  removed 
to  the  Jordan  valley  of  Oregon.  In  Nevada  he  was  a  sheep  herder  and  he  also  worked 
in  that  way  in  Oregon  for  several  years,  or  until  he  was  able  to  save  a  sum  sufficient 
to  permit  him  to  start  in  the  sheep  business  on  his  own  account.  This  he  did  in 
1896,  forming  a  partnership  with  Antonio  Azcuenaga.  The  partnership  was  main- 
tained for  about  twenty  years  and  both  men  are  residents  of  Boise  and  are  now  num- 
bered among  the  most  prosperous  of  the  Basque  people  of  the  city.  Mr.  Azcuenaga 
is  now  engaged  in  the  cattle  business,  however,  but  Mr.  Navarro  still  remains  active 
as  a  sheepman.  He  is  associated  in  the  sheep  industry  at  the  present  time  with 
Fred  Palmer,  a  prominent  and  substantial  citizen  of  the  Jordan  valley,  their  inter- 
ests being  conducted  under  the  name  of  the  Palmer  Sheep  Company.  Mr.  Navarro 
owns  a  half  interest  in  the  business  and  they  now  have  about  eleven  thousand  head 
of  sheep. 

Mr.  Navarro  has  returned  to  Spain  twice  since  coming  to  the  new  world,  first  in 
1899  and  again  in  1907.  On  the  occasion  of  his  first  visit  he  was  married  there  on  the 
13th  of  September,  1899,  to  Pia  Azpiri,  bringing  his  bride  back  with  him  to  this 
country,  and  on  his  second  visit  to  his  native  land  he  was  accompanied  by  his  wife. 
Both  are  very  fond  of  Idaho  and  the  United  States  and  are  numbered  among  the 
substantial  citizens  of  Boise.  They  hold  membership  in  the  Roman  Catholic  church, 
being  connected  with  the  Church  of  -the  Good  Shepherd.  They  occupy  an  attractive 
residence  in  Boise  at  No.  1101  North  Eighth  street,  which  Mr.  Navarro  purchased 
when  he  first  took  up  his  abode  in  the  capital  city  in  1908.  He  has  never  had  occa- 
sion to  regret  his  determination  to  come .  to  the  new  world,  for  here  he  has  found 
the  opportunities  which  he  has  sought  and  by  reason  of  his  unfaltering  industry 
and  perseverance  has  gained  a  place  among  the  successful  wool  growers  of  Idaho. 


HARVEY  L.   CRANDALL. 

Harvey  L.  Crandall,  an  automobile  dealer  of  Driggs,  was  born  at  Springville, 
Utah,  January  19,  1874,  his  parents  being  Oscar  and  Margaret  E.  (Guymon)  Cran- 
dall, who  were  natives  of  Iowa.  They  crossed  the  plains  with  one  of  the  early 
Mormon  trains  in  1852  and  settled  at  Springville,  where  the  father  took  up  land, 
continuing  its  cultivation  for  an  extended  period.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the 
sawmill  business  for  a  number  of  years  and  became  a  contractor  and  builder,  be- 
ing connected  with  building  operations  for  a  long  time.  While  thus  engaged  he 
resided  in  various  parts  of  Utah  and  of  Wyoming  and  in  1896  he  took  up  his  abode 
at  Driggs,  Idaho,  where  he  engaged  in  ranching  throughout  his  remaining  days, 
his  death  occurring  on  the  29th  of  April,  1904.  While  here  residing  he  served 
for  a  considerable  period  as  bishop  of  his  ward.  The  mother  still  survives  and  yet. 
makes  her  home  at  Driggs. 


JOSE  NAVARRO 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  337 

Harvey  L.  Crandall  was  reared  and  educated  in  Utah.  He  remained  with 
his  parents  until  he  attained  his  majority  and  then  became  a  resident  of  Fre- 
mont county,  Idaho,  settling  in  that  section  which  is  now  Teton  county.  He  filed 
on  land  two  miles  south  of  Driggs  and  at  once  began  to  turn  the  farrows  and  till 
the  soil,  continuing  the  operation  of  his  fields  for  fourteen  years.  He  afterward 
operated  a  stage  line  between  St.  Anthony  and  Jackson's  Hole,  Wyoming,  for  four 
years  and  later  he  took  up  general  merchandising,  in  which  he  engaged  at  Driggs 
for  two  years.  After  disposing  of  his  store  he  resumed  ranching  and  for  one  year 
lived  upon  his  place  but  at  the  end  of  that  time  established  an  automobile  busi- 
ness at  Driggs,  where  he  handles  the  Ford  and  Studebaker  cars.  He  also  main- 
tains a  large  garage  and  does  a  general  repair  business  and  his  patronage  has  now 
reached  most  gratifying  proportions.  He  sells  a  large  number  of  cars  annually 
and  his  business  is  extensive.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Teton 
National  Bank  of  Driggs. 

On  the  29th  of  April,  1906,  Mr.  Crandall  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  S. 
May  Colvin  and  they  have  become  parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Harvey  L., 
Jr.,  Paul  C.,  Roberta,  Oscar  R.  and  Wendell.  Mr.  Crandall  belongs  to  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  was  formerly  bishop  of  his  ward.  He 
has  likewise  filled  various  other  offices  in  the  church  and  for  nine  months  was 
engaged  in  missionary  work  for  the  church  in  Philadelphia.  His  political  support 
is  given  to  the  republican  party  and  he  is  now  serving  for  the  second  term  as  a 
member  of  the  town  board.  He  is  keenly  interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his  home  and  has  done 
much  to  further  its  material,  intellectual,  political  and  moral  advancement. 


W.  R.  FISHER. 

W.  R.  Fisher,  farmer  and  author,  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
the  Deer  Flat  district  of  Canyon  county  and  he  has  contributed  in  large  measure  to 
its  development  and  upbuilding  along  material,  educational  and  other  progressive 
lines.  He  was  born  near  Pleasant  Plain,  Iowa,  July  12,  1865.  His  father,  Azariah 
Fisher,  was  of  Quaker  stock  and  was  a  native  of  Ohio  but  in  his  infancy  was  taken 
to  Illinois  by  his  parents,  whose  ancestors  came  to  America  about  1690  and  settled 
in  Pennsylvania.  After  reaching  adult  age  Azariah  Fisher  married  Malinda  Stanley, 
a  native  of  Ohio,  who  was  also  taken  to  Illinois  by  her  parents  during  her  infancy. 
After  living  for  a  time  in  Illinois  Mr.  Fisher  and  his  wife  removed  to  Iowa  while  the 
Civil  war  was  in  progress  and  there  he  followed  farming  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1874.  His  widow  long  survived  him,  departing  this  life  in  1907. 

It  was  during  the  early  boyhood  of  W.  R.  Fisher  that  the  family  home  was 
established  at  Harlan,  in  western  Iowa,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools,  while 
afterward  he  became  a  student  in  Eureka  College  of  Illinois  and  still  later  matricu- 
lated in  Drake  University  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  thus  acquiring  a  liberal  education. 
He  made  excellent  use  of  his  opportunities  in  that  direction,  manifesting  special 
aptitude  in  his  studies,  and  for  twenty  years  he  was  a  capable  and  successful  teacher, 
in  the  schools  of  Iowa  and  Nebraska.  In  1903  he  removed  from  the  latter  state  to 
Idaho  and  settled  in  the  Deer  Flat  district  in  January,  1904,  securing  a  homestead 
claim.  In  1910  he  disposed  of  his  land  and  removed  to  Boise,  where  he  resided  for 
four  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  Deer  Flat  district,  purchasing  farming 
property  and  resumed  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is  now  carrying  on  the  work  of 
general  farming.  The  attainment  of  prosperity,  however,  is  not  the  sole  end  and 
aim  of  his  life,  for  he  is  keenly  interested  in  other  lines.  He  is  a  man  of  literary 
tastes  and  has  published  three  volumes  of  poems,  which  have  had  wide  circulation. 
He  has  also  contributed  some  verse  to  the  Youths  Companion.  He  is  a  great  lover 
of  nature  and  his  poems  have  found  their  inspiration  in  outdoor  life. 

In  1887  Mr.  Fisher  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Dotson,  a  native  of  Iowa  and  a 
daughter  of  Pleasant  and  Mary  (Campbell)  Dotson.  They  were  married  at  Harlan. 
Iowa,  and  are  the  parents  of  five  living  children.  Robert  Clive,  twenty-nine  years  of 
age,  married  Euna  Phillips  and  is  a  business  man  of  Boise.  Joel  Franklin,  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Boise  high  school  and  of  the  Idaho  College  and 
is  now  a  minister  of  the  Free  Methodist  church  at  Spokane,  Washington.  He  married 
Olive  Ramsey.  Arthur  Hallan,  twenty-three  years  of  age,  was  in  the  Naval  Reserve 

Vol.  Ill     JJ 


338  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  was  in  active  service  during  the  World  war  for  five  months.  He  is  still  in  the 
service,  subject  to  call  until  1922,  although  at  present  he  is  at  home  and  is  engaged 
in  farming  near  his  father.  He  married  Edna  Mills,  of  Greenleaf,  Idaho,  who  died 
in  August,  1919.  Paul  R.,  sixteen  years  of  age,  is  also  at  home.  Ethel  is  now  at- 
tending Greenleaf  Seminary.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher  also  lost  two  children.  Ellis 
Harl,  who  died  when  thirty  years  of  age,  left  a  widow,  Mrs.  May  (Darling)  Fisher, 
and  two  children,  Leonard  and  Vera.  Ellis  H.  Fisher  was  one  of  the  best  known 
and  most  popular  young  men  of  Canyon  county.  The  other  child,  Amy,  died  in 
infancy. 

Mr.  Fisher  has  always  been  keenly  interested  in  the  cause  of  education  and  it 
is  partly  due  to  his  efforts  that  the  first  schools  of  the  Deer  Flat  district  were  built. 
He  has  always  given  his  support,  to  the  school  system  and  there  are  no  better  schools 
in  the  state  than  are  found  in  his  locality.  He  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace 
in  his  precinct  and  as  school  trustee. 


CHRIS   HANSEN. 

Chris  Hansen,  who  is  manager  of  the  H.  G.  Prettyman  orchards,  three  miles 
from  Emmett,  was  born  in  what  is  now  Gem  county  but  was  then  a  part  of  Ada 
county,  one  mile  east  of  Letha,  on  the  18th  of  January,  1877.  He  is  a  son  of  Nels 
and  Augusta  (Christiansen)  Hansen,  who  were  born,  reared  and  married  in  Den- 
mark, after  which  they  sought  the  opportunities  of  the  new  world.  Three  children, 
however,  were  born  to  them  ere  they  bade  adieu  to  their  native  land  and  sailed  for 
the  United  States.  Soon  after  reaching  America  they  came  to  Idaho  and  cast  in  their 
lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  Payette  valley,  their  home  being  in  what  is  now 
Gem  county.  The  father  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  but  after  coming  to  Idaho  home- 
steaded  near  Letha,  and  the  land  which  he  thus  acquired  is  still  in  possession  of  the 
family.  The  father,  however,  has  passed  away,  but  the  mother  survives  and  resides 
in  Emmett,  having  made  her  home  in  Gem  county  for  many  years. 

Chris  Hansen  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Gem  county  and  is  now  forty-three 
years  of  age.  His  educational  opportunities  were  those  afforded  by  the  common 
schools  and  since  putting  aside  his  textbooks  he  has  always  been  a  farmer  and 
orchardist.  He  is  now  the  manager  of  the  H.  G.  Prettyman  orchards  near  Emmett, 
comprising  ninety  acres  planted  to  apples.  He  took  charge  thereof  when  the  trees 
were  just  three  years  old  and  they  are  now  in  full  bearing.  The  Prettyman  orchards 
are  one  of  the  most  attractive  sights  of  Gem  county.  Mr.  Hansen  has  had  entire 
charge  of  the  pruning  and  spraying  of  the  trees  and  their  care  in  other  ways  and 
he  has  developed  some  of  the  finest  orchards  of  the  state.  So  efficient  is  he  in  this 
work  that  he  is  pai.d  a  salary  of  eighteen  hundred  dollars  a  year  and  also  has  various 
ranch  interests  in  addition  which  yield  a  substantial  income. 

On  the  7th  of  January,  1903,  Mr.  Hansen  was  married  to  Miss  Alma  Lena  Max- 
field,  who  was  born  in  Maine  and  came  with  her  parents  to  Idaho  in  her  childhood 
days.  Her  father,  Moses  Maxfield,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Pine  Tree  state  and  died 
November  6,  1918,  at  the  home  of  his  son,  George  Maxfield,  a  carpenter  and  con- 
tractor living  at  No.  1301  North  Fourteenth  street  in  Boise. 

Mr.  Hansen  belongs  to  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  his  political  allegiance 
is  given  to  the  republican  party,  but  he  has  never  sought  or  desired  office.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hansen  are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett, 
where  they  have  a  circle  of  friends  almost  coextensive  with  the  circle  of  their  ac- 
quaintance. 


MRS.  GRACE  SANDERS. 

Mrs.  Grace  Sanders  owns  and  occupies  a  ranch  near  Emmett  on  which  she  took 
up  her  abode  in  1909.  She  was  born  in  Dupage  county,  Illinois,  March  16,  1855, 
and  her  maiden  name  was  Jemima  Grace  Medland.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Catherine  (Sleep)  Medland,  who  were  born,  reared  and  married  in  England.  They 
came  to  the  United  States  immediately  after  their  marriage  and  all  of  their  seven 
children  were  born  on  this  side  of  the  water.  Six  of  that  number  are  yet  living. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  339 

Mrs.  Sanders  was  a  little  maiden  of  but  ten  years  when  her  parents  removed  from 
Illinois  to  Iowa,  where  her  girlhood  days  were  passed,  while  her  education  was 
acquired  in  the  public  schools. 

It  was  in  Iowa,  on  the  28th  of  October,  1875,  that  Miss  Grace  Medland  became 
the  wife  of  John  Truebody  Sanders,  who  was  born  in  Cook  county,  Illinois,  October 
25,  1853,  and  was  a  son  of  Walter  O.  and  Ann  (Palmer)  Sanders.  For  nearly  thirty- 
five  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  T.  Sanders  lived  upon  farms  in  Iowa,  first  residing  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  state  and  later  in  the  northwestern  section  of  Iowa.  Mr. 
Sanders  developed  three  different  farms  in  O'Brien  county,  Iowa,  and  thus  con- 
tributed much  to  the  development  and  improvement  of  that  section  of  the  state.  In 
1909  he  came  to  Idaho  and  settled  on  a  forty-acre  tract  of  sagebrush  land,  which, 
is  now  one  of  the  best  improved  places  about  Bmmett.  Upon  the  ranch  stands  a 
beautiful  two-story  brick  residence,  surrounded  by  fine  lawns  adorned  with  beautiful 
shrubbery.  Fourteen  acres  have  been  planted  to  orchards  that  are  now  in  full 
bearing.  There  are  excellent  buildings  upon  the  property  and  all  of  the  equipments 
and  conveniences  of  a  model  ranch — all  placed  there  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanders.  Mr. 
Sanders  was  a  most  active  and  progressive  business  man  and  continued  the  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  the  ranch  property  until  death  called  him  on  the  1st  of 
October,  1914. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanders  were  born  ten  children  who  are  yet  living:  Mrs. 
Nellie  Welch,  John  M.,  Roy,  Mrs.  Luella  Grace  Melvin,  Frank  L.,  Jay,  Don,  Floyd, 
Gertrude,  Mrs.  Pearl  Stippich.  Three  of  the  children  reside  in  Iowa,  while  the  others 
are  residents  of  Idaho.  Don  and  Floyd  served  in  the  world  war,  both  going  overseas. 
Don  crossed  the  ocean  several  times  as.  a  machinist  on  the  vessel  which  was  formerly 
the  German  Vaterland.  Don  served  in  the  navy,  while  Floyd  was  in  the  army  and 
spent  several  months  in  France. 

Mr.  Sanders  was  an  exemplary  representative  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  had 
also  been  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His  life  was  gov- 
erned by  high  principles  and  characterized  by  honorable  purposes  and  the  genuine 
worth  of  his  character  was  attested  by  many  who  knew  him.  Mrs.  Sanders  belongs 
to  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  and  to  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps  and  is  interested 
in  many  activities  which  have  to  do  with  kindly  assistance  rendered  to  the  unfor- 
tunate. The  ranch  on  which  she  resides  is  situated  two  miles  northwest  of  Emmett, 
in  Gem  county. 


CHARLES   A.   WILLS. 

Charles  A.  Wills,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Wills  Brothers,  prominent  fruit 
raisers  of  Gem  county,  came  to  Idaho  from  Iowa  and  in  this  state  established  his 
sweet  cherry  and  peach  orchards  about  three  miles  south  of  Emmett.  He  took  up 
his  abode  here  twelve  or  more  years  ago  and  through  the  intervening  period  has 
done  much  to  advance  the  horticultural  interests  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He 
was  born  in  Carroll  county,  Illinois,  April  2,  1858,  and  is  the  second  of  the  three 
brothers  constituting  the  firm  of  Wills  Brothers,  who  reside  near  Emmett.  There 
is  also  a  sister  at  Emmett — Mrs.  Frank  DeClark. 

Charles  A.  Wills,  whose  name  introduces  this  record,  has  lived  in  three  states — 
Illinois,  Iowa  and  Idaho.  He  spent  the  first  eighteen  years  of  his  life  in  Illinois 
and  then  went  to  Iowa  with  his  parents,  David  C.  and  Anna  (Wolf)  Wills,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  father  was  of  Welsh  and  English  descent, 
while  the  mother  was  of  German  lineage.  David  C.  Wills  devoted  his  life  to  the 
contracting  and  building  business,  but  both  he  and  his  wife  have  now  passed  away. 
As  stated,  they  removed  to  Iowa  when  their  son  Charles  was  a  youth 'of  eighteen 
years  and  there  he  engaged  in  farming  and  also  in  carpentering  and  building  for 
many  years.  In  1907  he  and  his  younger  brother,  James  A.,  came  to  Idaho  and 
located  on  the  Sunny  Slope,  three  miles  south  of  Emmett,  purchasing  a  large  tract 
of  land  which  was  then  covered  with  a  native  growth  of  sagebrush.  They  paid  sixty 
dollars  per  acre  for  this  tract  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  but  have  since  sold 
fifty  acres,  retaining  possession  of  eighty.  A  large  part  of  this  tract  is  now  in  fruit. 
Charles  A.  Wills  has  thirty  acres  of  the  land,  planted  to  peaches  and  cherries.  His 
brother,  James  A.  Wills,  has  fifty  acres  in  his  ranch  property,  which  adjoins  that 


340  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

of  his  brother,  and  upon  it  he  has  planted  all  kinds  of  fruit,  including  apples,  prunes, 
peaches  and  cherries.  James  A.  Wills  is  married  and  has  eight  children. 

Charles  A.  Wills  has  never  married  and  with  him  resides  his  brother,  William 
L.,  the  three  brothers  being  actively  associated  in  the  conduct  of  their  ranch  prop- 
erty, and  they  have  become  particularly  well  known  as  fruit  raisers  of  Gem  county 
and  the  upper  Payette  valley.  During  the  past  decade  they  have  no  doubt  done 
quite  as  much  as  anyone  in  the  way  of  making  Gem  county  famous  as  a  fruit  pro- 
ducing section.  All  three  of  the  brothers  were  born  in  Carroll  county,  Illinois,  and 
throughout  their  entire  lives  they  have  manifested  the  spirit  of  western  enterprise 
and  progress  which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  great 
section  of  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi  river.  They  are  men  of  progressive 
spirit  and  firm  purpose  who  never  stop  short  of  the  successful  accomplishment  of 
their  well  defined  plans.  Upon  the  thirty-acre  ranch  occupied  by  William  and 
Charles  A.  Wills  are  produced  some  of  the  finest  peaches  and  sweet  cherries  that 
are  raised  in  the  northwest.  They  make  a  specialty  of  the  latter  and  handle  exten- 
sive shipments  of  these  fine  cherries  through  motor  trucks  and  trains.  They  pro- 
duce the  fine  Bing,  Lambert  and  Royal  Ann  cherries,  which  are  sold  extensively  in 
Boise  and  various  cities  in  Idaho  and  Oregon.  Their  fruit  is  of  superior  size  and 
flavor.  James  A.  Wills  is  equally  successful  in  the  management  of  his  property, 
which  is  known  as  the  Sunny  Slope  Fruit  Farm  of  fifty  acres,  twenty  acres  being 
devoted  to  orchards  of  apple,  prune,  peach  and  cherry  trees.  One  of  the  elements 
of  the  success  which  has  attended  the  brothers  was  the  care  with  which  they 
selected  their  property.  On  coming  to  Idaho  they  sought  land  that  would  be  as 
free  as  possible  from  frost  and  made  their  selection  well  up  on  the  Sunny  Slope, 
where  the  frosts  seldom  cause  crop  failure.  It  seems  that  a  marvel  has  been  accom- 
plished by  them,  for  the  land  which  they  acquired  was  covered  with  sagebrush  and 
today  it  constitutes  a  picture  so  beautiful  that  it  would  delight  any  artist — when 
the  trees  are  covered  with  the  pink  and  white  blossoms  of  springtime  or  are  laden 
with  the  fruit  of  autumn. 

William  L.  Wills  has  become  an  expert  cook  and  housekeeper  and  manages  the 
affairs  of  the  home,  while  Charles  A.  Wills  has  charge  of  the  horticultural  inter- 
ests. He  is  also  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing,  as  was  his  father  before  him,  and 
when  leisure  permits  he  indulges  his  love  of  those  sports. 


S.  C.  SCISM. 

With  the  substantial  development  and  improvement  of  Canyon  county,  S.  C. 
Seism  has  been  closely  associated,  having  converted  raw  land  covered  with  sage- 
brush into  productive  fields  that  annually  yield  large  crops  of  alfalfa  and  wheat. 
Mr.  Seism  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  born  August  23,  1854.  His  parents  were  Wil- 
liam and  Lucinda  (McPheeters)  Seism,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Tennessee.  In 
1846  they  removed  to  Missouri,  becoming  early  settlers  of  that  state  at  a  time  when 
conditions  were  very  crude  and  many  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer 
life  must  be  endured.  They  lived  to  witness  remarkable  changes  there,  both  pass- 
ing away  in  Missouri. 

S.  C.  Seism  acquired  a  meager  education  in  his  native  state,  as  educational 
opportunities  were  crude  there  prior  to  the  Civil  war,  while  after  the  war  the  state 
was  in  so  impoverished  a  condition  that  it  took  some  time  before  the  schools  could 
be  developed  along  modern  lines.  Reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming,  S.  C.  Seism 
became  identified  with  agricultural  interests  in  Missouri  and  was  thus  engaged  until 
he  reached  the  age  of  forty-eight  years,  when  in  1902  he  came  to  Idaho,  settling 
first  in  the  Deer  Flat  district  of  Canyon  county,  south  of  Nampa.  There  he  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  for  which  he  paid  twenty-five  hundred 
dollars.  Afterward  he  sold  twenty-seven  acres  of  this  to  the  government  reclama- 
tion service  for  the  Deer  Flat  reservoir  for  twenty-seven  hundred  dollars.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1904,  he  and  his  son,  J.  S.  Seism,  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  a  mile 
and  a  half  south  of  their  first  location,  for  which  they  paid  five  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  It  was  then  covered  with  the  native  growth  of  sagebrush  and  it  seemed 
that  nothing  could  make  it  a  productive  tract,  but  today  it  is  divided  into  fine 
fields  of  growing  wheat  and  alfalfa,  the  place  being  all  under  irrigation.  Already 
Mr.  Seism  has  been  offered  forty  thousand  dollars  for  this  property.  He  sold  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  341 

remainder  of  his  first  farm — a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  acres — for 
twenty-eight  thousand  six  hundred  dollars  in  the  fall  of  1918. 

In  1876  Mr.  Seism  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  M.  Springfield,  a  native  of 
Georgia,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  children:  Eva,  the  wife  of  W.  F. 
Tiller  and  the  mother  of  one  daughter  and  seven  sons;  Zilla,  who  is  the  wife  of 
A.  D.  Amick  and  has  one  daughter;  John  S.,  who  married  Lilly  Douglas  and  has 
one  son,  Ernest,  now  eleven  years  of  age;  Mamie,  the  wife  of  Fred  L.  Diggs  and 
the  mother  of  one  daughter;  and  Merta,  who  is  the  wife  of  G.  C.  Grass  and  has 
two  daughters.  The  only  son,  John  S.  Seism,  resides  close  to  his  father's  farm, 
where  he  has  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  and  he  also  has  a  stock  ranch 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Long  Valley  which  he  can  irrigate  with  free  water 
if  he  so  desires.  Upon  that  place  he  has  one  hundred  and  thirty  head  of  cattle. 
When  he  came  to  Idaho  in  1902  he  had  less  than  two  hundred  dollars,  but  today 
is  easily  rated  at  thirty-five  thousand  dollars. 

S.  C.  Seism  makes  his  home  in  what  is  called  the  Seism  school  district,  named 
in  his  honor.  When  he  first  came  to  this  district  there  were  but  seven  children 
residing  within  its  borders,  while  the  school  attendance  today  is  eighty  pupils  and 
the  school  building  is  one  of  the  most  artistic  in  the  state  for  its  size.  Mr.  Seism 
is  not  only  a  stalwart  champion  of  the  cause  of  education  but  of  all  progressive 
movements  which  have  to  do  with  the  upbuilding  of  this  district  and  he  has  borne 
his  part  in  the  reclamation  of  the  wild  land  and  its  conversion  to  uses  of  civiliza- 
tion. His  has  been  an  active  life,  in  which  enterprise  and  diligence  have  brought 
him  substantial  results. 


JAMES  ALBERT  WILLS. 

James  Albert  Wills  is  the  proprietor  of  the  Sunny  Slope  Fruit  Farm,  com- 
prising fifty  acres  of  land  two  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Emmett,  on  the  slope  south 
of  the  town,  where  he  has  resided  continuously  during  the  past  thirteen  years.  He 
was  born  in  Carroll  county,  Illinois,  on  the  18th  of  February,  1864,  and  is  the 
youngest  of  three  Wills  brothers  who  are  prominent  orchardists  living  south  of 
Emmett.  He  was  a  lad  of  fourteen  years  when  his  parents  removed  from  Illinois 
to  Iowa  and  remained  in  the  latter  state  until  1887,  when  he  made  his  way  to  Box- 
bute  county,  Nebraska,  where  he  proved  up  a  homestead.  After  a  residence  of 
nine  years  in  Nebraska  he  went  in  1896  to  Sheridan,  Wyoming,  where  for  twelve 
years  he  conducted  a  stock  ranch.  In  the  fall  of  1907  he  came  to  Idaho  in  company 
with  his  wife  and  his  older  brother,  Charles  A.  Wills,  who  is  now  his  near  neigh- 
bor. The  two  brothers  purchased  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land  but  have 
since  sold  fifty  acres  thereof.  The  remaining  eighty-acre  tract  is  divided  into  two 
distinct  fruit  farms,  one  comprising  thirty  acres  and  the  other  fifty  acres,  both 
of  wliich  are  splendidly  improved.  The  thirty-acre  property  belongs  to  Charles 
A.  Wills,  while  the  place  of  fifty  acres  is  in  possession  of  James  A.  Wills.  The  lat- 
ter has  twenty  acres  of  his  land  in  orchards  and  his  trees  produce  almost  every 
variety  of  fruit  grown  in  Idaho,  including  apples,  peaches,  prunes  and  sweet  cher- 
ries. The  place  is  known  as  the  Sunny  Slope  Fruit  Farm  and  the  many  excellent 
improvements  thereon  include  a  handsome  two-story  brick  residence,  which  he 
erected  the  first  year  after  coming  to  this  state.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Emmett 
Fruit  Growers  Union  and  is  widely  recognized  as  a  prominent  and  successful  horti- 
culturist of  the  community. 

On  the  18th  of  November,  1891,  while  living  in  Nebraska,  Mr.  Wills  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Ruth  Olive  Poole,  who  was  born  in  Fremont  county,  Iowa, 
February  19,  1872,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Jefferson  and  Marian  (Lytle)  Poole,  resi- 
dents of  Marsland,  Nebraska.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wills  have  become  parents  of  eight 
children,  as  follows:  Hazel,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Allen  Brown;  Pearl,  the  wife 
of  Robert  Smith;  Addie,  who  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Elmer  Aston;  Anna; 
Frank  W. ;  Winnie;  James  Arthur;  and  Kenneth. 

Mr.  Wills  is  a  republican  in  politics  but  not  bitterly  partisan,  casting  his  vote 
with  regard  for  the  capability  of  the  candidate  rather  than  his  party  connection. 
He  has  never  sought  or  desired  office  for  himself,  having  always  preferred  to  con- 
centrate his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  private  business  interests,  through  the 
careful  conduct  of  which  he  has  won  well  deserved  prosperity.  His  wife  is  a  mem- 


•342  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

ber  of  the  Christian  church.  The  hospitality  of  their  attractive  home  is  greatly 
enjoyed  by  their  many  friends,  the  number  of  whom  has  constantly  increased  as 
the  circle  of  their  acquaintance  has  broadened. 


RAY  H.  TRASK. 

Ray  H.  Trask  is  the  president  of  Trask  Brothers,  Inc.,  a  concern  that  operates 
the  Motor  Inn  Garage  and  also  stage  lines  to  various  sections  around  Boise.  Mr.  Trask 
was  born  in  Anoka,  Minnesota,  August  31,  1888,  a  son  of  Rufus  I.  and  Ida  M.  (Stewart) 
Trask.  The  father  was  born  in  the  state  of  Maine  and  was  of  English  descent,  while 
the  mother,  a  native  of  Minnesota,  was  of  English  and  Scotch  lineage.  The  father 
devoted  his  life  to^the  occupation  of  a  stationary  engineer  and  after  living  for  some 
time  in  Anaconda,  Montana,  removed  with  his  family  to  Boise  in  1907.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Trask  were  born  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  are 
living  with  the  exception  of  one  son,  Frank  G.  Trask,  who  died  in  Boise,  September  12, 
1916,  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  years.  He  was  the  eldest  of  the  family.  The  surviving 
brother  of  Ray  H.  Trask  is  Wilbur  Earl,  now  of  Buhl,  Idaho,  but  formerly  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Trask  Brothers,  Inc.,  of  Boise. 

Ray  H.  Trask  was  only  a  small  child  when  his  parents  removed  from  Minnesota 
to  Anaconda,  Montana,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  He  was  nineteen  years  of 
age  at  the  time  the  family  home  was  established  in  Boise  and  through  the  intervening 
period  he  has  resided  in  this  city.  His  entire  business  training  has  been  along  me- 
chanical lines  and  on  the  8th  of  July,  1918,  he  became  associated  with  his  brother,  Wil- 
bur Earl,  in  organizing  the  firm  of  Trask  Brothers,  Inc.  He  became  the  president  of 
the  company  and  later  he  and  his  wife  purchased  the  interest  of  his  brother,  who 
removed  to  Jerome,  Idaho,  Mrs.  Trask  becoming  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  con- 
cern. The  stock  is  all  owned  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trask  save  one  share.  The  company 
operates  an  automobile  repair  shop  in  connection  with  the  garage  and  while  Mr. 
Trask  superintends  the  mechanical  end  of  the  business  his  wife  largely  has  charge 
of  the  office  work  and  management.  In  addition  to  doing  all  kinds  of  repair  work  on 
automobiles,  whereby  he  is  making  the  company's  name  a  familiar  one  to  the  people 
of  Boise  and  southwestern  Idaho,  Mr.  Trask  is  also  conducting  other  lines,  for  the 
Trask  Brothers  auto  stages  carry  the  United  States  mail  and  light  express,  as  well  as 
passengers,  to  many  points  within  fifty  miles  of  Boise. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  1914,  Mr.  Trask  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Bauer,  of  Boise, 
a  native  of  Canada.  Their  sons  are:  Ray  H.,  who  was  born  July  9,  1915;  and  Farrell 
Carmen,  born  November  19,  1916.  Mr.  Trask  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial 
Club  and  finds  his  chief  recreation  in  billiards,  fishing  and  hunting.  While  he  is  win- 
ning substantial  success  in  business,  his  progress  is  all  due  to  his  persistency  of  pur- 
pose, his  excellent  workmanship  and  his  spirit  of  enterprise  and  progress. 


WILLIAM  J.   LIBBY. 

William  J.  Libby,  manager  of  the  Municipal  Employment  Bureau  of  Boise,  where 
he  has  resided  since  1909,  removing  to  Idaho  from  the  state  of  Minnesota,  accepted 
his  present  position  on  the  1st  of  January,  1917,  and  through  the  intervening  period 
has  managed  the  office  most  efficiently.  He  was  born  in  Kandiyohi  county,  Minne- 
sota, January  23,  1881,  and  is  of  Scotch-Irish,  English  and  French  descent.  His 
father,  William  A.  Libby,  was  also  a  native  of  Minnesota,  where  he  followed  farm- 
ing. The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Celia  Daniels,  is  now  a  resident 
of  Ashland,  Oregon,  but  the  father  died  in  his  native  state. 

William  J.  Libby  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  farm  and  attended  the 
country  schools  to  the  age  of  thirteen  years.  The  following  year  he  entered  the 
preparatory  department  of  the  State  Normal  School  at  St.  Cloud,  Minnesota,  and 
when  fifteen  years  of  age  became  a  student  in  the  normal  department,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1901,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  Taking  up  the  profession 
of  teaching,  he  was,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  principal  of  the  schools  in  the 
town  of  Hendricks,  Minnesota,  with  three  assistants.  He  taught  school  in  all  for 
four  years  and  was  principal  at  Hendricks  throughout  the  entire  period  save  for 


RAY  H.  TRASK 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  345 

three  months.  In  1909  he  came  to  Boise,  Idaho,  and  established  the  Lihby  Employ- 
ment Office,  since  which  time  he  has  been  active  in  that  line.  In  1915  the  Idaho 
state  legislature  passed  an  act  establishing  the  Boise  Municipal  Employment  Bureau 
and  on  the  1st  of  January,  1917,  Mr.  Libby  was  installed  as  its  manager.  Thus  there 
came  to  him  recognition  of  his  special  training  and  fitness  for  the  position.  He  has 
been  most  successful  in  finding  employment  for  those  who  have  needed  assistance 
in  this  connection  and  has  thus  been  directly  a  means  of  preventing  idleness  and 
vagrancy. 

On  the  16th  of  July,  1902,  Mr.  Libby  was  married  to  Miss  Josephine  Davenport, 
who  was  also  a  teacher  of  Minnesota  in  young  womanhood,  having  been  teacher 
of  the  primary  department  in  the  school  of  which  Mr.  Libby  was  principal.  They 
have  three  children:  William  Lee.  Kenneth  D.  and  Gwendolyn,  aged  sixteen,  four- 
teen and  twelve  years  respectively. 

Mr.  Libby  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  and  fraternally  is  connected 
with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Masonic  organization,  being 
a  Master  Mason.  He  resides  with  his  family  at  No.  411  South  Third  street,  in  a 
comfortable  home  which  he  has  purchased,  and  for  a  decade  Boi$e  has  numbered 
him  among  her  substantial  and  worthy  citizens. 


ALFRED  T.   JOHNSON. 

Alfred  T.  Johnson,  the  manager  and  a  director  of  the  Rigby  Hardware  &  Mer- 
cantile Company  and  otherwise  interested  in  business  affairs  of  his  section,  was  born 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  in  March,  1879,  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Dearns)  John- 
son, both  of  whom  being  natives  of  England. 

In  1854  Thomas  Johnson  left  his  home  in  England,  came  to  America  and  located 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  for  a  short  time,  after  which  he  made  a  short  sojourn  in 
California.  Not  finding  conditions  in  the  west  at  that  time  exactly  to  his  liking,  he 
returned  to  the  land  of  his  birth  and  there  married  Sarah  Dearns.  In  1874  he  again 
came  to  America,  bringing  his  wife,  and  the  two  pushed  on  westward  and  settled  in 
Utah,  establishing  their  home  on  a  farm  near  Salt  Lake  City.  There  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  giving  of  his  strength  and  labor  to  the  maintenance  of  his  home 
and  family.  His  death  occurred  in  November,  1911,  after  he  had  reached  the  ripe 
old  age  of  eighty-one  years;  and  that  of  his  wife  in  March,  1891. 

Alfred  T.  Johnson  spent  the  early  part  of  his  life  in  and  near  Salt  Lake  City, 
where  he  received  his  early  education  and  training.  He  felt  that  his  future  did  not  lie 
in  agriculture,  hence  he  left  his  father's  farm  to  learn  the  printer's  trade  and  after 
he  mastered  the  same  he  spent  six  years  in  this  work.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  en- 
tered the  United  States  postal  service  at  Salt  Lake  City  as  city  carrier,  retaining  this 
position  for  eighteen  months.  In  1903  an  opportunity  to  enter  business  in  Rigby  pre- 
sented itself  to  Mr.  Johnson,  hence  he  located  here  in  that  year  and  helped  to  organize 
the  Rigby  Hardware  &  Mercantile  Company,  his  services  being  retained  in  the  admin- 
istrative department  of  the  company  after  its  organization.  This  has  proved  to  be 
a  very  successful  enterprise,  and  the  liberal  patronage  given  it  by  the  citizens  of  Rigby 
and  Jefferson  county  as  a  result  of  its  courteous  and  generous  treatment  has  enabled 
it  to  so  extend  its  business  that  it  now  has  the  largest  stock  of  any  department  store 
in  this  part  of  the  state.  No  small  part  of  the  success  of  the  store  has  been  due  to 
the  efforts  of  Mr.  Johnson  and  as  a  reward  for  his  efficient  services  the  directors  of 
the  enterprise  appointed  him  manager  in  1918,  which  position  he  now  holds.  Be- 
sides his  interest  in  the  Rigby  Hardware  &  Mercantile  Company,  he  is  also  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Beet  Growers  Sugar  Company  of  Rigby  and  he  gives  a  part  of  his  atten- 
tion to  the  development  of  his  farm. 

In  November,  1902,  Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Hessie  White,  whose 
death  occurred  March  18,  1918.  after  a  brief  illness.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have 
been  born  four  children,  as  follow:  Mavis,  Dearns  W.,  Bradley  W.,  and  Wayne  W. 

Aside  from  his  business  duties,  Mr.  Johnson  has  found  time  to  devote  to  the 
affairs  of  his  town,  having  served  as  a  member  of  the  village  board  a  number  of  years 
ago  and  held  the  office  of  both  village  clerk  and  city  clerk  at  different  times.  At  pres- 
ent he  is  a  member  of  the  city  council.  In  politics  he  takes  his  stand  with  the  demo- 
cratic party. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  to  which 


346  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

his  wife  also  belonged,  and  to  which  he  gives  his  most  ardent  and  active  support  as  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  he  has  served  the  denomination  in  official  capacity.  Since  he  has 
lived  in  Rigby,  he  has  given  two  years  of  service  to  missionary  work  in  England;  has 
for  five  years  served  as  stake  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school,  and  is  now  senior 
president  of  the  one-hundred-and-thirtieth  quorum  of  the  seventies.  These  activities, 
together  with  his  services  in  behalf  of  the  public  and  economic  welfare  of  his  town 
and  county  determine  for  him  a  position  of  honor  among  his  fellow  citizens. 


GEORGE    COULSON. 

George  Coulson,  who  for  the  past  eight  years  has  been  one  of  the  leading 
orchardists  of  Gem  county,  owns  and  conducts  a  forty-acre  fruit  farm  two  and  a 
half  miles  southeast  of  Emmett.  He  was  born  in  Batavia,  Illinois,  on  the  30th  of 
May,  1858,  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Shelmerdine)  Coulson,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  England,  in  which  country  they  were  reared  and  married.  After  the 
birth  of  two  of  their  children  they  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  establishing  their 
home  in  Batavia,  Illinois,  where  they  continued  to  reside  throughout  the  remainder 
of  their  lives.  The  father  was  an  engineer  by  profession.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John 
Coulson  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of 
whom  are  yet  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Alice  Treat,  a  resident  of  Webster  City,  Iowa; 
Thomas,  living  in  Montana;  George,  of  this  review;  John  C.,  who  makes  his  home 
in  Montana;  William,  who  resides  in  Wyoming;  Mrs.  Sophia  Mayer,  of  Illinois; 
Henry,  who  lives  in  Chicago,  Illinois;  and  Mrs.  Ella  Brown,  a  resident  of  Grand 
Forks,  North  Dakota. 

George  Coulson  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  the  family  and  the  first 
of  the  children  to  be  born  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  He  spent  the  first  twenty 
years  of  his  life  in  Illinois  and  in  1878  made  his  way  to  Montana,  arriving  in  the 
territory  before  the  era  of  railroad  building.  For  a  third  of  a  century  he  resided 
in  the  vicinity  of  Great  Falls,  Montana,  devoting  his  attention  to  ranching  and  the 
raising  of  live  stock  with  good  success.  In  1911  he  established  his  home  in  Gem 
county,  Idaho,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  production  of  fruit  and  has 
become  recognized  as  a  leading  orchardist.  He  has  employed  the  most  scientific 
methods  in  the  care  of  his  trees  and  through  the  wise  management  of  his  horti- 
cultural interests  has  won  a  gratifying  annual  income*. 

On  the  18th  of  September,  1889,  Mr.  Coulson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Hough,  who  was  born  in  Essex  county,  New  York,  March  2,  1866,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  L.  and  Candice  (Nye)  Hough,  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state. 
In  the  maternal  line  Mrs.  Coulson  comes  of  Mayflower  ancestry.  By  her  marriage 
she  has  become  the  mother  of  a  daughter,  Belle,  who  was  born  June  19,  1896,  and 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Idaho  Commercial  College  of  Boise. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Coulson  is  identified  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  while  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Rebekahs 
and  is  also  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  In  their  political  views 
both  he  and  his  wife  are  republicans  and  in  the  community  where  they  reside  enjoy 
an  enviable  reputation  as  people  of  genuine  personal  worth  whose  aid  and  influence 
are  ever  on  the  side  of  right,  reform  and  improvement. 


R.    H.    MILLER. 

R.  H.  Miller,  a  prominent  and  successful  apiarist  of  Idaho,  was  born  in 
Nebraska,  April  2,  1880,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  since  1904,  arriving  here 
when  a  young  man  of  twenty-four  years.  During  the  succeeding  year  he  worked 
at  his  trade  in  various  places  in  the  state  and  in  1905  he  homesteaded  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  the  Black  Canyon  district  of  Canyon  county.  He  afterward  sold 
his  homestead  and  made  investment  in  forty  acres  in  the  same  district  but  in  a 
different  locality.  This  land  will  have  water  under  the  second  unit  of  the  Black 
Canyon  project. 

As  the  years  have  passed  Mr.  Miller  has  developed  important  business  interests 
in  connection  with  the  bee  industry.  Associated  with  him  is  J.  M.  Stark  a  native 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  347 

of  Clarksville,  Michigan;  he  removed  westward  to  Washington  in  1902  and  thence 
came  to  Middletou,  Idaho,  in  1905,  homesteading  in  the  Black  Canyon  district.  He 
still  owns  his  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  situated  three  and  a  half 
miles  northeast  of  Middleton,  and  he,  too,  will  have  water  on  his  land  under  the 
second  unit  of  the  Black  Canyon  project.  Messrs.  Miller  &  Stark  are  now  exten- 
sively engaged  in  bee  culture,  having  twelve  hundred  colonies  located  in  Canyon 
and  Gem  counties,  Idaho,  and  they  have  fourteen  different  out  yards.  They  shipped 
in  1918  about  one  and  a  half  carloads  of  comb  honey  and  a  like  amount  of  extracted 
honey.  Some  of  their  honey  went  to  Europe  and  also  to  various  sections  of  the 
United  States,  both  east  and  west.  They  manufacture  most  of  their  own  supplies 
and  do  all  of  their  extracting  in  Middleton,  where  they  both  live.  They  furnish  em- 
ployment all  the  time  to  four  people.  The  industry  is  of  considerable  importance 
to  Middleton,  disbursing  a  large  amount  of  money  in  the  town  that  would  otherwise 
never  reach  the  people  of  the  community.  Both  Mr.  Miller  and  Mr.  Stark  are  good 
business  men  and  conduct  their  business  along  the  most  thoroughly  modern  and 
scientific  lines.  In  connection  with  William  McKibben,  they  have  recently  pur- 
chased twelve  hundred  colonies,  known  as  the  Snake  River  Apiaries.  The  year  1919 
is  the  first  in  connection  with  the  development  of  this  latter  enterprise  and  no  doubt 
each  succeeding  year  will  witness  its  further  growth  and  development.  Their  various 
apiaries  are  located  at  Ontario  and  Nyssa,  Oregon,  and  Roswell  and  Notus,  Idaho. 

Both  Mr.  Miller  and  Mr.  Stark  live  in  Middleton  and  both  are  married.  The 
former  was  united  in  marriage  in  1907  to  Miss  Bertha  Plowhead,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  Plowhead,  who  was  one  of  Idaho's  pioneers  and  prominent  business  men,  re- 
siding at  Middleton  to  the  time  of  his  demise.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  become 
the  parents  of  four  children:  James,  nine  years  of  age;  Herbert,  aged  eight;  Roberta; 
and  Edith  May. 

In  1906  Mr.  Stark  was  married  to  Miss  Laura  Hunter,  of  Michigan,  whose  parents 
came  to  Idaho  about  three  years  ago.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stark  have  four  children:  Myra-, 
Marjorie,  Russell  and  Zilpha. 

Thirteen  years  have  come  and  gone  since  Mr.  Miller  arrived  in  Idaho  and  this 
period  has  marked  his  steady  progression  in  business.  He  saw  the  possibilities  of 
this  section  of  the  country  for  bee  culture  and  has  become  a  prominent  apiarist,  his; 
success  enabling  him  to  speak  with  authority  upon  all  Questions  relative  to  the 
raising  of  bees  and  the  production  of  honey  in  this  section  of  the  country. 


JAMES  L.  JENSEN. 

James  L.  Jensen  is  an  orchardist  whose  fine  property  of  sixty  acres  is  known 
as  the  Gem  Fruit  and  Dairy  Ranch  and  is  situated  two  miles  due  south  of  Emmett. 
Mr.  Jensen  is  a  Dane  by  descent  but  was  born  in  Sanpete  county,  Utah,  November  12, 
1863.  His  parents  were  Lars  and  Karen  Jensen,  who  came  from  Denmark  to  the 
UnUed  States  in  1855  as  converts  to  the  Mormon  faith  and  at  once  traveled  across 
the  country  to  Utah.  Many  members  of  the  family  were  prominent  in  the  church 
in  that  state. 

James  L.  Jensen  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  Sanpete  county,  Utah,  his  experiences 
being  those  of  the  farm-bred  boy  who  early  devotes  his  attention  to  the  work  of  the 
fieMs.  After  reaching  man's  estate  he  was  married  on  November  12,  1891,  to  Miss 
Fannie  Coyner,  a  daughter  of  Professor  Coyner  of  the  Salt  Lake  Collegiate  Institute 
and  to  that  marriage  was  born  a  daughter,  Harriett  Frances,  who  is  deceased,  as  is 
also  the  mother.  On  the  2d  of  April,  1895,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ingeborg  Mathea 
Xoilson,  who  was  born  in  Norway  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  families  of  that 
country.  She  passed  away  October  4,  1900,  leaving  two  daughters:  Margaret  Irene, 
who  was  born  April  24,  1896;  and  Karen  Mathea,  born  July  20,  1898.  The  two 
daughters  are  now  young  ladies  who  are  at  home  with  their  father.  Both  are  grad- 
uates of  the  Emmett  high  school  and  the  elder  is  a  teacher,  now  teaching  for  the 
fourth  term.  The  younger  daughter,  Karen,  is  a  student  in  the  College  of  Idaho  at 
Caldwell.  On  the  14th  of  October,  1908,  Mr.  Jensen  was  again  married,  this  union 
being  with  Miss  Martha  White,  whom  he  wedded  at  Lima,  Ohio.  She.  was  born 
in  Allen  county,  Ohio,  February  11,  1859,  a  daughter  of  Eli  and  Eleanor  (Huston) 
White,  who  were  natives  of  the  Buckeye  state.  Mrs.  Jensen  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Ohio,  being  a  graduate  of  the  Northwestern  Normal  University  at  Ada.  She 


348  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

was  a  successful  and  capable  teacher  for  a  number  of  years  in  Ohio,  Idaho  and  Utah 
and  her  work  as  a  teacher  in  the  last  two  states  was  done  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Women's  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  While  reared  in  the 
faith  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  Mr.  Jensen  has  become  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  is  now  one  of  its  elders. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Jensen  is  an  earnest  republican  and  for  two  terms 
served  as  justice  of  the  peace  in  Sanpete  county.  He  came  with  his  family  to  Idaho 
in  1911  and  purchased  his  present  ranch  property  two  miles  south  of  Emmett,  where 
he  is  now  most  successfully  engaged  in  fruit  raising,  his  place  being  located  on  the 
south  slope,  rendering  it  largely  free  from  frost.  He  has  fourteen  acres  of  his  ranch 
planted  to  peaches  and  his  crop  of  1919  brought  him  between  four  and  five  thousand 
dollars.  He  is  also  successfully  engaged  in  dairying,  having  a  fine  herd  of  sixteen 
dairy  cows,  and  this  branch  of  his  business  is  also  a  gratifying  source  of  income.  He 
raises  his  own  feed  for  his  live  stock  and  he  has  made  his  farm  a  most  productive 
one,  while  his  energy  and  sound  judgment  in  business  affairs  have  been  salient  fea- 
tures of  his  constantly  growing  success. 


ARTHUR  TIPPETS. 

Arthur  Tippets,  a  hardware  merchant  of  Driggs,  was  born  at  Richmond,  Utah, 
June  20,  1882,  and  is  a  son  of  J.  H.  and  Ellen  (Fullmer)  Tippets,  who  were  also 
natives  of  Utah.  The  father  was  a  blacksmith  in  early  life  but  afterward  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business  at  Swan  Lake  and  still  later  at  Preston,  Idaho,  where  he 
conducted  his  establishment  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  passed  away  July 
1,  1919,  having  for  two  decades  survived  the  mother,  whose  death  occurred  in  Novem- 
ber, 1899. 

Arthur  Tippets  was  reared  and  educated  at  Preston,  Idaho,  and  when  his  text- 
books were  put  aside  became  the  active  associate  of  his  father  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness. He  was  thus  engaged  until  1912,  when  he  removed  to  Driggs,  where  he  opened 
a  hardware  store  that  he  has  since  successfully  conducted,  carrying  a  large  and  care- 
fully selected  line  of  shelf  and  heavy  hardware.  His  business  methods  commend  him 
to  the  confidence  and  support  of  the  public  and  he  now  has  a  liberal  patronage. 

In  November,  1905,  Mr.  Tippets  was  married  to  Miss  Sadie  Eames  and  to  them 
have  been  born  four  children:  Elean,  Merlin,  Thero  and  Vaughn. 

Mr.  Tippets  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  for 
two  years  he  filled  a  mission  in  Florida  and  Georgia.  He  was  also  on  a  shorter  mis- 
sion in  Idaho  and  Montana  and  throughout  his  life  he  has  remained  an  earnest  sup- 
porter of  and  worker  in  the  church.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  repub- 
lican party  and  he  is  a  recognized  leader  in  its  local  ranks.  He  served  as  chairman 
of  the  county  central  committee  for  several  years  and  he  has  done  much  active  pub- 
lic work.  He  was  the  first  chairman  of  the  Teton  County  Chapter  of  the  Red  Cross 
and  was  active  in  all  of  the  Liberty  Loan  drives  and  other  campaign  drives  for  the 
support  of  interests  that  were  of  vital  worth  and  value  to  the  country  during  the 
period  of  the  World  war.  He  is  keenly  interested  in  all  that  has  to  do  with  public 
progress  and  improvement  and  his  aid  and  cooperation  can  be  counted  upon  at  all 
times  to  further  any  plan  or  measure  for  the  general  good.  He  has  spent  much  of 
his  life  in  Idaho,  where  he  has  gained  a  wide  acquaintance,  and  the  sterling  traits  of 
his  character  have  firmly  established  him  in  the  warm  regard,  confidence  and  good  will 
of  his  fellow  townsmen.  For  two  terms  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  town  council 
of  Driggs. 


ROBERT  BROSE. 

Robert  Brose,  who  is  engaged  in  ranching  on  Rock  creek  in  Twin  Falls  county, 
was  born  near  Berlin  Germany,  April  4,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Albertina 
(Hollenbech)  Brose.  He  came  to  the  United  States  in  1886,  when  thirty  years  of 
age.  He  had  previously  engaged  in  the  butchering  business  and  on  coming  to  the 
new  world  he  followed  railroad  work  in  connection  with  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande. 
He  also  worked  on  the  Midland  Railroad  in  the  state  of  Colorado  and  there  he  pur- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  349 

chased  some  horses,  with  which  he  intended  to  work  in  Oregon.  The  horses,  how- 
ever, became  sick  at  Rock  Creek,  Idaho,  and  this  forced  him  to  discontinue  his  jour- 
ney. He  took  up  a  homestead,  built  a  dugout  and  afterward  replaced  his  primi- 
tive cabin  by  a  most  substantial  log  house.  He  later  obtained  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  which  he  improved  and  developed,  converting  it  into  a  pro- 
ductive tract.  In  1904  he  erected  his  present  residence,  a  large  stone  structure, 
and  he  also  built  new  barns  and  sheds,  which  furnish  ample  shelter  for  his  grain 
and  stock.  He  has  enclosed  his  ranch  and  divided  it  into  fields  and  pastures  of 
convenient  size  with  well  kept  fences  supported  by  stone  pillars.  He  now  has  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  irrigated  land  which  produces  splendid  crops  and 
everything  about  the  place  is  indicative  of  his  progressive  spirit,  his  care  and  culti- 
vation. Around  the  house  are  beautiful  flowers  and  everything  indicates  the  enter- 
prise and  high  ideals  of  the  owner.  In  1908  Mr.  Brose  became  proprietor  of  a 
meat  market  at  Twin  Falls  and  continued  in  the  business  there  for  eight  years  but 
engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  his  ranch  at  the  same  time.  He  now  operates  a  saw- 
mill on  his  farm  and  in  connection  with  the  cultivation  of  his  crops  he  raises  cattle, 
making  a  specialty  of  Herefords. 

In  1884  Mr.  Brose  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Muller,  a  daugher  of  Herman 
Muller.  She  died  in  Germany  in  1885,  leaving  a  son,  Herman.  In  1891  Mr.  Brose 
married  Mrs..  Augusta  Domrose,  of  Detroit,  and  they  have  four  children:  Olga, 
Robert,  Jr.,  Wanda  and  Helen,  and  have  also  reared  two  adopted  children,  Walter 
and  Clara. 

Mr.  Brose  votes  with  the  republican  party  but  has  never  been  ambitious  to 
hold  office,  preferring  always  to  give  his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs. 
He  started  in  life  in  the  United  States  in  limited  financial  circumstances  but.  work- 
ing his  way  steadily  upward,  is  today  the  owner  of  one  of  the  finest  ranches  on 
Rock  creek. 


PETER  B.  GREEX. 

Peter  B.  Green,  whose  activities  center  upon  his  farming  interests  and  his  duties 
as  bishop  of  the  Lewisville  ward  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints, 
makes  his  home  about  a  mile  south  of  Lewisville.  He  was  born  at  Plain  City,  Weber 
county,  Utah,  February  4,  1864,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  C.  and  Elsie  M.  (Beitelsen) 
Green,  who  were  natives  of  Denmark.  They  came  to  America  in  1862  and  made  their 
way  to  Plain  City,  Utah,  where  the  father  purchased  land,  to  the  tilling  of  which  he 
devoted  his  energies  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  had  served  with  the  army 
in  Denmark  from  1848  until  1850.  Coming  to  the  new  world,  h&  remained  an  active 
worker  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  for  thirty  years  was 
counselor  to  the  bishop  in  Plain  City  ward.  He  died  August  16,  1914,  while  the 
mother  passed  away  April  9,  1889. 

Peter  B.  Green  was  reared  and  educated  in  Plain  City,  Utah,  and  also  attended 
the  high  school  at  Ogden,  Utah.  He  continued  at  home  until  he  attained  his  majority, 
when  he  purchased  land  near  Plain  City  and  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention 
upon  farm  work.  He  continued  to  cultivate  that  place  until  October,  1904,  when  he 
sold  the  property  and  removed  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  making  investment  in  his 
present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  which  Is  pleasantly  and  conveniently 
situated  about  a  mile  north  of  Lewisville.  He  has  carried  on  the  work  of  improve- 
ment here  until  the  farm  is  in  excellent  condition.  It  is  equipped  with  all  the  latest 
machinery  and  modern  facilities,  and  everything  about  the  place,  with  its  air  of 
neatness  and  thrift,  indicates  his  practical  and  progressive  methods. 

On  the  29th  of  September,  1886,  Mr.  Green  was  married  to  Miss  Dinah  Maw. 
a  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Eliza  (Tripp)  Maw,  who  were  natives  of  England  and 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1862,  establishing  their  home  at  Plain  City,  Weber 
county,  Utah,  where  the  father  engaged  in  farming  and  gardening,  being  thus  active 
in  business  until  1914,  when  he  retired  and  removed  to  Provo.  Utah,  where  he  has 
since  resided,  being  now  eighty-four  years  of  age.  The  mother  died  November  22. 
1909.  Their  daughter,  Mrs.  Green,  was  born  at  Plain  City.  October  25,  1863,  and 
by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  seven  children:  Luman  P..  residing  at 
I.H\visville;  Luella  E.,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Jardine.  of  Lewisville:  Lester  A.,  of 


350  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Roberts;    Charles  C.,   also  living  at  Lewisville;    and  Elsie  M.,  Bertel  E.  and   Oscar 
William,  all  at  home. 

Mr.  Green  holds  to  the  faith  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
and  for  the  past  five  years  has  been  bishop  of  the  Lewisville  ward.  Some  years  ago 
h^  filled  a  two  years'  mission  to  Denmark.  Politically  he  is  a  democrat  but  has 
neither  time  nor  inclination  to  seek  or  fill  public  office,  although  he  is  never  remiss 
in  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  loyally  supports  those  interests  which  he  believes 
are  of  greatest  worth  to  the  community  and  the  commonwealth. 


LOUIS  HARRELL. 

Louis  Harrell,  a  rancher  and  stockman  living  at  Rogerson,  was  born  in  Forsyth 
county,  Georgia,  about  forty  miles  from  the  city  of  Atlanta,  October  15,  1853,  his 
parents  being  Newton  and  Malinda  (Strickland)  Harrell.  He  continued  a  resident  of 
his  native  state  until  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  he  left  the  south  and  made  his  way 
to  Denver,  Colorado,  where  he  worked  in  the  mining  camps.  In  the  spring  of  1880  he 
arrived  in  Idaho,  having  come  to  this  state  by  way  of  Wells,  Nevada.  He  toojc  up  his 
abode  in  Cassia  county  and  entered  the  employ  of  his  uncle,  Jasper  Harrell,  with  whom 
he  continued  for  more  than  twenty  years,  aiding  in  the  development  and  conduct  of 
his  uncle's  ranch.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1883,  Mr.  Harrell  sold  the  ranch  to  John 
Sparks  and  John  Tinnen,  and  Louis  Harrell  of  this  review  continued  in  their  service 
until  1897.  He  then  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  on  his  own  account  at  Rogerson 
and  today  is  the  owner  of  three  hundred  head.  He  has  his  ranch  at  Brown  Bench, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Salmon  river,  and  his  landed  possessions  there  include  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres.  He  also  has  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  near  the  town 
and  four  hundred  acres  on  Rock  creek.  His  live  stock  interests  have  been  developed 
to  extensive  proportions  and  he  is  one  of  the  successful  ranchmen  of  his  part  of  the 
state.  He  is  also  the  vice  president  of  the  Bank  of  Rogerson  and  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Kimberly  Bank,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  organizers. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1906,  Mr.  Harrell  was  married  to  Miss  Amelia  Wallace,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Amelia  (Parsons)  Wallace.  She  was  born  in  England  and 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents,  who  settled  on  Rock  creek,  in  Idaho,  where 
the  mother  is  still  living,  but  the  father  passed  away  in  1910.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrell 
have  two  children,  Andrew  Ansel  and  Newton  Thomas. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Harrell  is  a  republican  and  is  not  neglectful  of  any  duty 
of  citizenship  but  does  not  seek  nor  desire  office  as  a  reward  for  party  fealty.  His 
business  claims  his  time  and  attention  and  he  has  ever  been  stimulated  by  a  laudable 
ambition  to  attain  substantial  success.  Thus  year  by  year  he  has  worked  persistently 
and  energetically  and  his  industry  has  been  the  foundation  on  which  his  prosperity 
is  built. 


JOSEPH    E.    BIRD. 

Joseph  E.  Bird,  residing  at  Nampa,  where  he  is  carrying  on  dairying  and  general 
farming,  was  born  at  Gallipolis,  Ohio,  June  21,  1861,  his  parents  being  George  and 
Mary  Brown  (Briggs)  Bird,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1838 
they  removed  to  Ohio  and  the  father  homesteaded  land,  for  the  state  was  then 
largely  an  undeveloped  wilderness,  the  forests  being  still  the  haunt  of  many  wild 
animals  and  Indians  as  well.  On  several  occasions  Mr.  Bird  was  attacked  by  panthers. 
He  went  all  through  the  cholera  epidemic  of  1845  in  Ohio  and  on  one  occasion, 
going  into  a  home  to  'do  what  he  could  to  help  the  afflicted,  he  found  all  the  family 
dead  save  the  baby,  who  was  crying  and  crawling  about  the  floor  all  alone.  His 
son  John  was  one  of  the  victims  of  that  disease,  but  Mr.  Bird  and  the  others  of  his 
family  escaped.  In  1865  Mr.  Bird  took  his  family  to  Illinois,  where  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  there  he  followed  farming  until  the  death 
of  his  wife  in  1877,  after  which  he  returned  to  Ohio,  where  his  remaining  days  were 
passed,  he  being  called  to  his  final  rest  in  1889. 

Joseph  E.  Bird  acquired  a  common  school  education  and  was  reared  to  farm 
life,  early  becoming  familiar  with  the  best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  caring  for 


LOUIS  HARRELL 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  353 

the  crops  at  that  period.  After  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  was  married  on 
the  25th  of  February,  1885,  at  Mansfield,  Illinois,  to  Miss  Annie  Dudley  Bedford, 
a  native  of  Paris,  Kentucky,  coming  from  the  blue  grass  section  of  that  state.  She 
is  a  great-great-great-granddaughter  of  Governor  James  Garrard,  who  was  a  soldier 
of  the  Revolution,  entering  the  army  from  Virginia.  Following  the  close  of  the 
war  and  the  attainment  of  American  independence  in  1783  he  removed  to  Ken- 
tucky, served  as  a  member  of  the  legislature  of  that  state  and  in  1796  was  elected 
governor,  remaining  the  chief  executive  of  Kentucky  for  eight  years  or  until  1804. 
Mrs.  Bird  is  a  granddaughter  of  A.  V.  Bedford,  an  authority  on  horticulture  in  the 
state  of  Kentucky.  Her  grandmother  in  the  maternal  line  was  prior  to  her  marriage 
a  Miss  Bryan,  of  Bryan  Springs,  Kentucky,  and  her  eldest  sister  became  the  wife 
of  Daniel  Boone. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  E.  Bird  began  their  domestic  life  in  Illinois,  where  their 
son,  Elmer,  was  born.  In  1888  they  removed  to  Billings,  Missouri,  where  Mr.  Bird 
established  a  hardware  and  implement  business,  which  he  conducted  until  1903 
and  then  on  account  of  ill  health  sold  his  interests  there,  removing  to  Caldwell, 
Idaho,  in  1905.  He  homesteaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  the  Gem  district 
but  recently  sold  that  place.  After  living  for  fourteen  months  on  the  homestead  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Caldwell  and  purchased  a  residence  one  mile  south  of 
the  college,  so  that  the  children  could  have  the  advantage  of  the  best  education  the 
state  afforded.  They  remained  in  Caldwell  until  May  1,  1918,  when  Mr.  Bird  pur- 
chased their  present  place  of  forty  acres  within  the  corporate  limits  of  Nampa. 
Here  they  carry  on  dairying  and  general  farming  and  enjoy  country  life,  occupying 
a  fine  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bird  have  become  parents  of  two  children.  Elmer,  now  thirty-one 
years  of  age,  is  a  graduate  of  the  College  of  Idaho.  He  served  as  construction  en- 
gineer in  the  ordnance  department  at  Camp  Picron,  Arkansas,  and  was  associated 
with  the  plant  that  made  the  deadly  gas.  He  has  been  discharged  and  is  at  present 
doing  engineering  work  at  Little  Rock,  Arkansas.  The  daughter,  Annie  Laurie,  is 
a  graduate  of  the  College  of  Idaho  of  the  class  of  1915  and  has  since  taught  in  the 
schools  of  Canyon  and  Ada  counties.  The  son  Elmer  married  Verdie  Steiner,  who 
was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Idaho,  and  they  have  a  daughter,  Barbara. 

Mrs.  Bird  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the  work  of  the  Daughters  of 
the  Revolution  in  Idaho  and  is  the  historian  for  the  state.  She  was  regent  at 
Caldwell  for  over  two  years  and  also  served  as  registrar  there.  Patriotism  is  one 
of  the  marked  characteristics  of  the  family  and  their  genuine  worth  in  matters  of 
citizenship  is  widely  acknowledged. 


MRS.   KATHARINA   WILHELM. 

Mrs.  Katharina  Wilhelm  resides  about  two  miles  southeast  of  Emmett  and  is 
well  known  in  that  locality.  She  was  born  in  Germany,  March  17,  1845,  and  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Katharina  Horner.  She  spent  her  girlhood  in  her  native  country 
and  there,  on  the  4th  of  September,  1870,  she  became  the  wife  of  John  Wilhelm. 
To  them  ^vere  born  eight  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilhelm 
and  their  younger  children  came  to  the  United  States  in  1894  and  the  family  has 
since  lived  near  Emmett.  The  parents  crossed  the  Atlantic  about  two  years  after 
the  arrival  of  their  son,  Otto  Wilhelm,  in  the  new  world.  He  had  made  his  way 
to  Idaho  and  in  the  intervening  period  has  been  prominent  in  connection  with  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  public  affairs  in  Gem  county,  where  he  has  filled  the  position 
of  county  commissioner.  He  resides  near  his  mother  on  a  highly  improved  ranch, 
and  her  son,  John  Carl  Wilhelm,  resides  with  her,  having  never  married.  Another 
son,  Charles  I.,  .born  December  25,  1876,  was  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Idaho  and  is  now  farming  in  Los  Angeles,  Chile.  During  the  Spanish-American  war 
he  volunteered  and  remained  in  the  service  until  the  cessation  of  hostilities.  He  is 
unmarried.  Mrs.  Wilhelm  is  a  Lutheran  in  religious  faith  and  has  always  attempted 
to  closely  follow  the  teachings  of  the  church. 

John  Carl  Wilhelm,  son  of  John  and  Katharina  Wilhelm,  was  born  in  Germany, 
October  29,  1875,  and  made  the  voyage  to  the  new  world  in  1893.  For  two  years 
he  was  a  resident  of  South  Dakota  and  then  spent  a  few  months  in  Colorado,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  railroad  construction  work.  In  1895  he  came  to  Idaho  and  has 

v-il.  Ill— 23 


354  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

since  lived  in  this  state,  making  his  headquarters  at  Emmett  and  in  the  vicinity  and 
devoting  his  life  to  mining  and  ranching.  He  followed  mining  in  the  employ  of 
others  and  worked  at  various  points  in  the  northwestern  states,  but  the  family  has 
lived  near  Emmett  and  he  has  always  regarded  this  place  as  his  home.  Finally 
he  concentrated  his  efforts  upon  ranching  on  the  Wilhelm  estate  near  Emmett,  mak- 
ing his  home  with  his  mother,  who  is  still  strong  and  vigorous,  able  to  not  only 
manage  but  do  the  work  of  the  household,  while  her  son  John  has  charge  of  the 
farm  and  has  converted  the  ranch  into  rich  and  productive  fields  from  which  he 
annually  gathers  substantial  harvests. 


COLIN   ORFORD. 

Colin  Orford,  of  Boise,  is  a  mining  engineer  by  profession  and  engaged  in  active 
practice  for  fifteen  years  prior  to  purchasing  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Intermoun- 
tain  Map  Company,  of  which  he  is  now  the  head.  On  the  19th  of  February,  1918, 
the  business  was  incorporated  and  has  offices  in  the  Overland  building,  the  owners 
and  officers  of  the  business  being:  Colin  Orford,  president;  Ernest  V.  Orford,  vice 
president;  and  F.  W.  Almond,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Mr.  Orford  is  a  native  of  Denver,  Colorado.  He  was  born  July  26,  1883,  and 
is  the  only  son  in  a  family  of  seven  children  whose  parents  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ernest  V.  Orford.  The  father,  a  native  of  England,  was  for  many  years  connected 
with  the  De  Lamar  Company,  Limited,  of  De  Lamar,  Idaho,  and  London,  England. 
He  is  also  a  mining  engineer  by  profession  and  now  resides  at  No.  1304  Harrison 
boulevai-d  in  Boise. 

Colin  Orford  was  educated  in  schools  of  England  and  the  United  States,  for  his 
parents  returned  to  the  former  country  when  he  was  a  little  child.  He  was  graduated 
as  a  Bachelor  of  Science  and  Mining  Engineer  from  Queens  University  at  Kingston, 
Canada,  in  the  class  of  1908  and  later  was  associated  with  the  De  Lamar  Mining 
Company,  Limited,  for  a  number  of  years  or  until  1916,  when  it  went  out  of  business. 
He  continued  to  engage  in  mining  engineering  until  1918,  when  he  acquired  a  con- 
trolling interest  in  the  Intermountain  Map  Company,  which  makes  maps,  blue  prints, 
white  prints,  township  plats  and  does  drafting.  The  company  does  both  electric 
and  sunlight  blue  printing  and  has  the  latest  maps  of  the  state  of  Idaho,  of  various 
counties,  towns  and  cities  in  the  state  and  of  irrigation  projects. 

During  the  World  war  Mr.  Orford  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant  of  En- 
gineers, U.  S.  A.,  and  was  in  training  at  Fort  Douglas,  Utah,  and  Camp  A.  A. 
Humphreys,  Virginia.  He  turns  to  golf,  hunting  and  fishing  for  recreation.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason 
and  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  His  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  member- 
ship in  the  Episcopal  church. 


HERMAN  WERLE. 

For  more  than  twenty-two  years  Herman  Werle  has  resided  upon  his  present 
farm — a  fine  forty-acre  ranch  devoted  to  the  raising  of  hay,  grain  and  live  stock 
and  situated  a  mile  and  a  half  southeast  of  Emmett.  He  is  also  the  secretary  of 
the  Last  Chance  Ditch,  which  supplies  its  patrons  with  water  at  fifteen  cents  an 
acre — a  price  as  low  as  can  be  secured  in  the  state.  Mr.  Werle  came  direct  to  Idaho 
from  Germany  in  1897  and  has  since  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett,  in  what  is 
now  Gem  county.  He  was  born  September  8,  1876,  in  Germany,  and  there  spent  his 
boyhood  and  youth,  learning  the  drug  business  ere  he  came  to  the*  new  world.  He 
also  served  for  one  year  as  a  soldier  in  the  German  army  just  before  crossing  the 
Atlantic.  In  1897,  however,  he  determined  to  try  his  fortune  and  establish  his 
home  in  the  new  world  and  made  his  way  to  the  United  States  with  Idaho  as  his 
destination.  On  reaching  what  is  now  Gem  county  he  purchased  his  present  ranch 
property  of  forty  acres,  for  which  he  paid  twelve  hundred  dollars.  It  was  th«n 
largely  covered  with  sagebrush.  Today  it  is  a  highly  improved  property  upon  which 
have  been  erected  large  and  substantial  buildings,  while  splendid  orchards  have  been 
planted,  shrubbery  set  out  and  vineyards  developed.  All  the  work  of  improvement 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  355 

and  progress  has  been  carried  forward  by  Mr.  Werle  and  his  family  since  locating 
upon  this  place. 

It  was  on  the  3d  of  February,  1902,  that  Mr.  Werle  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Johanna  Wilhelm,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  Alarch  21,  1881,  and  came  to  the 
new  world  in  1901,  crossing  the  continent  from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  Idaho  in  the 
same  year.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Werle  have  become  parents  of  one  son,  Herman  C.,  Jr., 
who  was  born  November  22,  1902,  and  is  now  a  young  man  in  the  Emmett  high 
school,  where  he  is  a  member  of  the  junior  class.  Mrs.  Werle  is  a  daughter  of 
Carl  and  Babetta  Wilhelm,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1902  and  now  reside 
with  their  daughter. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Werle  belong  to  the  Lutheran  church  and  he  is  interested  in  all 
that  pertains  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  community.  To  this  end  he  has 
become  identified  with  irrigation  interests  and  has  been  secretary  of  the  Last  Chance 
Ditch  for  several  years,  thus  providing  the  people  of  the  district  with  an  excellent 
supply  of  water  at  a  minimum  rate  and  doing  away  with  the  exorbitant  prices  which 
were  charged  by  the  monopolistic  interests  that  formerly  controlled  much  of  the 
water  supply  of  the  state. 


WILLIAM  McCROSSIN. 

For  a  quarter  of  a  century  William  McCrossin  has  occupied  his  present  ranch, 
situated  one  mile  south  of  Emmett,  on  the  Boise  highway.  This  was  a  tract  of  sage- 
brush land  when  it  came  into  his  possession  through  his  purchase  and  that  of  a 
friend,  the  two  together  acquiring  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  for  which 
they  paid  two  thousand  dollars,  each  depositing  one  thousand  dollars  for  his  eighty- 
acre  tract.  Mr.  McCrossin  took  the  north  eighty  and  has  since  wrought  a  mar- 
velous change  in  the  appearance  of  the  place  through  the  care  and  cultivation 
which  he  has  bestowed  upon  it.  He  is  a  progressive  and  enterprising  farmer  wliose 
labors  are  productive  of  splendid  results  in  enhancing  the  value  of  the  fields.  He 
has  erected  good  buildings  upon  the  place,  has  provided  excellent  outbuildings  for 
the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock,  has  divided  his  farm  into  fields  of  convenient  size 
by  well  kept  fences  and  has  adorned  his  lawn  with  beautiful  shrubbery.  He  ob- 
tains water  from  the  Last  Chance  Ditch,  which  is  said  to  be  the  cheapest  in  the 
state  of  Idaho.  Mr.  McCrossin  is  now  "devoting  his  attention  to  the  raising  of 
hay,  grain  and  live  stock  and  his  enterprise  is  manifest  in  the  success  which  is 
rewarding  his  efforts. 

Mr.  McCrossin  has  always  resided  in  the  northwest.  He  was  born  at  Baker 
City,  Oregon,  November  30,  1850,  and  has  therefore  passed  the  sixty-ninth  mile- 
stone on  life's  journey.  He  was  brought  to  Idaho  by  his  mother  in  1854,  when  but 
four  years  of  age,  at  which  time  the  McCrossin  family  consisted  of  his  mother 
and  himself.  His  mother  was  then  a  widow,  for  his  father,  Frank  McCrossin,  had 
been  killed  by  the  Indians  in  Oregon  when  the  son  William  was  but  two  years  of 
age.  The  mother  afterward  married  again  and  with  her  husband  and  son  located 
on  a  ranch  six  miles  west  of  Emmett,  in  the  Payette  valley,  the  place  being  at  that 
time  a  part  of  Ada  county.  Later  a  change  in  county  division  lines  led  to  the  crea- 
tion of  Canyon  county  and  still  later  a  second  division  made  the  district  in  which 
they  lived  a  part  of  Gem  county.  At  the  time  of  their  arrival  the  town  of 
Emmett  was  practically  unknown  save  that  there  was  a  store,  a  hotel  and  a  post- 
office  upon  the  site  of  the  place,  which  was  then  called  Emmettsville. 

In  1889  William  McCrossin  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Stewart,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  the  Payette  valley.  She  passed  away  October  30,  1918,  leaving  four 
children:  Mrs.  Ellen  Scott,  of  Northport,  Washington;  Harold,  who  resides  near  his 
father;  Mrs.  Belle  Campbell,  of  Emmett;  and  Ronald,  who  is  now  sixteen  years  of 
age  and  attends  the  Emmett  high  school.  The  three  eldest  children  are  married. 
There  is  but  one  grandchild,  Walter  Scott,  who  was  born  June  28,  1918,  and  is  the 
son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  Scott,  of  Northport,  Washington. 

Mr.  McCrossin  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  politically  is  a  democrat.  He  has  served 
as  a  director  of  the  Last  Chance  Ditch  for  many  years  and  is  still  acting  in  that 
capacity.  He  has  been  steadily  on  the  board  for  twenty-four  years  save  for  one  year 
when  he  declined  to  serve.  He  has  the  distinction  of  having  lived  in  this  section  of 
the  state  longer  than  any  other  resident,  for  he  came  to  what  is  now  Gem  county 


356  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

in  1854  or  two-thirds  of  a  century  ago.  Since  1894  he  has  lived  upon  his  ranch 
south  of  Emmett  and  he  has  deeded  to  his  son,  Harold  McCrossin,  twenty  acres 
of  his  eighty-acre  place.  The  son  has  improved  his  tract  with  an  excellent  resi- 
dence of  concrete  blocks  which  he  occupies.  The  father  still  retains  sixty  acres  of 
the  ranch  and  today  three  acres  are  worth  what  he  paid  for  the  entire  eighty-acre 
tract.  There  is  no  phase  of  development  and  progress  in  this  part  of  the  state 
with  which  he  is  not  thoroughly  familiar  and  at  all  times  he  has  cooperated  in 
those  activities  and  organized  plans  which  have  resulted  in  the  growth  and  up- 
building of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  remembers  the  time  when  Indians  were 
numerous  in  Idaho,  when  the  settlements  were  largely  mining  camps  and  when 
the  state  seemed  a  very  outpost  on  the  frontier  of  civilization;  but  today,  so  vast 
has  been  the  change  that  has  been  wrought,  Idaho  is  behind  no  other  state  in  the 
Union  in  its  general  opportunities  and  advantages  and  it  has  gained  a  point  of  leader- 
ship in  production  in  various  lines. 


CHARLES   P.    HARTLEY. 

Among  those  who  have  contributed  to  the  development  of  Idaho  as  a  great 
horticultural  state  is  numbered  Charles  P.  Hartley,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Gem 
county,  who  is  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett  and  who  is  classed  with  Idaho's 
pioneers,  having  come  to  the  northwest  with  his  parents  in  1864,  when  Idaho  was 
still  under  territorial  rule.  The  journey  westward  had  been  made  from  the  state 
of  Missouri  and  Charles  P.  Hartley  was  at  that  time  but  a  year  old,  for  he  was 
born  in  southwestern  Missouri,  January  1,  1863,  his  parents  being  Henry  K.  and 
Sarah  J.  (Paynter)  Hartley.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in  1833,  and 
with  his  parents  had  gone  to  Missouri  in  early  life.  There  he  was  reared  and 
married  to  Sarah  J.  Paynter  and  Charles  P.  Hartley  was  their  eldest  child.  When 
the  Hartley  family  first  came  to  Idaho  they  tarried  for  a  few  months  in  the  Boise 
valley  and  then  proceeded  to  the  Willamette  valley  of  Oregon.  In  1871,  however, 
they  returned  to  Idaho  and  the  parents  spent  their  remaining  days  in  the  vicinity 
of  Caldwell.  The  father,  Henry  K.  Hartley,  became  a  prominent  figure  in  demo- 
cratic circles  of  the  state  and  served  for  several  terms  as  a  member  of  the  Idaho 
legislature  and  also  for  several  terms  filled  the  office  of  county  commissioner.  He 
passed  away  in  Caldwell  several  years  ago,  having  for  a  number  of  years  survived 
his  wife.  Chares  P.  Hartley  has  one  brother  and  one  sister  living:  Mrs.  Florence 
Mullen,  residing  in  California;  and  Henry  Hartley,  of  Caldwell. 

Charles  P.  Hartley  has  for  many  years  been  numbered  among  the  prominent 
ranchmen  and  citizens  of  Idaho,  having  lived  for  fifty-six  years  in  the  northwest, 
while  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  he  has  concentrated  his  efforts  and  atten- 
tion upon  ranching  activities.  He  resided  near  Caldwell  upon  a  tract  of  land  that 
he  homesteaded  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  securing  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
in  the  first  tract.  This  he  improved  with  substantial  buildings  and  also  set  out 
orchards  and  cultivated  the  land  in  other  ways.  From  time  to  time  he  purchased 
adjoining  land  until  the  Hartley  ranch  finally  included  within  its  borders  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres.  This  is  one  of  the  best  improved  properties  in  the  Boise 
valley  and  he  retained  possession  thereof  until  1907,  when  he  sold  the  ranch  for 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  a  high  price  at  that  time. 

Since  then  Mr.  Hartley  has  resided  in  Gem  county  near  Emmett  and  has  given 
his  attention  largely  to  the  raising  of  fruit.  His  present  farm  on  which  he  resides 
comprises  forty-five  acres  of  arable  land,  mostly  planted  to  peach  orchards.  It  is 
known  as  the  Rocky  Point  Fruit  Farm  and  is  one  of  the  best  improved  ranches  in 
this  vicinity.  The  improvements  have  been  put  upon  it  by  the  present  owner  and 
the  excellent  appearance  of  the  place  is  due  to  his  energy  and  enterprise.  When 
he  first  came  to  the  Emmett  district  he  located  on  a  thirty  acre  ranch  two  miles 
southeast  of  Emmett.  Upon  that  property  he  also  made  splendid  improvements, 
erecting  there  a  large  two-story  residence  and  other  buildings  of  corresponding 
size  and  value.  He  likewise  planted  orchards  and  for  several  years  he  was  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  nursery  business  on  the  slope  south  of  Emmett,  conducting 
his  interests  under  the  name  of  the  Emmett  Nurseries.  He  became  widely  known 
in  that  connection,  supplying  the  nursery  stock  for  many  of  the  best  and  largest 
orchards  of  Idaho.  Eventually,  however,  the  business  ceased  to  be  profitable  as 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  357 

few  new  orchards  have  been  planted  since  the  year  1910.  The  Bmmett  Nurseries 
formerly  included  from  one  hundred  and  ten  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of 
growing  stock,  planted  on  his  own  and  on  leased  lands  in  the  vicinity.  The  Hart- 
ley ranch,  southeast  of  Ememtt,  was  sold  by  the  owner  in  1917  but  is  still  known 
by  his  name.  Mr.  Hartley  has  been  the  pioneer  in  the  development  of  two  of  Idaho's 
counties,  for  he  brought  about  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  one  of  the  beet 
hay  and  grain  ranches  in  the  Boise  valley  and  he  has  developed  two  of  the  best 
fruit  ranches  in  the  Payette  valley. 

Mr.  Hartley  was  married  near  Caldwell,  Idaho,  February  9,  1887,  to  Miss 
Estelle  L.  Madden,  who  was  born  six  miles  east  of  Caldwell,  April  27,  1868,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Charles  Francis  Madden,  a  pioneer  of  the  Boise  valley,  who  came 
to  Idaho  territory  from  Califorina  in  1863.  He  had  made  his  way  across  the 
plains  from  Missouri  to  the  Pacific  coast  in  1849  and  he  died  in  Caldwell,  Idaho, 
in  the  spring  of  1919  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years  after  seventy  years'  residence 
in  the  west.  Mrs.  Hartley  has  lived  in  the  Boise  and  Payette  valleys  throughout 
her  entire  life  and  is  therefore  familiar  with  many  phases  of  the  pioneer  develop- 
ment and  later  progress  of  the  state.  She  has  become  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren: Charles  P.,  Jr.,  born  June  18,  1889;  Ray  Irvin,  born  November  27,  1891, 
who  is  now  married  and  has  a  daughter,  Nathelle,  six  years  of  age,  who  with  her 
parents  occupies  a  pleasant  home  in  Caldwell;  and  Esther  Alfte,  who  was  born 
February  26,  1894,  and  on  the  18th  of  April,  1919,  became  the  wife  of  Captain 
Homer  C.  Darrah,  who  served  in  France  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Force 
in  the  World  war,  in  the  capacity  of  dentist  in  the  aviation  department. 

Mr.  Hartley  is  a  democrat  in  his  political  views.  He  served  as  commissioner 
of  Canyon  county  and  was  sergeant  at  arms  in  the  Idaho  house  of  representatives 
during  the  fourteenth  session  of  the  state  legislature.  He  served  on  various  boards 
during  the  war  period  and  at  all  times  has  been  a  most  progressive  citizen.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Crescent  Improvement 
Club  of  Gem  county,  of  which  she  was  formerly  president,  and  is  identified  with 
the  State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs.  In  a  word  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartley  are  most 
progressive  people  who  keep  in  touch  with  the  trend  of  modern  thought  and  ad- 
vancement, whose  ideals  of  citizenship  are  high  and  who  at  all  times  recognize  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  others  and  meet  their  own  obligations  in  matters  of  cit- 
izenship. 


MARION  WILSON. 

Marion  Wilson  is  known  as  one  of  the  leading  ranchmen  of  Gem  county.  He 
has  a  wide  acquaintance  and  those  who  are  familiar  with  his  career  speak  of  him 
in  terms  of  warm  regard,  for  he  has  accomplished  much  and  accomplished  it  along 
well  defined  lines  of  industry  and  integrity.  He  is  today  the  owner  of  an  excellent 
property  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  devoted  to  the  raising  of  hay,  grain  and 
live  stock,  his  ranch  being  situated  six  miles  southwest  of  Emmett.  Mr.  Wilson 
is  a  native  son  of  Missouri,  his  birth  having  occurred  near  Maryville  on  the  19th 
of  November,  1861,  his  parents  being  Albert  and  Martha  L.  (Martin)  Wilson,  who 
came  to  Idaho  about  forty-six  years  ago.  The  mother  is  still  living  in  Boise  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  making  her  home  with  a  daughter,  Mrs. 
Mary  M.  Lehew. 

Marion  Wilson  was  but  a  small  child  when  his  parents  removed  from  Missouri 
to  Iowa  and  thence  came  to  Idaho  with  the  family  in  1874.  He  has  lived  in  what 
is  now  Gem  county  and  in  the  Upper  Payette  valley  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett 
throughout  all  the  intervening  years,  covering  more  than  forty-five  years,  and 
throughout  the  entire  period  has  devoted  his  life  to  ranching  and  the  raising  of 
live  stock.  He  is  now  classed  with  the  best  known  and  leading  ranchmen  of  Gem 
county,  having  won  substantial  success  as  the  years  have  passed.  His  ranch  is  six 
miles  southwest  of  Emmett  and  is  a  very  valuable  and  productive  tract  of  land 
comprising  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  the  soil  being  so  rich  that  it  responds 
most  readily  to  the  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon  it.  Mr.  Wilson  homesteaded  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  preempted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  he  also 
obtained  a  timber  claim  of  eighty  acres,  all  the  property  adjoining.  This  made 
him  owner  of  four  hundred  acres,  but  he  has  since  sold  forty  acres  of  the  preemp- 


358  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

tion  tract,  which  he  had  obtained  from  the  government  in  the  '80s.  Every  modern 
convenience,  equipment  and  improvement  has  been  placed  thereon  until  his  ranch 
is  one  of  the  fine  properties  of  this  section  of  the  state.  Upon  the  place  is  a  Lom- 
bardy  poplar  grove  which  he  planted  over  a  third  of  a  century  ago,  and  the  trees 
are  now  tall  and  straight  and  present  a  wonderful  and  beautiful  sight  as  they 
pierce  the  blue  of  heaven  like  arrows  of  green. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1903,  Mr.  Wilson  was  married  at  Nampa,  Idaho,  to  Miss 
Lena  Dressel,  who  was  born  at  Seward,  Nebraska,  July  17,  1880,  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  C.  and  Johanna  (Rost)  Dressel,  with  whom  she  came  to  Idaho  in  1900  from 
Kansas,  where  the  family  had  lived  after  leaving  Nebraska.  Mrs.  Wilson  is  a 
highly  educated  and  cultured  lady  and  formerly  taught  school  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage. She  has  become  the  mother  of  three  sons:  Albert  Dressel,  born  June  26, 
1904;  Edgar  Marion,  December  2,  1906;  and  Robert  Howard,  October  1,  1909.  The 
youngest  and  the  only  daughter  of  the  family,  Edna  Catherine,  was  born  October 
26,  1914,  and  died  August  31,  1916,  bringing  great  grief  to  the  household. 

Mr.  Wilson  votes  with  the  democratic  party  and  served  as  county  commissioner 
of  Gem  county  for  the  years  1917  and  1918.  He  has  lived  in  the  three  different 
counties  of  Ada,  Canyon  and  Gem,  yet  all  at  the  same  place,  owing  to  the  changes 
in  county  divisional  boundaries.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Gem  County  Drainage 
District  No.  1,  has  served  on  the  school  board  of  the  South  Slope  school,  which  is 
near  his  home,  for  a  period  of  eight  years  and  is  a  stalwart  champion  of  the  cause 
of  education,  doing  everything  in  his  power  to  advance  the  standard  of  the  schools 
and  promote  their  efficiency  in  the  work  of  preparing  the  young  for  the  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  life.  Mr.  Wilson  is  a  member  of  the  South  Slope  Gun  Club  and 
greatly  enjoys  hunting  and  fishing,  to  which  he  turns  when  leisure  permits,  but 
his  important  business  interests  leave  him  little  time  for  sport  of  that  character. 
Mrs.  Wilson  belongs  to  the  Crescent  Improvement  Club,  of  which  she  formerly 
served  as  president,  and  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  occupy  an  enviable  position  in 
those  social  circles  where  true  worth  and  intelligence  are  accepted  as  the  passports 
to  good  society.  Mr.  Wilson  has  frequently  served  on  various  boards  of  an  impor- 
tant character  and  his  fellow  townsmen  have  full  confidence  in  his  integrity  and 
his  judgment  and  regard  him  as  one  of  the  most  representative  men  of  his  section 
of  the  state. 


ADIN  PARKER  TYLER. 

Adin  Parker  Tyler,  a  mining  engineer  by  profession  and  a  graduate  of  the  Mich- 
igan School  of  Mines,  is  now  giving  his  attention  to  the  conduct  of  a  business  at  the 
corner  of  Tenth  and  Grove  streets,  in  Boise,  where  he  is  dealing  in  motorcycles  and 
bicycles.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1907  from  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  He  was  born  near 
that  city  on  the  3d  of  June,  1884,  and  was  reared  and  educated  there.  After  his  gradu- 
ation from  the  Minneapolis  high  school  he  spent  three  years  as  a  student  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Minnesota,  pursuing  a  mining  course,  and  he  completed  his  training  along 
that  line  as  a  student  in  the  Michigan  School  of  Mines  at  Houghton,  Michigan,  where 
he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Mining  Engineer  in  1907.  His  education  com- 
pleted, he  then  started  out  in  the  business  world  on  his  own  account,  leaving  the  home 
of  his  parents,  Lucius  A.  and  Clara  Elizabeth  (Parker)  Tyler,  the  former  a  native 
of  New  York  and  the  latter  of  Minnesota.  The  father  is  now  a  retired  farmer. 

Following  his  removal  to  Idaho  in  1907,  Adin  P.  Tyler  spent  one  year  at  Wardner, 
Shoshone  county,  in  the  employ  of  the  Federal  Mining  Company,  and  for  two  years 
was  at  Silver  City,  Owyhee  county,  with  the  Banner  Mining  Company,  acting  as  min- 
ing engineer  with  both  concerns.  In  the  fall  of  1910  he  went  to  ^Alaska  and  was  an 
engineer  with  the  Alaska  Consolidated  Mining  Company,  but  after  a  few  months  re- 
turned to  Idaho  in  the  spring  of  1911  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Boise,  where  he  at 
once  established  his  present  motorcycle  and  bicycle  business  at  the  corner  of  Tenth 
and  Grove  streets.  He  has  occupied  the  same  quarters  continuously  since,  covering  a 
period  of  eight  years,  and  within  three  months  after  establishing  his  present  business 
he  secured  the  Harley  Davidson  agency  at  Boise  ^and  has  had  this  agency  since  not 
only  for  Boise  and  Ada  county  but  also  for  Canyon  county,  Idaho.  He  handles  the 
Harley  Davidson  motorcycles  and  bicycles  but  also  handles  some  other  cheaper  grades 
of  bicycles.  The  nearest  Harley  Davidson  agency  to  him  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 


.ADIN  P.  TYLER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  361 

distant  and  this  gives  bin  a  wide  field.  The  A.  P.  Tyler  Motorcycle  &  Bicycle  Em- 
porium in  Boise  has  become  one  of  the  established  concerns  of  the  city. 

On  the  12th  of  April,  1914,  Mr.  Tyler  was  married  to  Miss  Ethel  Gray,  of  Boise, 
who  was  born  in  North  Dakota  but  was  reared  in  Idaho's  capital  from  her  girlhood 
days,  her  parents  being  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Gray,  well  known  citizens  here.  Mr.  and 
.Mrs.  Tyler  have  one  daughter,  Frances  Claire,  now  three  years  of  age. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Tyler  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Scottish  Rite  Mason  and  a  member 
of  El  Karah  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  an  Elk  and  has  membership 
with  the  Boise  Commercial  Club  and  the  Delta  Upsilon,  a  college  fraternity.  He  turns 
to  hunting  for  recreation  but  gives  the  major  part  of  his  time  and  attention  to  his 
business  affairs,  nor  is  he  ever  neglectful  of  his  duties  of  citizenship,  but  on  the  con- 
trary supports  every  well  devised  plan  and  measure  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  city, 
the  extension  of  its  trade  relations  and  the  advancement  of  its  civic  standards. 


GEORGE  ABNER  WARDEN. 

A  charming  country  home  is  that  of  George  Abner  Warden,  who  is  one  of  the 
prominent  and  representative  ranchmen  of  Gem  county,  his  place  being  situated 
about  four  miles  southwest  of  Emmett,  on  the  south  slope.  Mr.  Warden  has  been 
a  resident  of  Idaho  since  1895  and  that  his  life  has  been  an  active  and  useful  one 
is  plainly  indicated  in  the  excellent  appearance  of  his  ramch  property.  Kansas 
numbers  him  as  a  native  son,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  Sunflower  state  on 
the  18th  of  August,  1863,  his  parents  being  David  Mitchell  and  Effie  (Gooden) 
Warden,  who  in  the  year  1875  crossed  the  plains  in  a  covered  wagon.  The  family 
made  their  way  direct-to  Oregon,  where  George  A.  Warden  resided  until  he  came 
to  Idaho  and  took  up  his  abode  on  a  ranch.  The  land  which  he  acquired  was  then 
covered  by  sagebrush  and  gave  little  evidence  of  soon  being  transformed  into  a 
rich,  productive  and  valuable  property.  Mr.  Warden  had  had  considerable  expe- 
rience in  farming  while  living  in  Wallowa  county,  Oregon,  and  on  reaching  Gem 
county  in  1895  secured  his  present  homestead  of  eighty  acres.  He  at  once  began 
to  clear  away  the  sagebrush  and  place  the  fields  under  cultivation,  and  now  there 
are  few  better  ranch  properties  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett  than  that  which  he  owns 
and  which  annually  returns  to  him  a  substantial  income  as  a  reward  for  the  care  and 
labor  which  he  bestows  upon  the  place. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1890,  in  Oregon,  Mr.  Warden  was  married  to  Miss  Minerva 
O.  Davis,  who  was  born  at  Cove,  Oregon,  March  27,  1871.  a  daughter  of  Daniel 
Coleman  and  Rebecca  (Russell)  Davis,  who  were  born,  reared  and  married  in 
Tennessee  and  became  pioneer  settlers  of  Oregon,  crossing  the  plains  in  a  covered 
wagon  after  the  primitive  manner  of  travel  in  pioneer  times.  Mrs.  Warden  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Oregon  and  is  a  cultured  and  refined  lady.  When  she  was 
sixteen  years  of  age  she  became  assistant  postmaster  at  Prairie  Creek,  Oregon,  and 
filled  that  position  for  four  years  or  until  her  marriage.  She  has  become  the  mother 
of  but  one  child,  Ross  Davis  Warden,  who  was  born  December  4,  1892,  and  died 
September  10,  1905,  when  about  thirteen  years  of  age,  his  death  being  a  great 
blow  to  his  parents,  whose  hopes  and  interests  centered  in  the  boy. 

Mr.  Warden  is  a  republican,  while  his  wife  gives  her  political  allegiance  to  the 
democratic  party.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  she  also  belongs  to 
the  Crescent  Improvement  Club  and  for  two  years  served  as  its  president.  She  is 
one  of  the  well  known  club  women  of  Idaho,  having  taken  active  part  in  the  work 
of  the  State  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  and  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warden  give 
the  weight  of  their  aid  and  influence  to  the  support  of  all  those  interests  which  are 
a  matter  of  civic  virtue  and  of  civic  pride. 


FRED  A.   WEST. 

Fred  A.  West  is  a  well  known  and  prosperous  ranchman  residing  a  mile  and  a 
half  south  of  Emmett,  where  for  the  past  seven  years  he  has  owned  and  occupied 
a  forty-acre  farm  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  hay  and  grain  and  the  raising  of  live 
stock.  His  birth  occurred  in  Kane  county,  Illinois,  on  the  29th  of  May,  1863,  his 


362  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

parents  being  Charles  Finley  and  Rebecca  (Wagner)  West,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Highland  county,  Ohio.  They  were  married  in  the  Buckeye  state  and 
subsequently  removed  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  they  remained  until  1871. 
In  that  year  they  took  up  their  abode  in  Johnson  county,  Missouri,  where  Mrs.  West 
passed  away  in  1874,  when  her  son  Fred  was  eleven  years  of  age.  The  father  after- 
ward married  Rebecca  McClure,  who  proved  a  good  stepmother.  Fred  A.  West  lost 
his  father  when  a  youth  of  fifteen.  He  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family 
of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  only  the  sons  survive,  the 
brothers  of  our  subject  being:  Earl  F.,  a  resident  of  Baker  City,  Oregon;  and  Charles 
A.,  who>lives  at  Amboy,  Washington. 

Fred  A.  West  largely  spent  the  period  of  his  youth  on  Missouri  farms  and  was 
married  when  a  young  man  of  about  twenty-eight  years.  He  and  his  wife  began 
their  domestic  life  on  a  farm  near  Belton,  Missouri,  where  they  continued  to  reside 
until  1909,  when  they  came  to  the  northwest,  sojourning  for  a  brief  period  in  the 
vicinity  of  Emmett,  Idaho.  However,  they  soon  went. on  to  Baker,  Oregon,  where 
Mr.  West  purchased  a  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  occupied  for 
four  years.  After  disposing  of  the  property  in  1913  he  returned  to  Gem  county, 
Idaho,  and  purchased  his  present  fine  ranch  of  forty  acres  situated  a  mile  and  a  half 
south  of  Emmett.  This  is  an  excellent  location  and  the  property  has  splendid  im- 
provements. Mr.  West  specializes  in  the  production  of  hay  and  grain  and  the  rais- 
ing of  beef  cattle,  his  well  directed  efforts  in  these  connections  being  attended  with 
gratifying  success.  For  the  past  four  years  he  has  been  president  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  Last  Chance  Ditch. 

Oij  the  26th  of  February,  1891,  near  Olathe,  Kansas,  Mr.  West  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Edith  M.  Bane,  who  was  born  at  Belton,  Missouri,  October  1, 
1867,  a  daughter  of  Clayton  and  Martha  (Moore)  Bane  and  a  younger  sister  of 
Hon.  Sterling  Price  Bane,  of  Gem  county,  Idaho.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  West  have  two 
children.  Edith,  who  was  born  February  17,  1896,  followed  the  profession  of  school 
teaching  prior  to  her  marriage  to  Fred  W.  Colvin,  a  resident  of  Eugene,  Oregon. 
Mr.  Colvin,  to  whom  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  on  the  1st  of  February,  1918, 
served  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  in  France  during  the  World  war  as 
a  member  of  Battery  C,  Sixty-fifth  United  States  Artillery.  Winfred  Earl,  the 
younger  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  West,  was  born  March  8,  1901. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  West  is  independent,  supporting  men  and  measures 
rather  than  party.  His  wife  is  a  Presbyterian  in  religious  faith  and  belongs  to  a 
local  organization  known  as  the  Crescent  Improvement  Club.  Both  are  well  known 
and  highly  esteemed  throughout  the  community  in  which  they  make  their  home 
and  deserve  classification  with  the  valued  and  representative  residents. 


THOMAS  CHARLES  MACAULEY. 

Thomas  Charles  Macauley  is  a  prominent  figure  in  connection  with  the  to- 
bacco trade  of  Idaho,  being  one  of  the  proprietors  of  a  wholesale  and  retail  business 
at  Twin  Falls  that  is  conducted  under  the  style  of  Macauley  Brothers.  For  a  con- 
siderable period  he  has  been  identified  with  the  sale  of  cigars  and  tobacco  in  this 
state  and  has  developed  a  business  of  substantial  and  gratifying  proportions. 

Mr.  Macauley  is  a  native  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  that 
city  on  the  24th  of  October,  1881.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Susan  (McTaggart) 
Macauley.  His  brother,  M.  John  Macauley,  who  was  associated  with  him  in  busi- 
ness for  a  considerable  period,  was  born  in  Columbus,  Nebraska,  November  23,  1875. 

During  his  childhood  Thomas  Charles  Macauley  left  Nebraska  in  company  with 
his  parents,  who  established  their  home  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  from  which  point 
they  afterward  removed  to  Anaconda,  Montana,  where  he  continued  until  1904. 
He  then  came  to  Twin  Falls  and  for  a  year  was  connected  with  Perrine  &  Burton, 
conducting  the  Pioneer  Store  of  Twin  Falls.  On  the  2d  of  December,  1905,  he 
established  business  on  his  own  account.  He  was  joined  by  his  brother,  M.  John 
Macauley,  who  was  his  partner  from  1909  until  his  death  in  1919.  From  1905 
until  1909  Thomas  C.  Macauley  had  conducted  the  business  alone  under  the  name 
of  the  Liberal  Cigar  Store  and  when  joined  by  his  brother  the  firm  style  of  Ma- 
cauley Brothers  was  assumed.  They  not  only  conducted  the  store  at  Twin  Falls 
but  also  opened  a  retail  cigar  business  at  Burley  and  Mr.  Macauley  of  this  review 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  363 

remained  as  proprietor  of  both  establishments.  He  started  his  business  in  Twin 
Falls  on  Main  street  in  a  small  building  and  in  1917  removed  to  his  present  loca- 
tion. In  1920  his  brother  William  H.  became  interested  in  the  business,  which  is 
still  conducted  under  the  name  of  Macauley  Brothers.  Their  trade  has  constantly 
increased  and  they  sell  largely  in  a  wholesale  way,  while  also  enjoying  an  extensive 
local  patronage.  The  brothers  are  most  progressive,  alert  and  energetic  business 
men  and  they  constitute  one  of  the  strong  commercial  firms  of  the  city. 

In  1912  M.  John  Macauley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Marie  J.  Barrette,  a 
daughter  of  Edmund  Barrette,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  sons,  John. 
Harold  and  Robert.  Twin  Falls  lost  a  representative  business  man  when  the  hus- 
band and  father  was  called  to  his  final  rest.  He  was  highly  esteemed  by  all  who 
knew  him  by  reason  of  his  sterling  worth  of  character  and  genial  disposition, 
which  gained  for  him  many  friends. 

Thomas  C.  Macauley  of  this  review  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  of  which  his  brother  John  was  past  exalted  ruler.  He  is  also  iden- 
tified with  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  His  active  career  has  been  marked  by  a 
steady  progress  that  has  resulted  from  broad  experience,  close  application  and 
indefatigable  energy. 


GEORGE  F.  BERRY. 

The  spirit  of  modern  progress  as  exemplified  in  ranch  life  finds  expression  in 
the  highly  improved  property  of  George  F.  Berry,  situated  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
south  of  Emmett.  He  has  there  eighty  acres  of  land,  known  as  the  O.  K.  Dairy 
Farm,  and  it  is  supplied  with  every  modern  equipment  and  accessory  found  upon 
the  model  dairy  farm  of  the  twentieth  century.  Mr.  Berry  came  to  Idaho  sixteen 
years  ago  from  Wyoming,  taking  up  his  abode  here  in  1904,  at  which  time  he  set- 
tled on  a  ranch  of  eighty  acres  four  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Nampa.  He  occu- 
pied that  property  until  1910,  when  he  sold  it  at  a  good  profit  and  then  spent  about 
a  year  in  Montana  and  three  years  in  Virginia.  But  the  lure  of  Idaho  was  upon 
him  and  h£  returned  to  the  Nampa  district,  where  for  a  time  he  rented  property. 
Later  he  purchased  another  ranch  in  that  vicinity,  acquiring  eighty  acres,  which 
he  afterward  sold  in  November,  1918,  and  became  the  owner  of  the  O.  K.  Dairy 
Farm  a  mile  south  of  Emmett,  maintaining  here  the  principal  dairy  of  this  locality. 

Mr.  Berry  was  born  in  Logan  county,  Ohio,  January  5,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Diana  (Moyer)  Berry,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Buckeye  state. 
When  he  was  two  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  to  Mercer  county,  Illinois,  and 
he  was  there  reared  upon  a  farm,  having  the  usual  experiences  of  the  farm  boy 
who  divides  his  time  between  the  duties  of  the  schoolroom,  the  pleasures  of  the 
playground  and  the  work  of  the  fields.  In  1877  the  Berry  family  removed  to 
Dodge  county,  Nebraska.  In  that  state,  on  the  22d  of  December,  1886,  George 
F.  Berry  was  married  to  Miss  Ada  May  Lamberson,  who  was  born  in  Stark  county, 
Ohio,  February  23,  1869,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Andrews)  Lamberson, 
the  former  born  in  Summit  county,  Ohio,  January  9,  1840,  and  the  latter  in  Put- 
nam county,  Ohio,  February  26,  1843.  They  were  married  in  the  Buckeye  state 
in  1864  and  after  traveling  life's  journey  together  for  fifty-four  years  were  sepa- 
rated by  the  death  of  Mr.  Lamberson,  who  passed  away  in  Nebraska,  January  10. 
1918.  His  widow  is  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Berry  have  become  the  parents  of 
four  sons  and  three  daughters:  Fred,  who  was  born  August  31,  1887,  and  who 
wa-s  married  November  15,  1916,  to  Miss  Carrie  M.  Smeade,  daughter  of  W.  H. 
Smeade,  of  Boise,  and  by  whom  he  has  one  child,  Crystal  Lorraine,  born  June 
30,  1918;  Susie  M.,  who  was  born  October  20,  1889,  and  is  the  wife  of  George 
Cnllen;  Mabel  M.,  who  was  born  November  27,  1891,  and  is  the  wife  of  Clarence 
Law;  Mary  Pearl,  who  was  born  January  7,  1894,  and  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Mer- 
ritt;  John  A.,  born  March  10,  1897;  Clyde  A.,  February  9,  1899;  and  George  W., 
June  9,  1901.  The  son  John  served  for  twenty  months  in  France  as  an  engineer 
with  the  American  Expeditionary  Force  and  had  previously  served  on  the  Mexican 
border  with  the  Second  Idaho  Infantry  in  1916.  Surely  he  has  done  his  full  share 
in  connection  with  the  military  interests  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Berry  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  politics  he 
maintains  an  independent  course  nor  has  he  ever  been  ambitious  to  hold  office. 


364  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

He  has  always  preferred  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  business 
affairs  and  as  the  result  of  his  close  application  and  energy  has  developed  one  of 
the  fine  ranches  of  his  section  of  the  state.  The  O.  K.  Dairy  Farm  is  unsurpassed 
among  the  dairy  ranches  of  this  section  and  is  splendidly  developed  with  all  mod- 
ern improvements,  including  a  large  silo,  dairy  house  and  splendid  dairy  barn. 
His  own  residence  is  an  attractive  home  where  hospitality  abounds  and  is  a  favorite 
resort  with  the  many  friends  of  the  family. 


CHARLES  L.   JELLISON. 

Charles  L.  Jellison  is  the  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Jelliscn  Brothers,  pro- 
prietors of  marble  and  granite  works  in  Boise.  In  this  undertaking  he  is  associ- 
ated with  his  brother,  C.  Orrin  Jellison,  and  they  maintain  a  business  also  at 
Twin  Falls,  carrying  the  largest  stock  of  finished  monuments  in  the  state.  Charles 
L.  Jellison  was  born  at  Mattoon,  Illinois,  March  1,  1877,  and  is  the  fourth  son  of 
Edward  A.  and  Nancy  (  Sanders)  Jellison,  who  now  reside  at  No.  716  East  Jeffer- 
son street  in  Boise,  where  they  have  lived  since  1906,  coming  to  this  city  after  their 
son,  Charles  L.,  who  took  up  his  abode  here  in  1897.  The  first  of  the  family  to  ar- 
rive in  Boise,  however,  was  an  elder  brother,  John  S.  Jellison,  who  settled  here  about 
1891  but  afterward  removed  to  Huntington,  Oregon. 

When  Charles  L.  Jellison  was  a  small  child  his  parents  became  residents  of 
Sherburne  county,  Minnesota,  where  he  spent  his  youth  upon  a  farm.  In  1897, 
when  twenty  years  of  age,  he  came  to  Boise,  where  his  elder  brother  was  then  liv- 
ing, and  here  engaged  in  the  stone  business.  He  became  a  partner  of  his  brother 
John  in  the  undertaking  and  was  thus  connected  until  1906,  when  they  sold  their 
stone  quarry,  which  was  east  of  Boise,  to  the  state  of  Idaho.  In  1907  Charles  L. 
Jellison  and  his  two  brothers,  Edward  A.  and  Clarence  Orrin,  formed  a  partner- 
ship in  the  marble  and  granite  business  under  the  firm  style  of  Jellison  Brothers. 
The  elder  brother,  Edward  A.,  died  June  28,  1914,  and  since  that  time  the  other 
two  partners  have  conducted  the  business.  Their  Boise  establishment  has  always 
been  located  at  Fifth  and  Main  streets  and  is  the  largest  marble,  granite  and  monu- 
ment works  in  southern  Idaho. 

On  the  8th  of  June,  1907,  Mr.  Jellison  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Rechsteiner, 
who  was  born  in  Germany,  but  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  was  living  at  Boise, 
Idaho.  They  are  well  known  in  this  city,  where  Mr.  Jellison  has  made  his  home 
for  twenty-three  years  and  where  throughout  the  entire  period  he  has  been  num-> 
bered  among  the  active  and  enterprising  business  men,  contributing  largely  to  its 
commercial  development. 


JAMES  E.  WILEY. 

James  E.  Wiley  is  a  ranchman  residing  two  miles  south  of  Emmett,  where  he 
has  a  good  property  which  he  owns  jointly  with  Wallace  A.  Cannon,  who  also  re- 
sides on  the  ranch,  the  latter's  mother,  Mrs.  Emma  Cannon,  acting  as  housekeeper 
for  them.  Mr.  Wiley  was  born  in  Hall  county,  Georgia,  January  11,  1858,  and  is 
a  son  of  George  Wiley,  a  Confederate  soldier  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Mis- 
sionary Ridge.  His  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Pittman  and  both 
parents  were  natives  of  Georgia.  In  that  state  James  E.  Wiley  of  this  review  was 
reared  upon  a  plantation  and  in  1883  he  went  to  California,  spending  seven  years 
on  the  Pacific  coast. 

In  1890  he  came  to  Idaho  and  took  up  a  homestead  in  Long  Valley,  in  what 
was  then  Boise  county  but  is  now  Valley  county.  He  resided  upon  that  place  for 
many  years,  engaged  largely  in  raising  cattle.  He  finally  disposed  of  that  property 
and  afterward  resided  at  New  Plymouth,  Idaho,  for  a  year,  there  owning  an  apple 
orchard.  After  disposing  of  that  property  he  bought  a  ranch  near  Sweet,  Idaho,  and 
later  sold  it  and  camped  out  in  the  hills  for  a  time.  Then  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Cannon  he  purchased  a  splendid  forty-acre  ranch  two  miles  south  of  Emmett,  which 
they  now  own  and  for  which  they  paid  eight  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Wiley  and  Mr. 
Cannon  are  not  related  in  any  way  save  through  the  ties  of  friendship.  Mr.  Can- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  365 

non,  like  his  partner,  is  a  native  of  Georgia,  as  is  his  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Emma  Taylor.  Both  Mr.  Wiley  and  Mr.  Cannon  have  other  business  in- 
terests aside  from  the  ranch  in  which  they  are  equal  partners.  Mr.  Wiley  intends 
to  leave  the  management  and  operation  of  the  ranch  largely  to  his  partner,  who  is 
much  younger,  Mr.  Wiley  having  attained  the  age  of  sixty-two  years  and  believing 
it  to  be  time  to  "take  things  easy."  He  is  an  excellent  rifle  shot  and  is  fond  ot 
hunting  and  flshing.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic  party,  but 
he  has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  preferring  always  to  concentrate  his  efforts 
and  attention  upon  his  business  affairs. 

Wallace  A.  Cannon  was  born  in  Dawson  county,  Georgia,  November  13,  1881. 
His  father,  James  T.  Cannon,  died  at  New  Plymouth,  Idaho,  September  15,  1918. 
It  was  on  the  20th  of  February,  1873,  that  James  T.  Cannon  wedded  Emma  Taylor 
and  they  resided  upon  a  plantation  in  Dawson  county,  Georgia,  from  the  time  ot 
their  marriage  until  1902,  when  they  removed  to  Montana  and  afterward  became 
residents  of  Oklahoma,  whence  they  came  to  Idaho  in  1912.  Mr.  Cannon  lived  at 
Gooding  for  a  time  and  later  at  New  Plymouth.  The  son,  Wallace  A.  Cannon,  was 
married  ten  years  ago,  but  his  wife  passed  away  in  1917,  leaving  two  sons,  James 
and  Harold,  aged  eight  and  seven  years  respectively.  He  has  two  sisters:  Mrs. 
Ella  Haacke,  of  Montana;  and  Mrs.  Effle  Rogers,  living  at  New  Plymouth,  Idaho. 
The  household  consists  of  Mr.  Wiley  and  his  partner,  his  mother  and  his  two 
children. 

Mr.  Wiley  also  owns,  in  addition  to  the  ranch  property,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  near  Banks,  Idaho,  in  Boise  county,  and  has  mortgages  on  several  valuable 
properties.  He  is  a  man  of  kindly  nature,  generous-hearted  and  whole-souled, 
whose  home  is  one  of  hospitality  and  who  always  has  a  cheery  greeting  for  every 
guest.  His  many  admirable  traits  of  character  have  won  him  high  regard  and  his 
friends  in  Gem  county  are  numerous. 


T.   A.   CLEMENT. 

T.  A.  Clement,  who  carries  on  farming  in  Jefferson  county  about  a  mile  north 
of  Lewisville,  was  born  in  Plain  City,  Weber  county,  Utah,  April  7,  1865,  his 
parents  being  Thomas  A.  and  Margaret  E.  (Shoemaker)  Clement,  the  former  born 
in  Tompkins  county,  New  York,  March  24,  1842,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah,  October  31,  1847,  being  the  first  white  female  child  and  the  third 
child  born  there.  The  father  came  to  Utah  with  his  parents  when  but  two  years 
of  age  and  in  consequence  was  reared  and  educated  in  Salt  Lake.  In  early  life  he 
began  earning  his  living  by  working  as  a  farm  hand  and  he  resided  with  an  uncle 
for  a  number  of  years  as  his  parents  died  when  he  was  very  young.  Later  he  pur- 
chased land  in  Weber  county,  Utah,  and  was  among  the  first  settlers  of  Plain  City. 
He  developed  and  improved  his  property  and  continued  its  further  cultivation  until 
about  1892,  when  he  removed  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  and  again  took  up  the 
occupation  of  farming  on  land  in  Menan.  There  hte  continued  until  December,  1906, 
when  he  went  to  Arizona,  where  he  acquired  a  farm  that  he  tilled  and  improved 
throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  passed  away  July  28,  1908,  while  the  mother 
is  now  living  In  Mesa,  Arizona,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years. 

T.  A.  Clement  spent  his  early  life  in  Plain  City,  Utah,  and  his  education,  which 
he  there  began,  was  continued  in  the  high  school  at  Ogden,  Utah.  In  early  man- 
hood he  purchased  land  near  Plain  City  and  was  there  engaged  in  general  farming 
until  1895,  when  he  removed  to  Blackfoot,  Idaho,  where  he  bought  a  relinquish- 
ment,  using  his  rights  to  secure  property  there.  He  was  among  the  first  settlers 
on  the  west  side  in  the  district  called  Moreland  and  there  he  followed  farming 
until  1904,  when  he  became  a  resident  of  Jefferson  county,  Idaho.  He  bought  one 
hundred  and  ten  acres  a  mile  north  of  Lewisville  and  has  improved  this  property 
to  an  extent  that  makes  it  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  state.  He  has  since  con- 
tinued its  cultivation  and  all  of  the  accessories,  conveniences  and  equipment  of  a 
model  farm  are  found  upon  the  place.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  handling  pure  bred 
Poland  China  hogs  and  other  stock  and  his  stock  raising  interests  are  constituting 
an  important  source  of  revenue  to  him. 

On  the  19th  of  October,  1887,  Mr.  Clement  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Anna  J.  Green.  She  was  born  in  Plain  City,  Utah,  March  31,  1868.  and  is  a 


366  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

daughter  of  Peter  C.  and  Elsie  M.  Green,  who  are  mentioned  in  connection  with 
the  sketch  of  P.  B.  Green  on  another  page  of  this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clement 
have  had  nine  children:  Luetta  J.,  who  died  December  15,  1888;  Walter  A.,  a  res- 
ident farmer  of  Jefferson  county;  Thomas  L.,  who  is  also  farming  in  Jefferson 
county;  Horace  P.,  who  was  engaged  in  railroading  but  is  preparing  to  go  on  a 
Mexican  mission  for  the  Latter-day  Saints;  Elsie  M.,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Jackson, 
a  farmer  of  Jefferson  county;  Eva,  Albert  L.  and  Melvin  L.,  all  at  home;  and  Wil- 
ford  J.,  who  died  July  7,  1917,  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years. 

Politically  Mr.  Clement  is  a  republican  and  keeps  well  informed  concerning 
the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  but  does  not  seek  nor  desire  office.  He  belongs 
to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  in  which  he  is  a  high  priest, 
and  formerly  he  was  counselor  to  the  bishop  at  Moreland.  The  interests  and  activ- 
ities of  his  life  are  well  balanced.  He  has  been  and  is  a  most  successful  and  en- 
terprising farmer,  and  at  the  same  time  he  has  recognized  and  fully  met  his  duties 
and  obligation  in  every  connection. 


WILLIAM  W.  KEEFER. 

William  W.  Keefer,  a  prominent  contractor  who  has  done  work  of  an  extensive 
and  important  nature  throughout  Bonneville  county  and  that  section  of  the  state,  makes 
his  home  at  No.  311  Ridge  avenue,  Idaho  Falls.  He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  Novem- 
ber 15,  1852,  and  is  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Ruhannah  (Rosenberry)  Keefer,  who  were 
also  natives  of  the  Keystone  state,  where  the  father  followed  farming  throughout  his 
entire  life.  He  passed  away  in  1915  at  the  notable  old  age  of  ninety  years,  while  his 
wife  died  in  1917  also  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 

William  W.  Keefer  was  reared  in  Pennsylvania  and  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  he  attained  his  majority.  He  devoted  two  years  to  teaching  school  in  early 
manhood  and  in  1879,  when  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  made  his  way  westward  to 
Idaho,  settling  at  Eagle  Rock,  now  Idaho  Falls,  where  he  assisted  in  building  the  rail- 
road shops.  He  is  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  has  developed  high  skill  and  efficiency 
along  that  line.  After  doing  railroad  work  he  had  charge  of  a  construction  gang  for 
the  Utah  &  Northern  Railroad  for  six  years.  He  then  located  at  Idaho  Falls,  where 
he  has  since  engaged  in  contracting  and  building,  his  contracts  being  often  of  a  most 
extensive  and  important  character.  The  biggest  piece  of  work  he  has  done  here  was 
the  construction  of  the  dam  across  Snake  river  after  other  contractors  had  failed  on 
the  job.  He  has  also  erected  a  number  of  the  best  business  blocks  and  finest  residences 
of  the  city,  and  his  efforts  have  been  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  promotion  of  this 
district. 

On  the  llth  of  April,  1886,  Mr.  Keefer  was  married  to  Miss  Dora  V.  Shoemaker, 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Phillip;  Ruby,  now  the  wife 
of  Howard  J.  Brace,  of  Boise;  Fred  and  Frank,  twins;  Irene,  the  wife  of  Claude  Black, 
engineer  for  the  Idaho  Canal  Company;  Louise;  and  Clyde,  who  married  Rilla  Kaler. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Keefer  is  a  republican  and  is  serving  for  the  second 
term  as  a  member  of  the  city  council.  On  one  occasion  he  was  also  a  candidate  for 
the  office  of  county  sheriff  and  for  two  years  he  served  as  county  coroner.  His  religious 
faith  is  that  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  he  is  ever  loyal  to  its  teachings  and  the  high 
ideals  inculcated  thereby.  He  and  his  family  occupy  an  attractive  home  at  No.  311 
Ridge  avenue,  Idaho  Falls,  which  he  erected,  and  he  also  has  two  other  residences 
which  he  rents,  together  with  fifty  town  lots.  He  has  thus  made  judicious  investments 
in  real  estate  and  his  holdings  are  gradually  advancing  in  price.  He  is  today  recog- 
nized as  a  leading  contractor  of  Idaho  Falls  and  this  section  of  the  state,  his  work 
being  an  important  element  in  the  building  projects  of  Bonneville  county. 


GUSS   D.    AMEN. 

Guss  D.  Amen  is  the  owner  of  an  excellent  ranch  property  of  seventy-five  and 
a  half  acres  two  miles  south  of  Emmett  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  since 
1902,  removing  from  Longmont,  Colorado.  He  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-three 
years  when  he  arrived  in  this  state  and  after  a  few  weeks  spent  at  Nampa  he  came 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  369 

to  Emmett  and  has  since  lived  in  this  vicinity,  being  connected  with  various  lines 
of  business  but  devoting  his  attention  exclusively  to  farming  during  the  past  six 
years.  He  was  born  in  Linn  county,  Missouri,  June  15,  1878,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Louisa  Amen,  who  were  natives  of  Sweden  but  were  married  in  Minnesota. 
They  settled  in  Missouri  in  1867  and  the  mother  is  still  a  resident  of  that  state,  at 
the  age  of  eighty  years,  but  the  father  there  passed  away  November  28,  1912.  Their 
family  numbered  five  children,  all  of  whom  are  living,  but  G.  D.  Amen  is  the  only 
one  in  Idaho. 

As  stated,  he  came  to  the  northwest  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-three  years 
and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  an  excellent  ranch  property  which  is  a  part  of  the  old 
Miller  homestead  that  was  entered  by  his  wife's  parents,  Abraham  and  Amanda 
(Patrick)  Miller.  Their  eldest  daughter,  Eliza,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Amen,  was  born 
on  the  old  homestead  property  but  not  in  the  house  which  she  and  her  husband 
now  occupy,  her  birthplace  being  the  old  Miller  home  on  another  part  of  the  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acre  tract  of  land  and  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Oliver  Seetin 
and  his  family.  The  original  Miller  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  is 
now  divided  into  three  farms — two  of  forty  acres  and  the  one  of  seventy-five  and  a 
half  acres  now  occupied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Amen.  The  remaining  four  and  a  half 
acres  of  the  original  tract  is  covered  by  the  irrigation  ditch.  It  was  on  the  12th  of 
June,  1907,  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Amen  were  married  and  in  1912  he  and  another 
man  purchased  the  entire  Miller  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  later 
dividing  it,  so  that  the  west  half  fell  to  Mr.  Amen.  He  has  put  upon  it  a  complete 
set  of  improvements  in  the  way  of  new  buildings  that  furnish  ample  shelter  to 
grain  and  stock,  while  his  home  is  an  attractive  and  comfortable  residence  just  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  the  old  Miljer  home.  To  him  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
four  children:  Ellen  Marie,  born  January  20,  1908;  Arnold  Halley,  May  24,  1910; 
Agnes  Louise,  July  26,  1912;  and  Elsie  Eliza,  October  2,  1916.  Mr.  Amen  is  a 
member  of  the  Yeomen  and  of  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose.  His  attention,  however, 
is  mostly  given  to  his  agricultural  interests  and  he  has  one  of  the  best  small  farms 
in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett. 

Because  of  the  long  connection  of  the  Miller  family  with  the  pioneer  develop- 
ment of  Gem  county,  it  will  be  interesting  to  know  something  more  in  detail  about 
the  worthy  pioneer  couple  who  settled  here  when  much  of  the  land  in  this  section 
of  the  state  was  still  unclaimed  and  uncultivated.  Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Nash- 
ville, Tennessee,  in  1844,  and  his  wife,  who  was  in  her  maidenhood  Miss  Ellen 
Amanda  Patrick,  was  born  in  Elkhart  county,  Indiana.  They  were  married  in 
Missouri  and  came  to  Idaho  about  thirty-five  years  ago.  They  have  since  remained 
in  the  northwest  and  are  now  residing  near  Eugene,  Oregon,  both  enjoying  good 
health.  Mrs.  Miller  was  the  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Eliza  Ann  Patrick  and  the  lat- 
ter lived  to  the  notable  old  age  of  ninety-four  years.  Hiram  Patrick  was  born  in 
Fayette  county,  Ohio,  in  1812,  and  his  wife,  whose  family  name  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage was  Legore,  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Ohio,  July  4,  1818.  They 
were  married  in  the  latter  county  and  had  a  family  of  eleven  children,  four  sons  and 
seven  daughters,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Mrs.  Teresa  Stagner,  who  is  the 
widow  of  John  Stagner  and  is  now  seventy-eight  years  of  age,  living  at  Emmett; 
Joseph  Patrick,  who  is  a  veteraa  of  the  Union  army  and  resides  in  Missouri;  Mrs. 
Ellen  Amanda  Miller,  of  Landax,  Oregon;  and  Mrs.  Eliza  Brown,  the  wife  of  Clint 
Brown,  of  Emmett,  Idaho.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  family  has  become  Veli 
represented  in  the  northwest  and  the  Amen  children  are  the  representatives  of  the 
Miller  family  in  the  third  generation  to  reside  in  Gem  county. 


THOMAS  RICHARDS  FAULL. 

Thomas  Richards  Faull,  who  is  engaged  in  ranching  near  Emmett,  is  one  of 
Idaho's  pioneers  and  a  most  interesting  man  because  of  his  reminiscences  of  pioneer 
days  and  his  varied  experiences  in  Idaho  through  the  period  of  its  early  epochal 
development.  He  was  born  in  the  county  of  Cornwall,  England,  April  20,  1855,  and 
is  a  son  of  James  and  Rachel  (Holman)  Faull,  who  always  remained  residents  of 
England,  the  father  there  following  mining  pursuits,  working  in  the  tin  mines  of 
Cornwall. 

It  was  there  that  Thomas  Richards  Faull  began  his  labors  when  but  twelve 

Vol.   Ill— 24 


370  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

years  of  age.  He  was  employed  in  the  tin  mines  with  his  father  all  through  his 
youth  and  upon  reaching  manhood  he  crossed  the  ocean  to  Canada,  spending  eighteen 
months  in  Ontario.  He  then  came  to  the  United  States,  making  his  way  to  Idaho 
more  than  thirty  years  ago.  He  followed  mining  pursuits  for  more  than  two 
decades  in  this  state  and  had  previously  for  a  time  engaged  in  mining  in  Mono 
county,  California,  and  in  other  parts  of  that  state.  It  was  ahout  1885  that  he 
took  up  his  ahode  in  Idaho  and  worked  in  the  mines  until  about  1908,  since  which 
time  he  has  engaged  in  ranching  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett.  He  owns  a  sixty-acre 
ranch  property. 

In  1904  Mr.  Faull  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Syrena  A.  Berntson  nee 
Smith,  who  died  a  few  years  ago,  leaving  three  daughters  who  were  born  of  her 
first  marriage  and  two  sons  born  of  the  second  marriage.  Mr.  Faull  has  always 
regarded  his  step-daughters  as  his  own  children  and  they  have  adopted  his  name. 
These  are:  Emma,  now  the  wife  of  Arthur  Fender;  Leetha,  and  Hansena.  The 
two  sons  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Faull  are  Lowell  and  James  Henry,  aged  respectively  nine 
and  eight  years.  Another  son,  Morley,  died  at  the  age  of  two  years  and  eight 
months. 

Mr.  Faull  is  a  man  of  strong  native  intellect  who  from  the  experiences  of  life 
has  learned  many  valuable  lessons.  He  possesses  much  originality  and  initiative 
and  his  success  in  the  business  world  is  attributable  entirely  to  his  diligence  and 
determination.  He  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  having  formulated  the  plan 
that  brought  him  to  the  new  world,  for  here  he  has  found  the  opportunities  which 
he  sought  and  in  their  utilization  has  made  steady  advancement.  At  the  same 
time  the  sterling  worth  of  his  character  has  gained  him  the  friendly  regard  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  been  associated. 


JOSIAH  CALL. 

Josiah  Call,  a  prominent  farmer  and  banker  of  Rigby,  was  born  in  Willard 
City,  Utah,  April  18,  1862,  a  son  of  Homer  and  Nancy  (Merrill)  Call,  the  former 
a  native  of  the  Buckeye  state  and  the  latter  of  North  Carolina.  Homer  Call  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  northern  Utah,  having  located  in  Willard  City  in  1851. 
As  soon  as  he  had  established  himself  in  his  new  home,  he  began  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  in  which  he  was  more  or  less  interested  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In 
those  early  days  improved  methods  in  the  harvesting  and  grinding  of  grain  were 
not  used  in  that  part  of  Utah  where  he  had  settled,  and  he  performed  a  signal 
service  for  his  neighbors  by  building  and  operating  the  first  grist  mill  in  northern 
Utah.  It  was  he,  too,  that  brought  the  first  threshing  outfit  to  that  section  and  he 
continued  in  the  threshing  business,  along  with  farming  and  stockraising,  the  rest 
of  his  life.  His  death  occurred  in  July,  1908,  after  he  had  reached  the  age  of 
seventy-three  years,  and  that  of  his  wife,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
in  April,  1882. 

Josiah  Call  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  ren- 
dering valuable  assistance  to  his  father  in  the  development  of  the  latter's  farm- 
ing and  business  interests.  It  was  also  during  this  period  that  he  made  use  of  the 
limtted  educational  facilities  which  the  northern  part  of  Utah  at  that  time  afforded. 
In  the  '70s  and  '80s  the  railroad  facilities  of  the  far  west  were  in  no  wise  so  extensive 
as  they  are  today  and  goods  had  to  be  freighted  from  points  on  the  railroad  far 
inland,  and  it  was  in  this  work  that  Mr.  Call  engaged  after  he  left  the  home  of  his 
parents  in  1880.  From  freighting  he  turned  to  railroad  construction,  at  which 
he  worked  until  he  came  to  Idaho  in  1884.  In  that  year  he  located  in  that  part 
of  Oneida  county  which  is  now  included  in  Jefferson  and  there  took  a  homestead. 
With  the  energy  which  characterized  his  later  activities,  Mr.  Call  set  to  work  to 
improve  his  farm,  which  was  entirely  of  new  land,  and  now  it  is  one  of  the  most 
highly  developed  in  the  entire  county.  A  few  years  after  his  arrival  he  added  to 
his  holding  by  pre-empting  a  quarter  section  which  is  now  included  in  town  site 
of  Rigby,  and  it  was  on  this  tract  that  he  built  a  beautiful  modern  home,  where  he 
now  resides,  on  the  corner  of  Second  North  and  State  streets. 

Although  Mr.  Call  devotes  the  major  portion  of  his  time  to  his  farming  inter- 
ests, he  nevertheless  takes  a  prominent  part  in  the  business  activities  of  Rigby. 
He  is  vice  president  of  one  of  the  most  important  financial  institutions  in  Jeffer- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  371 

son  county — the  First  National  Bank  of  Rigby,  which  depends  much  upon  his 
good  business  sense  and  sound  judgment.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Bower- 
Schweitzer  Mercantile  Company  and  president  of  the  Judd  Motor  Corporation. 

In  December,  1884,  Mr.  Call  married  Dove  Facer  and  to  this  union  were  born 
ten  children,  all  of  whom  are  living.  They  are  in  the  order  of  their  births:  Dr. 
O.  F.,  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  Rigby;  Mary  N.,  the  wife  of  William  J.  Chand- 
ler, who  resides  in  Ririe,  Idaho;  Ethel  M.,  who  married  W.  W.  Hymas  and  is  now 
living  in  Rigby;  Elmo  J.,  who  is  attending  school  in  Davenport,  Iowa;  Dove  Alida, 
who  is  the  wife  of  W.  R.  Dixon  and  is  a  student  in  California;  Royal  Glenn,  a 
member  of  the  Army  of  Occupation  in  Germany;  and  Vivian  A.,  Allen  W.,  Leland 
and  Lola,  all  of  whom  are  at  home.  The  wife  and  mother  died  April  2,  1915,  and 
Mr.  Call  was  married  April  24,  1918,  to  Mrs.  Lettie  E.  Sessions. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Call  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,  to  which  the  former  has  rendered  valuable  and  efficient  service  in  mis- 
sionary work  and  as  an  officer.  In  his  earlier  years  he  was  for  two  years  with  the 
southern  states  mission  and  furthered  the  interests  of  his  denomination  in  the  state 
of  Kentucky.  The  Rigby  ward  was  organized  in  1886  and  was  one  of  the  bishopric 
where  he  labored  for  twenty-two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  Rigby  stake 
was  organized  and  he  was  called  to  the  presidency,  where  he  has  since  labored. 
In  politics  Mr.  Call  takes  his  stand  with  the  republican  party,  and,  although  he 
has  devoted  little  effort  to  acquiring  public  office,  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  city 
council  of  Rigby  and  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace. 


JONAS  JOHNSON. 

Jonas  Johnson  is  a  farmer  whose  forty-acre  ranch  lies  two  and  a  half  miles 
southwest  of  Emmett.  A  native  of  Sweden,  he  was  born  June  13,  1861,  and  in  1873 
came  to  the  United  States  in  company  with  his  parents,  brothers  and  sisters.  His 
father  also  bore  the  name  of  Jonas  Johnson,  while  the  mother  was  in  her  maiden- 
hood Miss  Martha  Rasmus  and  was  of  Norwegian  birth.  The  father  died  at  Heber, 
Utah,  about  eight  years  ago  and  the  mother  is  still  living  there,  having  passed  the 
eightieth  milestone  on  life's  journey.  The  Johnson  family  on  reaching  the  United 
States  proceeded  to  Utah,  the  parents  having  previously  become  converts  to  the 
teachings  of  the  Mormon  church.  The  family  lived  at  Heber  and  there  Jonas  John- 
son of  this  review  spent  his  youth  and  early  manhood. 

Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  Mr.  Johnson  was  married  on  the  29th 
of  March,  1883,  to  Miss  Ida  V.  Smith,  who  was  born  of  Mormon  parentage  at  Heber, 
Utah,  December  14,  1863.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Phillip  and  Eliza  Ann  (Frampton) 
Smith,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  They  were 
among  the  earliest  of  the  Mormon  settlers  of  Utah  and  both  have  now  passed  away. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  resided  for  a  number  of  years  at 
Heber,  Utah,  remaining  there  from  1883  until  1901,  during  which  period  he  en- 
gaged in  mining  pursuits.  In  fact  he  worked  in  the  mines  from  the  age  of  seventeen 
years  until  he  came  to  Idaho,  being  engaged  in  silver  mining  and  spending  seven 
years  employed  in  that  way  in  the  Ontario  mines  at  Park  City.  Since  removing  to 
Idaho  he  has  followed  farming  and  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  for  thirty-five 
dollars  per  acre.  For  a  considerable  period  he  lived  in  a  two-room  cabin  which  still 
stands  in  the  rear  of  the  new,  substantial  and  commodious  residence  which  he  has 
erected.  He  has  brought  his  land  under  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation,  thus 
greatly  enhancing  its  value,  the  ranch  today  being  easily  worth  two  hundred  dollars 
per  acre.  The  labors  of  Mr.  Johnson  are  evidenced  in  the  splendid  appearance  of 
his  place,  which  is  now  supplied  with  modern  equipments  and  all  the  accessories  of 
the  model  farm  property. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  been  born  three  children:  Lorenzo,  who  was 
born  September  17,  1884,  and  is  now  married  and  lives  in  Boise;  Alfred,  who  was 
born  May  22,  1887,  and  has  taken  a  homestead  on  Willow  creek  in  Ada  county;  and 
Izeeta,  who  was  born  March  30,  1897,  and  is  the  wife  of  Loren  Harris,  of  Emmett. 
These  children  through  the  maternal  line  are  descended  from  one  of  the  old  Amer- 
ican families  of  Pennsylvania  stock,  the  Framptons  tracing  their  ancestry  back  to 
a  member  of  the  William  Penn  colony. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  but  has  never  been  an  office 


372  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

seeker.  He  is  a  man  of  liberal  ideas  in  religion  and  looks  at  many  of  the  impor- 
tant questions  of  life  from  a  broad  standpoint.  His  prosperity  is  the  direct  outcome 
of  his  labors  and  his  energy  has  enabled  him  to  overcome  many  difficulties  and  ob- 
stacles in  his  path. 


ALFRED    BALL. 

Alfred  Ball,  who  follows  farming  at  Lewisville,  Jefferson  county,  was  born  in 
England,  November  23,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (England) 
Ball,  who  were  also  natives  of  that  country,  where  the  father  worked  in  the  iron 
mines  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  America,  making  his  way  to  the  Salt  Lake  val- 
ley of  Utah,  where  he  was  employed  in  various  ways.  He  was  connected  with 
farming  interests  for  a  considerable  period  and  eventually  retired  from  active 
life,  making  his  home  with  his  son  Alfred  until  his  death  in  August,  1916.  The 
mother  has  long  since  passed  away,  her  death  occurring  in  1871. 

Alfred  Ball  was  reared  in  England,  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
there,  and  in  early  life  worked  in  the  brickyards,  in  the  cotton  factories  and  in  the 
iron  mines  at  Rosedale,  Yorkshire,  England.  In  1870  he  and  his  mother,  brothers 
and  sisters  came  to  the  United  States,  preceding  the  father,  who  afterward  joined 
them.  They  made  their  way  to  the  Salt  Lake  valley  and  Alfred  Ball  engaged  in 
herding  sheep  for  a  time  but  soon  afterward  began  sheep  raising  on  his  own  ac- 
count and  was  thus  engaged  until  President  Cleveland's  administration,  when, 
owing  to  the  widespread  financial  panic,  he  suffered  severe  losses.  He  later  took 
up  farming,  which  he  followed  until  1900,  when  he  removed  to  Jefferson  county, 
Idaho,  and  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  two  miles  south  of  Lewis- 
ville. He  at  once  began  the  task  of  tilling  the  soil  and  continued  the  further  de- 
velopment of  the  farm  until  1916,  when  he  traded  farms  with  his  son  and  now 
owns  a  place  adjoining  the  town  of  Lewisville.  This  tract  he  has  since  cultivated, 
and  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  indicates  his  practical  and  progressive  spirit. 

In  October,  1878,  Mr.  Ball  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Walker,  a  daughter 
of  James  C.  and  Elizabeth  (Griffith)  Walker,  the  former  a  native  of  Scotland,  while 
the  latter  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  county,  Utah.  Her  father  came  to  America  in 
early  life,  making  his  way  to  Salt  Lake  county,  where  for  many  years  he  operated 
a  grist  mill.  He  has  passed  away  and  the  mother  died  in  1853.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ball  have  become  parents  of  twelve  children,  some  of  whom  died  at  birth,  while 
Zina  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  Those  living  are:  Alfred  W.,  a  farmer  and 
sheepman  of  Jefferson  county;  Orson,  who  is  also  engaged  in  farming  and  sheep 
raising  in  Jefferson  county;  Lyman  J.,  living  at  Rigby;  Laura,  the  wife  of  Roy 
Walker,  a  farmer  of  Jefferson  county;  Lorenzo  C.,  farming  in  the  same  locality; 
Irvin  M.,  who  resides  near  his  father;  and  Velma  M.,  at  home. 

Politically  Mr.  Ball  is  a  republican  but  without  ambition  for  public  office.  He 
belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  has  held  several 
offices  in  the  church.  .His  time  and  energies,  however,  have  been  largely  given  to 
his  farming  interests  in  order  to  support  his  family,  and  his  progressiveness  along 
agricultural  lines  has  made  him  one  of  the  substantial  residents  of  his  section  of 
the  state. 


JAY    H.    CRONK. 

Jay  H.  Cronk,  who  owns  and  resides  on  a  fine  little  ranch  one  mile  south  of 
Emmett,  has  lived  in  Idaho  since  1904  and  has  spent  the  entire  time  in  the  vicinity 
of  Emmett.  He  came  to  this  state  from  Ord,  Valley  county,  Nebraska,  where  he 
had  resided  for  thirty-three  years,  during  which  time  he  was  engage'd  in  farming 
near  Ord.  He  is  a  native,  however,  of  the  Empire  state,  his  birth  having  occurred 
at  Montague,  Lewis  county,  New  York,  May  11,  1862,  his  parents  being  William 
and  Catherine  (Mink)  Cronk,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  New  York  and  in  1873 
removed  to  Valley  county,  Nebraska,  where'  they  spent  their  remaining  days,  the 
father  passing  away  in  1911,  while  his  wife  had  died  in  1900.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Valley  county  and  devoted  his  life  to  the  occupation  of  farming. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  373 

Jay  H.  Cronk  was  reared  in  the  usual  manner  of  the  farm-bred  boy,  enjoying 
the  advantages  of  the  district  school  and  early  receiving  practical  training  in  the 
work  of  the  fields.  Having  reached  man's  estate,  he  was  married  at  Ord,  Nebraska, 
on  the  llth  of  September,  1882,  to  Miss  Linnie  Timmerman,  who  was  born  in  Steu- 
ben  county,  New  York,  April  24,  1865,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Alsameda 
(Drake)  Timmerman,  who  are  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state  and  in  1879  re- 
moved with  their  family  to  Nebraska,  the  father  and  mother  being  still  residents 
of  Valley  county. 

Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cronk  continued  to  reside  on  farms  in 
the  vicinity  of  Ord  until  1904,  when  they  came  to  Idaho  and  for  several  years  made 
their  home  at  Emmett.  There  for  four  years  Mr.  Cronk  owned  and  operated  a 
cement  block  factory  and  later,  for  a  year  or  more,  he  was  in  the  coal  and  grain 
business  and  also  engaged  in  the  sale  of  farm  implements  and  Studebaker  wagons. 
He  had  the  first  carload  of  wagons  and  vehicles  shipped  into  Emmett  from  the 
Studebaker  company.  He  finally  retired  from  mercantile  pursuits,  however,  and 
located  on  his  present  ranch  one  mile  south  of  Emmett.  In  1910  he  built  a  sub- 
stantial cement  block  house  of  eleven  rooms,  having  manufactured  the  blocks  from 
which  the  house  was  constructed  and  still  owning  his  machine  for  this.  His  ranch 
is  one  of  the  best  of  its  size  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett,  being  well  improved  in  every 
particular.  As  the  years  have  passed  ten  children  have  been  added  to  the  house- 
hold who  are  yet  living  and  they  have  also  lost  four.  Those  who  still  survive  are: 
Leon,  who  was  born  September  30,  1883;  Edna,  who  was  born  January  19,  1886, 
and  is  the  wite  of  Oscar  Hackett;  Guy,  who  was  born  August  28,  1889;  Belva,  who 
was  born  October  13,  1891,  and  is  the  wife  of  Alonzo  Phillips;  Katie  Estella,  who 
was  born  August  22,  1893,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Charles  Isaac  Phillips;  Allen  J., 
born  April  4,  1896;  Edith,  July  7,  1897;  Raymond  Vance,  October  18,  1899;  Vina 
L.,  July  25.  1902;  and  Emmett  M.,  April  28,  1908.  The  four  who  have  passed 
away  are  Ina.  Elva,  Meta  and  Loretta.  The  eldest,  Meta,  died  at  the  age  of 
eleven  years  of  appendicitis,  while  Loretta  was  accidentally  drowned  at  the  age 
of  eight  months. 

The  religious  faith  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cronk  is  that  of  the  Methodist  church. 
Mrs.  Cronk  belongs  to  the  Yeomen.  Mr.  Cronk  is  now  a  socialist  in  politics.  He 
served  as  town  treasurer  while  living  at  Ord,  Nebraska,  and  as  one  of  the  county 
supervisors  there.  In  1896  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the  state 
legislature,  but  since  coming  to  Idaho  he  has  never  sought  or  desired  political  prom- 
inence, preferring  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  business  affairs, 
and  his  property  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  well  directed  energy  and 
thrift. 


LARS  LARSON  ALSAGER. 

Lars  Larson  Alsager  resides  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett,  where  he  owns  a  ranch 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  situated  two  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  the 
town.  A  native  of  Norway,  he  was  born  June  28,  1862,  and  is  the  only  member  of 
his  father's  family  in  this  country.  He  learned  the  cooper's  trade  in  Norway  and 
prior  to  that  spent  three  years  of  his  youth  as  a  sailor  boy.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1883,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  and  was  nineteen  days  in  making  the 
voyage,  for  the  steamer  on  which  he  sailed  had  trouble  with  the  propeller.  He  at 
once  went  to  Minnesota  but  in  1886  removed  to  South  Dakota,  where  he  took  up  a 
homestead  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  thus  made  his  start  as  a 
farmer  in  the  new  world. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1892,  Mr.  Alsager  was  married  in  South  Dakota,  to  Miss 
Nettie  L.  Tofley,  who  was  of  Norwegian  parentage  but  was  born  in  Minnesota,  July 
9,  1871.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  A.  and  Olivia  (Christiansen)  Tofley,  both  na- 
tives of  Norway,  but  their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Wisconsin.  In  1900  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Alsager  removed  from  South  Dakota  to  the  state  of  Washington  and  in 
1903  became  residents  of  Idaho,  since  which  time  they  have  lived  in  the  vicinity 
of  Emmett.  Mr.  Alsager  and  his  father-in-law,  John  A.  Tofley,  purchased  two  hun- 
dred -acres  of  land  southwest  of  the  town.  Mr.  Alsager's  farm  now  embraces  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  this  original  purchase  and  he  devotes  his  place  to  the 
raising  of  hay,  grain  and  live  stock  and  has  an  excellent  property,  splendidly  de- 


374  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

veloped.  The  land,  which  cost  him  about  forty  dollars  per  acre,  is  now  easily  worth 
two  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  and  the  splendid  appearance  of  the  place  is  indica- 
tive of  the  care  and  supervision  of  a  practical  and  progressive  owner.  The  land  has 
been  brought  under  a  high  state  of  productivity,  producing  fifty  bushels  of  wheat 
to  the  acre  as  an  average  crop. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alsager  has  been  born  one  son,  Lewis  Oliver,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  South  Dakota,  August  24,  1893,  so  that  he  is  now  twenty-six  years  of 
age.  He  remains  at  home  upon  the  ranch  and  is  practically  in  charge,  specializing 
in  the  raising  of  beef  cattle  of  the  pure  bred  Red  Polled  stock.  He  is  a  young  man 
of  excellent  habits,  a  splendid  farmer  and  a  progressive  manager  and,  like  his 
parents,  enjoys  the  high  regard  of  all  who  know  him. 


WILLIAM  PARKS. 

William  Parks,  deceased,  spent  the  last  year  .of  his  life  in  Caldwell,  having  retired 
from  active  business,  but  for  many  years  he  was  closely  associated  with  the  agricul- 
tural development  of  Malheur  county,  Oregon.  He  was  born  in  New  York  city,  June  7, 
1845,  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Eliza  Jane  (Vanderhoof)  Parks.  The  father  was  a  bridge 
carpenter  and  so  served  in  connection  with  the  government  during  the  Civil  war. 
When  the  roll  was  called  and  he  did  not  answer  a  search  was  made  for  him  and  they 
found  him  under  the  bridge  upon  which  he  had  been  working,  with  his  head  severed 
from  his  body.  Thus  was  his  life  sacrificed  for  the  cause  which  he  had  espoused.  His 
wife  had  died  when  their  son  William  was  but  seven  years  of  age. 

The  latter  when  a  youth  of  fourteen  went  to  California  with  a  Mr.  Polamos.  His 
sister  Emma  had  been  taken  into  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burgess,  who  were  about 
to  take  her  to  California,  and  as  Mr.  Parks  did  not  wish  to  be  separated  from  her, 
he  asked  Mr.  Polamos,  who  was  going  to  California  with  the  Burgess  family,  if  he  did 
not  want  a  boy  to  work  for  him.  Accordingly  he  obtained  a  position  and  went  across 
the  plains  with  his  sister  and  they  remained  together  in  California  until  1864,  when 
William  Parks  came  to  Idaho.  His  sister  joined  him  in  this  state  six  years  later  and 
in  1873  became  the  wife  of  James  Gusman,  who  passed  away  in  1907,  leaving  his  widow, 
who  is  living  at  the  old  home,  where  she  has  resided  for  the  past  forty  years  in 
Jordan  Valley,  Oregon.  She  is  now  sixty-nine  years  of  age. 

From  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  California,  William  Parks  was  continuously  iden- 
tified with  activities  leading  to  the  further  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  west. 
In  1864  he  came  to  Silver  City,  Idaho,  where  he  worked  in  the  Morning  Star  Mill  for 
six  years.  He  then  removed  to  the  Jordan  valley  of  Oregon,  where  he  homesteaded 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  but  through  complications  arising  over  road 
building  he  lost  all  but  forty  acres  of  the  homestead.  However,  he  soon  made  arrange- 
ments to  purchase  the  other  three  forties,  so  that  his  widow  today  owns  the  original 
home  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Mr.  Parks  followed  farming  and  stock 
raising  thereon  to  within  a  year  of  his  death,  when  he  removed  to  Caldwell  and  re- 
tired from  active  business.  He  owned  a  half  interest  in  a  general  merchandise  store 
in  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon,  from  1895  until  1901  and  was  a  very  successful  man  who 
owed  his  prosperity  to  his  individual  ability,  his  indefatigable  energy  and  his  per- 
severance. Owing  to  the  fact  that  he  was  early  left  an  orphan  he  had  few  advan- 
tages in  his  youth  and  whatever  success  he  achieved  was  attributable  entirely  to  his 
own  labor,  and  he  deserves  much  credit  for  what  he  accomplished.  In  the  early  days 
he  went  through  all  of  the  experiences  which  constitute  phases  of  pioneer  life.  He 
participated  in  the  early  Indian  warfare  and  strife  and  aided  in  reclaiming  this  re- 
gion for  the  purposes  of  civilizaton. 

On  the  31st  of  August,  1879,  in  Jordan  Valley,  Oregon,  Mr.  Parks  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Julia  West,  a  native  of  Marion  county,  Iowa,  and  a  daughter  of 
Sheldon  and  Hannah  West,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Parks  went  to  Oregon 
with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Mary  Savely,  in  1879,  settling  in  Jordan  Valley.  Mrs.  Savely 
later  returned  to  Iowa,  where  she  passed  away.  By  her  marriage  Mrs.  Parks  became 
the  mother  of  five  children:  George  S.,  thirty -nine  years  of  age,  who  married  Ethel 
Thurman,  of  Oregon,  and  is  the  father  of  two  children,  Floyd,  aged  eleven,  and  Sheldon 
Thomas,  aged  three;  James  William,  thirty-seven  years  of  age,  who  married  Mamie 
Fenwick,  of  Oregon;  Hollister  Abraham,  aged  thirty-five,  who  married  Nellie  Belle 
Beers,  of  Oregon;  Mona  Olive,  the  wife  of  Harry  Looney,  cashier  of  the  Jordan  Vallev 


WILLIAM  PARKS 


MRS.  JULIA  A.  PARKS 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  379 

Bank,  by  whom  she  has  six  children,  Gaynor  Parks,  Wilmeth  Elaine,  Woodrow  Wilber, 
Harry,  Ernestine  and  Robert  Earl;  and  Guy  Allis,  who  married  Olive  Adams  and  has 
two  children,  Jack  T.  and  Lucile. 

Mrs.  Parks  still  makes  her  home  in  Caldwell  and  is  widely  known  throughout 
Canyon  county.  In  addition  to  the  old  homestead  farm  left  her  by  her  husband,  she 
owns  a  forty  acre  tract  in  the  Fargo  district  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  thus  she  is  provided  with  all  of  the  comforts  of  life.  The  death  of  Mr.  Parks  oc- 
curred February  15,.  1911,  when  he  was  sixty-six  years  of  age.  He  was  a  man  of 
sterling  w,orth  whom  to  know  was  to>  respect  and  honor,  and  throughout  the  long  years 
of  his  residence  in  Oregon  he  had  gained  many  friends.  The  greater  part  of  his  life 
was  spent  in  the  far  west,  and  he  exemplified  in  his  career  the  spirit  of  progress  and 
enterprise  which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  western  country. 


DR.  C.  K.  AH  FONG. 

Dr.  C.  K.  Ah  Fong,  a  Chinese  physician  of  Boise,  is  one  of  the  pioneer  rep- 
resentatives of  the  profession  in  Idaho,  having  come  to  the  territory  in  1866  from 
San  Francisco,  where  he  had  resided  for  only  a  few  months,  having  but  recently 
arrived  from  China,  his  native  land.  He  was  then  twenty-two  years  of  age,  a  young 
man  of  liberal  education,  who  had  already  become  a  physician  of  the  Chinese 
school,  having  studied  medicine  under  his  father,  Dr.  Whey  Fong,  who  was  a  man 
of  most  liberal  intellectual  training  and  an  eminent  representative  of  the  medical 
profession  in  that  country.  He  has  long  since  passed  away  but  he  was  for  many 
years  a  resident  of  San  Francisco,  California,  whence  he  afterward  returned  to 
China. 

Dr.  Ah  Fong  was  born  in  Canton,  China,  October  5,  1844.  and  has  made  his 
home  continuously  in  Idaho  since  1866,  or  for  a  period  of  about  fifty-four  years. 
He  has  been  connected  with  Boise  since  1889  and  throughout  the  entire  period  of 
his  residence  in  Idaho  has  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  He  formerly  lived 
in  Alturas  county,  where  he  also  practiced  among  people  of  his  nationality.  He  has 
only  made  one  trip  back  to  China  since  coming  to  the  new  world,  having  recrossed 
the  Atlantic  in  1911. 

Dr.  Ah  Fong  has  been  married  twice  and  has  three  living  children,  one  son 
and  two  daughters.  By  his  first  wife,  who  passed  away  in  1902,  he  had  a  son  and 
a  daughter:  Charley  T.  Tong  Fong,  who  has  followed  in  his  father's  professional 
footsteps  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Shanghai,  China;  and 
Lena  Ah  Fong,  now  the  wife  of  William  P.  Wong,  of  Chicago.  For  his  second  wife 
Dr.  Ah  Fong  chose  Miss  Lee  Sea,  a  native  of  San  Francisco,  California,  and  they 
have  an  interesting  little  daughter,  Aimee  Ah  Fong,  who  is  now  ten  years  of  age. 

Dr.  Ah  Fong  has  kept  in  touch  with  the  progress  that  is  being  continually  made 
in  the  medical  profession  and  is  a  man  who  commands  the  respect  and  confidence 
of  all  who  know  him. 


MRS.  LILLIE  CHAMBERS. 

Mrs.  Ullif  Chambers,  whose  pretty  ranch  home  is  situated  a  mile  and  half 
southwest  of  Emmett,  came  to  Idaho  in  1911  from  Smith  county,  Kansas,  in  com- 
pany with  her  husband,  William  M.  Chambers,  who  throughout  his  entire  life  de- 
voted his  attention  to  farming.  He  was  born  in  Illinois,  December  14,  1855,  and 
spent  his  boyhood,  youth  and  early  manhood  in  the  Mississippi  valley.  On  coming 
to  Idaho  with  his  family  he  purchased  a -splendid  little  suburban  home,  standing 
in  the  midst  of  a  highly  improved  ten-acre  ranch,  and  there  resided  until  death 
called  him  on  the  30th  of  May,  1917.  The  ranch  is  still  occupied  by  his  widow  and 
her  two  stepsons,  Otto  and  Archie,  aged  respectively  twenty-four  and  twenty-two 
years,  who  were  sons  of  Mr.  Chambers  by  his  first  marriage.  Both  have  lucrative 
employment  near-by. 

Mrs.  Chambers  was  born  in  Iowa  City,  Iowa,  December  13,  1860,  and  in  her 
maidenhood  was  Lillie  Hibbard,  daughter  of  Leverett  and  Mary  (Hart well)  Hib- 
bard.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  she  became  the  bride  of  Edgar  Kimball,  who 


380 

passed  away  August  8,  1902,  being  accidentally  drowned  in  the  South  Canadian 
river  in  Oklahoma,  at  which  time  they  were  living  oh  a  farm  of  their  own  in 
Dewey.  county,  Oklahoma,  that  still  belongs  to  Mrs.  Chambers  and  comprises  eighty 
acres  of  land,  being  now  occupied  by  a  tenant  who  pays  her  cash  rent  for  it.  At 
his  death  Mr.  Kimball  left  a  daughter,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Myrtle  Zimmerman,  of 
Smith  county,  Kansas.  On  the  29th  of  November,  1905,  Mrs.  Kimball  became  the 
wife  of  William  M.  Chambers  and  the  stepmother  of  seven  children  who  were  born 
to  Mr.  Chambers  and  his  first  wife,  Mrs.  Mary  (Hartwell)  Chambers,  who  was  an 
own  cousin  of  the  mother  of  the  present  Mrs.  Chambers. 

Mr.  Chambers  belonged  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  His  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the  republican 
party  and  he  had  many  sterling  traits  of  character  which  won  him  the  high  respect 
and  warm  regard  of  all  who  knew  him.  Mrs.  Chambers  belongs  to  the  Methodist 
church  and  also  to  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps.  She  is  a  woman  of  many  attractive 
social  qualities.  She  is  most  hospitable,  making  all  feel  at  home  who  come  within 
her  presence,  and  her  life  is  the  expression  of  the  highest  womanly  and  Christian 
principles. 


JOSEPH  C.  SURBER. 

Joseph  C.  Surber,  who  has  devoted  his  entire  life  to  general  agricultural  pur- 
suits, now  owns  and  operates  a  ranch  of  eighty  acres  two  miles  southwest  of  Em- 
mett,  whereon  he  took  up  his  abode  in  1908.  His  birth  occurred  in  Iowa  on  the 
15th  of  January,  1866,  his  parents  being  John  and  Susanna  (Swafford)  Surber, 
the  former  of  German  descent  and  the  latter  of  Irish  lineage.  They  had  a  family 
of  seven  children,  three  of  whom  still  survive. 

Joseph  C..  Surber  spent  his  early  life  in  Iowa,  Kansas,  Missouri,  Oklahoma, 
Arkansas  and  California,  being  a  youth  of  fifteen  when  the  family  home  was  estab- 
lished in  the  last  named  state.  Later  he  returned  to  Oklahoma  and  subsequently 
lived  in  New  Mexico,  Arizona  and  Colorado  respectively.  He  was  married  in  Okla- 
homa on  the  22d  of  December,  1889,  to  Miss  Lottie  Murray,  who  was  born  in 
Nebraska,  January  7,  1868,  a  daughter  of  David  and  Phoebe  Murray.  Mrs.  Surber 
was  reared  in  the  states  of  Iowa,  Texas  and  Kansas.  Following  their  marriage 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Surber  lived  in  Oklahoma,  Oregon  and  Colorado  before  coming  to 
Idaho  in  1908.  It  was  in  that  year  that  the  former  purchased  his  present  ranch 
property,  comprising  eighty  acres  two  miles  southwest  of  Emmett,  for  which  he 
paid  sixty-five  dollars  per  acre.  The  land  has  rapidly  increased  in  value  and  is  now 
worth  two  or  three  times  that  amount.  Mr.  Surber  has  been  identified  with  farm- 
ing interests  throughout  his  entire  life  and  has  won  a  gratifying  measure  of  suc- 
cess therein,  being  now  the  owner  of  a  splendidly  improved  property  which  annu- 
ally returns  to  him  a  substantial  income. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Surber  have  five  living  children,  namely:  Benjamin;  William; 
Nellie,  the  wife  of  Albert  Boyenger;  Susanna;  and  Grace.  All  are  at  home  with 
the  exception  of  Nellie.  Mr.  Surber  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
while  his  wife  belongs  to  the  Methodist  church.  Familiar  with  many  parts  of  the 
country,  he  has  taken  up  his  permanent  abode  in  Idaho  and  has  not  only  won  pros- 
perity but  also  the  high  regard  and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  associated. 


MISS  JULIA  ELIZABETH  CAPWELL. 

In  1882  there  came  to  Idaho  a  young  lady  traveling  by  stage  from  Kelton,  Utah, 
to  take  up  the  work  of  first  primary  teacher  in  the  old  Central  school  building  of 
Boise,  which  had  just  been  completed  and  which  was  at  that  time  the  only  school 
building  in  the  city.  From  that  year  until  June,  1917,  Julia  Elizabeth  Capwell 
was  constantly  engaged  in  primary  school  work  in  Boise  and  in  Portland,  Oregon, 
with  the  exception  of  a  year  and  a  half  spent  in  Oriental  travel,  in  1910  and  1911.  For 
nine  years  she  was  connected  with  the  Portland  schools  and  the  remainder  of  the  time 
has  been  in  Boise,  holding  today  the  post  of  honor  among  Idaho's  teachers  because 
of  her  long  years  of  service. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  381 

In  June,  1917,  Miss  Capwell  was  retired  on  a  pension  by  the  Boise  school 
board,  which  unanimously  passed  the  following:  "Resolved  that  the  establish- 
ment of  the  teachers'  retirement  fund  of  this  district  was  intended  as  a  partial  re- 
ward for  the  long,  faithful  and  efficient  service  of  Miss  Julia  Capwell  as  a  teacher 
in  the  schools  of  this  district  and  is  evidence  of  the  appreciation  of  her  services 
by  the  people  of  Boise  City."  This  resolution  was  duly  signed  and  sent  to  her 
by  the  president  of  the  board  of  education,  having  been  adopted  at  a  meeting* 
of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  Boise  public  schools  on  the  25th  of  October,  1917. 
Since  her  retirement  from  active  school  work  Miss  Capwell  has  established  the 
"Little  Tutor  Shop,"  a  model  primary  school  for  a  limited  number  of  pupils,  which 
she  teaches,  doing  regular  first  grade  work  during  half  day  sessions  throughout 
the  year.  While  actively  engaged  in  public  school  work.  Miss  Capwell  also  did 
much  institute  work  in  almost  every  county  in  southern  Idaho,  including  many 
sessions  which  held  in  Boise.  She  assisted  in  organizing  the  first  teachers  institute 
in  Idaho  territory  and  has  the  honor  of  having  been  granted  the  first  teacher's 
certificate  after  Idaho  became  a  state.  This  certificate  is  now  held  as  an  interesting 
relic  by  the  State  Historical  Society.  Miss  Capwell  holds  a  life  teacher's  certificate 
in  both  Idaho  and  Oregon. 

She  came  to  the  west  from  New  York,  having  been  born  in  Wyoming,  that 
state,  July  29,  1853.  She  Is  a  daughter  of  Hiram  Bentley  and  Elizabeth  Jane 
(Lockwood)  Capwell  and  is  the  only  living  member  of  her  father's  family.  In  the 
paternal  line  she  is  descended  from  an  old  New  York  Holland  Dutch  family  and 
has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  her  Dutch  ancestry.  Her  mother's  people,  the 
Lockwoods,  lived  in  Connecticut  and  were  of  English  descent,  and  both  families 
were  represented  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Miss  Capwell  was  educated  at  Mid- 
dlebury  Academy  at  Wyoming,  New  York,  of  which  her  grandfather,  Peter  Cap- 
well,  was  one  of  the  founders  and  from  which  his  four  sons  all  graduated,  her 
father  being  among  the  number.  Another  of  the  four  sons  of  Peter  Capwell  was 
A.  B.  Capwell,  who  became  the  second  president  of  that  school. 

Miss  Capwell  of  this  review  took  her  kindergarten  training  under  Julia  E. 
Sheldon,  of  New  York  city,  and  in  1870  removed  to  Iowa,  where  she  taught  until 
coming  to  Idaho  in  1882.  She  is  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  Boise  and  is  a  woman  who  has  had  marked  influence  for  good  over  the 
lives  of  her  pupils,  many  of  whom,  now  men  and  women  grown,  speak  of  her  in 
terms  of  the  warmest  affection  and  respect.  She  is  proud  of  the  fact  that  she  is 
an  Idaho  pioneer,  having  for  about  thirty-eight  years  been  a  witness  of  the  growth 
and  development  of  Boise  and  of  the  state  at  large. 


MRS.  JESSIE  CORNELIA  CHAPIX. 

Mrs.  Jessie  Cornelia  Chapin  is  the  owner  and  manager  of  the  Silver  Leaf 
I>airy,  situated  a  mile  and  a  half  southwest  of  Emmett.  She  possesses  excellent 
business  ability,  courage  and  determination,  and  when  upon  her  devolved  the  care 
and  rearing  of  her  young  children,  she  pluckily  took  up  the  work  in  which  she  is 
now  engaged  and  has  won  success  in  her  business  undertakings.  She  is  now 
keeping  fifteen  cows,  which  she  milks  night  and  morning  herself,  and  during  the 
day  delivers  the  milk  to  her  customers  in  Emmett.  In  addition  to  this  she  man- 
ages her  own  household  affairs  and  her  capability  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  she  has 
recently  purchased  twenty  acres  of  land  adjoining  her  ranch. 

Mrs.  Chapin  certainly  deserves  great  credit  for  what  she  has  accomplished. 
She  was  born  in  La  Salle  county,  Illinois,  August  25,  1870,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
William  Edward  and  Martha  Jane  (Powers)  Clifton,  the  former  a  native  of  Canada 
and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  The  father  was  born  in  the  old  Clifton  tavern  on  the 
Canadian  side  of  Niagara  Falls,  the  hostelry  being  owned  by  his  father.  It  was 
about  1867  that  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Chapin  were  married  and  she  is  the  second  in 
their  family  of  eight  children,  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  two  of  the 
sons  have  passed  away.  The  parents  now  reside  in  Oklahoma.  They  removed  to 
Iowa  with  their  family  when  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Chapin,  was  but  five  years  of  age 
and  she  was  reared  in  Carroll  county,  that  state.  When  she  was  a  young  lady  of 
eighteen  she  made  her  way  westward  to  Wyoming  with  her  parents  and  in  that  state 
was  married  on  the  29th  of  July,  1889,  to  Charles  A.  Chapin,  a  paper  hanger  and 


382  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

decorator.  They  lived  for  two  years  in  Wyoming  and  then  removed  to  Montpelier, 
Idaho,  where  they  made  their  home  for  eleven  years.  Since  1902  Mrs.  Chapin  has 
resided  in  Emmett  or  vicinity  and  in  1908  located  on  her  present  ranch  property 
southwest  of  Emmett,  where  she  now  resides  with  her  younger  children  and  con- 
ducts the  dairy  interests  known  under  the  name  of  the  Silver  Leaf  Dairy. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chapin  were  born  eight  children:  Frank,  born  April  17,  1890; 
Hazel  D.,  January  14,  1892;  Edith  L.,  January  14,  1894;  Harley  D.,  September  15, 
1896;  Evelyn  Muriel,  who  was  born  February  4,  1899,  and  was  married  December 
25,  1919,  to  Gust  Elmquist,  of  Emmett,  where  they  reside;  Eva  Murvel,  twin  sister 
of  Evelyn,  who  was  married  on  the  same  day  to  Christ  Ottersen,  also  a  resident  of 
Emmett;  Carroll  Edward,  June  22,  1905;  and  Charles  A.,  January  4,  1907.  The 
eldest  son,  Frank,  is  married,  lives  in  Emmett  and  has  two  children,  Frank  and 
Robert.  He  is  a  life  insurance  man,  connected  with  the  New  York  Mutual  Life 
Insurance  Company.  Hazel  D.  is  the  wife  of  Carl  Pedersen,  of  Emmett,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Lucile  and  Ruth.  Edith  L.  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  J.  Blanc,  of 
Beaumont,  Idaho,  and  they  have  one  child,  Jack  Blanc. 

In  addition  to  her  home  ranch  Mrs.  Chapin  owns  another  ranch  property  in  the 
vicinity,  which  she  recently  purchased  and  which  provides  pasture  for  her  dairy 
cows  in  the  summer.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah  and  is  highly 
esteemed  by  all  who  know  her  for  what  she  has  accomplished  and  the  many  admir- 
able womanly  qualities  that  she  displays. 


GEORGE  H.   SMITH. 

George  H.  Smith,  a  resident  of  Rigby,  who  is  the  owner  of  a  highly  improved 
farm  in  Jefferson  county,  was  born  in  Scotland,  January  21,  1847,  a  son  of  Richard 
and  Ellen  (Hogg)  Smith,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Scotland  where  the  former 
worked  as  a  miner.  Just  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  war  in  1865,  Richard  Smith 
brought  his  family  to  America  and  lived  for  eighteen  months  in  the  state  of  Mary- 
land. Soon  he  heard  of  the  greater  opportunities  of  the  newly  arrived  immigrant  in 
the  far  west,  and  he  therefore  took  his  family  to  Logan,  Utah,  where  he  remained 
until  he  was  fifty  years  of  age.  He  then  came  to  Idaho,  making  his  home  with  his 
son  who  lived  in  Rexburg.  His  death  occurred  in  1907  after  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  eighty-two,  and  that  of  his  wife  two  years  previously. 

George  H.  Smith  spent  his  early  life  in  the  mining  district  of  Scotland  and  it 
was  there  that  he  received  the  schooling  that  the  time  and  place  afforded.  He  was  a 
young  man  of  eighteen  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  America  and 
settled  in  Logan,  Utah,  and  some  time  later  he  left  his  father's  home  to  go  to 
Montana,  where  he  worked  in  the  gold  mines.  Later,  however,  he  returned  to  the 
east  and  spent  a  short  time  working  in  the  coal  mines.  At  that  time  railroad 
building  was  progressing  at  a  rapid  rate  in  this  country  and  the  demand  for  work- 
men was  so  strong  that  Mr.  Smith  returned  to  the  west,  where  he  helped  to  build 
the  Union  Pacific  from  Green  River,  Wyoming,  through  Utah.  After  the  completion 
of  the  first  trans-continental  railroad,  the  settlement  of  the  west  went  on  at  a  rapid 
rate  and  this,  along  with  the  inducements  of  the  Federal  government  to  settlers, 
caused  Mr.  Smith  to  decide  to  become  a  landholder.  In  1878  he  came  to  Idaho  and 
took  a  homestead  and  a  pre-emption  in  what  was  then  Oneida  county,  the  area  of 
both  tracts  making  a  total  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  As  this  section 
became  more  and  more  thickly  settled,  new  counties  have  been  organized  and  Mr. 
Smith's  farm  has  the  distinction  of  having  lain  in  five  counties  at  different  times. 
Originally  it  was  included  in  Oneida  county  and  by  subsequent  divisions  it  has  been 
a  part  of  Bingham,  .Fremont,  Bonneville  and  finally  of  Jefferson  county. 

Since  Mr.  Smith  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  Rigby  country,  his  land 
was  entirely  new,  but  he  set  to  work  with  the  inborn  perserverance  of  his  Scotch 
ancestors  to  develop  it  and  soon  brought  it  under  cultivation.  His  farm  is  now  one 
of  the  most  highly  improved  in  Jefferson  county  with  a  beautiful  stone  farm  house 
and  good,  substantial  outbuildings.  He  continued  the  operation  of  his  farm  and 
engaged  in  the  raising  of  thoroughbred  Percheron  horses  and  Durham  cattle  until 
1914,  when  he  leased  the  place  and  removed  to  Rigby.  There  he  built  a  beautiful, 
modern  home,  where  he  is  now  enjoying  well  earned  retirement.  In  addition  to 
his  home,  he  has  other  property  in  Rigby,  being  the  owner  of  two  residences  and 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  383 

several  lots.  He  constructed  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  Smith  Hardware 
Company,  which  firm  is  comprised  of  Mr.  Smith  and  his  son,  Abraham  P.,  who  has 
charge  of  the  business.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Beet  Growers  Sugar  Com- 
pany of  Rigby. 

On  January  25,  1875,  at  Morngonia.  Boone  county,  Iowa,  Mr.  Smith  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Agnes  Park,  who  was  born  in  Bridgeton,  near  Glasgow,  Scotland, 
September  25,  1845.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  one  of 
whom  died  in  infancy,  and  the  others  being:  Maggie,  the  wife  of  Claude  Carlisle, 
a  farmer  of  Jefferson  county,  Idaho;  Richard;  Abraham  P.,  a  hardware  merchant 
of  Rigby,  and  Dr.  George  A.,  who  is  a  veterinarian  of  Rigby. 

Although  Mr.  Smith  is  not  at  this  time  an  active  member  of  any  fraternal  order, 
he  formerly  affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  republican  and,  although  he  has  never 
sought  public  office,  he  gives  a  good  citizen's  attention  to  the  best  interests  of  his 
party.  He  has  not  allied  himself  with  any  religious  denomination  but  Mrs.  Smith 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 


MRS.  MARY  ANN  ZIMMERMAN. 

Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Zimmerman  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  since  1912,  when  she 
came  to  this  state  with  her  husband,  the  late  William  Zimmerman,  who  passed  away 
July  24.  1916,  in  St.  Mary's  Hospital  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  They  had  lived  for 
three  years  in  Idaho  and  then  on  account  of  the  health  of  Mr.  Zimmerman  returned 
to  their  farm  in  Kansas,  upon  which  they  were  making  their  home  at  the  time  of 
his  demise.  Mr.  Zimmerman  was  born  in  Hawkins  county,  Ohio,  October  20,  1844, 
and  was  a  son  of  Casper  and  Elizabeth  (Fox)  Zimmerman.  The  father  was  a  native 
of  Germany  and  came  to  the  United  States  when  fifteen  years  of  age.  William 
Zimmerman  went  to  Missouri  with  his  parents  when  a  young  man  and  joined  the 
Union  army  from  Harrison  county,  that  state,  serving  until  the  end  of  the  war.  He 
was  largely  on  duty  in  Missouri  and  was  both  private  and  bugler  with  Company  G 
of  the  Fourth  Missouri  Cavalry. 

On  the  7th  of  November,  1869,  Mr.  Zimmerman  was  married  in  Worth  county, 
Missouri,  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Pyle,  who  was  born  in  Perry  county,  Illinois,  April  12, 
1850,  a  daughter  of  Ulysses  and  Amelia  (Gill)  Pyle.  The  latter  was  a  sister  of 
Alethia  Gill,  who  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  Logan,  the  brother  of  General  John 
A.  Logan.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Zimmerman  were  also  natives  of  Illinois,  the  former 
born  in  Perry  county  and  the  latter  in  Jackson  county.  They  removed  with  their 
family  to  Worth  county,  Missouri,  when  Mrs.  Zimmerman  was  but  six  years  of  age. 
and  she  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  eleven  children,  six  sons  and  five  daughters,  of, 
whom  seven  are  yet  living,  but  she  is  the  only  one  residing  in  Idaho.  In  1874  Mr. 
Zimmerman  and  his  wife  removed  to  Smith  county,  Kansas,  where  he  took  up  a 
soldier's  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  They  improved  this  and  resided 
thereon  for  twenty  years,  after  which  it  was  exchanged  for  another  farm,  Mr.  Zim- 
merman devoting  his  entire  life  to  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1912  he  and  his  wife 
came  to  Idaho  and  purchased  the  present  nice  little  ranch  property  of  seven  acres 
on  which  Mrs.  Zimmerman  now  resides.  It  is  pleasantly  and  conveniently  located 
a  mile  and  a  half  southwest  of  Emmett  and  is  an  attractive  place.  They  still  owned 
their  Kansas  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  in  1915,  on  account  of  his 
health,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zimmerman  rented  their  Idaho  home  and  returned  to  Kansas. 
In  1916  Mr.  Zimmerman  was  taken  to  St.  Mary's  Hospital  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri, 
where  he  died  after  an  operation.  Mrs.  Zimmerman  returned  to  the  Idaho  ranch 
near  Emmett  in  1917.  Her  youngest  son,  Ora  Glenn  Zimmerman,  a  young  man  of 
twenty-six  years,  resides  with  her  and  cares  for  the  ranch.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the 
World  war,  having  been  at  Camp  Lewis  when  the  armistice  was  signed.  He  was 
born  in  a  sod  house  on  the  old  homestead  farm»in  Smith  county,  Kansas,  November 
26,  1893.  After  America's  advent  into  the  World  war  he  went  to  Camp  Lewis, 
where  he  remained  for  a  year.  There  are  five  other  children  In  the  Zimmerman 
family,  all  older  and  all  now  married.  These  are:  Wayne,  who  was  born  November 
1,  1870;  Ada  Ambrosia,  who  was  born  August  27,  1875,  and  is  now  the  wife  of 
Daniel  Byers,  living  near  Emmett;  Floyd  L.,  who  was  born  November  17,  1879; 
Ovia  Fay,  born  February  6,  1882,  and  now  the  wife  of  Amos  Ormsbee,  of  Smith 


384  HISTORY  OF  ID\HO 

county,  Kansas;  and  Gill  C.,  born  December  23,  1889.  The  son,  Wayne,  married 
Dora  Marvin  and  lives  upon  a  ranch  adjoining  his  mother's  property.  He  has  three 
children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Byers  have  one  living  child.  Floyd  L.  married  Myrtle 
Kimball,  the  only  daughter  of  Mrs.  Lillie  Chambers  of  Emmett,  and  resides  in 
Smith  county,  Kansas.  He  and  his  wife  have  ten  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ormsbee 
have  three  children.  Gill  C.  married  Vina  Barry  and  makes  his  home  in  Smith 
county,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Zimmerman  was  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
also  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  his  political  belief  was  that  of  the 
republican  party.  Mrs.  Zimmerman  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  of  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps,  and  her  sons,  Wayne  and  Ora,  are  both  identified  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  All  the  various  members  of  the  family  are  held 
in  high  esteem  in  the  different  localities  in  which  they  reside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zim- 
merman were  careful  in  their  training  and  instilled  into  their  sons  and  daughters 
principles  which  have  been  guiding  forces  throughout  their  lives.  In  Idaho,  where 
she  makes  her  home,  Mrs.  Zimmerman  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all  who 
know  her. 


CHARLES  L.  HAIGHT. 

• 

Through  the  steps  of  an  orderly  progression  in  the  business  world  Charles  L. 
Haight  has  reached  the  responsible  position  of  manager  of  the  Oakley  Cooperative 
Store  at  Oakley,  Cassia  county.  Making  good  use  of  his  time,  talents  and  opportuni- 
ties, he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  to  this  position  of  importance  and  re- 
sponsibility. He  was  born  at  Farmington,  Davis  county,  Utah,  November  24,  1873,  and 
is  a  son  of  Horton  D.  and  Louisa  (Leavitt)  Haight,  the  former  a  native  of  the  state 
of  New  York,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada.  The  father  removed 
westward  with  his  parents,  who  had  become  residents  of  Illinois  and  from  that  state 
they  started  across  the  plains  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  making  the  journey  with  ox 
teams,  traveling  after  the  primitive  manner  of  the  times.  This  was  in  the  year  1847. 
Such  a  trip  was  fraught  with  many  hardships  and  privations  and  later  Horton  D. 
Haight  made  seven  round  trips  back  to  the  Missouri  river  as  a  freighter  and  to  assist 
emigrants  to  Utah.  He  hauled  the  first  wire  that  was  used  in  the  construction  of  a 
telegraph  system  in  Utah  and  was  identified  with  various  events  which  have  left  their 
impress  upon  the  development  and  history  of  the  state.  He  served  as  sheriff  of  Davis 
county,  Utah,  was  a  member  of  the  state  militia  and  also  operated  a  farm  in  Utah  until 
1881,  when  he  was  sent  by  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  to  aid  in 
colonizing  the  Goose  Creek  valley,  where  Oakley  now  stands.  He  presided  over  the 
district  and  was  afterward  made  president  of  Cassia  stake,  continuing  in  that  posi- 
tion until  his  death,  which  occurred  January  19,  1900,  when  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  sixty-eight  years.  The  mother  passed  away  March  28,  1915.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Haight  had  been  a  democrat  and  for  a  number  of  terms  he  served  as  county 
commissioner  of  Cassia  county  and  was  otherwise  closely  connected  with  events  which 
contributed  to  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  this  section  of  the  state. 

Charles  L.  Haight  was  a  lad  of  nine  years  when  his  parents  removed  from  Farm- 
ington, "Utah,  to  Oakley,  Idaho.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the  schools  of  Cassia 
county  and  after  his  textbooks  were  put  aside  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  busi- 
ness of  farming  and  stock  raising.  He  was  called  upon  to  fill  a  three  years'  mission 
in  Mississippi  and  Alab  ma  for  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  In 
1899  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  the  store  of  which  he  is  now  manager.  In  1905  he 
removed  to  the  Minidoka  project  near  Burley  and  homsteaded  eighty  acres  of  land, 
which  he  developed  and  improved,  converting  the  tract  into  richly  cultivated  fields. 
When  Burley  was  founded  he  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  establishment  of  a 
postoffice  and  otherwise  contributed  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  town.  He  organized  the 
Burley  Mercantile  Store,  which  was  the  first  store  of  the  town,  and  remained  in  busi- 
ness there  until  1910,  when  he  returned  to  Oakley  and  took  over  the  active  management 
of  the  Oakley  Cooperative  Store.  He  has  since  been  in  charge  and  the  success  of 
the  business  is  attributable  to  his  wise  direction,  to  his  close  application  and  enter- 
prising methods.  He  has  ever  recognized  the  fact  that  satisfied  patrons  are  the  best 
advertisement  and  he  has  therefore  put  forth  every  possible  effort  to  please  the  cus- 
tomers and  in  all  business  dealings  has  followed  the  most  straightforward  and  hon- 
orable methods. 


CHARLES  L.  HAIGHT 


Vol.  HI— 25 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  387 

In  1899  Mr.  Haigbt  was  married  to  Miss  Stella  Elison,  a  native  of  Grantsville, 
Utah,  and  a  daughter  of  Char  lee  G.  and  Mary  ( Worth  ington)  Elison.  They  have  be- 
come parents  of  six  children:  Mary  Zina,  Mabel  Louisa,  Charles  Elmo,  Harlow,  Oleen 
and  Lloyd. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  in  his  political  belief  Mr.  Haight  is  a  republican.  He  has  never  been 
desirous  of  holding  office,  however,  feeling  that  his  other  activities  and  duties  make 
full  demand  upon  his  time  and  attention.  Steadily  he  has  worked  his  way  upward 
since  starting  out  in  the  business  world  and  he  has  truly  won  the  proud  American 
title  of  a  self-made  man. 


ALBERT  CHOULES. 

For  about  a  decade  Albert  Choules  has  been  a  resident  of  Driggs  and  occupies 
a  prominent  place  in  business  circles  as  the  manager  of  the  Arnold- Vaughn  Company. 
He  was  born  in  England,  December  29,  1877,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Mary 
(Fierce)  Choules,  who  were  also  natives  of  that  country,  whence  they  came  to  ihe 
new  world  in  1882.  They  established  their  home  at  Provo,  Utah,  where  the  father 
engaged  in  the  shoemaking  business,  which  he  followed  throughout  his  entire  life 
in  England  and  in  Utah.  As  the  years  passed  he  extended  his  activities  to  include 
the  retailing  of  shoes  and  he  remained  a  factor  in  the  business  circles  of  Provo  until 
his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death  on  the  18th  of  December,  1899.  The  mother 
passed  away  May  31,  1901.  George  Choules  was  ever  a  loyal  member  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  held  various  offices  in  the  church.  He  was 
also  a  musician  of  considerable  local  repute. 

Albert  Choules,  pursuing  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools,  afterward 
continued  his  studies  in  the  Brigham  Young  University  at  Provo.  He  later  went 
upon  the  road,  selling  goods  for  -Taylor  Brothers,  and  subsequently  engaged  in 
clerking  in  a  men's  furnishing  goods  store.  In  1903  he  filled  a  mission  to  England 
for  the  church,  serving  two  years  there,  after  which  he  returned  to  the  new  world 
in  1905.  At  that  date  he  entered  the  field  of  insurance  as  representative  of  the 
Mutual  Life  of  New  York,  with  which  he  was  connected  for  six  years.  In  1910  he 
removed  to  Driggs,  Teton  county,  and  established  a  real  estate  and  insurance  agency 
and  also  a  theatre  business,  conducting  these  lines  until  1915,  when  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  firm  of  Blodgett  &  Stone,  general  merchants.  When  the  business  was 
sold  to  Arnold  &  Vaughn,  Mr.  Choules  also  purchased  stock  in  the  company.  On 
the  29th  of  October,  1919,  Mr.  Vaughn  withdrew  from  the  business  and  Mr.  Choules 
was  made  manager.  He  is  still  a  stockholder  and  one  of  the  directors  of  the  busi- 
ness, which  is  conducted  under  the  style  of  the  Arnold-Vaughn  Company. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1917,  Mr.  Choules  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rula 
Wilson  and  to  them  was  born  a  daughter,  Lois,  on  the  23d  of  February,  1918.  Mr. 
Choules,  aside  from  filling  the  mission  previously  referred  to,  has  been  an  officer 
in  the  church,  serving  as  second  counselor  to  Don  C.  Driggs,  as  president  of  the 
Teton  stake  and  formerly  for  six  years  as  superintendent  of  the  Young  Men's  Mutual 
Improvement  Association.  His  political  support  is  given  to  the  republican  party 
and  he  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Driggs,  of  which  he  has  served 
for  two  years  as  president.  He  is  in  hearty  sympathy  with  the  purposes  of  that 
organization  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  city,  the  extension  of  its  trade  relations  and 
the  development  of  its  civic  standards.  In  a  word  he  is  a  very  alert  and  progressive 
man  whose  life  typifies  the  opportunities  of  the  west  and  the  kind  of  men  who  have 
been  the  upbuilders  ol  its  greatness. 


MRS.  LEONORA  GOODSELL. 

Mrs.  Leonora  Goodsell,  who  resides  one  mile  west  of  Emmett,  was  born  at 
M-ount  Pleasant,  Iowa,  January  30,  1862,  being  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary 
•  Chandler)  Burdge,  with  whom  she  came  to  Idaho  when  but  two  years  of  age. 
Her  father  located  with  his  family  on  a  homestead  two  miles  west  of  Emmett,  the 
place  being  now  owned  by  Charles  Fuller.  Mr.  Burdge  was  a  farmer  and  timberman 


388  .     HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

who  after  coming  to  Idaho  operated  both  a  sawmill  and  grist  mill  near  Emmett, 
the  town  being  then  known  as  Emmettsville.  He  died  about  1884,  when  seventy- 
four  years  of  age,  and  his  wife,  who  survived  him  until  February  10,  1908,  was  also 
about  seventy-four  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  demise.  Mrs.  Goodsell  has  two 
full  sisters  and  two  brothers,  all  of  whom  are  living,  these  being:  Charles  L.  Burdge, 
of  Idaho;  George,  who  is  living  at  Emmett;  Mrs.  Emma  Frances  Goodwin,  of  Boise, 
the  widow  of  M.  H.  Goodwin;  and  Mrs.  Nellie  Buckley,  of  Seattle.  It  is  a  singular 
coincidence  that  three  daughters  of  the  Burdge  family  all  married  men  the  first 
syllable  of  whose  names  is  "Good,"  Emma  Frances  becoming  the  wife  of  M.  H. 
Goodwin,  Leonora  the  wife  of  Jared  I.  Goodsell  and  Elizabeth,  the  half  sister,  be- 
coming the  wife  of  George  Goodrich.  All  three  are  widows. 

Mrs.  Goodsell  has  resided  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett  since  two  years  of  age, 
the  family  coming  to  this  state  in  1864.  There  are  few  indeed  who  have  resided 
in  the  district  for  a  longer  period  and  in  her  girlhood  days  she  became  familiar 
with  all  of  the  experiences  of  frontier  life.  At  sixteen  years  of  age,  or  on  the  21st 
of  February,  1878,  she  became  the  bride  of  Jared  Isaac  Goodsell,  a  native  of  Steuben 
county,  New  York,  who  served  with  the  Fiftieth  New  York  Engineers  during  the 
Civil  war.  He  came  to  Idaho  about  1875  and  followed  the  occupation  of  farming. 
He  passed  away  on  the  20th  of  August,  1909,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years, 
having  for  thirty-four  years  been  a  valued  and  representative  agriculturist  of  Gem 
county.  He  is  survived  not  only  by  his  widow  but  also  by  two  sons:  Charles  Elmer, 
who  is  married  and  has  two  children;  and  George  Francis,  who  resides  with  his 
mother.  Both  sons  are  in  the  employ  of  a  lumber  concern  near  their  home.  Mrs. 
Goodsell  has  two  grandsons,  Elvin  and  Floyd  Goodsell.  Her  home  is  a  mile  west  of 
Emmett  and  is  one  of  the  attractive  suburban  residences  of  the  district.  It  was 
begun  by  her  husband  prior  to  his  death  and  she  completed  it  after  he  was  called 
to  his  final  rest.  There  is  no  important  phase  of  the  development  and  progress  of 
Gem  county  and  of  this  section  of  the  state  with  which  Mrs.  Goodsell  is  not  familiar, 
having  been  brought  across  the  plains  by  her  parents  in  a  covered  wagon  to  Idaho 
in  1864,  long  before  the  building  of  the  railroad.  She  has  witnessed  the  marvelous 
changes  which  have  reclaimed  the  once  wild  and  undeveloped  region  and  transformed 
it  into  a  populous  and  prosperous  district  supplied  with  all  of  the  advantages  and 
opportunities  known  to  the  older  east,  and  her  reminiscences  of  the  early  days  are 
most  entertaining. 


ANTONIO  URANGA. 

Antonio  Uranga  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  representatives  of  the 
Basque  colony  in  Idaho.  He  makes  his  home  at  Boise,  from  which  point  he  super- 
intends his  extensive  sheep  raising  interests.  He  is  today  widely  known  as  a  rep- 
resentative of  wool  growing  and  the  sheep  industry  and  his  life  record  proves  his 
adaptability,  showing  what  may  be  accomplished  by  the  man  of  foreign  birth  who, 
recognizing  the  opportunities  of  the  new  world,  makes  wise  and  prompt  use  of  the 
advantages  that  come  to  him.  Mr.  Uranga  arrived  in  the  United  States  from  Spain 
in  1893  and  after  nine  years  passed  in  Nevada  came  to  Idaho  in  1902,  since  which 
time  he  has  made  his  home  in  this  state,  living  at  Hagerman  and  at  Boise  practically 
throughout  the  entire  period. 

Mr.  Uranga  was  born  in  Spain,  January  13,  1877,  the  son  of  a  farmer  and 
ranchman.  He  was  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  therefore  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1893.  During  the  period  of  his  residence  in  Nevada  he  was  employed  at 
ranch  work  and  as  a  sheep  herder  and  became  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
business.  Arriving  in  Idaho  in  1902,  he  continued  to  work  as  a  sheep  herder  until 
1906,  when  he  began  raising  sheep  on  his  own  account.  For  several  years  he  was 
engaged  in  business  with  O.  F.  Bacon  and  L.  L.  Ormsby,  of  Boise,  but  in  recent 
years  has  operated  alone.  His  present  flocks  embrace  about  fourteen  thousand  head. 
He  handles  his  flocks  in  Gooding,  Jerome  and  Elaine  counties  and  by  his  capable 
management,  close  application  and  indefatigable  energy  he  has  become  one  of  the 
most  prominent  sheepmen  of  the  Basque  colony. 

Mr.  Uranga  was  married  in  Boise,  August  26,  1907,  to  Miss  Maria  Sabala,  also 
a  native  of  Spain,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children,  four  sons  and 
two  daughters.  Mr.  Uranga  since  coming  to  the  new  world  has  once  returned  to 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  389 

Spain  on  a  visit,  making  the  trip  in  1913  in  order  to  see  his  father,  who  still  lives 
in  that  country.  The  mother,  however,  has  passed  away.  Mr.  Uranga  spent  twenty- 
nine  days  on  his  visit  to  his  native  land,  after  which  he  returned  to  America, 
thoroughly  satisfied  to  make  his  home  in  "the  land  of  the  free."  He  has  found 
splendid  business  opportunities  here  and  in  their  utilization  has  made  steady  prog- 
ress until  he  is  numbered  today  among  the  prosperous  sheepmen  of  the  state. 


MRS.  IDA  TSCHUDY. 

Mrs.  Ida  Tschudy  is  the  owner  and  occupant  of  a  ranch  of  sixty-seven  and  a 
half  acres  situated  two  miles  west  of  Emmett  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  since 
1904.  She  was  born  in  Germany,  May  11,  1862,  and  there  spent  the  days  of  her 
girlhood,  coming  to  the  United  States  in  1884  in  company  with  friends  when  a  young 
lady  of  twenty-two  years.  She  at  once  made  her  way  westward  to  Spearflsh,  South 
Dakota.,  where  she  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Frederick  L.  Tschudy,  Nwho  sought 
her  hand  in  marriage,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  on  the  27th  of  August,  1885. 
Mr.  Tschudy  was  a  native  of  Switzerland,  born  February  1,  1849.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  and  he,  too,  established  his  home  at  Spear- 
fish,  South  Dakota.  There  he  and  his  wife  began  their  domestic  life  and  continued 
to  reside  until  their  removal  to  Idaho.  Mr.  Tschudy  was  a  turner  by  trade  and  later 
operated  sawmills  in  South  Dakota,  where  he  made  his  home  until  1904,  when  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Idaho  and  established  his  home  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett. 
He  first  secured  one  hundred  and  five  acres  of  land,  of  which  forty  acres  has  since 
been  sold,  leaving  the  home  ranch  property  a  tract  of  sixty-seven  and  a  half  acres. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  ranches  of  the  district,  being  highly  cultivated  and 
improved  with  all  modern  equipments. 

At  his  death  Mr.  Tschudy  left  a  family  of  five  children,  three  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Ella  Marie,  born  July  10,  1886,  is  now  the  wife  of  Ernest  Swindler,  of 
Banks,  Idaho.  Arthur  Theodore,  the  next  of  the  family,  was  born  July  12,  1888. 
Clara  Catherine  was  born  on  the  28th  of  August,  1890.  Fred  Lewis,  born  May  3, 
1892,  and  Henry  Robert,  born  May  5,  1895,  are  also  with  their  mother,  living  upon 
the  ranch,  which  they  operate.  The  daughter  Clara  is  employed  as  a  dressmaker  iu 
Boise.  The  Tschudy  ranch  is  devoted  to  the  raising  of  hay,  grain  and  live  stock  and 
they  keep  a  large  number  of  good  shorthorn  cattle  for  dairy  purposes.  The  eldest  son. 
Arthur  Theodore,  had  been  in  the  army  for  about  three  and  a  half  months  when 
the  armistice  was  signed.  He  first  went  to  Camp  Lewis  and  later  to  Vancouver  and 
finally  was  with  a  spruce  production  division  in  Oregon,  being  discharged  on  the 
6th  of  January,  1919.  The  family  is  well  known  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett  and  at 
the  family  home  the  father  passed  away  in  February,  1915,  his  death  being  a  matter 
of  deep  regret  to  many  friends  as  well  as  to  the  immediate  members  of  his  household. 


JOSIAH  SCOTT. 

Josiah  Scott,  deceased,  was  a  resident  of  Menan  and  was  closely  associated 
with  farming  interests  and  with  the  important  problems  of  irrigation,  contributing 
much  to  the  development  of  the  state  along  those  lines.  He  was  born  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah,  August  20,  1854,  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  E.  (Menary)  Scott,  who 
were  natives  of  Ireland  and  of  Canada  respectively.  The  father  resided  for  a  time 
at  Palmyra,  New  York,  and  while  there  embraced  the  Mormon  faith.  He  went  to 
Utah  in  1848,  making  the  Journey  across  the  plains  with  ox  teams,  settling  first  at 
Salt.  Lake  and  later  at  Millcreek,  four  miles  to  the  south.  He  subsequently  removed 
to  the  Cache  valley,  where  he  spent  his  life  as  a  practical,  progressive  farmer.  His 
wife  passed  away  in  December,  1886. 

With  the  father's  death  the  support  of  the  widowed  mother  and  the  children 
of  the  family  devolved  upon  Josiah  Scott,  who  when  but  fourteen  years  of  age  began 
hauling  lumber,  which  he  took  from  Gardner's  sawmill  to  Salt  Lake  City  with  his 
own  team,  taking  a  contract  for  hauling  at  so  much  per  thousand  feet.  He  was  thus 
engaged  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-six  and  in  the  meantime  he  worked  also  upon 
the  home  farm.  In  1880  he  removed  to  Idaho  and  engaged  in  freighting  between 


390  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

this  state  ifnd  various  Montana  points.  He  then  secured  a  homestead  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  two  miles  east  of  Menan,  in  Jefferson  county,  on  Poole's  island.  He 
early  took  a  most  active  interest  in  the  vital  question  of  irrigation  and  became  a 
stockholder  in  the  Long  Island  Irrigation  Canal  Company,  assisting  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  canal.  He  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  company  from  its  organization 
and  served  as  its  president  for  several  years.  In  the  conduct  of  his  private  business 
interests  he  was  very  successful  and  purchased  an  additional  forty  acres  of  land,  so 
that  he  became  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  which  he 
splendidly  improved,  placing  the  entire  tract  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He 
was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  matter  of  raising  potatoes  in  Idaho  and  the  family 
still  enjoys  the  reputation  of  producing  the  best  potatoes  in  the  country  and  have 
sent  seed  potatoes  to  Niagara  Falls  and  other  eastern  cities.  Mr.  Scott  continued 
in  active  farm  work  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  February,  1916,  after  an 
illness  of  two  months. 

On  the  24th  of  June,  1886,  Mr.  Scott  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
Walton,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Catherine  (Hawley)  Walton.  She  was  born  Sep- 
tember 14,  1863.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  England  and  her  mother  was  born  in 
Holland.  On  coming  to  America  her  father  settled  in  Salt  Lake  City,  being  among 
the  first  of  the  Mormons  to  colonize  Utah,  where  he  arrived  about  1848.  There  he 
engaged  in  farming  throughout  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in  1905, 
while  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Scott  passed  away  in  1909. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  had  a  family  of  ten  children,  namely:  Laura,  who  was  born 
March  30,  1887;  Albert  J.,  born  July  30,  1888;  Walter  A.,  March  20,  1890;  Orson 
M.,  February  20,  1892;  Charles  S.,  December  15,  1893;  Clarence  L.,  May  24,  1895; 
Irma  S.,  February  9.  1897;  Vera  E.,  who  was  born  December  22,  1899,  and  died  in 
January,  1914;  Arthur  E.,  who  was  born  in  September,  1901;  and  Lloyd  E.,  born 
June  21,  1908. 

In  religious  faith  Mr.  Scott  was  connected  with  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  in  politics  was  a  republican.  He  served  for  seven  years  as  a 
school  trustee  and  was  very  active  in  public  matters,  aiding  in  every  plan  or  project 
tending  to  develop  and  upbuild  the  county.  His  pioneer  activities  and  his  efforts 
along  agricultural  lines  constituted  an  important  element  in  the  growth  and  progress 
of  his  section  of  the  state. 


GEORGE   H.   HANSON. 

George  H.  Hanson  is  proving  himself  a  most  fearless  defender  of  law  and  order 
in  the  execution  of  his  duties  as  sheriff  of  Power  county.  He  was  born  in  Lincoln, 
Maine,  December  7,  1870,  but  has  been  a  resident  of  the  northwest  during  the  greater 
part  of  his  life,  having  come  to  Idaho  in  1883  with  his  parents,  Edwin  M.  and  Hannah 
E.  (Arthur)  Hanson,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  state.  The  father  was 
a  lumber  merchant  and  contractor  in  Maine,  carrying  on  business  there  until  1883, 
when  he  came  to  Idaho  and  settled  in  Moscow,  where  he  took  up  land.  He  then 
turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  continued  the  further  development  of  his  fields 
until  1902,  when  he  retired  from  farm  life,  sold  the  property  and  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia. He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  having  enlisted  in  the  Twelfth  Maine  In- 
fantry, with  which  he  served  for  three  years  and  three  months,  participating  in  many 
of  the  hotly  contested  battles  that  proved  the  supremacy  of  the  Union.  On  one 
occasion  he  was  taken  prisoner  but  was  held  only  a  short  time.  In  1902  he  went 
to  Sawtelle,  California,  where  he  now  resides,  but  the  mother  passed  away  in  Maine 
in  1880. 

George  H.  Hanson  is  indebted  to  the  public  school  system  of  his  native  state 
for  the  educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed  up  to  his  thirteenth  year,  when  he 
came  with  his  father  to  Idaho,  remaining  with  him  until  he  attained  his  majority. 
In  early  life  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  some  time  and  in  1892  he  became  a 
resident  of  Cassia  county,  Idaho,  where  he  rode  the  range  for  eleven  years  in  the 
employ  of  Sweetser  Brothers  &  Pierce,  a  large  cattle  company.  There  is  no  phase 
of  this  life  with  which  he  is  not  familiar  and  his  experiences  have  acquainted  him 
with  all  of  the  various  chapters  in  the  pioneer  life  of  the  west.  In  1904  he  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Cassia  county  and  filled  the  position  in  1905  and 
1906.  Since  then  he  has  given  his  attention  to  cattle  raising  in  Cassia  and  Power 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  391 

counties,  the  latter  county  being  set  off  partly  from  Cassia  county.  He  is  still  running 
cattle  and  has  been  very  successful  in  the  conduct  of  this  business  owing  to  his  sound 
judgment,  progressiveness  and  laudable  ambition.  Other  interests  also  claim  his 
attention  at  the  present  time,  for  in  the  fall  of  1918  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  Power 
county  and  is  now  discharging  the  duties  of  that  position. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1895,  Mr.  Hanson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Edna  M. 
Guard  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  three  children:  dell  M.,  Ethel  and 
William  J.  The  son  Clell  enlisted  in  the  United  States  army  in  1915  and  was  on 
duty  on  the  Mexican  border.  When  the  United  States  declared  war  with  Germany 
he  was  transferred  to  the  quartermaster's  department  and  is  now  quartermaster 
sergeant.  He  has  been  stationed  much  of  the  time  at  Fort  D.  A.  Russell,  Cheyenne. 
Wyoming,  but  is  now  in  Siberia. 

.Mr.  Hanson  has  always  given  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party. 
He  is  an  exemplary  representative  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  Cassia 
Lodge,  No.  14.  He  has  ever  faithfully  followed  the  teachings  of  the  craft  concerning 
the  brotherhood  of  mankind  and  the  obligations  thereby  imposed,  and  he  enjoys  in 
highest  measure  the  respect  of  his  brethren  of  the  fraternity  and  of  many  friends 
who  are  not  identified  with  the  order. 


JOHN   B.  JOHNSTON. 

John  B.  Johnston,  who  practically  throughout  his  entire  life  has  given  his 
attention  to  the  work  of  stationary  and  locomotive  engineer,  now  owns  a  ranch  a  mile 
and  a  half  west  of  Emmett  but  makes  his  home  in  town.  He  has  been  a  resident 
of  Idaho  for  thirty-seven  years,  having  come  to  this  state  in  1883  from  Denver. 
Colorado,  with  his  parents.  Martin  and  Nora  (McNichols)  Johnston,  who  were  born 
and  reared  in  Ireland  but  were  married  in  England  and  soon  afterward  came  to  the 
United  States,  settling  first  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  before  removing  to  Audrain 
county,  Missouri.  It  was  in  the  latter  county  that  John  B.  Johnston  was  born  on 
the  7th  of  January,  1874.  His  father  was  a  railroad  man,  working  in  various  capaci- 
ties. In  1879  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Denver,  Colorado,  and  from  that  city 
came  to  Idaho  in  1883,  settling  at  Toponis,  now  Gooding,  where  he  and  his  wife 
spent  their  remaining  days.  The  mother  passed  away  May  2,  1910,  and  the  father 
several  years  later. 

John  B.  Johnston  has  lived  in  Idaho  since  a  lad  of  nine  years  and  throughout 
practically  the  period  of  his  mature  life  has  followed  the  occupation  of  stationary 
and  locomotive  engineer.  He  has  worked  diligently  along  these  lines  and  what- 
ever success  he  has  achieved  and  enjoyed  is  attributable  entirely  to  his  own 
labors.  Making  wise  investments  in  property,  he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  good  ranch 
a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Emmett. 

\i  Minidoka,  Idaho,  on  the  14th  of  January,  1897,  Mr.  Johnston  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Nellie  Grace  Hill,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  Iowa, 
December  10.  1879,  a  daughter  of  Curtis  and  Sarah  (James)  Hill,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  Iowa,  the  father  being  of  Scotch-Irish  and  the  mother  of  Holland 
Dutch  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnston  have  become  parents  of  nine  children: 
Marie  B..  Bernice  C.,  Nora  I.,  Martin  C.,  Alice"  L.,  John  B.,  Leo  M.,  Prudence  S.  and  Nellie 
E.  The  parents  and  their  family  are  all  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and 
Mr.  Johnston  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  democratic  party. 


ANDREW   C.    SMITH. 

Andrew  C.  Smith  is  the  owner  of  a  small  but  highly  improved  ranch  property  a 
mile  west  of  Emmett  and  in  addition  has  other  business  interests  which  make  his 
life  an  active  one.  He  is  a  native  of  Salt  Lake  county,  Utah,  born  March  4.  1857. 
and  is  a  son  of  Willis  and  Ollie  (Downs)  Smith.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Vermont 
and  went  to  Utah  as  converts  to  the  teachings  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  prior  to  the  Civil  war,  spending  their  remaining  days  in  Salt  Lake 
county. 

Andrew  C.  Smith  was  reared  in  that  county  upon  a  ranch  and  became  a  successful 


392  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

sheep  raiser  of  Utah,  continuing  in  the  business  for  a  long  period  before  coming  to 
Idaho  in  1902.  Since  then  he  has  lived  in  and  near  Emmett  save  for  a  period  of  two 
years  spent  in  the  Deer  Flat  section  of  Canyon  county.  Throughout  almost  his  entire 
life  Mr.  Smith  has  lived  on  ranches  but  has  also  engaged  largely  in  business  as  a 
trader  and  speculator  and  has  been  very  successful  along  those  lines.  He  has  built 
up  a  very  substantial  competence  and  is  now  financially  independent,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  has  been  most  generous  with  his  family  of  nine  children.  As  the  years 
have  passed  he  has  bought  and  sold  both  lands  and  live  stock  in  Utah  and  in  Idaho 
and  has  also  dealt  in  oil  stocks.  He  now  holds  much  valuable  stock  in  good  oil 
properties  in  both  Idaho  and  Wyoming,  and  while  he  has  lived  on  ranches  practically 
all  his  life,  ranching  has  really  been  a  side  line  in  business  with  him.  He  displays 
keen  judgment  and  sagacity  as  a  buyer  and  speculator  and  has  made  no  investments 
of  any  kind  in  land,  live  stock  or  oil  stock  that  have  not  paid  him  a  good  dividend 
and  fair  profit. 

In  Salt  Lake  City,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to 
Miss  Martina  Hanson,  who  was  then  a  young  lady  of  twenty  years  and  was  of  Nor- 
wegian descent.  She  passed  away  May  21,  1900,  leaving  a  family  of  nine  children, 
while  three  had  previously  departed  this  life.  The  surviving  members  of  the  family 
are:  Martin  Hanson,  who  was  born  June  16,  1879;  Edna  Carolina,  whose  birth 
occurred  January  15,  1881;  Polly  L.,  whose  natal  day  was  August  25,  1882;  Isabelle, 
born  February  27,  1886;  Orson  Elisha,  born  November  9,  1887;  George  William, 
born  June  6,  1891;  Martina,  born  July  14,  1893;  Willis,  born  October  8,  1897;  and 
Lorenzo,  who  was  born  on  the  23d  of  March,  1899.  The  nine  children  are  all  now 
grown  and  are  well  situated  in  life,  some  living  in  Idaho  and  the  others  in  Utah. 
Mr.  Smith  is  today  well  known  in  Gem  county  and  throughout  other  sections  of  the 
state  where  he  has  made  investments,  and  his  sound  judgment  and  enterprise  have 
established  him  as  a  leading  and  substantial  business  man. 


OBADIAH   ARMSTRONG. 

A  roster  of  the  pioneer  business  men  of  Jefferson  county  would  not  be  complete 
without  the  name  of  the  late  Obadiah  Armstrong,  the  first  merchant  to  locate  in  the 
city  of  Rigby.  He  was  born  in  Mount  Hope,  in  the  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  in 
March,  1858,  and  died  in  Rigby,  Idaho,  April  26,  1914.  He  was  a  son  of  William  and 
Mary  (Kirk)  Armstrong,  who  left  England,  their  native  land,  in  the  first  half  of  the 
last  century  to  cast  their  lot  with  the  citizens  of  their  mother  country's  most  important 
colony — the  Dominion  of  Canada.  While  he  was  a  resident  of  the  old  country,  Wil- 
liam Armstrong  followed  the  occupation  of  blacksmith,  and  after  he  had  located  in 
Canada  he  found  ample  opportunity  to  ply  his  trade  and  he  continued  at  the  same 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  which  ended  in  1886.  The  death  of  his  wife,  the 
mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  occurred  in  1895. 

Obadiah  Armstrong  spent  his  early  life  in  Canada,  where  he  received  his  school- 
ing, and  he  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 
At  that  time  he  decided  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  States,  hence  he  left  his  father's 
home  and  located  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  where  he  was  engaged  for  the  following 
six  or  seven  years  in  working  in  a  lumberyard.  Since  he  found  this  business  much 
to  his  liking,  he  took  it  up  on  his  own  account  and  established  and  operated  a  sawmill 
at  Teton,  Idaho,  for  several  years.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  disposed  of  his  lum- 
ber business  at  Teton  and  removed  to  the  Rigby  country,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and 
took  a  homestead.  When  he  began  farming  in  Jefferson  county,  there  was  no  com- 
mercial center  hereabout,  a  condition  which  resulted  in  no  small  amount  of  incon- 
venience to  the  settlers  when  they  wished  to  market  their  crops  and  lay  in  their 
supplies.  In  order  to  satisfy  this  want,  the  town  of  Rigby  was  laid  out  and  Mr. 
Armstrong,  who  saw  in  this  a  business  opportunity,  disposed  of  his  farming  interests  to 
establish  the  first  store  in  the  village,  where  for  five  or  six  years  he  carried  on  general 
merchandising.  He  then  returned  to  Canada  and  located  in  the  Province  of  Alberta 
and  there  farmed  for  the  succeeding  five  years.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  again 
came  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  where  he  dealt  in  stock  until  he  removed  to  Rigby 
to  engage  in  the  meat  business,  which  he  followed  until  his  death  in  1914. 

Obadiah  Armstrong  was  twice  married.     In  1882  he  married  Hannah  Deming,  who 
died  in  1892,  and  to  them  were  born  four  children,  namely:  Emily,  Francis,  Hazen  and 


OBADIAH  ARMSTRONG 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  395 

Henry.  He  was  married  In  June,  1894,  to  Phebe  Wood  and  to  this  union  were  born 
eight  children,  as  follows:  Irene,  Leslie.  Belle,  Ethel,  Clarence.  Pearl.  Lloyd  and  Mer- 
lin. The  mother  still  survives  and  resides  in  Rigby. 

Mr.  Armstrong  was  a  life-long  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  was  ever  found  in  the  forefront  of  any  movement  which  had  for  its 
object  the  best  interests  of  his  denomination.  He  gave  his  political  endorsement  to 
the  democratic  party  and  at  one  time  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  commis- 
sioners of  Fremont  county.  During  his  residence  in  Rigby,  Mr.  Armstrong  enjoyed 
the  friendship  and  high  regard  of  those  with  whom  he  was  brought  in  contact  through 
business  or  religious  relations,  and  today  he  is  remembered  by  those  who  knew  him 
as  a  man  who  held  nearest  his  heart  the  best  interests  of  his  community. 


RICHARD  F.  JARDINE. 

Thirty-eight  years  have  been  added  to  the  cycle  of  the  centuries  since  Richard 
F.  Jardine  became  a  resident  of  Jefferson  county.  Through  the  intervening  period 
he  has  been  engaged  in  farming,  transforming  wild  land  into  productive  fields,  and 
thus  he  has  contributed  in  substantial  measure  to  the  agricultural  development  of 
the  state.  He  was  born  in  Shuttleston,  Lanarkshire,  Scotland,  December  30,  1848. 
and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Isabella  (White)  Jardine,  who  were  natives  of  Scotland 
and  emigrated  to  America  in  1855.  Settling  in  Pennsylvania,  the  father  worked  in 
the  coal  mines  for  a  year  and  a  half  and  then  removed  to  Perry  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  again  engaged  in  coal  mining  until  1859.  In  that  year  he  crossed  the  plains 
with  ox  teams  to  Salt  Lake,  where  he  remained  for  a  month,  and,  being  out  of  funds, 
worked  to  get  money  to  buy  flour  and  other  necessities.  He  then  removed  to  Wells- 
ville  in  the  Cache  valley,  where  he  resided  until  1866,  when  he  took  up  his  abode 
at  West  Weber,  Weber  county,  Utah,  and  entered  land.  This  he  developed  and  im- 
proved, continuing  its  cultivation  until  his  death,  and  the  place  is  still  owned  by  his 
youngest  son,  William.  The  father  died  August  7,  1891,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years,  and  the  mother  passed  away  September  8,  1906,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 

To  a  limited  extent  Richard  F.  Jardine  attended  school  during  his  boyhood,  but 
his  educational  opportunities  were  very  limited  as  at  the  age  of  nine  years  he  began 
work  in  the  coal  mines  in  Illinois.  He  was  principally  reared  in  thn  Cache  valley  of 
Utah  and  was  a  member  of  the  home  militia  for  three  years  while  living  there.  He 
worked  with  his  father  on  the  home  farm  until  he  attained  his  majority,  when  he 
entered  land  in  Weber  county,  Utah,  which  he  improved  and  cultivated  until  salt 
appeared  upon  the  surface  and  then  he  almost  gave  it  away.  He  worked  at  different 
jobs  and  made  every  effort  to  gain  a  start  in  the  business  world. 

On  the  3d  of  January,  1870,  Mr.  Jardine  was  married  to  Luna  C.  Ellsworth,  a 
granddaughter  of  President  Brigham  Young  of  the  Mormon  church  and  a  daughter 
of  Edmund  and  Elizabeth  (Young)  Ellsworth.  The  father  was  born  at  Paris.  Uneida 
county,  New  York,  July  1,  1819,  and  was  married  July  10,  1842.  He  and  his  wife 
became  pioneers  of  Utah,  crossing  the  plains  in  1848  and  locating  at  Salt  Lake  City, 
where  Mr.  Ellsworth  engaged  in  the  sawmill  business,  while  later  he  followed  farming 
for  several  years.  He  afterward  went  to  Arizona,  where  he  "followed  farming  and 
stock  raising  until  his  life's  labors  were  ended  in  death  on  the  29th  of  December. 
1893.  The  mother  passed  away  in  Lewisville,  Idaho,  February  2,  1903,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jardine  were  born  thirteen  children,  all  of 
whom  are  married  and  have  reared  families  of  their  own.  They  are:  Luna  C., 
Frank,  Leo,  Rowenna  H.,  Le  Roy,  Elizabeth,  William,  Minnie  Belle,  Joseph,  Ellen, 
Lester,  Mary  and  Ruth. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Jardine  carried  on  farming  in  Utah  until  1882,  when 
with  several  others  he  came  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  then  Oneida  county,  settling 
at  Lewisville.  He  relinquished  his  rights  in  Utah  and  on  coming  to  Idaho  took  up 
more  land  adjoining  the  town,  where  Bishop  Green  now  lives.  This  he  improved 
and  cultivated  for  twenty-seven  years  and  eventually  sold  the  place  to  his  son.  He 
also  took  up  a  desert  claim  and  developed  both  properties.  After  selling  the  home 
place  he  removed  to  the  desert  claim  and  continued  to  till  the  soil  there  until  1917, 
wh«-n  he  sold  that  property  to  his  son  and  built  an  attractive  residence  in  Lewisville. 
He  has  since  resided  in  the  town  and  is  enjoying  a  well  earned  rest,  having  retired 
from  active  business. 


396  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr.  Jardine  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and 
was  the  first  bishop  of  Lewisville,  his  territory  extending  to  Blackfoot.  He  thus 
served  for  twenty  years.  He  was  then  appointed  to  the  high  council  of  the  Rigby 
stake  and  is  still  filling  that  office.  He  has  also  done  home  missionary  work.  Polit- 
ically he  is  a  stalwart  republican  and  he  was  one  of  the  first  county  commissioners 
of  Fremont  county.  He  also  served  as  county  coroner  for  several  terms  and  was 
quarantine  marshal  for  ten  years.  He  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  first  city 
council  of  Lewisville  but  did  not  accept  the  office.  He  was  constable  for  several 
terms  and  has  at  all  times  faithfully  performed  his  duties  of  citizenship  but  prefers 
to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  energies  upon  his  business  affairs.  For  years  he  was 
closely  and  prominently  connected  with  agricultural  interests  and  also  made  a  spe- 
cialty of  raising  pure  bred  Percheron  horses,  introducing  the  first  Percherons  into 
Lewisville.  He  contributed  much  to  the  development  of  high  grade  stock  in  the 
district  and  thus  materially  promoted  the  welfare  of  the  community.  He  is  now 
enjoying  a  well  deserved  rest.  In  January,  1920,  he  and  his  wife  reached  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  their  marriage,  having  reared  a  large  family  of  children,  and  they 
now  have  sixty-four  living  grandchildren  and  four  great-grandchildren.  They  are  a 
highly  esteemed  and  worthy  couple,  Mr.  Jardine  having  passed  the  seventieth  mile- 
stone on  life's  journey,  and  he  well  deserves  the  high  respect  and  warm  regard  that 
are  uniformly  accorded  him. 


GEORGE  S.  CRANE. 

It  was^in  1881  that  George  S.  Crane  became  a  resident  of  Boise  and  through 
the  intervening  years  to  the  time  of  his  death  on  the  4th  of  October,  1899,  he  con- 
tinued an  active  factor  in  the  business  circles  of  Idaho.  He  arrived  in  this  state 
as  a  young  man  of  twenty-six  years,  having  up  to  that  time  followed  the  occupation 
of  farming  in  Iowa.  He  was  born  in  Van  Buren  county,  Iowa,  February  28.  1855, 
and  was  reared  and  educated  in  that  section  of  the  country. 

Following  his  arrival  in  Idaho  Mr.  Crane  was  married  on  the  4th  of  April, 
1882,  to  Miss  Alice  J.  Obenchain,  who  still  survives  and  who  resides  at  the  Crane 
home  in  South  Boise,  established  about  twenty-six  years  ago.  Mrs.  Crane  was  born 
in  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  May  23,  1863,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Shipp) 
Obenchain.  When  she  was  a  young  woman  of  seventeen  years  she  traveled  westward 
with  her  parents  from  Colorado,  the  trip  being  made  with  two  covered  wagons  drawn 
by  horses.  They  passed  through  Boise  on  their  way  to  Jackson  county,  Oregon, 
where  the  winter  was  spent,  and  in  the  spring  of  1881  they  returned  to  Boise.  Her 
father,  James  Obenchain,  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  Idaho,  residing  much  of 
the  time  on  his  ranch  near  Bellevue,  Blaine  county,  where  he  passed  away  October 
31,  1900.  His  wife  survives  and  now  resides  in  Ada  county. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crane  became  the  parents  of  seven  children.  The  eldest,  Minnie, 
died  of  typhoid  fever  on  the  4th  of  October,  1899,  and  on  the  same  day  her  father 
died  of  the  same  disease.  The  daughter  was  born  October  18,  1883,  and  was  there- 
fore sixteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  demise.  The  second  child  was  Harlen, 
who  was  born  June  12,  1886,  and  was  killed  in  battle  in  France  on  the  2d  of  October, 
1918,  while  serving  as  a  member  of  Company  L,  One  Hundred  and  Eleventh  United 
States  Infantry.  He  met  death  in  the  battle  of  Argonne  Forest,  which  took  the 
greatest  toll  of  life  of  any  battle  in  which  the  American  forces  were  engaged.  He 
left  a  widow,  now  living  in  Boise.  The  third  child,  Edgar  S.,  born  January  23,  1889, 
is  at  home.  Ethel,  born  April  10,  1891,  is  the  wife  of  Carl  B.  Arentson.  Alice  E.,. 
born  June  17,  1893,  and  George  E.,  born  June  17,  1896,  are  at  home.  The  latter 
was  stationed  at  Camp  Merritt,  New  Jersey,  at  the  time  the  world  war  ended.  Ger- 
trude, born  May  15,  1899,  is  the  youngest  of  the  family. 

The  Crane  homestead  in  South  Boise  is  one  of  the  most  charming  homes  in 
the  suburban  environs  of  the  capital  city,  embracing  about  seven  and  a  half  acres  of 
land  beautifully  adorned  with  flowers,  ornamental  shrubbery,  orchards,  gardens  and 
well  kept  lawns,  the  whole  making  a  picture  which  would  delight  any  artist.  The 
house  itself  is  a  spacious  two-story  frame  dwelling  of  pleasing  design  which  sets  well 
back  from  the  highway,  with  a  beautiful  lawn  stretching  to  the  street,  adorned  with 
fine  trees  and  graceful  shrubbery,  while  to  the  south  is  an  orchard  with  its  splendid 
old  apple  trees,  presenting  a  picture  of  surpassing  loveliness  in  springtime  with  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  397 

pink  and  white  blossoms  and  one  of  equal  beauty  when  the  fruit  is  ripened  on  the 
trees.  All  of  the  improvements  made  upon  this  place  were  put  there  by  Mr.  Crane 
after  he  and  his  family  took  up  their  abode  thereon. 


JOHN  EDMUND  HOLMES. 

John  Edmund  Holmes  is  a  rancher  residing  a  mile  and  three-fourths  west  of 
Emmett  and  such  is  his  popularity  and  camaraderie  that  he  is  known  as  "Ned"  to 
all  of  his  many  friends.  He  was  born  at  Murray,  Utah,  then  Cottonwood,  September  15, 
1871,  and  is  a  son  of  William  F.  and  Elizabeth  (Entwhistle)  Holmes,  both  of  whom 
were  natives  of  England  but  were  married  at  Murray,  Utah.  The  father  was  born 
in  Suffolk,  England,  in  1808,  while  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Manchester  about 
1844.  William  F.  Holmes  was  a  British  marine  in  young  manhood  and  came  to  the 
United  States  about  1852,  while  the  mother  of  John  Edmund  Holmes  arrived  in  the 
new  world  about  ten  years  later.  William  F.  Holmes  was  married  twice  and  had  a 
family  of  eighteen  children,  six  sons  and  twelve  daughters. 

Mr.  Holmes  whose  name  introduces  this  review  was  reared  in  Utah  with  the 
usual  experience  of  the  boy  whose  time  is  largely  given  to  the  acquirement  of  an 
education  and  such  tasks  as  are  assigned  him  by  parental  authority.  He  was  married 
in  Utah  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years  to  Miss  Catherine  Butcher,  a  granddaughter 
of  Bill  Hickman,  a  very  prominent  character  among  the  Mormons  of  Utah.  About 
twenty  years  ago  Mr.  Holmes  removed  to  Emmett  and  throughout  the  Intervening 
period  has  lived  on  ranches  in  the  vicinity  of  the  town.  He  purchased  his  present 
ranch  property  west  of  Emmett  about  twelve  years  ago  and  has  since  given  his  atten- 
tion to  its  further  development  and  improvement,  transforming  it  into  an  excellent 
property.  He  had  mined  for  eight  years  in  Utah  before  removing  to  Idaho  but  in 
this  state  has  always  given  his  attention  to  agricultural  interests. 

In  1905  Mr.  Holmes  was  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  his  first  wife,  who 
passed  away  on  the  10th  of  June  of  that  year.  Eight  years  passed  before  he  was 
married  again  when  on  the  20th  of  January,  1913,  Mrs.  Mary  Murphy  became  his 
wife.  She  was  the  widow  of  William  D.  Murphy  and  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Harriet  (Windmill)  Fuller,  who  were  natives  of  London,  England,  and  of  Alberta, 
Canada,  respectively.  Mrs.  Holmes  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  April  3,  1873, 
and  on  the  23d  of  April,  1891,  she  became  the  wife  of  William  D.  Murphy  in  Provo, 
Utah.  Mr.  Murphy  passed  away  at  Green  River,  Utah,  in  1908,  and  in  October, 
1912,  his  widow  removed  to  Gem  county,  taking  up  her  abode  near  Emmett.  By 
his  first  marriage  Mr.  Holmes  had  two  children:  Edmund,  born  August  3,  1900; 
and  Goldie,  born  July  15,  1902.  By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Holmes  had  six  children 
who  are  yet  living:  Mary  Etta,  who  was  born  January  24,  1893,  and  is  now  the 
wife  of  Arthur  Bedal,  by  whom  she  has  one  child;  William  E.,  whose  birth  occurred 
November  23,  1894;  George  H.,  whose  natal  day  was  March  17,  1896;  Alice,  who 
was  born  August  24,  1899,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  William  Cole;  Hattie,  born  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1903;  and  Mabel,  born  June  10,  1905. 

Mr.  Holmes  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views.  He  formerly  belonged  to  the 
Western  Federation  of  Miners  but  is  not  identified  with  the  order  at  the  present 
time.  He  is  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing  and  in  his  hunting  trips  has  killed  two 
bears  and  perhaps  about  a  thousand  deer.  His  efforts  and  attention  are  now  largely 
concentrated  upon  his  ranching  interests  and  his  practical  and  progressive  methods 
of  tilling  and  developing  the  soil  have  been  the  source  of  his  growing  success. 


CLARENCE  O.  MOREHOUSE. 

Clarence  O.  Morehouse  owns  and  operates  an  excellent  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  which  is  situated  four  miles  west  of  Emmett  and  is  known  as  the  old 
John  B.  Davies  ranch.  His  birth  occurred  in  Pottawattamie  county,  Iowa,  on  the 
7th  of  March,  1882,  his  parents  being  Martin  D.  and  Selina  (Robinson)  Morehouse, 
who  are  natives  of  Ohio  and  Wisconsin  respectively.  A  sketch  of  the  father  appears 
on  another  page  of  this  work.  It  was  in  1901  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  D.  More- 
house  came  with  their  children  to  Idaho  from  Nebraska,  where  the  family  home 


398  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

had  been  maintained  for  three  years.  They  have  reached  the  age&  of  seventy-two 
and  sixty-eight  years  respectively  and  now  reside  in  Gem  county,  their  home  being 
about  three  miles  distant  from  that  of  their  son,  Clarence  O.,  and  seven  miles  west 
of  Emmett.  Their  family  numbered  fourteen  children,  seven  sons  and  seven  daugh- 
ters, all  of  whom  are  yet  living  with  the  exception  of  two  of  the  sons. 

Clarence  O.  Morehouse  was  a  young  man  of  about  nineteen  years  when  the 
family  home  was  established  in  Idaho.  Throughout  his  entire  business  career  he 
has  been  actively  identified  with  ranching  interests  save  for  the  year  1918,  which 
he  spent  as  clerk  in  the  Emmett  postoffice.  In  March,  1907,  he  took  up  a  home- 
stead claim  of  eighty  acres  about  three  miles  from  his  present  ranch  property,  proved 
up  on  the  place  and  continued  its  cultivation  and  improvement  for  more  than  a 
decade,  or  until  1918,  when  he  disposed  of  the  farm.  Early  in  1919  he  purchased 
the  old  John  B.  Davies  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  situated  four  miles 
west  of  Emmett,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  raising  of  hay  and  of  cattle.  This 
is  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  highly  improved  ranches  of  the  vicinity,  and  in 
the  wise  management  of  his  agricultural  interests  Mr.  Morehouse  is  winning  well 
deserved  prosperity. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1907,  Mr.  Morehouse  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Sylvia  Clarkia  Hopper,  who  was  born  in  Custer  county,  Idaho,  March  7,  1887.  It 
is  an  interesting  coincidence  that  she  and  her  husband  were  born  on  the  same  day 
of  the  same  month.  Her  parents,  Henry  Sigle  and  Frances  Pauline  (Galland)  Hopper, 
were  married  at  Challis,  Custer  county,  Idaho,  May  28,  1886,  and  now  reside  near 
Twin  Falls,  this  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morehouse  have  become  the  parents  of  five 
children,  as  follows:  Neal  Francis,  born  September  7,  1908;  Selina  Grace,  whose 
birth  occurred  February  20,  1910;  Louise,  whose  natal  day  was  January  25,  1913; 
Juanita  Evelyn,  born  December  20,  1914;  and  Bruce,  who  was  born  on  the  19th 
of  November,  1916. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morehouse  are  democrats  in  their  political  views.  The 
former  has  never  held  office  except  that  in  1918,  as  above  stated,  he  acted  as  clerk 
in  the  Emmett  postoffice  under  civil  service,  resigning  that  position  in  order  to 
resume  ranching.  The  period  of  his  residence  in  Idaho  covers  about  two  decades 
and  he  has  become  widely  recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial  agriculturists  and 
esteemed  citizens  of  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his  home. 


GEORGE   C.    GRIGGS. 

Since  the  year  1901  George  C.  Griggs  has  been  a  resident  of  Teton  county, 
which,  however,  at  the  time  of  his  arrival  was  a  part  of  Fremont  county.  Various 
business  interests,  though  largely  farming,  have  claimed  his  attention  through  the 
intervening  period  although  at  the  present  time  he  is  conducting  a  billiard  parlor  in 
Driggs.  He  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  May  13,  1883,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
C.  and  Mary  A.  (Price)  Griggs,  the  latter  also  a  native  of  Utah.  The 'father  was 
born  in  Dover,  England,  and  was  brought  to  the  United  States  when  a  lad  of  nine 
years,  accompanying  his  mother,  who  for  a  time  resided  in  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
but  made  Utah  her  ultimate  destination.  She  came  across  the  plains  with  ox  teams 
and  took  up  her  abode  at  Salt  Lake.  There  Thomas  C.  Griggs  was  reared  and 
educated  and  when  old  enough  he  entered  the  employ  of  Walker  Brothers  in  their 
mercantile  establishment.  Later  he  embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account  as 
a  general  merchant  and  conducted  the  Fifteenth  Ward  Store  in  Salt  Lake  for  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  years,  becoming  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  prominent  merchants 
of  the  state.  He  finally  retired  from  active  business  life  and  devoted  his  remaining 
clays  to  church  work.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  superintendent  of  the  schools 
of  Salt  Lake  stake  and  he  was  also  president  of  the  Second  Qtforum  of  Seventy.  He 
likewise  filled  a  three  years'  mission  to  England.  He  possessed  much  musical  ability 
and  for  some  time  was  leader  of  the  tabernacle  choir.  He  wrote  several  Mormon 
hymns.  He  was  a  very  successful  man  and  a  prominent  historic  figure  of  Utah  whose 
life  rounded  out  to  a  most  honored  old  age.  He  passed  away  August  12,  1902,  and 
is  still  survived  by  the  mother,  who  now  makes  her  home  in  Driggs. 

In  Salt  Lake  City  George  C.  Griggs  spent  his  youthful  days  and  obtained  his 
education,  remaining  in  his  parents'  home  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  He 
worked  for  his  father  in  the  store  and  thus  received  his  initial  business  training. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  399 

In  1901  he  removed  to  Teton  county,  then  a  part  of  Fremont  county,  and  purchased 
land  near  Driggs.  concentrating  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  general  farming.  He 
continued  to  operate  and  improve  his  land  until  1916,  after  which  he  rented  the 
farm  and  entered  the  employ  of  Leroy  Hillman  in  a  coal  mine.  He  spent  two  year? 
in  that  connection  and  then  for  a  year  again  resided  upon  the  farm,  after  which  he 
sold  the  property  and  purchased  the  billiard  parlor  at  Driggs  in  March,  1919.  He 
has  since  conducted  it  and  is  now  numbered  among  the  business  men  of  the  town. 
George  C.  Griggs  was  united  in  marriage  October  28J  1909,  to  Miss  Martha  J. 
Cooper  and  to  them  have  been  born  three  children:  Bunnell,  Jennie  and  George  C. 
Jr.  The  religious  belief  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints.  Politically  Mr.  Griggs  is  a  republican  whose  interest  is  that  of  a  progres- 
sive citizen  but  not  of  an  office  seeker. 


JOHN  F.  MILLS. 

John  F.  Mills,  who  owns  and  occupies  a  ranch  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Emmett, 
took  up  his  abode  upon  his  present  place  in  .May,  1918,  but  dates  his  residence  in 
Idaho  from  1883.  He  was  born  at  Pleasant  Grove,  Utah,  July  4,  1864,  and  was 
therefore  a  young  man  of  nineteen  years  when  he  came  to  this  state.  He  is  a  son 
of  Frank  and  Merab  (Banks)  Mills,  the  former  a  Civil  war  veteran.  The  mother, 
a  native  of  England,  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents,  who  were  members 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  made  their  way  to  Utah. 
It  was  in  that  state  that  the  parents  of  John  F.  Mills  were  married  and  there  Mr. 
Mills  of  this  review  spent  the  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life,  after  which  he  came 
to  Idaho,  first  settling  at  Oakley,  where  he  remained  for  several  years.  He  after- 
van!  resided  at  Hagerman,  Idaho,  for  sixteen  years  and  in  May,  1918,  came  to  the 
Knunett  district,  settling  on  his  present  ranch,  which  he  purchased  from  D.  M.  John 
of  Emmett. 

At  OakleyV  Idaho,  on  the  22d  of  February,  1891,  Mr.  Mills  was  married  to  Miss 
Argenta  Tanner,  a  daughter  of  Alva  A.  Tanner,  of  that  place,  who  is  well  known 
in  Idaho  and  the  northwest  as  a  poet  of  much  ability,  his  writings  frequently  ap- 
pearing in  the  newspapers  and  magazines  of  this  section  of  the  country,  while  a 
collection  of  them  has  been  compiled  in  book  form.  Mr.  Tanner  is  still  living  at 
Oakley  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  Mrs.  Mills  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  county, 
I'tah,  September  12,  1872,  and  by  her  marriage  became  the  mother  of  seven  children: 
Iva,  the  wife  of  Charles  Skinner;  Verne;  Fred;  Mildred;  Hazel;  James;  and  Nettie. 
The  son  Verne  served  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Force  in  the  World  war 
in  France  and  Germany,  being  a  member  of  the  Fifth  United  States  Marines  of  the 
Second  Division,  which  made  such  a  splendid  record  for  bravery  at  Belleau  Wood. 
Chateau  Thierry  and  in  other  drives.  He  is  now  twenty-six  years  of  age.  The 
daughter  Mildred,  twenty-two  years  of  age,  is  now  teaching  for  the  second  term  in 
the  Idaho  public  schools.  Hazel,  James  and  Nettie  are  all  in  school. 

In  politics  Mr.  Mills  is  a  republican,  and  though  never  an  office  seeker,  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  is  a  loyal  follower  of  the  teachings  and  purposes  of  these  organizations. 


GEORGE   FREDERICK  SMITH. 

George  Frederick  Smith  is  holding  a  responsible  position  at  Emmett  with  the 
Boise-Payette  Lumber  Company,  being  sales  manager  in  charge  of  the  retail  depart- 
ment. At  the  same  time  he  is  an  active  and  influential  representative  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  being  bishop  of  the  Emmett  ward  of  the  Boise 
stake.  He  took  up  his  abode  at  Emmett  eighteen  years  ago,  or  in  1902,  having 
resided  just  west  of  the  city  all  through  the  intervening  period.  He  has  owned  and 
livod  in  several  different  homes  and  has  acquired  much  valuable  realty  just  west  of 
the  town,  having  today  two  hundred  and  twenty-four  acres  of  improved  land  in  tb* 
vicinity  of  the  large  plant  of  the  Boise-Payette  Lumber  Company  at  Emmett,  and 
in  that  plant  he  and  four  of  his  children  are  holding  good  positions. 


400  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  county,  Utah,  July  14,  1876,  and  is  a  son 
of  George  W.  and  Anna  Margaret  (Thompson)  Smith.  The  father,  who  was  born 
in  Salt  Lake  county,  Utah,  passed  away  at  the  home  of  his  son,  George  Frederick 
Smith,  January  8,  1920,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  The  mother  was  born  in 
Copenhagen,  Denmark,  and  was  brought  by  relatives  to  the  United  States  when 
nine  years  of  age  and  taken  to  Utah,  becoming  the  wife  of  Mr.  Smith  in  Salt  Lake 
county.  She  died  in  1900. 

Mr.  Smith  whose  name  introduces  this  review  'was  reared  in  his  native  county 
and,  having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  was  married  June  17,  1896,  to  Miss  Minnie 
Elizabeth  Denney,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Salt  Lake  City,  December  26,  1877,  her 
parents  being  Charles  and  Sarah  Ann  (Gold)  Denney,  who  are  yet  residents  of  Salt 
Lake  City.  Her  father  is  a  son  of  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Denney,  nee  Dangerfleld,  who  is 
yet  living  in  Salt  Lake  City  at  the  notable  age  of  ninety  years  and  still  enjoys  good 
health.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  removed  from  Salt  Lake. county,  Utah,  to  the  Emmett 
section  of  Idaho  in  1902,  since  which  time  he  has  been  steadily  employed  in  the 
large  lumber  plants  of  this  district,  filling  various  positions.  He  has  always  been 
a  diligent  and  industrious  man  and  that  he  has  been  able  to  enjoy  the  comforts  of 
life  is  due  to  these  qualities. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  been  born  five  sons  and  two  daughters.  George 
C.,  born  March  20,  1897,  wedded  Miss  Esther  Coburn  on  the  8th  of  April,  1919. 
Lorenzo  Hudson,  whose  birth  occurred  December  26,  1898,  married  Miss  Jane  Pearl 
McGee  and  has  one  child,  Leo  Hudson  Smith.  The  other  members  of  the  family 
are  as  follows:  Darrel  Alphonso,  born  November  10,  1900;  Sarah  Margaret,  July 
6,  1903;  Frederick  Avon,  April  8,  1905;  Lillie  Ann,  November  15,  1906;  and  Emmett 
Maynard,  May  9,  1909.  Mr.  Smith  and  his  family  are  all  members  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Bishopric  as 
counselor  and  bishop  for  the  past  seventeen  years  and  has  acted  as  bishop  of  Emmett 
ward  for  six  years.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican.  His  success  is  due  entirely  to 
his  enterprise  and  sound  judgment.  From  time  to  time  he  has  made  judicious  in- 
vestment in  real  estate  in  this  locality  and  has  sold  some  of  it  to  good  advantage, 
while  other  properties  he  has  kept.  These  are  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lumber 
plants  and  are  steadily  rising  in  value,  so  that  they  will  be  a  valuable  asset  to  his 
revenue  in  later  years. 


F.  L.  KELLER. 

F.  L.  Keller,  of  Caldwell,  has  always  led  a  very  busy,  active  and  useful  life,  and 
while  it  is  said  that  he  is  now  living  retired,  he  cannot  content  himself  without  some 
business  interest  and  for  fifteen  years  has  had  the  contract  for  street  sprinkling  in 
Caldwell.  Moreover,  his  investments  claim  considerable  of  his  time,  but  the  success 
of  his  former  years  would  enable  him  to  rest  from  further  labor  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  fruits  of  his  previous  toil.  Mr.  Keller  was  born  near  Burlington,  Iowa,  July  2, 
1844,  a  son  of  Silas  and  Lydia  (Barnes)  Keller,  who  were  natives  of  Kentucky  and 
removed  to  Iowa  in  1833,  when  it  was  still  a  territory.  They  made  their  home  about 
ten  miles  north  of  Burlington,  between  that  city  and  Wapello,  their  place  being  now 
on  the  Burlington  &  Cedar  Rapids  Railroad,  although  no  road  had  been  built  at  the 
time  they  established  their  home  west  of  the  Mississippi.  The  father  was  accidentally  < 
killed  in  1854,  but  the  mother  long  survived  and  passed  away  at  her  Iowa  home  in 
1885. 

F.  L.  Keller  came  to  the  west  in  1862,  when  a  youth  of  eighteen  years,  making  his 
way  first  to  Auburn,  Oregon,  while  the  following  spring  he  came  to  Idaho  City,  Idaho. 
His  education  had  been  such  as  the  common  schools  of  his  native  state  afforded.  He 
followed  mining  in  Idaho  during  the  winter  of  1863-4  and  in  the  spring  of  the  latter 
year  removed  to  Boise,  where  he  resided  for  a  brief  period,  when  his  brother-in-law, 
R.  L.  Short,  homesteaded  near  Star,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Boise  river,  at  what  is 
now  known  as  the  Brennan  place.  Mr.  Keller  lived  upon  that  place  for  twelve  years, 
carrying  on  business  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Short.  Together  they  improved  the  land 
and  brought  it  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  making  it  a  very  productive  farm. 
Mr.  Keller  sold  his  interest,  however,  to  his  partner  in  1875  and  purchased  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  three  miles  west  of  Caldwell,  on  the  Boise  river,  and 
homesteaded  an  adjoining  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  tract.  The  land  which  he 


MR.  AND  MRS.  F.  L.  KELLER 


!II  —  20 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  403 

bought  had  been  improved,  but  the  homestead  was  wild  and  undeveloped  and  upon 
him  devolved  the  arduous  task  of  turning  the  first  furrows.  He  lived  upon  that  place 
until  1899,  when  he  sold  the  ranch  and  built  a  home  in  Caldwell,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  After  taking  up  his  abode  in  the  city  he  bought  an  eighty-acre  farm  three 
miles  east  of  Caldwell,  which  he  highly  improved  and  later  sold.  He  then  invested  in 
forty  acres  north,  across  the  Boise  river,  about  three  miles  from  Caldwell,  and  this  he 
likewise  developed  and  sold  the  following  year.  His  next  purchase  made  him  owner 
of  thirteen  and  a  half  acres  of  raw  land,  three  and  a  half  miles  south  of  Caldwell. 
which  he  has  improved  and  still  owns.  He  also  bought  thirteen  and  a  half  acres  more 
of  raw  land  adjoining  the  other  place  and  it  is  still  in  his  possession,  being  now  highly 
cultivated  and  developed.  For  the  past  fifteen  years  Mr.  Keller  has  had  the  contract 
for  sprinkling  Caldwell's  streets  and  he  has  led  a  most  active  life,  his  untiring  indus- 
try and  persistency  of  purpose  bringing  him  a  most  gratifying  measure  of  success. 

During  the  long  years  of  his  residence  in  Idaho,  Mr.  Keller  has  become  familiar 
with  every  phase  of  the  state's  development  from  pioneer  times  down  to  the  progres- 
sive present.  At  one  time  his  next-door  neighbor,  Jarvis  by  name,  was  killed  by  the 
Indians.  He  and  Mr.  Keller  were  teaming  to  Silver  City  from  Boise  but,  though 
traveling  the  same  route,  were  not  always  together,  which  was  the  case  in  this  in- 
stance. The  Indians  had  secreted  themselves  behind  some  rocks  and  when  Mr.  Jarvis 
came  along  he  was  killed  and  left  in  the  road,  where  Mr.  Keller  found  him.  His 
wagons  li  (1  been  burned  and  his  stock  had  been  taken  by  the  Indians.  Mr.  Keller 
and  his  family  suffered  all  the  horrors  of  the  fear  of  being  massacred  by  the  Indians 
at  any  t'me.  Life  was  never  safe  in  those  days  and  Mr.  Keller  was  one  of  those  who 
volunteered  to  assist  in  suppressing  the  Indians  and  received  an  honorable  discharge 
as  first  lieutenant  from  the  state  militia.  On  many  occasions  he  owed  his  life  to  the 
fact  that  he  possessed  a  better  horse  than  the  pursuing  Indians,  but  it  was  not  until 
the  red  men  were  suppressed  by  military  force  that  he  and  his  family  felt  safe.  At 
one  time,  when  going  to  Silver  City  on  horseback,  he  surprised  a  band  of  Indians  who 
were  dismounted.  They  lost  no  time,  however,  in  remounting  and  gave  chase,  but 
Mr.  Keller  had  a  fine  horse  and  a  good  gun,  and  whenever  one  came  too  near  he  let 
h'ni  know  that  he  was  a  good  shot.  However,  they  chased  him  for  more  than  five 
miles  before  he  succeeded  in  eluding  them.  The  Indians  would  sneak  into  the  houses 
even  in  the  daytime  and  commit  petty  depredations.  On  the  present  site  of  Caldwell 
the  people  had  built  a  strong  willow  corral,  into  which  they  put  their  stock  at  night 
and  securely  locked  the  gate  so  that  no  one  could  enter.  One  evening,  after  the  men 
had  locked  the  stock  in  and  were  playing  cards,  the  Indians  burned  a  hole  through 
the  corral  from  the  outside  and  ran  the  stock  out  of  it  before  the  men  knew  anything 
about  it  and  could  offer  resistance.  Mr.  Keller  and  others  who  lost  their  stock  fol- 
lowed the  Indians,  but  the  red  men  got  across  the  Snake  river  and  away  with  the 
stock,  which  w?s  never  recovered.  On  one  occasion  the  Indians  made  a  raid  near 
Middleton  and  during  these  troublous  times  were  captured  and  hanged  over  a  bluff  of 
lava  rock.  A  card  was  fastened  on  their  backs  informing  General  Howard  of  the  United 
States  army  that  he  could  have  them  if  he  wanted  them,  as  the  citizens  had  no 
further  use  for  them.  Mr.  Keller  was  six  months  in  crossing  the  plains  on  coming 
to  the  west  and  while  en  route  had  several  encounters  with  the  Indians.  He  and  another 
boy  at  one  time  followed  some  Indians  who  had  stolen  their  cattle  for  a  distance  of 
sixteen  miles  and  recovered  the  stock.  There  is  no  phase  of  Indian  warfare  or  their 
methods  of  living  with  which  Mr.  Keller  is  not  familiar  and  his  reminiscences  of  the 
early  days  are  most  interesting,  showing  the  marked  contrast  between  conditions  of 
the  present  and  of  the  past. 

Mr.  Keller  married  Miss  Lucy  E.  Dement,  who  passed  away  October  20.  1918.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children.  James  resides  at  Cascade,  Idaho.  Mattie  L.  is 
the  deceased  wife  of  H.  J.  Zeh.  Lydia  is  the  wife  of  L.  F.  McNitt  and  the  mother  of 
three  children:  Fay.  who  is  attending  high  school;  and  John  Keller  and  Ralph,  aged 
respectively  ten  and  eight  years.  Pearl  D.  is  the  wife  of  R.  R.  Woneack,  of  Cascade, 
Id:. ho,  and  has  a  daughter,  Elizabeth.  Furman  Harry  married  Margaret  Clevenger. 
Marie  is  the  widow  of  S.  L.  Lewis.  The  youngest  member  of  the  family  is  Laoni 
Lucile. 

Such  in  brief  is  the  life  history  of  F.  L.  Keller,  whose  record  if  written  in  detail 
would  furnish  a  story  more  thrilling  and  interesting  than  any  tale  of  fiction.  He 
came  into  Idaho  when  in  the  wild  mountain  fastnesses  lurked  the  savage  foe  and  it 
required  great  personal  courage  and  determination  to  meet  conditions  such  as  then 
existed.  Mr.  Keller,  however,  was  a  resolute  man  who  became  an  adept  in  the  use  of 


404  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  rifle,  and  he  had  moreover  removed  to  the  west  with  the  purpose  of  here  estab- 
lishing a  home  and  aiding  in  the  development  of  the  country.  He  carried  out  his 
determination  and  has  contributed  in  substantial  measure  to  the  growth  and  upbuild- 
ing of  this  section  of  the  country.  His  has  been  a  most  active  and  useful  life,  and 
while  he  has  now  passed  the  seventy-fifth  milestone  on  life's  journey,  he  is  still  an 
active  man  who  finds  it  impossible  to  sit  idly  by  and  yet  bears  his  part  in  the  world's 
work. 


ALFRED  W.  BALL. 

Alfred  W.  Ball,  a  sheepman  and  farmer  living  at  Lewisville,  came  to  Idaho  from 
the  neighboring  state  of  Utah,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  Vernon,  Tooele  county, 
August  3,  1878,  his  parents  being  Alfred  and  Mary  A.  (Walker)  Ball,  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Alfred  W.  Ball  of  this  review  was  largely  reared  at  Union, 
Utah,  and  there  acquired  his  education.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  twenty-four.  He  removed  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  in  1901 
in  company  with  his  parents  and  later  he  was  employed  by  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar 
Company  for  two  years.  Subsequently  he  leased  a  band  of  sheep  and  engaged  in 
sheep  raising,  in  which  business  he  is  still  active.  He  afterward  bought  one  hundred 
and  seven?  acres. of  land  and  later  forty  acres  more,  as  well  as  a  tract  of  two  and  a 
half  acres  at  Lewisville.  His  land  is  all  situated  near  the  town  and  he  has  improved 
these  various  tracts,  bringing  them  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  built  a 
fine  modern  brick  residence  at  Lewisville,  where  he  now  makes  his  home,  and  he  is 
actively  engaged  in  business  as  a  sheep  buyer,  although  he  has  not  been  on  the 
range  for  the  past  three  years.  He  buys  sheep  for  mutton  and  is  meeting  with  sub- 
stantial success  in  the  conduct  of  this  business,  which  he  carries  on  in  connection 
with  general  farming.  He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  sheep  and  in  all  of  his  business 
affairs  displays  a  spirit  of  unfaltering  enterprise. 

On  the  8th  of  June,  1903,  Mr.  Ball  was  married  to  Anna  T.  Walker,  daughter 
of  Don  C.  and  Anna  T.  Walker,  pioneers  of  Jefferson  county,  where  they  took  up 
their  abode  in  1884.  The  father  still  engages  in  farming  in  this  district,  making 
his  home  at  Lewisville.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ball  have  become  parents  of  eight  children:' 
Helen,  Mary  A.,  Alfred  V.,  Ora,  Leland  W.,  Anna,  Ronald  J.  and  Edna. 

Mr.  Ball  is  a  faithful  follower  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
and  is  president  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-ninth  Quorum  of  Seventy.  For 
twenty-five  months  he  filled  a  mission  in  the  northwestern  states  and  British  Columbia. 
Politically  he  is  a  republican,  and  while  he  has  never  been  active  in  politics  as  an 
office  seeker,  he  has  served  for  the  past  six  years  as  a  member  of  the  school  board 
and  the  cause  of  public  education  finds  in  him  a  stalwart  friend.  He  is  actuated 
by  a  spirit  of  progress  in  everything  that  he  undertakes  and  his  support  is  never 
grudgingly  given  to  any  project  for  the  general  good. 


WILLIAM   HARMON   HINER. 

William  Harmon  Hiner,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  on  a  ranch  a  half  mile  east 
of  the  Garfield  schoolhouse  in  South  Boise,  was  born  in  Polk  county,  Iowa,  December 
22,  1863.  His  birthplace  was  also  a  farm,  which  was  owned  and  occupied  by  his 
parents,  George  W.  and  Matilda  (Hughes)  Hiner,  the  former  a  native  of  Hartsville, 
Indiana,  and  the  latter  of  Virginia.  The  mother  removed  westward  to  Ohio  and 
thence  went  to  Iowa  with  her  parents.  George  W.  Hiner  and  Matilda  Hughes  were 
married  in  Iowa,  June  28,  1861,  and  there  resided  until  1885,  when  they  removed 
to  Missouri.  In  1888  they  went  to  Colorado,  where  the  mother  passed  away  April 
6,  1904.  The  father's  death  occurred  in  Plattsmouth,  Nebraska,  on  the  25th  of 
December  of  the  same  year.  Their  family  numbered  nine  children,  seven  sons  and 
two  daughters,  and  seven  of  the  number  are  yet  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Ada  Page, 
now  a  widow;  William  Harmon,  of  this  review,  who  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth; 
Samuel  Milton,  of  Montana;  Frank,  of  Rexburg,  Idaho;  Hartsel,  living  in  Meeker, 
Colorado;  George,  a  resident  of  Meridian,  Ada  county,  Idaho;  and  Peter,  whose  home 
is  at  Rexburg,  Idaho.  William  H.  Hiner  has  in  his  possession  a  picture  of  himself 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  405 

and  five  living  brothers,  which  was  taken  in  1904  at  Hooper,  Colorado,  and  is  a  most 
interesting  group. 

William  H.  Hiner  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Polk  county,  Iowa,  and 
throughout  his  entire  life  has  been  identified  with  agricultural  and  live  stock  in- 
terests. For  twenty  years  he  was  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business  in  Colorado, 
devoting  his  attention  chiefly  to  cattle  and  branding  from  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  calves  each  year.  He  raised  beef  cattle  of  good  grade 
and  had  three  quarter  sections  of  his  own  land  and  also  occupied  nine  sections  of 
ranch  land  in  Saguache  county,  Colorado.  He  removed  from  that  state  to  Ada  county, 
Idaho,  in  1907  and  has  here  since  made  his  home  southeast  of  Boise,  occupying  his 
present  farm  since  1909. 

It  was  on  the  6th  of  June,  1887,  in  Bates  county,  Missouri,  that  Mr.  Hiner  was 
married  to  Miss  Maggie  Sismore,  who  was  born  at  Pleasant  Gap,  Missouri.  November 
19,  1871.  They  have  five  living  children.  Everett,  now  at  Rexburg,  Idaho,  baa  re- 
cently returned  from  Camp  Lee.  Virginia.  He  was  born  March  25,  1888.  Roy,  born 
March  7,  1890.  is  a  farmer  living  near  Ustick,  Idaho.  May,  born  March  12,  1892. 
is  the  wife  of  Fred  Pickerell,  whom  she  married  on  the  21st  of  April,  1916,  and 
they  have  three  children:  Melvin,  born  February  3,  1916;  Marvin  Jack,  born  Feb- 
ruary 11,  1918;  and  Mildred,  born  December  5,  1919.  Delia  and  Zella,  the  younger 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  H.  Hiner,  are  twins,  twenty  years  of  age,  having 
been  born  November  25,  1899.  They  resemble  each  other  so  closely  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  for  people  not  members  of  the  household  to  tell  them  apart  and  they 
are  splendid  young  women  of  whom  the  parents  have  every  reason  to  be  proud.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hiner  also  lost  two  children:  Pearl,  who  was  born  January  28,  1894, 
became  the  wife  of  Walter  Butler  on  the  30th  of  September,  1914,  and*  died  July 
30,  1917,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  years.  William  B.,  born  February  23,  1897, 
died  January  20,  1901,  at  the  age  of  four  years.  The  son-in-law,  Walter  Butler,  was 
at  Camp  Lee  when  the  war  closed,  as  was  the  son,  Everett  Hiner.  Roy  Hiner  was 
married  June  25,  1911,  to  Susie  Butler,  a  sister  of  Walter  Butler,  and  they  have  four 
children:  Ralph,  born  February  13,  1913;  Margaret,  born  March  8,  1914;  Gladys, 
born  January  23.  1916;  and  a  son.  born  March  22.  1920. 

Mr.  Hiner  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  is  also  connected  with  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic  party  but  he  has  never 
been  an  office  seeker.  He  prefers  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  energies  upon  his 
business  affairs  and  has  prospered  since  coming  to  Idaho,  his  ranch  being  a  highly 
improved  and  valuable  property.  He  had  won  substantial  success  before  his  arrival 
in  this  state  and  has  added  to  his  income  steadily  as  the  years  have  passed. 


MOSES  HESS. 

Moses  Hess  is  one  of  the  older  residents  of  Gem  county  and  has  resided  upon 
his  present  ranch  five  miles  west  of  Emmett  since  1902,  removing  to  this  state  from 
Grant  county,  Oregon,  where  he  had  lived  for  a  third  of  a  century.  He  was  born 
in  Ripley  county,  Indiana,  February  5,  1849,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Melissa 
(Pursell)  Hess,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  while  the  latter  was  born  in 
Ilipley  county,  Indiana.  Removing  to  the  northwest,  they  settled  in  Grant  county, 
Oregon,  where  their  remaining  days  were  passed.  The  father,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  December,  1820,  was  in  his  eighty-first  year  when  he  passed  away  on  the  2d  of 
December,  1901.  The  mother,  who  was  born  in  1823,  died  June  19,  1897.  Their 
marriage  was  celebrated  on  the  24th  of  November,  1844,  and  they  had  a  family  of 
five  children,  of  whom  three  are  yet  living:  Moses;  and  Samuel  and  Lewis,  who 
are  residents  of  Oregon. 

Moses  Hess  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  middle  west  to  the 
age  of  twenty-six  years,  when  in  1875  he  crossed  the  plains  to  Oregon.  He  was 
then  a  single  man  but  has  since  been  married  twice.  In  1877  he  wedded  Jane  Ross, 
who  passed  away  on  the  3d  of  May  three  years  later,  leaving  a  little  son,  Elmer, 
two  years  of  age,  and  an  infant  daughter,  Jessie.  Both  are  now  married  and  have 
children.  Elmer  wedded  Mattie  Davison  and  resides  in  a  house  upon  his  father's 
ranch,  giving  his  attention  to  the  development  and  further  improvement  of  the  land, 
which  is  devoted  to  the  raising  of  hay  and  cattle.  To  Elmer  Hess  and  his  wife  have 


406  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

been  born  two  children,  Vera  and  Carl.  The  daughter,  Jessie,  is  now  the  wife  of 
Fred  Axe  and  resides  in  Oregon.  They  have  one  child,  Vera. 

On  the  25th  of  September,  1899,  Moses  Hess  was  married  to  Mrs.  Lillie  Belle 
Miller  nee  Hardman,  the  widow  of  Oliver  Miller.  She  was  born  in  Oregon,  March 
25,  1863,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Barbara  (Ritter)  Hardman,  who  were 
natives  of  Indiana,  where  they  were  reared  and  married.  They  crossed  the  plains 
to  Oregon  with  ox  teams  in  1850  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hardman  spent  their  remaining 
days  in  the  Sunset  state.  Their  daughter,  Mrs.  Hess,  was  reared  in  Grant  county, 
Oregon,  and  in  1879  became  the  wife  of  Oliver  Miller,  who  departed  this  life  in  1890. 
leaving  two  sons,  Clarence  S.  and  Frank  H.,  both  of  whom  are  married,  reside  in 
Idaho  and  have  children. 

When  Mr.  Hess  crossed  the  plains  to  Oregon  he  traveled  through  the  Boise 
valley  and  passed  through  the  city  of  Boise,  which  was  then  a  mere  hamlet.  He 
has  lived  to  witness  the  remarkable  changes  which  time  and  man  have  wrought  in 
this  section  of  the  state  and  since  coming  to  Idaho  in  1902  has  borne  his  part  in 
the  work  of  general  development  and  progress.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  church  and  both  give  their  political  support  to  the  republican  party. 
Mr.  Hess  has  now  passed  the  Psalmist's  span  of  three  score  years  and  ten  but  is 
still  quite  hale  and  hearty,  his  son,  however,  relieving  him  of  much  of  the  work  of 
the  ranch. 


JOHN  H.   WAKEMAN. 

Boise  secured  a  valuable  addition  to  its  citizenship  when  in  1883  John  H.  Wake- 
man  took  up  his  abode  there.  He  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  South  Boise,  coming 
from  Utah.  He  passed  away  at  his  home  on  Garfield  street  in  South  Boise  on  the 
13th  of  April,  1919,  when  in  his  seventy-fourth  year,  and  thus  was  closed  a  life  of 
activity  and  usefulness.  He  was  a  good  mechanic  who  worked  with  and  about 
machinery  throughout  practically  his  entire  life  and  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  was  in  the  employ  of  Alexander  Rossi  and  W.  H.  Ridenbaugh,  doing 
mechanical  and  carpenter  work  and  general  utility  service  at  the  sawmill  and  in 
connection  with  their  lumber  business.  Indolence  and  idleness  were  utterly  foreign 
to  his  nature  and  he  was  thus  actively  connected  with  the  industrial  development  of 
the  city  in  which  he  made  his  home. 

John  H.  Wakeman  was  born  near  London,  England,  September  6,  1845,  and  came 
with  his  parents  to  the  United  States  on  a  sailing  ship  that  was  nine  weeks  in 
making  the  voyage.  He  was  then  a  lad  of  sixteen  years.  His  parents,  Robert  and 
Sarah  Wakeman,  were  converts  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
and  on  reaching  the  new  world  in  1861  the  family  started  over  the  plains  to  Utah, 
but  both  the  father  and  mother  died  while  on  the  journey.  Mr.  Wakeman  of  this 
review  continued  the  trip  with  the  wagon  train,  driving  a  team  of  oxen.  In  Salt 
Lake  City  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ann  Browell,  who  was  born  in  England  on  the 
18th  of  May,  1850.  She  came  to  the  new  world  in  1866,  when  a  maiden  of  sixteen 
summers,  in  company  with  her  parents,  William  and  Jane  Browell,  who  were  also 
Mormon  converts.  The  Browell  family  likewise  crossed  the  plains  to  Utah  in  a 
covered  wagon,  for  this  was  long  before  the  era  of  railroad  travel.  Mrs.  Wakeman 
walked  much  of  the  distance  across  the  plains  and  at  length  the  journey  was  ter- 
minated by  their  arrival  at  Salt  Lake  City,  where  her  father  lived  to  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-eight  years.  While  in  England  he  had  been  a  ship  draughtsman,  and  the 
Wakeman  family  in  that  country  were  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  fringe  and 
tassels  and  were  well-to-do  people. 

John  H.  Wakeman  did  not  cling  to  the  Mormon  faith  nor  has  his  widow  remained 
a  member  of  that  church.  She  comes  of  English  ancestry  and  belongs  to  the  Episcopal 
church,  which  is  the  dominant  church  of  England.  Her  father,  William  Browell,  was 
a  highly  educated  man  who  graduated  from  Oxford  University.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wakeman  were  born  twelve  children,  nine  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  seven 
are  living,  namely:  Frederick,  an  agriculturist  of  Blackfoot,  Idaho;  John  L.,  who 
is  master  mechanic  at  the  Owyhee  Hotel  in  Boise;  William,  who  holds  the  position 
of  superintendent  in  a  planing  mill  at  Potlatch,  Idaho;  Annie,  the  wife  of  W.  R. 
Butler,  of  Boise;  Thomas  Herbert,  who  has  been  a  gunner  in  the  United  States  navy 
for  the  past  sixteen  years;  and  Clarence  E.  and  Bert  E.,  twins,  who  are  now  twenty- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  407 

six  years  of  age.  The  two  last  named  served  in  the  world  war,  Bert  being  In  France 
as  a  gunner,  while  Clarence  was  at  Camp  Hancock,  Georgia,  when  the  war  ended. 
Mrs.  Wakeman  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  her  family  of  seven  children,  all 
of  whom  have  attained  adult  age  and  are  engaged  In  honorable  and  useful  activities. 
Each  one  has  been  a  credit  to  the  name  and,  like  their  parents,  have  commanded 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  know  them. 

Mr.  Wakeman  remained  a  valued  citizen  of  South  Boise  until  called  to  his  final 
rest  in  his  seventy-fourth  year.     He  had  lived  to  witness  many  chants  in  th. 
and  this  section  of  the  state  and  he  strongly  endorsed  every  plan  and  measure  for 
the  general   good   or   that  furthered   public   progress  in   any  way. 


CHARLES  W.  MORRISON. 

Charles  W.  Morrison,  a  prominent  and  successful  attorney  of  Rigby.  Idaho,  was 
born  in  Duncannon,  Pennsylvania,  March  13,  1881,  a  son  of  Andy  and  Carrie  (McLaugh- 
lin)  Morrison,  who  were  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  father  was  a  buffer  in  one  of 
the  iron  mills  of  Pennsylvania  for  many  years  and  still  resides  in  Duncannon,  Penn- 
sylvania. The  mother  passed  away  in  1908. 

The  early  life  of  Charles  Morrison  was  spent  in  Duncannon,  where  he  was  educated 
and  later  taught  school  for  four  years.  He  then  entered  Valparaiso  University  at 
Valparaiso,  Indiana,  where  he  pursued  a  scientific,  classical  and  law  course  and  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1908.  He  then  removed  to  South  Dakota,  where  he  taught 
school  for  three  and  a  half  years,  after  which  he  removed  to  Idaho  and  taught  school 
at  Roberts,  Jefferson  county,  and  also  one  year  at  Rigby,  Idaho.  Mr.  Morrison  ran  for 
the  office  of  superintendent  of  public  instruction  of  Idaho  in  1914  as  candidate  on  the 
.progressive  ticket  and  although  defeated,  was  supported  by  members  of  the  democratic 
party.  On  January  16,  1915,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  supreme  court  of 
Idaho  and  resides  in  the  city  of  Rigby,  where  he  has  since  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
law.  Twice  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  county  attorney  but  was  defeated 
both  times.  He  has  served  on  the  city  council  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Jefferson 
County  National  Bank  and  in  the  Beet  Growers  Sugar  Company. 

On  the  25th  of  September,  1912,  Mr.  Morrison  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Goldie 
Crissman,  of  Ipswich,  South  Dakota,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Molly  Crissman,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children,  Priscilla  and  Herbert. 

Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  lodges,  and  his  political  allegiance  he  gives  to  the 
republican  party.  His  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  membership  in  the  Presby- 
terian church.  Mr.  Morrison  is  a  deep  student  and  spends  much  of  his  time  in  his 
library  which  is  known  as  the  finest  and  largest  in  his  county.  He  is  a  man  of  rare 
intelligence  and  is  known  as  a  keen  and  able  attorney  at  law  throughout  the  entire 
community  wherein  he  resides.  He  is  held  in  the  highest  respect  and  esteem. 


SOREN  PETER  JENSKN. 

Soren  Peter  Jensen  was  a  well  known  contractor  and  builder  of  Boise  who  died  at 
his  home  on  jlhe  Boise  bench  south  of  the  capital  city  March  13,  1913.  He  was  a  Dane 
by  birth,  his  natal  day  being  August  26,  1864.  He  left  his  native  Denmark  in  young 
manhood  and  came  to  the  United  States,  accompanied  by  his  younger  brother, 
Jensen,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Roberts,  Illinois.  Both  brothers  had  served  in  the 
Danish  army  before  crossing  the  Atlantic  and  while  still  in  Denmark,  Soren  P.  Jeii>fii 
had  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  After  reaching  the  new  world  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  Minnesota,  where  he  lived  for  a  few  years  and  then  removed  to  Roberts,  Ford  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  the  lady  whom  he  made  his  wife.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nellie  Wesner  and  they  were  married  on  the  26th  of  February, 
1890.  The  Wesner  family  is  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  descent,  her  parents  being  Henry 
K.  and  Hester  (Defenbaugh)  Wesner,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  while  the 
later  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  Mrs.  Jensen's  birth  occurred  at  Reading,  Livingston  county. 
Illinois,  on  the  3d  of  October,  1870.  Her  father  was  a  butcher  by  trade,  thus  providing 


408  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

for  the  support  of  his  family.  Mrs.  Jensen  was  largely  reared  at  Streator,  Illinois,  and 
after  her  marriage  resided  at  Streator  and  at  Pontiac,  Illinois,  before  she  came  with  her 
husband  to  Boise  in  1900. 

It  was  in  1911  that  Mr.  Jensen  built  his  present  family  residence  on  the  Boise 
bench  that  is  still  occupied  by  his  widow.  It  is  a  cosy  home,  two  stories  in  height 
with  basement,  thoroughly  modern  in  its  equipment  and  improvements.  The  residence 
stands  on  a  five-acre  tract  of  land  which  is  highly  cultivated  but  was  sagebrush  when 
Mr.  Jensen  made  the  purchase.  His  death  occurred  two  years  after  he  removed  to  the 
little  ranch.  Previous  to  that  time  he  had  built  and  occupied  several  other  good  homes 
in  Boise  and  vicinity,  selling  them  at  advanced  prices  as  opportunity  offered  and  then 
building  others.  He  continued  to  follow  the  occupation  of  contracting  and  building  in 
Boise  from  the  time  of  his  arrival  until  his  death  and  in  addition  to  erecting  many 
residences  in  this  section  of  the  state  he  built  the  Union  block  on  Idaho  street  and  the 
Central  fire  station  of  Boise.  He  often  had  in  his  employ  large  numbers  of  men  and 
won  for  himself  a  most  creditable  position  among  the  leading  contractors  of  his  adopted 
city,  in  which  he  continued  a  prominent  representative  of  industrial  activity  until 
death  claimed  him  when  he  was  but  forty-eight  years  of  age.  Mr.  Jensen  is  survived 
by  his  widow  and  three  children,  Mrs.  Jessie  Campbell,  Mrs.  Iva  Thompson  and  Orie 
Jensen,  all  yet  residents  of  Boise.  The  elder  daughter  was  born  January  20,  1891,  and 
on  the  19th  of  October,  1916,  became  the  wife  of  Russell  Campbell.  They  have  one 
child,  Walter  Russell,  born  August  21,  1917.  The  second  daughter  was  born  November 
20,  1894,  and  on  the  25th  of  April,  1917,  became  the  wife  of  Glen  Walter  Thompson. 
Their  family  numbers  but  one  daughter,  Glendora,  born  April  26,  1918.  The  son,  Orie 
Jensen,  was  born  April  3,  1892,  and  is  a  mechanic,  residing  with  his  mother.  He  served  in 
the  World  war,  being  for  six  months  at  Camp  Lewis. 

The  father  was  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine 
and  he  also  belonged  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  American  Yeomen 
and  the  Neighbors  of  Woodcraft.  He  was  loyal  to  the  teachings  and  purposes  of  these 
orders  and  in  every  relation  of  life  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow- 
men,  his  death  being  the  occasion  of  deep  regret  to  all  who  knew  him. 


GARY  C.  HAVIRD. 

In  the  year  1865  a  long  train  of  one  hundred  wagons  wended  its  way  across  the 
plains  from  Illinois  to  the  Pacific  northwest  and  the  members  of  the  train  experienced 
the  usual  hardships,  privations  and  difficulties  of  travel  at  that  period.  The  train 
passed  through  Idaho  and  proceeded  to  Walla  Walla,  Washington.  The  Havird 
family,  including  Gary  C.  Havird,  were  members  of  this  train,  and  being  favorably 
impressed  with  the  country  now  included  within  the  borders  of  Idaho,  they  returned 
from  Walla  Walla,  Washington,  and  took  up  their  abode  at  Centerville,  Boise  county, 
in  the  spring  of  1866.  The  father  was  Caleb  Hardy  Hulty  Wanger  Havird  and  the 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Jemima  Kinder.  To  all  the  father  was  known  as 
"Cal"  Havird,  and  with  the  pioneer  development  of  the  state  he  became  closely  asso- 
ciated. He  followed  mining  pursuits  for  many  years  and  passed  away  at  Blackfoot, 
Idaho. 

Gary  C.  Havird  was  born  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  December  4,  1855,  and  was  a  lad 
of  but  nine  years  when  the  family  crossed  the  plains.  He  had  reached  the  age  of 
ten  years  when  the  family  home  was  established  at  Centerville  and  there  he  was 
reared  amid  the  scenes  and  conditions  of  frontier  life.  He  remembers  many  of  the 
incidents  of  the  trip  over  the  long  stretches  of  hot  sand  and  through  the  mountain 
passes,  including  the  fact  that  his  father  killed  two  Indian  scouts  while  they  were 
crossing  the  plains. 

Cary  C.  Havird  resided  in  the  Boise  basin  until  1894,  when  he  removed  to  the 
city  of  Boise.  In  his  youth  and  early  manhood  he  was  variously  employed,  first  driv- 
ing an  ox  team  that  was  used  in  hauling  wood.  Later  he  went  to  Garden  valley, 
where  he  worked  on  ranches  through  three  different  summers.  Still  later  he  fol- 
lowed mining  pursuits  for  a  year  or  so,  and  from  1876  until  1886  he  was  engaged  in 
the  livery  business  at  Centerville.  In  the  latter  year  he  was  elected  sheriff  of 
Boise  county  and  by  reelection  was  continued  in  that  position  for  six  years,  or  until 
1892,  being  chosen  to  the  office  as  the  republican  candidate  Idaho  was  admitted  to 
the  Union  while  he  was  occupying  that  position.  In  1894  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
the  city  of  Boise  and  in  the  following  year  purchased  a  ranch  of  one  hundred  and 


GARY  C.  HAVIRD 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  411 

sixty  acres  seven  miles  west  of  the  capital  city,  upon  which  he  resided  until  1907. 
In  the  meantime,  or  in  the  fall  of  1904,  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of  sheriff  of  Ada 
county,  but  continued  to  reside  upon  his  ranch  west  of  Boise  until  1907.  In  July, 
1905,  he  resigned  his  official  position  and  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention  upon 
his  panch  and  cattle  interests,  continuing  the  further  development  of  his  ranch  prop- 
erty until  1907,  when  he  sold  his  land  and  five  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  again  be- 
came a  resident  of  the  capital  city.  In  1909  he  purchased  a  ranch  in  Canyon  county 
near  Star  and  afterward  bought  two  other  ranches  in  that  vicinity.  During  the  past 
twelve  years  or  more  he  has  been  a  speculator  in  ranch  property,  buying  and  selling. 
Whenever  he  sees  an  opportunity  to  invest  at  a  low  figure  he  does  so,  holding  the  land 
until  he  can  sell  at  a  profit.  In  this  way  he  has  made  a  very  comfortable  competence 
and  is  now  financially  independent,  having  made  large  investments  in  farms,  first 
mortgages  and  other  valuable  securities.  During  the  period  of  his  residence  in  Idaho 
he  has  owned  seven  different  ranches,  four  in  Canyon  county  and  three  in  Ada  county. 
He  formerly  raised  and  dealt  extensively  in  cattle  and  he  recalls  that  during  Cleve- 
land's second  administration  he  sold  fine  fat  steers  at  from  eighteen  to  twenty  dollars 
a  head — something  very  different  from  the  price  which  cattle  now  command. 

In  Centerville,  Idaho,  on  the  10th  of  November,  1879,  Mr.  Havird  was  married 
by  Bishop  Tuttle  to  Miss  Helen  W.  Dodge,  who  was  born  in  Canyon  City,  Oregon,  June 
16,  1861,  and  passed  away  March  6,  1899,  leaving  three  children.  Harold  Meffert. 
who  was  born  in  1880,  died  December  16,  1916,  leaving  a  wife  and  two  daughters,  Hazel 
Brown  and  Ruth  Cary.  The  other  two  children  are:  Margaret  R.,  who  is  now  the 
wife  of  Noiman  Gratz,  a  well  known  business  man  of  Boise;  and  Raymond  C.,  who  is 
married  and  lives  on  a  ranch  west  of  Boise. 

Mr.  Havird  has  always  been  a  republican  in  his  political  views  since  age  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  Fraternally  he  is  an  active  and  prominent 
Odd  Fellow  and  is  a  past  grand  of  his  lodge.  He  also  has  the  veteran  badge  of  honor 
in  the  order,  having  been  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows  since  reaching  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years.  His  experiences  have  covered  every  phase  of  frontier  life  and  made 
him  familiar  with  every  feature  of  the  state's  development  and  progress.  When  he 
was  sheriff  of  Boise  county  in  1888,  in  attempting  to  make  an  arrest  of  some  desperate 
characters  for  murder,  three  of  them  in  a  bunch,  who  were  brothers,  attacked  him  and 
he  narrowly  made  his  escape.  His  six  years*  term  of  service  was  fraught  with  many 
exciting  incidents,  many  of  them  involving  great  danger.  In  his  younger  days  he  was 
very  fond  of  hunting  and  killed  many  deer  and  bears  as  well  as  much  small  game. 
He  has  also  trapped  scores  of  beavers.  Great  indeed  are  the  changes  which  have 
come  about  as  the  years  have  passed  and  the  state  has  been  reclaimed  for  the  pur- 
poses of  civilization,  its  natural  resources  developed,  its  land  claimed  and  cultivated 
and  the  work  of  improvement  carried  steadily  forward.  Mr.  Havird  has  always  been 
a  progressive  citizen,  bearing  his  full  share  in  the  work  of  general  advancement. 


RICHARD  Z.  JOHNSON. 

Richard  Z.  Johnson,  whose  name  was  interwoven  with  many  events  which  have 
made  history  in  Idaho,  and  whose  service  was  of  signal  worth  to  the  state,  was  born  in 
Akron,  Ohio,  May  21,  1837.  His  ancestors  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  New  Eng- 
land and  in  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  lines  there  were  those  who  fought  for 
American  independence  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  His  father,  Harvey  S.  Johnson,  was 
a  native  of  Rutland,  Vermont,  where  the  family  has  been  represented  through  many 
decades.  His  father  and  his  grandfather  had  been  members  of  the  bar  and  he  turned 
to  the  same  profession  as  a  life  work,  becoming  a  distinguished  attorney  of  Ohio,  with 
office  in  Akron.  He  was  also  prominently  connected  with  the  public  life  of  that  com- 
munity, where  be  served  as  the  first  postmaster  and  where  he  filled  the  position  of 
mayor  for  a  number  of  years,  his  administration  being  characterized  by  many  events 
of  signal  worth  to  the  community.  He  was  also  called  upon  to  represent  his  district 
in  congress,  and  when  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years  he  passed  away  in  1896. 
a  life  of  great  activity  and  usefulness  was  ended.  He  had  been  a  devoted  member  of 
the  Congregational  church,  to  which  also  belonged  his  wife,  who  in  her  maidenhood 
bore  the  name  of  Calista  F.  Munger.  She,  too.  was  a  native  of  Rutland,  Vermont,  and 
their  family  numbered  six  children. 

Their  firstborn  was  Richard  Z.  Johnson,  who  after  mastering  the  branches  of  laarn 


412  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

ing  taught  in  the  public  schools  of  Ohio  and  continuing  his  studies  for  a  time  in  New 
York,  matriculated  in  Yale  University  and  was  graduated  within  its  classic  walls  in 
1859,  choosing  as  a  life  work  the  profession  in  which  three  of  his  direct  ancestors  had 
already  attained  notable  prominence.  He  located  for  the  practice  of  law  in  St.  Paul, 
Minnesota,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  later  he  followed  his  profession  for 
five  years  in  Winona,  Minnesota,  serving  during  two  terms  of  that  period  as  city  attorney. 
Attracted  by  the  opportunities  offered  in  the  rapidly  developing  mining  districts  of  the 
west,  he  first  went  to  Virginia  City,  Nevada,  and  thence  to  Silver  City,  Idaho,  where  he 
remained  for  about  fourteen  years,  enjoying  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  during  that 
period.  In  December,  1878,  he  became  a  resident  of  Boise  and  it  was  not  long  before 
his  professional  ability  had  gained  for  him  a  large  and  distinctively  representative 
clientage.  His  name  figured  in  connection  with  much  of  the  most  important  litigation 
heard  in  the  capital  city  and  his  prominence  as  an  attorney  is  indicated  in  the  fact 
that  he  was  honored  by  election  to  the  office  of  president  of  the  Idaho  State  Bar  Asso- 
ciation. His  knowledge  of  legal  principles  was  comprehensive  and  exact  and  he  was 
seldom  if  ever  at  fault  in  their  application  to  a  point  in  controversy.  His  keenly 
analytical  mind,  developed  through  years  of  practice  together  with  a  natural  gift  of 
oratory  that  enabled  him  not  only  to  impose  upon  his  hearers  the  salient  points  of  his 
case  but  his  every  fine  gradation  were  factors  that  continually  kept  him  in  the  front 
rank  of  the  legal  profession  in  Idaho.  He  manifested,  too,  the  keenest  sagacity  in  busi- 
ness affairs,  as  shown  in  his  investments  in  real  estate  holdings  in  Boise,  and  his  im- 
provement of  his  property  not  only  augmented  his  private  fortunes  but  also  contributed 
to  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  city.  His  knowledge  of  the  law  was  largely 
used  for  public  benefit,  his  opinions  being  constantly  sought  in  regard  to  the  legality 
of  many  important  civic  questions  and  interests.  He  was  one  of  the  commissioners 
who  compiled  the  revised  territorial  code,  while  for  two  terms  he  filled  the  office  of 
attorney  general  of  the  state.  He  was  also  the  author  and  secured  the  passage  of  the 
law  creating  the  independent  school  districts  of  Boise  and  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
education  for  fifteen  years  did  valuable  service  for  the  city.  His  championship  of  * 
higher  education  was  manifest  in  his  service  as  one  of  the  first  regents  of  the  State 
University  and  as  a  member  of  its  board  of  trustees  for  a  number  of  years.  When 
private  interests  compelled  his  resignation  from  that  position  in  1894  his  former  col- 
leagues on  the  board  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Johnson  wedded  Miss  Kathleen  Broeg  and  in  their  son, 
Richard  H.  Johnson,  is  found  a  worthy  successor  of  the  father  and  one  who  is  maintain- 
ing the  family  reputation  in  connection  with  successful  practice  at  the  bar.  About  1910 
Mr.  Johnson  went  abroad  and  after  three  years'  residence  in  Europe  passed  away  in 
Wasserburg,  Germany,  on  the  10th  of  September,  1913.  The  press  and  the  public  of 
Idaho  were  united  in  their  expressions  concerning  the  value  of  his  work  to  the  state 
in  its  formative  period  and  as  an  interpreter  of  the  law,  doing  much  to  shape  and  uphold 
the  legal  status  of  the  commonwealth. 


GENERAL.  CHARLES  STUART  MOODY. 

General  Charles  Stuart  Moody,  formerly  adjutant  general  of  the  state  of  Idaho,  was 
born  on  a  farm  in  Randolph  county,  Missouri,  December  18,  1869,  a  son  of  George  W. 
and  Melissa  J.  (Ruberson)  Moody.  The  father  was  a  carpenter  and  farmer  in  early 
life  and  later  turned  his  attention  to  merchandising.  He  is  descended  from  one  of 
the  old  families  of  Virginia,  also  related  to  the  Stuart  family  of  that  state,  and  to  this 
family  General  Stuart  likewise  belonged. 

In  the  year  1877,  Charles  Stuart  Moody  removed  with  his  parents  to  eastern 
Oregon  and  in  1879  the  family  established  their  home  in  the  then  territory  of  Washing- 
Ion.  Another  removal  was  made  in  1881  which  brought  them  to  Idaho,  at  which  time 
they  located  on  a  ranch  twelve  miles  east  of  Moscow.  The  father  there  took  up  a 
timber  claim  and  became  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  district. 

General  Moody  of  this  review  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Oregon,  Wash- 
ington and  Idaho  and  when  nineteen  years  of  age  became  a  teacher  in  Latah  county, 
there  following  the  profession  for  two  years.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  entered 
newspaper  work  at  Troy,  having  previously  learned  the  printer's  trade  when  but  four- 
teen years  of  age.  In  1892  he  founded  the  Alliance  Ledger,  a  weekly  paper  which  he 
published  at  Troy  for  three  years,  he  and  his  wife  doing  all  of  the  work  in  connection 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  413 

with  the  issuance  of  that  paper.  In  1895  they  removed  to  Oroflno.  Idaho,  where  General 
Moody  embarked  in  the  drug  business,  making  his  home  at  that  place  until  1901.  In 
the  meantime  he  had  taken  up  the  study  of  medicine  and  In  1900  was  graduated  from 
the  Central  Medical  College  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  Following  the  completion  of  his 
course  he  practiced  medicine  at  Sand  Point,  Idaho,  from  1901  until  1914.  While  at 
Oroflno  he  served  as  judiciary  clerk  of  the  state  senate  at  the  fourth  session  of  the 
general  assembly.  During  the  fifth  session  of  the  state  legislature  he  was  a  representa- 
tive of  that  body  from  Shoshone  county  and  he  also  served  as  state  senator  from 
Shoshone  county  during  the  sixth  general  assembly.  During  the  last  term,  or  the 
fourteenth  session  of  the  state  legislature,  he  was  a  member  of  the  "war  house"  from 
Banner  county,  having  in  the  meantime  become  a  resident  of  Hope,  Bonner  county.  In 
1914  he  became  surgeon  for  the  Hope  Lumber  Company,  a  position  which  he  still  holds. 
On  the  29th  of  June,  1916,  he  was  appointed  adjutant  general  of  the  state  by  Governor 
Alexander,  an  office  that  assumed  added  importance  on  account  of  the  European  war. 
He  has  held  the  rank  of  major  in  the  Medical  Corps  since  1910  and  he  has  closely 
studied  all  questions  and  conditions  that  bear  upon  the  military  interests  of  the  state. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1892,  General  Moody  was  married  to  Sophie  Elizabeth 
Condell,  a  native  of  Kansas,  and  they  have  a  son,  Virgil  Carleton,  born  September  14, 
1893,  who  is  now  in  the  United  States  Forestry  Service.  He  married  Louise  Allen  and 
has  a  son,  Allen  Eugene  Moody,  who  was  born  December  17,  1916. 

Dr.  Moody  has  done  considerable  literary  work,  has  been  a  frequent  contributor  to 
medical  journals  and  is  also  the  author  of  a  volume  entitled  "History  of  the  Nez  Perce 
War."  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic  party  and  fraternally  he  is 
a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  identified 
with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  Along 
strictly  professional  lines  he"  is  connected  with  the  Idaho  State  Medical  Society  and  the 
American  Medical  Association  and  of  the  former  has  been  honored  with  the  presidency. 


MRS.  CLAUDIA  H.  NELSON. 

Mrs.  Claudia  H.  Nelson,  county  treasurer  of  Bannock  county  and  a  resident  of  Poca- 
tello  for  seven  years,  was  born  in  Utah,  a  daughter  of  Hi  and  Eliza  C.  (Beckstead) 
Hamsun.  Her  father  was  born  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  and  became  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Utah,  but  later  moved  to  Idaho,  where  he  followed  merchandising  for  many  years 
but  has  now  passed  away.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Utah.  Mrs.  Nelson  has  two  sisters: 
Mrs.  A.  II.  Soxer,  of  Logan,  Utah,  whose  husband  is  the  head  of  the  mathematical  depart- 
ment of  the  Agricultural  College;  and  Mrs.  W.  L.  Baugh,  of  Salt  Lake  City,  whose  hus- 
band is  a  railroad  conductor  on  the  Oregon  Short  Line. 

Mrs.  Nelson  was  but  seven  months  old  when  first  brought  to  Idaho.  She  pursued 
her  education  in  the  schools  of  this  state  and  at  Logan,  Utah,  and  in  early  womanhood 
devoted  some  time  to  teaching  in  the  rural  districts.  She  was  married  in  1899  and  is 
the  mother  of  two  children:  Vivian,  who  is  now  pursuing  a  nurses'  training  course 
at  St.  Anthony's  Hospital;  and  Hugh,  who  is  attending  the  public  schools  at  Pocatello. 

For  the  past  ten  years  Mrs.  Nelson  has  been  an  active  factor  in  business  life.  For 
two  years  she  was  in  the  office  of  the  Bannock  County  Abstract  Company  and  later  in 
the  office  of  the  county  recorder  for  two  years.  During  the  past  two  years  she  has  filled 
the  office  of  county  treasurer  of  Bannock  county  and  was  reelected  for  the  position  on 
the  democratic  ticket.  She  believes  that  woman,  having  demonstrated  her  ability  and 
fitness  for  work  in  every  connection,  should  have  equal  rights  with  man,  and  that  her 
own  record  as  county  treasurer  is  a  most  acceptable  one  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that 
she  has  been  renominated  for  the  position. 


RICHARD  H.  JOHNSON. 

For  five  generations  the  Johnson  family,  of  which  Richard  H.  Johnson  is  a  represen- 
tative, has  been  actively  connected  with  the  bar.  The  name  figures  conspicuously  on 
the  pages  of  the  legal  history  of  New  England,  of  the  Mississippi  valley  and  of  the  far  west 
and  has  been  inseparably  interwoven  with  the  court  records  of  Idaho  since  1878,  when  the 
family  home  was  established  in  Boise  by  Richard  Z.  and  Kathleen  (Broeg)  Johnson,  par- 


414  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

ents  of  Richard  H.  Johnson,  who  was  born  in  Silver  City,  Idaho,  on  the  19th  day  of  July, 
1870,  and  was  therefore  a  little  lad  of  eight  years  at  the  time  of  the  removal  of  the  capi- 
tal. He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Boise,  passing  through  consecutive  grades  to  his 
graduation  from  the  high  school  with  the  class  of  1886.  He  afterward  studied  in 
some  of  the  best.  European  schools,  spending  two  years  in  Zurich,  Switzerland,  where 
he  was  graduated  from  Concordia  College  in  1889,  and  then  went  to  Germany,  where 
he  was  connected  with  student  life  fof  a  year.  Upon  his  return  to  his  native  land  he 
entered  Yale  University  and  completed  a  course  in  law  with  the  class  of  1892,  just  a 
third  of  a  century  after  his  father  had  won  the  LL.B.  degree  in  the  same  institution. 

With  his  return  to  his  home  city  of  Boise,  Richard  H.  Johnson  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  and  entered  upon  practice  in  connection  with  his  father.  It  was  not  parental 
influence  or  assistance  but  personal  merit  that  gained  for  him  a  large  clientage  and  with 
his  father's  retirement  from  practice  he  took  over  the  business  of  the  firm  and  has 
since  remained  one  of  the  eminent  lawyers  of  the  city. 

In  1890  Mr.  Johnson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Kathryn  Ashdown,  of  New 
Haven,  Connecticut,  a  daughter  of  John  E.  and  Kathryn  (Bowen)  Ashdown,  of  that  city. 
They  have  become  parents  of  a  daughter,  Katherine,  whose  birth  occurred  in  1893  and 
who  after  spending  two  years  in  study  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  was  for  two  years  a 
student  in  .St.  Helen's  Hall  at  Portland,  Oregon.  In  June,  1912,  she  completed  a  course 
in  the  high  school  at  Boise  and  afterward  entered  the  Stanford  University  of  California, 
where  she  graduated  with  the  degree  of  B.  A. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  well  know  as  a  representative  of  the  Commercial  Club  and  he 
became  a  charter  member  of  Elks  Lodge,  No.  310.  His  political  allegiance  has  always 
been  given  to  the  democratic  party  and  in  1896  he  entered  upon  a  service  in  the  state 
legislature  that  through  reelection  covered  two  terms,  so  that  he  has  been  active  in 
framing  a&  well  as  in  interpreting  the  laws  of  Idaho. 


ARNOLD  E.  SMITH. 

Arnold  E.  Smith,  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Burley,  was  born  in  Park 
City,  Utah,  June  16,  1888,  a  son  of  Fred  M.  and  Ida  (Getsch)  Smith.  He  was  a  lad  of 
sixteen  years  when  he  left  his  native  town  to  become  a  resident  of  Salt  Lake  and  attend 
the  University  of  Utah.  After  putting  aside  his  textbooks  he  accepted  a  position  in  the 
National  Bank  of  the  Republic  as  messenger  boy  and  when  he  severed  his  connection 
with  that  institution  in  February,  1918,  he  was  serving  as  bank  auditor.  In  the  same 
year  he  entered  the  First  National  Bank  of  Burley  in  the  position  of  assistant  cashier 
and  on  the  1st  of  January,  1919,  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  cashier,  in  whicn 
connection  he  has  since  continued.  He  is  also  one  of  the  directors  of  the  bank  and  is 
proving  a  most  popular  official,  being  always  courteous  and  obliging,  while  at  the  same 
time  he  displays  a  thorough  understanding  of  every  phase  of  the  banking  bubiness. 

In  1912  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  Miss  Feme  Meeks,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
whose  parents  were  Charles  and  Lena  Meeks.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  three 
children,  Catherine,  Charles  and  Feme.  Mr.  Smith  maintains  an  independent  course 
in  politics,  voting  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  judgment  without  regard  to  party 
ties.  In  Masonry  he  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  has  also  attained  the  thirty-second 
degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite.  He  is  a  faithful  follower  of  the  craft,  its  purposes  and  its 
teachings,  and  he  employs  to  the  fullest  degree  the  confidence,  goodwill  and  friendship  of 
his  brethren  of  that  fraternity.  In  a  business  way  he  has  steadily  worked  upward  through 
merit  and  effort  and  has  made  for  himself  a  creditable  place  in  the  financial  circles 
of  southern  Idaho. 


DANA  E.  BRINCK. 

Dana  E.  Brinck,  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Perky  &  Brinck,  located  in  the  McCarty 
block,  Boise,  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Iowa,  on  a  farm,  July  21,  1879,  the  only  son 
of  Chester  Y.  and  Myra  (Buttolph)  Brinck.  His  parents  later  removed  to  Sac  county, 
Iowa,  where  he  spent  his  boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm  until  the  latter  passed  away 
in  1891.  His  mother  then  took  up  her  residence  in  Storm  Lake,  that  state,  and  later 
removed  to  Mount  Vernon,  Iowa,  and  now  resides  in  Boise. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  415 

Mr.  Brinck  was  graduated  from  the  Storm  Lake  high  school  in  1896,  and  from 
Cornell  College  at  Mount  Vernon,  Iowa,  with  the  degree  of  Ph.  B.  in  1903,  and  from 
the  Law  School  of  the  State  University  of  Iowa,  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  1n  1907, 
being  admitted  in  the  same  year  to  the  Iowa  bar.  During  the  period  between  his 
entrance  in  college  and  graduation  from  the  law  school,  he  spent  several  years  working 
with  the  Redpath  Lyceum  Bureau  in  Chicago.  After  graduating  from  law  school,  he 
spent  two  years  in  the  preparation  of  an  Iowa  Digest  at  Iowa  City,  in  connection  with 
Hon.  Emlin  McClain,  then  a  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  Iowa.  He  located  in 
Boise  in  July,  1909.  where  he  has  ever  since  practiced  his  profession,  and  in  1916  became 
the  junior  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Perky  &  Brinck,  the  senior  partner  being  Senator 
K.  I.  Perky. 

On  November  17,  1909,  Mr.  Brinck  was  married  to  Miss  Maude  Gable,  a  classmate 
at  Cornell  College,  and  to  this  union  has  been  born  a  son,  Chester  Gable  Brinck,  whose 
birth  occurred  February  12,  1911.  In  politics  Mr.  Brinck  is  a  republican.  Along  pro- 
fessional lines,  he  is  connected  with  the  County  and  State  Bar  Associations,  and  fraternal- 
ly is  a  member  of  Oriental  Lodge,  No.  60,  A.  F.  ft  A.  M.,  and  of  the  Scottish  Rite  bodies 
of  Masonry  at  Boise,  and  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 


CARL  A.  VALENTINE. 

Carl  A.  Valentine,  a  self-educated  and  self-made  man  who  has  made  his  efforts 
count  for  much  in  the  world's  work,  is  now  connected  with  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Pocatello  as  its  president.  He  has  also  figured  prominently  in  other  financial  con- 
nections in  Idaho,  contributing  much  to  the  development  of  the  banking  interests  of 
the  state.  That  he  has  reached  his  present  position  of  leadership  and  prominence  is 
due  to  the  wise  use  which  he  has  made  of  his  time,  talents  and  opportunities  and  his 
record  is  illustrative  of  the  fact  that  no  matter  what  the  opportunities  afforded  in 
schools,  one  must  eventually  formulate,  shape  and  determine  his  own  character. 

Mr.  Valentine  was  born  July  15,  1875,  at  Ronne,  on  the  island  of  Bornholm,  situated 
about  one  hundred  miles  from  Copenhagen,  Denmark.  His  father  is  now  deceased, 
but  he  brought  his  mother  to  this  country  and  she  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  nearly 
eighty  years. 

Carl  A.  Valentine  was  but  ten  years  of  age  when  he  first  crossed  the  ocean,  making 
his  way  to  Brigham,  Utah.  There  he  was  employed  in  the  sheep  industry  and  at  the 
same  time  he  utilized  the  opportunities  offered  for  acquiring  an  education.  When  eigh- 
teen years  of  age  he  removed  to  Pocatello,  Idaho,  although  for  some  years  before  he 
had  been  in  southern  Idaho.  For  a  year  he  engaged  in  the  produce  business  at  Poca- 
rello  and  then  sold  his  interests  in  order  to  engage  in  sheep  raising.  At  that  time  he 
was  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  and  upon  his  ranch  he  like- 
wise engaged  in  raising  cattle.  Previously  he  was  employed  in  the  shops  of  the  Oregon 
Short  Line  Railroad  and  later  he  became  fireman  on  a  locomotive  on  that  line.  When 
twenty-five  years  of  age  he  again  devoted  his  entire  time  to  the  raising  of  sheep  and 
was  active  in  that  business  until  the  fall  of  1909,  when  he  became  the  chief  factor  in 
the  organization  of  the  Farmers  &  Traders  Bank  of  Pocatello,  Idaho,  of  which  he  was 
made  vice  president.  In  the  same  year  he  organized  the  Bancroft  State  Bank  at  Ban- 
croft, Idaho,  which  was  later  converted  into  The  First  National  Bank  there,  with  the 
same  personnel  as  the  Farmers  &  Traders  Bank  previously  organized,  and  of  this  institu- 
tion he  remains  a  director  and  vice  president.  In  1912  he  reorganized  the  Gem  Valley 
State  Bank  of  Grace,  Idaho,  converted  into  The  First  National  Bank  of  that  place,  and 
of  this  institution  he  is  the  president,  having  also  served  in  that  capacity  before  the 
reorganization.  In  1902  he  purchased  control  of  the  McCammon  State  Bank,  of  which 
he  is  likewise  president.  He  also  purchased  control  of  the  First  National  Bank  and  The 
First  Savings  Bank  at  Pocatello  and  on  the  12th  of  April,  1915,  he  merged  into  it  the 
Farmers  &  Traders  Bank,  doing  business  under  the  name  of  the  First  National  Bank 
and  First  Savings  Bank,  which  is  the  fourth  largest  financial  institution  in  the  state, 
its  resources  being  approximately  four  and  one-half  million  dollars.  Mr.  Valentine  is 
.ilso  a  'director  and  stockholder  of  the  Weeter-Williams-Carmean  Wholesale  Company, 
which  is  at  present  erecting  a  building  and  is  now  doing  a  business  amounting  to  fifty 
thousand  dollars  monthly.  He  is  likewise  the  vice  president  of  the  Idaho  Pressed  Brick 
Company  and  formerly  served  as  its  president  but  resigned,  as  he  could  not  devote  suffi- 
cient time  to  the  duties  of  that  office.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Utah  Fire  Clay 


416  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Company  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  is  the  owner  of  the  Valentine  block,  which  he  erected 
in  1916  at  a  cost  of  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  This  is  one  of  the  most  modern 
buildings  in  the  state,  constructed  of  white  glazed  terra  cotta,  steel  and  concrete. 
It  is  two  stories  in  height,  with  twenty-five  offices,  three  stores  and  the  First  National 
Bank.  It  is  so  constructed,  however,  that  he  can  add  other  stories  and  he  is  now  con- 
templating the  building  of  three  additional.  In  1909  he  erected  a  residence  on  Seventh 
avenue,  in  a  district  which  was  then  covered  with  sagebrush  but  is  now  in  the  heart 
of  the  best  residential  section  of  the  city,  and  his  is  one  of  the  finest  homes  of  Poca- 
tello.  It  would  be  impossible  to  overestimate  the  worth  of  his  business  activities  as 
factors  in  the  development  of  the  districts  in  which  he  has  put  forth  his  efforts.  He 
is  a  man  of  sound  judgment  and  notable  sagacity  whose  initiative  has  enabled  him  to 
utilize  opportunities  that  others  have  passed  heedlessly  by.  He  always  works  with  firm 
purpose  toward  a  given  end  and  he  never  stops  short  of  the  successful  accomplish- 
ment of  that  purpose. 

Mr.  Valentine  was  united  in  marriage  at  Pocatello  to  Miss  Alvira  Neilson,  a  daugh- 
ter of  N.  P.  Neilson,  of  this  city.  They  have  two  sons  and  a  daughter — Carl  Dale, 
Richard  Douglas  and  Mary  Harriet,  who  are  with  the  parents  in  their  attractive  home. 

Mr.  Valentine  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Commercial  Club 
and  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council.  His  one  hundred  per  cent  Americanism 
was  indicated  in  his  untiring  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  country  during  the  World  war. 
He  was  made  a  member  of  the  Bannock  County  Council  of  Defense  and  was  given 
charge  of  fuel  administration  in  the  seventh  district  when  it  was  organized  at  Boise, 
the  district  comprising  Power,  Bannock,  Franklin,  Oneida,  Bear  Lake,  Bingham,  Butte, 
Custer  and  Lemhi  counties.  There  was  formed  an  organization  in  each  county  which 
reported  direct  to  Mr.  Valentine.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Bannock  County  Liberty 
Loan  Committee  throughout  all  the  drives  and  the  banks  with  which  he  was  connected 
oversubscribed  to  all  Liberty  loans  and  were  the  largest  subscribers  in  southeastern 
Idaho.  He  is  chairman  of  the  board  of  governors  of  the  St.  Anthony  Hospital  at  Poca- 
tello and  is  at  present  organizing  the  State  Bank  at  Arjmo,  Idaho.  The  record  of  such 
a  man  should  certainly  serve  to  stimulate  and  encourage  others,  showing  what  can  be 
accomplished  through  individual  effort.  While  ambition  and  energy  have  brought  him 
notable  success  in  business,  he  has  at  the  same  time  regarded  the  attainment  of  wealth 
only  as  one  aim  of  his  life.  He  has  ever  fully  recognized  his  duties  and  obligations  in 
other  connections  and  has  made  effort  to  serve  the  general  purposes  of  society  as  well. 


NELS  WESTBY. 

Among  the  enterprising  merchants  of  Boise  is  numbered  Nels  Westby,  proprietor 
of  the  Holsum  Bakery,  located  at  the  corner  of  Sixteenth  and  Idaho  streets.  He  came 
to  this  city  in  1907  from  Esmond,  North  Dakota,  where  for  a  number  of  years  he  was 
connected  with  the  bakery  trade.  A  Norwegian  by  birth,  he  was  born  at  Larvik,  July 
8,  1885,  a  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nels  Westby,  Sr.,  who  throughout  life  have  remained 
residents  of  their  native  land.  The  father,  who  followed  a  seafaring  career,  is  now 
living  retired,  his  wife  also  surviving,  and  they  make  their  home  at  Larvik,  Norway. 

Nels  Westby  of  this  review  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  country  but 
at  the  age  of  nineteen,  having  been  much  impressed  with  the  stories  he  had  heard  in 
regard  to  the  opportunities  offered  in  the  United  States,  decided  to  come  to  this  coun- 
try, arriving  here  in  1904.  In  Norway  he  had  learned  the  baker's  trade,  having  turned 
his  attention  to  that  line  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  serving  a  four  years'  apprentice- 
ship. Upon  completing  his  indenture  he  came  to  this  country  and  after  working  for 
three  years  at  his  trade  in  Esmond,  North  Dakota,  came  to  Boise  in  1907  and  here 
he  has  since  been  identified  with  the  baking  industry.  Having  thoroughly  learned  all 
the  details  of  the  trade  as  applying  to  this  country,  he  embarked  in  business  inde- 
pendently in  1913,  purchasing  the  Capital  Bakery  at  No.  717  Main  street.  In  1915  he 
sold  that  establishment  and  acquired  the  bakery  which  he  now  owns  at  the  corner  of 
Sixteenth  and  Idaho  streets,  naming  it  the  Holsum  Bakery,  which  name  is  copy- 
righted. Since  then  his  trade  has  greatly  increased  as  he  not  only  uses  the  best  materials 
but  is  thoroughly  conscientious  in  all  of  his  dealings  and  turns  out  a  very  palatable  prod- 
uct. He  now  receives  a  gratifying  income  from  his  labors. 

On  September  16,  1910,  Mr.  Westby  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Leva  Qium, 


NELS  WESTBY 


Vol.  in— 27 


s 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  419 

a  native  of  Norway,  who  in  1904  came  to  the  United  States  in  the  same  year  and 
month  as  her  husband.  To  this  union  has  been  born  a  son,  Harold  Morris,  whose 
birth  occurred  March  3.  1913.  The  family  residence  is  at  No.  1316  North  Twenty- 
first  street,  which  property  Mr.  Westby  owns. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  Master  Bakers  Association  and  for  one  year  was 
its  vice  president.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce,  being  thor- 
oughly in  accord  with  its  projects  for  advancement,  and  fraternally  is  a  member  of 
the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose  and  the  Brotherhood  of  American  Yeomen.  His  political 
affiliation  is  with  the  republican  party  but  he  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office, 
preferring  to  give  his  whole  attention  to  his  business  affairs.  In  this  country  he 
has  found  the  opportunities  which  he  sought  and  has  attained  a  substantial  position 
by  applying  industry  and  energy  in  the  pursuit  of  his  objects. 


EARL  EAMES,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Earl  Eames,  successfully  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  in 
Teton,  was  born  at  Menan,  in  what  was  then  Fremont  county  but  is  now  Jefferson  county, 
Idaho,  November  30,  1890,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Ella  (Molen)  Eames  who  were 
natives  of  England  and  of  Lehi,  Utah,  respectively.  The  father  came  to  America  with 
his  parents  when  but  eight  years  of  age,  they  having  been  converted  to  the  faith  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  They  made  their  way  across  the  country 
to  Utah  and  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  that  state.  There  William  Eames 
was  reared  and  educated  and  when  old  enough  began  cow  punching.  In  1884  he  removed 
to  what  is  now  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  and  subsequently  to  Oneida  or  Bingham  county. 
He  came  to  this  district  looking  for  a  range  for  cattle  and  filed  on  land  four  miles  west 
of  Menan.  He  has  since  improved  his  property  and  it  has  throughout  the  intervening 
period  been  carefully  and  successfully  conducted,  his  sons  now  doing  the  actual  work 
of  the  farm,  while  Mr.  Eames  lives  in  Menan,  as  does  the  mother. 

Dr.  Eames  was  reared  in  Menan  and  in  the 'pursuit  of  his  education  attended  the 
graded  schools  and  the  high  school  of  Idaho  Falls.  He  afterward  entered  the  university 
at  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  where  he  spent  two  years  as  a  student,  and  on  the  expiration 
of  that  period  matriculated  in  Rush  Medical  College  of  Chicago,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  the  class  of  1917.  He  spent  one  year  in  hospital  work  in  San  Francisco 
and  ten  months  in  the  army  of  which  period  six  months  were  passed  in  France.  He 
went  over  with  Base  Hospital,  No.  96,  with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  and  was  honorably 
discharged  May  18,  1919.  By  reason  of  his  hospital  work  and  his  service  in  the  army 
abroad  he  has  largely  promoted  his  knowledge  and  is  splendidly  qualified  for  the  onerous 
duties  of  the  profession.  Returning  to  America,  he  located  in  Fremont  county,  open- 
ing an  office  at  Newdale  on  the  10th  of  June,  but  after  two  months  removed  to  Teton, 
where  he  has  practiced  since,  although  still  continuing  his  work  at  Newdale.  He  is 
recognized  as  a  most  capable  young  physician  and  at  all  times  is  keeping  in  close  touch 
with  the  advanced  thought  and  scientific  investigations  of  the  medical  profession. 

Dr.  Eames  was  married  to  Miss  Lillian  Torma  in  September,  1917.  Fraternally  he 
is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  religiously  with  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic 
party  but  while  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  he  has 
no  desire  for  political  office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  energies  and  attention  upon 
his  professional  interests,  which  are  constantly  growing  in  volume  and  in  importance. 


WILLIAM  KUNTER. 

The  successful  struggle  of  an  American  of  foreign  birth  in  his  adopted  country  is 
well  exemplified  in  the  career  of  William  Kunter,  a  prominent  merchant  of  Ririe,  Jef- 
ferson county,  Idaho,  who  was  born  in  Germany  in  July,  1877.  He  is  the  son  of  William 
and  Anna  (Lohmeyer)  Kunter,  both  of  whom  spent  their  entire  lives  in  their  native 
Germany,  where  the  former  was  an  agriculturist.  The  death  of  the  father  occurred  in 
March,  1897,  and  that  of  the  mother  in  June,  1891. 

William  Kunter"  spent  his  boyhood  in  Germany,  where  he  received  his  rudimentary 
schooling,  and  for  two  years  after  the  death  of  his  mother,  when  he  was  only  a  lad  of 


420  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

sixteen  years,  he  came  to  the  United  States.  Soon  after  his  arrival  he  located  at  Diller, 
Nebraska,  where  he  worked  as  a  hand  on  the  neighboring  farms  until  1899,  and  during 
this  period  he  devoted  his  spare  time  to  learning  the  customs  and  language  of  the  hew 
country.  He  then  decided  upon  the  northwest  as  a  suitable  field  for  his  operations  and 
he  went  to  Boise,  Idaho,  where  he  remained  until  1903.  There  his  employer  was  first 
W.  Kingsbury,  an  attorney,  and  then  R.  M.  Davis.  By  this  time  Mr.  Kunter  decided 
wisely  that  he  could  make  further  progress  in  this  land  only  through  the  door  of  addi- 
tional education,  hence  he  returned  to  Nebraska  and  entered  the  normal  school  at 
Fremont,  that  state,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  until  the  completion  of  his  course. 
With  the  added  qualifications  which  came  from  his  two  years  of  advanced  schooling, 
he  returned  to  Idaho  and  located  in  the  town  of  Pearl,  where  he  began  his  practical 
education  in  merchandising  in  the  store  of  R.  M.  Walters,  a  merchant.  He  was  thus  en- 
gaged until  June,  1906,  and  in  July  of  the  same  year  he  accepted  a  position  at  Boise  in 
the  Golden  Rule  store,  with  which  concern  he  remained  for  five  and  one  half  years. 
At  the  end  of  this  period  Mr.  Kunter  found  that  his  experience  and  financial  status  would 
permit  him  to  enter  the  field  of  business  for  himself,  and  after  looking  about  for  a 
suitable  location  he  bought  an  interest  in  the  Neuber  &  Scott  dry  goods  store  at  Idaho 
Falls,  Bonneville  county.  Two  years  later,  however,  he  disposed  of  his  part  of  the  busi- 
ness to  accept  the  position  as  manager  and  head  office  man  of  F.  A.  Buttrey  &  Company 
at  Havre,  Montana. 

In  November,  1914,  Mr.  Kunter  was  compelled  to  resign  his  position  with  F.  A. 
Buttrey  &  Company  on  account  of  eye  trouble  which  was  occasioned  by  the  nature  of 
his  work.  He  then  located  in  Perry,  Jefferson  county,  near  Ririe,  and  there  established 
himself  in  business  with  a  bankrupt  stock  which  he  had  recently  purchased.  Some 
time  later  he  formed  a  partnership  with  H.  F.  Kunter,  his  brother,  and  M.  B.  Bundlies 
and  together  they  erected  a  business  building  in  Ririe  to  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
removed  his  stock  on  February  15,  1915.  The  firm  continued  unchanged  in  personnel 
until  July,  1919,  at  which  time  Mr.  Kunter  and  his  brother  purchased  the  interest  of 
M.  B.  Bundlies  in  the  firm,  which  now  operates  under  the  name  of  Kunter  Brothers. 
They  now  carry  a  large,  well  selected  stock  of  merchandise  and  are  enjoying  an  extensive 
patronage.  Aside  from  his  store,  Mr.  Kunter  has  other  important  business  interests. 
He  is  a  stockholder  in  a  bonded  warehouse  at  Idaho  Falls,  of  which  his  brother  is 
manager.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Ririe  and  in  the  Ririe 
Garage,  being  also  a  director  of  both. 

On  the  30th  of  July,  1919,  Mr.  Kunter  was  united  in  marriage  to  Emma  L.  Croft 
and  they  are  now  making  their  home  at  Ririe,  where  they  take  a  proper  interest  in  the 
social  affairs  of  the  community.  Mr.  Kunter's  religious  persuasion  is  denoted  by  his 
membership  in  the  Lutheran  church.  He  prefers  to  exercise  his  right  of  franchise  inde- 
pendently, yet  his  alignment  with  no  political  party  has  not  prevented  him  from  taking 
an  active  part  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  community.  For  the  last  four  and  one-half 
years  he  has  been  clerk  of  the  Ririe  school  board  and  during  his  incumbency  there  has 
been  erected  a  new  school  building  which  represents  the  most  recent  advances  in  the 
architecture,  sanitation  and  equipment  of  such  structures.  He  is  at  this  time  also  serv- 
ing as  treasurer  of  the  town  of  Ririe.  Fraternally  Mr.  Kunter  is  affiliated  with  Boise 
Lodge,  No.  3,  I.  O.  O.  F.  A  perusal  of  Mr.  Kunter's  achievements  reveals  the  possibili- 
ties which  an  American  by  adoption  can  reach  by  becoming  a  constructive  citizen  of 
this  great  nation.  Twenty-seven  years  ago  he  landed  here  a  lad  on  the  shores  of  a 
strange  country,  the  language  and  customs  of  which  he  did  not  know;  now  he  is  a 
successful  business  man  and  a  valuable  citizen  of  a  new  community,  to  the  development 
of  which  he  is  devoting  his  best  talents. 


JOSEPH  S.  ADAMS. 

Joseph  S.  Adams,  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  progressive  citizens  of  Shelley, 
and  owner  and  editor  of  the  Shelley  Pioneer,  which  he  acquired  in  1913,  was  born  in 
London,  England,  in  August,  1863,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Eliza  (Woodward)  Adams,  the 
former  a  native  also  of  London  and  the  latter  of  Cardiff,  Wales.  The  father  was  an 
optician  in  his  native  country  and  followed  the  same  business  all  through  his  life. 
He  emigrated  to  America  in  1893,  where  his  son  had  preceded  him  ten  years  before] 
and  located  in  Ogden,  Utah,  where  he  resided  until  his  death  which  occurred  in  August,' 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  421 

1915.  His  wife  died  in  London  some  thirty-eight  years  before,  her  death  taking  place 
in  1877. 

Joseph  S.  Adams  was  reared  and  educated  in  London,  and  later  became  an  apprentice 
to  the  printing  trade  in  that  city.  In  1883,  he  decided  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new 
world  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  locating  on  arrival  in  Ogden,  Utah,  where  he 
found  employment  on  the  old  Ogden  Herald  and  some  time  later  going  to  the  Ogden 
Standard.  Later  he  became  connected  with  the  Salt  Lake  City  Herald,  engaged  in  the 
mechanical  department  of  that  paper.  In  1895  Mr.  Adams  removed  to  Fremont  county, 
Idaho,  and  located  at  St.  Anthony,  where  he  was  associated  with  Ben  P.  Rich  in  the 
publication  of  the  Silver  Hammer,  and  in  the  following  year,  1896,  he  moved  the 
plant  to  Rexburg,  continuing  the  publication  of  the  Silver  Standard  until  1904.  He 
then  became  manager  of  the  Courant  Journal  at  Rexburg,  continuing  in  that  position 
for  some  time.  With  his  brother,  W.  H.  Adams,  he  then  started  the  Rexburg  Standard, 
and  later  published  the  Sugar  City  Times  for  about  four  years.  In  1913,  Mr.  Adams 
moved  to  Shelley,  Bingham  county,  and  bought  out  the  Shelley  Pioneer,  which  he  has 
been  conducting  ever  since.  When  he  acquired  this  paper  it  consisted  of  four  pages, 
which  he  gradually  increased  until  he  brought  it  up  to  its  present  size  of  ten  pages. 
The  paper  enjoys  a  wide  patronage  and  has  a  circulation  in  excess  of  five  hundred,  while 
the  jobbing  section  secures  a  goodly  share  of  the  commercial  printing  of  Shelley  and 
surrounding  district. 

In  1884  Mr.  Adams  was  united  in  marriage  to  Ada  Robinson  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  five  children  as  follows:  May,  the  wife  of  Emmet  C.  Walker,  of  Salt  Lake, 
and  they  have  three  children;  Joseph  H.,  a  rancher,  who  is  married  and  has  two  chil- 
dren; Rose,  wife  of  Bert  Haight,  living  at  Salt  Lake,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three 
children;  Pearl,  who  is  the  wife  of  Warren  Blake,  of  Sugar  City,  and  has  three  children; 
and  Henry,  who  died  in  1895.  Mrs.  Ada  Adams  died  in  1894,  and  in  December  of  the 
same  year  Mr.  Adams  was  married  to  Frances  Cole,  and  to  them  have  been  born  nine 
children,  namely:  George  W.,  who  has  charge  of  the  mechanical  department  of  the 
American  Falls  Press;  Earl  T.,  who  served  for  over  two  years  in  the  aviation  service 
during  the  war  with  Germany,  being  attached  to  the  Thirteenth  Aero  Squadron;  Susie, 
wife  of  James  Rindfelisch;  Clyde  R.,  who  married  Vera  Oler,  foreman  of  the  mechanical 
department  of  the  Shelley  Pioneer;  LeRoy,  who  served  fourteen  months  with  the  marines 
during  the  World  war;  Arvilla  and  Irene,  attending  school,  and  Frank,  aged  four. 
One  child  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Adams  is  a  republican  but  conducts  his  paper  as  an  independent  organ.  He 
nevertheless  takes  an  active  part  in  political  affairs,  at  the  same  time  not  aspiring  to 
public  office.  He  served  as  school  trustee  for  three  years  in  Shelley  and  was  clerk  of 
the  school  board  for  two  years.  Mr.  Adams  helped  to  open  the  Montana  mission  of  the 
Latter-day  Saints  church  and  has  had  charge  of  the  Shelley  second  ward  choir  since 
1914.  He  is  very  well  known  all  over  the  state,  and  has  been  acquainted  with  all  its 
governors  from  Governor  Hunt  down.  Mr.  Adams  was  entertainer  for  the  Eastern 
Idaho  Press  Club,  and  has  given  and  continues  to  give  of  his  time  and  ability  to 
projects  calculated  to  serve  the  best  interests  of  the  community  in  which  he  resides 
and  where  his  worth  and  character  as  a  citizen  are  fully  established. 


WILLIAM  J.  CHANDLER. 

William  J.  Chandler,  postmaster  of  Ririe,  and  publisher  of  the  Ririe  Press,  was 
born  in  Samaria,  Idaho,  March  25,  1885,  a  son  of  J.  J.  and  Mary  A.  (Williams)  Chandler, 
early  settlers  of  Jefferson  county,  of  whom  further  mention  is  made  elsewhere  in  this 
work.  It  was  in  Willard,  Utah,  that  William  J.  Chandler  began  his  elementary  educa- 
tion, which  he  finished  in  the  schools  of  Logan,  Utah.  After  the  removal  of  the  family 
to  Idaho,  he  entered  Ricks  Academy  at  Rexburg,  and  there  pursued  his  studies  until 
his  graduation,  after  which  he  became  a  student  in  the  State  Normal  School  at  Albion, 
Idaho,  in  order  to  prepare  himself  for  teaching.  On  the  completion  of  the  teacher's 
training  course,  Mr.  Chandler  came  to  Jefferson  county,  where  he  taught  school  for 
a  period  of  five  years.  He  then  became  a  salesman  in  the  Quality  store  of  Rigby  and 
soon  proved  his  worth  in  the  mercantile  business,  so  that  the  management  of  the 
concern  selected  him  to  take  charge  of  a  branch  store  which  had  just  been  established 
in  the  town  of  Ririe.  He  carried  on  the  business  to  the  complete  satisfaction  of  his 
employers  until  July  1,  1919,  when  the  building  and  stock  of  goods  were  destroyed  by 


422  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

fire.  Then  he  entered  business  on  his  own  account  and  purchased  the  Ririe  Press, 
August  12,  1919.  He  has  continued  the  publication  of  this  newspaper,  which  is  promised 
many  prosperous  years  under  his  management.  Since  he  became  its  owner  he  has 
improved  the  printing  plant,  increased  the  circulation  and  the  amount  of  advertising, 
all  of  which  is  making  the  paper  a  valuable  factor  in  the  business  and  social  affairs  of 
the  community.  While  still  manager  of  the  Ririe  branch  of  the  Quality  store,  Mr. 
Chandler  was  appointed  postmaster  in  April,  1916,  and  has  since  served  in  that  capacity. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  firm  which  operates  the  Ririe  Garage,  being  vice  president 
of  the  company. 

In  June,  1908,  Mr.  Chandler  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  N.  Call,  a  daughter  of 
Josiah  Call,  the  vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Ririe,  whose  biographical 
sketch  is  included  in  this  volume.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chandler  have  become  the  parents  of 
six  children,  namely:  Leah,  Helen,  Verna,  Wilson,  Lura  and  Samuel.  They  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  are  rearing  their  children 
in  that  faith.  For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Chandler  has  taken  a  very  active  part  in  the 
affairs  of  his  denomination.  For  twenty-five  months  he  was  a  missionary  in  Illinois 
and  after  his  return  to  Jefferson  county,  he  became  superintendent  of  the  Rigby  stake 
Sunday  school,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for  several  years.  Soon  after  he  came  to 
Ririe,  he  resumed  his  wonted  activities  in  the  affairs  of  that  ward  and  subsequently 
was  made  first  counselor  to  Bishop  David  Ririe.  Mr.  Chandler's  efforts  in  behalf  of 
his  church  have  recently  been  rewarded  by  being  made  bishop  of  the  Ririe  ward,  to 
which  office  he  was  elected  August  3,  1919. 

Mr.  Chandler  is  a  democrat  and  is  now  serving  as  clerk  of  the  village  of  Ririe. 
As  a  citizen  of  the  state  and  nation  he  has  an  understanding  of  problems  of  public 
policy  which  makes  him  a  valuable  man  of  his  time.  His  good  business  sense,  neigh- 
borliness  and  civic  spirit  determine  for  him  a  prominent  place  in  the  affairs  of  his 
community. 


MICHAEL  A.  STRONK. 

Michael  A.  Stronk,  postmaster  at  Twin  Falls,  was  born  in  Jefferson,  Greene  county, 
Iowa,  February  28,  1878,  a  son  of  Peter  and  Katherine  (Heck)  Stronk.  His,  education 
was  acquired  in  the  schools  of  his  native  state  and  he  was  reared  to  the  occupation 
of  farming,  which  claimed  his  attention  through  the  period  of  his  youth  and  early  man- 
hood. He  afterward  became  interested  in  farm  lands  and  he  is  now  one  of  the  part- 
ners in  the  Keel,  Wilkison,  Stronk  Lumber  Company  of  Twin  Falls.  His  business  inter- 
ests have  been  carefully  and  wisely  directed,  bringing  him  a  substantial  measure 
of  success. 

On  the  18th  of  September,  1900,  Mr.  Stronk  was  married  to  Miss  Rose  Scheuring, 
a  daughter  of  Valentine  and  Barbara  (Link)  Scheuring.  Their  children  are  three  in 
number,  Eleanor,  Agnes  and  Alfred.  The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the 
Catholic  church  and  Mr.  Stronk  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  He  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  His  political  allegiance  is  given 
to  the  democratic  party  and  in  1910  he  entered  upon  a  two  years'  term  as  county  com- 
missioner, while  since  April,  1915,  he  has  filled  the  position  of  postmaster  at  Twin  Falls, 
now  occupying  the  office  for  the  second  term. 


WILFORD  M.  CHRISTENSEN. 

Wilford  M.  Christensen,  the  well-known  manager  of  the  Idaho  Grain  &  Produce 
Company  of  Shelley,  and  owner  of  a  substantial  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
is  a  native  of  Hyrum,  Utah,  born  October  24,  1879  and  is  a  son  of  Niels  and  Christena 
(Andersen)  Christensen,  both  natives  of  the  kingdom  of  Denmark.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  in  the  old  country  until  1862,  when  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  Going 
to  Utah,  he  took  up  a  tract  of  land  near  Hyrum,  which  he  improved  and  cultivated,  and 
continued  to  operate  that  place  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  July, 
1881.  Before  coming  to  America,  he  was  called  on  to  fill  a  mission  in  Denmark  for 
the  Mormon  church  and  later  he  held  the  office  of  high  priest.  His  widow  is  still 
living  in  Shelley  and  is  now  aged  seventy-six  years. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  423 

Wilford  M.  Christensen  was  reared  and  educated  at  Hyrum,  Utah.  In  1893  he  and 
three  of  his  brothers  removed  to  Bingham  county,  Idaho,  and  bought  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land,  which  they  operated  until  1900,  when  Wilford  M.  Christensen  was 
called  to  fill  a  mission  to  Denmark  on  behalf  of  his  church.  He  labored  in  that  country 
in  the  mission  field  for  nearly  two  years  and  one-half,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
resumed  farming  with  one  of  his  brothers,  and  this  arrangement  continued  for  about 
three  years,  at  the  end  of  this  period,  dividing  up  the  land  between  them.  In  1897 
they  had  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he  has  continued  to  farm  ever  since. 
Recently,  he  rented  that  place  to  a  tenant  and  bought  eighty  acres  near  Shelley,  which 
he  now  operates  and  which  is  one  of  the  best  kept  places  in  the  district. 

In  1903  Mr.  Christensen  was  called  as  member  of  the  high  council  of  Blackfoot 
stake,  and  acted  in  that  capacity  until  1906.  when  he  was  selected  as  bishop  of  Goshen 
ward  and  continued  in  that  office  until  1914.  In  the  latter  year  he  was  called  to  the 
stake  presidency  of  Shelley  stake,  as  second  counsellor.  He  moved  from  Ooshen  to 
Shelley  in  the  fall  of  1918  and  was  appointed  manager  of  the  Idaho  Orain  A  Produce 
Company  and  has  been  a  stockholder  in  the  company  since  1914.  He  owns  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  irrigated  land,  which  is  devoted  to  general  farming. 

On  October  14,  1904,  Mr.  Christensen  was  united  in  marriage  to  Harriett  B.  Bates, 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  seven  children,  namely:  Leatha,  born  September 
17,  1905;  Harriett  L.,  May  11,  1907;  Alice  A.,  April  24,  1909;  Genevieve  C.,  April  24, 
1911;  Dennis  W.,  June  7,  1915;  Georgia,  February  24,  1917,  and  Jean,  May  12,  1919. 

Mr.  Christensen  served  as  trustee  of  Goshen  townsite,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
board  of  county  commissioners  in  1917-18.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Shelley  Mercantile 
Company;  a  stockholder  and  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Shelley,  and  inter* 
ested  in  other  commercial  enterprises.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the  republican  party  but 
has  never  been  a  seeker  after  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  attention  to  his  various 
business  interests.  His  church  affiliation  is  with  the  Latter-day  Saints,  in  the  affairs 
of  which  he  has  always  been  active  and  prominent. 


OLE  P.  JENSEN. 

Ole  P.  Jensen,  the  present  postmaster  of  Shelley,  and  formerly  justice  of  the  peace, 
needs  no  special  introduction  to  the  people  of  Bingham  county,  in  view  of  the  long  number 
of  years  he  has  resided  among  them.  He  was  born  near  Omaha,  Nebraska,  in  June,  1863, 
a  son  of  Peter  and  Maria  (Jacobsen)  Jensen,  natives  of  Denmark,  who  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1863.  On  arriving  in  this  country,  the  parents  went  to  Omaha  by  rail, 
and  in  that  city  the  father  bought  an  outfit  and  a  team  of  oxen  with  which  he  drove 
across  the  plains  to  Salt  Lake  City.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  the  family  located  in 
Cache  county,  Utah,  but  in  the  spring  of  1864  settled  in  Bear  Lake  county,  Idaho,  where 
Peter  Jensen  took  up  a  tract  of  land,  which  he  improved  and  developed,  making  it  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  the  district,  and  on  this  place  he  continued  his  agricultural  operations 
for  the  remainder  of  his  life,  his  death  occurring  in  February,  1911.  His  widow  survived 
him  two  years,  her  death  taking  place  in  February,  1913.  Mr.  Jensen  was  a  bishop  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  for  eighteen  years. 

Ole  P.  Jensen  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  educated  in  the  schools  of  Bear 
Lake  county.  He  then  learned  the  blacksmith  trade,  at  which  he  continued  to  work  for 
several  years,  in  addition  to  farming.  In  1892  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Bingham  county 
and  later  located  in  lona,  where  he  put  up  a  blacksmith  shop  and  operated  same  until 
the  spring  of  1894,  when  he  removed  to  Shelley  and  bought  a  relinquishment  one  and 
a  quarter  miles  east  of  the  town,  there  conducting  a  blacksmith  shop  for  a  short  time. 
He  developed  and  improved  his  holding  and  some  time  later  took  stock  in  the  Snake  River 
Valley  Canal.  He  helped  to  build  this  waterway,  the  time  occupied  in  getting  water 
to  his  place  being  eight  years.  He  also  helped  to  build  the  high  line  ditch.  He  succeeded 
in  bringing  his  land  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  continued  to  operate  the  place 
until  May,  1916,  when  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Shelley  by  President  Wilson,  his 
son  taking  his  place  on  the  farm  and  carrying  on  its  operations  ever  since. 

In  October,  1887,  Mr.  Jensen  was  united  in  marriage  to  Eliza  Whitehead,  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely:  Hazen  N..  assistant  postmaster  at 
Shelley;  Alba,  wife  of  Oliver  Humphrys,  a  rancher,  living  two  miles  from  Shelley; 
Meryl,  a  clerk  in  the  postofflce;  Vernzel,  operating  the  home  farm,  and  Gladys  and 
Marple  at  home. 


424  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr  Jensen  is  a  warm  supporter  of  the  democratic  party  and  active  in  its  behalf.  He 
served  one  term  in  Shelley  as  justice  of  the  peace.  His  religious  affiliation  is  with  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Later-day  Saints.  In  November,  1887,  he  left  for  South 
Carolina,  where  he  was  called  to  fill  a  mission,  and  was  thus  engaged  for  two  years, 
returning  home  in  November,  1889.  Mr.  Jensen  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the 
citizens  of  his  home  city,  where  he  has  established  himself  as  a  man  of  character  and 
probity. 


SCOTT  GUDMUNSEN. 

Business  activity  in  Burley  finds  a  substantial  representative  in  Scott  Gudmun- 
sen,  who  is  conducting  a  real  estate  and  insurance  agency.  He  is  a  young  man,  alert 
and  enterprising,  constantly  watching  out  for  favorable  opportunities,  of  which  he 
wisely  takes  advantages.  He  early  recognized  the  fact  that  industry  is  the  basis  of 
all  honorable  success  and  is  making  industry  the  basic  element  of  his  business  career. 

Idaho  numbers  him  among  her  native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  lona 
on  the  31st  of  March,  1892,  his  parents  being  Isaac  and  Fannie  M.  Gudmunsen.  His 
boyhood  days  were  largely  spent  at  Idaho  Falls  and  his  education  was  acquired  in 
the  schools  of  lona  and  in  the  Rexburg  Academy.  In  1908  he  removed  to  Burley  and 
entered  upon  a  mercantile  career  in  connection  with  his  father  and  three  brothers, 
Ray,  Irel  and  Reed,  the  store  being  established  on  Overland  avenue.  In  1910  Scott 
Gudmunsen  withdrew  from  the  firm  to  engage  in  the  real  estate  business,  opening  an 
office  in  the  Deardorff  building  on  Overland  avenue.  In  1915  he  purchased  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Empire  Land  Company  in  the  National  Ho^el  block  and  removed  to  new 
quarters.  Six  months  later  he  made  another  removal  to  the  Tonningson  building 
at  the  corner  of  Overland  and  Main  streets,  where  he  now  has  a  main  floor  office, 
well  equipped.  He  has  gained  a  very  large  clientage  since  starting  out  independently 
in  business,  and,  like  the  others  of  the  Gudmunsen  family,  has  contributed  in  substan- 
tial measure  to  the  business  development  and  upbuilding  of  Burley.  His  father  was 
for  many  years  active  in  the  business  life  of  th£  city  but  is  now  living  retired.  How- 
ever, he  is  still  the  owner  of  the  Gudmunsen  block  and  also  of  a  large  building  on 
Albion  avenue. 

In  1907  Mr.  Gudmunsen  was  married  to  Miss  Maud  Bassett,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
E.  and  Laura  A.  (Lutz)  Bassett,  the  former  a  native  of  Wales,  while  the  latter  was 
born  in  Smithfield,  Utah.  The  birth  of  Mrs.  Gudmunsen  occurred  in  Rexburg,  Idaho, 
and  by  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  four  children:  Denis  and  Doro- 
thy, at  home;  Margaret  G.,  who  died  in  November,  1918,  at  the  age  of  two  and  a  half 
years;  and  Scott,  Jr.,  born  March  6,  1920. 

Mr.  Gudmunsen  gives  his  political  support  to  the  republican  party  and  fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  For  three  years  he 
was  secretary  of  the  fair  association  and  through  this  and  many  other  avenues  has 
contributed  to  the  development  and  improvement  of  the  section  in  which  he  lives. 
He  is  keenly  interested  in  everything  that  has  to  do  with  public  progress,  and  his 
cooperation  can  always  be  counted  upon  to  further  those  plans  and  projects  which 
are  put  forth  for  the  general  good. 


ALVIN  CASEY. 

Alvin  Casey,  manager  of  the  wholesale  grocery  house  of  Oakes  &  Company  at  Twin 
Falls,  is  dominated  by  the  progressive  spirit  which  has  been  the  chief  source  of  rapid 
growth  and  development  in  Idaho.  In  this  connection  he  is  contributing  in  marked 
measure  to  the  commercial  development  of  his  adopted  city.  He  was  born  in  Boulder, 
Illinois,  in  1883  and  is  a  son  of  Matthew  and  Amanda  Casey.  He  was  but  nine  years 
of  age  when  in  1892  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  to  the  northwest  with 
Boise  as  their  destination.  The  city  schools  afforded  him  his  educational  privileges 
and  when  his  public  school  course  was  completed  he  attended  Rhoades  Business  College. 
He  started  upon  his  commercial  career  as  an  employe  in  the  grocery  house  of  E.  H. 
Plowhead,  with  whom  he  continued  for  ten  years,  during  which  time  he  thoroughly 
acquainted  himself  with  every  phase  of  the  business.  In  1913  he  accepted  a  position 


SCOTT   GUDMUXSEN 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  427 

with  the  firm  of  Oakes  &  Company  of  Boise,  entering  their  employ  as  a  stock  clerk. 
He  worked  his  way  steadily  upward,  his  capability  winning  him  advancement,  and  on 
the  12th  of  March,  191C,  he  came  to  Twin  Falls  to  accept  his  present  position,  that  of 
'general  manager  of  the  wholesale  house  of  the  firm  at  this  point.  The  business  was  first 
established  in  the  Fruit  Growers  building,  but  in  the  spring  of  1918  a  new  building  was 
completed,  having  a  floor  space  of  twenty-five  thousand  square  feet.  The  business  was 
removed  thereto  and  the  trade  has  steadily  grown.  Mr.  Casey  does  everything  in  his 
power  to  please  the  many  customers  of  the  house  and  his  progressive  methods  and  his 
reliability  have  been  salient  features  in  the  attainment  of  success. 

In  1903  Mr.  Casey  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nora  Davisson,  a  daughter  of 
Frank  and  Sarah  M.  (Lester)  Davisson  and  a  native  of  Missouri.  In  her  girlhood  days, 
however,  she  accompanied  her  parents  to  Boise  and  has  since  been  a  resident  of  Idaho. 

In  politics  Mr.  Casey  is  a  democrat  and  keeps  well  informed  concerning  the  political 
conditions  and  the  vital  problems  of  the  day.  He  has  never  sought  nor  desired  office, 
for  his  business  affairs  have  claimed  his  undivided  attention.  He  has  done  with  thor- 
oughness everything  that  he  has  undertaken  and,  closely  studying  every  question  relative 
to  the  grocery  trade,  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  until  his  position  is  now 
one  of  large  responsibility. 


JOSEPH  NELSON  DAVIS,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Joseph  Nelson  Davis,  displaying  marked  efficiency  in  the  treatment  of  disease 
and  enjoying  an  extensive  practice  at  Kimberly,  was  born  in  southern  Kansas  on  the 
23d  of  June,  1882,  his  parents  being  Jacob  E.  and  Melissa  J.  (Glascock)  Davis.  His 
boyhood  days  were  passed  in  his  native  state  and  his  education  was  largely  acquired  in 
the  schools  of  Elk  Falls  and  Kansas  State  Agricultural  College.  A  review  of  the  broad 
field  of  business  wkh  its  countless  opportunities  led  him  to  the  determination  to  make 
the  practice  of  medicine  his  life  work  and  with  that  end  in  view  he  entered  the  medical 
department  of  Washington  College  at  Topeka,  Kansas,  where  he  pursued  his  preparatory 
work,  and  later  he  took  post  graduate  work  in  Chicago.  He  was  thus  well  qualified  for 
the  active  practice  of  medicine  and  after  a  time  returned  to  Independence,  Kansas, 
where  he  remained  for  three  years,  practicing  his  profession  during  that  period.  He  later 
removed  to  Hudson,  Wyoming,  where  he  practiced  for  two  years,  and  in  1912  he  removed 
to  Elk  City,  Idaho,  where  he  continued  for  eighteen  months.  In  1913  he  opened  an 
office  in  Kimberly  and  through  the  intervening  period  has  enjoyed  an  extensive  practice, 
for  the  public  has  come  to  recognize  him  as  one  of  the  able  physicians  and  surgeons  in 
this  part  of  the  state. 

In  1910  Dr.  Davis  was  married  to  Miss  Cora  Edith  McNutt,  a  native  of  Missouri  and 
a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew  McNutt.  They  now  have  one  child,  Margaret.  Dr. 
Davis  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  and  in  Masonry  has  attained  the  Knight 
Templar  degree  and  is  a  Shriner.  HJs  profession  gives  him  ample  opportunity  to 
practice  the  beneficent  teachings  of  the  craft,  of  which  he  is  a  worthy  and  exemplary 
follower. 


CHARLEY  CHANDLER  BOWERMAN. 

Charley  Chandler  Bowerman,  classed  with  the  most  progressive  business  men  of 
Pocatello,  is  owner  of  a  large  lumberyard  and  in  connection  with  lumber  handles  every- 
thing in  the  building  line.  He  has  advanced  to  a  commanding  position  in  commercial 
circles  by  reason  of  the  progressive  methods  he  has  followed  and  the  wise  use  he  has 
made  of  his  opportunities.  Mr.  Bowerman  is  a  native  of  Coldwater,  Michigan,  born 
Januaiy  27,  1S78.  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Daken)  Bowerman. 
The  family  was  founded  in  America  in  1632  by  ancestors  who  came  from  England  and 
landed  at  Boston.  Later  settlement  was  made  in  Canada  by  the  three  brothers  who 
had  first  come  to  the  new  world.  During  the  War  of  1812  a  great-aunt  of  C.  C.  Bower- 
man of  this  review  rowed  a  party  across  the  Detroit  river  in  a  dugout  in  order  to  save 
them  from  being  captured  by  the  British.  His  father,  Thomas  Henry  Bowerman,  was 
born  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  for  many  years  was  engaged  in  business  as  a  carriage 
maker.  He  died  in  1913,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  His  wife,  a  native  of  Niagara 


428  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

courfty,  New  York,  is  now  living  in  San  Diego,  California,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  One  of  their  sons,  and  a  brother  of  Charley  C.,  Guy  E.  Bowerman,  is  now  the 
general  secretary  of  the  American  Bankers  Association.  Mr.  Bowerman  was  formerly 
State  Finance  Commissioner  for  Idaho  under  Governor  Davis. 

Charley  C.  Bowerman  attended  the  schools  of  Coldwater,  Michigan,  to  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  when  he  entered  into  the  carriage  making  business  of  which  his  father 
was  the  proprietor.  In  1900  he  joined  his  brother  at  St.  Anthony,  Idaho,  and  was  con- 
nected with  him  in  banking  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  that  city.  In  1905  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  lumber  trade  at  St.  Anthony  and  thus  continued  an  active  factor 
in  the  business  circles  of  that  city.  He  was  also  prominent  in  community  affairs  there 
and  served  as  alderman,  taking  an  active  part  in  promoting  the  work  of  the  city  council. 
In  1907  he  established  the  first,  lumberyard  at  Ashton.  Idaho,  and  was  one  of  the  thirteen 
incorporators  of  the  town  site  of  Ashton.  The  efforts  to  gain  a  railway  station  occasioned 
a  great  deal  of  rivalry  between  Marysville  and  Ashton,  resulting  in  a  station  for  each 
town.  In  1909  Mr.  Bowerman  sold  his  interests  at  the  latter  place  and  went  to  Salt 
Lake  City,  where  he  again  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  In  February,  1914,  he 
removed  to  Pocatello  and  organized  the  Bowerman  Lumber  Company,  of  which  he  is  the 
president  and  general  manager.  The  main  yard,  including  the  headquarters,  is  all  under 
cover.  The  ground  space  of  this  yard  and  a  yard  near  the  railroad  comprises  forty 
thousand  square  feet.  Mr.  Bowerman  usually  employs  about  six  men  and  he  carries 
everything  in  the  building  line,  including  all  kinds  of  lumber,  together  with  hardware, 
paints,  oils  and  glass.  In  addition  he  has  real  estate  holdings  in  Pocatello,  Ashton  and 
St.  Anthony.  He  is  ably  assisted  in  the  business  by  his  son-in-law,  George  M.  Hammond, 
who  returned  from  the  war  and  married  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bowerman's  only  daughter,  and 
entered  the  lumber  business,  being  at  present  secretary  of  the  Bowerman  Lumber 
Company.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hammond  have  a  son,  Charles  Marion  Hammond,  aged  one 
year.  The  home  of  the  family  is  one  of  the  most  modern  and  elegant  in  Pocatello, 
situated  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  city. 

Mr.  Bowerman  is  always  a  loyal  and  progressive  citizen,  measuring  up  to  the  fullest 
standards  of  one  hundred  per  cent  Americanism.  He  has  four  nephews  who  were  in 
the  great  World  war,  one  of  whom,  Guy  Emerson  Bowerman,  Jr.,  received  the  Croix  de 
Guerre.  He  was  one  of  the  Yale  contingent  who  entered  the  service  on  the  1st  of  August, 
1917.  Mr.  Bowerman  did  everything  in  his  power  to  support  American  interests  during 
the  World  war,  was  an  earnest  worker  in  behalf  of  Y.  M.  C.  A.  activities  and  was  captain 
of  Precinct  No.  1  for  all  war  activities.  In  1917  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  city 
council  of  Pocatello,  but  by  his  removal  from  that  ward  his  term  automatically  expired. 
He  is  a  mason  of  high  rank,  as  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  belongs  to  the  Mystic 
Shrine.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  the  Woodmen  of 
the  World,  the  Elks,  the  Eagles,  the  Hoo  Hoos,  a  lumber  organization,  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  the  Pocatello  Country  Club,  and  the  Rotary  Club.  At  all  times  he  displays 
a  most  progressive  spirit  in  everything  that  has  to  do  with  the  commercial  develop- 
ment and  the  upbuilding  of  the  civic  interests  of  Pocatello  and  the  advancement  of  its 
ideals.  He  is  an  American  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  is  at  all  times  a  leader  in 
large  affairs  and  is  robust,  active  and  full  of  the  joy  of  living. 


EDWARD  WILLIAM  KINGHORN. 

Edward  William  Kinghorn,  one  of  the  younger  business  men  of  Ririe,  Jefferson 
county,  where  he  has  been  manager  of  the  Midland  Elevator  for  the  last  four  years,  was 
born  in  Rigby,  the  same  county,  May  7,  1889.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Emma  (Blair) 
Kinghorn,  the  former  being  originally  from  Illinois  and  the  latter  from  Utah.  In  the 
early  days  when  thousands  of  immigrants  were  moving  westward  across  the  plains  to 
establish  their  homes  and  to  find  new  fields  of  opportunity,  George  Kinghorn,  who 
was  then  a  mere  lad,  settled  in  Utah  with  his  parents.  There  he  grew  to  manhood, 
met  and  married  Emma  Blair  and  established  his  first  home.  Sometime  after  the  Idaho 
country  was  opened  up  for  settlement,  he  decided  that  a  more  promising  field  for  his 
endeavor  lay  in  this  region.  Accordingly  he  left  Utah  in  the  early  '80s  and  homesteaded 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  three  miles  west  of  the  site  of  Rigby  in  that  part 
of  Bingham  county  which  was  later  incorporated  into  Jefferson.  Here  the  pioneering 
experience  which  he  had  acquired  in  Utah  stood  him  in  good  stead,  for  his  soil  was 
new  and  unused  to  the  plow,  but  after  some  years  of  close  application  to  his  task  he 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  429 

brought  his  land  under  cultivation.    At  the  present  time  his  farm,  where  he  and  his  wife 
still  reside,  is  one  of  the  best  improved  in  the  neighborhood. 

Some  seven  or  eight  years  after  his  parents  had  come  to  Jefferson  county,  Edward 
William  Kinghorn  was  born.  He  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm  and  in  the 
meantime  pursued  his  studies  in  the  schools  of  Rigby.  For  the  two  years  following  the 
completion  of  his  education  he  farmed  the  home  place,  and  during  this  period  he  gained 
much  valuable  experience  for  which  he  found  ample  use  when  he  engaged  in  the  grain 
business.  In  1911  he  left  the  farm  to  enter  the  employ  of  the  Midland  Elevator  Com- 
pany of  Rigby,  where  he  remained  for  four  years,  during  which  time  the  quality  of 
the  service  he  rendered  met  the  unqualified  approval  of  his  employers.  In  January, 
1915,  he  was  rewarded  by  his  promotion  to  manager  of  the  Ririe  elevator  belonging  to 
the  company.  Since  Mr.  Kinghorn  took  charge  of  this  elevator  the  volume  of  business 
has  experienced  a  gratifying  increase  which  is  largely  due  to  his  managerial  ability. 

Mr.  Kinghorn  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mattie  Wright  on  July  18,  1915,  and  they 
are  now  the  parents  of  two  sons,  Kenneth  \\ :,  who  was  born  May  5,  1917,  and  Clair, 
whose  birth  occurred  September  13,  1918.  Both  the  father  and  mother  are  loyal  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  are  rearing  their  children  in 
the  influence  of  a  Christian  home.  Mr.  Kinghorn  has  been  active  in  furthering  the 
interests  of  his  denomination  in  other  fields,  having  done  missionary  work  in  the 
northern  states  for  twenty-seven  months.  His  political  convictions  are  those  of  the 
Republican  party  and  in  the  affairs  of  this  organization  he  takes  a  deep  interest.  As  a 
member  for  two  years  of  the  town  board  of  Ririe,  of  which  he  is  now  chairman,  his 
deep  concern  for  the  civic  welfare  of  the  community  has  repeatedly  been  revealed. 
Whether  it  be  in  the  administration  of  civic  or  private  business  affairs,  the  courtesy, 
honesty  and  soundness  of  judgment  with  which  he  goes  about  his  work  assures  for  him 
the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


ISAIAH  J.  STEWART.  - 

Isaiah  J.  Stewart  is  closely  connected  with  public  interests  of  Dubois  and  Clark 
county  both  along  the  lines  of  civic  and  moral  development,  for  he  is  city  marshal  of 
Dubois  and  is  bishop  of  Beaver  Creek  ward  of  the  Bingham  stake  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  A  native  son  of  Utah,  he  was  born  at  Farmington. 
Davis  county,  January  31,  1869,  and  is  a  son  of  James  W.  and  Jane  (Grover)  Stewart, 
the  former  a  native  of  Alabama,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  England.  The  father  went 
to  California  during  the  excitement  attending  the  discovery  of  gold,  crossing  the  plains 
to  that  state  in  1849.  He  afterward  became  a  resident  of  Utah  and  was  numbered 
among  the  pioneer  Mormons  who  colonized  and  developed  that  state.  He  purchased 
land  near  Farmington,  which  he  cultivated  and  improved  for  several  years,  and  then 
went  to  Morgan  county,  Utah,  where  he  bought  land,  carrying  on  its  further  develop- 
ment and  improvement  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  He  then  sold  the  property  and 
became  a  resident  of  Fort  Bridger,  Wyoming,  where  he  took  up  a  homestead,  giving  his 
attention  to  the  work  of  tilling  the  soil  and  cultivating  his  crops  upon  that  place 
throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  passed  away  in  1912,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years,  having  long  survived  the  mother  of  Bishop  Stewart,  whose  death  occurred 
in  1873. 

Isaiah  J.  Stewart  was  largely  reared  in  Morgan  county,  Utah,  and  when  fifteen 
years  of  age  began  providing  for  his  own  support  by  working  as  a  farm  hand  and  also 
followed  railroading.  In  1904  he  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Rexburg.  He  purchased  land 
a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  town,  in  Madison  county,  and  his  early  experience  upon  his 
father's  farm  enabled  him  to  successfully  undertake  the  task  of  cultivating  and  improv- 
ing this  place,  of  which  he  remained  owner  for  four  years.  He  then  sold  the  property, 
removed  to  Dubois  and  filed  on  land  five  miles  east  of  the  town,  securing  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres.  Again  he  took  up  the  arduous  task  of  breaking  the  sod  and  render- 
ing the  fields  productive  and  through  the  intervening  years  he  has  further  carried  on 
the  work  of  development  and  improvement.  He  continued  to  reside  upon  the  ranch  until 
1917,  when  he  established  his  home  at  Dubois,  erecting  a  nice  modern  residence. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1891,  Mr.  Stewart  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Esther 
Mellinger  and  they  have  become  parents^  of  eight  children,  namely:  Verla;  Keitb; 
Delsa;  Reed;  Alda,  who  passed  away  in"  1903,  when  seven  years  of  age;  and  three 
who  died  in  infancy. 


430  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

In  religious  faith  Mr.  Stewart  has  always  adhered  to  the  belief  in  which  he  was 
reared — that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  has  been  an  earnest 
and  untiring  worker  in  the  church  and  in  1916  was  made  bishop  of  Beaver  Creek  ward 
of  the  Bingham  stake.  Through  his  efforts  the  meetinghouse  at  Dubois  was  built  in  the 
pumrner  of  1919,  when  there  was  a  total  crop  failure  in  the  locality,  yet  the  building 
was  erected  and  paid  for  at  a  cost  of  forty-five  hundred  dollars  within  thirty-one  days, 
Bishop  Stewart  being  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  accomplish  this  task.  Politically  he  is 
a  republican  and  in  1918  he  was  made  city  marshal  of  Dubois,  which  office  he  is  now 
acceptably  filling.  He  is  ever  loyal  to  any  cause  which  he  undertakes  or  espouses  and 
he  is  recognized  as  a  man  whose  word  is  as  good  as  any  bond  ever  solemnized  by 
signature  or  seal. 


N.  JENNESS. 

N.  Jenness,  editor  of  the  Leader-Herald,  published  at  Nampa,  Canyon  county,  was 
born  at  West  Charleston,  Vermont,  October  30,  1859,  a  son  of  Martin  J.  P.  and  Rachel 
Jenness.  He  comes  of  New  England  ancestry,  the  families  of  both  the  father  and  mother 
having  been  traced  back  to  the  colonial  period.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
at  Smithland,  Iowa,  and  in  the  State  Normal  School  at  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa.  His  youthful 
experiences  were  those  of  the  farm-bred  boy,  but  desiring  to  follow  other  pursuits  than 
that  of  the  farm,  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  newspaper  business  at  Smithland,  Iowa, 
in  1889.  He  gradually  worked  his  way  into  the  ownership  of  five  small  papers  and  in 
1891  removed  to  Correctionville,  Iowa,  from  which  place  he  managed  his  five  publications. 
As  editor  of  the  Leader-Herald  of  Nampa,  Idaho,  he  is  widely  known.  From  time  to 
time  he  has  made  investment  in  land,  which  has  constituted  his  financial  interest  outside 
of  newspaper  publication. 

In  June,  1890,  Mr.  Jenness  was  married  to  Regina  Gambs,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  N.  Gambs.  She  passed  away  in  July,  1902,  and  in  January,  1904,  Mr.  Jenness  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Clare  S.  Bryant,  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sawin,  this  marriage  being  celebrated  at  Castana,  Iowa.  Mr.  Jenness  has  one  son, 
Harold  Jenness,  who  married  Helen  Hickey,  of  Nampa,  in  November,  1917. 

Mr.  Jenness  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican  and  has  been  an  active 
worker  in  party  ranks.  While  in  Iowa  he  served  as  county  auditor  of  Woodbury  county 
for  eight  years,  from  1899  until  1907.  He  was  registrar  of  the  state  land  board  of  Idaho 
for  five  years,  from  September,  1910,  until  September,  1915.  He  has  been  connected 
with  many  civic  organizations,  including  commercial  clubs,  and  for  eight  years  has  been 
the  president  of  the  Nampa  Club.  His  aid  and  influence  are  ever  given  on  the  side  of 
progress  and  improvement  and  his  labors  have  in  large  measure  been  far-reaching  and 
resultant. 


HON.  ALBERT  EDWARD  STANGER. 

Hon.  Albert  Edward  Stanger.  devoting  his  attention  to  farming  and  to  public  serv- 
ice as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature,  makes  his  home  near  Idaho  Falls.  His  residence 
in  this  state  dates  from  the  period  when  he  was  eleven  years  of  age,  so  that  he  has 
practically  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  west  and  is  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  enterprise 
and  progress  which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  this  section  of 
the  country. 

He  was  born  at  Slaterville,  Utah,  March  13,  1872,  a  son  of  George  and  Mary  (Ether- 
ington)  Stanger,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  They  were  of  English  birth,  the  father 
born  in  Yorkshire  and  the  mother  in  Durham,  England.  In  that  country  they  were 
married  in  1855  and  at  once  came  to  the  United  States,  making  the  trip  by  boat  to  New 
Orleans,  thence  up  the  Mississippi  river  and  across  the  country  to  Utah  with  ox  team. 
It  was  a  long  and  arduous  journey  over  the  plains  and  through  the  mountain  passes 
but  they  did  not  falter.  They  had  become  converts  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  were  desirous  of  joining  the  colony  in  Utah.  They  reared  their 
family  in  that  faith  and  Albert  E.  Stanger  is  now  a  bishop  of  Lincoln  ward,  in  Bonneville 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  431 

county,  a  position  which  he  has  held  since  1912,  while  since  1905  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  Lincoln  ward  bishopric  in  one  capacity  or  another. 

Albert  E.  Stanger  was  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  children,  eight  sons  and  four 
daughters,  and  was  the  ninth  in  order  of  birth.  All  are  living  save  one  of  the  sons,  who 
died  in  infancy,  and  of  the  eleven  who  survive  all  are  residents  of  southeastern  Idaho 
and  are  married.  The  parents,  however,  have  passed  away,  both  dying  in  the  year  1911, 
the  mother  surviving  the  father  for  only  about  four  months.  When  the  Stanger  family 
first  came  to  Idaho  in  1883  they  took  up  their  abode  upon  a  ranch  in  what  was  then 
Oneida  county  but  is  now  Power  county. 

It  was  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  there  that  Albert  E.  Stanger  was  reared,  early 
becoming  familiar  with  the  best  methods  of  carrying  on  the  farm  work.  He  obtained  a 
common  school  education  in  the  schools  of  Utah  and  Idaho  and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
two  years  started  out  independently  upon  his  business  career.  Coming  to  what  is  now 
Bonneville  county,  then  a  part  of  Bingham  county,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  an 
improved  farm  on  time.  He  made  his  first  payment  by  working  out  and  earning  the 
money  to  discharge  his  indebtedness.  He  still  has  the  tract  of  eighty  acres  and  now 
has  five  other  farms  in  the  same  neighborhood.  He  specializes  in  the.  feeding  of  beef 
cattle  and  at  the  present  time  has  five  hundred  head.  His  business  interests  are 
energetically  and  successfully  carried  forward.  He  displays  sound  judgment  and  keen 
discrimination  in  the  conduct  of  his  farming  and  stock  raising  interests  and  his  property 
returns  to  him  a  gratifying  annual  income.  He  is  also  the  vice  president  of  the  Idaho 
Falls  National  Bank,  which  he  assisted  in  organizing  in  December,  1918. 

On  the  15th  of  March,  1889,  Mr.  Stanger  was  married  to  Miss  Josephine  Steele,  also 
a  native  of  Utah  but  reared  in  Idaho.  They  have  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  namely: 
Albert  G.,  Vera  S.,  Glenn  S.,  Keith  S.  and  Le  Roy  S.,  whose  ages  range  from  nineteen  to 
four  years. 

Mr.  Stanger  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  school  at  Lincoln,  Idaho,  in  which  village 
he  resides,  and  he  is  the  owner  of  the  Lincoln  townsite.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in 
the  lona  Mercantile  Company,  a  concern  that  operates  a  large  general  store  at  Lincoln 
and  has  branch  establishments  at  two  other  points.  This  company  also  conduts  an 
extensive  implement  house  in  Idaho  Falls  and  is  one  of  the  prominent  factors  in  the 
commercial  development  of  southeastern  Idaho.  Politically  Mr.  Stanger  has  always  been 
a  republican.  For  one  term  he  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  in  the  fall  of  1918 
was  elected  to- represent  his  county  in  the  state  legislature  by  a  good  majority.  He  has 
become  chairman  of  the  committee  on  federal  relations  and  is  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittees on  revenue,  taxation  and  banking.  He  is  fond  of  hunting  and  finds  his  chief 
recreation  in  that  way.  He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  from  1910  until  1912  he  was  a  missionary  of  his  church  in  the 
eastern  states  and  Canada,  including  Nova  Scotia  and  New  Brunswick.  There  are  few 
phases  of  development  and  progress  in  Bonneville  county  with  which  Mr.  Stanger  has 
not  been  closely  and  helpfully  identified,  and  his  cooperation  can  at  all  times  be 
counted  upon  to  further  measures  for  the  general  advancement  of  the  community. 


O.  G.  F.  MARKHUS. 

O.  G.  F.  Markhus,  general  superintendent  of  the  Idaho  Power  Company,  came  to 
Boise  in  October,  1907,  and  through  the  intervening  period  has  been  identified  with  its 
industrial  and  electrical  development.  He  was  born  upon  a  farm  in  Kandiyohi  county 
Minnesota,  on  the  29th  of  June,  1873,  and  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  state,  eventually  becoming  a  student  in  the  University  of  Minnesota,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  as  an  electrical  engineer  In  1897.  For  ten  years  thereafter  he 
was  in  charge  of  several  light  and  power  companies  in  the  central  western  states  as 
operating  manager,  and  in  October,  1907,  he  arrived  in  Boise,  becoming  general  manager 
at  that  time  of  the  Capital  Electric  Light,  Motor  &  Gas  Company.  In  1908  the  Idaho- 
Oregon  Light  &  Power  Company  took  over  the  entire  plant  of  the  former  company  and 
in  1911  the  general  management  of  the  Idaho  Railway,  Light  &  Power  Company  was 
added  to  the  duties  that  devolved  upon  Mr.  Markhus.  This  latter  concern  embraced  all 
of  the  traction,  light  and  power  plants  at  Nampa  and  Caldwell  and  also  the  power  plant 
at  Swan  Falls  on  the  Snake  river.  In  1913  both  companies  went  into  the  hands  of  a 
receiver  and  Mr.  Markhus  was  named  the  receiver  of  the  Idaho  Railway,  Light  &  Power 
Company.  In  1914  the  five  large  power  companies  operating  in  southern  Idaho,  includ- 


432  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

ing  the  two  above  named,  were  consolidated  into  what  is  now  the  Idaho  Power  Com- 
pany and  Mr.  Markhus  has  continuously  been  general  superintendent  from  that  date 
to  the  present.  He  is  a  man  of  marked  ability  in  electrical  engineering  and  important 
duties  devolve  upon  him,  which  are  most  capably  and  promptly  discharged. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1908,  in  Minnesota,  Mr.  Markhus  was  married  to  Miss  Helen 
Sherwin,  also  a  native  of  that  state,  and  they  now  have  two  children,  Richard  and 
Ruth.  During  the  war  with  Germany,  Mr.  Markhus  was  federal  state  director  of  the 
United  States  Public  Service  Reserve,  recruiting  labor  for  the  shipbuilding  and  airplane 
building  service  and  securing  men  of  special  qualifications  for  overseas  service.  He 
received  the  sum  of  a  dollar  per  year  for  his  labor  in  this  c6nnection.  He  is  prominent 
in  club  circles  and  is  now  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club,  also  having 
membership  in  the  American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers,  the  Idaho  Society  of. 
Engineers,  the  Boise  Rotary  Club,  the  Boise  University  Club  and  the  Boise  Country  Club. 


REV.  J.  P.  RIES,  S.  M. 

Rev.  J.  P.  Ries,  who  is  in  charge  of  the  Catholic  church  at  Nampa,  was  born 
August  7,  1877,  in  Luxembourg,  where  he  attended  the  grammar  schools  of  his  home 
town,  after  which  he  entered  the  college  at  Differt,  Belgium,  where  he  studied  for 
seven  years.  He  spent  one  year  as  a  novitiate  in  La  Bousselaie,  Redon,  France,  and 
then  joined  the  Society  of  Mary,  called  the  Marist  Fathers.  He  later  pursued  his  studies 
in  philosophy  at  Paignton,  England,  and  afterward  was  sent  by  his  superiors  to  the 
Catholic  University  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  for  his  training  in  theology.  He  was  or- 
dained to  the  priesthood  on  the  22d  of  June,  1903,  and  was  then  appointed  professor 
of  mathematics  -in  the  Marist  College  at  Atlanta,  Georgia.  He  was  also  active  along 
that  line  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  later  did  two  years  of  parish  work  in  Wheeling, 
West  Virginia,  subsequent  to  which  time  he  was  sent  by  his  provincial  to  take  charge 
of  the  missions  in  Idaho  under  the  care  of  the  Marist  Fathers,  with  headquarters  in 
Nampa,  where  he  arrived  on  the  2d  of  August,  1907. 

Here  Father  Ries  found  a  large  and  promising  field,  although  the  old  church  and 
parish  house  were  in  a  state  of  decay  and  without  sanitation,  while  things  in  general 
presented  an  almost  hopeless  condition.  However,  he  immediately  took  the  situa- 
tion in  hand  and  with  untiring  energy  brought  about  a  change  that  is  both  a  credit 
to  himself  and  the  city  of  Nampa.  In  1908  the  ground  for  the  present  church  and 
parish  house  was  acquired.  The  new  church  is  a  fine  structure  made  of  brick,  fin- 
ished in  mission  style,  and  was  dedicated  to  the  divine  service  by  Bishop  Glorieux  on 
the  16th  of  December,  1910.  The  new  rectory  was  opened  May  24,  1915,  and  is  a  mod- 
ern residence  of  substantial  size  and  pleasing  architecture. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1917,  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  arrived  at  Nampa  and  on  the  1st 
of  June,  1917,  they  took  over  the  Nampa  General  Hospital,  which  they  have  since  con- 
ducted. The  hospital  was  at  first  housed  in  a  residence,  but  the  9th  of  December,  1918, 
was  the  occasion  of  the  breaking  of  the  ground  for  a  new  one  hundred  thousand  dollar 
hospital,  which  is  built  in  old  mission  style,  made  of  brick  with  red  tile  roof.  It 
has  been  given  the  name  of  Mercy  Hospital  and  is  presided  over  by  the  Sisters  of 
Mercy.  There  is  no  other  hospital  in  Nampa.  On  the  14th  of  September,  1919,  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  organized  Nampa  Council,  No.  2014,  and  Father  Ries  is  now  co- 
operating with  them  to  construct  a  parochial  school  on  the  parish  grounds.  In  October, 
1917,  he  was  instrumental  in  having  erected  the  Grotto  of  Lourdes  adjoining  the  church, 
this  being  the  only  grotto  in  the  state..  Father  Ries  has  greatly  beautified  the  parish 
grounds  with  pergola  covered  walks,  over  which  in  season  the  vines  clamber  luxuri- 
antly, and  he  has  otherwise  made  his  surroundings  a  delight  to  the  eye. 


CHARLES  B.  SAMPSON. 

Charles  B.  Sampson,  conducting  business  at  Boise  under  the  name  of  the  Sampson 
Music  Company,  was  born  in  Defiance,  Ohio,  March  18,  1874.  His  father,  Peter  Samp- 
son, was  a  nativ%  of  Quebec,  Canada,  and  removed  to  Ohio  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  war, 
spending  his  remaining  days  in  Defiance,  where  he  engaged  largely  in  the  hotel  business. 
The  Sampson  family  is  of  French  descent,  although  long  found  in  the  new  world. 


REV.  J.  P.  RIES 


Vol.  Ill— 28 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  435 

The  father  passed  away  in  Ohio  in  1910.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Alice  O.  Thompson  and  was  born  in  Defiance  county,  Ohio,  died  when  her  son  Charles 
was  but  a  little  child. 

Charles  B.  Sampson  is  the  only  member  of  his  father's  family  in  the  west  but  has 
one  brother  and  a  sister  still  living  in  Defiance,  Ohio.  He  was  there  reared  and  acquired 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that  city.  When  his  textbooks  were  put  aside  he 
turned  his  attention  to  newspaper  work,  in  which  he  engaged  for  many  years,  serving  in 
a  reportorial  capacity  at  first  and  later  as  editor.  As  a  reporter  he  worked  on  the 
Daily  Crescent  of  Defiance,  Ohio,  and  on  numerous  papers  in  Toledo,  Cleveland,  Cin- 
cinnati, Buffalo  and  New  Orleans.  In  fact  he  has  been  connected  with  some  of  the  beet 
known  newspapers  of  the  country.  In  1897  he  made  his  way  westward  to  Pendleton,  Ore- 
gon, where  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  East  Oregonian,  a  daily  and  weekly  paper. 
While  there  he  was  in  partnership  with  C.  S.  Jackson,  now  editor  of  the  Oregon  Daily 
Journal,  published  at  Portland.  In  1901  he  sold  his  interest  in  that  paper  and  came  to 
Boise,  where  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  music  trade,  founding  the  Sampson  Music 
Company,  which  is  now  the  largest  music  house  in  Idaho.  The  business  was  started  in 
March,  1901,  The  Sampson  Music  Company  has  four  floors  at  No.  913  Main  street  and 
carries  everything  in  the  line  of  musical  instruments  and  musical  merchandise.  The 
great  success  of  the  undertaking  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  It  is  a  one-price  musical 
house,  that  a  standard  line  of  instruments  and  merchandise  has  always  been  carried, 
while  the  business  methods  followed  measure  up  to  the  highest  commercial  ethics.  In  the 
establishment  may  be  found  everything  In  music  including  pianos,  players,  Victrolas,  Edi- 
aons,  Grafonolas  and  band  and  string  instruments  of  every  description.  Mr.  Sampson  is  a 
man  of  extremely  genial  disposition  who  is  known  far  and  near  throughout  southern 
Idaho  as  "the  man  with  the  laugh."  In  a  word  he  enjoys  life,  appreciates  its  humor 
and  is  ever  ready  to  look  on  the  bright  side  of  things. 

Mr.  Sampson  find?  his  chief  recreation  in  hunting  and  fishing  and  during  the 
season  spends  as  much  of  his  time  as  he  can  spare  from  business  with  bis  gun  or 
rod.  He  has  not  missed  a  trip  into  Uie  country  on  the  opening  days  of  the  hunting  season 
in  ten  years.  He  belongs  to  the  Boise  Commercial  Club  and  to  the  Boise  Elks  Club  and 
is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Shrine.  Business  has  claimed  the 
greater  part  of  his  attention  and  he  finds  joy  in  the  solution  of  business  problems  and 
the  accomplishment  of  his  purposes  along  commercial  lines,  just  as  he  does  in  almost 
every  circumstance  which  goes  to  make  up  his  life's  contacts  and  experiences.  His 
Calient  characteristics  make  for  personal  popularity  and  he  is  one  of  the  best  known 
business  men  of  Boise. 


JOHN  LUNDELL. 

John  Lundell,  the  well  known  manager  of  the  Shelley  Mill  &  Elevator  Company,  at 
Shelley,  was  born  in  Sweden,  February  10,  1871,  and  Is  a  son  of  Charley  and  Christeve 
Lundell,  natives  also  of  Sweden.  The  father  was  a  blacksmith  and  worked  at  that  trade 
during  all  of  his  active  life,  dying  in  Sweden  in  March,  1885.  His  widow  is  still  living 
in  the  old  country,  having  reached  an  advanced  age. 

John  Lundell  was  reared  and  educated  in  Sweden,  and  in  1889,  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  feeling  that  the  new  world  offered  greater  possibilities  for  advancement,  he 
emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  on  his  arrival  located  in  Chicago,  where  he  worked 
in  the  Pullman  shops  for  about  eight  months.  He  then  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Deering  Harvester  Company  and  worked  for  them  at  intervals  during  a  period  of  eight 
years  and  also  helped  a  brother  who  was  engaged  in  farming.  In  1895,  Mr.  Lundell 
removed  to  Idaho  Falls  and  went  to  work  in  a  blacksmith  shop,  having  learned  that  trade 
in  Chicago.  In  the  spring  of  the  following  year,  he  took  a  homestead  near  Goshen, 
Bingham  county,  which  he  improved  and  developed,  placing  it  under  cultivation.  He 
continued  to  operate  this  place  for  about  six  years  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  removed  to 
Shelley,  where  he  farmed  for  one  year.  Mr.  Lundell  then  formed  a  partnership  with 
Chris  Johnson  and  established  the  Johnson-Lundell  Company,  conducting  a  general 
store  for  two  years.  He  then  indulged  in  a  vacation  from  business  and  spent  one 
summer  in  California.  On  bis  return  he  worked  for  the  Shelley  Merchandise  Company 
from  1906  until  September,  1917,  when  he  bought  land  in  Bonneville  county,  which  he 
cultivated  until  October,  1919.  During  the  winter  of  1917-18,  he  was  state  potato 
inspector  for  the  Federal  government.  On  November  5,  1919,  Mr.  Lundell  was  appointed 
manager  of  the  Shelley  Mill  &  Elevator  Company,  in  this  capacity  giving  the  utmost 


436  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

satisfaction  to  the  company  and  its  patrons  alike.     He  still  owns  the  farm,  which  is 
operated  by  his  son,  and  on  it  the  family  resides. 

On  January  1,  1897,  Mr.  Lundell  was  united  in  marriage  to  Annie  Carlson,  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  one  child,  Alfred  B.,  born  in  April,  1900.  Mr.  Lundell  served  on 
the  Shelley  town  board  for  four  terms  of  two  years  each.  He  is  still  a  stockholder  in 
the  Johnson-Lundell  Company  and  is  also  the  owner  of  a  residence  property  and  of 
forty  acres  of  land.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  being  a 
charter  member  of  the  Shelley  lodge  of  that  order.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the  republi- 
can party,  but  has  never  been  a  seeker  after  political  office,  preferring  to  devote  his  time 
to  his  business  interests.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  warmly  interested 
in  all  its  works,  as  he  is  in  all  matters  calculated  to  serve  the  best  interests  of 
the  community. 


»  FRED  WILHELM. 

Fred  Wilhelm,  the  youngest  son  of  John  and  Catherine  Wilhelm,  who  are  men- 
tioned elsewhere  in  this  work,  owns  a  nice  little  suburban  home  and  a  five  acre 
ranch  just  east  of  the  corporate  limits  of  Emmett.  He  was  born  in  Germany  on 
the  18th  of  January,  1883,  and  was  twelve  years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his 
parents  to  the  United  States,  arriving  in  Idaho  in  1895.  The  family  at  once  made 
their  way  to  the  Emmett  section  of  the  state  and  his  mother  is  still  living  on  the 
old  Wilhelm  homestead  two  miles  southeast  of  Emmett,  while  the  eldest  son,  Otto 
Wilhelm,  resides  on  a  highly  improved  ranch  which  he  owns  adjoining  the  old  home 
place.  He  was  the  first  of  the  family  to  come  to  the  new  world  and  locate  in  Idaho. 

Fred  Wilhelm  has  lived  in  the  neighborhood  east  of  Emjnett  since  1895.  He 
was  reared  upon  a  ranch  and  completed  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Emmett. 
From  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  threshing,  at  first  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother  Otto,  with  whom  he  continued  for  several  years,  and 
during  the  past  eight  years  he  has  carried  on  the  business  alone.  He  owns  a 
complete  threshing  outfit  and  in  the  season  is  a  very  busy  man,  constant  demands 
being  made  upon  his  time  and  energies  in  connection  with  the  harvesting  of  the 
crops  through  this  section  of  the  state.  His  own  little  five-acre  ranch  is  very  valu- 
able and  productive  land,  upon  which  is  a  good  set  of  farm  buildings  and  improve- 
ments, including  a  new  frame  residence  and  all  the  accessories  and  conveniences 
of  a  model  little  ranch  farm  of  the  twentieth  century.  He  purchased  this  prop- 
erty in  1918.  Because  of  its  proximity,  for  it  lies  just  outside  the  corporation 
limits,  it  is  worth  about  a  thousand  dollars  per  acre,  as  other  small  improved  tracts 
in  the  vicinity  have  been  selling  for  that  amount. 

Mr.  Wilhelm  was  married  May  21,  1913,  to  Miss  Clara  Alsager  who  was  born 
in  South  Dakota,  November  6,  1886,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Swend  Alsager,  who 
died  near  Emmett,  March  16,  1919.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Wilhelm  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Olina  Aga  and  is  still  living.  Both  of  her  parents  were  born  in  Norway 
but  were  married  in  South  Dakota.  The  family  came  to  Idaho  in  1906.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wilhelm  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  Mr.  Wilhelm  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Payette  Valley  Threshermen's  Association.  The  greater  part  of  his 
life  has  been  passed  in  this  locality  and  he  has  ever  been  a  man  of  diligence  and 
industry,  his  success  being  attributable  entirely  to  his  own  efforts. 


MARTIN  DAVID  MOREHOUSE. 

Martin  David  Morehouse,  a  rancher  residing  six  miles  west  of  Emmett,  was  born 
in  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  November  12,  1847,  and  is  a  son  of  Martin  and  Johanna 
Eliza  (Eldridge)  Morehouse.  When  he  was  but  a  little  lad  his  parents  removed 
westward  to  Buchanan  county,  Iowa,  with  their  family  and  there  resided  until  after 
the  Civil  war,  when  the  family  home  was  established  in  Pottawattamie  county,  Iowa, 
where  the  father  and  mother  spent  their  remaining  days.  The  death  of  Martin 
Morehouse  occurred  January  18,  1870,  while  his  wife  died  January  27,  1871,  and 
both  were  fifty-nine  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  their  demise.  They  were  both 
natives  of  the  Empire  state,  the  father  having  been  born  in  Onondaga  county,  New 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  437 

York,  August  7,  1810.  while  the  mother  was  born  In  Chenango  county,  October  14, 
1812.  They  had  a  family  of  five  children:  Sherman  G.,  Martha  Eliza,  Sarah,  Martin 
David  and  a  son  who  died  unnamed. 

Martin  David  Morehouse  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  now  living.  He 
was  married  in  Pottawattamie  county,  Iowa,  to  Selina  Robinson  on  the  22d  of 
February,  1871.  She  was  born  in  Wisconsin,  November  2,  1851,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Catherine  (Willey)  Robinson.  Her  father  passed  away  in  June,  1919, 
but  her  mother  yet  resides  in  Iowa.  Both  were  born  in  England  but  were  married 
in  Wisconsin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morehouse  have  now  traveled  life's  journey  together 
for  forty-nine  years.  They  removed  from  Iowa  to  Lincoln  county,  Nebraska,  and 
three  years  later  came  to  Idaho,  where  they  arrived  in  September,  1899.  For  four 
years  they  made  their  home  in  the  Boise  valley,  near  Meridian,  and  then  removed 
to  a  ranch  near  where  they  are  now  living  in  the  Payette  valley,  taking  up  their 
abode  upon  their  present  farm  property  in  1905.  This  is  known  as  "Island  Home," 
as  it  is  surrounded  by  branches  of  the  Payette  river.  Many  improvements  have 
been  added  to  the  property,  which  has  been  developed  into  one  of  the  good  ranches 
of  this  section  of  the  state,  and  in  its  neat  and  thrifty  appearance  gives  evidence  of 
the  care  and  supervision  of  a  practical  and  progressive  owner.  Mr.  Morehouse  also 
has  much  other  good  ranch  land  near  by  and  the  income  from  his  property  sur- 
rounds him  with  all  of  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morehouse  have  been  born  twelve  living  children.  Dora  Gay, 
who  was  born  January  30,  1872,  is  the  wife  of  Adam  Hoatson,  of  Nebraska.  Edward 
William  was  born  September  5,  1873.  Elmer  E.,  born  December  19,  1874,  died  in 
infancy.  Mattie  Pearl  was  born  December  19,  J.876.  Sherman  G.  L.  was  born 
January  15,  1878.  Nettie  May,  born  March  10,  1880,  is  the  wife  of  Neal  Jennings, 
of  Eagle,  Idaho.  Ora  Clarence  was  born  March  7,  1883.  Estella,  born  May  3,  1885, 
is  the  wife  of  Henry  Stalker,  of  Emmett.  Bertie  Earl,  born  October  22,  1886,  was 
for  six  months  at  Camp  Lewis  in  training  for  service  in  the  World  war.  Sarah  Ella, 
born  April  20,  1889,  is  the  wife  of  Ival  Hankin,  who  resides  on  the  Emmett  bench. 
Clancey  Martin,  born  September  4,  1891,  died  in  infancy.  Nellie  Olive,  born  January 
27,  1893,  is  the  wife  of  Ben  Howard,  of  the  Emmett  bench.  Lutie  Eliza,  born  April 
8,  1895,  is  the  wife  of  Ebbie  Hilton,  of  New  Plymouth.  Dewey  Jennings,  born  June 
8,  1898,  was  named  for  Admiral  George  Dewey,  his  birth  having  occurred  just  five 
weeks  after  the  Admiral's  splendid  victory  in  Manila. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morehouse  give  their  political  suport  to  the  democratic  party. 
He  formerly  belonged  to  the  Good  Templars  and  the  Grange  but  is  not  actively 
connected  with  either  organization  at  the  present  time. 


WILLIAM  FRED  SCHMID. 

William  Fred  Schmid,  who  was  a  representative  farmer  and  enterprising  busi- 
ness man  of  Idaho  from  1894  until  the  time  of  his  death,  was  born  in  Konigreich, 
Wurtemberg,  Germany,  and  when  about  twenty-one  years  of  age  left  that  country 
to  take  up  his  residence  in  "the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave."  He 
made  his  way  first  to  Iowa  and  afterward  to  Glen,  Montana,  where  he  worked  at 
the  trade  of  bridge  carpentering.  He  was  also  employed  by  his  uncle,  John  Schmid, 
a  farmer,  and  on  leaving  Glen,  Montana,  he  went  to  Butte,  where  he  secured  em- 
ployment in  the  smelter.  By  hard  work  he  accumulated  enough  to  procure  a  fine 
home  and  other  city  property  at  Anaconda,  Montana,  and  thus  step  by  step  he 
steadily  advanced.  In  1894  he  came  to  Idaho  with  his  family  and  purchased  the 
farm  of  thirty-eight  acres  upon  which  his  widow  now  resides,  this  place  being  situ- 
ated four  miles  northwest  of  New  Plymouth.  After  residing  for  several  years  in 
Idaho,  they  disposed  of  all  of  their  holdings  in  Montana. 

Mr.  Schmid  purchased  a  desert  claim  about  two  miles  south  of  the  present 
home  farm  and  this  they  ultimately  homesteaded.  It  was  in  1889  that  he  married 
Rosa  Heileman,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  America  on  a  visit  to  her  uncla 
in  Philadelphia  during  her  girlhood  days  and  never  returned  to  her  native  land. 
She  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Schmid  in  Butte,  Montana,  and  proved  indeed  a  help- 
mate to  him.  She  assisted  him  greatly  in  improving  their  home,  which  was  wild 
land  when  it  came  into  their  possession.  The  place  now  has  ten  acres  planted  to 
fruit  trees,  including  prunes,  apples,  peaches,  apricots  and  pears,  which  are  now 


438  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

in  bearing.  There  are  also  about  one  hundred  head  of  sheep,  hogs,  cows  and  horses 
upon  the  place.  The  sons  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schmid  carry  on  the  work  of  the  home 
farm  and  are  progressive  and  enterprising  young  men.  The  family  residence  is 
one  of  the  finest  in  their  neighborhood  and  everything  about  their  place  presents 
an  air  of  neatness  and  thrift. 

It  was  a  great  blow  to  the  family  when  in  1897  Mr.  Schmid  passed  away,  his 
death  resulting  from  injuries  sustained  when  a  horse  slipped  and  fell  upon  him, 
causing  his  demise  the  following  day.  Upon  Mrs.  Schmid  devolved  the  care  of 
their  four  children  and  the  management  and  improvement  of  the  home  farm.  She 
resolutely  and  bravely  took  up  the  task,  which  she  has  splendidly  accomplished. 
Their  children  are:  Christine  Elsie,  who  teaches  school  at  Fruitland;  Emil  Ernest, 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  who  is  upon  the  home  farm  with  his  mother;  Wilder 
Emanuel,  twenty-four  years  of  age,  who  is  now  a  student  at  the  University  of  Idaho 
at  Moscow,  and  was  in  the  Hospital  Corps  in  France  during  the  World  war;  and 
William  Fred,  .twenty-two  years  of  age,  who  was  at  Camp  Rosecrans,  California, 
when  the  armistice  was  signed.  The  family  has  made  a  most  creitable  record  for 
business  enterprise  and  progressiveness  and  has  developed  a  splendid  farm  prop- 
erty, Mrs.  Schmid  remaining  a  most  active  factor  in  the  direction  of  the  business 
from  the  time  of  her  husband's  death. 


WILLIAM  FRANKLIN  DAVISON. 

* 

William  Franklin  Davison,  living  near  Emmett,  came  to  Idaho  when  it  was 
still  under  territorial  rule  from  the  state  of  Missouri  in  1875,  crossing  the  plains 
in  a  covered  wagon  drawn  by  a  sorrel  mule  and  a  bay  mare.  He  traveled  with  his 
brother-in-law,  John  Morris,  who  had  wedded  his  sister,  Laire  Davison,  who  died 
while  the  party  were  enroute  to  the  northwest,  passing  away  just  west  of  Soda 
Springs.  They  had  started  for  Oregon,  but  her  death  changed  their  plans,  and  Mr. 
Morris  later  returned  with  his  three  young  children  to  Missouri.  Mr.  Davison, 
however,  being  pleased  with  Idaho  and  its  prospects,  decided  to  remain.  He  was 
then  a  young  man  of  just  eighteen  years.  His  birth  occurred  in  Polk  county,  Mis- 
souri, October  22,  1857,  his  parents  being  Thomas  and  Betsey  Davison,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Tennessee  and  were  there  married,  afterward  removing  to 
Missouri.  The  father  was  killed  in  1862,  while  serving  in  the  Missouri  State  Militia 
as  captian  of  Company  H,  his  death  resulting  from  the  attack  of  a  bushwhacker. 

Mr.  Davison  of  this  review  resided  in  Polk  county,  Missouri,  until  he  reached 
the  age  of  eighteen,  when  he  started  for  Idaho  with  his  brother-in-law,  as  previ- 
ously indicated.  He  continued  to  make  his  headquarters  at  Boise  to  the  time  of 
his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  January  11,  1880,  Miss  Ellen  Bridget  Brock 
becoming  his  wife.  She  was  born  in  Pettis  county,  Missouri,  December  20,  1865, 
a  daughter  of  Hamilton  Green  Brock,  who  served  during  the  Civil  war  in  the  same 
militia  company  of  which  Thomas  Davison  was  captain.  His  daughter,  Mrs.  Davi- 
son, came  to  the  territory  of  Idaho  with  her  parents  in  1875,  arriving  in  this  state 
about  two  weeks  after  Mr.  Davison  had  come  to  the  northwest.  She  was  then  ten 
years  of  age.  The  Brock  family  lived  in  and  near  Boise  for  many  years  and  Mrs. 
Brock  died  in  the  Boise  valley,  June  15,  1897,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven,  while  Mr. 
Brock  died  at  the  Davison  home  about  seven  miles  west  of  Emmett,  November  22, 
1914,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  For  a  short  time  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Davison  resided  in  Boise  but  soon  removed  to  a  ranch  six  miles  northwest  and 
remained  in  the  Boise  valley  until  1902,  when  they  took  up  their  abode  on  their 
present  ranch  in  the  Payette  valley.  They  have  reared  a  family  of  ten  children, 
of  whom  six  are  living.  Their  children  are:  Thomas  William,  born  June  1,  1881; 
Hamilton  Green,  April  8,  1884;  Mattie  Ellen,  who  was  born  October  8,  1885,  and 
is  now  the  wife  of  Elmer  Hess,  living  near  Emmett;  Katie  Adaline,  who  was  born 
September  27,  1887,  and  died  January  14,  1888;  Nellie,  who  was  born  May  8, 
1889,  and  is  the  wife  of  Warren  Simmons;  Walter  Franklin,  who  was  born  April 
14,  1891,  and  died  August  15,  1893;  Elizabeth  Margaret,  who  was  born  April 
24,  1895,  and  became  the  wife  of  Ralph  Vanderdassen,  who  died  November  13, 
1918,  since  which  time  she  has  become  the  wife  of  Wilber  Slate  and  resides  with 
her  parents;  Grover,  who  was  born  July  22,  1901,  and  lives  at  home.  Two  other 
children,  a  son  and  a  daughter,  died  in  infancy. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  439 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davison  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church  and  republicans  in 
political  belief.  He  served  as  clerk  of  the  school  board  for  thirteen  years  and  as 
road  overseer  for  eight  years,  resigning  both  positions.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davison 
have  been  residents  of  Idaho  from  territorial  days  and  are  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneer  settlers. 


OSCAR  M.  DOWNEY. 

Oscar  M.  Downey  is  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Downey  &  Wilder,  tin- 
ners, sheet  metal  workers  and  furnace  builders,  conducting  business  at  No.  906 
Idaho  street  in  Boise.  They  take  contracts  for  work  of  that  character  and  their 
business  extends  not  only  throughout  Boise  but  to  various  cities  of  the  Boise  val- 
ley. Mr.  Downey  has  been  a  resident  of  the  capital  since  October  6,  1900,  when 
he  came  to  Idaho  from  Lancaster,  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  the  Buckeye  state,  his 
birth  having  occurured  at  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  November  11,  1852,  his  parents  be- 
ing James  E.  and  Catherine  (McCord)  Downey,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Ohio  respectively.  The  father  was  a  recognized  leader  in  democratic  circles 
in  his  state  and  held  various  important  political  positions.  He  is  now  residing  at 
Newark,  Ohio.  He  served  in  various  capacities  at  the  county  courthouse,  spend- 
ing much  time  in  the  county  clerk's  office. 

Oscar  M.  Downey  was  largely  reared  at  Newark,  Ohio,  where  he  learned  the 
tinner's  trade,  which  he  followed  there  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  twenty- 
one  years,  receiving  three  dollars  per  week  during  his  term  of  apprenticeship.  He 
afterward  worked  as  a  journeyman  tinner  in  various  states  of  the  middle  west, 
thus  spending  nearly  thirty  years  before  coming  to  Idaho.  A  leaf  from  his  diary 
gives  the  following:  "Left  Lancaster,  Ohio,  July  30,  1882,  arrived  at  Topeka, 
Kansas,  February  16,  1885:  went  to  St.  Marys,  Kansas;  left  St.  Marys,  May  20, 
1889;  returned  to  Topeka;  left  Topeka  on  the  3d  of  July,  1889;  went  to  Fairbury, 
Nebraska;  left  Fairbury  in  1891;  returned  to  St.  Marys,  Kansas;  left  there  April 
1,  1893;  was  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  until  February  2,  1894;  then  at  Lancaster,  Ohio, 
until  October  2,  1900.  and  arrived  in  Boise  on  the  6th  of  October,  1900."  This 
indicates  the  various  changes  which  Mr.  Downey  has  made  as  the  years  have  passed, 
following  his  trade  in  various  sections  of  the  country.  After  coming  to  Boise  he 
worked  as  a  journeyman  for  several  years.  He  was  first  in  the  employ  of  Lawray 
&  Twain  and  later  spent  ten  years  in  connection  with  the  firm  of  Carlton,  Lusk  & 
Company.  In  1912  he  embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account  as  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Downey  &  Wilder,  his  partner  being  John  C.  Wilder,  who  is  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  firm  did  business  at  No.  109  North  Ninth  street  until 
1919,  when  a  removal  was  made  to  No.  906  Idaho  street.  They  are  accorded  a 
liberal  patronage,  their  business  covering  a. wide  territory  outside  of  as  well  as 
within  the  corporation  limits  of  Boise. 

Mr.  Downey  was  married  in  Newark,  Ohio,  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  to 
Miss  Minnie  Tedrick,  who  was  born  in  the  Buckeye  state.  They  have  one  daugh- 
ter, Bessie,  now  the  wife  of  John  Thomas,  of  Boise,  by  whom  she  has  a  son,  Frank- 
lin Thomas,  now  a  lad  of  fifteen  years,  attending  high  school. 

Mr.  Downey  occupies  a  residence  which  he  owns  at  No.  1619  North  Twenty- 
sixth  street.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  republican  but  has  never  been  an  aspi- 
rant for  office.  He  belongs  to  the  Commercial  Club  of  Boise  and  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  and  is  recognized  as  a  man  of  progressive  spirit,  manifesting 
loyalty  to  every  cause  which  he  espouses  and  standing  at  all  times  for  those  inter- 
ests which  he  believes  will  prove  of  practical  value  in  Boise's  further  development 
and  upbuilding. 


CHARLES  S.  DAVIS. 

Charles  S.  Davis,  engaged  in  the  fur  and  hide  business  in  Caldwell,  was  born 
in  Ithaca,  New  York,  January  5.  1862.  He  completed  his  education  when  eighteen 
years  of  age  and  after  leaving  school  went  to  Mineral,  Idaho,  then  a  mining  camp. 
He  prospected  largely  in  the  Seven  Devils  section  of  the  country  and  also  In  the 


440  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Green  Horn  camp  of  Oregon  and  while  in  the  former  section  killed  hundreds  of 
rattlesnakes  and  made  a  hat  band  of  their  rattles,  which  won  him  the  nickname  of 
"Rattlesnake  Jack."  He  continued  his  prospecting  until  1893  and  then  went  to 
San  Francisco,  California,  being  there  at  the  time  of  the  great  railroad  strike  and 
also  at  the  time  of  the  Mid-Winter  Fair.  In  the  following  spring  he  turned  his 
attention  to  placer  mining  on  the  American  river,  near  Auburn,  a  business  which 
he  followed  with  varied  success  until  illness  compelled  him  to  abandon  his  work 
there. 

Returning  to  San  Francisco,  he  took  passage  on  a  steamer  for  Portland,  Ore- 
gon, and  thence  made  his  way  to  New  Weiser,  Idaho.  At  that  time  the  city  gov- 
ernment had  not  been  organized  and  lawlessness  reigned.  There  was  consider- 
able rivalry  between  new  and  old  Weiser  but  finally  the  old  town  was  absorbed  by 
the  new.  Mr.  Davis  is  familiar  with  every  phase  of  frontier  life  and  belonged  to 
that  class  of  men  who  assisted  in  maintaining  law  and  order  for  the  benefit  of  the 
localities  in  which  he  lived.  He  remained  in  Weiser  for  a  year,  being  there  en- 
gaged in  the  fur  business,  after  which  he  spent  one  year  in  mining  in  the  Saw- 
tooth mountains  of  Idaho.  Later  he  removed  to  Boise,  where  he  remained  for  a 
brief  period,  and  then  came  to  Caldwell,  where  he  has  since  successfully  conducted 
a  fur  and  hide  business.  He  has  a  most  interesting  picture  of  himself,  with  a 
beautiful  silver  gray  fox  pelt  thrown  over  his  shoulder,  the  second  one  he  has 
been  able  to  buy  since  he  has  been  in  the  business  here,  this  pelt  being  valued  at 
five  hundred  dollars.  He  sells  his  furs  and  hides  to  traveling  representatives  of 
large  eastern  houses  and  his  business  amounts  to  about  five  thousand  dollars  annu- 
ally. 

On  the  6th  of  August,  1897,  Mr.  'Davis  was  married  to  Miss  Hattie  E.  Rule, 
of  Caldwell,  and  they  have  become  parents  of  three  children:  Wilbur  R.,  Eloise 
and  Charlotte  S.,  all  attending  the  Caldwell  schools.  Mrs.  Davis  is  a  daughter  of 
Robert  Rule,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  is  now  a  farmer  living  near  Boise.  Her 
mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Seaton,  is  of  American  birth. 
The  family  occupy  a  pleasant  home  in  Caldwell  which  is  owned  by  Mr.  Davis,  who 
likewise  has  other  property  here.  He  has  been  prominent  in  community  affairs, 
serving  as  deputy  game  warden  for  a  year  and  as  councilman  for  two  years  under 
Mayors  Little  and  Steunenberg.  Mr.  Davis  believes  in  the  strict  observance  of 
the  law  for  the  protection  of  wild  game  and  animals  and  is  greatly  opposed  to  ruth- 
less slaughter,  which  results  in  extermination. 


NICHOLAS   HAUG. 

Nicholas  Haug,  who  spent  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  Boise  and  previously  re- 
sided for  some  time  in  Idaho  City,  was  born  in  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  December  6, 
1836.  The  opportunities  of  his  native  land,  however,  did  not  satisfy  him  and  he 
sought  a  fortune  in  America.  He  left  Germany  when  but  sixteen  years  of  age,  sail- 
ing for  New  York,  where  he  remained  for  a  short  time.  The  reports  of  the  discovery 
of  gold  in  Oregon,  however,  led  him  to  make  his  way  to  that  state.  He  journeyed  west- 
ward by  rail  to  the  terminus  of  the  line  and  then  traveled  across  the  country  to  Jack- 
sonville, Oregon,  after  which  he  gave  his  attention  to  farming  for  a  time,  entering 
land  from  the  government.  He  afterward  disposed  of  his  farming  interests,  however, 
and  went  to  Rocky  Bar,  where  he  devoted  his  attention  to  mining.  At  a  subsequent 
period  he  became  one  of  the  owners  of  a  brewery,  forming  a  partnership  with  John 
Broadbeck  in  the  purchase  of  a  brewery  in  1868.  In  the  conduct  of  the  business,  they 
prospered,  building  up  a  large  trade,  and  their  manufactured  product  found  favor  with 
the  public,  so  that  their  sales  annually  increased,  bringing  them  a  good  financial  re- 
turn on  their  investment.  •  While  continuing  the  brewery  at  Idaho  City,  Mr.  Haug  re- 
moved to  Boise  some  years  prior  to  his  death  and  spent  his  last  days  in  the  capital. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Haug  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Gerrecht,  a 
daughter  of  Theodore  and  Katherine  (Stubenrauch)  Gerrecht,  the  former  a  son  of 
John  and  Margarette  Gerrecht  and  the  latter  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Benze) 
Stubenrauch,  all  of  whom  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Germany.  Leaving  her  native 
country,  Mary  Gerrecht  crossed  the  Atlantic,  landing  at  New  York,  but  soon  afterward 
embarked  for  the  Isthumus  of  Panama  and  after  crossing  that  narrow  stretch  of  land 
proceeded  by  boat  up  the  Pacific  coast  to  California.  From  that  point  she  traveled 


NICHOLAS  HAUG 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  443 

overland  to  Idaho  City  in  1869  and  on  the  28th  of  March  following  she  became  the 
wife  of  Nicholas  Haug,  with  whom  she  traveled  life's  journey  happily  until  they  were 
separated  by  the  hand  of  death.  Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haug,  all 
natives  of  Idaho  City.  The  eldest  is  now  Mrs.  Emma  Lippincott,  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Lip- 
pincott,  a  prominent  physician  of  New  York  city,  by  whom  she  has  two  daughters, 
Lucille  and  Doris  Lippincott  Theresa  became  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Puckett,  who  was 
an  able  and  well  known  attorney  of  Boise  and  a  law  partner  of  Ex-Governor  James  H. 
Hawley.  Mr.  Puckett  passed  away  December  18,  1916.  Ethelbert  Haug  makes  his 
home  at  Kellogg,  Idaho.  Josephine  is  the  widow  of  James  B.  Latimer,  who  was  a 
well  known  druggist  of  Boise  and  passed  away  July  3,  1912,  when  but  thirty-eight 
years  of  age.  Frank  is  in  the  drug  business  in  Boise.  The  youngest  of  the  family 
is  Mrs.  Victoria  Jones,  the  wife  of  Mark  Jones,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

The  family  circle  was  broken  by  the  hand  of  death  when  on  the  25th  of  July, 
1887,  Nicholas  Haug  was  called  to  his  final  rest  He  had  long  been  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity  and  had  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree.  His  political 
allegiance  was  given  to  the  republican  party,  the  principles  of  which  he  strongly  ad- 
vocated, although  he  was  never  an  office  seeker.  He  had  many  substantial  qualities 
which  won  him  warm  friends  and  there  were  many  who  deeply  regretted  his  death, 
while  the  loss  to  the  members  of  his  own  household  was  an  inestimable  one. 


JOHN  NICHOLAS  LIECHTY. 

John  Nicholas  Liechty,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Gem  county  whose  well  im- 
proved eighty  acre  ranch  is  situated  six  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Emmett,  came 
to  Idaho  in  the  spring  of  1901  from  Provo,  Utah,  of  which  state  he  is  a  native  but 
of  Swiss  descent.  His  birth  occurred  in  Provo,  December  17,  1867,  his  parents 
being  John  and  Louisa  Liechty,  who  were  natives  of  Switzerland  but  were  mar- 
ried in  Utah,  both  coming  with  their  respective  families  to  the  United  States  as 
converts  to  the  Mormon  faith.  Both  have  passed  away. 

At  the  place  of  his  nativity  John  N.  Liechty  was  reared  and  educated  and  after 
arriving  at  years  of  maturity  he  was  married  in  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  23d  of  June, 
1895,  to  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Keppler,  who  was  born  at  Provo,  July  22,  1879.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Philip  and  Mary  Catherine  Keppler,  the  former  a  native  of  Ger- 
many and  the  latter  of  Switzerland.  Her  father  died  when  Mrs.  Liechty  was  but 
five  years  of  age,  and  her  mother  is  still  living  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

Six  years  after  their  marriage,  or  in  1901,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Liechty  removed  to 
Idaho,  settling  in  Blackfoot,  where  they  lived  for  a  year,  and  also  spent  a  similar 
period  at  Nampa,  Idaho.  They  then  came  to  Gem  county,  where  they  arrived  in 
1903.  Mr.  Liechty  took  up  a  homestead  on  the  Emmett  bench,  added  splendid 
improvements  to  the  place  and  with  characteristic  energy  began  converting  the 
wild  land,  which  was  covered  with  a  native  growth  of  sagebrush,  into  a  productive 
farm.  He  made  an  excellent  place  out  of  the  property,  but  as  water  for  irrigation" 
was  scarce  and  dear  and  he  had  a  good  chance  to  sell,  disposed  of  that  ranch  and 
bought  his  present  ranch  down  in  the  valley,  where  water  Is  plentiful  and  costs  but 
little.  In  the  spring  of  1919  he  removed  to  this  place,  upon  which  he  has  a  fine 
new  seven-room  bungalow  and  other  modern  improvements.  He  is  most  care- 
fully and  successfully  developing  and  cultivating  his  ranch,  which  is  an  excellent 
and  desirable  property  and  returns  to  him  a  gratifying  annual  Income. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Liechty  were  born  seven  children:  John  Nicholas  Phillip, 
who  was  born  March  27,  1896;  Daniel,  born  September  13,  1897;  Clarence,  Octo- 
ber 23,  1901;  Vernal,  September  18,  1904;  Grant  Harold,  July  5,  1909;  Eloise 
Joy,  March  6,  1915;  and  Rachel  Mary,  May  12,  1918.  The  eldest  son  served  in  the 
World  war  as  a  sergeant  in  the  aviation  department  of  the  United  States  army, 
being  on  duty  most  of  the  time  as  an  instructor  on  the  aviation  field  at  Arcadia. 
Florida. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Liechty  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints.  They  are  progressive  and  enterprising  people  who  have  made  steady 
advancement  during  the  period  of  their  residence  in  Idaho.  When  they  first  lo- 
cated on  their  homestead  on  the  Emmett  bench  they  lived  in  a  tent  for  a  year  and 
then  built  a  little  cabin  of  two  rooms,  which  they  occupied  for  several  years,  but 
in  1917  erected  a  good  seven-room  residence,  which  was  their  home  until  they  sold 


444  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  place  in  the  spring  of  1919.  During  the  first  year  or  two  after  taking  up  his 
abode  upon  the  homestead  Mr.  Liechty  engaged  in  putting  down  wells  for  others 
who  had  located  on  the  bench  or  in  this  part  of  the  state  and  in  that  way  he  as- 
sisted in  providing  a  living  for  his  family  while  improving  his  property.  He  put 
down  over  eighty  wells  in  all.  His  life  has  been  one  of  thrift  and  industry,  and 
his  energy  has  brought  to  him  well  deserved  success,  so  that  he  is  now  numbered 
among  the  prosperous  farmers  of  Gem  county. 


JOHN  C.  WILDER. 

John  C.  Wilder,  of  the  firm  of  Downey  &  Wilder  of  Boise,  sheet  metal  work- 
ers and  tinners,  doing  contract  work  along  that  line  and  also  in  the  installation 
of  furnaces,  came  to  this  city  in  1907  from  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado.  He  was 
born  in  Flint,  Michigan,  October  22,  1867,  and  is  a  son  of  Burney  and  Maria  Wil- 
der, both  of  whom  have  passed  away,  the  mother  dying  when  her  son,  John  C., 
was  but  four  years  of  age.  The  family  was  then  broken  up  and  John  C.  Wilder 
was  reared  in'the  state  of  New  York,  where  he  learned  the  tinner's  trade  at  East 
Aurora,  taking  up  work  along  that  line  in  young  manhood.  In  1899  he  came  west, 
spending  eight  years  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado,  and  in  1907  removed  to  Boise, 
Idaho.  Since  1912  he  has  been  the  partner  of  Oscar  M.  Downey  in  the  firm  of 
Downey  &  Wilder  and  they  do  all  kinds  of  sheet  metal,  tin  and  furnace  work,  not 
only  along  repair  lines  but  taking  contracts  for  work  of  that  character.  Their  patron- 
age has  become  an  extensive  and  gratifying  one  and  their  success  is  most  desirable. 

On  the  7th  of  April,  1892,  at  Golden,  New  York,  John  C.  Wilder  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Hannah  E.  Irish,  who  died  in  Boise,  February  7,  1917,  leaving  two 
sons:  Charles  J.,  twenty-five  years  of  age;  and  Willard  G.,  aged  twenty.  The  former 
is  married  and  lives  in  Boise.  The  latter  served  in  the  United  States  navy  during 
the  world  war  and  is  now  at  home  but  belongs  to  the  Naval  Reserves.  On  the  18th 
of  February,  1918,  Mr.  Wilder  was  married  to  Miss  Rosa  L.  Lichte  of  Boise. 

Mr.  Wilder  is  a  past  grand  in  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  a 
loyal  follower  of  that  organization.  In  politics  he  maintains  an  independent  course 
and  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office.  He  owns  a  good  home  in  Ivywild,  South 
Boise,  and  he  spends  much  time  in  camping  during  the  summer,  being  very  fond 
of  hunting  grouse  and  in  fact  enjoying  thoroughly  all  forms  of  outdoor  life. 
His  success  is  the  direct  outcome  of  his  industry  and  perseverance  and  he  is  known 
as  one  of  the  reliable  business  men  of  the  capital  city. 


MIKE  FITZPATRICK. 

Mike  Fitzpatrick  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  South  Boise  who  has  contributed 
to'  the  arduous  task  of  developing  wild  sagebrush  land  into  a  productive  farm. 
He  was  born  in  Ireland,  November  20,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  Patrick  and  Alice 
(Welsh)  Fitzpatrick.  His  parents  never  came  to  the  United  States  and  both  have 
passed  away.  When  fourteen  years  of  age  the  son  left  home,  bidding  adieu  to 
family,  friends  and  native  country,  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world  with 
the  family  of  an  uncle,  who  was  the  husband  of  one  of  his  mother's  sisters  and 
who  bore  the  name  of  Clary.  Upon  a  farm  in  Hardin  county,  Ohio,  Mr.  Clary  took 
up  his  abode,  but  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  remained  with  him  for  only  about  a  year.  When 
fifteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  was  employed  in  a  foundry 
there  for  three  or  four  years.  He  next  went  to  Colorado,  where  he  remained  for 
two  years,  and  during  that  period  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
Railroad. 

In  1880  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  came  to  Boise,  where  he  sought  employment,  and, 
carefully  saving  his  earnings,  he  was  able  in  1888  to  purchase  his  present  farm 
property  at  the  customary  price  of  unimproved  land  covered  with  a  native  growth 
of  sagebrush,  as  was  all  of  the  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise  at  that  time.  Mr.  Fitz- 
patrick had  the  foresight  to  recognize  something  of  what  the  future  had  in  store 
for  this  great  and  growing  western  country.  Moreover,  he  knew  that  because  of 
its  nearness  to  Boise,  the  capital  city,  it  must  one  day  become  quite  valuable.  He 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  445 

has  lived  to  see  this  brought  about  and  today  he  has  a  splendidly  improved  farm 
of  fifty-two  acres  which  would  bring  him  a  substantial  figure  if  placed  upon  the 
market.  It  is  supplied  with  good  buildings,  shaded  lawns,  splendid  bearing  or- 
chards and  by  well  kept  fences  is  divided  into  fields  of  convenient  size.  His  land 
Is  well  irrigated  and  is  largely  devoted  to  pasture,  which  feeds  throughout  the 
year  the  ten  or  twelve  good  dairy  cows  which  he  keeps,  and  other  necessary  farm 
stock.  His  place  is  situated  just  at  the  outskirts  of  Boise  adjoining  the  corpora- 
tion limits  and  is  now  a  most  valuable  and  desirable  tract.  As  soon  as  he  made  the 
purchase,  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  he  built  a  home  thereon  and  moved  there 
with  his  bride  and  they  are  still  occupying  this  home,  in  which  they  have  reared 
their  family.  From  the  day  of  their  marriage  they  have  never  occupied  a  rented 
house  and  their  farm  has  never  been  mortgaged. 

It  was  on  the  19th  of  April,  1888,  that  Mr.  Fitzpatrick  wedded  Miss  Aurelia 
Porter,  who  was  born  in  Ada  county,  Idaho,  February  20,  1867,  a  daughter  of 
William  T.  Porter,  who  was  a  pioneer  settler  of  Ada  county.  Her  mother  is  still 
living.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fitzpatrick,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters.  Alice  Martha  wedded  William  Joseph  Ingham,  of  Elwood  City, 
Pennsylvania,  on  the  1st  of  August,  1914,  and  they  have  two  children:  Jack,  who 
was  born  May  2,  1915;  and  William  Joseph,  Jr.,  born  August  23,  1917.  The  second 
member  of  the  family  is  Porter  Fitzpatrick,  who  was  born  June  9,  1891,  and  is 
married  and  lives  at  Great  Falls,  Montana.  Edgar  Joseph,  born  September  2,  1893, 
returned  home  in  September,  1918,  after  fifteen  months'  service  in  the  United  States 
navy.  Ethel  Mary,  born  May  13,  1895,  was  married  May  5,  1915,  to  John  Kopel- 
man,  of  Richfield,  Idaho. 

Mr.  Fitzpatrick  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His 
political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic  party  and  for  three  years  he  has 
served  as  school  trustee  but  otherwise  has  not  sought  nor  filled  public  office.  Mrs. 
Fitzpatrick  is  president  of  the  South  Boise  Improvement  Club  and  was  very  active 
in  war  work  and  in  the  Red  Cross.  They  are  a  most  progressive  couple,  keenly 
interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  and  upbuilding  of  the  community 
in  which  they  live,  and  their  labors  have  constituted  a  potent  force  in  bringing 
about  present  day  admirable  conditions. 


MRS.  MARTHA  JANE  JOHNS. 

Mrs.  Martha  Jane  Johns  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest  resident  in  the 
South  Boise  district  in  point  of  length  of  connection  with  the  locality  in  which 
she  makes  her  home.  From  pioneer  times  she  has  witnessed  the  development  and 
upbuilding  of  this  section  of  the  state,  having  lived  here  for  more  than  a  half 
century.  She  is  the  widow  of  Edwin  E.  Johns,  who  passed  away  January  26,  1918. 
She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha  Jane  Taylor  and  was  born  in  the  Williamette 
valley  of  Oregon,  near  Corvallis,  on  the  28th  of  December,  1848,  her  parents  being 
Benjamin  and  Mary  (Liggett)  Taylor,  who  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of 
Oregon,  having  crossed  the  plains  to  that  state  in  1845  in  the  same  wagon  train. 
They  were  single  at  the  time,  being  young  people,  and  were  married  in  Oregon 
in  1847.  Benjamin  Taylor  was  born  in  Wales.  He  and  his  wife  had  a  family  of 
six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  Mrs.  Johns  is  the  eldest. 
All  of  the  family  are  now  living  and  the  youngest  Mrs.  Mary  Swearingen,  of  Port- 
land, Oregon,  is  now  fifty-six  years  of  age.  The  others  of  the  Taylor  family  are: 
Mrs.  Louisa  Hyland,  of  Salem,  Oregon;  William  and  Elijah  Taylor,  twin  brothers, 
living  at  Everett,  Washington;  and  Marion  Taylor,  of  Waynesville,  Oregon. 

When  Mrs.  Johns  was  nine  years  of  age  her  parents  removed  to  California  and 
when  she  was  fifteen  she  was  married  there  to  William  Porter,  a  native  of  Maine. 
In  1864  Mr.  Porter  and  his  young  bride,  not  yet  sixteen  years  of  age,  came  to  Boise 
and  soon  afterward  purchased  what  is  known  as  a  squatter's  right  to  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  choice  land  on  the  south  side  of  the  Boise  river  opposite  the  city 
of  Boise.  Mr.  Porter  then  paid  only  sixteen  hundred  dollars  for  the  tract,  which 
is  now  worth  about  half  that  sum  per  acre.  The  thirty-five  acre  farm  which  Mrs. 
Johns  owns  now  and  on  which  she  has  lived  since  1866  Is  a  part  of  the  original 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  tract  that  her  first  husband  purchased  about  fifty-four 
years  ago.  It  was  then  all  wild  land  not  yet  surveyed  and  the  only  improvement 


446  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

upon  it  was  a  log  cabin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Porter  took  up  their  abode  in  the  cabin  in 
1866  and  in  the  following  spring  a  better  house  was  built  from  planks.  At  a  re- 
cent date  a  large,  roomy  two-story  frame  residence  of  attractive  design  and  gener- 
ous proportions  has  been  erected.  It  is  the  fourth  home  which  Mrs.  Johns  has  occu- 
pied on  the  same  site,  each  one  being  better  than  its  predecessor.  On  the  8th  of 
August,  1871,  Mr.  Porter  passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty  years,  leaving  three 
daughters,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living.  These  are:  Mrs.  Aurelia  Fitzpatrick,  the 
wife  of  Mike  Fitzpatrick,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Mrs.  Ella  March- 
bank,  of  San  Francisco,  California;  and  Mrs.  Mary  Cleaver,  the  widow  of  Henry 
Cleaver,  who  died  June  9,  1916,  in  Portland,  Oregon.  He  was  an  officer  of  the 
United  States  navy. 

On  the  26th  of  July,  1875,  Mrs.  Porter  became  the  wife  of  Edwin  E.  Johns. 
They  lived  happily  together  in  the  Porter  homestead  until  his  death,  January  25, 
1918,  when  he  was  seventy-two  years  of  age.  He  was  born  in  Galena,  Illinois, 
November  1,  1846,  and  came  to  Idaho  City,  Idaho,  in  1864,  while  later  he  removed 
to  Boise.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johns  was  blessed  with  five  children, 
three  daughters  and  two  sons,  all  of  whom  have  reached  adult  age,  the  eldest  be- 
ing forty-two  and  the  youngest  twenty-eight.  These  are:  Mrs.  Emma  Drake,  of 
Ada  county;  Mrs.  Ida  Kahalen,  of  Ernmett,  Idaho;  Fred,  who  was  born  May  4, 
1883;  Arthur  C.,  January  7,  1886;  and  Mrs.  Eva  Ackley,  May  30,  1890.  The 
two  sons  Fred  and  Arthur  reside  upon  and  manage  the  home  farm  for  their  mother, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ackley  also  reside  upon  the  farm.  Arthur  C.  Johns  returned 
home  in  December,  1918,  after  a  year  in  a  military  training  camp  at  San  Francisco, 
California.  He  was  thirty-two  years  of  age  at  the  time  America  entered  the  war  and 
was  not  subject  to  the  first  draft  but  enlisted  as  a  volunteer. 

Mrs.  Johns  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  of  the  South  Boise 
Improvement  Club.  She  is  keenly  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  and  upbuilding  of  the  district  in  which  she  has  so  long  made  her  home. 
No  other  person  residing  in  the  South  Boise  district  has  so  long  been  located  in 
this  region,  and  she  is  familiar  with  all  the  events  which  have  shaped  its  history  and 
marked  its  progress.  Her  reminiscences  of  the  early  days  are  most  interesting, 
and  she  has  remained  a  woman  of  progressive  spirit,  keeping  in  touch  with  the 
vital  questions  and  issues  of,  the  present  time. 


CLAUDE  D.  BUCKNUM. 

Claude  D.  Bucknum,  an  undertaker  and  embalmer  who  has  engaged  in  busi- 
ness in  Emmett  for  about  fourteen  years,  or  since  1906,  was  born  in  Atchison,- 
Kansas,  March  7,  1878,  and  is  a  son  of  Julius  R.  Bucknum,  who  throughout  his 
entire  life  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  various  states.  In  1898  he  was  lost 
in  the  mountains  of  Oregon  while  hunting  deer  and  his  remains  were  not  found 
until  twenty  years  later,  or  in  1918.  He  was  one  of  the  prominent  lumbermen  of 
Oregon  at  the  time  of  his  disappearance.  His  widow  passed  away  in  Creswell, 
Oregon,  in  1915.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna  M.  Davis  and  was  a  native 
of  Missouri,  while  Mr.  Bucknum  was  a  native  of  Michigan. 

Claude  D.  Bucknum  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  living  in  Idaho.  He 
left  Atchison,  Kansas,  with  his  parents  when  but  five  years  of  age  and  for  a  few 
years  the  family  home  was  maintained  in  Missouri,  but  in  1890  a  removal  was 
made  to  Oregon.  He  was  reared  to  the  lumber  business,  becoming  foreman  and 
manager  of  his  father's  interests  after  the  father's  death.  He  continued  to  act  in 
that  capacity  for  four  years  and  finally  turned  his  attention  to  the  undertaking 
business  at  Junction  City,  Oregon,  where  he  learned  the  business  as  a  partner 
of  J.  H.  Miller  their  interests  being  conducted  under  the  firm  style  of  Miller  &  Buck- 
num. 

Since  coming  to  Idaho  Mr.  Bucknum  has  built  up  an  undertaking  business 
that  is  very  extensive,  and  his  manner  of  conducting  funerals  makes  his  service  very 
acceptable  to  the  family  who  needs  his  aid.  Upon  his  removal  to  Emmett  he  bought 
out  the  undertaking  business  of  Clint  Brown  and  he  has  splendid  equipment.  His 
establishment  and  chapel  were  built  of  cement  blocks  in  1918  and  constitute  one 
of  the  best  buildings  in  Emmett.  There  are  few  if  any  undertaking  establishments 
in  Idaho  as  fine  as  that  owned  by  Mr.  Bucknum,  his  place  being  the  last  word  in 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  447 

buildings  of  this  character.  The  structure  is  of  beautiful  design  and  has  a  fine 
chapel  with  a  seating  capacity  of  one  hundred  and  fifty.  He  also  has  an  automo- 
bile hearse,  owning  one  of  the  first  of  this  kind  in  Idaho.  He  belongs  to  the  Idaho 
Funeral  Directors  Association  and  keeps  in  touch  with  the  most  progressive  and 
scientific  methods  of  the  business.  In  addition  to  the  Emmett  establishment,  which 
is  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  town,  he  has  a  branch  establishment  at  Sweet, 
and  he  has  been  a  licensed  embalmer  since  1903.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  the 
Ideal  Theatre  of  Emmett  and  half-owner  of  the  Liberty  Theatre — enterprises  which 
contribute  in  substantial  manner  to  his  income — and  he  is  a  member  and  the  treas- 
urer of  the  Idaho  Theatre  Managers  Association. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1903,  Mr.  Bucknum  was  married  to  Miss  Frances 
M.  Rice,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Oregon  and  who  passed  away  May  19,  1918, 
leaving  two  children:  Arlene  Dorinda,  born  February  22,  1904;  and  Eugene  Merle, 
February  11,  1907.  Both  are  now  pupils  in  the  Emmett  schools. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bucknum  is  a  democrat  and  he  served  as  the  first  coroner  of 
Gem  county  following  its  organization  in  1915  and  was  elected  to  the  office  in 
1916,  serving  altogether  for  three  and  a  half  years.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason 
and  an  Odd  Fellow  and  is  a  past  grand  in  the  local  lodge  of  the  latter  organization 
and  also  belongs  to  the  encampment.  He  is  widely  known  and  the  sterling  traits 
of  his  character  are  recognized  by  his  many  friends. 


PETER  ESKELDSON. 

Peter  Eskeldson,  who  follows  farming,  residing  on  a  valuable  eight-acre  tract 
of  land  a  mile  and  a  half  southeast  of  the  Garfield  school  in  South  Boise,  came  to 
Idaho  in  1889  from  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  and  through  the  intervening  period  has 
been  identified  with  ranching  interests,  contributing  much  to  the  substantial  develop- 
ment of  this  section  of  the  state.  Pioneering  has  ever  had  an  attraction  for  him, 
giving  him  the  opportunity  to  subdue  the  wild  and  make  it  of  worth  in  connection 
with  the  purposes  of  civilization. 

Mr.  Eskeldson  is  a  Dane  by  birth,  having  been  born  in  Denmark,  January  12, 
1869.  He  is  an  American  by  adoption,  however,  and  has  ever  been  most  loyal  to 
this  land  since  becoming  a  naturalized  citizen.  His  parents  never  came  to  the  United 
States  and  both  are  now  deceased.  It  was  in  1889,  when  twenty  years  of  age,  that 
Peter  Eskeldson  crossed  the  ocean  to  the  new  world,  remaining  for  a  short  time  at 
Newport,  Rhode  Island,  but  soon  afterward  making  his  way  westward  to  Idaho, 
which  was  still  a  territory  at  that  time.  He  first  purchased  a  tract  of  land  compris- 
ing one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  south  of  Star  but  never  resided  upon  that  place.  He 
was  variously  employed  during  the  early  days  in  mining  and  in  the  logging  camps, 
spending  several  years  in  that  way. 

In  1894  Mr.  Eskeldson  traded  his  quarter  section  south  of  Star  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  on  the  Barber  road,  three  miles  east  of  the  Garfield  school,  the 
place  being  known  as  the  old  Clawson  ranch.  It  adjoined  the  Holcomb  ranch  and 
camp  ground,  located  on  the  old  Oregon  trail.  The  camp  ground  has  been  a  favorite 
for  tourists  and  wagon  trains  for  more  than  half  a  century.  The  Clawson  ranch, 
which  came  into  possession  of  Mr.  Eskeldson  in  1894  and  on  which  he  lived  for 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century,  would  frequently  take  care  $f  the  campers  when  the 
Holcomb  ranch  was  not  adequate  to  the  demands  thus  made  upon  it.  Mr.  Eskeldson 
erected  two  sets  of  good  buildings  on  the  Clawson  ranch  when  he  was  owner  of  that 
property  and  he  also  planted  orchards  embracing  all  kinds  of  fruit  trees,  also  chest- 
nut and  white  walnut  trees  and  various  kinds  of  shade  trees,  including  locusts, 
maples,  poplars  and  others.  He  set  out  altogether  several  hundred  trees,  all  of 
which  are  now  of  large  size,  many  being  two  feet  in  diameter.  Mr.  Eskeldson  took 
up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  adjoining  the  Clawson  ranch  and 
thereby  became  owner  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres.  Later  he  sold  several  forty- 
acre  tracts  and  twenty-acre  tracts  and  finally,  in  1918,  he  sold  that  section  of  the 
ranch  which  had  been  his  home,  including  all  of  the  good  buildings  that  he  had  put 
upon  it  and  the  orchard  improvements.  Though  he  had  remaining  at  that  time  but 
twenty-six  acres,  he  received  nine  thousand  dollars  for  the  property.  He  then  purchased 
his  present  small  but  well  improved  ranch,  whereon  he  now  resides.  He  still  owns  one- 
half  of  the  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  it  Is  today  a  valuable  place 


448  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

of  eighty  acres,  which  he  intends  soon  to  develop  and  improve,  making  it  into  a  fine 
place,  just  as  he  did  the  Clawson  ranch.  This  is  now  his  purpose,  to  which  he  expects 
soon  to  bend  his  energies.  However,  the  land  must  have  water  upon  it  and  owing  to 
its  elevation  it  would  be  a  very  costly  project  to  pump  water  upon  it. 

Mr.  Eskeldson  since  coming  to  America  has  returned  to  Denmark  but  once, 
making  the  trip  in  1898  in  order  to  visit  his  parents.  He  continued  for  seven  months 
in  his  native  country  at  that  time.  While  his  parents  have  since  died,  he  has  one 
brother,  John  Eskeldson,  who  resides  on  a  ranch  adjoining  the  home  property  of 
Peter  Eskeldson  and  who  is  nine  years  his  junior. 

In  Boise,  on  the  19th  of  August  1908,  Mr.  Eskeldson  was  married  to  Miss  Emma 
Paulson,  who  is  of  Swedish  descent.  She  was  born  in  Sweden  and  came  to  the 
United  States  during  her  infancy.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of 
three  children:  Ivan,  nine  years  of  age;  William,  a  lad  of  seven;  and  Margaret 
Marie,  who  is  four  years  old.  The  family  belong  to  the  Lutheran  church.  In  his 
political  views  Mr.  Eskeldson  is  a  republican  and  has  filled  several  local  offices, 
serving  as  road  supervisor  for  six  years,  during  which  time  he  built  three  miles  of 
the  Barber  road  to  Boise.  He  has  always  stood  for  progress  and  improvement  in 
community  affairs  and  has  labored  earnestly  and  effectively  to  advance  public  inter- 
ests. His  has  been  an  active  and  well  spent  life  and  it  was  a  wise  step  that  he  took 
when  he  severed  home  ties  and  came  to  the  new  world  to  enjoy  the  opportunities 
and  advantages  here  offered. 


J.  P.  KUSTER. 

J.  P.  Kuster  has  for  a  considerable  period  been  identified  with  the  development  of 
agricultural  interests  in  Ada  county  and  is  now  the  owner  of  an  excellent  home  prop- 
erty near  Eagle.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  his  birthplace  being  about  half  way  be- 
tween Bremen  and  Hamburg.  His  ancestors  in  the  paternal  line  belonged  to  the  no- 
bility of  that  country  and  the  city  of  Kustin  was  named  in  their  honor.  The  grand- 
father, however,  committed  the  unpardonable  sin  of  marrying  a  peasant  girl  and  thereby 
renounced  his  title.  Peter  Kuster,  the  father  of  J.  P.  Kuster,  was  a  government  con- 
tractor who  was  accidentally  killed.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna 
Otten,  because  of  her  marked  intellectual  force  was  selected  from  her  class  and  edu- 
cated by  the  Prussian  government  as  a  physician  to  minister  to  the  poor.  The  ma- 
ternal ancestors  of  J.  P.  Kuster  so  distinguished  themselves  in  the  Napoleonic  wars 
that  the  government  in  its  redistribution  of  the  land  gave  her  people  a  farm  of  sixty 
acres  which  is  still  in  possession  of  the  family. 

J.  P.  Kuster  was  only  fourteen  years  of  age  when  left  an  orphan  and  from  that 
time  forward  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own  resources.  He  acquired  his  early 
education  in  his  native  country  and  came  to  America  in  1884,  being  at  that  time  sev- 
enteen years  of  age,  his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  20th  of  February,  1867.  He  had 
worked  for  three  years  in  Germany  in  order  to  save  -enough  money  to  come  to  the 
United  States,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  the  month  of  August.  On  boarding  a  ship 
bound  for  America  he  found  it  necessary  to  hide  among  the  herring  barrels  in  the  hold 
of  the  ship  in  order  to  escape  the  German  officers  and  avoid  being  returned  to  serve 
in  the  army.  Upon  leaving  his  country, .  however,  all  of  his  property  was  confiscated 
by  the  government  and  all  possibility  of  inheritance  from  the  estate  of  his  parents 
was  eliminated.  It  seems  characteristic  of  the  family  to  wish  to  shake  off  the  yoke 
of  imperialism,  for  his  cousin,  John  Kuster,  made  his  escape  from  the  German  army 
after  he  had  been  drafted  for  service  and  came  to  the  United  States.  It  was  not  dread 
of  military  service  but  opposition  to  governmental  methods  that  made  him  come  to  the 
new  world,  for  immediately  after  his  arrival  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  United 
States  army,  serving  for  nearly  twenty  years  and  winning  promotion  to  the  rank  of  lieu- 
tenant. He  retired  only  on  account  of  ill  health  and  afterward  his  son  went  to  Ger- 
many to  fight  against  that  country  in  the  present  war. 

J.  P.  Kuster  landed  at  New  York  and  was  employed  in  a  grocery  house  of  that  city 
long  enough  to  acquaint  him  with  the  language  of  the  country,  but  he  preferred  agri- 
culture and  pioneering  and  for  a  year  was  employed  at  farm  labor  in  the  state  of 
New  York.  He  gradually  worked  his  way  westward,  however,  until  in  1887  he  reached 
Wyoming,  where  he  took  up  the  work  of  cow  punching,  working  for  Douglas  Villian  and 
Lionel  Sartoris.  The  latter  afterward  married  Nellie  Grant,  a  daughter  of  General 


J.  P.  KUSTER 


Vol.  Ill— 29 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  451 

Grant.  They  were  prominent  stockmen  and  their  ranch  was  known  all  over  Wyoming. 
Mr.  Kuster  remained  with  them  for  two  years,  riding  the  range  most  of  the  time, 
and  in  1892  he  came  overland  to  Idaho.  His  first  work  in  this  state  was  hauling 
stumps  from  the  Owyhee  Hills  to  Silver  City  for  the  Black  Jack  and  Delamar  mines. 
The  timber  had  been  cut  from  these  hills  end  the  stumps  that  remained  were  valuable 
as  wood.  The  hill  was  so  steep  that  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  his  wagon  to  upset. 
He  was  told  that  he  could  not  make  a  success  of  the  work,  but  contrary  to  public 
opinion,  he  did.  In  the  winter  of  1894  he  put  in  the  first  plow  in  the  construction  work 
of  the  Farmers  Union  ditch  and  worked  on  the  ditch  each  winter  until  it  was  com- 
pleted four  years  later.  Subsequently  he  became  superintendent  of  the  ditch,  then 
vice  president  and  afterward  president  of  the  ditch  company  and  there  was  a  time 
when  he  and  a  neighbor  carried  the  indebtedness  of  the  project  on  their  own  notes. 
This  is  the  first  farmers'  ditch  ever  carried  through  to  a  successful  termination  with- 
out falling  into  the  hands  of  capitalists.  During  the  time  of  the  construction  of  the 
ditch  Mr.  Kuster  bought  a  relinquishment  desert  claim  of  forty  acres  and  has  since 
invested  in  five  acres  more,  and  through  his  labors  he  has  converted  his  land  from  a 
desert  tract  of  sagebrush  to  one  of  the  most  productive  farms  in  the  Boise  valley. 
He  makes  hay  his  principal  crop  and  also  carries  on  dairying.  He  has  a  splendid 
home  and  a  fine  large  barn  and  outhouses  upon  his  land.  It  is  the  intention  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Kuster  to  retain  the  ownership  of  their  present  place,  which  is  located  two 
and  a  quarter  miles  northwest  of  Eagle,  and  to  take  up  a  homestead  of  six  hundred 
and  forty  acres  in  the  mountains  twelve  miles  from  Eagle,  where  he  will  give  his 
attention  to  the  raising  of  stock,  which  he  will  feed  on  the  home  farm  in  the  winter. 
Mr.  Kuster  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nellie  E.  Cooper,  a  native  of  Kansas 
and  a  descendant  of  Elder  Brewster  of  the  Congregational  church,  who  came  to  the 
new  world  on  the  Mayflower  and  was  the  first  preacher  in  the  New  England  colonies. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kuster  have  been  born  four  children:  John  Peter,  twelve  years  of 
age,  now  attending  school  and  also  having  a  news  route;  Frank  Albert,  eleven 
years  of  age,  who  is  likewise  in  school;  Freda  Margaret,  deceased;  and  Jessie  Clair, 
born  November  6,  1919.  Mrs.  Kuster  is  a  woman  of  innate  refinement  who  has  sue 
cessfully  engaged  in  teaching  school  and  she  is  particularly  well  versed  in  history. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kuster  are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Idaho,  where  their  op- 
portunities for  advancement  have  been  wisely  utilized,  so  that  they  are  now  numbered 
among  the  substantial  farming  people  of  Ada  county. 


DAVID  WALTER  MURRAY. 

David  Walter  Murray  is  half  owner  of  the  Emmett  Garage  &  Auto  Company, 
in  which  undertaking  he  is  associated  with  J.  W.  Blurton.  He  is  one  of  Idaho's 
native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  Centerville  on  the  15th  of  May,  1880.  He 
is  the  only  living  son  of  David  and  Fannie  (McAuliffe)  Murray,  both  of  whom  have 
passed  away,  the  father's  death  occurring  in  1893,  while  the  mother  survived  until 
September  2.  1919,  and  reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  They 
were  married  in  the  Boise  basin  and  became  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two 
daughters,  of  whom  David  W.  and  the  daughters  Margaret  and  Lillian  are  yet  living 
and  all  are  residents  of  Emmett.  Lillian  is  the  wife  of  R.  V.  Eaton.  The  parents 
were  natives  of  Ireland  and  knew  each  other  in  that  country  before  coming  to  the 
new  world.  Both  settled  in  the  Boise  basin  when  it  was  still  a  frontier  district  and 
later  they  became  pioneer  residents  of  the  Emmett  section  of  the  state,  residing  just 
below  the  town  for  many  years,  during  which  period  they  were  most  widely  and 
favorably  known. 

David  W.  Murray  has  spent  practically  his  entire  life  in  Emmett  and  vicinity. 
He  was  reared  upon  his  father's  ranch  and  in  early  manhood  was  employed  in  various 
wavs  but  at  length  turned  his  attention  to  the  automobile  business  and  in  November, 
1917,  became  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Emmett  Garage  &  Auto  Company,  of 
which  he  has  since  been  the  secretary  and  treasurer.  They  have  the  largest  garage 
in  Emmett,  the  building,  which  Is  composed  of  brick  and  concrete,  being  sixty-five 
by  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet.  They  are  distributors  in  Gem  county  for  the  Stude- 
baker  and  Maxwell  cars  and  trucks,  and  already  their  sales  have  reached  a  very 
gratifying  figure. 

In  November,  1905,  Mr.  Murray  was  married  to  Miss  Georgia  Buckland,  who 


452  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

was  born  in  Oregon,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  sons,  Roy  M.  and 
James  D.,  aged  respectively  thirteen  and  eleven  years.  Mr.  Murray  is  identified  with 
the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the 
democratic  party  and  he  served  as  the  first  treasurer  of  Gem  county  by  appointment 
of  the  governor.  He  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  has  ever 
exercised  his  official  prerogatives  in  support  of  the  public  welfare  and  when  out  of 
office  has  been  equally  loyal  to  the  best  interests  of  the  community.  He  belongs  to 
the  Emmett  Gun  Club,  which  indicates  something  of  the  nature  of  his  recreation, 
but  his  time  and  energy  are  largely  concentrated  upon  his  business  affairs  and 
already  the  firm  in  which  he  is  a  partner  has  built  up  a  business  of  extensive  and 
gratifying  proportions. 


LORENZO   C.  BALL. 

Lorenzo  C.  Ball,  living  two  miles  south  of  Lewisville,  in  Jefferson  county,  was 
born  at  Union,  Utah,  in  February,  1887,  a  son  of  Alfred  and  Mary  A.  (Walker)  Ball, 
mentioned  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Alfred  Ball  on  another  page  of  this 
work.  He  was  reared  and  educated  at  the  place  of  his  birth  and  in  Jefferson  county, 
Idaho,  also  attended  Ricks  Academy  and  was  for  a  time  a  pupil  in  the  Brigham 
Young  Academy  at  Logan,  Utah.  He  was  fourteen  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Idaho  in  1901  and  he  remained  with  them  until  he  attained  his  majority. 
He  started  in  the  business  world  as  a  sheep  herder  and  farm  hand,  working  with  his 
father  for  two  years.  In  1913  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account  and  in  1915 
purchased  forty  acres  of  land  two  miles  south  of  Lewisville,  since  which  time  he 
has  carefully  cultivated  and  developed  his  place,  which  is  now  one  of  the  excellent 
farm  properties  of  the  district. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1913,  Lorenzo  C.  Ball  married  Hazel  Knowlton  and 
they  have  three  children,  Viola,  Harold  and  Monna.  Politically  Mr.  Ball  is  a  repub- 
lican. He  holds  to  the  faith  of  his  father  and  is  an  elder  in  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Formerly  he  filled  a  mission  of  twenty-six  months  in 
the  northwestern  states. 


G.  WILLIAM  SHROUT. 

G.  William  Shrout  is  connected  with  the  City  Marketing  Company  of  Twin 
Falls  and  as  such  is  one  of  the  proprietors  of  a  leading  and  progressive  commer- 
cial interest  of  his  section  of  the  state.  Since  starting  upon  his  business  career 
he  has  advanced  steadily  step  by  step  and  his  orderly  progression  has  brought  him 
into  creditable  business  relations.  He  was  born  at  Moorefield,  Kentucky,  May  1, 
1879,  and  is  a  son  of  John  M.  and  Alice  L.  (Jones)  Shrout.  His  boyhood  days  to 
the  age  of  nineteen  years  were  passed  at  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  he  then  left 
home,  going  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  where  for  four  years  he  was  employed  in  the  large 
dry  goods  establishment  of  Marshall  Field  &  Company.  He  then  returned  home 
on  account  of  his  health  but  in  July,  1908  again  left  Kentucky  with  Idaho  as  his 
destination.  He  made  his  way  to  Twin  Falls  and  here  was  given  charge  of  the 
grocery  department  of  the  Idaho  Department  Store,  continuing  in  that  position  for 
a  year.  In  1909  he  became  connected  with  the  Darrow  Brothers  Seed  Company 
at  Twin  Falls  and  thus  remained  for  another  year.  He  was  afterward  with  the  old 
City  Marketing  House  on  Main  street  for  two  years  and  then  returned  to  the  Idaho 
Department  Store,  with  which  he  continued  for  three  years.  On  the  expiration 
of  that  period  he  joined  E.  E.  O.  Spielberg  and  C.  H.  Mull  in  taking  over  the  City 
Marting  House,  which  they  reorganized  and  opened  for  business  on  the  10th  of 
January,  1916.  Through  the  intervening  period  of  four  years  the  business  has 
been  carefully  and  profitably  conducted  and  they  now  have  one  of  the  finest  grocery 
stores  in  this  section  of  the  state  and  in  fact  one  of  the  finest  in  Idaho.  They  carry 
a  large  and  carefully  selected  stock  of  goods,  handling  everything  that  the  best  mar- 
kets of  the  world  afford,  and  their  sales  have  reached  a  gratifying  annual  figure. 

In  April,  1905,  Mr.  Shrout  was  married  to  Miss  Louise  Wiglesworth,  a  native 
of  Cynthiana,  Kentucky,  and  a  daughter  of  Tandy  Wiglesworth.  Mr.  Shrout  main- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  453 

tains  an  independent  course  in  politics,  voting  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  judg- 
ment in  regard  to  the  capability  of  the  candidate  seeking  office.  He  has  membership 
with  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  is  a  loyal  supporter  of  the  craft,  which  is  based  upon 
a  recognition  of  the  brotherhood  of  mankind  and  the  obligations  thereby  imposed. 
Mr.  Shrout  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  come  to  the  north- 
west, for  here  he  has  found  good  business  opportunities  and  conditions  and  through 
a  steady  progression  has  reached  an  enviable  place  in  the  business  circles  of  Twin 
Falls. 


WILLIAM  H.  ALLEN. 

William  H.  Allen  is  well  known  in  business  circles  of  Emmett  as  proprietor  of 
the  Palm  Bakery,  which  is  the  oldest  bakery  of  the  city  and  which  he  has  conducted 
successfully  since  June,  1916.  He  was  born  at  Webster  City,  Iowa,  October  5,  1869, 
a  son  of  John  Q.  A.  and  Ann  (Foster)  Allen,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  The 
father  participated  in  the  Civil  war  as  a  soldier  of  the  Union  army.  The  four 
children  of  the  family  are  all  yet  living. 

When  a  youth  of  fourteen  years  William  H.  Allen  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  Norton,  Kansas,  where  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  for  twenty-seven  years  in  the  states  of  Kansas.  Colorado  and  Idaho  and 
during  the  last  fifteen  years  of  that  period  was  a  contractor.  In  1913  he  came  to 
Idaho  from  Colorado  and  in  June,  1916,  purchased  the  Palm  Bakery  at  Emmett, 
the  oldest  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  city.  It  was  established  many  years  ago 
by  H.  B.  Hersh,  who  conducted  it  under  the  name  of  Hersh'^  Bakery,  and  later  was 
owned  by  Denny  Munson,  who  named  it  the  Palm  Bakery.  It  is  one  of  the  per- 
manent business  institutions  of  Emmett  and  as  its  proprietor  Mr.  Allen  enjoys  an 
extensive  and  lucrative  patronage,  being  accorded  perhaps  ninety  per  cent  of  the 
bakery  business  of  the  city.  The  Palm  Bakery  supplies  all  the  grocery  stores  and 
all  the  restaurants  in  Emmett  and  the  trade  is  carried  on  along  both  retail  and 
wholesale  lines.  Mr.  Allen  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  Master  Bakers'  Association. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1890,  at  Norton,  Kansas,  Mr.  Allen  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Laura  E.  Betterton,  by  whom  he  had  two  children:  Lewis  Lemont, 
who  passed  away  within  three  days  of  his  twenty-first  birthday;  and  Clara  M.,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Charles  C.  Caldwell,  of  Nampa,  Idaho.  The  family  enjoys  an  enviable 
position  in  social  circles  of  Emmett  and  Mr.  Allen  is  ranked  with  the  representative 
and  enterprising  business  men  of  the  city. 


JAMES  JOHNSON. 

James  Johnson,  living  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  the  Cole  school  and  three 
miles  from  Boise,  is  a  native  of  Denmark  and  came  to  Idaho  in  1904  from  West- 
field,  Wisconsin.  He  was  then  a  young  married  man  with  a  wife  and  three  children 
and  for  live  years  he  lived  in  Blaine  county  near  Bellevue,  in  the  Wood  river  country. 
He  had  followed  farming  before  coming  to  Idaho  and  had  saved  from  his  earnings 
about  fourteen  hundred  dollars,  which  he  brought  to  this  state  for  investment.  Born 
in  Denmark  on  the  24th  of  February,  1864  he  had  been  reared  upon  a  farm  in  his 
native  country  and  throughout  his  entire  life  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1890  and  has  never  returned  to  his  native  land.  For 
fourteen  years  he  was  a  resident  of  Wisconsin  and  the  untiring  energy  and  industry 
which  he  there  displayed  brought  to  him  the  little  capital  which  enabled  him  to 
purchase  a  farm  in  the  Wood  river  valley  on  coming  to  Idaho.  He  afterward  sold 
that  property  at  a  good  profit  and  purchased  another  tract  of  land  which  he  later 
sold.  He  then  located  on  another  farm  which  he  had  purchased  near  New  Plymouth, 
Idaho.  There  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1918,  when  he  sold  that  place  and  pur- 
chased the  fine  Eskeldson  homestead  on  the  South  Barber  road  five  miles  east  of 
Boise,  which  he  sold  in  1919  and  he  purchased  thirty  acres  which  comprises  his 
present  place  three  miles  from  Boise. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1900,  Mr.  Johnson  was  married  to  Miss  Emelia  Hansen, 
who  was  also  of  Danish  descent  but  was  born  in  Wisconsin.  She  passed  away  October 


454  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

4,  1914,  leaving  seven  young  children,  the  eldest  of  whom  was  then  but  thirteen 
years  of  age.  Of  the  three  sons  and  four  daughters  all  are  yet  living,  their  ages 
ranging  from  nineteen  down  to  six  years.  These  are:  Harold  P.,  born  April  24, 
1901;  Myrtle  C.,  March  25,  1903;  Eva  F.,  August  26,  1905;  Orvean  and  Oreal,  twin 
sons,  born  October  14,  1907;  Emily  E.  born  July  19,  1910;  and  Emelia  Mary,  Sep- 
tember 8,  1914. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  is  a  Lutheran  in 
religious  faith.  He  has  prospered  during  his  residence  in  Idaho  and  is  now  in 
affluant  circumstances,  having  an  attractive  country  home,  with  substantial  invest- 
ments in  notes  and  bonds,  his  investments  of  this  character  exceeding  the  amount 
that  he  brought  to  Idaho  on  coming  to  the  northwest.  He  has  lived  a  life  of  in- 
dustry, and  his  perseverance  and  diligence  have  enabled  him  to  work  his  way 
steadily  upward  and  provide  a  good  home  and  comfortable  living  for  his  family. 
His  life  has  ever  been  guided  by  high  and  honorable  principles  and  his  fellow  towns- 
men attest  his  sterling  worth. 


GEORGE  J.   BURKHARD. 

George  J.  Burkhard,  conducting  business  under  the  name  of  the  Emmett  Meat 
Company,  has  the  oldest  and  largest  meat  market  in  Emmett,  in  fact  his  establish- 
ment, would  be  a  credit  to  a  city  many  times  the  size  of  Emmett,  being  thoroughly 
modern  in  every  particular.  Mr.  Burkhard  took  up  his  abode  here  in  November, 
1906,  on  his  removal  from  Salem,  Oregon.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  June  6,  1879, 
and  in  that  country  his  parents  still  reside.  He  came  alone  to  the  United  States 
when  sixteen  years  of  age,  having  already  at  that  time  learned  much  about  the 
butchering  business.  In  this  country  he  worked  as  a  journeyman  butcher  for  sev- 
eral years,  going  from  place  to  place,  being  employed  at  different  periods  in  Cleve- 
land, Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis,  Butte,  Spokane,  Seattle  and  Portland,  Oregon. 

Finally  in  1903  Mr.  Burkhard  established  business  in  Salem,  Oregon,  as  pro- 
prietor of  a  meat  market  and  continued  there  until  1906,  when  he  came  to  Emmett. 
In  that  year,  associated  with  J.  L.  Steward,  he  purchased  a  meat  market  on  Main 
street  at  his  present  location  and  under  the  firm  name  of  Steward  &  Burkhard  soon 
established  the  business  upon  a  substantial  basis  and  gradually  increased  and  devel- 
oped it.  In  1916  Mr.  Burkhard  purchased  the  interest  of  Mr.  Steward  in  the  busi- 
ness and  in  their  realty,  also  Mr.  Steward's  interest  in  the  slaughter  house  and  in 
fact  in  the  equipment  of  every  kind  having  to  do  with  the  business.  He  thus 
became  sole  owner  and  at  that  time  changed  the  name  of  the  firm  to  the  Emmett 
Meat  Company.  Underneath  their  two-story  building  is  a  large  basement  with  con- 
crete floor.  Mr.  Burkhard's  meat  market  has  the  exclusive  use  of  this  basement, 
in  which  is  located  a  refrigerating  machine,  from  which  extend  the  frost-coated  pipes 
to  the  cold  storage  room  and  plate  glass  showcases  above  on  the  main  floor,  thus 
maintaining  a  frigid  temperature  all  the  year  round  for  the  immense  stock  of 
fresh  meats  constantly  carried.  The  display  of  meats  and  meat  by-products  in 
the  salesroom  would  tempt  the  most  fastidious.  The  business  in  this  respect  is 
on  a  par  with  the  fancy  markets  of  the  large  cities.  The  plant  is  provided 
with  all  kinds  of  fixtures  and  apparatus  in  this  line  and  has  various  rooms 
devoted  to  different  branches  of  the  meat  industry,  such  as  the  rendering  of  lard, 
the  preparing  of  other  by-products  and  the  curing  of  smoked  meats  and  sausages. 
This  is  no  meat  market  of  the  ordinary  kind  but  is  in  reality  a  fancy  meat  market 
and  small-sized  packing  plant  combined.  The  equipment  includes  a  cold  store  room 
of  five  tons  capacity,  supplied  with  a  York  refrigerating  machine  which  was  installed 
in  1917  at  a  cost  of  several  thousand  dollars.  All  of  the  meats  and  all  of  the 
products  of  the  Emmett  Meat  Company  come  from  their  own  slaughter  house. 
Mr.  Burkhard  buys  hogs,  cattle  and  sheep  from  the  farmers  of  the  neighborhood 
and  in  connection  with  the  business  does  his  slaughtering  and  prepares  the  meat 
for  sale.  He  is  actuated  by  a  most  progressive  spirit  in  everything  that  he  under- 
takes, and  his  energy  has  been  productive  of  splendid  results. 

Mr.  Burkhard  was  married  in  Emmett,  August  17,  1918,  to  Miss  Delilah  Newby, 
of  Emmett,  and  a  native  of  Idaho.  He  is  well  known  in  fraternal  circles  as  a  Mason 
and  Odd  Fellow,  having  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  in  Scottish  Rite  bodies 
and  is  also  a  Shriner  of  El  Korah  Temple,  while  in  the  Odd  Fellows  lodge  he  is  a 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  455 

past  noble  grand  and  a  past  chief  patrinch  of  the  encampment.  He  likewise  belongs 
to  the  Emmett  Commercial  Club  and  is  interested  in  all  that  has  to  do  with  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  city,  the  extension  of  its  trade  relations  and  the  develop- 
ment of  its  civic  standards.  His  political  support  is  given  to  the  republican  party 
and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  His  life  has  ever  been 
actuated  by  high  and  honorable  principles  and  by  progressive  methods,  and  he  has 
made  for  himself  a  most  enviable  position  in  the  business  circles  of  his  section  of 
the  state. 


OKIE   JAMES    JESTER. 

Orie  James  Jester,  a  rancher  and  sheepman  living  at  Twin  Falls,  was  born  In 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  April  29,  1885,  his  parents  being  Milton  and  Mary  Elizabeth 
(McDaniel)  Jester,  who  removed  from  the  Buckeye  state  to  Nebraska  when  their 
son  Orie  J.  was  but  a  small  boy,  the  family  home  being  established  in  Omaha, 
where  he  pursued  his  education.  He  afterward  took  up  the  occupation  of  ranching 
in  Blair  county,  Nebraska,  and  from  that  place  removed  to  Casper,  Wyoming,  where 
he  again  gave  his  attention  to  ranching  interests. 

Still  attracted  by  the  opportunities  of  the  far  west,  Mr.  Jester  came  to  Idaho 
in  1909,  settling  in  Twin  Falls  county.  He  purchased  a  ranch  including  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  13,  range  10,  township  16,  thus  obtaining  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  raw  land,  not  a  furrow  having  been  turned  nor  an  improvement  made 
upon  that  place.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began  the  development  of  the 
property  and  his  labors  soon  wrought  a  marked  change  in  its  appearance  and  in  its 
productiveness.  Today  he  has  highly  cultivated  fields  which  are  producing  sub- 
stantial crops.  In  1919  he  became  associated  with  the  Owyhee  Sheep  &  Land  Com- 
pany of  Boise  and  is  today  manager  of  their  ranching  interestts  in  Twin  Falls  county. 
His  has  been  an  active  life  in  which  industry  and  enterprise  have  brought  to  him 
the  substantial  fruits  of  labor.  His  political  endorsement  is  given  the  republican 
party. 


MRS.  KATE  KESGARD. 

Mrs.  Kate  Kesgard,  the  widow  of  Christian  Kesgard,  has  resided  in  the 
neighborhood  five  miles  west  of  Emmett  on  the  New  Plymouth  road  for  a  longer 
period  than  any  other  resident  of  the  district.  She  was  born  in  Denmark,  December 
28,  1835,  and  is  now  in  the  eighty-fifth  year  of  her  age.  Reared  in  her  native 
country,  she  there  became  the  wife  of  Christian  Kesgard  on  the  2d  of  August. 
1858.  He  was  born  in  Denmark,  May  17,  1824,  and  spent  the  period  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth  in  his  native  country.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Kate  Bindrup 
and  both  represented  worthy  and  substantial  families  of  Denmark.  Coming  to  the 
United  States  in  1862,  they  lived  for  six  years  in  Utah  before  removing  to  Idaho, 
where  they  took  up  their  abode  in  1868,  settling  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mrs.  Kes- 
gard's  present  home.  The  ranch  which  they  first  occupied  is  now  owned  by  their 
son,  James  A.  Kesgard,  their  youngest  child,  who  is  one  of  the  most  progressive 
farmers  of  Gem  county  or  of  the  Payette  valley,  mentioned  at  length  elsewhere  in 
this  work. 

In  1870  Christian  Kesgard  and  his  wife  removed  to  Walla  Walla,  Washington, 
but  in  1873  returned  to  Idaho  and  settled  on  a  ranch  that  Joined  the  one  which  they 
had  previously  occupied  in  Gem  county,  which  was  then  a  part  of  Ada  county.  Later 
a  division  in  the  county  made  their  place  a  part  of  Canyon  county  and  finally  Gem 
county  was  set  off,  so  that  without  removing  from  the  ranch  they  lived  In  three 
different  counties.  Christian  Kesgard  was  a  homesteader  and  pioneer  of  this  section, 
and  he  and  his  wife  laid  the  foundation  for  the  present  prosperity  and  prestige  of 
the  family  name  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  death  of  Christian  Kesgard  occurred  March  18,  1882,  on  the  Kesgard 
ranch  and  his  widow  still  occupies  the  one  hundred  acre  ranch  which  adjoins  that 
of  her  son  James.  She  is  yet  strong  and  vigorous  although  now  in  her  eighty-fifth 
year.  Before  leaving  Denmark  two  daughters,  Margaret  and  Mary,  were  born  to 


456  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kesgard,  but  both  have  passed  away.  The  other  seven  children  were 
all  born  in  the  United  States.  These  are:  Elizabeth,  a  resident  of  Boise;  Stena,  who 
married  Andrew  Rasmussen,  engaged  in  ranching  at  Falks  Store,  Idaho,  but  she 
passed  away  January  31,  1920;  Christian,  who  is  living  at  Emmett;  Mrs.  Anna 
Wallace,  who  with  her  three  children,  Esther,  Edna  and  Maurice,  resides  with  her 
mother;  Mrs.  Lena  Riggs,  who  is  a  widow;  Mrs.  Emma  Helm;  and  James  A.,  who 
is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Mrs.  Kesgard  can  remember  many  interesting  incidents  of  the  early  days  when 
she  was  living  on  the  Idaho  ranch  property  now  occupied  by  her  son.  During  the 
time  of  the  gold  excitement  in  the  Boise  basin  supplies  were  largely  hauled  by  wagon 
past  the  Kesgard  ranch.  In  the  early  days  Indians  were  numerous  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  bear  and  deer  were  to  be  seen  in  large  numbers.  Mrs.  Kesgard  has 
lived  to  witness  remarkable  changes  as  the  years  have  passed — changes  in  the 
methods  of  living,  in  the  manner  of  developing  the  farms  and  also  in  the  modes  of 
travel.  She  maintains  a  keen  interest  in  what  occurs  at  the  present  time  and  is 
one  of  the  valued  pioneer  women  of  the  state. 


CHARLES  G.  ELISON. 

Starting  out  to  earn  his  living  at  a  wage  of  but  six  dollars  per  month,  Charles 
G.  Elison  is  today  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  property  situated  not  far  from  Oakley, 
in  Cassia  county.  He  has  been  identified  with  every  phase  of  western  development 
and  progress  through  his  long  residence  in  this  section  of  the  country.  He  was  born 
in  Sweden,  February  9,  1849,  his  parents  being  Erick  and  Anna  (Johnson)  Elison, 
who  were  also  natives  of  Sweden,  where  they  made  their  home  until  1863  and  then 
came  to  the  United  States,  embarking  on  a  sailing  vessel  which  was  five  weeks  in 
reaching  the  harbor  of  New  York.  They  then  traveled  across  the  country,  making 
the  trip  over  the  plains  from  Florence,  Nebraska,  on  the  Missouri  river  with  ox 
teams.  Traveling  after  that  slow  and  tedious  manner,  they  eventually  reached  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah,  and  after  a  little  time  proceeded  to  Grantsville,  Utah,  where  the 
father  purchased  farm  land.  Later  he  bought  property  in  the  Cache  valley  and  gave 
his  attention  to  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  farm,  remaining  one  of  the 
active  representatives  of  agricultural  life  in  that  district  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  The  mother  also 
died  in  the  same  neighborhood.  They  were  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
.of  Latter-day  Saints  and  it  was  their  desire  to  be  with  people  of  their  faith  that  brought 
them  to  the  new  world. 

Charles  G.  Elison  was  a  lad  of  but  thirteen  years  when  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  the  United  States  and  across  the  country  to  Utah.  He  was  reared  in  the 
vicinity  of  Grantsville  from  that  time  forward  and  he  soon  began  to  provide  for  his 
own  support  by  working  as  a  farm  hand  for  six  dollars  per  month.  Later  he  was 
employed  by  different  stockmen  and  thus  he  became  familiar  with  the  various  phases 
of  ranching  and  stock  raising  in  the  far  west.  He  eventually  took  up  teaming  on  his 
own  account  and  engaged  in  teaming  between  Salt  Lake  and  Cherry  Creek,  Nevada, 
where  was  located  a  mining  camp.  The  year  1882  witnessed  his  removal  to  Oakley 
Meadows,  where  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  south  of  the  present  site  of  the 
city  of  Oakley.  He  built  thereon  a  log  house  with  dirt  roof  and  in  that  primitive  home 
lived  while  carrying  on  the  initial  work  of  improving  and  developing  his  ranch,  to 
which  he  has  added  from  time  to  time.  He  has  converted  his  place  into  a  fine  farm, 
has  erected  thereon  a  substantial  and  attractive  modern  residence,  has  added  all  neces- 
sary buildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock  and,  in  fact,  has  today  a  farm  equipped 
and  supplied  with  all  modern  conveniences.  His  life  has  been  largely  devoted  to  the 
raising  of  cattle  and  sheep,  to  which  he  has  given  his  attention  now  for  twenty-seven 
years.  The  results  achieved  tell  the  story  of  his  diligence  and  his  industry.  He  has 
never  allowed  himself  to  become  discouraged  but  with  resolute  purpose  has  pushed 
forward  and  has  ultimately,  gained  a  gratifying  measure  of  prosperity. 

In  1876  Mr.  Elison  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  M.  Worthington,  a  native  of  Grants- 
ville, Utah,  and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  R.  and  Sarah  N.  (Mackintosh)  Worthington. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elison  have  become  parents  of  seven  children:  Estella,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  Charles  L.  Haight  of  Oakley  and  has  six  children,  Mary  Zina,  Mabel  Louisa, 
Charles  Elmo,  Harlow,  Oleen  and  Lloyd;  J.  Ross  Elison,  who  married  Hazel  Allred, 


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HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  459 

of  Buhl;  Sadie  A.,  who  married  E.  B.  Michael  of  Twin  Falls  and  has  four  children. 
Lavon.  Bernice,  Allan  and  Mary;  Frederick  Elison.  who  married  Gertrude  Halver- 
son  and  has  two  children,  Ruth  and  Charles  Glendon;  Melvin  Elison,  who  married 
Nellie  Daley  of  Oakley  and  has  one  child,  Betty;  and  Anna  and  Maud,  who  complete 
the  family. 

Mr.  Elison  and  his  family  are  adherents  of  the  faith  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  .Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints.  His  political  endorsement  is  given  to  the  republican  "p 
There  is  no  phase  of  pioneer  life  in  the  west  with  which  he  is  not  familiar.  In  an 
early  day  he  hauled  merchandise  from  Nevada  to  the  Idaho  basin,  where  gold  mines 
were  established,  and  on  such  trips  saw  many  Indians.  In  fact,  his  connection  with 
the  country  dates  from  the  time  when  the  red  men  were  about  as. numerous  as  the 
white  settlers  and  when  it  was  no  more  unusual  sight  to  see  an  Indian  tepee  than  it 
was  to  see  the  cabin  of  some  frontiersman.  Great  indeed  have  been  the  changes  which 
time  and  man  have  wrought  and  Mr.  Elison  has  borne  his  full  part  in  planting  the 
seeds  of  civilization  and  improvement  upon  the  western  frontier  until  now  Idaho  is 
behind  no  state  in  the  Union  in  its  advantages  and  its  opportunities,  while  its  im- 
provements in  all  that  has  to  do  with  municipal  progress  show  that  the  promoters 
and  upbuilders  of  its  towns  and  cities  have  been  actuated  by  the  most  enterprising 
and  progressive  spirit. 


CHARLES   CLICK. 

Charles  Click  Is  proprietor  of  the  Palace  Meat  Market  of  Emmett,  which  he 
opened  in  1915  and  which  is  one  of  the  two  first-class  establishments  of  the  kind 
in  the  city.  His  birth  occurred  on  a  farm  in  Minnesota  on  the  4th  of  April,  1882. 
his  parents  being  Frank  and  Catherine  (Hairs)  Click.  He  was  left  an  orphan  at 
the  age  of  four  years  and  was  reared  in  the  home  of  an  aunt.  When  a  youth  of 
seventeen  he  came  to  the  northwest,  making  his  way  first  to  Washington  because 
of  the  fact  that  he  had  a  half  brother  living  at  Cashmere,  that  state.  There  he 
began  learning  the  butcher's  trade  and  completed  his  apprenticeship  when  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  Through  the  intervening  years  he  has  conducted  business  along 
that  line  in  the  states  of  Washington,  Oregon  and  Idaho  and  formerly  owned  a 
meat  market  at  Cashmere,  Washington.  In  1915  he  removed  from  Ontario,  Oregon, 
to  Emmett,  Idaho,  where  he  has  since  carried  on  business  as  proprietor  of  the 
Palace  Meat  Market,  which  is  a  most  modern  and  well  appointed  establishment, 
up-to-date  in  every  particular.  He  has  a  slaughter  house  in  connection  with  the 
market  and  kills  all  of  the  meats  which  he  handles.  His  business  methods  are  such 
as  to  win  the  confidence  and  support  of  the  public,  so  that  he  enjoys  an  extensive 
patronage  and  is  meeting  with  well  deserved  prosperity. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1905,  at  Cashmere,  Washington,  Mr.  Click  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Nettie  Grant,  who  was  born  in  Montana,  March  30,  1884.  He 
gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  and  is  a  valued  member  of 
the  Emmett  -Commercial  Club,  while  fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose.  His  worth  as  a  man  and 
citizen  is  widely  acknowledged  and  all  who  know  him  speak  of  him  in  terms  of 
warm  regard. 


ALBERT  F.   PRICKETT. 

Albert  F.  Prickett,  a  farmer  who  resides  on  a  splendid  eighty  acre  ranch  three 
and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Boise,  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Kansas,  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1882,  and  is  a  son  of  Marion  and  Martha  (Fulk)  Prickett.  The  father 
was  killed  in  Indian  Territory  while  trying  to  arrest  some  desperadoes,  serving  at 
that  time  as  United  States  marshal.  He  was  thirty-seven  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  death  and  left  a  wife  and  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  still  living,  Albert 
F.  being  the  second  in  order  of  birth.  The  other  three  reside  in  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia, these  being:  Estella,  now  the  wife  of  A.  Dellamore;  Grover  C.;  and  Mrs. 
Catherine  Leffman.  After  the  death  of  the  father,  the  mother  married  again,  but 


460  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  second  husband  also  passed  away,  and  she  is  once  more  a  widow,  living  in  Los 
Angeles. 

Albert  F.  Prickett  was  but  nine  years  of  age  when  his  father  was  killed.  He 
found  a  home  with  his  grandfather,  John  F.  Prickett,  a  Civil  war  veteran,  and  his 
youth  was  largely  spent  in  southeastern  Kansas.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he 
made  his  way  westward  to  Colorado  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  took  up  his  abode 
in  Ada  county,  Idaho,  making  the  trip  to  this  state  with  his  mother  and  stepfather, 
Robert  Green,  who,  with  the  family,  located  on  a  forty  acre  tract  of  land  in  the 
same  neighborhood  in  which  Mr.  Prickett  now  resides.  In  fact  the  latter's  eighty 
acre  ranch  joined  the  forty  acre  tract.  Much  of  the  land  was  then  in  possession  of 
the  state  and  could  be  purchased  at  a  low  figure — about  ten  dollars  per  acre.  Today 
it  is  worth  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  In  1902,  when  twenty  years  of  age, 
Albert  F.  Prickett  bought  his  eighty  acre  ranch  for  fifty  dollars  per  acre,  at  which 
time  it  was  a  wild  and  undeveloped  tract  all  covered  with  sagebrush  save  ten  acres. 
He  bought  the  property  on  time,  and  such  was  his  recognized  ability  that  the  bar- 
gain was  completed  although  he  had  not  yet  attained  his  majority.  He  had  some 
assistance  from  the  late  Horace  Oakes,  who  lived  in  the  vicinity. 

Mr.  Prickett  at  once  occupied  his  farm,  on  which  stood  a  little  frame  house. 
There  he  kept  "bachelor's  hall"  for  seven  years,  but  grew  tired  of  living  alone  and 
on  the  25th  of  December,  1907,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Erma  Gekeler,  the 
youngest  daughter  of  David  Gekeler,  a  pioneer  of  that  locality  and  now  a  prominent 
and  well  known  citizen,  still  residing  on  the  Gekeler  homestead  just  across  the  road 
from  the  Prickett  ranch.  Erma  Gekeler  was  born  upon  that  ranch  February  1, 
1882,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  four  children:  Albert  Marion, 
who  was  born  September  23,  1908;  Catherine,  born  March  3,  1911;  Carrie  Belle, 
September  19,  1913;  and  John  P.,  October  9,  1918.  Mrs.  Prickett  has  lived  in  the 
same  neighborhood  throughout  her  life,  her  present  home  being  only  a  half  mile 
from  the  house  in  which  she  was  born. 

Mr.  Prickett  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  and  is  the  present  road 
overseer  of  district  No.  8,  a  position  which  he  has  occupied  for  ten  years.  His  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  South  Boise  Presbyterian  church  and  they  are  people  of  sterling 
worth  who  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  social  circles  in  which  they  move, 
their  many  admirable  traits  of  character  gaining  for  them  the  friendship  and  regard 
of  all  who  know  them. 


JOHN   S.   CONNELL. 

John  S.  Connell,  the  proprietor  of  the  Central  Garage  and  the  manager  of  the 
real  estate  department  of  the  Idaho  Title  &  Loan  Company  of  Rigby,  was  born  in 
Cedar  City,  Iron  county,  Utah,  October  7,  1876,  a  son  of  Alma  and  Elizabeth  (Har- 
ris) Connell,  the  former  originally  from  England  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Cedar 
City,  Utah.  The  father  followed  farming  during  his  early  life  in  his  native  land. 
When  he  came  to  America  in  1857,  he  immediately  immigrated  to  Utah,  where 
opportunities  for  men  of  his  vocation  at  that  time  were  very  numerous.  He  bought 
land  near  Cedar  City  and  there  he  worked  at  tilling  the  soil  and  developing  his  farm 
until  1901.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  and  here  bought  a 
farm  which  he  cultivated  successfully  until  1918.  At  this  time,  having  given  the 
best  years  of  his  life  to  his  farming  interests,  he  retired  and  came  to  Rigby,  where 
he  now  lives  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  labor.  His  wife  died  May  31,  1918. 

Until  he  was  twenty-four  years  of  age,  John  S.  Connell  remained  with  his 
parents  on  the  farm  near  Cedar  City,  Utah,  and  it  was  there  that  he  received  his 
early  education.  It  was  in  1901  that  he  decided  to  start  out  for  himself  and  he 
bought  a  piece  of  land  covered  with  sage  brush  in  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  which 
tract  he  cleared  and  cultivated  successfully.  With  this  start  he  continued  to  buy 
and  improve  land  in  Idaho  until  he  had  acquired  seven  different  ranches.  Along 
with  his  work  as  real  estate  manager,  Mr.  Connell  continued  his  connection  with  farm- 
ing when  he  came  to  Rigby,  for  he  still  retains  his  agricultural  interests  in  different 
parts  of  Jefferson  county. 

On  January  17,  1900,  Mr.  Connell  was  united  in  marriage  to  Anna  M.  Ford 
and  to  them  has  been  born  one  child,  Pearl,  on  October  4,  1904.  Mrs.  Connell  was 
born  in  Washington,  Washington  county,  Utah,  June  30,  1878,  a  daughter  of  Alfred 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  461 

and  Emma  (Tegan)  Ford,  the  latter  of  whom  was  a  native  of  Denmark.  Alfred 
Ford  came  to  Utah  in  the  '50s  and  located  near  Cedar  City,  where  he  began  farming. 
He  remained  in  Utah  the  rest  of  his  life,  having  bought  and  sold  three  different 
farms.  His  death  occurred  in  Kanab,  that  state,  in  1882.  The  mother  spent  her 
last  years  in  Rigby,  Idaho,  where  she  died  August  26,  1905. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Connell  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,  which  the  former  has  served  in  official  capacity.  From  1908  until  1918 
he  was  bishop  of  Clark  ward  and  previously  had  served  as  superintendent  of  the 
Sunday  school  and  as  counselor  to  the  bishop.  In  politics  Mr.  Connell  has  not  affil- 
iated himself  with  any  party  since  he  feels  that  one  is  a  better  citizen  who  exercises 
his  right  of  franchise  independently. 


BRIGHAM   H.  ELLSWORTH. 

Brigham  H.  Ellsworth,  residing  at  Lewisville,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  November  23,  1850,  a  son  of  Edmund  and  Elizabeth  (Young)  Ellsworth, 
mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  was  reared  and  educated  In  his  native  city, 
remaining  with  his  parents  to  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  when  he  was  married. 
He  then  learned  the  machinist's  trade  and  later  took  up  railroad  work,  becoming 
an  engineer,  being  the  only  practical  machinist  working  as  engineer  on  the  Utah 
Northern.  He  continued  in  railroad  work  for  five  years  and  in  1882  came  with 
his  brothers  and  others  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho.  Here  he  filed  on  land  adjoining 
the  town  of  Lewisville  and  with  characteristic  energy  began  to  transform  the  raw 
tract  into  cultivated  fields.  He  continued  the  operation  of  his  farm  for  fifteen  years 
and  then  sold  the  property,  establishing  his  home  in  Lewisville,  where  he  opened 
a  blacksmith  shop,  which  he  has  since  conducted,  remaining  an  active  factor  in  the 
industrial  circle  of  the  city. 

In  December,  1869,  Mr.  Ellsworth  was  married  to  Helen  A.  Gibson,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Eliza  (Gibbs)  Gibson,  who  were  natives  of  New  York.  The  father 
was  born  at  Oswego,  that  state,  and  in  1848  became  a  resident  of  Salt  Lake,  casting 
in  his  lot  with  the  earliest  pioneers  of  the  state.  His  wife  was  born  on  the  plains 
while  her  parents  were  en  route  to  Utah.  In  1849  Mr.  Gibson  left  Salt  Lake  for 
California,  where  he  remained  for  eighteen  months  and  then  removed  to  Millcreek 
canyon,  Utah,  while  later  he  lived  in  Willard  and  subsequently  in  the  Cache  valley, 
where  he  resided  for  a  number  of  years.  He  afterward  became  a  lumber  merchant 
of  Ogden,  where  he  continued  in  business  for  several  years,  and  then  went  to 
Clearfield,  where  he  purchased  land  and  carried  on  farming  for  a  considerable  period. 
His  last  days  were  spent  in  Ogden,  where  he  died  October  19,  1912,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-six.  The  mother  had  passed  away  in  1876.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellsworth  became 
the  parents  of  eleven  children:  Charles;  Marian  Lee;  Claude;  Lovell;  Curtis  A.; 
Vere;  Alice,  who  became  the  wife  of  Rastus  Walker  and  died  in  April,  1908,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-seven  years;  John  W.,  who  died  in  1876,  when  but  four  weeks  old; 
Joseph  Owen,  who  died  in  1877,  at  the  age  of  four  months;  Sarah  Eliza,  who  was 
born  in  June,  1890,  and  died  in  the  following  October;  and  Brigham,  who  was  the 
second  in  order  of  birth  and  died  in  1880  at  the  age  of  seven  years  and  eleven 
months. 

Mr.  Ellsworth  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and 
has  done  home  missionary  work.  He  was  ordained  a  member  of  the  Seventy  and 
remained  active  in  that  branch  of  the  church  work  for  a  number  of  years. 
Politically  he  is  a  democrat  and  has  served  as  justice  of  the  peace. 


G.  W.  GORDON. 


G.  W.  Gordon  is  leading  an  active  and  useful  life  as  a  farmer  and  merchant, 
being  identified  with  the  commercial  interests  of  Emmett,  while  since  1892  he  has 
been  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  property  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  two 
miles  south  and  two  miles  west  of  Letha.  Almost  every  state  of  the  Union  has 
furnished  its  quota  of  citizens  to  Idaho  and  among  those  who  have  come  from 
Missouri  is  Mr.  Gordon,  who  was  born  in  Holt  county  of  that  state,  January  3, 


462  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

1858,  his  parents  being  W.  L.  and  Zilpha  Ann  (Philpott)  Gordon,  the  former  a 
native  of  Tennessee  and  the  latter  of  Virginia.  The  father  was  a  physician  and 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  connection  with  farming  in  Missouri.  He 
and  his  wife  were  pioneers  of  that  state  and  passed  away  in  Holt  county  in  1883 
and  1904  respectively.  They  had  a  family  of  twelve  children,  seven  sons  and 
five  daughters,  G.  W.  Gordon  and  one  sister,  however,  being  the  only  members  of 
the  family  who  left  Missouri.  Four  of  the  brothers  are  now  deceased  and  the 
others  of  the  household  are  all  yet  living. 

G.  W.  Gordon  acquired  his  early  education  in  Missouri  and  in  1888  went  to 
Colorado.  In  the  spring  of  1889  he  removed  to  New  Mexico  and  in  June  of  the 
same  year  arrived  in  Idaho.  He  homesteaded  two  miles  north  of  where  he  now 
lives,  securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  which  he  improved.  He  planted 
six  acres  of  this  to  orchard  and  used  the  balance  for  pasture  and  stock  raising. 
In  1904  he  sold  the  homestead  to  -D.  J.  Wampler.  Some  years  before,  or  in  1892, 
he  purchased  his  present  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  two  miles  south  and 
two  miles  east  of  Letha  and  thereon  he  carries  on  general  farming,  raising  wheat, 
corn  and  hay.  He  also  does  some  dairying  and  milks  fifteen  cows.  He  likewise 
raises  hogs  and  thus  adds  materially  to  his  income.  In  addition  he  owns  and  con- 
ducts a  retail  hardware  and  implement  business  at  Emmett,  where  he  carries  a  stock 
valued  at  five  thousand  dollars,  and  owns  the  block  in  which  his  establishment  is 
located  and  the  lot  on  which  it  stands.  He  has  been  the  president  and  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  Enterprise  ditch  and  is  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to 
the  welfare  and  upbuilding  of  the  community  in  which  he  resides. 

In  1883  Mr.  Gordon  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Cynthia  Emma  Clark,  a 
native  of  Missouri,  while  her  parents  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gordon  have  become  the  parents  of  a  daughter,  Stella,  now  the  wife  of  Robert  G. 
Offutt,  of  Kansas  City,  who  is  a  son  of  one  of  the  old-time  Stock  Exchange  men  of 
that  place.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Offutt  have  four  children:  Emma,  Henry  Gordon, 
Georgiana  and  Margaret. 

Mr.  Gordon  was  formerly  prominent  in  fraternal  circles  but  is  not  at  the  present 
time.  He  has  always  been  a  stalwart  champion  of  the  cause  of  education  and  in 
his  youth  he  had  the  advantage  of  training  in  the  Kirksville  Normal  Scht>ol  at 
Kirksville,  Missouri.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board  in  his  district  and 
does  everything  in  his  power  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  schools  and  raise  the 
standards  of  education.  His  wife  is  of  much  assistance  to  him  in  conducting  the 
store  at  Emmett,  having  charge  of  this  during  the  absence  of  her  husband  on  the 
farm.  The  ranch  property  is  a  most  attractive  one  and  his  orchard  of  eight  hundred 
apple  trees  is  a  most  beautiful  sight  in  the  springtime  when  covered  with  its  pink 
and  white  blossoms  and  a  thing  of  still  greater  beauty  when  the  fruit  has  reached 
perfection  in  the  fall. 


IVER   L.    NELSON. 

Iver  L.  Nelson  is  now  a  retired  merchant  of  Boise,  residing  at  No.  1910  North 
Eighth  street.  For  a  long  period  he  was  connected  with  commercial  interests  and 
the  success  which  he  achieved  enables  him  now  to  rest  from  further  labor.  He 
was  born  in  Denmark,  May  24,  1845,  and  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  came 
with  an  elder  brother,  Nels  Nelson,  to  the  United  States,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in 
1866.  Iver  L.  Nelson  spent  a  month  on  Long  Island,  New  York,  and  then  made 
his  way  westward  to  Wisconsin,  establishing  his  home  in  Dane  county.  He  after- 
ward lived  in  the  states  of  Minnesota  and  South  Dakota  for  a  number  of  years  and 
it  was  not  until  1912  that  he  came  to  Boise.  For  a  number  of  years  he  had 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming  but  abandoned  agricultural  pursuits  when  thirty 
years  of  age  and  for  a  period  of  forty  years  he  was  a  successful  merchant  in  the 
various  towns  of  Minnesota  and  South  Dakota  in  which  he  made  his  home.  He 
prospered  and  gained  a  competence  as  the  years  passed — a  competence  sufficient  to 
supply  him  with  all  of  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life  during  his 
remaining  days. 

While  in  Wisconsin,  Mr.  Nelson  was  married  on  the  17th  of  March,  1873,  in 
the  city  of  Madison,  to  Miss  Anna  M.  Peterson,  who  was  born  in*  Denmark,  November 
14,  1851.  He  had  previously  made  a  visit  back  to  Denmark  and  there  met  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  463 

lady  whom  he  decided  to  make  his  wife.  They  were  betrothed  but  resolved  to  wait 
until  they  reached  Madison,  Wisconsin,  and  there  celebrate  their  marriage.  They 
made  the  voyage  on  the  same  ship,  however,  accompanied  by  a  sister  of  Mr.  Nelson. 
Three  children  have  been  born  to  them:  Catherine,  now  the  wife  of  John  W.  Whit- 
son;  Thomas  N.;  and  Anna  I.  The  only  son  is  a  merchant  of  Boise,  being  one  of 
the  owners  of  the  Cash  Bazaar,  a  leading  mercantile  house  of  the  capital  city.  His 
father  is  also  interested  to  some  extent  in  the  Cash  Bazaar  and  spends  much  of  his 
time  in  assisting  in  the  work  of  the  store,  which  is  one  of  the  large  department 
stores  of  the  city,  widely  known  for  its  moderate  prices. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Nelson  is  an  Elk  and  also  an  Odd  Fellow,  while  his  political 
allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican  party.  He  now  occupies  a  very  substantial 
and  comfortable  home  at  No.  1910  North  Eighth  street  and  he  has  many  friends 
in  the  city  who  esteem  him  highly  by  reason  of  the  splendid  traits  of  character 
which  he  displayed  throughout  his  business  career. 


JAMES  KINGHORN. 

James  Kinghorn,  actively  identified  with  farming  interests  in  Jefferson  county, 
his  home  being  about  four  miles  west  of  Rigby  and  two  miles  southeast  of  Lewis- 
ville,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  April  20,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander 
and  Jane  (Campbell)  Kinghorn,  who  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The 
son  was  reared  in  Salt  Lake  City,  pursuing  his  education  in  the  public  schools  there 
until  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  then  a  part  of  Bingham 
county.  Following  his  removal  to  this  state  he  filed  on  his  present  place,  then 
comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  He  now  has  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  constituting  a  highly  cultivated  farm,  which  at  the  time  it  came  into 
his  possession  was  a  tract  of  wild  sagebrush  land.  His  labors  have  greatly  changed 
the  appearance  of  the  place  until  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  that  it  was  once  an  arid 
tract.  His  fields  bring  forth  good  crops,  and  all  of  the  accessories  and  conveniences 
of  a  model  farm  property  of  the  twentieth  century  are  found  upon  his  farm. 

On  the  9th  of  January,  1889,  Mr.  Kinghorn  was  married  to  Miss  Luna  C. 
Jardine,  a  daughter  of  Richard  F.  and  Luna  C.  (Ellsworth)  Jardine,  who  were 
pioneers  of  Jefferson  county,  arriving  in  1882.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinghorn  became  the 
parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  three  are  deceased,  namely:  Wilfred,  who  died 
June  11,  1904;  Marian,  whose  death  occurred  on  the  12th  of  May,  1904;  and 
Barrel,  who  died  June  12,  1904.  Those  who  survive  are:  James  F.,  Ray,  Leland, 
Lulu,  Ruby,  Elreita,  Ellen  and  Grace  E. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  Mr.  Kinghorn  has  served  as  counselor  to  Bishop  Lee.  He  also  filled 
a  three  years'  mission  to  the  Tonga  islands.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the 
democratic  party  and  about  twenty-three  years  ago  he  served  for  two  years  as 
constable.  Otherwise,  however,  he  has  not  sought  nor  desired  office  but  has  con- 
centrated his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  business  affairs,  and  aside  from  his  farm- 
ing interests  he  is  now  foreman  for  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company  and  is  cultivat- 
ing two  hundred  and  forty  acres  for  that  corporation.  He  is  thus  leading  a  most 
busy  and  useful  life  and  his  activities  are  contributing  in  marked  measure  to  the 
agricultural  development  of  the  district  in  which  he  Tesides. 


SAMUEL  CALDWELL. 

The  year  1891  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Samuel  Caldwell  in  Idaho  and  from 
that  time  until  his  death  he  remained  a  resident  of  the  state,  passing  away  August 
27,  1908.  In  the  interval  he  was  connected  with  contracting  and  building  for  a 
number  of  years  and  later  with  the  real  estate  business,  and  his  carefully  directed 
energy  and  industry  brought  to  him  a  measure  of  success  that  enabled  him  to  leave 
his  widow  in  comfortable  financial  circumstances. 

Mr    Caldwell  was  born   in  Pittsburgh.  Pennsylvania,  April  13,   1 
being  James  G.  and  Nancy  (Hogan)   Caldwell,  the  former  a  sea  captain  who  was 
lost  at  sea  when  his  son  Samuel  was  but  eleven  years  of  age. 


464  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

The  boyhood  days  of  Samuel  Caldwell  passed  without  event  of  special  impor- 
tance. He  was  married  in  Colorado  on  the  22d  of  February,  1888,  to  Miss  Annie 
E.  Gibbs,  a  native  of  Lincolnshire,  England,  and  a  daughter  of  William  Marshall 
and  Annie  W.  (Bull)  Gibbs.  Her  father,  a  wheelwright  by  trade,  died  in  England 
during  the  early  girlhood  of  his  daughter.  The  mother  was  born  at  Wisbech, 
St.  Mary's,  Cambridgeshire,  England,  May  28,  1834,  and  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Bull.  On  the  4th  of  May,  1858,  she  became  the  wife  of  William  Marshall  Gibbs 
and  she  is  now  living  in  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Caldwell,  at  South  Boise, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five  years.  She  is  still  active,  however,  and  in  full 
possession  of  her  faculties.  Her  eyesight  is  good  and  she  is  generally  busy  with 
knitting,  crocheting  or  other  needle  work,  specimens  of  which  have  won  first  prize 
at  the  Idaho  State  Fair  for  the  past  eight  years.  When  her  husband  died  in  Eng- 
land she  was  left  with  four  small  children,  the  eldest  of  whom,  Mrs.  Caldwell,  was 
then  but  eight  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Gibbs  is  an  educated  woman  and  taught  school 
in  England  until  1877,  when  she  came  with  her  children  to  the  United  States.  All 
of  her  children  are  yet  living,  these  being:  Mrs.  Caldwell;  Alfred  H.,  who  is  gen- 
erally known  as  Harry  and  makes  his  home  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado;  Mrs. 
Agnes  E.  Clark,  of  the  state  of  New  York;  and  Arthur  W.,  living  at  South  Boise. 
There  are  also  fourteen  grandchildren  and  fourteen  great-grandchildren.  Her  son, 
Alfred  H.  Gibbs,  of  Colorado,  has  three  children,  one  of  whom,  Paul  J.  Gibbs, 
served  in  France  during  the  war  as  a  non-commissioned  officer.  The  daughter, 
Mrs.  Agnes  E.  Clark,  has  six  children. 

Samuel  Caldwell  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  in  which  he  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  E  of  the  Ringgold  Cavalry  of  Pennsylvania.  He  made  an  excellent 
record  and  returned  to  his  home  with  the  honors  of  war.  It  was  subsequent  to  this 
time  that  he  removed  to  the  west,  living  in  Colorado  for  some  time,  and  in  1891 
he  removed  from  Manitou,  that  state,  to  Idaho.  For  a  brief  period  he  resided  in 
Boise  and  afterward  made  his  home  at  Mayfield.  He  was  engaged  in  mining  at 
Neal,  and  farmed  at  Ten  Mile  prior  to  1902,  when  he  located  in  South  Boise,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  until  his  death.  His  activities  were  intelli- 
gently directed  and  his  energy  and  industry  constituted  the  broad  foundation  upon 
which  he  builded  his  success. 

Mr.  Caldwell  was  prominent  in  Masonic  circles,  attaining  the  thirty-second 
degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite  and  becoming  also  a  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He 
was  a  member  and  vestryman  of  St.  Michael's  Episcopal  church  and  Mrs.  Cald- 
well also  belongs  to  that  church  and  to  the  Eastern  Star.  She  and  her  mother 
were  very  active  in  war  work  and  Mrs.  Caldwell  is  a  member  of  the  South  Side 
Improvement  Club,  a  woman's  organization  of  South  Boise,  of  which  she  formerly 
served  as  president  and  treasurer.  She  is  now  librarian  of  the  South  Boise  branch 
of  the  Boise  Carnegie  Library.  Her  aid  and  influeunce  are  always  given  on  the 
side  of  progress  and  improvement  and  she  has  ably  supported  many  interests 
which  are  of  cultural  value  in  the  community. 


ANDREW  WILLIAM   JOHNSON. 

Andrew  William  Johnson,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  Swedish  residents  of  Ada 
county  but  has  now  passed  away,  was  born  in  Darsland,  Sweden,  May  27,  1829.  He 
crossed  the  ocean  to  America  about  the  year  1860  and  resided  for  a  time  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri.  He  afterward  became  a  resident  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  and  subsequently 
crossed  the  country  to  Idaho,  where  he  took  up  his  abode  about  three  years  prior  to 
the  birth  of  his  son,  Emil  Herman  Johnson,  who  is  now  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Ada 
county.  He  settled  at  Silver  City,  where  he  engaged  in  mining,  being  employed  in  a 
quartz  mill.  He  afterward  removed  to  the  Johnson  ranch,  whereon  his  son  Emil 
now  resides  and  which  is  situated  about  ten  miles  west  of  Boise.  It  was  then  a  tract 
of  wild  land  covered  with  sagebrush.  The  father  took  up  the  land  from  the  govern- 
ment, the  name  of  Benjamin  Harrison  being  on  the  original  deed,  which  is  now  in  pos- 
session of  the  son.  The  ranch  was  then  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  It 
has  since  been  divided,  however.  The  father  continued  the  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment of  this  place  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  November  21,  1918,  when 
he  had  reached  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Johnson  was  married  to  Miss  Louisa  Catharine  Bruncell, 


Vol.  HI— 30 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  467 

also  a  native  of  Sweden,  their  marriage  being  celebrated  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  on 
the  13th  of  March,  1870.  Mrs.  Johnson  was  born  in  Wermland,  Sweden,  and  passed 
away  November  12,  1915,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  They  were  most  highly  re- 
spected people,  whose  genuine  worth  was  acknowledged  by  all  with  whom  they  came  in 
contact. 

Emit  H.  Johnson,  their  only  living  child,  is  now  the  owner  and  occupant  of  the 
White  Cross  Farm,  which  is  pleasantly  and  conveniently  situated  two  and  a  half 
miles  south  of  Eagle,  in  Ada  county,  and  ten  miles  west  of  Boise.  He  was  born  in 
Silver  City,  Owyhee  county,  Idaho.  May  18,  1881,  and  when  he  was  five  years  of  age 
his  parents  removed  to  the  Johnson  ranch,  whereon  he  now  resides.  It  was  then  a 
wild  tract  covered  with  sagebrush  and  the  father  bent  every  energy  to  the  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  the  property,  a  work  which  Emil  H.  Johnson  has  carried 
still  farther  forward.  He  has  fifty-five  acres  of  the  original  quarter  section  and  has 
a  splendidly  developed  property,  worth  today  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  H« 
has  a  tenant  on  the  farm  who  relieves  him  of  much  of  the  active  work  of  the  plaice, 
but  he  gives  to  it  his  personal  supervision  and  the  White  Cross  Farm  returns  to  him 
a  gratifying  annual  income.  Like  his  father,  he  is  a  representative  of  the  progressive 
agricultural  element  of  Ada  county,  where  he  has  made  his  home  tiiroughout  the 
greater  part  of  his  life. 


FRANCIS    MARION    DAVIS. 

When  Boise  was  a  tiny  hamlet  and  had  but  a  slightly  developed  agricultural 
region  from  which  to  draw  its  supplies  and  its  business  support,  Francis  Marion 
Davis  took  up  his  abode  in  the  capital  city.  He  became  closely  associated  with 
interests  which  have  been  of  marked  value  in  the  development  and  upbuilding  of 
this  section  of  the  state.  He  was  one  of  the  planters  of  the  first  apple  orchard  in 
Idaho  and  was  connected  with  ranching  for  a  number  of  years,  while  later  he  owned 
and  conducted  a  fine  dairy.  He  ever  stood  for  law  and  order,  for  progress  and 
improvement,  and  his  contribution  to  the  development  of  this  section  of  the  state 
was  of  material  worth.  The  story  of  his  life,  if  written  in  detail,  would  unfold  a 
picture  of  pioneer  settlement  in  the  west  and  present  the  varied  experiences  which 
the  frontiersman  faced. 

Francis  M.  Davis  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Illinois,  July  7,  1838,  and  there 
pursued  his  education,  completing  his  studies  at  Monmouth,  Illinois.  He  was 
twenty-four  years  of  age  when  in  1862  he  joined  a  company  of  twenty-five  men  who 
were  preparing  to  go  overland  to  the  west.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  brother 
Thomas  and  the  two  drove  a  team  of  mules.  They  were  persuaded  by  some 
Mormons  to  travel  by  way  of  the  Sublette  cut-off.  At  Fort  Lemhi,  which  was  then 
occupied  by  Mormons,  they  found  they  could  go  no  further  with  the  wagons  and 
realized  that  it  was  the  plan  of  the  Mormons  to  force  them  to  sell  their  wagons  and 
provisions  very  cheap.  The  Mormons  offered  to  buy  the  new  wagons  at  five  dollars 
each  and  proffered  an  equally  low  price  for  the  provisions.  But  the  Davis  brothers 
were  not  inclined  to  accede  to  such  demands,  and  loading  all  of  their  goods  that  they 
could  upon  their  horses,  they  then  made  a  large  fire  of  the  remainder,  burning 
goods  and  wagons  together.  They  afterward  journeyed  along  an  Indian  trail  over 
the  high  and  rugged  mountains  and  on  the  4th  of  July,  1862.  reached  Elk  City  in 
safety  but  without  supplies.  From  that  point  they  proceeded  to  Walla  Walla  and 
later  came  to  Boise.  They  found  here  a  tiny  village  in  the  midst  of  an  undeveloped 
country  and  they  became  part  owners  in  a  ranch,  their  associates  being  George  D. 
Ellis  and  William  Richie.  The  four  men  planted  the  first  apple  orchard  in  Idaho 
in  the  spring  of  1864,  setting  out  seven  thousand  young  apple  trees,  which  had 
been  shipped  to  the  west  at  a  cost  of  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  each.  This  was  the  first 
commercial  orchard  of  Idaho  and  its  yield  for  many  years  brought  to  them  sub- 
stantial profits.  They  thus  took  the  initial  step  in  the  development  of  horticultural 
interests  in  Idaho,  which  today  ranks  as  one  of  the  greatest  fruit  states  of  the  went. 
After  some  years  F.  M.  Davis  sold  his  interest  in  the  ranch. 

Turning  his  attention  to  the  hardware  business  in  Boise,  he  thus  carried  on 
merchandising  for  some  time  and  in  1876  he  bought  a  quarter  section  of  land 
near  the  city  limits  on  the  west  and  there  established  a  fine  dairy.  He  erected  there- 
on an  attractiVe  residence,  also  built  substantial  barns  and  sheds,  secured  the  most 


468  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

modern  equipments  for  the  conduct  of  his  business  and  soon  won  an  enviable 
reputation  for  the  excellence  of  his  dairy  products.  His  patronage  therefore  steadily 
increased  and  for  a  considerable  period  he  conducted  a  most  profitable  business. 

In  January,  1865,  Mr.  Davis  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hester  A.  Cory,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Susan  (Carpenter)  Cory.  The  birth  of 
Mrs.  Davis  occurred  December  14,  1842,  and  she  was  but  six  years  of  age  when  her 
parents  removed  to  Mount  Pleasant,  Iowa,  where  she  was  reared.  In  1864  she  and 
her  brother,  Thomas  Cory,  left  Mount  Pleasant  on  the  5th  of  April,  and  traveling 
across  the  country  in  a  wagon  in  true  pioneer  style,  reached  Boise  on  the  18th  of 
August.  Here  she  became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Davis  and  a  few  months  later  they 
were  married.  They  had  two  children:  Charles  A.,  who  was  born  in  Boise,  Sep- 
tember 29,  1866,  and  is  now  deceased;  and  Mrs.  Laura  E.  Porter,  who  was  born  in 
Boise  on  the  6th  of  September,  1872,  and  is  now  a  widow  with  an  only  child, 
Gertrude  Elizabeth  Porter,  a  charming  young  lady  of  twenty-three,  who  is  now 
completing  Tier  education  in  the  University  of  Southern  California  at  Los  Angeles, 
where  she  is  specializing  in  history.  The  daughter  and  granddaughter  reside  with 
Mrs.  Davis,  who  has  now  reached  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years  and  is  the  oldest 
resident  of  Boise  in  years  of  continuous  connection  with  the  city.  For  fifty-five 
years  she  has  here  made  her  home  and  has  seen  Boise  developed  from  a  frontier 
hamlet  into  a  most  progressive  and  prosperous  metropolitan  center,  with  ramifying 
trade  interests  reaching  over  a  wide  section  and  with  every  educational  and  cultural 
advantage  known  to  the  older  east. 

Many  years  have  passed  since  her  husband's  death,  for  it  was  on  the  8th  of 
March,  1891,  that  Francis  M.  Davis  was  called  to  his  final  rest,  having  for  almost 
thirty  years  been  a  resident  of  Idaho.  There  are  many  who  yet  bear  testimony  to 
the  sterling  worth  of  his  character,  to  his  industry  and  enterprise  in  business,  to 
his  loyalty  and  progressiveness  in  citizenship,  and  on  the  roll  of  Idaho's  honored 
pioneers  his  name  deserves  high  place. 


SILAS  N.   BUCHER. 

Silas  N.  Bucher  is  a  retired  farmer  residing  at  No.  316  East  First  street  in 
Emmett,  where  he  has  made  his  home  for  the  past  eleven  years,  but  had  previously 
been  actively  identified  with  agricultural  pursuits  in  Missouri  for  a  period  of  four 
decades.  His  birth  occurred  in  Kosciusko  county,  Indiana,  on  the  6th  of  February, 
1855,  his  parents  being  Ulrich  and  Catherine  (Smith)  Bucher,  the  former  a  native 
of  Switzerland  and  of  Swiss  descent,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Germany  and 
came  of  German  lineage.  In  1832,  when  a  youth  of  sixteen  years,  Ulrich  Bucher 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Christopher  Bucher. 
It  was  in  Indiana  that  he  wedded  Catherine  Smith,  who  died  in  Holt  county, 
Missouri,  in  1877,  while  his  demise  there  occurred  in  1899.  They  reared  a  family  of 
five  sons  and  two  daughters.  Louis  Bucher,  an  older  brother  of  Silas  N.  Bucher,  served 
in  the  Union  army  under  General  Grant  and  while  at  the  front  contracted  a  fatal 
illness. 

Silas  N.  Bucher  was  a  lad  of  ten  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  from  Indiana  to  Missouri  in  1865.  In  the  latter  state  he  turned  his 
attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  in  early  manhood  and  throughout  his  entire  active 
career  carried  on  farming  and  the  nursery  business  in  Holt  county,  his  well  directed 
labors  being  attended  with  a  most  gratifying  measure  of  success.  His  farm  was 
located  near  Oregon,  the  county  seat  of  Holt  county,  and  he  continued  its  cultivation 
with  splendid  results  during  the  whole  period  of  his  active  business  life.  In  1909 
he  disposed  of  the  property  and  came  to  Idaho,  locating  at  Emmett,  where  he  has 
since  lived  retired  in  the  enjoyment  of  well  earned  rest  save  for  the  supervision  of 
some  valuable  irrigated  ranch  properties  which  he  purchased  in  Gem  county. 

On  the  18th  of  July,  1900,  in  Holt  county,  Missouri,  Mr.  Bucher  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Flora  H.  Luckhardt,  who  was  born  at  Oregon,  that  county,  July  23, 
1867,  a  daughter  of  George  P.  and  Henrietta  F.  (von  Lunen)  Luckhardt.  Both 
parents  were  natives  of  Germany  but  were  married  in  Pennsylvania.  The  father 
passed  away  in  1902,  while  the  mother's  death  occurred  in  the  year  1918.  Their 
family  numbered  three  sons  and  five  daughters. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bucher  give  their  political  support  to  the  democratic  party, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  469 

while  their  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  their  membership  in  the  Presbyterian 
church,  of  which  Mr.  Bucher  is  an  elder.  They  are  well  known  and  highly  esteemed 
throughout  the  community  in  which  they  reside,  their  many  excellent  traits  of 
character  having  endeared  them  to  all  with  whom  they  have  come  in  contact. 


JOHN  M.  MYERS. 

John  M.  Myers  is  a  farmer  and  horticulturist  residing  upon  an  excellent  tract  of 
land  of  ten  acres,  situated  a  mile  and  three-quarters  east  of  South  Boise  and  devoted  to 
the  raising  of  fruit.  He  was  born  in  Brown  county,  Ohio,  September  13,  1871,  a  son  of 
William  and  Margaret  (Moore)  Myers,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Missouri 
respectively.  They  had  a  family  of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of 
whom  John  M.  is  the  youngest.  Four  of  the  family  are  still  living. 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  Brown  county,  Ohio,  John  M.  Myers  was  reared,  early 
becoming  familiar  with  all  the  experiences  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  farm-bred  boy. 
In  his  youth  he  took  up  the  occupation  of  carpentering  and  he  has  since  followed  both 
farming  and  carpentering.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  left  his  native  state  to  become 
a  resident  of  Livingston  county,  Illinois,  and  in  1899  he  removed  to  the  northwest 
with  Idaho  as  his  destination.  For  five  years  he  remained  in  Canyon  county  and  since 
1904  has  resided  in  Boise  and  vicinity.  Since  1909  he  has  occupied  his  present  ranch 
property  and  has  planted  about  eight  acres  of  this  to  fruit,  making  a  specialty  of 
apples,  having  about  five  hundred  bearing  trees  upon  his  place  that  are  now  about 
nine  years  old.  Mr.  Myers  paid  two  hundred  dollars  an  acre  for  this  property  ten 
years  ago  when  there  were  no  orchards  or  buildings  upon  it.  Now  it  has  splendid 
improvements  with  fine  orchards  and  he  values  the  property  today  at  six  thousand 
dollars. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1905,  Mr.  Myers  was  married  to  Miss  Bernice  E.  Graves, 
who  died  March  12,  1908.  Fraternally  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  is  a  past  grand  of  his 
lodge.  He  made  an  excellent  record  as  an  active  war  worker  in  support  of  the  Red 
Cross  and  Liberty  Bond  drives.  He  was  captain  of  sector  58  of  Ada  county  during 
the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  Liberty  Loans  and  in  recognition  of  his  work  received  a 
medal  made  of  German  cannon.  On  one  side  is  the  inscription:  "Victory  Liberty 
Loan,"  and  on  the  other  the  words  "Made  from  a  captured  German  cannon,  Awarded 
by  the  United  States  treasury  department  for  patriotic  service  in  behalf  of  the  Liberty 
Loans."  Mr.  Myers  is  justly  proud  of  this  recognition  of  the  excellent  work  which  he 
did  in  putting  his  sector  over  the  top  when- the  country  needed  the  financial  aid  of 
the  people. 


CHARLES  ALFRED  WEST. 

There  Is  no  success  in  life  without  effort.  The  purpose  of  life  is  to  afford  oppor- 
tunities for  physical,  mental  and  spiritual  development  In  our  country  these 
opportunities  are  afforded  in  turn  to  everyone  who  is  willing  to  embrace  them.  These 
opportunities  slip  away  from  the  sluggard,  tauntingly  play  before  the  dreamer  but 
surrender  to  the  individual  with  high  purpose,  undaunted  courage  and  indefatigable 
determination.  It  is  through  the  possession  of  these  qualities  that  Charles  Alfred  West 
has  risen  to  a  position  of  prominence  in  connection  with  the  financial  interests  pf 
Gem  county,  being  the  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Emmett  He  is  a 
comparatively  recent  addition  to  the  citizenship  of  Idaho,  having  come  from  Lees 
Summit,  Missouri,  in  July,  1916,  at  which  time  he  purchased  a  controlling  interest 
in  the  bank  and  was  elected  its  vice-president,  while  in  July,  1917,  he  was  elected  to 
the  presidency.  He  has  always  lived  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  has  ever  been  actuated 
by  the  spirit  of  western  enterprise  and  progress. 

Mr.  West  was  born  at  Irving,  Kansas,  July  15,  1883,  and  was  the  only  child  of 
Dr.  George  M.  West,  a  physician,  who  passed  away  October  21,  1909,  in  St.  Louis, 
Missouri.  His  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Justine  Carlson  and  was  born  in 
Sweden,  coming  with  her  parents  to  the  United  States  when  twelve  years  of  age.  She 
still  survives  and  now  resides  with  her  son,  Charles  A.,  in  Emmett. 

The  latter  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  his  native  town  of  Irving,  Kansas,  and 


470  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

in  1900,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he  entered  the  medical  department  of  the  St. 
Louis  University  at  St.  Louis.  In  1905  he  was  graduated  from  that  institution  with 
the  M.  D.  degree  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  northeastern 
Kansas,  where  he  remained  until  1908.  He  then  withdrew  from  medical  practice,  having 
decided  to  follow  a  commercial  career.  He  first  pursued  a  business  course  in  the 
Gem  City  Business  College  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  for  a  period  of  five  years  there- 
after he  was  located  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  where  he  engaged  in  dealing  in  com- 
mercial paper.  From  1915  until  1916  he  was  assistant  cashier  of  the  Farmers  Bank 
at  Lees  Summit,  Missouri,  and  thence  came  to  Idaho.  The  First  National  Bank  of 
Emmett,  of  which  he  owns  a  controlling  interest,  is  the  oldest  bank  of  the  city,  having 
been  founded  in  1902,  in  fact  it  was  the  first  bank  established  in  Gem  county.  Aside  from 
being  president  of  this  bank  Mr.  West  is  also  the  president  of  the  First  State  Bank  of 
Donnelly,  Idaho,  and  president  of  the  A-5  Live  Stock  Company  of  Emmett,  a  cattle 
concern  that  owns  many  hundreds  of  acres  of  grazing  land  in  Boise  county  and  several 
hundred  head  of  beef  cattle.  Mr.  West  is  also  the  president  of  the  Federal  Trust 
Company  of  Emmett  and  is  a-  large  stockholder  of  the  Parma  National  Bank  of 
Parma,  Idaho. 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1913,  Mr.  West  was  married  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  to  Miss 
Rosa  Lee  Bryan,  who  was  there  born  and  reared.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
three  children:  George  Mortimer,  born  April  16,  1915;  Rosa  Lee,  June  2,  1918;  and 
Lucile  Irene,  December  18,  1919. 

Mr.  West  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  also  a  member 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  likewise  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks 
and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  Gem  County  Red  Cross.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to 
public  progress  and  improvement,  and  his  cooperation  can  always  be  counted  upon 
to  further  iny  movement  that  seeks  to  ameliorate  the  hard  conditions  of  life  for  the 
unfortunate.  His  entire  career  has  been  marked  by  progressiveness  and  the  broader 
spirit  of  the  new  century  finds  expression  in  his  activities. 


IRA  SIMPSON. 

Ira  Simpson,  a  farmer  of  the  Boise  bench,  his  place  being  south  of  the  city  of  Boise, 
and  also  representing  the  government  service  in  connection  with  irrigation  projects, 
came  to  Idaho  in  1891  from  Tacoma,  Washington,  and  has  since  resided  in  or  near 
Boise.  In  1901  he  removed  from  the  city  to  his  present  home,  which  is  a  well  improved 
ten  acre  ranch  just  two  miles  south  of  Boise.  He  has  made  all  of  the  improvements 
upon  his  ranch,  which  was  a  tract  of  wild  land  covered  with  sagebrush  when  he  took 
up  his  residence  thereon.  His  early  life  experiences  were  those  of  the  farm.  In  fact 
he  was  born  upon  a  farm  in  Fond  du  Lac  county,  Wisconsin,  about  twenty  miles  from 
the  city  of  Fond  du  Lac,  May  6,  1855,  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Helen  (Nash)  Simpson.  The 
father  is  deceased,  while  the  mother  is  still  living,  a  well  preserved  woman  of  eighty- 
four  years,  who  how  makes  her  home  with  her  son  Ira,  having  come  to  Idaho  from 
Kansas,  where  she  had  previously  lived  for  some  time. 

Ira  Simpson  is  her  only  living  child  and  was  reared  in  Fond  du  Lac  county  to 
the  age  of  twelve  years,  when  he  removed  to  West  Bend,  Wisconsin,  where  he  remained 
until  twenty  years  of  age.  At  that  time,  or  in  1875,  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Kansas, 
the  family  home  being  established  in  Phillips  county.  In  young  manhood  he  assisted 
in  the  grading  of  the  roadbed  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad  and  later  he  did  railroad 
grading  work  in  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  Nebraska,  Washington  and  Idaho.  His  last  railroad 
work  was  in  connection  with  the  grading  of  the  Pacific  &  Idaho  Northern  Railroad 
between  Weiser  and  Council,  Idaho,  a  task  which  he  accomplished  after  his  removal 
to  Boise  in  1891.  As  stated,  he  located  upon  his  present  farm  in  1901  and  his  property 
is  now  well  improved.  It  has  upon  it  a  good  two-story,  eight-room  residence,  with 
all  the  modern  equipment  of  the  model  ranch  property  of  the  twentieth  century.  There 
is  a  row  of  fine  honey  locusts  along  the  public  road  which  he  planted  eighteen  years 
ago  and  which  are  now  large  trees.  For  the  past  twelve  years  Mr.  Simpson  has  been 
steadily  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  government,  performing  certain  important 
functions  on  the  New  York  canal,  which  is  now  owned  by  the  government,  his  work 
being  subject  to  the  direction  of  the  Boise  reclamation  office. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1880,  Mr.  Simpson  was  married  to  Miss  Malinda  Barnes,  a 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  471 

native  of  Wisconsin,  and  they  have  one  son,  Marion  B.,  now  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
Ada  county,  who  is  married  and  has  a  son,  Olin  Simpson,  four  years  of  age.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Simpson  have  also  reared  an  adopted  daughter,  who  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years, 
is  a  high  school  pupil  in  Boise. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Simpson  is  a  republican  where  national  questions  and 
issues  are  involved  but  at  local  elections  casts  an  independent  ballot,  supporting  the 
candidates  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  for  office.  His  has  been  an  active  life.  At  the 
outset  of  his  career  he  recognized  the  eternal  principle  that  industry  wins,  and  per- 
serverance  and  diligence  have  been  salient  features  in  his  career  from  the  start. 


SOCIAL  ROLPH. 

Social  Rolph,  engaged  in  ranching  and  dairying  in  Gem  county,  his  home  being 
about  ten  miles  west  of  Emmett  on  a  highly  improved  little  ranch  devoted  to  the 
production  of  alfalfa  and  to  dairying,  was  born  in  Kane  county,  Utah,  July  27,  1868,  a 
son  of  John  Social  and  Martha  Ann  (Miller)  Rolph,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away. 
They  were  married  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  for  many  years  resided  in  Utah.  The  father, 
however,  was  born  in  New  York,  while  the  mother's  birth  occurred  in  Illinois.  When 
their  son  Social  was  five  years  of  age  they  removed  to  Bear  Lake  county,  Idaho,  and 
he  was  largely  reared  upon  a  ranch  in  that  locality.  Both  the  father  and  mother 
were  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  to  this  faith 
Social  Rolph  of  this  review  and  his  wife  have  adhered. 

Social  Rolph  was  a  missionary  for  the  church  in  Manitoba,  Canada,  for  two  years, 
covering  1898  and  1899.  He  had  previously  spent  five  years  in  Alberta,  Canada,  and 
he  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  there  in  1894,  proving  up  on 
the  property  and  securing  title  thereto.  In  February,  1899,  following  his  missionary 
labors,  he  returned  to  Idaho  and  on  the  15th  of  September,  1900,  was  married  in  the 
Logan  Temple  at  Logan,  Utah,  to  Sarah  Alice  Lehmberg,  who  was  born  in  Morgan 
county,  Utah,  February  4,  1871,  a  daughter  of  August  and  Amelia  (Crinkey)  Lehm- 
berg who  were  born,  reared  and  married  in  Germany  and  came  to  the  United  States  as 
converts  to  the  Mormon  faith  in  1866,  settling  in  Utah.  Both  have  now  passed  away. 

For  a  few  years  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rolph  lived  in  Wyoming,  just 
over  the  Idaho  line,  and  in  1905  removed  to  Fruitland,  Idaho,  the  site  of  the  city  beincr 
then  a  large  alfalfa  field.  There  they  planted  an  orchard  of  sweet  cherries  covering 
ten  acres  and  in  1909  sold  it  for  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  while  in  1918  the 
same  property  sold  for  eleven  thousand  dollars.  On  disposing  of  their  orchard  in  1909 
Mr.  Rolph  purchased  his  present  ranch  property  in  what  is  now  Gem  county  but 
was  then  a  part  of  Canyon  county.  Upon  this  place  he  built  a  fine  two-story  house, 
thirty  by  thirty-four  feet,  of  cement  blocks.  Tliis  is  one  of  the  best  country  homes 
in  Gem  county.  The  ranch  is  all  planted  to  alfalfa  and  he  keeps  about  fifteen  good  dairy 
cows  of  the  Jersey  breed  and  also  owns  a  fine  registered  Jersey  bull.  He  keeps  an 
Overland  car  and  his  farm  is  well  equipped  with  all  modern  accessories  and  con- 
veniences, showing  him  to  be  a  most  progressive  agriculturist. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rolph  have  one  son,  Willard  Social,  who  was  born  June  7,  1907.  They 
retain  their  membership  in  the  church,  in  which  Mr.  Rolph  is  serving  as  an  elder, 
and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Quorum  of  Seventy.  According  to  family  tradition,  he  is 
a  descendant  of  John  Rolph,  of  England,  who  married  Pocahontas.  His  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  the  west  and  he  has  been  identified  with  the  development  and  progress 
of  Idaho  for  many  years,  winning  for  himself  a  creditable  position  among  the  success- 
ful ranchmen  and  dairymen  of  Gem  county. 


RODOLPHUS  H.  MARTIN. 

Rodolphus  H.  Martin  passed  away  August  22,  1907,  in  Boise,  where  he  had  lived  re- 
tired from  about  1902,  after  putting  aside  the  active  interests  of  ranching  and  stock  rais- 
ing. As  the  years  had  passed  he  attained  wealth  as  the  result  of  carefully  directed  busi- 
ness affairs,  his  success  all  being  gained  during  the  period  of  his  residence  in  the  state, 
and  while  he  amassed  a  most  comfortable  competence,  he  at  the  same  time  commanded 
the  high  regard  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  only  fifty-two  years  of  age 


472  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

at  the  time  of  his  demise,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  New  York  on  the  12th  of 
September,  1855.  He  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-four  years  when  in  1879  he  came 
to  Idaho,  settling  in  the  Salubria  valley,  where  he  took  up  property  which  he  developed 
into  a  fine  ranch  and  thereon  made  his  home  until  about  five  years  prior  to  his  death, 
when  he  removed  to  Boise.  He  had  carefully  and  successfully  developed  his  property 
until  he  made  it  an  excellent  ranch  andi  in  the  conduct  of  live  stock  interests  he 
also  won  substantial  success.  With  his  removal  to  Boise  he  made  large  investments  in 
real  estate  and  among  other  properties  which  he  left  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  a 
valuable  ranch  in  Washington  county  which  his  widow  recently  sold  for  fifty  thousand 
dollars. 

It  was  on  the  4th  of  January,  1885,  that  Mr.  Martin  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Martha  Taylor,  who  was  born  in  Pottawatomie  county,  Kansas,  August  26,  1864, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  H.  and  Nancy  (Godlove)  Taylor.  The  father  is  now 
living  in  Salem,  Oregon,  but  the  mother  passed  away  in  Idaho  in  1913.  Both  were 
natives  of  Indiana.  They  had  removed  westward  to  Oregon  in  1875,  when  their 
daughter  Mrs.  Martin  was  but  eleven  years  of  age.  Later  the  Taylor  family  returned 
to  Kansas,  but  in  1881  again  came  to  the  northwest  and  in  that  year  settled  in  the 
Salubria  valley  of  Washington  county.  In  her  girlhood  Mrs.  Martin  three  times  crossed 
the  plains  with  wagon  trains.  There  is  no  phase  of  pioneer  life  in  the  northwest 
with  which  she  is  not  thoroughly  familiar. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  were  born  seven  children.  Frank  C.,  born  April  7,  1886, 
was  married  March  7,  1907,  to  Ella  Huddleson  and  they  reside  in  Portland,  Oregon, 
with  their  one  daughter,  Dorothy,  who  was  born  February  14,  1909.  Maude,  born 
November  14,  1887,  is  the  wife  of  Peter  E.  Cavaney,  a  well  known  lawyer  of  Boise, 
to  whom  she  was  married  November  10,  1909,  and  they  have  three  children:  Edward 
Martin,  born  October  9,  1913;  Byron  Martin,  born  May  24,  1915;  and  Billy  Martin,  born 
April  11,  1918.  The  third  child  of  the  family  was  Blanche,  who  was  born  November 
8,  1889,  and  who  on  the  12th  of  April,  1909,  became  the  wife  of  John  D.  Dawson,  a 
well  known  automobile  man  of  Boise,  and  they  have  one  child,  Catherine  M.,  born 
February  4,  1913.  Rodolphus  H.  Jr.,.  born  April  28,  1892,  was  married  July  27,  1911,  to 
Erma  Rash  and  they  reside  at  Cambridge,  Idaho.  They  have  one  living  son,  Donald  H. 
born,  July  13,  1914.  Lulu  M.,  who  was  born  June  17,  1896,  is  now  a  student  in  Denver, 
Colorado.  Garnet,  born  December  16,  1898,  became  the  wife  of  Sam  Heffner  on  the 
6th  of  December,  1919,  and  they  reside  in  Boise.  Hazel  D.,  born  May  30,  1903,  is  a 
senior  in  the  Boise  high  school  and  completes  the  family. 

When  death  called  Mr.  Martin  he  was  able  to  leave  his  family  in  very  comfortable 
financial  circumstances,  for  he  owned  the  handsome  residence  in  which  he  lived,  also 
the  brick  flats  and  store  building  at  the  corner  of  Fourteenth  and  Main  streets  and, 
other  valuable  property,  including  the  ranch  previously  mentioned.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  also  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
was  loyal  to  the  teachings  of  these  organizations.  Highly  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him,  he  had  a  host  of  warm  friends  who  bear  testimony  to  the  sterling  worth  of  his 
character. 


STILLMAN   JAMES  KEYES. 

» 

Among  the  well  known  and  successful  industrial  enterprises  of  Boise  is  the  Royal 
Bakery,  the  plant  of  which  is  located  at  No.  1118  Main  street  and  of  which  Stillman 
James  Keyes  is  the  proprietor.  For  twenty  years  he  has  made  his  home  in  the  capital 
city,  having  come  to  Boise  in  1900  from  Carthage,  Missouri.  A  native  of  Kansas,  he 
was  born  in  Westmoreland,  or  to  be  more  correct,  on  a  farm  near  that  place,  August 
20,  1880,  a  son  of  Irwin  Stillman  Keyes,  a  farmer  and  later  a  dealer  in  shoes  at  Scran- 
ton,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  an  honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  war.  He  passed  away 
at  Wamego,  Kansas,  in  December,  1917,  being  survived  by  his  widow,  Mrs.  Frances 
(Clark)  Keyes,  who  yet  makes  her  home  in  that  city.  Our  subject  is  of  English  descent 
on  the  paternal  side,  while  on  the  maternal  side  he  is  of  Scotch  lineage.  The  paternal 
grandparents  were  Stillman  and  Ellen  (Strong)  Keyes,  while  the  maternal  grand- 
father was  James  Clark,  both  of  the  families  having  been  prominently  connected  with 
the  early  history  of  the  east. 

Stillman  James  Keyes  spent  his  boyhood  largely  at  Wamego,  Kansas,  and  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that  city.  In  his  early  youth  he  was  greatly  in- 


STILLMAN  J.  KEYES 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  475 

terested  in  sports,  particularly  in  baseball,  and  served  as  captain  of  the  Wamego  Browns, 
a  well  known  local  baseball  club.  He  was  only  twenty  years  of  age  when  he  made 
his  entrance  into  Boise  but  he  had  previously  had  some  experience  in  the  baking  busi- 
ness in  Wisconsin.  In  Boise  he  completed  his  apprenticeship  in  the  Vienna  Bakery, 
which  was  owned  by  James  Herbert,  now  deceased.  He  worked  as  a  journeyman  baker 
until  1913  and  spent  the  last  six  years  of  that  period  as  foreman  of  Brink's  Bakery  on 
Main  street.  Having  carefully  saved  his  earnings,  he  decided  in  1913  to  embark  in 
business  independently  and  on  August  20th  of  that  year  purchased  the  Royal  Bakery 
at  No.  1118  Main  street  from  Louis  Stephan.  During  the  six  years  that  Mr.  Keyes  has 
managed  and  owned  the  Royal  Bakery  the  enterprise  has  met  with  success  and  he  can 
proudly  look  back  upon  the  business  which  he  has  built  up  thus  far.  Sanitary  condi- 
tions are  maintained  everywhere  about  the  plant  and  the  most  modern  ideas  in  regard  to 
bread  baking  are  instituted.  The  machinery  is  up-to-date  and  the  product  leaves  nothing 
to  be  desired.  The  firm  also  handles  candy  and  a  large  stock  of  that  commodity  is  carried 
at  the  Royal  Bakery  salesroom.  '  His  establishment  also  includes  an  ice  cream  and  soft 
drink  department  and  is  furnished  with  tables  and  chairs  for  the  accommodation  of 
patrons. 

On  March  23,  1905,  Mr.  Keyes  was  married  in  Boise  to  Miss  Lulu  Biggerstaff,  a  native 
of  this  city  and  a  member  of  one  of  Boise's  pioneer  families.  They  have  become  the 
parents  of  three  children:  Benjamin  Irwin,  born  April  29,  1906;  Helen  Frank,  February 
19,  1908;  and  Ethelda  Frances,  November  15,  1918. 

Mr,  and  Mrs.  Keyes  are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  belonging  to  St.  Michael's 
cathedral,  in  the  work  of  which  they  take  a  helpful  interest.  He  is  president  of  the  Idaho 
Master  Bakers  Association  and  formerly  served  as  secretary  of  this  organization.  He 
also  has  a  military  chapter  in  his  career,  for  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Idaho  National 
Guard  under  Governor  Hunt.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  is  popular  in  that  organization. 


JOHN  G.  BRECKENRIDGE. 


John  G.  Breckenridge,  a  farmer  residing  five  miles  southeast  of  Boise  on  what 
is  known  as  the  Charles  Rein  farm  of  forty  acres,  dates  his  residence  in  Idaho  from 
1874,  when  he  came  to  this  state  from  Washington  county,  Missouri,  with  his  parents, 
being  then  but  six  years  of  age.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Washington  county,  October 
23,  1868,  the  only  son  and  child  of  his  parents,  James  Isaac  and  Josephine  (Tennyson) 
Breckenridge.  The  father  died  in  1878,  when  John  G.  was  but  nine  years  of  age.  Later 
the  mother  became  the  wife  of  Charles  Rein,  who  passed  away  November  6,  1919,  and 
she  now  resides  at  No.  1015  North  Fifth  street  in  Boise.  Mr.  Rein  was  formerly 
engaged  in  the  wood  business  in  Boise  and  later  he  and  his  wife  resided  on  a  ranch 
adjoining  South  Boise,  known  as  the  Gallaher  ranch,  which  he  and  his  brother, 
Jacob  Rein,  purchased  about  twenty-five  years  ago.  Charles  Rein  also  purchased  the 
forty  acre  ranch  on  which  his  stepson  and  only  heir  now  resides.  He  improved  the 
property  and  planted  twelve  acres  to  winter  apples,  including  Jonathans  and  Roman 
Beauties.  It  is  now  a  fine  place,  the  trees  having  grown  to  great  size,  and  everything 
about  the  place  is  indicative  of  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  former  owner  and  the 
present  occupant.  About  ten  years  ago  Mr.  Rein  and  his  wife  removed  to  Boise  into 
a  house  which  Mr.  Breckenridge  owned,  and  the  latter  at  the  same  time  took  up  his 
abode  upon  the  ranch,  which  he  still  conducts,  cultivating  the  place  as  his  «wn  and 
getting  all  the  income  therefrom,  merely  paying  taxes  thereon  and  keeping  up  the 
property. 

Mr.  Breckenridge  has  resided  in  Boise  and  this  section  of  the  state  continuously 
for  forty-five  years  and  has  been  closely  identified  with  live  stock  raising  and  farming. 
He  has  also  given  much  attention  to  horticultural  pursuits,  especially  since  locating  on 
the  Charles  Rein  ranch.  In  1919  his  orchards  produced  five  thousand  boxes  of  apples. 
He  is  very  industrious  and  progressive  in  everything  that  he  undertakes,  and  his  labors 
have  been  rewarded  with  substantial  and  gratifying  results. 

Mr.  Breckenridge  was  married  March  22,  1899,  in  Boise,  to  Miss  Anna  Corder,  a 
daughter  of  the  late  James  Obediah  Corder,  a  pioneer  of  Elmore  county  and  member 


476  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

of  a  well  known  family  of  Mayfield.  He  spent  his  last  years  in  Boise,  however.  Mr. 
Breckenridge  and  his  wife  have  four  children:  George  H.,  nineteen  years  of  age, 
has  recently  returned  home  after  nineteen  months'  service  in  the  United  States  navy, 
being  connected  with  the  transport  service,  crossing  the  Atlantic  eight  times.  James 
T.,  aged  eighteen;  Charles  C.,  sixteen,  and  Anna  Josephine,  aged  five,  are  the  other 
members  of  the  family. 

Mr.  Breckenridge  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  Woodman  of  the  World,  and  his  .political 
allegiance  is  given  the  republican  party.  He  belongs  to  the  State  Horticultural 
Society  and  thus  keeps  in  touch  with  every  advancement  made  along  the  line  of  fruit 
raising.  His  religious  faith  is  indicated  in  his  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church 
of  South  Boise.  He  is  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Holcomb  school,  located  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  his  home,  and  he  is  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the 
material,  intellectual,  social  and  moral  progress  of  his  community. 


ELMER  L.  HOLVERSON. 

Elmer  L.  Holverson,  of  Emmett,  is  the  proprietor  of  the  Brunswick  on  Main 
street,  one  of  the  most  popular  amusement  resorts  in  the  state.  He  came  to  Idaho 
in  1895  and  through  the  intervening  period  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  lived 
within  the  borders  of  the  state.  He  removed  here  from  North  Dakota  but  his  birth- 
place was  Wisconsin.  He  was  born  at  Palmyra,  Wisconsin,  December  24,  1876,  his 
parents  being  Zachariah  and  Agnes  (Brown)  Holverson,  the  former  a  veteran  of 
the  Union  army,  who  served  with  a  Wisconsin  regiment  during  the  Civil  war.  He 
died  when  his  son  Elmer  L.  was  but  two  years  of  age  and  the  mother  passed  away 
when  he  was  a  lad  of  nine,  so  that  he  was  left  an  orphan  when  quite  young  and  since 
that  time  has  depended  entirely  upon  his  own  resources  and  he  is  truly  a  self- 
made  and  self-educated  man. 

When  a  lad  of  but  twelve  years  Mr.  Holverson  began  working  on  a  Dakota  farm 
for  six  dollars  per  month.  His  youth  was  spent  in  Wisconsin,  Dakota  and  Iowa,  where 
he  worked  at  farm  labor,  never  having  the  opportunity  to  attend  school  after  reach- 
ing the  age  of  thirteen.  During  his  first  year's  work  he  received  as  his  pay  the 
potato  crop  raised  upon  a  half  acre,  and  he  had  to  plant  and  cultivate  the  tubers. 
The  next  year,  when  a  lad  of  twelve,  he  was  paid  six  dollars  per  month  by  the  same 
man  for  his  services.  His  potato  crop  he  turned  over  to  his  employer  in  exchange 
for  some  clothes  to  wear  to  school  the  following  winter.  He  continued  to  act  as  a 
farm  hand  in  the  three  states  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  in  1895  he  came  to 
Idaho.  The  fare  to  Caldwell,  where  he  had  an  elder  brother  living,  was  sixty  dollars 
and  his  cash  capital  consisted  of  but  forty  dollars.  He  decided  not  to  pay  out  the 
entire  sum  for  carfare  but  to  keep  the  money  in  order  to  buy  something  tov  eat  and 
he  used  every  opportunity  which  he  could  secure  to  make  his  way  westward.  It  was 
ten  days  before  he  had  reached  his  destination  and  in  that  time  he  had  expended  six 
dollars  for  something  to  eat.  He  spent  the  summer  of  1895  on  a  ranch  near  Falks 
Store,  fifteen  miles  below  Emmett,  and  upon  that  ranch  worked  during  the  suceed- 
ing  summer  also. 

Mr.  Holverson  has  made  Emmett  his  headquarters  practically  all  the  time  since 
1900  and  has  followed  various  pursuits  in  the  town  and  vicinity,  working  for  wages. 
In  1904  he  established  business  on  his  own  account  by  opening  a  small  cigar  store 
in  the  rear  of  a  room  having  two  pool  and  billiard  tables.  He  called  his  place  the 
Brunswick.  That  was  fifteen  years  ago.  The  history  of  the  Brunswick  from  that 
date  has  been  one  of  continued  success  and  constant  expansion  of  the  business.  At 
the  present  time  the  Brunswick  is  one  of  the  best  known  amusement  houses  in  this 
part  of  the  state  and  Mr.  Holverson  is  one  of  the  smbstantial  business  men.  In  1917 
he  erected  the  present  Brunswick  building  at  No.  116  Main  street,  a  handsome  two- 
story  brick  structure  twenty-five  by  one  hundred  feet.  The  entire  first  floor  and  base- 
ment, which  is  under  the  whole  building,  are  occupied  by  the  business  of  which  Mr. 
Holverson  is  sole  owner.  Today  the  Brunswick  is  the  mecca  of  all  the  men  of  Emmett 
and  vicinity  who  are  seeking  attractive  pleasure  and  recreation.  The  front  of  the  room 
is  used  as  a  retail  cigar  and  tobacco  store,  with  a  soft  drink  counter,  and  Mr.  Holver- 
son's  private  office  also  occupies  that  end  of  the  building.  The  rear  half  of  the  room 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  477 

is  devoted  to  amusements  of  an  attractive  character,  including  pool  and  billiards, 
while  the  second  floor  of  the  Brunswick  is  rented  to  the  Emmett  Commercial  Club, 
of  which  Mr.  Holverson  is  a  charter  member,  and  as  law  offices. 

On  the  10th  of  July,  1907.  Mr.  Holverson  was  married  to  Miss  Fay  Bilderback, 
member  of  an  old  Idaho  family  that  has  been  prominent  and  well  known  in  Boise  for 
many  years.  Mrs.  Holverson  was  born  in  the  capital  city  on  the  19th  of  August,  1884. 
Her  father,  Charles  Bilderback,  located  there  in  pioneer  times  and  afterward  removed 
to  Emmett,  where  he  passed  away  August  10,  1917.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holverson  have 
become  the  parents  of  two  children:  Charles,  who  was  born  June  22,  1912;  and  Har- 
riet, born  October  5,  1915. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Holverson  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  member  of  the 
Mystic  Shrine  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose.  In  politics  he  is  a 
democrat  but  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  office.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  very 
active  in  war  work,  doing  everything  in  their  power  to  advance  the  interests  of 
the  government  in  its  relation  with  the  allies  and  in  its  support  of  the  soldiers  in 
camp  and  field.  Mr.  Holverson  is  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing  and  belongs  to  the 
Emmett  Gun  Club.  Thrown  upon  his  own  resources  when  a  little  lad  of  but  nine  years, 
he  has  steadily  worked  his  way  upward  and  whatever  success  he  has  achieved  or  en- 
Joyed  is  attributable  entirely  to  his  individual  labors. 


DAVID  FREDERICK  BOTT. 

David  Frederick  Bott,  now  residing  in  Letha,  has  devoted  his  life  to  farming  and 
the  raising  of  live  stock.  He  took  up  his  abode,  however,  in  the  town  in  1919  in  order 
to  retire  from  the  more  active  work  of  the  farm,  having  reached  a  point  in  life  where 
he  desired  to  take  things  easy.  He  and  his  family  came  to  Idaho  from  Mesa  county, 
Colorado,  in  1907,  having  previously  resided  in  that  county  for  six  years,  while  for 
thirteen  years  they  lived  in  southeastern  Colorado.  Mr.  Bott,  however,  is  a  native 
of  Richland  county,  Ohio.  He  was  born  October  6,  1851,  of  the  marriage  of  George 
Washington  Bott  and  Sophia  Hiestandt  The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  while  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Maryland.  They  left 
Ohio  in  1864  and  removed  to  Clarke  county,  Iowa,  where  David  F.  Bott  spent  the  days 
of  his  boyhood  and  youth  upon  the  home  farm.  In  1872,  when  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  he  went  to  Colorado  to  take  care  of  an  invalid  brother,  Alfred  Eli  Bott,  who 
passed  away  on  the  2d  of  March,  1873. 

David  F.  Bott  continued  a  resident  of  Colorado  until  1876.  In  the  meantime  he 
was  married  in  that  state  on  the  22d  of  March,  1874,  to  Miss  Harriet  Angeline  Robin- 
son, who  was  born  in  Hall  county,  Georgia,  February  13,  1856,  a  daughter  of  John 
Wesley  and  Mary  (McCluskey)  Robinson,  both  representatives  of  old  families  of 
Georgia.  In  1876  Mr.  Bott  returned  with  his  bride  to  Clarke  county,  Iowa,  but  In 
1888  they  again  went  to  Colorado  and  from  that  state  came  to  Idaho  in  1907.  They 
first  spent  six  years  in  Bingham  county  near  Blackfoot  and  for  a  year  r«ided  in  Long 
valley.  In  1914  they  sold  their  ranch  in  Long  valley  and  removed  to  Letha,  Mr.  Bott 
having  acquired  considerable  ranch  property  in  this  vicinity.  In  recent  years  he  has 
sold  much  of  his  land  and  disposed  of  his  largest  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
just  north  of  Letha  to  his  only  son,  Edward  Homer,  who  is  married  and  resides  upon 
that  place.  The  parents  also  occupied  it  until  February,  1919,  when  they  turned  it 
over  to  their  son  Edward  and  removed  to  their  present  home,  which  is  within  the 
corporate  limits  of  Letha  on  the  east  and  is  an  improved  tract  of  land  of  fifteen  acres. 
For  many  years  Mr.  Bott  was  most  actively  and  successfully  engaged  in  ranching 
and  gained  a  measure  of  prosperity  that  is  gratifying,  indicating  as  it  does  that  he 
has  lived  a  life  of  industry  and  thrift. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bott  have  been  born  three  children.  Edward  Homer,  born  March 
1,  1878,  was  married  July  31,  1914,  to  Miss  Nellie  Reynolds  and  they  have  two  chil- 
dren: Lottie  Leona,  who  was  born  July  13,  1915;  and  Vernon  Honier,  born  June  23. 
1916.  The  second  child,  Mary,  born  April  1,  1882,  is  the  wife  of  Arthur  Clark  Hen- 
derson and  they  have  five  children:  Mary  Loraine,  Anna  Leona,  Harriet  Ruth,  Dora 
and  Zola.  The  second  daughter,  Estella  Leona  Bott,  born  April  9,  1885.  is  the  wife 
of  Samuel  James  Kiggins  and  they  have  one  child,  Zella.  There  are  now  eight  grand- 
children, who  are  the  delight  of  the  grandparents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bott  have  been  mar- 
ried for  forty-five  years. 


478  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

They  are  Methodists  in  religious  faith  and  are  supporters  of  the  democratic  party 
where  national  questions  and  issues  are  involved,  but  at  local  elections  cast  an  inde- 
pendent ballot.  Mr.  Bott  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  six  years  while  in  Colorado. 
They  are  highly  esteemed  people,  enjoying  the  respect,  confidence  and  goodwill  of  all, 
and  their  influence  is  always  on  the  side  of  right,  progress,  reform  and  improvement. 


MRS.  KATE  DU  BOIS  KERR. 

Mrs.  Kate  Du  Bois  Kerr  is  the  widow  of  George  A.  Kerr,  of  Boise,  who  passed 
away  on  the  13th  of  December,  1915,  being  at  the  time  of  his  death  joint  owner  with 
his  wife  of  the  American  laundry  of  Boise,  which  they  had  established  in  1902  and 
which  Mrs.  Kerr  has  owned  and  conducted  alone  since  her  husband's  death.  She  is 
thus  demonstrating  that  a  woman  can  successfully  own  and  control  a  large  business 
interest. 

Mrs.  Kerr  was  born  in  Marbletown,  New  York,  her  maiden  name  being  Kate  Jane 
Du  Bois.  She  comes  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  the  Empire  state  and  of  Revolutionary 
stock  in  the  paternal  line,  her  grandfather  having  bee,n  Conrad  Du  Bois,  who  was  a 
soldier  in  the  American  army  in  the  war  for  independence.  The  Du  Bois  family  is  of 
French  lineage  and  was  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  Mohawk  valley  in  New 
York.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Kerr  was  Isaac  Conrad  Du  Bois,  while  her  mother  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Elizabeth  Ennist  and  was  of  Scotch  descent. 

Mrs.  Kerr  was  largely  reared  in  Kingston,  New  York,  and  while  yet  in  her  teens) 
she  was  there  married  to  George  A.  Kerr,  who  was  born  in  Hunter,  New  York,  and 
who  before  his  removal  to  Idaho  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  the  flour  and  produce 
business  in  the  Empire  state,  while  later  he  became  a  successful  brick  manufacturer 
there.  During  a  financial  panic,  however,  he  suffered  losses  and  decided  to  come  to 
the  west,  a  purpose  which  he  carried  out  in  1902,  locating  at  Boise,  where  he  and  his 
wife  organized  the  American  Laundry,  which  from  that  date  to  the  present  has  been 
a  prosperous  and  growing  business  concern  of  the  capital  city,  and  is  the  largest  laundry 
not  only  in  Boise  but  also  in  Idaho.  They  labored  together  in  the  development  and 
management  of  the  business  and  since  her  husband's  death  Mrs.  Kerr  has  made  many 
substantial  additions  to  the  business  in  the  way  of  modern  machinery  and  equipment, 
the  laundry  being  the  last  word  in  methods  and  in  machinery  of  this  class. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kerr  was  born  a  daughter,  Katharine,  who  passed  away  in  1912, 
in  young  womanhood,  and  whose  death  was  a  severe  blow  to  her  parents,  as  hers  was 
a  most  lovable  character.  Mrs.  Kerr  in  her  girlhood  days  was  reared  in  the  faith  of 
the  Dutch  Reformed  church.  She  belongs  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the 
Laundry  Association  of  Southern  Idaho,  and  the  National  Laundry  Association.  For 
the  past  three  years  she  has  made  her  home  at  the  Idanha  Hotel  in  Boise.  She  de» 
serves  great  credit  for  the  able  manner  in  which  she  has  managed  her  business  affairs 
and  enjoys  the  respect  of  the  people  of  the  capital  city  in  an  unusual  degree. 


ADOLPH  BAHLER. 

Adolph  Bahler,  a  farmer  and  dairyman  who  owns  and  occupies  a  ranch  of  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  acres  on  the  Barber  road  five  miles  southeast  of  Boise,  came  to 
Ada  county,  Idaho,  in  1901,  on  emigrating  from  Switzerland,  his  native  country.  He 
was  born  April  3,  1879,  and  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  the  latter  keeping  a 
large  number  of  cows  'and  manufacturing  Swiss  cheese.  Since  old  enough  to  carry  a 
bucket  Adolph  Bahler  has  worked  with  and  milked  cows  and  now  milks  twenty-two 
of  his  own  every  night  and  morning.  His  parents,  Samuel  and  Mary  Anna  Bahler, 
never  came  to  the  United  States.  The  father  has  now  passed  away  but  the  mother 
still  resides  in  Switzerland. 

In  1901,  when  twenty-two  years  of  age,  Adolph  Bahler  came  to  the  United  States 
and  made  his  way  at  once  to  Boise,  joining  his  elder  brother,  Gottleib.  He  has  since 
lived  in  this  vicinity  and  purchased  the  Holcomb  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres, 
a  historic  place,  it  being  the  old  Oregon  trail  camp  ground,  known  far  and  near.  lib 
is  located  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Boise  river  a  mile  and  a  half  below  Barber  and  was 
a  favorite  camping  ground  with  the  emigrants  who  passed  through  the  territory.  Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  479 

Bahler  gave  two  thousand  dollars  as  his  first  payment  upon  the  property.  This  money 
he  had  earned  and  saved  after  reaching  Idaho.  The  purchase  price  of  the  ranch 
was  twelve  thousand  dollars  and  he  thereby  assumed  an  indebtedness  of  ten  thousand 
dollars.  About  the  time  of  his  purchase  he  was  married,  and  the  frugality  and  enterprise 
of  his  wife  have  been  of  great  assistance  to  him  in  discharging  his  financial  obligations. 
The  property  is  today  free  of  debt  and,  moreover,  he  has  money  loaned  out  and  has 
made  generous  investment  in  Liberty  bonds. 

On  the  25th  of  November,  1912,  Mr.  Bahler  was  married  to  Miss  Hannah  Wilkinson, 
who  was  born  in  England,  November  23,  1885,  a  daughter  of  Robert  Wilkinson,  who  is 
still  living  in  England,  but  her  mother  has  passed  away.  Mrs.  Bahler  came  to  Idaho  in 
1910  with  an  aunt  and  uncle.  She  has  become  the  mother  of  one  son,  George  H.  Bahler, 
born  August  25,  1913. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bahler  are  consistent  members  of  St.  Michael's  Episcopal  church,  and 
his  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican  party.  Mrs.  Bahler  is  one  of  the  three 
trustees  of  the  Holcomb  school  in  their  neighborhood  and  is  now  serving  for  the  second 
term  of  three  years.  Mr.  Bahler  is  recognized  as  a  prominent  and  representative 
business  man  of  his  community.  He  has  a  fine  herd  of  dairy  cows,  twenty-two  in  all, 
and  sells  his  milk  chiefly  to  St.  Luke's  Hospital  in  Boise,  furnishing  both  milk  and 
cream  to  that  institution.  He  has  prospered  during  the  years  of  his  residence  in  Idaho, 
for  he  started  out  here  as  a  wage  earner,  receiving  a  salary  of  twenty  dollars  per 
month.  It  took  his  first  six  month's  wages  to  pay  his  passage  over.  In  1907  he  returned 
to  Switzerland  to  visit  his  parents,  both  of  whom  were  then  living,  but  he  has  no 
desire  to  return  to  the  land  of  the  Alps  to  make  his  home.  He  is  fully  identified  with 
the  interests  of  Ada  county  and,  benefiting  by  the  business  opportunities  here  offered,  has 
worked  his  way  steadily  upward  and  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  and  dairy- 
men of  the  district  in  which  he  lives.  He  comes  from  a  country  where  dairying  is 
one  of  the  chief  industries,  and  his  familiarity  with  every  branch  of  the  work  from 
early  boyhood  has  constituted  the  basis  of  his  present  day  success. 


MRS.  AMANDA  MARTHA  KNOX. 

Mrs.  Amanda  Martha  Knox  occupies  an  excellent  ranch  property  two  and  a  half 
miles  southeast  of  Boise.  She  is  the  widow  of  George  D.  Knox,  who  followed  farming 
on  that  ranch  and  there  passed  away  May  24,  1911.  Mrs.  Knox  was  born  in  the  Shenan- 
doah  valley  of  Virginia  on  the  4th  of  January,  1850,  her  parents  being  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son and  Mary  (Mowry)  Knotts.  During  her  early  girlhood  she  accompanied  her 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Washington  county,  Iowa,  and  was  there  reared  to  woman- 
hood, but  was  not  yet  twenty  years  of  age  when  she  became  the  wife  of  George  D. 
Knox.  Later  she  accompanied  her  husband  to  Mitchell  county,  Kansas,  where  they 
lived  for  some  time,  removing  from  the  Sunflower  state  to  Idaho  about  1890,  at  which 
time  they  settled  at  South  Boise.  Later  they  took  up  their  abode  upon  the  ranch 
southeast  of  Boise,  where  Mrs.  Knox  now  resides,  and  throughout  the  intervening 
period  to  his  death  Mr.  Knox  was  engaged  in  general  agricultural  pursuits  there. 

.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knox  were  born  six  children,  a  son  and  five  daughters:  Louisa, 
now  the  wife  of  George  W.  Butler,  of  Boise;  Elva  May,  who  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage to  Edward  E.  Butler,  a  brother  of  George  W.  Butler;  Edith,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Henry  Dalrymple;  Charles  Bruce,  who  is  a  farmer  of  Canyon  county,  Idaho;  Martha 
Ann,  who  is  the  widow  of  William  H.  Fease;  and  Jennie,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Edward  Bush,  both  she  and  her  husband  being  now  deceased.  The  last  named  left 
one  child,  Edna  Letha  Bush,  who  was  born  December  10,  1901.  She  is  now  a  young 
lady  of  eighteen  years  and  since  the  death  of  her  mother  has  lived  with  her  grand- 
mother, Mrs.  Amanda  M.  Knox.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  the  community, 
enjoying  the  warm  friendship  and  regard  of  all  who  know  them.  Mrs.  Knox  has  long 
lived  in  this  district  and  has  therefore  witnessed  much  of  its  development  and  prog- 
ress, her  memory  constituting  a  connecting  link  between  the  primitive  past  and  the 
progressive  present. 

Mrs.  Martha  Ann  Fease  resides  on  an  excellent  farm  property  on  the  Snake 
river  and  is  also  the  owner  of  an  eighty-acre  ranch  in  South  Boise,  which  she  leases. 
She  spent  her  girlhood  days  under  the  parental  roof  and  came  with  her  parents  to 
Idaho.  Here  on  the  20th  of  October,  1896,  she  became  the  wife  of  William  H.  Fease, 


480  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

who  passed  away  on  the  27th  of  July,   1904,  leaving  a  son,   William   Irvin,  who  was 
horn  August  4,  1897,  and  is  now  twenty-two  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Fease  was  numbered  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Ada  county.  He  was 
horn  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  and  attracted  by  the  opportunities  of  the  growing  north- 
west, he  made  his  way  to  this  state  and  took  up  a  homestead  claim  of  eighty  acres 
three  miles  east  of  the  Garfield  school  in  South  Boise.  The  property  now  constitutes 
one  of  the  fine  ranches  of  the  neighborhood  and  Mrs.  Fease  still  owns  the  place  but 
has  leased  it  for  seven  hundred  dollars  per  year,  while  she  makes  her  home  upon  a 
ranch  of  forty  acres  which  she  entered  in  1916  and  which  is  situated  on  the  Snake 
river  in  Canyon  county.  For  twenty-nine  years  Mrs.  Fease  has  been  a  resident  of 
Idaho  and  is  closely  connected  with  farming  interests.  .  Her  two  properties  are  con- 
stantly increasing  in  value  and  she  displays  much  business  and  executive  ability  in 
directing  her  investments  and  business  interests.  Her  mother,  Mrs.  Knox,  has  twenty- 
two  living  grandchildren. 


GEORGE   CRANER. 

George  Craner,  actively  engaged  in  farming  in  Cassia  county,  Idaho,  was  born  at 
Tooele,  Utah,  October  27,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Sarah  Emma  (Jenkins)  Craner. 
The  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  was  passed  in  Utah,  where  he  remained  until  he 
attained  his  majority,  and  in  February,  1881,  he  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Oakley,  Cassia 
county.  He  preempted  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  built  a  log  house  and  began 
the  improvement  of  a  farm  which  embraced  the  present  site  of  Oakley.  He  continued 
to  reside  there  until  1908,  when  he  sold  his  homestead  and  acquired  the  ownership  of  his 
present  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eighteen  acres  near  Burley.  Again  a  log  house  which 
he  built  gave  him  shelter  until  opportunity  and  his  financial  condition  made  it  possible 
for  him  to  build  a  brick  dwelling,  which  he  now  occupies.  Today  he  has  a  well  improved 
farm,  bringing  forth  good  crops,  and  in  addition  to  his  place  near  Burley  he  has  fifty 
acres  in  Pella  township.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  his  labors  are  being  attended 
with  substantial  results. 

In  1879  Mr.  Craner  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Adams,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Mary  (Howells)  Adams,  who  were  farming  people  of  Tooele,  Utah,  where  Mrs. 
Craner  was  born  and  reared.  Ten  children  have  blessed  this  marriage:  Mary,  now  the 
wife  of  D.  A.  Harding;  George  E.,  who  wedded  Maud  Sandwick;  Emma,  now  Mrs. 
Dorrington;  John,  who  married  Loretta  Wells;  Ruth,  the  wife  of  Clark  Judd; 
Howard,  who  married  Millie  Spencer;  Herbert,  who  wedded  Lucile  Hanks;  and 
Arthur,  Annie  and  William,  under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  Craner  has  always  given  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  since 
attaining  his  majority.  Those  who  know  him,  and  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance,  esteem 
him  a  man  cf  sterling  worth  and  he  enjoys  the  respect,  goodwill  and  confidence  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  been  associated. 


HOWARD   H.  HARVEY. 

Among  the  representative  business  men  of  Idaho  is  numbered  Howard  H.  Harvey, 
of  Boise,  who  is  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Harvey  &  Weeks,  prominently  con- 
nected with  the  sheep  industry  in  this  state.  He  was  born  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  April 
21,  1879,  and  is  a  son  of  Matthew  Harvey,  who  was  a  well  known  busness  man  of 
that  city  and  passed  away  in  1893,  while  the  mother,  Mrs.  Emma  (Burville)  Harvey, 
still  resides  in  Chicago  at  the  age  of  eighty  years  and  is  yet  enjoying  excellent  health. 
Both  of  the  parents  were  born  and  reared  in  Hereford,  England,  where  their  mar- 
riage was  celebrated  ere  they  came  to  the  new  world.  The  father  had  been  a  breeder 
of  Hereford  cattle  in  that  country  and  in  his  "business  career  followed  in  the  foot- 
steps of  his  ancestors.  Howard  H.  Harvey  has  one  sister  and  one  brother,  namely, 
Mrs.  Otis  R.  Barnes  and  William  B.  Harvey,  both  residents  of  Chicago. 

Howard  H.  Harvey  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  city,  obtaining  a  high 
school  and  business  college  education  there.  In  early  manhood  he  was  connected 
with  mercantile  interests  in  Chicago  in  association  with  his  brother,  William  B.  Har- 
vey, who  is  nine  years  his  senior  and  who  is  still  in  business  in  that  city.  Howard 


MR.  AND  MRS.  GEORGE  CRANER 


Vol.  m— si 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  483 

H.  Harvey  first  came  to  Boise  in  1908,  making  the  trip  at  that  time  for  the  purpose 
of  winning  his  bride.  Here  he  was  married  on  the  26th  of  February  to  Miss  Lillian 
Charlotte  Bicknell.  daughter  of  Richard  F.  Bicknell,  a  well  known  Boise  banker 
and  state  food  administrator  during  the  World  war.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvey  had  met 
several  years  before  in  Chicago  while  the  latter  was  a  student  in  the  University  of 
Chicago.  She  there  partially  pursued  her  education  and  later  was  graduated  from 
the  University  of  Toronto  in  Canada.  Mr.  Harvey  did  not  remove  to  Boise  until 
1917,  since  which  date  he  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  sheep  raising  as  a  partner 
of  Hon.  Cecil  L.  Weeks,  of  Caldwell,  Idaho.  They  are  the  owners  of  flocks  number- 
ing many  thousand  head  of  sheep.  Their  summer  grazing  lands  are  In  Valley  county, 
Idaho,  in  the  vicinity  of  Smiths  Ferry,  at  which  place  the  firm  also  owns  and  con- 
ducts a  summer  resort  hotel.  In  the  fall  the  sheep  are  taken  to  Wilder,  Canyon 
county,  and  there  put  into  winter  quarters,  where  thousands  of  tons  of  feed  in  stacks 
and  silos  await  their  consumption,  and  the  lambing  sheds  are  also  located  there. 
The  business  interests  of  the  firm  are  most  wisely  and  carefully  conducted  and  suc- 
cess in  large  measure  is  attending  their  efforts. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvey  have  been  born  three  children,  Margaret  Burville, 
Frederick  Bicknell,  and  Howard  Henry,  Jr.,  aged  respectively  ten,  eight  and  one 
year.  Mr.  Harvey  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  a  Shrlner,  and  an  Elk,  and 
he  belongs  also  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  to  the  Idaho  Wool  Growers 
Association.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  St.  Michael's  Episcopal  church  and 
Mr  Harvey  is  a  member  of  the  Cathedral  Chapter  and  a  member  of  the  board  of  St. 
Lukes  Hospital  of  Boise.  They  reside  at  No.  1423  Franklin  street,  in  what  is  per- 
haps the  handsomest  and  most  unique  bungalow  in  Boise.  The  building  is  of  a  dark 
red  color,  constructed  of  pressed  brick,  and  is  of  most  artistic  design.  It  has  spe- 
cial features  in  the  way  of  verandas  and  gables,  which  are  on  the  rustic  order,  and 
there  are  massive  old-fashioned  fireplaces  and  chimneys,  which  put  the  bungalow  in  a 
class  by  itself. 


ALBERT  W.  BECK. 

Albert  W.  Beck  is  a  well  known  live  stock  man  and  ranch  owner  of  Boise,  who 
resides  at  No.  1101  Fort  street,  in  a  splendid  home,  which  he  built  about  twelve  years 
ago.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1878  from  Kelton,  Utah,  where  he  had  resided  for  a  year, 
and  previous  to  that  he  had  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  western  Kansas.  He  is  a 
native,  however,  of  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Venango  county,  that 
state,  January  29,  1857.  He  was  one  of  the  four  sons  of  William  and  Mary  (Siegel) 
Beck,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany  but  were  married  after  emigrating  to 
the  United  States.  The  father  lost  his  life  in  the  great  Chicago  fire  in  1871.  The 
mother  afterward  married  John  Jackson,  who  passed  away  subsequently  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  widow  afterward  came  to  Idaho  and  died  at  Mayfield,  Elmore  county, 
about  thirty  years  ago.  Albert  W.  Beck  has  two  living  brothers,  Edward  and  Charles, 
both  younger  than  he  and  now  residents  of  California,  although  formerly  they  made 
their  home  in  Idaho. 

In  1876  Albert  W.  Beck  left  the  Keystone  state  and  made  his  way  westward  to 
Kansas,  being  then  a  young  man  of  nineteen  years  imbued  with  the  laudable  ambition 
of  making  the  most  of  his  opportunities,  to  which  end  he  sought  the  advantages  of  the 
growing  west  In  1878  he  removed  from  Kansas  to  Idaho  and  throughout  the  inter- 
vening period,  covering  more  than  four  decades,  he  has  been  identified  with  the  live 
stock  interests  of  this  state.  He  has  bought  and  sold  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and  hogs 
but  has  confined  his  attention  largely  to  the  first  three  and  at  times  has  conducted 
business  most  extensively.  In  former  years  he  would  often  have  as  many  as  fifteen 
thousand  sheep  at  a  time.  Prospering  as  a  sheep  raiser,  he  became  one  of  the  men  of 
affluence  in  the  state.  However,  he  retired  from  active  business  several  years  ago, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  government  forest  preserve  lands  were  closed  to  sheep.  He 
therefore  decided  to  put  aside  business  activities,  feeling  that  he  had  given  enough 
attention  to  sheep  raising.  However,  he  has  since  managed  his  ranch,  comprising  five 
or  six  hundred  acres  in  Elmore  county,  and  has  also  owned  and  managed  the  Pacific 
Hotel  of  Boise,  which  property  he  purchased  in  1895  and  has  since  owned,  leasing  it 
throughout  the  entire  period. 

On  the  2d  of  October,  1889,  Mr.  Beck  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  L.  Corder,  the 


484  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

'  9 

eldest  daughter  of  the  late  James  Obediah  Corder,  a  well  known  pioneer  of  Elmore 
county,  who  conducted  a  store  and  hotel  at  Mayfield  for  forty-two  years  and  afterward 
removed  to  Boise,  where  he  passed  away  in  1908.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beck  became  the 
parents  of  three  children,  a  son  and  two  daughters,  namely:  Anna  A.,  who  is  a 
teacher  in  the  Boise  public  schools;  James  Obediah,  a  young  man  of  twenty-four,  who  was 
married  September  13,  1916,  to  Miss  Gladys  Wells,  who  was  then  a  teacher,  and  they 
now  occupy  the  Beck  ranch,  living  there  with  their  little  daughter,  Caroline  Jane 
Beck,  who  was  born  July  22,  1917.  The  youngest  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albert  Beck, 
is  Dorothy  Beatrice,  who  was  born  June  6,  1902,  and  is  now  a  junior  in  the  Boise 
high  school.  i 

Mr.  Beck  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  a  Mystic  Shriner,  and  his  wife  is 
connected  with  the  Eastern  Star.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  ch.urch  and  are  people  of  genuine  worth,  enjoying  the  high  regard,  con- 
fidence and  goodwill  of  all  who  know  them.  Starting  out  in  the  business  world 
independently  when  a  youth  of  nineten  years,  Albert  W.  Beck  has  made  continuous 
progress  along  well  defined  lines  of  industry,  and  his  perseverance  and  diligence 
have  brought  to  him  a  most  substantial  and  gratifying  success.  His  record  proves 
conclusively  that  success  and  an  honored  name  may  be  won  simultaneously. 


WINSLOW  T.  WALKER. 

Winslow  T.  Walker,  a  prominent  and  prosperous  farmer,  for  years  a  resident  oC 
Rexburg,  Idaho,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  October  10,  1862,  a  son  of  William 
and  Mary  (Shadden)  Walker.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  Cottonwood,  Utah,  and 
remained  with  his  parents  until  he  became  of  age,  helping  to  farm  on  the  home  place 
for  one  year.  He  then  removed  to  southern  Utah  and  there  bought  a  tract  of  land, 
which  he  operated  for  about  twelve  months,  at  the  end  of  this  time  returning  to  Salt 
Lake,  where  he  remained  for  one  year.  In  1884,  Mr.  Walker  came  to  Idaho  and 
located  at  Labelle,  Jefferson  county,  going  thence  to  Oneida  county.  He  filed  on  a 
tract  of  land,  which  he  improved  and  continued  to  operate  for  about  fifteen  years, 
when  he  sold  his  interests  there  and  bought  land  at  Lewisville,  which  he  cultivated 
(or  a  period  of  five  years,  then  selling  out  and  removing  to  Rexburg.  Here  he 
acquired  land  a  half  mile  north  of  the  town,  which  tract  he  improved  and  operated 
until  1909,  when  he  turned  it  over  to  his  sons,  and  they  are  still  carrying  on  farming 
operations  there.  When  Mr.  Walker  came  to  Rexburg,  he  bought  a  fine  home,  and 
has  occupied  it  ever  since.  In  1909  he  went  to  work  for  the  Keller  Implement 
Company  and  remained  with  that  company  for  seven  years  but  for  some  time  past  he 
has  been  with  the  Consolidated  Wagon  and  Machine  Company. 

In  December,  1881,  Mr.  Walker  was  married  to  Sarah  M.  Scott,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  namely:  Mary  C.,  now  married;  Winslow  S.;  Emmet  C.; 
LeGrand,  who  served  in  France  for  one  year;  Verla  J.,  married;  R.  Willis;  Sarah 
J.,  deceased;  Docia  L.,  deceased;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Walker  gives  his  active  support  to  the  republican  party,  and  has  always 
warmly  espoused  its  policies  and  principles  but  has  never  been  a  seeker  after  public 
office.  He  is  an  earnest  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints, 
and  deeply  interested  in  all  its  good  works.  He  served  as  bishop  at  Labelle,  Idaho, 
for  fourteen  years.  Mr.  Walker  gives  a  good  citizen's  attention  to  all  movements 
designed  to  advance  community  welfare  along  legitimate  lines  and  is  generally  regarded 
as  one  of  the  progressive  men  of  Rexburg. 


NEWTON  BAILEY  IRISH. 

Newton  Bailey  Irish,  while  a  painter  by  trade,  now  owns  and  occupies  a  small 
but  highly  improved  ranch  property  situated  five  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Boise  on, 
the  Meridian  road.  Though  the  tract  is  one  of  only  twenty  acres,  the  fine  bungalow 
residence  and  other  modern  improvements  make  it  a  valuable  country  place,  the 
property  being  worth  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  This  has  been  brought  about 
through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Irish,  who  gained  his  start  as  a  painter  upon  coming  to 
Idaho  about  twenty  years  ago. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  485 

He  was  born  in  Erie  county,  New  York,  October  26,  1877,  and  is  a  son  of  War- 
ren W.  and  Susan  (Bailey)  Irish.  The  father  is  a  Civil  -war  veteran  who  served 
with  the  Tenth  New  York  Cavalry  in  defense  of  the  Union  and  now  resides  in  Boise 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  The  mother,  who  was  a  native  of  Maine,  passed 
away  in  Boise  a  few  years  ago. 

Newton  Bailey  Irish  was  the  only  son  of  their  family  but  has  three  living  sisters. 
He  was  reared  to  the  age  of  twenty  years  in  his  native  state  and  then  came  to  the 
west,  making  his  way  to  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado,  where  he  learned  the  painter's 
trade.  He  has  been  a  painter  and  painting  contractor  for  over  twenty  years  and  has 
lived  in  Idaho  for  two  decades,  chiefly  at  Boise.  He  purchased  his  present  ranch 
on  the  Meridian  road  in  1908  and  in  1919  he  built  upon  it  one  of  the  fine  bungalow 
homes  of  Ada  county.  It  is  a  residence  of  seven  rooms,  thirty-four  by  sixty-six  feet, 
surrounded  by  broad  rustic  verandas,  while  cobblestone  has  been  used  as  part  of  the 
adornment  of  the  exterior.  The  house  is  modern  throughout  and  is  finished  in  maple 
and  oak. 

On  the  9th  of  August,  1905,  Mr.  Irish  was  married  to  Miss  Minnie  E.  Jones,  who 
came  to  Idaho  in  1897,  and  they  have  five  children:  Irving,  who  was  born  March  18, 
1907;  Thelma,  born  January  9,  1909;  Dorothy,  September  14,  1910;  Delton,  October 
29,  1913;  and  Dale,  November  22,  1919.  Mrs.  Irish  was  born  at  Raymond,  Montgomery 
county,  Illinois.  April  16,  1878,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Russell  S.  and  Anna  (Kennedy) 
Jones  who  are  now  occupying  a  cottage  on  the  Irish  ranch  near  their  children.  The 
father  of  Mrs.  Irish  was  also  born  in  Illinois. 

A  creditable  record  is  that  of  Newton  B.  Irish,  who,  starting  out  in  the  business 
world  empty-handed,  has  made  steady  progress  through  his  industry  and  determina- 
tion and  is  now  one  of  the  progressive  ranchers  as  well  as  successful  painting  contractors 
of  Ada  county. 


CHARLES  REIN. 

On  the  list  of  Idaho's  pioneers  appears  the  name  of  Charles  Rein,  who  arrived  in 
Ada  county  when  the  work  of  development  and  improvement  had  scarcely  been  begun 
in  the  region  adjoining  Boise.  He  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  Westmoreland  county,  August  11,  1843,  his  parents  being  Jacob  and  Dorothy 
Rein,  who  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  son  was  reared  largely  in  Shelby  county, 
Missouri,  his  parents  removing  to  that  section  from  Pennsylvania.  He  and  his 
younger  brother,  Jacob  Rein,  who  died  a  few  years  ago  at  his  home  in  South  Boise 
and  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work,  came  to  Idaho  together,  crossing  the 
plains  during  the  Civil  war  period.  For  many  years  the  two  brothers  were  promi- 
nently engaged  in  handling  wood.  They  prospered  in  their  undertakings,  winning  suc- 
cess and  gaining  a  place  among  the  well-to-do  men  of  their  section  of  the  state.  They 
formerly  owned  a  fine  quarter  section  of  land  just  east  of  South  Boise,  which  they  pur- 
chased from  Earl  Race,  who  had  homesteaded  it.  In  1890  the  Rein  brothers  sold  this  prop- 
erty of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  to  the  late  Joseph  Gallaher  for  twelve  thousand 
dollars  and  today  the  land  is  easily  worth  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  At  a  sub- 
sequent period  Charles  Rein  purchased  a  forty-acre  ranch  five  miles  southeast  of 
Boise  and  put  upon  it  good  improvements  and  planted  several  acres  to  fine  winter 
apples.  He  and  his  wife  lived  upon  this  place  for  eight  years  and  then  removed  to 
Boise  but  still  owned  the  ranch,  which  was  turned  over  for  further  cultivation  to  John 
G.  Breckenridge,  the  stepson  of  Mr.  Rein. 

It  was  on  the  29th  of  June,  1879,  that  Charles  Rein  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mrs.  Josephine  Breckenridge,  the  widow  of  James  Isaac  Breckenridge,  a  Missourian 
by  birth  but  a  representative  of  the  old  and  prominent  Breckenridge  family  of  Ken- 
tucky. Mrs.  Breckenridge  was  born  in  Washington  county,  Missouri,  September  7, 
1848,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Josephine  Tennyson,  being  a  daughter  of  John  H. 
and  Nancy  (Maxwell)  Tennyson,  who  were  natives  of  Tennessee  and  Virginia  respec- 
tively. On  the  9th  of  October,  1867,  she  became  the  wife  of  James  Isaac  Brecken- 
ridge in  Washington  county,  Missouri,  and  in  August,  1874,  they  removed  to  Idaho, 
locating  in  the  Boise  valley  near  Middleton.  Later,  however,  they  removed  to  a  ranch 
not  far  from  Boise.  Mr.  Brerkenridge  passed  away  February  27,  1878,  leaving  an  only 
eon,  John  G.  Breckenridge,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work  and  who  is  now 
occupying  the  Rein  ranch. 


486  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr.  Rein  passed  away  November  6,  1919,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  His 
wife  now  resides  at  No.  1015  North  Fifth  street  in  Boise  and  with  her  lives  her  nephew, 
L.  W.  Tennyson,  a  well  known  lawyer  of  the  capital  city.  From  pioneer  times  Mr. 
Rein  was  connected  with  the  northwest  and  contributed  to  its  development  and  im- 
provement, especially  along  agricultural  lines.  He  worked  diligently  and  persistently 
as  the  years  went  by  to  win  his  prosperity  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  most  com- 
fortably situated  in  life,  enjoying  in  well  earned  rest  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil. 


JOHN  0.  JORDAN. 

John  O.  Jordan  has  contributed  not  only  to  his  individual  success  but  also  in 
large  measure  to  the  improvement  of  Boise  through  his  operations  in  real  estate  in 
recent  years,  his  method  being  to  purchase  vacant  lots  and  erect  thereon  attractive 
homes  for  sale.  He  is  an  expert  lather  and  also  a  carpenter  of  ability  and  though 
he  employs  much  skilled  labor  in  the  construction  of  his  houses,  he  is  also  one  of 
the  busiest  men  on  the  job. 

Mr.  Jordan  was  born  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  December  23,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of 
Henry  L.  and  Elizabeth  (Mercer)  Jordan,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away  after  having 
spent  their  entire  lives  in  Ohio.  The  Jordan  family  was  established  in  Morgan  county, 
Ohio,  in  pioneer  times.  Although  born  in  Zanesville,  John  O.  Jordan  was  largely  reared 
in  Morgan  county  and  in  1888  removed  to  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  in  company  with 
his  mother  and  stepfather.  He  spent  ten  years  in  that  city  and  for  two  years  was 
engaged  in  the  hotel  business.  In  1900  he  came  to  Boise,  where  he  has  prospered  and 
become  a  substantial  citizen.  Working  as  a  lather,  he  developed  expert  skill  and  for 
many  years  gave  his  time  almost  steadily  to  work  of  that  character.  However,  as  he 
prospered  and  was  able  to  make  investments  he  began  buying  vacant  lots,  erecting  good 
buildings  thereon,  his  operations  as  a  speculative  builder  largely  contributing  to  his 
growing  success.  During  1919  he  built  six  good  modern  homes  in  Boise  in  attractive 
locations  and  has  sold  five  of  these  at  an  average  price  of  about  fifty-five  hundred 
dollars.  His  own  home  is  a  modern  dwelling  which  he  built  in  1909. 

On  the  14th  of  November,  1894,  Mr.  Jordan  was  married  to  Miss  Erne  A.  Roberts, 
a  native  of  Chattanooga,  Tennessee.  They  have  two  sons,  Henry  P.  and  Cecil  J.,  both 
now  having  reached  their  majority  and  both  veterans  of  the  World  war. 

Mr.  Jordan  belongs  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  interested  in  all 
the  plans  and  projects  of  that  organization  for  the  benefit  and  upbuilding  of  the 
city.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues 
of  the  day  but  has  never  sought  nor  desired  office  as  his  business  interests  have 
made  full  demand  upon  his  time  and  energy. 


JOHN  M.  STODDARD. 

John  M.  Stoddard  has  been  a  resident  of  Ada  county  for  but  a  brief  period  and  is 
now  living  on  the  Boise  bench.  He  has,  however,  purchased  a  large  ranch  near 
Meridian,  of  which  he  took  possession  in  the  spring  of  1920.  For  a  long  period 
before  removing  to  Ada  county  he  made  his  home  in  Cassia  county,  Idaho,  and  has 
contributed  to  the  agricultural  development  of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Utah, 
October  14,  1869,  and  is  of  Scotch  and  English  descent,  being  a  son  of  John  M.  and 
Mary  Jane  (Priest)  Stoddard.  The  father  was  born  in  Illinois  and  was  of  Scotch 
lineage,  while  the  mother  was  born  in  England  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  families 
of  that  country.  They  became  converts  to  the  faith  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  were  married  in  Salt  Lake  City  in  1868.  They  had  a  family 
of  nine  children,  seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living  with  the 
exception  of  one  daughter. 

John  M.  Stoddard,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  was  reared  in  Utah  and  in  1895  came 
to  Idaho,  locating  in  the  Upper  Snake  river  valley  near  Idaho  Falls,  where  he  resided 
until  1904,  when  he  removed  to  Burley.  There  he  remained  until  1919,  when  he  sold 
his  Cassia  county  ranch  and  purchased  a  fine  two  hundred  and  forty  acre  ranch  four 
miles  east  of  Meridian  and  six  miles  west  of  Boise,  for  which  he  paid  two  hundred  and 
fifteen  dollars  per  acre,  with  a  free  water  right  from  the  Ridenbaugh  ditch.  While 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  487 

in  Cassia  county  he  clearly  demonstrated  his  ability  to  successfully  handle  important 
ranching  interests  and  as  the  years  passed  he  prospered  in  his  undertakings,  being 
now  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Ada  county  and  a  valuable  addition  to  its 
citizenship. 

Mr.  Stoddard  was  married  near  Ogden,  Utah,  February  26,  1890,  to  Miss  Hannah 
Bybee,  who  was  also  born  in  Utah  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  Mormon 
families  of  that  state.  While  they  have  no  children  of  their  own,  they  have  reared 
two  from  infancy,  having  adopted  a  son  and  a  daughter.  These  are  William  R. 
Stoddard,  who  was  born  March  15,  1895,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Edward  Stoddard, 
a  younger  brother  of  John  M.  Stoddard,  who  is  now  living  at  Shelley,  Idaho.  The 
child's  mother  died  during  his  infancy,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  M.  Stoddard  adopted 
him.  He  is  now  a  bright  young  man  of  much  capability  who  was  sent  on  a  two 
years'  mission  to  southern  Indiana  for  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.  He  is  married  and  has  one  son.  It  was  on  the  llth  of  April,  1917,  that  he 
wedded  Estella  Hansen  and  their  little  son,  born  January  3,  1918,  is  named  John  Lin. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Stoddard  of  this  review  is  a  democrat  and  he  served 
as  highway  commissioner  of  Cassia  county  for  three  years  under  appointment  of 
Governor  Moses  Alexander.  He  is  always  loyal  to  every  interest  for  the  general  good, 
and  his  devotion  to  the  public  welfare  has  been  manifest  in  many  ways.  He  is  a  loyal 
follower  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  it  is  characteristic  of 
him  that  he  stands  faithfully. by  any  cause  which  he  espouses.  As  a  business  man. 
too,  he  has  made  an  excellent  record,  so  directing  his  efforts  and  investments  that  he 
is  now  one  of  the  men  of  affluence  in  his  community. 


EMERY  A.  McKAY. 

Emery  A.  McKay  is  the  proprietor  of  the  Gem  City  Steam  Laundry,  which  is  the 
only  steam  laundry  not  only  in  Emmett  but  in  Gem  county,  where  he  is  developing 
a  business  of  very  substantial  proportions,  bringing  to  bear  long  experience  and  keen 
discernment  in  the  management  of  this  enterprise.  He  was  born  in  Linn  county, 
Missouri,  December  27,  1880,  and  is  the  only  living  son  of  George  H.  and  Eva  (Geren) 
McKay,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away,  the  father  having  died  in  1910,  while  the 
mother's  death  occurred  in  1896.  Emery  A.  McKay  is  their  only  son  but  has  one 
sister,  Mrs.  H.  L.  Dunn,  now  of  Brookfleld.  Missouri,  who  in  her  maidenhood  was 
Miss  Jessie  McKay  and  who  is  two  years  the  senior  of  her  brother. 

E.  A.  McKay  was  reared  in  Missouri,  where  he  pursued  his  education  in  the 
public  schools.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  became  connected  with  the  laundry 
business  at  Brookfield,  Missouri,  as  an  employe,  starting  in  the  work  in  1898.  Ha 
has  since  been  identified  with  the  laundry  business,  covering  a  period  of  more  than  two 
decades,  and  serving  a  complete  apprenticeship,  he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the 
business  in  every  department,  being  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  best  methods  of 
operating  a  steam  laundry.  He  left  Brookfield  in  1901,  removing  to  Joplin.  Missouri, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years  and  was  then  a  resident  of  Pueblo,  Colorado,  and 
vicinity  for  ten  years,  filling  various  positions  in  steam  laundries  during  that  period. 
In  1914  he  came  to  Idaho  and  in  1915  took  up  his  abode  at  Emmett,  where  he  purchased 
the  Gem  City  Steam  Laundry,  which  he  has  since  successfully  conducted.  He  has 
enlarged  the  plant  and  increased  the  capacity  of  the  laundry  as  well  as  promoted, 
the  efficiency  of  the  establishment  by  installing  new  and  modern  machinery.  In 
1919  he  purchased  the  substantial  brick  building  at  the  southeast  corner  of  First 
and  Commercial  streets  in  Emmett,  a  structure  that  is  fifty  by  one  hundred  feet  and 
was  formerly  used  as  a  garage.  To  this  building  he  removed  his  complete  laundry 
plant  in  December,  1919,  from  its  former  location  at  No.  208  West  Main  street.  In  the 
new  quarters  the  Gem  City  Steam  Laundry  will  have  double  the  capacity  and  room.  Mr. 
McKay  is  a  man  of  progressive  spirit  and  something  of  the  originality  of  his  business 
methods  is  shown  in  two  expressions  which  he  has  adopted  in  connection  with  the  trade, 
these  being  "Home  of  the  Irish  Wash  Woman"  and  "Twenty  Years  Over  a  Tub."  In 
other  words  the  work  is  done  with  the  thoroughness  and  efficiency  that  is  usually 
attributed  to  the  wash  woman  who  comes  from  the  green  isle  of  Erin,  and  the  long 
experience  of  the  proprietor  is  indicated  by  the  other  catch  expression  which  he  has 
adopted.  Mr.  McKay  belongs  to  the  Southern  Idaho  Laundrymen's  Association  and 
also  to  the  National  Laundrymen's  Association  and  he  does  everything  in  his  power 


488  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

to  promote  the  efficiency  of  his  plant  and  give  to  the  public  a  service  that  will  result 
in  the  continuous  growth  of  his  patronage. 

Mr.  McKay  belongs  to  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose  and  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Emmett  Commercial  Club.  He  is  fond  of  hunting  and  when  leisure  permits  turns 
to  the  chase  for  recreation  and  pleasure. 


BURT  CAMP. 

The  business  interests  of  Boise  are  of  varied  nature,  each  legitimate  and  successful 
enterprise  contributing  to  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the  city.  Burt  Camp, 
whose  name  introduces  this  review,  is  sole  proprietor  of  the  Boise  Broom  Factory 
at  No.  413  Thatcher  street  and  is  thus  controlling  one  of  the  valuable  productive 
interests  of  the  capital.  He  was  born  upon  a  farm  in  Jasper  county,  Iowa,  June  7,  1873, 
and  is  a  son  of  Clarence  D.  and  Permelia  (Warner)  Camp,  both  of  whom  are  now  living 
in*San  Diego,  California. 

Their  son  Burt  was  but  an  infant  when  the  parents  left  Iowa  and  removed  to 
Geneva,  Nebraska,  where  he  continued  to  make  his  home  for  thirty-one  years.  During 
that  time  he  was  married  on  the  26th  of  June,  1893,  to  Miss  Martha  Alice  Epley,  who 
was  born  at  Batavia,  Iowa,  August  30,  1875,  a  daughter  of  George  W.  Epley,  a  veteran 
of  the  Union  army  of  the  Civil  war,  now  residing  at  the  Boise  Soldiers  Home.  Her 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Julia  Ann  Mclntyre  and  passed  away  in  1914.  The 
father  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 

Mr.  Camp  of  this  review  began  learning  the  broom  making  business  in  1888  and 
s-pent  three  years  in  learning  the  trade.  He  then  purchased  a  broom  factory  at  Geneva, 
Nebraska,  and  has  since  conducted  business  on  his  own  account,  operating  his  factory 
at  Geneva  for  sixteen  years,  after  which  he  went  to  Paonia,  Colorado,  where  he  spent 
jfour  years  in  the  same  business  and  in  1907  came  to  Boise,  where  he  has  since  owned 
a  broom  making  plant.  For  thirty-two  years  he  has  been  a  broom  manufacturer  and 
he  has  the  only  factory  of  the  kind  in  Idaho.  It  is  a  well  equipped  establishment, 
supplied  with  good  machinery,  and  the  thorough  workmanship  of  the  place  results  in 
turning  out  an  excellent  product. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Camp  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children,  Harold  and  Hazel. 
The  former  is  married  and  is  employed  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Boise.  The 
parents  and  their  two  children  are  all  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  Mr. 
Camp  is  likewise  identified  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  and  the  Royal  Neighbors,  Mrs. 
Camp  being  also  a  member  of  the  latter  and  likewise  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps. 
Their  activities  have  to  do  with  those  things  which  touch  the  general  interests  of 
society  and  work  for  public  welfare,  and  in  Boise,  where  they  have  now  made  their 
home  for  a  number  of  years,  they  have  gained  many  warm  friends. 


CHARLES  B.  LITTLE. 

For  many  years  Charles  B.  Little  has  been  connected  with  important  business  in- 
terests in  Boise,  of  which  city  he  has  been  a  resident  for  thirty  years,  or  since  1889.  His 
field  of  labor  has  been  in  the  contracting  and  building  line  and  for  fifteen  years  he  has 
been  superintendent  of  construction  of  the  Boise  public  schools,  thus  doing  very  im- 
portant work  in  the  development  of  the  city  and  particularly  in  improving  school 
facilities.  He  removed  to  Boise  from  Pueblo,  Colorado. 

Mr.  Little  was  born  in  Sparta,  Illinois,  August  29,  1866,  the  youngest  of  five  children, 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  in  the  family  of  Robert  B.  and  Emily  (Taylor)  Little. 
The  father  met  a  tragic  death,  being  murdered  and  robbed  by  a  highwayman  at  Sparta, 
Illinois,  September  27,  1877,  when  our  subject  was  but  eleven  years  old.  The  criminal 
who  committed  this  capital  offense  was  never  captured.  Mrs.  Little  died  many  years 
later  in  Salina,  Kansas,  in  1900.  Robert  B.  Little  was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  while 
,his  wife  was  born  in  Tennessee.  He  was  reared  in  Princeton,  Indiana,  and  in  1855,  at 
Sparta,  Illinois,  wedded  Emily  Taylor.  Of  their  five  children  four  are  living,  there  being 
two  sisters,  Mrs.  J.  F.  Miller  and  Mrs.  R.  D.  Addison,  who  are  residents  of  Boise,  while 
the  cnly  brother  of  our  subject  is  J.  Frank  Little,  who  makes  his  home  in  Los  Angeles, 
California. 


CHARLES  B.  LITTLE 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  491 

Charles  B.  Little  was  reared  in  Sparta,  Illinois,  and  tnere  went  to  school.  Having 
completed  his  primary  education,  he  early  had  to  take  up  life's  arduous  duties,  entering 
upon  planing  mill  work  at  the  age  of  fourteen  in  Sparta.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  years 
he  went  to  Salina,  Kansas,  and  in  that  city  and  vicinity  spent  three  years.  He  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade  there  and  also  became  quite  proficient  as  a  millwright.  All  told 
he  was  for  nearly  four  years  in  Kansas,  at  the  end  of  which  period  he  proceeded  west- 
ward to  Pueblo,  Colorado,  where  for  three  and  a  half  years  he  was  quite  successful  as 
a  contractor  and  builder.  Perceiving  the  opportunities  presented  in  the  young  city  of 
Boise,  he  came  here  in  1890  and  has  since  remained.  For  more  than  twenty  years  he 
was  one  of  the  leading  builders  and  contractors,  his  work  being  represented  by  a  num- 
ber of  the  foremost  buildings  of  the  city.  He  was  superintendent  of  construction  of 
the  Idaho  building  and  was  the  contractor  who  completed  both  the  Federal  building  and 
the  Empire  building  after  the  original  contractors  had  foregone  their  contract.  Among 
other  prominent  structures  he  built  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  St.  Michael's 
cathedral,  the  Congregational  church,  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  St.  Margaret's  school,  the 
Boise  City  National  Bank  building  and  over  one  hundred  residences.  He  also  built 
eight  of  the  Boise  public  school  buildings,  including  the  wings  to  the  high  school,  and 
also  the  Falk  building  and  the  Mode  building.  For  fifteen  years  he  has  been  super- 
intendent of  construction  of  the  Boise  public  schools  and  has  discharged  his  official 
duties  in  this  connection  with  great  foresight  and  ability,  his  vast  experience  thoroughly 
fitting  him  for  this  position.  Conscientious  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  be  has  par- 
ticularly seen  to  it  that  all  the  school  buildings  have  been  properly  and  substantially 
constructed  and,  moreover,  that  they  represent  a  commensurate  return  for  the  money 
expended.  In  that  way  the  work  of  Mr.  Little  has  been  of  immense  value  to  the  city. 
He  has  prospered  since  he  came  here  and  now  owns  much  valuable  property  in  Boise, 
all  of  which  is  rented.  He  has  a  handsome  home  on  the  north  side,  a  double  brick 
apartment  at  Nos.  1014-16  North  Eighth  street,  which  he  built  in  1907. 

On  September  30,  1896,  Mr.  Little  was  married  in  Boise  to  Miss  Lauretta  Morse,  a 
native  of  this  city,  where  she  was  reared,  her  father,  Charles  W.  Morse,  having  come 
here  in  1863  during  the  pioneer  epoch.  Here  he  remained  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  being 
numbered  among  the  honored  residents  of  Boise.  His  native  state  was  Ohio.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Little  have  three  children,  Delbert,  Errol  and  Edna,  aged  respectively  twenty-two, 
twenty  and  seventeen  years.  Delbert  Little  is  assistant  observer  in  the  United  Slates 
weather  bureau  at  Portland,  Errol  is  a  student  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  automobile  school  in 
Portland,  and  Edna  is  now  attending  the  Boise  high  school. 

The  family  are  highly  respected  and  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Little  have  many  friends  in 
the  capital  city,  all  of  whom  speak  of  them  in  terms  of  high  regard.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  church,  to  the  work  of  which  he  is  sincerely  devoted,  and  he 
belongs  to  the  Boise  Chamber  6f  Commerce,  taking  an  active  interest  in  its  projects 
for  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  city  and  state.  He  finds  recreation  in  motor- 
ing and  trout  fishing.  The  career  of  Mr.  Little  has  been  honorable  in  every  respect  and 
is  particularly  worthy  of  emulation  as  he  has  made  his  way  in  the  world  independently 
and  without  help  ever  since  he  was  a  boy  of  fourteen  years. 


EMIL  AUGUST  STUNZ. 

Emil  August  Stunz  is  a  farmer  residing  on  the  Boise  bench,  where  he  has  lived 
since  1916,  previous  to  which  time  he  had  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for  a  con- 
siderable period  in  Long  valley.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  March  12,  1866.  His 
mother  died  when  he  was  a  little  child  and  subsequently  his  father  married  the  mother 
of  the  lady  who  is  now  the  wife  of  Emil  A.  Stunz,  who  was  then  a  lad  of  thirteen  years, 
while  his  future  wife  was  a  little  maiden  of  eleven  summers.  When  Mr.  Stunz  was 
sixteen  years  of  age  he  left  Germany  for  America,  crossing  the  Atlantic  In  1882.  He 
landed  at  New  York  on  the  llth  of  August  and  afterward  spent  a  few  months  In 
New  Jersey.  He  also  resided  for  a  few  months  on  an  orange  ranch  in  Florida  and 
for  three  and  a  half  years  made  his  home  in  Labette  county,  Kansas,  where  he  engaged 
in  farm  work.  He  had  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade  in  Germany,  but  since  coining 
to  the  new  world  has  always  followed  agricultural  pursuits. 

From  Kansas  Mr.  Stunz  returned  to  New  Jersey  and  in  1888  went  from  that  state 
to  Philadelphia,  where  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  army,  spending  two  years  and 
five  months  in  military  duty  connected  with  the  cavalry.  For  a  year  or  more  he  was 


492  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

at  Jefferson  barracks,  St.  Louis,  and  later  was  transferred  to  the  Hospital  Corps, 
while  in  1890  he  was  sent  to  Boise  barracks  as  a  representative  of  the  Hospital 
Corps.  Later,  while  with  that  branch  of  the  service,  he  was  sent  to  the  Pine  Ridge 
agency  of  South  Dakota,  where  General  Nelson  A.  Miles  had  his  headquarters  just 
after  the  battle  of  Wounded  Knee,  in  which  the  American  forces  met  the  Sioux 
Indians.  This  occurred  in  1890  or  in  1891.  Mr.  Stunz  was  sent  to  the  agency  tq 
assist  in  caring  for  the  wounded  and  spent  a  portion  of  one  winter  there.  He  was 
then  returned  to  the  Boise  barracks  and  upon  application  was  granted  a  discharge 
from  the  army  in  1891. 

Immediately  afterward  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Long  valley,  Idaho,  becoming  one  of 
the  pioneer  homesteaders  of  that  district.  He  continued  to  engage  in  ranching  there 
until  1916,  in  which  year  he  removed  to  the  Boise  bench  just  south  of  Boise,  becoming 
the  owner  and  occupant  of  a  splendidly  improved  farm  of  thirty-two  acres  of  fine 
land,  for  which  he  paid  ten  thousand,  five  hundred  dollars.  He  still,  however,  owns} 
large  ranch  Interests  in  Long  valley,  having  over  five  hundred  acres  there.  He 
removed  to  the 'Boise  bench  for  the  purpose  of  being  near  the  city  in  order  that  he 
might  give  his  children  the  advantages  of  training  in  the  Boise  high  school. 

It  was  on  the  1st  of  June,  1892,  that  Mr.  Stunz  was  married  in  Boise  to  the  lady 
previously  mentioned,  Miss  Johanna  Wagner,  and  with  whom  he  had  been  reared 
through  several  years  of  his  boyhood,  after  the  marriage  of  his  father  and  her  mother. 
In  the  interval  from  the  time  when  Mr.  Stunz  came  to  the  new  world,  he  had  kept 
up  a  correspondence  with  this  lady,  who  in  May,  1892,  left  Germany  to  join  him  in. 
Long  valley,  Idaho,  and  become  his  bride.  Neither  has  ever  returned  to  Germany 
since  crossing  the  Atlantic.  They  now  have  seven  living  children.  Bertha  is  the  wife 
of  W.  W.  Russell,  of  Long  valley.  Gretchen  is  a  graduate  of  the  Albion  State  Normal 
School  and  is  now  teaching.  Emil  August,  Jr.,  twenty  years  of  age,  has  just  graduated 
from  the  Boise  high  school.  Agnes  is  also  a  high  school  graduate  of  1919  and  is  now- 
preparing  for  teaching.  Rudolph,  aged  sixteen,  and  Minnie,  fourteen,  are  pupils  in 
the  high  school.  Adam,  eleven  years  of  age,  is  attending  the  Garfield  school.  One 
son,  Carl,  and  a  daughter,  Anna,  have  departed  this  life. 

In  politics  Mr.  Stunz  has  maintained  an  independent  course.  He  has  never  been' 
a  candidate  for  office  and  has  voted  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  judgment.  He 
is  a  firm  believer  in  education  and  is  giving  to  his  children  excellent  advantages  in 
that  direction.  He  has  never  regretted  the  fact  that  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the 
Americans.  He  is  a  believer  in  the  principles  and  institutions  of  his  adopted  country 
and  stands  for  progressiveness,  giving  his  aid  and  influence  to  many  projects  for  the 
public  good.  His  business  affairs  have  been  carefully  managed,  and  enterprise  and 
industry  have  brought  him  the  prosperity  which  is  now  his. 


DAVID  K.  McCONNEL. 

As  the  tide  of  emigration  steadily  flowed  westward  David  K.  McConnel  was  for 
many  years  identified  with  the  pioneer  development  of  the  great  region  west  of  the 
Mississippi.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1862  from  Iowa  and  had  for  a  number  of  years 
before  been  connected  with  that  state  when  it  was  a  frontier  region,  living  in  Van 
Buren  and  Wayne  counties  of  Iowa,  from  1849,  in  which  year  he  journeyed  westward  in 
a  covered  wagon  from  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  Guernsey  county  of  the  latter  state  on  the 
12th  of  August,  1838,  and  has  therefore  passed  the  eighty-first  milestone  on  life's 
journey.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  eleven  sons  and  one  daughter,  being  the  second 
in  order  of  birth.  The  parents  were  William  and  Nancy  (Graham)  McConnel,  who  were 
also  natives  of  Ohio  and  in  1849  removed  with  their  family  to  Iowa. 

David  K.  McConnel  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm  and  the  little  temple  of 
learning  in  which  he  pursued  his  education  was  a  log  schoolhouse  in  his  native  county. 
He  also  attended  a  country  school  of  Iowa.  While  the  father  was  a  farmer,  he  was  also  a 
natural  mechanic  and  handy  with  tools,  and  in  his  youth  the  son  learned  the 
carpenter's  trade  under  the  father's  direction.  He,  too,  however  turned  his  attention 
to  farming  and  cattle  raising  and  to  those  occupations  has  devoted  practically  all  his 
life,  especially  since  coming  to  Idaho.  A  defect  in  one  ankle  rendered  it  impossible 
for  him  to  serve  during  the  Civil  war  and  in  1862  he  came  to  the  northwest  with  a 
wagon  train  of  seventy-two  wagons,  his  own  wagon  being  drawn  by  oxen.  The  entire 
train  crossed  what  is  now  the  state  of  Idaho  and  went  on  to  Oregon,  disbanding  near 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  493 

the  present  site  of  Baker  City.  While  en  route  they  passed  down  the  Boise  valley 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Boise  river,  but  the  capital  city  had  not  yet  been  founded  and 
even  the  fort  was  not  built  until  1863.  There  were  no  towns,  no  houses,  no  irrigation 
ditches,  no  vegetation  but  sagebrush — nothing  to  indicate  that  here  would  be  founded 
and  developed  a  beautiful  metropolitan  center,  with  its  trade  interests  reaching  out 
to  a  broad  territory  and  supplying  every  advantage  for  educational,  cultural,  social 
and  moral  progress.  The  wagon  train  forded  the  Boise  river  near  where  the  town 
of  Eagle  now  stands.  The  river  was  high  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Curtis  was 
drowned.  Mr.  McConnel  first  settled,  in  1865,  near  the  mouth  of  Haw  creek,  where 
it  empties  into  the  Payette  river.  He  took  a  squatter's  right  there  but  did  not  prove 
up  on  the  property.  In  1881  he  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Boise  river,  on  an  island  between  the  two  streams,  and  this 
island  became  known  as  McCon net's  Island,  which  name  it  yet  bears.  The  main 
irrigation  on  the  island  was  called  McConnel  Ditch  and  is  still  known  as  such.  Mr. 
McCounel  purchased  adjoining  lands  on  the  island  until  he  had  over  five  hundred 
acres  and  upon  the  ranch  he  made  his  home  for  twenty-five  years,  raising  there 
thousands  of  head  of  cattle.  About  fifteen  years  ago  he  sold  his  property  there 
and  two  years  later  he  and  his  wife  took  up  their  abode  in  a  comfortable  home  on  the 
Boise  Bench,  near  the  Whitney  school.  Mr.  McConnel  is  now  farming  ten  acres  of 
highly  valuable  land  devoted  to  fruit  and  truck  raising. 

It  was  in  1871  that  Mr.  McConnel  was  married  in  Iowa,  to  which  state  he  returned 
on  business.  The  lady  whom  he  wedded  was  Mary  Maria  Rogers,  who  was  born  in 
Illinois,  April  21,  1846.  They  are  now  a  venerable  couple,  aged  respectively  eighty- 
one  and  seventy-four  years,  and  they  have  traveled  life's  journey  happily  together 
for  forty-eight  years.  Their  family  numbers  five  living  children,  two  sons  and  three 
daughters.  Fred  H.,  the  eldest,  born  in  1875,  is  a  civil  engineer  residing  at  Caldwell, 
Idaho.  He  is  married  and  has  one  child,  Roger  Harmon  McConnel,  ten  years  of  age. 
Mervin  Gill,  the  second  of  the  family,  born  in  1882  and  living  at  Caldwell,  is  married 
and  has  one  child,  Maurine  Genevieve.  Mervin  G.  McConnel,  joining  the  United  States 
army  during  the  World  war,  was  sent  to  France  in  April,  1918,  and  there  served  with 
the  rank  of  first  lieutenant.  Cora  J.  is  the  wife  of  John  L.  Isenberg,  of  Caldwell, 
and  the  mother  of  two  children:  Mrs.  Fredda  Hathaway,  the  wife  of  Del  Hathaway, 
of  Caldwell;  and  Carl  Isenberg.  The  second  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  K.  Mc- 
Connel is  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Watkins,  the  wife  of  J.  L.  Watkins,  of  Parma,  Idaho,  by 
whom  she  has  six  children;  Merle,  Grace,  Roscoe,  Everett,  Reed  and  Mary.  The  third 
daughter,  Margaret  B.  McConnel,  is  at  home. 

From  pioneer  times  to  the  present  Mr.  McConnel  has  been  a  witness  of  the 
growth  and  development  of  Idaho,  having  made  his  home  within  its  borders  for 
about  fifty-eight  years.  There  is  no  phase  of  its  development  with  which  he  is  not 
familiar.  He  has  seen  the  state  when  it  was  a  wild  region  of  mountain  fastnesses, 
of  desert  lands  and  of  uncultivated  valleys.  He  has  lived  to  witness  remarkable 
changes  as  the  years  have  passed  and  he  has  borne  his  full  share  in  relation  to  its 
agricultural  development  and  progress. 


JAMES  B.  BELL. 

James  B.  Bell,  residing  on  a  good  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres  nine 
miles  southwest  of  Emmett,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Mills  county,  Iowa,  September  21. 
1867,  being  a  son  of  James  B.  and  Martha  (Wills)  Bell.  The  father  was  born  in 
Belmont  county,  Ohio,  and  served  as  a  lieutenant  in  the  Union  army  during  the 
Civil  war.  as  did  his  father,  whose  name  was  John  H.  Bell,  and  five  other  sons  of 
the  latter  were  likewise  soldiers  of  the  Union  army.  The  six  sons  of  John  H.  Bell 
who  were  numbered  among  the  "boys  in  blue"  were  Leander,  William  H.,  Henry, 
Samuel,  James  B.,  and  John  H.,  Jr.,  and  the  record  is  one  seldom  equalled — father 
and  six  sons  serving  in  the  same  war.  The  death  of  James  B.  Bell  occurred  in  Iowa 
when  his  son  and  namesake,  James  B.,  Jr.,  the  subject  of  this  review,  was  but  two 
years  of  age.  After  her  first  husband  had  passed  away  Mrs.  Bell  became  the  wife 
of  W.  W.  Western,  who*  was  an  Englishman  by  birth  and  who  proved  not  at  all  the 
typical  stepfather.  He  was  kind  and  devoted  to  James  B.  Bell,  who  was  his  only) 
stepchild.  Mr.  Western  had  one  child  by  another  marriage,  Alice  Western.  Both  he 
and  the  mother  of  Mr.  Bell  of  this  review  have  passed  away. 


494  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

The  early  life  of  James  B.  Bell  was  spent  in  Iowa,  Missouri  and  Nebraska,  but 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  he  resided  on  a  farm  near  Lincoln,  Nebraska. 
He  took  up  railroad  work  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  becoming  a  locomotive  fire- 
man, and  for  twenty-one  years  he  was  active  in  railroad  service,  spending  four  years 
as  a  fireman  and  seventeen  years  as  a  locomotive  engineer,  acting  as  passenger 
engineer  through  six  years  of  that  period.  While  working  in  the  railroad  employ 
he  had  his  headquarters  at  Sheridan,  Wyoming,  from  1892  until  1900  and  from  1900 
to  1904  at  Pocatello,  Idaho.  From  the  latter  place  he  removed  to  Glenns  Ferry,  Idaho, 
where  he  remained  until  1907,  and  from  1908  until  1911  he  resided  on  a  ranch  near 
Caldwell  which  he  had  previously  purchased.  From  1911  until  1913  he  was  em- 
ployed as  locomotive  engineer  on  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  and  made  his  head-1 
quarters  at  Salt  Lake  City.  In  1914  he  purchased  and  removed  to  his  present  ranch 
property  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  acres  situated  nine  miles  southwest  of  Emmett. 
It  is  mainly  devoted  to  the  raising  of  live  stock  and  alfalfa.  It  lies  near  the  slope 
and  in  fact  a  portion  of  it  is  on  the  slope  and  would  be  fine  orchard  land.  He  now 
has  a  ten-acre  orchard  of  bearing  peach  trees. 

At  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  December  1,  1886,  Mr.  Bell  was  married  to  Miss  Lillian 
S.  Ward,  who  was  born  near  Greenwood,  Nebraska,  March  1,  1870.  They  have 
become  the  parents  of  five  living  children:  Ethel,  now  the  wife  of  R.  H.  Simmons, 
of  Vale,  Oregon;  Margaret,  the  wife  of  Harold  McCrosson,  living  near  Emmett; 
James  B.,  nineteen  years  of  age,  at  home;  Gwendolyn,  aged  fourteen;  and  Ruth  Louise, 
aged  eight. 

Mr.  Bell  is  a  Mason  and  exemplifies  in  his  life  the  beneficent  spirit  of  the  craft. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  Order  of  Locomotive  Engineers.  In  politics  he  maintains 
an  independent  attitude  and  has  never  held  office  save  that  of  member  of  the  school 
board.  He  turns  for  recreation  to  the  shooting  of  ducks  and  pheasants  and  displays 
much  skill  in  this  particular.  The  major  part  of  his  time  and  attention,  however,  is 
concentrated  upon  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  his  ranch,  which, 
he  has  already  made  a  valuable  property,  equipped  with  many  of  the  accessories 
of  the  model  farm  of  the  twentieth  century. 


WILLIAM  H.  BURNS. 

William  H.  Burns,  one  of  the  leading  ranchers  of  Gem  county,  living  eight  miles 
west  of  Emmett,  has  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  constituting  a  well 
improved  farm  property.  Upon  the  place  is  a  substantial  cement  block  house  of  eight 
rooms,  which  was  erected  by  Mr.  Burns  in  1908.  He  and  his  family  have  resided  upon 
this  ranch  since  1899,  when  Mr.  Burns  secured  the  tract  as  a  homestead. 

A  native  of  Missouri,  Mr.  Burns  has  lived  in  Idaho  since  1892  and  throughout  the 
entire  period  has  remained  in  the  Payette  valley,  his  present  ranch  property  being 
located  in  that  section  of  Gem  county  known  as  Bramwell,  being  so  named  by  the 
first  settlers  of  the  vicinity,  who  were  Mormons. 

Mr.  Burns  was  born  near  Savannah,  Missouri,  October  14,  1872,  and  is  a  sotf 
of  Owen  and  Ann  (Biglin)  Burns,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  The  former 
was  born  in  Ireland  and  the  latter  in  Burlington,  Vermont,  in  1831,  her  death  occurring 
in  1916,  when  she  had  reached  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  When  a  small  child  she 
went  with  her  parents  to  Blackbrook,  New  York,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  became 
the  wife  of  Philip  McBreen  at  Clintonville,  New  York.  Six  children  were  born  of  that 
marriage,  three  of  whom  survive  the  mother,  Tom  and  George  McBreen  and  Mrs. 
Sarah  Fountain,  all  of  Colorado.  In  1861  Mrs.  McBreen  was  left  a  widow  and  in 
1868  became  the  wife  of  Owen  Burns  at  Central  City,  Colorado.  They  had  four  children, 
of  whom  two  died  in  infancy,  while  both  William  and  Frank  reside  near  Emmett. 
At  the  time  of  her  death  Mrs.  Burns  had  also  twenty-six  grandchildren,  fourteen; 
great-grandchildren  and  several  great-great-grandchildren.  She  spent  almost  her  entire 
life  upon  the  frontier  and  went  through  the  hardships  and  privations  of  pioneer 
experiences.  With  her  first  husband  she  left  New  York,  traveling  by  boat  to  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  which  at  that  time  contained  not  more  than  a  half  dozen  houses.  After  a  brief 
period  spent  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  she  left  that  place  before  the  first  railroad  was 
built  into  the  city  and  by  towboat  proceeded  to  Cincinnati  and  thence  by  boat  on  the 
Ohio  river  to  Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  where  she  lived  for  several  years.  She  after- 
ward returned  to  New  York  by  way  of  the  Ohio  river  and  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  495 

by  canal  boat  to  the  lakes  and  thence  to  New  York,  where  they  were  living  at  the 
time  of  the  death  of  her  first  husband.  With  her  six  small  children  she  again  started 
westward,  making  her  way  to  the  copper  mining  region  on  Lake  Superior.  Several  years 
later  she  started  for  Central  City,  Colorado,  and  from  Omaha  to  Cheyenne  the  train 
was  guarded  by  soldiers.  They  were  delayed  a  half  day  by  buffaloes  crossing  the 
railroad.  At  Cheyenne  she  engaged  passage  on  the  stage  for  herself  and  children 
to  Denver.  When  the  stage  reached  Cheyenne  it  bore  several  scalped  men  and, 
frightened  by  this  occurrence,  Mrs.  Burns  decided  to  remain  in  Wyoming.  She  went 
to  Laramie  and  conducted  a  boarding  house  for  the  men  working  on  the  Union 
Pacific  and  while  there  became  personally  acquainted  with  Bill  Nye  and  Kit  Carson, 
the  latter  often  bringing  her  large  quantities  of  buffalo  meat.  At  one  time  the  handcar 
was  sent  from  Cheyenne  to  Laramie  to  take  her  and  the  children  to  safety,  the 
Sioux  Indians  being  on  the  warpath  a  mile  north  of  Laramie.  While  at  Cheyenne 
two  of  her  daughters  were  married.  Mrs.  Burns  afterward  traveled  by  rail  and  stage 
to  Central  City,  Colorado,  and  after  her  second  marriage  accompanied  her  husband, 
Owen  Burns,  to  Kansas  in  1869.  They  owned  and  resided  on  the  section  of  land  where  the 
city  of  Council  Grove  now  stands.  Several  years  later  they  traveled  by  wagon  through 
Oklahoma,  Indian  Territory,  Missouri  and  Texas,  and  thence  returned  to  Council  Grove. 
Again  leaving  Kansas,  Mrs.  Burns  became  a  resident  of  Colorado,  living  at  Leadville, 
Georgetown  and  Silver  Plume  for  ten  years  and  then  removing  to  Ogden  and  afterward 
to  Park  City,  Utah.  In  1892  she  came  to  the  Payette  valley,  taking  a  homestead  at 
Bramwell,  where  she  resided  until  her  death. 

William  H.  Burns  was  but  four  years  of  age  when  he  went  with  his  parents  to 
Colorado  and  was  reared  at  Silver  Plume,  which  at  that  time  was  a  mining  camp. 
During  three  years  of  his  youth  he  worked  at  the  printer's  trade  in  Leadville,  Colorado, 
and  in  1890,  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  accompanied  his  mother  and  brother 
Frank,  his  mother  being  then  a  widow,  to  Park  City,  Utah,  and  with  them  came  to 
Idaho  in  1892,  the  mother  taking  up  a  homestead  in  Bramwell  adjoining  the  present 
ranch  of  her  son  William  on  the  west.  The  original  Burns  homestead  is  still  in 
the  family,  being  now  owned  by  Frank  Burns,  the  younger  brother  of  William  H. 
Burns.  As  the  years  passed  on  the  latter  assisted  his  mother  in  the  development  of 
her  property  and  eventually  began  ranching  on  his  own  account. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1898,  William  H.  Burns  was  married  to  Axie  Head, 
who  was  born  in  Texas,  February  18,  1875,  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Edmond  H.  Head,  a 
Baptist  clergyman  who  is  now  living  retired  in  Portland,  Oregon,  and  Mrs.  Amanda  ( Sal- 
ter)  Head,  who  died  October  29,  1897.  Mrs.  Burns  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents  from 
Oklahoma  in  1889  and  has  lived  in  the  Payette  valley  since  1894.  By  her  marriage  she 
became  the  mother  of  six  children,  four  of  whom  are  living,  while  two  have  passed 
away.  Angie,  born  December  28,  1898,  was  married  October  2,  1916,  to  Purl  Story  and 
they  have  one  child,  Wayne  Story,  born  November  14,  1918.  Cecilia,  the  second  of 
the  family  was  born  September  4,  1901,  and  was  married  on  the  18th  of  May,  1918,  to 
Floyd  A.  Groat,  by  whom  she  has  a  daughter,  Joyce  Loraine,  born  October  1,  1919.  George 
W.,  born  September  22,  1903,  died  on  the  third  anniversary  of  his  birth.  William  E., 
born  November  17,  1906,  is  at  home.  Elliott,  born  December  9,  1908,  is  also  with  his 
parents.  An  infant  daughter  died  unnamed. 

The  family  reside  upon  a  ranch  which  is  one  of  the  best  in  Gem  county  of  its 
size  and  is  devoted  to  the  raising  of  hay,  grain  and  cattle.  Mr.  Burns  is  a  Mason 
and  is  also  connected  with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  In  politics  he  is  a  democrat 
and  has  served  as  chairman  of  the  school  board  of  his  district  but  has  never  been 
a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He  stands  loyally  for  all  those  interests, 
however,  which  are  a  matter  of  benefit  to  the  community  and  he  cooperates  in  every 
plan  and  project  which  promises  to  advance  the  welfare  of  his  section  of  the  state. 


CHRISTIAN  ANTON  NISSON. 

Christian  Anton  Nisson  owns  and  occupies  a  well  improved  ten-acre  ranch  on 
Boise  Bench,  two  miles  southwest  of  the  capital  city.  To  this  place  he  recently 
removed  from  the  Wood  River  valley  of  Blaine  county,  where  he  owned  a  ranch  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  meres  that  he  sold  on  coming  to  Ada  county.  He  was  born  in 
Schleswig-Holstein,  Germany,  June  28,  1867.  His  parents,  both  of  whom  are  now 
deceased,  never  came  to  the  United  States.  The  son  was  sixteen  years  of  age  when 
he  bade  adieu  to  friends  and  fatherland  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world. 


496  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

making  the  trip  with  acquaintances.  He  landed  at  Castle  Garden,  New  York,  and 
spent  a  few  months  in  the  state  of  Michigan.  He  then  came  to  Idaho,  which  was 
yet  a  territory,  arriving  in  1884.  From  that  date  until  1919  he  lived  in  the  Wood 
River  country  in  Elaine  county,  where  for  a  few  years  he  engaged  in  mining  and 
afterward  gave  his  attention  to  ranching  and  farming.  He  took  up  a  homestead  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  later  purchased  eighty  acres  more,  so  that  he 
became  the  possessor  of  a  valuable  property  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which 
he  developed  from  a  wild  state.  He  lived  upon  this  place  for  many  years  and  con- 
verted it  into  a  very  highly  cultivated  and  improved  farm. 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1888,  Mr.  Nisson  was  married  in  Hailey,  Idaho,  to  Miss 
Maria  Christiansen,  who  was  born  in  Schleswig-Holstein,  Germany,  in  the  same 
neighborhood  where  her  husband's  birth  occurred.  Her  natal  day  was  January  6, 
1868,  and  she  is  six  months  the  junior  of  her  husband.  They  were  reared  in  the 
same  neighborhood  and  were  sweethearts  before  he  left  for  the  new  world,  Miss 
Christiansen  making  the  trip  to  America  in  order  to  become  Mr.  Nisson's  bride.  They 
had  corresponded  throughout  the  interim  and  were  married  as  soon  as  she  reached 
her  destination.  They  have  a  family  of  eleven  children,  eight  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters. Ellen,  born  January  9,  1889;  Clara,  whose  birth  occurred  May  22,  1890;  Charles, 
whose  natal  day  was  November  26,  1891;  Frank,  born  September  26,  1893;  Otto,  who 
was  born  on  the  4th  of  January,  1895;  Carl,  born  October  28,  1897;  William,  whose 
birth  occurred  on  the  1st  of  March,  1899;  Warren,  born  January  11,  1901;  Raymond, 
born  March  11,  1903;  Annie,  born  May  2,  1905;  and  Ivan,  born  July  10,  1907.  Ellen 
Clara,  Charles,  Frank  and  Carl  are  married.  Otto  Nisson  volunteered  for  service  in, 
the  United  States  army  in  August,  1917,  and  has  spent  two  years  at  Fort  Sheridan, 
Illinois,  but  will  be  released  in  June,  1920. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nisson  are  Lutherans  in  religious  faith  and  he  gives  his  political 
allegiance  to  the  republican  party.  While  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nisson  were  born  in 
Germany,  his  mother  was  of  Danish  birth,  and  both  parents  of  Mrs.  Nisson  were  oC 
Danish  birth  but  were  living  in  Germany  at  the  time  when  Mrs.  Nisson  was  born. 
The  eleven  Nisson  children  are  therefore  of  three-fourths  Danish  descent.  The  family, 
however,  is  strictly  American  in  interest  as  well  as  association.  Mr.  Nisson  has  no 
desire  to  change  his  place  of  residence,  having  for  many  years  made  his  home  in 
Idaho  and  having  high  appreciation  of  the  opportunities  here  offered — opportunities 
which  he  improved  until  he  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous  citizens  of  the  district  in 
which  he  lives. 


WILLIAM   W.   YOUMANS. 

Id.aho  with  its  pulsing  activities  and  commercial  opportunities  is  constantly  drawing 
to  it  men  of  business  capability  and  power  who  find  here  a  chance  for  the  exercise  of 
their  industry  and  energy — their  dominant  qualities.  Such  is  the  record  of  William  W. 
Youmans  of  Burley,  who  is  the  proprietor  of  the  Burley  Saddlery  and  Auto  Top  Manu- 
facturing Company.  He  was  born  in  Lewiston,  Minnesota,  December  25,  1855,  his 
parents  being  William  and  Eliza  (Covell)  Youmans.  The  father  died  when  his  son 
William  was  but  two  years  of  age  and  the  latter  accompanied  his  mother  on  her  return 
to  Steuben  county,  New  York.  There  he  lived  to  the  age  of  five  years  and  then  went 
with  his  mother  to  Kalamazoo  county,  Michigan,  where  his  boyhood  days  were  largely 
passed  and  his  education  acquired  in  the  public  schools.  When  twenty-three  years  of 
age  he  went  to  Sumner  county,  Kansas,  where  he  was  employed  by  E.  N.  Andrews  in 
the  saddlery  business  for  a  short  time.  He  then  returned  to  Michigan,  where  he  again 
lived  for  a  brief  period,  and  on  once  more  leaving  tnat  state  took  up  his  abode  in  Wheat- 
land,  North  Dakota,  and  entered  land  in  Dickey  county  near  Ellendale.  He  bent  his 
energies  to  the  improvement  and  development  of  that  place,  which  he  purchased  at  a 
dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre,  securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  proved  up  on 
the  property,  complying  with  the  law,  which  finally  brought  him  title  to  the  farm,  and 
while  residing  in  that  locality  he  also  became  postmaster  of  the  town  of  Port  Emma, 
at  the  head  of  Big  Sand  lake.  On  leaving  North  Dakota  he  went  to  Caldwell,  Kansas, 
where  he  worked  in  a  saddlery  shop  and  carefully  saved  his  earnings  until  his  industry 
and  economy  had  brought  him  sufficient  capital  to  enable  him  to  purchase  the  business, 
which  he  then  carried  on  independently  for  a  period  of  fifteen  years.  At  the  end  of 


Vol.  Ill      S'J 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  -  499 

that  time  he  sold  his  saddlery  shop  and  made  a  trip  to  Mexico,  where  he  engaged  in 
prospecting. 

The  year  1899  witnessed  Mr.  Youmans'  arrival  at  St.  Anthony,  Idaho,  where  he 
established  a  saddlery  business  which  he  conducted  with  growing  success  for  a  period 
of  ten  years.  Not  only  did  he  figure  prominently  for  a  decade  in  the  industrial  and 
commercial  circles  of  St.  Anthony  but  was  also  a  recognized  power  in  its  public  life, 
serving  for  four  years  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  for  two  years  as  mayor, 
during  which  period  he  exercised  his  official  prerogative  in  support  of  many  plans  and 
measures  for  the  public  good.  He  afterward  took  a  business  trip  through  Washington 
and  Oregon  and  later  went  to  Twin  Falls,  Idaho.  In  1910  he  made  his  way  to  Burley, 
where  he  established  a  saddlery  business,  and  through  the  intervening  period  his  pat- 
ronage has  steadily  grown.  He  now  occupies  a  new  brick  building  which  was  erected 
especially  for  him  on  Main  street.  He  now  has  a  department  devoted  to  the  manufac- 
ture of  auto  tops,  in  which  he  is  doing  an  extensive  business.  His  -patronage  has 
steadily  increased,  for  the  public  recognizes  that  the  saddlery  which  he  manufactures 
and  handles  is  of  the  highest  workmanship  and,  moreover,  his  prices  are  reasonable 
and  his  treatment  of  patrons  at  all  times  just  and  fair.  In  addition  to  the  conduct  of 
his  commercial  interests  he  operates  a  farm  of  forty  acres. 

In  1876  Mr.  Youmans  was  married  to  Miss  Nettie  Lane,  a  daughter  of  Edmund  and 
Melissa  Nettie  Lane,  who  were  farming  people  of  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  where  Mrs. 
Youmans  was  born.  She  became  the  mother  of  four  children,  William,  George,  John 
and  Ross.  She  passed  away  May  14,  1917,  at  Burley,  when  fifty-nine  years  of  age.  The 
son  Ross  has  recently  returned  home  from  overseas  service.  He  was  with  the  Twin 
Falls  company  known  as  Company  D,  under  Captain  McRoberts,  and  served  on  the 
Mexican  border.  He  then  went  overseas  with  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-sixth  Field 
Artillery,  participated  in  the  battle  of  Chateau  Thierry  and  was  in  the  St.  Mihiel  drive. 
He  was  fourth  major  officer.  William  is  a  resident  of  Boise,  where  he  is  connected 
with  the  Pioneer  Tent  &  Awning  Company. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  In  political 
belief  Mr.  Youmans  is  a  republican.  His  fellow  townsmen,  appreciative  of  his  worth 
and  ability,  have  called  him  to  public  office  since  he  became  a  resident  of  Burley,  where 
he  has  served  on  the  town  board  and  likewise  as  mayor  of  the  city,  giving  to  Burley  a 
businesslike  and  progressive  administration.  He  has  studied  closely  the  questions  of 
municipal  progress  and  upbuilding  with  regard  to  Burley's  specific  needs,  and  his 
labors  have  been  directly  beneficial  and  resultant. 


BISMARK  YOUTSLER. 

Bismark  Youtsler,  a  farmer  of  Letha  whose  ranch  home  is  located  just  outside  of  the 
corporation  limits  of  the  town  to  the  northwest,  has  lived  in  the  Payette  valley  since 
1880,  or  from  the  time  when  he  was  nine  years  of  age.  He  is  now  in  the  prime  of 
life,  being  forty-nine  years  of  age.  He  was  born  in  Kansas,  January  29,  1871,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  V.  Youtsler.  The  mother  passed  away  in  the  fall  of  1918, 
but  the  father  is  still  living  and  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  He  yet 
enjoys  excellent  health.  He  was  born  in  Effingham  county,  Illinois,  August  5,  1844, 
a  son  of  Ransom  and  Rachel  (Carson)  Youtsler,  both  representatives  of  old  American 
families.  The  Youtsler  family  is  of  Holland  Dutch  descent,  being  founded  in  America, 
however,  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  paternal  great-grandfather  of  Jacob 
Youtsler  served  as  a  drummer  boy  all  through  the  war  for  independence  and  in  recog'. 
nition  of  his  services  was  afterward  given  a  large  grant  of  land  in  southern  Indiana. 
The  Youtslers  became  early  settlers  in  Kentucky.  It  was  in  1865,  in  Sangamon, 
county,  Illinois,  that  Jacob  Youtsler  wedded  Mary  V.  Woosley,  who  was  born  in  Chris- 
tian county,  Kentucky.  They  had  a  family  of  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  living 
in  Idaho.  In  1880  Jacob  Youtsler  and  his  family  removed  to  this  state  from  Missouri 
and  settled  in  the  Payette  valley  near  New  Plymouth.  The  family  has  since  resided 
in  this  state,  nearly  all  of  the  time  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Plymouth  or  of  Emmett. 
Jacob  Youtsler  now  makes  his  home  with  his  children  but  owns  property  on  North 
Fourteenth  street  in  Boise. 

Bismark  Youtsler,  brought  to  Idaho  when  a  lad  of  nine  years,  has  been  reared  In 
this  state  and  is  indebted  to  its  public  school  system  for  the  educational  privileges 
which  he  enjoyed.  The  first  nine  years  of  his  life  had  largely  been  passed  in  Kansas 


500  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  he  is  truly  a  western  man  in  spirit  and  in  interests  as  well  as  through  training. 
For  twenty  years  he  was  .employed  in  the  Payette  valley  sawmills  in  various  responsible 
positions,  first  working  at  Payette  and  later  at  Emmett.  He  also  proved  upon  a  home- 
stead in  Boise  county  but  sold  that  property  in  1918  and  has  since  lived  on  his 
present  ranch  near  Letha,  having  here  an  excellent  tract  of  land  which  he  has  brought 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  which  annually  returns  to  him  a  substantial 
income. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1910,  Mr.  Youtsler  was  married  to  Miss  Crystal  Ricketts, 
who  was  born  in  Illinois,  December  20,  1889,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Williams) 
Ricketts.  Her  father  passed  away  in  1904  but  her  mother  is  still  living.  A  younger 
sister,  Nina,  now  in  Portland,  Oregon,  made  a  splendid  record  in  France  as  a  Red 
Cross  nurse.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Youtsler  have  become  the  parents  of  five  children:  lone, 
born  October  27,  1910;  Beth,  July  9,  1912;  Nina,  December  29,  1113;  Ada,  November 
22,  1915;  and  Mary,  August  6,  1918. 

Mr.  Youtsler  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  in  politics 
maintains  an  independent  course.  His  wife's  people  and  also  Mr.  Youtsler's  father 
are  members  of  the  Adventist  church.  The  family  is  well  known  in  the  Payette 
valley  and  the  diligence  and  'enterprise  of  Bismark  Youtsler  have  gained  for  him  a 
creditable  position  in  agricultural  circles. 


CHARLES  RISER. 

Charles  Kiser  is  actively  and  successfully  engaged  in  the  operation  of  a  ranch 
of  twenty  acres  which  he  owns  in  Gem  county,  the  tract  being  located  two  miles  south 
and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  Emmett.  He  was  born  in  Iowa  on  the  18th  of  January, 
1864,  a  son  of  Louis  and  Nancy  Kiser.  On  leaving  his  native  state  he  removed  to 
Wisconsin  and  thence  made  his  way  to  Idaho  about  thirteen  years  ago,  locating  near 
Council,  in  Adams  county,  this  state,  where  he  continued  to  reside  for  eleven  years. 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  removed  to  a  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  at  the  west  edge  of  the  town  of  Letha  and  resided  there  until  the  spring  of 
1920,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  ranch. 

Mr.  Kiser  has  been  married  twice.  It  was  in  Iowa,  in  1886,  that  he  wedded  Miss 
Dora  Mallor,  who  passed  away  in  1913,  leaving  three  children,  namely:  Earl;  Glenn; 
and  Ruth,  who  is  now  deceased.  Both  sons  are  married,  but  Earl  lost  his  wife 
through  influenza.  On  the  16th  of  August,  1918,  Charles  Kiser  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Mrs.  Laura  Stowe,  the  widow  of  Matthew  Stowe.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Laura  Davis  and  was  born  in  Virginia,  March  22,  1873",  a 
daughter  of  Andrew  and  Martha  (Wilson)  Davis.  By  her  first  husband  she  has  a 
son,  Fred  Stowe,  whose  natal  day  was  December  10,  1905.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kiser 
enjoy  an  extensive  and  favorable  acquaintance  throughout  the  community  in  which 
they  reside  and  in  which  the  former  has  won  recognition  as  a  prosperous  and  pro- 
gressive ranchman. 


JAMES  B.  POTEET. 

James  B.  Poteet,  formerly  a  well  known  sheepman  but  now  practically  living- 
retired  although  engaged  in  cultivating  a  seven  acre  ranch  on  Broadway  in  South 
Boise,  has  lived  in  the  capital  and  vicinity  for  the  past  thirty  years,  having  come 
to  Idaho  territory  in  1889.  For  twelve  years  before  he  had  been  a  resident  of 
Pendleton,  Oregon,  and  up  to  that  time  had  made  his  home  in  California,  his  native 
state.  He  was  born  in  Eldorado  county,  California,  November  13,  1856,  a  son  of 
Thomas  J.  Poteet,  who  was  born  in  Floyd  county,  Indiana,  May  6,  1827,  and  went 
to  California  as  one  of  the  gold  seekers  in  1852,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  who  in 
her  maidenhood  bore  the  name  of  Rebecca  Ann  Kiger.  This  couple  was  married  in 
Iowa  and  in  1852  crossed  the  plains  to  California,  where  they  resided  for  a  number  of 
years  and  then  removed  to  Oregon,  where  Mrs.  Poteet  passed  away.  The  father 
afterward  returned  to  California,  where  his  death  occurred  when  he  had  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  He  often  visited  his  sons  in  Idaho,  four  of 
the  number  being  residents  of  this  state. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  501 

James  B.  Poteet  was  reared  in  California  and  Oregon,  going  with  his  parents 
To  the  latter  state.  He  has  been  a  ranchman  and  dealer  in  live  stock  throughout 
his  entire  life.  For  thirteen  years  he  was  extensively  engaged  in  sheep  raising  and 
in  the  undertaking  was  associated  with  his  brother,  Iven  A.  Poteet,  now  living  at 
South  Boise,  Idaho.  The  firm  of  Poteet  Brothers  often  had  as  many  as  twenty  thou- 
sand head  of  sheep.  In  1900  the  brothers  sold  out,  at  which  time  they  were  the 
owners  not  only  of  twenty  thousand  head  of  sheep  but  also  of  twenty-seven  fine  sheep 
dogs  and  about  thirty  saddle  horses.  They  had  splendid  equipment  for  the  conduct 
of  their  business  and  their  interests  were  profitably  conducted. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1901,  Mr.  Poteet  was  married  to  Miss  Lessie  Hand,  a 
daughter  of  Andrew  Jackson  and  Mary  Jane  Hand,  of  South  Boise.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Poteet  now  have  a  daughter,  Dorothy  Evelyn,  born  November  27,  1904. 

In  the  year  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Poteet  purchased  his  present  seven  acre  ranch 
on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Linden  streets,  in  South  Boise,  and  upon  which  there 
were  no  improvements  at  the  time  of  the  purchase.  In  1902  he  erected  thereon  a  resi- 
dence which  he  and  his  wife  now  occupy.  The  place  is  today  well  improved  with 
good  buildings  and  with  fruit  and  shade  trees,  all  planted  by  him.  He  has  a  large 
part  of  the  seven  acres  in  alfalfa  and  keeps  eight  good  dairy  cows.  While  he  is  a 
retired  ranchman  and  sheepman,  he  is  now  doing  some  intensive  farming  on  a  small 
scale,  for  indolence  and  idleness  are  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  and  he  cannot  be 
content  without  some  occupation  or  business  interest. 

Mrs.  Poteet  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church  and  her  daughter  is  of 
the  Methodist  faith.  Fraternally  Mr.  Poteet  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  is  a  past  grand  of 
the  order.  He  possesses  a  gold  badge  of  honor,  awarded  him  in  1915  by  Boise  Lodge, 
No.  77.  For  thirty-five  years  he  has  been  connected  with  this  organization.  In 
politics  he  is  a  republican  but  has  never  held  nor  desired  public  office,  preferring 
to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  business  affairs,  which  have  been 
wisely  directed  and  have  brought  to  him  a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 


EDDY  F.  WELLS. 

The  ranch  property  of  Eddy  F.  Wells  is  situated  in  the  Bramwell  neighborhood, 
about  eight  miles  west  of  Emmett,  and  the  neat  and  attractive  appearance  of  the 
place  indicates  the  careful  supervision  and  progressive  spirit  of  the  owner,  who 
came  to  Idaho  in  1910  from  Kansas  and  resided  on  a  sixty  acre  ranch  until  the 
spring  of  1920,  when  he  purchased  his  present  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
formerly  owned  by  Frank  Burns,  paying  twenty  thousand  dollars  for  it.  Here  he  has 
a  beautiful  home  and  good  ranch  buildings.  He  was  born  in  Smith  county,  Kansas, 
December  21,  1876,  and  is  a  son  of  Madison  E.  and  Sarah  C.  (Bennett)  Wells,  both 
of  whom  have  now  passed  away.  The  father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  served 
as  a  soldier  of  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war.  He  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1839 
and  had  therefore  just  attained  his  majority  at  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  hostilities 
between  the  north  and  the  south.  He  became  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
First  Ohio  Infantry,  in  which  he  served  as  first  sergeant,  and  in  days  of  peace  he 
always  followed  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  a  leader  in  reformed  politics  in  every 
community  in  which  he  resided.  His  death  occurred  December  28,  1917,  in  Idaho,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  February  11,  1919.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  children,  of 
whom  Eddy  F.  Wells  is  the  only  son.  The  three  daughters  were  Ada,  Blanch  and  Bessie, 
and  Ada  and  Blanch  have  passed  away.  The  surviving  sister  is  the  wife  of  Henry 
Burmood,  of  Wood  River,  Nebraska. 

E.  F.  Wells  was  reared  in  Smith  county,  Kansas,  pursued  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  afterward  took  up  the  profession  of  teaching,  which  he  followed 
for  seven  years  prior  to  his  marriage.  It  was  on  the  29th  of  May,  1903,  that  he 
wedded  Frances  Elwood,  who  is  also  a  native  of  Smith  county,  Kansas,  born  September 
22,  1880,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Lucinda  (Aellig)  Elwood,  who  are  still  residents  ot 
Smith  county,  the  former  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Stark 
county,  Ohio,  and  is  of  Swiss  descent.  Mrs.  Wells  is  the  eldest  of  their  family  of  nine 
children,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living,  the  others  being:  Charles  P.;  Lewis  H.;  Bertha 
May  Harry  B.;  Roy  C.  and  Ray  C.,  twins;  Thurman  Merle;  and  Cecil  J.  All  live  in 
Smith  county  Kansas,  with  the  exception  of  Mrs.  Wells.  The  last  named  spent  her 
girlhood  days  there  and,  like  her  husband,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  began 


502  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

teaching,  following  the  profession  for  five  years  prior  to  her  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wells  have  become  the  parents  of  two  daughters:  Regina  Imogene,  born  January  13, 
1905;  and  Arlene  Delta  Lavoe,  born  March  9,  1912. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells  began  their  domestic  life  in  the  Sunflower  state  but  in  1909 
sold  their  farm  in  Smith  county  and  came  to  the  west.  They  spent  one  winter 
in  Oregon  and  then  removed  to  Idaho,  at  which  time  Mr.  Wells  purchased  a  sixty 
acre  ranch  about  eight  miles  west  of  Emmett,  residing  thereon  until  the  spring  of 
1920,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  beautiful  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
adjoining  his  old  place.  They  have  an  attractive  and  modern  home  which  is  pleasantly 
situated  and  contains  a  furnace  and  many  conveniences. 

Mr.  Wells  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  while  his  wife  is  connected 
with  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution.  He  is  a  democrat  in  politics  and 
he  belongs  also  to  the  Non  Partisan  League.  He  served  as  road  supervisor  for  four 
years  and  is  now  a  democratic  committeeman  from  his  precinct.  He  has  also  been  a 
member  of  the  school  board  in  the  Bramwell  district  and  is  interested  in  all  that 
pertains  to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  his  section  of  the  state..  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wells, 
in  the  fall  of  1919,  made  a  trip  in  their  automobile  to  Smith  county,  Kansas,  and 
return  to  visit  their  relatives  and  friends  in  that  section  of  the  country  and  again 
view  the  scenes  amid  which  their  childhood  days  were  passed.  They  have  no  desire 
to  return  for  permanent  residence,  however,  for  they  are  thoroughly  satisfied  with 
their  present  location  and  Mr.  Wells  is  now  developing  an  excellent  ranch  property 
which  returns  to  them  a  gratifying  annual  income. 


FRANK  W.  NEWMAN. 

Frank  W.  Newman,  a  successful  rancher  and  cattleman  residing  on  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  nine  miles  west  of  Emmett,  was  born  in  Middleton,  Canyon 
county,  Idaho,  August  1,  1888,  and  is  the  younger  of  the  two  sons  of  George  W. 
Newman,  who  is  now  living  in  Weiser  and  who  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  since  eight 
years  of  age.  He  is  today  past  sixty.  He  was  formerly  a  well  known  live  stock 
man  of  Middleton  and  later  of  Emmett.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  A.  Smith,  died  when  her  son  Frank  was  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  the 
father  afterward  married  again. 

Frank  W.  Newman  was  reared  and  educated  at  Middleton  and  at  Emmett,  complet- 
ing the  eighth  grade  work  in  the  public  schools  of  the  latter  place  when  sixteen 
years  of  age.  He  afterward  spent  several  months  in  study  in  a  business  college  at 
Portland,  Oregon.  His  entire  life  has  been  devoted  to  farming  and  live  stock  raising  and 
during  his  youth  and  early  manhood  he  was  in  the  sheep  business  with  his  father. 

On  the  22d  of  June,  1910,  Frank  W.  Newman  was  married  in  Caldwell  to  Miss 
Laura  A.  Barnard,  a  daughter  of  James  Barnard,  a  well  known  rancher  and  auctioneer, 
now  of  Emmett.  Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Newman  has  been  ranching  in  the  vicinity 
of  Emmett  and  in  the  fall  of  1911  removed  to  his  present  place  nine  miles  west  of  the 
city,  where  he  has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good  land,  well  adapted  to  cattle 
raising  and  highly  improved  in  many  ways.  He  has  met  with  substantial  success 
as  a  cattle  raiser,  keeping  nearly  one  hundred  head  most  of  the  time.  These  are 
largely  high-grade  shorthorns  and  he  also  keeps  a  number  of  good  dairy  cows. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newman  have  been  born  three  children:  Delia  May,  born. 
June  22,  1911;  Alice  Lucinda,  in  April,  1913;  and  Frances  Marie,  June  8,  1915.  Mr. 
Newman  is  a  democrat  in  his  poltical  views.  He  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America  and  is  now  serving  on  the  Bramwell  school  board.  He  is  fond  of  hunting 
ducks  and  pheasants  and  also  makes  hunting  trips  for  deer  and  bear,  seldom  returning 
without  excellent  proof  of  his  prowess  at  the  chase. 


JAMES  O.  DAVISON. 


James  O.  Davison  is  a  progressive  farmer  residing  four  miles  southwest  of 
Boise  on  an  eighty  acre  ranch  which  he  and  his  brother  purchased  in  1917.  He  is  one 
of  four  brothers  living  upon  the  place  and  actively  identified  with  its  further  develop- 
ment and  improvement.  James  O.  Davison  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Indiana, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  503 

March  4,  1874,  and  la  a  son  of  James  H.  and  Rebecca  (Phillips)  Davison  both  of  whom 
are  now  deceased.  The  father  was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Indiana,  March  8, 
1839,  and  his  death  occurred  at  Blair,  Nebraska,  August  29,  1912.  He  served  for  three 
years  in  the  Civil  war  as  a  member  of  Company  A,  First  Indiana  Battery,  and  was  at 
all  times  a  loyal,  progressive  and  patriotic  citizen.  His  wife,  who  waa  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  April  29,  1836.  died  in  Blair,  Nebraska,  October  14,  1897.  They  were 
married  in  Franklin  county,  Indiana,  October  28,  1865,  and  had  a  family  of  four  sons, 
all  of  whom  are  yet  living  and  are  associated  in  business  and  home  life,  living  on  an. 
eighty  acre  ranch  four  miles  southwest  of  Boise. 

These  four  brothers  are  Samuel  A.  and  Wiliam  H.,  twins,  James  O.  and  Louis  E. 
Only  one  of  the  number,  William  H.,  is  married.  He  and  his  twin  brother.  Samuel  A., 
were  born  October  12,  1868,  while  the  birth  of  James  O.  occurred  on  the  4th  of  March, 
1874,  and  Louis  H.  was  born  January  24,  1876.  The  Davison  family  removed  from 
Franklin  county,  Indiana,  to  Washington  county,  Nebraska,  in  April,  1887,  and  the 
first  of  the  family  to  come  to  Idaho  was  William  H.,  who  made  the  trip  in  1905.  It 
was  not  until  1914  that  Samuel  and  James  became  residents  of  the  state  and  in  the 
spring  of  1919  Louis  E.  Davison  arrived.  The  last  named  is  a  carpenter  by  trade 
but  is  now  giving  his  attention  to  the  Davison  ranch  in  connection  with  his  brothers. 

William  H.  Davison  was  married  on  the  21st  of  June,  1894,  to  Miss  Eugenia 
Humphrey,  and  they  have  one  child,  Elmer  E.,  born  September  14,  1900. 

The  four  brothers  reside  together,  Mrs.  William  Davison  managing  the  house- 
hold affairs.  The  ranch  is  owned  by  Samuel  A.  and  James  O.,  who  share  equally  in 
the  property.  This  was  recently  purchased  by  them  at  a  very  low  figure  and  is  today 
worth  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  acre  owing  to  the  natural  rise  in  land 
values  and  also  to  the  many  excellent  improvements  upon  it,  made  by  the  new  owners. 
They  have  erected  an  excellent  barn,  have  remodeled  the  house  and  have  made  other 
improvements  which  have  converted  the  place  into  one  of  the  valuable  and  highly 
productive  ranch  properties  of  the  district.  The  brothers  are  all  progressive  and 
enterprising  men,  alert  to  the  opportunities  presented  to  them,  and  there  is  no 
question  but  what  their  future  career  will  be  one  of  steady  progress. 


LOUIS  PARE. 

Louis  Par£,  a  prosperous  rancher  residing  thirteen  miles  west  of  Emmett,  was 
born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  March  27,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  French  Canadian  parents, 
Louis  and  Elizabeth  (Lortei)  Pare,  who  are  still  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Montreal, 
the  father  being  now  eighty-one  years  of  age  and  the  mother  seventy-nine. 

Their  son  Louis  was  reared  and  educated  in  Montreal,  and  having  arrived  at 
years  of  maturity,  was  there  married  on  the  24th  of  May,  1882,  to  Clementine  Lusig- 
nan,  also  a  French  Canadian,  who  was  born  in  Montreal,  January  20,  1863,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Basil  and  Melie  Lusignan,  both  of  whom  were  born  near  Montreal, 
Canada,  and  have  now  departed  this  life.  The  young  couple  resided  in  Montreal  until 
1887  and  then  came  to  the  United  States,  settling  at  Bozeman,  Montana,  where  they 
resided  for  fifteen  years,  during  which  time  he  followed  the  carpenter's  trade,  which 
he  had  learned  in  his  youth  in  Montreal,  eventually  becoming  a  contractor.  Later 
he  lived  for  a  year  at  The  Dalles,  Oregon,  and  in  1906  came  with  his  family  to  Idaho, 
purchasing  his  present  ranch  property  in  Gem  county,  which  was  then  a  part  of 
Canyon  county.  His  ranch,  comprising  eighty  acres,  was  then  all  wild  and  unde- 
veloped land  but  is  now  a  splendidly  improved  place,  in  the  midst  of  which  stand  a 
a  good  residence  and  other  substantial  buildings.  There  is  also  an  excellent  orchard 
upon  the  place  and  everything  about  the  ranch  indicates  the  progressive  and  prac- 
tical spirit  of  the  owner,  who  in  addition  to  his  home  place  has  two  other  tracts  of 
forty  acres  each  in  the  same  neighborhood,  one  of  these  adjoining  the  home  place 
of  eighty  acres. 

In  the  family  are  five  children,  a  son  and  four  daughters:  Marguerite,  Joseph 
H.,  Rosa,  Clementine  and  Elizabeth.  The  eldest  daughter  is  now  a  trained  nurse  in 
Seattle,  Washington,  and  has  but  recently  left  the  service  of  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment, which  she  entered  during  the  World  war,  while  Joseph  spent  eight 
months  at  Camp  Lewis,  being  discharged  February  22,  1919.  Rosa  is  the  wife  of 
Jack  Bane,  of  Gem  county,  and  Clementine  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  Radandt,  of  Salem. 
Oregon,  while  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Zack  Walker,  of  Payette,  Idaho.  The  parents 


504  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  family  are  all  members  of  the  Catholic  church  and  in  his  political  views  Mr.  Par6 
is  a  republican.  His  success  in  business  is  attributable  entirely  to  his  own  labors, 
his  diligence  and  enterprise  being  the  basis  of  his  growing  prosperity. 


JOHN   H.   HALL. 

John  H.  Hall  became  a  leading,  successful  and  representative  farmer  of  Ada  county, 
living  near  Eagle.  He  was  born  near  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  in  1860  and  there  acquired 
his  early  education.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  arrived  in  Idaho  and  while  en 
route  was  employed  for  a  time  in  the  mines  of  Colorado.  He  made  the  latter  part  of 
his  journey  to  Idaho  on  fcot,  walking  from  the  eastern  portion  of  the  state  to  Boise. 
He  turned,  his  attention  to  farming  in  the  Boise  valley  and  in  1894  purchased  the  site 
of  the  present  family  home,  then  known  as  the  Willis  place.  It  was  all  covered  with 
sagebrush,  not  a  furrow  having  been  turned  nor  an  improvement  made  upon  the  land. 
It  was  necessary  to  clear  the  tract  of  brush,  and  Mr.  Hall  not  only  performed  that  task 
upon  his  own  place  but  also  grubbed  sagebrush  from  the  farm  of  Mr.  Willis  in  order 
to  help  pay  for  the  land  which  he  had  purchased  from  Mr.  Willis.  At  that  period  there 
were  only  three  or  four  farms  between  Eagle  and  Boise.  Mr.  Hall's  property  comprised 
forty  acres,  eleven  of  which  has  been  planted  to  prunes,  while  the  remainder  is  devoted 
to  the  raising  of  hay  and  grain.  There  is  now  a  fine  residence  upon  the  farm  and  all 
modern  equipments  and  conveniences,  and  the  place  stands  as  a  monument  to  the  efforts 
and  energy  of  the  former  owner.  Mr.  Hall  also  became  connected  with  the  commercial 
interests  of  Eagle  as  one  of  the  owners  of  the  store  which  is  now  conducted  by  Diehl 
&  Mace.  He  was  associated  therewith  in  1914. 

In  1889  Mr.  Hall  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Gladys  C.  Smith,  a  native  of  Iowa, 
who  passed  away  on  the  3d  of  September,  1913,  while  the  death  of  Mr.  Hall  occurred 
on  the  7th  of  February,  1919.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children,  of  whom  one 
daughter  died  in  infancy.  The  others  are  Fay  W.  and  Grace,  the  latter  a  teacher  in 
the  schools  of  Eagle  and  also  acting  as  housekeeper  for  her  brother  upon  the  home  farm, 
which  is  located  but  a  short  distance  from  the  town  of  Eagle  on  the  main  road  between 
Caldwell  and  Boise.  The  son,  Fay  W.  Hall,  enlisted  for  service  in  the  United  States 
army  on  the  9th  of  August,  1918,  and  was  in  Camp  Fremont,  California)  for  three 
months  and  afterward  at  Camp  Mills,  New  York,  for  a  month.  He  then  went  to  Camp 
Stewart,  Newport  News,  Virginia,  and  was  aboard  the  boat,  ready  to  start  for  France 
when  the  armistice  was  signed,  being  a  member  of  the  Twelfth  Infantry  Machine  Gun 
Company.  He  is  now  giving  his  attention  to  the  farm  work,  which  he  is  carefully  and 
systematically  conducting,  winning  substantial  success  in  the  conduct  of  his  affairs. 


MRS.   MARY  FISHBACK. 

Mrs.  Mary  Fishback,  who  with  her  three  sons,  Robert,  Roy  and  carl,  resides  on. 
a  ranch  of  eighty  acres  twelve  miles  west  of  Emmett,  came  to  Idaho  to  reside  per- 
manently in  August,  1904,  and  for  a  time  lived  in  the  Boise  valley  near  Eagle,  in 
Ada  county,  there  remaining  from  1904  until  1912,  since  which  time  she  and  her 
children  have  made  their  home  in,  the  Payette  valley  in  what  is  now  Gem  county. 
They  first  lived  for  six  years  just  over  the  slough  from  Letha  and  in  the  spring  of 
1919  took  up  their  abode  upon  their  present  ranch,  which  is  pleasantly  and  con- 
veniently situated  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Letha  and  twelve  miles  west 
of  Emmett. 

Mrs.  Fishback  was  born  January  28,  1865,  about  eighteen  miles  from  Fort  Wayne, 
in  Dekalb  county,  Indiana,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Merryweather,  her 
parents  being  Charles  and  Anne  (Truelove)  Merryweather,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  England  but  were  married  in  Indiana,  although  they  had  been  acquainted  in  their 
native  country.  Her  father  came  to  the  United  States  as  a  young  man  and  Mrs. 
Merryweather  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  her  mother  in  her  girlhood  days.  Both 
parents  died  near  Omaha,  Nebraska,  the  mother  in  1874,  while  the  father  survived" 
until  1885.  They  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  of  whom  seven  are  living,  but  Mrs.. 
Fishback  is  the  only  one  now  in  Idaho.  In  1872  her  parents  removed  to  Waterloo, 
Nebraska,  where  she  was  reared,  and  at  Columbus,  that  state,  on  the  7th  of  April,. 


JOHN  H.  HALL 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  507 

1884,  she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Henry  Fishback.  They  became  the  parents 
of  eight  children:  Charles  H.,  who  was  born  June  24,  1885;  Robert  A.,  born  June  8, 
1887;  Ethel  M.,  March  10,  1889;  Nora  R.,  December  5,  1891;  Sadie  I.,  October  20.  1893; 
Roy  Donald,  April  26,  1897;  Ernest  C.,  who  was  born  March  30,  1902,  and  died 
December  7,  1909;  and  Carl  E.,  born  October  6,  1904.  All  of  the  surviving  children 
are  single  and  yet  reside  in  Idaho  except  Sadie,  who  resides  in  Pendleton,  Oregon,  and 
who  on  the  3d  of  January,  1917,  became  the  wife  of  Paul  A  Jones,  a  civil  engineer. 
The  second  son,  Robert  A.  Fishback,  was  called  to  the  colors  in  the  great  World  war 
and  spent  eight  months  in  American  training  camps,  first  at  Camp  Lewis  and  later 
at  Camp  Keough,  Montana,  having  been  fully  trained  for  service  abroad  when  the 
armistice  was  signed. 

It  was  in  the  year  1890  that  Mrs.  Fishback  removed  with  her  family  from  Nebraska 
to  the  state  of  Washington,  where  they  lived  for  eleven  years,  while  later  they  resided 
for  a  time  in  Oregon  and  thence  came  to  Idaho.  Here,  as  previously  stated,  they  have 
occupied  several  ranch  properties  and  are  now  pleasantly  located  on  an  excellent 
tract  of  land  of  eighty  acres  which  with  the  aid  of  her  sons  Mrs.  Fishback  is  care- 
fully developing  and  improving,  having  transformed  it  into  one  of  the  excellent  farms 
of  the  neighborhood. 

Mrs.  Fishback  is  a  Methodist  in  religious  faith  and  she  also  belongs  to  the  Order 
of  the  Eastern  Star  and  to  the  Red  Cross,  with  which  she  did  much  active  work 
during  the  World  war  in  knitting  and  sewing. 


JOSEPH  S.  WARDLE. 

Joseph  S.  Wardle,  a  ranchman  who  resides  on  the  Boise  bench  two  miles  south- 
west of  Boise,  where  he  has  recently  purchased  five  acres  of  land,  was  born  in  Salt 
Lake  county,  Utah,  eighteen  miles  south  of  the  city  of  Salt  Lake,  September  13, 
1870.  His  father  was  Isaac  John  Wardle,  of  St.  Anthony,  Idaho,  who  passed  away 
in  October,  1917,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  He  was  born  in  Lincolnshire,  Eng- 
land, June  14,  1835,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1852  as  a  convert  to  the  Mormon 
church.  He  at  once  proceeded  across  the  plains  to  Utah,  making  the  trip  on  foot  with 
a  handcart  company,  being  then  a  lad  of  eighteen  years.  He  came  to  the  new  world. 
unaccompanied  by  relatives,  but  after  he  had  been  in  Utah  a  few  years  he  sent  to 
England  for  his  parents,  who  Joined  him  in  Utah,  he  paying  their  passage  to  the 
United  States.  Twenty-two  years  ago  Isaac  John  Wardle  removed  from  Utah  to  Idaho 
and  resided  at  St.  Anthony  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  was  a  sheep  raiser 
and  the  excellent  opportunities  for  carrying  on  the  industry  in  Idaho  caused  him  to 
locate  in  this  state.  He  was  very  active  in  the  work  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints,  serving  as  superintendent  of  a  Sunday  school  in  Salt  Lake  City 
for  eighteen  years.  He  was  married  three  times  and  by  his  first  wife,  Martha  Ann 
Egbert,  had  ten  children,  of  whom  Joseph  S.  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  The 
mother  was  born  in  Utah  and  died  December  9,  1916.  By  his  second  wife  Isaac  J. 
Wardle  had  one  child,  a  son,  William  J.  Wardle,  now  living  in  Teton  county,  Idaho. 
By  his  third  marriage  he  had  four  children,  of  whom  three  are  living.  His  family 
numbered  fifteen  children  altogether,  of  whom  ten  yet  survive. 

Joseph  S.  Wardle  was  reared  under  the  parental  roof  and  while  still  a  resident 
of  Utah  was  married  on  the  llth  of  February,  1891,  to  Miss  Sabina  Ann  Beckstead, 
who  was  born  November  30,  1874,  in  Utah,  a  daughter  of  John  A.  and  Sabina  Ann 
(Harrison)  Beckstead,  who  were  also  connected  with  the  Mormon  church.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wardle  have  ten  living  children:  Mary,  now  the  wife  of  Allen  Smith;  Hiram, 
Chester,  who  married  Iva  Holtsclaw;  Geneva  Grace,  the  wife  of  Willard  Farley;  Eva 
Laurel,  the  wife  of  Eugene  Oviatt;  and  Maggie  Myrle,  Zella  Sabina,  Joseph  Alma, 
Isaac  John,  Eldred  and  Verla, 

Mr.  Wardle  and  his  family  resided  near  St.  Anthony,  Idaho,  for  twelve  years  and 
in  Mlnidoka  county,  near  Rupert,  for  two  years.  In  May,  1919,  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  his  present  ranch  of  five  acres  on  the  Boise  bench  and  expects  soon  to  pur- 
chase a  large  ranch  in  this  locality.  He  has  diligently  pursued  his  farming  opera- 
tions throughout  his  life  and  has  thus  provided  a  comfortable  living  for  his  family. 

Mr.  Wardle  remains  a  consistent  follower  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,  in  which  he  is  an  elder,  while  Mrs.  Wardle  has  been  president  of  the 


508  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Relief  Society  for  five  years  and  was  president  of  the  Primary  Association  for  three 
years.  They  are  ever  loyal  to  any  cause  which  they  espouse,  true  to  their  honest 
convictions  and  are  people  whose  genuine  worth  is  recognized  by  all  who  know  them. 


MARTIN  HANSEN  SMITH. 

Martin  Hansen  Smith  is  a  prosperous  and  representative  farmer  of  Gem  county 
who  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good  ranch  land  eight  miles  west  of 
Emmett,  in  the  Bramwell  district.  He  is  the  eldest  of  the  nine  living  children  of 
Andrew  C.  Smith,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work,  and  was  born  in  Salt 
Lake  county,  Utah,  June  16,  1879.  There  he  was  reared  and  became  a  sheep  herder, 
being  so  employed  for  ten  years  in  his  youth.  He  started  to  work  when  but  twelve 
years  of  age  and  continued  herding  sheep  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-two. 
Throughout  the  intervening  period  to  the  present  he  has  followed  farming  and  the 
raising  of  live  stock  and  as  the  years  have  passed  has  met  with  substantial  prosperity. 

On  the  12th  of  December,  1901,  Martin  H.  Smith  was  married  in  Salt  Lake 
county  to  Miss  Nancy  Webb,  who  was  born  in  Kane  county,  Utah,  June  9,  1882,  a 
daughter  of  Willis  and  Beulah  (Allen)  Webb,  who  were  natives  of  New  York  and 
Missouri  respectively.  In  1902  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  came  to  Idaho  and  have  since  lived 
either  in  or  near  Emmett.  Three  years  ago  they  removed  to  their  present  ranch 
property,  which  is  situated  about  eight  miles  west  of  Emmett  and  comprises  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  excellent  land — a  forty-acre  tract  that  is  improved  and 
in  the  midst  of  which  stands  their  home  and  an  eighty-acre  tract  just  a  half  mile 
away.  Mr.  Smith  specializes  in  cattle  raising,  handling  shorthorns,  and  he  also  raises 
hay.  His  home  is  pleasantly  situated  just  a  short  distance  from  the  Bramwell  school. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  of  the  Mormon  faith,  as  are  all  of  their  seven 
children,  namely:  Lorenzo  Earl,  who  was  born  August  9,  1903;  Martin  Merl,  whose 
birth  occurred  September  23,  1904;  Gladys,  whose  natal  day  was  May  17,  1906;  Martina 
Ann,  born  October  26,  1907;  Lewis,  born  May  18,  1909;  Raymond,  born  September 
18,  1910;  and  Ernest  Emil,  who  was  born  on  the  13th  of  February,  1918. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Smith  is  a  republican  but  has  never  been  an  office 
seeker,  giving  his  undivided  time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs.  His  farming 
and  stock  raising  interests  have  been  conducted  along  progressive  lines.  He  usesi 
the  latest  improved  machinery  to  facilitate  fhe  work  of  the  fields  and  by  the  recent 
purchase  of  a  new  touring  car  he  and  his  family  are  now  within  but  a  few  minutes' 
ride  of  Emmett. 


"  DAVID  RUSSELL  TURNER. 

David  Russell  Turner,  a  representative  farmer  living  four  miles  southwest  of  Boise, 
was  born  in  Page  county,  Iowa,  April  16,  1881,  and  is  a  son  of  James  William  and! 
Jennie  (McKee)  Turner,  who  are  now  residing  in  Oregon  near  Weiser.  The  maternal 
grandmother,  Mrs.  Mary  Elizabeth  McKee,  is  also  living  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty-four  years. 

David  R.  Turner  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Page  county,  Iowa,  having 
the  usual  experiences  that  fall  to  the  farmbred  boy.  He  obtained  a  public  school  and 
business  college  education  and  throughout  his  entire  life  has  followed  farming.  He 
came  to  Idaho  with  his  parents  in  1899,  the  family  settling  on  a  ranch  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  near  the  Cloverdale  school,  southwest  of  Boise.  The  father  paid 
thirty  dollars  for  this  land  that  is  today  worth  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre. 

David  R.  Turner  remained  upon  that  place  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
four  years,  when  on  the  31st  of  August,  1904,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Leila  Esther 
Ash  the  only  daughter  of  the  late  Henry  L.  Ash,  of  Boise,  who  passed  away  in  that 
city  in  1902.  Her  mother  is  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Ash,  who  still  resides  in  Boise.  Mrs. 
Turner  was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Illinois,  September  20,  1880,  and  was  reared 
and  educated  in  that  state  to  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  she  accompanied  her 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Iowa.  She  afterward  came  to  Idaho  with  her  mother,  who 
was  then  a  widow,  in  the  year  1903,  and  resided  with  her  mother  and  brothers  on 
the  Ash  Park  ranch  three  miles  west  of  Boise,  a  property  that  had  been  purchased 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  509 

by  her  father  in  1902  just  prior  to  his  death,  which  occurred  before  he  had  time 
to  move  his  family  to  Idaho  from  Iowa.  Ash  Park  was  named  in  honor  of  the  family, 
from  whom  it  was  purchased  by  other  parties  in  1906.  Before  coming  to  Idaho 
Mrs.  Turner  taught  school  in  Iowa  for  five  years.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become 
the  mother  of  two  children:  Helen  A.,  born  July  20,  1905;  and  Russell  Lea.  born 
November  5,  1911. 

Since  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  have  lived  on  four  different  Boise 
valley  ranches,  all  their  own  property  except  the  first.  They  rented  only  one  year 
and  then  purchased  land  and  Mr.  Turner  has  cleared  the  sagebrush  from  over  two 
hundred  acres  of  Ada  county's  valuable  farm  land  and  has  developed  it  to  a  high 
point  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  are  consistent  members  of  the  Bethany  Presbyterian  church. 
west  of  Boise,  and  he  served  as  its  secretary  and  treasurer.  He  is  a  republican  where 
national  issues  and  questions  are  involved  but  at  local  elections  casts  an  independent 
ballot.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  belong  to  the  Knights  &  Ladies  of  Security,  and 
Mrs.  Turner  is  a  member  of  the  Golden  Rod  Club,  one  of  the  leading  social  organ- 
izations for  women  who  reside  on  the  Mesa  or  Boise  bench.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner 
are  people  of  genuine  personal  worth  whose  sterling  qualities  make  for  popularity 
among  those  who  know  them.  They  are  now  occupying  an  attractive  home  embrac- 
ing forty  acres,  constituting  one  of  the  best  farms  of  its  size  in  this  section  of  the 
state.  It  is  situated  on  what  might  be  termed  the  second  bench,  thirty  or  forty 
feet  higher  and  beyond  what  is  commonly  known  as  the  Boise  bench.  It  is  a  gently 
rolling  tract  with  a  slight  incline  and  is  well  watered  by  a  ditch  leading  from  the 
New  York  canal.  It  was  all  in  cultivation  when  it  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Turner, 
but  IIP  has  added  various  valuable  improvements  thereto,  making  the  place  more  serv- 
iceable in  every  particular.  Excellent  new  buildings  have  been  erected,  silos  have 
been  built  and  all  the  accessories  and  conveniences  of  a  model  farm  property  have 
been  added.  He  gives  his  attention  to  the  raising  of  grain,  hay,  hogs  and  cattle, 
and  his  business  affairs  have  been  most  carefully,  successfully  and  wisely  conducted, 
and  he  has  borne  his  full  share  in  converting  Idaho's  sagebrush  land  into  good 
farm  tracts. 


WEBBER  NEWTON  REEVES. 

Webber  Newton  Reeves  is  the  president  of  the  firm  of  Reeves  Brothers,  whole- 
sale jobbers  of  cigars  and  tobacco,  and  has  not  only  been  identified  with  the  business 
interests  of  Boise  but  with  its  public  life  as  well,  having  served  as  chief  of  police 
of  the  city.  He  came  to  Idaho  twenty-four  years  ago,  arriving  in  April,  1895,  from 
Meigs  county,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  April  23,  1874.  He  was  the  youngest  of  the 
three  sons  of  Jeremiah  and  Elizabeth  (Lathey)  Reeves,  who  were  also  natives  of 
that  county.  The  mother  died  when  her  son  Webber  was  but  ten  years  of  age.  The 
father  afterward  married  a  Miss  Norris.  who  proved  a  most  kindly  and  wise  step- 
mother and  who  still  resides  on  the  old  Reeves  homestead  in  Meigs  county,  Ohio. 
Mr.  Reeves  also  survives  and  is  still  active  and  vigorous  at  the  age  of  seventy-four 
years.  He  represents  one  of  the  old  pioneer  families  of  that  section  of  the  Buckeye 
state. 

Webber  N.  Reeves  was  reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  and  had  the  usual  expe- 
riences that  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  farm-bred  boy.  He  came  to  Idaho  about  the  time  he 
attained  his  majority  and  spent  the  first  ten  years  of  his  residence  in  this  state  in 
the  Boise  basin  and  in  and  around  Idaho  City.  During  that  period  he  was  variously 
employed.  He  cut  cordwood,  conducted  a  boarding  house  and  carried  on  other  busi- 
ness interests  in  order  to  provide  a  living.  In  1900  the  gold  excitement  at  Nome. 
Alaska,  took  him  to  that  country,  but  after  a  year  in  the  snowy  regions  there,  during 
which  time  he  engaged  in  mining,  he  returned  to  Idaho  City.  In  1908  he  came  to 
Boise,  where  he  has  made  his  home  continuously  since.  During  his  residence  here 
he  has  been  identified  with  the  cigar  and  tobacco  trade,  which  he  has  conducted  along 
both  retail  and  wholesale  lines.  He  was  in  the  retail  business  from  1909  until  1918 
and  since  September,  1916,  he  has  been  engaged  as  a  wholesale  jobber  of  cigars  and 
tobacco  and  since  November,  1918.  has  concentrated  his  attention  exclusively  upon 
the  wholesale  trade.  Throughout  this  period,  in  both  the  retail  and  wholesale  business, 
he  has  been  associated  with  his  brother.  Wilbert  Reeves,  under  the  firm  style  of  Reeves 


510  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Brothers.  The  retail  business  was  established  at  No.  820  Main  street  and  was  con- 
tinuously conducted  by  them  at  that  location  until  they  sold  the  store.  They  have 
since  concentrated  their  efforts  upon  the  development  of  the  wholesale  trade  at  No. 
712  Main  street,  where  they  opened  this  branch  of  their  business  in  September,  1916. 
The  wholesale  business  was  incorporated  on  the  1st  of  July,  1919,  with  Webber  N. 
Reeves  as  president  and  Wilbert  R.  Reeves  as  vice  president.  The  latter  came  to  Idaho 
in  1889,  making  his  way  at  once  to  Boise. 

On  the  22d  of  May,  1902,  Mr.  Reeves  was  married  in  Boise  to  Miss  Isabella  Perkins, 
who  was  born  in  Illinois  but  was  reared  in  Montana.  In  public  affairs  of  the  city 
Mr.  Reeves  takes  an  active  and  helpful  interest.  He  has  twice  filled  the  position  of; 
Chief  of  Police  in  Boise,  the  first  time  for  a  period  of  six  months  in  1909,  under  the 
administration  of  Mayor  Joseph  T.  Pence,  and  the  second  time  for  a  period  of  more 
than  two  years  during  the  administration  of  Mayor  Hodges.  He  has  always  been 
entirely  independent  in  politics,  supporting  the  men  and  measures  that  he  believes 
will  advance  the  best  interests  of  community,  commonwealth  and  country.  Fraternally 
he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World  and  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose  and  he  is  a  member  and  one  of  the  directors  ofl 
the  Boise  Commercial  Club,  thus  manifesting  a  keen  and  helpful  interest  in  all  things, 
pertaining  to  the  public  welfare,  his  aid  and  influence  being  always  on  the  side  of 
progress  and  improvement. 


CHARLES   A.  ROBISON. 

Charles  A.  Robison,  a  rancher  who  is  largely  engaged  in  stock  raising,  occupying 
an  excellent  property  of  two  hundred  acres,  devoted  to  the  cattle  industry  and  to 
the  raising  of  hay  and  grain,  his  place  being  situated  about  eleven  miles  west  of 
Emmett,  in  Gem  county,  was  born  near  Pleasant  Grove,  Utah,  August  5,  1868,  and 
is  one  of  the  two  sons  and  three  daughters  of  Charles  Edward  and  Rosetta  Mary 
(Berry)  Robison,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  The  father  and  mother  were 
children  when  they  removed  to  Utah  with  their  respective  parents,  who  were  converts 
to  the  Mormon  faith.  Charles  E.  Robison  was  born  in  Missouri  and  his  wife  was  a 
native  of  Michigan.  He  died  in  South  Carolina  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight  years,  while 
serving  his  church  as  a  missionary  there,  and  the  mother  passed  away  in  Logan,  Utah, 
in  1918. 

When  Charles  A.  Robison  was  four  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  from  Utah 
to  Bear  Lake  county,  Idaho,  and  he  has  since  lived  in  this  state,  covering  the  period 
from  1872  until  the  present.  His  youthful  days  were  passed  upon  a  ranch  near  Mont- 
pelier,  Idaho,  and  he  continued  to  reside  in  Bear  Lake  county  from  1872  until  1915, 
when  he  sold  the  large  ranch  of  five  hundred  acres  which  he  owned  there  and  then 
removed  to  Gem  county.  Through  the  succeeding  winter  he  lived  in  Emmett  and  then 
took  up  his  abode  upon  his  present  ranch  property  of  two  hundred  acres  eleven  miles 
west  of  Emmett.  Throughout  his  entire  life  his  time  and  energies  have  been  devoted 
to  ranching,  although  he  served  as  sheriff  of  Bear  Lake  county  for  one  term  about 
twenty-one  years  ago  and  for  four  years  he  acted  as  foreman  of  a  construction  force 
with  the  Utah  Power  &  Light  Company,  engaged  in  canal  construction  work  in  Bear 
Lake  county.  Mr.  Robison  has  been  very  successful  as  a  rancher  and  dealer  in  live 
stock.  He  became  a  prominent  representative  of  ranching  interests  in  Bear  Lake 
county  and  is  also  one  of  the  leading  men  in  this  line  in  Gem  county.  He  not  only 
successfully  raises  cattle  in  large  numbers  but  also  buys  and  sells  cattle,  keeping  from 
fifty  to  one  hundred  head  on  hand  most  of  the  time  and  having  at  all  times  a  number 
of  good  dairy  cows. 

Mr.  Robison  has  been  married  twice.  On  the  19th  of  August,  1892,  he  wedded 
Cora  Frances  Passie,  who  died  November  3,  1912.  On  the  5th  of  June,  1914,  he  married 
Susan  Charlotte  Hale,  who  was  born  in  Trenton,  Cache  county,  Utah,  January  10, 
1892,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Alma  Frederick  Hale,  of  Gem  county,  who  resides  on  a 
ranch  adjoining  the  Robison  place.  Mrs.  Robison,  too,  is  of  the  Mormon  faith  and 
is  a  second  cousin  of  Heber  Q.  Hale,  of  Boise,  president  of  the  Boise  stake  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Mr.  Robison  has  become  the  father  of 
thirteen  children,  ten  of  whom  were  born  of  his  first  marriage  and  three  by  his  second. 
Of  the  first  family  three  have  passed  away.  The  seven  living  are:  Ernest  Charles, 
who  was  born  November  1,  1894;  Leone  Drusilla,  born  July  16,  1898;  Jay  Passie,  Sep- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  511 

tember  29,  1900;  Harold  Berry,  March  7,  1903;  Legrand  Thomas,  June  17,  1905;  Budd 
Stanton,  April  25,  1908;  and  Rosetta  Lenore,  June,  3,  1910.  The  three  children  of 
his  second  marriage  are:  Alma,  who  was  born  April  5,  1915;  Udel,  born  January  30, 
1917;  and  Freda  Lucile,  born  March  11,  1919. 

Mr.  Robison  is  a  democrat  in  his  political  views  and  is  now  serving  as  school 
trustee.  He  was  formerly  city  marshal  of  Montpelier  for  two  years  but  has  never 
been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking,  preferring  to  give  his  time  and  energy 
to  his  business  affairs.  In  young  manhood  he  served  as  a  missionary  for  his  church 
in  Texas  and  Oklahoma  for  two  years.  He  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the 
locality  where  he  resides  and  his  excellent  ranch  property  of  two  hundred  acres  is 
the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  well  directed  energy  and  thrift. 


WILBERT  RILEY  REEVES. 

Wilbert  Riley  Reeves,  treasurer  of  Reeves  Brothers,  wholesale  jobbers  of  cigars 
and  tobacco,  and  one  of  the  enterprising  business  men  of  Boise,  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead  farm  in  Meigs  county,  Ohio,  October  16,  1865.  He  was  the  eldest  of  four 
children  and  the  father  with  his  second  wife  still  resides  upon  the  old  home  farm 
in  the  Buckeye  state.  A  sister,  Mrs.  Effie  B.  Riordan,  is  also  living  in  Boise  and  is  the 
wife  of  Edmond  H.  Riordan.  One  of  the  brothers  Is  Winfield  T.  Reeves,  living  at 
Council  Grove,  Kansas,  while  the  other  two  members  of  the  family  are  Webber  Newton 
and  Wilbert  Riley  Reeves,  who  constitute  the  firm  of  Reeves  Brothers. 

It  was  in  November,  1884,  that  Wilbert  R.  Reeves  left  Meigs  county,  Ohio,  and 
spent  five  years  in  Kansas  and  Colorado.  He  then  came  to  Boise,  Idaho,  but  later 
resided  for  several  years  in  the  Boise  basin  of  Boise  county,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  the  wood  business.  While  there  making  his  home  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
assessor  of  Boise  county  and  served  in  the  years  1899  and  1900.  In  1903  he  returned 
to  Boise  and  later  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Reeves  Brothers  Company,  of 
which  he  was  made  treasurer  upon  its  incorporation  on  the  1st  of  July,  1919.  They 
conduct  an  exclusive  wholesale  jobbing  business  in  cigars  and  tobacco,  although  they 
formerly  also  conducted  a  retail  trade. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  1892,  in  Kansas,  Mr.  Reeves  was  married  to  Miss  Maude 
Burton,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the  Sunflower  state.  Fraternally  he  is  connected 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  financial  secretary  of  Boise  Lodge. 
No.  77.  He  also  has  membership  with  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose,  while  In  politics 
he  maintains  an  independent  course.  His  hobby  is  hard  work.  He  has  not  had  a 
vacation  in  fifteen  years  or  since  1904,  when  he  visited  his  father  in  Meigs  county, 
Ohio,  but  is  planning  to  again  visit  him  soon.  His  diligence,  his  close  application  and 
his  unfaltering  energy  have  been  the  salient  features  in  the  attainment  of  his  suc- 
cess, which  has  brought  him  to  a  place  in  the  front  rank  of  the  representative  business 
men  of  his  adopted  city. 


WILLIE  ALBERT  WHITE. 

Willie  Albert  White  owns  and  occupies  a  farm  in  the  western  suburbs  of  Boise 
on  State  street  and  is  devoting  his  attention  to  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  to 
live  stock.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1904  and  for  two  years  resided  in  Boise,  erecting  a 
home  at  the  corner  of  Eighteenth  and  Ridenbaugh  streets.  This  property  he  afterward 
sold  and  in  1906  removed  to  Seattle,  but  after  a  few  months  returned  to  Boise.  At  a 
still  later  period  he  left  the  city  to  establish  a  home  elsewhere,  but  each  time  he  has 
been  drawn  back  by  the  opportunities  of  the  Boise  valley.  After  returning  from  Seattle 
he  resided  in  Boise  until  1909,  when  he  removed  to  Portland,  Oregon,  but  in  the  fall 
of  1910  he  and  his  family  again  came  to  Idaho's  capital  and  in  the  same  year  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  property  of  forty-six  acres,  lying  just  west  of  Boise.  This 
tract  is  very  valuable  land,  for  there  is  no  better  irrigated  district  in  the  Boise  valley 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  will  soon  be  within  the  corporation  limits  of  the  city, 
owing  to  the  rapid  growth  of  Boise. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  first  came  to  Boise  from  Iowa,  both  being  natives  of  that  state. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Keokuk  on  the  21st  of  August,  1867,  while  Mrs.  White  was  born  in 


512  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Des  Moines  county,  December  25,  1876,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mabel  B.  Gibson. 
They  were  reared  and  educated  in  the  Hawkeye  state  and  on  the  6th  of  April,  1892, 
were  married.  They  represent  old  families  of  Iowa,  Mr.  White  being  a  son  of  William 
G.  and  Lucinda  (Parr)  White,  while  his  wife  is  a  daughter  of  Levi  A.  and  Alice  (Pugh) 
Gibson.  The  four  parents  of  this  worthy  couple  are  deceased. 

While  living  in  Iowa,  Mr.  White  had  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  and  had 
become  a  man  of  considerable  means,  extending  his  interests  into  banking  circles 
as  the  owner  of  a  private  bank  in  Beaconsfield,  Iowa.  Since  his  removal  to  the  west 
he  has  followed  ranching  and  the  live  stock  industry  and  has  also  carried  on  dairying 
for  several  years.  He  has  likewise  dealt  in  real  estate  and  has  built  and  sold  several 
good  bungalows  in  the  western  and  northwestern  sections  of  Boise.  In  business  affairs 
he  displays  sound  judgment  and  keen  sagacity  and  insight,  and  his  wise  investments 
and  indefatigable  energy  have  been  potent  forces  in  the  attainment  of  his  present 
day  success. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  have  become  the  parents  of  seven  living  children,  four  sons 
and  three  daughters,  namely:  Lois,  now  the  wife  of  W.  L.  McCormick,  of  Weiser,  Idaho; 
William  Warren;  Fred  L.;  Alice  Carmen;  John  Albert;  Frances  Eleanor;  and  Thomas 
Marshall. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  give  their  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  and 
are  also  members  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce.  They  manifest  a  keen  and  helpful 
interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  and  upbuilding  not  only  of  the  city  but  of 
the  state  as  well,  and  their  aid  can  be  counted  upon  to  further  any  measure  for  the 
general  good. 


GEORGE  M.  PETHTEL. 

While  his  path  has  been  beset  by  difficulties  and  obstacles  incident  to  the  sej;tle- 
ment  of  the  frontier,  George  M.  Pethtel  has  in  time  overcome  all  these  disadvantages 
and  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  and  sheep  raisers  of  Ada  county.  He  was 
born  in  McDonough  county,  Illinois,  September  13,  1859,  a  son  of  Solomon  Pethtel,  who 
was  a  native  of  West  Virginia  and  removed  to  Illinois  when  it  was  a  frontier  state. 
There  he  homesteaded  land  and  gave  his  attention  to  farming.  He  married  Sarah 
Creamer,  also  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  and  he  died  when  his  son  G.  M.  Pethtel,  was  a 
youth  of  sixteen  years.  His  widow  afterward  married  again  and  removed  with  her 
second  husband  to  Kansas,  where  she  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 

George  M.  Pethtel  attended  the  common  schools  in  his  native  county  to  the  age  of 
sixteen  years,  when  because  of  his  father's  death  he  found  it  necessary  to  remain  at 
home  and  carry  on  the  work  of  the  farm.  He  remained  a  resident  of  Illinois  until  he 
cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  James  A.  Garfield,  and  immediately  afterward  he 
left  for  Crawford  county,  Kansas,  with  his  mother,  who  in  the  following  spring  returned 
to  Illinois.  G.  M.  Pethtel  remained  in  the  Sunflower  state,  however,  and  there  fol- 
lowed farming  for  about  two  years  in  the  employ  of  others.  He  was  then  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Louisa  Goul,  of  Illinois,  and  began  farming  on  his  own  ac- 
count. He  was  thus  identified  with  agricultural  interests  in  Kansas  for  a  period  of  ten 
years,  after  which  he  and  his  wife  came  to  Idaho  in  the  spring  preceding  the  admis- 
sion of  the  state  into  the  Union.  He  first  settled  in  Boise  and  engaged  in  the  transfer 
and  delivery  business  for  two  years.  He  was  then  employed  at  farm  work  for  a  year 
and  in  the  meantime  he  homesteaded  his  present  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
six  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Nampa.  This  was  raw  sagebrush  land,  which  he 
cleared,  and  at  intervals  he  worked  in  Boise  in  order  to  earn  money  that  would  enable 
him  to  put  a  few  improvements  on  his  place  and  to  supply  the  necessities  of  the  fam- 
ily. After  two  years  and  just  after  he  obtained  water  on  his  property  and  things  began 
to  look  brighter  and  more  encouraging,  his  wife  passed  away  in  May,  1894,  leaving 
two  small  children,  a  girl  of  nine  and  a  boy  of  four. 

As  soon  as  possible  after  her  death  Mr.  Pethtel  left  the  ranch  and  went  to  Owyhee 
county,  where  he  worked  in  a  logging  camp.  His  little  son  went  to  live  with  an  aunt, 
Mrs.  Wright,  in  Boise,  while  the  daughter  accompanied  her  father  to  the  logging  camp 
in  charge  of  another  aunt,  Mrs.  McNutt,  who  cooked  for  the  loggers.  Mr.  Pethtel  re- 
mained in  that  camp  for  about  six  months  and  then  returned  to  his  homestead,  where 
he  not  only  resumed  the  work  of  the  fields  but  also  the  care  of  the  household  and 
built  up  the  place  by  hard  labor  until  now  he  has  one  of  the  finest  farms  of  Ada  county. 


Vol.   Ill— S3 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  515 

His  first  crops  were  clover,  timothy  and  corn,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  discharge 
the  indebtedness  upon  the  place  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  growing  of  beef  cattle. 
•Later  he  began  raising  horses  and  hogs  and  finally  introduced  sheep,  now  having  one 
hundred  and  fifteen  head  of  sheep  upon  his  place.  His  sheep  raising  interests  claim 
much  of  his  attention.  His  original  homestead  comprised  eighty  acres  of  land,  of 
which  he  has  since  given  twenty  acres  to  his  son.  Mr.  Pethtel  assisted  in  building  the 
Ridenbaugh  High  Line  irrigation  canal  and  there  are  few  phases  of  pioneer  develop- 
ment in  this  section  of  the  state  with  which  he  is  not  thoroughly  familiar,  while  to 
the  work  of  general  progress  and  improvement  he  has  always  given  active  support. 
While  he  did  not  have  trouble  with  the  Indians,  he  had  worse  trouble  with  the  Jack 
rabbits  and  the  range  stock,  which  ruined  his  crops  for  the  first  few  years. 

Mr.  Pethtel  has  been  a  second  time  married,  having  wedded  Frances  Ellen  Le Valley, 
of  Kansas.  The  two  children  of  the  first  marriage  are:  Lida  Pearl,  now  the  wife  of 
6.  W.  Andrews,  who  is  farming  west  of  her  father's  place;  and  D.  C.  Pethtel,  who  mar- 
ried Florence  Gertrude  Smith,  of  Colorado,  and  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  on  a 
tract  of  land  adjoining  his  father's  farm.  The  children  of  the  second  marriage  are  four 
in  number,  namely:  Leland,  deceased;  Elvin  Annie,  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  Flor- 
ence Gertrude,  seven  years,  both  of  whom  are  attending  school;  and  Frances,  who 
is  four  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Pethtel  served  on  the  school  board  for  one  year  but  otherwise  has  not  sought 
or  desired  office.  He  has  always  preferred  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  upon 
his  farm  work,  which  he  has  diligently  pursued  with  the  result  that  in  the  course  of 
years  his  untiring  industry  and  perseverance  have  brought  to  him  substantial  success. 


ABRAHAM  CHADWICK. 

Abraham  Chad  wick  is  a  retired  sheepman  and  rancher  who  now  resides  at  Ivywild. 
about  three  miles  from  Boise,  but  who  for  five  years  prior  to  March,  1919,  made  his 
home  on  a  ranch  south  of  Eagle.  He  had  lived  in  Boise  for  seven  years  prior  to  that  time, 
having  taken  up  his  abode  in  the  capital  city  in  1906.  In  fact  much  of  his  life  has 
been  spent  in  the  west  He  made  his  way  to  Utah  in  1851  in  company  with  his  parents, 
Abraham  and  Mary  (Burton)  Chadwick.  He  was  then  only  seven  years  of  age,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  March  30,  1844.  When  he  was  quite 
young  his  parents  went  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  and  in  1851  resumed  their  westward 
journey  with  Salt  Lake  City  as  their  destination,  for  they  were  converts  to  the 
Mormon  faith. 

The  son  was  reared  and  educated  largely  in  Utah  and  was  married  in  Provo  on 
the  4th  of  December,  1899,  to  Mrs.  Anna  Wilson,  the  widow  of  Theodore  Wilson.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Anna  Siebenaller  and  was  born  at  Decada,  Sheboygan  county, 
Wisconsin,  March  4,  1877,  being  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Mary  Siebenaller,  the 
former  a  native  of  Brussels,  Belgium,  but  of  German  descent,  while  the  latter  was 
born  in  France  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  country.  Mrs.  Chad- 
wick's  father  and  mother  both  came  to  the  United  States  with  their  respective  parents 
in  childhood  and  were  married  in  Wisconsin.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Chad- 
wick  was  Peter  Siebenaller,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Wisconsin.  Her 
father,  Nicholas  Siebenaller,  was  a  farmer  and  followed  agricultural  pursuits  through- 
out his  active  life. 

At  the  time  of  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chadwick  he  was  extensively  engaged 
in  sheep  raising  and  continued  in  active  connection  with  the  sheep  industry  for  many 
years,  both  in  Utah  and  in  Idaho.  He  remained  a  factor  in  the  business  until  1906, 
when  he  retired  from  active  life  and  removed  to  Boise.  He  had  at  times  thousands  of 
sheep  and  was  one  of  the  well  known  sheepmen  of  the  state.  The  careful  conduct  of 
his  business  won  him  substantial  prosperity,  and  he  felt  at  length  that  he  had  reached 
a  point  where  he  could  retire  from  business  and  spend  his  remaining  days  in  such 
pursuits  as  his  taste  and  judgment  approved.  For  a  period  of  seven  years  after  their 
marriage  Mrs.  Chadwick  was  with  her  husband  constantly  in  the  sheep  business  and  dur- 
ing that  time  they  never  lived  nor  slept  in  a  house,  their  home  being  a  covered  sheep 
wagon  as  they  traveled  over  the  range,  superintending  the  work  of  the  men  who  had 
charge  of  their  flocks.  Mrs.  Chadwick  had  been  reared  and  educated  in  Wisconsin, 
but  she  chose  to  be  with  her  husband  in  his  active  work  during  these  seven  years  of 
their  early  married  life.  She  was  an  expert  shot  and  amused  herself  much  of  the 


516  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

time  by  hunting  small  game  in  the  vicinity  of  the  camps,  using  a  fine  miniature 
double-barreled  shotgun,  which  was  engraved  and  was  a  wonderful  creation.  It  weighed 
only  two  and  a  half  pounds  and  was  made  by  the  Royal  Gun  Works  of  Belgium,  being 
presented  to  her  by  Mr.  Chadwick. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chadwick  have  been  married  twice,  but  Mrs.  Chadwick  has 
no  children  by  either  marriage.  In  his  younger  years  in  Utah  Mr.  Chadwick,  in  common 
with  the  custom  of  the  Mormon  church,  to  which  he  belongs,  had  wives  and  reared 
several  children.  His  wife  adheres  to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  in  which  she  was 
reared,  but  the  difference  in  their  religious  views  has  never  caused  the  slightest  fric. 
tion  between  them,  each  respecting  the  other's  opinion.  When  a  young  maiden  Mrs. 
Chadwick  became  the  wife  of  Theodore  Wilson,  who  died  six  months  later,  and  it  was 
some  time  afterward  that  she  became  the  wife,  of  Abraham  Chadwick.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Chadwick  have  a  wide  acquaintance  and  enjoy  the  warm  friendship  and  high 
regard  of  all  who  know  them. 


ANDERSON  MARTIN  SCHRECONGOST. 

Anderson  Martin  Schrecongost,  a  rancher  residing  eight  miles  west  of  Emmett  and 
two  miles  north  of  Letha,  where  he  is  engaged  in  stock  raising,  was  born  in  Armstrong 
county,  Pennsylvania,  July  16,  1853.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  seven  sons  and  two 
daughters  whose  parents  were  Elias  and  Violet  (McGaughey)  Schrecongost,  the  former 
of  German  descent  and  the  latter  of  Scotch  lineage. 

The  son  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  farm  upon  which  his  birth  occurred  and 
his  early  experiences  were  those  of  the  farmbred  boy  who  divides  his  time  between  the 
acquirment  of  an  education  and  the  work  of  the  fields.  In  early  manhood  he  took  up 
the  profession  of  teaching,  which  he  followed  for  several  terms,  including  four  in  Penn-t 
sylvania,  two  in  Iowa  and  two  in  Idaho.  He  left  Pennsylvania  in  1879  and  removed  to 
Iowa,  where  for  two  years  he  was  active  in  the  work  of  the  schoolroom  and  then  went 
to  Wyoming,  where  he  spent  four  years.  In  the  spring  of  1884  he  arrived  in  Idaho 
and  proved  up  on  a  homestead  on  Squaw  creek,  living  upon  that  place  for  six  years. 
He  afterward  sold  the  property  in  1895  and  returned  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  again 
lived  for  four  years.  But  the  lure  of  the  west  was  upon  him  and  once  more  he  came 
to  this  state,  settling  on  a  twenty  acre  ranch  just  south  of  Emmett.  There  he  lived 
until  1901,  when  he  sold  that  property  and  purchased  his  present  stock  ranch,  to  which 
he  removed.  This  is  a  portion  of  the  old  Henry  C.  Riggs  ranch  and  here  he  is  making 
a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  hay  and  at  the  same  time  he  is  largely  engaged  in  raising 
cattle  and  keeping  dairy  cows.  He  likewise  owns  a  fine  ten  acre  apple  orchard  two 
miles  east  of  Emmett.  The  trees,  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  in  number,  are  now 
eight  years  old  and  are  in  full  bearing,  and  the  orchard  brought  to  him  a  yield  of 
eight  hundred  dollars  in  1919.  Mr.  Schrecongost  has  ever  worked  diligently  and 
persistently,  utilizing  every  opportunity  for  advancement  in  a  business  way,  and  his 
course  has  at  all  times  been  such  as  would  bear  the  closest  investigation  and  scrutiny 

On  the  llth  of  November,  1888,  in  Caldwell,  Idaho,  Mr.  Schrecongost  was  married 
to  Miss  Anna  Augusta  Schnable,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  February  28,  1870,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Sebastian  and  Ernestine  (Misselt)  Schnable,  who  were  born,  reared  and 
married  in  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schrecongost  have  become  the  parents  of  nine 
children:  Harvey  Elias,  born  April  9,  1890;  George  Calvin,  who  was  born  October  1, 
1891,  and  is  married  and  lives  near  Emmett;  Mary  Amelia,  who  was  born  August  22, 
1895,  and  is  the  wife  of  Leonard  Jackson,  residing  at  Glenns  Ferry,  Idaho;  James,  who 
was  born  November  10,  1899;  Perry  C.,  born  April  1,  1902;  Helen,  September  21,  1904; 
Grace,  October  23,  1906;  Alvin  Roy,  August  12,  1909;  and  Bertha  Fay,  January  2,  1911. 
The  eldest  son,  Harvey  E.,  served  for  eight  months  in  France  with  the  American  Ex- 
peditionary Force  during  the  World  war,  being  a  member  of  Company  C,  Three  Hun- 
dred and  Sixty-fourth  United  States  Infantry,  of  the  Ninety-first  Division.  James  was 
with  the  Student  Army  Training  Corps  of  the  University  of  Idaho  and  is  now  a  student 
in  the  Idaho  Institute  of  Technology.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schrecongost  have  three  grand- 
children. 

Mr.  Schrecongost  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  while  his  wife  is  a  Nazarene 
in  religious  faith.  Formerly  he  was  identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows  but  is  not  active 
in  the  organization  at  the  present  time.  The  opportunities  of  the  west  have  proved 
to  him  an  irresistible  attraction  and  since  coming  to  Idaho  he  has  made  steady  progress 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  517 

along  business  lines  through  the  utilization  of  the  natural  resources  here  afforded. 
Step  by  step  he  has  advanced  and  his  orderly  progression  has  brought  him  to  an 
enviable  place  among  the  live  stock  raisers  and  successful  ranchers  in  the  vicinity  of 
Emmett. 


JOSEPH  IRVING  GUTHRIE. 

Joseph  Irving  Guthrie,  a  prominent  ranchman  and  breeder  of  registered  shorthorn 
cattle  living  eight  miles  west  of  Emmett,  was  born  in  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  Sep- 
tember 19,  1876,  and  is  a  son  of  St.  Clair  Guthrie,  who  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war, 
having  served  for  three  years  with  Company  A  of  the  Eleventh  Connecticut  Regiment. 
He  was  born  at  Norwalk,  Connecticut,  and  there  remained  until  after  his  service  with, 
the  Union  army,  in  which  he  made  a  most  creditable  record  by  his  gallantry  and  loyalty. 
He  then  located  in  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  where  he  resided  for  some  time.  His  wife 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Isabel  Silveira  and  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  being 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  I.  Silveira,  who  was  of  Portuguese  descent.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
St.  Clair  Guthrie  are  now  residing  at  Long  Beach,  California. 

Joseph  I.  Guthrie  was  reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  in  Marshall  county,  Kansas, 
where  his  parents  were  then  living.  He  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  that  state,  being  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Irving,  Kansas,  when  nineteen 
years  of  age.  On  attaining  his  majority  he  became  a  hardware  merchant  of  Irving  and 
continued  in  that  business  for  thirteen  years,  building  up  a  substantial  trade  through 
close  application,  unremitting  energy  and  honorable  and  progressive  business  methods. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1906,  while  at  Irving,  Kansas,  Mr.  Guthrie  was  married  to 
Miss  Ada  Blanch  Wayman,  who  was  born  in  Dana,  Illinois,  August  30,  1879,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  William  S.  and  Henrietta  (Ward)  Wayman,  who  are  now  living  upon  a 
ranch  in  Gem  county  adjoining  the  Guthrie  ranch.  It  was  in  1909  that  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Guthrie  came  to  Idaho  and  settled  upon  their  present  place  on  the  Emmett  bench  eight 
miles  west  of  the  city  of  Emmett  and  two  miles  north  of  Letha.  Here  they  have  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  fine  land,  highly  improved  and  largely  devoted  to  the 
raising  of  alfalfa  hay.  Mr.  Guthrie  is  also  a  breeder  of  registered  shorthorn  cattle  and 
at  the  head  of  his  herd  has  a  splendid  full  blooded  shorthorn  bull.  His  fields  produce 
several  hundred  tons  of  alfalfa  hay  annually,  all  of  which  he  feeds  to  his  cattle,  sheep 
and  horses.  His  ranch  was  practically  all  a  tract  of  wild  sagebrush  land  when  it  came 
into  his  possession,  but  his  labors  have  constantly  wrought  for  its  further  develop- 
ment and  improvement  and  it  is  today  one  of  the  best  ranch  properties  of  the  district. 
Upon  the  place  he  has  a  one  hundred  ton  concrete  silo.  He  also  has  secured  all  kinds 
of  modern  machinery,  including  a  tractor,  a  silage  cutter  and  other  equipment  that 
facilitates  the  work  of  the  farm.  In  fact  a  glance  at  his  place  indicates  that  his  ranch 
is  under  the  direction  of  a  most  capable  and  progressive  owner,  one  who  is  actuated 
at  all  times  by  the  spirit  of  modern  enterprise. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guthrie  have  been  born  two  children:  Harriet  Josephine,  born 
August  21,  1911;  and  William  Wayman,  November  19,  1914.  The  parents  are  Presby- 
terians in  religious  faith  and  in  politics  Mr.  Guthrie  is  a  republican  but  has  never  been 
a  candidate  for  office,  preferring  to  do  his  public  duty  as  a  private  citizen.  Mr.  Guthrie 
was  one  of  a  family  of  seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living,  as  are 
the  parents,  theirs  being  a  remarkable  record  in  that  the  family  circle,  numbering 
twelve  members,  remains  unbroken  to  the  present  time.  Mrs.  Guthrie  is  one  of  eight 
children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guthrie  have  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance in  Gem  county,  where  their  friends  are  legion,  for  their  many  sterling 
traits  of  character  have  gained  for  them  the  high  regard  and  warm  esteem  of  all 
with  whom  they  have  come  in  contact. 


HERBERT  B.  ILLINGWORTH. 

Herbert  B.  Illingworth,  a  farmer  of  Ada  county  who  is  serving  as  county  commis- 
sioner, resides  four  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  Boise  on  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
fifty  acre  ranches  in  this  part  of  the  state  and  also  one  of  the  most  productive  in  the 
vicinity  of  Boise.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1901  from  Emmetsburg,  Iowa.  Mr.  Illinis- 


518  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

worth  is  a  native  of  the  Mississippi  valley,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Ogle  county, 
Illinois,  December  7,  1865,  and  he  is  a  son  of  William  and  Prudence  Jane  (Bassett) 
Illingworth,  who  were  natives  of  New  York,  where  they  were  reared  and  married. 
Both  passed  away  at  Emmetsburg,  Iowa,  the  father  when  eighty-four  years  of  age  and 
the  mother  at  the  age  of  seventy-three. 

Herbert  B.  Illingworth  was  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  eleven  children,  five  sons 
and  six  daughters,  of  whom  four  of  the  sons  are  yet  living,  but  he  is  the  only  one  in 
Idaho.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  his  native  county  to  the  age  of  eleven  years  and 
then  the  family  removed  to  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmetsburg,  Iowa,  where  he  spent 
his  youth. 

Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  Mr.  Illingworth  was  married  in  Emmetsburg 
on  the  14th  of  May,  1890,  to  Miss  Katherine  Elizabeth  Kegan,  who  was  born  at  Ogdens- 
burg,  St.  Lawrence  county,  New  York,  June  28,  1867,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Mary  (Brannon)  Kegan,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  Empire  state.  Mrs.  Illing- 
worth, however,  is  of  Irish  lineage,  while  Mr.  Illingworth  is  of  English  descent. 
Following  their  marriage  they  remained  in  Iowa  for  more  than  a  decade  and  in 
1901  came  to  Idaho,  where  Mr.  Illingworth  purchased  eighty  acres  of  ranch  land,  his 
family  joining  him  in  the  following  February.  Mrs.  Illingworth,  like  her  husband,  is 
the  only  one  of  her  family  in  Idaho,  she  being  one  of  a  family  of  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  of  whom  five  are  yet  living.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother 
of  three  children.  Frank  W.,  who  was  a  sergeant  in  the  United  States  army  and  was 
stationed  in  Siberia,  was  born  January  6,  1893,  and  on  the  10th  of  May,  1918,  left 
home,  being  sent  to  Vladivostock.  George  Herbert,  born  July  9,  1898,  was  for  nine 
months  in  American  training  camps  and  was  discharged  from  Camp  Meade,  Maryland, 
April  4,  1919.  The  youngest  is  Mary  Lucile,  who  was  born  April  18,  1900,  and  is 
at  home.  Mrs.  Illingworth  and  the  children  are  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church. 

In  political  faith  Mr.  Illingworth  is  a  republican  and  in  the  fall  of  1918  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  county  commissioner,  in  which  position  he  is  now  serving. 
This  was  the  first  time  that  he  ever  consented  to  become  a  candidate  for  office  al- 
though on  various  other  occasions  he  might  have  accepted  nominations  had  he  wished 
to  do  so,  for  his  fellow  townsmen  recognize  his  worth  and  ability  and  his  loyalty  in 
citizenship.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  Boise  Lodge,  No.  310,  B.  P.  O.  E.  His  worth  as  a  citizen  and  as  a  business  man 
is  widely  acknowledged,  for  he  has  taken  active  part  in  promoting  the  agricultural 
development  of  a  region  which  has  now  become  one  of  the  garden  spots  of  the  world. 


FREDERICK  ALMA  HALE. 

Frederick  Alma  Hale  is  a  well  known  ranchman  of  Gem  county,  owning  and  cul- 
tivating a  tract  of  land  comprising  one  hundred  acres  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of 
Letha.  His  birth  occurring  at  St  Joseph,  Nevada,  March  11,  1869,  his  parents  being 
Aroet  L.  and  Charlotte  (Cooke)  Hale,  the  former  now  deceased,  while  the  latter  re- 
sides at  Afton,  Wyoming. 

Frederick  A.  Hale  was  reared  on  a  ranch  at  Grantsville,  Utah,  and  has  devoted 
his  attention  to  ranching  interests  throughout  his  entire  business  career.  When  a 
youth  of  eighteen  he  removed  from  Utah  to  Wyoming,  in  which  state  he  made  his 
home  for  a  period  of  thirty-three  years,  owning  and  operating  a  ranch  near  Grover. 
He  disposed  of  the  property  in  1913  and  three  years  later  came  to  Idaho,  having  since 
resided  in  the  neighborhood  of  his  present  home  in  Gem  county.  His  holdings  em- 
brace one  hundred  acres  of  excellent  farm  land  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Letha, 
in  the  careful  cultivation  of  whch  he  has  met  with  substantial  success,  for  the  tract 
annually  yields  rich  harvests  as  a  reward  for  the  care  and  labor  which  he  bestows 
upon  it. 

On  the  16th  of  May,  1889,  at  Trenton,  Utah,  Mr.  Hale  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Eliza  S.  McCombs,  who  was  born  at  Smithfield,  Utah,  August  5,  1867,  a  daughter 
of  Andrew  and  Amelia  (Brown)  McCombs,  members  of  a  well  known  Mormon  family. 
The  parents  were  natives  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  respectively  and  both  have 
now  passed  away.  Mrs.  Hale  was  reared  in  the  state  of  her  nativity  and  by  her  mar- 
riage became  the  mother  of  ten  children,  all  of  whom  survive  with  the  exception  of 
the  eldest,  Alma  Andrew,  who  was  born  July  31,  1890,  and  died  at  Marfa,  Texas,  De- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  519 

cember  4,  1918,  aged  twenty-seven  years,  while  serving  on  the  Mexican  border  as  acting 
corporal.  Susie  C.,  born  January  10,  1891,  is  now  the  wife  of  Charles  Robison,  a  sketch 
ot  whom  appears  on  another  page  of  this  work.  Katie  A.,  whose  birth  occurred  March 
28,  1894.  became  the  wife  of  Alvin  J.  Sims  on  the  5th  of  August,  1913,  and  had  three 
children,  namely:  Wanda,  who  was  born  January  1,  1915,  and  passed  away  on  the  28th 
of  the  same  month;  Wilda  K.  whose  natal  day  was  September  12.  1916;  and  Etta 
Lezetta,  born  July  16,  1919.  Frederick  G.,  whose  birth  occurred  September  10,  1896. 
spent  one  year  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  in  France.  William  Arthur 
was  born  on  the  15th  of  November,  1898.  Benjamin  A.  was  born  December  11,  1900. 
Aroeta  was  born  July  16,  1903.  Martha  H.  first  opened  her  eyes  to  the  light  of  day 
on  the  8th  of  November,  1905.  Nettie  L.  was  born  August  29,  1908.  Ezra  B.,  the 
youngest  of  the  family  was  born  on  the  29th  of  December,  1910. 

Politically  Mr.  Hale  is  a  republican,  stanchly  supporting  the  men  and  measures 
of  that  party.  He  acted  as  special  assistant  game  warden  in  the  state  of  Wyoming 
for  eight  years  and  also  served  as  constable  there.  His  course  has  at  all  times  com- 
mended him  to  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  has  been  associated 
and  the  circle  of  his  friends  is  almost  coextensive  with  the  circle  of  his  acquaintance. 
He  is  a  first  cousin  of  Heber  Q.  Hale,  president  of  the  Boise  stake  of  Boise,  whose 
record  is  given  on  another  page  of  this  work. 


BURREL  B.  HAILEY. 

Burrel  B.  Hailey,  who  resides  upon  a  well  improved  and  valuable  ranch  just  to 
the  northwest  of  Boise,  his  place  being  situated  a  mile  north  of  the  Soldiers  Home, 
was  born  in  southern  Oregon  but  has  spent  practically  his  entire  life  in  Idaho,  most  of 
the  time  near  Boise.  His  birth  occurred  October  17,  1867,  his  father  being  "Uncle" 
John  Hailey,  Idaho's  honored  pioneer  citizen,  who  is  the  secretary  of  the  Idaho  State 
Historical  Society  and  author  of  Hailey's  History  of  Idaho.  He  had  become  a  resident 
of  this  state  in  1862  and  he  and  his  wife  were  living  in  Idaho  at  the  time  of  the  birth 
of  their  son  Burrel,  but  the  mother  was  temporarily  in  Oregon  when  he  first  opened 
his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day.  He  was  brought  to  Idaho,  however,  when  but  six  months 
old  and  through  the  intervening  period  has  lived  in  or  near  Boise. 

In  young  manhood  Mr.  Hailey  learned  the  butcher's  trade  and  conducted  a  meat 
market  and  engaged  in  the  butchering  business  in  Boise  for  many  years  About  fifteen 
years  ago  he  purchased  his  present  ranch  property,  comprising  thirty-one  acres  a 
mile  north  of  the  Soldiers  Home.  It  was  then  a  tract  of  wild  land,  largely  covered 
with  sagebrush,  and  is  now  a  well  improved  property  on  which  stands  a  modern  stucco 
bungalow,  constituting  one  of  the  attractive  farm  homes  of  this  section  of  the  state. 
There  is  also  a  one  hundred  and  thirty  ton  silo  upon  his  place,  a  large  barn  and  other 
good  outbuildings,  together  with  an  excellent  orchard.  Since  taking  up  his  abode  upon 
this  property  Mr.  Hailey  has  specialized  in  dairying,  having  a  number  of  high  grade 
Jersey  cows  and  also  some  registered  cattle  of  other  grades.  His  herd  is  headed  by  a 
registered  bull.  In  his  herd  he  now  has  a  cow  that  is  a  half-sister  of  the  grand 
champion  Jersey  cow,  whose  uncle  was  the  champion  bull  of  the  1919  National  Dairy 
Show  of  Chicago.  The  progressive  spirit  of  Mr  Hailey  is  indica'ed  in  the  f  ict  that  he 
built  the  first  silo  in  the  Boise  valley  and  at  all  times  he  has  been  found  in  the  van- 
guard of  progress  and  improvement.  In  the  years  which  have  passed  he  has  won  more 
premiums  on  fine  Jersey  cattle  at  the  Idaho  State  Fairs  than  any  other  exhibitor  and 
in  1916  won  the  grand  championship  on  a  Jersey  bull.  He  has  done  much  by  precept 
and  example  to  improve  the  grade  of  stock  raised  in  this  section  of  the  country  and  he 
is  Justly  accounted  one  of  the  foremost  ranchmen  of  Idaho. 

At  Boise,  on  the  9th  of  December,  1886,  Mr.  Hailey,  then  but  nineteen  years  of 
age,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna  Laura  Walker,  who  was  born  in  Boise, 
April  21,  1867,  the  daughter  of  S.  H.  Walker,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  city,  who  was 
well  known  as  the  owner  of  a  sawmill  and  as  a  dealer  in  lumber.  He  was  also  at 
one  time  assessor  of  Ada  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hailey  have  had  three  children.  Laura, 
Leota  and  Burrel,  Jr.,  but  all  have  passed  away,  the  two  daughters  dying  when  about 
twelve  years  of  age  and  the  son  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Hailey  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  democratic  party  but  has  no  desire 
for  political  office  as  a  reward  for  party  fealty.  He  concentrates  his  efforts  and  at- 
tention upon  his  business  affairs  and  through  the  progressive  methods  which  he  has 


520  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

* 

ever  followed  he  has  carried  forward  the  work  instituted  by  his  father  in  connec- 
tion with  the  pioneer  development  of  Idaho.  He  is  himself  a  valued  and  prominent 
citizen,  and  father  and  son  have  made  the  name  of  Hailey  a  synonym  for  all  that  has 
been  most  worth  while  in  the  upbuilding  ami  progress  of  the  state. 


JACOB   REIN. 

Jacob  Rein,  a  former  resident  of  South  Boise  who  followed  farming  and  stock 
raising  in  Ada  county,  passed  away  December  24,  1906,  at  Long  Beach,  California, 
where  he  had  gone  for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  He  had  for  a  number  of  years  been 
a  resident  of  Idaho  and  was  numbered  among  the  native  sons  of  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  there  born  February  14,  1845,  and  came  of  Dutch  ancestry.  It  was  in  Scott 
county,  Illinois,  that  he  married  •  Mrs.  Sarah  C.  Shuler,  the  widow  of  David  Shuler, 
whose  wife  she  had  become  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  when  a  maiden  of  but  seventeen 
years.  Pour  years  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Shuler  she  married  Jacob  Rein.  She  was 
born  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  August  24,  1850,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  C. 
Goble,  her  parents  being  John  and  Sarah  (Wyatt)  Goble,  natives  of  North  Carolina 
and  South  Carolina  respectively. 

Mr.  Rein  first  came  to  Idaho  from  Missouri  long  before  his  marriage  and  Mrs. 
Rein,  who  was  then  Mrs.  Sarah  C.  Shuler,  made  a  trip  to  Boise  to  visit  her  brothers 
who  were  living  here.  It  was  in  Idaho  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rein  became  acquainted 
and  their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Scott  county,  Illinois,  in  1889,  Mrs.  Shuler  hav- 
ing returned  to  her  native  state  after  visiting  her  brothers.  By  her  first  marriage 
she  had  one  child,  who  died  in  infancy,  and  there'  were  no  children  born  of  the  second 
marriage.  Her  niece,  formerly  Miss  Mamie  Goble,  a  daughter  of  Albert  Goble  of 
Nevada,  has  lived  with  Mrs.  Rein  since  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  She  is  now  the  wife 
of  John  Shealy  and  has  a  daughter,  Thelma  Shealy,  who  was  born  May  21,  1911.  Mr. 
Shealy  is  in  the  United  States  shipping  board  service  and  recently  made  a  trip  to 
Europe  with  a  shipload  of  wheat  of  nine  thousand  tons.  He  is  second  officer  on  the 
ship,  which  sailed  from  Portland,  Oregon,  by  way  of  the  Panama  canal. 

Mrs.  Rein  is  a  Methodist  in  religious  faith  and  is  a  most  estimable  lady.  She 
still  occupies  the  home  to  which  Mr.  Rein  brought  her  as  a  bride.  He  was  a  pros- 
perous stockman  and  left  his  widow  in  very  comfortable  financial  circumstances.  The 
Rein  home  on  South  Broadway  has  a  most  substantial  and  attractive  appearance  and 
indicates  the  care  which  the  former  owner  displayed  in  the  management  of  his  prop- 
erty. Mrs.  Rein  also  is  possessed  of  good  business  ability  and  has  capably  managed 
the  estate  left  by  her  husband — an  estate  that  includes  good  mortgage  bonds  as  well 
as  property  interests.  Following  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Rein  brought  his 
remains  back  to  Boise  for  interment.  He  was  highly  respected  among  those  who 
knew  him,  for  he  had  won  many  friends  during  the  years  of  his  residence  in  this 
city.  Mrs.  Rein,  too,  is  most  warmly  esteemed  and  all  with  whom  she  has  come  In 
contact  speak  of  her  in  terms  of  high  regard. 


AUGUST  ANDERSON. 

August  Anderson  is  a  splendid  representative  of  the  pioneer  farmer  that  Sweden 
has  furnished  to  Idaho.  His  fine  ranch  of  forty  acres  of  valuable  land  is  situated  just 
northwest  of  Boise  and  is  improved  with  good  buildings  and  orchards.  The  place  adjoins 
the  city  limits  on  the  north,  bordering  on  Anderson  street,  which  was  named  in  his 
honor.  His  possessions  are  the  visible  evidence  of  a  life  of  well  directed  energy  and 
thrift. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  born  in  Sweden,  September  17,  1858,  and  was  reared  in  his 
native  land.  His  parents  never  came  to  the  United  States.  While  still  in  the  family 
home  he  began  learning  the  harness  and  shoe  maker's  trades  but  he  never  worked 
along  those  lines  after  mastering  the  business.  Mr.  Anderson's  father  has  passed  away 
but  his  mother  is  still  living  in  Sweden  at  an  advanced  age.  Only  one  brother  of 
Mr.  Anderson  of  this  review  ever  came  to  the  United  States,  this  being  Erick  Anderson, 
who  is  living  in  Caldwell,  Idaho. 

In   1881   August  Anderson   determined   to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new  world   and, 


MRS.  SARAH  C.  REIN 


JACOB  REIN 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  525 

severing  home  ties,  crossed  the  Atlantic,  making  his  way  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where 
he  resided  for  a  year.  In  1882  he  came  to  Idaho,  being  then  a  single  man.  He  was  em- 
ployed on  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad,  which  at  that  time  was  being  built,  filling 
the  position  of  foreman  of  a  construction  gang.  In  fact  he  was  connected  with  the 
building  of  that  road  from  1881  until  1884,  thus  aiding  in  building  about  seventy-five 
miles  of  the  main  road  and  branch  lines.  Since  the  latter  date  he  has  resided  just 
west  of  Boise,  where  he  has  followed  fanning,  remaining  throughout  the  intervening 
period  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  his  present  home.  He  purchased  his  present  forty 
acre  ranch  about  twenty  years  ago,  at  which  time  it  was  a  tract  of  hay  land,  and  on 
this  he  planted  an  orchard.  He  did  not  build  upon  his  place,  however,  until  about  1905, 
at  which  time  he  erected  a  barn  and  in  the  following  year  erected  a  large  comfortable 
two-story  frame  house.  Other  buildings  have  been  put  up  and  the  farm  is  a  splendidly 
improved  property,  equipped  with  all  modern  conveniences  and  accessories. 

In  Boise,  on  the  16th  of  October,  1895,  Mr.  Anderson  was  married  to  Miss  Lena 
Johnson,  also  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  August  23,  1872.  She  came  alone  to  the  United 
States  in  1890,  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  joined  her  brother,  Charles  Johnson, 
who  was  already  a  resident  of  Idaho  and  who  is  now  living  in  South  Boise.  Five 
years  after  her  arrival  here  she  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Anderson.  She  has  two 
brothers  and  two  sisters,  all  in  Boise,  save  Axel,  who  resides  in  Payette  county.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Anderson  have  become  the  parents  of  three  children:  Alvin  R.,  who  is  mar- 
ried and  resides  in  Montpelier,  Idaho;  Helga,  who  was  graduated  from  the  Boise  high 
school  in  1913  and  from  the  University  of  Idaho  in  1919  and  is  now  a  domestic  science 
teacher  in  the  Sandpoint,  Idaho,  high  school;  and  Vanford,  fifteen  years  of  age,  who 
is  a  junior  in  the  Boise  high  school. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  give  their  political  support  to  the  republican  party, 
and  he  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Boise.  He  is. 
a  progressive  farmer  and  an  enterprising  man.  Formerly  he  engaged  in  the  breeding 
of  shorthorn  cattle  and  Hambletonian  horses,  and  he  still  keeps  a  number  of  dairy 
cows.  While  he  has  not  attained  wealth,  he  is  in  very  comfortable  financial  circum- 
stances, and  he  and  his  family  enjoy  the  highest  regard  and  esteem  of  all  who  know 
them.  They  are  rich  in  friendship  and  have  never  had  occasion  to  regret  their  determina- 
tion to  come  to  the  new  world. 


EDWARD  FRANKLIN  CRAWFORD. 

Edward  Franklin  Crawford  is  a  ranchman  and  pioneer  of  Ada  county  who  resides 
on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  seven  miles  southwest  of  Boise,  which  he 
homesteaded  in  1891.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1888  from  Springfield,  Missouri,  and  three 
years  later  obtained  his  present  fine  ranch.  He  paid  a  sixteen  dollar  filing  charge 
to  secure  the  property  and  now  has  a  splendidly  improved  place,  worth  perhaps  three 
hundred  dollars  per  acre,  although  it  was  a  tract  of  undeveloped  sagebrush  when  it 
came  into  his  possession.  In  the  midst  of  his  ranch  there  now  stands  a  beautiful 
country  home  with  good  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock,  with  highly 
developed  orchards,  fine  shade  trees  and  a  well  kept  lawn  surrounding  the  home.  All 
the  conveniences  and  equipment  of  a  model  farm  of  the  twentieth  century  are  also 
found  upon  his  place. 

Mr.  Crawford  was  born  near  Springfield,  Missouri,  November  16,  1862,  his  par- 
ents being  Charles  W.  and  Sallie  M.  (Jernigan)  Crawford,  who  were  natives  of  Ten- 
nessee, born  near  Nashville,  but  were  married  in  Missouri.  The  father  was  of  Irish 
lineage  and  the  mother  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  They  were  married  in  1857  and  six 
sons  and  a  daughter  were  born  to  them,  four  of  whom  are  living. 

Edward  F.  Crawford  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth  and  the  only  one  now  residing 
in  Idaho.  He  was  reared  in  Missouri  with  the  usual  experiences  of  the  farmbred  boy 
and  after  attaining  his  majority  was  married  at  Springfield,  that  state,  on  the  6th 
of  February,  1880,  to  Miss  Emma  Stutzman,  who  was  born  near  Goshen,  Indiana,  May 
22,  1863,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Catharine  (Bachman)  Stutzman,  who  were 
natives  of  Ohio  and  were  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  descent.  In  1888  Mr.  Crawford  came  to 
Idaho  accompanied  by  his  family,  then  consisting  of  his  wife  and  three  children.  To 
them  have  been  born  nine  children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters,  the  eldest  being 
Roscoe  C.  Crawford,  who  was  born  November  23,  1880.  He  was  married  December 
14,  1905,  to  Lillie  Rotton  and  has  one  son,  Ernest,  born  May  4,  1907.  Nora  May.  the 


526  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

second  of  the  family,  is  now  the  wife  of  William  Lewis  and  has  three  children,  Mar- 
jorie,  May  and  Fred.  Ella  is  the  wife  of  Leonard  McKee  and  has  two  children,  Thelma 
and  Earle.  Birdie  is  the  wife  of  Harry  Fisk  and  has  four  children,  Harry,  Fay,  Belle 
and  Dorothy.  Frank  B.  became  a  soldier  of  the  United  States  army  and  was  with  the 
American  Expeditionary  Force  in  Germany.  Eugene  married  Hah  Bullock.  Mamie  is 
the  wife  of  Leonard  Pilgrim  and  has  one  child,  Ralph  Pilgrim.  Edward  Crawford  is 
now  in  Oregon.  Katie,  a  young  lady  of  sixteen  years,  is  at  home. 

Mr.  Crawford  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the 
republican  party  and  he  has  served  for  two  terms  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  county 
commissioners,  first  from  1907  until  1909,  and  again  from  1911  until  1913.  During  his 
second  term  many  of  the  fine  roads  and  bridges  of  the  county  were  built.  Mr.  Craw- 
ford acted  as  chairman  of  the  board  in  1911-12  and  gave  the  weight  of  his  influence 
on  the  side  of  progress  and  improvement.  A  resident  of  Idaho  for  almost  a  third  of 
a  century,  he  has  witnessed  much  of  its  growth  and  development  and  has  contributed 
in  no  small  measure  to  its  agricultural  upbuilding. 


JAY  R.  BARNETT. 

Jay  R.  Barnett  has  for  the  past  five  years  resided  on  his  present  ranch  seven 
miles  west  of  Emmett  and  two  miles  north  of  Letha,  where  he  is  successfully  engaged 
in  the  growing  of  alfalfa  and  the  raising  of  cattle.  His  birth  occurred  in  Putnam 
county,  Ohio,  on  the  24th  of  October,  1862,  his  parents  being  Myers  Knight  and  Jane 
Elizabeth  (Morgan)  Barnett,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania  respectively. 
The  father,  who  has  reached  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years,  is  now  living  at  Cottonwood 
Falls,  Kansas,  but  the  mother  has  passed  away.  They  had  a  family  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  still  survive  with  the  exception  of  two. 

Jay  R.  Barnett  was  a  lad  of  eight  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  Mills  county,  Iowa,  and  when  a  youth  of  sixteen  went  to  Kansas  but  two 
years  later  returned  to  the  Hawkeye  state.  In  1886,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
four  years,  he  made  his  way  to  Nebraska,  in  which  state  he  continued  to  reside  for 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In  1910  he  came  west  and  after  a  few  months  spent  at 
Ontario,  Oregon,  removed  to  New  Meadows,  Idaho,  where  he  remained  for  two  years. 
Subsequently  he  spent  a  few  years  in  Payette  county,  this  state,  and  then  located  on 
his  present  ranch  in  Gem  county,  which  he  has  occupied  for  the  past  five  years,  devot- 
ing his  attention  to  live  stock  interests  and  the  raising  of  alfalfa.  Prosperity  has  at- 
tended his  efforts  along  these  lines  and  he  has  long  been  numbered  among  the  sub- 
stantial and  progressive  agriculturists  of  the  community. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1887,  in  Nebraska,  Mr.  Barnett  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Belle  Hogue,  who  was  born  in  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  June  12,  1867,  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Euretta  (Hollis)  Hogue,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
The  father  passed  away  in  1897,  but  the  mother  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three  years  and  makes  her  home  at  Gordon,  Nebraska.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnett  have  ten 
living  children.  Elsie  May,  whose  birth  occurred  February  9,  1888,  gave  her  hand  in 
marriage  to  Frank  De  France  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  now  resides  in  Ne- 
braska with  her  husband  and  three  children:  Donald,  Thelma  and  Helen.  Lotta  Ada, 
whose  natal  day  was  June  10,  1891,  also  lives  in  Nebraska,  is  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Secrist 
and  has  five  children:  Lennis,  Melburn,  Wayne,  Octia  and  Archie.  Euretta,  born  Jan- 
uary 9,  1893,  resides  at  Peck,  Idaho,  with  her  husband,  John  Hull,  by  whom  she  has 
four  children:  Curtis,  Elizabeth,  Barnett  and  Orville.  Lenora,  whose  birth  occurred* 
January  15,  1895,  is  the  wife  of  George  Applegate,  a  ranchman  of  Gem  county,  by 
whom  she  has  one  child,  Lester.  Mabel  Claire,  who  was  born  March  10,  1896,  resides 
near  Falk,  Idaho,  with  her  husband,  Charles  Grove,  and  has  one  child,  Lois.  Esther, 
born  May  24,  1898,  resides  at  New  Plymouth,  Idaho,  and  is  the  wife  of  Milo  Groat,  by 
whom  she  has  two  children,  Viola  Lucile  and  Hazel  May.  The  younger  members  of 
the  family  are  as  follows:  Edward  Dwyer,  who  was  born  June  27,  1900;  Velma  Gertrude, 
born  June  22,  1902;  Myers  William,  whose  natal  day  was  July  31,  1904;  Lavista,  who 
was  born  February  13,  1908,  and  passed  away  May  31,  1910;  and  Hazel  Helen,  whose 
birth  occurred  July  9,  1912.  There  are  altogether  sixteen  grandchildren. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnett  give  their  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party, 
believing  firmly  in  its  principles  as  factors  in  good  government.  They  are  widely  rec- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  527 

ognized  as  people  of  genuine  personal  worth  whose  aid  and  influence  can  at  all  times 
be  counted  upon  to  further  any  measure  or  movement  instituted  to  promote  the  gen- 
eral welfare  or  advance  public  progress. 


GEORGE  W.  HICKS. 

George  W.  Hicks,  a  rancher  residing  on  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
four  miles  northwest  of  Boise,  on  the  Foothill  road,  has  for  three  years  given  his 
attention  to  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  this  property  in  connection 
with  his  two  sons,  Wayne  and  Ray.  Mr.  Hicks  was  born  in  Wisconsin,  November  2, 
1864,  his  parents  being  Martin  L.  and  Clarissa  (Dean)  Hicks,  who  were  of  Canadian 
birth  but  spent  their  last  days  in  Wisconsin.  They  were  married  in  Canada  and 
then  removed  to  La  Crosse  county,  Wisconsin,  where  the  father  followed  the  occupation 
of  farming. 

George  W.  Hicks  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  state  of  his  nativity  and  was 
there  married  on  the  9th  of  January,  1884,  to  Miss  Jennie  Barclay,  also  a  native  of  Wis- 
consin,  her  birth  having  occurred  November  15,  1866.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Agnes  (Oliver)  Barclay,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  Both  were  natives  of  Scot- 
land but  were  married  in  Wisconsin. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hicks  continued  to  reside  in  Wisconsin  until  1904  and  then  came  to 
Idaho.  In  1917  they  removed  to  their  present  home  northwest  of  Boise,  having  a 
ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  belonging  to  Ada  county.  This  is  one  of  the 
best  corn,  clover  and  wheat  farms  in  the  Boise  valley.  Mr.  Hicks  pays  a  cash  rental 
of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  annually  for  this  property,  but  nevertheless  he  and  his  sons 
have  realized  a  very  substantial  profit  as  the  result  of  their  progressive  efforts  and 
unfaltering  diligence  through  the  past  three  years.  Mr.  Hicks  also  owns  a  good  property 
in  Boise  which  he  rents. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hicks  have  been  born  four  children  who  are  yet  living:  Wayne, 
Ray,  Luella  and  Verne.  Both  Wayne  and  Ray  are  married  and  all  reside  upon  the? 
home  ranch  but  in  different  houses.  Wayne  wedded  Edith  Hugg  and  has  three  chil- 
dren: Ellen  Marie,  Bernice  and  Bessie.  Ray  married  Miss  Mabel  Glenn  and  has  one 
son,  George  W.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hicks  lost  their  first-born,  a  daughter,  Millie,  who  died 
of  influenza  in  Wisconsin  in  1919,  being  at  that  time  thirty-one  years  of  age.  When  a 
young  lady  of  eighteen  she  became  the  wife  of  Bert  Paisley  and  they  had  four  children: 
Helen,  Archie,  Idonas  and  Janett. 

Mr.  Hicks  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  but  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention  is  given  to  his 
ranching  operations,  and  when  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  his  present  place  three  years 
ago  it  was  necessary  that  he  begin  at  the  bottom,  for  the  farm  was  scarcely  developed. 
He  had  to  secure  all  the  necessary  equipment  which  enters  into  the  operation  of  a  large 
ranch.  This  necessitated  the  investment  of  many  thousands  of  dollars  in  farm  ma- 
chinery and  in  stock.  He  keeps  horses,  cattle  and  hogs  and  his  progressive  methods  of 
fanning  are  indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  owns  a  tractor,  an  ensilage  cutter  and  all 
kinds  of  farm  machinery,  all  of  which  is  free  from  indebtedness.  Wnen  he  took  up 
his  abode  upon  this  place  some  of  his  friends  predicted  failure  owing  to  the  condition 
of  the  farm  and  the  large  rental  which  he  was  forced  to  pay,  but  the  energy  of  himself 
and  sons  has  been  such  as  to  overcome  all  obstacles  and  difficulties.  In  1919  they  had 
between  four  and  five  hundred  tons  of  corn  silage,  worth  ten  dollars  per  ton.  Every- 
thing that  they  have  undertaken  has  been  most  diligently  prosecuted  with  the  result 
that  success  in  substantial  measure  has  rewarded  their  labors. 


ROBERT  GIDEON  SPOOR. 

Robert  Gideon  Spoor  is  a  well  known  rancher,  now  residing  on  a  forty  acre  tract 
of  land  which  he  owns  eight  miles  west  of  Emmett.  His  property  interests  also  include 
a  two  hundred  acre  dry  ranch  in  the  Round  valley  in  Valley  county.  Mr.  Spoor  somes 
to  the  northwest  from  Illinois,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Sangamon  county,  that 
state,  September  12,  1880.  He  is  a  son  of  Abraham  and  Margaret  (Schilling)  Spoor, 
both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  His  youthful  days  were  spent  in  Illinois,  where  he  was 


528  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

reared  as  a  farmer  boy,  pursuing  a  public  school  education,  while  in  the  summer 
months  his  time  was  given  to  the  work  of  the  fields. 

It  was  in  Decatur,  Illinois,  on  the  30th  of  November,  1904,  that  Mr.  Spoor  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Mabel  Clare  Rule,  who  was  born  in  Christian  county,  Illinois,  August  9, 
1886,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  L.  and  Myra  (Thompson)  Rule,  both  now  deceased. 
On  the  day  of  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spoor  started  for  Idaho  and  on  reaching 
this  state  took  up  a  homestead  in  Valley  county.  They  proved  up  on  this  property 
and  occupied  it  for  fifteen  years.  It  comprises  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  in 
Round  valley.  It  has  never  been  irrigated,  however,  and  Mr.  Spoor  there  carries  on 
dry  farming.  He  lived  upon  that  place  for  fifteen  years  and  is  still  the  owner  of  that 
property  together  with  an  eighty  acre  tract  adjoining.  In  November,  1919,  he  removed 
to  his  present  home  ranch  in  Gem  county.  This  is  a  tract  of  forty  acres,  largely 
devoted  to  the  raising  of  alfalfa,  three-fourths  of  the  land  being  planted  to  that  crop. 
There  are  also  several  acres  in  bearing  apple  orchards.  This  land  is  all  well  located 
and  well  irrigated  and  has  been  highly  improved.  Upon  the  farm  is  a  good  cement 
block  house  and  other  modern  equipment  that  renders  the  place  most  attractive. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spoor  have  been  born  six  children,  namely:  Lois,  who  was  born 
April  1,  1907;  Haldeen,  April  5,  1909;  Marjorie,  November  20,  1910;  Corwin,  March 
22,  1913;  Frances,  November  18,  1915;  and  Gale,  January  2,  1918. 

The  parents  are  consistent  members  of  the  Christian  church  but  in  political  faith 
are  divided,  Mr.  Spoor  being  a  supporter  of  democratic  principles,  while  his  wife  is  an 
advocate  of  the  republican  party.  He  has  served  as  a  school  trustee  and  both  are  earnest 
in  their  advocacy  of  all  interests  which  tend  to  promote  the  material,  intellectual,  social 
and  moral  progress  of  the  district. 


WARREN  THOMAS  NELSON. 

Sixteen  acres  of  beautiful  orchard  constitute  a  feature  of  the  sixty  acre  ranch 
property  owned  and  occupied  by  Warren  Thomas  Nelson,  whose  land  is  on  the  south 
slope  of  the  Payette  valley  eleven  miles  west  of  Emmett.  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  native  son 
of  Idaho,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Bloomington,  Bear  Lake  county,  March  16,  1875, 
his  parents  being  Christian  and  Catharine  (Johnson)  Nelson,  the  former  a  native  of 
Denmark,  still  living  at  Bloomington,  Idaho,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-four  years 
and  still  hale  and  vigorous.  The  mother,  however,  passed  away  in  1918,  when  almost 
ninety  years  of  age.  The  parents  were  married  in  Denmark  and  came  to  the  United 
States  as  converts  to  the  Mormon  faith.  They  crossed  the  plains  on  foot,  bringing 
their  belongings  on  a  handcart. 

Warren  T.  Nelson  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Idaho  and  was  reared  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  to  which  he  has  since  given  his  attention,  wnile  in  later  years  he  has 
specialized  to  a  considerable  extent  in  orcharding.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of 
the  state  and  also  spent  a  year  as  a  student  in  the  Brigham  Young  College  at  Logan,  Utah. 

In  early  manhood,  at  Bloomington,  Idaho,  on  the  13th  of  August,  1903,  Mr.  Nelson 
was  married  to  Josephine  Jensen,  who  was  also  of  Danish  parentage  and  was  born  at 
Rankin,  Illinois,  June  6,  1882,  being  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Christine  (Larsen) 
Jensen,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Denmark,  where  they  were  reared  and  married. 
Her  father  died  eleven  years  ago  at  Logansport,  Indiana,  when  sixty-four  years  of  age, 
and  the  mother  is  yet  residing  there  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  Mrs.  Nelson  was 
reared  and  educated  at  Logansport,  Indiana.  To.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  has  been  born 
a  son,  Lewis  Bailey,  whose  birth  occurred  October  18,  1914. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  removed  from  Bloomington,  Idaho,  to 
the  Bramwell  neighborhood  in  the  Payette  valley  in  1904  and  for  six  years  lived  on 
what  is  now  the  Mert  Jackson  orchard  ranch,  of  which  they  were  then  owners  and  on 
which  they  set  out  the  orchard.  In  1909  they  sold  the  property  and  purchased  their 
present  place  of  sixty  acres  four  miles  farther  west  on  the  south  slope  from  their  former 
home.  The  ranch  when  it  came  into  their  possession  was  a  tract  of  wild  sagebrush  land 
but  within  ten  years  Mr.  Nelson  has  accomplished  a  work  of  marvelous  development, 
bringing  about  a  notable  transformation  in  the  appearance  of  the  farm.  He  has 
erected  a  full  set  of  buildings  and  today  has  sixteen  acres  of  his  sixty  acre  tract  planted 
to  apples,  prunes  and  peaches,  which  are  now  ten  years  old.  He  also  has  apricots,  sweet 
cherries  and  almonds  and  the  almond  trees,  now  fifty  in  number,  are  in  full  bearing.  He 
sold  fruit  from  his  orchard  in  1919  that  netted  him  over  six  thousand  dollars.  Five  acres 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  529 

of  prunes  alone  brought  a  hundred  and  two  dollars  and  a  half  to  the  ton,  or  over  three 
thousand  dollars.  Aside  from  his  orchard  the  ranch  is  in  alfalfa  and  he  likewise  engages 
successfully  in  the  raising  of  live  stock,  having  now  more  than  one  hundred  head  of 
sheep.  Mr.  Nelson  paid  twenty-four  hundred  dollars  for  his  sixty  acre  tract  of  sagebrush 
and  today  he  would  not  take  fifteen  thousand  dollars  for  the  property. 

In  politics  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  republican  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day  but  does  not  seek  nor  desire  public  office.  He  worked  most  diligently 
and  persistently  in  the  development  of  his  land  and  has  wrought  a  marvelous  change 
in  its  appearance.  His  orchards  are  laid  out  methodically  and  systematically  and  all 
of  his  work  is  conducted  along  progressive  lines.  He  is  diligent  and  enterprising  and 
there  are  few  idle  hours  in  his  career.  He  has  studied  modern  scientific  methods  of 
tilling  the  soil  and  raising  fruit  and  other  crops,  and  his  efforts  are  most  intelligently 
directed,  therefore  bringing  substantial  results. 


WILLIAM  SCOTT  DOIG. 

Scotland  has  furnished  to  Boise  perhaps  no  better  known  or  more  highly  respected 
citizen  than  William  Scott  Doig,  who  is  now  the  president  of  the  Idaho  Poultry  &  Pet 
Stock  Association.  He  possesses  many  of  the  sterling  characteristics  of  the  people 
who  come  from  the  land  of  hills  and  heather.  He  was  born  September  6,  1871,  and 
was  reared  in  his  native  land,  where  he  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade  in  his  youth. 
He  has  largely  followed  that  pursuit  throughout  his  life  and  he  today  has  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  equipped  modern  shoe  hospitals  in  Boise,  known  as  the  Goodyear 
Shoe  Shop,  located  at  No.  205  North  Ninth  street.  Mr.  Doig  came  to  the  new  world 
in  18S9  and  throughout  the  period  of  his  residence  in  Boise  has  enjoyed  the  goodwill, 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  know  him.  He  has  not  only  given  his  attention  to 
shoe  repairing  but  was  formerly  engaged  in  the  sheep  industry  for  many  years  and  for 
an  extended  period  he  has  been  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  successful  raisers  of 
pure  bred  chickens  in  Idaho,  his  position  in  this  connection  being  indicated  in  the  fact 
that  he  has  been  honored  with  the  presidency  of  the  Idaho  Poultry  &  Pet  Stock  Associa- 
tion and  has  been  one  of  its  officers  since  its  organization.  He  specializes  in  the  raising 
of  Rhode  Island  Reds  and  Buff  Leghorns  and  has  been  a  breeder  of  pure  bred  chickens 
to  a  greater  or  less  extent  throughout  his  entire  life,  having  exhibited  his  first  fancy 
chickens  when  but  six  years  old.  These  were  Red  Pyle  game  bantams.  His  father 
before  him  had  been  one  of  the  leading  chicken  men  in  Scotland  and  was  a  poultry  judge. 
He  is  still  living  in  Scotland.  An  older  brother  of  Mr.  Doig  of  this  review,  now  located 
at  White  Sulphur  Springs,  Montana,  is  one  of  the  best  known  breeders  of  Brown  Leg- 
horns in  the  west  and  has  several  times  been  a  blue  ribbon  winner  in  the  Chicago 
poultry  shows.  Mr.  Doig  of  this  review  has  many  times  exhibited  his  birds  in  the 
leading  poultry  shows  of  the  northwest.  He  has  his  home  and  chicken  ranch  at  No.  607 
South  Thirteenth  street  in  Boise  and  there  has  secured  the  best  equipment  for  the  care 
of  his  birds  and  is  considered  an  authority  upon  the  question  of  breeding  fine  chickens. 

Mr.  Doig  was  united  in  marriage  in  Boise  to  Miss  Rosina  Rogerson,  who  is  but  one 
day  his  junior,  having  been  born  in  Scotland,  September  7,  1871.  They  became  acquaint- 
ed in  Iowa  but  were  married  in  Boise  on  the  9th  of  May,  1900.  Mr.  Doig  is  a  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  he  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Presbyterian 
church,  of  which  they  are  consistent  and  faithful  representatives. 


BEN  E.  STAHL. 

Ben  E-  Stahl  is  a  retired  mining  man  of  Boise  and  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army. 
The  "boys  in  blue"  are  fast  passing  away  and  all  honor  should  be  paid  to  those  who 
fought  for  the  Union  and  thus  aided  in  maintaining  the  supremacy  of  the  federal  gov- 
ernment. Mr.  Stahl  was  born  in  Piqua  county,  Ohio,  February  7,  1838,  and  has  there- 
fore passed  the  eighty-second  milestone  on  life's  Journey  but  possesses  the  strength 
and  vigor  of  a  man  of  twenty  years  his  junior.  He  has  a  brother  in  Montana  who  is 
two  years  older  than  he.  They  are  sons  of  Benjamin  F.  and  Clarissa  (Todd)  Stahl, 
who  removed  to  Des  Moines  county,  Iowa,  settling  near  Burlington  when  their  son, 
Ben  E.,  was  but  six  years  of  age.  There  he  was  reared  to  manhood,  largely  spending 

Tol.  Ill—  3i 


530  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  time  in  Burlington,  where  he  learned  the  cooper's  trade,  following  that  pursuit  be- 
tween the  ages  of  thirteen  and  twenty-two  years.  In  1860  he  came  to  Colorado,  resid- 
ing in  that  state  until  1885,  during  which  time  he  was  connected  with  gold  mining. 

However,  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Stahl  joined  Company  K  of  the  Third 
Colorado  Regiment  and  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Sand  Creek,  Colorado,  being  shot 
through  the  right  wrist  and  in  the  right  side.  When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his 
military  aid  he  resumed  the  pursuits  of  civil  life,  remaining  a  resident  of  Colorado  until 
1885,  when  he  came  to  Idaho.  He  spent  several  years  in  mining  in  the  Coeur  d'Alenes 
and  at  different  periods  followed  mining  pursuits  in  Idaho,  British  Columbia  and 
Oregon.  In  1893  he  established  his  home  on  South  Thirteenth  street  in  Boise,  where 
he  now  resides,  owning  a  row  of  three  houses  on  that  thoroughfare.  The  fine  maple 
trees  which  stand  in  front  were  planted  by  him  as  tiny  saplings. 

In  1872,  in  Denver,  Colorado,  Mr.  Stahl  was  married  to  Miss  Arietta  Harlan,  who 
was  born  at  Lock  Haven,  Pennsylvania,  August  11,  1843,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  A.  (Cake)  Harlan.  They  have  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Clara  May  Starn,  the  wife 
of  Edward  E.  Starn  of  Boise,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Mr.  Stahl  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  and  he  proudly  wears 
the  little  bronze  button  that  proclaims  him  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public. His  life  record  has  compassed  a  wonderful  period  in  American  history.  Born 
in  the  presidential  administration  of  Martin  Van  Buren,  he  has  lived  to  see  the  country 
emerge  victoriously  from  four  wars — the  Mexican,  the  Civil,  the  Spanish-American 
and  the  recent  great  World  war — and  marvelous  indeed  have  been  the  changes  which 
have  occurred  during  this  period  and  which  are  compassed  by  the  memory  of  one  who  is 
today  a  most  honored  and  venerable  citizen  of  Boise — Ben  E.  Stahl. 


JOHN  D.  ADAMS,  D.  V.  S. 

Dr.  John  D.  Adams,  a  well  known  veterinarian  now  living  in  Boise,  was  born  on  a 
farm  near  Carthage,  Hancock  county,  Illinois,  September  4,  1873,  a  son  of  Thomas  E. 
and  Mary  E.  (Massie)  Adams,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  who  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops, 
serving  first  with  the  Seventeenth  Regiment  of  Kentucky  infantry  and  later  with  the 
Twenty-fifth  Kentucky  Infantry  and  thus  valiantly  defending  the  Union  cause.  He  died 
in  Missouri  in  1907  and  the  mother,  surviving  for  more  than  a  decade,  passed  away 
at  the  home  of  a  son  in  Portland,  Oregon,  on  the  llth  of  February,  1919.  Dr.  Adams 
was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  four  sons,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living, 
the  others  being:  Charles  J.,  residing  in  Portland,  Oregon;  William  0.,  living  at  Cherry- 
vale,  Kansas;  and  Joseph  E.,  also  a  resident  of  Portland. 

Dr.  Adams  of  this  review  was  a  lad  of  about  six  years  when  his  parents  removed 
from  Illinois  to  Labette  county,  Kansas.  His  boyhood  and  youth  were  passed  in  the 
two  states  and  he  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Altamont,  Kansas,  with  the 
class  of  1898.  He  afterward  taught  for  two  terms,  one  in  Kansas  and  the  other  in 
Missouri,  and  from  1900  until  1905  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  govern- 
ment as  live  stock  inspector  at  Seattle,  Washington,  at  Portland,  Oregon,  and  at  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah.  In  1905  he  resigned  his  position  and  took  up  the  study  of  veterinary 
surgery  in  the  Washington  State  College  at  Pullman,  Washington,  being  there  graduated 
with  the  D.  V.  S.  degree  in  1910.  He  practiced  at  Genesee,  Idaho,  through  the  succeeding1 
six  years  and  in  1916  pursued  a  post  graduate  course  in  the  Chicago  Post  Graduate 
Veterinary  College.  He  then  located  for  practice  at  Moscow,  Idaho,  in  1917.  In  January, 
1919,  he  was  appointed  state  veterinarian  by  Governor  Davis  and  removed  to  Boise 
to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  the  position.  On  April  1,  1919,  a  change  in  the  state  form 
of  government  placed  the  bureau  of  animal  industry  under  the  state  department  of 
agriculture,  thus  changing  the  state  veterinarian  department,  and  Dr.  Adams  was 
appointed  director  of  the  bureau,  which  position  he  now  holds.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  American  Veterinary  Medical  Association  and  of  the  State  Veterinary  Medical 
Association  and  thus  keeps  in  touch  with  scientific  research  and  discovery  concerning 
the  profession  which  he  has  chosen  as  a  life  work.  If  Dr.  Adams  can  be  said  to  have  a 
hobby  it  would  probably  be  termed  dogs.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  some  very  fine 
registered  hunting  dogs,  used  in  hunting  big  game,  and  he  has  also  ever  been  very  fond 
of  good  horses. 

On  the  12th  of  January,  1916,  at  Kellogg,  Idaho,  Dr.  Adams  was  married  to  Miss 


DR.  JOHN  D.  ADAMS 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  533 

Gladys  Newsome,  a  native  of  Wisconsin  but  at  that  time  a  resident  of  Kellogg.  They 
have  won  a  goodly  circle  of  friends  during  the  period  of  their  residence  in  Boise.  Tho 
doctor  is  well  known  in  Masonic  circles,  belonging  to  the  blue  lodge  at  Genesee,  Idaho, 
to  the  Scottish  Rite  and  Mystic  Shrine  at  Lewiston.  He  is  also  connected  with  the 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  is  a  loyal  follower 
of  these  different  organizations  and  the  basic  principles  upon  which  they  are  founded. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Chapter  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  tracing 
his  ancestry  back  in  the  Funk  line  on  the  maternal  side  to  Capt.  John  Funk,  who 
served  in  the  Continental  Army  during  the  Revolutionary  war. 


ISAAC   IRVING  WILSON. 

Isaac  Irving  Wilson,  who  resides  on  the  Boise  bench,  opposite  the  Franklin  school, 
about  two  miles  west  of  the  city  of  Boise,  came  from  Wyoming  to  Idaho  in  1900.  He 
was  born  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  May  3,  1861,  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  twelve  children, 
nine  sons  and  three  daughters,  whose  parents  were  Burrell  Jackson  and  Sarah  Ann 
(Hall)  Wilson,  who  were  natives  of  the  state  of  Virginia.  When  he  was  but  two  weeks 
old  his  parents  removed  to  Iowa  and  he  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  that  state.  In  his; 
youth  and  early  manhood  he  rode  the  range  and  thus  developed  a  strong  constitution. 
While  still  a  resident  of  Iowa  he  was  married  on  the  25th  of  December,  1898,  to  Sadie 
Rigney,  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  whq 
were  born  to  Reese  and  Louisa  (Woods)  Rigney.  The  birth  of  Mrs.  Wilson  occurred 
in  Kentucky,  March  19,  1872,  and  she  was  reared  in  Iowa. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  resided  for  two  years  in  Wyoming  and  then  in  1900  came  to 
Idaho,  first  settling  in  Washington  county,  in  what  is  known  as  the  Seven  Devils 
locality.  In  1902  a  removal  was  made  to  Baker  county,  Oregon,  and  in  1908  they  came 
to  Idaho  and  have  since  lived  on  the  Boise  bench,  near  the  Franklin  school,  where 
Mr.  Wilson  has  a  four  acre  tract  of  land.  He  has  made  substantial  improvements  upon 
the  place  in  the  way  of  buildings,  erecting  an  attractive  residence,  a  large  barn  and 
garage  and  other  buildings  necessary  for  the  shelter  of  his  farm  products  and  stock. 
He  has  planted  fruit  and  shade  trees  and  has  otherwise  carried  on  the  work  of  improve- 
ment. There  was  practically  nothing  on  the  place  but  a  small  four-room  house  and  a 
few  small  trees  when  he  took  possession,  but  today  it  is  a  beautiful  country  home.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  in  Bourne,  Oregon,  Mr.  Wilson  had  served  as  town  marshal  for  five 
years.  For  several  years  he  followed  mining  and  for  the  past  seven  years  he  has  been 
a  rider  on  the  Ridenbaugh  ditch. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  have  no  children,  although  he  was  the  youngest  in  a  family 
of  twelve  and  his  wife  was  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  six.  His  father  was  also  one  of 
twelve  sons.  Mrs.  Wilson  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church.  Mr.  Wilson  gives  his 
political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  and  is  much  interested  in  all  that  pertains 
to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  district  in  which  he  makes  his  home.  He  has  never 
had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  leave  the  middle  west  and  seek  the  oppor- 
tunities of  the  Pacific  northwest,  for  here  he  has  prospered  and  is  now  one  of  the 
substantial  residents  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise. 


CLARENCE  L.  SPAULDING. 

Clarence  L.  Spaulding  is  the  owner  of  a  good  ranch  with  excellent  improvements 
situated  in  Gem  county.  It  comprises  eighty  acres  of  good  land,  of  which  sixty  acres  is 
planted  to  alfalfa,  and  the  waving  fields  of  green  are  the  visible  evidence  of  the  life  of 
industry  which  he  is  leading.  Mr.  Spaulding  is  a  representative  ranchman  of  Gem 
county,  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him. 

He  was  born  in  Osceola  county,  Iowa,  February  11,  1876,  and  is  a  son  of  George  L. 
and  Caroline  A.  (Collins)  Spaulding,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  state  of  New 
York,  where  they  were  reared  and  married.  The  father  was  a  Union  soldier  during 
the  Civil  war,  serving  with  Company  M,  Tenth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery.  On  leav- 
ing the  Empire  state  he  removed  with  his  wife  to  Iowa  and  there  passed  away  July  4, 
1901,  but  Mrs.  Spaulding  is  still  living  in  that  state  and  has  remained  a  widow,  true 
to  the  memory  of  her  husband. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Clarence  L.  Spaulding  was  reared  and  educated  in  Iowa,  attending  a  commercial 
college  in  Des  Moines  after  completing  his  common  school  education.  No  event  of 
special  importance  occurred  to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  him  in  his  boyhood 
days.  Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  he  was  married  in  Iowa,  December  3,  1897, 
to  Elvira  Amy  Daniels,  who  was  born  in  O'Brien  county,  that  state,  April  25,  1876, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Patience  (Vance)  Daniels,  who  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  New  York  respectively.  Her  father  served  in  Company  I  of  the  Fiftieth 
Pennsylvania  Infantry  during  the  Civil  war.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Spauld- 
ing, Isaac  Daniels,  was  one  of  the  American  soldiers  during  the  War  of  1812  and  her 
great-grandfather  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  who  lived  long  to  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  freedom,  reaching  the  notable  old  age  of  one  hundred  and  eight  years. 
Prior  to  her  marriage  Mrs.  Spaulding  took  up  teaching,  which  she  successfully  followed 
in  Iowa. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding  began  their  domestic  life  in  the  Hawkeye  state  and  there 
resided  until  1907,  when  they  came  to  Idaho,  for  a  short  time  residing  at  Idaho  Falls. 
In  the  autumn  of  that  year,  however,  they  removed  to  their  present  ranch  property  on 
the  Emmett  bench  in  Gem  county  about  twelve  miles  northwest  of  the  city  of  Emmett. 
It  was  an  eighty  acre  tract  of  sagebrush  when  it  came  into  possession  of  Mr.  Spauld- 
ing, whose  labors  have  converted  it  into  one  of  the  best  improved  alfalfa  ranches  in 
Gem  county.  All  of  the  buildings  have  been  erected  by  him  and  all  of  the  modern 
farm  improvements  have  been  added  during  the  period  of  his  ownership.  His  farm  is 
splendidly  equipped  in  every  particular  and  he  follows  the  most  advanced  scientific 
methods  in  the  cultivation  of  his  land  and  the  care  of  his  stock.  In  fact  he  is  one  of 
the  most  progressive  farmers  in  this  section  of  the  state  and  he  is  one  of  the  directors 
of  the  Emmett  irrigation  district,  serving  in  this  position  altogether  for  eight  years. 

Five  children,  four  daughters  and  a  son,  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding: 
Harry  Eugene,  whose  birth  occurred  September  29,  1899;  Blanche  Irene,  born  October  7, 
1901,  and  now  a  student  in  Link's  Business  College  at  Boise;  Florence  Lucile,  born 
June  6,  1904;  Alice  Maud,  March  22,  1906;  and  Ethel  May,  January  11,  1910. 

Both  the  father  and  mother  are  supporters  of  the  republican  party  and  he  has 
served  as  school  director  in  his  home  district,  while  his  wife  is  filling  that  posi- 
tion at  the  present  time.  Mr.  Spaulding  belongs  to  the  Brotherhood  of  American 
Yeomen,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  Their  sterling 
worth  has  gained  for  them  the  goodwill  of  friends  and  neighbors.  It  is  well  known 
that  they  are  supporters  of  all  those  interests  which  make  for  the  benefit  of  the  com- 
munity at  large,  and  the  progressive  spirit  which  governs  Mr.  Spaulding  is  manifest  in 
the  excellent  improvements  of  the  ranch  property  which  he  has  acquired  since  coming  to 
Gem  county. 


JACOB  SHAWVER. 

In  a  record  Of  pioneer  development  in  Idaho  mention  should  be  made  of  Jacob 
Shawver,  who  is  living  four  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Boise  and  who  preempted  his 
present  home  farm  in  1886,  securing  then  a  tract  of  land  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  which  was  covered  with  sagebrush.  Mr.  Shawver  is  a  native  of  Iowa.  He  was 
born  March  28,  1850,  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Bogle)  Shawver,  who  were  natives 
of  Ohio  and  Virginia  respectively.  The  father  was  born  near  Steubenville,  Ohio,  August 
26,  1817,  while  the  mother's  birth  occurred  on  the  4th  of  March,  1827.  They  were 
married  about  1845  and  reared  a  family  of  seven  children,  of  whom  five  are  yet  living. 
The  father  passed  away  January  23,  1904,  having  for  only  about  five  weeks  survived! 
his  wife,  who  died  on  the  13th  of  December,  1903. 

Jacob  Shawver  spent  his  youthful  days  under  the  parental  roof  and  was  reared 
to  farm  life.  He  was  married  at  Seneca,  Nemaha  county,  Kansas,  September  21,  1871, 
the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Jane  Arbaugh,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  March  31,  1850, 
a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Lower)  Arbaugh,  the  former  a  native  of  Maryland 
and  the  latter  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Arbaugh's  birth  occurred  June  23,  1806,  while  his 
wife  was  born  April  15,  1813.  They  were  married  September  18,  1831,  and  the  death  of 
Mr.  Arbaugh  occurred  July  28,  1872,  while  his  wife  died  August  23,  1880.  Pictures  in 
the  Shawver  home  of  the  four  grandparents  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shawver  show  them  to  have 
been  well  bred  people  of  good  American  stock. 

Jacob  JBhawver  had  accompanied  his  parents  to  Kansas  when  a  lad  of  seven  years 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  535 

and  there  resided  until  1882,  when  he  removed  from  the  Sunflower  state  to  Montana, 
and  in  1886  made  his  way  to  the  Boise  valley,  at  which  time  he  preempted  his  present 
homestead,  then  a  tract  of  wild  sagebrush  land  but  now  a  beautiful,  highly  cultivated 
and  well  irrigated  farm  worth  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  He  has  sold  and  deeded 
some  of  his  land  to  his  children  but  still  retains  possession  of  sixty  acres  and  has 
brought  the  place  under  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shawver  were  born  four  children.  Eva,  born  August  12,  1872, 
was  married  February  20,  1890,  and  had  four  children  by  that  marriage.  On  the  9th 
of  July,  1904,  she  became  the  wife  of  David  Whitlock,  a  native  of  Ada  county,  Idaho, 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children.  Her  six  children  are:  Mrs.  Daisy 
Drake,  of  Nampa;  Mrs.  Florence  McMichael,  of  Boise;  Harold  Smith  and  Miss  Etta 
Smith,  of  Boise;  Lucile  Whitlock;  and  Mary  Whitlock,  who  passed  away  in  1916  at  the 
age  of  three  years.  The  other  three  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shawver  are:  Jesse,  who  is 
mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Ira  Lee;  and  Raymond.  The  last  named  is  re- 
siding in  California,  while  Jesse  and  Ira  are  both  married  and  live  near  their  par- 
ent's home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shawver  had  eleven  grandchildren,  eight  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing, and  there  is  one  great-grandchild,  Ada  Henton,  now  eight  years  of  age,  who  is  the 
child  of  Mrs.  Daisy  Drake,  born  of  her  first  marriage. 

Politically  Mr.  Shawver  is  a  democrat  and  fraternally  is  a  Mason.  In  religious 
faith  his  wife  is  a  Presbyterian.  They  are  both  highly  esteemed  people,  enjoying  the 
goodwill,  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  know  them,  and  they  well  deserve  mention 
as  pioneer  residents  of  Ada  county  who  have  contributed  to  its  upbuilding  and  develop- 
ment and  who  have  been  witnesses  of  its  progress  and  improvement  from  early  times 
to  the  present. 


EMIL   STAHL. 

Emil  Stahl,  proprietor  of  Stahl's  Bakery  &  Confectionery,  one  of  the  attractive 
business  houses  of  Emmett,  was  born  and  reared  in  Baltimore,  Maryland.  His  natal 
day  was  February  18,  1886,  and  he  is  a  son  of  August  and  Elizabeth  Stahl,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Germany,  where  they  were  reared  and  married.  On  coming  to 
the  United  States  they  took  up  their  abode  in  Baltimore,  where  the  father  worked 
at  the  tailor's  trade,  which  he  had  previously  learned  in  his  native  country.  He  after- 
ward owned  and  conducted  two  large  merchant  tailoring  establishments  and  prospered 
in  business  as  the  years  passed.  Both  he  and  his  wife  died  in  Baltimore,  the  latter 
departing  this  life  when  the  son  Emil  was  but  seven  years  of  age,  while  the  father  died 
many  years  later. 

Emil  Stahl  learned  the  baker's  trade  in  Baltimore  in  his  youthful  days,  beginning 
work  along  that  line  when  a  lad  of  thirteen,  and  by  the  time  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  seventeen  he  was  a  master  baker.  In  his  later  years  he  worked  as  Journeyman  baker 
in  Philadelphia,  New  York  city,  Boston  and  other  places  in  New  England  and  the  east. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  joined  the  United  States  army  at  New  Haven,  Con- 
necticut, and  served  altogether  for  six  years,  or  for  two  full  three  year  periods  of 
enlistment.  It  was  in  1906  that  he  joined  the  army,  reenlisting  in  1909  and  serving 
until  1912,  when  he  received  his  final  discharge  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming.  During  two  and 
a  half  years  of  this  period  he  was  in  Cuba  with  the  American  Army  of  Occupation  and 
he  also  spent  several  months  on  the  Mexican  border.  After  receiving  his  honorable  dis- 
charge he  spent  one  year  in  Ogden,  Utah,  being  variously  employed.  In  1914  he  came 
to  Idaho  and  for  two  and  a  half  years  was  a  resident  of  Boise,  during  which  period 
he  was  largely  in  the  employ  of  the  City  Dye  Works.  In  1916  he  removed  to  Emmett. 
where  he  has  now  made  his  home  for  four  years.  For  several  months  he  was  the  head 
baker  of  the  Palm  Bakery  in  Emmett  and  on  the  llth  of  March,  1918,  he  established  his 
present  bakery  and  confectionery  and  with  the  assistance  of  his  wife,  who  is  indeed 
an  able  helper  to  him,  he  has  built  up  one  of  the  profitable  bakeries  of  this  section, 
of  the  state.  He  also  conducts  a  confectionery  business  in  connection  therewith  and 
manufactures  most  of  the  candies  which  he  sells.  This  is  one  of  the  only  two  bakeries 
in' Gem  county,  and  his  business  is  now  one  of  extensive  and  profitable  proportions. 

On  the  7th  of  April,  1912,  in  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  Mr.  Stahl  was  married  to  Mrs. 
Marie  Woodard,  who  was  born  in  England,  September  7,  1881.  They  have  an  only  child, 
Dolores,  who  was  born  in  Boise,  May  13,  1914,  and  is  a  beautiful  child  whose  picture 


536  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

adorns  a  1920  Stahl  Bakery  calendar  which  has  recently  been  printed  and  widely  cir- 
culated among  their  patrons. 

Mr.  Stahl  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  Master  Bakers  Association.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen 
and  he  belongs  also  to  the  Emmett  Commercial  Club,  while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps.  Mr.  Stahl  had  a  cousin,  Henry  B.  Sonneborn,  of  Baltimore, 
who  went  down  on  the  Lusitania  when  it  was  sunk  by  the  Germans.  While  of  German 
descent,  Mr.  Stahl  is  thoroughly  American  in  spirit  and  interests,  and  as  a  citizen  of 
Emmett  he  supports  all  of  the  activities  and  interests  which  are  calculated  to  benefit 
and  upbuild  the  town  and  locality. 

. 


JESSE  SHAWVER. 

Jesse  Shawver,  a  farmer  and  ditch  rider  residing  four  and  a  half  miles  west  of 
Boise,  was  born  in  the  western  part  of  Kansas,  April  21,  1876,  and  is  the  eldest  of  the 
three  sons  of  Jacob  and  Mary  Jane  (Arbaugh)  Shawver,  who  are  living  in  the  same 
neighborhood  west  of  Boise.  The  parents  came  to  Idaho  from  Montana,  the  father 
taking  up  a  homestead  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  upon  which  he  now  resides 
and  which  was  a  tract  of  wild  land  covered  with  sagebrush  when  it  came  into  his 
possession.  He  performed  the  arduous  task  of  breaking  the  sod  and  developing  the 
fields  and  now  has  a  fine  and  well  improved  farm.  He  has  sold  some  of  the  original 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  but  still  retains  possession  of  sixty  acres,  which 
is  today  worth  at  least  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre  more. 

Jesse  Shawver  was  a  youth  of  ten  years  when  the  family  took  up  their 
abode  upon  what  is  now  the  old  homestead  farm  in  Ada  county  and  he  has  lived 
either  upon  this  place  or  nearby  throughout  the  intervening  period.  His  own  ranch 
lies  just  north  of  his  father's  place  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line 
Railroad.  He  has  occupied  his  own  property  for  twenty  years,  or  since  his  marriage. 
His  place  comprises  thirty  acres  and  is  splendidly  improved  with  good  buildings  and 
all  of  the  other  equipment  of  a  model  farm  of  the  twentieth  century,  all  of  which  has 
been  installed  by  Mr.  Shawver.  He  keeps  a  number  of  fine  Jersey  cows  and  special- 
izes in  handling  fine  dairy  stock  and  in  raising  alfalfa.  He  has  also  been  one  of  the 
riders  on  the  Ridenbaugh  ditch  for  fifteen  years,  this  work  requiring  more  than  half, 
of  his  time  during  the  crop  season  of  seven  months.  His  section  of  the  ditch  embraces, 
ten  miles  on  the  main  ditch. 

On  the  31st  of  May,  1899,  Mr.  Shawver  was  married  to  Le,ah  Powell,  a  native  of 
Iowa,  who  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents  in  her  girlhood  days.  They  now  have  one 
living  child,  Howard  Edward,  born  November  27,  1901,  while  an  only  daughter,  Ruth 
Margaret,  passed  away  July  20,  1913,  at  the  age  of  five  years. 

Mr.  ard  Mrs.  Shawver  belong  to  the  Bethany  Presbyterian  church.  In  politics  he 
maintains  an  independent  course.  He  served  as  road  supervisor  for  two  or  three  years 
but  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  political  office  preferring  to  concentrate  his  efforts 
and  attention  upon  his  business  affairs,  which,  wisely  directed,  have  brought  to  him  a 
substantial  measure  of  success. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  UHRIG. 

William  Henry  Uhrig,  who  is  a  pioneer  of  the  Wood  river  country,  sold  his  ranch 
of  four  hundred  acres  in  Blaine  county  in  September,  1917,  and  removed  at  that  time 
to  a  suburban  home  on  the  Boise  bench.  He  had  already  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  for 
thirty  years,  having  removed  to  this  state  in  1887  from  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  He 
was  born  and  reared,  however,  in  Hancock  county,  Illinois,  his  birth  having  there 
occurred  July  22,  1859.  He  was  the  eldest  son  in  a  family  of  ten  children,  five  sons 
and  five  daughters,  whose  parents  were  Phillip  and  Rosa  (Snider)  Uhrig,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Germany  and  were  acquainted  in  that  country.  They  came  to 
the  United  States  on  the  same  ship  and  were  married  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio.  While  in 
his  native  land  the  father  had  served  as  a  drummer  boy  in  the  German  army.  The 
mother  passed  away  in  Hancock  county,  Illinois,  in  1874  and  the  father,  long  surviv- 
ing, there  died  on  the  4th  of  March,  1916,  at  the  notable  age  of  ninety-seven  years. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  537 

Their  home  was  at  Pontoosuc,  Hancock  county,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  river, 
and  both  were  laid  to  rest  there. 

William  H.  Uhrig  was  reared  in  Hancock  county,  Illinois,  and  because  his  people 
were  in  limited  financial  circumstances  he  began  earning  his  own  living  when  a  lad 
of  but  thirteen  years.  Going  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  he  there  learned  the  machinist's 
trade,  spending  three  years  in  a  foundry.  When  seventeen  years  of  age  he  became  a 
fireman  on  a  Mississippi  river  steamboat  and  for  eleven  years  worked  on  the  Mississippi 
boats  in  various  capacities.  He  was  finally  made  second  engineer  and  later  was  pro- 
moted to  first  engineer.  He  quit  the  river  in  1887  and  spent  a  few  months  in  Kansas 
City,  Missouri,  where  he  engaged  in  dredge  work  in  the  Kaw  river.  In  August,  1887, 
he  came  to  Idaho  and  took  up  a  timber  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  the 
Wood  river  district  of  Elaine  county.  Later  he  bought  another  tract  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  and  still  later  purchased  eighty  acres,  becoming  the  owner  of  four 
hundred  acres,  which  in  1917  he  sold  for  forty  dollars  per  acre.  He  received  more  than 
seventy-three  hundred  dollars  additional  for  his  live  stock  and  utensils,  amounting  alto- 
gether to  about  twenty-three  thousand  dollars.  This  he  has  earned  since  coming  to 
Idaho,  for  when  he  arrived  in  this  state  his  capital  consisted  of  but  seven  dollars 
and  a  quarter.  He  possesses  much  natural  mechanical  ability,  is  a  good  carpenter 
and  did  much  work  of  that  character  during  the  first  years  of  his  residence  in  Idaho, 
working  at  Hailey,  Bellevue  and  other  sections  near  his  ranch.  Upon  his  ranch  he 
erected  a  residence  at  a  cost  of  thirty-three  hundred  dollars.  He  now  makes  his  home 
on  the  Boise  bench  on  a  five  acre  tract  of  splendidly  improved  land,  having  there  a 
very  pleasant  suburban  home,  which  is  surrounded  with  fine  fruit  trees. 

Mr.  Uhrig  was  married  near  Hailey,  Idaho,  July  3,  1891,  to  Elizabeth  A.  Fowler, 
who  was  born  in  Indiana,  September  4,  1867,  and  was  brought  to  Idaho  in  early  girl- 
hood by  her  parents,  Silas  R.  and  Kate  Fowler,  former  residents  of  Ada  county.  Mrs. 
Uhrig  passed  away  February  22,  1911,  leaving  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, the  eldest  twenty  and  the  youngest  but  eighteen  months  old.  Since  the  death  of 
his  wife  Mr.  Uhrig  has  given  his  attention  to  the  rearing  of  his  children,  namely: 
Fred  R.,  who  was  recently  discharged  from  the  United  States  army  after  serving 
for  a  year;  Hazel,  who  was  married  in  1911  to  Thomas  Johnson,  by  whom  she  has  four 
children,  George,  Lawrence,  Benton  and  one  unnamed;  and  the  others  of  the  family 
are  Benton  A.,  Delsie,  L.,  Crystal  L.,  and  William  H.,  Jr. 

Mr.  Uhrig  is  a  democrat  in  his  political  views  but  has  never  been  a  candidate  for 
office.  He  is  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing  and  when  leisure  permits  turns  to  those  sports 
for  rest  and  enjoyment.  For  n  third  of  a  century  he  has  lived  in  Idaho  witnessing 
its  wonderful  development  and  improvement,  and  at  all  times  he  has  borne  his  share 
In  the  work  of  general  advancement 

\ 


JAMES   B.   HELLEWELL. 

James  B.  Hellewell,  a  rancher  now  living  at  Letha,  Gem  county,  where  he  has 
recently  purchased  an  excellent  tract  of  land  of  eighty  acres,  removed  to  Gem  county 
from  Minidoka  county,  where  he  had  formerly  resided  from  1905.  He  was  born  in 
Ogden,  Utah,  April  4,  1883,  and  is  a  son  of  George  E.  and  Mary  Ann  (Burrup)  Hellewell, 
both  of  whom  are  now  residents  of  Minidoka  county  and  are  members  of  the  Churoh 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

James  B.  Hellewell  came  to  Idaho  with  his  parents  when  a  youth  of  eight  years. 
He  lived  in  Bannock  and  Minidoka  counties  until  coming  to  Gem  county  in  1919,  and 
his  youthful  experiences  were  those  of  the  fannbred  boy  who  early  becomes  familiar 
with  the  best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  caring  for  the  crops.  As  the  years  passe<l 
he  acquired  property  of  his  own  and  carried  on  farming,  having  a  good  ranch  in 
Minidoka  county,  which  he  sold  before  investing  in  property  near  Letha. 

On  the  2nd  of  October,  1912,  Mr.  Hellewell  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Sarah. 
Liechty,,  who  was  born  in  Provo,  Utah,  August  18,  1892,  and  her  parents  were  also  of 
the  Mormon  faith.  Five  of  the  six  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hellewell  are  yet 
living,  these  being  Mary  Ann,  Louise,  James,  John  and  George  E.,  the  last  two  being 
twins,  and  Heber  Virgil.  The  son  John  died  at  the  age  of  three  months. 

Mr.  Hellewell  is  a  republican  in  politics  but  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  office. 
His  entire  life  has  been  devoted  to  his  farming  interests  and  in  1905  he  homesteaded 
in  Minidoka  county,  his  ranch  there  comprising  eighty  acres,  which  he  sold  for  two  hun- 

i 


538  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

dred  dollars  per  acre  early  in  1919.  He  then  purchased  his  eighty  acre  tract  near  Letha, 
for  which  he  gave  ten  thousand  dollars  and  which  is  just  as  desirable  a  property  as  the 
one  that  he  recently  sold  for  sixteen  thousand  dollars.  He  is  now  giving  his  efforts  and 
attention  to  the  further  development  of  this  property,  and  his  labors  are  manifest  in 
the  excellent  appearance  of  the  place. 


THOMAS  ANDREWS. 

Thomas  Andrews  was  born  in  Uperganie,  Herefordshire,  England,  September  22, 
1839.  In  1842  he  with  his  parents  came  to  the  United  States.  Their  first  winter  was 
spent  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  the  following  spring  they  moved  up  the  Mississippi 
river  to  Fort  Madison,  Iowa,  where  they  located  on  a  homestead.  This  became  the 
permanent  home  of  the  Andrews  family  and  here  four  daughters  and  three  other  sons 
were  born. 

When  eighteen  years  of  age  Thomas  went  to  Illinois  to  work  on  a  farm.  He  re- 
ceived fifteen  dollars  per  month  for  his  first  wages.  Here  he  remained  for  about  five 
years,  working  on  the  farm  in  summer  and  attending  school  in  the  winter.  In  the 
spring  of  1862,  accompanied  by  two  other  boys  of  about  his  own  age,  he  started  for 
Oregon.  The  trip  was  made  in  a  covered  wagon  drawn  by  six  yoke  of  oxen.  It  was 
necessary  for  the  boys  to  carry  a  supply  of  provisions  with  them  sufficient  to  last  until 
the  journey's  end.  On  reaching  Omaha,  which  was  at  that  time  only  a '  small  military 
fort,  they  were  forced  to  wait  until  a  train  of  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  wagons  could 
be  formed.  This  was  done  as  a  precaution  against  attacks  from  bands  of  hostile  Indians. 
From  Omaha  the  party  followed  the  Platte  river  to  its  head  in  the  Rocky  mountains. 
They  then  journeyed  southward  and  crossed  the  Green  river  near  the  spot  where  the 
town  of  Green  River  now  is.  Much  difficulty  was  experienced  owing  to  the  swollen 
condition  of  the  rivers  and  mountain  streams  which  they  had  to  cross.  To  combat  this 
condition  they  would  have  to  take  time  to  make  rafts  of  trees  and  logs  to  float  the 
wagons  and  would  swim  the  stock  across.  Some  brave  man  of  the  party  would  first 
make  a  trial  trip  on  horseback  to  test  the  condition  of  the  streams.  One  of  these  in- 
stances which  was  a  little  unusual  was  at  Green  River.  The  white  men  were  not  as 
brave  as  usual,  and  after  much  coaxing  a  hurley  negro,  mounted  on  a  mule,  plunged 
into  the  water  causing  much  excitement  as  both  mule  and  negro  disappeared  from  view. 
The  negro  displayed  the  greater  skill  of  the  two  and,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  on- 
lookers, beat  the  mule  to  the  other  shore  by  several  minutes.  From  this  point  in  the 
journey  it  was  necessary  to  guard  against  possible  attacks  from  Indians.  It  was  the 
custom  when  making  camp  at  night  to  corral  the  wagons,  placing  the  stock  in  this 
enclosure,  while  some  of  the  men  were  detailed  to  guard  camp  during  the  night.  No 
serious  trouble  was  encountered  by  this  precaution.  A  little  exciting  incident  was 
told  by  Mr.  Andrews  of  an  old  German  in  the  party  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  camp- 
ing by  himself  a  short  distance  from  the  rest  of  the  train  to  avoid  guard  duty.  One 
morning  on  awakening  he  found  that  his  stock  had  been  taken.  He  came  running, 
begging  the  other  men  of  the  party  to  help  him  get  his  stock.  Though  it  meant  a  delay 
of  an  entire  day,  a  posse  was  quickly  formed  and  the  stock  trailed  to  the  mouth  of 
a  canyon.  Here  they  paused  to  study  the  situation  and  were  greeted  by  threats  and 
dares  to  "come  on  and  get  your  stock,"  which  was  evidence  that  white  men  as  well  as 
Indians  were  waiting  in  ambush.  Realizing  that  to  enter  would  mean  death,  they  re- 
turned- to  their  train  and  divided  up  the  load  belonging  to  the  unfortunate  man,  packing 
it  with  their  own  for  the  remainder  of  the  journey.  With  the  exception  of  one  other 
encounter  in  which  one  of  the  men  in  the  party  was  shot  through  the  arm  while  on 
guard  duty,  there  was  no  further  trouble  with  the  Indians. 

From  Green  River,  after  crossing  the  Rockies  and  upon  reaching  Snake  river 
valley,  they  kept  to  the  south  side  of  the  river  until  they  reached  where  Huntington, 
Oregon,  is  now  located.  They  then  traveled  over  the  desert  to  the  Blue  mountains.  A 
little  difficulty  was  experienced  in  crossing  these  mountains  as  well  as  the  other  moun- 
tain ranges.  At  that  time  there  were  scarcely  any  roads  blazed  out.  While  going  down 
the  mountainsides  they  had  to  put  part  of  their  teams  behind  the  wagons  and  often 
times  hold  the  wagons  back  in  other  ways  such  as  dragging  trees. 

After  crossing  these  mountains  the  course  of  travel  led  them  down  the  Columbia 
river  until  they  reached  The  Dalles,  where  they  saw  the  first  house  since  leaving  Omaha. 
Here  the  wagon  train  broke  up  and  some  of  them  took  boats  for  Portland — to  them 
"God's  Country"  and  "The  Country  of  Red  Apples."  After  this  Mr.  Andrews  left  the 


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03 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  541 

party  and  sought  work,  which  he  found  at  what  is  now  the  town  of  Hubbard,  near 
Salem.  His  first  work  in  the  new  country  was  picking  these  beautiful  red  apples  which 
he  had  so  admired  in  Portland.  After  the  apple  picking  job  was  finished  he  went 
farther  up  the  valley  to  Salem  and  spent  the  winter  working  in  the  timber. 

About  the  first  of  March,  1863,  the  mining  excitement  drew  him  to  Oroflno,  Idaho. 
On  this  journey  he  passed  through  the  Nez  Perce  reservation.  The  Indians  in  this 
section  were  rather  hostile  at  this  time.  An  incident  which  lingered  long  in  Mr.  An- 
drews' memory  happened  while  he  was  in  this  section.  When  the  traveler  in  this 
vicinity  wished  to  crdss  the  river  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  secure  the  services  of 
an  Indian  canoe.  The  Indians,  apparently  wishing  to  take  advantage  of  the  situation, 
compelled  the  traveler  to  walk  ahead  of  them  down  the  trail  to  the  water's  edge,  while 
the  Indian  walked  behind  with  a  dagger  in  hand.  Mr.  Andrews  said  that  this  was 
really  the  only  time  he  actually  felt  that  his  life  was  in  danger  at  the  hands  of  the 
Indiana. 

Not  finding  things  very  satisfactory  in  the  mines  in  northern  Idaho,  he  returned 
as  far  as  Walla  Walla,  where  he  spent  some  time  in  the  harvest  fields  and  in  working 
on  a  dairy  farm.  In  the  spring  of  1864  he  purchased  two  cayouses  and  came  to  southern 
Idaho  to  again  try  the  mining  business,  this  time  at  Idaho  City,  which  was  then  called 
"The  Basin."  Again  dissatisfied  with  mining,  he  came  to  the  Boise  valley  in  search  of 
land  and  located  a  ranch  near  what  is  now  Parma.  On  this  ranch  Mr.  Andrews  re- 
mained during  the  rest  of  his  life.  Like  most  of  the  pioneers  he  endured  many  hard- 
ships. One  of  the  most  difficult  tasks  confronting  the  men  who  sought  to  build  new 
homes  in  this  section  of  Idaho  was  the  task  of  battling  with  the  water  which  almost 
yearly  overflowed  the  banks  of  the  Boise  river.  The  only  means  of  combating  this 
situation  was  damming  the  sloughs  leading  out  from  the  river  and  building  levees 
along  the  banks  of  the  river.  No  machinery  was  at  hand,  of  course,  and  Mr.  Andrews 
and  his  neighbors  were  forced  to  spend  many  hours  constructing  these  levees  by  means 
of  shovels.  Scrapers  were  unknown  in  the  west  in  those  days  Some  years  later,  in 
1878,  a  hired  man  on  Mr.  Andrews'  place  constructed  a  crude  wooden  scraper,  pattern- 
ing it  as  best  he  could  after  one  he  had  seen  used  in  railroad  construction  work  before 
he  came  to  the  west.  This  same  scraper  served  the  district  in  road  work  for  many  years. 

The  red  men  caused  the  settlers  much  annoyance  during  these  early  years.  They 
continually  stole  the  cattle  and  horses,  and  the  settlers  were  compelled  to  sleep  in  the 
barns  to  safeguard  their  stock.  The  Indians,  when  they  had  captured  the  stock,  would 
swim  them  across  the  Snake  river  and  hide  them  in  the  hills.  This  loss  became  so  great 
and  so  much  time  was  spent  in  trailing  the  stock  in  vain  that  the  settlers  at  one  time 
organized  a  party  which  crossed  the  river  by  ferry  at  old  Fort  Boise  and  trailed  the 
Indians  into  the  Owyhee  hills.  Here  they  found  the  stolen  horses  and  cattle  and  the 
Indians  asleep  on  the  ground  near  by.  The  Indians  were  taken  unawares  and  had  no 
weapons  at  hand.  They,  therefore,  began  to  fight  desperately  with  rocks  and  the  white 
men  were  forced  to  shoot  them  in  order  to  secure  their  cattle  once  more.  This  action 
on  the  part  of  the  white  men  seemed  to  end  the  cattle  rustling  for  a  time  and  this 
tribe  caused  the  settlers  no  further  trouble. 

When  Mr.  Andrews  first  came  to  the  ranch  his  sole  equipment  consisted  of  his 
blankets,  frying  pan  and  butcher  knife.  He  had  disposed  of  his  horses  because,  as  he 
expressed  it  "it  was  more  trouble  to  pull  those  old  cayouses  along  than  it  was  to  pack 
his  belongings  on  his  back."  During  the  first  few  years  his  only  means  of  gaining  a 
livelihood  was  cutting  the  wild  hay  and  hauling  it  to  The  Basin  to  market,  where  he 
sold  it  for  from  thirty  to  seventy-five  dollars  per  ton.  This  amount  may  seem  quite 
large,  yet  the  prices  of  foodstuffs  were  equally  high.  The  amount  received  for  a  ton 
of  hay  would  just  about  pay  for  a  barrel  of  flour.  During  the  first  few  years  the 
settlers  were  forced  to  go  to  The  Dalles  for  supplies.  This  was,  of  necessity,  a  long 
and  difficult  journey.  The  neighbors  would  take  turns  making  the  trip.  At  one 
time  when  Mr.  Andrews  took  his  turn  winter  came  on  unusually  early.  The  cold 
was  so  severe  that  it  seemed  as  though  he  would  freeze  before  he  reached  his  jour- 
ney's end.  He  crossed  the  Snake  river  with  his  ox  team  on  the  ice. 

After  leading  a  bachelor's  life  for  several  years,  Mr.  Andrews'  brother  George  and 
sister  Jane  joined  him.  This  sister  kept  house  for  him  until  a  year  later  when  she 
married  J.  N.  Tucker,  another  bachelor  who  lived  in  the  community.  He  was  again 
forced  to  keep  house  for  himself  until  December  24,  1875,  when  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Jane  Mansell,  who  crossed  the  plains  in  a  wagon  drawn  by  horse  team.  Miss  Mansell 
was  born  near  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  in  1856,  and  is  of  English  parentage.  In  1859  her 
family  moved  to  Missouri,  near  Rolla,  and  settled  on  a  homestead.  Scarcely  were  they 


542  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

settled  in  their  new  home  when  the  Civil  war  broke  out.  Situated  as  they  were,  close 
to  the  border  line  between  the  north  and  south,  it  soon  became  necessary  for  her  father, 
W.  B.  Mansell,  to  leave  his  family  to  serve  his  country  on  the  battlefield,  and  he  en- 
listed in  the  northern  army.  His  wife  and  eight  children  were  left  to  manage  the  place 
as  best  they  could.  During  this  time  they  endured  many  hardships  for  their  stock 
was  all  taken  from  them  by  the  bushwhackers  and  they  were  left  without  anything 
with  which  to  make  a  living.  While  the  father  lay  sick  in  an  army  hospital  the  mother 
contracted  typhoid  fever  and  died,  leaving  the  little  brood  with  no  one  to  care  for 
them.  After  his  wife's  death  Mr.  Mansell  was  given  an  honorable  discharge  from  the 
army  in  order  that  he  might  return  and  care  for  his  children.  He  returned  to  his 
home  but  could  not  remain  there  owing  to  the  fact  that  his  life  was  constantly  in  danger 
from  attacks  by  the  bushwhackers.  He  found  it  necessary,  therefore,  to  go  away  from 
his  home  to  seek  employment,  leaving  his  children  in  the  care  of  their  aged  grand- 
parents, to  whose  home  he  took  them.  The  family  was  not  again  reunited  until  about 
the  time  of  the  close  of  the  war,  when  the  children  joined  the  father  near  Cuba,  Mis- 
souri, where  they  lived  until  the  father's  death  in  1874. 

In  the  spring  of  1875,  Miss  Mansell,  in  company  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  R.  H.  Stockton 
and  family,  and  her  brothers,  Tom  and  Jim,  began  the  journey  westward.  Their  travels 
were  much  safer  during  the  first  part  of  the  journey  than  those  of  Mr.  Andrews.  Dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  their  trip,  though  their  experiences  were,  perhaps,  not  so  thrilling 
as  those  of  the  other  party,  a  great  many  hardships  were  endured,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  the  grasshoppers  had  swept  the  country  and  practically  nothing  was  left  growing 
upon  which  to  feed  the  horses  or  which  might  be  used  as  food  by  the  travelers  them- 
selves. One  incident  which  now  seems  amusing  but  which  at  the  time  it  happened 
closely  approached  the  tragic,  is  described  by  Mrs.  Andrews  as  follows:  "One  day 
after  traveling  late  into  the  night  we  reached  Little  Holt,  Kansas,  where  we  purchased 
some  cans  of  oysters  and  planned  to  have  an  appetizing  meal  of  oyster  soup.  We 
stopped  on  a  grassy  spot  a  short  distance  from  town,  built  the  fire  and  put  the  soup 
in  an  open  kettle  to  cook.  We  were  congratulating  ourselves  upon  having  found  a 
grassy  spot  in  the  region  where  the  grasshoppers  had  left  hardly  a  blade  of  grass 
standing.  As  it  was  dark  we  did  not  even  think  of  grasshoppers  being  around,  so  did 
not  cover  the  soup  kettle.  Soon  the  soup  was  ready  and  oh,  how  hungry  and  eager  we 
were  for  our  evening  meal.  Our  disappointment  was  very  great,  indeed,  when  we 
found  there  were  really  more  grasshoppers  than  oysters  in  our  oyster  soup.  As  the 
soup  was  the  only  thing  we  had  prepared  for  supper,  we  were  obliged  to  go  to  our  beds 
tired,  hungry  and  feeling  very  much  abused."  Mrs.  Andrews,  after  telling  the  above 
incident  of  some  of  the  trials  of  a  cross-country  journey  of  this  kind,  added,  with  a 
laugh,  "later  when  we  came  across  some  Indians  farther  alcng  in  our  journey  the 
incident  of  our  grasshopper  soup  was  brought  vividly  to  our  minds  as  we  saw  the 
Indians  eating  the  grasshoppers  as  a  part  of  their  regular  diet.  We  could  not  help  but 
feel  that  if  we  had  also  been  less  particular  we  might  have  eaten  our  soup  with  added 
relish  instead  of  going  hungry  to  bed." 

The  route  through  Wyoming  was  a  somewhat  difficult  one,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
they  were  forced  to  change  their  first  plan  of  going  by  the  Sweetwater  trail,  on  account 
of  warnings  of  hostile  bands  of  Indians,  and  the  journey  v/as  made  over  the  Bitter 
Root  trail.  The  unusually  dry  season  caused  the  water  to  be  so  strong  with  alkali  as  to 
render  it  unfit  for  use.  At  one  point  in  this  section  they  were  compelled  to  pay  a  dollar 
per  gallon  for  water.  Needless  to  say  the  stock  suffered  greatly  and  the  loss  was  heavy. 
Thus  their  progress  was  greatly  hindered.  Upon  reaching  the  Snake  river  at  American 
Falls,  they  followed  the  river  down  to  Rock  creek,  a  stage  station  on  the  site  which 
is  now  the  city  of  Twin  Falls.  Here  the  travelers  spent  two  nights  and  then  went  on 
down  the  river,  crossing  at  Glenn's  ferry.  The  party  then  crossed  the  desert  country 
lying  between  the  Snake  and  Boise  rivers  and  entered  the  Boise  valley  at  the  present 
site  of  Boise. 

The  party  rested  in  Boise  for  two  weeks,  giving  their  horses  an  opportunity  to  get 
freshened  up  a  little  before  continuing  the  journey  into  Oregon.  Oregon  was  the  goal 
of  these  people  just  as  it  was  the  goal  of  hundreds  of  other  brave  pioneers  who  traveled 
across  long  stretches  of  country  to  blaze  new  trails  in  the  far  west.  The  people  in  the 
party  sought  employment  while  waiting  in  Boise  and  Miss  Mansell  worked  in  the  Boise 
assay  office.  Two  weeks  later  as  they  resumed  their  journey  down  the  Boise  valley  the 
settlers  discouraged  them  about  attempting  to  cross  the  Blue  mountains  so  late  in  the 
season.  Acting  upon  this  suggestion,  the  party  broke  up  and  made  various  prepara- 
tions for  spending  the  winter  in  this  section. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  543 

Miss  Mansell  with  her  sister  and  family  found  shelter  for  the  winter  at  the  home 
of  Mr.  Andrews,  to  whose  place  they  were  directed  by  one  of  the  neighbors.  The  party 
reached  Mr.  Andrews'  place  late  in  the  afternoon  of  an  October  day  in  *  1875.  The 
neighbors  had  told  the  young  bachelor  that  there  was  a  girl  in  the  party,  so  he  watched 
the  wagons  sharply  as  they  unloaded.  The  bashful  little  Missouri  girl  dreaded  the 
thought  of  meeting  the  bachelor  and  stayed  in  the  wagon  until  after  the  rest  of  the 
party  were  out  and  then  slipped  quietly  into  the  house.  When  he  saw  what  a  timid 
little  thing  she  was,  Mr.  Andrews  began  conversing  with  her  and  teasing  her  to  see 
her  pretty  confusion.  It  seemed  as  though  fate  had  had  a  hand  in  things  in  bringing 
these  people  to  the  young  bachelor's  lonely  home.  The  little  girl  appealed  to  him 
strongly  and  when  the  following  Sunday  she  "dressed  up"  in  a  becoming  green  dress 
he  realized  that  she  was  already  finding  a  place  in  his  heart  and  home.  The  young 
lady  also  felt  strangely  drawn  to  the  ranch  and  its  sturdy  young  owner  for.  as  she 
afterward  told  her  husband,  the  first  time  she  stepped  out  into  the  yard  and  looked 
about  the  place  something  within  her  whispered  "This  will  be  my  home"  and  she  was 
glad.  The  friendship  ripened  rapidly  in  the  associations  of  the  home  life  and  in  jolly 
sleigh  and  horseback  rides  together.  So  it  was  not  surprising  that  the  delightful 
little  Idaho  romance  culminated  in  a  wedding  on  December  24,  1875.  They  were  mar- 
ried at  the  home  of  Mr.  Andrews'  sister  and  her  husband,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  N.  Tucker, 
well  known  pioneers  of  this  section.  All  the  neighbors  from  miles  around  were  present 
to  wish  them  a  happy  life.  One  of  Mr.  Andrews'  young  friends  asked  him  why  he 
married  so  soon  and  why  he  didn't  give  some  of  the  other  fellows  a  chance  to  meet  Miss 
Mansell,  when  girls  were  so  scarce  in  the  country.  Mr.  Andrews  replied  shrewdly  that 
he  didn't  want  to  wait  too  long  for  fear  her  folks  would  take  her  on  to  Oregon  with 
the/n.  The  journey  to  the  wedding  was  made  in  a  lumber-wagon  and  the  couple  re- 
turned to  their  ranch  home  without  further  "honeymoon"  trip. 

The  young  couple  faced  a  great  many  hardships  in  their  life  in  the  new  country. 
In  1877  the  grasshoppers  swept  this  section  and  the  crops  were  almost  a  total  failure. 
The  following  year  was  almost  as  bad,  as  the  young  grasshoppers  hatched  out  and 
marched  like  an  army  over  the  land,  eating  every  vestige  of  garden,  hay,  grain  and  jeven 
the  bark  from  the  trees.  The  same  year  also  the  Bannock  Indians  went  on  the'Var- 
path  and  the  settlers,  fearing  an  attack,  built  a  fort  on  the  site  of  the  present  town  of 
Parma.  Some  of  the  people  frequently  sought  refuge  at  night  in  the  willows  and 
timber.  Here  they  spent  a  great  many  nights  during  the  time  when  the  Indian's  were 
terrorizing  the  country.  Mrs.  Andrews  tells  of  spending  the  nights  thus,  holding  in  her 
arms  her  little  son,  Asa,  dreading  the  moment  when  the  little  fellow  would  cry,  lest  the 
Indians  might  hear  and  find  their  hiding  place.  The  next  year  the  Nez  Perce  Indians 
in  northern  Idaho  went  on  the  warpath  and  the  soldiers  were  sent  lip  there  to  protect 
the  people.  The  settlers  in  southern  Idaho  feared  another  outbreak  of  the  Bannrok 
Indians  but  this  fortunately  did  not  occur. 

In  spite  of  these  and  other  obstacles  such  as  vears  when  their  crops  were  destroyed 
by  hail  storms,  they  prospered  and  succeeded  in  accumulating  herds  of  cattle,  and 
adding  to  their  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  until  they  had  over  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Andrews'  death.  He  had  the  first  alfalfa  field  in  this 
section  and  brought  the  first  buggy  into  the  neighborhood.  Gradually  he  set  out  fruit 
trees  and  had  one  of  the  first  orchards  in  the  valley.  Prunes  were  raised  on  his  ranch 
before  they  were  started  on  any  other  place  in  this  locality.  In  addition  to  his  labors 
as  a  farmer  he  was  interested  in  stock  raising,  particularly  beef  cattle.  In  1878  Mr. 
Andrews  sold  three-year-old  beef  steers  for  as  low  as  eleven  dollars  per  head.  In  laier 
years  he  turned  his  attention  to  raising  alfalfa  seed. 

To  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrews  there  were  born  four  children,  three  sons  and 
one  daughter,  all  of  whom  are  living  at  this  writing.  They  are  as  follows:  Asa  W. 
Andrews,  born  November  21,  1876,  married  Minnie  Gahley,  of  Nebraska,  January  26. 
1904.  They  have  two  sons,  Howard  and  John.  They  are  engaged  in  farming  and  their 
home  is  on  a  farm  joining  the  old  homestead.  Lillie  Andrews,  born  October  17,  1878, 
married  James  R.  Compton,  April  15,  1897,  and  they  have  two  sons  living.  Michael  and 
Thomas.  Their  home  is  in  Boise,  where  Mr.  Compton  is  engaged  in  the  retail  coal  and 
transfer  business.  Jesse  Andrews,  born  February  19,  1881,  married  Laura  Anderson, 
of  Lewiston,  Idaho,  April  16.  1918,  and  they  are  engaged  in  farming  near  Wilder.  Idaho. 
Oral  T.  Andrews,  born  January  21,  1886,  married  Anna  Spaeth,  February  18,  1910. 
They  have  three  sons,  Kenneth,  Oral  T.,  Jr.,  and  Robert.  They  are  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  at  Notus,  Idaho. 

Though   they  endured   many  hardships   in  the  pioneer  days  yet  the  entire  family 


544  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

enjoyed  excellent  health  and  Mr.  Andrews  was  active  until  the  time  of  his  death. 
He  died  at  his  home,  December  7,  1913,  leaving  his  wife  who  remained  on  the  place 
until  1919.  His  son  Jesse  superintended  the  work  on  his  father's  ranch  for  five  years 
prior  to  his  marriage  in  1918.  After  this  he  went  to  his  own  place  and  Mrs.  Andrews 
managed  the  ranch  herself.  Finding  this  too  difficult,  however,  she  disposed  of  the 
place  and  has  located  in  Notus. 


WILLIAM  S.  WAYMAN. 

William  S.  Wayman,  living  in  Gem  county  on  a  ranch  about  eight  miles  west  of 
Emmett,  was  born  in  West  Virginia,  March  4,  1844,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Amy  (Bane)  Wayman.  His  youthful  days  were  passed  in  his  native  state  and  in 
1864,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty  years,  he  removed  to  Illinois  and  for  two  decades 
was  a  resident  of  that  state.  In  1884  he  went  to  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  and  in  1909 
removed  from  the  Sunflower  state  to  Idaho.  He  has  lived  upon  his  present  ranch 
property  in  Gem  county  for  more  than  a  decade  and  throughout  the  entire  period  has 
concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  the  further  development  and  improvement 
of  his  land,  his  labors  being  attended  with  good  results,  as  excellent  harvests  have 
been  produced. 

In  Eureka.  Illinois,  in  1871,  Mr.  Wayman  was  married  to  Miss  Henrietta  Ward, 
whose  birth  occurred  at  Moundsville,  West  Virginia,  May  20,  1847,  and  who  was  a 
childhood  friend  and  playmate  of  her  husband.  They  now  have  three  living  daughters, 
Mrs.  Ada  B.  Guthrie,  Mrs.  Jessie  Wentworth  and  Miss  Josephine  Wayman,  who  is  a 
teacher  and  lives  at  home  with  her  parents.  In  fact  all  three  of  the  daughters  have 
been  teachers  and  the  last  named  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Idaho. 

Mr.  Wayman  is  a  republican  in  his  poltical  views  and  while  living  in  Illinois  and 
in  Kansas  served  for  many  years  as  a  school  director,  while  in  the  latter  state  he  was 
also  township  trustee  for  eleven  years.  He  occupied  the  position  of  assessor  in  Grove- 
land  townishp,  La  Salle  county,  Illinois,  for  three  years  and  was  trustee  in  Blue 
Rapids  township,  Marshall  county,  Kansas,  for  a  time.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  is  a  past  master  of  the  lodge  and  past  high  priest  of  the  chapter.  He 
has  ever  been  loyal  to  the  teachings  and  purposes  of  the  craft,  and  Masonry  finds  ia 
him  an  exemplary  representative. 


CHARLES  TRISLER. 

Charles  Trisler,  a  farmer  and  orchardist  of  Ada  county,  came  to  Idaho  in  1908  from 
Grand  Junction,  Colorado.  He  is  a  native,  however,  of  Brown  county,  Ohio,  where  his 
birth  occurred  June  10,  1860.  His  parents  were  Abraham  and  Christiana  (Davis) 
Trisler,  the  former  a  son  of  John  Trisler,  who  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  families  and  who  removed  to  Ohio,  becoming  a  pioneer  settler  of  Brown, 
county.  Abraham  Trisler  and  his  wife  were  both  born  in  Brown  county  and  by  their 
marriage  they  had  a  family  of  four  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  Charles  was  the 
seventh  child  and  youngest  son.  One  sister  and  two  brothers  of  the  family  are  deceased 
and  the  subject  of  this  review  is  the  only  one  now  living  in  Idaho. 

Charles  Trisler  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  his  native  county  but  a  portion  of  his 
youth  was  also  spent  near  Maysville,  Kentucky,  his  parents  living  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Ohio  river  for  two  years.  For  several  years  when  he  was  a  young  man  in  the 
twenties  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand,  first  in  Ohio  and  later  near  Bloomington,  Illinois, 
and  also  near  Wellington,  Kansas,  where  he  spent  three  years.  In  1884  he  cast  his 
first  presidential  vote  for  Grover  Cleveland  near  Bloomington,  Illinois,  this  being,  how- 
ever, the  only  democratic  vote  that  he  ever  cast.  Before  removing  to  the  northwest  he 
spent  one  summer  in  North  Dakota  on  a  wheat  ranch  near  Devils  Lake.  In  the  spring! 
of  1888  he  made  his  way  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  for  fifteen  years  resided  near  Tacoma, 
Washington. 

On  the  19th  of  October,  1889,  Mr.  Trisler  was  married  in  Tacoma  to  Miss  Emma 
Peebles,  a  native  of  New  York  state,  who  was,  however,  largely  reared  in  Seattle,  Wash4 
ington.  She  made  the  trip  from  New  York  to  Seattle  mainly  by  boat  and  crossed  the 
Isthmus  on  the  Panama  Railroad.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trisler  had  been  acquainted  two  or; 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  545 

three  years  before  their  marriage  and  some  time  prior  to  that  important  event  in 
their  lives  each  purchased  an  unimproved  tract  of  natural  timber  thirty  miles  from 
Tacoma.  These  tracts,  each  comprising  forty  acres,  were  adjoining  and  were  so  heavily 
timbered  that  there  was  not  even  a  road  through  the  place.  Mr.  Trisler  cleared  away 
a  spot  on  his  wife's  forty  acre  tract  for  a  house  and  erected  thereon  a  frame  dwelling. 
As  soon  as  it  was  completed  he  sent  for  his  intended  bride  and  their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated. They  began  housekeeping  in  their  own  home  upon  their  ranch  and  thirteen 
years  later  they  exchanged  their  eighty  acre  property  for  a  fruit  ranch  at  Grand  Junc- 
tion, Colorado.  In  1908  they  sold  this  and  came  to  Idaho  but  in  the  meantime  had 
greatly  improved  the  Colorado  property.  On  coming  to  Idaho  in  1908  Mr.  Trisler 
purchased  a  sixteen  acre  suburban  place  on  the  Boise  bench  three  miles  west  of  Boise 
and  a  half  mile  west  of  the  Franklin  school.  There  was  a  small  frame  house  upon  it 
that  cost  perhaps  three  hundred  dollars  and  this  he  now  uses  as  a  garage  and  shop. 
There  were  also  a  few  fruit  trees,  most  of  which  have  since  disappeared.  In  1909  he 
built  a  fine  large  bungalow  with  eight  rooms  and  basement,  an  air  pressure  water 
system  with  modern  plumbing  and  bath,  and  hot  and  cold  water  throughout.  This  is  a 
beautiful  country  home,  surrounded  by  a  well  kept  lawn  adorned  with  shade  trees,  and1 
there  are  excellent  orchards  upon  the  place,  the  trees  being  about  ten  years  old  and 
producing  fine  Roman  Beauties,  King  Davids,  Jonathans  and  Delicious  apples.  la 
1909  Mr.  Trisler  built  a  good  barn  and  he  has  one  of  the  prettiest  suburban  properties 
near  Boise. 

His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Trisler  is  a  stanch  republi- 
can, and  both  are  highly  esteemed  residents  of  Ada  county,  where  he  has  made  for 
himself  a  creditable  position  among  the  successful  orchardists. 


EDWARD  W.  FARIS. 

Idaho  with  its  splendid  natural  resources  and  countless  business  opportunities  has 
drawn  to  it  many  progressive  men  who  have  recognized  the  chances  for  development 
in  this  state  and  in  the  upbuilding  of  their  own  fortunes  have  contributed  to  the 
welfare,  progress  and  prosperity  of  the  sections  in  which  they  live.  Such  is  the  record 
of  Edward  W.  Faris,  a  farmer  and  live  stock  dealer  of  Gem  county,  whose  home  is  on 
the  south  slope  in  the  Payette  valley  about  ten  miles  west  of  Emmett.  He  was  born  in 
Pike  county,  Illinois,  March  23,  1880,  and  is  a  son  of  Alvah  and  Sarah  Frances  (Ward) 
Faris,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away,  the  father  dying  when  his  son  was  but  fourteen 
years  of  age,  while  the  mother's  death  occurred  when  he  was  a  youth  of  sixteen.  He 
is  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  six  children,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living  and  all  now  residents 
of  Idaho  with  the  exception  of  one. 

Edward  W.  Faris  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  his  native  county  and  began  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Illinois.  He  first  came  to  Idaho  in  the  fall  of  1905 
upon  leaving  his  native  county  and  entered  the  employ  of  a  large  construction  company 
of  Boise,  of  which  his  cousin,  R.  W.  Faris,  is  the  head.  He  remained  in  the  employ  of 
that  construction  company  for  a  period  of  eight  years,  serving  in  the  capacity  of  fore- 
man and  manager.  For  six  years  he  was  also  foreman  of  a  large  ranch  owned  by  the 
company  in  the  Twin  Falls  country  and  spent  three  years  in  an  automobile  shop  at 
Twin  Falls,  Idaho,  and  learned  that  business  but  in  1918  he  turned  his  attention  to 
ranching,  which  he  took  upon  his  own  account  near  Montour,  in  Gem  county.  For 
two  years  previous  to  that  he  was  manager  of  an  eight  hundred  acre  ranch  near 
Montour.  In  1918  he  bought  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  his  home  place  and  at 
once  began  its  further  development  and  improvement.  It  had  upon  it  a  complete  set 
of  farm  buildings  and  he  at  once  went  to  work  to  further  develop  his  land.  He  sold  that 
property,  however,  in  September,  1919,  and  soon  afterward  made  investment  in  one 
hundred  and  seventy  acres,  constituting  the  ranch  upon  which  he  now  resides,  ten] 
miles  west  of  Emmett  on  the  south  slope.  Here  he  has  one  of  the  best  ranch  properties 
for  its  size  in  Gem  county. 

In  Emmett,  Idaho,  on  the  18th  of  March,  1907,  Mr.  Faris  was  married  to  Miss  Rena 
Belle  Lyman,  who  was  born  in  Michigan,  March  18,  1889,  and  their  marriage  waa 
celebrated  on  the  eighteenth  anniversary  of  her  birth.  Her  parents  were  John  and 
Mary  Ann  (Sinclair)  Lyman,  the  former  now  living  at  Twin  Falls,  Idaho,  while  the 
latter  died  in  December,  1915.  Mrs.  Faris  is  one  of  a  family  of  six  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  two  daughters: 

Vol.  Ill- 35 


546  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Dorothy  Ethelyn,  born  October  8,  1910;  and  Mary  Frances,  born  August  1,  1913.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Faris  lost  their  first  born,  a  little  daughter,  Lela  Mabel,  whose  birth  occurred 
August  27,  1908,  and  who  was  accidentally  drowned  when  but  a  year  and  a  half  old, 
her  death  occurring  May  3,  1910. 

Mrs.  Faris  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  Faris  belongs  to  the 
Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  democratic 
party  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  political  office.  His  attention  is  concentrated 
first  and  foremost  upon  his  farming  interests.  He  is  also  fond  of  hunting  and  endeavors 
to  go  into  the  forests  for  deer  every  fall.  He  also  enjoys  fishing,  but  recreation  interests 
are  made  subservient  to  his  business  affairs,  which  have  been  wisely  directed  and  are 
bringing  to  him  a  substantial  annual  income. 


GUS  LAMBACH. 

Gus  Lambach,  a  farmer  residing  on  a  fine  ranch  of  seventy  acres  three  miles  south- 
west of  Boise,  removed  from  Charter  Oak,  Iowa,  to  Ada  county,  Idaho,  and  at  once 
purchased  the  place  upon  which  he  now  makes  his  home.  The  land  was  worth  but 
sixty-five  dollars  per  acre  when  it  came  into  his  possession  and  is  today  worth  three 
hundred  dollars  or  more,  owing  to  the  natural  rise  in  land  values  consequent  upon 
the  rapid  settlement  and  development  of  the  region  and  the  improvements  made  upon 
it  by  the  owner.  < 

Mr.  Lambach  was  born  in  Le  Claire,  Scott  county,  Iowa,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  November  4,  1860,  his  parents  being  Frederick  and  Sophia  (Pulce) 
Lambach,  who  were  natives  of  Germany  but  were  married  in  Le  Claire,  Iowa.  Both 
have  passed  away.  In  their  family  were  four  children,  of  whom  Gus  was  the  second 
in  order  of  birth.  There  are  now  two  sons  and  a  daughter  living,  these  being: 
Frederick  Lambach,  of  Davenport,  Iowa;  Mrs.  Ida  Wiemer,  also  of  Iowa;  and  Gus,  the 
subject  of  this  review.  The  father  was  a  carpenter  and  stonemason  and  built  the 
first  house  in  Davenport,  Iowa. 

Gus  Lambach  has  followed  farming  as  a  life  work  and  has  resided  at  different 
periods  in  Iowa,  Texas  and  Idaho.  He  spent  five  years  in  Texas  and  with  this  exception 
the  remainder  of  his  days  have  been  passed  in  his  native  state  and  in  Idaho,  to  which 
he  removed  in  1901. 

While  still  living  in  Iowa,  Mr.  Lambach  was  married  in  his  early  thirties  to 
Stella  McLaughlin,  who  passed  away  in  1900,  leaving  a  son,  Hilton,  who  was  born 
June  12,  1899,  and  died  December  4,  1919.  On  the  1st  of  October,  1903,  Mr.  Lambach 
wedded  Miss  Leota  Pearl  Eby,  who  was  born  in  Toledo,  Iowa,  October  28,  1878. 

Mr.  Lambach  is  independent  in  politics  supporting  men  and  measures  rather  than 
party,  and  he  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  office.  Neither  does  he  belong  to  secret 
orders.  He  concentrates  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  farming  interests,  making  a 
specialty  of  the  raising  of  alfalfa  a»d  the  handling  of  dairy  cows.  His  success  is  the 
direct  outcome  of  his  perseverance  and  labor  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  an  excellent 
and  valuable  ranch  property  conveniently  located  near  the  capital,  so  that  the  advan- 
tages of  city  as  well  as  those  of  the  rural  community  are  easily  obtainable. 


A.  HARVEY  BALL. 

s 

A.  Harvey  Ball,  conducting  business  at  Burley  under  the  name  of  the  Ball  Electric 
Company,  was  born  in  Norfolk,  Virginia,  April  19,  1884,  his  parents  being  Owen  D.  and 
Roberta  F.  (Fischer)  Ball.  His  boyhood  days  were  passed  at  the  place  of  his  nativity 
and  he  pursued  his  education  at  the  Virginia  ( Military  Institute  at  Blacksburg,  that 
state.  He  afterward  went  upon  the  road  as  traveling  representative  of  the  Westing- 
house  interests  in  the  electrical  business,  traveling  through  various  southern  states  and 
remaining  with  the  firm  for  ten  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  removed  to 
Butte,  Montana,  to  become  connected  with  a  branch  of  the  Westinghouse  interests.  At 
a  latter  period  he  traveled  out  of  Boise,  Idaho,  for  two  years  and  on  the  1st  of  May, 
1919,  he  purchased  the  business  of  the  George  G.  Huntington  Electric  Company  at 
Burley.  He  has  since  been  continuously  identified  therewith  having  an  excellent 
location  on  Third  street,  where  he  has  a  fine  electric  shop.  He  does  farm  lighting, 


A.  HARVEY  BALL 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  549 

builds  transmitters  and  electric  lines  and  has  secured  a  liberal  patronage,  his  business 
being  now  one  of  extensive  and  gratifying  proportions.  He  is  also  the  manager  of  the 
Unity  Power  &  Light  Company  and  of  the  Starr-Ferry  Light  &  Power  Company,  and 
tli us  he  is  closely  associated  with  the  electric  business  in  his  part  of  the  state.  He  like- 
wise owns  Jarm  lands  near  Burley. 

In  1915  Mr.  Ball  was  married  to  Miss  Mildred  Sans  Soucl,  a  native  of  Rhode  IMa-itl. 
and  they  have  one  child,  Constami  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ball  are  members  of  the  Episcopal 
church.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Masons,  and  is  a  member  of  El  Korah 
Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  at  Boise  and  also  belongs  to  the  Elks  and  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  being  a  loyal  follower  of  the  teachings  and  purposes  of  these  different  or- 
ganizations. His  training  in  early  lite  was  thorough  and  comprehensive,  and  he  has 
remained  a  close  student  of  things  electrical.  Tnus  his  efficiency  has  advanced  and  he 
has  become  today  one  of  the  prominent  representatives  of  electric  interests  in  southern 
Idahr.  During  the  World  war  he  gave  up  business  to  enlist  and  entered  the  Zarhary 
Taylor  Officers  Training  School  for  the  artillery  service  but  the  armistice  was  signed 
before  he  was  ready  to  go  overseas. 


EVAN  S.  HARDIX. 

Evan  S.  Hardin  is  now  residing  on  a  splendidly  improved  five-acre  tract  of  land 
on  the  Boise  Bench,  just  forty  rods  east  of  the  Franklin  school.  He  recently  rented 
out  his  fine  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Minidoka  county,  Idaho,  seven 
miles  west  of  Rupert,  and  removed  to  his  present  place  that  he  might  give  his  children 
the  benefit  of  the  educational  advantages  to  be  secured  in  this  district.  Mr.  Hardin 
was  born  upon  a  farm  near  Logan,  Iowa,  December  12,  1863,  at  which  time  his  father. 
Evan  Taylor  Hardin,  was  serving  in  the  Union  army  as  a  bugler.  He  was  with  the 
Twenty-ninth  Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry  throughout  the  entire  four-year  period  of  the 
war.  His  birth  occurred  in  Hardin  county,  Kentucky,  which  county  was  named  in 
honor  of  his  family,  a  very  prominent  one  of  that  state.  The  birth  of  the  father 
occurred  about  1820  and  on  reaching  manhood  he  wedded  Lent ha  A.  Boynton  in  the 
state  of  Illinois.  They  had  a  family  of  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  Evan  S. 
is  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth,  and  all  are  yet  living  with  the  exception  of  two.  The 
mother  was  born  in  Vermont  in  1825  and  was  of  good  old  New  England  stock,  her 
ancestry  being  traced  back  to  the  Mayflower.  The  death  of  Evan  Taylor  Hardin 
occurred  at  Cambridge,  Nebraska,  June  20,  1888,  while  his  wife  lived  to  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-two  years  and  passed  away  in  California  in  March,  1917. 

Evan  S.  Hardin  was  twelve  years  of  age  when  his  parents  removed  to  a  point  near 
i'ainbridge.  Nebraska,  where  the  father  took  up  a  soldier's  homestead,  as  did  the  son 
at  a  later  period.  The  Hardins  became  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Furnas  county, 
Nebraska,  contributing  to  its  early  development  and  improvement.  In  Cambridge,  that 
state,  on  the  28th  of  January,  1892,  Evan  S.  Hardin  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  Hoppe, 
who  was  born  near  Monona,  Iowa,  May  6,  1868,  a  daughter  of  August  and  Rosalie 
(  Kuhler)  Hoppe  who  were  natives  of  Germany  but  were  married  in  Chicago.  They 
reared  a  family  of  six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  Mrs.  Hardin 
is  the  youngest,  and  all  are  living  with  one  exception.  August  Hoppe  and  his  wife 
spent  the  greater  part  of  their  married  life  in  Iowa  but  later  removed  to  Nebraska, 
where  the  father  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years,  the  mother  passing  away  at  the 
same  place  some  time  later  but  at  the  same  age. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hardin  began  their  domestic  life  in  Nebraska,  where  they  resided 
until  1912.  when  they  sold  their  farm  of  seven  hundred  acres  in  that  state  and  removed 
to  the  northwest.  Originally  Mr.  Hardin  had  been  the  possessor  of  a  homestead  claim 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  to  which  he  had  added  from  time  to  time  until  he 
acquired  the  large  acreage  mentioned.  In  1913  he  and  his  family  arrived  in  Minidoka 
county,  Idaho,  where  he  purchased  two  eighty-acre  tracts  of  fine  land  seven  miles  west 
of  Rupert,  paying  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre  for  one  tract  and  seventy-five  dollars  per 
acre  for  the  other  tract.  He  still  owns  this  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and 
a  real  estate  dealer  has  placed  upon  it  a  valuation  of  sixty  thousand  dollars. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hardin  have  become  parents  of  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  all  of  v/hom  are  yet  living.  Allan  H.,  the  eldest,  born  October  9,  1892.  is  a 
farmer  anfl  is  married  and  lives  in  Minidoka  county  with  his  wife  and  one  child. 
Keith  Hardin.  who  was  born  April  30,  1919.  and  is  the  only  grandchild  of  Mr.  and 


550  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mrs.  Evan  S.  Hardin.  George  Evan,  born  April  2,  1894,  served  in  the  United  States 
navy  during  the  war  with  Germany.  On  the  30th  of  June,  1919,  he  married  Esther 
Rotha  Fenton,  daughter  of  James  A.  Fenton,  who  is  president  of  the  bank.  Donal 
Bryan,  born  January  9,  1895,  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Minidoka  county.  Emma  Gail, 
born  October  7,  1897,  completed  a  course  in  the  State  Normal  School  at  Albion,  Idaho, 
and  has  now  been  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  for  two  years.  Bessie  Evelyn,  born 
January  19,  1900,  is  a"  graduate  of  the  Rupert  high  school  and  is  now  a  student  in 
Link's  Business  College  of  Boise.  Charles  H.  B.,  born  March  19,  1904,  and  Julia 
Beatrice,  born  February  13,  1910,  are  the  younger  members  of  the  family. 

Mrs.  Hardin  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church  but  is  now  attending  the  Wright 
Congregational  church,  located  near  the  Hardin  home  on  the  Boise  Bench.  Mr.  Hardia 
is  a  democrat  in  his  political  views,  as  were  his  Kentucky  ancestors.  While  in  Nebraska 
and  upon  his  Minidoka  county  farm  he  made  a  specialty  of  the  raising  of  fine  Percheron 
horses  and  registered  Holstein  cattle,  and  he  and  his  eldest  sons  were  numbered  among 
the  leading  breeders  of  Percheron  horses  in  southern  Idaho.  In  Nebraska,  when 
turning  his  attention  to  this  business,  he  paid  seventeen  hundred  dollars  for  two 
Percheron  mares,  which  he  brought  to  Idaho  with  him,  together  with  two  carloads  of 
registered  Percherons,  and  he  also  brought  with  him  from  Nebraska  a  carload  of 
registered  and  graded  Holstein  cattle.  While  upon  his  Minidoka  county  ranch  he 
greatly  developed  his  stock  raising  interests  and,  prospering  in  his  undertakings,  came 
to  be  numbered  among  the  men  of  affluence  in  that  section  of  the  state. 


CARL   OSCAR   JOHNSON. 

Carl  Oscar  Johnson  is  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  McLeod  &  Johnson, 
merchant  tailors  and  dealers  in  men's  furnishing  goods  in  Boise.  He  was  born  in 
Sweden,  November  16,  1873,  and  his  parents  never  came  to  fhe  United  States.  His 
father,  John  Johanson,  was  a  farmer  who  died  in  Sweden,  December  24,  1914,  and 
the  mother  is  still  living  in  that  country  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  Her  maiden 
name  was  Johanna  Johanson. 

Carl  Oscar  Johnson  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, six  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living  with  the  exception  of  the 
eldest,  Joseph-  Johnson,  who  likewise  came  to  the  new  world  and  passed  away  on 
this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  He  made  his  home  at  Blue  Lake,  California,  and  died  in 
1908,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine  years,  leaving  a  wife  and  three  children.  Of  the 
seven  living  children  in  the  father's  family  those  in  the  United  States  are:  August 
Johnson,  who  is  a  merchant  of  San  Francisco,  California;  Carl  O.,  of  this  review; 
and  Otto  Johnson,  also  of  Boise. 

Carl  O.  Johnson  was  reared  and  educated  in  Sweden  and  started  upon  his  busi- 
ness career  as  an  apprentice  to  the  merchant  tailor's  trade  when  twelve  years  of  age. 
He  followed  that  pursuit  steadily  in  Sweden  between  the  ages  of  twelve  and  nine- 
teen years,  or  until  1892,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  at  once  made 
his  way  to  San  Francisco,  California,  where  his  brother  August  was  then  living, 
and  spent  about  five  years  in  that  state  and  two  years  in  Spokane,  Washington,  where  he 
was1  employed  as  a  journeyman  tailor. 

In  1898  Mr.  Johnson  came  to  Boise  and  in  the  following  year  the  present  firm 
of  McLeod  &  Johnson  was  formed.  They  conduct  business  at  No.  107  North  Eighth 
street,  in  the  Overland  building,  and  theirs  is  one  of  the  best  known,  most  fash- 
ionable and  successful  tailoring  establishments  in  the  state.  The  partner  of  Mr. 
Johnson  is  W.  J.  McLeod,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  firm  name  of 
McLeod  &  Johnson  is  a  synonym  for  business  enterprise  and  progressiveness  and  any- 
thing found  in  their  establishment  can  be  accepted  as  standard  in  their  line.  They 
have  gained  a  liberal  patronage  as  the  years  have  passed  and  they  have  ever  made 
it  their  purpose  to  please  their  patrons,  to  give  them  full  value  and  win  their  trade 
by  honorable  and  progressive  methods. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1901,  in  Boise,  Mr.  Johnson  was  married  to  Miss  Marie 
Poulson,  who  was  born  in  Sweden,  May  25,  1879.  She  came  to  the  United  States 
with  her  parents  when  four  years  of  age  and  formed  the  acquaintance  of  her  future 
husband  in  San  Francisco,  California.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  been  born 
two  sons  and  a  daughter:  Stanley  Carl,  whose  birth  occurred  June  2,  1903;  Milton 
Marion,  born  August  29,  1904;  and  Pauline  Gertrude  Marie,  born  August  13,  1914. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  551 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  being  con 
nected  with  both  the  subordinate  lodge  and  the  encampment,  and  he  is  a  past  grand 
and  a  member  of  the  Grand  Lodge  and  also  a  member  of  the  permanent  finance  com- 
mittee of  the  same  body.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican  party, 
but  he  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  office.  He  belongs  to  the  Boise  Commercial 
Club  and  is  one  of  the  hearty  supporters  of  that  organization  in  its  efforts  to  up- 
build the  city,  to  extend  its  trade  relations  and  maintain  its  progress  along  the 
lines  of  civic  ideals.  Mr.  Johnson  belongs  to  that  class  of  wide-awake  and  alert 
business  men  who,  though  born  across  the  water,  have  readily  adapted  themselves 
to  American  customs  and-  conditions  and  through  their  adaptability  and  enterprise 
have  steadily  progressed  in  chosen  business  lines.  Prompted  by  a  laudable  ambition,  he 
has  won  a  place  among  the  leading  merchants  of  Boise. 


SAMUEL  J.  MYERS. 

Samuel  J.  Myers  is  a  retired  farmer  living  on  the  Boise  bench,  near  the  capital  city. 
He  formerly  resided  in  the  Wood  River  valley  in  Blaine  county  and  removed  to  this  state 
in  the  spring  of  1882  from  Walla  Walla,  Washington,  where  he  had  resided  for  a  year. 
Previous  to  that  time  he  had  been  a  resident  of  Nebraska  but  was  born  in  Wisconsin, 
October  27,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of  Valentine  and  Rosa  (Swartz)  Myers,  who  were  natives  of 
Germany  but  were  married  in  Wisconsin.  They  had  a  family  of  twelve  children,  four  sons 
mid  eight  daughters,  of  whom  Samuel  J.  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth,  and  ten 
of  the  number  are  yet  living.  Both  the  father  and  mother  have  passed  away. 

Samnel  J.  Myers  has  followed  farming  and  stock  raising  throughout  his  entire 
life.  On  coming  to  Idaho  he  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  the  Wood  River  valley  and  improved  the  property  but  later  sold  it.  He  after- 
ward bought  and  sold  several  farms  in  Blaine  and  Lincoln  counties  but  still  owns  a 
ranch  of  two  hundred  acres  in  Blaine  county,  from  which  he  derives  a  substantial 
annual  income.  He  removed  to  the  Boise  bench  in  order  to  educate  his  children, 
being  ambitious  to  give  them  the  best  opportunities  possible. 

It  was  on  the  20th  of  December,  1891,  in  Blaine  county,  that  Mr.  Myers  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Lettie  Fowler,  who  was  born  in  Ada  county,  Idaho,  February  28. 
1872,  a  daughter  of  Silas  and  Catherine  (Anderson)  Fowler.  Her  father  was  bort< 
in  Indiana  in  1840.  while  her  mother  was  born  in  Illinois  on  the  7th  of  July,  1842.  They 
came  to  Idaho  about  fifty  years  ago.  There  are  five  daughters  and  two  sons  in  the 
family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers:  Edith,  now  the  wife  of  Dan  Hice;  May;  Pearl,  who  is  a 
graduate  nurse;  William  R.;  Alta  Maude;  Dollie  Leola;  and  Clifton  S. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Myers  give  stanch  support  to  the  republican  party,  believing 
firmly  in  its  principles.  He  is  fond  of  both  hunting  and  fishing  and  in  days  gone  by 
killed  many  deer  and  has  trapped  all  kinds  of  Idaho  fur-bearing  animals.  He  also 
greatly  enjoys  fishing  and  has  caught  hundreds  of  speckled  beauties  in  the  streams 
of  this  state.  His  life  has  been  one  of  intelligently  directed  activity  and  his  industry 
and  earnest  labor  have  made  him  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Idaho  whose 
prosperity  now  enables  him  to  enjoy  all  of  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries 
of  life. 


MRS.  SARAH  JANE  EBY. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Jane  Eby,  residing  on  the  Boise  Bench,  is  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of 
this  section  of  the  state,  having  reached  the  eighty-seventh  anniversary  of  her  birth  on 
the  27th  of  November,  1919.  She  came  to  Idaho  in  December,  1897.  making  her  way  to 
Ada  county  from  Tama  county,  Iowa.  Her  home  in  the  latter  state  was  about  four 
miles  from  Toledo.  She  was  a  widow  when  she  came  to  Idaho,  her  husband,  Andrew 
Jackson  Eby,  having  died  in  Iowa  shortly  before  her  removal  to  this  state,  the  date  of 
his  demise  being  May  19,  1897. 

Andrew  Jackson  Eby,  who  was  first  a  tailor  and  later  a  farmer,  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  December  30,  1827.  He  was  married  in  Canton,  Ohio,  on  the  2d  of 
February,  1851,  to  Sarah  Jane  Albright,  who  was  born  at  that  place  on  the  27th  of 
November  1832,  being  a  daughter  of  Martin  and  Mary  (Brandon)  Albright.  Her  father 


552  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  Pennsylvania  Dutch  families,  while  her  mother 
was  of  English  and  Irish  descent.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eby  were  born  six  children. 
Malanthen  Fillmore,  who  was  born  January  1,  1852,  now  resides  near  Boise  and  is  a 
pioneer  of  this  section  of  the  state,  having  homesteaded  valuable  land  just  west  of 
Boise  at  an  early  day.  Elinora  Adelia,  born  April  2,  1854,  is  living  in  Minnesota. 
Delusha  Ada,  born  May  26,  1856,  is  now  the  wife  of  Henry  C.  Torbett,  of  Toledo,  Iowa. 
Josephine  Alexina,  born  September  11,  1858,  is  married  and  resides  in  Nebraska.  Mil- 
lard  Andrew  Lincoln  born  Augtist  25,  1861,  is  now  living  with  his  mother.  He  was 
married  in  Iowa,  July  31,  1887,  to  Mary  Armstrong  and  they  had  two  daughters. 
The  mother  died  in  Iowa  more  than  twenty  years  ago.  The  daughters  are:  Lillie 
May,  the  wife  of  John  Richardson,  of  Boise;  and  Lena  Bell,  the  wife  of  Oscar  Bonnell, 
of  Boise.  The  sixth  member  of  the  family  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Jane  Eby  was  Tevillia  Jane, 
who  was  born  January  18,  1863,  and  married  George  Stiver,  while  her  second  husband 
was  Vick  Ballou.  The  latter  was  killed  in  a  railroad  accident  at  Nampa,  and  Mrs. 
Ballon  passed  away  July  10,  1915,  leaving  two  sons,  Seward  and  John  Stiver,  both, 
of  whom  are  married  and  have  children  of  their  own. 

Mrs.  Eby  has  a  very  keen  and  active  mind  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  Her 
grandmother,  Mrs.  Sarah  Brandon,  died  at  the  notable  age  of  one  hundred  and  five 
years  and  her  husband  was  a  Revolutionary  war  soldier.  Mrs.  Eby  now  has  five  living1 
children,  a  large  number  of  grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren  and  also  has  one 
great-great-granddaughter,  who  is  the  granddaughter  of  F.  M.  Eby  of  Boise. 

"Grandma  Eby,"  as  everyone  calls  her,  is  one  of  the  oldest  persons  living  in  the 
vicinity  of  Boise  and  she  is  so  well  preserved  that  it  would  seem  that  she  could  easily 
reach  the  age  of  one  hundred  years  or  more.  She  belongs  to  the  Red  Cross  and 
was  formerly  very  active  in  church  work.  She  has  ever  been  a  very  strong  supporter 
of  the  republican  party  and  a  believer  in  progress  and  improvement  of  every  kind.  She 
is  financially  independent,  for  besides  owning  a  good  ten-acre  ranch  on  the  Boise  bench 
she  has  an  unincumbered  farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  in  Iowa  that  yields 
her  a  very  substantial  annual  income. 


PATRICK  HENRY   SNOW. 

Patrick  Henry  Snow,  proprietor  of  the  Broadway  Carriage  &  Shoeing  Shop,  at 
Boise,  where  he  has  been  residing  since  1897,  is  a  native  of  Arkansas,  born  near  Berry- 
ville,  that  state,  September  8,  1863,  a  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Rodgers)  Snow, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the  former  of  English  and  the  latter  of  German  descent.  On 
the  paternal  side  of  the  house,  Mr  Snow  is  a  descendant  of  Mayflower  and  Revolutionary 
stock,  while  on  the  maternal  side,  his  grandfather,  John  Rodgers,  served  in  the  War 
of  1812. 

Patrick  H.  Snow  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  Arkansas,  where  he  continued 
to  reside  up  to  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  then  started  out  to  see  the  country  on  his  own 
account,  going  to  Texas,  where  he  spent  three  years.  At  the  end  of  this  period  he 
went  to  Arizona,  remaining  in  that  territory  for  ten  years  and  going  thence  to  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  worked  for  three  and  one-half  years.  In  1897,  Mr.  Snow  left  Cali- 
fornia and  came  to  Boise,  where  he  opened  a  carriage-making  and  blacksmith  shop, 
having  learned  these  trades  with  his  father.  Since  coming  to  Idaho  he  has  lived  in 
Boise,  with  the  exception  of  nine  years  spent  in  Meridian.  He  has  been  engaged  at 
the  same  trades  all  his  life  and  formerly  operated  two  shops  but  later  gave  up  one 
and  started  his  present  place,  known  as  the  Broadway  Carriage  &  Shoeing  Shop,  in  1917, 
the  trade  of  this  shop  having  gradually  expanded  until,  at  the  present  time,  he  is  gen- 
erally recognized  as  one  of  the  most  progressive  carriage  builders  in  his  part  of  the 
state.  In  addition  to  his  carriage  and  shoeing  business,  he  is  the  owner  of  a  small 
ranch  containing  two  and  one-half  acres. 

Mr.  Snow  has  been  twice  married.  In  1885  he  wedded  Julia  Anderson,  who  died 
in  1915,  leaving  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely:  Ruby;  Ethel,  wife  of  J.  H. 
Carroll;  Ralph,  who  is  married  and  living  in  Portland,  engaged  in  the  United  States 
forestry  service;  Elva  A.,  of  Boise;  Abbie  J.,  a  student  at  Leland  Stanford  University; 
and  Helen,  the  youngest,  a  high  school  student.  All  of  the  children  but  the  youngest 
are  graduates  of  the  Boise  high  school.  The  two  eldest  sons,  Ralph  and  Elva,  served 
with  the  United  States  army  in  France  during  the  World  war,  Elva  serving  for  seven- 
teen months  and  Ralph  for  twelve  months.  Ralph  was  severely  wounded  by  a  flying 


HISTORY  OF  I  DA  IK-)  553 

shell  and  spent  five  months  in  a  hospital.  As  a  result  of  his  wound,  he  became  per- 
manently blind  in  one  eye.  In  1917  Mr.  Snow  married  for  his  second  wife,  Mrs.  Lois 
Cox,  of  Twin  Falls,  Idaho. 

Mr.  Snow  is  an  earnest  member  of  the  first  Presbyterian  church,  of  which  he  is  an 
elder.  He  is  an  active*member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  he 
has  held  various  offices,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  encampment.  He  gives  his  support 
to  the  republican  party  but  has  never  been  a  seeker  after  political  office,  preferring 
to  devote  his  time  to  his  business  interests  he  has,  nevertheless,  given  of  his  time  and 
ability  to  all  matters  designed  to  improve  and  advance  the  social  wellbeing  of  .the  com- 
munity where  he  makes  his  home. 


DAVID  POWELL  DODD. 

As  one  travels  through  the  beautiful  valleys  of  Idaho  and  finds  himself  surrounded 
by  highly  cultivated  farms,  tine  orchards  and  every  evidence  of  modern  progress  and 
prosperity  it  is  almost  impossible  to  imagine  what  were  the  conditions  at  the  time  of 
the  arrival  of  David  Powell  Dodd  in  1863.  There  is  no  phase  of  pioneer  life  with  its 
attendant  experiences  and  dangers  with  which  he  is  not  familiar  and  his  reminiscences 
of  the  early  days  are  most  interesting. 

Mr.  Dodd  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  in  1837  and  was  a  young  man  of 
twenty-four  years  when  he  left  the  Mississippi  valley  to  become  a  resident  of  Colorado 
in  1861.  There  he  was  engaged  in  mining  for  about  two  years  and  afterward  came  from 
Colorado  to*Idaho  by  ox  team  and  wagon,  arriving  at  Boise  on"  the  8th  of  June,  1863. 
The  Indians  at  that  time  were  very  troublesome,  regarding  the  life  of  a  white  man  as 
of  no  value,  and  Mr.  Dodd  had  to  take  many  precautions  while  on  his  journey  and  after 
his  arrival  to  keep  out  of  danger.  In  1865  he  began  farming  in  the  Boise  valley  upon 
rented  land  and  after  two  years  he  homesteaded  land  within  three  miles  of  his  present 
place  of  residence.  That  property  he  sold  in  1870  and  removed  to  Walla  Walla,  Wash- 
ington, but  the  following  year  he  returned  and  made  investment  in  his  present  home 
farm,  consisting  of  two  hundred  and  five  acres  located  six  mfles  east  of  Caldwell. 
Upon  this  place  he  has  since  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits,  raising  the  crops 
best  adapted  to  soil  and  climatic  conditions  here  and  also  raising  considerable  stock 
for  &  number  of  years,  although  he  has  discontinued  stock  raising  since  his  sons  have 
left  the  farm. 

In  1868  Mr.  Dodd  was  married  to  Miss  Isabelle  Sprague,  of  Arkansas,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  five  children:  Elmer  P.,  fifty  years  of  age,  is  married  and 
resides  at  Hermiston,  Oregon.  He  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  that  district  and  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature.  Werter  D.,  forty-eight  years  of  age,  is  married 
and  resides  at  Wapato,  Washington.  Marietta  D.  is  the  wife  of  Ross  Madden  of  Cald- 
well, Idaho.  George  A.,  forty-four  years  of  age,  is  married  and  resides  at  Denver,  Colo- 
rado. Mina  B.  is  the  wife  of  C.  W.  Whiffln  and  they  are  the  parents  of  six  children: 
Vivian,  Gladys,  Wayne  W.,  Wade  L.,  Dallas  B.,  and  Doris  A. 

Mr.  Dodd  has  a  fine  home,  his  residence  and  other  buildings  being  of  the  best, 
while  the  water  for  the  place  is  supplied  from  an  artesian  well  of  large  flow.  He  has 
developed  his  farm  according  to  the  most  progressive  methods  and  now  has  a  most 
excellent  property,  \vhich-yields  to  him  a  very  gratifying  annual  income. 


HOWARD  S.  WRIGHT. 

" 

Howard  S.  Wright,  a  ranchman  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Meridian,  owns  a  highly 
improved  tract  of  land  of  forty-five  acres  and  in  the  conduct  of  his  business  specializes 
in  prune  culture  and  in  the  raising  of  pure  bred  Hampshire  sheep.  For  eighteen  years 
he  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho,  coming  to  the  northwest  from  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 
For  ten  years  he  lived  in  Boise,  where  he  occupied  a  responsible  position  in  the  Boise 
City  National  Bank  for  nine  years,  after  which  he  turned  his  attention  to  ranching. 

Mr.  Wright  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa.  December  14,  1878,  a  son 
of  Luman  F.  and  Emma  (McVey)  Wright.  The  father  died  October  31.  1913,  but  the 
mother  is  still  living  at  Cedar  Rapids  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  She  is  still 


554  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

strong  and  active  and  recently  paid  a  visit  to  her  son  Howard,  who  is  the  youngest 
of  a  family  of  four  sons,  the  other  three  being  residents  of  Iowa. 

Howard  S.  Wright  was  reared  upon  a  farm  near  Cedar  Rapids  and  completed  his 
education  in  the  Highland  Park  College  at  Des  Moines,  thus  being  well  qualified  for 
life's  practical  and  responsible  duties.  When  twenty-three  years  of  age  he  made  his 
way  to  the  northwest,  attracted  by  the  opportunities  offered  in  this  great  and  growing 
section  of  the  country.  Entering  financial  circles,  he  spent  nine  years  as  bookkeeper 
and  cierk  in  the  Boise  City  National  Bank,  _but  desiring  to  engage  in  business  on  his 
own  account,  he  purchased  a  forty-five  acre  ranch  near  Meridian  in  1910.  In  the  fall 
of  1912  he  erected  a  nice  frame  residence  upon  the  ranch  and  in  1913  removed  his 
family  to  the  new  home.  In  1914  he  planted  ten  acres  of  this  to  prunes,  setting  out 
eleven  hundred  trees,  which  are  now  just  coming  into  bearing.  The  prune  orchard  is 
one  of  the  beautiful  sights  of  Ada  county.  The  trees  are  planted  in  rows  twenty  feet 
apart  each  way,  are  straight  as  an  arrow  and  are  cultivated  with  the  care  of  a  well 
kept  garden,  not  a  weed  being  seen.  The  hundreds  of  beautiful  young  trees  apparently 
exactly  the  same  size  form  a  picture  that  it  is  impossible  to  forget.  Mr.  Wright  mani- 
fests a  most  progressive  spirit  in  the  conduct  of  his  place  and  in  the  maintenance 
of  his  home,  which  is  thoroughly  modern,  equipped  with  the  latest  plumbing  and  heating 
systems  and  with  electric  lights,  while  the  water  is  pumped  by  an  electric  motor  which 
also  runs  the  separator,  washing  machine,  etc.  His  ranch  is  widely  known  as  being 
one  of  the  finest  in  the  Boise  valley.  Not  only  is  Mr.  Wright  giving  his  attention  to 
the  cultivation  of  prunes  but  is  also  raising  pure  bred  registered  Hampshire  sheep, 
having  about  one  hundred  ewes.  He  receives  fifty  dollars  or  more  for  male  lambs  six 
to  eight  months  old.  This  is  also  proving  a  profitable  source  of  income  to  him. 

On  the  17th  of  June,"  1903,  Mr.  Wright  was  married  in  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  to  Miss 
Ada  McAllister,  who  was  born  in  that  locality,  March  19,  1879,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Efne  (Hutchins)  McAllister.  They  were  acquaintances  in  youth,  being  reared  in  the 
same  neighborhood.  Mrs.  Wright's  father  served  throughout  the  Civil  war  as  a  member 
of  Company  I,  Sixty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  participated  in  many  hotly  con- 
tested battles.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  have  two  sons:  Guy  Stanley,  born  April. 4,  1907; 
and  John  Luman,  born  June  28,  1916. 

Mr.  Wright  is  a  republican  in  his.  political  views  and  his  wife  is  connected  with 
the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  the  ladies'  auxiliary  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 
They  are  well  known  residents  of  Boise  and  the  Meridian  district,  having  won  many 
friends  during  the  period  in  which  they  have  been  in  Idaho.  Mr.  Wright  manifests 
the  progressive  spirit  which  has  led  to  the  notable  development  of  Idaho  along  agri- 
cultural and  horticultural  lines  in  the  la,st  two  or  three  decades,  when  modern  science 
has  converted  a  seemingly  arid  tract  into  one  of  rich  fertility,  its  beauty  and  productive- 
ness being  a  delight  to  every  visitor  to  the  region. 


THOMAS  W.  JENNINGS. 

Thomas  W.  Jennings  is  a  farmer  and  market  gardener  of  Boise  whose  progressive 
methods  are  well  worthy  of  attention  and  interest.  His  farm  and  gardens  are  located  a 
half  mile  east  of  the  natatorium,  on  Upper  Warm  Springs  avenue,  in  Boise,  and  there 
he  is  accomplishing  notable  results  in  the  production  of  vegetables.  Mr.  Jennings  c?.me 
to  Idaho  with  his  parents  in  1888,  when  a  lad  of  twelve  years,  and  has  since  lived  in 
Ada  county,  residing  throughout  the  entire  time  within  eight,  miles  of  the  capital  and 
connected  throughout  the  entire  period  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  with  farming  and 
gardening. 

His  birth  occurred  upon  a  farm  at  Tazewell,  near  Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  Novem- 
ber 22,  1876,  his  parents  being  John  and  Lucinda  Clementine  (Chad well)  Jennings, 
who  were  al?o  natives  of  that  state.  When  their  son  Thomas  was  but  six  months  old 
they  removed  to  Benton  county,  Arkansas,  and  before  he  had  reached  the  age  of  ten 
the  family  home  was  established  in  Colorado  After  a  year  or  two  the  Jenn'ngs  family, 
consisting  of  father,  mother,  five  sons  and  two  daughters,  came  from  Colorado  to  Idaho 
in  a  covered  wagon  drawn  by  a  team  of  mules.  The  father  still  resides  in  Ada  county 
but  the  mother  passed  avay  in  1899.  All  cf  the  brothers  of  Thomas  W.  Jennings  and 
his  two  sisters  are  still  living. 

Thomas   Jennings    was   a   youth    of  twelve   years   when   he   came   to   Idaho   and 
throughout  the  intervening  period  he  has  made  his  home  in  Ada  county.     For  the 


- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  559 

past  fifteen  years  he  has  specialized  in  the  raising  of  vegetables  for  the  Boise  mar- 
ket. In  1908  he  purchased  his  present  vegetable  and  truck  farm  on  Upper  Warm 
Springs  avenue,  just  outside  the  city  limits,  consisting  of  seven  acres.  Here,  with 
the  help  of  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and  eight  children,  he  has  built  up 
what  is  undoubtedly  the  best  and  most  up-to-date  plant  of  the  kind  in  the  vicinity 
of  Boise  for  the  raising  of  vegetables  in  both  winter  and  summer,  in  fact  he  has 
the  only  establishment  of  the  kind  near  Boise.  His  place  is  equipped  with  green- 
houses and  a  heating,  pumping  and  irrigating  plant  especially  designed  and  built 
for  the  raising  of  winter  vegetables,  in  fact  the  winter  season  is  the  "busy"  sea- 
son at  the  Jennings  plant.  From  late  in  November,  about  Thanksgiving  day,  on 
through  the  winter  and  spring  Mr.  Jennings  is  prepared  to  supply  the  Boise  public 
with  fresh  vegetables  including  lettuce,  radishes,  spinach,  etc.,  and  a  little  later. 
cr  in  the  very  early  spring,  the  tomato  season  begins.  This  vegetable  is  also  raised 
under  glass  and  is  ready  for  the  market  at  a  very  early  date.  The  Jennings  plant 
consists  of  seven  greenhouses,  three  of  which  are  one  hundred  and  ton  feet  long  and 
twenty  feet  in  width.  All  winter  long,  in  all  stages  of  growth,  tlure  :>r<«  miniature 
fields  of  fresh,  tender,  crisp  lettuce  and  radishes,  all  under  glass,  the  heating  plant 
maintaining  a  June  temperature  throughout  the  winter,  while  the  pumping  plant  fur- 
nishes the  necessary  moisture. 

On  the  29th  of  June,  1900,  Mr.  Jennings  was  married  in  Boise  to  Miss  Susan  S. 
Dixon.  of  Roseburg,  Douglas  county,  Oregon,  where  she  was  horn  ;'n;l  rp-.ired  upon  a 
stock  ranch.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jennings  have  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters: 
Helen,  who  was  born  July  6,  1901,  and  was  graduated  in  June,  1919,  from  the  Boise  high 
school;  Maude,  who  was  born  December  21.  1902,  and  is  a  senior  in  the  Boise  high 
school;  Carrie,  who  was  born  January  27,  1905.  and  is  now  a  freshman  in  the  Boise 
high  school;  Kenneth,  born  December  21,  1907;  Warren,  January  17,  1910;  Coral, 
July  23,  1913;  Billy,  May  1,  1915;  and  Jack.  June  4,  1916.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jennings 
are  also  rearing  a  little  girl,  who  was  born  September  26,  1918,  and  is  a  half  sister 
of  Mr.  Jennings. 

Mr.  Jennings  is  a  Baptist  in  religious  faith  and  in  political  belief  is  a  democrat  but 
has  never  been  a  candidate  for  office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention 
upon  his  business  affairs,  which  are  conducted  along  most  progressive  and  scientific 
lines,  while  the  results  secured  are  most  satisfactory  and  gratifying. 


EMERY  LOVELL  OGDEN. 

Emery  Lovell  Ogden,  a  rancher  of  Gem  county  living  twelve  miles  west  of 
Emmett.  was  born  in  Oregon  City,  Holt  county.  Missouri,  September  1,  1884.  being 
the  only  son  of  Joseph  B.  and  Johanna  (Rhodes)  Ogden,  the  latter  dying  during 
the  early  boyhood  of  their  son.  The  father  was  ;>  veteran  of  the  Union  army  and 
died  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  when  Emery  L.  Ogden  was  but  twelve  years  of  age. 
Since  that  time  the  latter  lias  depended  upon  his  own  efforts  and  resources  for  a 
Hving.  He  was  reared  near  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  and  worked  as  a  farm  hand  in 
his  youth  and  early  manhood.  In  1905  he  came  to  Idaho  and  filed  on  .1  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acre  homestead  in  Round  valley,  near  Cascade.  In  1906  he  returned  r  i 
St.  Joseph.  Missouri,  and  was  there  married  to  Miss  Anna  May  Montgomery,  \v  h  - 
had  been  one  of  the  friends  of  his  childhood,  their  wedding  being  celebrated  April  9, 
1906.  She  was  born  in  Woodruff,  Platte  county.  Missouri,  November  12,  1889,  ;• 
daughter  of  Cornelius  Cooper  and  Ann  Maria  (Crutchfleld)  Montgomery,  who  are 
now  residing  near  Sweet,  in  Gem  county,  Idaho.  Mrs.  Opden  WPS  the  eldest  of 
thrir  six  children.  Her  father  was  born  in  Gentry  county.  January  16.  1857.  and 
her  mother  in  Platte  county,  Missouri,  December  25,  1869,  so  that  they  have  nmv 
reached  the  ages  of  sixty-three  and  fifty-one  years  respectively. 

Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and   Mrs.  Ogden  came  to  Idaho  and  settled,  on  th? 

homestead  which  he  had  secured   in  Round  valley.     They  proved  up  on  this  propert" 

nd   occupied   it   until   1918,  when   they  sold   the  homestead   and   bought    their  present 

ranch   in  Gem  county.     It   is  now  devoted   to  cattle  raising  and  dairying  and   in  his 

business  affairs  Mr.  Ogden  is  meeting  with  substantial  success. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ogden  have  been  born  three  daughters:  Delia  May,  born  March 
27,  1908;  Maxlne  L..  July  15,  1912;  and  Chrystabel.  December  23,  1914.  Mr.  Ogden 
is  a  republican  in  his  political  views,  while  his  wife  is  a  believer  in  democratic 
principles.  Mr.  Ogden  certainly  deserves  much  credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished. 


560  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

He  started  out  in  life  empty-handed  when  a  youth  of  but  twelve  years  and  since  that 
time  he  has  been  dependent  entirely  upon  his  own  resources,  his  determination, 
his  energy  and  his  industry  being  the  basic  principles  of  his  financial  advancement. 


MRS.  ALICE  MAY  CURTIS. 

Mrs.  Alice  May  Curtis,  residing  near  Boise,  is  the  widow  of  the  late  Frank 
Curtis,  who  was  a  pioneer  of  the  Boise  bench,  preempting  the  homestead  which  his 
family  now  occupies.  He  secured  this  property  in  1888  and  with  characteristic 
energy  began  its  cultivation  and  development.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  were  natives 
of  England,  the  former  born  on  the  16th  of  May,  1859.  while  the  birfh  of  Mrs.  Curtis 
occurred  July  10.  1862.  They  were  acquainted  in  their  native  land  but  were  not 
married  until  after  they  had  crossed  the  Atlantic,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  in 
Ontario,  Canada,  September  9,  1884.  Thinking  to  enjoy  the  opportunities  offered 
in  the  growing  northwest,  they  came  to  Idaho  in  1885  and  Mr.  Curtis  first  took  up 
a  homestead  near  Nampa  but  in  1888  removed  to  the  Boise  bench  and  preempted  a 
forty-acre  "ranch,  which  he  purchased  at  ten  dollars  per  acre.  It  was  then  a  tract  of 
wild  land  covered  with  sagebrush  and  it  seemed  hardly  possible  that  it  could  be  con- 
verted into  the  beautiful  and  highly  productive  farm  which  it  is  today,  worth  now  five 
hundred  dollars  per  acre.  As  the  years  passed  Mr.  Curtis  continued  the  further  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  the  place  and  his  labors  wrought  a  wonderful  transformation. 
He  continued  upon  the  farm  until  his  death,  which  occurred  March  23,  1902,  when  he 
had  reached  the  age  of  forty-three  years. 

Mrs.  Curtis  survives  and  still  lives  upon  the  ranch.  They  had  two  children. 
Howard  Franklin  Curtis,  who  was  born  May  4,  1888,  was  married  September  25,  1912, 
to  Miss  Ida  May  Mellinger,  a  daughter  of  the  late  M.  M.  Mellinger.  The  younger 
child  is  Grace  Helen,  who  was  born  April  4,  1899,  and  on  the  25th  of  June,  1919, 
became  the  wife  of  Waldo  Friedly.  They  reside  with  Mrs.  Curtis  and  the  son,  Howard 
F.,  resides  in  a  home  in  the  same  yard  as  his  mother's  home  and  operates  the  farm. 
Mrs.  Curtis  is  a  member  of  the  Bethany  Presbyterian  church,  situated  west  of  Boise. 
She  is  well  known  in  this  section,  where  she  has  now  lived  for  almost  a  third  of 
a  century,  and  wherever  she  is  known  she  is  spoken  of  in  terms  of  the  warmest 
regard.  Her  memory  forms  a  connecting  link  between  the  primitive  pioneer  past 
and  the  progressive  present,  with  its  opportunities  and  advantages,  and  her  remini- 
scences of  the  early  days%  are  most  interesting. 


WATT   PIERCY. 

Watt  Piercy,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Boise,  who  for  years  has  been  following  the 
profession  of  accountancy,  and  for  the  past  eight  years  has  been  office  manager  of 
the  John  Lemp  estate,  came  to  Idaho  in  1894,  from  Chicago,  Illinois,  where  he  had 
been  living  for  little  more  than  a  year.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Hoosier  state,  born  in 
Cloverdale,  Putnam  county,  Indiana,  July  20,  1864,  a  son  of  Joseph  W.  and  Anna  (Brown) 
Piercy,  the  former  of  whom  died  when  Watt  Piercy  was  a  little  boy.  The  mother  is 
now  living  at  Boise,  aged  eighty  years.  Joseph  Piercy  was  active  in  Indiana  politics 
and  was  clerk  of  Morgan  county,  Indiana,  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Watt  Piercy  was  reared  in  Putnam  and  Morgan  counties,  Indiana,,  and  finished  his 
education  at  DePauw  University.  Greencastle,  Indiana.  His  college  course  was  much 
interfered  with  owing  to  the  state  of  his  health  and  he  never  graduated,  as  he  had  to 
leave  school  at  the  age  of  seventeen  and  spent  his  winters  in  Florida  and  New  Orleans, 
also  for  a  time  in  New  Mexico.  Some  time  later,  Mr.  Piercy  applied  himself  to  the 
study  of  shorthand  at  Cincinnati,  and  during  the  political  campaign  of  1886  he  was 
stenographer  for  the  Indiana  democratic  state  central  committee,  of  which  the  Hon. 
Ebenezer  Henderson,  whose  daughter  Mr.  Piercy  subsequently  married,  was  the  then 
chairman. 

In  1887,  Mr.  Piercy  went  to  Helena,  Montana,  where  he  spent  several  years  as  a 
stenographer,  for  a  law  firm  at  first  and  later  for  a  real  estate  company.  While  in  the 
former  position,  he  studied  law,  and  though  he  acquired  a  good  knowledge  of  the 
profession,  he  never  applied  for  admission  to  the  bar.  Meanwhile,  Mr.  Piercy  had 


IIISTOKV  OF  IDAHO  561 

returned  to  Indiana,  and  at  Martinsville,  that  state,  on  February  1,  1886,  he  was  married 
i  >  Miss  Magdalene  Henderson,  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Ebenezer  Henderson,  who  had 
been  chairman  of  the  Indiana  democratic  state  central  committee  in  1884-86,  and  had 
been  state  auditor  from  1874  to  1878.  Mrs.  Piercy  was  born  at  Martinsville,  March  9, 
1866,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  that  place  and  later  at  a  convent 
in  Indianapolis.  Mr.  Piercy  left  Montana  in  1893  and,  after  spending  a  year  in  Chicago, 
came  to  Idaho  in  1894.  For  a  twelvemonth  he  resided  at  Idaho  Falls  and  was  three 
years  at  Blackfoot,  being  engaged  at  stenography  and  bookkeeping  in  these  places. 
Sqme  time  later  he  became  secretary  to  Wayne  Darlington,  at  Mackay,  Idaho. 

It  was  in  1902  that  Mr.  Piercy  came  to  Boise  and  took  over  the  duties  of  chief 
clerk  in  the  state  engineer's  office,  coming  with  Wayne  Darlington,  who  had  been  made 
Idaho  state  engineer,  and  served  in  that  position  for  about  two  years.  He  then  removed 
to  southern  California,  where  he  was  employed  as  accountant  by  a  large  mining 
company,  remaining  there  for  three  years.  In  1907  Mr.  Piercy  returned  to  Idaho 
and  ever  since  has  been  living  in  Boise,  employed  as  an  expert  accountant  and  as 
secretary  to  various  mining  companies  until  1912,  since  which  time  he  has  been  office 
manager  for  the  John  Lemp  estate. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Piercy  have  had  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living  as 
follows:  Alice,  wife  of  Edwin  H.  Albrecht,  of  Portland,  Oregon;  Philip  H.,  Esther  E.. 
and  Watt  Henry.  Philip  H.  Piercy  served  in  France  during  the  World  war  as  a 
member  of  the  Machine  Gun  Corps. 

Mr.  Piercy  is  an  active  member  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  takes  a 
good  citizen's  interest  in  all  ttiat  pertains  to  the  welfare  of  the  city.  He  and  his  wife 
support  the  democratic  party.  Mrs.  Piercy  is  president  of  the  Whitney  Progress  Club 
of  Boise  bench  and  of  the  Burbank  Federation  of  Clubs  of  Ada  county  and  she  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Columbian  Club  of  Boise.  Mr.  Piercy  and  family  reside  in  a  splendidly 
built  home,  which  they  own,  on  the  Boise  bench,  the  place  is  known  as  Piercy  Heights. 


WILLIAM  S.  BETHEL. 

William  S.  Bethel,  who  for  the  past  three  years  has  owned  and  occupied  a  ranch 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  acres  nine  miles  southwest  of  Emmett,  in  what  is 
known  as  the  Bramwell  neighborhood,  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  for  past  two 
decades,  having  lived  in  Canyon  county  for  seventeen  years  prior  to  removing  to  his 
present  place.  His  birth  occurred  in  Henry  county,  Iowa,  on  the  2d  of  March.  1860, 
his  parents  being  Cogle  Simpson  and  Diligan  (Morgan)  Bethel,  who  were  natives  of 
Ohio  and  Indiana  respectively  and  both  of  whom  have  now  passed  away. 

William  S.  Bethel  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Cass  county,  Nebraska,  and  throughout 
his  entire  business  career  has  devoted  his  attention  to  general  agricultural  pursuits, 
which  he  has  followed  in  the  states  of  Iowa,  Nebraska,  Kansas  and  Idaho.  It  was 
in  1885,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-five  years,  that  he  removed  to  Kansas,  while 
the  year  1900  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Idaho.  His  present  ranch,  comprising  one 
hundred  and  sixty-seven  acres  nine  miles  southwest  of  Emmett,  is  devoted  to  the  raising 
of  live  stock  and  the  growing  of  alfalfa  and  fruit.  A  portion  of  the  land  lies  on  the 
south  slope  of  the  Payette  valley  and -is  excellent  orchard  property,  the  annual  sales 
of  fruit  from  the  orchards  amounting  to  about  two  thousand  dollars.  About  ten  acres 
planted  to  peaches,  prunes  and  sweet  cherries  are  now  in  bearing.  Through  the  careful 
conduct  his  ranching  interests  Mr.  Bethel  has  won  a  measure  of  success  that  entitles 
him  to  recognition  among  the  substantial,  progressive  and  representative  citizens  of 
Gem  county. 

On  the  29th  of  August,  1883,  in  Cass  county,  Nebraska,  Mr.  Bethel  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Hattie  Irene  Dickson,  who  was  born  in  Wisconsin,  September  20. 
1865.  a  daughter  of  William  and  Phoebe  (Wallace)  Dickson,  both  of  whom  are  deceased. 
The  father  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bethel  have  become  parents 
of  eight  children,  as  follows:  Delilah  May,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  James  Evans,  of 
Caldwell,  Idaho;  Verna  Viola,  who  resides  at  home  with  her  parents;  Ira  Leroy.  who 
is  married  and  lives  on  a  ranch  near  that  of  his  parents;  Clyde,  a  resident  of  Payette, 
Idaho;  Lula  Almira;  Cogle  Henry;  Wallace  Morgan;  and  Valentine  Irene,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Clarence  Marrs,  of  Emmett. 

Mr.  Bethel  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  but  has  never 
sought  or  held  office  other  than  to  serve  on  the  school  board,  while  at  the  present  time 

Vol.  Ill— 36 


562  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

he  is  republican  precinct  committeeman.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Wood- 
men and  the  Odd  Fellows  and  his  religious  faith  is  indicated  hy  his  membership  in 
the  Friends  church,  to  which  his  wife  also  belongs.  They  are  widely  recognized  as 
people  of  genuine  personal  worth  and  have  gained  an  extensive  circle  of  warm  friends 
during  the  period  of  their  residence  in  this  state. 


MYRON  WHITELEY. 

Myron  Whiteley,  whose  hoine  and  ranch  are  situated  eleven  miles  west  of  Emmett 
on  the  Emmett  and  New  Plymouth  road,  became  owner  of  this  property  in  the  spring 
of  1918,  acquiring  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  acres  which  he  is  now  carefully  cul- 
tivating and  improving.  Previous  to  this  time  he  had  lived  upon  a  ranch  of  his  own 
near  Burley,  Idaho,  for  two  years,  but  sold  his  forty  acre  tract  there  and  purchased 
his  present  ranch  in  Gem  county.  He  had  removed  to  Idaho  in  June,  1915,  from  Utah, 
having  previously  lived  near  Provo.'  Mr.  Whiteley  was  born  at  Fountain  Green,  Sanpete 
county,  Utah,  July  31,  1886,  a  son  of  Joseph  E.  and  Alice  M.  (Adams)  Whiteley,  the 
former  of  whom  died  of  influenza  in  December,  1918,  while  the  latter  is  now  living  in 
Lindon,  Utah.  Both  were  born  in  that  state,  of  Mormon  parentage.  Joseph  E.  White- 
ley's  parents  removed  to  Utah  from  England,  coming  to  the  new  world  as  Mormon 
converts. 

Myron  Whiteley  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  his  native  state  and  has  devoted  his 
entire  life  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  married  in  the  temple  at  Salt  Lake  City, 
November  2,  1910,  to  Kate  Martha  Warwood,  who  was  born  at  Nephi,  Juab  county, 
Utah,  August  1,  1888,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Ellen  Ann  (Taylor)  Warwood,  both  of 
whom  have  passed  away.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  England  and  came  to  Utah 
after  embracing  the  teachings  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Both 
Mr.  Whiteley  and  his  wife  attended  the  Brigham  Young  Preparatory  School  at  Provo 
and  he  was  also  a  student  in  the  commercial  department  of  the  Brigham  Young  Univer- 
sity. After  their  marriage  they  lived  for  a  time  in  the  vicinity  of  Provo  and  then  came 
to  Idaho,  settling  first  in  Cassia  county,  where  they  remained  for  a  year,  and  then  took 
up  their  abode  near  Burley,  where  they  lived  for  two  years  before  coming  to  Gem 
county  in  1918.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  five  children:  Alvah  Myron,  who  was 
born  August  3,  1911;  Helen  Viola,  born  March  31,  1914;  Floyd  Warwood,  November  3, 
1915:  Thelma,  January  12,  1918;  and  Alice  Marie,  August  24,  1919. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whiteley  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  he  is  now  clerk  of  Bramwell  ward,  having  served  in  this  position  since 
December,  1918.  He  is  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  growth  of  the  church  and  the 
extension  of  its  influence,  and  his  aid  and  support  are  also  given  to  all  those  forces 
which  make  for  the  betterment  of  the  community  along  material,  social  and  civic  lines. 


HORACE  OAKES.    - 

In  a  history  of  those  who  have  contributed  to  the  upbuilding  and  development  of 
Idaho  it  is  fitting  that  mention  should  be  made  of  Horace  Oakes,  who  passed  away  on 
the  14th  of  March,  1919,  on  his  highly  improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
two  miles  east  of  South  Boise.  He  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  New  York, 
December  19,  1840,  and  was  reared  upon  a  farm  there.  He  made  his  way  westward 
as  far  as  Illinois  prior  to  the  Civil  war,  in  which  he  served  for  three  years  with  an 
Illinois  infantry  regiment,  participating  in  many  hotly  contested  battles,  proving  his 
loyalty  and  fidelity  to  his  country  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  every  duty  which 
devolved  upon  him.  In  1867  he  made  the  trip  to  California  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  being  then  a  young  man.  From  San  Francisco  he  traveled  to  Portland, 
Oregon,  and  thence  to  Idaho,  going  directly  to  old  Centerville,  in  the  Boise  basin, 
where  he  arrived  in  1867.  He  there  resided  and  followed  mining  pursuits,  operating 
placer  mines  of  his  own  until  1901,  when  he  disposed  of  his  mining  properties  and 
removed  to  his  ranch  southeast  of  Boise,  where  he  followed  farming  and  the  raising 
of  live  stock  until  his  death.  He  was  fond  of  good  horses  and  during  the  period  of 
eighteen  years  in  which  he  lived  upon  his  ranch  he  raised  on  it  a  number  of  excellent 
draft  horses  of  the  Belgian  breed.  The  Oakes  ranch  at  that  time,  according  to  good 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  563 

authority,  produced  more  good  Belgian  steeds  perhaps  than  any  other  five  ranches  in 
Ada  county. 

It  was  after  taking  up  his  abode  at  Centerville  that  Mr.  Oakes  became  acquainted 
with  the  lady  who  became  his  wife — Miss  Caroline  Johnson,  whom  he  wedded  in  Boise, 
December  25,  1882.  She  was  born  in  Knox  county,  Illinois,  August  21,  I860,  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Margaret  (Ereck)  Johnson,  who  were  also  natives  of  Knox  county. 
In  1868  the  Johnson  family  removed  to  a  farm  near  Fort  Scott,  Kansas,  where  both 
the  father  and  mother  passed  away,  the  latter  in  1872  and  the  former  in  1876.  They 
left  but  two  children,  Mrs.  Caroline  Oakes  and  George  Victor  Johnson,  who  is  eight 
years  younger  than  his  sister  and  resides  in  San  Francisco,  California.  Mrs.  Oakes 
was  a  mere  girl  of  fifteen  years  when  left  an  orphan  by  her  father's  death.  In  1880, 
when  she  was  a  young  woman  of  twenty,  she  came  to  Idaho  with  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Charles  Snyder  and  their  family,  with  whom  she  had  been  acquainted  in  Kansas.  The 
trip  over  the  plains  was  made  in  a  covered  wagon  and  on  reaching  Boise  Miss  Johnson 
decided  to  remain,  but  the  Snyder  family  went  to  Morrow,  Idaho.  Miss  Johnson  took 
up  the  profession  of  teaching,  being  employed  as  a  teacher  near  Enimett,  then  in 
Canyon  county,  during  the  winter  of  1880-1.  The  following  summer  she  taught  a 
term  of  school  at  Centerville  and  there  she  met  her  future  husband.  To  their  marriage 
was  born  a  son,  Dwight  Carlton  Oakes,  whose  birth  occurred  October  12,  1884,  and  who 
passed  away  November  9,  1897,  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years  and  twenty-seven  days. 

Mr.  Oakes  was  a  lover  of  his  home  and  cared  nothing  for  club  life  or  fraternal 
associations  although  he  was  a  Mason.  In  politics  he  was  a  republican  and  at  all  times 
was  keenly  interested  in  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived. 
He  possessed  many  sterling  traits  of  character  which  endeared  him  to  his  fellowmen  and 
all  who  knew  him  spoke  of  him  in  terms  of  high  respect.  Since  the  death  of  her 
husband  Mrs.  Oakes  has  continued  to  reside  on  the  home  ranch  and  has  a  very 
substantial  residence,  which  was  built  several  years  ago  and  is  one  of  the  attractive 
country  homes  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise.  In  addition  to  the  residence  there  are  fine 
improvements  upon  the  place,  such  as  are  always  found  upon  the  model  farm  of  the 
twentieth  century.  The  Oakes  family  has  long  been  a  prominent  one  in  the  community, 
occupying  an  enviable  position  in  social  circles,  while  in  business  circles  the  name  has 
ever  been  a  synonym  for  progressiveness  and  reliability. 


JOE  H.  BRESHEARS. 

I 

Joe   H.   Breshears,  identified   with   farming   interests   in   Ada  county,   was  born   in 

Polk  county,  Missouri,  August  14,  1872.  He  came  to  Idaho  with  his  parents,  Thomas  H. 
and  Nancy  (Potter)  Breshears,  in  the  year  1877.  The  father  engaged  in  farming, 
taking  up  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  in  Ada  county,  eight  miles  northwest  of  Boise. 
Thereon  he  lived  until  1916,  when  death  called  him  on  the  28th  of  February.  The 
mother  a  year  later  removed  to  a  place  east  of  Eagle,  where  she  still  lives  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight  years. 

Their  son,  Joe  H.  Breshears.  attended  the  old  Cox  district  school,  known  as  Green 
Meadows  school  district,  No.  29.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  started  out  in  life 
on  his  own  account  and  purchased  twenty  acres  west  of  Eagle,  where  he  lived  for 
three  years.  He  then  sold  that  place  to  Dudley  Hedden  and  bought  his  present  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  two  and  a  half  acres  located  three-quarters  of  a  mile  northwest  of 
Eagle.  It  was  raw  land  and  he  has  improved  it,  erecting  thereon  a  beautiful  residence, 
a  fine  barn  and  everything  that  goes  to  make  a  model  farm  property  of  the  twentieth 
century.  He  also  owned  the  adjoining  place  across  the  road  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  but  sold  it  in  the  spring  of  1919  for  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars 
per  acre.  This  place  he  bought  for  his  son,  C.  E.,  but  seeing  the  opportunity  of  making 
a  handsome  profit,  sold  it.  Mr.  Breshears  engages  in  raising  hay,  grain,  fruit  and 
beef  cattle  and  also  conducts  a  dairy  of  ten  cows.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Eagle 
Bank,  the  Eagle  Cheese  Factory  and  the  Boise  Valley  Packing  Plant,  located  at  Eagle, 
the  last  named  being  under  state  inspection  and  regarded  as  one  of  the  largest  paying 
industries  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Breshears  is  acquainted  with  all  phases  of  pioneer  life.  When  at  the  home 
of  his  father,  east  of  Eagle,  the  family  had  a  severe  Indian  scare,  and  the  father  took 
his  wife  and  children  to  Boise,  where  he  left  them.  He  returned  and  camped  out  until 
things  quieted  down.  The  family  is  among  the  oldest  in  the  state,  and  with  every 


564  HISTORY  OF  .IDAHO 

phase  of  Idaho's  development  and  upbuilding  they  are  familiar.  Mr.  Breshears  of  this 
review  built  the  first  house  on  his  place  over  twenty  years  ago  and  now  uses  it  as  a 
garage.  He  was  associated  with  the  Farmers  Union  Ditch  Company  and  assisted  in 
building  the  ditch,  which  is  twenty-five  miles  in  length  and  extends  to  the  Canyon 
county  line.  For  two  years  he  acted  as  president  of  the  company.  He  is  truly  a  self- 
made  man.  He  had  but  five  dollars  left  after  paying  the  minister  when  he  was  married. 
He  purchased  his  first  twenty  acres  of  land  in  1890  on  time  payments  and  paid  off  eighty 
dollars  the  first  year.  The  land  cost  him  fifty  dollars  an  acre.  Upon  the  place  he  built 
a  house  costing  six  hundred  dollars,  obtaining  most  of  the  material  on  credit.  It  was 
in  April,  1901,  that  he  purchased  his  present  property,  to  which  he  removed  the  follow- 
ing fall.  In  the  meantime  he  had  paid  for  his  original  twenty  acres  and  the  sale  of 
that  property  enabled  him  to  purchase  his  present  home  and  incur  an  indebtedness 
thereby  of  only  seventeen  hundred  dollars,  which  he  soon  discharged.  He  today  has 
one  of  the  fine  farm  properties  of  his  section,  thoroughly  equipped  with  modern 
machinery  and  farm  implements  as  well  as  splendid  buildings. 

It  was  on  the  23d  of  March,  1893,  that  Mr.  Breshears  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  V. 
Saxton,  of  Michigan,  and  they  have  eight  children:  Lizzie,  who  was  married  October 
23,  1919,  to  Lyle  Anderson  and  is  living  at  Ellensburg,  Washington;  C.  C.,-  who  married 
Inez  Cullen  of  Idaho,  and  has  one  child,  Harold  Elwood;  Florence,  the  wife  of  Gilbert 
Kearns,  living  at  Homedale,  by  whom  she  has  two  children,  Violet  and  Elmer;  Stella, 
Wilburn,  Raymond  and  Floyd,  who  are  attending  school;  and  Archie  J.,  deceased. 

Mr.  Breshears  is  indeed  widely  known  in  this  section  of  the  state  and  his  activities 
have  been  of  a  character  which  have  contributed  in  substantial  measure  to  the  progress 
and  prosperity  of  the  district  as  well  as  to  his  individual  success.  He  is  now  identified 
with  various  important  commercial  and  financial  interests  at  Eagle,  and  his  sound 
judgment  and  enterprise  make  his  cooperation  a  valuable  adjunct  to  any  business  concern. 


JOHN  F.  T.  BASYE. 

John  F.  T.  Basye,  one  of  the  earlier  pioneers  of  Idaho  now  residing  in  Emmett,  came 
to  this  .state  from  Crescent  City,  California,  in  1863,  at  which  time  he  was  seventeen 
years  of  age.  He  made  the  trip  in  company  with  his  parents,  John  T.,  and  Delana 
(Brown)  Basye,  the  former  born  in  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  July  29,  1809,  and  the  latter 
born  in  Canada,  November  29,  1807.  For  a  year  the  family  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Oro- 
fino,  in  a  mining  camp,  and  later  located  in  the  Boise  basin.  In  1868  they  removed  to  the 
present  site  of  Emmett,  which  at  that  time  was  marked  by  but  three  houses  and  was 
called  Emmettsville.  John  T.  Basye  built  the  first  sawmill  in  Emmett  and  operated  it 
for  many  years.  He  and  his  wife  afterward  became  residents  of  Boise,  where  Mrs. 
Basye  passed  away  May  24,  1887,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years,  while  the  death  of 
Mr.  Basye  occurred  in  Ola,  Idaho,  in  the  year  1896,  when  he  had  reached  the  notable 
old  age  of  eighty-eight. 

John  T.  Basye,  whose  parents  were  French  Canadians,  was  born  in  Terre  Haute, 
Indiana,  and  his  son,  John  F.  T.  Basye,  was  born  in  Kankakee,  Illinois,  April  22,  1846. 
It  was  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  that  attracted  the  father  to  the  west  in  1850, 
at  which  time  he  left  his  family  in  Kankakee.  The  following  year,  however,  he  rejoined 
them  in  Kankakee  and  in  1852  returned  with  his  wife  and  children  to  the  Pacific  coast. 
This  time  the  journey  westward  was  made  by  way  of  Oregon  and  in  that  state  the 
winter  of  1852-3  was  passed  in  visiting  the  eldest  son,  William  Henry  Basye,  who  had 
removed  from  Illinois  to  Oregon  in  1847.  With  the  removal  of  the  family  to  California 
in  1852,  John  F.  T.  Basye  of  this  review  became  identified  with  the  pioneer  development 
of  the  west.  He  is  the  only  one  of  a  family  of  eight  children  yet  living  and  he  has 
made  his  home  in  Idaho  since  1863,  spending  much  of  the  time  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett. 
He  took  up  a  homestead  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  two  miles  from  Emmett 
in  1867  and  later  he  obtained  a  timber  claim  of  eighty  acres  adjoining  the  original 
tract,  so  that  he  thus  acquired  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land,  most  of  which 
he  still  owns  and  which  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  excellent  ranch  properties  of  the 
locality.  However,  he  has  sold  forty-five  acres  of  the  place.  He  is  one  of  the  few  home- 
steaders in  Gem  county  yet  owning  their  original  claim.  He  lived  upon  his  ranch  from 
1869  until  1908  and  made  many  improvements  thereon,  erecting  substantial  buildings, 
planting  orchards  and  also  setting  out  five  acres  of  forest  trees.  While  occupying  the 
ranch  he  specialized  in  dairying  and  the  manufacture  of  butter  and  often  milked  as 


§ 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  567 

many  as  forty-five  cows.  His  business  affairs  were  carefully  and  profitably  conducted 
and  as  the  years  passed  he  put  by  a  comfortable  competence  for  the  evening  of  life. 
In  1908  he  and  his  wife  rented  their  ranch  and  purchased  a  cosy  and  comfortable  home 
in  Enimett.  His  son-in-law,  James  Little,  who  has  a  large  ranch  of  his  own  adjoining 
the  Basye  ranch,  rents  the  latter  property  and  is  now  cultivating  it. 

It  was  in  Troy,  New  York,  on  the  26th  of  December,  1871,  that  Mr.  Bauye  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Albertine  Brown,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Troy,  her 
natal  day  being  September  18,  1849.  Much  romance  attended  the  acquaintanceship, 
correspondence  and  courtship  of  this  worthy  couple.  Mr.  Basye  was  in  the  far  northwest 
in  the  wilds  of  Idaho  territory  and  she  was  a  beautiful  and  cultured  young  lady  of 
twenty-one  years,  enjoying  the  comforts  and  opportunities  of  life  in  Troy,  New  York. 
Mr.  Basye  learned  of  the  young  lady  through  a  mutual  friend,  who  induced  her  to 
exchange  letters  with  this  pioneer  settler  of  the  Idaho  plains.  The  correspondence  con- 
tinued for  two  years  and  finally  photographs  were  exchanged,  proving  mutually  pleasing. 
Eventually  Mr.  Basye  obtained  the  young  lady's  permission  to  visit  her  at  her  home. 
It  was  a  long  trip  of  three  thousand  miles,  but  Mr.  Basye  felt  that  the  prize  he  was 
after  was  worth  the  journey,  and  on  reaching  Troy  he  won  his  bride.  The  marriage 
was  made  the  occasion  of  a  most  beautiful  celebration  at  which  was  served  a  large 
wedding  cake,  bearing  on  top  the  date  December  26,  1871.  Though  forty-nine  years 
have  intervened  since  that  time  this  wedding  cake,  twelve  inches  square  and  four 
inches  thick,  is  still  preserved  intact  in  the  Basye  home.  The  cake,  however,  has 
been  rebaked  three  times  upon  the  occasion  of  the  wedding  of  each  of  their  three 
daughters.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Basye  have  four  children:  Mrs.  Cora  B.  Titus,  Herbert  S., 
Mrs.  Maud  Little  and  Mrs.  Louisa  D.  Nelson,  all  living  in  Emmett  and  all  married. 
There  are  nine  grandchildren. 

Mr.  Basye  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  has  been  identified  with  the  order  for  a  half  century. 
He  has  served  as  noble  grand  of  his  lodge  and  his  wife  is  connected  with  the  Rebekah 
degree.  Mr.  Basye  is  a  republican  and  has  tilled  the  office  of  county  commissioner  of 
Canyon  county,  serving  before  Gem  county  was  organized,  and  he  has  always  been  an 
advocate  of  good  roads,  doing  much  for  the  improvement  of  the  highways  while  serving 
as  road  commissioner.  As  a  pioneer  he  has  contributed  in  marked  measure  to  the 
development  and  progress  of  this  section  of  the  state,  and  his  history  is  inseparably 
interwoven  with  its  annals. 


MRS.  EMMA  LOUISE  BURGESS. 

Mrs.  Emma  Louise  Burgess  is  the  widow  of  Professor  Oscar  F.  Burgess,  who  was  a 
well  known  musician  and  organist.  She  is  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  South  Boise,  she 
and  her  husband  having  come  to  Boise  in  1891,  from  Denver,  Colorado,  where  they  had 
been  living  for  the  previous  ten  years.  Professor  Burgess  was  born  in  New  York  city, 
January  1,  1852,  a  descendant  of  old  Knickerbocker  stock,  and  was  educated  in  New  York. 
In  early  youth  he  gave  evidence  of  possessing  much  musical  talent  and  vocal  ability, 
and  while  a  mere  lad  he  was  a  soloist  in  Trinity  church,  New  York.  In  1881,  lie  and 
his  wife  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  where  they  remained  for  ten  years,  and  then  removed 
to  Boise,  where  he  died  December  4,  1891. 

In  the  year  following  her  husband's  death,  Mrs.  Burgess  built  her  present  home  on 
Boise  Avenue,  South  Boise,  and  here  she  has  continued  to  reside  in  all  the  intervening 
years.  She  was  born  in  New  York  city,  February  8,  1856,  and  for  her  sixty-four  years, 
she  is  extremely  well  preserved.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  G.  and  Mary  (Russell) 
Price,  both  belonging  to  old  New  York  families,  who  were  of  Scotch  and  Holland-Dutch 
descent,  Mrs.  Burgess,  therefore,  tracing  her  lineage  from  old  Knickerbocker  stock.  Her 
father,  who  was  a  carriage  builder,  was  a  native  of  New  York  city,  where  he  died.  Her 
mother  spent  her  last  years  in  South  Boise,  and  died  here,  December  17,  1915.  She  had 
been  living  with  her  daughter  since  1891.  the  year  Mrs.  Burgess  came  to  Boise,  her 
husband  having  died  when  Mrs.  Burgess  was  only  ten  years  old. 

Mrs.  Burgess  was  reared  in  New  York  and  educated  in  the  schools  of  that  city.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen,  she  was  married  to  Professor  Burgess,  who  was  then  just  twenty- 
one,  the  marriage  taking  place  on  September  28,  1873.  They  continued  to  reside  in  New 
York  until  1881,  when  they  removed  to  Denver,  Colorado. 

For  four  years — from  1892  to  1896 — Mrs.  Burgess  filled  the  responsible  position 
•  of  matron  of  St.  Margaret's  Hall,  Boise.  She  has  been  very  active  for  many  years  in 


568  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

* 

church  and  missionary  work,  giving  earnest  and  thoughtful  attention  to  all  branches  of 
that  work,  as  well  as  to  social  and  cultural  movements  intended  to  serve  the  best  interests 
of  the  community  at  large. 

Having  no  living  children  of  her  own,  Mrs.  Burgess  reared  an  infant  son  of  a  sister, 
Theodore  Tayler  Chave,  who  accompanied  her  to  Denver.  She  and  her  husband  educated 
him,  finally  sending  him  to  Harvard  College,  and  some  time  later  he  was  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Colorado.  He  is  now  a  teacher,  being  principal  of  the  high  school 
at  Pocahontas,  Arkansas.  Throughout  her  long  residence  of  thirty  years  in  Boise,  Mrs. 
Burgess  has  held  the  esteem  and  affection  of  all  classes  of  citizens  and  is  generally 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  cultured  women  in  the  community. 


CHARLES  PAYNTON. 

Charles  Paynton,  who  has  been  a  federal  employe  almost  steadily  for  thirty  years, 
being  throughout  nearly  the  entire  period  in  the  office  of  the  United  States  surveyor 
general  at  Boise,  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  May  31,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
and  Harriet  (Craft)  Paynton,  both  representatives  of  old  New  York  families  of  Revolu- 
tionary war  descent.  The  great-great-grandfather,  William  Paynton,  served  with  the 
American  forces  in  the  war  for  independence  and  lived  to  the  notable  old  age  of  one 
hundred  and  one  years.  The  great-grandfather  fought  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  father, 
William  Paynton,  died  of  illness  contracted  as  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war. 

Charles  Paynton  was  reared  and  educated  in  New  York  city  and  when  eighteen  years 
of  age  followed  the  advice  of  Horace  Greeley,  whose  admonition  was  "Go  west,  young  man, 
go  west."  He  therefore,  in  company  with  his  younger  brother,  Andrew,  made  his  way 
to  Idaho  and  joined  his  brother-in-law,  James  H.  Hart,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  state,. 
now  a  resident  of  Boise.  Since  1876  Charles  Paynton  has  continued  a  resident  of  Idaho. 
He  early  learned  the  printer's  trade  and  worked  on  the  Idaho  Statesman  as  a  printer 
for  eight  years.  In  1887  he  entered  the  service  of  the  United  States  in  the  surveyor 
general's  office  and  has  been  employed  in  various  capacities  almost  continuously  since, 
doing  most  efficient  work  in  a  thoroughly  systematic  and  methodical  manner  that  has 
accomplished  desired  results.  He  also  served  in  the  old  Boise  volunteer  fire  department 
and  his  long  residence  in  the  city  has  made  him  familiar  with  many  conditions  and 
interests  which  have  had  marked  bearing  upon  the  history  of  Boise  and  its  development 
and  progress. 

At  Ogden,  Utah,  on  the  25th  of  June,  1891,  Mr.  Paynton  was  married  to  Miss  Helen 
Virginia  Schaefer,  who  was  born  in  Burlington,  Iowa,  June  14,  1867,  a  daughter  of 
Martin  and  Regina  Schaefer,  who  were  natives  of  Germany  but  were  married  in  Balti- 
more, Maryland,  having  become  acquainted  on  ship  board  while  sailing  to  the  new 
world.  They  soon  afterward  removed  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  there  Mrs.  Paynton  was- 
reared  and  educated.  For  several  years  she  was  a  successful  teacher  in  both  Iowa  and 
Idaho,  being  an  instructor  in  the  Burlington  high  school  for  three  years  and  at  the 
same  time  Frank  O.  Lowden,  now  governor  of  Illinois,  was  a  teacher  in  the  high  school 
there.  Later  Mrs.  Paynton  became  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Boise.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Paynton  were  born  three  sons  who  are  yet  living.  Franklin  William,  born  in  Boise, 
March  10,  1896,  volunteered  for  service  in  the  World  war,  joining  the  army  July  14, 
1917,  before  the  draft.  He  was  then  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  spent  sixteen  months 
overseas,  being  for  ten  months  in  France  and  six  months  in  Germany.  He  served  on 
all  the  principal  battle  fronts  as  driver  of  an  ammunition  truck,  one  of  the  difficult 
and  dangerous  positions  of  the  Avar,  and  returned  from  Europe,  July  2,  1919.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Third  Division  of  U.  S.  Regulars  that  has  the  credit  of  turning  the 
tide  of  battle  at  Chateau-Thierry.  He  escaped  uninjured  and  is  now  a  civil  engineer, 
following  that  profession  in  Ada  county.  He  received  a  diploma  from  an  eastern 
school  in  electrical  engineering  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Association  of  American 
Engineers.  The  second  son,  Charles  Schaefer  Paynton,  born  in  Boise,  June  7,  1904, 
is  a  sophomore  in  the  high  school.  George  Dunlap  Paynton  was  born  September  24, 
1909,  and  is  a  pupil  in  the  parochial  schools. 

Mrs.  Paynton  and  the  children  are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church,  and  she 
belongs  also  to  the  Catholic  Women's  League.  Mr.  Paynton  has  membership  with  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World.  He  and  his  family  reside  on  a  small  but  valuable  ranch  of  their 
own  on  the  Boise  bench  a  mile  northwest  of  the  state  fair  grounds  and  previous  to 
taking  up  their  abode  thereon  lived  for  ten  years  in  Boise.  Such  in  brief  is  the  history 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  569- 

of  Charles  Paynton  and  his  family,  and  there  is  no  record  which  indicates  greater  fidelity 
in  office  and  capability  in  service  than  does  that  of  Mr.  Paynton,  who  almost  continuously 
for  three  decades  has  been  identified  with  the  office  of  the  United  States  surveyor  general. 


CLINTON  C.  SIGGINS. 

Clinton  C.  Siggins,  filling  the  position  of  county  auditor  of  Twin  Falls  counry.  was 
born  at  Golden,  Colorado,  December  31,  1862.  his  parents  being  Benjamin  B.  and 
Elizabeth  (Walker)  Siggins,  the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  while  the  latter  was 
born  in  Iowa.  They  were  married  at  Chariton,  Iowa,  and  the  father,  having  studied 
for  the  bar.  was  admitted  to  practice  and  took  up  the  active  work  of  the  profession 
in  that  state.  He  later  removed  to  Golden,  Colorado,  where  he  became  interested  in 
mining  and  was  also  a  partner  of  W.  M.  Telling  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  there 
remained  from  1860  until  1865,  after  which  he  spent  some  time  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania.  While  in  Colorado  he  served  as  the  first  judge  of  Gilpin  county.  His 
last  flays  were  spent  at  Youngsville,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  passed  away  at  the 
age  of  seventy-eight  years,  while  his  wife  died  in  1865.  His  political  endorsement 
was  given  to  the  republican  party.  He  ranked  as  an  able  lawyer,  being  a  clear  thinker 
and  logical  reasoner,  while  his  careful  and  thorough  preparation  of  his  cases  was 
one  of  the  strong  elements  in  his  success  in  the  courts. 

Clinton  C.  Siggins  spent  his  youthful  days  in  Pennsylvania  and  acquired  his  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  that  state.  He  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-three  years  when, 
in  1885  he  removed  to  Thomas  county,  Kansas,  where  he  filled  the  position  of  clerk 
of  the  court.  He  also  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  there  until  1889,  when  he 
removed  to  Burlington,  Colorado,  where  he  established  a  real  estate  and  insurance 
agency.  The  following  year,  however,  he  removed  to  Boise,  Idaho,  where  he  continued 
in  the  same  line  of  business,  and  he  also  acted  as  clerk  in  the  sheriff's  office  for  a 
number  of  years.  In  1909  he  removed  to  Twin  Falls  and  accepted  a  position  as 
chief  deputy  in  the  office  of  the  county  clerk.  He  also  spent  two  years  as  deputy 
sheriff  and  United  States  commissioner.  On  the  l3th  of  January,  1919,  he  became 
clerk  of  the  district  court  and  ex-officio  auditor  and  recorder  and  is  likewise  clerk  of 
the  board  of  county  commissioners.  Thus  important  official  duties  are  claiming  his 
attention  and  at  the  same  time  he  is  interested  in  business  affairs,  being  secretary  of 
the  Hansen  Bridge  Commission  and  secretary  of  the  Twin  Falls  County  Hospital. 

In  1889  Mr.  Siggins  was  married  to  Miss  Nellie  Cunningham,  a  native  of  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  and  a  daughter  of  Jerry  Cunninghams  who  was  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Siggins  have  four  children:  Leone,  Jerry,  Edwin  and 
Edna.  Mr.  Siggins  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  and  in  his  political  views  he  has  always  been  a  republican.  He  has  had 
much  to  do  with  shaping  the  political  history  of  various  localities  ifl  which  he  has 
lived  and  in  office  has  always  been  found  most  loyal  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him.  His 
sterling  worth  is  widely  recognized  and  throughout  Twin  Falls  county,  where  he  is 
now  filling  the  position  of  county  auditor,  he  has  gained  many  friends. 


FREDERICK  ADAMS  WILKIE. 

Frederick  Adams  Wilkie,  state  engineer,  with  offices  and  residence  in  Boise,  was 
born  in  Vineland,  Cumberland  county.  New  Jersey,  September  17,  1870.  His  father, 
Frederick  Christian  Wilkie,  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  was  born  June  6,  1840, 
and  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  entering 
the  Union  army  as  a  member  of  Company  G,  Fifth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery.  He 
joined  the  service  as  a  lieutenant  and  served  a  little  over  three  years.  Ere  the  clpse 
he  had  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  in  command  of  a  battalion  and  was  acting 
as  colonel.  His  last  days  were  passed  in  Boise,  where  his  demise  occurred  in  1907. 
In  early  manhood  he  had  wedded  Sarah  Emma  Adams,  who  was  born  in  Vermont  and 
died  at  Council,  Idaho,  in  1884. 

It  was  in  the  year  1876  that  Frederick  Adams  Wilkie  came  to  the  west  with  his 
mother  and  two  brothers,  who  journeyed  to  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  where  the  father  had 
located  two  years  before  and  had  established  a  home  for  them.  In  1881  the  family- 


570  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

took  up  their  abode  at  Soda  Springs,  Idaho,  and  in  September,  1883,  removed  to 
Council,  Idaho,  at  which  time  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  was  being  built  and 
the  father  was  employed  in  grading  work,  in  which  connection  he  used  three  teams 
of  his  own.  Frederick  A.  Wilkie,  then  a  lad  of  but  thirteen  years,  and  his  younger 
brother,  Arthur  H.,  only  eleven  years  of  age,  together  operated  a  scraper  to  which  one 
of  the  teams  was  hitched.  Mr.  Wilkie  of  this  review  has  lived  continuously  in  Idaho 
since  1881.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  this  state  and  under 
private  tutors  and  received  most  of  his  technical  training  from  his  father,  who  was 
a  man  of  good  education.  He  had  mathematical  training  through  a  correspondence 
school  and  at  fourteen  years  of  age  he  began  learning  the  printer's  trade  at  Weiser, 
Idaho.  Subsequently  he  took  up  the  study  of  architecture  in  Salt  Lake  City,  where 
he  spent  three  years,  working  at  the  printer's  trade  while  continuing  his  studies. 
He  not  only  became  thoroughly  qualified  in  architectural  work  but  also  in  civil 
engineering  through  night  study.  He  then  abandoned  the  printer's  trade  to  engage  in 
business  as  an  architect  and  civil  engineer  and  thus  spent  his  time  for  several  years. 
In  1905  he  removed  to  Boise,  where  he  has  since  given  his  attention  solely  to  civil 
engineering,  chiefly  in  connection  with  the  development  of  the  irrigation  interests  of 
the  state.  His  marked  ability  along  this  line  led  to  his  selection  for  the  office  of  city 
engineer  at  Emmett,  Idaho,  in  which  position  he  served  in  1909  and  1910.  He  held  a 
similar  position  at  Ashton.  Idaho,  in  1913  and  1914  and  at  the  same  time  was  a 
member  of  the  town  board  of  Ashton.  He  was  further  called  upon  for  public  service 
along  the  line  of  his  chosen  profession  in  his  appointment  to  the  position  of  deputy 
state  engineer  by  John  H.  Smith  in  March,  1915.  He  continued  to  act  as  deputy  under 
Mr.  Smith  until  March  1,  1918,  when  Governor  Alexander  appointed  him  to  the  posi- 
tion of  state  engineer  to  fill  out  Mr.  Smith's  unexpired  term,  the  latter  having  resigned. 
He  is  also  ex-officio  a  member  of  the  state  board  of  health.  His  ability  is  pronounced. 
He  has  thoroughly  mastered  most  intricate  and  important  engineering  problems  and 
has  so  directed  his  studies  that  he  accurately  understands  the  specific  needs  of  the 
state  along  this  line  and  finds  ready  solution  for  the  questions  presented.  He  is  a 
valued  member  of  the  Idaho  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  in  which  his  opinions  carry 
great  weight,  for  his  knowledge  and  experience  enable  him  to  speak  with  authority 
upon  many  interesting  professional  phases. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1892,  Mr.  Wilkie  was  married  to  Miss  Sallie  Edith  Bach,  of  Boise, 
Idaho,  and  they  have  one  son,  Roland  Dale,  born  in  April,  1902.  Mr.  Wilkie  has 
always  given  his  political  allegiance  to  the  democratic  party.  He  is  prominent  in 
Masonic  circles,  having  become  a  thirty-second  degree  Scottish  Rite  Mason  and  member 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  was  the  first  master  of  Ashton  Lodge,  No.  73,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  he  has  always  exemplified  in  his  life  the  beneficent  spirit  and  purposes  of  the 
craft.  All  other  interests,  however,  he  has  made  subservient  to  his  professional  duties 
and  his  fidelity  and  loyalty,  combined  with  his  capability,  make  him  a  most  efficient 
and  valued  officer  of  the  state. 


STELLA  M.  ROGERS. 

Stella  M.  Rogers,  county  superintendent  of  schools  of  Bonneville  county  living  at 
Idaho  Falls,  is  a  native  of  Hamburg,  Iowa,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  E.  and  Belle 
M.  (Walkup)  Rogers,  \vho  were  natives  of  Iowa  and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  The 
father,  who  followed  merchandising,  removed  from  Iowa  to  Kansas  at  an  early  period 
in  the  colonization  of  that  state  and  was  in  business  there  for  ten  years.  He  after- 
ward went  to  Nebraska,  where  he  resided  for  a  considerable  period,  passing  away 
in  January,  1917.  His  widow  is  still  living  and  now  makes  her  home  with  a  daughter 
in  Arizona. 

Stella  M.  Rogers  was  reared  and  educated  in  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  After  attend- 
ing the  country  schools  she  continued  her  studies  in  the  high  school  at  Cedar  Bluffs, 
Nebraska,  and  later  attended  the  normal  school  at  Fremont  and  the  State  Normal 
at  Peru,  Nebraska.  She  then  took  up  the  profession  of  teaching,  which  %he  followed 
at  Cedar  Bluffs  and  Wahoo.  Nebraska,  until  1908,  when  she  removed  to  Idaho  Falls, 
Idaho,  and  was  a  teacher  in  the  city  schools  for  seven  years.  She  then  went  into 
the  county  superintendent's  office,  acting  as  assistant  for  a  year,  and  later  was  princi- 
pal of  the  Eagle  Rock  school  and  afterward  of  the  Riverside  school.  She  resigned 
the  latter  position  on  account. of  having  been  elected  to  the  office  of  county  superintend- 
ent of  schools,  in  which  capacity  she  has  supervision  over  fifty-two  schools  in  Bonne- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  571 

ville  county.  She  Is  an  able  educator  and  is  making  an  excellent  record  by  the  splendid 
work  she  is  doing  as  county  superintendent,  for  her  labors  have  resulted  in  advancing 
educational  standards  and  systematizing  and  improving  the  schools  in  many  ways.  She 
is  also  identified  with  agricultural  interests,  for  she  owns  farm  lands  in  the  Lost 
river  country. 

Miss  Rogers  supports  the  democratic  party.  Her  religious  faith  is  that  of  the 
Baptist  church,  in  which  she  is  acting  as  clerk.  Her  attractive  .womanly  qualities 
as  well  as  her  professional  ability  have  won  her  high  regard  and  she  has  an  extensive 
circle  of  friends  in  Bonneville  county. 


FRANK   E.    DEKAY 

Frank  E.  DeKay,  warden  of  the  state  penitentiary  at  Boise,  was  born  in  Utica, 
Michigan,  December  20,  1869,  a  son  of  Samuel  L.  and  Amelia  E.  (Berry)  DeKay. 
The  father  has  now  passed  away,  but  the  mother  is  still  living,  making  her  home  in 
Mount  Clemens,  Macomb  county,  Michigan.  Samuel  L.  DeKay,  a  native  of  New  York, 
died  in  1887,  when  his  son  Frank  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  During  his  active  life 
he  followed  various  business  pursuits,  devoting  considerable  time  to  contracting  and 
building,  and  in  that  connection  he  built  the  city  hall  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  also 
did  the  grading  work  on  the  Detroit,  Lapeer  &  Marquette  Railroad.  He  likewise  had 
various  other  important  business  interests.  At  one  time,  in  his  home  town  in 
Utica,  Michigan,  he  conducted  a  drug  and  grocery  store,  also  dealt  in  furniture  and 
carried  on  an  undertaking  business.  He  was  also  proprietor  of  a  livery  stable  and 
the  owner  of  a  sawmill  and  a  pulp  mill.  These  varied  and  important  interests 
received  his  attention  all  at  one  time  and  he  was  likewise  the  owner  of  a  farm  near 
Utica.  His  home  in  New  York  was  near  the  city  of  Utica  and  with  others  he  removed 
to  the  west  and  founded  a  new  town  in  Michigan  which  was  named  Utica  after  the 
old  home  city  in  the  east.  In  a  word  he  was  a  very  forceful  and  resourceful  business 
man,  readily  recognizing  and  utilizing  opportunities  and  carrying  forward  to  suc- 
cessful completion  whatever  he  undertook.  Aside  from  his  extensive  business  affairs 
he  was  active  in  public  office,  serving  as  sheriff  of  Macomb  county,  Michigan,  for 
three  terms,  being  the  incumbent  in  that  office  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

The  youthful  days  of  Frank  E.  DeKay  were  passed  in  Utica,  Michigan,  where 
he  acquired  a  high  school  education.  He  was  eighteen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
his  father's  death  and  when  twenty  years  of  age  came  to  Idaho,  reaching  Pocatello 
in  1889.  For  four  years  he  engaged  in  the  retail  grocery  business  there,  owning 
and  operating  the  same  until  1893,  when  he  removed  to  Idaho  Falls,  where  he  con- 
ducted a  dry  goods  store  for  two  years.  In  1895  he  went  to  Blackfoot,  Bingham 
county,  Idaho,  where  he  resided  to  the  time  of  his  appointment  to  the  position  of 
warden  of  the  state  penitentiary  by  Governor  Alexander  in  January,  1917.  At  Black- 
foot  he  had  served  as  under  sheriff  from  1895  until  1897  and  in  the  latter  year  had 
established  a  meat  market,  which  he  owned  and  successfully  conducted  for  seven 
years  or  until  1904,  when  he  entered  the  retail  grocery  business,  continuing  in  the 
same  for  thirteen  years  or  until  removing  to  Boise  in  1917.  He  is  a  man  of  rugged, 
sterling  qualities  and  diversified  interests,  for  in  connection  with  his  mercantile 
business  he  devoted  many  years  to  the  cattle  industry,  being  recognized  as  one  of 
the  state's  successful  cattlemen  and  still  the  owner  of  a  large  cattle  ranch  at  Tyhee. 
five  miles  north  of  Pocatello,  comprising  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  He  filed 
on  this  tract  when  the  Fort  Hall  Indian  Reservation  was  opened  to  settlement  in 
1902  and  has  since  developed  and  improved  this  wild  sagebrush  land,  once  the  home 
of  the  red  men,  festive  Jack  rabbits  and  howling  coyotes,  converting  the  same  into 
one  of  the  most  valuable  properties  in  the  Snake  River  valley.  The  Indians  on  the 
Fort  Hall  Bottoms,  where  he  grazed  his  cattle,  gave  him  the  sobriquet  of  "Koochen- 
tibo-heintz"  (white  cowboy  friend).  In  recent  years  Mr.  DeKay  has  given  consider- 
able attention  to  public  duties.  He  was  appointed  sheriff  of  Bingham  county  by 
Governor  James  H.  Hawley  and  served  until  the  end  of  the  term.  As  warden  he 
has  introduced  the  honor  system.  During  1917  he  worked  fifty-six  per  cent  of  the 
convicts  outside  on  the  penitentiary  farms,  without  a  gun  guard,  and  lost  but  nine, 
six  of  whom  were  captured  and  returned  to  the  prison.  In  1918  he  worked  sixty-six 
per  cent  of  the  convicts  outside  on  farms  and  in  road  camps  and  to  date  has  had 
but  five  men  run  away.  In  the  past  fifteen  months  he  has  had  five  life  prisoners  who 


572  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

have  worked  and  slept  outside  the  prison  without  guard  and  there  has  been  no  loss 
among  them,  all  being  on  the  honor  system.  He  is  a  man  of  broad  humanitarian 
principles  and  kindly  spirit,  always  seeking  to  develop  the  "spark  of  good"  that  is 
in  each  individual.  His  relation  to  the  convicts  is  somewhat  paternal  in  nature — • 
much  like  that  of  a  father  toward  his  children.  He  makes  the  men  feel  that  he  has 
faith  in  them  and  desires  to  help  them  and  will  do  so  if  he  has  their  cooperation  and 
support.  The  only  punishment  meted  out  is  that  of  solitary  confinement  with  a 
bread  and  water  diet. 

On  the  8th  of  May,  1893,  when  twenty-four  years  of  age,  Mr.  DeKay  was  married 
to  Miee  Kate  C.  McLeod,  of  Pana,  Illinois,  and  they  have  become  parents  of  four 
children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter:  Frank  G.,  Katherine,  Edwin  R.  and  Harold  R. 
The  eldest  son,  now  twenty-one  years  of  age,  was  a  student  in  the  University  of 
Washington  at  Seattle  and  served  in  France.  Before  attaining  his  majority  he  joined 
the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Field  Hospital  Corps  and  was  gassed  and  wounded 
by  shrapnel  shell  September  26,  1918,  in  the  first  day's  fighting  in  the  Argonne.  He 
is  rated  twenty-five  per  cent  total  disability  and  is  now  receiving  government  voca- 
tional training  at  the  University  of  Washington.  The  daughter,  Katherine,  nineteen 
years  of  age,  is  a  student  in  the  State  Normal  School  at  Albion,  Idaho.  Both  are 
graduates  of  the  Blackfoot  high  school.  Mrs.  DeKay  has  been  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  Pocatello  and  introduced  the  kindergarten  system  there  in  1892.  Mrs. 
DeKay  has  always  been  closely  identified  with  educational  work,  holding  one  of 
the  first  life  diplomas  ever  granted  to  a  teacher  in  Idaho,  and  was  the  first  woman 
school  director  in  Bingham  county,  having  been  elected  clerk  of  the  Independent 
District  No.  8,  Blackfoot,  in  1901.  To  her  belongs  the  credit  of  installing  the  first 
school  library  in  the  county  at  Blackfoot.  She  is  a  charter  member  and  assisted  in 
organizing  both  the  Current  Event  and  Civic  Clubs  of  Blackfoot,  is  an  officer  of 
the  Columbian  Club  of  Boise,  a  Daughter  of  the  American  Revolution,  is  very  active 
in  Red  Cross  work,  is  head  of  a  Red  Cross  unit  and  at  present  (1917-1919)  is  matron 
of  the  Idaho  penitentiary. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  DeKay  is  a  democrat.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  which  he  joined  on  attaining  his  majority, 
and  he  is  now  a  past  noble  grand.  He  also  has  membership  with  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  DeKay  are  widely  known  in  various  sections  of  the  state  and 
enjoy  the  warm  regard  which  is  always  given  in  recognition  of  high  personal  worth 
and  merit  on  the  part  of  the  individual. 


LIEUTENANT  COLONEL  DE  WITT  P.  OLSON. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  De  Witt  P.  Olson,  state  highway  engineer  of  Idaho,  who  was 
installed  in  that  office  May  10,  1919,  having  been  appointed  to  the  position  by  Governor 
D.  W.  Davis,  is  a  resident  of  Idaho  Falls,  to  which  place  he  removed  with  his  parents 
in  1901,  coming  from  the  state  of  Iowa.  Colonel  Olson  returned  from  France,  after 
active  overseas  service,  on  the  23d  of  February,  1919,  reaching  Hoboken,  New  Jersey, 
on  that  date,  on  the  United  States  battleship  Kansas  in  company  with  his  regiment, 
the  One  "Hundred  and  Sixteenth  United  States  Engineers,  made  up  of  Idaho  and  Oregon 
troops  and  forming  a  part  of  the  Forty-first  Division.  Of  this  regiment  he  had  been 
in  command  for  more  than  a  year  in  France,  or  from  the  27th  of  December,  1917,  when 
the  colonel  was  promoted  to  brigadier  general.  Thus  Mr.  Olson,  although  having  only 
a  lieutenant  colonel's  commission,  commanded  the  regiment  and  drew  a  colonel's  pay 
while  in  France.  He  is  now  concentrating  his  efforts  and  energies  with  equal  thor- 
oughness upon  the  duties  of  state  highway  engineer  of  Idaho. 

Iowa  claims  him  as  a  native  son,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Sac  City,  February  10, 
1888.  He  is  the  only  son  of  Jonas  and  Nellie  (Platt)  Olson,  both  of  whom  have  passed 
away.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Stockholm,  Sweden,  while  the  mother  was  born  in 
Erie,  Pennsylvania.  Jonas  Olson  came  to  the  United  States  in  young  manhood  and 
in  Sac  City,  Iowa,  met  and  married  Nellie  Platt.  There  they  resided  until  1901,  when 
they  removed  to  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho,  where  the  father  followed  merchandising  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1906.  His  widow  survived  him  for  "but  a  brief 
period,  passing  away  in  1907,  just  a  year  and  a  day  later  than  the  death  of  her  hus- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  573 

band.     The  only  daughter  of  their  family  is  Athvl  ('.  Pettinger,  now   living  at   Idaho 
Falls. 

Colonel  Olson,  the  only  son,  was  graduated  from  the  Idaho  Falls  high  school  with 
the  class  of  1906  and  in  the  fall  of  1908  entered  the  Iowa  State  Agricultural  College  at 
Ames,  Iowa,  in  which  institution  he  spent  four  years,  pursuing  the  regular  four  years 
military  and  civil  engineering  courses.  He  was  graduated  on  the*  24th  of  May.  I'-U 
During  his  high  school  and  college  days  he  was  quite  actively  interested  in  athletics. 
From  1912  until  1916  he  engaged  in  civil  engineering  at  Idaho  Falls  and  in  June  of 
the  latter  year  went  to  the  Mexican  border  as  major  of  the  Second  Battalion  of  the 
Second  Idaho  Infantry.  He'  spent  seven  months  on  the  border,  largely  at  Nogales, 
Arizona,  after  which  he  returned  to  Idaho.  He  was  then  stationed  at  the  Boise  !>ar 
racks  until  June,  1917.  when  he  was  sent  with  his  battalion  to  Salt  Lake  City  to  guird 
public  utilities.  Later  he  was  transferred  to  Charlotte.  North  Carolina,  ami  i'. 
to  Camp  Mills,  Long  Island,  which  was  the  starting  point  for  France.  On  active  duty 
there  for  many  months,  he  bore  his  full  part  in  the  strenuous  warfare  that  brought 
victory  to  the  allied  army.  After  returning  from  France  he  was  military  instructor 
of  cadets  at  his  alma  mater — the  Iowa  State  Agricultural  College — before  return!: 
Idaho,  where  he  assumed  the  duties  of  state  highway  engineer,  in  which  cap  city  he 
is  ndw  most  capably  serving. 

On  the  22d  of  July,  1914,  Colonel  Olson  was  married  to  Miss  J-int  Hoffaker,  of 
Idaho  Falls.  The  Colonel  is  prominent  in  Masonic  circles,  being  a  Knight  Templar 
and  Mystic  Shriner,  and  is  also  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of 
Klks.  He  etands  as  a  splendid  representative  of  the  highest  type  of  young  American 
manhood  and  citizenship,  belonging  to  that  class  of  men  whose  patriotism  was  mani- 
fest not  only  in  active  service  overseas  but  is  also  evidenced  in  devotion  to  the  public 
welfare  in  days  of  peace. 


JUDGE  C.  P.  BUTTON. 

Counted  among  the  live  real  estate  brokers  of  Canyon  county  is  r.  P.  Button,  for- 
merly of  Dubois,  Clark  county.  Idaho.  Mr.  Button  has  been  a  resident  of  Canyon  county 
since  the  first  of  the  year  1920,  and  during  that  time  he  has  made  many  new  acquaint- 
ances in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  Gem  state.  Prior  to  coming  to  Nampa  county  he 
was  the  probate  judge  of  Clark  county  and  also  the  well  known  proprietor  of  the  Clark 
County  Enterprise,  which  paper  he  established  shortly  after  settling  in  eastern  Idaho 
in  1914.  For  a  long  time  before,  however,  he  had  resided  in  Idaho  and  his  newspaper 
experience  had  taken  him  to  various  sections  of  the  country. 

He  was  born  in  Fond  du  Lac  county,  Wisconsin,  September  20.  1879,  and  is  a  son 
of  Edward  and  Sophia  (Cornell)  Button,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  Badger  state. 
The  father  followed  farming  in  Wisconsin  and  afterward  went  to  Montana,  where  he 
carried  on  ranching  until  1915,  when  he  removed  to  Clark  county.  Idaho,  purchasing 
land  near  Dubois.  This  he  has  further  developed  and  improved  with  the  passing  > 
Hi->  wife  departed  this  life  in  June,  1914. 

Judge  Button  was  reared  and  educated  in  Wisconsin  and  there  learned  the  printer's 
trade.  He  has  worked  on  some  of  the  metropolitan  papers  of  the  country.  He  resigned 
his  position  of  financial  editor  of  the  Milwaukee  Wisconsin  Sentinel  to  come  to  Idaho 
in  1907.  He  had  previously  visited  the  state,  however,  in  1905  and  upon  his  return  he 
settled  in  Bonner  county,  living  at  Sandpoint  for  some  time.  The  publication  of  the 
Clark  Fork  Times  next  claimed  his  attention  until  1912,  when  he  left  Idaho  and  went 
to  Canada,  becoming  editor  of  the  Morning  Call  at  Medicine  Hat.  Alberta.  After  a  few 
months  he  returned  to  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  and  accepted  the  position  of  financial 
editor  of  the  Milwaukee  Sentinel.  But  the  lure  of  the  west  was  upon  him  and  he 
resigned  in  order  to  return  to  Idaho  in  July,  1914.  He  then  established  the  Dubois 
Enterprise. 

He  continued  the  publication  of  the  Enterprise  until  January.  1920,  when  he  disposed 
of  his  interests  in  Dubois.  moving  to  Canyon  county.  During  the  time  of  his  activity 
in  the  newspaper  field  in  eastern  Idaho,  he  enjoyed  an  enviable  reputation  among  the 
newspaper  men  as  his  publication  was  made  a  most  successful  one  and  was  a  power 
in  the  development  of  the  territory  wherein  it  circulated. 

.    Not  only  is  he  well  known   in  newspaper  circles  but  also  through  his  activity  in 
connection   with   the   public   business  of  town  and  county.     He   was  appointed   United 


574  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

States  commissioner  in  December,  1914,  and  occupied  that  position  until  leaving  for 
his  new  hoine  in  Canyon  county.  In  January,  1919,  he  was  appointed  probate  judge  of 
Clark  county  by  Governor  Davis.  While  in  Dubois  he  served  on  the  school  board  and 
the  cause  of  education  found  him  a  stalwart  champion. 

On  the  24th  of 'December,  1899,  Judge  Button  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Bruce 
and  to  them  have  been  born  four  children:  Bruce,  Janice  M.  and  Jack,  at  home;  and 
Bobbie,  who  died  April  1,  1919. 

Judge  Button  is  also  a  valuable  representative  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  a 
member  of  the  Boise  Consistory  and  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias  and  Dramatic  Order  of  the  Knights  of  Khorassan.  In  these  associations  are 
found  the  rules  which  govern  his  conduct  and  shape  his  relations  with  his  fellowmen, 
and  the  course  that  he  has  ever  followed  commends  him  to  the  confidence,  goodwill  and 
high  regards  of  all  who  know  him. 

At  the  time  of  moving  to  Canyon  county,  Judge  Button  owned  one  of  the  finest 
modern  residences  in  Clark  county  as  well  as  other  property  interests  which  he  then 
disposed  of.  He  has  since  acquired  a  fine  modern  home  in  Nampa,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  the  real  estate  business,  which  has  proven  most  successful. 


ARTHUR  GOODY. 

Arthur  Goody,  a  farmer  of  Lewisville,  filling  the  office  of  county  commissioner  of 
Jeft'erson  county,  was  born  in  Cache  county,  Utah,  March  6,  1871,  his  parents  being 
Arthur  and  Alzina  (Myler)  Goody,  the  former  a  native  of  England,  while  the  latter 
was  born  in  Farmington,  Utah.  The  father  came  to  the  new  world  with  a  brother 
when  but  thirteen  years  of  age,  his  brother  being  at  that  time  a  lad  of  eleven.  They 
crossed  the  continent  and  took  up  their  abode  in  the  Cache  valley,  where  Mr.  Goody 
worked  for  his  board  and  clothing  through  the  winter  months.  As  he  continued  his 
labors  with  the  passing  years  he  finally  arranged  the  purchase  of  ten  acres  of  land, 
which  he  cultivated  until  1883.  He  then  removed  to  Idaho,  settling  in  Jefferson  county, 
and  filed  on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Lewisville.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  began  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  that  property 
and  continued  its  cultivation  for  many  years.  Later  he  retired  and  rented  his  place, 
taking  up  his  abode  in  Idaho  Falls,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death 
occurring  in  January,*  1914.  The  mother  had  passed  away  some  years  before,  being 
called  to  her  final  rest  on  the  31st.  of  May,  1906. 

Arthur  Goody,  Jr.,  was  reared  and  educated  in  Utah  and  Idaho,  being  a  youth  of 
twelve  years  when  his  parents  removed  to  this  state.  He  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-two,  when  he  purchased  land  near  Lewisville  and 
began  farming  on  his  own  account.  The  tract,  however,  was  covered  with  sagebrush 
when  it  came  into  his  possession.  He  continued  to  add  forty  acre  tracts  to  his 
original  purchase  until  he  was  the  possessor  of  two  hundred  acres,  which  he  has  since 
owned  and  cultivated.  He  bought  out  the  heirs  to  his  father's  place  and  is  now  the  owner 
of  that  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  He  has  been  very  successful  in  his 
agricultural  interests,  bringing  his  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  obtain- 
ing therefrom  a  substantial  financial  return.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  built 
a  nice  home  in  Lewisville,  where  he  has  since  resided,  it  being  located  only  a  mile 
from  his  farm. 

On  the  7th  of  March,  1893,  Mr.  Goody  was  married  to  Olive  M.  Walker,  a  daughter 
of  William  H.  and  Mary  J.  (Van  Velsor)  Walker,  the  former  a  native  of  Vermont  and 
the  latter  of  New  York.  The  father  crossed  the  plains  with  ox  teams  in  1847,  being  one 
of  the  early  colonizers  of  Utah.  He  was  one  of  the  volunteers  who  went  to  Mexico 
for  the  United  States  at  the  time  of  the  Mexican  war  and  after  the  cessation  of  hostilities 
returned  to  Utah,  taking  up  a  homestead,  which  he  cultivated  for  many  years.  He 
finally  removed  to  Lewisville,  Idaho,  in  1884  and  purchased  a  residence,  which  he 
occupied  throughout  his  remaining  days,  living  retired  from  active  business.  He  died 
January  9,  1908,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight,  and  the  mother  passed  away 
September  3,  1916,  also  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goody  have 
become  the  parents  of  four  children:  Leora,  the  wife  of  Henry  Thomson,  of  Lewis- 
ville; Dora,  the  wife  of  J.  E.  Erickson,  also  of  Lewisville;  Arthur  J.,  nineteen  years 
of  age,  who  is  at  home;  and  Edwin  L.,  also  at  home. 

In  November,  1918,  Mr.  Goody  was  elected  county  commissioner  of  Jefferson  county. 


ARTHUR  GOODY 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  57? 

For  sixteen  years  he  had  served  as  school  trustee  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  town 
board  for  four  years.  He  is  the  president  of  the  Great  Feeder  Canal  Company  and  his 
activities  along  these  lines  indicate  the  nature  and  breadth  of  his  interests  and  the  value 
of  his  work  as  a  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  community.  He  is  now  a  stockholder  in 
the  C.  A.  Smith  Mercantile  Company,  also  in  the  Intel-mountain  Farmers  Equity.  He 
readily  recognizes  the  value  not  only  of  business  enterprises  but  of  opportunities  for  the 
de\elopment  of  the  district  and  utilizes  the  latter  just  as  readily  and  effectively  as  he 
does  the  former.  His  poltical  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican  party,  while 
religiously  he  remains  loyal  to  the  faith  in  which  he  was  reared — that  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 


ALFRED  L.  BONNELL. 

Alfred  L.  Bonnell,  a  retail  lumber  dealer  who  is  now  local  manager  at  Grace  for 
the  Anderson  &  Sons  Company,  having  its  headquarters  at  Logan,  Utah,  came  to  Idaho 
in  1910  and  for  the  past  six  years  has  made  his  home  at  Grace,  where  since  1914  he 
has  occupied  his  present  position.  He  is  not  only  the  local  manager  for  the  company 
at  Grace  but  also  holds  some  stock  in  the  parent  concern.  The  story  of  his  life  is  the 
story  of  earnest  endeavor  followed  by  substantial  success.  He  was  born  upon  a  farm 
in  Adams  county,  Wisconsin,  October  9,  1873,  the  only  son  of  David  T.  and  Marilla 
(Butler)  Bonnell,  both  of  whom  have  now  passed  away.  The  father,  who  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  was  taken  to  Wisconsin  by  his 
parents  when  but  five  years  of  age.  He  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  Adams 
county,  that  state,  where  the  family  home  was  established  during  the  period  of  its 
pioneer  development.  It  was  in  1853  that  his  father,  Charles  P.  Bonnell,  located  there 
and  for  more  than  a  half  century  thereafter  the  Bonnell  family  was  closely  associated 
with  many  interests  relating  to  the  upbuilding  of  that  portion  of  the  country.  David 
T.  Bonnell,  putting  aside  business  cares  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  served  at  the  front 
with  the  Thirty-eighth  Wisconsin  Regiment.  In  his  later  years  he  filled  various  civic 
offices,  occupied  the  position  of  town  clerk  at  Springville,  Wisconsin,  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1902,  was  serving  for  the  third  term  as  register  of 
deeds  of  Adams  county.  His  widow  survived  him  for  about  a  decade,  passing  away 
in  1912. 

Alfred  L.  Bonnell  is  the  only  survivor  of  the  family,  for  his  two  sisters  as  well 
as  his  parents  have  passed  away.  He  was  reared  upon  the  old  homestead  farm  in 
Adams  county,  Wisconsin,  to  the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  during  that  period  attended 
the  country  schools,  acquiring  a  fair  English  education.  He  afterward  taught  a  term 
of  school  and  at  twenty  years  of  age  he  entered  the  University  of  Wisconsin  at  Madi- 
son, where  he  completed  the  agricultural  course  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1896.  For  three  years  he  was  engaged  in  agricultural  extension  work  in  connection 
with  the  university,  his  duty  being  to  instruct  farmers  along  dairy  lines,  particularly 
on  the  subject  of  butter-making.  He  later  spent  four  years  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
and  installed  a  dairy  plant  near  that  city  known  as  the  Belton  Jersey  Dairy  Company. 
He  was  subsequently  for  three  years  an  instructor  in  athletics  and  manual  training  in 
the  Kansas  City  high  school.  Returning  to  Adams  county,  Wisconsin,  he  spent  four 
years  as  a  farmer  and  lumber  dealer  and  in  1907  he  removed  westward  to  Washington, 
where  he  resided  for  three  years,  engaged  in  the  lumber  business. 

In  1910  Mr.  Bonnell  became  a  resident  of  Idaho.  Though  educated  along  dairy  and 
agricultural  lines,  he  found  the  lumber  trade  most  congenial  and  through  the  period  of 
his  residence  in  this  state  has  given  his  attention  to  the  sale  of  lumber,  becoming  in 
1914  the  local  manager  at  Grace  for  the  Anderson  &  Sons  Company  of  Utah.  In  this 
connection  he  is  building  up  a  good  business,  being  recognized  as  a  most  trusted  rep- 
resentative of  the  parent  concern. 

It  was  at  Springville,  Wisconsin,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1894,  that  Mr.  Bonnell  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nina  Cummings,  also  a  native  of  Adams  county,  Wisconsin, 
with  whom  he  had  been  acquainted  in  their  school  days.  Mrs.  Bonnell  was  a  teacher 
for  several  years  prior  to  her  marriage.  She  has  become  the  mother  of  two  sons  and 
a  daughter,  namely:  Russell  H.,  who  was  born  June  2,  1895;  Lydia  Ruth,  born  May 
26,  1896;  and  Chester  Perry,  born  January  1,  1901.  The  two  eldest  children  are  mar- 
ried. Russell  wedded  Ada  Sant  and  Lydia  Ruth  is  the  wife  of  William  H.  Allsop. 

Mr.  Bonnell  has  always  been  a  supporter  of  republican  principles.     He  attained 

Vol.  Ill— S7 


578  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

his  majority  in  October,  1894,  and  in  November  of  that  year  was  elected  town  clerk 
of  Springville,  Wisconsin.  He  served  for  five  terms  in  that  position  and  was  also  town 
treasurer  of  Springville  for  a  year.  At  the  time  he  removed  from  Adams  county,  Wis- 
consin, in  1907  he  was  serving  as  chairman  of  the  republican  county  central  committee 
and  resigned  in  order  to  remove  to  the  west.  Since  becoming  a  resident  of  Grace 
he  has  been  active  in  the  public  life  of  the  community  and  is  now  clerk  of  the  public 
schools  and  the  high  school.  In  the  fall  of  1918  he  was  elected  to  the  Idaho  state  legis- 
lature. To  take  this  office  required  a  considerable  financial  sacrifice  on  his  part,  as 
the  remuneration  connected  with  it  does  not  by  any  means  compensate  him  for  losses 
which  he  must  sustain  in  other  ways.  He  did  not  seek  the  position  but  was  urged  to 
become  a  candidate  by  his  fellow  townsmen,  who  recognized  his  ability  and  fidelity  to 
duty  and  felt  that  he  would  most  loyally  serve  his  district  and  safeguard  its  interests 
in  the  legislature.  He  is  now  chairman  of  the  committee  on  cities,  towns  and  other 
municipal  corporations. 

The  Masonic  fraternity  numbers  Mr.  Bonnell  as  one  of  its  exemplary  members  and 
he  is  likewise  connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Grace 
Commercial  Club,  of  which  he  is  the  president.  His  interest  in  war  work  has  been 
manifest  in  many  tangible  and  helpful  ways.  He  became  chairman  at  Grace  of  the 
Bannock  County  Council  of  Defense  and  also  chairman  of  the  public  safety  commis- 
sion at  Grace.  His  labors  along  these  lines  indicate  his  public  spirit  and  his  devotion 
to  duty,  which  none  ever  calls  into  question. 


J.  HARRY  HOPFFGARTEN. 

J.  Harry  Hopffgarten,  founder,  president  and  manager  of  the  Hopffgarten  Adver- 
tising Sign  Compamy  of  Boise,  removed  to  the  capital  city  from  Spokane,  Washington, 
in  1904  and  on  the  14th  of  October  of  that  year  founded  his  present  business,  which  has 
flourished  amazingly  and  has  reached  a  degree  of  permanency  and  a  point  of  success 
that  merits  its  mention  along  with  the  best  known  institutions  of  the  city.  A  sign 
painter  by  trade,  having  learned  the  business  in  his  youth  in  Atlanta,  Georgia,  and 
followed  it  in  other  southern  cities,  Mr.  Hopffgarten  came  to  Boise  as  a  sign  writer 
but  soon  took  up  the  advertising  feature  of  the  business  and  in  September,  1916, 
incorporated  his  interests  under  the  name  of  the  Hopffgarten  Advertising  Sign  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  is  practically  the  sole  proprietor.  » 

Mr.  Hopffgarten  was  born  in  Augusta,  Georgia,  May  1,  1883,  the  elder  of  the  two 
sons  of  Baldwin  Hopffgarten,  a  jeweler  by  occupation,  who  died  January  4,  1892, 
at  Orlando,  Florida,  where  he  had  lived  for  several  years.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Marietta  Bewan  and  now  lives  in  Spokane,  Washington. 

J.  Harry  Hopffgarten  left  Augusta,  Georgia,  with  his  parents  when  but  three 
years  of  age  and  went  to  Orlando,  Florida.  After  his  father's  death  the  mother 
returned  with  her  four  children  to  Atlanta,  Georgia,  which  had  formerly  been  her 
home,  and  from  the  age  of  eight  years  the  subject  of  this  review  spent  his  youth  in. 
that  city,  obtaining  practically  his  entire  education  in  Atlanta  and  graduating  from 
its  high  school.  He  began  to  learn  sign  writing  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and  has 
followed  the  business  as  a  life  work.  He  was  engaged  in .  that  occupation  in  Atlanta, 
Savannah  and  Columbus,  Georgia,  at  Tampa,  Florida,  and  at  Spokane,  Washington. 
For  fourteen  months  he  was  superintendent  of  the  Southern  Brass  Sign  Works  at 
Columbus,  Georgia,  and  first  embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account  in  Spokane 
in  1902,  since  which  time  he  has  been  at  the  head  of  a  business  of  his  own.  At 
Spokane  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Jay  &  Hopffgarten,  sign  writers,  and  it 
was  not  until  he  came  to  Boise  that  he  took  up  the  billboard  advertising  feature  of 
his  business.  The  firm  owns  a  system  of  bulletin  boards  of  steel  and  galvanized  iron 
construction  which  covers  all  of  Boise  and  surrounding  territory.  Their  wall  displays 
cover  Idaho,  Oregon  and  Washington.  Their  business  includes  bulletins,  wall  signs, 
bill  posting,  distributing,  wood  letters  and  brass,  electric  and  glass  signs  and  covers 
everything  in  the  way  of  outdoor  advertising. 

On  the  10th  of  August,  1903,  at  Spokane,  Mr.  Hopffgarten  was  married  to  Miss 
Anna  May  Williams,  a  native  of  North  Dakota,  and  they  now  have  two  sons  and  a 
daughter:  Ralph,  born  March  18,  1905;  Ha,  born  February  7,  1911;  and  Howard,  born 
October  31,  1912. 

Mr.  Hopffgarten   is  fond 'of  fishing  and  hunting,  to  which  he  turns  when  leisure 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  579 

permits.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  In  Masonry 
he  has  attained  high  rank.  He  belongs  to  the  blue  lodge,  chapter  and  council;  has 
attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite;  is  a  Knights  Templar;  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Red  Cross  of  Constantine;  and  is  now  chief  rabban  of  Elkorah  Temple 
of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  likewise  identified  with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and 
the  Improved  Order  of  Redmen,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club,  which 
indicates  his  interest  in  those  well  devised  plans  and  definite  activities  that  have 
to  do  with  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of  the  city. 


JOHN  E.  KELLEY. 

John  E.  Kelley,  one  of  the  prominent  and  well-to-do  citizens  of  Shelley,  and  agricul- 
tural superintendent  of  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company,  is  a  native  of  Utah,  born  at 
American  Fork,  August  3,  1870.  His  parents,  John  P.  and  Elizabeth  (Clark)  Kelley.  were 
natives  of  England,  where  the  father  was  a  farmer.  He  came  to  this  country  about  1858 
and  settled  among  the  early  Mormons  of  Utah,  taking  up  his  residence  at  American 
Fork,  where  he  secured  a  tract  of  land  which  he  improved  and  operated  for  the  remainder 
of  his  active  life,  his  death  occurring  in  May,  1896.  His  wife  survived  him  for  several 
years,  her  death  taking  place  at  Shelley,  Idaho,  in  May,  1913. 

John  E.  Kelley  was  reared  and  educated  at  American  Fork,  Utah,  and  remained 
with  his  parents  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty,  up  to  this  time  being  engaged 
in  helping  with  the  work  on  his  father's  farm.  On  starting  out  for  himself,  he  bought 
some  land  and  also  rented  a  tract,  which  he  began  cultivating,  adopting  modern  agricul- 
tural methods  and  bringing  his  place  up  to  a  high  standard  among  neignboring  farms. 
He  continued  to  work  the  farm  until  March  1902,  when  he  removed  to  Shelley,  where  he 
acquired  a  tract  of  land,  which  he  improved  and  has  been  operating  ever  since,  his 
labors  bringing  him  a  nice  competence. 

In  June,  1916,  Mr.  Kelley  was  offered  and  accepted  a  position  as  agricultural  superin- 
tendent with  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company,  and  has  since  been  performing  the  duties 
of  that  responsible  office  with  zeal  and  ability.  Aside  from  his  business  associations, 
Mr.  Kelley  devotes  a  share  of  his  time  to  church  affairs.  On  August  13,  1915,  he  was 
made  bishop  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  and  has  been  connected 
with  the  bishopric  since  1902. 

In  August,  1892,  Mr.  Kelley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Ann  Oler,  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  nine  children,  all  of  whom  are  living  with  the  exception  of 
one  which  died  in  infancy.  They  are  named  as  follows:  Ella,  wife  of  Rodick  Miller, 
who  resides  at  Shelley;  Milton  J.,  who  married  Caroline  Jensen  of  Rexburg  and  is 
residing  in  Shelley;  Floyd  G.,  now  in  Denver,  Colorado,  engaged  in  missionary  work; 
Ruby,  Sadie,  Pearl  Lois,  Leona  and  Bernice  all  at  home  with  their  parents  and  one  which 
died  in  infancy.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  and  warmly  interested  in  all  its  work. 

For  the  past  eight  years  Mr.  Kelley  has  served  as  president  of  Snake  River  Valley  irri- 
gation district  and  under  his  guidance  the  work  has  made  rapid  strides.  He  is  also  a 
stockholder  and  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Shelley.  He  is  a  warm  supporter 
of  the  democratic  party  and  ran  for  the  office  of  county  commissioner  on  that  ticket 
but  was  defeated.  Milton  Kelley  his  eldest  son,  went  on  a  mission  to  Australia,  his 
work  in  that  connection  covering  the  unusually  long  period  of  two  and  one-half  years. 
On  his  return  to  this  country,  in  1918,  he  immediately  enlisted  in  the  United  States 
army  and  served  about  nineteen  months.  Floyd  Kelley,  the  second  son,  also  enlisted 
just  before  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  in  November,  1918.  The  Kelley  family  enjoy  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  the  community  in  which  they  have  lived  for  almost  twenty  years. 


ROBERT  LOCKETT  GRIFFIN. 

The  life  labors  of  Robert  Lockett  Griffin  were  ended  on  the  5th  of  January,  1918, 
when  he  passed  away  at  St.  Alphonsus  Hospital  in  Boise.  He  had  been  a  resident  of 
the  capital  city  for  only  two  weeks  but  was  well  known  in  the  northwest,  having*  for 
ten  years  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Ontario,  Oregon.  He  also  had  a  wide  acquaint- 
ance at  Shoshone,  Idaho,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerome,  having  previously  lived  in 


580  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Shoshone,  where  he  engaged  in  business  as  a  hardware  merchant.  He  then  went  to 
Ontario,  Oregon,  where  he  was  manager  for  the  Standard  Oil  Company^  for  two  years. 
From  1916  he  engaged  in  the  sheep  business,  with  great  success  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death. 

Mr.  Griffin  was  born  at  Henderson,  Kentucky,  February  3,  1872,  a  son  of  William 
Lawrence  and  Frances  (Lockett)  Griffin,  both  representatives  of  old  and  prominent 
Kentucky  families,  there  residing  through  several  generations  although  of  English 
descent.  Mr.  Griffin  was  a  namesake  of  Captain  Robert  Lockett,  his  mother's  brother, 
who  served  in  the  Confederate  army  during  the  Civil  war  with  the  rank  of  captain, 
and  his  father,  William  Lawrence  Griffin,  was  also  a  member  of  the  southern  army 
during  the  Civil  war. 

Robert  L.  Griffin  was  reared  and  educated  at  Henderson,  Kentucky,  and  when 
eighteen  years  of  age  came  to  the  northwest.  He  was  but  six  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  his  mother's  death,  after  which  he  was  reared  in  the  home  of  his  maternal 
grandfather.  Following  his  removal  to  Oregon  he  spent  several  years  in  Malheur  and 
Harney  counties,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  with  his  two  brothers. 
Later  he  located  at  Ontario,  Oregon,  where  for  ten  years  he  conducted  a  clothing 
store,  being  numbered  among  the  representative  merchants  of  that  place. 

While  there  residing  Mr.  Griffin  became  acquainted  with  and  wedded  Katherine 
Lee  Newman,  a  member  of  a  family  that  for  many  years  has  been  prominent  in 
southern  Idaho  in  connection  with  the  sheep  industry,  particularly  at  Shoshone,  Jerome 
and  Twin  Falls.  Mrs.  Griffin  is  a  daughter  of  Captain  Henry  Edward  Newman  of  the 
Confederate  States  Army,  who  served  with  the  Eighth  Missouri  Regiment  under 
General  Sterling  Price.  Captain  Newman  was  born  in  Virginia  and  was  one  of  the 
gold  seekers  in  California  in  the  early  '50s.  In  1886  he  removed  to  Oregon,  where  he 
became  connected  with  sheep  raising,  which  he  followed  throughout  his  remaining 
days  and  in  which  he  became  prominent.  Six  of  his  sons  also  conducted  extensive 
business  interests  along  that  line  in  the  vicinity  of  Shoshone,  Hailey  and  Jerome,  Idaho, 
where  they  are  yet  located.  The  father,  Captain  Newman,  removed  from  Oregon  to 
Shoshone.  Idaho,  in  1904  and  after  that  time  he  and  his  sons  ranked  with  the  prominent 
sheep  men  of  southern  Idaho.  Captain  Newman  passed  away  November  1,  1908,  when 
in  his  eighty-second  year.  He  was  married  twice  and  became  the  father  of  twelve 
children,  nine  of  whom  are  yet  living.  There  were  five  of  the  first  marriage  and  seven 
of  the  second.  Mrs.  Griffin  was  the  fourth  child  of  the  second  marriage,  her  mother's 
maiden  name  being  Nina  Kelso.  She  was  a  representative  of  an  old  South  Carolina 
family  that  after  the  Civil  war  removed  to  Texas.  Mrs.  Nina  (Kelso)  Newman  passed 
away  in  1904.  Sterling  Price  Newman,  of  Twin  Falls,  and  Andrew  J.  Newman,  of 
Shoshone,  are  half-brothers  of  Mrs.  Griffin,  while  her  own  brothers  are:  Henry  Edward 
and  James  William,  of  Shoshone;  and  Grover  Cleveland  and  Plumer  Kelso,  of  Jerome, 
Idaho.  Mrs.  Griffin  also  has  a  half-sister  in  Texas,  Mrs.  Mattie  Griffith,  and  an  own 
sister  in  California,  Mrs.  May  Cartwright.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Griffin  were  born  two 
children:  Wynn  Lockett,  whose  birth  occurred  November  14,  1904;  and  Katherine 
Mildred,  born  September  25,  1908.  Mrs.  Griffin  was  chiefly  reared  at  Prineville,  Oregon, 
and  prior  to  her  marriage  was  a  teacher.  She  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  to  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  Her  father  had  been  a  Master  Mason 
for  sixty -one  years  prior  to  his  death,  joining  the  order  when  twenty -one  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Griffin  was  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  was  a  man  of  many 
sterling  traits  of  character,  progressive,  enterprising  and  reliable  in  business,  loyal 
in  citizenship  and  faithful  at  all  times  to  the  ties  of  home  and  friendship. 


GEORGE  W.  BUTLER. 

George  W.  Butler,  an  ice  dealer  of  Boise,  connected  also  with  ranching  and  cattle 
raising  interests,  came  to  Idaho  in  1880  from  Sedalia,  Missouri,  where  he  had  resided  for 
about  four  years.  He  was  then  a  young  man  in  the  railroad  service,  being  employed  as 
a  brakeman  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railroad.  Indiana  numbers  him  among 
her  native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Martin  county,  that  state;  on  the  20th  of 
July,  1859.  He  is  a  son  of  Hirajoa  and  Mary  (Walker)  Butler,  who  were  natives  of  Indi- 
ana. The  mother  died  in  that  state,  but  the  father  passed  away  in  Portland,  Oregon. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  was  married  again  and  by  that  union  had  three 
daughters.  His  second  wife  is  still  a  resident  of  Portland.  By  his  first  marriage  there 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  581 

were  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  yet  living,  two  sons  being  residents  of  Ada  county — 
George  W.  and  Edward  E.  Butler,  while  James  W.  is  a  resident  of  Portland. 

George  W.  Butler  was  only  twelve  years  of  age  when  his  parents  removed  from 
Indiana  to  Missouri.  He  then  had  a  stepmother,  who,  however,  proved  most  wise  and 
faithful  in  caring  for  her  stepchildren.  At  fifteen  years  of  age  Mr.  Butler  took  up  the 
work  of  braking  on  the  railroad  and  was  thus  engaged  for  four  years  in  Missouri,  after 
which  he  arrived  in  Boise,  Idaho,  in  1880.  Soon,  however,  he  went  to  Washington 
county,  this  state,  and  took  a  squatter's  claim  near  Weiser,  living  thereon  for  about 
nine  years,  during  much  of  the  time  keeping  bachelor's  hall.  He  sold  that  property  in 
1889  and  returned  to  Boise,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  For  two  years  he 
was  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  conducting  what  is  known  as  the  Anti-Chinese 
Hotel  on  Ninth  street,  between  Main  and  Grove  streets.  For  more  than  twenty  years 
he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the  retail  ice  business,  associated  with  W.  H.  Riden- 
baugh  and  for  a  part  of  the  time  with  his  brother,  Edward  E.  Butler,  the  business 
being  conducted  under  the  name  of  the  Boise  Ice  Company.  On  account  of  the  war, 
however,  the  business  has  not  been  actively  carried  on  for  the  past  two  years.  How- 
ever, activity  along  that  line  will  soon  be  resumed.  In  the  meantime  Mr.  Butler 
has  been  giving  his  attention  to  the  management  of  his  ranches.  He  owns  a  two- 
thirds  interest  in  the  ice  business,  while  Mr.  Ridenbaugh  holds  a  third  interest. 

On  the  14th  of  May,  1891,  in  Boise,  Mr.  Butler  was  married  to  Louisa  E.  Knox, 
the  wedding  ceremony  being  performed  by  Rev.  Skidmore,  a  Methodist  minister. 
Mrs.  Butler  was  born  in  Mitchell  county,  Kansas,  September  18,  1871,  a  daughter  of 
George  D.  and  Amanda  Martha  Knox.  Her  father  has  passed  away,  but  her  mother 
still  survives,  making  her  home  southeast  of  Boise.  A  sketch  of  Mrs.  Amanda  Martha 
Knox  appears  on  another  page  of  this  work.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butler  have  been  born  two 
children,  a  daughter  and  a  son.  Susie  Ellen,  born  May  14,  1892,  became  the  wife 
of  Roy  Hiner  on  the  25th  of  June,  1912,  and  they  reside  in  Ada  county,  one  mile  west 
of  Ustick,  at  Btatler  Station,  which  is  located  on  one  of  her  father's  ranches.  The 
son,  Walter  W.,  born  August  17,  1893,  married  Pearl  Hiner,  a  sister  of  Roy  Hiner, 
on  the  30th  of  September,  1914.  She  passed  away  July  30,  1917.  Walter  W.  Butler 
served  in  the  United  States  army,  being  connected  "with  the  Medical  Corps  at  different 
cantonments  in  the  United  States.  He  is  now  again  at  home  and  is  aiding  his  father 
in  the  management  of  his  ranch  properties.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiner  have  three  children: 
Ralph  Everett,  born  February  13,  1913;  Margaret  E.,  March  8,  1914;  and  Gladys  L., 
born  January  25,  1916. 

In  religious  faith  Mrs.  Butler  is  a  Presbyterian.  Politically  Mr.  Butler  is  a  repub- 
lican and  fraternally  is  an  Elk  and  an  Odd  Fellow.  Both  are  widely  known  in  Boise 
and  throughout  the  surrounding  country,  where  Mr.  Butler  has  lived  for  a  period 
of  forty  years.  His  forcefulness,  resourcefulness  and  adaptability  in  business  have 
been  again  and  again '  demonstrated  and  his  capability  has  brought  to  him  a  sub- 
stantial measure  of  success. 


WILLIAM   A.   WALKER. 

William  A.  Walker,  a  well  known  and  extensive  farmer,  owner  of  one  thousand 
acres  of  prime  land  in  Rexburg,  Idaho,  which  he  is  engaged  in  operating,  large  shipper 
of  grain  and  potatoes  in  season,  a  former  member  of  the  state  legislature  and  other- 
wise identified  with  public  affairs  in  Madison  county  and  in  business  in  Rexburg,  is 
a  native  of  Utah,  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  November  5,  1859,  a  son  of  William  and 
Mary  J.  (Shadden)  Walker. 

Mr.  Walker  was  reared  and  educated  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  remained  with  his 
parents  until  he  reached  his  majority,  when  he  engaged  in  the  general  merchandise 
business  and  contracting  in  Utah,  until  1884.  He  also  taught  school  for  one  year  and 
did  railroad  contracting  in  Utah,  Idaho  and  Montana.  In  1884  Mr.  Walker  removed  to 
Lewisville,  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  and  later  to  Oneida  county,  and  engaged  in  general 
merchandising  and  did  some  farming  at  the  same  time.  He  was  the  owner  of  the 
first  store  north  of  Idaho  Falls  and  was  the  first  postmaster  at  that  place.  In  1893 
he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Rexburg,  where  he  accepted  the  position  of  manager  with 
Studebaker  Brothers,  and  held  that  position  for  fourteen  years.  He  erected  their  build- 
ing at  Rexburg  and  also  at  Rigby  and  Driggs  and  had  charge  of  the  business  at  those 
places.  On  first  coming  to  Rexburg,  Mr.  Walker  bought  a  tract  of  land,  which  he  has 


582  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

operated  ever  since  and  has  devoted  all  of  his  time  for  the  past  three  years  to  his 
farming  interests.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  one  thousand  acres,  ninety  acres  of  which 
are  irrigated.  He  has  been  very  successful  as  a  grain  raiser,  having  cut  as  high  as 
forty-seven  bushels  to  the  acre  on  a  six-hundred-acre  tract. 

On  April  14,  1881,  Mr.  Walker  was  married  to  Lavina  Harper,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  A.  and  Lavina  (Dilworth)  Harper,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  who  crossed  the 
plains  by  ox  team  with  the  pioneers  to  Utah  in  1847  and  located  in  Salt  Lake  City. 
On  coming  to  the  west  Mr.  Harper  commenced  farming  and  secured  a  homestead  tract 
nine  miles  south  of  Salt  Lake  City.  He  died  April  23,  1900,  having  passed  the  age 
of  eighty-three  years,  and  his  widow  died  in  July,  1903.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  became 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  namely:  William  A.,  Jr.,  Chester  B.,  Charles  E.,  Walter, 
Lavina,  Dilworth,  Viola,  deceased;  Mabel  M.  and  Rudgar. 

In  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  Mr.  Walker  occupies  a  prom- 
inent position.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  a  seventy,  an  elder  and  a  high  priest,  and 
was  first  and  second  counselor,  respectively,  to  Bishop  Neilson  and  to  Bishop  Jardine. 
He  was  senior  teacher  of  the  theological  class  at  Lewisville  from  1885  to  1902.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Walker  were  married  under  consecration  of  President  Joseph  Smith,  of  the 
Mormon  church.  In  1891  Mr.  Walker  was  called  to  serve  on  a  mission  for  his  church 
in  Illinois,  Iowa,  Minnesota,  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  but  at  the  end  of  fourteen  months 
had  to  abandon  the  work  in  consequence  of  ill  health. 

Mr.  Walker  gives  his  support  to  the  republican  party  and  in  1894  was  nominated 
by  that  party  as  its  candidate  for  the  lower  house  of  the  Sdaho  legislature.  He  was 
elected  and  has  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  Mormon 
church  to  secure  a  seat  in  that  body,  in  the  deliberations  of  which  he  attracted  much 
attention  by  his  wisdom  and  common  sense.  He  did  excellent  work  for  his  party, 
his  church  and  his  constituents,  and  largely  through  his  efforts  was  brought  about 
the  repeal  of  the  "test  oath"  law,  and  after  the  signing  of  the  bill,  Mr.  Walker  was 
presented  with  the  pen  which  made  the  bill  a  law. 

From  1891  to  1894,  Mr.  Walker  was  manager  of  the  Farmers  Union  at  Idaho  Falls. 
Since  the  latter  year  he  has  been  an  extensive  private  shipper  of  grain  and  potatoes 
during  the  winter  and  fall  seasons:  In  1895,  as  a  delegate  to  the  Irrigation  Congress, 
he  accomplished  much  work  of  value  to  the  state.  Mr.  Walker  has  served  as  president 
of  the  town  board  of  trustees;  he  has  been  chairman  of  the  county  central  committee 
of  Madison  county,  and  in  other  directions  has  given  of  his  time  and  ability  to  all 
causes  calculated  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  public  at  large. 


JOHN  F.  DAILY. 

John  F.  Daily,  an  Idaho  pioneer  now  residing  in  Emmett,  has  retired  from  active 
business  life,  although  formerly  known  as  a  prominent  ranchman  and  live  stock  dealer. 
He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army,  having  served  in  the  Civil  war,  and  in  1875  he  came 
from  Appanocse  county,  Iowa,  to  Idaho.  Mr.  Daily  is  of  Irish  birth,  having  first  opened 
his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  in  County  Kerry,  Ireland,  in  August,  1841.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  when  a  lad  of  ten  years  with  his  mother  and  one  brother,  Murt  Daily, 
and  a  sister  Mary,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Mary  Kerby,  of  Caldwell,  Idaho.  The  father, 
Francis  Daily,  better  known  as  Frank  Daily,  had  come  to  the  United  States  two  years 
before  and  was  engaged  in  railroad  contract  work  in  the  state  of  Ohio.  In  1854  he 
removed  with  his  family  from  Ohio  to  Appanoose  county,  Iowa,  and  there  settled  upon 
a  farm  on  which  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  on  that  place  in 
1873.  His  widow  passed  away  in  Beloit,  Kansas,  twenty-four  years  later  or  in  1897. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Francis  Daily  were  born  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters, 
of  whom  John  F.  is  the  eldest.  Two  sons  and  two  daughters  of  the  family  are  yet  living, 
these  being:  Murt,  who  is  also  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army  and  now  resides  at  Beloit, 
Kansas;  Mrs.  Mary  Kerby,  of  Caldwell,  Idaho;  Mrs.  Johanna  Loomis,  of  Sterling, 
Colorado,  and  John  F. 

The  last  named  spent  his  youth  upon  a  farm  in  Appanoose  county,  Iowa  but  in  the 
spring  of  1862  put  aside  all  business  and  personal  considerations  and  enlisted  in  the 
Union  army  as  a  sergeant  of  Company  A,  Second  Missouri  Cavalry,  being  mustered  out 
at  Hannibal,  Missouri,  in  November,  1863.  On  the  6th  of  March  of  the  following  year 
he  was  married  in  Putnam  county,  Missouri,  to  Miss  Serena  Davis,  who  was  born  in 
Cumberland  county,  Kentucky,  December  13,  1847,  a  daughter  of  Hamilton  and  Salina 


JOHN  F.  DAILY 


MRS.  JOHN  F.  DAILY 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  587 

(Lewis)  Davis,  who  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  Mrs.  Daily  removed  with  her  parents 
to  Missouri  when  but  two  years  of  age.  Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daily 
resided  upon  a  farm  in  Appanoose  county,  Iowa,  until  1875  and  then  came  to  Idaho. 
first  spending  a  few  months  with  Mrs.  Daly's  parents,  who  in  the  meantime  had 
removed  from  Missouri  to  this  state  and  were  living  in  Middleton,  in  what  was  then 
Ada  county  but  is  now  Canyon  county.  Later  Mr.  Daily  engaged  in  cattle  raising  for 
several  years  on  the  Snake  river,  in  what  is  now  Payette  county.  About  1889  he  and 
his  wife  took  up  their  abode  upon  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  near  Emmett, 
the  place  being  then  called  Emmettsville.  Since  then  this  worthy  couple  have  occupied 
that  property,  still  living  in  a  fine,  big,  old-fashioned  ranch  home  that  stands  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  their  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  tract.  But  the  city  of  Emmett, 
which  was  a  mere  hamlet  when  the  property  was  purchased,  containing  then  perhaps  not 
more  than  a  dozen  houses,  has  continually  grown  and  developed,  extending  in  their 
direction  until  it  will  not  be  long  before  the  Daily  ranch  is  a  part  of  the  city,  which 
has  been  made  the  county  seat  of  Gem  county.  From  time  to  time  they  have  sold 
portions  of  the  original  tract  until  they  now  have  only  about  two  and  a  half  city  blocks 
left.  This  constitutes  the  Daily  home  in  Emmett,  a  most  inviting  place,  the  residence 
being  a  large  two-story  dwelling  of  eight  rooms  surrounded  by  broad  verandas  and 
standing  in  the  midst  of  fine  old  shade  trees,  while  there  are  also  many  kinds  of  fruit 
trees  upon  their  land.  The  town  has  grown  up  all  around  them  and  what  was  onoe 
a  valuable  old  ranch  home  is  now  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daily  has  been  born  but  one  child,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Mary  Carter 
and  who  was  born  in  Appanoose  county,  Iowa,  May  7,  1865.  She  was  but  a  tiny  little 
maiden  when  brought  by  her  parents  to  Idaho.  She  is  now  a  widow  and  is  the  mother 
of  three  sons,  two  of  whom,  John  and  Collis  P.  Carter,  served  in  the  World  war,  the 
former  in  the  army  and  the  latter  in  the  navy.  Frank  Carter,  her  eldest  son,  is  married 
and  resides  at  Enterprise,  Oregon,  being  employed  as  a  railroad  conductor.  The  second 
son,  John  O.,  residing  in  New  York  city,  is  also  married,  his  wife  being  a  daughter 
of  Dr.  W.  J.  Boone,  of  the  College  of  Idaho  at  Caldwell.  Collis  P.,  the  youngest  son, 
now  nineteen  years  of  age,  has  been  discharged  from  the  navy  and  lives  with  his  grand- 
parents. Mr.  Daily  belongs  to  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and  his  wife  to  the  Methodist 
church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  is  a  past  department 
commander,  while  his  wife  is  a  past  department  chaplain  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps. 
All  interests  which  have  to  do  with  progressive  citizenship  and  patriotic  support  of 
the  country  receive  their  earnest  endorsement.  Their  allegiance  to  Idaho  and  its 
welfare  has  been  manifest  in  many  tangible  ways  and  from  pioneer  times  they  have 
been  worthy  and  valued  citizens  of  the  state. 


G.   R.    BRASHEARS. 

.  G.  R.  Brashears,  actively  engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  raising  near  Eagle, 
in  Ada  county,  was  born  in  Carroll  county,  Arkansas,  April  1,  1877.  He  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  attending  the  public  schools  only  until  he  reached  the  age  of  thirteen  years. 
His  father,  Alvin  Brashears,  is  a  farmer  of  Arkansas  who  still  makes  his  home  in 
that  state.  He  was  born  near  Clarksville,  Arkansas,  and  is  at  present  engaged  in 
farming  at  Berry ville.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Minerva  Farmer,  was 
born  in  Carroll  county,  Arkansas,  and  is  also  living. 

Through  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  G.  R.  Brashears  assisted  his  father 
in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  and  was  also  employed  in  Texas  and  in  the  Cherokee 
Nation.  He  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  farm  work  until  he  reached 
the  age  of  twenty  years,  when  he  came  to  Idaho.  Here  for  a  brief  period  he  was  in 
the  employ  of  John  Woods  and  afterward  engaged  in  herding  sheep  for  a  few  months 
for  the  firm  of  Bound  &  Armsby.  Later  he  engaged  in  hauling  hay  to  Boise  and  sub- 
sequently worked  for  Mr.  Woods  again,  his  second  period  of  employment  on  the  Woods 
place  covering  eight  months.  During  the  succeeding  three  years  he  was  employed  by 
Joe  Pence  at  farming  and  fruit  raising  and  previous  to  this  time  spent  three  months 
in  conducting  the  farm  of  Tom  Aikens,  who  is  now  his  father-in-law  and  who  owns 
the  land  upon  which  Mr.  Brashears  is  now  residing.  The  latter  afterward  rented  the 
Woods  place,  which  was  the  property  of  the  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Brashears.  This 
farm  he  conducted  for  a  year  and  afterward  leased  his  present  place,  which  he  con- 
ducted on  shares  for  two  years,  and  during  the  following  three  years  he  paid  seven 


588  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

hundred  dollars  cash  rental  yearly  for  the  land.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period, 
however,  because  of  overwork  he  found  it  necessary  to  abandon  such  arduous  labor  and 
employed  a  man  to  further  cultivate  and  develop  the  place  and  in  consideration  of 
his  making  improvements  and  paying  the  taxes  Mr.  Aikens  let  him  have  the  land 
without  further  cost.  Mr.  Brashears'  father-in-law  still  owns  the  land,  which  com- 
prises two  hundred  and  fifty  acres. 

At  the  present  writing  Mr.  Brashears  is  engaged  in  both  farming  and  cattle  raising. 
He  made  a  start  in  the  stock  business  by  acquiring  a  few  head  at  a  time  and  for  the 
first  two  years  he  took  charge  of  other  people's  stock,  which  he  ranged  for  a  dollar 
and  a  half  per  head,  paying  all  of  his  own  expenses.  During  the  first  year  he  handled 
twelve  hundred  head  alone  save  that  in  the  spring  and  fall  he  employed  one  man. 
During  the  second  year  he  became  associated  in  the  business  with  Charley  Mace  and 
they  drove  seven  hundred  head  of  cattle  to  the  Bear  valley  over  five  feet  of  snow, 
being  compelled  to  break  trail  for  them.  They  had  a  few  old  cows  that  had  been 
over  the  trail  before  and  these  led  the  herd,  otherwise  they  never  could  have  accom- 
plished the  trip,  which  was  a  distance  of  ninety  miles.  They  lost  twenty-seven  head 
from  eating  poisoned  roots,  including  the  wild  parsnip,  hemlock  and  monkshood.  The 
scarcity  of  food  caused  the  stock  to  eat  anything  which  they  could  find  and  at  night 
they  found  it  necessary  to  herd  the  stock  for  three  nights  in  order  to  keep  them  from 
straying  in  search  of  food.  They  made  the  trip  about  June  1,  1907,  and  it  was  in 
the  high  mountains  that  they  found  the  snow.  Mr.  Brashears  has  ridden  the  range 
for  many  years  and  is  now  running  cattle  oil  his  own  account  near  Idaho  City. 

On  the  14th  of  December,  1902,  Mr.  Brashears  was  married  to  Miss  Mabel  J.  Aikens, 
a  native  of  Eagle  island,  who  was  born  not  more  than  a  hundred  yards  from  her  present 
place  of  residence.  Her  father,  Tom  Aikens,  is  a  pioneer  farmer  and  stockman  of 
Idaho  and  her  mother  was  Mary  Conway,  who  is  now  living  at  Long  Beach, 
California.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brashears  have  become  the  parents  of  four  children:  Alvin 
Floyd,  fourteen  years  of  age;  Evva  Agnes,  aged  twelve;  Thelma  Mabel;  and  Esther 
Loraine.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brashears  are  well  known  as  representatives  of  the  farming 
interests  of  Ada  county,  where  a  life  of  intense  and  well  directed  activity  has  brought 
to  him  the  measure  of  success  which  is  now  his. 


MALANTHEN  F.  EBY. 

Malanthen  F.  Eby,  a  mining  man  of  Boise,  who  became  a  pioneer  resident  of  the 
city  and  whose  history  is  closely  interwoven  with  Idaho's  development,  was  born  in 
Canton,  Ohio,  January  1,  1852,  his  parents  being  Andrew  Jackson  and  Sarah  Jane 
(Albright)  Eby.  The  father  died  in  Iowa  many  years  ago  but  the  mother  now  resides 
on  the  Boise  bench  near  the  capital  city  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years  and 
is  mentioned  at  length  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

M.  F.  Eby  was  but  an  infant  when  his  parents  removed  from  Ohio  to  Iowa  and. 
upon  a  farm  in  the  latter  state  he  was  reared  to  young  manhood.  While  there  residing 
he  engaged  in  the  operation  of  a  threshing  machine,  following  the  threshing  business 
for  twenty-seven  years,  of  which  twenty-six  years  were  passed  in  Iowa  and  one  in 
Montana.  He  started  in  the  business  as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  stand  on  one 
of  the  old-time  horse  power  machines  and  hold  the  whip,  being  a  lad  of  but  eight 
years  when  he  took  up  work  of  that  character.  While  engaged  in  threshing  he  had 
his  right  hand  caught  in  a  belt  and  the  injury  caused  the  loss  of  his  index  finger. 
He  has  always  been  a  most  industrious  and  energetic  man,  never  afraid  of  hard  work, 
and  his  close  application  and  determination  brought  to  him  the  substantial  measure 
of  success  which  he  now  enjoys. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1874,  Mr.  Eby  was  married  to  Miss  Caroline  Reinig.  They  began 
their  domestic  life  in  Iowa  but  in  1879  removed  to  Montana,  where  they  lived  until 
1882,  when  they  returned  to  Iowa.  After  three  years,  or  in  1885,  they  came  to  Idaho 
and  Mr.  Eby  has  since  made  his  home  in  the  Boise  valley,  living  chiefly  in  or  near  the 
city  of  Boise.  In  this  state  he  has  followed  ranching  and  mining  pursuits  and  has 
owned  various  ranch  properties  in  Ada,  Gem  and  Elmore  counties.  He  still  has  ranch 
interests  but  for  the  past  eighteen  years  has  given  his  attention  largely  to  mining 
investments,  which  were  placed  in  Valley  and  Idaho  counties. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eby  have  been  born  six  children:  Frank  M.,  mentioned  elsewhere 
in  this  work;  Mrs.  Leota  Pearl  Lambach,  whose  home  Is  near  Boise;  Mrs.  Minnie 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  589 

Stella  Shepherd;   Daniel  A.,  living  at  Kuna,  Idaho;   Mrs.  Mabel  Wood,  of  Boise;  and 
Mrs.  Elbia  Eliza  Grebe,  of  Kuna. 

In  former  years  Mr.  Eby  took  a  most  active  interest  in  Idaho  state  politics  in  the 
days  when  the  populist  party  was  prominent  and  he  was  the  candidate  of  that  party 
for  several  high  offices,  including  that  of  secretary  of  state,  state  treasurer  and  county 
assessor.  He  was  solicited  to  become  a  candidate  of  the  populist  and  democratic  parties 
for  the  United  States  senate  but  declined.  Mr.  Eby  now  has  In  his 'possession  a  most 
interesting  photograph  of  five  generations,  taken  in  January,  1920,  and  including  Mrs. 
Sarah  J.  Eby,  now  eighty-seven  years  of  age,  M.  P.  Eby,  F.  M.  Eby,  a  grandson,  Fred 
B.  Eby,  and  a  great-granddaughter,  Erma  Eby,  who  was  eighteen  months  old  at  the 
time  the  picture  was  taken. 


WILLIAM  MICHAEL  KINO. 

William  Michael  King,  more  familiarly  known  as  Mike  King,  has  been  actively 
identified  with  ranching  interests  in  Idaho  for  the  past  eight  years  but  recently  disposed 
of  his  Gem  county  property  and  purchased  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides  a  mile 
and  a  half  east  of  New  Plymouth.  His  birth  occurred  in  Montgomery  county,  Kentucky, 
on  the  25th  of  August,  1873,  his  parents  being  Peter  and  Emily  (Dickerson)  King,  who 
were  also  natives  of  the  Blue  Grass  state  and  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  He  has 
three  living  sisters  but  is  the  only  son  of  the  family. 

It  was  in  1912  that  William  M.  King  removed  from  Kentucky  to  Idaho  and  three 
years  later  he  purchased  a  ranch  of  eighty  acres  twelve  miles  west  of  Emmett,  in  Gem 
county,  which  he  continued  to  operate  with  good  success  until  March,  1920,  when  he 
disposed  of  the  place.  Since  then  he  has  lived  on  a  ranch  which  he  purchased  near 
New  Plymouth,  in  Payette  county,  and  it  is  felt  that  his  broad  experience  and  enterprising 
methods  as  an  agriculturist  assure  him  continued  prosperity. 

On  the  13th  of  January,  1895,  in  Kentucky,  Mr.  King  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Margret  Parker,  who  was  born  in  that  state  February  13,  1879.  They  have  nine 
living^  children,  namely:  Pearl,  who  is  the  wife  of  Irving  Nicholls;  Arthur;  Edna; 
Mabel*;  Charles;  Herbert;  William;  Fay;  and  Fern.  Henry,  another  son  of  the  family 
died  in  childhood. 

Mr.  King  gives  his  political  endorsement  to  the  republican  party,  while  fraternally 
he  is  identified  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  The  rules  which  have 
governed  his  life  are  such  as  have  won  for  him  the  esteem  and  friendship  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  come  in  contact,  while  in  business  affairs  he  has  gained  the  success  which 
is  the  outcome  of  well  directed  industry  and  energy. 


ROLAND  THURMAN. 

Roland  Thurman,  whose  connection  with  Boise  dates  from  pioneer  times,  was  born 
in  the  parental  home  that  stood  on  the  site  of  the  Baptist  church  on  Tenth  street,  his 
natal  day  being  November  19,  1870.  His  father,  W.  L.  Thurman,  came  to  Idaho  from 
the  south  in  the  early  '60s  and  settled  at  Soda  Springs,  after  which  he  removed  to 
Boise,  while  subsequently  he  took  up  his  abode  at  the  place  known  as  the  old  Thurman 
Grist  Mills  on  the  Boise  river,  about  eight  miles  west  of  the  capital  city.  There  he 
operated  his  mill  and  was  the  owner  of  most  of  the  land  adjacent  thereto.  He  also 
owned  the  Bill  Francis  place  on  Eagle  Island,  now  the  property  of  Truman  C.  Catlin. 
His  possessions  aggregated  about  eleven  hundred  acres  in  these  two  places.  After 
living  at  the  mill  for  about  twenty  years  he  sold  the  property  and  removed  to  a  stock 
ranch  near  Mountain  Home,  Idaho,  which  place  he  owned  and  conducted  for  many 
years,  there  being  extensively  engaged  in  stock  raising.  At  one  time  he  had  five 
hundred  head  of  horses  upon  that  place.  A  village  has  since  been  laid  out  and  developed 
there  and  is  called  Thurman.  The  father  was  also  interested  in  mining  properties 
and  owned  the  Shaw  Mountain  property,  which  is  today  yielding  excellent  dividends. 
He  traded  this  property  to  Mrs.  McCarty  for  eighty  acres  and  the  old  home  mill  and 
returned  thereto.  Afterward,  however,  he  resumed  stock  raising  and  turned  the  old 
Thurman  mill  place  over  to  his  wife,  who  lived  there,  while  Mr.  Thurman  remained 
upon  the  stock  ranch.  He  ultimately  sold  the  latter  property  and  bought  Mountain 


590  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Home  property  and  in  fact  he  continued  to  make  investments  in  property  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  occurred  at  Mountain  Home  in  February,  1913,  when  he  had  reached 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years.  At  one  time  he  owned  and  conducted  a  store  in 
Boise  and  also  a  store  at  the  mill.  In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  democrat  and  for  one 
term  served  as  county  commissioner  of  Elmore  county  and  also  was  appointed  to 
serve  an  unexpired  term.  At  Soda  Springs  he  owned  a  store  and  traded  largely  with 
the  Indians,  and  he  also  traded  with  the  Indians  at  the  old  mill  store.  When  engaged 
in  the  stock  business  he  owned  over  a  thousand  head  of  stock.  He  was  a  man  of  very 
generous  disposition  and  helpful  spirit  and  many  a  tale  could  be  told  by  the  old-timers 
of  the  flour  and  other  provisions  which  he  gave  to  the  poor.  His  property  at  Mountain 
Home  is  a  part  of  the  family  estate  and  is  worth  a  very  considerable  fortune.  The 
mother  of  Roland  Thurman  borev  the  maiden  name  of  Victoria  Augerbright  and  the 
parents  were  married  in  the  east.  Her  death  occurred  at  her  home  in  Boise  in  1909. 
The  family  numbered  fourteen  children:  Jafe,  now  fifty-seven  years  of  age;  W.  L.,  who 
if  fifty-two  and  is  married  and  follows  farming  near  Meridian;  Roland  of  this  review; 
Charlie,  forty -two  years  of  age;  and  Claude,  aged  thirty-eight;  while  nine  children  of 
the  family  have  passed  away.  The  father  was  one  of  the  typical  pioneer  citizens  who. 
contributed  much  to  the  substantial  development  and  unbuilding  of  the  northwest. 

Roland  Thurman  was  reared  on  the  western  frontier  and  early  became  familiar 
with  all  the  hardships  and  privations  which  feature  in  frontier  life.  He  assisted  his 
father  in  the  mill  and  in  his  stock  raising  and  farming  interests.  After  arriving  at 
years  of  maturity  he  was  married  to  Miss  Joanna  Thomason  and  they  have  become  the 
parents  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters:  Earl,  twenty-five  years  of  age,  who  is  married 
and  has  one  child;  Claude  R.,  twenty-three  years  of  age,  who  is  married  and  has  a 
daughter;  Grace,  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  now  the  wife  of  Louis  Longituge  and  the 
mother  of  one  child;  and  Mildred,  who  completes  the  family. 

Reared  to  the  occupation  of  farming,  Roland  Thurman  has  always  been  identified 
with  agricultural  pursuits  since  attaining  adult  age  and  now  resides  on  an  excellent 
ranch  property  in  Ada  county.  He  has  brought  his  fields  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  has  added  many  modern  improvements  to  his  farm,  which  comprises  sixty 
acres  of  land  ten  miles  northwest  of  Boise.  His  son,  Claude  R.,  owns  a  five-acre  tract 
adjoining  the  father's  property.  All  of  the  family  bore  their  share  in  suppressing 
Indian  uprisings  at  an  early  day  but  none  was  ever  injured  by  the  red  men.  There 
is  no  phase  of  development  and  improvement  in  this  section  of  Idaho  with  which 
Roland  Thurman  is  not  familiar.  He  has  lived  in  Ada  eounty  for  forty-nine  years  and 
has  therefore  been  a  witness  of  almost  its  entire  progress  and  improvement,  con- 
tributing to  the  changes  which  have  brought  about  such  a  rapid  transformation  in  this 
section  of  the  country.  • 


DANIEL  W.  ACKLEY. 

Daniel  W.  Ackley  is  the  deputy  warden  at  the  state  penitentiary  in  Boise  and  has 
a  splendid  record  as  a  prison  official,  having  had  over  twenty  years'  experience  in 
this  connection,  during  which  time  he  has  filled  every  position  from  that  of  guard  up 
to  warden.  He  first  came  to  Idaho  from  Oregon  in  1884.  He  had  resided  for  two  years 
in  the  latter  state,  during  which  time  he  was  at  Pendleton.  With  his  arrival  in  Idaho 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  livery  and  transfer  business,  which  he  followed  at  Weiser 
from  1884  until  1892.  In  the  latter  year  he  became  turnkey  at  the  Idaho  state  pen- 
itentiary at  Boise  and  occupied  that  position  for  five  years.  He  later  spent  a  similar 
period  in  farming  and  mining  pursuits  and  in  1901  he  returned  to  an  official  position  at 
the  state  penitentiary  and  during  the  succeeding  fifteen  years  filled  every  position  at 
the  state  prison  from  that  of  guard  to  warden.  He  acted  in  the  latter  capacity  in 
1903,  when  he  filled  out  the  unexpired  term  of  Charles  S.  Perrin.  During  seven  and  a 
half  years  of  the  fifteen-year  period  he  was  deputy  warden  under  John  W.  Snook.  For 
three  years  previous  to  January  1,  1920,  he  was  captain  at  the  Montana  state  peni- 
tentiary at  Deer  Lodge  but  resigned  the  position  on  the  1st  of  January,  1920,  to  accept 
that  of  deputy  warden  at  the  Idaho  state  penitentiary. 

On  he  24th  of  December,  1893,  Mr.  Ackley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
Ellen  Michael  and  they  became  parents  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters  but  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  their  elder  son,  George  Waldo  Ackley,  who  was  killed  on  the  battle 
front  in  France  on  the  13th  of  September,  1918,  lacking  three  days  of  being  twenty- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  591 

three  years  of  ago.  Deep  as  is  their  sorrow,  they  must  feel  a  thrill  of  pride  to  know 
how  nobly  he  met  his  death  in  fighting  for  the  principles  for  which  America  entered  the 
war.  The  other  son,  Dan  E.  Ackley,  now  twenty-three  years  of  age,  is  a  veteran  of 
the  World  war  and  is  still  in  the  service.  The  two  daughters  are  Verna  Vie  Lena 
and  Mabel  Helen,  the  latter  now  the  wife  of  Frank  Alvinson,  of  Butte,  Montana. 

Mr.  Ackley  is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  His  political  support  is 
given  to  the  republican  party  and  he  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  vital  problems 
and  issues  of  the  day.  Much  of  his  life  has  been  given  to  official  service  and  his  record 
has  at  all  times  been  characterized  by  promptness  and  efficiency. 


WILLIAM  LOHRAMAN. 

William  Lohraman,  the  owner  of  an  excellent  farm  property  of  eighty  acres  in  the 
Fargo  district  of  Canyon  county,  was  born  in  Indiana,  November  25,  1868,  a  son  of  Paul 
and  Caroline  (Corby)  Lohraman,  who  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  father  came  to 
the  United  States  in  early  manhood  anti  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  followed  the 
trade  of  harness  making  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  Indianapolis, 
Indiana.  His  wife  has  also  passed  away. 

Reared  in  Indian  to  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  William  Lohraman  went  to  Oregon 
in  1882  and  thence  removed  to  western  Kansas,  where  he  remained  for  three  years, 
when  he  left  that  district  on  account  of  drought.  He  afterward  removed  to  Colorado 
and  worked  on  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  for  a  short  time.  Later  he  got  out  ties  for 
the  Denver  &  Fort  Worth  Railroad  and  subsequently  he  went  to  Oklahoma,  where  he 
followed  farming  until  1907.  In  that  year  he  became  a  resident  of  Montana,  but  when 
six  months  had  passed  he  made  his  way  to  Seattle,  Washington,  and  thence  returned  to 
Oregon.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1908  and  purchased  a  relinquishment  claim  of  eighty 
acres.  However,  he  had  to  wait  another  year  for  the  development  of  the  irrigation 
project  and  in  the  meantime  cleared  his  land  and  put  it  in  condition  for  water.  He 
largely  devotes  his  place  to  the  raising  of  alfalfa. 

In  1898  Mr.  Lohraman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Molly  Berry,  of  Tennessee, 
and  to  them  were  born  six  children  namely:  Cleon,  deceased;  Zella;  Paul;  Minnie; 
George,  deceased;  and  Robert.  On  the '8th  of  December,  1919,  Mr.  Lohraman  rented  his 
farm  and  removed  with  his  family  to  Tucson,  Arizona,  for  the  benefit  of  his  son 
Paul's  health. 

Mr.  Lohraman  has  visited  many  sections  of  the  west,  has  worked  in  various  states 
and  has  found  no  district  that  pleases  him  better  than  Idaho.  Here  he  is  making  for 
himself  an  attractive  home  and  as  the  result  of  his  indefatigable  industry  is  winning 
a  very  substantial  measure  of  prosperity. 


JAMES   SMITH. 

James  Smith,  proprietor  of  the  Riverside  Garage  at  St.  Anthony,  was  born  in 
Belfast,  Ireland,  September  1,  1854.  and  is  a  son  of  Hugh  and  Agnes  (McDowell)  Smith, 
who  were  also  natives  of  the  Emerald  isle.  The  father  was  a  shipbuilder  in  that  coun- 
try and  followed  the  trade  throughout  his  entire  life.  The  mother  came  to  America  in 
1865  and  for  a  short  time  was  a  resident  of  New  York,  after  which  she  made  her  way 
direct  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  where  she  resided  for  about  seven  years.  She  then 
went  to  Rich  county,  Utah,  where  she  took  up  land  and  thereon  resided  to  the  time 
of  her  death,  which  occurred  in  1877.  The  parents  were  originally  both  members  of 
the  Methodist  church,  but  the  mother  was  converted  to  the  teachings  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  this  led  her  to  come  to  the  new  world. 

James  Smith  was  but  eleven  years  of  age  when  brought  by  his  mother  to  the  United 
States.  He  was  reared  in  Utah  and  remained  with  his  mother  until  he  attained  his 
majority.  In  early  life  he  engaged  in  logging  in  lumber  camps  and  while  thus  working 
became  familiar  with  the  blacksmith's  trade.  In  1882  he  removed  to  Eagle  Rock,  now 
Idaho  Falls,  where  he  engaged  in  blacksmithing  for  two  years.  He  then  came  to  Fre- 
mont county  and  filed  on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  the  Egin  bench  and  carried 
on  both  farming  and  blacksmithing  for  ten  years.  In  1893  he  took  up  his  abode  in  St. 
Anthony,  where  he  established  a  blacksmith  shop,  continuing  in  the  business  until  1915. 


592  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

He  then  quit  work  of  that  character  and  built  a  large  garage,  which  he  has  since 
conducted,  carrying  on  a  general  repair  business  and  also  a  storage  and  accessories 
business.  He  has  made  judicious  investment  in  real  estate,  acquiring  a  handsome  compe- 
tence in  this  way,  and  throughout  his  entire  career  he  has  displayed  undaunted  enter- 
prise and  industry,  guided  by  sound  business  judgment. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1878,  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E. 
Pendry,  of  Paris,  Idaho,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  twelve  children:  Mary  E., 
Agnes,  Sarah,  Eleanor,  Rex,  Prank,  Hugh,  Reuben,  Violet,  La  Rue,  Kate,  and  Nance. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Smith  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
Politically  he  maintains  an  independent  course  not  caring  to  bind  himself  by  party 
ties.  He  has  served  as  county  commissioner  of  Fremont  county  for  two  terms  and 
was  chairman  of  the  board.  He  also  served  for  one  term  as  a  member  of  the  town 
council  and  for  one  term  was  mayor  of  St.  Anthony.  He  stands  loyally  for  whatever 
he  believes  to  be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  community  and  his  position  upon  any 
vital  question  is  never  an  equivocal  one.  He  enjoys  the  high  respect  of  many  friends 
and  may  well  be  classed  among  the  representative  residents  of  Fremont  county. 


WILLIAM  SCHULTZ. 

Forty  years  have  been  added  to  the  cycle  of  the  centuries  since  William  Schultz 
came  to  Idaho  in  1880.  He  is  now  residing  upon  a  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  homestead 
nine  miles  west  of  Emmett,  on  which  he  filed  in  1890.  He  was  born  near  Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin,  September  15,  1859,  his  parents  being  John  and  Maryi  (Tomes)  Schultz, 
who  were  natives  of  Mecklenburg,  Germany,  and  were  there  reared  and  married.  Cross- 
ing the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States,  they  became  pioneer  settlers  of  Wisconsin,  taking 
up  their  abode  at  Milwaukee  when  it  was  a  mere  village  without  a  railroad;  in  fact 
the  father  aided  in  building  the  first  railroad  into  the  city.  He  later  removed  with 
his  family  to  Chicago  and  subsequently  to  Iowa,  where  they  lived  for  a  time  and  then 
went  to  South  Dakota. 

William  Schultz  accompanied  his  parents  to  Chicago  and  later  became  a  resident 
of  Iowa,  where  he  lived  until  establishing  his  home  in  South  Dakota.  In  young  man- 
hood he  assisted  in  building  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  through  a 
portion  of  Iowa  and  afterward  he  aided  in  building  a  portion  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western Railroad  in  South  Dakota.  In  1878  he  went  to  California  and  later  to  Nevada, 
to  Oregon  and  to  Washington,  but  finally  made  permanent  settlement  in  Idaho.  He  took 
up  his  abode  in  this  state  in  1880  and  spent  several  years  in  the  Wood  River  country 
at  Hailey  and  at  Ketchum.  He  was  there  engaged  for  a  considerable  period  in  mining 
and  is  yet  interested  in  mining  pursuits.  Since  1905  he  has  lived  most  of  the  time  in 
the  Payette  valley  upon  his  homestead  but  still  gives  much  of  his  time  and  attention 
to  his  mining  interests.  His  ranch  property  embraces  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land  in  Gem  county  and  he  purchased  and  improved  an  eighty  acre  tract  recently  near 
his  homestead.  He  is  now  actively  engaged  in  the  further  development  and  cultivation 
of  his  place,  which  he  has  transformed  into  an  excellent  farm  that  annually  returns  good 
harvests. 

In  1890  Mr.  Schultz  was  married  and  he  has  four  children:  Mary,  now  a  widow 
of  H.  C.  Parker;  William  H.;  Elise,  the  wife  of  James  Butler,  of  Letha;  and  Henry,  who 
is  upon  the  home  ranch.  The  wife  and  mother  has  passed  away.  He  married  again 
December  25,  1919,  his  second  wife  being  Mrs.  A.  B.  Dickerson,  of  Boise. 

Great  indeed  are  the  changes  which  Mr.  Schultz  has  witnessed  since  coming  to 
Idaho  forty  years  ago  and  in  the  work  of  agricultural  progress  and  development  he 
has  borne  his  part,  while  Gem  county  owes  not  a  little  to  his  progressive  efforts  along 
the  line  of  agricultural  advancement. 


SILAS  LUTTRELL. 

The  life  record  of  Silas  Luttrell  covers  a  span  of  more  than  seventy-seven  years. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  veteran  citizens  of  Boise  bench,  residing  at  his  present  home  on 
Vista  avenue  since  1901.  He  was  born  in  Orange  county,  Indiana,  September  24,  1843, 
and  is  a  son  of  Willis  and  Nancy  (Silver)  Luttrell,  who  were  natives  of  Virginia  and 


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Vol.  III-SS 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  595 

North  Carolina  respectively.  The  father  was  born  January  1,  1807,  in  Westmoreland 
county,  Virginia,  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  that  state,  represented  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  and  cf  French  descent  Seven  great-uncles  of  Silas  Luttrell  served 
under  General  Lafayette  in  the  war  for  independence.  His  grandfather,  who  also  bore 
the  name  of  Silas  Luttrell,  removed  from  Virginia  to  Orange  county,  Indiana,  in  1816 — 
the  year  in  which  the  state  was  admitted  to  the  Union.  He  became  one  of  the  pioneer 
settlers  there  and  aided  in  the  work  of  early  development  and  progress  in  that  section 
of  the  country.  The  mother  of.  Silas  Luttrell  of  this  review  was  born  in  North  Carolina, 
July  12,  1813,  and  when  a  little  child  was  taken  by  her  parents  to  Orange  county, 
Indiana.  There  she  grew  to  womanhood  and  became  the  wife  of  Willis  Luttrell. 

Their  son,  Silas  Luttrell,  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  his  native  county  and  h  nl  the 
usual  experiences  of  the  farmbred  boy.  He  was  married  there  on  the  13th  of  April. 
1865,  the  day  before  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  to  Dovey  Lane,  who  was 
born  in  Orange  county,  Indiana.  March  1,  1846,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Rebecca 
(Giles)  Lane,  who  were  natives  of  North  Carolina  but  went  to  Indiana  with  their 
respective  parents  when  young.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Luttrell  were  reared  on  neighboring 
farms  in  Orange  county  and  attended  the  same  school.  Later  he  became  a  school 
teacher  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  teaching  his  first  term  in  the  old  home  district, 
and  his  wife  was  at  that  time  one  of  his  pupils.  Four  years  later,  when  he  was 
twenty-two  and  Mrs.  Luttrell  nineteen,  they  were  married  and  they  have  now  traveled 
life's  journey  happily  together  as  husband  and  wife  for  fifty-five  years.  Mrs.  Luttrell 
was  connected  with  the  Lane  family  of  Indiana,  to  which  belonged  Henry  S.  Lane,  one 
of  the  governors  of  that  state,  while  his  brother,  James  Lane,  was  at  one  time  United 
States  senator  from  Kansas. 

For  a  long  period  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Luttrell  remained  in  Indiana 
and  in  1870  removed  to  Ottawa,  Kansas,  while  eventually  they  became  residents  of 
Ellis,  Kansas.  For  six  years  Mr.  Luttrell  continued  to  follow  farming  in  the  Sunflower 
state  and  in  1876  crossed  the  plains  to  Oregon  with  a  train  of  thirty-two  wagons, 
he  acting  as  captain  of  the  train.  There  were  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  men 
in  the  party  who  were  old  enough  to  vote  and  when  they  balloted  to  elect  a  captain 
Mr.  Luttrell  received  one  hundred  and  fifteen  of  the  entire  number  of  votes.  The  wagon 
train  passed  through  Boise,  a  place  then  smaller  than  the  town  of  Meridian  today. 
They  proceeded  to  Lebanon,  Linn  county,  Oregon,  and  the  Luttrell  family  resided  in 
Washington  and  Oregon  until  1901,  when  they  returned  to  the  Boise  valley  and  took 
up  their  abode  upon  the  bench,  which  was  then  a  vast  expanse  of  sagebrush.  Mr. 
Luttrell  purchased  ten  acres  of  land  for  seventy  dollars  per  acre,  erected  thereon  a 
home  and  planted  an  orchard  of  two  acres.  The  trees  are  now  large  and  are  in 
splendid  bearing.  He  also  planted  shade  trees  which  have  attained  splendid  size.  He 
has  since  sold  two  and  a  half  acres  of  the  land  for  a  thousand  dollars  per  acre  and 
could  sell  the  remainder  at  any  time  at  the  same  figure.  While  living  in  Wallowa 
county,  Oregon.  Mr.  Luttrell  gained  a  very  substantial  measure  of  prosperity  and  at  one 
time  was  the  owner  of  a  ranch  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  situated  a  mile  and 
a  half  from  Enterprise,  the  county  seat.  For  several  years  he  was  a  dealer  in  agricul- 
tural implements,  but  his  chief  pursuit  throughout  his  long  and  useful  life  has  been 
farming  and  his  success  has  been  most  honorably  won  and  worthily  used. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Luttrell  were  born  eight  children,  of  whom  four  are  living: 
William  Martin,  Elbert  J.,  Mrs.  Lucy  J.  Mix  and  Chester  Arthur.  They  also  have 
three  grandchildren:  Gladys  aad  Conrad  Slagle,  who  are  the  children  of  Mrs.  Lucy  J. 
Mix,  born  of  her  first  marriage;  and  Silas  Luttrell,  who  is  a  son  of  Elbert  J.  Luttrell. 

While  Mr.  Luttrell  of  this  review  has  led  a  busy  life  in  the  conduct  of  his  business 
affairs,  he  has  yet  found  time  to  devote  to  public  duties.  While  a  resident  of  Oregon 
he  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  ten  years  and  his  decisions  were  always  strictly 
fair  and  impartial.  He  likewise  served  as  sheriff  and  county  judge  of  Wallowa  county. 
He  has  been  prominent  in  the  prohibition  movement  in  Idaho  for  twenty  years  :md 
has  nnr'e  hundreds  of  speeches  for  the  prohibition  party.  In  1908  he  was  a  candidate 
for  governor  of  Idaho.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  church,  in  which 
he  is  serving  as  a  trustee,  and  is  also  teacher  of  the  Bible  class.  His  entire  career 
has  been  most  honorable  and  upright.  He  has  always  been  a  firm  believer  in  God 
and  an  active  worker  in  the  church  and  Sunday  school  for  many  years.  In  recent 
years  defective  eyesight  has  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  read  but  still  his 
knowledge  of  the  Bible  is  such  that  he  can  continue  as  teacher  of  the  Bible  class  in 
Sunday  school.  He  possesses  a  wonderful  memory  and  his  knowledge  of  current  events 
is  remarkable.  His  is  the  happiness  and  contentment  of  a  clear  conscience  and  a  life 


596  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

well  spent.  It  is  a  splendid  thing  that  in  former  years  he  gave  so  much  time  to 
reading  and  study,  for  his  mind  is  now  a  storehouse  upon  which  he  can  continually 
draw.  There  is  nothing  so  pitiable  as  a  man  of  years  who  has  no  resources  within 
himself  and  Mr.  Luttrell  is  rich  in  knowledge  and  experience  and  one  may  gain  from 
him  a  fund  of  information  in  the  discussion  of  prominent  men  of  former  days,  as  he 
possesses  an  astonishing  familiarity  with  them. 


F.   M.   SHELTON. 

The  history  of  Ada  county  is  the  story  of  pioneer  development  followed  by  a  con- 
tinuous era  of  progress  and  improvement,  attributable  to  such  substantial  citizens  as 
F.  M.  Shelton,  who  is  now  one  of  the  successful  farmers  of  the  county,  living  near  Star. 
He  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  northwest,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  Rogue 
River  valley  of  Oregon,  January  21,  1861.  In  1863  he  accompanied  his  parents,  Hawkins 
and  Amanda  (Gall)  Shelton,  on  their  removal  from  the  Rogue  River  valley  to  Umatilla, 
Oregon,  where  they  remained  until  1869  and  then  came  to  Idaho,  renting  a  ranch  near 
Collister,  in  Ada  county.  Mr.  Shelton's  mother  had  crossed  the  plains  with  her  parents 
in  1849,  when  she  was  but  twelve  years  of  age,  the  journey  being  made  with  ox-  team 
and  wagon.  They  settled  in  the  Willamette  valley  and  while  en  route  from  Missouri 
their  party  had  several  battles  with  the  Indians  and  on  one  occasion  had  to  round 
up  their  teams  and  wagons  in  circular  form  and  fight  the  Indians  to  a  standstill, 
killing  several  of  the  red  men,  although  none  of  their  own  party  were  killed.  It  was 
in  1851  that  the  father,  Hawkins  Shelton,  crossed  the  plains  from  Missouri  to  Yreka. 
California.  He  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  was  early  attracted  by  the  opportunities 
of  the  growing  west.  From  California  he  drifted  northward  to  Oregon  and  was  married 
in  the  Rogue  River  valley.  He  and  his  wife  then  remained  in  Oregon  until  1869,  when 
they  came  to  Idaho. 

F.  M.  Shelton  was  eight  years  of  age  at  that  time  and  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  near  Star.  He  afterward  engaged  in  farming  with  his  father  and  he  was  one 
of  the  first  settlers  to  clear  the  sagebrush  from  the  land  and  test  the  soil.  He  continued 
to  carry  on  farming  with  his  father  until  he  was  nearly  twenty-five  years  of  age  and 
then  rented  land  for  himself  and  began  raising  stock,  which  he  ranged  on  the  govern- 
ment reservation  until  he  had  made  enough  money  to  buy  a  piece  of  land.  He  then 
purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  two  miles  northwest  of  Star,  for  which  he  paid 
six  dollars  and  a  quarter  per  acre.  Settling  thereon,  he  devoted  hfs  attention  to  the 
cultivation  of  crops  and  to  the  raising  of  cattle  and  horses  until  1895,  when  he  sold 
the  property  and  went  to  the  mines  in  the  Pearl  mining  district,  there  remaining  for 
six  years  but  meeting  with  little  success  in  his  efforts  to  win  valuable  metal  from 
the  mountainside. 

Returning  to  Star,  Mr.  Shelton  then  rented  his  father's  farm  a  mile  and  a  half 
northeast  of  the  town  and  thereon  engaged  in  farming  until  1917.  The  father  passed 
away  in  1902  and  fifteen  years  later  Mr.  Shelton  of  this  review  sold  the  farm,  which  he 
had  inherited  upon  the  death  of  his  father.  He  then  purchased  another  tract  of  land 
of  eighty  acres  south  of  Caldwell  but  in  1918  disposed  of  that  place  and  invested  in 
his  present  home  ranch  at  Star,  consisting  of  twenty  acres  within  the  city  limits,  since 
which  time  he  has  practically  lived  retired,  enjoying  in  "well  earned  rest  the  fruits  of  his 
former  toil. 

Mr.  Shelton'  and  his  family  passed  through  all  the  period  of  unquiet  and  anxiety 
incident  to  the  Bannock  Indian  war  but  none  sustained  injury.  There  is  no  phase  of 
pioneer  life  in  the  northwest,  with  all  its  hardships,  privations  and  dangers,  with  which 
Mr.  Shelton  is  not  familiar.  When  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  and  a  man  camped 
in  the  mountains  with  a  bunch  of  cattle  which  they  were  herding  and  while  thus  en- 
gaged lost  a  horse.  The  man  left  Mr.  Shelton  in  camp  to  care  for  the  stock  while  he 
hunted  for  the  stray  horse.  The  Indians  were  on  the  warpath  at  that  time  and  Mr. 
Shelton  was  but  a  youth.  After  being  alone  four  or  five  days  he  was  getting  very 
anxious  and  was  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  his  companion.  He  was  accustomed  each 
day  to  go  to  a  high  bluff  commanding  a  view  of  the  surrounding  country  and  on  the 
fourth  day,  from  his  position,  he  saw  a  man  coming  on  horseback  and  felt  much  re- 
lieved, believing  it  to  be  his  companion;  but  as  the  figure  came  closer,  to  his  con- 
sternation he  saw  an  Indian  in  full  war  paint.  The  Indian  stayed  all  night  with  him, 
though  Mr.  Shelton  slept  little,  and  informed  him  that  the  Indians  had  been  fighting 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  597 

that  day  on  Camas  Prairie  and  that  two  white  men  had  been  killed,  adding  also  that 
he  was  looking  for  the  camp  of  an  old  chief  called  Joseph  in  order  to  get  him  to  go  to 
Camas  Prairie  and  pacify  the  Indians.  The  following  morning  Mr.  Shelton  rode  over 
the  mountain  with  the  Indian,  separating  from  him  on  the  other  side,  after  which 
he  wept  to  the  postoffice  at  Corder  Station  and  there  learned  that  the  Indians  were  on 
the  warpath.  Mr.  Shelton  then  returned  to  his  home.  The  people  at  the  postofflce  sta- 
tion set  out  to  round  up  the  Indians,  for  they  knew  that  the  one  whom  Mr.  Shelton 
had  befriended  was  in  search  of  Chief  Joseph  in  order  to  get  him  to  reinforce  those 
who  were  at  Camas  Prairie.  The  white  men  located  these  Indians,  who  had  rounded  up 
about  four  hundred  head  of  the  white  men's  horses,  but  the  enemy  were  too  numerous 
for  the  white  men  and  they  were  forced  to  retire.  The  Indians  had  rounded  up  all  of 
the  horses  at  Mr.  Shelton's  camp,  but  owing  no  doubt  to  the  kindness  which  he  had 
shown  the  Indian  in  search  of  Joseph,  none  of  his  stock  was  molested  and  only  one 
horse  taken.  The  Indians  then  proceeded  to  Camas  Prairie  with  Chief  Joseph  and 
joined  those  who  were  on  the  warpath  there. 

It  was  in  1886  that  Mr.  Shelton  was  married  to  Miss  Nettie  M.  Higgins,  of  Nevada, 
and  they  have  six  children.  Frank,  thirty-three  years  of  age,  is  married,  resides  in 
Boise  and  has  two  children.  Bert,  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  is  married  and  follows 
farming  near  Nampa.  Ollie  is  the  wife  of  Earl  Crother,  of  Star,  and  they  have  four 
children.  Lloyd  R.,  twenty-four  years  of  age,  lives  in  Boise.  Delia  is  the  wife  of  Flaves 
Shaffer,  of  Caldwell.  Ralph,  thirteen  years  of  age,  is  attending  school  at  Star. 

The  history  of  the  northwest  is  largely  familiar  to  Mr.  Shelton  and  he  has  borne 
his  part  in  the  development  and  settlement  of  the  country  and  in  the  utilization  of 
its  natural  resources.  His  enterprise  as  a  farmer  has  brought  him  substantial  success, 
so  that  be  is  now  enabled  to  put  aside  the  more  active  cares  of  business  life  and  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  his  former  toil. 


SAMUEL  WINGATE. 

Samuel  Wingate,  a  retired  farmer  and  pioneer  rancher  now  living  in  South  Boise, 
having  come  to  Idaho  in  1882,  was  born  in  Harden  county,  Ohio,  July  23,  1855,  a  son  of 
John  and  Isabelle  (Eckenrode)  Wingate,  also  natives  of  Ohio  and  now  deceased.  John 
Wingate,  who  was  a  farmer  during  his  active  life,  was  born  January  31,  1827,  and  his 
wife  was  born  April  2,  1835. 

Samuel  Wingate  was  married  to  Olive  Webb,  in  southern  Missouri,  he  being  then 
twenty-two  years  old.  His  wife  died  four  years  later,  leaving  one  son,  James  Eckeorode 
Wingate,  who  now  resides  on  the  Boise  bench.  Mr.  Wingate  came  to  Idaho  in  1882, 
making  the  journey  by  stage  from  Kelton,  Utah,  and  was  accompanied  by  his  son,  who 
was  born  January  28,  1879,  and  was  married  to  Mrs.  Myrtle  Shimp,  February  2,  1917. 
They  are  the  parents  of  two  daughters  and  a  son,  namely:  Hazel  Olive,  Ethel  Leroy, 
and  Estelle. 

On  January  8,  1902,  Samuel  Wingate  was  married  in  Boise  to  Mrs.  Rosetta  Wyman, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rosetta  Ramsey  and  was  born  in  Salem,  Oregon,  Septem- 
ber 19,  1863,  a  daughter  of  John  V.  and  Frances  Elizabeth  (Tomlinson)  Ramsey,  who 
were  pioneers  of  Oregon,  crossing  the  plains  from  High  Point,  Marion  county,  Missouri, 
in  1853.  John  V.  Ramsey  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1815,  while  his  wife  was  born  in 
Russellville,  Cole  county,  Missouri,  May  29,  1831,  and  died  in  Oregon,  December  4, 
1905.-  They  were  married  in  1849,  and  in  1853  they  and  their  two  small  children  crossed 
the  plains  to  Oregon,  there  being  twelve  ox  teams  in  the  train.  The  Ramsey  family 
settled  at  Silverton,  Oregon,  but  in  1854  they  removed  to  Salem,  that  state.  When  the 
state  penitentiary  was  moved  from  Portland  to  Salem,  Mr.  Ramsey,  who  was  a  black- 
smith and  wagon  maker  by  trade,  superintended  all  the  blacksmithing  work  and  hung 
the  prison  doors.  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  affairs  of  Salem,  and  in  1862  he  kept 
one  hundred  horses  for  the  use  of  the  soldiers  who  were  fighting  the  Nez  Perce  Indians. 

Mr.  Wingate  is  an  active  supporter  of  the  republican  party  but  has  never  been  an 
office  seeker,  though  he  served  on  the  South  Boise  council  for  two  terms.  His  wife 
supports  the  same  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  in  the  affair*  of 
which  he  takes  a  warm  interest.  Mrs.  Wingate  is  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah 
and  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security,  in  which  order  she  served  as 
secretary  for  eight  years.  Mr.  Wingate  has  lived  on  Boise  avenue,  South  Boise,  for 
thirty  years,  and  has  built  two  good  homes  in  that  district,  but  recently  sold  one  of 


598  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

them  and  also  disposed  of  several  lots.  He  is  now  living  retired  from  active  work 
but  always  evinces  a  practical  interest  in  all  matters  designed  to  advance  the  welfare 
of  the  community  in  which  he  has  resided  for  nearly  forty  years. 


JOSEPH  G.  WHITTIG. 

Joseph  G.  Whittig  is  a  well  known  and  prosperous  farmer,  formerly  of  Canyon 
county,  Idaho,  and  now  a  resident  of  Ada  county,  having  some  time  ago  bought  the 
splendid  Charles  Drake  farm  in  the  Perkins  neighborhood,  one  of  the  very  best  farms 
for  its  size  in  the  Boise  valley.  He  was  born  in  Missouri,  July  7,  1889,  and  is  a  son 
of  Joseph  T.  and  Mabel  (Haskin)  Whittig,  both  of  whom  are  still  living,  having  a  com- 
fortable home  in  Caldwell,  Idaho. 

Joseph  G.  Whittig,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  on  a  Missouri  farm  and 
educated  in  the  schools  of  that  state,  but  when  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty  years  he 
removed  to  Idaho  in  1910.  After  taking  up  residence  in  this  state,  Mr.  Whittig  pur- 
chased an  eighty-acre  tract  of  state  land,  which  at  that  time  was  all  sagebrush,  lying 
five  miles  southwest  of  Caldwell,  in  the  Deer  Flat  section.  He  settled  on  his  place  and 
immediately  proceeded  to  improve  and  develop  it,  putting  up  some  ordinary  buildings 
at  first,  which  later  were  replaced  by  excellent  ones.'  After  selling  his  Caldwell  place, 
he  came  to  Ada  county  and  bought  the  Charles  Drake  farm  of  seventy  acres,  lying  four 
miles  southwest  of  Boise. 

On  November  5,  1914,  Mr.  Whittig  was  married  to  Myrtle  Esther  Reid,  a  native  of 
Oregon,  born  March  14,  1893,  and  a  daughter  of  Frank  J.  and  Nellie  (Rogers)  Reid,  who 
now  reside  in  Caldwell,  having  come  to  Idaho  in  1912.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whittig  are  the 
parents  of  two  children,  namely:  Hazel  Glenn,  born  October  19,  1916;  and  Hubert  Keith, 
born  on  April  10,  1918.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whittig  are  earnest  members  of  the  Methodist 
church  and  are  warmly  interested  in  all  its  good  works, 


W.  A.  PALMER. 

Very  few  men  who  have  passed  the  half  century  mark  on  life's  journey  can  claim 
to  be  native  sons  of  Idaho.  This  W.  A.  Palmer  can  do,  however,  for  he  was  born  near 
Star,  October  15,  1867,  and  he  is  now  well  known  as  a  retired  stockman  of  Meridian.  He 
attended  the  public  school  of  his  district  and  remained  with  his  parents,  Martin  Van 
Buren  and  Sarah  Jane  (Clark)  Palmer,  until  he  had  attained  his  majority.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Washington  county,  Maine,  and  went  to  California  by  way  of  Cape  Horn 
in  1857.  In  that  state  he  engaged  in  mining  and  when  the  mining  excitement  broke  out 
in  Idaho  he  made  his  way  to  Boise  basin  in  1863.  The  following  year  he  abandoned 
mining  and  located  on  a  preemption  claim  of  one  hundred  and  forty-four  acres,  which 
he  began  to  farm  and  on  which  he  also  raised  stock.  There  he  resided  until  1902,  when 
he  sold  that  property  and  removed  to  Meridian,  where  he  made  his  home  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1917.  His  wife  had  crossed  the  plains  with  her  parents,  Robert 
and  Sarah  Clark,  in  1864,  the  family  journeying  with  ox  team  and  wagon.  They  win- 
tered the  year  of  1864  with  Martin  V.  Palmer  at  Star  and  it  was  thus  that  Mr.  Palmer 
met  his  future  wife,  the  marriage  being  celebrated  in  April,  1865.  There  were  three 
children  of  that  marriage:  W.  A.  Palmer,  of  this  review;  Martin  LeRoy,  who  married 
Charlotte  Voss;  and  Anna  Lavinia,  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Steele,  who  is  a  traveling  man. 

The  youthful  experiences  of  W.  A.  Palmer  were  those  of  the  farm-bred  boy  who  was 
reared  in  the  northwest  during  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth  century.  When  twenty- 
one  years  of  age  he  began  earning  his  own  living  as  an  employe  of  Jim  Wilson,  a 
prominent  stock  man  near  Eagle,  who  also  had  a  large  range  at  Camas  Prairie  and  other 
extensive  holdings  near  Star.  Mr.  Palmer  rode  the  range  for  Mr.  Wilson  for  three 
years  and  in  the  meantime  was  acquiring  some  stock  of  his  own.  In  1890  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Bertha  Nora  Anderson,  a  native  of  Arkansas  but  then  living  at 
Star.  About  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Palmer  became  a  partner  of  his  father  in 
the  raising  of  ewes  and  took  entire  charge  of  the  stock.  After  seven  years  the  partner- 
ship was  discontinued  and  W.  A.  Palmer  removed  to  Meridian,  where  he  purchased  a 
tract  of  land  of  twenty-eight  acres,  on  which  he  lived  for  four  years  and  then  sold  out 
On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  reentered  the  live  stock  business,  ranging  his  stock 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  599 

on  the  government  preserve  and  also  ranging  stock  for  others  at  a  certain  consideration 
per  head.  After  three  years  thus  passed  he  entered  the  livery  business  at  Meridian 
and  was  thus  engaged  for  four  years.  He  next  became  an  employe  of  Truman  C.  Catlln 
on  Eagle  Island,  working  both  on  the  ranch  there  and  on  the  range  for  three  years, 
subsequent  to  which  time  he  became  an  employe  of  the  ('aid well  Mill  ft  Elevator  Com 
pany  at  Meridian,  with  which  he  continued  until  September,  1019,  when  he  was  obliged 
to  give  up  his  position  on  account  of  an  accident  that  forced  him  to  remain  at  home  but 
from  which  he  has  now  fortunately  almost  recovered. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer  were  born  six  children.  Walter  A.,  twenty-seven  years  of 
age,  was  at  Camp  Lewis  in  the  quartemasters  department.  Chester  I.,  twenty-five  years 
of  age,  returned  in  1919  from  France,  where  he  was  a  member  of  the  Twenty-ninth 
Engineers,  and  was  transferred  to  the  Seventy-fourth  Engineers  just  before  sailing  for 
home.  He  was  in  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  on  September  12,  1918,  and  was  also  with  the 
army  of  occupation.  Before  going  to  France  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Government 
Reclamation  Service  Engineers,  but  when  America  entered  the  war  he  responded  to  the 
call  to  the  colors,  volunteering  and  being  sent  to  Fort  Douglas,  Utah,  on  the  10th  of 
December,  1917.  From  that  place  he  was  transferred  to  Camp  Devens,  Massachusetts, 
and  rmlurked  overseas  on  the  19th  of  June,  1918,  landing  at  Brest  on  the  T>th  of  July. 
From  there  he  went  to  Langres,  where  he  did  detail  work  for  a  time  and  was  then 
sent  to  St.  Mangle  to  the  Flash  and  Sound  Ranging  School.  From  that  place  he  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Toul  sector  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  was  in  action  on  the  12th  of 
September,  when  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  was  launched.  He  sustained  a  scalp  wound  in 
action.  He  says  that  the  Germans  never  had  a  chance  after  the  battle  of  Chateau 
Thierry,  in  which  the  Americans  entered  actively  into  the  fight  and  from  that  time 
kept  the  enemy  on  the  run,  Chester  I  Palmer  doing  his  full  part  in  bringing  about  the 
glorious  victory.  The  next  member  of  the  family,  Helen  Marie,  is  the  wife  of  Clyde  E. 
Simpson.  Cassie  E.  is  teaching  school  at  Meridian.  Ralph  W.,  eighteen  years  of  age, 
has  recently  graduated  from  the  Meridian  high  school.  Berle  C.,  the  youngest,  is  yet 
in  school.  The  Palmer  family  is  well  known  in  Meridian  and  Ada  county,  where  three 
generations  have  now  lived,  bearing  their  full  part  in  the  development  of  the  agricul- 
tural and  stock  raising  interests  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  also  in  the  commer- 
cial and  industrial  development. 


STEPHEN  M.  SISK. 

On  the  pages  of  the  pioneer  history  of  Idaho  appears  the  name  of  Stephen  M.  Sisk, 
who,  becoming  identified  with  the  state,  during  the  early  period  of  mining  development, 
continued  a  resident  of  Idaho  until  the  state  reached  its  present  day  progress  and 
prosperity,  his  death  having  occurred  in  Boise  on  the  29th  of  December,  1916.  He  came 
to  the  we*t  from  Princeton,  Kentucky,  making  his  way  to  California  and  thence  to 
Idaho  in  1863. 

The  birth  of  Stephen  M.  Sisk  occurred  in  Princeton,  Kentucky,  March  30.  1833,  and 
the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  there  passed  to  the  age  of  seventeen,  when  he 
left  the  Blue  Grass  state  and  drove  an  ox  team  across  the  plains  to  California.  He  spent 
ten  years  in  the  Golden  state  and  in  1863  came  to  Idaho,  after  which  he  resided  for  many 
years  in  the  Boise  basin.  He  was  first  at  Placerville  and  afterward  at  Idaho  City, 
where  he  followed  mining  pursuits,  and  he  took  active  part  in  the  development  of  the 
early  mining  resources  of  the  state. 

On  the  3d  of  December,  1874,  Mr.  Sisk  was  married  in  Idaho  City  to  Miss  Lizzie 
T.  Moore,  who  was  born  in  Bentonsport,  Iowa,  May  23,  1856,  and  made  the  journey  over 
the  long  hot  stretches  of  sand  and  through  the  mountain  passes  to  Idaho  in  Company 
with  her  parents,  who  traveled  westward  with  ox  teams  in  1862,  when  Mrs.  Sisk  was 
but  five  years  of  age.  Her  father,  Mahlon  B.  Moore,  served  as  the  first  postmaster  of 
Placerville,  filling  that  position  during  the  Civil  war  period,  under  the  administration 
of  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  was  the  incumbent  of  that  position  at  the  time  when  President 
Lincoln  was  assassinated.  He  also  served  for  several  years  as  probate  judge  of  Boise 
county.  His  birth  occurred  at  Wilmington,  Indiana,  March  8,  1821,  only  four  years  after 
the  admission  of  that  state  into  the  Union.  On  the  17th  of  February,  1848,  he  wedded 
Catharine  Ann  Keck  at  Attica,  Iowa.  She  was  born  at  Greensburg,  Pennsylvania,  Janu- 
ary 14,  1830,  and  was  of  Revolutionary  descent.  The  death  of  Mr.  Moore  occurred  in 


600  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Idaho  City,  Idaho,  January  1,  1885,  and  his  widow  survived  him  for  several  years,  pass- 
ing away  at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Stephen  M.  Sisk,  in  Long  valley. 

After  long  connection  with  mining  and  agricultural  interests  in  Idaho  following  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Sisk  removed  with  his  wife  to  Boise  in  1908  and  passed  away  at  the 
family  home  at  No.  119  North  Seventeenth  street.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sisk  were  born 
three  daughters.  Mabel  M.,  who  was  born  July  13,  1875,  was  graduated  from  the  Albion 
State  Normal  School  and  was  a  capable  teacher  for  several  years,  imparting  clearly  and 
readily  to  others  the  knowledge  which  she  had  acquired.  She  was  also  twice  called 
upon  to  fill  the  office  of  county  superintendent  of  schools  in  Boise  county  and  did 
effective  work  in  behalf  of  public  education  during  her  two  terms'  connection  with 
the  office.  She  is  now  Mrs.  Mabel  M.  Whitely,  a  widow,  and  has  a  daughter,  Miss  Hazel 
M.  Whitely,  who  is  a  graduate  nurse,  having  completed  her  course  of  study  in  a  New 
York  training  school.  Several  years  ago  Mrs.  Whitely  gave  up  the  profession  of  teaching 
and  now  holds  an  excellent  business  position  in  Boise.  Both  she  and  her  mother,  Mrs. 
Sisk,  are  members  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  and  also  of  the  Order 
of  the  Eastern  Star,  and  in  the  latter  Mrs.  Whitely  is  a  past  worthy  matron.  She  belongs 
to  the  Boise  Business  Women's  Club. 

Katharine  Sisk,  the  second  daughter  of  the  family,  was  born  October  14,  1876, 
and  is  now  the  wife  of  James  H.  Stofiel,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  young- 
est daughter,  Anna  M.,  born  September  1,  1886,  is  now  the  wife  of  Harry  J.  Gushing 
of  Manila,  Philippine  islands,  who  is  a  wholesale  jeweler  there.  They  have  two  daugh- 
ters, Barbara  E.  and  Helen  Jeane  Gushing.  Mrs.  Gushing  is  also  a  graduate  of  the 
Albion  State  Normal  School  and  was  formerly  a  teacher  in  Idaho,  where  she  lived  until 
the  time  of  her  removal  to  the  Philippines,  where  she  met  and  married  her  husband. 

The  Sisk  family  is  yet  well  represented  in  Idaho,  where  the  father  took  up  his 
abode  at  a  very  early  period  in  the  settlement  and  development  of  the  state.  Fifty- 
seven  years  have  been  added  to  the  cycle  of  the  centuries  since  Stephen  M.  Sisk  came 
from  California  and  fdr  an  extended  period  he  was  most  actively  and  prominently 
associated  with  many  of  the  interests  which  have  contributed  to  Idaho's  progress  and 
upbuilding.  He  left  to  his  family  the  priceless  heritage  of  an  untarnished  name,  and 
many  friends  besides  the  members  of  his  immediate  household  felt  deep  regret  at 
his  passing. 


OTTO  WILHELM. 

Otto  Wilhelm,  county  commissioner  of  Gem  county  and  a  well  known  ranchman, 
resides  a  half  mile  east  of  Emmett,  on  an  eighty-acre  tract  of  highly  improved  land 
which  he  owns.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1894  from;  South  Dakota  but  is  a  native  of 
Bavaria,  Germany.  He  was  born  November  16,  1874,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  four 
sons  and  four  daughters  whose  parents  were  John  and  Katharina  (Horner)  Wilhelm. 
When  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  he  left  his  native  country  and  in  1894  came  to  the 
United  States.  For  three  years  he  remained  a  resident  of  South  Dakota,  working 
throughout  almost  that  entire  period  as  a  farm  hand  at  a  wage  of  fifteen  dollars  per 
month. 

In  1894  Mr.  Wilhelm  came  to  Idaho  and  has  since  lived  in  what  is  now  Gem 
county,  his  home  throughout  the  intervening  period  being  near  Emmett.  His  parents, 
together  with  the  other  children  of  the  family,  came  to  the  new  world  in  1895  and 
joined  their  son  Otto  at  Emmett.  The  father  purchased  the  eighty-acre  ranch  just 
east  of  Emmett  which  the  son  now  owns  and  occupies,  the  latter  having  purchased 
the  property  from  his  father  several  years  ago.  He  acquired  forty  acres  of  the  place 
at  a  time  and  has  since  improved  it  with  excellent  buildings  and  all  modern  equipment 
of  every  kind.  His  home  is  a  splendid  frame  dwelling  of  eight  rooms,  surrounded  by  a 
broad  verandah,  all  of  which  is  screened  in  and  which  contains  ten  hundred  and  forty- 
four  square  feet  of  floor  space.  It  is  a  magnificent  ranch  house,  supplied  with  all  that 
makes  for  the  comfort  of  life.  He  also  has  a  fine  barn  fifty  by  sixty  feet  upon  his  land. 
As  the  years  have  passed  he  has  become  one  of  the  prosperous  ranchmen  of  Gem  county, 
devoting  his  place  to  the  raising  of  hay,  grain  and  live  stock.  All  around  him  are  people 
who  are  giving  their  attention  to  horticultural  pursuits,  but  he  has  wisely  concentrated 
his  efforts  and  energies  upon  the  lines  indicated  and  is  meeting  with  good  success. 
Moreover,  when  a  boy  in  Bavaria  he  learned  the  use  of  tools  and  is  an  expert  mechanic 
and  the  good  buildings  upon  his  ranch  are  of  his  own  design  and  handiwork.  The 


OTTO  WILHEL.M 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  603 

house  is  thoroughly  modern,  being  supplied  with  hot  water  and  electric  light  and 
every  convenience. 

Mr.  Wilhelm  was  married  November  6,  1902,  to  Miss  Cora  Knouse,  whose  father, 
B.  L.  Knouse,  was  a  pioneer  of  the  Emmett  district.  They  have  three  children:  Leonard, 
,vho  was  born  June  18,  1905;  Florence,  born  August  25,  1909;  and  Ray  Francis,  born 
March  6,  1918. 

Mr.  Wilhelm  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Christian  church  of  Emmett,  of 
which  he  is  serving  as  a  trustee.  His  political  support  is  given  the  republican  party  and 
he  has  held  a  number  of  local  offices,  while  in  the  fall  of  1918  he  was  elected  one  of 
the  county  commissioners  of  Gem  county  and  is  now  acting  as  chairman  of  the  board, 
giving  thorough  satisfaction  cwing  to  the  prompt  and  efficient  manner  in  which  he  is 
discharging  the  duties  of  the  office. 


GEORGE  THOMAS  TREGASKIS. 

George  Thomas  Tregaskis  has  been  a  lifelong  resident  of  Idaho  and  is  a  pioneer  of 
the  Emmett  section  who  is  now  devoting  his  life  to  ranching,  his  home  being  situated 
about  four  miles  west  of  Emmett.  He  was  born  in  Idaho  City.  April  19,  1869,  a  son  of 
George  and  Mary  (Neal)  Tregaskis.  The  father  was  born  in  New  Jersey  but  was  of 
English  parentage,  while  the  mother  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York  aud  was  of 
Scotch  descent.  In  1863  the  father  came  to  Idaho  from  California  as  a  gold  seeker  and 
the  following  year  was  joined  by  his  wife  in  this  state,  their  remaining  days  being 
passed  in  Idaho  City. 

George  Thomas  Tregaskis  was  reared  in  Idaho  City  and  has  been  a  miner,  cattle- 
man and  rancher  throughout  his  entire  life.  He  homesteaded  his  present  ranch  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  1899  and  it  is  pleasantly  situated  four  miles  west  of  Emmett. 
Throughout  the  intervening  period  he  has  spent  most  of  the  time  upon  the  ranch  and 
owned  it  for  seven  years  before  he  could  secure  water  for  it  from  the  Last  Chance  ditch. 
Since  he  has  been  able  to  irrigate  the  land  he  has  carried  forward  the  work  of  develop- 
ment steadily  and  has  converted  the  place  into  an  excellent  property. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1906,  Mr.  Tregaskis  was  married  to  Miss  Lula  Collins, 
who  was  born  in  Pullman,  Washington,  February  6,  1888,  and  has  lived  in  Idaho  since 
nine  years  of  age,  spending  the  entire  time  in  the  Payette  valley.  In  politics  Mr. 
Tregaskis  is  independent,  never  voting  a  straight  ticket  in  his  life.  Fraternally  he  is 
an  Odd  Fellow  and  is  a  loyal  follower  of  the  teachings'  and  purposes  of  the  order. 


FREDERICK   C.   BROWN. 

Frederick  C.  Brown  is  a  native  of  England,  born  in  London,  December  3,  1868,  and 
is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Andre  (Adler)  Brown,  also  natives  of  England.  He  is  the  fourth 
child  in  a  family  of  five,  consisting  of  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  of  whom  only  he  and 
his  sister  now  survive,  both  residing  at  Boise.  The  father  was  a  naval  engineer  and 
was  a  member  of  a  family  which  had  been  naval  and  seafaring  people  for  several  gen- 
erations, the  grandfather  of  our  subject  having  been  an  admiral  in  the  British  navy. 
Thomas  Brown  died  in  England,  but  his  widow  spent  her  last  years  in  Boise,  dying 
July  23,  1917,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years. 

It  was  in  1882  that  Frederick  C.  Brown,  in  company  with  three  brothers,  Alexander, 
Percy  H.  and  Ernest,  left  England  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Canada,  proceeding  at 
once  to  Winnipeg,  Manitoba.  In  1883,  the  brothers  crossed  the  border  to  the  United 
States,  locating  in  that  part  of  the  Dakota  territory  which  is  now  comprised  in  North 
Dakota.  While  living  in  that  region,  Frederick  C.  Brown  spent  several  years  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  In  1889  he  went  to  Colorado,  settling  in  Leadville.  and  there  he  first 
became  identified  with  mining  operations,  which  he  has  pursued  ever  since,  his  activi- 
ties in  that  field  of  endeavor  covering  a  period  of  thirty  years.  While  residing  in  Lead- 
ville he  acquired  knowledge  which  has  since  raised  him  to  the  status  of  a  competent  min- 
ing engineer,  having  served  as  assayer  for  the  Harrison  Reduction  Works.  In  1892,  Mr. 
Brown  removed  to  Idaho,  where  he  spent  some  time  in  assisting  in  investigating  copper 
possibilities  in  the  Seven  Devil  country.  In  September,  1893,  he  was  sent  to  old  Mexico, 
where  he  was  employed  as  assayer  and  mill  superintendent  for  three  years,  and  two 


604  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

years  later,  in  1895,  he  returned  to  the  United  States  and  spent  six  months  in  Montana, 
and  later  one  year  at  Silver  City,  Idaho,  as  superintendent  and  general  manager  of  the 
Poorman  mines. 

In  1897  Mr.  Brown  sailed  to  New  Zealand,  where  he  spent  several  years  in  mining 
pursuits,  as  general  manager  of  two  large  gold  and  silver  mines.  While  there  he  per- 
fected some  important  inventions  for  use  in  mining  and  other  kinds  of  machinery  and 
which  have  revolutionized  many  former  methods,  and  which  are  now  in  general  use 
throughout  the  world  and  have  secured  widely-extended  credit  to  their  inventor.  The  fol- 
lowing testimony  is  taken  from  a  newspaper  published  in  Auckland,  New  Zealand:  "The 
Grand  Junction  Mine  has  in  its  superintendent,  Mr.  F.  C.  Brown,  one  of  the  big  men  of 
Waihi.  He  is  a  man  of  quiet,  unassuming,  even  reserved  disposition,  who  looks  upon 
it  as  his  sole  business  'to  get  the  gold,'  and  at  as  little  cost  as  possible.  While  conversing 
with  him  to  get  an  insight  into  his  inventive  powers,  few  people  would  dream  from  his 
retiring  manner  and  bearing,  that  Mr.  Brown  is  looked  upon  today  ifl  England  and  other 
countries,  as  one  of  the  leading  authorities  on  ore  treatment." 

One  of  Mr.  Brown's  inventions  was  turned  to  practical  use  during  the  construction 
.of  the  great  Arrow  Rock  dam  in  Idaho.  It  consisted  of  a  special  kind  of  manganese 
steel,  used  for  tube  linings  in  the  gigantic  cement-making  machines,  which  type  of 
linings  gave  wonderful  enduring  qualities,  thus  doing  away  with  the  necessity  of  fre- 
quently changing  them.  It  thus  took  less  time  to  construct  the  dam  and  its  cost 
was  greatly  reduced. 

While  living  in  New  Zealand,  "Mr.  Brown  met  Kate  Kingsford,  whom  he  married 
November  30,  1898.  She  is  also  a  native  of  England,  born  at  Dover,  March  12,  1875, 
a  daughter  of  Cottenham  and  Margaret  Mackay  (Saville)  Kingsford.  She  emigrated 
with  her  parents  to  New  Zealand  when  she  was  nine  years  old  and  was  educated  in 
that  country.  In  1910  Mr.  Brown  returned  to  the  United  States,  bringing  his  wife  and 
two  children  with  him,  and  has  since  resided  at  Boise,  or  rather  on  the  Boise  bench, 
just  south  of  Boise,  where  he  owns  a  tract  of  well  improved  land,  which  is  a  valuable 
estate  in  itself,  and  in  addition  he  is  the  owner  of  several  good  residence  properties. 
For  several  years  past  he  has  been  the  superintendent  of  the  Belshazzar  mines,  in  the 
Boise  basin,  at  Placerville. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter,  both 
born  in  New  Zealand:  Freda  Kingsford  Brown,  born  February  4,  1900,  and  Ernest 
Kingsford  Brown,  born  January  4, 1903,  both  births  occurring  on  Sunday.  They  are  grad- 
uates of  the  Boise  high  school.  Mr.  Brown  and  his  family  are  earnest  members  of  the 
Second  Presbyterian  church  at  South  Boise,  of  which  he  is  an  elder.  He  and  his  wife 
take  a  practical  interest  in  the, social  and  cultural  activities  of  their  community  and 
help  to  promote  all  good  works  calculated  to  advance  the  general  welfare  of  the  people. 
Mr.  Brown  has  contributed  considerably  to  the  Mining  and  Scientific  Press,  a  mining 
publication  issued  in  San  Francisco. 


MRS.  MINNIE  BLAND  DAVIS  ROSS. 

The  lady  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  Mrs.  Minnie  Bland  Davis  Ross,  for 
years  a  resident  of  Boise  bench,  south  of  Boise,  needs  no  special  introduction  to  the 
citizens  of  this  part  of  Ada  county.  She  is  the  widow  of  the  late  Bethuel  Shephard 
Ross,  a  well-to-do  rancher,  who  died  at  his  home  in  Boise,  February  10,  1918,  leaving 
behind  him  a  good  name  for  honesty  of  purpose  and  straightforwardness  of  action. 

Mrs.  Ross,  whose  maiden  name  was  Minnie  Bland  Davis,  was  born  in  Union  county, 
Kentucky,  March  11,  1860,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Ila  Metcalf  Davis,  a  well  known  physician 
of  that  part  of  Kentucky,  and  a  cousin  of  Jefferson  Davis,  president  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy.  Her  mother,  before  marriage,  was  Mary  Harriet  Gilchrist,  and  she  and 
her  hus'band  were  natives  of  Kentucky,  both  coming  in  direct  line  from  old  Kentucky 
families,  and  earlier  from  Virginia  families.  On  both  sides,  Mrs.  Ross  is  descended 
from  Revolutionary  stock,  and  she  is  a  member  of  the  pioneer  chapter  of  the  Daughters 
of  the  American  Revolution  of  Boise.  Her  parents  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Kentucky, 
where  her  father  was  a  practicing  physician  during  his  active  life.  Mrs.  Ross  was  the 
third  of  seven  children,  of  whom  six  are  living,  she  being  the  only  one  in  Idaho.  She 
was  reared  in  her  native  state  and  received  her  early  education  in  the  schools  of  that 
state,  later  graduating  from  the  Ladoga  Normal  School,  of  Indiana,  and  in  her  young 
womanhood  she  taught  school,  first  in  Kentucky  and  later  in  Wyoming. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  605 

Minnie  Bland  Davis  was  married  in  Kentucky  in  1887  to  Bethuel  Shephard  Ross, 
who  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Wisconsin,  July  22,  1854.  In  his  early  manhood,  Mr. 
Ross  won  considerable  distinction  throughout  the  middle  west  as  a  skilled  pianist, 
and  for  several  years  he  was  with  a  traveling  opera  company.  Subsequently  he  engaged 
in  railroad  work  for  some  time,  and  in  later  life  he  became  a  successful  rancher.  While 
engaged  at  railroad  work,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross  lived  at  various  places  but  in  1898  they 
came  to  Idaho  and  lived  for  two  years  in  Pocatello.  In  1900  he  retired  from  railroad 
work  and  moved  to  Boise. 

In  1902,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross  built  the  beautiful  home  where  she  now  resides.  It  is  a 
large  structure  of  unique  design,  planned  by  themselves,  erected  at  a  point  right  en 
the  very  brink  of  the  high  tableland,  south  of  Boise  and  overlooking  the  city.  It  is 
generally  known  as  the  Ross  home,  and  it  is  one  of  the  real  pretty  suburban  homes 
in  the  Boise  neighborhood,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  city  lying  in  the  valley  below. 
Mr  Ross  left  no  children.  Mrs.  Ross  still  occupies  the  home  and  has  as  a  companion 
Miss  Emma  Muriel  Ross,  a  younger  sister  of  Bethuel  Ross. 

Mr.  Ross  was  prominent  in  Masonry  and  was  a  Knight  Templar.  In  politics,  he 
gave  active  support  to  the  policies  and  principles  of  the  republican  party.  He  served 
two  terms  as  county  clerk  of  Carbon  county,  Wyoming,  during  their  residence  there  and 
before  coming  to  Idaho,  and  in  other  directions  he  gave  his  time  and  ability  to  the 
furtherance  of  all  movements  calculated  to  serve  the  best  interests  of  the  community 
in  which  he  lived. 

Mrs.  Ross  is  an  earnest  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  as  was  also  her  husband. 
During  the  period  of  the  World  war  she  was  active  along  the  lines  of  the  Red  Cross, 
and  other  useful  projects  connected  with  the  welfare  of  those  sent  abroad  commanded 
her  practical  support.  In  addition  to  her  pretty  home,  and  its  five  acres  of  ground,  she 
is  the  owner  of  a  ranch  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  near  Kuna,  Idaho.  This 
property,  which  is  only  a  portion  of  the  estate  left  by  her  husband,  was  accumulated 
by  him  through  the  exercise  of  industry  and  good  management,  and  had  he  been  spared 
to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  labors,  he  would  have  been  surrounded  by  comfort  and  inde- 
pendence, in  the  sharing  6f  which  his  wife  would  have  been  a  congenial  partner. 


ALBERT  LUNDSTROM. 

Albert  Lundstrom,  a  prominent  and  prosperous  rancher  of  Ada  county,  who  resides 
on  a  well  kept  farm  of  his  own,  five  miles  west  of  Boise,  near  the  Maple  Grove  school,  is 
a  native  of  the  kingdom  of  Sweden,  born  October  18,  1860.  He  is  a  son  of  Peter  and 
Caroline  (Malm)  Lundstrom,  the  former  of  whom  is  now  deceased,  and  the  latter  lives 
with  her  son,  William  Lundstrom,  in  the  same  neighborhood  as  Albert  Lundstrom.  She 
has  now  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five. 

Peter  Lundstrom,  who  was  a  stone  mason  by  trade,  died  in  Iowa  about  thirty-two* 
years  ago.  In  1866  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  leaving  his  family  behind  in  the 
old  country  until  such  time  as  he  was  in  a  position  to  provide  a  home  for  them,  which 
he  did  in  about  three  years.  His  wife  and  three  sons,  Albert,  Lewis  and  John,  all  born 
in  Sweden,  came  to  this  country  in  1869,  when  Albert  was  nine  years  old.  The  father 
established  a  home  in  Marshalltown,  Iowa,  and  four  children  were  born  in  the  United 
States,  namely:  Ida,  who  married  Dow  Eyestone  and  died  some  time  later;  Cora,  who 
married  Dow  Pontious  and  later  died  in  Boise;  Anna,  now  the  wife  of  Ira  Shawver,  of 
Ada  county;  and  William,  the  youngest  child,  who  follows  farming. 

Albert  Lundstrom  has  been  engaged  in  farming  all  of  his  life,  commencing  at  the 
early  age  of  twelve  years  on  a  farm  near  Marshalltown,  Iowa.  He  was  married  at 
Guthrie  Center,  Iowa,  February  15,  1881,  to  Fannie  Rebecca  See.  who  was  born  at  Eau 
Claire,  Wisconsin,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Butler  and  Permelia  Ann  (Emerick)  See,  the 
former  a  first  cousin  of  Gen.  Benjamin  F.  Butler.  ^  the  distinguished  American  soldier 
and  statesman.  Mrs.  Lundstrom's  mother  and  father  were  born  in  New  York  of  Holland 
Dutch  descent  and  both  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  See  was  the  founder  and  owner  of  the 
first  bank  in  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin.  His  wife  was  a  niece  of  Chauncey  Rose,  the  phi- 
lanthropist of  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  who  was  the  founder  of  the  Rose  Polytechnic  Insti- 
tute in  that  city,  and  whose  work  and  name  are  known  far  outside  the  confines  of  Indiana. 
Mrs.  Lundstrom  has  one  brother,  Wilmont  Forrest  See,  who  lives  on  Dry  creek,  Ada 
county,  Idaho. 


606  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lundstrom  first  came  to  Idaho  in  1890,  and  lived  in  this  state  for  two 
years,  returning  to  Iowa  in  1892,  where  they  remained  for  three  years,  at  the  end  of 
that  period  removing  to  a  ranch  near  Carthage,  Missouri,  where  they  resided  for  two 
years.  They  then  returned  to  Idaho,  and,  after  renting  for  three  years,  Mr.  Lundstrom 
removed  to  his  present  ranch,  which  then  consisted  of  eighty  acres.  He  occupied  it  for 
several  years  as  a  renter  and  then  bought  it  from  his  wife's  parents  to  whom  the  place 
belonged  and  who  had  made  all  the  improvements.  They  died  in  the  home  now 
occupied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lundstrom. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lundstrom  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  six  of  whom  are 
living:  Ernest,  the  eldest  son,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  and  Jessie,  the 
eldest  daughter,  died  when  she  had  reached  fourteen  years.  The  other  children  are 
Mabel,  the  wife  of  O.  D.  Carper,  Jr.,  of  Payette,  Idaho;  Forrest  Wilmont;  Clarence; 
Flossie,  the  wife  of  Ed  Coffin;  Cora,  the  wife  of  Carlyle  Smock;  and  Verdie  at  home. 
Carlyle  Smock  is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  having  served  in  France  for  about 
eighteen  months.  He  was  wounded  no  less  than  eleven  times  in  the  battle  of  Chateau 
Thierry,  one  of  the  fiercest  and  bloodiest  of  the  war,  and  had  to  spend  a  considerable 
time  in  a  hospital.  Some  of  his  wounds  were  so  severe  it  is  believed  that  he  will  never 
fully  recover  from  their  effects. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lundstrom  are  earnest  members  of  the  Episcopal  church  and  take 
a  warm  interest  in  all  its  good  works.  Both  are  republicans  in  politics,  and  are  active 
in  supporting  the  party's  policies  and  principles.  Mrs.  Lundstrom  is  a  member  of  the 
Rebekahs  and  is  president  of  the  Mountain  View  Club  of  Ada  county,  and  in  all  matters 
intended  for  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  they  reside,  both  she  and  her 
husband  take  a  practical  part. 


OWEN  A.  MONTEITH. 

Owen  A.  Monteith,  a  prominent  and  successful  farmer  and  owner  of  a  nice  dairy 
herd  of  Holstein  and  shorthorn  cattle,  whose  place  is  about  five  miles  southwest  of  Boise, 
was  born  at  Brownsville,  Nebraska,  April  30,  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Ann 
(Thompson)  Monteith,  both  of  whom  are  still  living  at  Lincoln,  Nebraska.  The  father 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  November  4,  1835,  and  has  now  reached  the  ripe  old  age 
of  eighty-five.  The  mother  was  born  in  England,  July  26,  1845,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  with  her  parents  when  she  was  seven  years  old.  The  marriage  of  John  Monteith 
and  Ann  Thompson  took  place  in  Nebraska  in  1864,  and  they  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding  anniversary  in  1914,  which  was  the  occasion  for  a  gathering  of  old  friends  and 
wellwishers.  They  are  the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  whom  seven  are  living,  three 
being  in  Idaho,  namely:  David,  living  near  Meridian;  Owen  A.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  and  Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Leininger,  of  Meridian.  The  others  of  the  family  reside  in 
Nebraska. 

Owen  A.  Monteith  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Nebraska,  where  he  received  his  early 
education,  and  remained  on  the  home  place  up  to  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  taught  school 
for  one  term,  but  has  followed  farming  for  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  In  his  young 
manhood,  however,  he  spent  about  fourteen  years  as  a  counter  man  in  Nebraska  first  in 
Arcadia  and  later  in  West  Union.  On  severing  connection  with  store  work  he  became 
interested  in  farming,  in  which  he  has  achieved  considerable  success,  notably  in  dairying. 

On  March  21,  1899,  at  Arcadia,  Nebraska,  Mr.  Monteith  was  married  to  Myra  L. 
Potter,  who  was  born  in  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  September  24,  1880,  a  daughter  of 
Edgar  M.  and  Martha  F.  (Bixby)  Potter.  Mr.  Potter  was  born  at  Gates,  New  York, 
June  7,  1834,  and  his  death  took  place  in  Nebraska,  January  16,  1896.  His  wife  was 
born  at  Coldwater,  Michigan,  January  24,  1842,  and  her  death  occurred  in  Nebraska, 
August  17,  1914.  They  were  married  in  New  York  state,  November  6,  1861,  and  were  the 
parents  of  eight  children,  five  of  whom  are  living,  Mrs.  Monteith  being  the  only  one 
residing  in  Idaho. 

It  was  in  1910  that  Mr.  Monteith  removed  from  Nebraska  to  Ada  county,  this  state, 
and  settled  on  his  present  ranch,  the  greater  part  of  which  he  had  purchased  in  the 
spring  of  that  year.  His  first  purchase  was  forty  acres,  to  which  he  gradually  added 
more  land  until  he  now  has  seventy  acres,  which  is  believed  to  be  worth  three  hundred 
dollars  an  acre.  He  has  made  some  valuable  improvements,  including  a  silo  and  barn; 
has  twenty  acres  set  out  to  alfalfa;  and  his  herd  of  dairy  cows  consists  of  about  twenty, 
of  Holstein  and  shorthorn  breeds. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Monteith  became  the  parents  of  the  following  children,  who  are  living: 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  607 

Mervin  A.,  born  in  1900;  Grace  G.,  in  1902;  Marie  A.,  in  1904;  and  Sarah  M.,  in  1908. 
Mervin,  the  only  son,  graduated  with  the  class  of  1919  from  Boise  high  school  and  is 
now  helping  his  father  on  the  ranch.  Grace  and  Marie  are  now  in  Boise  high  school. 
Mr.  Monteith  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  in  the  affairs  of  which 
lie  takes  a  warm  interest.  Both  he  and  his  wife  give  their  support  to  the  republican 
party  and  are  active  adherents  of  its  policies  and  principles.  They  also  display  a  keen 
interest  in  all  community  affairs  designed  to  advance  the  public  welfare. 


MRS.  ANNA  VARKER. 

Mrs.  Anna  Varker,  one  of  the  well  known  and  much  respected  residents  of  Boise 
bench,  south  of  Boise,  where  she  and  members  of  her  family  have  been  living  since 
1895,  having  come  from  Colorado  in  that  year,  was  born  in  England,  December  23,  1864. 
On  coming  to  Boise  from  Colorado,  Mrs.  Varker  was  accompanied  by  her  husband, 
George  Varker,  and  three  children,  but  some  years  after  settling  here  Mr.  Varker  died, 
as  did  one  of  the  children,  Harry,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty.  Mr.  Varker  was  also 
a  native  of  England,  born  March  4,  1861,  and  was  a  son  of  William  and  Eliza  (Harry) 
Varker.  In  that  country  he  married  Anna  Wall,  November  3,  1883,  she  being  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Mary  (Reseigh)  Wall,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  England. 

Three  of  Mrs.  Varker's  children  were  born  in  England,  namely:  Mary  Elizabeth, 
who  was  born  January  14,  1885,  and  married  Albert  Rodda,  of  Boise  bench;  William 
John,  born  December  23,  1885,  who  resides  with  his  mother  and  who  is  the  mainstay 
of  the  family;  and  George  Harry,  who  was  born  February  16,  1888,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty,  December  18,  1908.  Another  child,  Annetta,  was  born  in  Idaho,  April  26, 
1895,  and  she  also  resides  with  her  mother. 

.Mr.  Varker  and  his  family  emigrated  to  America  in.  1890  and  on  arriving  in  this 
country  located  in  Colorado,  where  they  lived  for  five  years,  at  the  end  of  this  time 
removing  to  Idaho,  where  Mr.  Varker  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  was  a 
miner  by  occupation  and  worked  in  the  mines  of  both  Idaho  and  Colorado.  On  coming 
to  Idaho  he  continued  in  the  same  line,  being  employed  at  the  Delamar  mines,  where 
the  family  lived  for  several  years,  later  removing  to  the  Boise  bench. 

The  Varker  family  are  the  owners  of  a  small  but  valuable  ranch,  which  is  chiefly 
operated  by  William  John  Varker,  and  the  fruits  of  his  labors  are  to  be  found  in  the 
comfortable  surroundings  in  which  he  and  his  mother  and  sister  reside.  The  little 
family  enjoy  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  community  in  which  they  live,  and  as 
time  passes,  Mrs.  Varker  is  rapidly  coming  to  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  old-time 
residents  of  Boise  bench. 


LLOYD  NATHAN  WHEELER. 

Lloyd  Nathan  Wheeler,  a  prominent  citizen  and  prosperous  rancher,  who  came  to 
reside  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boise.  Idaho,  in  the  spring  of  1919,  is  another  Nebraskan 
who  has  settled  in  this  part  of  Ada  county,  to  which  he  came  from  Saline  county, 
Nebraska,  and  purchased  the  Mans  Coffin  ranch  of  fifty  acres,  standing  across  the  road 
from  the  Maple  Grove  school,  five  miles  southwest  of  Boise. 

Mr.  Wheeler  was  born  in  Saline*  county,  Nebraska,  August  29,  1872,  a  son  of 
Theodore  M  and  Rheua  (Beardslee)  Wheeler.  The  Wheeler  family  is  an  old  New 
Kngland  one.  On  his  mother's  side,  Mr.  Wheeler  can  trace  his  ancestry  back  to 
the  Mayflower,  an  ancestor  by  the  name  of  Beardslee  having  come  to  this  country  on 
that  vessel.  The  father,  who  followed  farming  throughout  his  active  life,  was  born  at 
New  Fairfleld,  Connecticut.  February  4,  1837.  and  was  reared  and  educated  in  that 
stsite.  After  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  he  joined  the  Eighteenth  Connecticut  In- 
fantry and  served  with  that  command  for  a  considerable  time.  Following  the  close  of 
his  military  service,  or  in  1865,  he  removed  to  the  state  of  Illinois,  where  he  remained 
for  five  years,  at  the  end  of  this  period  going  to  Saline  county,  Nebraska,  where  he 
took  a  soldier's  homestead.  He  was  a  pioneer  of  that  county  and  developed  a  good  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  it  being  on  that  farm  that  his  son,  Lloyd  Nathan 
Wheeler,  was  born.  The  father  resided  in  Saline  county  for  the  remainder  of  his  life 
and  died  at  Western,  April  10,  1910.  Mrs.  Rheua  (Beardslee)  Wheeler  was  born 


608  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

February  2,  1839,  in  Ohio  but  was  reared  in  Connecticut,  where  she  was  married 
February  18,  1858.  She  died  in  Ada  county,  Idaho,  February  9,  1920,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  eighty-one  years  and  seven  days.  She  had  only  been  living  a  short  time  in  this 
state,  whither  she  had  come  in  order  to  be  near  her  only  son,  Lloyd  Nathan.  She 
was  the  mother  of  four  daughters,  two  of  whom  live  in  Nebraska  and  two  in  Idaho. 

Lloyd  Nathan  Wheeler  was  reared  on  his  father's  place  in  Nebraska  and  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Saline  county,  that  state.  In  his  early  manhood  he  taught 
school  for  one  term,  after  which  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  at  which  he  has 
been  engaged  all  of  his  active  life,  with  the  exception  of  five  years  spent  in  the  grain 
business  in  Nebraska. 

On  March  27,  1895,  Mr.  Wheeler  was  married  in  Saline  county,  Nebraska,  to  Miss 
Anna  Eunice  McClave,  who  was  born  in  Iroquois  county,  Illinois,  July  1,  1874,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joel  G.  and  Sarah  C.  (Tribbey)  McClave.  Mr.  McClave  was  born  in  Warren 
county,  Ohio,  January  18,  1835,  and  died  in  Nebraska,  May  8,  1908.  His  wife  was  born 
at  Morrow,  Ohio,  March  21,  1837,  and  died  in  Nebraska,  January  11,  1908,  predeceasing 
her  husband  by  four  months.  Mrs.  Wheeler  is  the  youngest  of  five  children,  all  of  whom 
are  living,  her  brother,  E.  L.  McClave,  residing  in  Montpelier,  Idaho.  For  some  time 
prior  to  her  marriage,  Mrs.  Wheeler  taught  school  in  Nebraska  for  several  terms,  and 
after  her  marriage  she  and  her  husband  lived  on  the  old  Wheeler  place  in  Saline  county, 
Nebraska,  before  coming  to  Idaho.  They  are  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely: 
Arthur  Raymond,  Walter  McClave,  Charles  Theodore,  Lena  Eunice,  Frances  Carolyn, 
and  Bernice  Luella.  The  eldest  sons,  Arthur  and  Walter,  are  veterans  of  the  World 
war,  the  former  having  served  overseas,  and  the  latter  in  the  student  officers  training 
camp  at  Waco,  Texas. 

The  Mans  Coffin  ranch  of  fifty  acres  on  which  the  Wheeler  family  reside  is  one 
of  the  best  improved  and  most  valuable  for  its  size  in  the  Boise  valley.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wheeler  are  earnest  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  are  active  in  all  its  good 
works.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  and  a  Royal  Highlander, 
and  Mrs.  Wheeler  is  also  a  Royal  Highlander. 


WILLIAM  W.  SELCK,  Ju. 

William  W.  Selck,  Jr.,  farmer  and  field  man  for  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company  at 
Lewisville,  Idaho,  was  born  in  Kamas,  Summit  county,  Utah,  December  31,  1870,  his 
parents  being  William  W.  and  Anna  C.  (Sorenson)  Selck,  who  are  mentioned  elsewhere 
in  this  work.  William  W.  Selck,  Jr.,  was  reared  in  Utah  and  in  Lewisville,  Idaho, 
pursuing  his  education  in  the  schools  of  the  two  states.  When  his  textbooks  were  put 
aside  he  began  farming  his  father's  place  and  was  so  engaged  until  twenty-three  years 
of  age,  when  he  purchased  land  near  Lewisville,  which  he  improved  and  afterward 
sold.  He  has  since  bought  and  sold  several  farms  but  is  still  the  owner  of  two  hun- 
dred acres  near  Lewisville  and  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  near  Roberts,  Idaho, 
which  he  rents,  deriving  therefrom  a  gratifying  annual  income.  He  ceased  the  active 
operation  of  his  farm  in  1916  and  accepted  a  position  with  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Com- 
pany as  field  man  and  has  since  served  in  this  capacity.  He  is  a  representative  and 
progressive  business  man  who  is  a  director  of  the  Parks  &  Lewisville  Irrigation  Com- 
pany, of  which  he  was  formerly  president  for  some  time.  He  is  likewise  a  stockholder 
in  the  Intermountain  Farmers  Equity  and  the  Thornton  Investment  Company  of 
Idaho  Falls. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1892,  Mr.  Selck  was  married  to  Sarah  E.  Myler,  a  daughter 
of  Orrin  and  Elizabeth  J.  (Stokes)  Myler,  who  are  natives  of  Farmington,  Davis 
county,  Utah,  and  of  England  respectively.  The  latter  was  six  years  of  age  when  brought 
to  America  by  her  parents.  Mr.  Myler  was  a  farmer  of  Utah  until  June,  1883,  when 
he  came  to  Idaho,  settling  in  Jefferson  county,  then  a  part  of  Oneida  county.  He  took 
up  a  homestead  near  Lewisville  and  continued  its  cultivation  until  1910,  when  he 
retired  from  active  business  life  and  removed  to  Logan,  where  he  is  now  living  at  the 
age  of  sixty-two.  The  mother  also  survives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Selck  have  become  the 
parents  of  four  children:  William  A.,  who  resides  at  Roberts,  Idaho,  enlisted  in  July 
1918,  and  went  almost  immediately  to  France,  being  with  Motor  Truck  Company,  No. 
488.  He  was  made  a  corporal  and  was  discharged  May  27,  1919,  at  Fort  Russell, 
Wyoming.  Millie  is  the  wife  of  Horace  Clement,  of  Idaho  Falls,  who  owns  a  farm  of 


WILLIAM  W.  SELCK,  JB. 


Vol.  III-39 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  611 

forty  acres  at  Lewisville.    Sarah  Christine  and  Leith  La  Vaun  are  at  home.    The  wife 
and  mother  was  born  in  Clarkston,  Cache  county,  Utah,  September  2,  1876. 

The  family  are  adherents  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and 
Mr.  Selck  is  second  counselor  to  the  president  of  Rigby  stake.  He  also  filled  a  mission 
in  the  southern  states  for  two  years.  His  political  endorsement  is  given  to  the  repub- 
lican party  and  he  has  served  on  the  town  board  of  Lewisville,  also  as  constable  and  as 
school  trustee.  He  is  keenly  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  and 
progress  of  his  community  and  cooperates  in  all  movements  for  the  general  good.  At 
the  same  time  he  is  a  progressive  business  man  who  is  doing  important  work  in  the 
responsible  position  of  field  man  for  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company. 


ASBURY  C.  HILL. 

Asbury  C.  Hill,  who  for  the  past  nineteen  years  has  been  residing  on  a  valuable 
forty-acre  ranch  of  his  own,  one-half  mile  north  of  Perkins  Store  and  three  miles  west 
of  Boise,  has  recently  moved  to  the  Perkins  Store  property  and  the  ranch  is  now  occu- 
pied by  his  son-in-law  and  his  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  G.  Caldwell,  Mr.  Hill  still  retaining 
the  ownership  of  the  farm.  On  March  1,  1920,  Mr.  Hill  and  his  wife  removed  to  the 
Perkins  Store,  which  he  purchased,  and  he  is  now  conducting  the  same,  carrying  a 
stock  of  groceries  and  other  merchandise.  His  only  living  son,  Harrison  Benjamin, 
Hill,  assists  him  in  operating  the  business. 

Mr.  Hill  came  to  Idaho  in  the  fall  of  1901  from  southwestern  Kansas  and  shortly 
afterward  purchased  a  forty-acre  ranch,  paying  onl#  seventy-five  dollars  per  acre  for  it. 
Such  is  the  remarkable  change  in  realty  values  in  the  Boise  vicinity,  that  it  is  now 
estimated  to  be  worth  five  hundred  dollars  an  acre. 

Mr.  Hill  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  having  been  born  in  Chemung  county,  New 
York,  December  25,  1849,  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Alice  (McKinney)  Hill,  also  natives  of 
Chemung  county,  New  York,  and  now  deceased.  .  They  removed  to  Michigan  in  1867 
and  there  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  Thomas  Hill  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  and  his  widow  surviving  until  she  had  reached  the  old  age  of  ninety  years.  He 
served  for  three  yeara  in  the  Civil  war,  being  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
first  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  at  the  end  of  his  service  received  an  honorable 
discharge. 

Asbury  C.  Hill  moved  with  his  parents  to  Michigan  in  1867,  when  he  was  eighteen 
years  old,  and  was  married  in  that  state,  September  3,  1873,  to  Mary  E.  Baum,  a  native 
of  Wisconsin.  She  was  born  of  German  parents,  March  14,  1855.  In  1879,  Mr.  Hill  and 
his  wife  removed  to  Kansas,  and  lived  at  different  points  in  that  state  for  over  twenty 
years,  coming  in  1901  to  Idaho,  where  they  have  since  resided.  He  has  been  engaged  at 
farming  practically  all  his  life  and  has  held  various  official  positions,  both  in  Kansas  and 
Idaho,  having  been  postmaster,  justice  of  the  peace,  township  treasurer  and  school 
director.  Mr.  Hill  was  formerly  a  republican  but  says  just  now  he  is  practically  "on 
the  fence"  as\etween  the  two  old  parties.  He  was  postmaster  of  the  town  of  Maybell, 
Kansas,  for  two  years,  the  postoffice  being  named  by  him  for  his  only  daughter,  May- 
bell,  now  Mrs.  C.  G.  Caldwell.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  also  had  a  son,  Harrison  B. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church,  in  all  the  good  works  of 
which  they  take  an  earnest  interest,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen.  In  addition  to  being  a  practical  farmer  for  the  greater  part  of  his 
life,  he  followed  various  business  pursuits  at  intervals,  so  that  his  present  venture  in 
the  grocery  trade  is  not  his  first  mercantile  experience. 


EUGENE  W.   EBY. 

Eugene  W.  Eby,  a  well  known  citizen  and  rancher  residing  in  the  Maple  Grove 
neighborhood,  five  miles  southwest  of  Boise,  where  he  has  been  living  for  the  past  seven 
years,  was  born  in  Jackson  county,  Iowa,  August  2,  1868.  He  is  a  son  of  William  H. 
and  Arabel  (McCormick)  Eby,  the  mother  being  one  of  the  famous  McCormick  family 
who  make  the  well  known  reapers  and  mowers.  William  H.  Eby,  who  was  a  farmer 
throughout  his  active  life,  served  in  the  United  States  army  during  the  Civil  war, 
and  at  the  end  of  his  service  received  an  honorable  discharge.  He  was  born  in  Penn- 


612  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

sylvania,  of  German  descent,  and  died  December  15,  1918,  at  Craig,  Burt  county, 
Nebraska.  His  widow  still  lives  at  Craig. 

On  June  24,  1889,  Eugene  W.  Eby  was  married  to  Anna  M.  Titus,  who  was  born 
February  16,  1872,  in  Jackson  county,  Iowa,  but  she  and  her  -future  husband  were  not 
acquainted  there  but  met  for  the  first  time  in  Burt  county,  Nebraska,  their  marriage 
taking  place  at  Tekemah,  that  state.  Mrs.  Eby  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Frances 
(Robinson)  Titus,  the  former  a  farmer,  who  died  in  1880,  and  the  latter  still  living  in 
Seattle,  Washington.  The  Eby  and  Titus  families  removed  from  Jackson  county,  Iowa, 
to  Burt  county,  Nebraska,  and  located  on  adjoining  farms.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eby  later 
became  schoolmates.  William  Titus,  father  of  Mrs.  Eby,  was  born  at  Titusville,  Penn- 
sylvania, the  town  being  named  for  his  family,  his  father  having  given  the  land  on 
which  it  was  built.  Mrs.  Eby's  mother  was  a  native  of  West  Virginia. 

It  was  in  1900  that  Mr.  Eby  and  his  wife  removed  to  Idaho,  and  for  a  few  months 
they  resided  in  Boise,  where  he  was  a  partner  in  a  meat  market  with  John  W.  Eagleson, 
who  is  now  state  treasurer,  Mr.  Eby  having  learned  the  butcher's  trade  in  Nebraska 
in  his  early  days.  In  1901  he  bought  a  farm  of  forty  acres  near  Ustick,  Ada  county,  but 
sold  that  place  in  1906  and  removed  to  Boise,  where  he  lived  for  a  year,  engaged  in 
the  butcher  business.  He  then  removed  to  a  ranch  near  Ash  Park,  but  after  a  short 
stay  there  he  returned  to  Boise,  where  he  remained  for  five  years,  during  this  period 
being  engaged  as  a  merchant  policeman.  Mr.  Eby  and  Andy  Robinson  practically  built 
up  the  present  merchant  police  system  in  Boise,  but  in  1913  he  sold  his  half  interest 
in  the  merchant  police  and  since  that  year  he  has  resided  in  the  Maple  Grove  neighbor- 
hood, where  he  has  been  living  the  life  of  a  farmer. 

Mr.  Eby  formerly  owned  two  small  but  valuable  ranches  near  Maple  Grove  school, 
the  larger  containing  forty  acres  and  the  smaller  twenty  years.  Land  in  this  section 
of  Idaho  is  generally  valued  at  about  five  hundred  dollars  an  acre.  In  1919  he  sold 
the  twenty-acre  tract,  on  which  he  had  been  living  for  six  years,  and  he  then  removed 
to  his  forty-acre  ranch,  which  had  some  fair  buildings  on  it,  but  Mr.  Eby  has  made 
arrangements  for  the  erection  of  a  new  home  on  this  place. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eby  are  the  parents  of  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  namely:  Earl  F., 
born  August  15,  1890;  Viva  M.,  who  was  born  May  30,  1892,  and  is  the  wife  of  Homer 
Lingenfelter,  of  Melba,  Idaho;  and  Waldo  W.,  born  May  20,  1894,  who  married  Fern 
Jones  and  lives  on  a  ranch  near  Caldwell.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eby  are  earnest  members  of 
the  Christian  church  in  Boise  and  are  interested  in  all  its  good  works  and  also  in  all 
neighborhood  affairs  calculated  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  they 
make  their  home.  Mr.  Eby  is  a  republican,  but  has  never  been  a  seeker  after  public 
office.  His  wife  supports  the  democratic  party  and  is  a  member  of  the  Mountain  View 
Club  of  Ada  county  and  of  the  Rebekahs. 


HERBERT  L.  LOWE. 

Herbert  L.  Lowe,  the  popular  water  master  of  Aberdeen,  Bingham  county,  is  a  native 
of  Tennessee,  born  near  Chattanooga,  July  20,  1877,  a  son  of  P.  W.  and  Kate  (Legg) 
Lowe,  who  are  also  natives  of  Tennessee,  living  near  Knoxville.  P.  W.  Lowe  was  a 
merchant  in  Tennessee  and  at  Asheville,  North  Carolina,  being  engaged  in  operating  a 
general  merchandise  store  at  Asheville  for  twenty  years.  He  served  for  three  years  as 
a  member  of  the  First  Tennessee  Cavalry  during  the  Civil  war,  and  was  taken  prisoner. 
Just  before  he  joined  the  army  he  was  taken  ill  with  fever  and  was  left  lying  on  the 
road.  Finally,  he  recovered  and  made  his  way  to  the  Union  lines.  He  is  now  living 
retired  and  resides  at  Chattanooga,  and  notwithstanding  his  advanced  age  he  is  in 
the  enjoyment  of  good  health.  His  wife  died  in  January,  1879. 

Herbert  L.  Lowe  was  reared  and  educated  at  Bingham's  Military  School  at  Asheville, 
North  Carolina.  On  leaving  that  school,  he  started  to  work  and  engaged  in  clerking 
in  a  hardware  store  for  six  years.  In  May,  1906,  he  removed  to  Blackfoot,  Idaho,  and 
went  to  work  with  engineers,  building  canals.  When  this  work  was  completed  and 
they  had  started  running  the  water,  he  was  appointed  water  master  of  the  Aberdeen- 
Springfield  Canal  Company,  and  has  served  in  this  capacity  ever  since,  with  satisfactory 
results  to  all  interests  concerned.  « 

In  October,  1912,  Mr.  Lowe  was  united  in  marriage  to  Nora  Jones,  a  daughter  of 
Watkin  H.  and  Ann  (Rees)  Jones,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Wales,  respectively. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  613 

Mr.  Jones  went  to  Minnesota  in  an  early  day  and  engaged  in  ranching  for  several 
years.    He  is  now  living  retired  at  Wlndom,  Minnesota.    His  wife  died  in  1903. 

Mr.  Lowe  is  the  owner  of  a  tract  of  farm  land  in  Aberdeen.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order  and  warmly  interested  in  the  affairs  of  his  lodge.  Mr.  Lowe  prefers  to 
exercise  independent  action  in  political  matters  and  places  men  and  principles  as  his 
first  choice  in  public  affairs,  rather  than  party  or  party  emblems.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  is  an  active  participant  in  its  work. 


IRA  L.  AIKEX. 

Ira  L.  Aiken,  engaged  in  farming  near  Meridian,  was  born  in  Burt  county,  Nebraska, 
February  14,  1869,  a  son  of  William  and  Clarissa  (Lucas)  Aiken.  The  father,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  born  May  4,  1840,  removed  to  Illinois  with  his  parents  when  but  a  young  lad 
and  there  his  stepfather  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death  in  1867.  The  family  home 
was  later  established  in  Nebraska  and  once  more  attention  was  concentrated  upon  the 
work  of  tilling  the  soil.  In  1877  William  Aiken  made  his  way  to  the  northwest,  going 
to  Washington  and  settling  near  the  present  site  of  Clarkston.  There  he  homesteaded 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  wild  land,  which  he  cleared  and  improved,  residing 
thereon  until  1882,  when  he  sold  that  property  and  came  to  Idaho,  settling  in  Ada  county. 
Here  he  took  up  a  timber  culture  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  the  farm 
upon  which  his  son  Ira  now  resides,  seven  miles  northwest  of  Meridian,  is  eighty  acres 
of  the  original  tract.  William  Aiken  sold  the  other  eighty  acres  and  is  now  living 
retired  at  Boise,  where  his  wife  passed  away  in  1907.  As  the  family  traveled  westward 
across  the  plains  they  had  no  actual  encounters  with  the  Indians  but  manifested  the 
utmost  diligence  in  order  to  avoid  the  red  men  and  thus  escape  their  murderous  intent. 

Ira  L.  Aiken  was  but  eight  years  of  age  when  his  parents  left  Nebraska  and  went 
to  Washington.  He  was  reared  upon  his  father's  farm  and  acquired  a  public  school 
education.  When  he  was  twenty  years  of  age  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account 
as  a  renter  on  the  Boise  river,  but  after  two  years  he  took  up  his  abode  where  he  now 
resides  and  has  since  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  the  further  cultivation 
and  development  of  this  place.  He  follows  general  farming,  producing  such  crops  as 
are  best  adapted  to  soil  and  climate,  also  raises  some  stock  and  until  a  recent  date  was 
quite  extensively  engaged  in  stock  raising,  and  at  the  same  time  he  carries  on  dairying 
in  a  limited  way. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1896,  Mr.  Aiken  was  married  to  Miss  Ada  Rambo,  a  native  of 
Iowa  and  a  daughter  of  James  and  Florilla  (Taylor)  Rambo.  The  mother  is  now 
deceased,  while  the  father  lives  in  Alaska.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aiken  have  four  children: 
Lelia  M.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Clarence  Walt,  farming  near  her  father's  place,  and  by 
whom  she  has  two  children;  Vernon.  who  is  the  second  of  the  family  and  is  now 
attending  school  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years;  and  Laura  M.  and  Arlie  A.,  also  under  the 
parental  roof. 

Almost  forty  years  have  come  and  gone  since  the  Aiken  family  arrived  in  Idaho 
and  through  this  period  Ira  L.  Aiken  has  not  only  been  an  interested  witness  of  the 
changes  which  have  occurred  but  has  born  his  part  in  bringing  about  the  growth  and 
progress  of  his  section  of  the  state,  contributing  particularly  to  its  agricultural 
development. 


HEZEKIAH  LINCOLN  GRAY. 

Hezekiah  Lincoln  Gray,  a  well  known  citizen  living  near  Boise,  where  for  years 
he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  ranching  and  dairying,  having  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful dairies  in  that  neighborhood,  is  a  native  of  Oregon,  born  in  Eugene,  March  21,  1866, 
and  is  the  only  son  of  Leander  and  Mary  Virginia  (Collins)  Gray.  The  father  was 
born  in  Adams  county.  Illinois,  March  28,  1846,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  in  that  state,  Arkansas  and  the  west  For  the  past  ten  years  he  has  made  his 
home  with  our  subject.  The  mother,  who  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  died  in  1902.  The 
parents  were  married  in  Colorado  in  1865  and  our  subject  is  the  only  child  born  of 
that  union,  but  he  has  four  half-brothers  and  four  half-sisters. 

Hezekiah  Lincoln  Gray  was  reared  on  the  hills  of  Lane  county,  Oregon,  where  his 


614  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

parents  had  taken  up  their  abode.  In  his  early  youth  he  worked  in  the  woods  and  about 
sawmills,  and  drove  an  ox  team  for  several  years  in  logging  camps.  He  was  always 
handy  with  tools  and  acquired  a  knowledge  of  carpenter  work  in  his  early  manhood. 
It  is  very  probable  that  he  acquired  his  bent  in  this  direction  from  his  mother,  who 
was  a  woman  of  rare  skill  in  the  handling  of  tools  and  the  making  of  household  furni- 
ture. In  those  pioneer  days  in  Oregon,  when  practically  every  piece  of  furniture,  tool, 
and  article  of  wearing  apparel  was  home  made,  Mrs.  Gray  did  all  such  work  for  her 
home.  She  was  a  practical  cabinetmaker  and  made  the  chairs,  tables  and  bedsteads  for 
her  home;  sheared  the  sheep  and  spun  the  resultant  wool  into  clothes  for  the  family 
on  a  loom  made  by  herself.  She  was  a  good  rifle  shot  and  could  kill  a  bear  or  a  deer 
with  the  skill  of  a  marksman.  She  made  her  own  spinning  wheel  and  on  it  she  spun 
the  wool  into  yarn  which  she  had  sheared  from  the  sheep. 

With  the  foregoing  as  inherited  qualities,  it  is  little  wonder  that  Mr.  Gray  soon 
learned  how  to  use  a  hammer  and  saw,  and  how  to  plan  and  construct.  He  never 
served  an  apprenticeship  but  just  followed  his  natural  bent  and  became  a  fine  mechanic. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  went  to  Jllinois  on  a  visit  to  relatives,  and  he  spent  fifteen 
years  between  the  states  of  Illinois  and  Missouri,  engaged  at  various  occupations,  a 
portion  of  the  time  being  devoted  to  farming,  carpentering  and  grain  dealing.  In  the 
spring  of  1904,  Mr.  Gray  returned  to  the  northwest  and  has  since  lived  either  in  or 
near  Boise.  For  a  period  of  ten  years  after  coming  to  Boise,  he  was  an  active  contractor 
and  builder,  erecting  scores  of  store  buildings,  residences  and  churches  in  Boise.  In 
1911  he  bought  his  present  ranch  home,  near  Perkins,  and  the  family  moved  to  it  from 
Boise  in  1914,  and  here  they  have  been  living  ever  since.  While  he  still  does  some 
contracting,  Mr.  Gray  devotes  the  greater  part  of  his  time  to  his  ranch  and  dairy  busi- 
ness, which  he  makes  a  special  feature  of  his  work,  and  for  this  purpose  he  keeps  an 
excellent  strain  of  dairy  cows,  which  in  1919  yielded  him  three  thousand  four  hun- 
dred dollars. 

Mr.  Gray  lias  been  three  times  married.  By  his  first  wife  a  son  survives,  Raymond 
Gray,  who  served  in  France  during  the  World  war,  spending  a  year  in  that  country 
before  he  was  twenty.  Prior  to  his  overseas  service  he  was  on  the  Mexican  border.  He 
Is  married  and  holds  a  good  position  with  the  Overland  National  Bank  of  Boise.  By 
his  second  wife,  a.  daughter  survives,  Carrie  Frances,  aged  nine.  Mr.  Gray  married  his 
present  wife  on  January  1,  1914.  She  was  Miss  Rose  Wilson,  and  was  born  in  Missouri, 
March  17,  1885.  Mr.  Gray  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  interested  in  all  its 
good  works.  He  supports  the  democratic  party  and  has  held  some  minor  offices  such  as 
constable,  school  director  and  deputy  sheriff.  He  has  never  tasted  intoxicating  liquors 
ncr  u&ed  tobacco.  He  is  a  past  grand  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


PRESTON  B.  ELLSWORTH. 

Preston  B.  Ellsworth,  engaged  in  farming  at  Lewisville,  was  born  May  6,  1887,  upon 
the  place  which  he  now  owns.  He  is  a  son  of  Edmund  and  Ellen  C.  (Blair)  Ellsworth, 
who  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  was  reared  in  Jefferson  county  and  pur- 
sued his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  in  Ricks  Academy  at  Rexburg,  Idaho.  When 
not  busy  with  his  textbooks  he  gave  his  attention  to  the  pleasures  of  the  playground 
or  such  duties  as  were  assigned  him  by  parental  authority  in  connection  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  home  farm.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until  twenty -three  years  of  age. 
He  had  previously  purchased  the  old  home  place  of  sixty  acres  when  but  nineteen  years 
of  age  and  throughout  the  intervening  period  has  concentrated  his  efforts  and  atten- 
tion upon  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  the  property.  He  has  also 
bought  more  land  from  time  to  time  until  his  holdings  also  comprise  a  ranch  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  Camas  creek  in  Jefferson  county,  where  he  runs  cattle. 
The  homestead  is  supplied  with  good  buildings  and  every  modern  facility  to  promote 
the  work  of  the  fields  and  the  farm  constitutes  one  of  the  attractive  features  in  the 
landscape.  In  partnership  with  his  brothers,  Mr.  Ellsworth  also  owns  business  property 
at  Rigby,  where  they  built  the  Ellsworth  flats,  and  in  addition  he  owns  still  other  town 
property.  He  has  made  judicious  investments  in  real  estate  and  derives  therefrom  a 
substantial  income.  Moreover,  by  reason  of  his  progressive  methods,  he  is  classed  with 
the  representative  farmers  of  Jefferson  county. 

In  August,  1910,  Mr.  Ellsworth  was  married  to  Miss  Edna  Walker,  daughter  of 
Don  C.  and  Anna  T.  (Boyce)  Walker,  who  were  pioneers  of  Jefferson  county,  arriving 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  615 

in  1884.  Her  father  is  now  conducting  a  farm  between  Lewisville  and  Rigby.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ellsworth  are  the  parents  of  five  children:  Preston  B.,  Marjorie,  Edna,  Stephen 
and  George. 

In  addition  to  his  other  interests  Mr.  Ellsworth  is  a  director  of  the  Jefferson  State 
Bank  at  Menan.  Politically  he  is  a  democrat  and  his  religious  belief  is  that  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Those  who  know  him — and  he  has  a 
wide  acquaintance — speak  of  him  in  terms  of  warm  regard,  realizing  that  his  aid  and 
influence  are  ever  given  on  the  side  of  right,  progress  and  improvement. 


NATHAN  SCOTT. 

Nathan  Scott,  who  resides  on  a  highly  improved  and  compact  ten-acre  ranch,  four 
miles  west  of  Boise,  on  the  Meridian  road,  came  to  Ada  county,  Idaho,  in  1904  from 
McPherson  county,  Kansas,  where  he  had  been  engaged  in  farming  for  the  preceding 
twenty-five  years.  He  first  settled  on  a  forty-acre  ranch,  one  mile  west  of  the  Maple 
Grove  school  but  in  1918  sold  that  place  for  eight  thousand  dollars.  In  January,  1919, 
he  purchased  his  present  home  and  the  ten-acre  ranch  on  which  it  is  located,  four  miles 
west  of  Boise  and  one  mile  north  of  the  Maple  Grove  school.  It  is  one  of  the  best 
improved  ten-acre  ranches  near  Boise  and  in  1913  Mr.  Scott  erected  a  handsome  modern 
bungalow  with  all  conveniences,  where  he  and  his  family  now  reside. 

Mr.  Scott  was  born  in  what  is  now  known  as  West  Virginia,  September  27,  1852,  a 
son  of  James  Scott,  a  blacksmith  and  farmer,  who  served  one  term  in  the  West  Virginia 
state  senate  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  war.  James  Scott  and  his  wife,  who  was  Rachel 
Curry  before  marriage,  were  also  born  in  West  Virginia,  and  there  they  died  at  a 
good  old  age.  Nathan  Scott  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  West  Virginia  and 
attended  the  schools  of  that  state,  after  which  he  taught  several  terms  of  school  there. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-four,  in  1876,  he  removed  to  McPherson  county,  Kansas,  where  he 
taught  for  one  term  and  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming  until  1904,  when  he  came 
to  Idaho,  and  has  since  successfully  followed  farming,  becoming  one  of  the  prominent 
men  in  the  Boise  district 

Mr.  Scott  was  married  in  West  Virginia,  May  20,  1874,  to  Kittle  E.  Calfee,  who 
died  in  McPherson  county,  Kansas,  leaving  three  children:  James  C.  Scott,  who  is 
division  superintendent  of  schools  in  the  Philippine  Islands;  Robert  L.  Scott,  a  mall 
carrier,  of  Boise;  and  Lottie  M.  Scott,  of  Boise,  a  stenographer.  On  May  17,  1901,  Mr. 
Scott  married  Mrs.  Rose  F.  Smith,  widow  of  William  Smith,  who  died  some  years  before. 
Mrs.  Scott,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rose  F.  Lamb,  was  born  in  Kansas,  February 
22,  1867,  a  daughter  of  Thomas JE.  and  Helen  (Blair)  Lamb.  By  her  former  husband, 
she  has  two  sons,  namely:  Arthur  H.  Smith  and  Walter  E.  Smith,  both  of  Ada  county. 
By  his  second  marriage,  Mr.  Scott  has  one  son,  Nathan  Scott,  Jr.,  aged  twelve  years. 

Mr.  and  Mr.s.  Scott  are  earnest  members  of  the  Christian  church  and  warmly  inter- 
ested in  all  its  good  works,  as  they  are  in  all  matters  calculated  to  advance  the  welfare 
of  the  community  where  they  make  their  home.  Mr.  Scott  is  a  supporter  of  the 
republican  party  and  while  living  in  McPherson  county,  Kansas,  he  served  as  town- 
ship trustee  and  for  several  years  since  coming  to  Idaho  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Maple  Grove  school  board.  In  season  he  devotes  considerable  time  to  hunting  and 
fishing,  being  an  expert  at  both. 


J.  W.  HUDSON. 

J.  W.  Hudson,  who  resides  in  a  splendid  old  comfortable  country  home,  pervaded 
by  an  air  of  neatness,  thrift  and  hospitality,  his  farm  being  situated  in  the  vicinity  of 
Meridian,  was  born  in  Henry  county,  Missouri,  but  was  reared  and  educated  in  Bates 
county  that  state.  His  father,  William  P.  Hudson,  became  a  farmer  of  Bates  county 
and  was  a  representative  resident  of  the  community.  He  wedded  Martha  Irwin,  a  native 
of  Indiana,  and  both  have  now  passed  away. 

J.  W.  Hudson  remained  a  resident  of  Missouri  until  1878,  when  he  made  his  way 
northwest  to  Idaho.  He  had  started  for  Oregon  by  mule  team,  traveling  by  the  northern 
route.  On  the  16th  of  July,  1878,  he  arrived  in  the  Boise  basin  and  was  so  pleased  with 
the  appearance  of  the  country  that  he  decided  not  to  proceed  farther.  Later  he  engaged 


616  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

in  freighting  from  Boise  to  Kelton,  Utah,  spending  nearly  three  years  in  that  way.  He 
afterward  returned  to  Missouri,  where  he  again  resided  for  two  years  and  then  once 
more  started  westward  with  Kansas  as  his  destination.  For  six  years  he  lived  in  the 
Sunflower  state  and  then  returned  to  Idaho,  where  he  settled  on  his  present  farm  four 
and  one-quarter  miles  northwest  of  Meridian,  taking  up  his  abode  on  this  property 
on  the  1st  of  August,  1890.  He  secured  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  and  also  a  timber  culture  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  his 
land  being  at  that  time  covered  with  the  growth  of  wild  sagebrush.  He  cleared  the 
land  and  planted  trees,  setting  out  silver  maple,  which  were  about  two  feet  high  at  the 
time  of  planting.  These  trees  are  now  two  and  a  half  feet  through  at  the  trunk  and 
have  attained  a  height  of  sixty  feet,  constituting  a  beautiful  feature  in  the  landscape. 
The  life  of  activity  and  enterprise  which  Mr.  Hudson  has  led  is  indicated  in  the  fact 
that  his  property  today  is  one  of  the  valuable  farms  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  has 
one  of  the  finest  barns  of  Ada  county,  thirty-two  by  forty-eight  feet,  with  a  capacity  of 
thirty-five  tons  of  hay  and  ten  feeding  stalls.  He  owns  twenty-two  head  of  Hereford 
cattle,  all  registered  but  two,  and  keeps  these  cattle  for  breeding  purposes.  He  also 
raises  horses  for  his  own  use  and  has  a  fine  registered  Percheron  mare  and  colt.  His 
home  is  a  commodious  and  comfortable  residence  and  everything  about  the  place 
indicates  the  progress  and  enterprise  of  the  owner. 

On  the  9th  of  February,  1871,  in  Bates  county,  Missouri,  Mr.  Hudson  was  married 
to  Miss  Annie  S.  Pfost,  who  had  removed  to  that  county  with  her  parents  in  1854, 
her  father,  Jacob  Pfost,  being  a  farmer  there.  Her  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Melissa  Koontz,  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  Mrs.  Hudson  has  a  brother.  A.  F.  Pfost,  who 
is  living  near  Nampa,  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Mattie  E.  Chester,  who  is  also  located  near 
Nampa.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hudson  have  been  born  four  children.  Leoti  L.  is  the  wife 
of  J.  J.  Rambo  and  the  mother  of  four  children:  Evert  D.,  aged  twenty-six  years; 
Daisy,  Luella  B.  and  Wayne,  all  at  home.  Melissa  M.  is  the  wife  of  I.  P.  Cleek  and  the 
mother  of  three  children:  Earl  A.,  aged  twenty-three;  Elvin,  twenty-one;  and  Warren, 
eighteen.  William  J.,  forty-two  years  of  age,  is  married  to  Lorena  Jones  and  is  the 
father  of  seven  children:  Ella  A.,  Bertha,  Edgar,  Wesley,  Neal,  Glenn  and  Cleaty. 
Franklin  C.,  twenty-three  years  of  age,  married  Etta  Needle,  who  died  leaving  one 
child,  Billy  Louise.  She  died  before  the  child  was  two  hours  old  but  named  the  baby 
before  her  death.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hudson  feel  the  keenest  interest  in  their  grandchildren, 
finding  great  delight  in  having  them  at  their  home.  For  about  forty  years  they  have 
been  residents  of  the  northwest  and  Mr.  Hudson  has  been  an  active  factor  in  the  reclama- 
tion of  the  wild  land  of  Ada  county  and  its  transformation  into  productive  fields 
and  farms. 


JOSEPH  DEGEN. 

Joseph  Degen  is  a  well  known  and  honored  pioneer  settler  of  Idaho,  who  makes 
his  home  with  his  daughters,  Mrs.  Emma  Durham  and  Mrs.  Mary  Durham,  upon  a  farm 
in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett.  For  a  long  period  he  has  been  an  interested  witness  of  the 
growth  and  development  of  this  state  and  has  ever  borne  his  share  in  the  work  of 
progress  and  improvement.  He  has  now  passed  the  eighty-eighth  milestone  on  life's 
journey,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Germany,  October  4,  1831.  He  first  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1864,  when  thirty-three  years  of  age,  but  afterward  returned  to 
Germany  and  Avhile  there  was  married.  He  came  again  to  the  new  world  in  1869, 
bringing  his  bride  with  him,  and  since  then  has  remained  continuously  on  this  side 
of  the  water,  devoting  his  entire  active  life  to  the  occupation  of  farming.  He  resided 
in  Missouri  and  Nebraska  before  coming  to  Idaho,  the  year  1877  witnessing  his  arrival 
in  this  state.  Since  then  he  has  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett,  and  although  he  is 
now  eighty-eight  years  of  age,  is  still  an  active  and  vigorous  man,  in  possession  of  all 
his  faculties. 

It  was  on  the  12th  of  January,  1869,  that  Mr.  Degen  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Louise  Huba,  a  native  of  Germany,  the  wedding  being  celebrated  while  he  was  on  the 
only  visit  that  he  has  made  back  to  the  fatherland  since  first  coming  to  America.  For 
more  than  a  third  of  a  century  they  traveled  life's  journey  happily  together  but  were 
separated  by  the  death  of  the  wife,  who  on  the  15th  of  October,  1903,  passed  away.  They 
were  the  parents  of  a  family  of  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Katie,  who 
was  born  August  19,  1871,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Finley  Monroe,  a  well  known  lawyjer 


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HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  619 

of  Emmett,  who  IB  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Mrs.  Emma  Durham,  of  Emmett. 
who  was  born  October  29,  1874;  Mrs.  Mary  Durham,  of  Emmett,  born  November  11,  1876; 
and  Lewis  A.,  who  was  born  May  1,  1879,  and  now  lives  in  Lemhi  county,  Idaho. 
All  three  of  the  daughters  reside  either  in  or  near  Emmett.  The  daughter  Emma  was  mar- 
ried on  the  8th  of  June,  1905,  to  Hiram  L.  Durham,  and  her  sister  Mary,  on  the  same  day, 
to  George  D.  Durham.  In  fact  theirs  was  a  double  wedding  ceremony  and  the  two  brothers 
with  their  wives  reside  in  a  beautiful  country  home  on  a  highly  improved  ranch 
property  one  mile  east  of  Emmett.  The  brothers  were  formerly  extensively  engaged  in 
sheep  raising  in  Oregon,  to  which  state  they  removed  from  Iowa.  They  became 
prominently  connected  with  the  sheep  industry  and  won  a  very  substantial  measure  of 
success  as  the  years  passed  by,  gaining  financial  independence.  Removing  to  Idaho,  they 
wedded  the  two  sisters  and  theirs  is  a  notable  record,  for  seldom  do  two  families  live 
so  happily  and  harmoniously  together  as  do  the  two  Durham  families,  and  with  them 
resides  Mr.  Degen.  The  Durham  home  east  of  Emmett  embraces  seventeen  acres  of  fine 
lawn,  flowers,  shrubbery,  orchards,  vineyard  and  meadow.  Mrs.  Mary  Durham  has  a 
daughter,  Emma  Louise,  who  was  born  February  22,  1909,  and  is  a  namesake  of  her 
aunt,  Mrs.  Emma  Durham,  who  has  no  children. 

In  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Degen  besides  the  four  who  are  yet  living  there  was 
also  a  son,  Joseph  Degen,  Jr..  who  was  the  oldest  child  and  was  born  October  4.  1869, 
while  his  death  occurred  on  the  15th  of  December,  1909.  It  is  a  singular  coincidence 
that  this  son  was  born  on  his  father's  birthday — October  4,  while  the  youngest  member 
of  the  Degen  family,  Lewis  A.,  was  born  on  his  mother's  birthday — the  1st  of  May,  his 
natal  year  being  1879,  while  his  mother's  birth  occurred  on  the  1st  of  May,  1852.  Lewis 
A.  Degen  is  married  and  has  one  son,  Joseph  Degen,  named  in  honor  of  his  grandfather 
and  born  on  the  3d  of  September,  1903.  Such  in  brief  is  the  history  of  a  most  inter- 
esting pioneer  settler  of  Idaho  and  his  family.  For  more  than  four  decades  he  has 
lived  in  Idaho,  familiar  with  every  phase  of  the  growth  and  development  of  the  state. 
Here  he  has  reared  a  family  who  are  a  credit  and  honor  to  his  name.  One  of  the  most 
attractive  homes  in  Gem  county  is  that  of  the  Durham  brothers,  with  whom  Mr.  Degen 
resides,  the  daughters  and  their  husbands  doing  everything  in  their  power  to  add  to 
the  comfort  and  welfare  of  their  venerable  father,  who,  though  well  advanced  in  years, 
retains  a  keen  interest  in  things  of  the  present  and  can  relate  many  most  interesting 
incidents  of  the  days  of  the  past. 


MRS.  IDA  BECKMANN. 

Mrs.  Ida  Beckmann,  widow  of  Emil  Beckmann,  who  died  eight  years  ago  in 
Vancouver,  Washington,  where  the  Beckmann  family  then  lived,  was  born  in  Center- 
ville,  Manitowoc  county,  Wisconsin,  April  9,  1855,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho 
since  1892,  with  the  exception  of  the  time  spent  in  Washington.  Her  maiden  name 
was  Ida  Goeldner,  and  she  is  a  daughter  of  Bernard  and  Caroline  (Hassler)  Goeld- 
ner,  natives  of  Prussia,  where  they  were  married,  coming  to  America  from  that  country 
about  1840  and  locating  in  Manitowoc  county,  Wisconsin.  Some  years  later  they 
removed  to  Kansas,  where  they  remained  to  the  end  of  their  lives,  their  deaths 
occurring  in  Sedgwick  county,  that  state.  Mrs.  Beckmann  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth 
in  a  family  of  six  children,  consisting  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  three 
are  living.  They  were  Gustave,  Amelia,  William,  Ida,  Adolph  and  Minnie.  Mrs.  Beck- 
mann is  the  only  daughter  now  living.  Her  two  brothers,  William  and  Adolph,  reside  in 
Sedgwick  county,  Kansas. 

When  she  had  reached  the  age  of  fifteen,  Mrs.  Beckmann  accompanied  her  parents 
on  their  removal  from  Wisconsin  to  Sedgwick  county,  Kansas,  where  she  spent  ten 
years  of  her  early  womanhood.  The  next  year  and  a  half  was  spent  in  Michigan,  where 
she  lived  with  a  sister.  She  then  went  to  Leadville,  Colorado,  to  visit  her  brothers, 
who  lived  in  that  state  at  the  time,  and  it  was  there  she  met  her  future  husband,  Emil 
Beckmann.  and  married  him  March  28,  1883. 

Emil  Beckmann  was  born  in  Germany,  November  2,  1851,  and  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  that  country,  where  he  continued  to  live  up  to  the  age  of  twenty-one.  About 
1872  he  emigrated  to  America  and  was  engaged  at  various  occupations  in  different  parts 
of  the  country.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  was  conducting  a  hotel  in  Leadville, 
Colorado,  and  continued  in  that  business  for  some  years  thereafter.  Later  he  removed 
to  New  Castle,  Colorado,  where  he  also  conducted  a  hotel,  and  in  1892  removed  to 


620  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Boise,  Idaho,  where,  with  the  exception  of  four  years  spent  in  Vancouver,  Washington,  he 
continued  to  live.  His  death  occurred  in  Vancouver  eight  years  ago. 

Some  time  after  taking  up  his  residence  in  Boise,  Mr.  Beckmann  carried  on  a 
grocery  store  but  later  he  bought  a  ranch  near  Maple  Grove  school,  and  on  this  place 
the  family  lived  for  several  years.  During  the  period  of  his  residence  in  Ada  county  he 
bought  and  sold  several  tracts  of  land  and  lived  on  three  different  ranches,  removing  to 
the  place  where  Mrs.  Beckmann  now  lives  in  1909.  This  holding  consists  of  twenty 
acres  of  prime  land,  for  which  he  paid  three  hundred  dollars  an  acre,  and  it  is  now 
estimated  to  be  worth  upwards  of  five  hundred  dollars  an  acre. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beckmann  had  three  children  as  follows:  Florence,  born  May  16, 
1886,  now  the  wife  of  John  Smeed,  of  Caldwell;  Arthur  Martin,  born  on  December  23, 
1889;  and  Carl  Edward,  born  on  June  28,  1893.  The  younger  son,  Carl  Edward,  served 
in  the  American  army  during  the  World  war  for  a  period  of  eighteen  months,  and  at  the 
time  the  armistice  was  declared,  he  was  in  camp  at  Jacksonville,  Florida. 

Mrs.  Beckmann's  long  residence  in  and  about  Boise  has  gained  her  many  friends, 
the  circle  of  which  increases  as  time  goes  on.  She  has  always  displayed  an  active  and 
practical  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  community  in  which  she  has  made  her  adopted 
home,  and  all  movements  calculated  to  improve  the  civic  welfare  have  ever  had  her 
earnest  and  sympathetic  support. 


ALBERT  HIRAM  SMITH. 

Albert  Hiram  Smith,  a  prominent  and  successful  farmer,  who  for  the  past  ten  years 
has  resided  in  a  bungalow  of  his  own  in  Boise,  is  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  the  best  land  in  the  Boise  valley,  about  five  miles  southwest  of 
Boise.  He  resided  on  this  place  from  1903  to  1910  and  still  owns  the  farm,  where  he 
spends  most  of  his  time  in  the  summer,  but  since  1910  he  has  maintained  a  home  in 
Boise  mainly  for  the  advantage  of  'having  his  children  within  easy  distance  of  the 
Boise  high  school. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  Coloradoan  by  birth,  born  near  Platteviller  in  Weld  county,  Septem- 
ber 5,  1863,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  six  sons  and  three  daughters  born  to  John  and 
Bridget  (Green)  Smith,  both  of  whom  died  in  Colorado.  John  Smith,  who  during 
his  active  life  followed  farming,  was  a  native  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  as  was  his 
wife  and  there  they  were  married*  On  coming  to  the  United  States,  they  went  to 
Wisconsin,  where  they  lived  for  a  time,  later  removing  to  Colorado.  Mrs.  Smith  was 
a  granddaughter  of  Lord  Green,  an  English  nobleman.  Of  the  nine  children  only  two 
sons  are  living,  namely:  John  William,  who  lives  in  Boise,  and  Albert  Hiram,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch. 

Albert  H.  Smith  was  reared  on  a  ranch  near  Fort  Lupton,  Weld  county,  Colorado, 
and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  that  place,  following  which  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  has  been  connected  with  farming  and  ranching  all  his  life.  On  May  6,  1890, 
he  was  married  in  Weld  county,  Colorado,  to  Mary  E.  Hollingsworth,  who  was  born 
in  Knox  county,  Indiana,  December  5,  1869,  a  daughter  of  Thornton  and  Nancy  Jane 
(Garrett)  Hollingsworth,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  Hollingsworth  was 
also  born  in  Indiana,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  March  31,  1847,  and  he  died  at  the 
home  of  his  daughter  in  Boise,  October  27,  1918.  His  wife  was  born  near  Oaktown, 
Indiana,  in  1849,  and  died  in  that  state  when  Mrs.  Smith  was  a  girl  of  nine. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  resided  in  Colorado  until  1903,  when  they 
removed  to  Idaho  and  located  on  the  present  Smith  ranch  near  Maple  Grove  school. 
In  December,  1902,  he  purchased  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  but  did  not 
build  on  it  until  early  in  1903.  When  he  acquired  this  holding  there  were  no  buildings 
on  it  and  but  forty  acres  had  been  cleared,  the  remainder  being  sagebrush.  Mr.  Smith 
has  succeeded  in  making  it  one  of  the  best  improved  hay,  grain  and  live  stock  farms 
in  Ada  county,  the  improvements  effected  being  the  best  of  their  class,  and  including 
a  one  hundred  and  thirty-nine  ton  concrete  silo. 

'  Mr.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  is  a  past  chancellor  of 
the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  political  affairs  he  supports  the  democratic  party.  He  was 
formerly  a  member  of  the  Maple  Grove  school  board  and  was  chairman  of  the  board 
when  the  present  fine  school  building  was  erected;  in  fact,  Mr.  Smith  inaugurated  the 
movement  which  finally  culminated  in  the  erection  of  the  school  building.  He  is  still 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  621 

the  owner  of  a  valuable  ranch  containing  eighty  acres  in  Weld  county,  Colorado,  which 
is  in  the  sugar  belt. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  three  living  children,  namely:  Mabel  E.,  the  wife  of 
Iloe  Estes.  a  rancher,  living  on  Ten  Mile  creek.  Ada  county;  and  Ruby  E.  and  Goldie. 
both  at  home.  Mabel  and  Ruby  are  graduates  of  the  Boise  high  school.  The  only  son 
died  at  the  age  of  seven  years.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  popular  citizen  of  Boise  and  the  sur- 
rounding country  and  is  ever  ready  to  support  all  public  projects  designed  to  advance 
the  welfare  of  his  community.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  member  of  the  Golden  Rod  Club  of 
Boise  bench;  of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of  Boise;  the  Woodcraft  Circle,  and  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps,  and  has  been  active  in  Red  Cross  work,  giving  of  her  time  and 
ability  with  much  freedom  during  the  World  war. 


ANTHONY  W.  COURSON. 

Anthony  W.  Courson,  a  well  known  and  extensive  rancher  and  stockman,  formerly 
of  the  Horseshoe  Bend  vicinity,  where  he  still  owns  a  ranch  of  six  hundred  acres,  but 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  Boise  valley  since  1917,  was  born  in  Warren  county,  Penn- 
sylvania, August  3,  1847.  He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Esther  Elizabeth  (Thompson) 
Courson,  also  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  the  former  of  Holland-Dutch  descent  and  the 
latter  of  Irish  extraction.  Samuel  Courson  was  born  in  1818  and  his  wife  in  1820. 
They  were  married  in  Pennsylvania  and  moved  to  northeastern  Iowa  In  1854,  at  which 
time  the  son,  Anthony  W.  Courson,  was  seven  years  old.  The  parents  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lives  in  Iowa  and  both  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-six,  Mrs.  Courson 
surviving  her  husband  by  two  years.  They  celebrated  their  golden  wedding  in  1888, 
their  marriage  having  taken  place  in  1838  in  Pennsylvania.  They  were  the  parents  of 
five  children,  three  boys  and  two  girls,  of  whom  Anthony  W.  was  the  second  in  order 
of  birth.  All  are  living  but  W.  W.  Courson,  a  younger  brother,  who  died  at  Long  Beach, 
California.  February  12,  1920,  aged  sixty-six  years.  His  old  home  was  at  Clarion,  Iowa, 
in  the  vicinity  of  which  place  he  owned  several  good  farms  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Anthony  W.  Courson  was  reared  on  his  father's  place  in  northeastern  Iowa  and 
received  a  common  school  and  commercial  education.  His  father  was  the  pioneer 
breeder  of  registered  shorthorn  cattle  in  that  state,  bringing  his  first  lot  of  stock  from 
Illinois.  Anthony  W.  Courson  has  been  engaged  in  farming  and  the  handling  of  live 
stock  for  the  greater  part  of  his  active  life.  In  his  young  manhood,  and  while  yet 
single,  he  left  the  Iowa  farm  and  removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  lived  for  several 
years,  while  representing  a  large  Cincinnati  carriage  manufacturing  concern,  for  which 
he  did  business  on  the  road  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  fourteen  years,  covering  the 
north  and  south.  On  quitting  the  road,  Mr.  Courson  removed  to  Poetville,  Iowa,  where 
he  engaged  in  business  as  a  merchant  for  several  years.  In  1908  he  came  to  Idaho 
and  resided  for  nearly  four  years  on  a  ranch  near  the  Maple  Grove  school.  In  1911  he 
located  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Horseshoe  Bend  and  took  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  while  his  son  Harold  also  took  a  homestead  adjoining  it.  which  he  later 
relinquished  to  his  father.  Subsequently,  Mr.  Courson  bought  an  additional  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  his  entire  acreage  now  amounting  to  six  hundred  acres.  He  has 
been  very  successful  in  his  farming  operations  and  in  his  live  stock  business  and  is 
now  quite  independent.  In  consequence  of  two  sons  going  to  France  during  the  World 
war,  Mr.  Courson  was  obliged  to  rent  his  ranch  in  1918  and  he  took  up  his  residence 
just  west  of  Boise,  near  the  fair  grounds,  but  recently  he  removed  to  his  present  home 
north  of  Perkins. 

Mr.  Courson  was  married  June  25,  1875,  to  Elizabeth  Stokes,  who  died  in  1885, 
leaving  three  sons,  namely:  Samuel,  William  and  Theodore,  the  eldest  of  whom  was 
accidentally  killed  by  a  train  in  Chicago  in  1912,  where  he  was  employed  in  the  train 
yards  as  assistant  yardmaster.  In  1890  Mr.  Courson  married  Elizabeth  Bahlman,  who 
was  born  in  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  three  sons  and  two 
daughters,  namely:  Harold  D.,  who  was  born  February  5,  1893,  and  served  seventeen 
months  in  France  during  the  World  war;  Wayne  C.,  who  was  born  February  5,  1897,  and 
also  served  in  France  for  seventeen  months,  being  only  twenty  years  of  age  at  that  time; 
John  Kenneth,  born  May  12.  1900;  Dorothea,  born  February  7,  1902,  and  Esther  M.,  born 
March  8.  1905.  The  daughters  are  attending  Boise  high  school.  Mr.  Courson  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  in  political  affairs  he  supports  the  republican  party. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Bahlman)  Courson  was  born  in  Marietta,  Ohio,  February  17.  1869.  a 


622  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

daughter  of  Henry  and  Dorothea  (Coleman)  Bahlman,  both  of  whom  were  Germans. 
She  takes  a  warm  interest  in  much  of  the  social  activities  of  the  community  in  which 
she  resides,  and  supports  all  movements  designed  to  advance  the  welfare  of  the  people 
in  her  neighborhood. 


ELMER  I.  PESHAK. 

Elmer  t.  Peshak,  a  well  known  dairy  farmer  and  orchardist,  of  Ada  county,  who 
owns  and  lives  on  a  valuable  forty-acre  ranch  near  the  Maple  Grove  school,  five  miles 
southwest  of  Boise,  is  a  native  of  Iowa,  born  in  Mitchell  county,  July  26,  1875,  and  is 
a  son  of  Ignatz  H.  Peshak,  who  was  born  in  Bohemia  in  1844.  At  the  age  of  ten  years, 
Ignatz  H.  Peshak,  accompanied  his  father,  Franz  Peshak,  and  the  other  members  of 
the  family  to  the  United  States  in  1854  and  settled  in  Wisconsin.  It  was  there  that  he 
met  Antonia  Madera,  also  a  native  of  Bohemia,  who  was  brought  to  this  country  by 
her  parents  when  a  mere  child,  the  Peshak  and  Madera  families  coming  to  America 
about  the  same  time.  Ignatz  H.  Peshak  and  Antonia  Madera  were  married  in  Wiscon- 
sin, July  26,  1868,  and  are  now  living  in  Minnesota,  where  they  celebrated  their  golden 
wedding  anniversary  July  26,  1918.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  of  whom 
Elmer  I.  was  the  second  born.  All  are  living,  two  being  in  Idaho,  Elmer  I.  and  Mrs. 
Laura  Higby,  of  Ada  county. 

Elmer  I.  Peshak  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Iowa.  Some  time  after  completing  his 
early  education,  he  taught  school  for  eight  terms  in  that  state  and  the  money  thus  earned 
was  devoted  toward  pursuing  a  course  in  the  Iowa  State  Agricultural  College,  where  he 
spent  four  and  one-half  years  and  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1901  as  an  electrical 
engineer.  Mr.  Peshak  followed  this  profession  in  various  eastern  and  middle  west  states 
for  eight  years,  but  ill  health  compelled  him  to  abandon  electrical  engineering.  His 
next  move  brought  him  to  Idaho  and  he  purchased  his  present  forty-acre  ranch  near  the 
Maple  Grove  school,  five  miles  southwest  of  Boise,  paying  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
an  acre  for  the  land.  He  immediately  set  about  improving  it,  putting  up  a  fine  silo  and 
other  buildings,  which  have  increased  the  value  of  the  place,  and  he  set  out  five  acres 
in  prunes.  It  is  estimated  that  the  Peshak  ranch  is  now  worth  in  the  neighborhood  of 
four  hundred  dollars  an  acre.  It  is  generally  conceded  to  be  one  of  the  best  kept  and 
most  compact  in  the  district,  the  prune  orchard  being  a  special  feature. 

On  June  30,  1903,  Mr.  Peshak  was  married  in  Osage,  Iowa,  to  Miss  Edith  Adel 
Rapp,  who  was  also  born  in  Mitchell  county,  Iowa,  February  5,  1877,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Ellen  (Birdsall)  Rapp.  She  and  her  future  husband  met  while  both  were 
students  at  the  Iowa  State  Agricultural  at  Ames,  where  she  took  a  domestic  science 
course.  For  several  years  before  her  marriage  she  engaged  in  teaching  school.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Peshak  are  the  parents  of  two  living  children:  Helen  Dorothy,  born  at  Omaha, 
Nebraska,  January  3,  1908;  and  Frank  Carlton,  born  in  Ada  county,  Idaho,  September  21, 
1912.  Russell,  the  first-born,  whose  birth  occurred  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  April  19,  1906,  died 
at  Omaha,  Nebraska,  February  27,  1909. 

In  addition  to  his  profession  as  an  electrical  engineer  and  his  connection  with 
farming,  Mr.  Peshak  is  a  skilled  musician,  and  for  many  years  he  played  various  instru- 
ments in  a  band.  He  also  excels  at  the  piano,  as  does  his  wife,  who  is  an  expert  on 
the  guitar.  Both  give  political  support  to  the  republican  party.  Mr.  Peshak  is  super- 
intendent of  the  Union  Sunday  school  at  Maple  Grove.  In  the  course  of  his  farming 
operations,  he  specializes  in  dairying,  always  keeping  about  twelve  dairy  cows  of  excel- 
lent strain  on  the  farm,  the  yield  from  this  branch  of  his  work  bringing  a  nice  income. 
Mr.  Peshak  and  his  wife  left  their  ranch  a  few  years  ago  for  a  time  sufficient  to 
enable  them  to  prove  up  on  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  at  Sunnyside, 
and  this  place  they  still  retain. 


CHARLES  EDWARD     MARION. 

Charles  Edward  Marion,  owner  of  a  highly  improved  and  compact  little  ranch  of 
ten  acres,  lying  four  miles  west  of  Boise,  Idaho,  was  formerly  for  years  a  painstaking 
and  efficient  member  of  the  Boise  police  force.  He  is  a  native  of  Iowa,  born  in  Cass 
county,  July  28,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  Caleb  and  Hannah  Marion,  both  of  whom  are 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  623 

now  dead.  While  yet  a  mere  child,  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Colorado,  being  reared 
and  educated  principally  in  Denver  and  Leadville,  that  state.  In  1889  he  removed  from 
Leadville  to  Boise,  where  he  lived  up  to  1914,  engaged  in  the  intervening  years  at 
teaming  and  sheep  shearing,  at  which  work  he  was  an  expert,  but  finally  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Boise  police  force,  on  which  he  served  for  fourteen  years  without  inter- 
ruption, earning  for  himself  the  goodwill  of  the  citizens  of  all  classes  for  his  devotion 
to  and  efficiency  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  Mr.  Marion  retired  from  the  police  force 
in  May,  1919.  It  was  while  in  that  service  that  he  developed  his  tine  little  ten-acre 
ranch,  four  miles  west  of  Boise,  which  at  the  time  he  acquired  it  was  practically  all 
sagebrush  but  it  is  now  one  of  the  best  improved  small  ranch  homes  in  the  Boise  vicinity. 

Mr.  Marion  has  been  living  on  his  ranch  since  1914  and  proceeded  to  develop  and 
improve  the  little  holding,  doing  all  the  work  himself.  He  set  out  all  kinds  of  fruit 
and  berries,  ornamental  and  shade  trees,  and  three  years  ago  he  built  a  solid  cement 
two-story  house,  which  is  modern  throughout,  with  electric  lights  and  other  equipment. 
The  place  is  approached  by  a  winding  driveway  bordered  by  tall  shade  trees,  and  there  is 
also  a  park,  which  added  to  the  other  attractions,  makes  the  Marion  ranch  a  decidedly 
pretty  homestead. 

Mr.  Marion  has  been  twice  married.  His  present  wife  was  Mrs.  Sybil  Baker,  of  Boise, 
tfefore  hfr  marriage  to  Mr.  Marion.  He  has  one  son  and  one  daughter  by  his  first  mar- 
riage, namely:  Charles  Edward,  Jr.,  and  Gladys,  both  of  whom  are  married.  There  Is 
one  son  by  the  present  marriage:  Miles  Orville,  born  October  13,  1910. 

Mr.  Marion  is  a  warm  supporter  of  the  democratic  party  and  active  in  its  councils. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  to  the  affairs  of  which  he  gives  practical 
attention.  Mrs.  Marion  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church,  and  for  the  past  five  years 
she  has  been  president  of  the  Mountain  View  Club  of  Ada  county,  being  prominent  in 
the  social  and  cultural  activities  of  the  community  in  which  she  resides. 

The  Marlon  home  and  its  immediate  surroundings  are  one  of  the  show  places  of 
the  locality.  It  is  unique  in  design  and  was  the  joint  idea  of  Mr.  Marion  and  his  wife. 
Neither  money  nor  labor  was  spared  in  bringing  the  homestead  to  its  present  enviable 
condition.  Mrs.  Marion,  who  is  a  lady  of  French  extraction,  has  been  no  small  factor 
in  adding  to  the  originality  and  neatness  of  the  home  place,  her  handiwork  giving 
added  charm  to  her  husband's  efforts  in  the  same  direction.  She  is  responsible  for 
the  construction  of  a  miniature  park  immediately  in  the  rear  of  the  residence,  which 
is  laid  out  with  flowers,  trees  and  shrubbery,  also  with  walks,  miniature  pergolas  and 
pedestals,  all  built  of  cobblestones  and  cement  mortar,  making  it  at  once  beautiful 
and  enduring.  At  one  end  is  a  typical  old  log  cabin,  appropriately  furnished  for  the 
entertainment  of  her  friends;  while  at  the  other  end  is  a  massive  fireplace  and  flue,  also 
constructed  of  cobblestones,  the  whole' layout  having  a  picturesque  and  pleasing  aspect. 


MARTIN  ELMER  PRATT. 

Martin  Elmer  Pratt,  who  resides  on  a  highly  improved  farm  four  miles  west  of 
Boise,  on  the  Meridian  road,  and  three-quarters  of  a  mile  west  of  Cole  school,  is  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  Idaho,  to  which  state  he  came  in  1877.  He  is  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts, born  in  Easton,  March  9,  1858,  and  is  the  son  of  Jonathan  Avery  and  Elizabeth 
(White)  Pratt,  also  born  in  Massachusetts,  of  English  descent,  and  in  that  state  this 
worthy  couple  spent  their  entire  lives.  Jonathan  A.  Pratt  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer  throughout  his  active  life  and  was  prominent  in  the  community  in  which  he 
JLived,  serving  as  chairman  of  the  board  of  selectmen  in  Easton,  Massachusetts. 

Martin  Elmer  Pratt  who  comes  from  old  New  England  ancestors  on  both  sides,  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Easton,  where  he  continued  to  reside  up  to  the  age  of  sixteen, 
when  he  left  home  and  went  to  Wisconsin,  where  an  elder  brother  was  then  living.  After 
a  residence  of  eighteen  months  in  that  state,  he  proceeded  to  southwestern  Missouri, 
where  he  spent  a  similar  period,  and  while  there  and  in  Wisconsin  he  was  engaged  in 
clerking  in  general  stores.  In  1877,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  he  crossed  the  plains 
to  Kelt&n,  Utah,  making  the  journey  by  train,  and  from  Kelton  by  stage  to  Boise, 
paying  one  hundred  and  one  dollars  fare  from  Kansas  City  to  Boise.  He  was  engaged 
for  many  years  in  the  live  stock  business,  dealing  largely  in  cattle  and  sheep,  but  for 
the  past  dozen  years  or  so,  he  has  followed  farming. 

In  1909  Mr.  Pratt  bought  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  four  miles  west  of  Boise,  and  in 
the  following  year  located  on  it.  He  proceeded  to  improve  and  develop  it,  finally  bring- 


624  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

ing  it  to  the  front  rank  among  farms  in  the  same  neighborhood.  In  1918,  he  sold  seventy- 
five  acres  of  his  place  for  two  hundred  dollars  an  acre,  reserving  five  acres  with  the 
handsome  country  home  and  other  improvements  for  his  own  use. 

Mr.  Pratt  has  been  twice  married,  his  wives  being  sisters.  On  December  24,  1879, 
he  was  married  to  Abigail  Bown,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Temperance  (Hall)  Bown. 
She  died  in  September,  1907,  leaving  two  children,  one  of  whom  is  John  J.  Pratt,  who  is 
married  and  lives  at  Placerville,  Idaho,  where  he  is  engaged  at  mining.  Mr.  Pratt's 
second  marriage  took  place  July  2,  1909,  when  Mrs.  Jennie  Honan  became  his  wife.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Jennie  Bown  and  was  the  younger  sister  of  his  first  wife. 
She  has  one  daughter  by  her  former  marriage.  Mrs.  Pratt  was  born  in  Black  Hawk 
county,  Iowa,  February  14,  1861,  and  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents  in  1865,  the  family 
locating  in  the  Boise  valley,  about  four  miles  up  the  river  from  Boise,  where  Joseph 
Bown  and  his  wife  spent,  the  rest  of  their  lives,  he  dying  in  1915,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
seven.  His  wife's  death  occurred  in  1904.  Mr.  Bown  was  for  a  time  the  owner  of  the 
ranch  home  now  occupied  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt  are  republicans  but  he  has  never  held  nor  sought  public  office. 
He  belongs  to  the  Boise  Gun  Club,  is  devoted  to  hunting  and  fishing  and  has  killed 
numbers  of  deer.  After  the  lapse  of  more  than  forty  years  he  visited  his  old  home 
back  in  Massachusetts  in  the  summer  of  1919,  renewing  acquaintance  with  relatives  and 
old  friends.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  earnest  members  of  the  Congregational  church. 
Mrs.  Pratt  is  prominent  in  social  circles  and  takes  an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the 
Mountain  View  Club,  for  which  she  acts  as  press  reporter,  and  she  gives  of  her  time 
and  ability  to  the  promotion  of  all  projects  calculated  to  advance  the  best  interests  of 
the  community  in  which  she  resides. 


HOWARD  F.  BAKER. 

Howard  F.  Baker  has  demonstrated  that  dairying  can  be  profitably  conducted  on 
land  that  is  worth  a  thousand  dollars  per  acre,  for  his  thirty-two  acre  dairy  ranch, 
which  is  situated  on  the  Boise  bench,  adjoining  the  Idaho  state  fair  grounds,  would 
have  a  ready  and  quick  sale  no  doubt,  if  placed  upon  the  market  for  thirty-two 
thousand  dollars,  such  are  the  improvements  and  developments  of  the  place.  The  busi- 
ness has  been  most  carefully  and  successfully  conducted,  owing  to  the  sound  judgment 
and  unfaltering  enterprise  of  Mr.  Baker,  who  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  that 
Vermont  has  furnished  to  Idaho. 

He  was  born  in  the  Green  Mountain  state,  July  26,  1871,  of  the  marriage  of  George 
Anson  and  Cornelia  C.  (Barton)  Baker.  The  father  was  born  in  Vermont,  where  he 
still  resides  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  but  has  recently  sold  the  old  Baker  home 
of  three  hundred  and  ten  acres  and  is  now  located  in  the  nearby  town  of  Huntington 
Center.  His  wife  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy  years.  The  Baker  family  is  of 
English  descent  and  was  founded  in  America  by  Hiram  A.  Baker,  grandfather  of 
Howard  F.  Baker,  who  on  coming  to  the  new  world  settled  in  the  Green  Mountain  state. 

Howard  F.  Baker  was  reared  on  the  old  family  homestead  to  the  age  of  nineteen 
years,  when  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  a  store  in  Richmond,  Vermont,  where  he  was 
employed  for  several  years.  While  thus  engaged  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of  the 
lady  whom  he  afterward  made  his  wife — Miss  Kate  Lucy  Hall,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  Richmond,  a  daughter  of  William  D.  and  Lucretia  (Rood)  Hall.  The  Rood 
family  was  an  old  and  prominent  one  in  Vermont  and  of  English  lineage.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Baker  became  acquainted  at  Richmond,  Vermont,  in  1890  and  on  the  17th  of  June, 
1896,  their  marriage  was  celebrated.  For  a  number  of  years  thereafter  they  resided 
at  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  where  he  was  connected  with  various  business  pursuits. 

The  year  1908  witnessed  the  arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  in  Idaho.  They  came 
to  the  northwest  in  the  month  of  January  and  for  a  year  lived  in  Boise,  after  which, 
the  present  ranch  property  just  south  of  the  state  fair  grounds  was  purchased.  It 
was  then  an  unimproved  tract  of  grass  land  with  no  buildings  of  any  kind  upon  it 
and  no  trees.  Today  it  is  one  of  the  best  improved  suburban  properties  in  the  vicinity 
of  Boise.  The  home  is  a  modern  frame  building  and  there  are  various  commodious 
and  substantial  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock.  There  is  also  a  large 
silo  and  shade  trees,  which  add  to  the  attractive  appearance  and  value  of  the  place. 
Everything  pertaining  to  a  fine  country  home  is  seen  upon  the  Baker  dairy  farm  and 
all  has  been  put  there  within  the  past  twelve  years.  Among  the  improvements  is  a 


HOWARD  F.  BAKER 


Vol.  Ill— 40 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  627 

ninety-five  ton  silo,  one  of  the  largest  In  this  section,  a  modern  cow  barn  with  all  up- 
to-date  equipment  and  other  buildings  indicative  of  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  owner. 
The  land  is  practically  level  and  the  thirty-two  acres  of  the  place  supports  as  many 
head  of  cows  throughout  the  year.  It  was  in  1909  that  the  Baker  dairy  was  estab- 
lished in  a  small  way,  with  only  one  cow.  giving  sixteen  quarts  of  milk,  and  within 
a  few  years  the  Baker  dairy  was  disposing  of  from  eight  to  nine  hundred  quarts  of 
milk  per  day  to  its  customers. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  have  been  born  thr.ee  children:  Doris  Lillian,  born  March 
19.  1906;  Ella  Pauline.  March  8,  1907;  and  Howard  Hall.  January  26.  1910.  All  are 
pupils  in  the  Boise  public  schools.  Mrs.  Baker  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church. 
The  family  occupies  an  enviable  social  position  and  Mr.  Baker  has  made  for  himself 
a  most  creditable  place  in  business  circles  by  his  rapid  progress  toward  the  goal  of 
success,  his  record  being  such  as  will  at  all  times  bear  the  closest  investigation  and 
scrutiny. 


ANDREW  E.  FROST. 

Andrew  E.  Frost  bears  a  family  name  that  has  been  associated  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Pacific  coast  country  from  early  pioneer  times.  He  was  born  upon  a  farm 
between  Caldwell  and  Boise,  on  the  Boise  river.  September  29,  1877.  and  following  in 
the  footsteps  of  his  forbears,  has  become  a  leading  stockman  and  prominent  citizen  of 
the  district  in  which  he  lives.  His  grandfather,  Elijah  Frost,  crossed  the  plains  with 
ox  teams  from  Iowa,  passing  through  Idaho  on  his  way  to  California  in  1862.  He 
brought  his  family  to  the  west  and  he  and  his  son,  William  Isaac  Frost,  father  of 
Andrew  E.  Frost,  engaged  in  freighting  in  California  until  1865,  when  they  returned 
to  Idaho  and  settled  on  the  Boise  river  about  eighteen  miles  west  of  the  city  of  Boise, 
where  Elijah  Frost,  the  grandfather,  homesteaded.  There  both  he  and  his  son,  William 
I.  Frost,  accumulated  considerable  property.  The  grandfather  was  a  leader  among  the 
people  of  this  section  of  the  state  at  an  early  day.  They  looked  to  him  for  advice  and 
direction,  and  his  sound  judgment  was  a  beneficial  element  in  the  conduct  of  their  affairs 
on  many  occasions.  As  he  traveled  westward  across  the  plains  from  Iowa  he  brought 
with  him  more  than  a  hundred  head  of  cattle  and  had  considerable  trouble  with  the 
Indians,  but  managed  to  reach  his  destination  in  safety  and  for  a  long  period  there- 
after continued  a  prominent  and  helpful  factor  in  the  work  of  general  development  and 
improvement  in  the  state.  His  son,  William  Isaac  Frost,  was  born  in  Iowa,  April  20. 
1850,  and  at  his  birth  his  mother,  who  belonged  to  the  Abshire  family,  died,  but  his 
father,  Elijah  Frost,  lived  to  the  very  advanced  age  of  eighty-four  years. 

After  attaining  man's  estate  William  I.  Frost  was  married  in  1875.  to  Sarah  Taryan. 
They  began  their  domestic  life  on  the  frontier  and  spent  many  anxious  days  and  nights 
in  their  little  one-room  cabin.  Mr.  Frost  and  his  father,  together  with  other  people 
of  the  community,  built  a  fort  about  three  miles  southwest  of  Star  that  the  families 
might  be  protected  from  the  Indians.  As  the  years  passed  the  hazards  of  Indian  attacks 
grew  less  and  less  and  the  progressive  settlers  carefully  managed  their  business  affairs, 
William  I.  Frost  becoming  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  prosperous  business  men 
of  the  district.  Not  only  did  he  develop  his  farming  interests  along  lines  that  yielded 
larpe  profit,  but  he  also  became  a  stockholder  in  the  Farmers  Bank  at  Star  and  at  his 
death  he  left  to  his  family  a  large  estate.  His  children  were  as  follows:  Andrew  E.: 
William  Claud:  George  E.;  and  Alta,  the  wife  of  C.  E.  Pollard,  all  of  whom  are  living 
near  Star. 

As  previously  stated,  Andrew  E.  Frost  was  born  on  the  homestead  between  Cald- 
well and  Boise  and  under  the  parental  roof  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
acquiring  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  He  seems  to  have  inherited  the  business 
ability  of  his  father  and  is  now  successfully  engaged  in  cattle  raisins:,  feeding  about 
three  hundred  head  of  beef  cattle  during  the  winter  in  Star  and  vicinity,  while  in  the 
summer  Reasons  he  ranges  his  cattle  in  the  Idaho  City.  Pearl  and  Placerville  districts. 
He  has  a  beautiful  home  and  five  acres  of  land  just  within  the  corporation  limits  of 
Star  and  is  most  comfortably  and  attractively  situated.  He  has  lived  to  witness  many 
changes,  his  memory  compassing  the  period  of  pioneer  development  as  well  as  the  era 
of  later  progress  and  improvement  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  recalls  that  when 
a  small  child  his  parents  thought  they  heard  Indians  walking  in  the  creek  near  by 
His  father  told  the  mother  to  take  the  boy  in  her  arms  and  hide  somewhere  in  the 


628  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

bushes  while  he  took  his  gun  and  went  to  investigate,  but  on  so  doing  found  that  the 
noise  was  made  by  a  horse  feeding  in  the  creek.  He  had  told  his  wife  that  should! 
he  find  Indians  he  would  do  his  best  and  that  she  might  be  able  to  make  her  escape. 
This  occurred  in  the  dead  of  night  and  he  afterward  found  his  wife  hiding  in  the 
sagebrush. 

In  1901  Andrew  E.  Frost  was  married  to  Miss  Ada  Glenn,  daughter  of  J.  T.  Glenn, 
one  of  the  old-time  stockmen  and  pioneers  of  Idaho,  who  won  substantial  success  in 
his  business  career  and  is  now  living  retired.  Mr.  Frost  is  a  big-hearted  man  of  kindly 
nature  and  not  given  to  boasting.  That  he  possesses  excellent  executive  and  business 
ability  is  acknowledged  by  all,  for  the  results  thereof  are  manifest  in  the  conduct 
of  his  affairs. 


FRANCIS  MARION  PFOST. 

Francis  Marion  Pfost,  whose  forty-acre  farm  is  one  mile  west  of  the  Maple  Grove 
school  in  Ada  county,  is  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  born  in  Mason  county,  December  25, 
1867,  and  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Angeline  (Rickard)  Pfost.  His  mother  died  when 
he  was  only  nine  years  old  and  some  years  later  his  father  contracted  a  second  mar- 
riage. Francis  M.  Pfost  was  reared  to  the  age  of  fifteen  in  West  Virginia  but  in  1882 
went  to  Nebraska,  taking  up  his  residence  in  the  home  of  an  elder  brother,  Joseph  Pfost. 
He  lived  in  that  state  for  several  years  and  also  spent  some  time  in  Wyoming  and 
Montana  before  coming  to  Idaho  in  1896.  He  has  been  a  farmer  all  his  life  and  since 
settling  in  Idaho  he  has  followed  that  occupation  in  the  neighborhoods  of  Ustick  and 
Maple  Grove.  He  bought  his  present  farm,  lying  one  mile  west  of  Maple  Grove,  in  1918 
and  has  one  of  the  best  kept  places  in  this  part  of  Ada  county.  He  is  a  first  cousin  of 
Emmet  Pfost,  sheriff  of  Ada  county. 

On  February  13,  1898,  Mr.  Pfost  was  married  to  Sarah  Powell,  who  was  born  in 
Dubuque  county,  Iowa,  July  31,  1873,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Isadora  Jane  (McAuley) 
Powell,  the  former  of  English  extraction  and  the  latter  of  Irish  descent.  Her  paternal 
grandparents  were  natives  of  England.  When  Mrs.  Pfost  was  six  years  old  her  parents 
removed  to  Valley  county,  Nebraska,  where  she  was  reared.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pfost  are 
the  parents  of  six  living  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  while  Lester,  the 
eldest,  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years.  The  other  children  are:  Herbert  J.,  born  August 
25,  1900;  Sydna  L.,  September  4,  1902;  George  R.,  June  29,  1904;  Ruth  A.,  March  20, 
1906;  Cecil  M.,  March  10,  1910,  and  Edna  K.,  June  11,  1914. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pfost  are  earnest  members  of  the  Baptist  church  and  are  interested 
in  all  its  works.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  He  formerly  served 
as  road  overseer.  Mrs.  Pfost  is  a  member  of  the  Mountain  View  Club,  in  the  affairs  of 
which,  as  well  as  in  the  various  social  and  cultural  activities  in  and  around  Boise,  she  is 
an  active  and  practical  participant. 


ANTHONY  WOZNIAK. 

Anthony  Wozniak,  well-to-do  dairy  farmer  owning  forty-seven  acres  of  fine  land 
situated  three-quarters  of  a  mile  west  of  the  Maple  Grove  school  in  Ada  county,  is  a 
native  of  Poland,  born  December  31,  1874,  and  was  brought  to  America  when  an  infant 
of  eighteen  months  by  his  parents,  Stanislauf  and  Mihalina  Wozniak,  who  were  also 
natives  of  Poland.  The  family  came  to  the  United  States  in  1876  and  first  settled  in 
Missouri,  but  three  years  later  they  removed  to  Valley  county,  Nebraska,  where  Anthony 
Wozniak  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm. 

At  the  age  of  twenty,  in  1895,  Mr.  Wozniak  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  he 
worked  in  a  steel  mill  for  several  years,  and  traveled  about  the  country  a  good  deal. 
At  a  later  period  he  worked  in  North  and  South  Dakota,  where  he  was  employed  on 
farms,  in  shops  and  stores.  He  then  returned  to  Valley  county,  Nebraska,  and  in  Elyria, 
that  state,  he  conducted  a  general  store  for  five  years,  at  the  end  of  which  period,  in 
1908,  he  came  to  Idaho  and  for  ten  years  was  a  resident  of  the  Camas  Prairie  country, 
being  engaged  as  a  butcher  at  Fairfield. 

It  was  in  1918  that  Mr.  Wozniak  removed  to  Ada  county  and  bought  his  present 
valuable  ranch,  which  contains  forty-seven  acres  of  choice  land,  where  he  carries  oh 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  629 

general  agricultural  pursuits  and  dairying.  The  ranch  is  situated  in  a  district  where 
laud  sells  at  from  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  an  acre. 

In  early  manhood  Mr.  Wozniak  was  married  in  Nebraska  to  Valentina  Lebreska.  a 
native  of  Poland,  who  died  some  years  later,  leaving  five  children,  all  of  whom  are  still 
living,  namely:  Helen.  Laura,  Ralph,  Victoria  and  Julius.  The  two  eldest  are  in  con- 
vents preparing  to  be  Sisters  of  Mercy;  Ralph  is  with  his  father  on  the  ranch.  Mr. 
Wozniak's  second  marriage  was  in  Boise,  November  1,  1917,  to  Mrs.  Martha  Fahsholtz 
Tritthart,  who  was  born  at  Berne,  Kansas,  February  14,  1881.  Her  father,  Charles 
Fahsholtz,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  wag  brought  to  America  by  his  parents  when 
he  was  ten  years  old.  Mrs.  Wozniak's  first  husband  was  Charles  Tritthart,  who  died 
eight  years  after  their  marriage.  They  came  to  Idaho  in  1906  and  located  at  Corral, 
Camas  county. 

Mr.  Wozniak  has  a  good  herd  of  dairy  cattle,  mostly  Guernseys,  and  is  milking  eleven 
covs,  his  investment  in  this  line  paying  him  very  well.  He  has  carried  out  some 
valuable  improvements  on  his  place,  among  others  having  erected  a  silo  in  1919.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Catholic  church  and  supports  the  republican  party.  While  living  in 
Nebraska  he  served  as  road  overseer  and  filled  a  like  position  In  Camas  county,  this 
state.  Mrs.  Wozniak  is  a  member  of  the  Parent  Teachers  Association  of  the  Maple 
Grove  school  district  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  community  affairs,  ever  lending 
her  assistance  to  the  furtherance  of  all  projects  intended  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
district  in  which  she  resides. 


BERT  LINCOLN  PILGRIM. 

Bert  Lincoln  Pilgrim,  a  prominent  horticulturist  and  dairy  farmer,  who  for  several 
years  past  has  been  a  resident  of  the  Boise  district,  having  a  well  improved  forty-acre 
ranch  and  orchard  seven  miles  southwest  of  Boise,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Five  Mile 
school,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  in  DeKalb  county,  October  27.  1864,  and  is  a  son  of 
George  Washington  Pilgrim,  a  mechanic  by  occupation,  who  was  born  in  Orange  county. 
New  York,  February  1,  1829.  When  a  young  man  of  twenty-one,  in  1850,  the  father 
removed  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  became  a  pioneer  teacher,  conducting  school  in  an 
old  log  schcolhouse  with  a  puncheon  floor.  On  February  22,  1851,  he  was  married  to 
Emma  Smith  Parsons,  who  was  born  in  Clay  county,  Missouri,  April  27,  1834. 
They  became  the  parents  of  two  children,  namely:  Charles  Wesley  Pilgrim,  who  was 
born  February  9,  1853,  and  died  October  28,  1891,  at  Independence,  Missouri;  and  Bert 
Lincoln  Pilgrim,  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  father  died  June  22,  1907,  and  the 
mother  June  29,  1908,  a  year  and  one  week  separating  the  two  deaths.  Much  of  their 
married  life  was  spent  at  DeKalb,  Illinois,  where  their  son,  Bert  Lincoln,  was  born,  but 
their  last  years  were  passed  at  Independence.  Missouri,  where  they  died. 

Bert  L.  Pilgrim  was  five  years  old  when  his  parents  removed  to  Independence,  Mis- 
souri, and  in  that  place  he  received  his  early  education  and  spent  his  youth.  He  learned 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter  under  his  father,  who  was  a  skilled  mechanic  and  an  expert 
with  tools,  and  the  son  is  considered  his  equal  in  every  respect.  He  also  learned  the 
millwright's  trade.  He  worked  at  carpentering  in  Independence  until  1902.  when  he 
removed  to  Idaho.  Some  five  years  before  this  he  was  married  in  southern  Nebraska, 
December  11,  1887,  to  Myrtle  Jency  Stilwell,  who  was  born  in  Green  county,  Wisconsin, 
September  10,  1870,  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Nancy  Lewania  (Lewis)  Stilwell.  Her 
father  is  still  living,  but  her  mother  died  December  30,  1899,  at  Payette,  Idaho. 

In  1892,  Mr.  Pilgrim  and  his  wife  came  to  the  northwest  and  for  five  years  lived 
on  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Oregon,  the  place  being  located  near 
Payette,  Idaho.  They  improved  the  homestead  to  some  extent  and  proved  up  on  it 
In  1896  they  removed  to  Boise  and  lived  there  until  1908,  when  they  located  on  their 
present  ranch  at  Five  Mile.  At  that  time  the  place  had  nothing  on  it  in  the  way  of 
improvements  but  a  small  house  and  other  modest  buildings.  One  half  of  the  forty 
acres,  however,  had  been  planted  as  an  apple  orchard,  and  the  management  of  his  orchard 
and  dairying  has  occupied  Mr.  Pilgrim's  attention  since  1908.  During  his  residence  in 
Boise  he  worked  as  a  carpenter  and  millwright  Since  settling  on  his  ranch  he  has 
made  many  modern  improvements  and  has  now  one  of  the  best  country  homes  near 
Boise.  His  two-story  eight-room  house  is  fully  equipped  with  all  conveniences,  the 
entire  work  being  done  by  himself. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pilgrim  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Mabel  May,  born  November 
12,  1889,  was  married  December  11,  1914,  to  John  C.  Carringer,  and  reside  in  Boise. 


630  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Leonard  Guy  Pilgrim,  torn  September  25,  1893,  was  married  in  August,  1913,  to  Mamie 
Marie  Crawford,  a  daughter  of  E.  F.  Crawford,  a  well  known  Ada  county  pioneer  and 
rancher.  Mr.  Pilgrim  is  a  past  grand  master  in  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
He  supports  the  republican  party  and  formerly  served  as  a  school  trustee.  He  and  his 
wife  take  a  proper  share  in  the  social  and  cultural  activities  of  the  community  in 
which  they  make  their  home  and  are  ever  ready  to  lend  their  aid  to  all  movements 
intended  for  the  advancement  of  the  public  welfare. 


JOE  RATLIFF. 

Joe  Ratliff  is  a  well  known  citizen  of  Ada  county,  who  was  an  extensive  dealer 
in  livestock  until  the  spring  of  1920,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  a  forty-acre  ranch,  one 
mile  west  of  the  Maple  Grove  school,  which  property  he  has  just  bought  and  is  now 
engaged  in  farming.  He  was  born  in  Bell  county,  Texas,  February  5, 1871,  a  son  of  Robert 
and  Susan  (Gresham)  Ratliff,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Tennessee  and  have  been  aead 
for  some  years.  Robert  Ratliff  was  a  soldier  in  the  Confederate  States  army  and  fought 
in  many  engagements  during  the  Civil  war.  In  the  year  1882  the  family  removed  to 
Baker  City,  Oregon,  where  they  remained  but  a  short  time  and  soon  afterward  came 
to  Idaho,  locating  near  Bellevue. 

Joe  Ratliff  has  had  a  continuous  residence  in  Idaho  since  1882,  having  lived  mostly 
in  Owyhee  county,  where  he  was  extensively  engaged  in  raising  cattle  and  sheep  and  at 
which  he  was  very  successful.  Finally,  he  abandoned  that  business  and  in  the  spring 
of  1920  located  on  his  present  place,  which  is  a  well  kept  ranch  of  forty  acres  one  mile 
west  of  the  Maple  Grove  school,  and  there  Mr.  Ratliff  and  his  family  reside. 

On  May  1,  1907,  Mr.  Ratliff  was  united  in  marriage  to  Flora  Tindall,  who  was  born 
in  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  September  17,  1884,  a  daughter  of  William  J.  and  Perlina 
(Watson)  Tindall,  both  of  whom  now  live  in  Owyhee  county,  Idaho.  Mrs.  Ratliff  was 
but  twelve  months  old  when  her  parents  removed  to  Idaho.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ratliff  have 
one  son,  Elton,  born  January  6,  1908.  Notwithstanding  that  'they  have  but  recently 
arrived  in  the  Boise  neighborhood,  they  are  already  establishing  themselves  in  the 
friendship  and  goodwill  of  the  community  in  which  they  reside.  Mr.  Ratliff  is  a  member 
of  the  Idaho  Cattle  Breeders  Association,  in  the  affairs  of  which  he  takes  an  active 
interest. 


WILLIAM   M.   STAFFORD. 

William  M.  Stafford,  night  watchman  at  the  state  capitol  in  Boise,  was  born  in 
Barry,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  June  20,  1856,  a  son  of  John  L.  and  Eliza  J.  (Arnett) 
Stafford,  who  came  to  this  state  in  1864,  when  he  was  a  little  lad  of  nine  years.  The 
family  crossed  the  plains  with  a  .wagon  train  from  Kansas  there  being  about  ninety 
wagons  for  the  greater  part  of  the  journey.  On  reaching  Idaho  the  family  located  in 
Boise,  the  father  working  at  his  trade  of  a  carpenter  at  the  fort.  Mrs.  Stafford,  the 
foster-mother  of  William  M.,  later  became  the  wife  of  George  D.  Ellis,  who  in  his  day 
was  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  Boise,  being  president  of  the  Capital  State 
Bank  and  otherwise  connected  with  the  commercial  life  of  the  city.  Ellis  avenue  and 
the  Ellis  addition  to  Boise  were  named  for  him. 

All  of  the  education  that  William  M.  Stafford  obtained  during  his  boyhood  was  at 
the  old  brick  schoolhouse  in  Boise,  where  the  Carnegie  library  now  stands.  In  early 
life  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  as  a  builder  and  contractor  erected  many  of 
the  best  residences  and  other  buildings  in  Boise,  but  for  several  years  he  was  also 
interested  in  ranching  and  in  cattle  raising.  During  the  '70s  he  took  an  active  part 
in  the  exciting  and  thrilling  incidents  that  grew  out  of  the  Bannock  war,  serving 
as  a  volunteer. 

On  the  13th  of  June,  1880,  at  Boise,  Mr.  Stafford  was  married  to  Miss  Hattie  L. 
Eager,  who  was  born  in  Mondovi,  Buffalo  county,  Wisconsin,  July  1,  1866,  a  daughter  of 
Luther  L.  and  Abigail  M.  (Holden)  Eager.  Her  father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
was  born  in  New  Hampshire  of  German  descent  and  her  mother  was  a  native  of  Maine. 
She  accompanied  her  parents  to  Idaho  in  1877,  crossing  the  plains  by  wagon  train. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stafford  have  an  only  daughter,  Abbie  T.,  the  wife  of  John  Hagler,  of 
Boise,  who  owns  a  ranch  northwest  of  the  city.  . 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  631 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stafford  give  their  political  support  to  the  republican  party  and  for 
a  time  he  served  on  the  police  force  in  Baker,  Oregon,  and  as  constable  in  Placervllle. 
Idaho.  At  present  he  is  night  watchman  at  the  Idaho  state  capitol.  He  is  a  past  grand 
and  past  chief  patriarch  of  Boise  Lodge,  No.  97,  I.  O.  O.  F..  and  served  as  staff  captain 
for  nine  years.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah  and 
he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  Mrs.  Stafford  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  church  and  for  the  past  sixteen  years  has  been  active  in  the  work  of 
the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  being  past  president  of  the  Boise  branch  of  that  organiza- 
tion. She  is  now  junior  vice  president  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  Department  of 
Idaho,  and  has  held  various  other  offices  in  that  lodge.  She  is  the  possessor  of  several 
honorary  badges  awarded  for  service  in  the  work.  In  a  large  frame  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stafford  have  scores  of  honorary  emblems  and  badges  which  have  been  presented  to 
them  for  excellent  help  rendered  in  many  deserving  causes  of  a  public  character.  Mr. 
Stafford  has  been  a  great  hunter  and  fisherman  in  his  day  and  many  hunting  trophies 
are  to  be  seen  in  his  home. 


FRANK  MARCELLUS. 

Frank  Marcellus,  well-to-do  rancher,  is  a  pioneer  of  the  Five  Mile  school  neigh- 
borhood, living  nine  miles  southwest  of  Boise,  where  he  has  a  forty-acre  ranch  on  which. 
he  settled  in  1894.  He  is  a  native  of  the  great  Empire  state,  born  near  Saratoga  Springs 
in  Saratoga  county,  New  York,  July  17,  1868,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  L.  Marcellus,  a 
descendant  of  an  old  New  York  Mohawk  Holland-Dutch  family.  The  paternal  grand- 
father came  from  Holland  in  an  early  day  and  located  on  the  Mohawk  river.  Charles  L. 
Marcellus  married  Helen  Baker,  who  is  still  living  near  Saratoga  Springs,  New  York. 

Their  son,  Frank  Marcellus,  grew  up  in  the  village  of  Day,  Saratoga  county,  New 
York,  where  his  father  was  a  merchant.  He  was  married  there,  April  8,  1891,  to  Libbie 
Van  Avery,  also  of  Holland  Dutch  descent,  born  in  the  same  county  as  her  husband.  In 
1894  they  left  New  York  state  and  came  to  Boise  valley,  Idaho,  locating  on  their  present 
ranch.  Before  leaving  New  York  Mr.  Marcellus  had  purchased  the  forty-acre  tract  on 
which  he  now  lives  for  eleven  dollars  an  acre,  it  being  then  all  sagebrush,  but  he  at 
once  proceeded  to  improve  and  develop  it  and  competent  judges  now  value  it  at  about 
three  hundred  dollars  an  acre.  Since  coming  to  Idaho,  in  addition  to  operating  the 
forty-acre  ranch,  Mr.  Marcellus  spent  sufficient  time  away  from  it  to  prove  up  on  a 
homestead  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  sixteen  miles  southeast  of  Boise — a  dry 
farm  proposition, — which  he  sold  in  1919  for  five  thousand  dollars.  Since  settling  in 
this  state  he  has  had  conspicuous  success  with  his  farming  investments  and  now  ranks 
among  the  most  substantial  farmers  of  the  district  in  which  he  lives. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marcellus  are  the  parents  of  six  children:  Ruth,  Grace,  Madge, 
Gladys,  Mildred  and  Jean.  Ruth  is  now  the  wife  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  of  Murphy,  Owyhee 
county  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Frank  Lee  and  Georgia  Lee.  Mr. 
Marcellus  has  been  a  life-long  democrat  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Non-Partisan 
League.  He  and  his  wife  take  an  active  interest  in  all  community  affairs  and  are  ever 
ready  to  help  all  movements  intended  for  the  public  welfare. 


CHARLES  H.  HUNTINGTON. 

The  late  Charles  H.  Huntington.  for  years  a  well  known  resident  of  Ada  county, 
died  on  his  ranch  nine  miles  southwest  of  Boise.  February  16,  1919,  and  his  widow  still 
lives  on  that  place.  He  came  to  Idaho,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  two  children,  in 
1890.  The  family  were  originally  from  the  state  of  Vermont  but  in  1879  removed  to 
Kansas.  Mr.  Huntington  was  born  in  Shaftsbury,  Bennington  county,  Vermont,  Feb- 
ruary If,  1853,  a  son  of  Myron  and  Mary  (Cross)  Huntington,  also  natives  of  the  Green 
Mountain  state.  On  January  1,  1878,  he  was  married  to  Lydia  Squires,  whose  birth- 
place was  also  Shaftsbury,  and  she  is  a  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Polly  (McDonald)  Squires, 
natives  of  Vermont.  In  the  year  following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huntington  went 
west  as  far  as  Kansas  and  thence  to  Idaho  in  1890.  They  first  spent  two  years  in 
Boise  and  then  nine  years  on  the  ranch  now  owned  by  H.  B.  Illingworth,  near  Perkins 
store.  The  place  was  sold  in  1901,  and  the  Huntington  family  then  removed  to  a  ranch 


632  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

which  they  purchased.  On  this  farm  Mrs.  Huntington  now  lives  and  here  her  husband 
passed  away  February  16,  1919,  regretted  by  many  friends,  being  recognized  during  his 
residence  in  the  Boise  district  as  an  upright  citizen  and  a  good  neighbor. 

The  ranch,  which  contains  fifty  acres,  is  well  developed  and  well  improved,  practically 
all  the  improvements  having  been  made  by  Mr.  Huntington.  He  was  a  man  of  consider- 
able influence,  which  he  ever  used  for  the  benefit  of  all  deserving  persons  and  purposes. 
During  his  active  life  he  was  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  republican  party  and  served 
two  terms  on  the  board  of  county  commissioners  of  Ada  county  and  also  had  other 
positions  of  trust  reposed  in  him  from  time  to  time. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huntington  became  the  parents  of  four  children,  as  follows:  Alice  May, 
born  October  2,  1884,  died  January  19,  1915.  Charles  H.,  Jr.,  born  July  26,  1888,  married 
Rosa  Backus  and  they  have  three  children;  Rosa  M.,  born  August  2,  1910;  Clifton  E., 
born  January  16,  1914,  and  Donald  D.,  May  2,  1919.  Frank  Myron,  born  July  3,  1890, 
is  the  third  child  of  the  family,  and  the  fourth  is  Dollie  Jennie,  born  April  27,  1894, 
who  resides  with  her  mother.  Charles  H.  Huntington,  the  elder  son,  is  living  on  a 
homestead  of  his  own  on  Black  creek,  fifteen  miles  southeast  of  Boise.  Frank  M.,  the 
younger  son,  resides  in  a  cottage  near  his  mother's  place  on  the  home  ranch  and  farms 
it.  He  married  Cora  Bell  Heard,  who  was  born  at  Lebanon,  Missouri,  December  22, 
1896,  a  daughter  of  Charles  Grant  Heard  and  Sarah  Elizabeth  (Lewis)  Heard,  the  latter 
of  whom  died  in  Walla  Walla,  Washington,  April  25,  1916.  Mr.  Heard,  who  is  still 
living  in  Boise,  brought  his  family  to  Idaho  before  Mrs.  Cora  Bell  Huntington  was  a 
year  old  and  they  located  at  Mountain  Home,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood,  but  later 
they  removed  to  Boise.  She  is  the  mother  of  three  children.  She  and  her  husband 
take  an  active  interest  in  all  community  affairs  calculated  to  advance  the  welfare  of 
the  people  among  whom  they  live. 


CHARLES  CARROLL  RANDALL. 

The  ranch  property  of  Charles  Carroll  Randall  comprises  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
six  acres,  situated  fourteen  miles  west  of  Emmett  and  three  miles  west  of  Letha. 
Mr.  Randall  is  a  pioneer  of  the  Payette  valley,  having  lived  in  this  section  of  the  state 
since  1862,  when  he  removed  from  California  to  Idaho.  He  was  born  in  Rushville, 
Schuyler  county,  Illinois,  December  17,  1835,  and  is  therefore  now  in  the  eighty- 
fifth  year  of  his  age.  His  parents  were  Jonathan  G.  and  Hethey  (Majors)  Randall. 

Charles  C.  Randall  passed  the  days  of  his  boyhood  in  his  native  state  and  in  1854, 
when  a  youth  of  nineteen  years,  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California,  his  outfit  con- 
sisting ,of  three  ox  teams,  which  he  drove,  although  he  walked  most  of  the  way  him- 
self, traveling  barefooted  across  the  plains  and  thus  reaching  California.  Just  after 
his  party  entered  California  they  killed  a  rattlesnake  that  was  ten  feet  long  and  had 
sixty-two  rattles.  Mr.  Randall  spent  about  ten  years  in  California  engaged  in  min- 
ing and  other  pursuits  and  then  came  to  Idaho.  He  has  never  married  and  upon  his 
ranch  with  him  resides  his  nephew,  Richard  Ralph  Parrott,  who  was  born  in  Han- 
cock county,  Illinois,  December  24,  1868,  and  who  came  to  Idaho  when  but  four  years 
of  age  with  his  parents,  Henry  and  Caroline  Elizabeth  (Randall)  Parrott,  the  latter 
being  the  youngest,  sister  of  Charles  Carroll  Randall.  Both  of  Mr.  Parrott's  parents 
have  now  passed  away  and  he  resides  with  his  uncle,  with  whom  he  has  spent  much 
of  his  life,  his  mother  dying  when  he  was  but  six  years  of  age.  For  the  past  six  years 
he  has  steadily  remained  with  his  uncle  on  the  ranch,  for  the  latter,  now  in  the  evening 
of  his  life,  needs  a  companion,  although  he  is  still  strong  andi  vigorous  despite  his 
eighty-five  years. 

Being  a  bachelor,  Mr.  Randall  wandered  around  to  some  extent  after  coming  to 
Idaho,  living  in  the  Boise  basin  for  a  time  and  also  at  Horse  Shoe  Bend,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  hotel  business,  but  finally  he  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  just  on  the  other  side  of  the  Payette  river  which  he  improved  and 
developed,  making  it  his  place  of  residence  for  many  years.  Later  he  purchased  his 
present  ranch  and  for  several  years  he  owned  both  of  these  properties  but  eventually 
sold  the  homestead. 

Throughout  his  life  Mr.  Randall  has  been  a  republican  and  his  religious  faith  is 
that  of  the  Baptist  church.  He  has  ever  been  a  man  of  temperate  habits,  enjoying, 
however,  a  smoke,  and  he  is  the  possessor  of  a  fine  silver-mounted  meerschaum  pipe 
which  he  has  used  for  forty-seven  years.  Recently  an  Emmett  artist  enlarged  and 


CHARLES  C.   RANDALL 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  635 

framed  a  fine  picture  of  him,  taken  with  his  meerschaum  pipe  in  bis  mouth— a  pic- 
ture so  true  to  life  and  character  that  it  would  prove  interesting  even  to  a  stranger. 
Mr.  Randall  evidently  comes  of  a  family  noted  for  longevity.  He  has  a  sister  eighty- 
nine  years  of  age  now  living  in  Boise.  This  is  Mrs  Eunice  Ann  Parrott.  who  became 
the  wife  of  William  Parrott,  a  brother  of  Henry  Parrott,  mentioned  above. 


WILLIAM  NYBORO. 

In  the  fall  of  1919,  William  Nyborg  came  into  possession  of  his  present  ranch  property 
by  purchase.  The  tract  comprises  more  than  forty  acres  of  land,  of  which  seven  acres' 
is  planted  to  prunes.  This  ranch  is  situated  five  miles  west  of  Boise  and  to  it  he 
removed  from  Fremont  county,  where  he  owned  a  ranch  property  that  he  sold  prior  to 
Taking  up  his  abode  in  the  Boise  valley.  Mr.  Nyborg  is  a  native  of  Mount  Pleasant. 
Sanpete  county,  Utah.  He  was  born  May  19,  1875,  his  parents  being  Andrew  Olson  and 
Engra  (Hanson)  Nyborg,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Sweden  but  were  married  in 
Oklahoma.  They  went  to  Utah  as  converts  to  the  Mormon  church. 

Their  son,  William  Nyborg,  was  reared  at  Mount  Pleasant  and  in  young  manhood 
came  to  Idaho.  For  a  time  he  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Idaho  Falls  and  then  went  to 
Fremont  county,  where  he  became  a  prominent  rancher,  ultimately  owning  there  two 
hundred  and  fifteen  acres  of  excellent  land,  which  he  sold  for  more  than  eighty  dollars 
per  acre  upon  removing  to  Ada  county.  His  present  Boise  Valley  ranch  is  not  large  but 
is  very  valuable  and  is  in  a  neighborhood  where  farm  lands  are  selling  at  almost  five 
hundred  dollars  per  acre.  The  characteristic  energy  which  enabled  him  to  successfully 
manage  and  operate  his  ranch  property  will  win  for  him  prosperity  as  an  orchardist. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1906,  Mr.  Nyborg  was  married  to  Miss  Laurinda  Jensen, 
a  lady  of  Danish  descent,  who  was  born  at  Mount  Pleasant,  Utah,  May  3,  1886,  a  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Laura  (Hansen)  Jensen,  the  former  a  native  of  Denmark  and  the  latter 
of  Utah.  Mrs.  Nyborg  had  removed  with  her  mother  to  Fremont  county,  Idaho,  when 
fourteen  years  of  age.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nyborg  have  been  born  five  sons  and  a  daughter: 
William  Que,  who  was  born  October  29,  1907;  Leoda,  whose  birth  occurred  August  26, 
1909;  Newland  Jay,  whose  natal  day  was  February  11,  1912;  Andrew  Glenn,  born 
January  16,  1915;  Addrin  Engavor,  born  November  20,  1916;  and  Peter  Dean,  who  was 
born  on  the  10th  of  December,  1919.  One  daughter,  Viola,  died  when  but  six  weeks 
old.  She  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nyborg  are  supporters  of 
the  republican  party,  giving  to  it  stalwart  allegiance,  and  they  are  interested  in  every- 
thing that  pertains  to  the  welfare,  progress  and  upbuilding  of  the  district  and  state  in 
which  they  reside. 


CLINTON  MATLOCK. 

Clinton  Matlock,  a  retired  farmer  residing  near  Meridian,  was  born  near  Hot  Springs, 
Arkansas,  October  10,  1856,  and  in  the  spring  of  1863  went  to  the  southeastern  section 
of  Missouri  with  his  parents,  Clinton  Albert  and  Susan  (Weaver)  Matlock.  The  parents 
were  natives  of  the  state  of  Tennessee  and  were  there  reared  and  married. 

After  living  for  a  number  of  years  in  Missouri,  during  which  time  he  acquired  his 
education  in  the  public  schools,  Clinton  Matlock  came  to  Idaho  in  September,  1882. 
traveling  by  team  across  the  plains  to  Boise.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Elizabeth  Sexton  and  was  a  native  of  Wright  county,  Missouri, 
and  their  little  son,  William  Henry.  -  They  were  upon  the  road  for  about  six  months 
and  their  train  numbered  at  different  periods  from  twelve  to  one  hundred  teams.  There 
was  much  sickness  among  the  party  as  they  traveled  westward.  Mrs.  Mattock's  people 
\vere  with  the  train  and  because  of  the  illness  of  some  of  them  they  had  to  stop  at  Soda 
springs,  Idahu  until  they  were  again  able  to  travel. 

After  reaching  his  destination  Mr.  Matlock  engaged  in  working  in  the  mines  and 
also  followed  teaming  and  farming  until  June,  1893,  when  he  took  up  a  homestead  a  mile 
west  and  two  and  a  quarter  miles  north  of  Meridian,  thus  securing  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  which  was  covered  with  a  native  growth  of  sagebrush,  not  a  furrow  having 
been  turned  nor  an  improvement  made  upon  the  place.  He  and  his  eldest  son,  William 
Henry,  then  began  clearing  the  property  and  brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 


636  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  family  home  being  maintained  thereon  until  1918,  when  Mr.  Matlock  rented  the 
farm  to  his  son,  James  Clarence,  and  purchased  a  home  in  Meridian,  \vhere  he  and  his 
wife  now  reside,  surrounded  by  all  of  the  comforts  and  maiiy  of  the  luxuries  which 
go  to  make  life  worth  the  living.  As  the  years  have  passed  he  has  become  numbered 
among  the  successful  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of  his  section,  his  business  affairs  being 
carefully,  systematically  and  energetically  conducted,  so  that  most  desirable  results 
have  accrued.  Mr.  Matlock  has  raised  some  of  the  finest  registered  Percheron  horses  in 
the  state  and  now  has  a  three  year  old  colt  weighing  more  than  a  ton.  He  has  never 
failed  to  win  a  prize  on  any  horses  that  he  has  ever  exhibited  at  the  fairs  held  in 
Idaho.  He  has  also  engaged  in  raising  fine  hogs  and  the  various  branches  of  his  busi- 
ness have  brought  to  him  very  gratifying  financial  returns. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matlock  not  only  have  reason  to  be  proud  of  their  success  but  have 
still  greater  reason  to  be  proud  of  their  family.  Their  sons,  Henry  and  Dave,  under  the 
firm  style  of  Matlock  Brothers,  are  proprietors  of  the  finest  garage  in  Meridian,  it  being 
thoroughly  up  to  date  in  every  particular.  The  family  also  numbers  twin  daughters, 
Ada  May  and  Ida  Fay.  The  former  is  the  wife  of  H.  A.  Bentley  and  they  have  five 
children,  Lilly,  Gladys,  Clinton,  Robert  and  Carrol.  Ida  Fay  is  the  wife  of  Elmer  Adams. 
James  Clarence  and  Clara  Elizabeth  are  also  twins.  The  latter  is  the  wife  of  Luther 
Jenkins.  Cassie  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Bates  and  resides  in  the  eastern  part  of  Idaho.  The 
eldest  son,  William  Henry,  wedded  Georgia  Hicks,  a  native  of  West  Virginia,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Eula  Louise,  Grace  Marie  and  Claude.  The  son  James  Clarence 
married  Maude  Young  and  is  the  father  of  three  children,  Alta,  Olin  and  Johnnie.  The 
son  Dave,  mentioned  before  as  a  successful  garage  proprietor  at  Meridian,  returned  in 
1919  from  France,  where  he  was  a  member  of  the  Fortieth  Division  of  the  One  Hundred 
and  Fifty-eighth  Infantry.  The  armistice  was  signed  before  he  entered  the  actual 
fighting.  He  served  as  a  member  of  President  Wilson's  bodyguard  in  Paris,  being  one 
of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  picked  men  from  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-eighth  Infantry 
who  were  selected  for  that  duty. 

The  father  of  this  family,  Clinton  Matlock,  deserves  much  credit  for  what  he  has 
accomplished.  It  was  a  resolute  will,  a  stout  heart  and  determined  purpose  that  enabled 
him  and  his  little  family  to  come  to  Idaho  thirty-eight  years  ago,  braving  the  hard- 
ships of  a  long  trip  by  team  across  the  plains.  In  the  years  which  have  since  come 
and  gone  Mr.  Matlock  has  borne  his  part  as  a  progressive  farmer  of  Ada  county  and 
today  is  enjoying  in  well  earned  rest  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil. 

"How  blest  is  he 
Who  crowns  in  shades  like  these 
A  youth  of  labor 
With  an  age  of  ease." 


JAMES  H.  MASON. 

James  H.  Mason,  a  market  gardener  residing  at  Parker,  was  born  in  Louth,  Lin- 
colnshire, England,  September  28,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Jane  (Bulmer) 
Mason,  who  were  also  natives  of  England.  The  father  was  a  worker  in  fancy  wire  in 
the  old  country.  He  remained  a  resident  of  England  throughout  his  entire  life.  The 
mother,  however,  became  a  convert  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
and  came  to  the  new  world  in  January,  1849.  She  made  her  way  across  the  country 
to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  where  she  lived  for  three  years,  and  then  made  the  journey 
across  the  plains  in  a  wagon  drawn  by  oxen  and  cows.  She  settled  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
where  the  family  remained  from  1852  until  the  mother's  death  on  the  21st  of  March, 
1885,  when  she  had  reached  the  age  of  eighty  years.  After  coming  to  this  country  she 
became  the  wife  of  Levi  Savage,  who  was  a  pioneer  of  Utah  and  who  passed  away  at 
Malad,  Idaho. 

James  H.  Mason  was  seven  years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his  mother  to  the  new 
world.  They  were  nine  weeks  upon  the  ocean  in  a  sailing  vessel.  After  reaching  Salt 
Lake  Mr.  Mason  attended  school,  but  when  only  eleven  years  of  age  found  it  necessary 
to  put  aside  his  textbooks  and  provide  for  his  own  support.  In  the  early  days  he  dug 
potatoes  on  shares.  When  about  nineteen  years  of  age  he  purchased  land  in  Morgan 
county,  Utah,  and  this  he  improved  and  cultivated  for  eight  years,  after  which  he 
established  his  home  in  the  city  of  Morgan.  While  farming  he  taught  school  in  the 
winter  months  and  following  his  removal  to  Morgan  he  was  elected  county  superin- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  637 

tendent  of  schools  and  occupied  that  position  for  two  terms.  While  there  residing  he 
was  chairman  of  the  board  of  school  examiners  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  also 
elected  county  assessor  and  collector  and  filled  that  position  for  one  term. 

In  1884  he  removed  to  Oneida  county,  Idaho,  which  was  afterward  divided  into 
several  other  counties,  so  that  Mr.  Mason  has  lived  in  three  counties,  yet  without 
removing  from  one  place  to  another.  He  filed  on  land  five  miles  south  of  Parker,  on 
the  Egin  bench,  and  he  also  has  a  preemption  claim  at  Parker.  Throughout  the  interven- 
ing period  he  has  carried  on  farming  and  gardening  and  has  met  with  substantial 
prosperity.  In  1899  he  turned  his  farms  over  to  his  sons  and  purchased  a  small  tract  of 
land  of  two  and  two-thirds  acres  in  Parker  and  has  since  devoted  that  place  to  the 
raising  of  garden  produce.  He  has  also  done  considerable  soliciting  in  the  sale  of  books 
and  household  utensils  and  in  that  way  has  added  materially  to  his  annual  income. 

On  the  10th  of  August,  1861,  Mr.  Mason  was  married  to  Miss  Pamela  Bullock  and 
to  them  were  born  eleven  children:  James  T.  B.,  who  was  born  September  20,  1862; 
Pamela  J.  H.  and  Henrietta  L.  B.,  twins,  born  June  30,  1865;  Frank  H.,  born  August  5, 
186?;  Mary  H.,  July  26,  1869;  Edith  Constance,  January  4,  1872;  Fred  H.,  August  18, 
1874;  Horby  W.,  August  30,  1876;  Gertrude  E.,  October  12,  1878;  Norman  H.,  January 
14,  1881;  and  Ernest  P.  B.,  October  6,  1883.  Of  these  children  two  are  deceased: 
Henrietta,  who  died  October  19,  1865;  and  Norman,  whose  death  occurred  on  the  17th 
of  August,  1914.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Mason  chose  Clara  E.  Eardley,  whom  he  wedded 
April  9,  1867,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  seven  children:  John  E.,  born  October  8, 
f868;  Clarence  G.,  who  was  born  November  13,  1870,  and  died  December  19,  1902;  Louis 
C.,  who  was  born  May  14,  1873,  and  died  August  17,  1887;  Harry  R.,  who  was  born  March 
30,  1876,  and  died  February  8,  1882;  Cecil  E.,  born  September  15,  1,878;  Clara  L.,  January 
21,  1881;  and  Joseph  H.,  January  14,  1885.  The  death  of  the  second  wife  occurred 
February  2,  1913. 

Mr.  Mason  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  for 
sixteen  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  High  Council  in  the  church.  His  political  endorse- 
ment is  given  to  the  democratic  party  and  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day  but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  His  progressive  spirit  is  manifest 
in  many  ways  and  his  business  enterprise  has  been  a  dominant  factor  in  the  attainment 
of  substantial  success. 


JAMES  H.  McCLENAHAN. 

James  H.  McClenahan,  a  rancher  on  the  Boise  bench,  his  home  being  a  half  mile 
northwest  of  the  Idaho  State  Fair  Grounds,  was  born  in  Guernsey  county,  Ohio,  April 
29,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Grizzella  (Stewart)  McClenahan,  who  were  also 
natives  of  the  Buckeye  state.  The  paternal  grandparents  were  John  and  Mary  (Urie) 
McClenahan,  who  came  to  the  United  States  from  Ireland  and  eventually  took  up  their 
abode  in  Guernsey  county,  Ohio. 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  his  native  county  James  H.  McClenahan  of  this  review  was 
reared  and  he  supplemented  his  common  school  education  by  a  college  course.  He  also 
taught  school  for  a  few  years  in  early  manhood  and  throughout  his  entire  life  he  has 
been  interested  in  all  of  the  questions  which  have  to  do  with  world  progress  and  the 
welfare  of  the  race. 

On  the  8th  of  January,  1884,  Mr.  McClenahan  was  married  in  Guernsey  county, 
Ohio,  to  Miss  Ella  Turkic,  who  was  there  born  November  15,  1861,  and  who  had  been 
a  schoolmate  of  his  youth,  they  being  reared  upon  adjoining  farms.  Mrs.  McClenahan 
is  a  daughter  of  Francis  and  Mary  (Nace)  Turkic,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ohio 
and  of  Irish  and  German  descent  respectively.  Her  grandfather,  John  Turkic,  came 
from  Ireland  in  1818.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClenahan  began  their  .domestic  life  in  Ohio, 
where  they  continued  to  reside  until  1911  and  then  came  to  the  northwest,  settling  in 
Idaho. «  In  1913  they  took  up  their  abode  upon  their  present  ranch  on  the  Boise  bench, 
where  they  have  an  attractive  suburban  home  with  five  acres  of  land,  worth  perhaps 
two  thousand  dollars  per  acre.  Near  by  they  own  another  tract  of  eight  and  a  half 
acres  which  is  also  well  improved.  Mr.  McClenahan  is  engaged  in  raising  pure  bred  live 
stock,  including  registered  Jersey  cattle  and  Poland  China  hogs.  He  is  a  lover  of  good 
stock  and  all  the  animals  on  his  place  are  pure  bred.  In  addition  to  his  other  interests 
Mr.  McClenahan  is  a  director  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Cald- 


638  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

well,  Idaho,  which  was  established  in  1908  and  which  on  the  1st  of  July,  1919,  had  almost 
eight  million  dollars  of  insurance  in  force. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClenahan  have  been  born  three  children.  Eula,  the  eldest,  is 
the  wife  of  Rev.  C.  H.  Beall,  of  Pennsylvania,  a  Methodist  minister.  Raymond  is  married 
and  lives  in  Canyon  county,  Idaho.  Mary,  living  at  home,  is  secretary  of  the  Boise 
Young  Woman's  Christian  Association  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  domestic  science  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Idaho.  Mr.  McClenahan  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  he  is  serving  as  an  elder,  and  his  older  daughter 
was  for  six  years  a  missionary  at  Alexandria,  Egypt,  prior  to  her  marriage.  They 
have  ever  been  most  active  workers  in  behalf  of  moral  progress  and  the  uplift  of  their 
fellowmen  and  Mr.  McClenahan  has  ever  been  numbered  among  the  citizens  of  Ada 
county  whom  to  know  is  to  esteem  and  respect. 


HIRAM  H.  McGUIRE. 

Hiram  H.  McGuire,  a  rancher  residing  two  miles  northwest  of  Boise,  where  he  has 
twenty-two  and  a  half  acres  on  the  bench,  took  up  his  abode  on  this  place  in  the  fall  of 
1919,  removing  from  a  ranch  near  the  Whitney  school,  southwest  of  Boise.  Mr.  McGuire 
is  a  native  of  Missouri.  He  was  born  April  2,  1884,  and  is  a  son  of  James  W.  and  Sarah 
Adelaide  (Hilliard)  McGuire,  the  latter  now  deceased,  while  the  former  is  still  living. 
The  youthful  days  of  Hiram  H.  McGuire  were  spent  in  his  native  state,  where  he 
acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools,  no  event  of  special  importance  occurring 
to  vary  the  routine  of  farm  life  for  him  in  his  youth. 

While  still  residing  in  Missouri,  Mr.  McGuire  was  married  to  Miss  Kate  Goodwin, 
who  was  born  in  Missouri,  October  30,  1890.  The  wedding  was  celebrated  in  Barry 
county,  Missouri,  on  the  22d  of  July,  1906.  Mrs.  McGuire  is  a  daughter  of  James  W.  and 
Mary  E.  (Brattin)  Goodwin,  who  are  now  living  near  Meridian,  Idaho.  For  eight  years 
after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGuire  continued  residents  of  Missouri  and  in  1914 
came  to  Ada  county,  Idaho,  where  he  has  since  followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  He 
continued  to  cultivate  rented  land  until  1919,  when  he  purchased  his  present  ranch, 
comprising  twenty-two  and  a  half  acres,  upon  which  are  good  buildings  and  a  consider- 
able amount  of  fruit.  He  is  also  conducting  the  place  as  a  dairy  ranch. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGuire  have  been  born  three  children:  Cora  M.,  who  was  born 
April  23,  1908;  Clarence  S.,  whose  birth  occurred  October  5,  1909;  and  James  Goodwin, 
whose  natal  day  was  October  6,  1912.  Fraternally  Mr.  McGuire  is  connected  with  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World.  Both  he  and  his  wife  give  their  political  support  to  the 
republican  party.  They  are  Protestants  in  religious  faith  and  both  are  members  of  the 
Parents  Teachers  Association  of  the  Cole  school  district.  They  are  interested  in  all 
the  vital  problems  which  have  to  do  with  the  progress,  prosperity  and  advancement 
of  the  community  and  the  commonwealth  and  are  especially  giving  careful  consideration 
to  all  the  questions  which  affect  the  welfare  of  children. 


JACK  R.  MOON. 

Jack  R.  Moon,  a  rancher  residing  on  the  old  Storey  place  just  west  of  Boise  and  near 
the  County  Hospital,  purchased  and  took  possession  of  this  ranch  in  the  fall  of  1919. 
removing  to  Ada  county  from  St.  Anthony.  He  owned  a  large  ranch  in  Fremont  county 
and  resided  upon  it  for  several  years  but  disposed  of  that  property  in  the  spring  of  1919. 
His  father,  Carlos  H.  Moon,  was  a  pioneer  of  Fremont  county,  where  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  1886,  removing  from  Nebraska.  He  was  born  at  Le  Raysville,  Pennsylvania, 
May  20,  1837,  and  following  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  enlisted  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Union  army  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  in  1861,  serving  with  the  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  afterward  took  up  his  abode  in  Iowa  and  was  there  united 
in  marriage  to  Sarah  Ann  Cowell,  by  whom  he  had  a  family  of  three  sons  and  one 
daughter,  namely:  Alvin  D.;  Lena  D.,  now  the  wife  of  Caleb  Jones,  of  Spokane,  Wash- 
ington; Jack  R.,  of  this  review;  and  C.  Redman,  who  is  living  at  St.  Anthony,  Idaho. 
All  survive  with  the  exception  of  the  first-born,  who  was  killed  in  a  railway  accident 
when  a  young  man.  The  mother  was  a  native  of  Columbus.  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of 
Christopher  Cowell.  With  his  family  Carlos  H.  Moon  removed  from  Iowa  to  Nebraska 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  639 

and  after  living  in  that  state  for  a  time  came  to  Idaho  in  1886,  settling  on  a  desert 
claim  in  Fremont  county.  He  became  the  founder  of  the  city  of  St.  Anthony,  which 
stands  upon  land  that  he  formerly  owned.  He  passed  away  at  St.  Anthony  about  ten 
years  ago  and  his  widow  survived  him  for  two  years. 

Their  son,  Jack  R.  Moon,  was  born  at  Center  Point,  Linn  county,  Iowa,  October  10, 
1872,  and  was  therefore  a  youth  of  about  fourteen  years  when  his  parents  came  to  this 
state.  He  assisted  in  developing  the  Moon  ranch  in  Fremont  county  and  in  his  youth 
worked  in  the  fields,  also  engaged  in  cow  punching  and  breaking  bronchos.  Throughout 
his  entire  life  he  has  been  a  rancher  save  for  five  years  which  he  spent  in  Pocatello, 
Idaho,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  fireman  on  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad. 

Mr.  Moon  was  married  in  St.  Anthony  on  the  8th  of  December.  1897,  to  Miss  Dell 
Parker,  a  native  daughter  of  Idaho,  born  in  Bingham  county.  Her  parents  are  Wyman 
M.  and  Eliza  (Grover)  Parker,  who  were  pioneers  of  Bingham  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Moon  have  a  son  and  two  daughters:  Carlos  E.,  born  November  13,  1900;  Kathryn, 
whose  birth  occurred  February  9,  1905;  and  L.  Verna,  whose  natal  day  was  April  15, 
1909.  The  son,  though  now  only  twenty  years  of  age,  is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  hav- 
ing entered  the  service  as  a  volunteer  when  a  youth  of  eighteen.  He  served  in  France 
for  nearly  two  years  and  was  with  the  division  that  made  the  first  independent  initial 
American  onslaught  in  the  war.  He  was  seriously  wounded  at  Chateau  Thierry  and  as 
i>  result  of  his  injuries  lost  his  left  leg.  He  is  now  attending  college  at  Corvallis, 
Oregon,  while  the  daughters  are  students  in  the  public  schools.  The  military  history 
of  the  son  is  that  of  the  Forty-second  Regiment  of  the  Rainbow  Division,  he  being  with 
the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-ninth  Machine  Gun  Corps,  the  history  of  which  records  con- 
nection of  the  division  Vith  some  of  the  most  difficult  fighting  on  the  fields  of  France. 

The  new  home  of  Mr.  Moon  and  his  family  is  a  forty-acre  ranch  which  is  very 
valuable  and  is  situated  on  the  Boise  bench,  where  lands  are  selling  at  five  hundred 
dollars  per  acre.  Mr.  Moon  is  a  democrat  in  politics  but  has  never  sought  or  desired 
office.  On  the  contrary  he  gives  his  undivided  time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs 
and  is  making  substantial  progress  in  the  care  and  improvement  of  his  place. 


ALVIN  S.  JACKSON. 

A  life  of  intense  activity,  intelligently  directed  and  guided  at  all  times  by  honorable 
purposes  and  worthy  motives  made  ALvin  S.  Jackson  one  of  the  highly  respected  citizens 
of  Parker.  His  death  was  therefore  the  occasion  of  deep  and  widespread  regret,  but  his 
memory  remains  as  an  inspiration  to  all  who  knew  him  and  his  example  is  well  worthy 
of  emulation.  Mr.  Jackson  was  born  in  the  Cache  valley  of  Utah,  August  8,  1875,  and 
wac  a  son  of  Henry  W.  and  Mary  A.  (Soames)  Jackson,  who  were  pioneers  of  Utah. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  and  carpenter,  following  those  occupations  throughout  his  entire 
life.  He  lived  for  many  years  in  Utah  and  on  coming  to  Idaho  in  1897  settled  in  Fremont 
county.  Here  he  continued  to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  at  the  same  time 
followed  the  carpenter's  trade  for  a  number  of  years  but  has  now  put  aside  the  more 
arduous  cares  of  business  life  and  is  living  in  St.  Anthony.  The  mother  died  November 
6,  1914. 

Alvin  S.  Jackson  was  reared,  and  educated  in  the  Cache  valley  and  also  attended 
Ricks  Academy  of  Rexburg,  Idaho,  for  one  winter.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade 
under  the  direction  of  his  father  and  came  to  Idaho  with  his  parents.  Here  he  was 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  Hopkins  ranch  on  Egin  bench  for 
some  time.  He  afterward  removed  to  Parker  and  worked  at  carpentering  in  addition 
to  farming  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  purchased  twenty  acres  of  land,  well 
irrigated,  and  later  sold  the  place  and  purchased  a  dry  farm,  which  he  continued  to 
cultivate  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  also  operated  two  different  sawmills  in  the 
locality  and  for  a  long  period  he  did  considerable  business  as  a  contractor.  He  was 
the  promoter  of  a  large  warehouse  built  at  Parker  and  was  very  active  along  many 
lines,  proving  a  zealous  worker  at  all  times  for  the  benefit  of  the  community. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1900,  Mr.*  Jackson  was  married  to  Miss  Kffie  M.  Manguni.  a 
daughter  of  James  H.  and  Amy  L.  (Bigler)  Manguni.  The  mother  was  born  while  her 
parents  were  crossing  the  plains  on  their  way  to  Utah.  The  father  is  a  native  of 
southern  Utah.  He  was  a  railroad  man,  engaged  in  construction  work  for  several  years 
in  Montana  in  his  younger  days.  In  Utah  he  took  up  freighting  and  in  1890  he  came 
to  Idaho,  settling  at  Parker,  where  he  filed  on  land  which  he  improved  and  cultivated 


640  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

^  » 

until  1901,  when  ill  health  obliged  him  to  put  aside  the  active  work  of  the  farm.  He 
has  suffered  greatly  from  rheumatism  for  years  and  for  the  past  two  years  has  been 
helpless.  He  now  resides  in  Arizona.  The  mother  passed  away  November  29,  1891. 
Their  daughter,  Mrs.  Jackson,  was  born  in  Nephi,  Utah,  May  19,  1881,  and  by  her 
marriage  became  the  mother  of  eight  children:  Alda,  who  is  eighteen  years  of  age 
and  is  attending  school  at  Provo;  Lester,  aged  seventeen;  Lloyd,  thirteen;  Laura,  seven; 
Geneva,  three;  Theron,  who  was  born  July  3,  1904,  and  died  on  the  9th  of  December  of 
the  same  year;  Naomi,  who  was  born  August  4,  1910,  and  died  on  the  7th  of  November 
of  that  year;  and  Lola,  who  was  born  November  15,  1913,  and  died  May  10,  1914. 

It  was  on  the  1st  of  December,  1917,  after  a  three  weeks'  illness,  that  Mr.  Jackson 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty-two  years.  He  had  been  a  prominent,  influential  and 
valued  citizen  of  his  community.  He  served  for  three  terms  as  a  member  of  the  town 
council  and  was  village  clerk  for  three  years.  He  proved  a  most  helpful  member  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  for  two  years  filled  a  mission  in 
the  western  states.  He  was  a  member  of  the  stake  Sunday  school  board,  was  a  member 
of  the  ward  superintendency  of  Sunday  schools  and  belonged  to  the  council  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Thirteenth  Quorum  of  Seventy.  He  was  likewise  a  ward  teacher  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  was  acting  as  superintendent  of  Sunday  schools  and  also  as  chairman 
of  the  old  folks'  committee.  At  all  times  and  in  every  relation  of  life  he  commanded  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellowmen. 

Mrs.  Jackson  is  still  operating  the  dry  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  She 
has  a  nice  home  and  three  acres  of  land  in  the  town  and  also  owns  two  lots  in  St. 
Anthony,  where  she  expects  soon  to  build  a  residence. 


ELMER  LEE  ROSE. 

Elmer  Lee  Rose  is  known  in  business  circles  as  a  successful  farmer,  live  stock 
dealer  and  melon  grower  of  Gem  county,  owning  and  occupying  an  excellent  ranch 
home  eight  miles  west  of  Emmett.  His  attention,  however,  is  concentrated  not  only 
upon  his  business  affairs  but  also  upon  the  moral  progress  of  the  community  and  he 
is  now  serving  as  bishop  of  the  Bramwell  ward  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Utah,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  Farm- 
ington,  Davis  county,  December  25,  1872,  his  parents  being  Erastus  Francisco  and 
Josephine  Elnora  (Robinson)  Rose,  who  were  natives  of  Iowa  and  Utah  respectively, 
but  both  have  now  passed  away.  Their  family  numbered  eight  children — four  sons 
and  two  daughters  who  are  yet  living,  while  two  sons  have  passed  away. 

Elmer  Lee  Rose  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  who  resides  in  Idaho.  He 
was  reared  at  Farmington,  Utah,  and  in  his  youthful  days  worked  in  the  fields  of  his 
father's  farm  near-by.  He  obtained  a  good  common  school  education  and  he  has  spent 
his  entire  life  in  Utah  and  Idaho  save  for  a  period  of  nine  years  when  he  was  in 
Alberta,  Canada.  In  1902  he  came  from  Alberta  to  Idaho  and  has  since  been  engaged 
in  general  farming  in  the  Payette  valley,  living  through  this  period  in  what  is  now 
Gem  county.  He  has  always  resided  in  the  Bramwell  neighborhood  and  has  lived 
upon  his  present  ranch  for  ten  years,  while  the  entire  period  of  his  residence  in  this 
section  covers  eighteen  years.  He  is  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  two  acres  of 
good  ranch  land,  all  in  the  same  neighborhood,  and  although  not  all  in  one  tract,  is 
near  enough  to  make  it  convenient  for  him  to  manage  and  farm  the  place.  His  home 
ranch  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  acres  and  in  addition  to  his  entire  acreage 
he  rents  and  cultivates  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  near-by.  He  generally  has  about 
fifty  head  of  cattle  and  about  fifteen  good  dairy  cows  of  the  shorthorn  breed. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  1903,  Mr.  Rose  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Mabel  Harri- 
son, who  was  born  in  Utah,  May  18,  1881,  a  daughter  of  William  C.  and  Mary  Eliza- 
beth (Fbrsyth)  Harrison.  The  mother  is  now  deceased,  but  the  father  is  still  liv- 
ing in  Utah.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rose  have  seven  children,  namely:  Mabel  Ardia,  who 
was  born  August  13,  1904;  Agnes  Lee,  whose  birth  occurred  January  20,  1906;  Elmer 
Lorraine,  whose  natal  day,  was  September  3,  1907;  Ralph  H.,  born  October  8,  1909; 
Mary  Ireta,  born  March  22,  1912;  Vern  Adel,  born  June  18,  1914;  and  Wendell  H.,  who 
was  born  on  the  29th  of  March,  1916. 

Mr.  Rose  served  for  two  years  as  a  Mormon  missionary  in  the  eastern  cities,  in- 
cluding Chicago,  New  York,  Buffalo,  Boston  and  Montpelier,  Vermont,  and  also  Mon- 
treal, Canada.  This  was  from  1909  until  1911.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Bramwell 


Vol.  Ill— 41 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  643 

school  board,  the  schoolhouse  being  only  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  his  home,  and  be 
is  now  also  serving  as  road  supervisor  in  his  district.  While  he  was  away  on  his 
missionary  labors  his  wife  remained  on  the  homestead  with  her  four  young  children 
and  thus  proved  up  on  the  property  during  his  absence.  She  is  president  of  the 
Women's  Relief  Society  of  the  Bramwell  district  of  the  Church  of  Jo.«us  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  both  have  been  devoted  to  the  church,  putting  forth  every  effort 
in  their  power  to  advance  its  interests  and  promote  its  growth. 


FRANK   LANGER. 

Frank  Langer  owns  and  occupies  a  ranch  of  fifty-two  acres  on  the  Boise  bench, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  northwest  of  the  County  Hospital  of  Ada  county.  Through  a 
period  of  twenty-seven  years  he  has  lived  in  Idaho,  coming  to  this  state  across  the 
plains  in  a  covered  wagon  from  Nebraska.  He  arrived  practically  empty -banded  and 
his  present  financial  condition  is  the  direct  result  of  his  indefatigable  industry  and 
enterprise  through  the  intervening  years. 

Mr.  Langer  was  born  in  Austria,  February  21,  1863,  and  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1882.  when  nineteen  years  of  age.  His  time  for  several  years  was  spent  in  differ- 
ent states.  For  a  brief  period  he  was  9t  Baltimore,  Maryland,  and  for  a  short  time 
at  SL  Louis,  Missouri.  He  also  resided  for  two  years  in  Greene  county.  Illinois,  and 
for  eight  years  in  Nebraska,  and  in  1893  he  came  to  Idaho,  traveling  across  the  country 
in  a  covered  wagon,  for  his  financial  condition  was  not  such  as  to  permit  of  other 
mode  of  travel  at  that  time.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  two  children,  and 
when  they  reached  Boise  their  cash  capital  consisted  of  but  seventy-five  cents.  Mr. 
Langer  was  rich,  however,  in  energy  and  determination  and  he  at  once  began  providing 
lor  his  family  by  picking  prunes  and  apples  in  an  orchard  that  stood  within  the  pres- 
ent city  limits,  working  for  one  dollar  per  day.  For  two  years  he  u  •  ,n  ployed  at 
wages  in  and  near  Boise  and  in  1895  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land  upon  which  he 
now  makes  his  home.  There  were  no  buildings  on  the  tract  at  that  time,  but  it  was 
partially  cleared  of  its  sagebrush.  He  made  arrangements  to  purchase  the  property 
at  fifty  dollars  per  acre  and  was  to  be  allowed  eight  years'  time  to  complete  the  payment. 
So  energetically  did  he  work  that  he  was  enabled  to  clear  off  his  indebtedness  in  four 
years'  time,  however.  For  several  years  he  lived  in  a  little  rude  cabin  but  now  has 
a  well  improved  ranch  property  of  fifty-two  acres  with  good  buildings,  fine  orchards  and 
other  modern  equipment  In  1908  he  purchased  twelve  acres  adjoining,  for  which  he 
paid  two  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  Among  the  Horticultural  features  of  his  place  is 
a  ten-acre  prune  orchard,  which  is  six  years  old  and  is  now  coming  into  full  bearing. 

While  in  Nebraska,  Mr.  Langer  was  married  in  1891  to  Miss  Bertha  Miller,  who 
was  born  in  Iowa  but  was  reared  in  Kansas.  They  have  five  living  children  and  lost 
four  in  infancy.  Those  who  survive  are  Joseph  N.,  Chester  F.,  Julia  L..  Metta  M.  and. 
Litha.  The  eldest  son,  now  twenty-six  years  of  age,  served  in  the  World  war,  spending 
seventeen  months  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Force  in  France,  having  volun- 
teered ab  a  member  of  the  army.  He  is  married  and  resides  in  Seattle,  Washington. 
Chester  F..  twenty  years  of  age,  and  Julia  L.,  aged  eighteen,  are  at  home.  Metta  M., 
seventeen  years  of  age,  is  a  member  of  the  senior  class  in  the  Boise  high  school,  and 
Litha,  eleven  years  of  age  is  attending  the  Cole  school. 

Mr.  Langer  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church,  although  the 
religious  faith  of  their  forefathers  was  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  Mr.  Langer 
belongs  to  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  Though  born  in  Austria,  he  is  proud  of  the 
fact  that  he  can  claim  American  citizenship  and  is  a  most  loyal  supporter  of  his  adopted 
land,  where  he  has  found  the  opportunities  for  advancement  and  the  chance  of  rearing 
his  family  under  favorable  conditions,  unhampered  by  the  militarism  of  his  native 
country. 


SETH   M.    ELLSWORTH. 

The  Ellsworth  family  has  long  figured  in  connection  with  the  history  of  Jefferson 
county  and  its  development  and  among  those  of  the  name  still  closely  associated  with 
farming  interests  is  Seth  M.  Ellsworth,  whose  home  is  near  Lewisville.  He  was  born 
at  West  Weber,  Utah,  August  30,  1870,  his  parents  being  Edmund  and  Ellen  (Blair) 


644  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Ellsworth,  mentioned  on  another  page  of  this  volume.  Seth  M.  Ellsworth,  spending  his 
youthful  days  under  the  parental  roof,  attended  the  schools  of  West  Weber,  Utah,  and 
of  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  and  having  mastered  the  elementary  branches  of  learning, 
then  became  a  student  in  the  Brigham  Young  College  at  Logan.  He  was  but  eleven 
years  of  age  when  the  family  home  was  established  in  Idaho  in  1882  and  he  continued 
upon  the  home  farm  until  he  had  attained  his  majority. 

Mr.  Ellsworth  then  began  farming  on  his  own  account  by  renting  land  and  he  also 
worked  for  Mr.  Boyce,  who  owned  the  place  upon  which  he  now  resides. '  The  death 
of  Mr.  Boyce  occurred  in  1890.  Six  years  later,  or  in  1896,  Mr.  Ellsworth  wedded  Mrs. 
Margaret  (McMillian)  Boyce,  widow  of  his  .former  employer,  and  he  has  since  cultivated 
the  farm  with  the  exception  of  a  period  of  twelve  years  when  he  resided  at  Idaho  Falls. 
He  purchased  a  nice  home  there  and  was  in  business  in  the  town  for  a  short  time. 
He  also  spent  four  years  in  the  sheriff's  office  and  he  likewise  acted  as  collector  for 
the  Consolidated  Wagon  &  Machine  Company.  Later  he  returned  to  the  farm  and  is 
now  giving  his  undivided  attention  to  agricultural  interests,  having  lived  upon  this 
place  continuously  since  1914.  In  partnership  with  his  brothers  he  owns  business  prop- 
erty at  Rigby  and  they  are  erecting  a  new  building  there.  Seth  M.  Ellsworth  still  owns 
his  home  at  Idaho  Palls  and  he  and  his  brothers  are  the  owners  of  the  Ellsworth  flats 
at  Rigby.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  Jefferson  State  Bank  at  Menan.  Throughout 
his  life  he  has  displayed  marked  business  enterprise  and  initiative  and  possesses  the 
resolute  character  which  enables  him  to  carry  forward  to  successful  completion  what- 
ever he  undertakes. 

To  Mr.  Ellsworth  there  were  born  three  children  of  his  first  marriage:  Lenora 
Eileen,  the  wife  of  Rowland  Madison,  of  Rigby;  Seth  M.,  who  died  on  the  18th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1904,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  months;  and  Kenneth  M.,  at  home.  The  mother 
of  these  children  passed  away  November  1,  1908,  after  a  short  illness  following  an  opera- 
tion for  appendicitis.  In  January,  1910,  Mr.  Ellsworth  wedded  Clara  Haywood  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  three  children:  Vincent  R.,  Martha  E.  and  Dona  Gene. 

Mr.  Ellsworth  has  filled  the  office  of  constable,  occupying  the  position  a  number  of 
years  ago.  In  politics  he  maintains  an  independent  course.  His  religious  belief  is  that 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life, 
his  activity  and  enterprise  enabling  him  to  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities  that 
have  come  to  him  and  today  he  is  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  as  well  as  one  of  the 
representative  citizens  of  Jefferson  county. 


WILLIAM  A.  CARPENTER. 

William  A.  Carpenter  is  a  retired  farmer  and  merchant  now  residing  on  the  Boise 
bench,  near  the  Ash  Street  Hillcrest  car  line.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1889  from  Warren 
county,  Iowa,  and  spent  one  winter  in  the  vicinity  of  Idaho  City,  where  he  was  employed 
in  a  mine,  but  through  the  intervening  period  has  engaged  in  ranching.  He  was  born 
September  27,  1860,  in  Warren  county,  Iowa,  and  is  a  son  of  Norman  and  Mary  (Parker) 
Carpenter.  He  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  in  their  family  of  twelve  children,  seven 
sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  eight  are  yet  living,  and  three  of  the  sons  are  now 
in  the  Boise  valley,  namely :  William  A.,  Lucien  N.  B.  and  James  M. 

The  youthful  days  of  William  A.  Carpenter  were  spent  upon  a  farm  in  Iowa  and 
his  time  was  divided  between  the  duties  of  the  schoolroom,  the  pleasures  of  the  play- 
ground and  the  work  of  the  fields.  He  was  still  a  single  man  when  he  came  to  the 
northwest.  In  the  spring  of  1891  he  located  on  a  ranch  near  Sweet,  Idaho,  which  he 
Homesteader! ,  securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  was  married  just  before 
taking  up  his  abode  on  that  place.  It  was  on  the  29th  of  January,  1891,  in  Boise, 
that  he  wedded  Jennie  R.  Talley,  who  was  born  in  Lee  county,  Illinois,  November  15, 
1864,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Harmon  Harrison  and  Hannah  (Smith)  Talley.  The  father 
was  born  in  Wilmington,  Delaware,  and  was  a  boyhood  friend  of  the  Hon.  William  F. 
Bayard,  secretary  of  state  in  President  Cleveland's  cabinet.  Mrs.  Carpenter  was  the 
youngest  of  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living 
with  the  exception  of  one  son.  The  four  surviving  members  of  the  family  are  all  in 
Idaho.  Mrs.  Carpenter  came  to  this  state  with  her  parents  in  the  '80s,  when  Idaho  was 
still  a  territory,  the  family  home  being  established  near  Sweet. 

Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carpenter  located  on  their  homestead  near 
Sweet  and-  proved  up  on  the  property,  occupying  it  for  fifteen  years.  They  can  point 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  645 

with  just  pride  to  the  fact  that  their  ranch  never  had  a  mortgage  on  it  while  they  were 
owners  nor  has  any  other  property  that  has  ever  been  in  their  possession.  About  1912 
they  sold  their  ranch  and  took  iip  their  abode  in  the  town  of  Sweet.  While  living  upon 
the  farm,  Mr.  Carpenter  and  four  of  his  neighbors  constructed  a  ditch  five  miles  long 
in  order  to  irrigate  their  fields.  They  built  a  dam  and  took  the  water  from  Squaw  creek. 
Five  years  were  consumed  in  digging  the  ditch,  which,  however,  has  rendered  the  land 
very  productive.  After  disposing  of  their  ranch  property  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carpenter  lived 
in  Sweet  for  seven  years,  during  which  time  he  conducted  a  general  store.  He  prospered 
as  the  years  passed,  enjoying  a  very  extensive  trade  from  which  he  derived  a  good 
profit.  At  length  he  retired  from  business  in  1914,  selling  the  store  and  removing,  to 
Boise.  On  the  1st  of  March,  1917,  he  and  his  wife  took  up  their  abode  ou  their  present 
home  on  the  Hillcrest  loop. 

Mr.  Carpenter  was  the  first  of  his  father's  family  to  come  to  Idaho.  He  made  the 
journey  in  a  covered  wagon  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  section 
in  which  he  established  his  home.  As  the  years  have  passed  he  has  witnessed  a  remark- 
able transformation  and  has  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of  progress  and  improvement 
at  all  times.  Mr.  Carpenter  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  to 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  while  his  wife  is  connected  with  the  Royal  Neigh- 
bors. Both  vote  with  the  democratic  party,  but  Mr.  Carpenter  has  never  held  or  desired 
office.  His  close  application  and  unremitting  energy  have  been  the  salient  points 
in  winning  him  the  success  that  now  enables  him  to  live  retired  and  enjoy  all  the 
comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life  without  recourse  to  further  toll. 


CHARLES   H.   IRETON. 

Charles  H.  Ireton,  who  has  followed  farming  and  the  raising  of  live  stock  as  a 
life  work,  resides  on  the  Boise  bench  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Cole  school  and  near  the 
Eldorado  station  on  the  Cole  car  line.  He  has  always  manifested  a  most  progressive 
spirit  in  the  conduct  of  his  business  affairs  and  his  success  is  the  direct  outcome  of 
his  industry  and  close  application.  Mr.  Ireton  was  born  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio, 
April  21,  1866.  His  father,  Samuel  Ireton;  who  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  is  still 
living  at  'the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years  and  now  makes  his  home  at  the  corner 
of  Rossi  and  Vermont  avenues  in  South  Boise.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary 
Virginia  Davis  and  passed  away  September  4,  1915.  Both  were  natives  of  Ohio. 

It  was  in  1873,  when  but  seven  years  of  age,  that  Charles  H.  Ireton  came  to  Idaho 
with  his  parents,  the  family  settling  on  a  homestead  claim  near  Sweet,  then  a  part  of 
Boise  county  but  now  in  Gem  county.  Charles  H.  Ireton  continued  upon  ranches  in 
that  vicinity  for  more  than  forty  years  but  in  the  year  1912  conducted  the  Woody  Hotel 
in  Sweet.  Practically  his  entire  life,  however,  has  been  devoted  to  the  reclamation 
and  cultivation  of  the  soil  and  to  the  raising  of  live  stock.  In  1917  he  disposed  of 
his  interests  at  Sweet  and  removed  to  Boise,  having  since  lived  on  the  Boise  bench. 
He  took  possession  of  his  present  little  ranch  property  of  four  acres  in  June,  1919,  having 
here  a  beautiful  bungalow  home. 

While  livjng  in  the  vicinity  of  Sweet,  Mr.  Ireton  met  the  lady  whom  he  made  his 
wife.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hannah  Luckey  and  was  born  in  Jarckson  county, 
Kansas,  August  3,  1871,  being  a  daughter  of  Perry  and  Mary  (Talley)  Luckey.  In  1888 
she  came  to  Idaho  with  her  maternal  grandparents,  Harmon  Harrison  and  Hannah 
(Smith)  Talley,  the  family  home  being  established  near  Sweet.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ireton 
have  been  born  but  two  children  and  both  sons  are  veterans  of  the  World  war.  Eminett 
C.,  born  September  23,  1891,  served  in  France  for  nearly  a  year  and  made  a  splendid 
record,  being  in  the  thickest  of  the  fighting  for  many  months  but  escaping  unhurt.  He 
was  one  of  seventeen  members  of  his  regiment  who  were  never  sent  to  the  hospital. 
The  other  son,  Leonard  Harold,  born  October  5,  1893,  was  for  six  months  at  Camp  Lewis 
but  did  not  get  overseas.  It  was  after  the  entrance  of  their  sons  into  the  World  war 
that  Mrt  Ireton  decided  to  sell  his  ranch  and  live  stock  interests  near  Sweet  aud  remove 
to  Boise,  which  he  did.  The  sons  are  now,  however,  both  at  home  again  and  this  may 
alter  the  plans  of  the  father  in  regard  to  his  business  affairs,  for  he  is  yet  a  young  man. 

Mr.  Ireton  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  a  past  grand 
of  his  local  lodge.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Royal  Neighbors,  while  both  of  their  sons 
belong  to  the  American  Legion.  In  their  political  views  they  are  republicans,  but  Mr. 


646  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Ireton  has  never  been  ambitious  to  fill  office.  His  life  has  been  quietly  passed  in  the 
faithful  performance  of  his  duties  in  relation  to  his  family  and  to  his  country  and 
the  worth  of  his  work  is  manifest  in  the  high  regard  which  is  entertained  for  him 
by  all  who  know  him. 


WILBUR   A.   ELLIOTT. 

Wilbur  A.  Elliott,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Fremont  Cash  Store  at  Dubois 
and  thus  an  active  factor  in  the  commercial  interests  of  the  town,  was  born  in  Millers- 
burg,  Iowa,  in  September,  1887.  He  is  a  son  of  Monroe  and  Margaret  (Wood)  Elliott. 
The  father  died  when  the  son  was  an  infant  and  the  mother  in  1902  removed  to  the 
state  of  Idaho  and  has  since  resided  at  Idaho  Palls. 

Wilbur  A.  Elliott  was  largely  reared  and  educated  in  Pierce,  Nebraska,  but  also 
attended  the  high  school  at  Idaho  Falls.  He  became  a  resident  of  Dubois  in  1907,  when 
a  young  man  of  twenty  years,  and  secured  employment  in  stores  of  the  town,  thus 
continuing  until  the  spring  of  1919,  when  he  entered  into  partership  with  Ray  Best. 
They  established  a  general  merchandise  business  which  they  have  since  conducted  under 
the  name  of  the  Fremont  Cash  Store.  They  carry  a  large  stock  and  enjoy  a  growing 
patronage,  which  has  made  their  business  one  of  substantial  proportions. 

Mr.  Elliott  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  his  religious 
faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he  maintains  an  independent 
course  but  is  never  remiss  in  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  cooperates  in  all  well  denned 
plans  and  measures  for  the  general  good.  He  went  into  the -army  on  the  25th  of  June, 
1918,  and  crossed  to  France  with  the  Fortieth  Division,  thus  doing  overseas  duty.  He 
was  discharged  April  13,  1919,  returning  home  with  a  keener  sense  of  American  responsi- 
bilities in  citizenship  and  American  privileges.  He  belongs  to  that  class  which  con- 
stitute the  strength  of  the  nation. 


NATHAN  EATON. 

Nathan  Eaton,  who  is  engaged,  in  farming  near  Collister,  in  Ada  county,  was  born 
in  Sauk  City,  Sauk  county,  Iowa,  January  16,  1880,  and  was  but  nine  years  of  age  when 
he  came  to  Idaho  with  his  parents,  Orson  and  Clara  (Miller)  Eaton,  who  are  now 
residents  of  Kanosh,  Utah.  The  journey  westward  was  made  with  team  and  wagon  and 
they  were  about  two  months  on  the  way,  finally  settling  near  Stewarts  Gulch. 

Under  the  parental  roof  Nathan  Eaton  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth, 
his  experiences  being  those  of  the  lad  who  is  reared  upon  the  western  frontier  with 
all  of  its  attendant  hardships,  dangers  and  privations.  Having  arrived  at  years  of 
maturity,  Mr.  Eaton  was  married  on  the  24th  of  June,  1$14,  to  Miss  Lottie  Miller. 

Mrs.  Eaton  is  a  daughter  of  John  F.  and  Mary  Elizabeth  (Dunlap)  Miller.  Her  father 
was  born  in  Switzerland,  May  8,  1854,  and  when  three  years  of  age  was  brought  to  the 
United  States  by  his  parents,  Henry  and  Regina  (Marlin)  Miller,  who  were  converts  to 
the  Mormon  faith  and  crossed  the  plains  with  handcarts,  settling  near  Fort  Floyd, 
Utah.  Poverty  and  privations  confronted  them  and  their  situation  was  almost  more 
than  they  could  endure.  They  removed  from  Fort  Floyd  to  the  Cache  valley  in  Utah, 
where  their  condition  was  not  improved,  and  tiring  of  Mormonism  and  its  exactions, 
they  joined  the  Morrisites  and  removed  to  the  Weber  valley.  The  Mormons  made  war 
upon  them  while  they  were  at  worship  and  many  of  the  women  and  children  as  well 
as  the  men  were  killed,  the  attacking  body  using  cannon,  the  first  shot  killing  two 
women  and  wounding  several  more.  The  Millers  when  coming  to  Idaho  were  escorted 
by  government  troops  as  far  as  Soda  Springs,  this  state.  This  was  in  the  year  1862. 
They  remained  for  three  years  in  Idaho  and  then  removed  to  Montana,  where  Mr. 
Miller  engaged  in  mining  for  four  years.  They  found  the  Indians  as  bad  there  as  the 
Mormons  had  been  in  Utah  and  road  agents  were  in  evidence,  too,  but  finally  all  these 
evils  were  suppressed.  In  1869  the  Miller  family  removed  to  the  Boise  valley,  where 
Mrs.  Miller  passed  away  in  1863  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  while  Mr.  Miller  survived 
until  1887  and  was  seventy-eight  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  demise.  They  became 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  including  John  F.  Miller,  who  on  the  1st  of  January,  1877, 
married  Belle  Dunlap,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Serepta  Dunlap,  natives  of  Penn- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  647 

sylvania.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  F.  Miller  became  the  parents  of  four  children:  Harry, 
who  is  forty-one  years  of  age  and  is  married  and  resides  at  Collister,  Idaho;  Myrtle, 
who  has  passed  away;  Carrie;  and  Lottie,  now  Mrs.  Eaton.  John  F.  Miller  died  Decem- 
ber 12.  1912,  and  his  widow  passed  away  March  15,  1920.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Eaton  hid 
followed  farming  as  a  life  work  and  owned  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  all  of  which 
has  been  sold  in  small  tracts  save  the  three  acres  upon  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  K:itor.  now 
reside.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  F.  Miller  were  all  born  on  the  homestead 
farm  of  one  hundred  acres  where  the  parents  first  settled  on  coming  to  Idaho. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eaton  have  always  resided  in  the  west,  save  that  Mr.  Eaton 
spent  the  first  nine  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  county.  He  is  now  engaged  in  fanning 
and  has  other  business  interests.  Both  be  and  his  wife  are  widely  and  favorably 
known  in  Collister  and  vicinity  and  have  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends. 


SAMUEL  IRETON. 

Almost  a  half  century  has  come  and  gone  since  Samuel  Ireton  came  to  Idaho.  He 
well  deserves  classification  with  its  representative  pioneer  men,  who  laid  broad  and 
deep  the  foundation  upon  which  has  been  built  the  present  progress  and  prosperity  of 
the  state.  His  memory  forms  a  connecting  link  between  the  primitive  past  and  the  pro- 
gressive present  and  as  a  result  of  his  carefully  directed  business  affairs  he  is  now 
enabled  to  live  retired  in  the  enjoyment  of  well  earned  rest,  occupying  a  pleasant  home 
at  the  corner  of  Vermont  avenue  and  Rossi  street,  in  South  Boise.  He  came  to  the 
northwest  from  Clermont  county.  Ohio,  and  for  forty  years  resided  upon  a  ranch  near 
Sweet,  Idaho,  which  his  brother,  John  Ireton,  had  homesteaded  in  1869.  in  which  year 
he  had  come  to  Idaho  and  entered  a  claim.  He  was  the  first  of  the  Ireton  family  to 
remove  to  the  northwest  and  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  pioneers  to  settle  in  the  Squaw 
creek  valley  near  Sweet.  Great  indeed  were  the  changes  which  occurred  during  his 
lifetime  and  he  always  bore  his  part  (n  the  work  of  general  development  and  progress. 
His  last  years  were  spent  in  Boise,  where  he  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 
He  is  yet  well  remembered  in  the  capital  city  and  in  other  sections  of  Idaho  as  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  who  aided  in  planting  the  seeds  of  civilization  upon  the  western 
frontier. 

When  Samuel  Ireton  came  to  Idaho  in  1873  he  was  accompanied  by  another  brother. 
Alexander  Ireton,  who  has  never  married  and  has  made  his  home  with  the  family  of 
Samuel  Ireton.  They  yet  live  together  and  Alexander  Ireton  has  now  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty  years.  They  have  ever  been  partners  in  their  ranching  operations. 
Samuel  Ireton.  now  eighty-two  years  of  age,  is  a  widower  and  the  two  brothers  have 
lived  together  for  more  than  a  half  century,  occupying  a  comfortable  home  which  Samuel 
Ireton  owns  at  the  corner  of  Rossi  street  and  Vermont  avenue  in  South  Boise.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  property  he  also  has  sixteen  lots  adjoining  his  home. 

Samuel  Ireton  was  born  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  September  18,  1837,  while  Alex- 
ander Irefon  was  born  in  the  same  county,  July  15,  1839.  Their  parents  were  John  and 
Sarah  (Hadley)  Ireton.  the  former  a  native  of  New  Jersey  and  the  latter  of  Clermont 
county,  Ohio.  When  they  came  to  Idaho  in  1873  they  purchased  from  their  brother 
John  the  homestead  which  he  had  entered  near  Sweet  and  upon  that  property  they 
lived  for  about  forty  years.  Finally  they  sold  the  ranch  and  removed  to  Boise.  Still 
another  brother  came  to  the  northwest,  this  being  Obediah  Ireton,  who  is  living  at 
Salem,  Oregon,  and  who  is  the  youngest  of  the  four  brothers  mentioned.  Still  another 
brother,  Lorenzo  Ireton,  was  killed  by  a  snowslide  in  Idaho  many  years  ago.  Both 
Samuel  and  Alexander  Ireton  are  veterans  of  the  Civil  war,  having  served  with  the 
Union  army  as  members  of  an  Ohio  regiment,  and  both  now  receive  well  earned  pen- 
sions from  the  government. 

Samuel  Ireton  was  married  in  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  on  the  8th  of  March.  1863, 
to  Miss  Mary  V.  Davis,  of  Batavia,  Ohio,  who  died  at  the  Ireton  home  in  South  Boise 
a  few  years  ago  after  a  married  life  of  over  fifty  years,  leaving  one  son,  Charles  H., 
who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work,  and  two  daughters:  Ada  Gertrude,  now  the 
wife  of  Frank  Nolan,  of  Horse  Shoe  Bend;  and  Mary  J.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Henry 
Nolan,  of  South  Boise,  the  two  husbands  being  brothers.  Two  other  children  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ireton  died  in  Ohio. 

Samuel  Ireton  and  his  brother  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  are 
republicans  in  political  views.  They  are  also  members  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 


648  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Republic,  proudly  wearing  the  little  bronze  button  that  proclaims  them  veterans  of 
the  Civil  war,  and  throughout  all  the  intervening  years  they  have  been  as  true  and 
loyal  to  their  country  as  when  they  followed  the  nation's  starry  banner  on  the  battle- 
fields Of  the  south. 


A.  J.  McFARLAND. 

A.  J.  McFarland,  a  farmer  of  Payette  county,  living  near  New  Plymouth,  was  born 
at  Taberg,  Oneida  county,  New  York,  January  29,  1839.  His  father,  Robert  McFarland, 
was  also  a  native  of  the  Empire  state,  while  his  parents  were  natives  of  Scotland. 
Robert  McFarland  followed  farming  in  New  York  until  his  death  in  1854  and  his  wife, 
Rebecca  McFarland,  also  passed  away  there. 

A.  J.  McFarland  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  and  afterward 
attended  Whitesborough  University  near  Utica,  New  York.  It  was  his  intention  to 
become  a  physician,  but  on  account  of  his  father's  death  he  was  compelled  to  forego 
this  plan  and  take  charge  of  the  home  farm.  He  was  one  of  nine  children  and  after 
the  father's  death  he  and  his  brother  Robert  bought  out  the  other  heirs  in  the  home 
place.  A.  J.  McFarland  began  teaching  school  and  taught  at  Taberg  until  1868,  when  he 
came  west  to  Idaho.  His  sister,  Mrs.  Frances  Toombs,  had  come  to  the  state  six  years 
before  and  was  instrumental  in  his  removal  to  the  west,  having  secured  for  him  a 
school  at  Pioneerville,  Idaho.  When  he  arrived  in  Idaho  he  found  that  there  was  no 
church  in  the  district  in  which  he  settled  and,  being  unable  to  attend  religious  serv- 
ices, he  became  so  homesick  that  he  had  almost  decided  to  return  immediately.  His 
sister,  however,  exerted  her  powers  to  dissuade  him  from  doing  so  and,  moreover,  he 
was  to  receive  a  wage  of  one  hundred  dollars  per  month  for  teaching  six  pupils,  while 
in  New  York  his  salary  as  a  teacher  had  been  but  thirty-three  dollars  per  month. 
After  spending  three  months  at  Pioneerville  he  went  to  Idaho  City,  where  he  taught, 
receiving  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  month  for  nearly  three  years.  In  1871  he 
bought  the  store  of  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Toombs,  near  Falk,  about  fifty  miles  from 
Boise,  calling  it  the  Payette  Store.  This  he  conducted  for  ten  years  and  then  turned 
his  attention  to  farming.  Always  anxious  to  have  religious  services  in  the  community, 
he  was  instrumental  in  establishing  a  regular  church,  with  the  Rev.  George  Allender 
as  the  first  minister,  and  thus,  promoting  material  progress  Tn  his  community,  Mr. 
McFarland  also  aided  in  upholding  its  moral  standards.  The  Rev.  Allender  and  his 
wife  were  sincerely  welcomed  by  the  people  of  the  district  and  lived  with  Mr.  McFarland 
for  eight  years.  The  first  sermon  ever  preached  in  the  Payette  valley  was  delivered  in 
the  home  of  Mr.  McFarland.  A  few  months  after  his  arrival  Rev.  Allender  conducted 
a  revival  meeting  at  the  schoolhouse,  at  which  forty-four  people  were  converted,  includ- 
ing Peter  Pence  and  his  wife,  D.  M.  Nichols  and  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  M.  Bivens  and 
their  eight  children,  George  W.  Hunt  and  wife,  C.  M.  Nichols,  W.  C.  Johnson  and  wife, 
S.  W.  King  and  wife,  R.  Kennedy  and  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  Neal  and  their  four  chil- 
dren, T.  Vest,  L.  Reed,  M.  Stevenson,  Deuzenbury,  Jack  Hertford  and  others. 

The  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  which  he  now  resides  was  Mr.  McFar- 
land's  first  farm  in  Idaho  and  is  located  on  the  north  side  of  the  Payette  river, 
being  one  of  the  finest  farms  of  the  state.  He  has  since  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  adjoining  and  most  of  this  is  under  cultivation,  his  crops  being  largely 
alfalfa,  red  top  clover,  wheat,  oats,  barley  and  rye.  In  connection  with  Frank  Nesbitt 
he  owns  the  irrigation  ditch,  so  that  they  secure  a  cheap  water  supply.  Mr.  McFarland 
has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life.  While  conducting  his  store  he  served  as  justice  of 
the  peace  and  while  occupying  that  office  he  married  many  of  the  now  old  couples  of 
the  neighborhood.  He  has  always  been  an  unalterable  opponent  of  the  saloon  and  has 
done  everything  in  his  power  to  advance  the  temperance  cause.  There  is  no  phase 
of  pioneer  life  or  experience  in  Idaho  with  which  he  is  not  familiar.  He  has  seen  as 
many  as  five  hundred  Indians  pass  his  store  in  a  day,  when  on  their  way  to  Big  and 
Little  Camas  prairie,  where  the  Fort  Hall  Indians  were  to  meet  with  them  to  dig  camas 
and  cowse;  hunt  deer,  antelope  and  elk;  fish  and  run  races  with  their  horses,  for  they 
had  plenty  of  good  horses  with  them.  These  Indians  were  mostly  Umatilla  Indians, 
and  they  often  sold  very  fine  moccasins  ornamented  with  beads  and  sewed  with  sinew, 
and  their  gloves  were  first  class  in  every  respect.  They  were  always  peaceable 
Indians  and  Mr.  McFarland  and  his  family  had  no  trouble  with  them.  He  was  well 


\ 


I 


A.  J.  McFARLAND 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  651 

acquainted  with  old  "Bannock  Joe"  and  his  wife  and  always  found  them  to  be  good, 
peaceable  Indians. 

In  1882  Mr.  McFarland  married  Sadie  Woodward,  a  native  of  Kansas  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  and  Evelyn  M.  Woodward,  farmers  of  that  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McFarland 
have  three  children.  Arthur  W.,  thirty-three  years  of  age,  Is  now  a  Presbyterian 
minister  near  Albany,  Oregon.  He  married  Jessie  Harmon  and  has  two  children,  Max 
and  David.  Walter  J..  thirty-one  years  of  age,  owns  a  farm  adjoining  his  father's 
place  and  is  now  developing  it  by  using  all  modern  machinery.  He  owns  a  threshing 
outfit  and  during  the  past  three  years  has  been  kept  busy  operating  the  same  in  con- 
nection with  his  other  farm  work.  He  lost  his  wife  but  has  four  children:  Verna, 
Donald,  Doris  and  Francis.  Mabel,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  is  the  wife  of  S.  L. 
Pomeroy,  who  is  a  civil  engineer  by  profession  but  is  now  farming.  They  have  one 
child.  Ruth. 

The  beautiful  residence  of  Mr.  McFarland  stands  amidst  a  grove  of  black  walnut 
and  locust  trees.  It  is  oriental  in  design,  with  pagoda  roof,  and  embowered  in  ivy, 
would  inspire  many  a  poetic  muse.  Upon  this  place  Mr.  McFarland  is  carefully  and 
successfully  carrying  on  his  agricultural  interests  and  stock  raising,  making  a  specialty 
of  shorthorn  and  Hereford  cattle,  and  his  wisely  directed  efforts  are  bringing  to  him 
substantial  success.  His  reminiscences  of  the  early  days  are  most  interesting.  He  tells 
the  story  that  before  Bill  McConnell  became  governor  of  the  state  he  took  a  band  of 
cattle  into  the  Boise  basin,  at  which  time  the  country  was  full  of  outlaws.  McConnell 
was  warned  that  he  would  be  held  up  when  he  returned.  This,  however,  was  a  Joke 
being  played  upon  him  by  the  vigilance  committee  unknown  to  McConnell.  When 
he  returned,  the  supposed  outlaws  were  stationed  along  the  road,  where  Emmett  now 
stands.  He  drew  his  double-barreled  shotgun  when  he  espied  them  and  rode  right 
through.  Turning  in  his  saddle  to  keep  them  in  range  and  calling,  "Hello  boys,"  he 
passed  and  not  one  attempted  to  molest  him.  The  joke  was  on  the  vigilantes,  for 
none  of  the  "outlaws"  cared  to  risk  McConnell's  aim.  Mr.  McFarland  relates  that  about 
two  miles  below  Falk  there  is  a  grave  which  holds  the  remains  of  one  of  the  Old  outlaws. 
Casey  Stone,  who  was  killed  with  a  butcher  knife  by  Billy  Maupin,  the  butcher.  Mr. 
Maupin  said  Stone  assaulted  him  and  told  him  to  pay  him  one  hundred  dollars  or 
he  would  kill  him.  In  some  way,  Maupin  threw  Stone  off  his  guard,  while  pretending 
to  pay  him.  and  killed  him  before  Stone  could  shoot.  The  neighbors  nailed  some  boards 
together  for  a  box,  and  put  Stone  in,  hat,  boots  and  gun,  and  complimented  Maupin 
for  his  bravery.  It  was  often  thus  that  the  law-abiding  citizens  had  to  take  the  law  into 
their  own  hands  for  their  safety  and  protection.  As  the  long  years  have  passed  Mr. 
McFarland  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  the  fact  that  he  continued  a  resident  of 
Idaho  notwithstanding  his  early  desire  to  return  to  New  York.  Here  he  found  the 
opportunities  which  he  sought  in  a  business  way  and  at  the  same  time  he  has  con- 
tributed to  the  material,  intellectual  and  moral  progress  of  his  community,  winning 
a  place  among  the  valued  and  substantial  citizens. 


WILLIAM  HARTLEY. 

William  Hartley,  who  follows  farming  and  stock  raising  near  Stu.  \\  as  born  in 
Iowa,  Mirch  ~o,  1864,  and  crossed  the  plains  with  his  parents,  \Villi.ini  and  Eliza 
id)  H;'t!ty.  in  company  with  a  large  wagon  train,  it  requiring  about  three 
months  to  make  the  trip.  They  arrived  at  the  old  Walling  ranch  just  ah  -\c  Boise  in 
August,  18€4.  The  father  farmed  in  different  sections  of  the  state  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  at  what  is  called  Dixie  Slough,  about  eight  miles  below  the 
present  site  of  C'aldwell,  in,  1871.  In  the  family  were  three  children:  Clinton  F.,  who 
di(  el  in  r.Mfi:  Liz?ie.  the  wife  of  Edgar  Meek,  of  Caldwell;  and  William  Hartley. 

The  last  named  was  but  a  few  months  old  when  the  family  started  across  the  pi  tins. 
They  drove  a  yoke  of  cows,  which  they  milked  all  the  way  across,  and  they  also  drove 
a  yoke  of  steers.  William  Hartley  was  but  seven  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  (his 
father's  de;tth.  In  1882.  when  a  young  man  of  eighteen  years,  he  arrived  in  the  Wood 
river  country  of  Idaho,  where  for  three  years  he  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business  and 
then  spent  about  three  years  at  Rocky  Bar,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  same  business 
and  in  butchering. 

In  1892  Mr.  Hartley  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Annie  Morrison,  a  native  of 
Missouri,  who  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents  and  located  on  Dry  creek  about  five  miles 


652  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

from  where  the  town  of  Eagle  now  stands,  the  place  being  then  called  Junction  House. 
Her  parents  were  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Lampion)  Morrison,  well  known  early  pioneer 
people  of  that  section  of  the  state.  Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Hartley  purchased  one 
hundred  acres  of  the  Thurman  ranch  about  five  miles  below  Boise  and  there  engaged  in 
farming  for  about  eleven  years,  raising  hay  and  stock.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period 
he  sold  the  property  and  removed  to  Nampa,  where  he  devoted  two  years  to  merchandis- 
ing, and  during  the  same  time  he  was  also  active  in  buying  land  and  stock.  Resuming 
the  occupation  of  farming  he  was  so  engaged  on  the  McCuette  ranch  on  Snake  river,  near 
the  old  McCarty  ferry.  Mr.  Hartley  crossed  the  river  there  when  McCarty,  who  later 
became  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  Boise,  was  operating  the  ferry.  From  the  McCuette 
place  he  removed  to  his  present  ranch,  having  forty  acres  northeast  of  Star  on  rural 
route  No.  1.  Here  he  raises  stock  and  hay.  He  has  about  two  hundred  head  of  beef  cattle, 
which  he  ranges  on  the  south  fork  of  the  Boise  river,  having  ranged  cattle  there  for 
twenty-five  years.  He  has  passed  through  all  of  the  hardships  and  privations  of  pioneer 
life  and  there  is  no  phase  of  the  development  of  this  section  of  the  state  with  which  he 
is  not  thoroughly  familiar.  During  the  Bannock  war  he  was  one  day  hunting  horses  in 
the  Dry  creek  mountains  and  saw  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  he  sat  on  his  horse, 
an  Indian  coming  down  the  road  as  though  in  a  great  hurry.  He  was  riding  a  pony 
and  was  out  of  sight  in  a  moment,  but  Mr.  Hartley  was  only  a  small  boy  and  was  very 
much  frightened.  He  learned  later,  however,  that  the  Indian  was  more  frightened  than 
he,  as  a  white  man  was  after  him  and  would  have  killed  him  could  he  have  gotten  within 
range  of  the  foe.  Clinton  Hartley,  brother  of  William  Hartley,  had  an  early  experitmco 
which  was  typical  of  those  times.  He  was  driving  the  cows  out  to  pasture  and  in 
proceeding  up  a  gulch  near  the  house  one  morning  he  came  face  to  face  with  an  escaped 
convict  from  the  penitentiary  at  Boise.  In  those  days  they  shaved  only  one  side  of  the 
prisoner's  head,  leaving  the  hair  long  on  the  other  half.  The  convict  said  he  was  armed 
and  that  he  would  kill  Clinton  Hartley  if  he  did  not  cut  his  hair.  The  boy  had  only  an 
old  pocket  knife  but  did  the  job  with  that  and  the  convict  looked  as  though  he  had  been 
in  a  fight  with  a  bear  when  the  task  was  finished.  The  convict  promised  the  boy  a  watch 
and  other  things,  but  he  was  caught  before  he  had  a  chance  to  make  his  promises  good. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  Hartley  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children:  Morris, 
twenty-seven  years  of  age;  Hazel  L.,  a  stenographer  at  Boise;  Florence  A.,  who  is  a 
stenographer  at  the  State  Normal  School;  Fred,  who  is  farming  with  his  father;  Leslie 
T.,  who  is  attending  school;  and  De  Roland,  thirteen  years  of  age,  who  is  also  in  school. 


JOHN  E.  GLENN. 

John  E.  Glenn  is  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  Sweet  section  of  the  state  but 
is  now  residing  upon  a  small  though  valuable  ranch  about  a  mile  southwest  of  the 
Cole  school  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise.  He  is  a  nephew  of  John  Thomas  Glenn,  better 
known  as  "Uncle  Tom,"  who  was  one  of  the  first  to  locate  in  the  vicinity  of  Sweet. 
John  E.  Glenn  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  eight  children  whose 
parents  were  Charles  T.  and  Charlotte  (Feebler)  Glenn,  who  were  natives  of. Indiana 
and  Iowa  respectively.  In  the  spring  of  1884  Charles  T.  Glenn  came  to  Idaho  and 
purchased  a  ranch  on  Dry  creek,  in  Ada  county,  which  had  previously  been  owned  by 
his  father,  John  T.  Glenn,  then  deceased.  The  grandfather,  John  T.  Glenn,  had  coma 
to  the  northwest  from  Iowa,  locating  first  at  The  Dalles,  Oregon,  and  afterward  removing 
to  the  Boise  basin,  while  still  later  he  took  up  his  abode  on  the  Dry  creek  ranch  which 
his  son,  Charles  T.,  purchased  from  his  widowed  mother  in  1884.  In  the  fall  of  that 
year  Charles  T.  Glenn's  wife  and  children  removed  from  Iowa  to  Idaho  to  join  the 
husband  and  father  on  the  ranch  property  which  he  had  purchased  and  since  that  time 
John  E.  Glenn  has  lived  continuously  in  this  state,  residing  for  many  years  in  the 
vicinity  of  Sweet  and  Ola,  now  in  Gem  county.  At  length  he  sold  his  interests  near 
Sweet,  comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  in  the  spring  of  1919 
removed  to  his  present  ranch  property  near  the  Cole  school.  Although  he  has  owned 
this  place  for  little  more  than  a  year,  he  has  had  opportunity  to  almost  double  the 
money  which  he  invested  in  it,  so  rapidly  have  real  estate  values  advanced  in  this 
vicinity. 

John  E.  Glenn  was  married  in  Boise  on  the  20th  of  August,  1894,  to  Miss  Anna 
Smith,  who  was  born  at  Corvallis,  Oregon,  January  6,  1863,  a  daughter  of  Elijah  and 
Elizabeth  (Brown)  Smith,  who  were  early  settlers  of  Oregon.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glenn 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  653 

nave  been  born  three  children:  Charlotte  Zella,  the  wife  of  W.  P.  Driscoll,  of  Sweet; 
Samuel  Porter,  who  was  born  November  22,  1903;  and  Frances  Hazel,  born  October 
26,  1904.  The  two  younger  children  are  attending  the  Maple  Grove  school. 

In  politics  Mr.  Glenn  is  a  republican,  having  supported  the  party  since  age  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  Fraternally  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  has  three 
times  served  as  noble  grand  in  the  order.  The  northwest  with  its  opportunities  and 
advantages  has  strong  hold  upon  his  affections,  and  his  progressiveness  in  matters  of 
citizenship  is  indicated  by  his  active  cooperation  in  all  projects  and  movements  which 
he  deems  of  value  to  the  community. 


LOUIS  X.  ROOS. 

Louis  N.  Roos.  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Le  Moyne  Land  &  Live  Stock  Company 
and  also  secretary-treasurer  of  the  Crane  Creek  Sheep  Company,  both  of  which  have 
their  general  offices  in  the  Boise  City  National  Bank  building,  is  a  native  son  of  Idaho. 
His  birth  occurred  at  Lewiston,  February  27,  1875,  his  parents  being  Ferdinand  and 
Catherine  (Young)  Roos,  who  came  to  this  state  from  California,  It  was  not  until 
after  they  removed  to  Idaho  that  they  became  acquainted  and  their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated in  Florence  in  the  early  '70s.  The  father  resides  in  Lewiston  and  has  retired 
from  active  business  life.  The  mother,  however,  passed  away  January  8,  1920,  when 
more  than  three  score  years  and  ten.  Both  were  natives  of  Germany. 

Louis  N.  Roos  was  reared  in  Lewiston  and  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Idaho.  He 
pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town  and  after  completing  a 
high  school  course  there  he  attended  a  military  school  at  Portland,  Oregon,  for  two 
years.  During  the  years  1898  and  1899  he  served  as  adjutant  of  the  First  Idaho  Regi- 
ment in  the  Philippines,  remaining  in  the  Orient  for  about  two  years  with  the  rank  of 
captain.  During  that  time  he  participated  in  several  battles  and  skirmishes  but  escaped 
wounds. 

In  the  faU  of  1900  Mr.  Roos  returned  to  the  United  States  and  for  two  years  filled 
the  position  of  private  secretary  to  Governor  Frank  W.  Hunt.  For  some  years  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  sheep  industry  in  Idaho,  having  been  associated  with  James  E. 
Clinton  for  ten  years  and  for  the  past  four  years  has  been  secretary  of  the  Crane  Creek 
Sheep  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Clinton  is  the  president.  This  is  one  of  the  largest 
concerns  connected  with  the  sheep  industry  in  Idaho.  Mr.  Roos  is  also  the  secret  iry- 
trensurer  of  the  Le  Moyne  Land  &  Live  Stock  Company,  which  is  operating  extensively 
in  Blaine  county,  and  thus  he  is  a  well  known  figure  in  connection  with  the  sheep  raising 
interests  of  the  state.  Step  by  step  he  has  advanced,  his  orderly  progression  bringing 
him  to  a  position  of  leadership  attended  with  very  substantial  success. 

On  the  27th  of  July,  1915,  Mr.  Roos  was  married  to  Miss  Maude  Murray,  a  native 
of  Michigan,  then  living  in  Boise.  They  are  members  of  St.  Michael's  Episcopal  church, 
and  Mr.  Roos  is  a  Mason  of  high  rank,  having  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the 
Scottish  Rite  and  the  Knights  Templar  degree  of  the  York  Rite,  and  is  a  Shriner. 
He  is  likewise  a  member  of  the  Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars  Association  and  belongs 
to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  to  the  Boise  Country  Club.  He  is  fond  of  hunt- 
ine  and  fishing  and  all  legitimate  sports  and  is  at  the  same  time  actively  interested  in 
all  those  things  which  are  a  matter  of  public  concern.  He  labors  untiringly  for  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  city  and  commonwealth,  bringing  to  bear  on  all  vital  public 
questions  the  same  keen  discernment  and  sound  judgment  which  have  characterized 
the  conduct  of  his  private  business  interests. 


ROBERT   W.    LI M BERT. 

Robert  W.  Limbert,  furrier,  taxidermist  and  tanner  of  Boise,  has  made  his  home 
in  this  city  since  1911.  removing' to  the  northwest  from  Omaha.  Nebraska.  He  was  born 
in  southern  Minnesota,  April  24,  1885,  and  is  the  only  living  child  of  Jesse  and  Ida 
(Smith)  Limbert,  the  former  now  deceased,  while  the  mother  makes  her  home  with 
her  son  Robert.  The  parents  removed  with  their  family  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  when  he 
w;is  quite  young  and  there  he  was  largely  reared  and  educated.  He  took  up  the  study 
and  business  of  taxidermy  while  in  Omaha  and  afterward  worked  along  that  line  in 


654  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Minneapolis,  St.  Paul,  Denver  and  other  cities.  He  has  devoted  the  past  fifteen  years 
to  the  study  of  bird  and  animal  life,  to  taxidermy  and  to  the  business  of  tanning  and 
mounting  birds  and  animals  and  also  to  a  general  furrier  business.  After  coming  to 
Boise  in  1911  he  acted  as  manager  of  a  furrier  and  taxidermy  establishment  of  the  city 
and  in  1913  he  began  business  on  his  own  account  and  is  now  the  only  taxidermist 
and  furrier  of  Boise.  Moreover,  his  skill  and  ability  entitle  him  to  rank  with  the 
leading  representatives  of  the  profession  in  the  west.  In  1914  he  devoted  about  half 
the  year  to  collecting  specimens  for  the  Idaho  exhibit  at  the  Panama  Exposition.  He 
prepared  all  of  these  himself  and  was"  then  placed  in  charge  of  the  Idaho  exhibit  at 
the  exposition,  spending  a  year  and  two  months  there  in  1914  and  1915.  The  Exhibitors' 
Weekly  Bulletin,  published  by  the  Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition,  gave  a  most 
interesting  and  favorable  account  of  the  Idaho  exhibits,  speaking  particularly  of  its 
fine  agricultural  exhibits.  The  most  tasteful  and  artistic  arrangement  was  shown  in 
making  the  display  of  the  various  vegetable  products  and  exhibits  as  well  as  minia- 
ture reproductions  of  the  scenic  beauty  of  the  state.  The  paper  said:  "The  exhibit  was 
artistic  as  well  as  educational  and  it  was  the  attention  paid  to  the  small  details  that 
enabled  Idaho  to  win  the  Medal  of  Honor  on  arrangement  and  decoration,  as  well  as 
four  additional  medals  of  Honor,  twenty-one  gold  medals,  one  hundred  and  six  silver 
medals,  sixty-eight  bronze  medals  and  seven  honorable  mentions.  The  exhibit  was  de- 
signed, modeled  and  decorated  by  R.  W.  Limbert  of  Boise.  The  work  designed  and 
installed  by  Mr.  Limbert  was  awarded  two  medals  of  honor,  three  gold,  five  silver, 
four  bronze  and  one  honorable  mention.  Following  the  general  plan  of  the  Idaho  Com- 
mission in  locating  the  displays  where  they  would  be  seen  by  the  greatest  number,  the 
Idaho  Agricultural  exhibit  has  been  placed  entirely  in  the  Palace  of  Agriculture.  The 
result  is  a  display  that  in  every  way  will  compare  favorably  with  all  the  other  exhibits, 
and  in  many  points  is  admittedly  the  most  attractive  in  the  building.  The  location 
could  not  possibly  be  improved.  The  Idaho  section,  measuring  one  hundred  and  five 
feet  long  by  thirty  feet  wide,  is  placed  directly  across  the  entrance  of  the  great  con- 
servatory, and  everyone  passing  must  go  either  through  or  around  the  Idaho  booth. 
Thus,  while  the  exhibits  of  other  states  are  placed  in  locations  where  no  one  examines 
them  unless  ha  goes  with  that  express  purpose,  the  Idaho  section  is  constantly  filled 
with  people  who,  passing  through,  remain  to  examine  more  closely  the  inviting  exhibits 
which  have  caught  their  eye."  Since  his  return  from  the  exposition  Mr.  Limbert  has 
done  pplendid  work  as  a  furrier,  taxidermist  and  tanner  in  Boise,  where  he  has  built 
up  a  business  of  very  gratifying  proportions. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Limbert  is  an  Elk  and  also  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America.  He  is  fond  of  outdoor  sports,  especially  hunting  and  fishing,  and  he  has 
probably  collected  and  mounted  more  bird  and  animal  specimens  in  Idaho  than  any 
other  one  man,  these  numbering  into  the  hundreds. 

At  Boise,  on  the  14th  of  December,  1911,  Mr.  Limbert  was  married  to  Miss  Margaret 
Wiggs,  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  who  had  been  an  acquaintance  of  his  boyhood.  They  have 
three  children:  Robert  D.,  Margaret  and  Grace.  They  reside  in  an  attractive  home 
which  Mr.  Limbert  owns  at  2518  Herron  street.  He  has  become  widely  known  through- 
out the  northwest  in  his  professional  capacity  and  he  may  well  be  proud  of  the  splen- 
did record  which  he  made  in  charge  of  the  Idaho  exhibits  at  the  Panama-Pacific  Inter- 
national Exposition,  which  served  to  make  his  skill  and  ability  known  to  the  world. 
His  professional  opinions  are  frequently  sought  and  he  has  been  heard  on  the  lecture 
platform,  speaking  before  the  Lowell  Parent  Teachers  Association  and  other  organiza- 
tions concerning  the  bird  life  of  the  country,  of  which  he  has  beautiful  slides,  while 
his  imitation  of  the  call  of  the  birds  is  marvelous. 


D.   S.   POTTER. 

D.  S.  Potter,  whose  excellent  farm  property  is  situated  four  and  one-half  miles 
northeast  of  Eagle  and  about  eleven  miles  from  Boise,  was  born  in  Missouri,  April  30, 
1866,  and  there  spent  the  first  eleven  years  of  his  life,  attending  the  public  schools  for 
a  period  of  about  five  years.  He  is  a  son  of  Henderson  and  Eliza  (Hall)  Potter,  the 
former  dying  when  his  son  was  ten  years  of  age  and  the  mother  passing  away  when 
D.  S.  Potter  was  a  lad  of  but  nine  years.  Soon  afterward  he  came  to  Idaho  with  his 
relatives,  T.  H.  Breshears  and  family,  who  traveled  westward  with  horse  teams  and 
reached  this  state  in  1877. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  655 

D.^S.  Potter  started  out  in  the  business  world  on  his  own  account  when  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  up  to  which  time  his  attention  had  largely  been  given  to  assisting  Thomas 
Morrison  in  his  farm  work  and  in  riding  after  stock  for  others.  In  1896  Mr.  Potter  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nettie  Morrison,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Langs- 
ton)  Morrison,  the  former  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  the  latter  of  Tennessee.  They 
were  married  in  Missouri  and  became  the  parents  of  four  children:  Fannie,  Anna  L., 
Nettie  and  Bettie.  In  the  year  1877  Mr.  Morrison  came  with  his  family  from  Missouri 
to  Idaho  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this  state. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter  have  been  born  four  children,  of  whom  only  two  are  living, 
these  being  Raymond  and  Morrison,  aged  twenty  and  eight  respectively.  Marion  and 
Tommie  are  deceased.  All  were  born  on  Dry  creek,  Idaho. 

In  the  year  1897  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter  purchased  their  present  ranch  property  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  upon  which  they  have  since  resided,  and  they  later  home- 
steaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  adjoining.  Nearly  half  of  this  land  was  wild  when 
it  came  into  their  possession  and  it  has  since  been  developed  into  a  beautiful  farm, 
being  one  of  the  most  productive  and  highly  improved  in  the  state.  Mr.  Potter  largely 
gives  his  attention  and  energy  to  the  raising  of  hay  and  grain  and  keeps  also  a  few 
head  of  live  stock.  They  have  a  comfortable  residence  upon  the  place,  which  is  pleasantly 
situated  four  and  one-half  miles  northeast  of  Eagle  and  eleven  miles  from  Boise. 
Everything  about  the  farm  is  indicative  of  the  careful  supervision  and  enterprising 
methods  of  Mr.  Potter,  whose  well  directed  energy  and  thrift  have  brought  to  him  a 
substantial  measure  of  success. 


THOMAS  BENTON  MARTIN. 

Thomas  Benton  Martin  is  now  following  farming  on  the  Boise  bench,  residing  in 
a  comfortable  suburban  home  which  he  owns  near  the  Whitney  school.  He  has  at 
different  periods  been  active  in  public  office  and  is  widely  known  throughout  the  state, 
the  many  sterling  traits  of  his  character  being  manifest  in  his  business  career  and  in 
his  public  activities  as  well.  Mr.  Martin  was  born  in  Searcy  county,  Arkansas,  March 
21,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  Franklin  Martin,  who  served  as  captain  of  a  Missouri 
company  in  the  Confederate  army  and  was  killed  in  battle  when  his  son,  Thomas  B., 
was  but  five  years  of  age.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Jane  Adams, 
remained  a  widow  until  her  death,  passing  away  in  Boise,  March  2,  1904.  In  the  family 
were  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  the  brother  of  Thomas  Benton  Martin  being  the  Hon. 
Frank  Martin,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Boise,  who  at  one  time  was  attorney  general  of 
Idaho  and  who  is  now  practicing  law  in  the  capital  city  in  connection  with  Thomas 
L.  Martin,  a  son  of  Thomas  B.  Martin  of  this  review,  under  the  firm  style  of  Martin  & 
Martin,  the  latter  having  been  at  one  time  president  of  the  Boise  Commercial  Club, 
and  both  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  daughter  of  Benjamin  F.  Martin 
is  Mrs.  James  F.  Gray,  formerly  of  Long  Valley  but  now  of  Boise. 

Thomas  B.  Martin  spent  his  youthful  days  in  his  native  state  and  was  married  in 
Arkansas  when  but  seventeen  years  of  age  to  Miss  Mary  Jane  Morris,  his  bride  being 
also  about  that  age.  The  wedding  was  celebrated  September  24,  1876.  Mrs.  Martin 
was  also  born  in  Searcy  county,  Arkansas,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Henderson  Morris.  She 
came  as  a  bride  to  Idaho  with  her  husband  and  as  the  years  have  passed  eight  children 
have  been  added  to  their  family;  Lorenzo  D.,  who  was  born  in  South  Boise,  July  19, 
1877;  Thomas  L.,  who  was  born  September  7,  1878,  and  is  a  well  known  lawyer  of 
Boise,  being  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Martin  &  Martin;  Nettie,  who  w"as  born  September 
13,  1883,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Tom  Weston,  of  Boise;  Ida,  who  was  born  December 

13,  1884,  and  is  the  wife  of  M.  L.  Warner,  a  rancher  of  Long  valley,  while  she  is  acting 
as  principal  of  the  Van  Wyck  school  of  that  locality;   Hattie,  who  was  born  February 

14,  1887,  and  Is  now  the  wife  of  George  E.  McKilvie,  of  Boise;  Bessie,  who  was  born 
July  2,  1891,  and  is  the  wife  of  L.  W.  King,  of  Boise;  John  Frank,  who  was  born  June  2, 
1883,  and  is  practicing  law  at  Twin  Falls,  Idaho,  after  having  been  in  training  for 
the  World  war  at  Vancouver,  Washington;   and  Emma,  who  was  born  September  15, 
1895,  and  is  the  wife  of  Glenn  P.  Southward,  of  Boise. 

Following  his  removal  to  Idaho  in  1878,  Mr.  Martin  took  up  a  preemption  near  Star, 
which  he  developed  Into  an  excellent  farm.  He  afterward  sold  that  property  but  before 
disposing  of  it  removed  to  Boise  in  order  to  give  his  children  the  advantage  of  training 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  city.  While  still  living  on  the  ranch  near  Star  he  served 


€56  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

as  county  commissioner  of  Ada  county  and  he  likewise  filled  the  office  of  deputy  warden 
of  the  state  penitentiary  from  1897  until  1902.  In  1909  he  was  appointed  chief  of  police 
of  Boise  and  occupied  that  office  for  four  years,  or  until  1911,  and  from  1914  until  1918 
he  was  United  States  marshal  for  the  district  of  Idaho.  Thus  he  has  been  active  in 
various  public  offices,  from  each  of  which  he  retired  as  he  had  entered  it,  with  the 
confidence  and  goodwill  of  all  concerned.  He  now  occupies  a  comfortable  suburban 
home  near  the  Whitney  school,  where  he  owns  thirty-six  acres  of  fine  ranch  Iand4  which 
he  purchased  in  1904.  It  was  then  an  unimproved  tract  and  is  now  one  of  the  best 
«mall  ranches  in  this  vicinity,  the  improvements  having  been  made  by  him  since  1911, 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  the  place.  The  land  is  very  desirably  located  and  is 
valuable,  for  such  property  in  the  vicinity  is  now  selling  at  from  five  hundred  to  a 
thousand  dollars  per  acre.  By  reason  of  his  public  offices  as  -well  as  his  business  activi- 
ties Mr.  Martin  has  become  widely  known  throughout  this  section  of  the  state  and  the 
sterling  worth  of  his  character  is  recognized  by  all.  He  has  been  a  lifelong  democrat 
and  at  all  times  is  interested  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  and  progress 
of  his  adopted  state. 


ALBERT  E.  POMEROY. 

Albert  E.  Pomeroy,  who  for  the  past  decade  has  successfully  operated  a  well  improved 
ranch  property  comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  near  Letha,  is  also  serving  at  the 
present  time  as  commissioner  of  Gem  county.  His  birth  occurred  in  Boulder  county, 
Colorado,  October  9,  1882,  his  parents  being  Erastus  V.  and  Agnes  (Carnahan)  Pomeroy, 
the  former  born  in  Ohio  in  1846,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1855.  The 
father  saw  active  service  in  the  Civil  war  as  a  member  of  the  Thirteenth  Wisconsin 
Volunteer  Infantry.  General  agricultural  pursuits  claimed  his  attention  during  his  entire 
business  career  and  he  passed  away  at  Greeley,  Colorado,  in  the  year  1916.  The  mother, 
who  still  survives,  now  makes  her  home  at  Nunn,  Colorado.  They  became  the  parents 
of  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters,  five  of  whom  are  yet  living. 

Albert  E.  Pomeroy,  the  only  representative  of  the  family  in  Idaho,  was  reared  on  a 
farm  in  his  native  county  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  Colorado  public  schools. 
After  attaining  his  majority  he  came  to  Idaho  in  1904  and  during  the  first  five  years  of 
his  residence  in  this  state  devoted  his  attention  to  farming  in  the  vicinity  of  Payette. 
Since  1909  he  has  resided  on  his  present  ranch  near  Letha,  where  he  makes  a  specialty 
of  the  raising  of  grain  and  hay  and  also  beef  cattle.  The  property  is  owned  by  his 
mother-in-law,  Mrs.  James  Ewing,  who  makes  her  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pomeroy,  all 
having  a  common  interest  in  the  proceeds  of  the  farm.  Mr.  Pomeroy  is  a  thoroughgoing, 
businesslike  and  progressive  agriculturist,  so  that  success  in  gratifying  measure  has 
rewarded  his  labors. 

On  the  llth  of  October,  1905,  Mr.  Pomeroy  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Abbie 
i~W.  Ewing,  a  native  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  the  only  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James 
Ewing.  Her  father  passed  away  on  the  ranch  on  which  she  still  resides,  being  called 
to  his  final  rest  in  1909.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pomeroy  have  been  born  three  children: 
Frederick  J.,  whose  birth  occurred  October  2,  1906;  Agnes  Elizabeth,  who  was  born 
in  November,  1908;  and  Marie  Helen,  who  was  born  in  December,  1909. 

Mr.  Pomeroy  gives  his  poltical  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  and  in  the  fall 
of  1918  was  elected  to  the  office  of  county  commissioner  of  Gem  county,  political  prefer- 
ment coming  to  him  in  recognition  of  his  ability  and  trustworthiness.  He  is  now  dis- 
charging the  duties*  of  the  position  in  a  most  acceptable  manner  and  has  become  widely 
known  as  one  of  the  representative  and  esteemed  citizens  of  the  community. 


JAMES   C.   WATTS. 

During  the  last  eleven  years  of  his  life  James  C.  Watts  was  an  invalid  and  passed 
away  on  the  1st  of  April.  1909.  Previous  to  that  time  he  had  given  his  attention  to 
farming,  making  his  home  in  the  vicinity  of  Rexburg.  He  was  born  in  South  Weber, 
Davis  county,  Utah,  August  22.  1855,  his  parents  being  Robert  N.  and  Elizabeth  (Heath) 
"Watts,  who  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  Mississippi  respectively,  the  former  born  in 
1801  and  the  latter  in  December,  1815.  About  1851  they  crossed  the  plains  to  Utah  with 


ALBERT  E.  POMEROY 


Vol.  111—42 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  659 

the  pioneers  of  that  state,  journeying  with  a  handcart  brigade,  and  after  reaching  Utah 
took  up  their  abode  in  Davis  county,  where  the  father  entered  land.  Throughout  his 
remaining  days  he  operated  the  place,  leading  a  busy  and  useful  life  until  death  called 
him  in  1879.  The  mother  survived  until  1900. 

James  C.  Watts  was  reared  in  Davis  county,  Utah,  and  is  indebted  to  its  public  school 
system  for  the  educational  advantages  which  he  enjoyed.  He  remained  with  his  parents 
until  he  reached  adult  age  and  was  the  youngest  child  in  their  family.  He  took  up  the 
occupation  of  farming  and  in  1883  established  his  home  in  Madison  county,  Idaho,  then 
a  part  of  Oneida  county,  filing  on  land  four  miles  from  Rexburg.  This  he  further 
cultivated  and  improved,  giving  his  remaining  days  to  the  work  of  tilling  the  soil  and 
harvesting  the  crops.  While  putting  up  hay  he  sustained  an  injury  that  finally  resulted 
in  paralysis  and  thus  he  was  an  invalid  for  eleven  years  prior  to  his  death. 

On  the  19th  of  March,  187G,  Mr.  Watts  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Jones,  a 
daughter  of  David  D.  and  Aim  (Jones)  Jones,  who  were  natives  of  Wales.  Their 
daughter  Mrs.  Watts  was  born  in  that  little  rock-ribbed  country  on  the  18th  of  May, 
1861,  and  came  to  America  with  her  parents  in  1869.  They  traveled  by  train  to  Ogden, 
Utah,  and  the  father,  who  had  been  an  iron  moulder  in  his  native  country,  then  turned 
his  attention  to  farming  as  well  as  to  mining  in  Utah.  His  death  occurred  in  Basalt, 
Idaho,  in  1905.  He  had  for  several  years  survived  his  wife,  who  died  in  August,  1899. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watts  had  twelve  children:  Ann  E.,  who  was  born  January  1,  1877,  and 
died  in  the  following  March;  James  C.,  who  was  born  March  4?  1878,  and  died  February 
15,  1879;  William  A.,  who  was  born  December  14,  1879,  and  died  in  February,  1880; 
Joseph  Ellis,  born  April  21,  1881;  Hyrum  F.,  born  December  25,  1882;  Lilly  M.,  born  May 
13,  1885;  Mary  A.,  who  was  born  June  27,  1887.  and  died  on  the  same  day;  Jesse  C., 
born  November  9,  1888;  John  L.,  born  November  8,  1890;  Ada  E.,  February  22,  1894; 
Phoebe  Hazel,  September  18,  1896;  and  Moses,  November  14,  1899. 

Not  only  was  Mr.  Watts  keenly  interested  in  the  agricultural  development  of  the 
community  but  also  in  the  advancement  of  its  irrigation  interests  and  for  ten  years  he 
served  as  president  of  the  Rexburg  Irrigation  Company.  Politically  he  was  a  republican, 
and  his  religious  faith  was  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He 
was  first  counselor  to  the  bishop  for  ten  years  and  held  various  other  offices  in  the 
church,  was  also  Sunday  school  teacher  and  president  of  the  Young  Men's  Mutual 
Improvement  Association  for  a  number  of  years.  Mrs.  Watts,  who  for  twenty  years 
engaged  in  nursing,  still  owns  eighty  acres  of  the  old  home  place,  from  which  she 
derives  a  good  rental.  She  makes  her  home,  however,  in  Rexburg,  where  she  is  most 
widely  known,  having  many  warm  friends  there. 


JOHN  ESTEN  FREEMAN. 

John  Esten  Freeman,  who  was  long  numbered  with  the  successful  ranchers  and 
cattlemen  of  Meadows,  Adam?  county,  Idaho,  is  now  residing  on  the  Boise  bench  in  a 
splendid  suburban  home,  standing  upon  a  valuable  tract  of  land  of  twenty  acres,  known 
as  the  old  Wolfe  place,  at  the  corner  of  Alturas  and  Owyhee  avenues.  He  has  continuously 
been  a  resident  of  Idaho  since  18S6,  or  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century,  and  was  but 
a  lad  of  thirteen  when  he  came  to  this  state  with  his  parents,  John  W.  and  Sally 
(Baker)  Freeman,  who  were  natives  of  Virginia.  It  was  in  that  state  that  John  Esten 
Freeman  was  born,  his  birth  occurring  near  Roanoke,  March  6,  1874.  He  was  named  for 
John  Esten  Cooke,  the  writer,  a  cousin  of  his  mother.  John  W.  Freeman  became  a 
telegraph  operator  in  Virginia  in  early  manhood  and  followed  that  occupation  in  the  OW 
Dominion  for  many  years.  At  length  he  came  to  the  west,  accompanied  by  his  wife 
and  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  John  Esten  was  the  fifth  In 
order  of  birth.  The  father  took  up  a  homestead  near  Meadows  and  he  and  his  wife 
spent  their  remaining  days  in  Adams  county,  his  death  occurring  in  1910,  while  Mrs. 
Freeman  survived  until  1916,  the  remains  of  both  being  interred  in  the  Meadows 
cemetery. 

John  Esten  Freeman  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Meadows  from  1886  until  the  fall  of 
1918,  when  he  removed  to  Boise  and  in  December,  1919,  took  up  his  abode  on  his  present 
ranch  property  on  the  bench.  At  Meadows,  after  attaining  his  majority,  he  followed 
ranching  and  cattle  raising  and  on  disposing  of  his  interests  there  sold  a  thousand 
acres  of  land,  of  which  eight  hundred  acres  were  in  one  tract  For  the  past  eighteen 
years,  in  addition  to  his  ranching  activities,  he  has  been  a  Star  Route  U.  8.  mail 


660 

contractor,  he  and  his  brother-in-law,  E.  O.  Brown,  of  Grangeville,  Idaho,  having  a  con- 
tract to  transport  the  U.  S.  mails  from  New  Meadows  to  Grangeville,  a  contract  that  was 
awarded  them  July  1,  1902,  their  route  covering  ninety  miles. 

Mr.  Freeman  was  married  at  Meadows,  August  20,  1902,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Clay,  a 
native  of  Idaho,  born  in  the  mining  town  of  Warren,  June  12,  1880.  Her  father,  Thomas 
Clay,  a  mining  man,  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  the  state  and  married  Katherine 
Klein,  who  came  to  Idaho  in  her  girlhood  days  and  was  first  married  to  William  Osborn, 
who  was  killed  in  his  cabin  in  a  mining  camp  by  the  Nez  Perce  Indians,  June  15,  1877, 
while  other  white  settlers  of  the  district  met  a  similar  fate,  this  massacre  constituting  the 
beginning  of  the  Nez  Perce  Indian  war  of  that  year.  Mrs.  Osborn,  together  with  many 
of  the  women  and  children  of  the  locality,  was  not  killed  by  the  Indians,  but  they  were 
made  to  suffer  many  hardships.  Mrs.  Osborn  later  married  Thomas  Clay  and  Mrs. 
Freeman  is  the  eldest  of  their  four  children.  Mr.  Clay  passed  away  in  1906  and  his  wife 
died  a  few  years  ago  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  both  passing  away  near  Meadows, 
where  their  graves  were  made.  Mrs.  Freeman  has  lived  in  Idaho  throughout  her  entire 
life  and  has  always  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Meadows  until  th,e  recent  removal  of  the 
family  to  Boise  in  1918.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Freeman  have  an  only  son,  LeRoy  Esten,  who  was 
born  July  19,  1904,  and  is  now  a  sophomore  in  the  Boise  high  school. 

Mr.  Freeman  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  in  politics 
is  a  democrat.  He  has  been  a  most  earnest  and  active  supporter  of  the  party  and  for 
the  past  four  years  has  been  a  member  of  the  state  democratic  central  committee  from 
Adams  county.  He  is  now  concentrating  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  the  further 
development  and  improvement  of  his  twenty-acre  ranch  on  the  Boise  bench,  in  the 
midst  of  which  he  has  a  large  two-story  cement  block  house  containing  six  rooms  and 
basement.  There  are  other  good  improvements  upon  the  place,  which  is  well  located, 
and  one  attractive  feature  of  the  ranch  is  a  seven-acre  orchard  of  apples  and  cherries 
which  have  come  into  bearing. 


EDDIE  E.  EDWARDS. 

Eddie  E.  Edwards,  a  retired  rancher  and  merchant,  who  was  formerly  active  in 
business  at  Gibbonsville,  Lemhi  county,  but  is  now  residing  in  Boise,  was  born  in  Iowa 
county,  Wisconsin,  June  29,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  David  G.  and  Mary  E.  (Jewell) 
Edwards.  He  is  also  a  nephew  of  Hon.  E.  S.  Jewell,  formerly  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Washington  county,  Idaho,  but  now  residing  in  California.  The  parents  of  Eddie  E. 
Edwards  spent  their  last  years  in  Idaho,  in  the  vicinity  of  Cambridge^  where  the  death 
of  both  occurred,  their  remains  being  interred  in  the  cemetery  there.  They  had  improved 
a  homestead  near  Cambridge  and  were  pioneers  of  the  Salubria  valley.  David  G. 
Edwards  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Union  army  for  three  years  with  a  Wisconsin  regi- 
ment, thus  doing  his  full  part  to  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union. 

Eddie  E.  Edwards  was  born  and  reared  at  Mineral  Point,  Wisconsin,  and  when 
seventeen  years  of  age  came  to  Idaho  with  an  uncle,  Albert  Jewell,  who  like  the  Hon. 
E.  S.  Jewell,  was  a  brother  of  his  mother,  E.  S.  Jewell  being  already  at  that  time  a 
resident  of  this  state.  It  was  in  1884  that  E.  E.  Edwards  came  to  Idaho,  where  he  has 
now  resided  for  a  period  of  thirty-six  years.  He  spent  the  first  eight  years  in  Washing- 
ton county  in  the  vicinity  of  Cambridge,  where  he  was  active  in  connection  with  ranch- 
ing and  as  a  clerk  in  the  stores.  He  had  previously  engaged  in  clerking  at  Mineral 
Point,  Wisconsin,  in  his  youthful  days  and  thus  had  received  some  initial  business 
training.  In  1892,  when  still  single,  he  went  to  Gibbonsville,  Lemhi  county,  where  he 
embarked  in  merchandising  on  his  own  account.  There  he  made  his  home  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  and  during  that  period  was  connected  with  commercial  pursuits,  first 
conducting  a  meat  market,  while  several  years  later  he  extended  the  scope  of  his 
activities  by  establishing  a  large  general  store,  which  he  conducted  successfully  for 
many  years,  having  the  only  store  of  the  kind  at  that  place.  He  was  very  successful 
in  business  and  amassed  a  comfortable  fortune,  being  at  the  time  of  his  retirement  from 
business  a  few  years  ago  one  of  the  wealthy  merchants  of  Idaho.  This  was  due  to  his 
close  application,  his  unremitting  energy  and  his  sound  judgment  in  business  affairs. 
While  conducting  his  mercantile  business  he  also  became  interested  in  mining  and  in 
realty  at  Gibbonsville  and  entered  the  field  of  banking  as  vice  president  of  the  Citizens 
National  Bank  at  Salmon,  Idaho.  For  many  years  before  leaving  Gibbonsville  he  was 
the  recognized  banker  of  that  place,  which  never  had  an  organized  bank.  He  made  it 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  661 

a  rule  while  in  business  there  to  cash  checks  for  practically  everyone  in  the  vicinity 
who  was  known  to  be  financially  sound  and  he  also  engaged  in  loaning  money  to  a 
large  extent,  utilizing  his  private  funds  in  this  way.  In  all  business  affairs  he  has 
displayed  keen  sagacity  and  his  energy  and  determination,  coupled  with  sound  judgment, 
have  made  him  one  of  the  prosperous  men  of  the  state. 

At  Salmon.  Idaho,  Mr.  Edwards  was  married  on  the  13th  of  March.  1901.  to  Mis* 
Anna  O'Neill,  of  Gibbonsville,  who  is  of  Scotch  descent.  They  have  two  daughters: 
Kdena,  now  eighteen  years  of  age;  and  Jessie,  sixteen  years  of  age.  Both  are  students  in 
the  Boise  high  school.  It  was  to  give  his  children  better  educational  opportunities  that 
Mr.  Edwards  removed  to  Boise  with  his  family  in  1917  and  in  1919  he  took  up  his  abode 
in  his  present  palatial  home  at  No.  1205  North  Eleventh  street,  one  of  the  fine  resi- 
dences in  the  northern  section  of  the  city.  It  is  the  old  Logan  home  and  when  it  was 
built  was  one  of  the  finest  homes  of  Boise. 

In  politics  Mr.  Edwards  has  long  been  a  republican  and  while  in  Lemhl  county 
served  as  county  commissioner  for  one  term.  Fraternally  he  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  both 
he  and  his  wife  are  identified  with  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah.  E.  E.  Edwards  has  mem- 
bership with  the  Sons  of  Veterans  and  in  all  matters  of  citizenship  he  is  progressive  and 
loyal,  cooperating  heartily  in  every  plan  and  measure  that  tends  to  promote  the  welfare 
of  the  community  and  of  the  state  at  large. 


D.  E.  CLEMMENS. 

D.  E.  Clemmens,  residing  near  Eagle,  has  made  valuable  contribution  to  the  devel- 
opment and  progress  of  his  state.  He  was  born  March  12,  1878,  on  the  ranch  on  which 
he  now  resides,  situated  on  Dry  creek,  at  Brookside.  His  father,  David  Clemmens,  was, a 
native  of  Iowa  and  came  to  Idaho  in  1865,  first  settling  upon  rented  land  where  now 
stands  the  station  of  Edgewood  on  the  interurban  line.  In  1870  he  purchased  the  Uncle 
Barrett  Williams  place  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  Dry  creek,  now  known  aa 
Brookside.  The  old  home  in  which  D.  E.  Clemmens  was  born  is  one  of  the  landmarks 
of  this  state,  having  been  a  wayside  inn  on  the  stage  line  from  Kelton,  Utah,  to  Umatilla. 
Oregon,  via  Boise,  Idaho.  At  this  station  there  was  a  saloon  and  an  old-time  dance 
hall  which  now  exist  only  in  memory,  and  there  was  also  a  brewery  at  Brookside. 
The  stage  line  was  abandoned  after  the  early  '70s.  With  hired  help  Mr.  Clem- 
mens developed  this  place  and  also  engaged  in  freighting  from  Kelton,  Utah,  to 
Boise,  Idaho,  and  thence  to  Umatilla,  Oregon,  following  that  business  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1877.  It  was  on  a  very  dark  night,  when  he  was  out  looking  after 
his  horses,  while  camped  at  Desert  Station,  Idaho,  that  he  fell  from  a  bluff  sixty  feet  high 
and  was  instantly  killed.  His  widow,  who  survived  him,  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Sarah  Wilkerson  and  was  born  in  Indiana  but  went  with  her  parents  to  Centerville. 
Iowa,  when  she  was  a  young  girl,  and  it  was  there  that  she  became  the  wife  of  David 
Clemmens.  With  him  she  crossed  the  plains  in  the  summer  of  1865,  traveling  with  two 
yoke  of  oxen.  They  were  members  of  a  party  numbering  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
wagons  of  which  Bob  Lockett  was  captain.  They  had  various  encounters  with  the 
Indians  while  en  route  but  were  always  successful  in  their  battles  with  the  red  men. 
Mrs.  Clemmens  survived  her  husband  for  many  years,  passing  away  in  1905  at  the  old 
home  where  the  birth  of  D.  E.  Clemmens  occurred.  She  was  the  mother  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Samuel,  Katie.  Savina,  Annie  and  Jesse,  all  deceased;  Ida,  the  wife  of 
James  Potter,  Jr.,  John  W.,  who  passed  away;  and  D.  E.,  of  this  review. 

The  last  named,  spending  his  boyhood  and  youth  on  the  old  ranch  home  of  the 
family,  made  arrangements  for  establishing  a  home  of  his  own  when  on  the  17th 
of  March,  1909,  he  wedded  Retta  Vincen,  who  was  born  on  Dry  creek  in  Idaho  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Hally  and  Maggie  (Hurt)  Vincen.  Her  father  came  to  Idaho  in  1864,  when 
a  young  man  of  twenty  years,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Hancock  •  county,  Iowa, 
November  11,  1844.  Her  mother  was  a  native  of  Honaker,  Russell  county,  Virginia,  and 
came  to  Idaho  in  1863,  her  parents  settling  on  the  old  Franks  place  a  quarter  of  a  mile 

'  of  the  present  Saxon  station  on  the  electric  interurban  line,  in  the  Boise  valley. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vincen  were  married  November  7,  1873,  at  her  father's  home,  and  to  them 
were  born  six  children.  Anna  Belle  passed  away  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  in  1891. 
Charles  Henry,  forty-three  years  of  age  and  a  resident  of  Boise  county,  married  Sallie 
Richardson  and  they  have  four  children.  Ralph  William,  forty-one  years  of  age,  is  living 
in  California.  Retta  is  now  Mrs.  Clemmens.  Frank  S.,  thirty-six  years  of  age,  lives  with 


662  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  cares  for  his  father  and  mother.  Alice  Phoebe  is  the  wife  of  Edward  Clyde  Smith 
and  has  two  children,  their  home  being  at  Stock  Rock,  on  Dry  creek. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clemmens  has  been  blessed  with  one  son,  Hally  Vincen 
Clemmens,  nine  years  of  age,  who  is  attending  school.  The  success  which  Mr.  Clem- 
inens  has  attained  enables  him  to  provide  a  comfortable  living  for  his  family.  He  first 
started  out  in  the  business  world  at  cow  punching  and  busting  bronchos  for  Truman  C. 
Catlin  on  Eagle  Island  and  remained  with  him  for  two  seasons,  after  which  he  worked 
for  a  similar  period  for  John  Lemp.  He  then  went  to  Oregon  and  was  in  the  employ 
of  Miller  &  Lux  until  1908,  during  which  time  he  rode  over  their  entire  range,  being 
what  was  termed  one  of  their  "beef  bosses."  In  1909  he  returned  to  Idaho,  was  married 
and  through  the  succeeding  year  conducted  his  father-in-law's  place,  while  during 
the  second  year  after  his  marriage  he  was  In  the  employ  of  Sam  P.  Glenn  on 
Dry  creek.  He  then  came  to  his  present  home  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
which  he  owns  and  cultivates  in  partnership  with  Thomas  Healy.  They  carry  on 
diversified  farming  and  stock  raising  and  their  well  directed  efforts  and  energy  are 
bringing  to  them  substantial  success.  Mr.  Healy  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  and 
crossed  the  border  to  Pennsylvania  with  his  parents  when  he  was  twenty-three  years 
of  age.  He  is  today  one  of  the  oldest  lumbermen  in  the  United  States.  He  drove  logs 
in  Michigan  and  in  the  states  bordering  the  Great  Lakes  and  operated  an  extensive  saw- 
mill in  Kentucky.  He  afterward  removed  to  Colorado,  where  he  again  took  up  the 
lumber  business,  and  from  there  went  to  Arizona  during  the  diamond  excitement  but 
did  not  win  a  fortune  as  he  had  hoped  to  do.  In  fact  he  said  that  all  he  got  was  the 
excitement.  From  there  he  went  to  Pioche,  Nevada,  where  he  furnished  timber  to  the 
mines  under  contract.  Afterward  he  came  to  Idaho  and  worked  for  David  Clemmens, 
father  of  D.  E.  Clemmens,  driving  a  freight  team  and  ranching.  He  hauled  many  of 
the  posts  which  are  on  the  farm  today  and  which  were  put  into  the  ground  in  1871. 
Mr.  Healy  was  seventy -six  years  of  age  on  the  1st  of  March,  1920,  and  has  always 
enjoyed  good  health. 

In  his  farming  operations  Mr.  Clemmens  has  made  steady  progress.  He  raised 
eleven  hundred  and  twenty-two  bushels  of  barley  on  nineteen  acres  and  five  hundred 
and  sixty-eight  bushels  of  oats  on  eight  acres  without  a  drop  of  water  being  used  for 
Irrigation.  He  also  threshed  two  hundred  and  fifteen  bushels  of  wheat  from  seven  acres 
and  in  1918  he  threshed  three  hundred  and  seventy-eight  bushels  from  seven  and  a 
half  acres.  All  through  the  period  of  the  war  he  did  everything  possible  to  aid  the  in- 
terests of  the  country,  and  his  wife  and  Mrs.  D.  S.  Potter  were  the  recognized  leaders  in 
their  locality  for  the  war  work  for  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  Red  Cross,  the  Salvation  Army, 
the  Armenian  drive,  food  conservation  and  the  registration  of  women.  In  fact  in 
all  of  the  bond  drives  they  never  failed  to  go  over  the  top  and  obtain  more  than  their 
quota.  Mrs.  Clemmens  was  captain  of  her  sector  and  their  school  was  the  first  to  go 
over  the  top,  one  hundred  per  cent  in  thrift  stamps  in  1918.  Mrs.  Clemmens  received 
a  medal  of  award  from  the  United  States  government,  made  from  a  captured  German 
cannon,  for  "patriotic  service  in  behalf  of  the  Liberty  Loans."  Their  sector  was  con- 
sidered one  of  the  most  progressive  in  the  state  in  every  instance  in  war  service.  They 
also  wo.-ked  their  sector  for  the  Child's  Welfare  and  the  name  of  Clemmens  stands  as  a 
synonym  for  most  advanced  patriotism.  In  fact  the  family  has  ever  been  a  highly 
respected  and  honored  one  in  Ada  county  since  1865,  when  the  father,  David  Clemmens, 
crossed  the  plains,  taking  up  his  abode  here  fifty-five  years  ago. 


CHARLES  E.  CURTIS. 

Charles  E.  Curtis,  who  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Ellis  &  Curtis,  automobile  dealers 
of  Dubois,  was  born  in  Centerville,  Iowa,  October  23,  1876,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and 
Nancy  (Morris-sey)  Curtis,  the  former  a  native  of  New  York,  while  the  latter  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  Henry  Curtis  joined  the  Union  army  as 
a  member  of  a  regiment  of  New  York  infantry,  with  which  he  served  for  four  years, 
six  months  and  eighteen  days.  He  was  wounded  in  an  engagement  and  at  all  times 
proved  his  loyalty  to  his  country  by  his  unfaltering  obedience  to  military  commands  and 
his  willing  sacrifice  of  his  own  interests  to  the  cause  of  the  Union.  When  the  war 
was  over  he  went  to  Centerville,  Iowa,  and  there  worked  in  the  coal  mines  until  1883, 
when  he  removed  to  Kansas.  In  the  latter  state  he  engaged  in  the  livery  business  at 
Clay  Center  and  also  carried  on  farming  in  Kansas  for  some  time.  In  fact  he  continued 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  663 

to  reside  there  throughout  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in  March,  1896. 
His  widow  survives  and  now  makes  her  home  at  Vining,  Kansas. 

Charles  E.  Curtis  spent  his  youthful  days  in  Clay  Center  and  attended  the  public 
schools,  thus  acquiring  the  education  wHich  served  as  a  foundation  for  his  success 
in  life.  For  twelve  years  he  rode  the  range  and  In  1889,  when  thirteen  years  of  age,  he 
came  to  Idaho  and  began  riding  the  range  in  this  state.  He  was  thus  engaged  for 
twelve  years  at  Lost  River,  after  which  he  turned  his  attention  to  quartz  mining, 
which  he  followed  in  Idaho,  Utah  and  Montana  until  1914.  In  the  latter  year  he  estab- 
lished his  home  at  Dubois,  having  twenty  years  before  visited  the  town  when  it  was 
a  tiny  hamlet.  In  October,  1917,  he  engaged  in  the  automobile  business  in  connection 
with  T.  D.  Ellis  and  erected  a  fine  garage  sixty  by  one  hundred  feet  They  handle  the 
Buick  car  and  also  do  a  general  repair  business.  Their  patronage  has  grown  to 
extensive  proportions  in  both  the  sales  and  repair  departments,  and  their  enterprise  is 
bringing  them  prominently  to  the  front  among  automobile  dealers. 

In  February,  1914,  Charles  E.  Curtis  was  married  to  Miss  Lucy  Ledvina  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  two  children:  Alda,  who  was  born  January  18,  1917;  and 
Tola  May.  born  in  June,  1919.  Mr.  Curtis  gives  his  political  support  to  the  democratic 
party.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  while 
his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  will  not  countenance  personal 
action  or  business  methods  that  do  not  measure  up  to  the  highest  standards  of  man- 
hood, and  in  matters  of  citizenship  he  stands  for  that  which  is  thoroughly  American 
at  all  times. 


THOMAS  HEALY. 

Thomas  Healy,  interested  in  farming  as  part  owner  of  a  farm  which  he  holds  in 
connection  with  D.  E.  Clemmens,  with  whom  he  resides,  was  born  in  Peterboro,  Ontario, 
Canada,  March  1,  1844.  He  obtained  his  early  education  there  and  with  his  parents, 
Thomas  and  Eilen  (Leahy)  Healy,  remained  upon  the  farm  until  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  when  he  went  to  Corry,  Pennsylvania.  There  he  took  up  work  in  the  lumber 
woods  of  Pennsylvania  and  afterward  of  New  York,  being  thus  employed  for  about 
four  years.  He  next  went  west  to  Colorado,  where  he  engaged  in  the  timber  business 
and  in  mining  for  a  year  and  a  half,  removing  thence  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and 
afterward  to  Provo,  Utah,  from  which  point  he  traveled  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
by  stage  to  Pioche,  Nevada,  where  he  engaged  in  mining  for  three  years.  He  rode  a 
mule  and  his  partner  rode  a  horse  ;md  they  led  a  pack  horse.  In  this  way  they 
prospected  over  most  of  the  state  of  Nevada  and  finally  reached  Silver  City,  Idaho,  in 
the  fall  of  1873.  They  worked  in  the  mines  until  the  beginning  of  winter,  when  Mr. 
Healy  and  his  partner  went  to  Hot  Springs,  on  the  Owyhee  river,  and  there  camped. 
In  the  following  spring  Mr.  Healy  returned  to  the  mines  at  Silver  City,  where  he 
remained  until  1875,  when  it  seemed  that  the  mines  could  not  be  made  profitable  through 
bad  management  and  through  the  failure  of  the  Bank  of  California  in  San  Francisco. 
When  the  news  reached  camp  that  Rawlston,  the  president  of  the  bank,  had  committed 
suicide,  panic  ensued.  Mr.  Healy  was  then  employed  by  Driscoll,  Posey  &  Shea,  the 
contractors  who  were  timbering  the  mine  and  furnishing  wood  for  fuel,  and  they 
appointed  him  to  receive  all  timber  for  the  different  mines.  When  the  crash  came.  Mr. 
Healy.  like  hundreds  of  others,  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do.  One  day  a  man  with  a 
team  and  wagon  drove  into  town  and  Mr.  Healy's  partner  said  to  him:  "If  I  had  the  gift 
of  gab  and  the  nerve  that  you  have,  I'd  buy  that  team  with  the  worthless  paper."  (They 
both  held  the  now  worthless  paper  that  was  given  them  in  lieu  of  wages  in  the  mines.) 
Mr.  Healy  accordingly  approached  the  man  with  the  team  and  offered  to  buy  it,  telling 
him,  however,  that  he  considered  the  paper  worthless.  The  man  accepted  the  proposi- 
tion, saying:  "If  you  want  to  get  rid  of  the  paper  as  badly  as  I  want  to  get  rid  of  the 
team,  I  will  accept  the  paper  providing  the  men  whose  names  are  on  it  will  acknowledge 
their  obligation."  Everything  was  satisfactorily  settled  and  the  next  morning  Mr. 
Healy  obtained  the  team  and  wagon.  His  partner  then  suggested  that  they  toss  fifty 
cents  into  the  air  to  see  which  one  should  pay  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars 
and  take  the  team.  The  partner  won,  paid  Mr.  Healy  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in 
cash,  bought  an  outfit  and  started  for  Nevada.  The  previous  owner  of  the  team  after- 
ward collected  on  the  "worthless  paper." 

After  this  deal  was  consummated  Mr.  Healy  came  to  Boise,  where  he  remained 


664  •         HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

during  the  winter  of  1875-6.  In  the  spring  of  the  latter  year  he  went  to  Atlanta,  Idaho, 
where  he  worked  in  the  mines  until  the  fall  of  1879,  when  the  mines  were  closed  down. 
Just  before  they  closed  Mr.  Healy  did  considerable  contract  work  there.  He 
then  returned  to  Boise,  where  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Frank  Brailey  in  a  logging 
contract  and  also  bought  the  Rossi  tollgate  and  ranch.  The  next  season  he  purchased 
his  partner's  interests  and  conducted  the  business  until  1887.  In  company  with  Amos 
T.  Bennett  he  bought  the  Rossi  sawmill,  his  partner  being  a  practical  sawmill  man  and 
Mr.  Healy  a  thorough  outside  man.  They  got  out  a  large  quantity  of  logs  that  winter 
and  began  sawing  in  the  spring,  but  soon  afterward  the  partner  was  crushed  by  a  log 
rolling  over  him  on  the  logway.  Mr.  Healy  then  purchased  his  partner's  interests.  In 
the  winter  of  1878  there  was  no  snow  and  the  following  season  there  was  accordingly 
no  water.  He  had  two  competitors,  who,  in  consequence  of  the  lack  of  water,  could 
get  no  logs.  Mr.  Healy's  mill,  however,  was  right  in  the  timber,  and  with  Boise  booming, 
he  was  conducting  a  very  substantial  business.  He  had  thousands  of  feet  of  rough  and 
finished  lumber  piled  at  the  mill  to  meet  the  growing  demand.  But  in  the  face  of  this 
prosperity,  a  fire  brought  disaster,  supposed  to  have  been  of  incendiary  origin.  He  lost 
two  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  feet  of  lumber  and  this  terminated  his  lumber 
business.  He  afterward  conducted  the  toll  road  until  1909,  when  he  sold  out  and  also 
disposed  of  the  few  head  of  stock  which  he  possessed.  Removing  to  Boise,  he  there 
maintained  his  residence  until  the  death  of  his  wife  on  the  25th  of  May,  1910. 

It  was  on  the  8th  of  April,  1884,  that  Mr.  Healy  had  wedded  Elizabeth  Custer,  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  for  twenty-six  years  they  traveled  life's  journey  happily  together. 
In  October,  1910,  Mr.  Healy  purchased  a  half  interest  with  D.  E.  Clemmens  in  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  at  Brookside,  on  Dry  creek.  His  former  partner,  Jacob 
Clemmens,  was  an  uncle  of  his  present  partner,  whom  he  has  known  since  he  was  a 
child.  Mr.  Healy  has  always  felt  a  keen  interest  in  the  Clemmens  family  and  they  have 
ever  had  the  highest  regard  for  him,  so  that  he  now  has  a  good  home  with  the  family  of 
D.  E.  Clemmens  in  the  evening  of  his  days.  In  pioneer  times  he  acted  as  scout  when 
the  Indians  were  on  the  warpath  and  he  has  experienced  all  the  trials  and  hardships  of 
frontier  life  and  can  relate  many  interesting  incidents  which  are  more  marvelous  than 
any  tales  of  fiction. 


WILLIS  WEBB. 

Willis  Webb  owns  and  cultivates  a  ranch  of  twenty-one  acres  adjoining  the  corpora- 
tion limits  of  Emmett  on  the  west.  He  came  to  Idaho  from  southern  Utah  in  1901  but 
is  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  his  birth  having  there  occurred  September  29, 
1844.  His  parents  were  Charles  and  Laura  (Smith)  Webb,  with  whom  he  crossed 
the  plains  to  Utah  in  a  big  covered  wagon  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  cows  and  a  yoke  of  oxen. 
This  was  in  1849,  when  he  was  but  four  years  of  age.  His  parents  were  converts  to  the 
Mormon  teachings.  The  father,  Charles  Webb,  later  became  a  member  of  the  Mormon  Bat- 
talion that  went  to  California  and  assisted  the  United  States  government,  being  nine 
month?  on  the  trip.  The  own  mother  of  Willis  Webb  had  died  in  New  York  when  he  was 
but  two  years  of  age  and  it  was  his  stepmother  with  whom  he  came  to  Utah  when 
the  family  crossed  the  plains  in  1849. 

Willis  Webb  was  reared  in  the  southern  part  of  Ut£h  upon  a  ranch  and  in  young 
manhood  he  did  active  military  duty  in  the  Black  Hawk  war.  He  was  married  at 
the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  on  the  3d  of  October,  1868,  to  Miss  Beulah  Allen,  who 
was  born  in  Kentucky  but  was  reared  in  Andrew  county,  Missouri.  She  passed 
away  at  the  family  home  west  of  Emmett,  September  18,  1916,  when  seventy-five  years 
of  age.  Mr.  Webb  has  one  son  and  two  daughters.  Mrs.  Beulah  Harris,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  John  Harris,  resides  in  a  nice  home  of  her  own  near  the  home  of  her 
father,  it  being  situated  on  the  original  thirty-seven  acre  tract  of  land  which  her 
father  cultivated.  Willis,  who  was  born  July  26,  1873,  was  married  February  19,  1899, 
to  Clara  Black,  whose  birth  occurred  at  Glendale,  Utah,  February  19,  1880,  and  who 
is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Louisa  (Washburn)  Black.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willis 
Webb,  Jr.,  have  been  born  eight  living  children:  Clarinda,  who  was  born  February 
22,  1900;  Beulah,  whose  birth  occurred  November  16,  1902;  Lula,  whose  natal  day  was 
August  3,  1904;  Vera,  born.  July  15,  1906;  Willis  Andrew,  born  October  6,  1909; 
Mildred,  born  December  29,  1912;  Lloyd,  born  November  15,  1916;  and  Edward,  who  was 
born  on  the  8th  of  June,  1918.  The  third  child  of  the  family  is  Nancy,  the  wife  of 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  667 

Martin  H.  Smith,  residing  in  the  Bramwell  neighborhood  of  Gem  county  and  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 

In  young  manhood  Mr.  Webb  of  this  review  was  a  ward  teacher  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  for  many  years  and  was  formerly  an  elder  in  the  church. 


JOHN  HARVEY  IRETON. 

Upon  the  pages  of  Idaho's  history  is  indelibly  impressed  the  name  of  John  Harvey 
Ireton,  who  was  long  identified  with  the  industrial  and  business  interests  of  the  state 
and  left  the  impress  of  his  individuality  upon  its  development  and  pr >gresb  through  a 
period  of  nearly  half  a  century.  By  reason  of  his  sterling  personal  worth  and  the  vigor 
which  he  lent  to  the  pioneer  era,  his  death  was  the  occasion  of  deep  regret  when  on  the 
6th  of  November,  1917.  he  passed  away  in  Boise.  He  was  born  in  Clennont  county, 
Ohio,  March  15,  1845,  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Hadley)  Ireton,  who  were  native* 
of  New  Jersey  and  New  York  respectively.  The  father  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing. The  mother  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  church  and  both  enjoyed  the 
high  esteem  of  those  who  knew  them.  Their  family  numbered  five  sons  and  five 
daughters. 

John  H.  Ireton,  who  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth,  pursued  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Williamsburg,  Ohio,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  responded  to  the  country's 
call  for  troops  to  aid  in  crushing  out  rebellion  in  the  south.  He  joined  Company  L  of 
the  Ninth  Ohio  Cavalry  and  was  soon  made  a  sergeant.  He  took  part  in  many  hotly 
contested  engagements  as  the  Federal  army  advanced  through  the  south,  including  the 
battles  leading  up  to  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  being  with  the  forces  under  command  of 
General  Kilpatrick,  while  later  he  went  with  Sherman  on  the  march  to  the  sea.  In  May, 
1864,  he  participated  in  the  pursuit  of  General  Forrest's  cavalry  forces  to  Florence  and 
on  the  16th  of  July  of  that  year  was  in  the  raid  under  General  Rousseau  to  Lochapoga, 
while  in  the  following  December  he  took  part  in  the  march  to  Savannah  with  Sherman. 
He  was  also  in  the  continuous  fighting  under  General  Kilpatrick,  beginning  at  Chappell 
Hill,  and  was  present  at  Johnston's  surrender  In  May,  1865,  after  which  he  proceeded 
with  his  command  to  Concord,  North  Carolina,  in  July  of  that  year  and  thence  to  Lex- 
ington, North  Carolina,  where  on  the  20th  of  July.  1865,  aime  the  order  fo  muster  out. 

When  the  country  no  longer  needed  his  military  aid  Mr.  Ireton  resumed  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming  in  Ohio  and  in  February,  1868,  he  boarded  a  steamer  at  New  York  that 
was  bound  for  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  After  crossing  that  narrow  neck  of  land  he 
proceeded  up  the  coast  by  steamer  to  San  Francisco  and  traveled  from  S  icramento  by 
stage  to  Boise  in  April,  1868.  He  first  made  settlement  in  Idaho  at  Centerville,  in  the 
Boise  basin,  which  was  then  a  thriving  mining  camp,  and  there  he  spent  much  of  the 
time  during  the  mining  season  for  about  three  years.  Early  during  his  residence  in 
Idaho,  however,  he  became  interested  in  live  stock  raising  in  the  Squaw  Creek  and 
Payette  valleys  and  for  many  years  he  was  identified  with  stock  and  ranching  interests 
in  this  state.  Soon  after  his  marriage  in  1878  he  became  associated  with  Messrs. 
Mitchell  and  Marsh  in  the  conduct  of  a  ranch  on  the  Payette  river,  thirty  miles  north- 
west of  Boise,  and  for  years  the  Marsh  and  Ireton  ranch  was  one  of  the  best  known  In 
that  section  of  the  state.  It  became  the  stage  station  and  the  madhouse  was  there 
established,  while  the  postoffice  was  maintained  upon  the  ranch  for  the  distribution  of 
mail  to  those  living  in  that  section.  By  reason  of  these  things  the  ranch  became  one 
of  the  best  known  localities  in  Idaho.  After  conducting  the  property  for  twenty-five 
years  the  firm  of  Marsh  &  Ireton  sold  to  Dr.  V.  C.  Platt  and  removed  to  Boise,  where 
Mr.  Ireton  turned  his  attention  to  the  real  estate  business  and  was  active  along  that 
line  for  a  number  of  years,  again  meeting  with  success  in  the  conduct  of  his  undertakings. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1878,  at  the  old  postofflce  of  Marsh.  Idaho.  Mr.  Ireton  was 
married  to  Miss  Josephine  Warner,  a  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Huldah  (Fuller)  Warner, 
natives  ef  New  York  and  Connecticut  respectively.  They  were  married  in  Michigan. 
Mrs.  Warner  by  a  previous  marriage  had  one  son.  Edson  Marsh,  who  was  for  many 
years  the  partner  of  Mr.  Ireton.  By  her  second  marriage  she  had  two  daughters:  Mary, 
who  became  the  wife  of  David  Stem,  formerly  of  Reading.  Michigan,  and  now  of 
Lafayette,  Oregon;  and  Josephine,  who  was  born  September  21,  1848,  and  came  west  to 
Idaho  with  her  half  brother,  Edson  Marsh,  arriving  in  this  state  May  7,  1874.  During 
her  residence  in  the  east  she  engaged  In  teaching  school  in  Ohio  and  Indiana,  and  when 


668  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

\ 

her  half  brother  returned  to  Idaho-  she  determined  to  accompany  him  and  take  up 
teaching  in  this  state.  She  made  her  home  on  the  Mitchell  and  Marsh  ranch  and  some 
years  later  became  the  wife  of  her  brother's  partner,  John  Harvey  Ireton.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ireton  were  born  a  son  and  a  daughter:  John  Arthur,  mentioned  at  length  elsewhere 
in  this  work;  and  Nellie  B.,  who  was  born  on  the  ranch  April  23,  1880.  She  pursued 
her  education  at  Emmett,  also  spent  two  years  in  the  Portland  University  and  in  1903 
was  graduated  from  the  University  of  Idaho  at  Moscow.  She  has  since  served  as  assistant 
secretary  of  the  state  senate  during  the  eighth  assembly  and  was  assistant  city  librarian 
at  Boise  for  a  time. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ireton  figured  prominently  in  the  communities  in  which  they 
resided.  Their  aid  and  influence  were  always  on  the  side  of  progress  and  improvement 
and  their  home  was  ever  an  attractive  social  center.  They  worked  earnestly  to  advance 
every  interest  of  benefit  to  county  and  commonwealth  and  at  all  times  their  ranch  home 
was  noted  for  its  splendid  hospitality  and  good  cheer.  Mrs.  Ireton,  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  church,  was  for  many  years  superintendent  of  a  small  Sunday  school 
conducted  near  the  country  home,  thus  affording  moral  and  religious  teaching  to  the 
children  of  the  neighborhood.  Mr.  Ireton  belonged  to  Phil  Sheridan  Post  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  at  Boise  and  he  gave  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican 
party,  which  was  the  defense  of  the  nation  during  the  dark  days  of  the  Civil  war  and 
has  always  been  the  party  of  reform  and  progress.  The  death  of  Mr.  Ireton  occurred 
November  6,  1917,  in  Boise,  and  with  his  passing  the  state  lost  one  of  its  valued  and 
honored  pioneer  settlers — a  man  who  bravely  faced  the  conditions  and  hardships  incident 
to  the  establishment  of  homes  upon  the  frontier.  For  many  years  the  Marsh  and  Ireton 
ranch  was  a  prominent  feature  in  the  life  of  the  state,  known  not  only  through  the 
immediate  neighborhood  but  to  many  who  traveled  through  Idaho,  as  it  was  a  roadhouse 
and  stage  station.  As  the  years  passed  Mr.  Ireton  at  all  times  bore  his  part  in  the  work 
of  general  development  and  improvement  while  successfully  carrying  on  his  private  busi- 
ness interests,  and  he  lived,  to  witness  a  remarkable  change  in  the  state  as  it  emerged 
from  pioneer  conditions  and  environment  and  took  on  all  of  the  advantages  and 
opportunities  of  the  older  east. 


JOHN  ARTHUR  IRETON. 

John  Arthur  Ireton  Is  the  only  living  son  of  John  Harvey  Ireton,  who  was  a  very 
prominent  pioneer  settler  of  Idaho.  The  son,  now  residing  in  Boise,  occupies  a  home 
of  his  own  at  1323  State  street,  which  he  erected  in  1909.  He  was  born  at  Hawkins 
Tollgate,  in  Boise  county,  formerly  known  as  Harris  Tollgate,  April  30,  1879,  and  is  one 
of  but  two  children,  his  sister  being  Nellie  B.,  now  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Mills,  Jr.,  of  Garden 
Valley,  Idaho. 

John  A.  Ireton  was  reared  on  what  is  known  as  the  Marsh  and  Ireton  ranch  at 
Montour,  Idaho,  there  remaining  to  the  age  of  twenty -three  years,  his  father  being  a 
prominent  cattleman  of  that  district.  The  son  obtained  his  education  largely  in  the 
public  schools  at  Emmett,  at  Horseshoe  Bend  and  at  Sweet.  Later  he  spent  two  years  in 
Columbia  University  at  Portland,  Oregon,  and  also  pursued  a  course  in  a  business 
college  there.  He  has  been  more  or  less  actively  identified  with  ranching  and  cattle 
interests  from  his  boyhood  days  and  for  twenty  years  has  successfully  engaged  in  busi- 
ness as  a  cattle  buyer,  making  his  home  in  Boise  since  1903.  For  several  years  he 
engaged  in  buying  cattle  for  the  Idaho  Dressed  Beef  Company  and  later  for  the  Boise 
Butcher  Company.  In  recent  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  buying  live  stock  for  the 
Idaho  Provision  &  Packing  Company  and  he  is  now  in  the  service  of  that  concern. 
He  has  purchased  many  thousands  of  head  of  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep  for  the  different 
companies  in  the  past  twenty  years,  the  transactions  involving  the  expenditure  of 
millions  of  dollars. 

On  the  1st  of  December,  1901,  in  Boise,  Mr.  Ireton  was  married  to  Miss  Aurilla 
J.  Chaney,  who  was  born  at  Wahoo,  Nebraska,  June  25,  1881,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  G. 
and  Emily  (Merriman)  Chaney.  She  came  to  Boise  in  her  girlhood  days  and  prior  to 
her  marriage  was  %  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  the  city  for  six  years.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ireton  have  become  parents  of  two  sons:  John  Chaney,  born  September  1,  1913; 
and  Donald  Arthur,  January  24,  1917.  Mrs.  Ireton  is  a  member  of  Chapter  A  of  the 
P.  E.  O.  sisterhood.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ireton  have  a  -wide  acquaintance  in  Boise  and 
are  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  He  is  a  man  of  highly  developed  sense  of  honor  and  of 


HISTORY  OF  itfAHO  669 

Irreproachable  integrity  whose  sterling  qualities  have  at  all  times  commanded  for  him 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  those  who  know  him.  and  amid  his  large  circle  of 
acquaintances  he  is  spoken  of  in  terms  of  the  highest  regard. 


RICHARD  L.  BAKER. 

Richard  L.  Baker,  filling  the  position  of  postmaster  at  Ashton,  was  born  in  Salem, 
Nebraska,  June  25,  1881,  his  parents  being  J.  D.  and  Nora  A.  Baker,  the  former  a  native 
of  Missouri,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  Madison,  Wisconsin.  The  father  was  for  years 
a  traveling  salesman.  He  went  to  Nebraska  with  his  parents  when  but  five  years  of 
age  and  after  attaining  his  majority  was  there  appointed  to  the  position  of  postmaster 
at  Kdgar,  serving  in  the  office  for  one  term.  In  1901  he  removed  to  St.  Anthony,  Idaho, 
and  engaged  in  general  merchandising.  He  continued  to  carry  on  his  mercantile 
pursuits  for  seven  years  and  then  went  to  Bliss,  Idaho,  where  he  bought  land.  Through- 
out the  intervening  period  he  has  continued  to  till  the  soil  and  develop  his  crops  and  is 
now  one  of  the  representative  farmers  of  that  community.  His  wife  is  also  living. 

The  youthful  days  of  Richard  L.  Baker  were  spent  at  Edgar,  Salem  and  York. 
Nebraska,  and  there  he  pursued  his  education.  He  was  for  three  years  in  the  postoffice 
at  Edgar,  after  which  he  removed  to  St.  Anthony,  Idaho,  in  April,  1901,  and  there 
engaged  in  general  merchandising  in  connection  with  his  father  for  seven  years.  In 
1908  he  entered  the  postoffice  as  assistant  postmaster  under  C.  C.  Moore  and  when  four 
years  had  passed  he  left  that  position  to  enter  the  railway  mail  service,  with  which 
he  was  connected  for  twenty-five  months.  He  then  resigned  and  turned  his  attention  to 
general  merchandising,  which  claimed  his  energies  for  two  years.  On  the  4th  of  March, 
1918,  he  became  cashier  for  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  at  Ashton  and  on  the  1st 
of  October  following  he  took  charge  of  the  postoffice  and  has  since  been  postmaster.  His 
previous  experience  in  connection  with  the  mail  service  well  qualified  him  for  the 
duties  of  this  position. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1907,  Mr.  Baker  was  married  to  Miss  Nettie  E.  Slatery. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Those  who 
know  him,  and  he  has  a  wide  acquaintance,  esteem  him  as  a  man  of  genuine  worth  who 
is  faithful  to  duty  and  loyal  to  the  principles  which  he  espouses. 


EDWARD  H.  STARN. 

Edward  H.  Starn,  owning  and  controlling  valuable  orchard  interests  near  Collister, 
in  Ada  county,  and  also  engaging  in  sheep  raising,  was  born  in  Bunker  Hill,  Miami 
county,  Indiana,  September  25,  1865.  When  he  was  nine  years  of  age  ho  went  to  Iowa 
with  his  parents,  B.  H.  and  Mary  C.  (Jones)  Starn,  and  remained  in  that  state  until 
1886,  when  he  removed  to  Redwillow  county,  Nebraska.  There  he  was  employed  by 
Powell  Brothers  in  the  butchering  business  for  four  years,  and  on  the  expiration  of  that 
period  came  to  Boise,  Idaho,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  H.  C.  I  transit-tier  in  the 
aine  line  of  business.  He  continued  to  work  in  that  connection  until  1900  and  for  a 
time  was  in  partnership  with  Harry  C.  Parnell.  During  the  succeeding  six  years  he  was 
superintendent  of  the  Ada  county  poor  farm  and  then  purchased  the  places  of  Joe 
Pence  and  Jesse  Hailey,  containing  together  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land. 
Since  then  he  has  followed  horticultural  pursuits  and  has  one  of  the  finest  orchards  and 
homes  in  the  state.  His  residence  stands  in  the  foothills  overlooking  the  Boise  valley  and 
was  erected  at  a  cost  of  between  four  and  five  thousand  dollars,  while  today  it  could 
not  be  built  for  less  than  ten  thousand  dollars  or  more.  He  has  a  fine  water  system, 
the  v  ater  being  supplied  by  springs,  and  the  amount  will  be  sufficient  to  irrigate  all  of 
his  land  when  he  has  it  piped.  Already  it  is  piped  to  the  essential  points.  His  reservoir 
was  buiit  it  a  cost  of  one  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Starn  is  also  engaged  in  sheep  raising, 
having  now  about  two  hundred  head,  and  he  expects  to  develop  this  business  to  extensive 
proportions.  He  is  a  man  of  enterprise  and  energy  whose  well  formulated  plans  are 
carried  forward  to  success. 

In  1890  Mr.  Starn  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Hawthorne,  of  Illinois, 
whose  parents  were  residents  of  Iowa.  She  died  in  1911,  leaving  two  children,  Edgar 
Clifford,  twenty-six  years  of  age,  who  during  the  World  war  was  at  Camp  Stewart, 


670  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Norfolk,  Virginia;  Sydney,  twenty-one  years  of  age,  who  is  with  the  Mesa  Orchard 
Company  in  Council  valley.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Starn  married  Clara  M.  Banta,  in 
October,  1912,  and  they  have  two  children:  Wilfred,  aged  four;  and  Gretta,  in  her 
first  year. 

For  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  Mr.  Starn  has  lived  in  Idaho,  and,  taking 
advantage  of  the  business  opportunities  here  offered,  he  has  worked  his  way  steadily 
upward,  his  energy  and  progressiveness  bringing  him  a  substantial  measure  of  success. 
He  follows  the  most  advanced  methods  in  the  development  of  his  orchards,  in  pruning 
and  spraying  his  trees  and  caring  for  the  fruit,  and  everything  about  the  place  is 
indicative  of  his  practical  methods  and  progressive  spirit,  resulting  in  the  attainment 
of  most  gratifying  success. 


THERON  L.   RAGSDALE. 

Theron  L.  Ragsdale  is  now  living  retired  in  Boise,  where  he  took  up  his  home  in 
1917,  after  having  been  actively  identified  with  ranching  in  other  parts  of  the  state 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  a  native  son  of  Missouri,  having  been  born  near  Lancaster, 
that  state,  on  the  27th  of  April,  1855,  his  parents  being  James  Fowler  and  Mary  Ann 
(Bell)  Ragsdale,  both  of  whom  passed  away  in  Jackson  county,  Oregon.  The  father, 
who  was  of  Scotch  descent,  was  born  in  Texas,  to  which  state  his  father,  William  B. 
Ragsdale,  had  removed  from  Tennessee.  James  F.  Ragsdale  was  born  in  1824  and 
was  therefore  sixty-five  years  of  age  when  death  called  him  in  Jackson  county,  Oregon, 
in  1889.  His  wife  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1824  and  departed  this  life  in  Jackson  county, 
Oregon,  in  1885.  She  was  of  Scotch  and  German  lineage. 

Their  son,  Theron  L.  Ragsdale,  removed  to  California  with  his  parents  in  1859. 
He  was  reared  in  that  state  and  there  on  the  8th  of  November,  1877,  he  married  Ida 
Goodrich,  who  was  born  at  Niles,  Michigan,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Marietta  (Sackett) 
Goodrich,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  Mrs.  Ragsdale  accompanied  her  parents 
to  California  in  her  infancy  and  was  there  reared.  Two  years  after  their  marriage, 
or  in  1879,  they  removed  from  California  to  Pendleton,  Oregon,  and  resided  upon  a 
ranch  i,n  Umatilla  county  for  seven  years.  Subsequently  they  made  their  home  in  the 
state  of  Washington  for  twenty -four  years  and  thence  came  to  Idaho  in  1911.  While 
in  Washington  they  lived  at  College  Place,  near  Walla  Walla,  for  sixteen  years  in  order 
that  their  children  might  attend  the  Adventist  college  there.  Mr.  Ragsdale  has  fol- 
lowed ranching  throughout  liis  entire  active  business  life,  conducting  extensive  agri- 
cultural interests  in  Oregon,  Washington  and  Idaho.  As  the  years  have  passed  he  has 
prospered  and  is  today  one  of  the  men  of  affluence  in  Boise.  He  has  owned  some  large 
ranch  properties  in  the  northwest  and  his  landed  possessions  still  include  a  ranch  of 
twenty-two  hundred  acres  in  the  Wood  River  valley  of  Idaho— property  that  is  perhaps 
worth  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  or  more.  In  1917  Mr.  Ragsdale  retired  from 
active  ranch  work  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Boise,  where  he  has  since  lived,  securing 
his  present  home  property  at  No.  200  Broad  street  in  the  fall  of  1919.  Since  becoming  a 
resident  of  the  capital  city  he  has  made  large  investment  in  valuable  realty  here  and 
both  his  ranch  and  city  properties  return  to  him  a  good  income. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ragsdale  have  been  born  five  children,  four  sons  and  a  daughter, 
and  one  son  has  passed  away.  The  four  living  children  are:  Robert  T.,  who  was  born 
September  11,  1880;  L.  B.,  whose  birth  occurred  April  24,  1882;  James  Roe,  whose  natal 
day  was  December  1,  1884;  and  Effa  M.,  who  was  born  on  the  29th  of  October,  1888.  All 
are  married  and  Robert  and  James  live  in  Idaho.  The  eldest  son  is  a  nurse  of  wide 
experience,  having  studied  for  the  profession  in  hospitals  of  Chicago  and  New  York 
city.  L.  B.  Ragsdale  has  become  a  minister  of  the  Adventist  church  in  Arizona,  while 
the  only  daughter,  Effa  M.,  is  now  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  William  Ammundsen,  an 
Adventist  minister.  They  are  now  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  doing  missionary  work 
for  their  church. 

Mr.  Ragsdale  was  reared  in  the  Methodist  church  and  his  wife  in  the  Presbyterian 
church,  but  for  forty-two  years  they  have  been  consistent,  faithful  and  prominent 
members  of  the  Adventist  church.  Mr.  Ragsdale  has  been  one  of  the  church  elders 
for  many  years  and  is  one  of  the  most  earnest  workers  and  liberal  supporters  of  the 
church  in  Boise,  having  contributed  very  largely  to  the  erection  of  the  church  edifice 
at  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Main  streets.  He  has  always  been  a  man  of  kindly  and 
benevolent  spirit  and  he  and  his  wife  have  assisted  thirty  children  to  obtain'  an  educa- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  671 

tion  aside  from  their  own  family,  realizing  that  in  giving  them  opportunities  for  in- 
tellectual progress  they  were  bestowing  upon  them  a  gift  which  nothing  could  take 
from  them.  Mr.  Ragsdule  is  entitled  to  membership  with  the  Sons  of  -he  American 
Revolution,  for  his  great-great-grandfather  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  who  served  as 
a  member  of  Washington's  bodyguard.  Mr.  Ragsdale  deserves  much  credit  for  what 
he  has  accomplished  as  the  years  have  passed  by,  for  his  success  is  the  direct  and 
legitimate  reward  of  his  enterprise  and  diligence.  He  has  largely  placed  his  funds  in 
the  safest  of  all  investments— real  estate — and  his  industry  and  progressive  spirit  have 
constituted  the  sure  and  stable  foundation  upon  which  he  has  builded  his  prosperity. 
His  path  has  never  been  strewn  by  the  wreck  of  other  men's  failures  and  as  a  ranch- 
man he  has  contributed  in  large  measure  to  the  development  of  the  northwest  through 
the  utilization  of  its  natural  resources. 


A.  M.  WOLFKIEL. 

A.  M.  Wolfkiel,  the  owner  of  valuable  ranch  property  in  the  vicinity  of  Star,  was 
born  in  Mifflin  county,  Pennsylvania,  August  5,  1862.  His  father,  George  Wolfkiel,  was 
a  poor  man  and  the  son  was  therefore  early  obliged  to  leave  home  to  provide  for  his 
own  support.  His  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Hawthorne  and  was  also 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  When  a  lad  of  eleven  years  A.  M.  Wolfkiel  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Kansas  and  his  father  homesteaded  in  Lincoln  county,  where  he  carried 
on  farming.  The  son  worked  at  various  things  which  a  boy  of  his  age  could  do. 

He  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years  when  in  1883  he  made  his  way  to  Idaho, 
going  first  to  Boise,  after  which  he  engaged  in  farming  for  five  years  on  the  J.  B.  Wood 
ranch.  In  1888  he  made  his  way  to  Silver  mountain  and  there  cut  wood  for  two  months, 
after  which  he  took  up  a  preemption  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  three  and 
a  half  miles  north  and  a  half  mile  east  of  Meridian.  At  once  he  began  to  clear  this  land 
and  resided  thereon  for  three  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  sold  the  property  and 
took  up  a  homestead  three  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Meridian,  occupying  that  place 
for  about  eight  years,  during  which  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business. 
After  selling  that  property  he  made  investment  in  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  acres 
where  he  now  resides,  in  the  vicinity  of  Star,  since  which  time  his  attention  has  been 
given  to  the  cultivation  of  his  land  and  also  to  stock  raising.  His  place  is  pleasantly 
and  conveniently  located  a  mile  and  a  half  south  and  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Star, 
and  his  labors  have  wrought  a  marked  change  in  the  appearance  of  the  place  and  in 
its  productiveness.  In  addition  to  tilling  the  soil  he  has  one  hundred  head  of  cattle 
and  his  cattle  raising  interests  are  proving  a  profitable  source  of  income. 

Mr.  Wolfkiel  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Koble  of  the  Boise  valley,  who 
passed  away  sixteen  years  ago,  leaving  three  children:  John,  twenty-six  years  of  age; 
and  Clara  and  Alma,  both  of  whom  are  married.  Having  lost  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Wolf- 
kiel wedded  Clara  Washam,  of  Wyoming,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  five 
children:  Mabel,  Audrey,  Albert,  Charles  and  Loralne. 

Mr.  Wolfkiel  has  worked  diligently  and  persistently  as  the  years  have  passed,  and 
his  energy  and  determination  have  gained  for  him  a  substantial  measure  of  success. 
He  is  truly  a  self-made  man,  having  depended  upon  his  own  resources  from  an  early 
age,  and  his  industry  is  the  foundation  upon  which  he  has  built  his  prosperity. 


STUART  E.  GEARHART. 

Stuart  E.  Gearhart  is  engaged  in  the  breeding  of  registered  Jersey  cattle  and  is 
the  president  of  the  Boise  Valley  Jersey  Cattle  Club,  with  home  and  ranch  four  and 
a  half  miles  west  of  Boise  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  the  Meridian  state  road. 
Mr.  Gearjiart  has  become  recognized  as  an  authority  upon  Jersey  cattle,  having  been 
particularly  successful  as  a  breeder  of  this  stock.  He  was  born  in  Madison,  Nebraska, 
August  14,  1881,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev.  James  R.  and  Emma  E.  (Miller)  Gearhart.  The 
father  was  a  Methodist  minister  who  has  now  passed  away,  but  the  mother  is  still  living. 

Stuart  E.  Gearhart  was  reared  in  his  native  state  and  became  an  agricultural 
student  in  the  University  of  Nebraska,  which  he  attended  for  three  years.  He  later 
spent  one  year  in  the  University  of  Iowa,  where  he  specialized  in  dairying  and  butter 


672  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

making,  and  for  twelve  years  he  was  employed  as  a  butter  maker  in  Iowa,  California, 
Oregon  and  Idaho.  In  1910  he  began  ranching  in  Ada  county,  settling  on  his  present 
place.  In  1911  he  took  up  the  breeding  of  registered  Jersey  cattle  and  has  since  special- 
ized in  this  line.  Today  he  has  a  fine  herd  of  registered  Jerseys  unsurpassed  by  any 
to  be  seen  in  other  sections,  his  herd  numbering  twenty-seven  head,  chiefly  of  the  Noble 
Oaklands  and  Tormentor  strains.  His  dairy  farm  is  modern  in  every  respect.  He  has 
milking  machines,  all  the  latest  facilities  for  the  manufacture  of  butter,  a  large  silo 
and  splendid  buildings  for  housing  and  caring  for  his  stock  in  the  most  scientific 
and  sanitary  manner.  Mr.  Gearhart  is  president  of  the  Boise  Valley  Jersey  Cattle  Club, 
president  of  the  Ada  County  Cow  Testing  Association  and  president  of  the  Cooperative 
Dairy  Cattle  Association  of  Ada  county.  He  is  also  an  executive  member  of  the  Farm 
Bureau  of  Ada  county  in  connection  with  dairy  interests  and  his  success  with  Jersey 
cattle  and  as  a  dairyman  has  enabled  him  to  speak  with  authority  on  many  questions 
relative  thereto.  In  addition  to  his  cattle  raising  he  breeds  pure  bred  Chester  White 
hogs  and  also  raises  pure  bred  chickens.  His  present  Jersey  herd  is  headed  by  a 
grandson  of  Noble  of  Oaklands,  one  of  the  most  famous  Jersey  sires  in  America,  now 
on  the  Elmendorf  farm  in  Kentucky. 

On  the  21st  of  May,  1905,  Mr.  Gearhart  was  married  at  Star,  Idaho,  to  Miss  Carrie 
E.  Mathews  and  they  now  have  two  children:  Elizabeth  E.,  born  May  28,  1906;  and 
James  Roy,  born  August  20,  1907. 

Mr.  Gearhart  is  a  man  of  liberal  education  and  progressive  ideas  whose  early  train- 
ing has  eminently  fitted  him  for  his  present  line  of  work  and  who  throughout  his 
entire  career  has  made  steady  progress  through  study,  experience  and  investigation 
until  he  stands  as  one  of  the  leading  stockmen  of  southern  Idaho,  enjoying  a  measure 
of  success  that  has  come  as  the  direct  result  of  intelligently  directed  effort. 


EDMUND  ELLSWORTH,  SB. 

Edmund  Ellsworth,  Sr.,  is  a  retired  farmer  living  at  Lewisville,  and,  having  long 
occupied  an  enviable  position  as  a  progressive  business  man  and  representative  citizen, 
he  well  deserves  mention  in  the  history  of  his  adopted  state.  He  was  born  at  Nauvoo, 
Hancock  county,  Illinois,  October  7,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  Edmund  and  Elizabeth 
(Young)  Ellsworth,  the  former  a  native  of  Paris,  Oneida  county,  New  York,  and  the 
latter  of  Vermont.  The  mother  was  a  daughter  of  President  Brigham  Young  of  the 
Mormon  church.  The  father  was  a  lumberman  and  farmer  who  about  1841  went  to 
Illinois,  where  he  joined  the  church  and  with  the  people  of  his  faith  removed  to  Salt 
Lake  City  in  1847.  There  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  engage  in  the  lumber  business, 
in  which  he  actively  continued  until  1864,  when  he  purchased  land  in  Weber  county 
and  concentrated  his  attention  upon  agricultural  interests  until  1880.  He  then  went  to 
Arizona  and  purchased  property  at  Show  Low,  where  he  erected  a  lumber  mill,  which 
he  operated  for  some  time.  He  passed  away  there  December  29,  1893,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years,  and  his  wife  died  in  Lewisville,  Idaho,  February  2,  1903,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years. 

Edmund  Ellsworth  was  largely  reared  and  educated  in  Utah.  He  remained  with 
his  parents  until  he  attained  his  majority  and  then  went  to  Arizona,  where  he  followed 
farming  for  one  season  and  also  aided  in  colonizing  the  district.  He  afterward 
returned  to  Utah,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising  for  a  few  years, 
and  later  spent  five  years  in  the  lumber  business  in  connection  with  farming.  In  1882, 
in  company  with  others,  he  made  his  way  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  then  Oneida 
county,  and  spent  three  days  in  looking  over  the  country.  On  the  fourth  day  the 
party  decided  to  locate  here  and  all  took  up  land,  which  was  then  covered  with  sage- 
brush, there  being  no  indication  whatever  of  what  the  future  .had  in  s"tore  for  this 
great  and  growing  country.  He  improved  his  place  in  a  splendid  manner,  purchasing 
more  land  from  time  to  time  as  his  financial  resources  increased  until  he  owned 
fourteen  hundred  acres.  He  continued  to  farm  here  until  about  1911,  when  he  retired, 
having  in  the  meantime  won  very  substantial  success  as  the  result  of  his  energy 
and  thrift.  He  built  a  home  in  Rigby,  but  preferring  Lewisville  as  a  place  of  residence, 
returned  to  Jefferson  county,  where  he  purchased  a  nice  property,  which  he  now  occupies 
in  company  with  his  daughter. 

In  November,  1867,  Mr.  Ellsworth  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  C.  Blair,  a  daughter 
of  Seth  M.  and  Cornelia  (Espy)  Blair,  the  former  a  native  of  Rails  county,  Missouri, 


EDMUND  ELLSWORTH.  SB. 


Vol.  HI— A 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  675 

and  the  latter  of  Lauderdale  county,  Tennessee.  In  1850  the  parents  arrived  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  where  the  father  practiced  law  throughout  his  remaining  days,  defending 
the  Mormon  people  in  many  suits  against  the  United  States.  He  was  born  March  13. 
1819,  and  passed  away  in  1874.  The  mother  died  in  1850.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellsworth 
became  parents  of  eight  children:  Edmund,  living  at  Rigby;  Seth  M.,  who  follows 
farming  near  Lewisville;  Prank  B.,  cashier  in  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Rigby; 
Clara,  the  wife  of  A.  B.  Hoffman,  a  farmer  of  Lewisville;  Preston  B.,  who  is  also 
farming  near  Lewisville;  Willard  J.,  who  died  January  14.  1892;  Elizabeth  B.,  who 
died  March  10,  1886;  and  Alonzo  S.,  who  passed  away  February  6,  1885.  The  wife 
and  mother  was  called  to  her  final  rest  September  22,  1913,  dying  afteY  an  illness  of 
three  months. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Ellsworth  carefully  conducted  his  farming  interests  in  order 
to  provide  a  comfortable  living  for  his  family  and  at  all  times  he  displayed  most 
progressive  methods  in  his  business  affairs.  He  brought  the  first  Shire  horse  to 
Jefferson  county  and  was  at  all  times  a  supporter  and  promoter  of  irrigation  interests. 
He  served  as  the  president  and  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Parks-Lewlsville  Irrigating 
Company  for  several  years  and  also  of  the  Little  Feeder  Canal  Company.  He  likewise 
took  an  active  part  in  public  affairs,  filling  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  while  in 
Utah,  and  for  several  years  was  a  major  in  the  Mormon  militia.  After  coming  to 
Idaho  he  filled  the  position  of  probate  judge  and  was  county  superintendent  of  schools. 
In  politics  he  has  always  maintained  an  independent  course,  voting  according  to  the 
dictates  of  his  judgment  and  in  support  of  every  measure  which  he  believes  will 
promote  the  best  interests  of  the  community  and  the  commonwealth. 


OVERTON  BRAY. 

Overton  Bray  is  the  junior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Wood  &  Bray,  automobile  dealers 
at  Ash  ton,  and  is  taking  an  active  part  in  the  development  of  a  business  that  has  now 
reached  large  and  gratifying  proportions.  Mr.  Bray  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  his  birth 
having  occurred  in  Christian  county,  near  Springfield,  on  the  7th  of  September,  1883. 
He  is  a  son  of  Aaron  and  Ann  (Wrightsman)  Bray,  the  former  a  native  of  Chatham 
county,  North  Carolina,  and  the  latter  of  West  Virginia.  In  early  life  the  father  fol- 
lowed the  milling  business  and  about  1846  removed  to  Christian  county,  Missouri,  where 
he  operated  a  flour  mill  for  several  years.  During  the  period  of  the  Civil  war  he  went 
to  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  flour.  Later  he  returned  to  Mis- 
souri and  purchased  a  part  of  the  old  homestead  property  there,  which  his  father  had 
entered  as  a  claim  from  the  government  in  pioneer  times.  Aaron  Bray  also  homesteaded 
in  that  locality  and  improved  his  property,  continuing  its  cultivation  until  he  had 
attained  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  when  he  retired  from  active  business  life  and 
removed  to  Ozark,  Missouri,  where  he  resided  for  several  years.  He  next  came  to  Idaho 
and  made  his  home  with  his  children  until  his  death  on  the  2d  of  May,  1916,  he  having 
then  reached  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  The  mother  survives  and  is  now 
living  at  Ashton,  Idaho,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five. 

Overton  Bray  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  his  parents'  home  In 
Christian  county,  Missouri,  but  at  the  age  of  thirteen  began  earning  his  own  living. 
He  learned  the  business  of  steam  engineering  and  followed  that  pursuit  for  about  eleven 
years  in  Missouri,  after  which  he  came  to  Idaho.  On  the  23d  of  December.  1910,  he 
arrived  in  Teton  county,  then  a  part  of  Fremont  county,  and  took  up  land  which  he 
improved  and  cultivated  for  four  years,  after  which  he  sold  out  and  bought  an  interest 
in  a  billiard  and  pool  hall  at  Ashton.  He  conducted  this  for  two  years  and  in  1915  he 
entered  into  partnership  with  B.  M.  Wood  for  the  conduct  of  an  automobile  business. 
They  handle  the  Dodge,  Nash  and  Hudson  cars  and  have  built  up  a  business  of  extensive 
proportions,  now  conducted  under  the  firm  style  of  Wood  *  Bray.  In  the  spring  of 
1919  they  erected  one  of  the  most  modern  garages  in  the  state  at  a  cost  of  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Bray  is  well  qualified  to  speak  concerning  mechanical  devices  and 
the  operation  of  anything  along  mechanical  lines.  There  are  few  indeed  who  are  better 
informed  concerning  steam  engines,  for  Mr.  Bray  has  even  built  such.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  everything  that  he  has  undertaken  and  his  entire  career  has  been 
characterized  by  a  steady  progress. 

On  the  24th  of  January.  1904,  Mr.  Bray  was  married  to  Miss  Qoldie  Boyd.  He  and 
his  wife  are  well  known  in  Ashton,  where  they  have  many  friends.  Politically  Mr.  Bray 


676  •  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

is  a  republican  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Baptist  church.  His  entire  life 
has  been  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  progress  that  has  led  him  continuously  forward.  Step 
by  step  he  has  advanced,  each  forward  step  bringing  him  a  broader  outlook  and  wider 
opportunities.  Not  only  is  he  now  at  the  head  of  an  excellent  garage  business  but  is 
also  a  stockholder  and  director  of  the  American  Asbestos  Mining  &  Milling  Company, 
of  which  he  was  formerly  the  treasurer.  He  never  allows  obstacles  or  difficulties  to  bar 
his  path  if  they  can  be  overcome  by  renewed  and  persistent  effort  and  his  perseverance 
has  ever  been  one  of  his  marked  characteristics. 


HAROLD  W.  PATEE. 

Harold  W.  Patee,  manager  of  the  Boise-Payette  Lumber  Company  of  Dubois,  was 
born  in  Yuma  county,  Colorado,  then  Arapahoe  county,  in  March,  1888,  his  parents  being 
Arthur  and  Nellie  (Ingalls)  Patee,  who  are  natives  of  Illinois.  They  became  residents 
of  Colorado  in  1886  and  the  father,  who  had  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  in 
Illinois,  filed  on  land  in  Colorado  and  at  once  began  the  cultivation  and  improvement 
of  the  place.  He  continued  to  operate  that  farm  until  1896,  when  he  went  to  Kansas, 
where  he  again  devoted  eight  years  to  general  agricultural  pursuits.  On  the  expira- 
tion of  that  period  he  returned  to  his  native  state  and  bought  farm  land  near  Peoria, 
since  which  time  he  has  given  his  attention  to  the  further  development  of  his  fields, 
producing  there  splendid  crops  on  the  rich  soil  of  that  state.  His  wife  is  also  living. 

Harold  W.  Patee  largely  spent  the  days  of  his  bbyhood  and  youth  in  Kansas  and  in 
Illinois  and  supplemented  his  early  education,  acquired  in  the  common  schools,  by  a 
course  in  the  Kansas  City  Business  College,  thus  becoming  well  qualified  for  life's  prac- 
tical and  responsible  duties.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  in  early  life  and  followed 
that  business  for  five  years  at  Grand  Junction,  Colorado.  He  also  took  up  a  home- 
stead in  Mesa  county,  which  he  still  owns,  and  he  now  rents  the  place,  deriving  there- 
from a  good  income.  On  leaving  the  farm  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  lumber 
business  in  connection  with  a  firm  in  Utah  and  in  1917  he  removed  to  Gooding,  Idaho, 
where  he  was  employed  by  the  Boise-Payette  Lumber  Company.  The  recognition  of 
his  ability  and  business  powers  soon  won  him  advancement  to  the  position  of  manager 
at  Oakley,  Idaho,  where  he  continued  until  December  25,  1918,  when  he  was  transferred 
to  Dubois  and  has  since  been  manager  at  this  place  for  the  Boise-Payette  Lumber  Com- 
pany. He  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  every  phase  of  the  lumber  trade  and  is  most 
carefully  and  successfully  directing  the  interests  entrusted  to  his  care. 

In  June  1911,  Mr.  Patee  was  married  to  Miss  Alma  Hertzler  and  they  have  one 
child,  Harold  W.,  who  was  born  February  13,  1918.  In  religious  faith  Mr.  Patee  is 
connected  with  the  Brethren  church,  while  politically  be  is  a  democrat.  He  has  always 
resided  in  the  west  and  the  spirit  of  western  enterprise  and  progress  has  become  a 
dominant  factor  in  his  career.  Making  good  use  of  his  time  and  opportunities,  he 
has  advanced  steadily  step  by  step,  developing  his  powers  through  his  business  expe- 
rience, and  is  now  accounted  one  of  the  representative  business  men  of  Clark  county. 


WILLIAM  BRUCH. 

William  Bruch,  a  rancher  who  owns  and  occupies  a  well  improved  property  south- 
east of  South  Boise,  was  born  in  Pike  county,  Missouri,  February  25,  1872,  a  son  of 
Pius  and  Margaret  (Schwend)  Bruch,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Germany,  where 
they  were  married  on  the  14th  of  August,  1868.  They  soon  came  to  the  United  States, 
making  their  way  at  once  to  the  state  of  Missouri,  arriving  at  St.  Louis  on  the  8th 
of  March,  1869.  Pius  Bruch  lived  in  St.  Louis  through  one  winter.  He  later  purchased 
a  farm  in  Pike  county,  upon  which  the  birth  of  his  son  William  occurred.  The  mother 
died  February  13,  1882,  when  her  son  was  ten  years  of  age.  The  father  survives  and 
is  now  living  with  Mr.  Bruch  of  this  review  at  the  age  of  seventy-five,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Baden,  Germany,  April  16,  1845,  while  his  wife  was  born  March  27,  1846, 
and  was  therefore  but  thirty-six  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  death. 

William  Bruch  spent  the  first  sixteen  years  of  his  life  upon  the  home  farm  in 
Pike  county  and  then  started  out  in  the  world  on  his  own  account.  He  first  went  to 
Nebraska,  where  he  resided  for  two  years,  while  later  he  spent  eight  years  in  Colorado 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  677 

and  in  1898  came  to  Idaho.  Through  the  intervening  years  he  has  resided  in  the  vicinity 
of  Boise  and  throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  followed  farming.  In  1904  he  purchased 
a  six-acre  tract  of  fine  land  just  outside  the  suburb  of  Ivywild,  South  Boise,  erected 
thereon  a  good  residence  and  barn  and  has  developed  it  into  a  beautiful  suburban  home. 
Later  he  bought  thirty-two  acres  of  valuable  level  land  adjoining,  for  which  he  paid 
three  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  and  today  it  is  worth  much  more  than  this.  He  now  has 
all  he  can  well  manage  alone,  for  thirty-eight  acres  of  Boise  valley  irrigated  land  is 
an  excellent  property  for  one  family. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1912,  Mr.  Bruch  was  married  to  Miss  Ellen  Tenne,  who 
was  born  in  Nebraska,  February  10,  1892,  a  daughter  of  George  Washington  and  Mary 
(Bruner)  Yenne.  Mrs.  Bruch  came  with  her  parents  to  Idaho  In  1901  and  after  a  brief 
period  spent  at  Mackay  the  family  removed  to  Boise  and  her  father  and  mother  are 
still  residing  on  the  bench  near  Boise.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bruch  are  the  parents  of  three 
children:  Gladys,  who  was  born  November  19,  1913;  Bernice,  whose  birth  occurred 
September  20,  1915;  and  William,  whose  natal  day  was  March  26,  1918. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bruch  are  members  of  the  Congregational  church  and  are  sup- 
porters of  the  republican  party.  They  are  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  they  reside  and  they  have  won  a  substantial  measure  of  success  in 
connection  with  their  ranching  interests.  While  Mr.  Bruch  attends  to  the  development 
of  the  tit-Ids,  his  wife  conducts  a  rabbitry  stocked  with  New  Zealand  reds,  and  every 
phase  of  their  business  is  proving  profitable. 


THOMAS  WILTON. 

Thomas  Wilton,  who  follows  ranching  southeast  of  South  Boise,  is  a  native  of 
England,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Cornwall,  March  20,  1865.  He  was  reared  upon 
a  farm  and  in  1884  came  to  the  United  States,  being  at  that  time  a  youth  of  nineteen 
years.  His  brother,  Mark  Wilton,  who  passed  away  August  20,  1919,  and  who  is  men- 
tioned elsewhere  in  this  work,  had  emigrated  to  the  new  world  in  1884  and  it  was  this 
fact  which  largely  induced  Thomas  Wilton  to  come  to  the  United  States.  Both  brothers 
removed  to  Idaho  in  1893  and  both  eventually  took  up  their  abode  near  Boise.  Pi  lor 
to  his  marriage  Thomas  Wilton  worked  in  a  quartz  mill  in  Montana  for  twelve  years 
but  considered  Boise  his  home  throughout  that  period.  In  1904  he  purchased  his  pres- 
ent ranch  southeast  of  South  Boise  but  did  not  locate  thereon  until  after  his  marriage 
in  1905. 

It  was  on  the  14th  of  February  of  the  latter  year  that  Thomas  Wilton  wedded  Miss 
Annie  Dribble,  who  was  born  near  Calumet,  Michigan,  June  30,  1884,  a  daughter  of 
Alfred  and  Elizabeth  Mary  (Glanville)  Dribble,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  England 
but  were  married  in  Michigan  and  have  now  passed  away.  Mrs.  Wilton  has  one 
brother  and  two  sisters:  Mrs.  Susie  Rickett,  of  Arizona;  John  Dribble,  of  Boise; 
and  Mrs.  Gertrude  Osborn,  who  resides  near  Boise.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilton  have  four 
children,  as  follows:  Mildred  Katherine,  who  was  born  December  13,  1905;  Myrtle, 
whose  birth  occurred  July  10,  1907;  Ruth  Elizabeth,  whose  natal  day  was  May  13,  1912; 
and  Grace  Rowena,  born  May  3,  1917. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Wilton  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  his  political  views  are  in  accord  with 
the  principles  of  the  republican  party.  He  has  never  sought  or  desired  office,  preferring 
to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  ranching  interests,  which  are  now 
being  capably  developed,  bringing  to  him  substantial  success,  so  that  he  has  never  had 
occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  leave  England  and  establish  his  home  in  the 
new  world. 


ROY  D.  LEONARDSON. 

Roy  D.  Leonardson  now  owns  and  resides  upon  a  beautiful  ranch  property  known 
as  the  Peter  Eskeldsen  ranch,  near  Barber,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Boise  river.  It  is 
a  tract  of  thirty  acres,  splendidly  improved.  Mr.  Leonardson  is  a  native  son  of  Idaho, 
having  been  born  on  his  father's  cattle  ranch  in  Fremont  county,  now  Clark  county, 
September  3,  1884.  His  father,  Charles  Leonardson,  came  to  Idaho  in  the  early  'SOs, 
before  the  admission  of  the  state  into  the  Union,  and  took  up  a  homestead  in  east  Idaho, 


678  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

in  what  later  became  Fremont  county  and  afterward  Clark  county.  Here  he  first  secured 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  as  the  years  passed  and  he  prospered  in  his  under- 
takings he  added  to  his  holdings  until  he  had  thirteen  hundred  acres,  constituting  a 
valuable  cattle  ranch  upon  which  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring 
about  three  years  ago.  His  widow,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ida  M.  Dawley,  still 
occupies  the  home  place  and  is  most  comfortably  situated  in  life,  for  the  enterprise  and 
industry  of  the  father  made  him  a  prominent  and  successful  rancher  and  cattleman  who 
was  able  to  leave  a  most  substantial  property  to  his  widow.  He  was  born  in  Wisconsin 
and  was  about  sixty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  demise.  He  was  a  well  educated 
man  and  for  many  years  had  taught  school  before  coming  to  Idaho.  The  family  num- 
bered four  children,  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  all  of  whom  are  living. 

Roy  D.  Leonardson  was  reared  upon  his  father's  cattle  ranch  and  rode  the  range 
as  a  cow  puncher  all  through  his  youth.  In  fact  he  is  familiar  with  every  phase  of 
cowboy  life  and  is  a  typical  Idaho  product — of  that  kind  who  have  been  the  builders 
and  promoters  of  the  state  and  its  welfare.  At  the  age  of  twenty  years  he  was  sent  to 
a  normal  school  in  Nebraska,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for  a  year,  thus  supplement- 
ing the  knowledge  that  he  had  already  gained  as  a  public  school  pupil  in  Idaho.  On  the 
completion  of  his  studies  he  became  manager  of  lumber  yards  in  Nebraska  and  was  thus 
active  in  business  in  that  state  for  two  or  three  years.  While  so  employed  he  studied 
electrical  engineering  under  the  direction  of  a  correspondence  school  and  subsequently 
became  manager  of  the  Light  &  Power  Company  of  Aurora,  Nebraska,  occupying  that 
position  for  two  years. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Leonardson  was  married  on  the  12th  of  February,  1906,  to 
Miss  lona  Hickman,  a  daughter  of  Sylvester  Hickman  and  a  native  of  Nebraska,  where 
she  was  born  October  21,  1886.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  two 
children:  Weldon,  born  March  19,  1911;  and  Carmelita,  born  June  19,  1918. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leonardson  began  their  domestic  life  in  Nebraska,  where  they  resided 
for  a  time,  and  then  he  returned  with  his  wife,  to  Idaho,  having  since  lived  either  in  or 
near  Boise.  He  formerly  resided  near  the  Franklin  school,  where  he  developed  an 
attractive  home.  Later  he  sold  this  and  afterward  lived  upon  an  eighty-acre  ranch 
near  Eagle,  which  he  sold  in  the  fall  of  1919  and  purchased  the  beautiful  country  home 
that  he  now  occupies.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  small  ranches  in  the  Boise  valley.  It 
is  equipped  with  every  modern  improvement  in  the  way  of  buildings,  has  upon  it  fine 
shade  and  ornamental  trees  and  an  excellent  orchard.  Mr.  Leonardson  may  well  be 
proud  to  be  the  possessor  of  such  a  home  and  the  success  which  he  has  already  achieved 
as  a  rancher  indicates  that  this  property  will  be  most  carefully  conducted. 

In  politics  Mr.  Leonardson  maintains  a  nonpartisan  attitude.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  his  religious  faith  is  that 
of  the  Christian  church.  He  is  a  man  of  many  sterling  qualities  and  all  who  know  him 
esteem  him  highly  for  his  genuine  worth. 


JOHN  PIERCE. 

John  Pierce,  whose  attractive  home  is  situated  on  the  main  highway  from  Boise 
to  Caldwell,  was  born  in  Idaho  City,  Idaho,  March  13,  1868.  His  father,  John  B.  Pierce, 
a  very  prominent  and  influential  resident  of  Idaho  for  many  years,  was  born  in  Lexing- 
ton, Kentucky,  and  in  early  youth  removed  with  his  parents  to  Missouri,  where  he 
lived  until  twenty-two  years  of  age.  When  the  Civil  war  broke  out  he  went  to  Cali- 
fornia, crossing  the  plains  to  the  Pacific  coast,  where  he  engaged  in  mining  and  also 
in  raising  stock  for  several  years.  He  afterward  removed  to  Portland,  Oregon,  and  built 
one  of  the  early  residences  there.  He  engaged  in  packing  from  Umatilla,  Oregon,  to 
Auburn,  that  state,  and  also  to  Florence,  Idaho,  and  it  was  while  packing  to  the  latter 
place  that  he  heard  of  the  great  gold  strike  at  Idaho  City.  He  made  his  way  then  to 
that  place  and  took  up  three  mining  claims,  one  for  his  partner,  one  for  his  brother 
and  one  for  himself,  after  which  he  returned  to  California  with  his  pack  train  in  order 
to  get  supplies.  His  brother  and  partner  accompanied  him  as  he  again  journeyed  to 
Idaho  in  the  spring  but  when  they  reached  their  destination  they  found  that  ali  of 
the  claims  had  been  jumped  save  the  one  in  his  own  name  and  therefore  he  shared  his 
claim  with  his  brother  and  partner.  All  three  claims  which  he  had  staked  proved  to 
be  very  rich.  His  partner,  Mr.  Flood,  took  his  share  and  went  to  California.  After 
Mr.  Pierce  had  worked  out  his  claim  at  Idaho  City  he  removed  to  Silver  City  and  there 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  679 

engaged  in  mining  for  a  short  time,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  from 
Owyhee  county.  He  served  ija  the  first,  second,  third  and  fourth  sessions  of  the  legis- 
lature, during  which  time  he  formulated  some  of  the  best  territorial  laws  that  were 
enacted.  Later  he  leased  the  Green  place  at  Collister  and  carried  on  farming  there  for 
four  years,  largely  devoting  his  attention  to  the  raising  of  grain.  He  afterward  leased 
the  Peck  place  for  a  year  and  on  the  expiration  of  that  period  purchased  the  ranch  upon 
which  his  remaining  days  were  passed,  a  portion  of  this  being  still  the  property  of 
his  son  John.  The  farm  originally  consisted  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land, 
one-half  of  which  by  the  terms  of  his  will  went  to  his  wife,  while  the  other  half  was 
divided  between  John  Pierce  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  Duncan.  Mrs.  Pierce  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Katheriue  Pryor  and  was  a  native  of  Dumfries,  Scotland.  She,  too,  became 
a  pioneer  resident  of  Idaho.  The  death  of  her  husband  occurred  February  1,  1888,  and 
she  survived  for  almost  three  decades,  passing  away  on  the  30th  of  March,  1917. 

John  Pierce,  born  in  the  mining  camp  at  Idaho  City,  first  attended  the  old  Blagg 
school,  which  was  located  where  the  car  barn  of  the  Boise  Valley  Electric  Railroad  now 
stands,  near  the  Boise  Country  Club.  This  was  at  that  time  the  only  school  between 
Boise  and  Star.  He  completed  his  education  in  the  Cox  school,  now  known  as  the 
Green  Meadows  school.  During  his  youth  he  remained  upon  the  home  farm,  assisting 
his  father  in  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  the  property  and  seldom 
going  away.  After  his  father's  death  he  took  charge  of  his  inheritance  and  still  occupies 
the  land,  having  a  fine  home,  where  he  is  surrounded  by  a  most  Interesting  family,  num- 
bering a  wife  and  five  children. 

It  was  in  1897  that  Mr.  Pierce  wedded  Miss  Bertha  Wiggins,  a  native  of  Missouri, 
who  came  to  Idaho  in  1877.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Nancy  (McKay)  Wiggins, 
who  came  to  Idaho  and  settled  in  Middle  valley,  thirty  miles  north  of  Weiser,  where 
both  passed  away.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce  have  been  born  the  following  named:  Gladys, 
Clayton  W.,  Joy,  Clifford  W.  and  Walton  Foye. 

Mr.  Pierce  is  largely  familiar  with  every  phase  of  pioneer  life  In  Idaho.  In  his 
youth  he  played  with  the  Indian  children  in  the  sagebrush.  His  parents  had  many 
Indian  scares,  but  nothing  serious  ever  occurred  although  on  several  occasions  they 
had  to  leave  their  home  and  go  for  protection  to  the  fort  at  Boise.  John  Pierce  has 
lived  to  witness  remarkable  changes  since  those  early  days,  for  the  country  has  become 
rapidly  settled,  its  wild  lands  have  been  claimed  for  the  purposes  of  cultivation  and 
development,  and  the  work  of  progress  has  been  carried  steadily  forward  until  the 
civilization  of  Idaho  is  equal  to  that  in  any  of  the  older  states  of  the  Union. 


MAIER  KAUFMAN. 

A  most  interesting  history  is  that  of  Maier  Kaufman,  of  Idaho  Falls,  who  is  now 
in  the  ninetieth  year  of  his  age.  With  every  phase  of  pioneer  life  in  the  western  part 
of  the  United  States  he  is  familiar.  He  was  born  in  Mannheim,  Germany,  July  14,  1830, 
and  was  fifteen  years  of  age  when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  New  York  city.  He  there 
secured  employment  as  a  cigar  maker  and  in  the  early  '60s  he  made  his  way  to  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  from  which  point  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California  and  there  engaged 
in  gold  mining,  being  employed  in  the  St.  Gabriel  mine.  He  obtained  a  mining  claim 
and  took  out  quite  a  large  quantity  of  gold  but  sold  his  mining  property  in  1860  and 
purchased  sixty  head  of  horses.  He  then  employed  two  Mexicans  to  assist  him  in  the 
care  of  his  horses  and  started  to  St.  Louis  in  order  to  sell  the  animals.  When  they 
were  encamped  on  the  Majova  river  the  Indians  stole  all  of  the  horses,  leaving  only 
one  saddle  horse  and  a  pack  horse.  The  following  day  the  Mexicans  left  Mr.  Kauf- 
man and  started  on  their  return  to  California. 

Mr.  Kaufman  then  went  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  became  an  express  messenger 
in  the  emplcy  of  Ben  Holliday  in  connection  with  a  stage  line.  On  leaving  that  employ 
he  began  driving  for  the  Fargo  Express  Company  from  Corinne,  Utah,  to  Helena, 
Montana,  and  he  was  also  at  one  time  employed  by  the  Gllmore  ft  Saulisbury  Stage 
Company. 

In  1862  Mr.  Kaufman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Owen,  of  Salt 
Lake  City,  who  had  recently  arrived  in  this  country  from  Manchester,  England. 
Following  his  marriage  he  kept  stage  stations  for  the  firm  of  Gilmore  ft  Saulisbury  at 
Millerville,  Wyoming,  at  Kaysville,  Utah,  at  Centerville.  Utah,  at  Sand  Hole,  Idaho, 
and  Hole  in  the  Rock,  four  miles  above  the  present  site  of  Dubois,  Idaho.  While  at 


680 

the  last  named  place  the  Nez  Perce  Indians  went  on  the  warpath  and  it  was  reported 
were  going  toward  Hole  in  the  Rock.  Mr.  Kaufman  sent  his  wife  and  children  to  a 
stockade  in  Pleasant  valley,  Beaver  canyon,  for  protection  and  hid  in  a  cave.  The 
Indians  stole  all  of  the  -horses  and  cut  up  the  harness.  Mr.  Kaufman  went  through  his 
full  share  of  these  hardships  and  trials,  which  featured  in  the  pioneer  life  of  the 
west.  The  following  year  he  removed  to  Utah  and  engaged  in  farming  on  Silver  creek. 
From  that  point  he  went  to  Junction,  Idaho,  where  he  purchased  a  hotel,  and  in  1884  he 
took  up  his  abode  on  Birch  creek,  where  he  turned  his  attention  to  ranching  and  the 
live  stock  business.  For  about  seventeen  years  he  devoted  his  attention  to  the  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  his  ranch  property  and  the  care  of  his  stock,  but  in  1901  sold 
the  place  and  the  business  to  his  sons,  Edward  and  Henry. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kaufman  were  born  six  children,  four  daughters  and  two  sons, 
who  reached  adult  age:  Lillian,  the  wife  of  C.  B.  Watts,  of  Dubois,  Idaho;  Millie,  a 
resident  of  Idaho  Falls  and  the  widow  of  David  Miller,  who  passed  away  in  1914; 
Nettie,  the  wife  of  James  T.  Gayle,  of  Dubois,  Idaho;  Annie,  the  wife  of  Edward 
Wellesley,  of  San  Francisco,  California;  and  Henry  and  Edward,  living  at  Idaho  Falls. 
All  are  still  living  with  the  exception  of  Mrs.  Gayle,  who  passed  away  January  28, 
1919.  The  mother  died  on  the  17th  of  September,  1917.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kaufman  had 
traveled  life's  journey  together  for  fifty-five  years  ere  they  were  separated  in  death. 
Mr.  Kaufman  now  makes  hie  home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Miller,  at  Idaho  Falls  and  is 
a  remarkably  well  preserved  man  for  one  of  his  years.  He  has  one  sister,  Mrs.  Joe  Gans, 
and  a  brother,  Louis  Kaufman,  at  Helena,  Montana.  Mr.  Kaufman  is  able  to  enjoy  three 
meals  a  day  and  goes  all  over  the  town  alone.  His  reminiscences  of  pioneer  times  are 
most  interesting,  and  he  is  one  of  the  honored  residents  of  his  section  of  the  state. 


COLONEL  JAMES  BARNARD. 

Colonel  James  Barnard,  a  veteran  auctioneer  of  Emmett  and  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Barnard  &  Son,  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  since  1902,  coming  to  this 
state  from  Albion,  Boone  county,  Nebraska.  He  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Iowa, 
August  23,  I860,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Barnard,  who  was  a  native  of  Sussex,  England, 
where  he  was  reared  and  spent  a  portion  of  his  early  manhood,  being  employed  as 
gamekeeper  in  his  native  land.  The  mother  of  Colonel  Barnard  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Emily  Reeves  and  was  also  born  in  England.  The  parents  were  married  in 
that  country  and  their  first  two  children  were  born  ere  they  left  the  merrie  isle.  These 
were  Sarah  Jane  and  John,  the  latter  now  deceased,  while  the  former  lives  at  Payette, 
Idaho,  and  is  now  Mrs.  Sarah  Jane  Driscoll.  About  the  year  1858  the  parents  came 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Clinton  county,  Iowa,  but  spent  their  last  days 
near  Junction  City,  Kansas,  the  father  passing  away  December  19,  1885,  while  the 
mother  survived  for  almost  a  year,  dying  December  4,  1886.  Two  children  were  born 
after  they  came  to  the  new  world,  James  and  Elizabeth,  both  born  in  Clinton  county, 
Iowa,  while  the  latter  is  now  a  resident  of  Missouri. 

Colonel  Jp.mes  Barnard  was  reared  in  his  native  county  upon  the  home  farm,  and 
having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  was  married  in  Jackson  county,  Iowa,  January  2, 
1882.  to  Lucinda  Ann  Smith,  whose  birth  there  occurred  September  23,  1860,  her 
parents  being  Enoch  and  Mary  Ann  (Powell)  Smith,  both  now  living  at  Junction 
City,  Kansas,  at  the  ages  of  eighty-two  and  seventy-seven  years  respectively.  Mrs. 
Barnard  is  the  eldest  of  their  family  of  fifteen  children,  thirteen  of  whom  survive. 
Two  of  the  number  are  now  in  Idaho,  Mrs.  Barnard  and  James  Smith,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Payette  county. 

In  1884  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnard  removed  from  Iowa  to  Kansas,  residing  near  Junction 
City  for  a  time,  the  former  being  there  engaged  in  bricklaying,  which  trade  he  had 
learned  in  his  native  state  in  young  manhood.  In  1892  he  removed  with  his  family 
to  Albion,  Nebraska,  and  in  1902  came  to  Idaho,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  in 
the  Payette  valley.  He  first  resided  on  a  ranch  near  Fruitland  for  five  years  and 
then  spent  several  years  at  Letha,  Gem  county,  while  subsequently  he  removed  to  a 
large  ranch  in  Round  Valley,  in  Valley  county,  which  property  he  still  owns.  There 
he  lived  for  four  summers,  spending  the  winter  months  in  Emmett  in  order  to  give 
his  children  the  advantages  offered  by  the  schools  there  and  also  desiring  to  follow 
auctioneering  through  the  winter  months.  In  1916  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  his, 
present  small  ranch  just  south  of  Emmett  in  order  that  he  might  not  have  so  active 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  683 

a  part  in  agricultural  affairs  and  give  more  time  to  his  auctioneering  business, 
which  he  has  followed  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In  this  his  son,  James 
Frank,  is  associated  with  him  under  the  name  of  Barnard  &  Son,  and  they  are  the 
only  auctioneers  of  Gem  county.  They  not  only  cry  all  the  sales  in  this  county  but 
also  many  in  Payette  county,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Fruitland  and  New  Plymouth, 
and  the  son,  James  Frank  Barnard,  resides  at  Fruitland. 

Colonel  Barnard  and  his  wife  have  become  parents  of  eight  children:  James  Frank, 
who  was  born  October  14,  1882;  William  Edward,  whose  birth  occurred  March  18,  1884; 
Martha,  whose  natal  day  was  August  28,  1886;  Emily  Mae,  born  February  9,  1889; 
Laura,  born  August  15,  1892;  Bertha,  born  September  14,  1894;  Nora,  born  February 
25,  1898;  and  Florence,  who  was  born  on  Jhe  9th  of  January,  1902.  All  are  now  married 
with  the  exception  of  Florence  who  is  only  eighteen  years  of  age  and  is  at  home.  All 
of  the  married  children  have  children  of  their  own,  so  that  there  are  now  sixteen 
grandchildren.  The  eldest  son,  James  Frank,  was  married  July  3,  1911,  to  Mildred 
Heap  and  they  have  a  son  and  a  daughter:  George,  born  January  8,  1913;  and  Edna, 
born  March  3,  1917.  The  young  couple  occupy  an  enviable  position  in.  the  social 
circles  of  Fruitland  and  that  vicinity,  having  many  warm  friends  there. 

Colonel  Barnard  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  and  his  wife  and  their 
children  are  also  supporters  of  the  same  political  faith.  Their  religious  belief  is  that 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Colonel  Barnard  belongs  to  the  Emmett  Gun  Club 
and  is  vary  fond  of  hunting,  fishing  and  all  kinds  of  outdoor  sports.  He  concentrates 
his  time  and  attention  upon  his  business  affairs,  however,  and  Is  most  skilled  in  the 
work  of  auctioneering,  being  ever  ready  with  the  apt  word  and  the  quick  reply, 
while  at  the  same  time  he  is  familiar  with  the  thorough  business  methods  that  must 
always  underlie  the  work  of  the  successful  auctioneer. 


FREDERICK  WILLIAM  DALTON*. 

Frederick  William  Dalton.  a  rancher  and  breeder  of  registered  hogs  and  dairy  cattle, 
who  until  recently  resided  in  Twin  Falls  county,  now  makes  his  home  on  the  Boise 
bench.  He  was  born  at  Willard.  Boxeldcr  county,  Utah,  April  7,  1870.  His  father, 
Matthew  William  Dalton,  is  mentioned  at  length  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  John 
A.  Dalton,  a  half-brother  of  Frederick  W.  of  this  review.  The  mother  of  the  latter  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Alice  Ophelia  Miller.  She  was  born  in  Southampton,  England,  July 
19,  1845,  and  died  in  Utah,  January  17,  1900.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Hawkins 
and  Anne  (Shepherd)  Miller,  who  became  converts  to  the  Mormon  church  in  England 
and  as  such  came  to  the  United  States,  arriving  in  Utah  in  1866,  after  crossing  the 
plains  with  a  mule  team.  They  lived  first  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  afterward  removed  to 
Eden,  Utah,  while  still  later  they  became  residents  of  Willard,  where  they  remained 
for  many  years.  In  1905  they  came  to  Idaho,  settling  in  Bingham  county,  where  the 
father  passed  away  December  16,  1905,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five,  and  the  mother  on  the 
27th  of  March,  1911,  she,  too,  having  reached  the  age  of  almost  eighty-five  years. 

Frederick  W.  Dalton  was  reared  at  Willard  and  pursued  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  that  town  and  of  Plain  City.  He  was  graduated  at  the  latter  place  and  afterward 
spent  one  year  as  a  student  in  the  University  of  Utah.  He  became  a  school  teacher  In 
early  manhood  and  followed  the  profession  for  eleven  years  in  all,  teaching  for  five 
years  in  Utah  and  for  several  years  in  Idaho.  He  was  the  teacher  of  the  Poplar  school 
near  Plain  City,  Utah,  in  the  winter  of  1894-5  and  among  his  pupils  was  Annie  Benson, 
who  is  now  his  wife.  They  were  married  June  5,  1895,  Mrs.  Dalton  being  at  that  time 
a  young  lady  of  about  twenty-one  years,  her  birth  having  occurred  in  Denmark,  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1874.  She  Is  a  daughter  of  Andrew  P.  and  Matilda  (Aaberg)  Benson,  the 
former  a  Dane  by  birth  and  the  latter  a  native  of  Sweden.  Mrs.  Dalton  came  to  the 
United  States  with  her  parents  when  ten  years  of  age,  the  Benson  family  settling  at 
Plain  City,  Utah,  whence  in  1896  they  removed  to  Bingham  county,  Idaho,  becoming 
pioneers  of  that  section.  There  Mr.  Benson  passed  away  March  1,  1919,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four  years,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Denmark,  October,  13,  1844.  His  wife 
survives  and  is  yet  living  in  Bingham  county,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five,  her  birth 
having  occurred  in  Sweden,  September  20,  1844.  Both  were  converted  to  the  teachings 
of  the  Mormon  church  in  Denmark  and  at  the  time  of  his  demise  Mr.  Benson  was  a 
patriarch  in  the  church. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dalton  removed  from  Utah  to  Idaho  in  the  fall  of  1897  and  first  lived 


684  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

in  old  Bingham  county,  residing  in  that  section  that  is.  now  Bonneville  county.  For 
sixteen  years  they  lived  upon  a  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  Mr. 
Dalton  developed  with  the  aid  of  his  wife.  In  1914  he  sold  that  property  and  for 
two  and  a  half  years  resided  on  a  ranch  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  which  he 
purchased  in  Camas  county,  on  the  Camas  prairie.  In  1916  he  traded  this  for  an  eighty- 
acre  ranch  near  Filer,  Twin  Falls  county,  thus  exchanging  cheap  land  for  some  of  the 
best  land  in  Idaho.  Upon  the  latter  place  they  resided  for  three  years  and  prospered 
beyond  their  expectations,  Mr.  Dalton  being  very  successful  both  as  a  breeder  of  reg- 
istered Duroc  hogs  and  as  a  farmer.  In  fact  he  is  today  one  of  the  best  known  and 
leading  breeders  of  Duroc  Jersey  hogs  in  Idaho.  He  has  been  in  the  business  for 
more  than  twenty  years  and  has  been  a  prominent  exhibitor  at  the  fairs  held  in 
southern  Idaho  for  many  years  and  also  at  the  Idaho  state  fair  of  1919,  where  he 
exhibited  a  sow  that  won  first  prize  in  her  class  and  which  is  a  daughter  of  the  grand 
champion  Duroc  sow  of  the  whole  northwest.  In  the  fall  of  1919  Mr.  Dalton  was 
offered  an  excellent  price  for  his  farm  near  Filer  and  sold  the  property  for  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  dollars  per  acre.  He  then  purchased  a  small  but  valuable  ranch 
on  the  Boise  bench  and  took  up  his  abode  thereon,  having  located  near  Boise  in  order 
to  educate  his  children  in  the  schools  of  the  capital  city.  He  is  still  breeding  registered 
Durocs  and  is  also  engaged  in  the  breeding  of  registered  Holstein  cattle,  both  branches 
of  his  business  proving  sources  of  substantial  profit. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dalton  have  become  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  six  sons  and  five 
daughters.  Frederick  William,  who  was  born  March  5,  1896,  is  a  veteran  of  the  World 
war,  having  served  for  two  years  as  a  volunteer,  one  year  of  that  time  being  spent  in 
France,  after  which  he  mustered  out  as  sergeant  major.  The  other  children  are:  John 
Andrew,  born  November  4,  1897;  Alice  Matilda,  September  7,  1899;  Audubon  Mathias, 
whose  birth  occurred  July  18,  1901;  Bertha  Annabelle,  whose  natal  day  was  December 
19,  1904;  Lygia  Teresa,  born  December  12,  1906;  Nellie  lone,  born  December  16,  1908; 
Irene  Dorothea,  born  February  18,  1911;  Ursus  Benson,  born  June  19,  1913;  Albert 
Matthew,  born  October  26,  1915;  and  James  Cecil,  who  was  born  on  the  6th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1919. 

Mr.  Dalton  maintains  an  independent  course  in  politics.  He  has  served  in  various 
local  offices  of  importance,  acting  as  ditch  director,  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  in  other 
public  connections,  where  he  has  proven  his  loyalty  to  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity. He  is  a  man  of  genuine  personal  worth  as  well  as  of  excellent  business 
ability  and  Ada  county  numbers  him  among  her  substantial  citizens. 


GEORGE  NIBLER. 

George  Nibler,  who  follows  farming  and  stock  raising  in  Ada  county  not  far  from 
Boise,  was  born  in  St.  Cloud,  Minnesota,  February  26,  1860,  and  in  his  early  youth 
went  to  Oregon  with  his  parents,  Michael  and  Mary  (Sites)  Nibler.  He  acquired  his 
early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Oregon  until  the  early  '70s.  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Idaho,  the  family  home  being  established  at  Boise,  where  the 
father  died  soon  afterward.  George  Nibler  and  his  brothers,  Joseph,  Michael,  now 
deceased,  Louis  Nicholas,  Jacob  and  John  then  took  care  of  the  mother  and  their 
sisters,  Annie,  Mary  and  Maggie,  assuming  the  responsibility  of  providing  for  the 
household.  The  mother  survived  the  husband  and  father  for  a  long  period,  departing 
this  life  in  1905. 

In  the  early  days  George  Nibler  and  his  brothers  followed  mining  in  the  Wood 
river  arid  Twin  Spring?  districts,  meeting  with  varied  success.  Of  recent  years,  how- 
ever, George  Nibler  has  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  farming  and  stock 
raising  and  is  now  the  owner  of  ninety-five  acres  of  good  land  in  the  Dry  creek  district, 
about  a  mile  from  the  Brookside  school.  He  is  engaged  quite  extensively  in  the  live 
stock  business  and  his  son,  George  E.,  has  a  range  at  the  head  of  Dry  creek,  where 
they  range  their  cattle.  They  also  raise  their  own  horses,  which  are  of  high  grade. 

In  the  year  1896  Mr.  Nibler  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hattie  Wilson,  daughter 
of  John  V.  and  Amanda  (McClellan)  Wilson.  Her  father,  who  was  born  at  Fort  Wayne, 
Indiana,  in  1843,  came  to  Idaho  in  1864  and  in  1869  was  married  in  Boise  to  Amanda 
McClellan,  whose  parents  were  also  among  the  early  settlers  of  this  state,  having  come 
to  Idaho  in  1863.  There  were  eight  children  in  the  Wilson  family:  Phillip,  Hattie, 
John,  Thomas,  Ella,  Elizabeth,  Mary  and  Pearl.  The  father,  John  V.  Wilson,  home- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  685 

steaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  a  part  of  which  is  now  the  property  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nibler.  The  latter  was  born  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  her  present 
place  of  residence.  Her  father  after  settling  on  the  old  homestead  never  left  the  place 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  April  6,  1919.  Before  his  demise  he  had  sold  about 
seventy  acres,  which  has  been  subdivided  into  small  tracts  and  upon  which  are  many 
beautiful  and  attractive  homes.  The  homestead  property  is  situated  about  two  and 
a  half  miles  west  of  Boise  on  the  interurban  electric  line.  Mrs.  Nibler  can  recall  the 
days  when  her  mother  would  take  the  children  and  hide  for  fear  of  Indian  attacks. 
By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  four  children:  Gladys,  who  is  teaching- 
school;  George  E.,  who  is  twenty  years  of  age  and  who  enlisted  in  the  infantry  but 
did  not  have  the  opportunity  of  going  overseas;  Crawford,  fourteen  years  of  age; 
and  Victor,  a  lad  of  twelve,  who  is  attending  school.  Mrs.  Nibler  has  spent  her 
entire  life  in  Idaho,  while  Mr.  Nibler  has  been  a  resident  of  this  state  from  the 
early  '70s.  Both  have  therefore  witnessed  much  of  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
northwest,  and  through  carefully  directed  business  affairs  Mr.  Nibler  has  won  a  place 
among  the  substantial  farmers  and  stockmen  of  Ada  county. 


JAMES  H.  SCALES. 

James  H.  Scales  resides  on  a  small  ranch  of  six  acres  constituting  one  oi  the 
attractive  suburban  homes  of  the  Boise  bench.  He  was  formerly  actively  engaged  in 
ranching  but  is  now  living  retired,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil  in  a  well 
earned  rest.  *  His  present  place  is  situated  near  the  Franklin  school  in  Ada  county 
and  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  for  eighteen  years,  having  come  to  this  state  from 
Henry  county,  Iowa,  in  1902.  He  left  Iowa  in  1901  but  spent  a  year  at  Canyon  City, 
Colorado,  ere  continuing  his  journey  to  the  northwest.  He  was  born  near  Carrollton. 
Ohio,  November  7,  1856,  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret  (McClane)  Scales.  When  he  was 
six  months  old  his  parents  removed  to  Henry  county,  Iowa,  where  he  was  reared  upon 
a  farm.  Most  of  his  life  has  been  devoted  to  general  agricultural  pursuits.  He  lived 
for  a  considerable  period  in  Iowa  and  following  his  removal  to  Idaho  he  first  settled 
near  Meridian  and  spent  eight  years  upon  a  ranch  in  that  locality.  Later  he  disposed 
of  his  interest  in  that  property  and  for  a  year  was  a  resident  of  Boise,  serving  during 
that  period  as  a  member  of  the  Boise  fire  department.  He  next  took  up  a  homestead 
cf  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  the  south  fork  of  the  Salmon  and  for  a  time  kept 
bachelor's  hall  there.  He  bent  his  energies  to  the  improvement  and  development  of 
his  property  and  converted  it  into  an  excellent  ranch,  which  he  owned  until 
1919,  when  he  sold  the  property  and  returned  to  Boise,  purchasing  one  of  the  prettiest 
six-acre  suburban  homes  on  the  Boise  bench.  He  now  occupies  this  place  and  is  most 
comfortably  and  pleasantly  situated  in  life. 

Mr.  Scales  has  been  married  twice.  His  first  wife  died,  leaving  no  children.  In 
Boise,  on  the  1st  day  of  May,  1918,  he  wedded  Mrs.  Emma  Shanks,  who  was  then  a 
widow  and  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Emma  Long.  She  was  born  in  Greene  county, 
Illinois,  and  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents  in  1900.  She  is  a  daughter  of  S.  L.  and 
Ellen  Long,  who  now  reside  near  Boise.  By  her  first  husband  Mr?-.  Scales  had  two 
daughters,  Vida'Mae  and  Velna  Edltha,  aged  respectively  fifteen  and  twelve  years.  Mrs. 
Scales  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Scales  enjoys  hunting  and  fishing  and  now  that  he  has  retired  from  ranching 
has  ample  opportunity  to  indulge  his  love  of  those  sports.  His  success  is  attributable 
entirely  to  his  own  labors.  He  worked  diligently  and  persistently  for  many  years  and 
his  energy  and  enterprise  brought  to  him  the  success  which  now  enables  him  to  largely 
rest  from  further  toil. 


JERRY  FERREL. 

Jerry  Ferrel  is  a  retired  merchant  who  now  owns  and  resides  upon  a  small,  highly 
improved  acreage  tract  on  the  Boise  bench.  He  was  born  in  Wayne  county,  Iowa,  June 
23,  1861,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  seven  sons  and  two  daughters,  whose 
parents  were  John  and  Rebecca  (Reece)  Ferrel.  The  father  was  born  In  Ohio  in 
1822.  while  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  passed  away  when  her  son 


686  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Jerry  was  but  twelve  years  of  age.  The  father  afterward  married  Rebecca  Hamilton. 
He  took  up  a  homestead  in  Wayne  county,  Iowa,  in  1844,  becoming  a  pioneer  there.  He 
developed  an  excellent  tract  of  land  and  prospered  in  his  farming  operations. 

It  was  upon  that  farm  that  Jerry  Ferrel  was  born  and  reared.  In  early  life  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade  but  followed  it  for  only  a  year  or  so.  He  afterward 
removed  to  northwestern  Nebraska,  where  he  took  up  his  abode  in  1884,  securing  a 
homestead  in  that  year.  He  proved  up  on  the  property  in  six  months  by  taking  advan* 
tage  of  the  preemption  law  and  paying  a  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre  for  his  land. 
When  he  went  there,  the  nearest  town  and  railroad  were  one  hundred  and  forty  miles 
distant,  the  town  being  Valentine,  Nebraska.  In  1885  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern 
Railroad  was  built  through  and  the  town  of  Hay  Springs  was  established  four  miles 
from  his  ranch.  Mr.  Ferrel  became  one  of  the  first  merchants  of  the  town  and  there 
engaged  in  the  furniture  and  hardware  business  for  many  years. 

While  in  Nebraska,  Mr.  Ferrel  was  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years  to 
Miss  Julia  Moulton,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  in  1871,  a  daughter  of  Arby  Moulton. 
In  1911  Mr.  Ferrel  removed  to  Boise  and  bought  two  and  a  half  acres  of  choice  level 
land  on  Fourth  street,  near  Garden  avenue,  on  the  Boise  bench.  There  were  no 
improvements  upon  it,  but  it  ia  now  a  beautiful  suburban  home,  for  he  has  erected  an 
attractive  residence  and  other  buildings  and  has  converted  the  place  into  beautiful 
lawns  and  gardens. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferrel  have  been  born  six  children,  a  son  and  five  daughters: 
Ruth,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  C.  C.  Dewey,  of  Arizona;  Cora,  living  in  Boise;  Lyle, 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  who  served  as  a  chauffeur  in  France  for  sixteen  months  with 
the  American  army  during  the  World  war;  Zelma,  the  wife  of  R.  C.  Sage,  living  near 
Glenns  Ferry,  Idaho;  Ina,  nineteen  years  of  age,  who  is  a  senior  in  the  Boise  high 
school;  and  Gladys,  seventeen  years  of  age,  who  is  also  attending  high  school. 

Mr.  Ferrel  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Christian  church  and  fraternally  he 
is  an  Odd  Fellow  who  has  served  as  noble  grand  of  his  lodge.  He  likewise  belongs  to 
the  Highlanders  and  in  politics  he  is  a  democrat.  While  living  at  Hay  Springs, 
Nebraska,  he  served  on  the  school  board  and  also  as  assessor.  He  finds  recreation  and 
pleasure  in  fishing  and  the  fact  that  he  has  retired  from  active  business  now  enables 
him  to  indulge  his  love  of  that  sport.  For  many  years  he  was  a  progressive  merchant, 
alert  and  energetic,  giving  his  attention  to  the  demands  of  the  trade  and  thus  building 
up  a  substantial  business  whereby  he  gained  the  comfortable  competence  that  now 
enables  him  to  rest  from  further  labor. 


JOSEPH  LEONARD. 

Joseph  Leonard,  devoting  his  time  and  energies  to  general  farming  near  Eagle^ 
was  born  in  Missouri,  August  11,  1876,  and  is  a  son  of  A.  J.  and  Sarah  (Gentry) 
Leonard.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Alabama  and  removed  to  Missouri  with  his 
parents  when  a  youth.  In  the  latter  state  he  wedded  Sarah  Gentry,  who  was  born  in 
Missouri  and  died  in  Texas  in  1880.  Mr.  Leonard  and  his  son  Joseph  afterward  came 
to  Idaho  in  1890  and  first  settled  in  Boise,  while  subsequently  they  removed  to  Meridian, 
where  A.  J.  Leonard  engaged  in  farming  for  ten  years.  He  is  now  living  retired  in 
Boise  and  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy-six  years. 

Joseph  Leonard  was  a  youth  of  fourteen  years  when  he  came  with  his  father  to 
Idaho  and  in  the  early  days  he  worked  in  the  mines  of  the  state,  being  thus  employed 
until  1908,  when  he  quit  the  mines  and  purchased  his  present  home  property  of  eighty 
acres  near  Eagle,  upon  which  he  has  since  engaged  in  dairying  and  in  the  raising  of 
hay,  grain,  hogs  and  milch  cows.  The  tract  was  raw  land  when  it  came  into  his  posses- 
sion and  he  has  since  developed  it  into  a  fine  farm,  upon  which  he  has  erected  a  sub- 
stantial and  comfortable  home.  The  work  of  cultivation  and  improvement  has  been 
carried  steadily  forward  and  his  labors  have  made  his  place  one  of  the  good  farm 
properties  of  the  locality. 

In  1905  Mr.  Leonard  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  May  Garrett,  a  native  of 
Hailey.  Idaho,  and  a  daughter  of  I.  W.  Garrett,  who  crossed  the  plains  by  ox  team 
with  his  parents  in  the  early  '60s  and  came  to  Idaho  before  Boise  had  become  a  town 
of  any  importance.  The  Garrett  family  first  went  to  Oregon  and  then  returned  to 
Idaho,  I.  W.  Garrett  entering  the  butchering  business  at  Placerville.  While  there 
he  married  Emma  Child,  of  Boise,  and  afterward  removed  to  the  capital  city  and  still 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  687 

later  to  Hailey.  He  became  not  only  an  active  factor  in  the  business  life  of  the  com- 
munity but  also  an  influential  figure  in  political  circles  in  Idaho  and  while  living  at 
Hailey  was  elected  secretary  of  state,  in  which  office  he  served  for  two  terms.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1898  he  was  receiver  in  the  United  States  land  office  at  Boise.  His 
record  was  one  which  reflected  credit  and  honor  upon  the  history  of  Idaho,  for  in  many 
ways  he  contributed  to  its  substantial  development  and  in  all  public  relations  mani- 
fested a  most  patriotic  spirit. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leonard  have  been  born  four  children:  Letha  Irene,  Leora  Grace 
and  Ruth  Fay,  who  are  attending  school  in  Eagle;  and  Clyde  Harold,  who  is  four 
years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leonard  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  their  section  of  Ada 
county  and  their  friends  are  many. 


STEPHEN  N.  DOWELL. 

Among  those  citizens  of  Ada  county  residing  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise  who  have  been 
enabled  to  put  aside  the  more  active  cares  of  life  and  enjoy  a  well  earned  rest  is 
numbered  Stephen  N.  Dowell,  who  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Idaho  and  who  now  resides 
on  Orchard  avenue,  near  the  Franklin  school,  on  a  six-acre  suburban  tract  which  he 
purchased  in  the  fall  of  1919.  He  was  one  of  the  old-time  residents  of  Long  Valley, 
where  he  took  up  his  abode  upon  removing  from  Jasper  county,  Missouri,  in  1895. 
Iowa  claims  him  as  a  native  son,  his  birth  having  occurred  within  the  borders  of  that 
state  March  15,  1862,  his  parents  being  Reuben  H.  and  Emily  Jane  (Harris)  Dowell. 
The  latter  is  living  at  Carthage,  Missouri,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 

Stephen  N.  Dowell  spent  his  boyhood  on  an  Iowa  farm.  At  fifteen  years  of  age  he 
removed  to  Clay  county,  Kansas,  with  his  parents  and  was  a  resident  of  Kansas  and 
Missouri  altogether  for  about  twenty  years,  during  which  time  he  largely  engaged  in 
farming.  It  was  while  in  Wilson  county,  Kansas,  that  he  formed  the  acquaintance  of 
Mrs.  Delilah  Wedding,  nee  Pearson,  who  was  born  in  Greene  county,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of 
Lewis  and  Mary  Ann  (Hunt)  Pearson.  Her  father  was  a  Union  soldier  in  the  Civil 
war  and  died  of  illness  while  in  the  service.  Mrs.  Dowell  was  first  married  to  a  Mr. 
Wedding  and  they  became  the  parents  of  five  children  who  are  yet  living:  Charles. 
John  W.,  Lewis  P.,  Mrs.  Mary  Keske  and  Mrs.  Myrtle  Lloyd.  It  was  on  the  4th  of 
June,  1888,  that  Mrs.  Wedding  became -the  wife  of  Stephen  N.  Dowell  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  a  daughter,  Emma  A.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Hall  and  the  mother  of  three 
sons — Carl  E.,  Merle  E.  and  Lorin  Earl,  aged  respectively  thirteen,  eleven  and  seven 
years. 

Mr.  Dowell  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views  and  at  the  present  time,  while  living 
in  Boise,  is  serving  as  county  commissioner  of  Valley  county,  having  been  elected  to  the 
office  in  the  fall  of  1918.  By  reason  of  the  fact  that  he  is  filling  that  position  and 
because  he  still  has  large  ranch  and  cattle  interests  in  Long  Valley,  he  will  spend  about 
half  of  his  time  on  his  ranch  there.  It  was  when  he  removed  from  Missouri  to  Idaho 
that  he  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  near  the  present  eite  of 
Donnelly,  and  as  the  years  passed  he  developed  this  property  into  a  well  improved 
cattle  and  hay  ranch.  In  1907  he  sold  the  homestead  and  bought  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  in  another  section  of  Long  Valley  and  still  retains  possession  of  that 
property,  which  is  returning  to  him  a  gratifying  annual  income.  He  is  fond  of  hunting 
and  fishing  and  has  killed  much  game,  including  bear  and  deer.  He  is  also  a  skillful 
follower  of  Izaak  Walton,  nis  ability  with  rod  and  fly  being  manifest  on  many  occasions. 
His  career  is  illustrative  of  what  may  be  accomplished  in  the  northwest  by  men  of  energy 
and  determination.  Starting  out  in  the  business  world  without  capital  or  special 
advantages,  he  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward  and  is  now  numbered  among  the 
men  of  affluence  living  on  the  Boise  bench. 


JOHN  G.  TURNER. 

John  G.  Turner,  a  prosperous  rancher  who  until  the  spring  of  1920  resided  near 
Richfield,  in  Lincoln  county,  Idaho,  has  since  that  date  purchased  and  occupied  an 
eighty-acre  ranch  five  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Boise,  on  the  Bench  road.  He  has 
continuously  lived  in  this  state  since  1904  and  has  prospered  as  the  years  have  gone  by, 


688  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

being  now  in  comfortable  financial  circumstances.  He  was  born  in  County  Roscom- 
mon,  Ireland,  March  29,  1880,  and  his  parents  are  still  living  in  that  country  nor  have 
they  ever  visited  the  United  States.  The  father  is  seventy-two  years  of  age  and  the 
mother  seventy-five.  John  G.  Turner  has  one  brother  and  two  sisters  in  the  United 
States,  but  he  is  the  only  one  in  Idaho.  His  brother  is  Joseph  Turner,  a  cattleman 
of  Wyoming. 

John  G.  Turner  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  Ireland  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
1901.  He  was  a  brakeman  on  a  railroad  in  West  Virginia  for  a  time  and  afterward 
became  a  street  car  conductor  in  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  for  a 
year.  In  1904  he  arrived  in  Lincoln  county,  Idaho,  and  for  sixteen  years  was  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  ranching  in  that  locality.  He  then  removed  to  the  Boise  bench 
and  in  addition  to  his  eighty-acre  ranch,  which  he  has  1'ecently  purchased  in  Ada 
county,  in  a  neighborhood  where  ranch  lands  are  selling  at  from  three  to  five  hundred 
dollars  per  acre,  he  still  owns  his  former  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  near 
Richfield.  His  property  holdings  therefore  insure  to  him  a  good  income  and  he  is 
meeting  with  continued  success  as  the  years  go  by. 

Mr.  Turner  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ella  E.  Byrne,  who  was  born  in  County 
Roscommon,  Ireland,  in  the  same  neighborhood  in  which  his  youthful  days  were  passed, 
her  natal  day  being  March  17,  1882.  She  came  with  her  parents  to  the  United  States  in 
1900,  the  family  locating  in  Lincoln  county,  Idaho.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  had  been 
friends  in  Ireland  and  during  their  four  years  of  separation  had  kept  up  a  corre- 
spondence. On  the  12th  of  April,  1904,  they  were  married  in  Shoshone,  Idaho,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children:  Thomas  P.,  who  was  born  March  17, 
1905;  John  J.,  whose  birth  occurred  September  12,  1906;  Gerald  Emmett,  whose  natal 
day  was  June  10,  1909;  Katherine  E.,  born  February  26,  1911;  Anna  Luella,  born  August 
12,  1914;  and  Robert  Lincoln,  who  was  born  on  the  12th  of  February,  1919. 

Mr.  Turner  and  his  family  are  communicants  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  and 
he  is  a  Knight  of  Columbus.  In  politics  he  is  independent  but  generally  supports  the 
democratic  ticket.  He  has  served  as  school  trustee  in  Lincoln  county  for  two  terms, 
but  his  time  and  attention  have  largely  been  given  to  business  affairs,  which  have  been 
attended  with  excellent  results. 


EDWARD  P.  GROVER. 

Edward  P.  Grover,  who  for  many  years  was  identified  with  farming  interests 'in 
Fremont  county,  was  born  at  Farmington,  Davis  county,  Utah,  April  22,  1859,  a  son 
of  Thomas  and  Loduska  (Tupper)  Grover,  who  were  natives  of  the  state  of  New  York. 
The  father  was  among  the  earliest  of  the  Mormon  settlers  in  Utah,  arriving  in  that 
state  in  1847.  He  took  up  his  abode  at  Farmington,  Davis  county,  where  he  purchased 
land  and  carried  on  farming  and  stock  raising,  while  to  his  place  he  added  many  mod- 
ern improvements.  He  became  quite  extensively  engaged  in  stock  raising  and  devoted 
hi?  remaining  days  to  that  business.  He  was  ever  an  influential  member  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  both  he  and  his  wife  passed  away 
in  that  faith. 

Edward  P.  Grover,  spending  his  youthful  days  in  Davis  county,  there  pursued  his 
education  but  was  quite  young  when  he  started  out  to  provide  for  his  own  support.  He 
gave  his  attention  largely  to  farm  work  and  in  1884  he  removed  from  Utah  to  Fremont 
county,  Idaho,  taking  up  a  quarter  section  of  land  on  the  Egin  bench.  This  he  improved 
and  cultivated  throughout  his  remaining  days,  his  life's  labors  being  terminated  in 
death  on  the  18th  of  January,  1901. 

It  was  on  the  25th  of  December,  1882,  that  Mr.  Grover  was  married  to  Miss  Fannie 
Clawson,  a  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Ella  (Manhard)  Clawson,  who  were  natives  of 
New  York  and  Montreal,  Canada,  respectively.  Mrs.  Grover  was  born  at  Draper,  Utah, 
January  17,  1864.  Her  father  was  a  member  of  the  Mormon  Battalion  and  crossed 
the  plains  with  ox  teams  at  a  very  early  day.  He  was  a  wheelwright  by  trade  and 
followed  that  business  for  a  number  of  years  in  Salt  Lake  City,  after  which  he  removed 
to  Farmington,  Utah,  residing  there  until  the  death  of  his  wife  in  1899.  Subsequently 
he  made  his  home  with  his  children  throughout  his  remaining  days,  passing  away  in 
1907.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grover  became  the  parents  of  nine  children,  as  follows.  Edward 
P.,  who  passed  away  on  the  13th  of  June,  1917;  Cleveland  L.,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Charles,  whose  demise  occurred  April  11,  1902;  Napoleon,  a  resident  of  Parker,  Idaho; 


Vol.  Ill     I  I 


EDWARD    P.    GROVER 


MRS.   FANNIE   GROVER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  693 

Mabelle,  who  Is  the  wife  of  John  F.  Miller  and  resides  in  California;  George  H.,  who 
served  in  the  army  for  two  years  and  is  now  a  practicing  dentist  of  Berkeley,  California; 
Jesse  R.,  a  traveling  salesman,  who  was  connected  with  the  United  States  army  for 
two  years,  spending  ten  months  of  that  period  in  France;  Otto  J.,  who  enlisted  in  the 
army  on  the  18th  of  January.  1917,  and  made  several  trips  overseas  with  transports  as 
a  member  of  the  Medical  Corps,  and  is  still  in  military  service,  being  now  stationed 
at  Hampton  Roads,  Virginia;  and  Fremont  E.,  who  is  attending  the  Northwestern  School 
of  Pharmacy  in  Chicago. 

Politically  Mr.  Grover  was  a  republican  and  his  religious  faith  was  that  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  was  a  man  of  many  sterling  qualities, 
devoted  to  the  welfare  of  his  family  and  faithful  in  friendship  and  in  citizenship.  Since 
the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Grover  has  rented  the  home  farm  to  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar 
Company.  She  remained  upon  the  farm  for  eleven  years,  however,  after  her  husband's 
demise  and  cultivated  it  successfully  with  the  aid  of  her  sons.  In  1912  phe  removed 
to  St.  Anthony,  where  she  purchased  a  nice  home  that  she  now  occupies,  and  she  IK 
one  of  the  highly  esteemed  ladies  of  that  city. 


OLE  M.  TRONAAS. 

Ole  M.  Tronaas,  who  is  now  residing  on  a  small  but  valuable  ranch  on  the  Boise 
bench,  to  which  he  removed  in  February,  1920,  from  Gooding  county,  Idaho,  is  of 
Norwegian  birth,  having  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  day  on  the  15th  of  July. 
1867,  in  the  land  of  the  midnight  sun.  His  parents  never  came  to  the  United  States 
and  it  was  in  1888,  when  he  was  about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  that  Mr.  Tronaas  crossed 
the  Atlantic.  Previous  to  this  time  he  had  engaged  in  clerking  in  stores  in  Norway 
and  bad  been  employed  in  blacksmith  shops  and  on  farms.  Since  coming  to  the  new 
world  he  has  resided  in  various  states,  engaged  mostly  in  farming,  but  he  also  spent 
several  years  as  an  employe  in  bicycle  shops  in  Chicago,  and  it  was  during  his  residence 
in  that  city  that  he  was  married.  In  June,  1910,  he  came  to  Idaho  and  in  December  of 
that  year  took  up  a  ranch  under  the  Carey  act  near  Bliss,  Idaho,  securing  forty  acres. 
He  developed  two  different  forty-acre  tracts  near  Bliss  and  in  the  fall  of  1919  disposed 
of  his  property  in  that  locality  and  removed  to  his  present  home  on  the  Boise  bench, 
where  he  is  most  pleasantly  situated. 

Mr.  Tronaas'  wife  is  also  a  native  of  Norway,  where  she  was  born  May  1,  1873, 
bearing  the  maiden  name  of  Birgetta  Johnson.  She  came  to  the  United  States  alone  in 
1895  but  had  a  brother  living  in  Chicago  and  there  joined  him.  It  was  in  that  city 
that  she  met  and  married  Mr.  Tronaas.  They  have  three  children  who  are  yet  living  and 
have  lost  one.  The  eldest  son,  Alf  M.  Tronaas,  was  killed  in  France  October  13,  1918,  while 
serving  as  a  private  in  Company  D,  Ninth  Machine  Gun  Battalion.  He  had  entered  the 
war  with  the  Second  Idaho  Regiment  and  died  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  his  birth 
having  occurred  June  4, 1897.  In  April,  1920,  the  family  received  a  citation,  which  was  for 
the  son's  gallantry  in  action  at  Cunel,  France,  dated  October  13,  1918, — the  day  he  waa 
killed.  The  three  living  children  are:  Harold,  who  was  born  November  26,  1898;  Jennie, 
October  28,  1900;  and  Lloyd,  September  3,  1909. 

Mr.  Tronaas  is  a  member  of  the  Non-Partisan  League.  He  is  one  of  the  prominent 
representatives  of  the  Grange  of  Idaho  and  for  the  past  five  years  has  been  state  over- 
seer. He  takes  a  keen  interest  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  agricultural  develop- 
ment of  Idaho  and  his  aid  and  influence  are  ever  on  the  side  of  progress  and  im- 
provement. 


J.  L.  AYRES. 

J.  L.  Ayres,  a  representative  of  the  farming  interests  of  Ada  county,  who  at  an 
earlier  period  was  identified  with  freighting  interests  and  with  the  development  of 
irrigation  in  Idaho,  was  born  in  Missouri,  August  21,  1857.  His  father,  Joseph  F.  Ayres, 
was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  while  the  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah 
Alverson,  was  born  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  but  in  her  girlhood  days  removed  with  her 
parents  to  Tennessee,  in  which  state  she  was  married.  Prior  to  the  Civil  war  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ayres  removed  to  Missouri  but  in  1866  returned  to  Tennessee,  where  they  resided 


694  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

until  1880,  and  then  crossed  the  plains,  traveling  by  horse  teams  to  the  Grande  Ronde 
valley  in  Oregon.  There  they  spent  the  winter  and  in  the  spring  of  1881  they  returned 
to  Idaho,  settling  at  the  place  where  J.  L.  Ayres  now  resides,  about  a  mile  east  of  Star, 
on  the  Valley  road,  where  Mr.  Ayres  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
from  John  Harding.  He  afterward  bought  an  additional  forty  acre  tract  adjoining  his 
original  quarter  section,  so  that  he  became  the  possessor  altogether  of  two  hundred 
acres  of  land,  the  greater  part  of  which  he  sold,  however,  prior  to  his  death.  He 
was  found  dead  in  the  fields  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years,  passing  away  on  the 
24th  of  September,  1917.  He  had  long  survived  his  wife,  who  died  in  1894  at 
the  age  of  fifty-seven  years.  Their  family  numbered  eight  children;  Joseph  F., 
Margaret  Elizabeth,  John  C.,  William,  Huston,  Ida,  Rufus,  who  is  deceased,  and  J. 
L.  of  this  review. 

The  last  named  was  a  lad  of  about  nine  years  when  his  parents  removed  from 
Missouri  to  Tennessee  and  was  twenty-three  years  of  age  when  the  long  journey  was 
made  across  the  plains  to  the  northwest.  He  assisted  his  father  in  the  work  of  develop- 
ing and  improving  wild  land  in  Idaho  and  is  now  the  possessor  of  forty  acres  of  the 
original  homestead  and  devotes  his  attention  to  general  farming  and  dairying.  He  has 
carefully  and  systematically  developed  his  fields  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  progres- 
sive agriculturists  of  his  community.  He  has  also  been  active  along  other  lines.  He 
had  an  interest  in  and  assisted  in  building  the  Middleton  canal  and  for  many  years  he 
operated  a  threshing  outfit  and  threshed  on  every  ranch  from  Middleton  to  Boise,  having 
a  twelve  horse  power  Nichols  &  Sheppard  Vibrator  threshing  machine.  His  father  was 
associated  with  him  in  that  business  for  twenty-five  years.  Mr.  Ayres  of  this  review 
also  engaged  in  freighting  between  Bellevue,  De  Lamar,  Placerville,  Idaho  City  and 
Silver  City,  hauling  goods  to  all  of  these  and  other  points.  For  ten  years  he  used  from 
four  to  eight  horses  in  hauling  timber  out  of  the  Rossi  mountains  and  in  1883  he 
hauled  the  first  load  of  lumber  for  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  bridge  built  at  Cald- 
well  across  the  Boise  river. 

In  1883  Mr.  Ayres  was  married  to  Miss  Jemima  Conner  in  the  Grande  Ronde 
valley  of  Oregon.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children:  Charles,  who  mar- 
ried Mabel  Coonred,  by  whom  he  has  five  children,  Esmer,  Ermil,  Joy,  Ada  and  Audrey; 
Ida,  who  is  the  wife  of  C.  B.  Hall  and  the  mother  of  two  children,  Lester  Walter  and 
Harold;  William,  who  married  Bertha  Evert  and  has  one  child,  Fay;  James,  who 
married  Viola  Petersen,  by  whom  he  has  two  children,  Ernest  and  Willard;  Hazel,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Emmett  Ferguson  and  the  mother  of  two  children,  Muriel  and  Mervin; 
and  Lester,  who  is  nineteen  years  of  age  and  is  yet  at  home. 

Mr.  Ayres  has  served  as  constable  of  Union  precinct,  having  filled  that  office  for 
more  than  sixteen  years.  He  also  served  on  the  school  board  for  one  term  and  he  has 
ever  been  keenly  and  deeply  interested  in  all  plans  and  projects  for  the  benefit  and 
welfare  of  the  community  and  the  state  in  which  he  resides.  He  is  an  enthusiastic 
supporter  of  Idaho  and  her  opportunities  and  has  demonstrated  in  his  own  labors  what 
can  be  accomplished  through  the  utilization  of  the  advantages  here  offered. 


ARCHIE  H.  PELTON. 

Archie  H.  Pelton  has  for  the  past  seven  years  been  the  only  merchant  of  Ustick, 
Ada  county,  where  he  is  conducting  a  good  business.  He  was  born  in  Lincoln  county, 
South  Dakota,  June  8,  1876,  and  is  the  younger  of  the  two  sons  of  William  Henry 
and  Victoria  (Durthick)  Pelton,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  The  former  was  of 
Scotch-Irish  and  the  latter  of  German  descent,  and  both  were  born  in  Ohio.  They 
became  pioneers  of  Lincoln  county,  South  Dakota,  where  the  mother  passed  away.  The 
father  afterward  removed  to  Boise  and  died  at  the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  A. 
H.  Clark. 

Archie  H.  Pelton  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  Lincoln  county,  South  Dakota.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  of  this  state  and  for  one  year  was  a  student  at  a  Baptist 
college  at  Sioux  Falls,  South  Dakota.  He  was  afterward  at  home  for  a  few  years  and 
in  1905  he  came  to  Idaho,  making  his  way  to  Boise,  where  he  resided  for  two  years, 
and  during  that  time  was  a  partner  in  a  livery,  feed  and  sales  stable.  He  sold  his 
interest  in  the  business  in  1907  and  returned  to  South  Dakota,  where  he  lived  for 
two  years,  during  which  time  he  was  engaged  in  buying  grain  for  a  Minneapolis 
elevator.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  took  up  a  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  695 

homestead  in  Perkins  county,  South  Dakota,  and  his  wife  secured  another  homestead 
claim  of  similar  size  adjoining  his.  They  proved  up  on  their  property  and  the  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acre  ranch  is  still  in  their  possession.  They  secured  title  to  the 
property  in  1909,  after  living  upon  the  place  for  eight  months. 

Mr.  Pelton  then  again  came  to  Idaho,  for  his  previous  residence  here  had  made  him 
prefer  this  state  as  a  home.  He  lived  in  Boise  from  1909  until  1913,  being  variously 
employed,  clerking  in  a  store  on  State  street  for  several  years.  In  February  of  the 
latter  year  he  purchased  the  Ustick  general  store,  which  had  been  in  existence  for 
four  years  but  had  changed  hands  several  times  during  that  period  and  had  never  been 
a  success.  Conditions  altered,  however,  when  Mr.  Pelton  took  charge.  He  has  now 
owned  and  successfully  conducted  the  store  for  seven  years.  He  carries  a  stock  about 
ten  times  as  great  as  that  contained  in  the  store  when  he  purchased  it  The  volume  of 
business  has  increased  from  twelve  thousand  to  fifty  thousand  dollars  annually.  After 
settling  at  Ustick,  Mr.  Pelton  also  became  interested  in  a  store  at  Perkins  station,  near 
Boise,  which  he  was  connected  with  for  about  ten  months,  and  he  likewise  had  an 
interest  in  a  store  at  Huston,  Canyon  county,  for  a  time,  or  until  it  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  At  Ustick,  in  addition  to  his  store  building,  he  uses  as  a  warehouse  another 
business  block  in  the  place  that  was  formerly  a  bank  and  which  is  situated  just  across 
the  street  from  the  Pelton  store.  Mr.  Pelton  has  a  good  residence  at  Ustick  and  is 
most  comfortably  situated  in  life  as  the  result  of  his  energy,  enterprise  and  business 
ability. 

While  in  South  Dakota,  on  the  17th  of  April,  1909,  Mr.  Pelton  was  married  to  Miss 
Nora  Oliver,  who  was  born  in  South  Dakota.  They  have  one  child,  Elfreda  Marjory, 
three  years  of  age.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church  and  they  give  their 
political  allegiance  to  the  democratic  party.  Mr.  Pelton  has  served  as  postmaster  of 
Ustick  throughout  the  seven  years  of  his  residence  there.  He  is  well  known  in  his 
section  of  Ada  county  and  is  regarded  as  a  most  thoroughly  reliable  merchant  and 
business  man.  His  energy  and  enterprise  have  enabled  him  to  overcome  all  obstacles 
and  difficulties  in  his  path,  while  his  sound  judgment  and  keen  business  sagacity  have 
gained  for  him  a  substantial  measure  of  prosperity. 


ELMER  M.  JACKSON. 

Elmer  M.  Jackson,  a  dairy  and  fruit  farmer  living  at  Ustick,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Ada  county  for  twenty-three  years.  He  was  born  in  Sullivan  county,  Missouri,  October 
7,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  G.  and  Sarah  (Comer)  Jackson.  The  father  was  born  in 
Ohio,  November  17,  1823,  and  the  mother  in  Pennsylvania,  April  13,  1838,  and  they  were 
married  in  Sullivan  county,  Missouri,  February  17,  1856.  The  mother  died  October  1, 
1874,  when  her  son  Elmer  was  but  seven  years  of  age,  but  the  father  long  survived, 
departing  this  life  March  3,  1908.  He  served  as  a  captain  In  the  Sixth  Missouri  Cavalry 
in  the  Civil  war,  valiantly  defending  the  interests  of  the  Union.  He  was  a  son  of 
John  Jackson,  who  was  born  May  15,  1780.  Sarah  .Comer  was  the  second  wife  of 
Andrew  G.  Jackson  and  they  had  a  family  of  seven  children,  of  whom  six  are  now 
living.  James  M.  Jackson,  a  hardware  merchant  of  Meridian,  Idaho,  is  an  older  brother 
of  Elmer  M.  Jackson.  The  members  of  the  family  are:  James  M.,  born  in  May,  1857; 
Andrew,  horn  March  28,  1859;  Stephen  A.,  born  November  24,  1860;  George,  Novem- 
ber 13,  1862;  Elmer  M.,  October  7,  1866;  Arminna  A.,  who  was  born  February 
12,  1869,  became  the  wife  of  John  Gertje  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two;  and  Emma 
V.,  who  was  born  February  2,  1872,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Frank  Vincent,  of  Julia- 
etta,  Idaho. 

Elmer  M.  Jackson  was  reared  in  Kansas,  to  which  state  his  parents  removed  from 
Missouri  when  he  was  a  lad  of  but  five  years.  In  1888  he  came  to  the  northwest  with 
Idaho  as  his  destination.  In  this  state  he  met  and  married  Miss  Mabel  C.  Patterson, 
who  WHS  born  near  Gardiner,  Maine,  November  15,  1871,  a  daughter  of  Henry  L.  Patter- 
son, who»was  a  corporal  in  the  Union  army  and  who  became  a  pioneer  of  Nez  Perce 
county,  Idaho,  having  removed  from  Maine  to  Nevada  in  1875,  thence  to  Oregon  in 
1876  and  soon  afterward  to  Idaho,  settling  in  Nez  Perce  county  on  the  Potlatch  prairie. 
Mr.  Patterson  secured  both  a  homestead  and  preemption  there  and  he  passed  away  in 
that  county,  January  17,  1909.  His  widow  survives  and  resides  near  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Jackson,  in  Ustick  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jackson  was  celebrated  November  20,  1890,  and  in  1897  they  removed  to  the  Boise 


696 

valley  and  have  since  lived  at  Ustick,  where  they  have  a  thirty-acre  fruit  and  dairy 
ranch  adjoining  the  town  site,  although  there  was  no  town  there  when  they  took  up  their 
abode  upon  the  ranch.  In  fact  Mr.  Jackson  and  his  wife  cleared  the  sagebrush  from 
the  townsite.  They  bought  their  present  thirty-acre  ranch  in  1908  and  about  six  acres  is 
now  in  an  orchard  of  bearing  prune  trees,  containing  eight  hundred  trees  eight  years 
old.  In  addition  to  the  raising  of  fruit  Mr.  Jackson  keeps  a  good  herd  of  dairy  cows  and 
both  branches  of  his  business  are  proving  profitable.  He  works  diligently  and  persist- 
ently, using  his  time  wisely  and  well,  and  his  enterprise  and  determination  have  been 
salient  features  in  the  attainment  of  his  present-day  success. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson  have  been  born  two  children.  Cassie  Alice,  born  February 
11,  1893,  was  married  on  the  5th  of  May,  1915,  to  Oren  Laing  and  they  reside  at 
Meridian.  J.  Ralph,  born  January  23,  1895,  was  married  May  4,  1917,  to  Maybelle 
Jenkins  and  they  make  their  home  at  Sweet,  Idaho. 

Mrs.  Jackson  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church  and  is  an  active  Red  Cross  worker. 
Mr.  Jackson  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  democratic  party  and  has  served 
for  two  terms  as  school  director.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and 
he  commands  the  respect,  and  confidence  of  his  brothers  of  the  order  and  of  all  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact. 


CLAUD  FROST. 

Claud  Frost,  successfully  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business  at  Star,  is  a  representa>- 
tive  of  one  of  the  old  and  honored  pioneer  families  of  Ada  county.  His  grandfather,  Wil- 
liam Frost,  and  his  father,  William  Isaac  Frost,  had  crossed  the  plains  from  Iowa  in  1862, 
bringing  with  them  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  head  of  cattle.  They  did  not  have  a  great 
deal  of  trouble  with  the  Indians  as  they  traveled  westward,  but  one  night  the  red  men  shot 
one  of  the  steers  with  an  arrow  while  the  animals  were  being  herded  for  the  night.  Wil- 
liam I.  Frost  was  en  duty  at  the  time  and  out  of  the  dark  came  the  bawl  of  a  steer,  of 
which  he  took  no  special  notice  at  the  time,  but  the  morning  light  showed  the  animal  with 
an  arrow  in  its  flank.  Traveling  westward,  William  I.  Frost  and  his  father  passed 
through  Idaho  and  continued  on  to  California,  where  they  engaged  in  freighting  until 
1865,  when  they  returned  to  this  state  and  settled  on  the  Boise  river  in  the  Boise 
valley  eighteen  miles  west  of  what  is  now  the  capital  city.  There  W.  I.  Frost  home- 
steaded  a  tract  of  land,  on  a  portion  of  which  his  son  Claud  now  resides.  When  passing 
through  Idaho  in  1862  the  grandfather,  William  Frost,  was  offered  forty  acres  of  land 
in  what  is  now  the  center  of  Boise,  the  Sonna  block — one  of  the  finest  business 
structures  of  the  city — now  standing  upon  that  property,  which  Mr.  Frost  could  have 
secured  for  a  team  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  money.  Today  the  property  is 
worth  several  thousand  dollars.  As  the  years  passed  the  grandfather  and  father  bore 
their  part  in  the  work  of  development  and  improvement,  contributing  largely  to  agri- 
cultural progress.  The  home  in  which  W.  I.  Frost  lived  is  now  occupied  by  his  son 
George  and  is  on  the  southwestern  side  of  the  original  tract  which  Mr.  Frost  had 
hoinesteaded  and  taken  up  as  a  culture  claim,  while  he  had  also  purchased  an  eighty 
acre  tract  adjoining.  Both  the  father  and  grandfather,  together  with  other  settlers 
of  the  locality,  had  assisted  in  building  a  fort  about  three  miles  southwest  of  Star  on 
the  Boise  river  in  1865  in  order  to  afford  protection  for  their  families  from  the  Indians. 
On  one  occasion  when  word  was  received  that  the  Indians  were  coming  the  men  were 
all  working  in  the  harvest  fields.  William  Frost,  who  was  the  recognized  leader  in  the 
community,  ordered  them  to  stop  and  get  their  families  into  the  fort,  which  they  did. 
The  white  men  then  went  to  meet  the  Indians,  who  beat  a  hasty  retreat  into  Owyhee 
county  south  of  the  SnaHe  river.  Those  early  days  were  ones  of  constant  vigilance  and 
nerve-racking  anxiety.  The  old  Indian  trail  from  the  Owyhee  mountains  to  the  Sawtooth 
range  passed  threugh  the  homestead  property  of  the  Frost  family.  There  is  a  slough 
which  runs  through  the  place  and  the  old  Indian  crossing  over  this  is  the  only  trace 
left  of  the  trail. 

Claud  Frost  was  born  March  9,  1881,  on  the  old  homestead,  a  portion  of  which 
he  now  owns  and  occupies.  He  attended  the  schools  of  the  district,  worked  with  his 
father  in  the  fields  through  the  summer  seasons  and  remained  at  home  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority.  He  then  took  up  stock  raising  and  farming  on  his  own  account 
on  a  part  of  the  old  home  place  given  him  by  his  father.  He  both  bought  and  sold  live 
stock  which  fed  on  the  ranges  around  the  Meridian  country.  In  fact  almost  the  entire 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

state  at  that  time  was  an  open  range  and  Claud  Frost  rode  many  days,  months  and 
years  after  the  cattle.  He  is  familiar  with  every  phase  of  cowboy  life  and  has  lived  to 
see  remarkable  changes  occur  in  the  state  as  Idaho  has  become  thickly  settled  and  the 
land  has  been  taker  up  for  farming  purposes.  He  has  improved  his  own  place  and 
has  a  splendid  farm,  in  the  midst  of  which  stands  a  beautiful,  modern  and  commodious 
home  within  one  mile  of  Star.  His  property  is  indicative  of  the  success  which  has 
crowned  his  efforts,  for  the  prosperity  which  he  has  actiieved  enabled  him  to  secure  hi; 
present  residence  aud  to  add  to  his  ranch  all  modern  equipment  and  conveniences. 

In  1901  Mr.  Frost  was  married  to  Miss  Ora  Jessee,  a  native  of  Harrison  county. 
Missouri,  who  came  to  Idaho  with  her  parents,  Klislia  and  Nan  (Glendenning) 
Jesaee.  Her  father  has  passed  away  but  her  mother  survives  and  is  living  at  Homedale, 
Idaho,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frost  have  two  children:  Chester 
C.,  sixteen  years  of  age;  and  Myrl  A.  The  progressive  work  instituted  by  his  grand- 
father in  pioneer  times  and  carried  on  by  his  father  is  being  continued  by  Mr.  ! 
and  thus  three  generations  of  the  family  have  been  active  factors  in  the  development 
and  cultivation  of  Idaho's  rich  farming  country. 


EDWARD  DE  MEYER. 

Bdward  De  Meyer,  a  rancher  residing  upon  a  valuable  and  well  improved  tract  of 
land  of  ninety  acres  seven  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Boise,  in  the  White  Cross  school 
neighborhood,  was  born  in  Belgium,  June  7,  1867.  His  parents  died  in  that  country, 
neither  ever  coming  to  the  United  States.  He  was  reared  in  his  native  land,  where  he 
remained  to  the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  and  in  1891  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the 
United  States,  making  the  journey  alone  to  the  new  world.  He  left  Belgium  in  order  to 
become  a  resident  of  Idaho  and  aftef  landing  at  New  York  he  at  once  started  across  the 
country  with  this  state  as  his  destination.  He  has  since  made  his  home  in  Boise  or 
vicinity.  He  worked  for  wages  for  several  years,  being  employed  at  farm  labor.  He  was 
also  for  a  time  in  the  employ  of  Seraphin  De  Cloedt,  who  is  also  of  Belgian  birth. 
Mr.  De  Meyer,  however,  was  ambitious  to  engage  in  farming  on  his  own  account  and 
utilized  every  opportunity  that  would  enable  him  to  advance  his  financial  resources 
and  ultimately  become  the  owner  of  property.  At  length  he  purchased  his  present  ninety- 
acre  ranch  from  Mr.  De  Cloedt  in  1897  and  has  since  resided  thereon.  All  of  the 
improvements  upon  the  property  have  been  placed  there  by  Mr.  De  Meyer,  who  paid 
twenty  dollars  per  acre  for  this  land,  which  is  today  worth  three  hundred  dollars  per 
acre.  The  farm  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his  life  of  well  directed  energy  and  thrift. 
It  presents  a  neat  and  attractive  appearance,  indicative  of  the  progressive  spirit  of 
the  owner. 

Mr.  De  Meyer  was  married  December  19,  1894,  to  Miss  Emma  Gevaert,  who  was  born 
in  Belgium,  July  11,  1878,  and  came  to  the  United  States  with  Mrs.  Seraphin  De  Cloedt 
in  1892,  living  in  the  De  Cloedt  home  for  several  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  De  Meyer  have 
become  the  parents  of  thirteen  children,  nine  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  living:  Albert 
A.,  who  was  born  June  22,  1896;  Edgar,  born  April  10,  1898;  Emma.  October  14,  1900; 
Henry,  August  30.  1902;  Cora,  January  15,  1905;  Raymond,  April  28,  1906;  Emil.  October 
8,  1907;  Fred,  April  27,  1909;  Rosa,  September  3f,  1911;  Alice,  February  23.  1913; 
Joseph,  October  24,  1914;  Walter,  November  23,  1917;  and  an  infant  son.  April  20,  1920. 

Mr.  De  Meyer  and  his  family  are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church.  The  eldest 
son  answered  the  call  to  the  colors  during  the  World  war  and  went  to  France  with  the 
American  Expeditionary  Force,  serving  on  the  battle  front  of  Europe  for  fourteen  months. 
Mr.  De  Meyer  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  come  to  the  new 
world,  for  he  has  here  found  the  opportunities  which  he  sought  and  in  their  utilization 
has  gained  a  creditable  place  among  the  substantial  farmers  of  Ada  county. 


GEORGE  E.  FROST. 

More  than  twenty  years  ago  the  residence  now  occupied  by  George  E.  Frost  was 
built  by  his  father,  William  Isaac  Frost,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Idaho 
and  who  secured  a  homestead  claim  that  is  now  owned  by  his  son.  In  fact  no  history 
of  Ada  county  would  be  complete  without  extended  reference  to  William  Isaac  Frost 


698  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  his  father,  Elijah  Frost,  who  were  worthy  pioneer  settlers  of  this  state.  They 
removed  from  Iowa  in  1862  and  traveled  westward  across  Idaho  to  California,  where  for 
about  three  years  they  were  engaged  in  freighting.  In  1865,  however,  they  returned  to 
this  state  and  both  the  father  and  grandfather  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising. 
They  were  of  the  more  progressive  and  advanced  type  of  pioneer  settlers  and  Elijah 
Frost  was  regarded  as  a  leader  in  his  community,  his  advice  and  counsel  being  sought 
on  many  occasions.  Both  took  up  land,  securing  homestead  and  timber  culture  claims 
and  otherwise  acquiring  property,  and  throughout  the  intervening  period  from  1865 
until  the  present  the  Frost  family  has  figured  prominently  in  Ada  county,  where  are  now 
found  its  representatives  in  the  fourth  generation. 

George  E.  Frost  was  born  January  24,  1886,  on  the  old  homestead,  a  part  of  which 
came  into  his  possession.  The  opportunities  of  his  youth  were  such  as  most  boys 
of  the  period  enjoyed.  He  attended  the  district  schools,  dividing  his  time  between 
the  attainment  of  an  education,  the  pleasures  of  the  playground  and  the  work  of  the 
fields.  He  continued  to  assist  his  father  in  his  general  farming  and  live  stock  interests 
until  the  father's  death,  at  which  time  he  inherited  the  residence  and  a  part  of  the 
home  farm.  He  has  since  carried  on  general  agricultural  pursuits  and  the  raising  of 
live  stock  on  his  own  account  and  his  efforts  have  brought  to  him  a  gratifying  measure 
of  success. 

In  1906  Mr.  Frost  was  married  to  Miss  Maud  Sandy,  daughter  of  the  late  Reuben 
H.  and  Kate  (Rhodes)  Sandy,  who  came  from  Missouri  to  Idaho  in  1901.  Mrs.  Sandy 
is  now  living  upon  a  farm  two  miles  south  of  the  home  of  her  daughter.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Frost  have  been  born  two  children,  Alta  and  Leta,  both  now  in  school.  The  resi- 
dence which  the  family  occupies  was  erected  by  Mr.  Frost's  father  more  than  twenty 
years  ago  and  is  a  fine  old  type  of  ranch  house,  kept  in  the  best  of  condition.  In  fact 
all  three  of  the  Frost  brothers  are  noted  for  neatness  and  care  in  the  management  and 
cultivation  of  their  farms  and  all  have  beautiful  homes,  surrounded  by  beautiful  and 
well  kept  grounds.  The  family  has  been  a  valuable  addition  to  the  citizenship  of  this 
section,  making  worth  while  contribution  to  the  development  and  improvement  of  Ada 
county.  George  E.  Frost  maintains  the  unassailable  reputation  that  has  ever  been 
connected  with  the  family  name  and  like  his  brothers  is  today  a  representative  agri- 
culturist and  stockman  of  eastern  Idaho. 


MRS.  IDA  F.  MELLINGER. 

Mrs.  Ida  kF.  Mellinger  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable  ranch  property  situated  about 
three  miles  west  of  Boise  and  her  place  is  being  further  developed  and  improved  through 
the  efforts  of  her  son  Clarence,  who  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  enterprising  ranch- 
men of  this  section  of  the  state.  Mrs.  Mellinger  has  made  her  home  in  Idaho  since 
1901  and  in  Boise  and  throughout  the  surrounding  country  has  an  extensive  circle  of 
warm  friends.  She  is  a  native  of  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  W.  and 
Sarah  J.  (Harris)  Yaley.  Her  father  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Fairfield  county,  Ohio, 
July  22,  1842,  and  now  makes  his  home  at  Stronghurst,  in  Henderson  county,  Illinois, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  The  mother  was  born  in  Burlington,  Iowa,  August  6, 
1844,  and  passed  away  in  her  native  city,  June  25,  1918,  when  almost  eighty-five  years 
of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yaley  had  traveled  life's  journey  together  for  more  than  a  half 
century,  in  fact  had  celebrated  their  golden  wedding  on  the  19th  of  March,  1913,  for 
which  occasion  Mrs.  Mellinger  returned  to  Burlington,  Iowa. 

Mrs.  Mellinger  was  one  of  a  family  of  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living, 
all  having  been  born  in  Burlington.  She  spent  the  days  of  her  girlhood  under  the 
parental  roof  and  pursued  her  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that  city.  On  the 
12th  of  October,  1882,  she  became  the  wife  of  Marshall  M.  Mellinger,  who  was  also  a 
native  of  Burlington,  his  birth  having  there  occurred  October  27,  1857.  He  was  a  son 
of  Samuel  and  Emeline  (Marshall)  Mellinger,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
who  went  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  in  1850,  casting  in  their  lot  with  the  early  residents  of 
that  city.  They  reared  a  family  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters  and  spent  their  last 
years  in  Burlington,  each  attaining  the  age  of  about  eighty-five  years  when  called  to 
the  home  beyond.  Their  trip  to  Burlington  constituted  their  wedding  journey  and 
therefore  their  entire  married  life  was  passed  in  that  city. 

Marshall  M.  Mellinger  was  reared  in  Burlington  and  acquired  a  public  school  educa- 
tion, supplemented  by  a  three  years'  college  course.  His  early  business  career  was 


CLARENCE   M.   MELLINGER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  701 

devoted  to  general  merchandising,  in  which  he  engaged  successfully  for  some  time, 
and  then  took  up  the  business  of  raising  fine  Hereford  cattle  in  Kansas,  becoming 
owner  of  one  of  the  most  valuable  ranches  in  the  Republican  valley.  There  he  con- 
tinued until  1901,  when,  in  quest  of  a  milder  climate,  he  came  to  Idaho.  Here  he 
purchased  an  excellent  ranch  property  formerly  owned  by  C.  E.  Rust,  who  had  been 
a  successful  nurseryman  and  had  planted  many  varieties  of  fruit  upon  his  place. 
In  1903  Mr.  Mellinger  erected  a  fine  modern  residence  upon  the  ranch  supplied  with 
every  comfort  and  convenience  known  to  the  best  city  homes  of  the  present  day.  He 
also  built  excellent  barns  and  other  outbuildings  for  the  shelter  of  grain  and  stock  and 
had  converted  the  place  into  a  very  valuable  farm  property  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  resulted  from  a  most  unfortunate  accident.  He  was  driving  to  his  home  from 
Boise  when  his  team  became  unmanageable  at  sight  of  a  road  engine  at  work  along 
the  fair  grounds.  He  was  thrown  from  the  buggy  and  never  thoroughly  recovered  from 
the  injuries  then  sustained.  In  the  fall  of  1912  he  went  to  California,  hoping  to  Improv. 
his  health  in  the  mild  climate  of  that  state,  and  while  there  his  death  occurred,  hi* 
remains  being  brought  back  to  Boise  by  Mrs.  Mellinger  for  interment  in  the  Morris  Hill 
cemetery.  In  liis  political  views  Mr.  Mellinger  was  an  earnest  republican  and  was  at 
all  times  loyal  to  any  cause  which  he  espoused.  In  business  affairs  he  was  progressive 
and  thoroughly  reliable  and  by  reason  of  his  enterprise  and  undaunted  industry  in  the 
management  of  his  live  stock  and  farming  interests  was  able  to  leave  his  family  in 
very  comfortable  financial  circumstances  and  to  them  he  also  bequeathed  the  priceless 
heritage  of  an  untarnished  name. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mellinger  were  born  three  children:  Clarence  M.,  who  was  born 
in  1885;  Ida  M.,  who  was  born  in  1888  and  Is  the  wife  of  Howard  Curtis,  of  Boise: 
and  Mary  V.,  born  in  1896.  Since  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Mellinger  and  her  chil- 
dren have  remained  upon  the  ranch,  which  is  now  being  most  ably  conducted  by  her 
son  Clarence,  who  bears  the  reputation  of  being  a  model  young  man  as  well  as  a 
model  farmer.  He  has  never  tasted  tobacco  or  liquor  in  his  entire  life  and  in  this 
respect  follows  in  the  footsteps  of  his  honored  father.  He  has  managed  the  ranch 
since  his  father's  death  and  the  place  is  the  visible  evidence  of  his  splendid  business 
qualities,  for  the  Mellinger  property  is  one  of  the  best  ranches  in  the  entire  Boise 
valley.  Neatness  and  thrift  characterize  the  place  in  every  particular  and  it  is  said 
that  each  feature  of  the  farm  is  in  perfect  condition.  No  equipment  or  accessory  of 
the  model  farm  property  is  lacking  upon  this  place,  which  is  largely  devoted  to  the 
raising  of  hay  and  grain,  cattle  and  hogs,  and  there  is  also  an  excellent  orchard  upon 
the  land  The  crops  and  the  live  stock,  however,  claim  the  greater  part  of  the  time 
and  attention  of  Clarence  Mellinger,  who  manifests  a  most  progressive  spirit  in  all 
that  he  undertakes  and  in  the  conduct  of  the  farm  follows  scientific  methods. 

Mrs.  Mellinger  and  her  family  are  members  of  the  Bethany  Presbyterian  church  of 
Boise  and  all  are  active  in  church  work.  She  also  took  a  helpful  interest  in  the  Red 
Cross  and  has  ever  been  an  earnest  friend  of  the  cause  of  education  and  for  six  years 
was  on  the  board  of  the  Cole  school.  She  is  likewise  active  in  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society, 
and  she  and  her  fainily  occupy  a  very  prominent  social  position. 


GEORGE  KINGHORN. 

George  Kinghorn,  a  farmer  residing  three  miles  west  of  Rigby  and  three  miles 
east  of  Lewisville,  has  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  been  a  resident  of  Jefferson 
county,  having  taken  up  his  abode  here  in  1884.  He  was  born  in  Belleville.  Illinois, 
in  December,  1860,  and  was  one  of  a  large  family  whose  parents  were  Alexander  and 
Jane  (Campbell)  Kinghorn.  who  in  the  year  1862  made  the  long  and  arduous  trip  across 
the  plains  with  ox  team  and  wagon.  They  settled  in  Salt  Lake  and  there  George  King- 
horn  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth,  while  in  the  schools  of  the  city  he 
obtained  his  education.  After  reaching  adult  age  he  came  to  Idaho  with  his  parents 
in  188^,  being  then  a  young  man  of  twenty-three  years.  The  family  settled  in  Jefferson 
county,  then  a  part  of  Oneida  county,  and  George  Kinghorn  filed  on  his  present  place, 
securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  wild  land  upon  which  not  a  furrow  had  been 
turned  nor  an  improvement  made.  In  fact  he  had  to  clear  away  the  sagebrush  before 
he  could  till  the  fields.  He  bent  every  energy  to  the  task  and  as  the  years  passed 
carried  forward  the  work  of  cultivation  and  improvement  until  he  now  has  a  splendid 
farm  and  is  displaying  the  most  progressive  methods  in  the  further  development  of 


702  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

his  agricultural  interests.  He  is  also  building  roads  for  the  county  and  has  been  em- 
ployed by  the  county  in  that  way  for  several  months,  acting  as  overseer  of  the  work 
throughout  Jefferson  county. 

In  February,  1882,  Mr.  Kinghorn  wedded  Miss  Emma  Blair,  a  daughter  of  Edward 
and  Jane  (Fenwick)  Blair,  the  former  a  native  of  Scotland  and  the  latter  of  England. 
Coming  to  America  in  early  life,  they  settled  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  where  Mr.  Blair 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  on  the  Mormon  Temple,  continuing  a  resident  of  the 
capital  city  until  his  death,  which  was  occasioned  by  a  fall  from  the  structure  on  which 
he  was  working.  He  died  in  1887,  while  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Kinghorn  passed  away  in 
1871.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinghorn  have  been  born  six  children:  George,  who  died  in 
1885;  Ada,  the  wife  of  George  B.  Davis,  of  Rigby;  Edward  W.,  manager  for  the  Western 
Elevator  Mills  at  Ririe,  Idaho;  Arthur,  who  is  farming  with  his  father;  Hazel,  the 
wife  of  Frank  Sorenson,  a  resident  farmer  of  Jefferson  county;  and  Floyd,  at  home. 

Politically  Mr.  Kinghorn  is  a  republican,  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  has  served  as  Sunday  school  superin- 
tendent and  was  organizer  of  the  Centerville  or  Bybee  ward  district  school,  of  which 
he  has  been  one  of  the  trustees.  He  is  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  develop- 
ment and  upbuilding  of  the  section  in  which  -he  lives,  and  by  his  activities,  enterprise 
and  public  spirit  has  contributed  to  the  material,  intellectual,  political  and  moral  progress 
of  the  district. 


ORSON  BALL. 

Orson  Ball,  who  follows  farming  and  sheep  raising  about  three  and  three-quarters 
miles  southwest  of  Rigby  and  an  equal  distance  southeast  of  Lewisville,  was  born  at 
Vernon,  Utah,  November  24,  1879,  a  son  of  Alfred  and  Mary  A.  (Walker)  Ball.  His 
youthful  days  were  passed  at  Union,  Utah,  where  he  pursued  his  education,  and  at  the 
age  of  seventeen  he  began  herding  sheep.  He  afterward  engaged  in  sheep  raising  on 
his  own  account  and  with  his  parents  came  to  Idaho  in  October,  1900.  He  shipped  his 
sheep  from  Utah  to  this  state  and  has  since  been  numbered  among  Idaho's  successful 
sheep  raisers.  For  a  few  years  he  also  engaged  in  producing  sugar  beets.  In  1901 
he  bought  school  land  which  he  afterward  sold  and  later  acquired  his  father's  old  home 
ranch,  trading  for  it  another  tract  of  land  and  securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
which  he  has  since  owned  and  cultivated.  This  he  has  in  addition  to  the  farm  upon 
which  he  resides,  comprising  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  which  he  purchased 
in  1917.  He  has  carried  on  the  work  of  further  development  and  improvement  and 
upon  his  land  are  found  fine  buildings  and  all  modern  accessories  and  conveniences  of 
the  model  farm  of  the  twentieth  century.  He  has  erected  a  nice  brick  residence  and 
his  home  is  the  abode  of  comfort  and  warm-hearted  hospitality  as  well. 

On  the  29th  of  May,  1901,  Mr.  Ball  was  married  to  Miss  Emily  J.  Harris,  daughter 
of  Martin  and  Mary  I.  (Corbett)  Harris,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  of  Iowa  respec- 
tively. The  father  was  a  farmer  and  pioneer  of  Utah  and  of  Idaho.  He  went  to  (he  former 
state  at  a  very  early  day,  settling  in  Cache  county,  and  in  May,  1885,  he  removed  to 
Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  then  a  part  of  Bingham  county,  and  took  up  a  homestead  which 
he  cultivated  until  his  death  in  September,  1913.  The  mother  is  still  living  in  Utah. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ball  have  become  parents  of  eight  children:  Alvin,  Norman,  Wallace, 
Beulah,  Leo,  Orson,  Lula  and  Archie. 

The  family  are  adherents  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  in 
which  Mr.  Ball  is  an  elder.  His  political  support  is  given  to  the  republican  party  and 
for  two  years  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  town  board  while  living  at  Lewisville. 


JAMES  A.  KESGARD. 

James  A.  Kesgard  is  finding  profit  in  ranching  through  the  raising  of  corn,  wheat 
and  clover  and  also  of  cattle.  He  keeps  about  a  hundred  head  of  cattle  all  of  the  time 
and  among  these  he  always  has  fifteen  or  twenty  good  dairy  cows  of  the  Durham  breed. 
In  the  summer  season  all  of  his  cattle  with  the  exception  of  his  dairy  stock  are  kept 
on  the  government  domain,  a  hundred  miles  from  his  home,  and  Mr.  Kesgard  belongs 
to  an  association  that  employs  a  herder  to  look  after  the  stock.  As  the  years  pass  Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  703 

Kesgard  is  continually  improving  his  ranch,  has  largely  leveled  his  fields  in  order  to 
facilitate  irrigation  and  make  all  of  his  land  productive  and  is  today  the  owner  of  a 
valuable  property,  while  he  ranks  with  the  most  progressive  farmers  of  Gem  county. 
His  place  is  situated  about  six  miles  west  of  Emmett  and  thereon  he  was  born  March  11, 
1878,  being  the  younger  of  the  two  sons  of  Christian  Kesgard,  who  passed  away  in  1882 
and  whose  widow  still  lives  near  the  home  of  her  son,  James  A.,  on  an  adjoining  ranch 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years.  This  worthy  couple  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

James  A.  Kesgard  of  this  review  was  reared  upon  the  old  home  farm  which  he 
now  owns.  His  ranch  embraces  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  and  is  one  of  the 
best  improved  properties  of  Gem  county.  Upon  it  is  a  modern  nine-room  bungalow 
and  other  good  buildings  and  farm  equipment,  including  two  large  silos  with  a  com- 
bined capacity  of  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  tons.  One  Is  a  concrete  structure  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  tons  capacity,  while  the  other  silo  is  built  of  wood  and  has  a 
capacity  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  tons.  The  soil  is  rich  and  productive,  as  is 
indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  red  clover  seed  sold  from  a  thirty-acre  field  in  the  fall 
of  1919  brought  seven  thousand,  six  hundred  and  ninety-two  dollars  or  an  average 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty-six  and  a  half  dollars  per  acre.  This  same  field  produced 
about  forty-five  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre  in  1918.  In  the  year  1919  corn  fields 
on  the  Kesgard  ranch  produced  twenty-one  tons  of  silage  to  the  acre.  Mr.  Kesgard 
has  ever  been  a  man  of  keen  discrimination  and  unfaltering  enterprise.  He  sup- 
plemented his  country  school  training  by  study  in  the  Oregon  State  Normal  School  at 
JMonmouth,  Oregon,  for  a  year  and  since  that  period  he  has  steadily  devoted  his  atten- 
tion to  ranching  and  cattle  raising.  Mr.  Kesgard  has  concentrated  his  efforts  and  atten- 
tion upon  his  ranching  interests  and  success  in  substantial  measure  has  come  to  him. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  1901,  Mr.  Kesgard  was  married  In  Boise,  Idaho,  to  Miss  Mary 
Elizabeth  Gardner,  who  was  born  in  Centerville,  Idaho,  April  18,  1877,  and  is  the  only 
living  child  of  George  and  Julia  (McAuliffe)  Gardner  both  of  whom  are  living  and  reside 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kesgard.  They  are  natives  of  Ireland  but  were  married  in  Boise. 
Mrs.  Kesgard  was  reared  and  educated  in  Emmett  and  afterward  spent  a  year  in  SL 
Theresa's  Academy  of  Boise.  She  taught  school  for  seven  years  prior  to  her  marriage. 
She  has  become  the  mother  of  seven  children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  namely: 
George  Chester,  who  was  born  August  12,  1902;  Frances  Catherine,  born  January  12, 
1904;  James  Michael,  October  11,  1906;  David  Christian,  February  13,  1908;  Raymond 
Vincent,  April  30,  1912;  Margaret  Mary,  May  12,  1915;  and  Marjorie  Anna,  December 
24,  1918.  Mrs.  Kesgard  and  her  children  are  communicants  of  the  Catholic  church. 

Mr.  Kesgard  is  a  democrat  in  his  political  views  and  he  served  as  one  of  the  first 
commissioners  of  Gem  county,  having  been  appointed  by  Governor  Moses  Alexander. 
He  occupied  that  office  for  a  year  and  a  half.  Otherwise  he  has  not  been  active  as  a 
public  official,  but  his  aid  and  cooperation  can  at  all  times  be  counted  upon  to  further 
any  plan  or  measure  for  the  general  good.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen,  and  he  is  esteemed  highly  as  a  representative  business  man  and  one  who 
is  actuated  in  all  that  he  does  by  a  progressive  spirit  that  brings  results. 


DAVID  R.  CLARK. 

David  R.  Clark,  who  is  interested  in  farming  at  lona,  Bonneville  county,  and  has 
served  as  county  commissioner,  was  born  in  Lehi,  Utah,  in  January,  1882,  and  is  a  son 
of  David  and  Sarah  (Ferguson)  Clark,  who  were  also  natives  of  that  state.  The  father 
was  a  farmer  In  Utah  until  1884,  when  he  came  to  Bonneville  county,  Idaho,  and  took 
up  a  homestead  near  lona.  This  he  improved  and  cultivated  until  1900,  when  he  removed 
to  Oregon  and  purchased  land,  making  his  home  thereon  throughout  his  remaining  days, 
his  death  occurring  in  1908.  The  mother  survives  and  yet  lives  in  Oregon. 

David  R.  Clark  largely  spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  Bonneville  county  and  is 
indebted  to  its  public  school  system  for  the  educational  privileges  which  he  enjoyed. 
He  remained  with  his  parents  through  the  period  of  his  minority  and  on  reaching  adult 
age  took  possession  of  the  home  farm,  which  he  continued  to  cultivate  until  1903,  when 
his  father  sold  the  property.  David  R.  Clark  then  purchased  land  elsewhere  and  also 
cultivated  rented  land  and  has  since  engaged  in  farming.  He  is  now  active  in  dry 
farming,  but  formerly  was  the  owner  of  irrigated  land.  He  is  likewise  a  stockholder 
in  the  Farmers  Equity  and  is  keenly  interested  in  everything  that  has  to  do  with  the 
agricultural  development  and  progress  of  the  state. 


704  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

In  July,  1900,  Mr.  Clark  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Ward,  and  to  them  have 
been  born  seven  children:  Charles,  Levar,  Freda,  Ora,  Chester,  Reed  and  Vera.  Mr. 
Clark  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  has  served  as 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  and  elder  in  the  church.  His  political  endorse- 
ment is  given  to  the  democratic  party,  and  he  'has  filled  the  office  of  county  commissioner 
in  Bonneville  county.  He  has  never  allowed  business  to  monopolize  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  the  exclusion  of  activity  along  other  lines,  especially  those  which  have  to  do 
with  the  political  and  moral  progress  of  the  community,  and  his  aid  and  influence  are 
always  on  the  side  of  right  and  advancement. 


ALEXANDER  KINGHORN. 

Alexander  Kinghorn,  who  follows  farming  at  Lewisville,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  March  22,  1869,  his  parents  being  Alexander  and  Jane  (Campbell)  Kinghorn,  who 
are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  son  was  reared  and  educated  in  Salt  Lake 
City  and  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  attained  his  majority.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-four  years  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account  in  Jefferson  county,  Idaho, 
having  removed  to  this  district  with  his  parents  in  October,  1884.  He  purchased  land 
and  also  received  land  from  his  father  when  the  latter  divided  his  place  among  his 
boys.  Alexander  Kinghorn  of  this  review  devoted  his  attention  to  the  improvement  of 
his  farm  until  1917,  when  he  sold  the  property  and  made  investment  in  his  present 
place  of  sixty-six  acres  adjoining  the  town  of  Lewisville.  Upon  this  tract  he  has  since 
resided,  his  residence  being  within  the  corporation  limits  of  the  town. 

On  the  18th  of  January,  1893,  Mr.  Kinghorn  wedded  Mary  I.  Marler,  a  daughter 
of  William;.and  Lucetta  M.  (Gates)  Marler,  the  former  a  native  of  Mississippi  and  the 
latter  of  Michigan.  The  father,  who  was  a  farmer,  went  to  Utah  at  an  early  day,  settling 
in  Ogden,  where  he  purchased  land  and  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits  for  many 
years.  He  also  followed  farming  in  other  sections  of  the  state  and  finally  removed  to 
Clifton,  Oneida  county,  Idaho,  where  he  bought  land  and  engaged  in  farming  through- 
out his  remaining  days.  He  passed  away  June  26,  1888,  having  for  a  decade  survived 
the  mother,  who  died  in  1878.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kinghorn  became  the  parents  of  the  follow- 
ing chUdren:  Alexander,  Jr.;  William  C.;  Mary  G.;  Neona;  Ford  and  Fay,  twins,  the 
former  of  whom  died  at  the  age  of  six  weeks  and  the  latter  when  twenty-two  months 
old;  Leah;  Clyde  M.;  and  Lola  J.  The  son  Clarence  enlisted  December  6,  1917,  was 
for  thirteen  months  engaged  in  active  duty  overseas  and  was  discharged  June  20,  1919, 
having  been  in  a  repair  camp  in  France. 

Mr.  Kinghorn  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  in  which 
he  is  now  an  elder.  He  has  also  done  missionary  work  in  Idaho.  Politically  he  is  a 
democrat  and  was  for  two  terms  a  member  of  the  town  board.  The  greater  part  of 
his  attention,  however,  is  given  to  his  farming  interests,  and  the  industry  and  enter- 
prise which  he  h°s  displayed  in  the  conduct  of  his  farm  have  constituted  the  basis  of 
his  growing  success. 


T.  M.  HASHBARGER. 

T.  M.  Hashbarger,  a  well  known  farmer  of  Ada  county  and  a  man  of  broad  vision 
and  progressive  ideas  in  matters  of  citizenship  as  well  as  in  business  affairs,  was  born 
in  Hosedale,  Park  county,  Indiana,  April  5,  1868.  He  was  but  two  years  of  age  when 
his  parents,  John  and  Minerva  (Gregg)  Hashbarger,  removed  with  their  family  to  Bar- 
rington,  Missouri,  where  he  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  In  the  spring 
of  1882  the  family  started  for  Oregon  and  while  crossing  the  plains  the  father  died  of 
mountain  fever  at  Green  City,  Wyoming,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1882.  The  mother,  her 
three  sons,  T.  M.,  Henry  and  Joseph,  and  three  daughters,  Etta,  Anna  and  Elmira, 
proceeded  on  their  way  with  the  rest  of  the  party  and  their  travels  covered  three  months 
and  twenty  days,  their  destination  being  the  Grande  Ronde  valley  of  Oregon.  They 
spent  the  first  winter  in  the  northwest  in  that  valley  and  as  the  mother  was  not  con- 
tented they  decided  to  return  to  Missouri.  Accordingly  in  March,  1883,  they  started 
with  a  four-horse  team,  but  on  arriving  at  Boise'  they  found  a  good  opportunity  to  put 
their  teams  to  work  to  good  advantage  in  the  construction  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  705 

Railroad  on  Indian  creek.  The  summer  was  there  passed,  after  which  the  teams  were 
shipped,  together  with  the  remainder  of  the  construction  outfit,  to  Denver,  Colorado, 
where  they  unloaded  and  thence  proceeded  to  Buena  Vista,  Colorado,  where  the  Hash- 
barter  brothers  assisted  in  the  completion  of  a  construction  job,  after  which  they  re- 
turned to  Denver.  From  that  point  they  reshipped  to  Columbus,  Nebraska,  and  from 
there  with  their  outfit  returned  to  Missouri  in  company  with  their  mother  and  sisters, 
their  destination  being  Harrisonville,  Cass  county,  where  the  brothers  took  up  the 
occupation  of  farming. 

T.  M.  Hashbarger  continued  in  Cass  county  for  two  years,  by  the  end  of  which 
time  his  brothers  were  old  enough  to  take  care  of  the  farm,  and  he,  then  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  started  out  in  life  independently.  He  was  employed  by  a  farmer  in  the 
home  neighborhood  by  the  month  and  through  the  winter  seasons  attended  school,  thus 
completing  his  education.  He  continued  in  the  employ  of  the  farmer  for  two  summers, 
during  which  period  he  received  a  wage  of  fifteen  dollars  per  month  and  out  of  that  sum 
saved  enough  money  to  buy  a  wagon  and  team,  the  team,  however,  consisting  of  one  very 
large  and  one  very  small  mule.  He  later  traded  the  large  mule  for  two  small  ones  and  in 
that  way  became  the  possessor  of  three  mules.  After  this  Mr.  Hashbarger,  his  mother 
and  his  brothers  rented  a  farm  in  partnership,  cultivating  it  for  a  year,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  T.  M.  Hashbarger  cultivated  a  rented  farm  independently  for  two  years, 
his  sister  Belle,  who  was  the  widow  of  Edward  Duckworth,  acting  as  his  housekeeper. 
On  the  expiration  of  the  two  year  period  he  left  the  farm  and  weut  to  Kansas  City. 
Missouri,  entering  the  employ  of  the  Kansas  City  Cable  Railway  Company  as  grlpman 
and  conductor,  being  so  employed  for  two  and  a  half  years.  In  1893  he  worked  for 
the  Chicago  City  Railway  Company  and  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  see  a 
great  deal  of  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition.  He  then  spent  the  winter  with  friend* 
and  relatives  in  Harrisonville,  Missouri,  and  in  February,  1894,  again  made  his  way 
to  Boise,  Idaho. 

Mr.  Hashbarger  was  desirous  of  looking  over  the  Long  valley  country,  but  as  it  was 
too  early  in  the  season  to  do  this  he  went  to  San  Francisco,  California,  and  there  secured 
a  position  with  the  Market  Street  Railway  Company,  remaining  in  that  city  until  the  1st 
of  August,  when  he  resigned  his  position  and  went  to  Weiser,  Idaho,  from  which  point 
he  proceeded  by  stage  to  Long  valley  via  Middle  valley,  Salubria  valley,  Indian  valley. 
Council  valley  and  Meadow  valley  to  the  Payette  lakes  at  the  upper  end  of  Long  valley. 
There  he  spent  a  month,  which  proved  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  in  his  entire  life, 
hunting,  fishing  and  viewing  the  beauties  of  nature.  In  the  fall  of  1894  he  settled  on 
eighty  acres  of  land  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  and  a  mile  and  three  quarters  east  of 
the  present  site  of  Meridian,  but  at  that  time  the  town  had  not  been  founded.  His 
eighty  acre  tract  was  covered  with  sagebrush  and  he  built  a  small  shack  and  began 
to  clear  and  improve  the  place,  which  he  continued  to  farm  for  fourteen  years.  He  paid 
eight  dollars  and  twelve  and  a  half  cents  per  acre  for  the  property  and  sold  it  for  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars,  while  since  that  time  it  has  brought  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  per  acre. 

After  disposing  of  his  land  Mr.  Hashbarger  took  up  his  abode  at  Council,  where  he 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  deeded  land,  also  homesteaded  eighty  acres  and 
took  a  desert  right  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  additional.  During  the  boom  of 
1909  he  sold  the  deeded  land  and  the  desert  claim  but  retained  the  homestead  and 
proved  up  on  the  property.  He  also  bought  sixty  acres  a  half  mile  south  of  Meridian, 
which  he  sold  for  two  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  He  and  his  family  now  maintain  a 
home  in  Meridian  that  the  children  may  have  the  opportunity  of  the  best  educational 
facilities  offered  in  their  section.  They  are  planning  a  trip  in  the  summer  of  1920 
to  California  and  other  points  on  the  coast  for  pleasure  and  also  for  the  purpose  of 
selecting  a  suitable  college  to  which  to  send  their  sons  and  daughter. 

It  was  on  the  5th  of  February,  1895,  that  Mr.  Hashbarger  was  married  to  Miss  Flora 
A.  McCall,  of  Boise,  Idaho,  and  their  children  are:  Theodore  J.  R.,  now  deceased; 
Alvin  R.,  who  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  was  killed  near  Rheims.  France,  while  serv- 
ing as  a  member  of  Company  L,  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-seventh  Regiment  of  the  Forty- 
second  or  Rainbow  Division,  his  death  occurring  July  15,  1918,  previous  to  which  time  he 
had  engaged  in  all  the  heavy  fighting  in  which  the  American  troops  participated.  The 
third  child  of  the  family  is  Ruth  H..  who  has  graduated  from  the  high  school  and  is 
preparing  for  college.  Marion  E.,  seventeen  years  of  age,  is  attending  school.  H.  Gene, 
and  H.  Dean,  fifteen  years  of  age,  were  twin  brothers,  but  the  latter  has  passed  away. 
The  two  brothers  of  Mr.  Hashbarger  are  now  residing  on  farms,  in  the  Twin  Falls 

V.il.   Ill— 45 


706  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

country,  but  his  sisters  and  the  mother  still  remain  in  Missouri,  the  latter  being  eighty 
years  of  age. 

Mr.  Hashbarger  has  contributed  in  substantial  measure  to  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  Meridian  and  the  surrounding  country.  He  helped  to  build  the  first  church 
there,  contributing  both  time  and  money  to  the  enterprise,  and  he  drove  some  of  the 
first  nails  used  in  the  construction  of  the  first  parsonage.  He  also  contributed  toward 
the  grading  for  a  switch  for  a  siding  on  the  railroad,  as  the  town  had  no  siding 
and  the  railroad  would  not  do  the  grading  for  it.  He  has  always  sought  the  development 
And  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  the  country,  doing  everything  in  his  power  to  advance 
progress  and  improvement.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  democratic  manner,  courteous  and 
obliging,  a  man  of  broad  ideas  and  wide  knowledge,  and  is  most  likable.  While  now 
past  fifty  years  of  age,  he  looks  to  be  a  man  ten  years  his  junior  and  is  most  vigorous 
and  enterprising,  holding  to  high  ideals  for  the  community,  while  his  devotion  to  his 
family  and  their  welfare  has  ever  been  one  of  his  most  strongly  marked  character- 
istics. He  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  return  to  the  north- 
west, for  the  opportunities  which  he  has  utilized  have  brought  him  to  a  commendable 
position  in  Ada  county. 


SAMUEL  BRIGGS. 

Samuel  Briggs,  living  a  mile  and  a  half  northeast  of  Lewisville,  in  Jefferson  county, 
was  born  at  Lehi,  Utah,  February  4,  1887,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Sarah  (Empey) 
Briggs,  who  are  also  natives  of  Lehi.  The  father  followed  farming  in  Utah  until  about 
1887,  when  he  came  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  then  a  part  of  Oneida  county,  and  filed 
on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  a  portion  of  which  now  belongs  to  his  son  Samuel.  He 
at  once  began  the  task  of  cultivating  and  improving  the  land  and  continued  the  opera- 
tion of  his  farm  until  1915,  when  he  divided  a  portion  of  his  land  with  his  sons,  selling 
to  each  a  part  of  the  place.  He  then  practically  retired  from  active  business  and  removed 
to  Rigby,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  Indolence  and  idleness,  however,  are 
utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  and  he  is  now  filling  the  position  of  field  man  with  the 
Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company.  The  mother  is  also  living. 

Samuel  Briggs  was  but  six  months  old  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Idaho  and 
under  the  parental  roof  he  remained  until  he  reached  adult  life.  In  fact  he  has  never 
been  away  from  the  old  homestead  farm  for  any  length  of  time  since  the  family  home 
was  established  in  this  state.  In  early  manhood  he  purchased  forty  acres  from  his 
father  and  has  since  greatly  improved  the  place,  which  is  now  a  highly  cultivated  and 
very  valuable  tract  of  land.  He  continues  to  engage  in  general  farming  and  also  in 
stock  raising  and  has  an  imported  Shire  stallion,  making  as  much  money  from  breed- 
ing as  he  does  from  his  farm.  He  specializes  in  the  handling  of  pure  bred  Shire  horses 
and  is  one  of  the  leading  stockmen  of  his  section  o*!  the  state. 

In  1910  Mr.  Briggs  was  married  to  Miss  Lilly  Kinghorn,  daughter  of  William  King- 
horn,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Briggs  have  two  children,  Vera 
and  Wayne.  Politically  Mr.  Briggs  is  a  republican  and  he  has  membership  with  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  His  aid  and  support  are  always  given  to 
measures  of  public  benefit  and  his  life  has  been  actuated  by  high  and  honorable  prin- 
ciples. From  infancy  he  has  lived  in  Jefferson  county  and  that  his  career  has  been 
an  upright  one  is  indicated  in  the  fact  that  many  of  his  stanchest  friends  are  those 
who  have  known  him  from  his  boyhood  to  the  present. 


OLIVER  SEETIN. 

Oliver  Seetin,  a  prosperous  ranchman  who  owns  and  resides  upon  a  well  improved 
farm  property  a  mile  and  three  quarters  south  of  Emmett,  first  came  to  Idaho  in  1906 
from  Miami  county,  Kansas.  He  is  a  native  son  of  the  Sunflower  state,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  Franklin  county,  Kansas,  May  20,  1881,  his  parents  being  Thomas  and 
Elizabeth  (Phillips)  Seetin,  the  former  born  in  Ohio  and  of  Irish  descent,  his  parents 
having  come  from  the  Emerald  isle. 

Reared  in  his  native  state,  Oliver  Seetin  pursued  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Kansas  and  after  attaining  his  majority  was  married  in  Miami  county, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  709 

that  state,  on  the  llth  of  December,  1905,  to  Miss  Winnie  Woods,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Franklin  county,  Kansas,  on  the  loth  of  September,  1889,  her  parents  being  Joseph 
and  Ann  (Shelton)  Woods,  who  came  to  the  United  States  from  England,  the  former 
coming  in  March,  1883,  and  the  latter  in  April,  1884. 

In  the  year  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seetin  came  to  Idaho  and  spent  one 
winter  at  Emmett.  In  the  spring  of  1908  they  removed  to  a  homestead  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  near  Sweet,  Idaho,  and  he  proved  up  on  that  property.  He  also  pur- 
chased another  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  adjoining,  making  his  farm  then 
one  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  Still  later  he  further  increased  his  holdings, 
extending  the  boundaries  of  his  property  until  it  embraced  four  hundred  and  eighty 
acres.  Upon  that  ranch  he  resided  until  the  spring  of  1918.  when  he  sold  the  property 
and  afterward  spent  a  year  at  La  Grande,  Oregon.  But  both  he  and  his  wife  preferred 
Idaho  as  a  place  of  residence  and  in  the  spring  of  1919  they  returned  to  this  state  and 
made  investment  in  their  present  excellent  ranch  south  of  Emmett.  This  is 
one  of  the  most  attractive  forty-acre  farms  in  the  Emmett  section.  Throughout  much, 
of  his  life  Mr.  Seetin  has  given  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  although  in 
Kansas,  in  early  life,  he  was  a  railroad  fireman  and  brakeman,  following  that  line  of 
business  for  about  eight  years  in  all,  first  in  Kansas  and  later  in  Oregon.  His  efforts 
are  now  concentrated  upon  his  agricultural  activities  and  he  raises  hay,  grain,  beef 
cattle  and  hogs. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seetin  have  keen  born  five  children;  Bernice  Winifred,  born 
January  20,  1907;  Evian  Pearl,  December  25,  1908;  Eva  Olive,  born  January  18,  1911; 
Lena  Blanche,  April  6,  1913;  and  William  Oliver  Jackson,  commonly  known  as  Jack, 
born  February  28,  1916.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seetin  are  supporters  of  the  democratic 
party.  He  has  never  sought  or  held  office  other  than  school  director,  preferring  to  give 
his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  affairs,  which  have  been  well  directed,  and  his 
energy  has  brought  to  him  a  substantial  measure  of  success. 


STEPHEN  CHARLES  COMERFORD. 

Stephen  Charles  Comerford,  a  prominent  ranchman  and  contractor,  resides  eight 
miles  northwest  of  Boise.  He  made  his  way  to  the  capital  city  from  Ogden,  Utah, 
about  thirty  years  ago,  being  then  a  young  contractor  who  removed  to  Idaho  for  the 
purpose  of  doing  contract  work  on  the  Phyllis  and  the  New  York  and  Ridenbaugh 
ditches,  which  were  then  being  constructed.  He  was  a  subcontractor  under  W.  H.  Thomp- 
son and  from  that  time  forward  has  been  identified  with  constructive  work  in  Ada  county. 

Iowa  numbers  him  among  her  native  sons,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Sioux  City, 
December  26,  1866.  He  is  a  son  of  Matt  and  Sarah  (Kennedy)  Comerford,  both  of  whom 
were  of  Irish  descent.  They  became  residents  of  Iowa  and  there  Stephen  C.  Comerford 
was  reared  upon  a  farm  to  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  Since  that  time  he  has  been 
dependent  upon  his  own  resources  and  started  out  in  the  business  world  as  a  farmer 
and  stock  raiser,  while  later  he  took  up  general  contracting,  Including  the  building  of 
dams,  reservoirs,  railroads,  canals  and  public  highways.  He  has  been  active  as  a  con- 
tractor for  more  than  thirty  years.  He  spent  several  years  in  Colorado  and  from  Utah 
removed  to  Idaho.  Since  his  arrival  in  this  state  he  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the 
construction  of  ditches  and  also  assisted  in  building  the  Great  Northern  Railway  in 
both  Idaho  and  Washington.  He  has  likewise  worked  on  the  Twin  Falls  Canal  and 
Railroad,  has  been  connected  with  the  construction  of  various  public  highways  in  Ada 
county  and  also  in  Elmore,  Washington,  Adams  and  Lincoln  counties.  His  work  has 
been  of  a  very  important  nature.  He  is  now  executing  large  contracts  at  Jerome  and 
in  Jerome  county.  The  excellence  and  thoroughness  of  his  work  and  his  entire 
reliability  in  fulfilling  the  terms  of  his  contract  to  the  last  degree  have  been  potent 
forces  in  his  continued  success. 

About  twenty-seven  years  ago  Mr.  Comerford  was  married  in  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington to  Miss  Belle  Beasley  and  they  have  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters; 
Guy  A.;  William  R.;  Violet  May,  now  the  wife  of  David  Joplin;  and  Grace,  who  is 
sixteen  years  of  age  and  is  the  youngest  of  the  family.  His  two  sons  responded  to  the 
call  to  the  colors,  both  doing  active  overseas  duty,  and  the  younger  son  is  still  in  France. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Comerford  is  connected  with  the  Elks  and  with  the  Odd  Fellows. 
In  politics  he  is  a  republican  but  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  office,  nor  has  he 
desired  to  serve  in  that  connection.  He  is  fond  of  motoring,  hunting  and  fishing  and 


710  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

turns  to  these  for  recreation.  He  makes  his  home  about  eight  miles  from  Boise,  where 
he  has  ranching  interests  which  he  supervises.  His  attention,  however,  is  chiefly  con- 
centrated upon  his  contract  work,  which  has  steadily  grown  in  volume  and  importance, 
and  through  this  avenue  he  has  contributed  in  very  substantial  measure  to  the  growth, 
development  and  improvement  of  his  adopted  state. 


MRS.  JESSIE  M.  EMBREE. 

Mrs.  Jessie  M.  Embree  was  formerly  the  owner  and  manager  of  the  Yellowstone 
Hotel  at  Pocatello  but  has  recently  sold  that  property  and  has  purchased  the  home  with 
three  lots  on  a  corner  two  blocks  from  the  depot  and  two  blocks  from  the  center  of 
town,  where  she  will  soon  erect  one  of  the  most  modern  and  exclusive  hotels  in  the  west. 
A  native  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  Mrs.  Embree  was  brought  to  the  United  States  by  her 
parents  during  her  infancy.  Her  father,  Gilbert  Paterson,  is  a  large  mine  owner  residing 
at  Cooke,  Montana,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the 
opening  of  the  mines  at  Red  Lodge.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherine 
Macintosh,  is  now  seventy-four  years  of  age.  The  brothers  of  Mrs.  Embree  are:  Robert 
M.  Paterson,  clerk  at  the  Yellowstone  Hotel;  and  John  Paterson,  who  is  engaged  in 
mining  in  Montana.  The  family  on  coming  to  America  resided  for  a  short  time  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  then  removed  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  from  which  point  they  went  to  Montana. 

Mrs.  Embree  spent  about  sixteen  years  in  Billings  and  Red  Lodge,  Montana,  and  for 
about  the  same  length  of  time  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho.  When  visiting  a  sister  in 
Pocatello  she  became  interested  in  the  country  and  took  up  her  residence  in  the  city 
which  is  yet  her  home.  She  had  gained  considerable  knowledge  concerning  the  hotel 
business  from  her  mother,  who  was  experienced  in  the  conduct  of  hotels,  having  for  a 
long  period  managed  a  hostelry  at  Red  Lodge.  Mrs.  Embree  opened  the  Nicollet  Hotel 
in  Pocatello  about  five  years  ago  and  conducted  it  successfully  for  three  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  she  sold  the  property  for  eighteen  thousand  dollars.  While  still  conduct- 
ing the  Nicollet  she  opened  the  Caledonia  at  Rupert,  Idaho,  but  sold  this  in  1918  at  a  good 
profit,  for  she  was  also  conducting  the  Yellowstone  Hotel  at  Pocatello  and  found  that 
owing  to  war  conditions  three  hotels  were  too  much  of  an  obligation  at  that  time.  The 
Yellowstone  Hotel  was  one  of  the  finest  in  the  west,  being  modern  in  every  respect  and 
thoroughly  equipped.  The  Little  Orpheum  theatre  was  also  under  her  management  for 
one  year,  after  which  she  sold  her  interest  in  that  business  to  her  brother-in-law.  She 
has  an  able  assistant  in  the  hotel  in  her  sister,  Mrs.  Tena  Snow.  In  addition  to  the  hotel 
property  Mrs.  Embree  owns  one  of  the  finest  homes  in  Pocatello  at  No.  355  South  Arthur 
street  and  all  of  the  rooms  in  her  residence  were  connected  with  the  switchboard  of 
the  hotel.  The  furnishings  arid  decorations  of  the  Yellowstone  reflected  her  good  taste 
and  judgment  in  such  matters  as  well  as  her  business  enterprise.  Her  natural  geniality 
and  her  womanly  desire  for  the  comfort  of  others,  combined  with  her  business  and 
executive  force,  make  her  an  ideal  hostess. 


ALEXANDER  KINGHORN,  SR. 

Alexander  Kinghorn,  Sr.,  of  Rigby,  Idaho,  now  deceased,  was  born  at  Greenridge, 
Lanarkshire,  Scotland,  January  27,  1839,  his  parents  being  George  and  Elizabeth  (Wat- 
son) Kinghorn,  who  were  also  natives  of  the  land  of  hills  and  heather.  Coming  to 
America  in  1852,  they  settled  first  in  Missouri,  where  the  father  was  employed  in  coal 
mines  for  a  year  and  a  half,  his  death  occurring  in  1854.  The  mother  survived  only  until 
1858,  when  she,  too,  passed  away. 

Alexander  Kinghorn,  Sr.,  was  reared  and  educated  in  Scotland  to  the  age  of  thirteen 
years,  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  new  world.  He,  too,  worked  to  some 
extent  in  the  coal  mines  and  was  employed  in  pulling  coal  out  of  the  pits  with  engines. 
In  1862  he  went  to  Utah  and  settled  in  Salt  Lake  City,  working  in  the  mountains  at 
chopping  logs.  He  was  likewise  employed  in  sawmills  and  with  the  building  of  the 
railroads  into  the  state  he  secured  employment  of  that  nature.  He  became  an  engineer 
on  a  construction  train,  so  acting  until  the  road  was  completed,  when  he  was  given  a 
passenger  train.  He  ran  the  first  train  south  of  Salt  Lake  and  was  employed  as  an 
engineer  for  twenty  years.  In  1884  he  removed  te  Rigby,  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  where 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  711 

he  took  up  a  homestead,  and  his  sons  secured  also  three  quarter  sections,  the  four  tracts 
being  all  in  one  piece.  Mr.  Kinghorn  improved  and  cultivated  his  land,  residing  thereon 
until  his  death.  The  farm  is  situated  about  four  miles  from  Rigby. 

In  August.  1859.  Mr.  Kinghorn  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  Campbell,  a  daughter  of 
David  and  Jane  (Izat)  Campbell,  who  were  natives  of  Scotland,  the  former  born  ID 
Auckenbore,  September  10,  1809,  while  the  latter  was  born  at  Habarth,  January  7,  1809. 
They  came  to  America  in  1854  and  for  a  time  resided  in  Missouri  and  later  in  Illinois, 
where  they  lived  for  eight  years,  removing  then  to  Utah.  It  waa  in  1862  that  Mr. 
Campbell  arrived  in  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  days,  his  death 
occurring  in  1877.  The  mother  died  in  1873.  Their  daughter.  Mrs.  Kinghorn  was  born 
in  Roshaw,  Scotland,  December  15.  1843.  By  her  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of 
thirteen  children,  all  of  whom  are  yet  living:  George,  born  December  13,  1860;  David. 
May  6,  1862;  James.  October  30,  1864;  William,  February  7.  1867;  Alexander,  March  22, 
1869;  John,  July  30,  1871;  Joseph,  August  5.  1873;  Jennie,  December  5,  1875;  Elizabeth. 
March  21,  1878;  Margaret,  October  25,  1880:  Bella,  June  10,  1883;  Emma,  November  6, 
1885;  and  Agnes,  September  11,  1889.  The  first  two  were  born  in  Belleville.  Illinois,  the 
last  two  in  what  is  now  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  and  the  others  were  all  born  in  Salt  Lake. 

Mr.  Kinghorn  made  a  business  of  raising  stock,  especially  horses  and  cattle,  and  was 
quite  successful  in  his  undertakings,  so  that  at  his  death,  which  occurred  March  18.  1915. 
he  was  able  to  leave  his  family  in  comfortable  financial  circumstances.  His  political  sup- 
port was  given  to  the  democratic  party.  His  religious  faith  was  that  of  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  he  served  as  bishop's  counselor  for  several  years 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  a  patriarch.  He  also  did  missionary  work  in  Idaho.  His 
son  James  filled  a  mission  in  the  Sandwich  Islands  for  three  years,  while  David  served 
for  two  and  a  half  years  in  missionary  work  in  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Kinghorn  passed  away 
upon  his  farm  when  in  his  seventy-sixth  year,  and  he  left  to  his  family  the  priceless 
heritage  of  a  good  name,  for  he  had  ever  lived  an  upright  and  honorable  life. 


EDWARD  B.  HUNTER. 

Edward  B.  Hunter,  who  is  taking  active  part  in  the  agricultural  development  of 
Lewisville  and  the  surrounding  country,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake,  May  10,  1866,  his 
parents  being  Edward  and  Henrietta  (Spencer)  Hunter,  the  former  born  in  Delaware 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  in  Illinois.  In  young  manhood  the  father  engaged 
in  stock  raising  and  also  bought  and  sold  stock.  He  came  across  the  plains  with  ox 
teams,  being  among  the  first  of  the  Mormon  settlers  in  Utah.  He  took  up  his  abode  in 
Salt  Lake  and  was  made  a  presiding  bishop  of  the  church,  devoting  his  entire  time  to 
that  work  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  passed  away  October  16.  1883,  while  the 
mother  died  in  January,  1886. 

Edward  B.  Hunter  was  reared  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  there  began  his  education, 
which  he  continued  in  the  Brigham  University  and  in  the  Brigham  Young  College  at 
Logan,  Utah.  In  October,  1884,  he  came  to  Idaho,  settling  in  Jefferson  county,  then 
a  part  of  Oneida  county,  where  he  filed  on  land.  He  then  bent  every  energy  to  the 
development  and  improvement  of  the  place  and  afterward  bought  more  land,  securing 
a  quarter  section  south  of  Lewisville  and  six  acres  adjoining  the  town,  whereon  he 
erected  a  fine  modern  residence  that  he  has  since  occupied,  making  it  his  home  for 
the  past  fourteen  years.  His  son  is  now  farming  the  old  homestead  and  has  been  quite 
successful  in  its  cultivation  and  improvement  For  fourteen  years  Mr.  Hunter  has  had 
supervision  over  the  two  places.  He  formerly  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business  but 
now  devotes  his  attention  to  general  farming. 

On  the  9th  of  October,  1884,  Mr.  Hunter  was  married  to  Lydia  Walker,  a  daughter 
of  William  H.  and  Olive  L.  (Bingham)  Walker,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Vermont. 
The  father  was  a  Utah  pioneer  who  made  the  journey  across  the  plains  with  the  first 
ox  team  company  that  reached  that  state.  Altogether  he  made  seven  trips  across  the 
plains  with  ox  teams  in  the  interests  of  the  church.  He  Is  mentioned  more  at  length 
in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Arthur  Goody  on  another  pa*e  of  this  work.  The 
mother  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  among  her  children  at  the  age  of  seventy-five 
years.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hunter  were  born  nine  children:  Edward  Lawrence;  Gilbert 
W.;  Walter  Spencer;  William  W.,  who  died  February  10,  1899;  Lydia  Olive,  who  was 
a  twin  of  William  W.  and  died  on  the  same  day;  Albert  W.,  who  died  April  14,  1*03; 


Genevieve  W.;   Alfred  W.;   and  Willard  W.     The  last  named  was  a  twin  of  Alfred  and 
died  February  9,  1912., 

Politically  Mr.  Hunter  is  a  democrat.  The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Mr.  Hunter  is  a  high  priest  in  the 
church  and  for  two  and  a  half  years  he  was  engaged  in  missionary  work  in  Pennsylvania 
and  West  Virginia.  He  served  for  five  years  as  Sunday  school  superintendent,  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Mutual  for  three  years  and  is  now  ward  teacher.  His  wife  was  one  of  the 
first  officers  in  the  church  in  connection  with  the  primary  of  Lewisville  ward,  wa^s  a 
first  counselor  and  later  became  a  teacher  of  the  young  ladies'  class.  She  was  also 
teacher  in  the  Relief  Society  for  fifteen  years  and  has  been  its  president  for  the  past 
eight  years.  This  worthy  couple  are  therefore  taking  a  most  active  and  helpful  part 
in  the  interests  of  the  church  and  doing  everything  in  their  power  to  promote  the  moral 
progress  of  the  community. 


JAMES  H.  PETERS. 

James  H.  Peters  is  a  well-to-do  retired  rancher,  residing  in  South  Boise.  He  dates 
his  residence  in  Idaho  from  1904,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  this  state  from  Canyon 
City,  Colorado.  Illinois  claims  him.  as  a  native  son,  however,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Perry  county,  August  15,  1859,  his  father  being  Charles  Ludwig  Herman  Peters,  who 
was  born  in  Switzerland  and  was  of  Swiss  and  German  descent.  At  the  age  of  four- 
teen years  he  went  to  sea  and  sailed  before  the  mast  until  he  attained  his  majority, 
visiting  practically  every  port  in  the  world  and  thus  becoming  familiar  with  several 
languages.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  quit  the  sea  and  came  to  the  United  States, 
settling  first  .in  Clinton  county,  Illinois,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  farming, 
but  his  last  days  were  spent  in  Perry  county,  Illinois,  where  his  death  occurred  in 
1891.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ann  Jane  McNeal  and  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
whence  she  came  to  the  new  world  with  her  father,  Thomas  McNeal,  when  she  was 
fourteen  3?ears  of  age.  Mrs.  Peters  passed  away  about  1910.  In  their  family  were  twelve 
children,  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  of  whom  James  H.  was  the  ninth  in  order  of  birth 
and  the  youngest  son.  Those  living  are  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 

James  H.  Peters,  the  only  representative  of  the  family  in  Idaho,  was  reared  upon 
the  home  farm  in  his  native  county  and  has  practically  devoted  his  entire  life  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  was  married  in  Randolph  county,  Illinois,  May  15,  1889,  to  Miss 
Adaline  Patton,  who  was  born  in  that  county,  November  15,  1862,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Margaret  (Kingston)  Patton,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio  but  were  married  in  Illinois. 
For  many  years  Joseph  Patton  operated  a  farm  in  Randolph  county,  Illinois,  and  it 
was  upon  that,  farm  that,  his  daughter  Mrs.  Peters  was  born.  Both  her  father  and  mother 
passed  away  on  the  old  homestead,  their  deaths  occurring  about  1898  and  about  six 
months  apart.  Mrs.  Peters  was  one  of  eight  children  that  reached  adult  age.  three  sons 
and  five  daughters,  and  she  is  the  only  one  of  the  family  in  Idaho. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peters  resided  for  eight  years  in  Clay  Center,  Kansas,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  transfer  business,  and  then  returned  to  Perry  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
resumed  farm  pursuits,  purchasing  a  part  of  the  old  family  homestead.  In  1900  he 
removed  to  Canyon  City,  Colorado,  and  in  1901  sold  his  Illinois  interests.  While  in 
Colorado  he  devoted  four  years  to  the  conduct  of  a  fruit  ranch  and  a  harness  shop. 
In  1904  he  and  his  family,  together  with  another  family,  started  out  on  a  pleasure 
trip  in  wagons.  They  first  visited  Yellowstone  Park  and  then  came  to  Boise  to  spend 
the  following  winter.  Being  pleased  with  Idaho  and  the  Boise  valley,  Mr.  Peters  decided 
not  to  return  to  Colorado  and  has  since  made  his  home  in  South  Boise,  having  a  hand- 
some residence  at  the  corner  of  Williams  and  Manitou  streets,  which  he  erected  in  1906. 
He  disposed  of  his  Colorado  interests  in  that  year  and  purchased  his  first  Boise  valley 
ranch  soon  afterward,  this  being  a  small  tract  of  land  near  Meridian.  He  owned  that 
property  until  1919,  when  he  sold  it,  and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  near  Star,  Idaho. 

Three  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peters,  Mrs.  Florence  Nelson,  Ken- 
neth Kingston  Peters  and  Mrs.  Grace  Parkhill  Oakley,  all  of  Boise.  The  son,  now  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,  is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  having  spent  several  months  in  France, 
taking  part  in  the  Marne  defensive  and  the  Marne  offensive,  also  the  St.  Mihiel  offensive 
and  the  Meuse-Argonne  drive,  one  of  the  most  fiercely  contested  battles  of  the  entire  war. 
He  was  advanced  from  private  to  the  rank  of  sergeant  and  his  military  service  abroad 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  713 

followed  service  on  the  Mexican  border.  He  is  now  in  the  employ  of  Swift  *  Company. 
He  and  his  two  sisters  are  graduates  of  the  Boise  high  school.  The  elder  daughter  has 
three  children,  Gwendolyn,  Grace  and  Robert  Nelson,  and  the  younger  daughter,  one 
child,  Beverly  Adaline  Oakley. 

Mr.  Peters  and  his  family  occupy  a  pleasant  home  and  he  is  enjoying  well  earned 
rest,  for  his  industry  and  diligence  in  former  years  have  brought  him  to  a  place  where 
the  comforts  of  life  are  at  his  command,  and  while  he  still  gives  supervision  to  his 
ranching  interests  he  is  not  forced  to  carry  on  the  active  work  of  developing  his  property. 


ALBERT  LINDHOLM. 

Albert  Lindholm,  who  died  at  lona.  May  23,  1920,  was  born  in  Tooele.  Utah,  April 
24,  1873,  and  a  son  of  Charles  E.  and  Johanna  (Nilsson)  Lindholm  who  were  natives  of 
Sweden  and  came  to  America  in  1861,  settling  in  Utah,  where  the  father  was  variously 
employed  for  some  time.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade,  as  was  also  the  mother,  both  having 
learned  the  business  in  the  old  country,  and  Mr.  Lindholm  followed  the  trade  throughout 
his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring  in  April,  1875.  The  mother  afterward  came  to 
Idaho,  making  her  home  with  her  daughter  until  her  death  in  April,  1908. 

Albert  Lindholm  was  reared  and  educated  in  Utah  and  there  learned  the  plumber's 
trade,  which  he  followed  in  that  state  until  1906,  when  he  came  to  Bonneville  county  and 
purchased  land  a  mile  and  a  half  from  lona.  This  he  improved  and  cultivated  until 
1918,  when  he  sold  the  property  and  bought  another  farm  adjoining  lona,  constituting 
one  of  the  best  improved  places  in  the  vicinity.  He  made  his  home  in  the  town,  where 
he  owned  two  residences,  but  he  was  planning  to  take  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm. 
He  made  a  specialty  of  raising  pure  bred  Duroc-Jersey  hogs  and  formerly  engaged  in 
feeding  sheep. 

On  the  14th  of  December,  1898,  Mr.  Lindholm  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah 
A.  Adams  and  they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  vhom  two  are  deceased, 
namely:  Sarah,  who  was  born  July  12,  1900,  and  died  in  September  of  the  same  year; 
and  Albert,  who  died  December  4,  1916,  at  the  age  of  eleven  and  a  half  years.  Those 
who  survive  are  Carl  E.,  Ruth,  Sherman,  Florence,  John  A.  and  Emily  M. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Lindholm  was  a  republican  but  was  never  an  aspirant  for 
office.  He  belonged  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  at  one  time 
was  second  counselor  to  the  bishop  of  his  ward  in  Utah.  He  also  did  two  years'  mission- 
ary work  for  the  church  in  Nebraska  and  South  Dakota  and  he  ever  recognized  his 
duties  and  obligations  in  this  way  and  in  other  public  connections.  At  the  same  time 
he  carefully  managed  and  controlled  his  farming  interests  and  was  regarded  as  one  of 
the  leading  ranchmen  of  Bonneville  county. 


NATHAN  T.  TEAMAN. 

Nathan  T.  Yeaman,  now  of  Shelley,  Idaho,  was  born  in  Downey,  Bennett  county,  this 
state,  August  12,  1883.  He  is  a  son  of  Michael  and  Sarah  (Coffin)  Yeaman,  the  former  a 
native  of  Iowa  and  the  latter  of  the  Hoosier  state.  In  his  early*  childhood  Michael  Yeaman 
accompanied  his  parents  westward  and  located  in  Utah,  where  he  grew  to  man's  estate 
and  received  his  schooling.  He  then  took  up  farming  and  carried  on  that  occupation 
in  Utah  until  1880,  when  he  removed  to  that  part  of  Bingham  county,  Idaho,  which  is 
now  included  in  the  county  of  Bennett.  Here  he  acquired  a  homestead  and  after 
improving  it  to  some  extent  removed  to  Wyoming,  where  he  engaged  in  stock  raising 
near  the  town  of  Afton.  After  a  few  years  of  residence  in  Wyoming  he  relinquished 
his  homestead,  returned  to  Idaho  and  here  homesteaded  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  near  Swan  Valley,  in  what  is  now  Bonneville  county.  Here  he  engaged  in 
general  farming  until  1916,  in  which  year  he  removed  to  Burley,  where  he  and  his 
wite,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  are  now  living  in  retirement. 

Nathan  T.  Yeaman  attended  the  district  school  near  his  father's  homestead  in  the 
vicinity  of  Swan  Valley,  Bonneville  county,  and  after  he  had  completed  his  elementary 
education,  he  entered  Ricks  Academy  at  Rexburg.  where  he  pursued  his  studies  until 
graduation.  At  that  time  the  field  of  scientific  agriculture  became  his  objective  and  to 
prepare  himself  more  effectively  for  his  chosen  work*  he  became  a  student  In  the  Agri- 


714  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

cultural  College  at  Logan,  Utah,  doing  two  year's  work  in  animal  husbandry  and  kindred 
subjects.  Finding  what  he  considered  a  suitable  location  for  his  agricultural  operations, 
he  bought  land  four  miles  east  of  Rigby  in  Jefferson  county  and  there  farmed  with 
marked  success  for  eight  years.  At  the  end  of  this  period  he  found  business  more 
alluring  and  accepted  the  position  as  manager  of  the  Farmers  Equity  Wholesale  Produce 
&  Implement.  Company  of  Rigby  but  after  one  year  of  experience  with  this  concern,  he 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Consolidated  Wagon  &  Machine  Company  as  a  salesman.  In. 
1917,  after  two  years  of  service  with  that  firm,  he  became  manager  of  the  H.  B.  Tabb  & 
Company,  wholesale  produce,  of  Ririe,  and  continued  as  a  representative  of  that  concern 
until  January,  1920,  when  he  became  manager  of  the  wholesale  commission  house  of 
the  Ennis  Brown  Company  of  Shelley,  Idaho. 

On  March  6,  1905,  Mr.  Yeaman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Dora  Jones  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  one  child,  Fay,  who  was  born,  January  8,  1906.  They  give  their  support 
to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  of  which  they  are  loyal  members. 
Mr.  Yeaman  is  also  affiliated  with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  in  the  affairs  of  this 
order  he  takes  a  proper  interest.  His  political  convictions  are  revealed  in  his  connection, 
with  the  republican  party,  and  he  has  served  a  term  as  justice  of  the  peace.  As  a  busi- 
ness man  he  has  achieved  an  enviable  success.  Recently  he  disposed  of  all  his  agricul- 
tural interests  in  order  to  devote  his  entire  time  to  the  performance  of  his  duties  as 
manager.  He  served  as  president  of  the  Mutual  Improvement  Association  of  Ririe  for 
four  years. 


CHARLES  H.  OAKLEY. 

Among  the  leading  business  houses  of  Dubois  is  the  hardware  and  implement  store 
of  which  Charles  H.  Oakley  is  the  proprietor.  In  young  manhood  he  came  to  the 
northwest  and  has  been  identified  with  every  phase  of  pioneer  life  and  with  the 
subsequent  development  and  improvement  of  the  section  of  the  country  in  which  he 
makes  his  home.  A  native  of  Pennsylvania  he  was  born  in  Luzerne  county,  February 
3,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Thirza  (Bird)  Oakley,  who  were  natives  of  England. 
The  father  was  a  coal  miner  of  that  country  and  in  1860  he  became  a  resident  of 
Luzerne  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  remained  until  1861  and  then  returned  to 
England.  He  was  again  a  resident  of  his  native  land  for  six  years,  but  in  1867  once 
more  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world  and  secured  employment  in  the  coal 
mines  of  the  Keystone  state,  where  he  met  an  accidental  death  in  1868.  His  widow 
survived  him  for  many  years,  passing  away  in  February,  1895. 

Charles  H.  Oakley  was  reared  in  England  and  in  Pennsylvania  and  pursued  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  both  the  old  country  and  his  native  state,  but  his  oppor- 
tunities in  that  direction  were  somewhat  limited  owing  to  the  fact  that  when  but 
nine  years  of  age  he  began  work  by  picking  slate  in  the  breaker.  When  ten  years  of 
age  he  went  into  the  mines  as  door  tender  and  when  eleven  and  a  half  years  old  he 
drove  a  mule  in  mine  work.  He  was  thus  connected  with  mining  interests  until 
seventeen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  the  Indian  territory  in  1878  and  in  the  spring 
of  1879  he  removed  to  Colorado,  where  he  engaged  both  in  coal  mining  and  in  quarta 
mining.  He  resided  in  Leadville  until  July,  1882,  which  year  witnessed  his  arrival 
in  Idaho.  He  settled  at  Soda  Springs,  Bear  Lake  county,  having  made  the  trip  to 
this  state  with  a  trainload  of  stock  for  Kilpatrick  Brothers,  prominent  contractors.  He 
continued  in  their  employ  and  assisted  in  building  the  Short  Line  Railroad.  He  was 
engaged  in  that  kind  of  work  until  December,  1882,  and  spent  the  winter  in  the  Cache 
valley  of  Utah,  whence  he  drove  stock  to  the  old  Beaver  canyon  in  1883.  At  that  time 
he  passed  over  the  present  site  of  Dubois  but  the  town  had  not  then  been  founded. 

Mr.  Oakley  followed  sawmill  work  at  Beaver  canyon  for  two  years  and  then  began 
riding  the  range,  thus  traveling  over  the  district  from  Little  Lost  river  to  Blackfoot 
and  American  Falls.  He  continued  to  ride  the  range  for  eight  years,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  established  a  saloon  in  the  old  town  of  Camas,  Idaho,  and  in  connection 
therewith  conducted  a  hotel.  He  was  thus  engaged  from  1888  until  1891.  He  came  to 
Dubois  in  September,  1892.  and  here  again  conducted  a  saloon  until  the  state  voted 
prohibition  about  1910.  He  afterward  engaged  in  ranching  and  in  the  live  stock 
business  at  Medicine  Lodge,  thirty  miles  from  Dubois,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Oakley  &  Ellis.  They  ran  both  cattle  and  horses  until  1915,  when  Mr.  Oakley  established 
the  implement  and  hardware  business  at  Dubois  of  which  he  is  now  the  proprietor  and 


CHARLES  H.  OAKLEY 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  717 

which  he  has  since  profitably  conducted.  He  is  still,  however,  interested  in  the 
cattle  business  at  Medicine  Lodge  and  the  firm  is  now  Owens  £  Oakley.  He  has  further 
extended  the  scope  of  his  activities  by  becoming  a  member  of  the  Dubois  Realty. 
Mortgage  &  Loan  Company,  the  stockholders  being  8.  K.  Clark.  James  Dem  ing.  D.  T. 
Murphy  and  C.  H.  Oakley,  the  last  named  being  the  secretary  of  the  company,  with  Mr. 
Clark  as  president. 

In  June,  1894,  Mr.  Oakley  was  married  to  Miss  Lina  Lewis  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  two  children.  The  daughter,  Lina  Belle,  is  the  wife  of  Lee  Owens,  who  is 
operating  a  ranch  of  his  own  and  also  that  of  her  father.  Henry  L.,  who  is  likewise 
upon  his  father's  ranch,  served  for  eighteen  months  in  the  navy  during  the  World  war 
and  was  discharged  in  June,  1919.  In  May,  1897.  Mrs.  Oakley  met  an  accidental  death, 
being  killed  by  a  horse.  Mr.  Oakley  afterward  married  Mabel  P.  Graham.  From  her  he 
secured  a  legal  separation.  On  the  25th  of  April,  1917.  he  married  Florence  A. 
McDermott,  who  had  one  child  by  a  former  marriage,  Walter  Lee  Oakley.  Mrs.  Florence 
Oakley  passed  away  on  the  5th  of  February,  1919. 

In  politics  Mr.  Oakley  is  a  democrat  and  has  served  as  the  town  of  Dubois1  first 
mayor  for  a  term  of  three  years.  He  is  keenly  interested  in  the  development  and 
upbuilding  of  Dubois  and  the  surrounding  country  and  cooperates  in  all  well  defined 
plans  and  measures  for  the  general  good.  His  success  in  life  is  the  direct  outcome  of 
his  effort  and  close  application,  and  he  is  now  at  the  head  of  a  substantial  business 
in  Dubois.  while  his  landed  possessions  embrace  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  return- 
ing to  him  a  substantial  annual  income. 


FRANCIS  M.  DAVIS. 

Francis  M.  Davis,  the  popular  proprietor  of  the  Virginia  Theatre  of  Shelley  and 
bishop  of  the  first  ward  of  Shelley  Stake,-*Latter-day  Saints  church,  was  born  in  Provo, 
Utah,  July  9,  1883,  a  son  of  James  B.  and  Elizabeth  (Hodson)  Davis,  natives  of  England, 
who  emigrated  to  the  United  States  about  1870  and  located  in  Utah,  where  James  B. 
Davis  was  engaged  as  a  prospector  for  mining  companies.  Later,  he  spent  a  good  many 
years  as  a  warp  dresser  in  the  woolen  mills  at  Provo,  and  on  severing  his  connection 
with  that  place,  he  removed  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  worked  in  woolen  mills  there.  He  was 
next  employed  as  a  machinist  in  the  machine  shops  of  the  Rio  Grande  &  Western  Rail- 
road Company.  Subsequently  he  retired  to  live  with  his  son  Francis  M.,  and  now  makes 
his  home  with  different  members  of  his  family.  His  wife  died  December  13,  1911. 

Francis  M.  Davis  was  reared  and  educated  in  Provo  and  Salt  Lake  City,  and  at  the 
early  age  of  twelve  years,  while  most  boys  are  still  at  school,  he  went  to  work  and  has 
not  missed  a  day  since.  After  the  lapse  of  a  few  years,  he  took  up  accounting  and 
followed  in  that  line  of  business  for  about  seven  years.  Later,  he  went  on  the  road  as 
R  specialty  salesman,  his  territory  embracing  Idaho,  Montana,  Washington  and  Oregon. 
In  1905  he  was  called  on  a  mission  to  England,  where  he  remained  over  the  following 
year,  and  in  1907  and  1908  he  was  on  a  mission  to  Germany.  On  returning  home  he 
resumed  work  as  an  accountant  but  in  1912  went  on  the  road,  from  which  he  retired 
in  1914. 

In  the  latter  year  Mr.  Davis  removed  to  Shelley  and  became  credit  manager  of  the 
Shelley  Mercantile  Company,  later  becoming  assistant  manager  and  secretary  and 
treasurer  of  the  same  company.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Shelley  Light  £  Power 
Company  and  the  Shelley  Mill  &  Elevator  Company,  being  a  director,  secretary  and  treas- 
urer of  all  these  companies.  Since  the  fall  of  1915  Mr.  Davis  has  been  engaged  in  the' 
moving  picture  business.  In  the  spring  of  1918  he  erected  a  modern  theatre  building 
on  an  elaborate  scale,  costing  thirty  thousand  dollars,  and  which  would  be  a  credit  to 
a  larger  town  than  Shelley.  The  theatre  is  splendidly  equipped  and  is  well  supported 
by  the  citizens. 

In  October.  1912,  Mr.  Davis  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Shelley,  a  daughter  of 
John  F.  and  Theodocia  (Chipman)  Shelley,  natives  of  American  Fork,  Utah,  and  among 
the  pidneers  of  Idaho.  John  F.  Shelley  being  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Shelley.  He  is 
a  very  active  man  and  largely  interested  in  farming  and  farm  lands  in  Bingham  county 
ixnd  in  other  parts  of  the  state.  He  is  president  of  the  Shelley  Mercantile  Company,  also 
of  the  Shelley  Power  &  Light  Company  and  of  the  Shelley  Mill  *  Elevator  Company,  and 
in  other  directions  gives  of  his  time  and  ability  to  the  furtherance  of  all  matters  calcu- 
lated to  serve  the  public  interests.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  are  the  parents  of  three  cliil- 


718  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

dren,  namely:  Frances,  born  February  3,  1915;  Marion,  April  2,  1917,  and  Harold  S., 
March  23,  1919.  Mr.  Davis  was  made  bishop  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  at  Shelley  in  the  spring  of  1915.  He  is  a  warm  supporter  of  the  republican 
party  but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker  preferring  to  give  his  undivided  attention  to  his 
large  business  interests. 


CHRISTIAN  P.  JENSEN. 

Christian  P.  Jensen  is  identified  with  the  public  interests  of  Clark  county  as  the 
county  commissioner  and  with  its  business  activities  as  a  rancher.  He  makes  his  home 
in  Kilgore  but  was  born  in  Denmark  on  the  17th  of  April,  1874,  his  parents  being  Peter  P. 
and  Mary  Jensen,  who  were  also  natives  of  that  country.  They  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1883  and  settled  at  Elsinore,  Sevier  county,  Utah.  The  father  followed  farming 
in  his  native  land  until  he  came  to  the  new  world  and  after  reaching  Utah  he  took  up 
land  in  the  southern  part  of  that  state  and  with  characteristic  energy  began  its  develop- 
ment, continuing  the  work  of  cultivation  and  improvement  until  1898,  when  he  moved  to 
Idaho,  settling  at  Kilgore,  Clark  county,  where  he  filed  on  land  which  he  also  developed 
and  cultivated  for  eight  years.  After  selling  that  property  he  went  to  Madison  county, 
and  bought  land  near  Rexburg,  which  he  has  since  improved,  giving  his  entire  time  to 
the  cultivation  of  his  fields.  The  mother  passed  away  in  October,  1911. 

Christian  P.  Jensen  was  reared  in  southern  Utah  and  received  his  education  in 
public  schools  there.  He  remained  at  home  to  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  when  he  began 
working  for  wages,  and  in  1895,  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  came  to  Idaho  and 
filed  on  land  at  Kilgore,  Fremont  county,  now  Clark  county.  This  he  improved  and 
developed,  and  as  his  financial  resources  increased  he  bought  still  other  land  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  Year  after  year  he  carefully  tilled 
his  fields  and  cared  for  his  crops  and  substantial  success  has  come  to  him  as  the  result 
of  his  practical  and  progressive  farming  methods.  In  September,  1919,  he  removed  to 
Dubois  for  the  winter,  leaving  his  sons  to  carry  on  the  farm.  The  purpose  of  establish- 
ing his  home  in  the  city  was  to  give  his  children  good  educational  opportunities.  He 
now  resides  in  Kilgore. 

In  1894  Mr.  Jensen  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Kelson  and  they  have  become  the 
parents  of  thirteen  children:  Christian  E.,  George  A.,  Irvin  and  Herman,  twins,  Myrtle, 
Ivy,  Edith,  Grant,  Alma,  Dorothy,  Rosamond,  Mary  and  Vena. 

On  the  13th  of  February,  1919,  when  Clark  county  was  organized  Mr.  Jensen  was 
appointed  by  Governor  Davis  to  the  position  of  county  commissioner  and  is  now  filling 
that  office.  He  has  also  served  as  constable,  was  a  member  of  the  school  board  for  a 
number  of  years  and  has  likewise  been  road  overseer,  discharging  the  duties  of  these 
various  positions  in  a  most  capable  and  satisfactory  manner.  His  political  allegiance 
is  given  to  the  republican  party.  He  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  has  ever  guided  his  life  by  high  standards  and  admirable  principles. 


GEORGE  E.  CASPER. 

George  E.  Casper,  who  follows  farming  two  miles  south  of  Lewisville  and  five  miles 
west  of  Rigby,  was  born  at  Millcreek,  Utah,  December  15,  1861,  a  son  of  Major  William 
W.  and  Sarah  A.  (Bean)  Casper,  natives  of  Ohio  and  Illinois  respectively.  The  father 
was  a  member  of  the  Mormon  Battalion  and  by  way  of  California  went  to  Utah,  the 
battalion  having  disbanded  in  California.  With  others  he  came  by  pack  train  in  1847 
to  Fort  Hall,  Idaho,  where  they  remained  a  short  time  and  then  proceeded  to  Utah.  On 
joining  the  battalion  he  left  his  wife  on  the  Missouri  river  but  sent  word  to  her  to 
join  him  in  Utah.  She  drove  a  yoke  of  oxen  across  the  plains  together  with  a  yoke  of 
cows,  reaching  Salt  Lake  ahead  of  her  husband.  He  took  up  land  in  Salt  Lake  county 
and  improved  and  cultivated  the  place  throughout  his  remaining  days,  passing  away  in 
July,  1909,  when  nearly  ninety  years  of  age,  the  mother  passing  away  in  April,  1884. 

George  E.  Casper  was  reared  in  Salt  Lake  county,  remaining  at  home  until  he 
attained  his  majority.  He  then  began  work  in  a  sawmill  in  Weber  county,  there  remain- 
ing for  several  months.  He  was  next  employed  on  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad 
for  several  months  between  Greenriver  and  Castlegate  and  after  the  completion  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  719 

road  was  in  the  railroad  employ  for  several  years.  He  saved  what  he  could  to  gain 
a  start  and  in  1885  came  to  Idaho  to  look  over  the  country,  accompanied  by  his  brother 
and  several  others.  They  found  Jefferson,  then  Bingham  county,  a  promising  district 
but  Mr.  Casper  decided  that  he  would  not  then  secure  a  homestead.  He  returned  to 
Utah,  where  he  remained  fur  two  or  three  years  longer.  In  October.  1885.  he  wedded 
Eliza  Wray  and  afterward  worked  around  the  old  homestead  there  for  some  time,  or  until 
he  had  accumulated  more  money. 

In  May,  1888,  Mr.  Casper  started  for  Idaho,  being  eleven  days  upon  the  road  from 
Salt  Lake  City,  traveling  with  one  horse  and  an  old  mule  as  a  team.  He  filed  on  his 
present  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  then  covered  with  sagebrush,  and  at 
once  he  took  up  the  arduous  task  of  breaking  the  sod  and  transforming  the  land  into 
rich  and  arable  fields.  His  labors  soon  wrought  a  marked  transformation  in  the  appear- 
ance of  the  place.  During  the  first  year  he  built  a  log  house,  which  is  still  standing. 
He  then  returned  to  Utah  and  that  winter  worked  in  the  mines,  but  when  spring  came 
again  took  up  his  abode  upon  the  farm,  which  he  has  since  cultivated.  Not  only  has  he 
produced  splendid  crops  but  has  also  raised  high  grade  stock,  and  his  close  application 
and  indefatigable  energy  have  been  salient  features  in  the  attainment  of  his  present  day 
success.  He  has  also  been  keenly  interested  in  the  development  of  the  community  and  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  betterment  of  the  county  and  has  assisted  in  building  all 
of  the  roads  and  canals  in  his  district. 

Upon  the  home  farm  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Casper  have  reared  their  family  of  eleven 
children:  Nellie,  the  wife  of  Lyman  J.  Ball,  of  Rigby;  Joseph  H..  manager  for  the 
Smith  Mercantile  Company  at  Lewisville;  George  M.,  living  at  Kilgore,  Idaho;  Juliana. 
the  wife  of  Stephen  Peterson,  of  Lewisville;  Mary,  the  wife  of  C.  H.  Smith,  of  Holbrook, 
Idaho;  Florence,  the  wife  of  Lloyd  Peterson,  of  Lewisville;  Eliza,  Charles  and  Emma,  all 
at  home;  William,  who  was  a  twin  of  Joseph  and  died  at  the  age  of  one  month;  and 
Lucille,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years  and  two  months. 

Politically  Mr.  Casper  is  a  republican.  He  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  has  served  as  president  of  the  elders  in  the  Seventy  and  now 
belongs  to  the  High  Priests  Quorum.  Many  times  he  has  been  ward  teacher  and  on  one 
occasion  he  filled  a  mission  for  the  church  in  North  Carolina  but  after  serving  a  short 
time  was  released  on  account  of  illness.  He  has  always  led  a  busy  and  useful  life,  caring 
for  the  comforts  of  his  family  and  interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
and  development  of  the  district  in  which  he  lives. 


ANDREW  SWENSON. 

Andrew  Swenson,  the  president  of  the  Ririe  Garage  Company,  Ltd.,  of  Ririe.  Idaho, 
is  in  every  sense  of  the  word  a  self-made  man  who  has  hewed  out  his  own  career  with 
little  or  no  assistance.  Sweden  is  his  native  land  and  he  was  born  February  4,  1861, 
a  son  of  Peter  T.  and  Charisty  (Peterson)  Swenson.  The  father  was  an  agriculturist  In 
the  old  county  but  came  to  America  in  1872  in  quest  of  a  more  promising  field  for  his 
operations.  Soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  Swenson  family  on  American  soil,  they  located 
near  Murray,  Utah,  where  the  father  resumed  farming  which  he  continued  to  follow 
throughout  life.  He  died  on  the  home  place  in  Utah  in  June,  1914,  and  his  wife,  the 
mother  of  our  subject,  survived  three  years,  her  death  occurring  in  May,  1917. 

All  the  formal  training  Andrew  Swenson  ever  had  he  received  while  he  was  living  in 
Sweden,  for  as  soon  as  his  father  had  become  permanently  settled  in  Utah  he  left  home 
as  a  lad  of  eleven  years  to  shift  for  himself  as  a  farm  hand  and  sheep  herdsman.  Early 
in  his  career  he  evinced  a  diligent  and  energetic  disposition,  and  while  little  more  than 
a  youth  he  began  sheep  raising  on  his  own  account,  grazing  his  herd  on  government  land 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Murray,  Utah.  He  was  thus  engaged  until  1907,  in  which  year 
he  disposed  of  his  sheep  business  to  take  up  farming,  considering  it  more  profitable,  and 
came  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  where  he  bought  a  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
At  that  time  he  found  his  land  to  be  little  more  than  an  expanse  of  sagebrush  but  the 
etght  years  of  effort  he  applied  to  it  wrought  a  wonderful  change  in  his  farm  which  wa* 
brought  to  a  high  state  of  improvement.  Eighty  acres  of  the  tract  is  now  cultivated  as  a 
dry  farm  and  on  the  other  half  excellent  results  are  obtained  through  irrigation. 
He  continued  farming  until  1916.  in  which  year  he  rented  his  ranch  and  removed  to 
Ririe  to  engage  in  business.  Here  he  built  the  Amusement  HaJl.  which  he  has  since 
continued  to  operate,  and  besides  his  own  residence  he  erected  several  houses  which  he 


720  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

now  rents.  In  1917  Mr.  Swenson  and  his  associates  decided  that  the  town  of  Ririe  and 
the  neighboring  country  could  well  support  a  distributing  agency  for  motor  vehicles  and 
their  accessories,  hence  they  organized  and  incorporated  the  Ririe  Garage  Company, 
Ltd.,  of  which  Mr.  Swenson  was  the  first  president  and  he  is  still  serving  in  that  capacity. 
The  firm  is  equipped  to  carry  on  a  general  repair  and  accessory  business,  in  addition  to 
which  it  has  the  agency  for  the  Oldsmobile,  Willys-Knight  and  Overland  automobiles  and 
the  J.  I.  Case  farm  tractor.  Since  its  establishment  the  concern  has  been  a  pronounced 
success,  which  has  been  in  a  large  measure  due  to  the  managerial  ability  of  its  president, 
and  the  extensive  patronage  it  is  now  enjoying  promises  for  it  a  prosperous  future. 
Besides  his  business  interests  in  and  near  Ririe,  Mr.  Swenson  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Gem  State  Grist  Mill  at  Ucon,  Idaho. 

In  1899  Mr.  Swenson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Ellen  Headberg  and  to  this  union  no 
children  have  been  born.  Both  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  and  in  the  affairs  of  this  denomination  they  take  an  active  interest.  In  politics 
Mr.  Swenson  is  a  stanch  republican  and  although  he  has  not  had  time  to  devote  to  the 
quest  of  public  office,  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  village  board  of  Ririe  and  for 
the  past  two  years  he  has  served  as  chairman  of  the  same.  His  has  been  an  honorable 
and  upright  career  marked  by  success.  Now  he  is  enjoying  the  competence  which  he 
has  gathered  during  the  many  years  of  his  unceasing  toil. 


HERBERT  ALDRIDGE. 

Herbert  Aldridge,  a  rancher  of  Ustick,  is  the  owner  of  sixty  acres,  constituting  a 
well  improved  and  valuable  property  adjoining  the  town  limits  and  seven  miles  west  of 
Boise.  He  dates  his  residence  in  Idaho  from  1901,  at  which  time  he  came  from  Lake 
county,  Oregon,  and  at  once  purchased  his  present  place,  for  which  he  paid  sixty  dollars 
/per  acre.  It  was  at  the  time  simply  a  sixty  acre  tract  of  nice  level  land  with  a  modest 
little  house  and  orchard.  Today  it  is  a  highly  improved  ranch  property,  in  the  midst  of 
which  stands  a  substantial  two-story  residence  of  ten  rooms,  thoroughly  modern,  supplied 
with  electric  light,  hot  and  cold  water  and  all  the  conveniences  of  a  city  home.  There 
is  also  a  good  barn  upon  the  place  and  fine  shade  tree's  with  well  kept  lawns  and  orchards. 
All  of  the  improvements  have  been  made  by  Mr.  Aldridge  and  the  place  is  a  monument 
to  his  enterprise,  thrift,  care  and  business  ability.  He  paid  cash  for  the  land  and  it  took 
every  dollar  which  he  had  to  do  so,  but  he  began  developing  the  property  and  his  profits 
from  his  ranch  have  enabled  him  to  carry  forward  the  work  of  improvement.  His  place  is 
situated  in  a  neighborhood  where  land  is  now  selling  at  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to 
five  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  but  the  Aldridge  ranch  is  not  for  sale  at  any  price.  In  fact 
Mr.  Aldridge  is  so  thoroughly  satisfied  with  his  present  home  that  he  says  a  thousand 
dollars  per  acre  would  be  no  temptation  to  him.  Six  years  after  he  had  taken  up  his 
abode  upon  this  plaq*  the  interurban  railroad  from  Boise  to  Nampa  was  built  in  front 
of  his  house  and  in  the  same  year  the  town  of  Ustick  was  platted  adjoining  his  ranch 
on  the  east.  The  railroad  thus  brought  him  into  close  connection  with  the  capital 
city,  while  the  smaller  town  provides  him  with  many  things  that  are  needed  upon 
the  ranch.  p< 

Mr.  Aldridge  is  a  native  of  England,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Worcestershire, 
December  22,  1871.  He  is  a  son  of  George  and  Emma  (Ewins)  Aldridge,  who  never 
came  to  the  United  States.  The  father,  however,  still  resides  in  England  and  is  now 
seventy-five  years  of  age.  Herbert  Aldridge  came  alone  across  the  Atlantic  when  a  youth 
of  sixteen  years.  He  made  his  way  first  to  Canada,  where  he  had  an  older  brother, 
George  H.  Aldridge,  living,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Lake  county,  Oregon.  Herbert 
Aldridge  joined  his  brother  in  Canada  and  afterward  the  two  brothers  removed  to  Oregon 
and  engaged  in  sheep  raising  in  Lake  county  for  ten  years.  It  was  in  this  way  that 
Herbert  Aldridge  gained  his  start,  but  he  did  not  make  very  substantial  profits,  for  the 
price  of  sheep  and  of  wool  was  very  low  at  that  time,  which  was  in  the  '90s,  when  wool 
prices  ranged  from  three  and  a  half  to  eight  cents  per  pound  and  sheep  sold  at  two 
dollars  per  head.  In  1902  Mr.  Aldridge  and  his  brother  disposed  of  their  sheep  at  two 
dollars  and  a  half  per  head  and  he  then  came  to  Idaho  and  purchased  his  present  ranch. 

Just  before  making  the  investment  in  this  property  Mr.  Aldridge  was  married  on  the 
20th  of  November,  1901,  near  Boise,  to  Miss  Virginia  Pease,  who  was  born  in  Missouri, 
May  4,  1882,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  eight  children,  namely:  Gladys,  who 
was  born  August  20,  1902;  Elizabeth  M.,  born  November  11,  1904;  George  Horace,  October 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  721 

7,  1906;  Annie  Virginia,  June  26,  1908;  Lela  Mabel.  March  27.  1910;  Nellie  Blanche, 
February  9,  1912;  Clarence  Herbert,  September  9.  1913;  and  Emily  May,  March  1,  1915. 
.Mr.  Aldridge  is  of  the  Episcopalian  faith,  while  his  wife  is  a  Methodist,  and  both 
attend  the  Ustick  Baptist  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican  and  was  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  local  school  at  Ustick.  He  is  now  serving  his  second  term  in  that 
capacity.  He  was  also  deputy  postmaster  at  Paisley,  Lake  county.  Oregon,  for  two  years. 
Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Masons,  having  taken  the  entered  apprentice  degree. 
The  Aldridge  family  has  been  at  Ustick  since  pioneer  times  and  none  living  in  the 
locality  are  more  highly  esteemed  than  Mr.  Aldridge  and  his  family.  His  fidelity  in 
citizenship,  his  sterling  worth  as  a  business  man  and  his  faithfulness  in  friendship 
are  all  qualities  which  have  established  him  high  in  public  regard  in  Ada  county. 


WELBY  H.  WALK  Kit. 

Welby  H.  Walker,  of  Lewisville,  who  follows  farming,  was  Horn  at  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  January  8,  1864,  and  is  a  son  of  William  H.  and  Mary  J  (Van  Velsor)  Walker, 
who  are  mentioned  more  at  length  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Arthur  Goody  on 
another  page  of  this  work.  Welby  H.  Walker  was  reared  and  educated  in  Salt  Lake 
City.  He  started  upon  his  business  career  in  connection  with  railroad  grading  when 
seventeen  years  of  age  and  was  thus  employed  for  three  years.  In  1884  he  came  to 
Idaho,  settling  in  Jefferson  county,  then  a  part  of  Oncida  county,  and  filed  on  his  present 
place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  This  he  has  since  improved  and  cultivated  and 
he  also  has  five  acres  in  the  town,  where  he  resides.  He  has  made  a  substantial  success 
of  his  farming  operations,  displaying  sound  judgment  in  the  further  development  of  his 
fields  and  the  care  of  his  crops.  From  1884  until  1886  inclusive  he  was  also  engaged 
in  freighting  the  goods  for  the  first  store  in  Lewisville  from  Logan,  Utah.  He  became  a 
stockholder  in  the  Intermountain  Farmers  Equity  and  is  still  identified  therewith. 

On  the  10th  of  March,  1884,  Mr.  Walker  was  married  to  Miss  Dido  Casto  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  five  children:  Theodosia  M.,  Le  Roy,  Veda,  Lyle,  and  Ora,  but  the 
last  named  passed  away  in  1894.  The  wife  and  mother  died  in  January.  1894,  and  on 
the  10th  of  October.  1895,  Mr.  Walker  was  married  to  Mrs.  Sarah  Taylor,  who  by  a 
former  marriage  had  three  sons:  Elmer,  who  is  now  a  painter  at  Rigby:  Horace,  located 
at  Twin  Falls,  Idaho;  and  George,  who  is  farming  in  Jefferson  county.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Walker  have  been  born  seven  children:  Oral  H.,  who  enlisted  in  1918  and  was 
soon  afterward  sent  to  France;  Sarah  Violet;  Mary  Verna;  Olive  Fay;  Mayor  W.;  De 
Carl,  who  died  April  20,  1918;  and  Eugene.  , 

Mr.  Walker  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  is  one  of 
the  elders  in  the  church  and  a  member  of  the  Seventy.  In  1895  he  filled  a  tr%slon  to 
Michigan.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Old  Folks  Association  for  twenty-five  years. 
His  political  endorsement  is  given  the  republican  party  and  he  has  been  quite  active 
in  politics,  serving  as  precinct  committeeman  for  twenty  years,  while  at  one  time  he  was 
mayor  of  Lewisville.  His  interest  in  public  affairs  has  ever  been  of  a  practical  character 
as  he  has  always  sought  to  develop  the  best  interests  of  the  community  and  bring  about 
its  substantial  growth  and  improvement. 


RUSSELL  K.  HARRIS. 

Russell  K.  Harris,  a  well  known  representative  of  the  farming  interests  of  Lewis- 
ville and  Jefferson  county,  was  born  in  Smithfleld,  Utah.  June  8.  1869.  and  is  a  son 
of  Martin  and  Nancy  (Homer)  Harris,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  Iowa  respectively. 
The  father,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  went  to  Utah  in  1869,  making  the  long  trip  across 
the  plains  with  ox  teams,  while  later  he  made  a  second  trip  to  assist  other  emigrants 
In  crossing  the  plains.  After  reaching  Utah  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and 
cultivated  land  in  Cache  county  until  1885,  when  he  removed  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho. 
While  in  Utah  it  was  necessary  to  have  a  guard  in  the  early  days  while  the  settlers 
did  their  farming.  Jefferson  county  was  a  part  of  Bingham  county  when  Mr.  Harris  took 
up  his  abode  within  its  borders.  He  secured  a  homestead  a  mile  and  a  half  south  of 
Lewisville  and  at  once  began  the  task  of  tilling  the  soil  and  converting  it  into  productive 

Vol.  in— 46 


722  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

fields,  continuing  to  reside  thereon  until  called  to  his  final  rest  on  the  20th  of  September, 
1913.  The  mother  passed  away  in  1875. 

Russell  K.  Harris  was  reared  in  Utah,  pursuing  his  education  in  the  schools  of  that 
state.  He  came  to  Idaho  with  his  parents,  remaining  under  the  parental  roof  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority.  He  then  started  out  in  the  business  world  and  was 
employed  for  a  time  as  a  farm  hand  and  also  worked  in  brickyards  in  Montana  in  1888 
and  1889.  He  was  ambitious,  however,  to  own  property  and  purchased  forty  acres  of  land 
from  his  father  and  also  bought  a  forty  acre  tract  adjoining.  He  then  bent  every  energy 
to  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  his  eighty  acre  farm  and  has  since  care- 
fully cultivated  it  with  good  success.  He  afterward  secured  a  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acre  homestead  near  Roberts  and  has  also  cultivated  that  property  throughout  the  inter- 
vening period.  He  now  resides  in  Lewisville,  where  he  has  nineteen  acres  of  land,  upon 
which  he  makes  his  home,  and  he  likewise  has  twenty  acres  of  the  old  homestead  farm 
and  seventeen  and  a  half  acres  south  of  the  town.  His  realty  possessions  have  thus 
become  extensive  and  from  his  farming  interests  he  is  now  deriving  a  most  gratifying 
annual  income.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Intermountain  Farmers  Equity  but  the  greater 
part  of  his  time  and  attention  is  concentrated  upon  the  development  of  his  fields  and 
the  care  of  his  stock,  the  sale  of  which  annually  returns  to  him  a  substantial  income. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  1894,  Mr.  Harris  was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Walker,  a 
daughter  of  William  H.  and  Harriet  (Paul)  Walker,  the  latter  a  native  of  England. 
Further  mention  of  Mr.  Walker  is  made  in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  Arthur  Goody  on 
another  page  of  this  work.  The  mother  died  in  1896.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  became  the 
parents  of  six  children.  Russell  W.  entered  the  service  of  the  country  on  the  3d  of 
October,  1917,  and  sailed  overseas  in  July,  1918,  being  discharged  in  April,  1919.  He 
is  now  farming  with  his  father.  Harriet  passed  away  August  7,  1918,  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen years.  Ella,  Esther,  William  and  Alfred  are  all  at  home.  Dorothy,  the  daughter 
of  Mr.  Harris'  brother,  is  living  with  them  as  a  member  of  their  household. 

Politically  Mr.  Harris  maintains  an  independent  course.  His  religious  belief  is  that 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  filled  a  mission  to  the  central 
states  from  April,  1902,  until  July  3,  1904,  and  for  a  few  years  he  served  as  first  counselor 
to  the  bishop.  His  life  has  ever  been  guided  by  integrity  and  high  principles,  and  in 
his  business  affairs  he  has  displayed  substantial  qualities,  which  have  gained  for  him 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  know  him. 


L.  W.  KING. 

L.  W.  King  is  the  founder  and  organizer  of  the  King  Motor  Company  of  Boise, 
which  has  developed  a  substantial  business  as  distributors  for  Oldsmoblle  cars  and 
trucks  in  southern  Idaho  and  eastern  Oregon.  Mr.  King  came  to  Boise  in  the  spring 
of  1919  and  established  his  present  business,  being  joined  about  the  1st  of  January, 
1920,  by  his  father,  and  the  two  are  now  associated  in  the  conduct  of  a  constantly 
growing  business.  L.  W.  King  was  born  in  Rushville,  Nebraska,  February  28,  1889,  and 
is  the  only  son  of  Frederick  W.  and  Ella  (Purdy)  King,  both  of  whom  are  now 
residents  of  Boise,  occupying  a  home  of  their  own  on  Harrison  boulevard. 

The  son  was  reared  in  Nebraska  and  pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  that  state  and  in  the  University  of  Denver,  Colorado,  being  there  graduated  with 
the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1912.  During  his  college  days 
he  became  a  member  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  fraternity  and  he  took  an  active  part  in 
college  athletics  and  was  also  a  member  of  its  debating  and  literary  societies.  Since 
his  graduation  he  has  been  identified  with  the  automobile  business.  He  became  a  travel- 
ing automobile  salesman  in  Nebraska  and  Iowa,  with  headquarters  in  Omaha,  and  later 
he  was  located  in  Sioux  Falls,  South  Dakota,  where  he  engaged  in  the  automobile  business 
for  about  two  and  a  half  years.  During  1918  he  served  with  the  United  States  army 
for  five  months  in  the  capacity  of  an  instructor  in  motor  mechanics,  being  at  the  State 
College  at  Brookings,  South  Dakota,  for  three  months,  and  then  transferred  to  Camp 
Zachary  Taylor,  Louisville,  Kentucky,  for  two  months,  being  in  the  Field  Artillery 
Officers  Training  School.  Following  the  close  of  the  war,  he  came  to  Boise  in  1919  and 
organized  the  King  Motor  Company,  which  has  its  headquarters  in  the  Empire  building 
but  will  occupy  the  entire  lower  floor  and  basement  of  the  new  Masonic  Temple  at  the 
corner  of  Tenth  and  Bannock  streets  when  it  is  completed  in  the  fall  of  1920.  About 
the  1st  of  January,  1920,  Mr.  King  was  joined  by  his  father,  who  for  many  years 
had  been  engaged  in  the  milling  and  real  estate  business  in  Omaha.  Father  and  son 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  725 

constitute  the  sole  owners  of  the  business,  which  is  rapidly  increasing.  The  prosperity 
of  the  present  time  has  led  to  the  growing  sale  of  high  grade  cars  and  the  King 
Motor  Company  has  already  disposed  of  many  Oldsmobiles  throughout  southern  Idaho 
and  eastern  Oregon,  having  the  agencies  thereof  for  this  territory. 

At  Boise  on  the  24th  of  December,  1919,  L.  W.  King  was  married  to  Miss  Bessie 
Martin,  a  native  of  Idaho,  born  at  Star.  Her  father  is  Thomas  B.  Martin,  of  Boise. 
who  was  formerly  United  States  marshal  of  Idaho  and  deputy  warden  of  the  state 
penitentiary  and  also  at  one  time  chief  of  police  of  Boise.  Mrs.  King  is  well  known 
in  the  capital  city,  where  for  several  years  she  was  employed  as  a  saleslady  in  the 
Falk  Mercantile  Store.  While  Mr.  King  has  resided  here  for  but  a  brief  period,  he 
has  already  gained  a  wide  acquaintance  and  made  for  himself  a  most  creditable  position 
in  business  circles.  A  progressive  spirit  always  makes  strong  appeal  to  the  people 
of  the  west  and  Mr.  King  has  ever  manifested  that  spirit  in  marked  degree. 


WILLIAM  C.  KINGHORN. 

William  C.  Kinghorn,  who  follows  farming  four  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Rigby  and 
two  and  a  half  miles  east  of  Lewisville,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  February  7, 
1867,  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander  and  Jane  (Campbell)  Kinghorn,  mentioned  elsewhere 
in  this  work.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  remained  with  his 
parents  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-five  years.  The  family  removed  to  Idaho 
when  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  and  he  afterward  operated  his  brother's  farm  for 
two  years.  Later  he  rented  his  brother's  place,  which  he  cultivated  in  connection  with 
forty  acres  of  land  which  he  had  purchased.  His  land  was  wild  and  undeveloped  when 
he  took  possession  thereof,  covered  with  a  native  growth  of  sagebrush,  and  his  labors 
in  the  intervening  years  have  transformed  it  into  an  excellent  and  productive  farm, 
which  he  now  carefully  and  successfully  cultivates. 

On  the  25th  of  September,  1892,  Mr.  Kinghorn  was  married  to  Miss  Cliffe  Howard, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Rowennah  (Ellsworth)  Howard,  who  were  natives  of  New  York 
and  of  Utah  respectively.  The  father  made  his  way  to  Utah  at  an  early  day,  becoming 
a  mining  man  of  that  state,  and  he  resided  during  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  Salt  Lake 
City.  He  died  in  1873,  while  the  mother  survived  until  1881.  Mrs.  Kinghorn  was  born 
in  Bingham  Canyon,  Utah,  September  25,  1872,  and  by  her  marriage  became  the  mother 
of  nine  children:  Lillie,  the  wife  of  Sam  Briggs,  a  farmer  residing  a  mile  north  of  her 
father's  place;  Jennie,  the  wife  of  Gibson  Walker,  a  resident  of  Jefferson  county; 
Rowennah,  at  home;  Evelyn,  the  wife  of  Clarence  Cuthbert,  a  farmer  of  Jefferson  county; 
William,  Alavon,  Belle  and  Marguerite,  all  at  home;  and  Ellen,  who  died  in  January,  1909. 

.Mr.  Kinghorn  has  served  on  the  school  board  and  gives  his  political  allegiance  to 
the  democratic  party,  while  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  From  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  has  lived  in  Idaho,  has  witnessed 
much  of  its  development  and  progress  and  as  the  years  have  gone  by  has  contributed 
to  the  agricultural  upbuilding  of  Jefferson  county. 


WILLIAM  A.  PYKE. 

With  the  development  of  Idaho  in  various  localities  William  A.  Pyke  has  been 
identified  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  and  in  the  spring  of  1915  he  came  to  Dubois, 
where  he  is  now  the  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Dubois  Mercantile  Company.  He 
was  born  in  Hudson  Heights,  in  the  province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  March  2,  1865.  and  is 
a  son  of  the  Rev.  James  W.  and  Elizabeth  (McTavish)  Pyke,  who  were  also  natives  of 
Canada.  The  father  was  an  Episcopal  minister  throughout  his  entire  life  and  was  in  charge 
of  one  parish  in  Canada  for  about  sixty  years.  He  passed  away  at  Hudson  Heights  in 
February,  1896,  and  thus  closed  a  life  of  great  usefulness,  while  his  memory  remains 
as  an  inspiration  and  a  benediction  to  all  who  knew  him.  He  had  long  survived  his  wife, 
who  died  in  April,  1879. 

William  A.  Pyke  spent  his  youthful  days  in  his  native  city  and  there  pursued  his 
education.  He  was  a  youth  of  seventeen  years  when  he  left  home  and  went  to  Colorado, 
where  he  worked  for  the  Denver^*  Rio  Grande  Express  Company  until  1884.  He  then 
made  his  way  to  the  west,  settling  first  at  Camas,  Oneida  county.  Idaho,  now  a  part  of 


726  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Jefferson  county.  There  he  began  working  for  the  Idaho  Trading  Company,  with  which 
he  remained  until  1885,  when  he  removed  to  Nicholia,  Idaho,  and  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Viola  Mining  &  Smelting  Company.  Four  years  were  thus  passed,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  made  his  way  to  Medicine  Lodge,  Idaho,  and  filed  on  land.  He  then 
turned  his  attention  to  ranching  and  continued  the  further  development  and  improve- 
ment of  that  property  until  1900,  when  he  removed  to  the  Fort  Hall  reservation  and  in 
partnership  with  another  gentleman  engaged  in  trading  there  until  the  spring  of  1912. 
At  that  date  he  became  a  resident  of  Boise,  where  he  resided  until  the  spring  of  1916, 
when  he  removed  to  Dubois,  Clark  county,  then  a  part  of  Fremont  county.  Here  with 
others  he  organized  the  Dubois  Mercantile  Company  and  has  since  managed  the  business. 
They  carry  a  large  stock  and  enjoy  an  extensive  patronage.  The  store  is  well  appointed 
and  the  business  is  one  of  substantial  growth.  Mr.  Pyke  also  has  farming  interests  in 
Jefferson  county  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Idaho  Loan  &  Investment  Company  of 
Pocatello. 

In  December,  1901,  Mr.  Pyke  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Essie  M.  Fayle  and 
to  them  have  been  born  three  children:  James  Elliott,  who  was  born  December  6,  1902; 
William  G.,  who  was  born  in  August,  1904;  and  Elizabeth  Catherine,  born  Decem- 
ber 1,  1911. 

Mr.  Pyke  is  a  loyal  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  of  the 
Daughters  of  Rebekah,  the  ladies'  auxiliary  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
Politically  he  is  a  republican  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
His  has  been  an  active  and  useful  life,  and  the  many  sterling  traits  of  his  character 
have  gained  for  him  the  confidence,  respect  and  goodwill  of  his  fellowmen,  while  his 
laudable  ambition  and  energy  have  made  for  him  a  creditable  place  in  the  business 
circles  of  his  city. 


THOMAS  G.  TAYLOR. 

Thomas  G.  Taylor,  the  only  stock  buyer  in  Ririe,  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  carrying 
on  an  extensive  business,  was  born  in  Ogden,  Utah,  in  September,  1883,  a  son  of  Newel 
and  Martha  (Lowder)  Taylor.  The  father  remained  in  North  Carolina,  his  native  state, 
until  1875,  when  he  immigrated  to  Utah  and  there  homesteaded  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  of  Ogden.  Five  years  later  Martha  Lowder  left 
Virginia,  the  state  of  her  birth,  and  settled  in  Utah,  where  she  met  and  married  Newel 
Taylor.  Together  they  worked  on  the  farm  which  the  latter  had  homesteaded  in  1875, 
bringing  it  into  a  habitable  condition.  Their  united  efforts  had  scarcely  borne  fruit 
when  the  death  of  the  husband  occurred  one  year  after  the  birth  of  their  son,  Thomas 
G.  The  mother  survived  until  June,  1905. 

Thomas  G.  Taylor  spent  his  early  life  on  the  old  homestead  near  Ogden,  Utah,  where 
he  received  a  common  school  education.  Sometime  after  the  completion  of  his  schooling 
he  began  buying  and  selling  live  stock  and  with  the  exception  of  three  years  he  has 
engaged  in  this  occupation  ever  since.  Until  he  came  to  Jefferson  county  all  his  busi- 
ness had  been  carried  on  near  the  place  of  his  birth  and  on  his  arrival  here  in  1915 
he  located  in  the  then  new  town  of  Ririe  where  he  has  since  resided.  Here  he  found 
conditions  very  favorable  for  his  business  since  the  land  is  specially  adapted  to  the 
grazing  of  cattle  and  sheep.  At  present  the  general  resources  of  the  country  do  not 
serve  as  his  only  advantage  for  he  is  the  only  man  in  this  section  who  engages  in  the 
stock-buying  business,  a  fact  which  shows  his  honesty  in  dealing  with  the  public  in  the 
absence  of  immediate  competition.  The  volume  of  his  business  at  present  can  best  be 
seep,  in  the  annual  shipments  which  average  one  hundred  carloads,  and  for  each  carload 
Mr.  Taylor  pays  the  stock  raisers  of  the  Ririe  country  approximately  three  thousand 
dollars.  He  also  is  the  owner  of  some  Jefferson  county  farm  land  which  he  leases 
owing  to  the  fact  that  his  stock  buying  consumes  most  of  his  time. 

In  April,  1907,  Mr.  Taylor  was  united  in  marriage  to  May  Hill,  a  daughter  of  George 
and  Harriet  C.  (Harmon)  Hill.  The  father,  who  was  originally  from  England,  came 
to  the  United  States  when  he  was  a  boy  of  fourteen  years  and  soon  after  his  arrival 
he  located  with  his  parents  in  Utah  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  There  he  married 
Harriet  C.  Harmon  and  with  the  valuable  aid  of  his  good  wife  carried  on  farming  very 
successfully  until  1884.  In  that  year  he  left  Utah  and,  bringing  his  family  with  him, 
located  on  a  homestead  six  or  eight  miles  west  of  Rigby.  After  farming  here  for  twelve 
years,  he  sold  this  tract  and  bought  a  farm  one  mile  southeast  of  the  county  seat,'  where 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  727 

he  resided  the  rest  of  his  life  which  ended  in  May.  1911.  His  wife  had  passed  away  in 
July,  1901.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor  have  been  born  the  following  children:  Ancel,  in 
June,  1908;  Ivan,  in  September,  1909;  Virgil,  in  July,  1911;  and  Stanley.  In 
September,  1912.  They  give  their  spiritual  and  material  support  to  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  are  rearing  their  children  according  to  the  tenets 
of  their  faith.  Mr.  Taylor  takes  his  stand  with  the  republican  party  and  is  always 
found  participating  in  all  movements  for  the  promotion  of  the  general  welfare  and  civic 
betterment.  When  the  town  government  of  Rirle  was  organized  in  1916,  he  was  chosen 
as  one  of  the  members  of  the  original  town  board  and  he  continued  in  this  office  until 
April,  1919.  Furthermore,  it  has  been  his  privilege  during  the  last  two  years  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Ririe  to  leave  the  imprint  of  his  personality  upon  the 
business  progress  of  the  town.  Again,  as  chairman  of  the  local  unit  of  the  American 
Red  Cross  he  has  had  the  honor  to  take  more  than  a  layman's  part  in  the  great 
humanitarian  movement  for  which  this  organization  stands. 


THOMAS  J.  KILLEN. 

Thomas  J.  Killen,  owner  of  a  splendid  farm  of  seventy-five  acres  four  miles  west  of 
Boise  and  known  as  the  Joseph  Bown  ranch,  which  Mr.  Killen  bought  in  the  fall  of  1917. 
has  lived  in  Idaho  since  1910,  coming  to  Boise  valley  in  February  of  that  year  from  Knoz 
county,  Missouri.  He  was  born  August  3,  1880,  a  son  of  Hugh  M.  and  Rachel  (White)  Kil- 
len, both  of  whom  are  still  living  in  Shelby  county,  Missouri.  The  father  was  born  in  Pike 
county,  Illinois,  January  26,  1857,  and  the  mother  in  West  Virginia,  near  Wheeling. 
June  10,  1854.  They  are  farming  people  and  have  been  engaged  at  agricultural  pursuits 
all  their  lives. 

Mr.  Killen,  of  this  review,  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  Knox  county,  Mis- 
souri, and  was  educated  in  the  district  schools.  He  was  married  there,  January  24,  1906. 
to  Nellie  M.  Cunningham,  also  a  native  of  Knox  county,  born  December  12,  1885,  and  a 
daughter  of  John  H.  and  Jeanette  (Smith)  Cunningham,  the  former  now  deceased,  but 
the  latter  is  still  living  in  Iowa.  John  H.  Cunningham  was  born  in  Harrison  county, 
Maryland,  July  14,  1840.  and  died  in  Iowa,  June  13,  1919,  aged  seventy-eight  years  and 
eleven  months.  During  the  Civil  war  he  served  in  Company  D,  Twenty-first  Missouri 
Volunteer  Infantry,  remaining  with  that  command  up  to  the  time  of  his  discharge.  Mrs. 
Killen  was  reared  in  Knox  county,  Missouri,  where  she  and  her  husband  attended  the 
same  school. 

About  four  years  after  their  marriage,  they  removed  from  Missouri  to  Idaho,  and 
at  first  lived  on  a  ranch  near  Buhl,  where  they  remained  for  nine  months.  They  then 
came  to  Boise  valley  and  have  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise  ever  since,  at  one  time 
living  on  the  old  Frank  Smith  ranch,  just  outside  the  city  limits,  on  the  Hill  road. 
In  1917,  Mr.  Killen  acquired  his  present  place,  which  contains  seventy-five  acres  of  land, 
four  miles  west  of  Boise.  Since  coming  into  possession  of  this  farm,  Mr.  Killen  has 
effected  many  improvements,  including  the  erection  of  a  well  built  bungalow.  He  car- 
ries on  a  first-class  dairy  farm,  in  which  he  specializes,  and  keeps  a  fine  herd  of  regis- 
tered Holstein  cattle,  usually  having  about  sixteen  cows  in  milk,  the  product  of  which 
goes  to  the  Idaho  Creamery  Company  of  Boise.  He  takes  considerable  pains  to  preserve 
the  best  possible  strain  of  Holstein  cattle  for  dairy  purposes,  and  this  branch  of  his  busi- 
ness has  proved  very  lucrative.  He  is  generally  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  successful 
farmers  along  this  line  in  the  Boise  valley. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Killen  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter,  Evelyn  Frances,  who  is  a 
pupil  in  the  local  public  schools.  Mrs.  Killen  takes  a  warm  interest  in  all  community 
affairs  intended  to  advance  the  general  welfare  of  the  people  among  whom  she  lives. 


JOHN  R.  POOLE. 

The  memorial  annals  of  Menan,  Jefferson  county,  would  not  be  complete  without 
the  name  of  the  late  John  R.  Poole,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  that  vicinity,  who 
died  in  September,  1894.  He  was  born  on  his  father's  farm  near  Leedsville,  Jackson 
county,  Indiana,  in  May,  1829,  a  son  of  Micajah  and  Rebecca  (Wralston)  Poole.  Both 


728  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

parents  were  pioneers  of  Indiana,  where  the  father  followed  the  occupation  of  farmer 
throughout  his  mature  life,  and  there  they  died,  never  leaving  that  state. 

John  R.  Poole  did  not  find  life  easy  during  his  boyhood.  He  received  no  education 
save  that  of  a  very  practical  nature  which  he  acquired  behind  the  plow  or  in  the  clear- 
ings on  his  father's  farm  and  when  he  was  but  a  lad  he  worked  as  a  hand  on  the  neigh- 
boring farms.  As  he  approached  maturity  the  great  west  made  a  strong  appeal  to  him. 
Finally  in  1848  he  joined  a  party  of  immigrants  and  began  the  then  hazardous  journey 
toward  the  setting  sun.  Eventually  after  undergoing  the  many  hardships  and  priva- 
tions incident  to  overland  travel  in  those  days,  the  group  of  fearless  settlers  arrived  in 
Utah.  There  Mr.  Poole  bought  land  where,  thanks  to  his  earlier  experiences  in  pioneer- 
ing, he  became  one  of  the  most  prosperous  farmers  of  his  neighborhood.  After  thirty- 
one  years  of  residence  in  Utah  he  found  that  state  no  longer  on  the  frontier  and  his 
pioneer  instinct  with  all  its  pristine  potence  prompted  him  to  remove  to  newer  fields 
where  he  would  be  instrumental  in  wresting  greater  treasures  from  the  wilderness. 
Southeastern  Idaho  seemed  to  him  such  a  place  and  in  1879  he  brought  his  family  thither 
and  located  on  a  homestead  near  the  present  site  of  Menan  in  what  was  then  Bingham 
county.  In  those  days  conditions  here  were  not  the  best  for  agriculture  as  the  land 
was  new  and  the  settlers  encountered  many  difficulties  in  marketing  their  crops  because 
of  limited  transportation  facilities,  but  Mr.  Poole,  although  a  man  past  the  prime  of 
life,  met  these  obstacles  with  his  characteristic  energy  and  soon  success  crowned  his 
efforts.  He  remained  on  his  farm,  applying  himself  assiduously  to  its  improvement  and 
giving  his  best  to  the  development  of  the  community  which  he  had  helped  to  found, 
until  his  death. 

In  December,  1863,  Mr.  Poole  was  united  in  marriage  to  Harriett  Bitton,  who  was 
born  in  England  in  April,  1846,  and  is  still  residing  in  Menan.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
William  and  Jane  (Evington)  Bitton.  Her  father  had  been  a  mariner  until  his  failing 
eyesight  compelled  him  to  give  up  the  sea  in  1863,  in  which  year  he  and  his  good  wife, 
accompanied  by  their  daughter,  left  England,  their  native  land,  to  establish  their  home 
in  the  new  world.  Soon  after  their  arrival  they  located  near  Ogden,  Utah,  but  the 
family  had  scarcely  become  established  when  the  father  died  in  June,  1864.  The  mother 
survived  until  January  17,  l'892.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Poole  were  born  eight  children,  of 
whom  two  are  deceased,  namely:  James  and  Bert.  Those  living  are  as  follows:  Walter, 
Lewis.  Benjamin,  Ida,  Ethel  and  Emmett. 

Mr.  Poole,  as  is  his  wife,  was  an  ardent  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  and  his  efforts  were  tireless  in  furthering  the  best  interests  of  this 
denomination,  which  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Seventies,  as  acting  bishop  and  as 
high  priest.  Although  he  was  a  lifelong  democrat,  he  would  not  consent  to  accept  the 
honor  and  emoluments  of  public  office.  Even  though  he  preferred  to  remain  in  private 
life,  not  one  of  his  fellow  citizens  was  more  vigilant  than  he  in  the  performance  of  his 
civic  duties.  A  quarter  of  a  century  has  passed  since  the  death  of  Mr.  Poole  but  the 
efforts  he  put  forth  during  his  residence  in  Jefferson  county  are  today  bearing  fruit. 
His  business  ability  was  of  a  high  order,  and  his  strict  honesty  and  exemplary  daily 
life  gained  the  high  regard  of  all  who  knew  him.  There  was  no  movement  of  public 
concern  but  what  was  subjected  to  his  searching  scrutiny,  and  his  conclusions  were 
based  upon  the  rugged  sense  of  justice  which  he  had  acquired  in  his  lifelong  struggle 
with  the  conflicting  forces  of  the  frontier. 


LARS  P.  LARSEN. 

Lars  P.  Larsen,  who  is  engaged  in  ranching  on  Rock  Creek,  in  Twin  Falls  county, 
was  born  April  1,  1882,  on  the  ranch  where  H.  P.  Larsen  is  now  living.  His  parents 
were  Lars  and  Catherine  Larsen,  natives  of  Denmark,  who,  coming  to  America  in 
early  life  were  married  in  the  Cache  valley  of  Utah.  They  had  crossed  the  Atlantic 
with  their  respective  parents  when  children  of  but  five  and  six  years  and  were  reared 
in  the  Cache  valley.  After  reaching  adult  age  Mr.  Larsen  homesteaded  land,  which 
he  cultivated  and  improved  until  1877.  He  then  left  Utah  to  become  a  resident  of 
Idaho,  settling  on  Rock  Creek  in  Twin  Falls  county,  where  he  secured  as  a  homestead 
the  farm  upon  which  his  brother,  H.  P.  Larsen,  now  resides.  There  he  built  a  log  cabin 
and  in  true  pioneer  style  began  life  in  this  state.  He  bent  every  energy  to  the  develop- 
ment and  cultivation  of  his  farm  and  continued  its  further  improvement  until  the 
spring,  of  1894,  when  he  sold  the  property  to  his  brothers,  H.  P.  and  Nephi  Larsen,. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  729 

and  returned  to  the  Cache  valley  of  Utah.  His  first  wife  died  in  1893  and  in  Utah 
he  married  Mrs.  Emily  J.  Jardine.  He  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  after 
his  return  to  Utah  and  for  nine  years  continued  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
that  farm.  He  then  sold  the  property  and  again  came  to  Twin  Falls  county,  settling 
on  Rock  Creek,  where  he  built  a  house  and  continued  to  make  his  home  until  his 
death.  He  passed  away,  however,  in  Salt  Lake  City  as  the  result  of  an  operation  in 
November,  1905,  when  forty-eight  years  of  age.  His  widow  survives  him  and  returned 
to  the  Cache  valley  of  Utah,  now  making  her  home  in  Logan.  The  children  of  his 
first  marriage  were  Paul,  Lars  P.,  Carl,  Marion  and  Katie.  There  were  two  children 
of  the  second  marriage,  Emily  R.  and  Vaunda.  The  father  was  a  republican  in  his 
political  views  and  filled  the  office  of  deputy  sheriff  of  Cassia  county,  Idaho,  for  a 
number  of  years. 

Lars  P.  Larsen  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Cassia  county,  Idaho,  now  Twin  Falls 
county,  and  pursued  his  education  in  this  district  and  also  in  the  Cache  valley  of 
Utah.  After  reaching  man's  estate  he  engaged  in  the  raising  and  selling  of  horses 
and  later  he  homesteaded  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  Deep  Creek,  near  Rogerson. 
He  then  developed  and  improved  the  property,  living  thereon  for  three  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Rock  Creek  and  filled  the  position 
for  three  years.  Later  he  made  investment  in  two  hundred  acres  of  land  east  of 
Rock  Creek  and  at  once  began  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  the  property, 
on  which  he  lived  for  eight  years.  He  then  sold  the  ranch  and  invested  in  sixteen 
acres  near  Rock  Creek,  at  the  same  time  conducting  the  Norton  ranch  in  Rock  Creek 
canyon,  comprising  four  hundred  acres  of  land.  To  these  business  interests  he  is  now 
devoting  his  attention  and  is  a  well  known  rancher  and  cattleman  of  this  section  of 
the  state. 

On  the  30th  of  August,  1910,  Mr.  Larsen  was  married  to  Miss  Ona  Murray,  a 
native  of  Albion,  Idaho,  and  a  daughter  of  A.  P.  and  Enga  (Charlstrom)  Murray.  Her 
mother,  who  was  born  in  Drammen,  Norway,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1879,  mak- 
ing her  way  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  A.  P.  Murray  who  is  a  native  of  Idaho,  became 
a  well  known  stockman  and  also  served  as  deputy  sheriff  at  Albion,  Cassia  county,  this 
state.  Subsequently  he  removed  to  Rock  Creek,  Twin  Falls  county,  where  he  again 
turned  his  attention  to  general  agricultural  pursuits.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  yet 
living.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Larsen  have  been  born  three  children,  Dorothy.  Lucetta  and 
Lars  Kenneth. 

Mr.  Larsen  belongs  to  the  Loyal  Order  of  Moose  and  he  gives  his  political  support 
to  the  republican  party  but  is  not  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking,  as  he  prefers 
to  concentrate  hig  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  business  affairs  and  is  meeting  with 
well  deserved  success  therein. 


JOHN  A.  HULTSTROM. 

John  A.  Hultstrom,  a  prosperous  rancher  owning  forty-three  acres  six  miles  west 
of  Boise,  was  born  in  Sweden,  May  22,  1858.  His  parents,  both  now  deceased,  never 
came  to  the  United  States.  He  was  reared  in  Ms  native -country  and  when  twenty-one 
years  of  age  crossed  the  Atlantic,  coming  alone.  He  landed  in  New  York  city,  December 
4,  1879,  and  afterwarjj  spent  a  short  time  in  Nebraska  and  Wyoming,  whence  he  came 
to  Idaho  in  1882.  For  several  years  he  lived  in  the  Wood  River  valley  but  later  took 
up  a  homestead  on  Camas  prairie  in  1884.  He  relinquished  the  latter,  however,  and 
secured  another  claim,  which  he  proved  up,  but  finally  sold  in  1905.  By  the  time  he 
disposed  of  the  property  bis  original  one  hundred  and  sixty-acre  homestead  had  been 
developed  into  a  large  ranch  of  several  hundred  acres.  After  leaving  Camas  prairie 
he  decided  to  visit  his  father  and  other  relatives  in  Sweden,  his  mother  having  passed 
away  when  he  was  but  thirteen  years  of  age.  In  1906  he  returned  to  his  native  land 
and  o»me  again  to  America  in  1907,  being  accompanied  on  the  trip  by  his  wife.  Mr. 
Hultstrom  was  married  to  Miss  Annie  Garddet,  a  native  of  Sweden,  with  whom  he  had 
been  acquainted  in  their  school  days.  They  were  married  in  Hailey,  Idaho,  in  1887  and 
Mrs.  Hultstrom  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1914.  On  the  15th  of  May.  1916.  Mr. 
Hultstrom  wedded  Gerda  S.  Erickson1<(who  was  also  born  in  Sweden,  her  natal  day  being 
August  10,  1878.  She  came  alone  to  the  United  States  in  1901,  Joining  a  sister  in  Berkeley, 
California,  and  in  1906  she  returned  to  Sweden.  On  again  coming  to  the  United  States 
she  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hultstrom  and  kept  up  a  correspondence 


730  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

with  Mrs.  Hultstrom  for  some  years.  On  a  visit  to  the  exposition  at  San  Francisco  in 
1915  Mr.  Hultstrom  had  the  fortune  of  again  meeting  Miss  Erickson,  which  later  result- 
ed in  their  marriage.  They  became  the  parents  of  two  children,  of  whom  the  elder, 
June  Ingeborg,  who  was  born  June  15,  1917,  died  on  the  22d  of  April,  1920.  The  younger 
daughter,  Gerda  Marguerite,  was  born  November  13,  1919. 

Mr.  Hultstrom  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  his  wife 
belongs  to  the  Apple  Blossom  Club  of  Ustick.  In  politics  he  maintains  an  independent 
course  voting  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  judgment  without  regard  to  party  ties. 
Just  before  visiting  Sweden  in  1906  he  purchased  forty  acres  of  land,  constituting  his 
present  ranch,  although  he  has  since  added  three  acres  to  the  original  purchase.  He 
now  has  an  excellent  property,  pleasantly  and  conveniently  situated  six  miles  west 
of  Boise,  and  he. devotes  his  time  and  energies  to  its  further  cultivation  and  improve- 
ment, having  already  converted  it  into  an  excellent  ranch,  from  which  he  derives  a 
substantial  annual  income.  He  is  thorough  and  systematic  in  all  that  he  does  and 
in  the  improvement  of  his  land  he  follows  the  most  progressive  methods. 


HORACE  B.  BAKER. 

A  most  beautiful  sight  is  presented  in  the  orchards  of  Horace  B.  Baker  when 
his  apple,  prune  and  peach  trees  are  all  in  blossom  and  they  vie  in  equal  beauty  when 
the  fruit  hangs  heavy  on  the  trees  in  the  late  summer  and  fall,  for  today  Mr.  Baker  is 
giving  his  attention  largely  to  orcharding,  having  an  excellent  ranch  property  on  the 
south  slope  of  the  Payette  valley  five  miles  southwest  of  Emmett.  Here  he  has  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  largely  devoted  to  fruit  raising. 

Mr.  Baker  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  that  New  York  has  furnished  to 
Idaho,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Broome  county  of  the  Empire  state,  September  10, 
1861.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Hollister)  Baker,  both  of  whom  have  passed 
away.  The  father  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  January  12,  1812,  and  lived  to  be  more 
than  ninety  years  of  age,  while  the  mother,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut,  had  passed 
the  seventy-fifth  milestone  on  life's  journey  ere  called  to  her  final  rest.  In  their  family 
were  seven  children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters.  Their  eldest  son,  John  J.,  was 
killed  in  the  battle  of  Atlanta  while  serving  in  the  Civil  war. 

Horace  B.  Baker  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  Empire  state.  He  had  liberal 
educational  opportunities  and  took  up  the  profession  of  teaching,  which  he  followed 
in  New  York  for  a  time,  and  for  twenty-four  years  through  the  winter  seasons  after 
coming  to  Idaho  in  1882.  He  made  for  himself  a  place  among  the  able  educators  of  the 
state,  imparting  readily  and  clearly  to  others  the  knowledge  which  he  had  acquired.  His 
own  zeal  and  enthusiasm  in  the  work  were  an  inspiring  influence  over  the  pupils,  and 
many  districts  in  which  he  taught  bear  splendid  testimony  concerning  his  ability.  It 
was  to  assist  in  the  survey  of  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  however,  that  he 
came  to  the  west  and  later  aided  in  the  survey  work  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Rail- 
road. Establishing  his  home  in  Idaho,  he  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  within  a  half  mile  of  his  present  residence  and  while  giving  the  winter 
months  to  teaching  he  devoted  the  summer  months  to  the  work  of  the  farm.  He 
proved  up  on  that  property,  secured  title  to  the  same  and  occupied  the  place  for  many 
years,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  the  original  homestead.  He 
today  has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  excellent  land  on  the  south  slope  about  five 
miles  southwest  of  Emmett  and  is  giving  his  attention  largely  to  horticultural  pursuits, 
raising  apples,  prunes  and  peaches  for  commercial  purposes.  One  attractive  feature 
of  his  place  is  one  hundred  and  eighty  young  Delicious  apple  trees  just  coming 
into  bearing. 

Mr.  Baker  was  married  in  Boise  by  the  Rev.  R.  M.  Gwinn  on  the  24th  of  November, 
1887,  to  Miss  Letitia  Sarah  Kirby,  who  was  born  at  Cambria,  Wayne  county,  Iowa, 
November  9,  1866,  and  came  to  Idaho  in  1885,  when  nineteen  years  of  age.  They 
have  six  children,  three  boys  and  three  girls:  Delia  A.,  now  the  wife  of  Frank  Miller,  who 
is  in  the  United  States  forestry  service  in  Idaho;  Henry  Kirby,  who  married  Helen- 
Kennedy  and  has  three  children,  Henry,  Mary  and  Richard,  the  last  named  being  known 
as  Dick;  Ina  Z.,  now  the  wife  of  Alva  C.  Jones,  of  Homestead,  Oregon,  and  the  mother 
of  three  children,  Wayne,  Jesse  and  Robert;  Ray  H.,  who  married  May  Hart  and  was 
at  Camp  Lewis  when  the  war  ended;  Edward  Gray  who  is  seventeen  years  of  age  and 
resides  at  home,  and  Thelma,  eleven  years  of  age,  who  completes  the  family.  There 


7. 

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HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  733 

are  also  four  other  grandchildren,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  having  four  children,  Lionel. 
Madge,  Mildred  and  Frances. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church  and  the  latter  belongs 
to  the  Crescent  Improvement  Club  of  Gem  county.  In  politics  Mr.  Baker  is  a  republican. 
The  influence  of  both  is  ever  on  the  side  of  right,  progress,  advancement  and  improve- 
ment, and  they  have  done  effective  work  to  promote  the  material,  social,  moral  and 
intellectual  interests  of  the  community. 


ADOLPH  M.  NIELSEN. 

Adolph  M.  Nielsen,  a  well-known  retired  farmer,  of  Bingham  county,  was  born  in 
Norway,  June  10,  1848,  a  son  of  Ole  and  Karen  (Olson)  Nielsen,  also  natives  of  Norway, 
where  the. father  was  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  up  to  the  year  1877,  when  he  decided 
to  emigrate  to  America.  Following  his  arrival  in  this  country,  he  went  to  Utah,  locating 
in  Hyrum.  Cache  county,  and  there  he  lived  retired  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  September,  1883.  His  wife  predeceased  him,  dying  in  April.  1881. 

Adolph  M.  Nielsen  was  reared  and  educated  in  Norway  and  worked  for  his  father 
in  the  lumber  business  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  preceding  his 
father  by  some  six  years.  His  first  location  was  in  the  state  of  Michigan,  where  he 
resided  for  two  years,  but  in  1873  he  went  to  Utah  and  settled  in  Salt  Lake  City,  where 
he  worked  in  a  sawmill  for  two  years.  In  1875,  Mr.  Nielsen  went  to  Hyrum,  Utah,  and 
followed  logging  for  a  few  years,  after  which  he  engaged  in  railroad  contracting  from 
1879  to  1898.  It  was  in  the  fall  of  1897  that  he  cams  to  Bingham  county  and  purchased 
two  hundred  acres  of  land  near  Goshen,  for  which  he  paid  nine  dollars  per  acre.  He 
immediately  commenced  to  improve  and  cultivate  his  holding  and  operated  it  for  some 
years,  when  he  sold  to  his  sons,  retaining  sixty  acres  for  his  own  use,  and  it  is  estimated 
that  this  land  is  now  worth  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  A  few  year  after  selling 
to  his  sons  he  removed  to  Shelley,  where  he  built  a  fine  brick  house  and  engaged  in 
the  hotel  and  livery  business  for  twelve  years,  at  the  end  of  this  period  retiring  from 
active  business  affairs.  He  does  little  at  the  present  time  with  the  exception  of  looking 
after  his  sixty-acre  farm.  % 

On  October  19,  1869,  Mr.  Nielsen  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mathea  Hanson,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living:  Hyrum  A.;  Carrie, 
who  was  born  in  1875  and  died  in  1883;  Joseph  H.;  Josephine  A.;  Orson  P.;  Lydia  E.; 
Norman  W. ;  and  Lillian.  Mrs.  Nielsen  passed  away  in  November,  1907,  and  on  July  19. 
1908,  Mr.  Nielsen  was  married  to  Olephine  Olson,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Maude,  Adolph,  Thelma  and  Helen.  Thelma  died  when  eight  months 
old,  and  the  other  children  are  now  attending  school. 

Mr.  Nielsen  has  been  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Mormon  church,  and  has  filled 
missions  to  Norway  in  1891-93,  1905-07,  and  1915-17.  He  is  president  of  the  high  priest 
quorum  of  the  church  and  patriarch  of  the  Shelley  stake.  Politically  he  supports  the 
republican  party,  but  has  never  sought  office.  When  he  first  settled  in  Bingham  county, 
there  was  nothing  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see  but  sagebrush.  After  years  of  labor  he 
succeeded  in  developing  a  fine  farm,  which  is  now  operated  by  his  sons.  He  is  a 
stockholder  in  the  First  National  Bank  and  also  owns  residence  property  in  Shelley, 
which  he  rents  out.  He  has  been  eminently  successful  in  all  his  undertakings  and  well 
deserves  the  high  place  he  occupies  among  the  citizens  of  Shelley. 


LUKE   S.   MAY. 

Luke  S.  May,  president  of  the  Revelare  International  Secret  Service,  with  executive 
offices  in  Pocatello,  Idaho,  has  a  most  wonderful  record  in  the  line  of  his  profession. 
He  is  yet  a  young  man,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Nebraska,  December  2,  1886.  He 
was  educated  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  pursued  an  academic  course  In  chemistry 
and  criminal  law.  In  photography  he  is  an  expert  in  the  finger  print  line.  His  studies 
were  pursued  while  spending  his  youthful  days  in  the  home  of  his  parents,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  William  May.  The  father,  a  native  of  Iowa,  was  a  contractor  but  is  now  living 
practically  retired  in  Utah.  The  mother  was  born  in  Germany  and  was  but  six  years 
of  age  when  brought  to  this  country  by  her  parents.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 


734  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Luxemburg  and  has  ever  been  a  loyal  American  since  coming  to  the  new  world.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  May  are  still  living. 

Their  son,  Luke  S.  May,  was  a  youth  of  eighteen  years  when  he  first  took  up  his 
profession,  which  he  has  since  followed  with  zeal  and  success.  That  he  is  endowed 
with  remarkable  genius  for  this  line  of  work  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  he  is  only 
thirty-three  years  of  age,  yet  is  at  the  head  of  a  great  detective  bureau — the  Revelare 
International  Secret  Service,  which  covers  the  entire  northwestern  portion  of  America. 
The  high  plane  on  which  the  agency  is  conducted  has  more  than  once  been  manifested 
when  they  have  been  offered  great  rewards  for  the  apprehension  of  criminals  but  have 
flatly  refused  to  accept  them.  They  solicit  only  high-class  investigations  and  many 
notable  criminal  cases  have  been  successfully  investigated  by  them,  including  the  Ed 
White  murder  mystery,  Danvers  bank  robbery  conspiracy,  Breckenridge  murder,  Alice 
Empey  murder  mystery,  Lorenzen  lava  bed  mystery,  Mandoli  holdup  and  Idaho,  Mon- 
tana and  Oregon  burglar  gang  cases.  All  heavy  criminal  cases  are  personally  super- 
vised by  Mr.  May,  who  has  been  ninety-seven  per  cent  successful.  Mr.  May  in  this 
connection  employs  a  large  staff  of  operatives,  including  handwriting,  finger  print, 
detectiphone  and  chemical  experts.  He  has  a  wonderfully  equipped  office  in  Pocatello. 
The  rooms  are  supplied  with  photographic  apparatus  partly  concealed,  so  that  the  in- 
dividual does  not  know  that  his  picture  is  being  taken.  There  are  all  kinds  of  elec- 
trical appurtenances  and  cabinets  that  record  the  speech,  finger  prints  and  the  tones 
of  voice  of  the  individual.  The  electrical  apparatus  is  largely  the  invention  of  Mr. 
May,  who  has  evolved  some  truly  wonderful  devices,  including  the  wireless  Revelaro- 
phone,  a  system  of  wireless  telephony.  This  has  recorders  and  transmitters  so  delicate 
that  one  does  not  have  to  use  ear  trumpets  or  anything  similar.  Mr.  May  is  also  an 
expert  in  the  use  of  chemicals,  often  so  necessary  in  the  disentanglement  of  murder 
or  crime  mysteries.  Moreover,  Mr.  May's  detective  sense  has  been  developed  to  the 
utmost.  He  seems  to  find  clews  which  are  absolutely  invisible  and  unknown  to  others 
and  carries  them  forward  until  they  bring  a  successful  culmination  to  his  purpose. 
His  work  indeed  stands  as  the  last  word  in  detective  service  in  the  northwest. 

In  1915  Mr.  May  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  Douglas,  of  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee. Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason  and  devotes  a  great  deal  of  time  to  masonic  work. 
Other  than  this  he  has  little  time  or  opportunity  for  outside  interests  beyond  his 
profession. 


HON.  WILLIAM  G.  BAIRD. 

An  excellent  farm  of  four  hundred  and  seven  acres  situated  one  mile  from  Drum- 
mond  pays  tribute  to  the  care  and  labor  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  Hon.  William  G.  Baird, 
who  is  numbered  among  the  representative  agriculturists  of  Fremont  county.  He  is 
most  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  section  in  which  he  resides.  His  birth  oc- 
curred at  Heber,  Utah,  June  17,  1865,  his  parents  being  Robert  and  Jane  (Gumming) 
Baird,  both  of  whom  have  now  passed  away.  The  father  was  born  in  Ireland,  while 
the  mother  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  it  was  in  the  land  of  hills  and  heather  that 
they  were  married.  In  1863  they  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world  and  went 
over  the  plains  with  ox  team  to  Utah,  settling  near  Heber.  There  the  father  died 
June  14,  1886,  while  the  mother  survived  for  a  decade,  passing  away  on  the  24th  of 
November,  1896.  They  had  a  family  of  ten  children,  seven  sons  and  three  daughters, 
and  with  the  exception  of  one  daughter  all  are  yet  living.  The  parents  came  to  the 
United  States  as  converts  to  the  faith  of  the  Church  of  Jesus:  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints. 

William  G.  Baird  was  reared  and  educated  in  Utah,  spending  his  youthful  days 
upon  his  father's  farm  and  early  becoming  familiar  with  the  best  methods  of  tilling 
the  soil  and  caring  for  the  crops.  After  leaving  the  public  schools  he  was  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Utah  in  1893  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Didactics.  He 
afterward  took  up  the  profession  of  teaching,  which  he  followed  for  seven  years,  and 
while  thus  engaged  he  invested  his  savings  in  a  small  farm  in  the  Provo  valley  of 
Utah.  This  he  developed  and  improved  but  in  1900  disposed  of  that  property  and 
removed  to  Idaho,  at  which  time  he  bought  an  eighty-acre  ranch  in  Fremont  county.  He 
was  owner  of  that  property  until  1901,  when  he  disposed  of  his  land  and  turned  his 
attention  to  merchandising  at  Teton,  Fremont  county.  A  few  months  later,  however, 
his  store  was  destroyed  by  fire.  Although  he  had  some  insurance  upon  it,  when  all 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  735 

claims  were  met  he  had  but  nine  hundred  dollars  remaining.  Thus  he  practically 
had  to  begin  business  life  anew.  He  entered  an  eighty-acre  homestead  claim  near 
Drummond,  Idaho,  took  up  his  abode  thereon  and  began  its  development  while  engaged 
in  the  work  of  dry  farming.  That  he  has  prospered  as  the  years  have  passed  is  indicated 
in  the  fact  that  his  holdings  now  include  four  hundred  and  seven  acres,  all  in  the 
same  neighborhood,  so  that  he  can  farm  his  entire  acreage  conveniently.  He  has  four 
hundred  acres  of  land  under  cultivation  and  his  main  grain  crop  is  wheat  He  raised 
eighty-five  hundred  bushels  of  small  grain  in  1918 — a  fact  indicative  of  the  success 
with  which  he  is  meeting  in  dry  farming  in  the  northwest.  He  also  makes  a  specialty 
of  the  raising  of  registered  Duroc  Jersey  hogs.  He  has  led  a  most  diligent  life.  There 
is  no  useless  expenditure  of  time  or  labor  on  his  part  and  his  indefatigable  energy  and 
close  application  are  bringing  to  him  most  gratifying  success. 

On  the  2d  of  January,  1896,  Mr.  Baird  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Matilda 
Smith,  who  was  also  born  and  reared  in  Utah.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  five 
children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely:  Reva.  Glen.  Blaine,  Dean  and  Preal. 
whose  ages  range  from  twelve  to  twenty-one  years.  Glen,  nineteen  years  of  age.  was 
in  the  United  States  military  training  camp  when  the  armistice  was  signed. 

In  religious  faith  Mr.  Baird  is  connected  with  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  He  did  not  unite  therewith  because  it  was  the  faith  of  the  family, 
for  he  did  not  join  the  church  until  a  few  years  ago.  It  was  the  result  of  his  study 
and  interpretation  of  the  scriptures  that  led  him  to  become  identified  with  that  denomi- 
nation. His  political  support  is  given  to  the  republican  party  and  he  has  been  much 
interested  in  political  affairs,  recognizing  the  duties  and  obligations  as  well  as  the 
privileges  of  citizenship  in  this  connection.  In  1918  he  was  made  the  candidate  of  his 
party  for  the  state  legislature  and  was  elected  to  the  office  by  a  handsome  majority, 
so  that  he  is  now  serving  as  a  member  of  Idaho's  general  assembly. 


WILLIAM  S.  STOKES. 

While  in  the  latter  years  of  his  life  William  S.  Stokes  engaged  in  stock  raising 
and  ranching  at  Albion,  Cassia  county,  he  was  for  many  years  identified  with  other 
lines  of  business  in  the  west,  contributing  to  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of  various 
localities  in  which  he  made  his  home.  The  width  of  the  continent  separated  him  from 
his  birthplace,  for  he  was  born  at  Sandy  Creek,  in  Oswego  county,  New  York,  May 
4,  1844,  his  parents  being  George  and  Delaney  (Forbes)  Stokes.  The  father  was 
born  in  Lincolnshire,  England,  in  1814  and  in  1833,  when  nineteen  years  of  age, 
came  to  the  United  States,  settling  in  the  state  of  New  York.  He  was  married  at 
Clockville  and  before  leaving  his  native  country  was  licensed  to  preach  in  England  in 
1830.  After  spending  some  time  in  the  Empire  state  he  removed  to  Detroit,  Michigan, 
and  afterward  to  Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he  lived  for  two  years.  He  next  went 
to  Winnebago  county,  Wisconsin,  in  1847  and  was  there  residing  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  war.  Responding  to  the  country's  call  for  troops  to  aid  in  suppressing  the 
rebellion  in  the  south,  he  enlisted  in  the  Eighteenth  Wisconsin  Infantry  on  the  20th 
of  December,  1861,  and  organized  Company  F.  He  enrolled  at  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin,  and 
became  first  lieutenant,  thus  serving  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  taken  prisoner 
at  the  battle  of  Pittsburgh  Landing  and  was  sent  to  Libby  prison.  On  the  10th  of 
December,  1862,  he  was  made  chaplain  of  his  regiment  and  so  continued  until  1865. 
In  that  year  he  was  detached  from  his  command  by  order  of  General  Sherman  and 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Freedmen's  Bureau  in  Huntsville,  Alabama,  thus 
serving  until  mustered  out  in  1865.  Later  he  removed  to  Minnesota  and  his  wife 
passed  away  in  that  state  in  1875.  In  1876  Mr.  Stokes  removed  to  Utah  and  was 
appointed  postmaster  of  Beaver,  occupying  that  position  for  a  number  of  years. 
At  a  subsequent  date  he  became  a  resident  of  Idaho,  later  returned  to  Minnesota,  and  his 
death  occurred  at  Lansing,  Mower  county,  that  state,  on  the  29th  of  October,  1884. 
He  waa,  always  a  consistent  and  loyal  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
his  influence  was  a  potent  power  for  good  wherever  he  was  known.  In  politics  he 
was  an  earnest  republican  and  was  ever  loyal  to  any  cause  which  he  espoused. 

^Willirfm  S.  Stokes,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  spent  his  boyhood  dayi 
with  his  parents  in  the  various  localities  in  which  they  lived  and  he.  too,  joined  the 
Union  army,  enlisting  at  Oshkosh.  Wisconsin,  as  a  member  of  Company  D,  Eighth 
Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  1861.  He  served  throughout  the  war,  manifesting  his 


736  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

loyalty  and  valor  in  the  various  places  to  which  duty  called  him.  When  the  country 
no  longer  needed  his  military  aid  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Wisconsin  and  after- 
ward took  charge  of  a  plantation  in  Alabama.  Upon  his  return  to  the  north  he  took 
up  the  occupation  of  farming  in  connection  with  his  father.  Later  he  finished  the 
trade  of  brick  mason  and  plasterer  at  Sedalia,  Missouri,  having  mastered  work  of 
that  character.  Again  he  went  to  Minnesota  and  from  that  state  started  for  the  dia- 
mond fields  of  South  Africa  but  missed  his  boat  at  San  Francisco.  Because  of  this  he 
made  his  way  northward  to  Walla  Walla,  Washington,  where  he  built  the  Stein  Hotel, 
now  known  as  the  Deckers  Hotel,  and  he  also  erected  other  buildings  there.  Subsequent* 
ly  he  worked  at  his  trade  in  California  and  from  that  state  started  on  a  mule  for 
Arizona,  crossing  the  Colorado  river  at  Fort  Thomas.  Later  he  made  his  way  to  Beaver, 
Utah,  and  there  he  was  married  on  the  15th  of  February,  1875.  In  1873  he  was  appointed 
deputy  United  States  marshal  and  served  in  that  office  until  coming  to  Idaho  in  1880. 
While  filling  that  position  he  captured  John  D.  Lee,  of  the  noted  Mountain  Meadows 
massacre,  at  Panguitch,  Utah.  In  August,  1880,  he  arrived  at  Albion,  Idaho,  and 
purchased  a  ranch  four  miles  from  the  town,  comprising  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land.  To  this  he  added  from  time  to  time  as  his  financial  resources  increased  until 
he  was  the  owner  of  ten  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  upon  which  he  engaged  in  running 
cattle  and  farming.  In  his  business  affairs  he  displayed  notably  sound  judgment  and 
unfaltering  enterprise  and  seemed  at  no  time  to  make  a  false  step,  his  course  being 
marked  by  steady  progress. 

On  the  15th  of  February,  1875,  Mr.  Stokes  was  married  at  Beaver,  Utah,  to  Miss 
Esther  J.  Barton,  a  native  of  Parowan,  Iron  county,  Utah,  and  a  daughter  of  William 
Penn  and  Sarah  Esther  (West)  Barton.  Her  mother  was-  a  native  of  Tennessee,  while 
her  father  was  born  in  Illinois.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stokes  were  born  ten  children: 
William  B.;  Ulah  E.;  Kate  D.;  George  L.;  Mayme  D.;  Orlando  W.;  Hugh  S.;  Ora  D., 
who  passed  away  in  Walla  Walla,  May  8,  1913;  Stephen  Scott;  and  Hettie  D.  The 
family  circle  was  again  broken  by  the  hand  of  death  in  1904,  when  Mr.  Stokes  was 
called  to  his  final  rest.  His  widow  has  since  sold  the  ranch  property  and  is  now  living 
in  the  town  of  Albion. 

Not  only  was  Mr.  Stokes  a  prominent  figure  in  business  circles  but  was  identified 
with  the  development  and  progress  of  the  state  in  many  ways.  His  political  allegiance 
was  given  to  the  republican  party  and  in  1882  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  Cassia  county 
and  served  in  that  office  until  1888.  Fraternally  Mr.  Stokes  was  identified  with  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  was  also  an 
exemplary  representative  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  belonged  to  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  proudly  wearing  the  little  bronze  button  that  proclaimed  him  a 
veteran  of  the  Civil  war.  Throughout  his  entire  life  he  manifested  the  same  spirit 
of  loyalty  and  fidelity  to  the  interests  entrusted  to  his  care  as  he  did  when  he  followed 
the  stars  and  stripes  through  the  south  in  defense  of  the  Union.  He  was  ever  loyal 
to  any  cause  which  he  espoused  and  his  military  record  also  covered  service  as  a 
major  of  the  National  Guard  at  Albion.  His  sterling  worth  was  widely  acknowledged 
by  all  who  knew  him  and  Cassia  county  mourned  the  loss  of  one  of  its  representative 
citizens  when  William  S.  Stokes  was  called  to  the  home  beyond. 


DOMINGO  ALDECOA. 

Domingo  Aldecoa,  one  of  the  prosperous  sheepmen  of  Boise,  who  is  a  representa- 
tive of  the  local  Spanish  Basque  colony,  was  born  in  Spain,  February  2,  1883,  and  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1899,  making  his  way  at  once  to  Boise.  He  was  then  but  six- 
teen years  of  age  and  for  several  years  he  was  employed  as  a  sheep  herder  but  finally 
embarked  in  the  sheep  business  on  his  own  account,  his  brother-in-law,  John  Archabal, 
a  wealthy  and  prominent  sheepman,  giving  him  his  start  in  the  business.  In  fact  he 
has  been  connected  with  Mr.  Archabal  all  of  the  time  and  also  with  his  younger 
brother,  Marcelino  Aldecoa,  the  two  brothers  and  their  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Archabal, 
being  partners  in  sheep  raising.  They  have  several  thousand  head  of  sheep  which  are 
on  ranges  in  Camas  county  through  the  summer  seasons,  while  in  the  fall  the  sheep 
are  brought  to  a  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  ranch  of  which  they  are  owners  and  which 
is  situated  in  Ada  county  about  eight  miles  from  Boise.  There  during  the  winter 
season  the  sheep  are  fed  on  alfalfa. 

Domingo  Aldecoa  has  never  returned  to  Spain,  even  for  a  visit,  since  coming  to  the 


DOMINGO  ALDECOA 


Vol.  HI— 4T 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  739 

new  world.  On  reaching  Idaho  after  crossing  the  Atlantic  he  made  bis  headquarter* 
at  Mountain  Home  for  three  years  and  there  attended  the  public  schools,  learning  the 
English  language.  Since  1902  he  has  maintained  his  home  and  headquarters  at  Boise 
and  for  two  months  in  the  early  period  of  his  residence  in  the  capital  city  he  was  a 
student  in  the  Boise  Business  College.  He  has  ever  been  a  thorough  and  earnest 
student  in  the  school  of  experience  and  is  today  a  most  practical  and  progressive  busi- 
ness man  whose  interests  have  been  most  carefully  and  wisely  directed,  bringing  to 
him  a  gratifying  measure  of  success. 

On  the  3d  of  February.  1913,  Mr.  Aldecoa  was  married  in  Boise  to  Miss  Maria 
Pagoaga.  who  was  born  in  Spain.  May  9.  1891.  and  came  to  Idaho  with  au  aunt  and 
uncle  who  now  reside  in  Shoshone,  this  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aldecoa  have  four  chil 
dren:  Maurine.  who  was  born  November  21.  1913;  Basilio,  born  February  28.  1915; 
Manuel,  November  26.  1917;  and  Benedita.  May  17,  1919. 

That  Mr.  Aldecoa  has  had  no  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  come  to  the 
new  world  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  has  never  returned  to  his  native  land  even  for 
a  visit.  Here  he  has  worked  diligently  along  the  line  to  which  he  first  directed  his 
labors  and  in  the  sheep  raising  circles  of  Idaho  he  is  now  well  known. 


RAY  HOMER  FISHER.  M.  D. 

At  Oxford,  Idaho,  March  9.  1883,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born,  and  here 
in  the  midst  of  the  best  sort  of  an  environment  his  boyhood  and  early  life  was  passed. 
At  this  time  old  Oneida  county,  which  embraced  all  the  territory  in  the  southern  end 
of  Idaho,  between  the  Utah  and  Montana  lines,  there  were  four  towns  of  importance: 
Malad.  Oxford,  Blackfoot  and  Old  Eagle  Rock  (now  Idaho  Falls).  Lying  directly  at 
the  foot  of  Oxford  Mountain,  and  overlooking  the  green  meadows  below,  Oxford  had 
a  setting  of  real  beauty.  In  the  late  '80s  and  early  '90s  it  played  considerable  part 
in  making  the  history  of  Idaho.  But  with  late  years,  due  to  the  fact  of  the  railroad 
building  away  from  it  and  other  towns  like  Pocatello  and  Preston  going  up  on  either 
side,  it  has  lost  its  commercial  importance,  and  now  is  but  a  quiet  little  village  in  the 
hills.  To  this  place  in  1878  came  the  parents  of  Ray  H.  Fisher.  William  F.  Fisher  and 
his  good  wife,  who  was  formerly  Millennium  Andrus,  both  of  hardy  pioneer  stock, 
having  come  to  Utah  with  the  Mormon  exodus  in  1854  and  1848  respectively.  They 
helped  to  write  the  history  of  southern  Idaho  and  put  upon  it  the  stamp  of  character 
and  give  it  a  spirit  of  progressiveness  and  genuine  worth. 

William  F.  Fisher  (Uncle  Billy)  had  been  a  pony  express  rider  on  the  famous 
Western  Pony,  riding  from  April,  1860,  until  July,  1861.  between  Ruby  Valley.  -Nevada, 
and  Egan  Canyon,  Nevada  and  later  from  Salt  Lake  City.  Utah,  to  Rush  Valley.  Nevada. 
It  was  while  thus  engaged  that  he  carried  the  news  of  Lincoln's  election  in  the  fall  of 
1860,  three  hundred  miles  in  thirty-four  hours  and  twenty-five  minutes.  On  this  ridt 
Mr.  Fisher  used  six  horses  and  two  mules.  He  got  no  sleep  and  took  his  meals  in  the 
saddle.  Lack  of  riders  due  to  Indian  murders  caused  the  necessity  of  his  long  ride, 
several  of  the  men  who  should  have  relieved  him  being*  killed,  wounded  or  missing. 
The  other,  and  perhaps  the  fastest  long  ride  in  the  history  of  the  nation,  was  made 
on  one  horse,  said  to  be  the  finest  animal  owned  by  the  express  company,  covering 
a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles  in  six  hours.  Leaving  the  express  company  in  the 
summer  of  1861.  Mr.  Fisher  then  freighted  from  Carson  City,  Nevada,  to  Salt  Lake, 
and  later  from  Carson  to  Richmond.  Utah,  his  home  until  he  moved  to  Oxford.  Idaho, 
in  1878.  While  thus  freighting  he  brought  the  first  kerosene  lamp  into  the  now  won- 
drous  Cache  valley,  Utah.  The  lamp  had  a  capacity  of  only  one-half  pint,  but  was 
of  such  interest  that  neighbors  came  for  twenty  miles  Just  to  see  it  burn  and  give  off 
its  brilliant  light  compared  to  the  tallow  candles  then  in  use.  Mr.  Fisher  also  brought 
the  first  mowing  machine  into  Cache  valley, — an  old  "rear  cut."  Both  of  these  impor- 
tations were  along  about  1864. 

Moving  to  Idaho  in  1878,  to'  act  as  bishop  for  the  Mormon  church,  at  Oxford.  Mr. 
Fisher  began  a  prominent  and  zealous  pan  in  the  building  of  the  great  Gem  state, 
having  already  erected  a  little  store,  which  bears  on  its  brick  front  the  inscription: 
"W.  F.  F.,  1876."  He  was  in  the  merchandise  business  for  Just  forty  years  when  ad- 
vanced age  compelled  him  to  retire.  Though  Just  a  country  store,  as  compared  to  the 
bigger  ones  now,  it  was  an  outfitting  point  for  years  for  the  settlers  of  the  Upper  Snake 
river  and  Bear  Lake  valleys,  as  well  as  a  trading  point  for  the  Indians,  as  Mr.  Fisher 


740  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

spoke  well  the  Bannock  and  Shoshone  languages.  By  the  name  of  Tosowitch  he  was 
known  to  these  tribes,  and  considered  one  of  their  most  trusted  friends  among  the 
whites. 

Mr.  Fisher  was  one  of  the  chief  organizers  of  the  democratic  party  in  old  Oneida 
county,  and  for  many  years  he  was  a  prominent  factor  in  Idaho  politics.  He  served 
as  assessor  of  Oneida  county  from  1879  to  1885.  In  1878  Mr.  Fisher  was  secretary  of  the 
territorial  convention  with  James  H.  Hawley  as  his  assistant.  He  twice  made  the  nom- 
inating speech  for  George  Ainslee  for  Congress,  Mr.  Ainslee  being  elected  both  times. 
Also  Mr.  Fisher  was  interested  in  fine  horses  and  produced  some  of  the  best  Hamble- 
tonians  and  Gallopers  in  the  early  days  of  Idaho.  "Maud  F"  trotted  in  2:24,  which 
at  that  time  was  one  of  the  best  western  turf  records. 

Ever  ambitious  to  improve  his  surroundings,  Mr.  Fisher  built  up  a  beautiful  old  home 
and  grounds  and  orchards  at  Oxford,  and  this  environment  along  with  the  wondrous 
old  mountain  so  near,  had  a  big  influence  on  the  subject  of  this  sketch — Ray  H. 
Fisher,  for  it  put  him  early  in  close  association  with  the  beauties  of  nature  and  the 
"Great  Out-Doors"  which  he  has  loved  so  much  ever  since. 

Doctor  Fisher's  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Milo  Andrus,  one  of  the  best  known  and 
best  loved  of  the  early  Utah  pioneers,  having  been  a  captain  of  one  of  the  companies 
from  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  to  Salt  Lake  in  1848.  Several  times  afterward  also  he  was  in 
charge  of  companies  of  saints  across  the  plains.  He  filled  several  missions  to  the 
eastern  states  and  Europe  on  behalf  of  the  Mormon  church  and  was  one  time  presi- 
dent of  all  the  Seventies  of  the  church. 

Dr.  Fisher's  parents  were  honest,  humble,  Godfearing,  industrious  and  fearless 
people.  They  taught  their  children  to  work,  to  be  clean,  and  to  play  the  game  square. 
"Charity  to  all  and  malice  toward  none"  was  indeed  the  motto  of  their  lives,  and  hun- 
dreds of  people  will  testify  that  no  passing  stranger  or  friend  ever  knocked  at  their  door 
in  vain.  Theirs  was  an  "open  house"  to  young  and  old  alike,  and  the  latchstring 
hung  on  the  outside  of  the  door  until  W.  F.  Fisher's  death,  September  30,  1919,  at 
at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-nine.  The  widow  has  now  moved  to  Rigby,  Idaho, 
where  she  is  at  the  present  time  making  her  home. 

At  six  years  of  age,  in  1889,  Dr.  Fisher  entered  the  public  schools  (ungraded  in 
those  days)  but  excellent  because  Oxford  at  that  time  was  still  a  progressive  town, 
but  public  education  in  the  state  of  Idaho  was  then  at  a  humble  beginning  compared 
to  its  great  system  of  today.  At  sixteen,  having  learned  what  he  could  at  Oxford, 
he  entered  the  Utah  Agricultural  College,  graduating  from  that  institution  in  1904, 
from  the  School  of  General  Science  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science.  While 
in  the  U.  A.  C.,  Dr.  Fisher  was  a  prominent  figure  in  the  debating  and  public  speak- 
ing contests  and  did  much  work  in  English  literature,  though  his  major  study  was 
chemistry.  In  the  commencement  exercises  in  June,  1904,  he  was  valedictorian  for  his 
class.  In  1904-05  he  was  principal  of  the  public  schools  of  Lewisville,  Fremont  county, 
Idaho,  and  it  was  here  that  he  became  acquainted  with  the  wondrous  Upper  Snake 
river  valley,  and  the  town  of  Rigby,  which  six  years  later  was  to  become  his  home. 

In  September,  1905,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company  as 
first  assistant  chemist  at  Sugar  City,  Idaho.  He  remained  here  only  a  month,  however, 
when  he  became  assistant  in  chemistry  and  toxicology  in  the  University  of  Colorado. 
Here  he  spent  four  years,  giving  most  of  his  time  to  the  study  of  medicine  and  surgery 
and  graduating  from  that  splendid  institution  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine, 
June  9,  1909.  While  at  Colorado  University  he  was  again  interested  in  oratory  and 
won  a  cash  prize  on  "Idealism"  in  1907,  and  another  cash  prize  on  "The  West"  in 
1909.  He  was  a  member  of  the  national  medical  fraternity,  Omega  Upsilon  Phi, 
being  senior  master  1908-1909. 

The  day  before  he  graduated,  Dr.  Fisher  married  Blanche  Adah  Dierden,  of  Louis- 
ville, Colorado,  and  has  lived  happily  with  her  ever  since  and  feels  sure  that  he  will 
forever.  What  a  source  of  inspiration  and  support  this  beautiful  and  charming  girl 
has  been  to  him  in  the  struggle  that  every  young  physician  makes  when  he  is  without 
funds  or  position,  nobody  but  the  Doctor  will  ever  know.  They  have  a  happy  home 
in  Rigby  now,  and  the  Doctor  is  well  established.  Two  children  have  blessed  their 
union,  Frederick  Dierden  Fisher,  born  at  Lewisville,  Idaho,  May  25,  1910,  and  Margaret 
Wilson  Fisher,  born  at  Rigby,  Idaho,  March  15,  1914. 

After  doing  locum  tenens  work  for  two  months  at  Helper,  Utah,  and  Preston,  Idaho, 
and  spending  the  most  of  a  year  at  Oxford,  Idaho,  and  Lewisville,  Idaho,  Dr.  Fisher 
settled  permanently  at  Rigby,  Idaho,  where  he  is  still  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  The  winters  of  1916-17  and  1917-18,  he  spent  in  Denver,  Colorado;  and 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  741 

the  winter  of  1919-20  in  Los  Angeles,  California.  These  three  winters  were  devoted 
to  post  graduate  study  in  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  and  Dr.  Fisher  is  now  giving 
most  of  bis  attention  to  these  specialties. 

In  1910-1912  he  was  county  health  officer  of  Fremont  county.  Idaho;  1916-1918 
county  health  officer  of  Jefferson  county;  in  1916-1919,  member  of  the  Idaho  State 
Board  of  Medical  Examiners;  1918-1919.  secretary  of  this  board.  During  the  World 
war,  he  was  medical  examiner  of  the  selective  draft  board  of  Jefferson  County,  Idaho. 
In  1910-1920  he  was  a  member  of  American  Medical  Association  and  Idaho  State  Medi- 
cal Associations.  At  present  he  is  also  a  member  and  one  of  the.  board  of  governors  of 
the  Upper  Snake  River  Valley  Medical  Association;  1910-1920  local  registrar  of  vital 
statistics  of  Fremont  and  Jefferson  counties,  Idaho;  1910-1920.  assistant  surgeon  on  Mon- 
tana division  of  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad. 

Politically  Dr.  Fisher  Is  and  always  has  been  an  ardent  democrat!  His  father 
was  prominent  for  thirty  years  in  Idaho  politics.  His  brother  George  H.  Fisher  has 
been  a  member  of  both  houses  of  the  Idaho  legislature  from  Bannock  county;  chair- 
man of  Idaho  State  Asylum  board,  and  chairman  of  Idaho  Industrial  Accident  Board, 
and  at  present  is  a  member  of  the  last  named  body.  This  brother  is  considered  one 
of  the  most  eloquent  public  speakers  in  the  state.  In  the  fall  of  1916.  Dr.  Fisher  was 
chairman  of  the  democratic  central  committee  of  Jefferson  county  (a  democratic  year) 
and  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  democratic  state  central  committee. 

Dr.  Fisher  is  an  adherent  member  of  the  Latter-day  Saint  church.  He  has  served 
in  various  capacities  for  his  church  and  takes  an  active  part  especially  in  its  Sunday 
schools.  He  has  always  been  interested  in  promoting  education  about  him  and  build- 
ing up  his  home,  city  and  surrounding  territory.  To  this  end  he  has  spent  much  of 
his  time  in  public  speaking,  making  various  patriotic  addresses  over  this  section  of 
the  country;  addresses  before  the  schools  and  churches,  on  behalf  of  civic  bodies  of 
Rigby,  etc.  He  has  been  especially  interested  in  helping  the  young  people  to  secure 
a  better  education  and  develop  a  deeper  love  and  regard  for  American  ideals  and 
institutions. 

The  Doctor  is  a  great  lover  of  "God's  great  out  of  doors."  Much  of  each  summer  he 
spends  in  southeastern  Idaho's,  western  Montana's  and  northwestern  Wyoming's  won- 
drous wilds,  being  an  ardent  devotee  of  rod,  gun  and  camera.  He  has  found  life  very 
interesting  and  is  very  happy  in  his  home  with  his  good  wife  and  two  darling  youngsters. 
To  this  spot  his  friends  are  ever  welcome,  and  he  hopes  that  no  one  in  need  will  ever 
knock  at  his  door  in  vain. 


FRANKLIN  BRENAMAN  SMITH. 

Franklin  Brenaman  Smith,  who  is  identified  with  ranching  and  makes  his  home 
at  Boise,  is  the  eldest  son  and  the  namesake  of  Franklin  Brenaman  Smith,  who  was 
one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  Boise  valley  and  who  passed  away  in  1894,  when  his 
son  Franklin  was  but  three  years  of  age.  Franklin  Brenamau  Smith,  Sr..  was  born 
in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  September,  1837,  and  became  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  northwest.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Boise  City  Canal 
Company,  of  which  his  son  and  namesake  is  now  vice  president.  He  was  also  one 
of  the  first  school  teachers  in  the  Boise  valley,  having  taught  in  a  building  which 
formerly  stood  on  the  present  site  of  the  Carnegie  library.  He  was  descended  from 
Pennsylvania  Dutch  ancestry  and  inherited  their  traits  of  frugality  and  enterprise. 
In  fact  he  possessed  many  admirable  characteristics  and  his  life  commanded  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Methodiat 
church  of  Boise  and  he  contributed  generously  to  all  projects  and  movements  for  the 
benefit  of  the  city  and  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  its  early  residents.  In  1888 
he  wedded  Martha  A.  Neff,  who  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  August  8,  1858.  She  sur- 
vives and  makes  her  home  with  her  son  Franklin.  They  occupy  a  fine  modern  bunga- 
low whirh  now  stands  on  a  part  of  the  old  Smith  homestead,  consisting  of  several 
hundred  acres  of  land  which  the  father  acquired  and  left  to  his  family. 

It  was  upon  this  homestead  that  Franklin  Brenaman  Smith  of  this  review  was 
born  on  the  15th  of  February,  1891.  A  part  of  the  father's  estate  is  now  within  the 
city  limits  of  Boise  and  thus  his  home  is  in  the  capital.  Upon  the  death  of  the  father 
the  family  removed  to  Salt  Lake,  leasing  their  property  here,  and  Franklin  B.  Smith 
was  educated  in  the  Latter-day  Saints  high  school  of  Salt  Lake  City,  being  graduated 


742  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

therefrom  with  the  class  of  1911.  From  June  23,  1911,  to  March  12,  1915,  he  spent  as 
a  missionary  of  the  church  in  Belgium  and  in  France,  learning  to  speak  the  French 
language  fluently.  His  travels  took  him  through  Germany,  Switzerland,  France,  Bel- 
gium and  Holland.  Upon  his  return  to  the  United  States  he  again  took  up  his  abode 
in  Boise  and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  the  management  of  his  father's  estate, 
which  includes  several  hundred  acres  of  land  of  the  old  homestead.  The  further  de- 
velopment of  this  property  claims  his  entire  time  and  attention. 

Mr.  Smith  belongs  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  keenly  interested  in 
the  purposes  of  that  organization  to  upbuild  the  city,  to  extend  its  trade  relations  and 
to  uphold  its  civic  standards.  He  was  chosen  secretary  of  the  Associated  Industries  of 
Boise  in  April,  1920.  He  also  belongs  to  John  M.  Regan  Post  of  the  American  Legion,  for 
he  is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  having  spent  several  months  at  Camp  Lewis,  where 
he  was  located  when  the  armistice  was  signed. 

On  the  12th  of  June,  1918,  Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Carmen  Ben- 
son, who  was  born  at  Preston,  Idaho,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  prominent 
old  pioneer  families  of  the  southeastern  section  of  the  state.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
are  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  Mrs.  Smith  spent 
two  years  as  a  missionary  for  the  church  in  the  eastern  states,  with  headquarters  in 
New  York.  She  is  an  accomplished  musician  and  a  lady  of  innate  culture.  The  sterling 
worth  of  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  has  won  for  them  the  esteem  and  respect  of  all 
who  know  them. 


THOMAS  W.  TARR. 

Thomas  W.  Tarr,  owner  of  the  finest  herd  of  thoroughbred  shorthorns  in  Idaho,  is 
living  in  the  Fargo  district  of  Canyon  county,  where  he  has  a  valuable  and  highly 
improved  farm,  although  the  land  was  a  tract  of  raw  sagebrush  when  it  came  into  his 
possession.  It  is  today  the  indication  of  his  life  of  well  directed  energy  and  thrift, 
which  has  brought  him  to  a  position  among  the  leading  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of 
the  northwest.  Mr.  Tarr  is  a  native  of  Lee  county,  Illinois,  and  a  son  of  S.  A.  and  Jane 
(Hallock)  Tarr,  the  former  a  native  of  New  Hampshire,  while  the  latter  was  born  in 
Illinois,  where  they  were  married.  The  father  followed  the  occupation  of  farming 
there  but  at  the  time  of  the  Civil  war  put  aside  all  business  and  personal  considerations 
and  joined  the  army  as  a  defender  of  the  Union.  He  was  wounded  at  Perryville,  Ken- 
tucky, and  then  returned  home  but  never  entirely  recovered  from  his  injuries.  He 
passed  away  in  1914,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  and  is  still  survived  by  his  wife, 
who  has  now  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years.  She  became  the  mother  of 
eight  children:  Rolla;  Frank;  Ralph;  Reuben  and  Rupert,  twins;  Mary;  Thomas  W., 
of  this  review;  and  Lyda. 

Thomas  W.  Tarr  acquired  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Illinois  and  started 
upon  his  business  career  as  bookkeeper  in  the  employ  of  the  M.  Conger  Company,  a  live 
stock  commission  firm  of  Chicago,  with  which  he  remained  for  four  years.  He  then 
removed  to  Iowa  and  for  eight  years  engaged  in  raising  live  stock.  In  1908  he  came 
to  Idaho  and  homesteaded  eighty  acres  where  he  now  resides  in  the  Fargo  district  of 
Canyon  county.  The  land  was  then  a  raw  tract  covered  with  the  native  growth  of 
sagebrush,  but  he  has  brought  it  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Together  with  the  other 
settlers  of  the  district,  he  had  to  wait  three  years  for  water  for  irrigation  purposes, 
but  when  the  irrigation  project  was  put  through  he  successfully  undertook  the  work  of 
general  farming  and  believes  this  to  be  one  of  the  best  corn  districts  in  the  entire 
United  States.  He  also  has  the  finest  herd  of  thoroughbred  shorthorns  in  Idaho,  con- 
sisting now  of  fifty  head,  and  he  was  one  of  the  big  exhibitors  at  the  State  Fair,  where 
he  won  eleven  premiums.  He  brought  a  carload  of  shorthorns  from  Iowa  which 
averaged  eleven  hundred  dollars  per  head,  all  cows  and  heifers.  He  is  perhaps  the 
most  ambitious  stock  raiser  in  the  state  and  he  has  studied  the  question  from  the  scien- 
tific standpoint  as  well  as  from  practical  experience.  The  education  of  his  children 
and  the  raising  of  shorthorn  cattle  are  his  two  chief  interests  in  life.  He  occupies  an 
advanced  position  in  connection  with  the  cattle  raising  industry,  but  his  example  will 
in  time  doubtless  be  followed  by  others  to  their  advantage.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  pure 
white  heifer,  sixteen  months  old,  which  cost  him  twenty-one  hundred  dollars.  She  is 
from  an  imported  heifer  and  bull  and  at  present  weighs  about  fourteen  hundred 
pounds.  He  also  has  a  two-year-old  bull  which  weighs  two  thousand  pounds,  for  which 


MR.  AND  MRS.  THOMAS  W.  TARR 


MISS  MAE  B.  MERCKH 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  747 

he  paid  fifteen  hundred  dollars  and  for  which  he  has  been  offered  three  thousand 
dollars.  His  shorthorns  are  all  registered  stock.  His  highest  priced  cow  was  imported 
from  Scotland  and  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  twenty-nine  hundred  dollars.  Not  only  is 
his  herd  of  shorthorns  the  finest  in  Idaho  but  probably  the  finest- in  all  the  went  He 
is  conducting  this  business  as  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Tarr  A  Mercer,  his  asso- 
ciate in  the  undertaking  being  Miss  Mae  B.  Mercer,  the  sister  of  his  wife  and  the 
owner  of  eighty  acres  adjoining  the  Tarr  farm.  Miss  Mercer  taught  school  in  the 
Homedale  district,  of  which  she  became  principal.  Her  land  was  all  covered  with 
sagebrush  when  she  homesteaded  it  and  she  taught  school  in  order  to  earn  the  money 
with  which  to  develop  the  property.  She  is  considered  one  of  the  best  Judges  of  cattle 
in  the  west  and  is  a  young  woman  of  rare  business  ability  and  enterprise,  actuated  in 
all  that  she  does  by  a  most  progressive  spirit.  She  has  upon  her  farm  eight  hundred 
prune  trees,  which  produced  an  extremely  large  crop  in  the  year  1919. 

On  the  8th  of  August,  1900,  Mr.  Tarr  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Effle  Mercer, 
of  Iowa,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Anna  (Stewart)  Mercer.  Her  father  was  a  member 
of  the  Iowa  legislature  for  two  terms  and  the  last  session  of  the  general  assembly  of 
Iowa  voted  a  memorial  in  his  honor.  He  was  not  only  a  popular  citizen  and  progressive 
statesman  but  a  good  business  man  as  well,  making  wise  investments  and  carefully 
conducting  his  interests,  so  that  at  his  death  he  left  an  estate  that  included  eight  hun- 
dred acres  of  the  best  land  in  Iowa.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tarr  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren :  Lucile  E.,  Seth  P.  and  Grace  A.,  all  of  whom  are  at  home. 

Idaho,  with  its  limitless  opportunities,  has  drawn  many  progressive  and  enter- 
prising men  to  the  state  who  have  contributed  in  various  ways  to  her  development, 
and  prominent  among  these  is  Thomas  W.  Tarr,  whose  progressiveness  has  given  him 
leadership  in  the  field  of  stock  raising.  Moreover,  his  efforts  have  been  of  a  character 
which  have  contributed  to  public  progress  and  prosperity  as  well  as  to  Individual  sue 
cess  and  his  example  is  at  all  times  an  inspiration  to  those  who  know  aught  of  his 
career. 


CHRIS  MELTVEDT. 

Chris  Meltvedt  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  only  since  1917  but  has  forme.!  a  wide 
acquaintance  and  has  become  well  established  as  one  of  the  substantial  and  valued 
citizens  of  the  Boise  bench,  his  home  being  situated  near  Sixth  and  Garden  streets. 
He  was  born  in  Norway,  June  14,  1856,  a  son  of  Knud  and  Ragnild  (Ravnaas)  Melt- 
veldt.  The  father  was  born  in  Norway  in  1828  and  there  spent  his  early  life.  The 
mother  was  born  in  1829  and  they  were  married  In  their  native  country  in  1853.  At- 
tracted by  the  opportunities  of  the  new  world,  Knud  Meltvedt  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  family  in  1866  and  made  his  way  westward  to  Marshall  county.  Iowa, 
where  he  established  his  home  and  engaged  in  farming.  For  twenty  years  he  resided 
in  that  locality  and  was,  as  the  result  of  his  thrift,  economy  and  industry,  enabled  to 
purchase  a  tract  of  land.  At  that*  time  he  removed  from  Marshall  county  to  O'Brien 
county,  where  he  made  investment  in  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  a  mile  east  of 
Paullina.  With  characteristic  industry  he  began  developing  the  property.  Not  a  fur 
row  had  been  turned  nor  an  improvement  made  upon  the  place,  but  soon  the  land 
was  plowed  and  planted,  comfortable  buildings  were  erected  and  all  necessary  Im- 
provements made.  Upon  that  farm  Mr.  Meltvedt  spent  his  remaining  days,  passing 
away  January  1,  1914,  when  well  along  in  the  eighties.  Hfs  wife  survived  until  Sep- 
tember 24,  1917,  and,  like  her  husband,  had  reached  an  advanced  age.  being  eighty- 
eight  years  at  the  time  of  her  demise.  They  had  been  married  more  than  sixty  y«y>» 
Their  son  Chris  now  has  in  his  possession  a  most  Interesting  picture  of  his  mother 
taken  by  her  spinning  wheel  on  the  eighty-eighth  anniversary  of  her  birth.  They  were 
the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom  the  following  are  living:  Chrte.  who  Is  the  only 
one  in  Idaho;  Martha,  now  the  wife  of  Lars  Stangland;  Andrew;  Inger.  the  wife  of 
Ole  Mtdhus;  and  Anna,  the  wife  of  Archibald  Henderson.  With  the  exception  of 
Chris  Meltvedt  all  reside  in  O'Brien  county.  Iowa. 

Chris  Meltvedt  was  a  youth  of  about  ten  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents 
to  the  new  world  and  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  farm  In  Iowa  and  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removals  till  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years.  At  that 
time  he  began  farming  for  himself  in  Marshall  county.  Iowa,  and  not  long  afterward  he 
removed  to  Paullina,  O'Brien  county,  where  he  entered  Into  partnership  with  Theodore 


748  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Wiechner  in  the  ownership  and  conduct  of  a  general  store.  He  was  there  actively  en- 
gaged in  general  merchandising  for  seventeen  years,  establishing  a  substantial  trade 
which  won  for  him  a  gratifying  annual  income.  He  remained  in  the  business  until 
1913,  when  he  retired  from  active  life  and  returned  to  the  homestead  of  his  father 
east  of  Paullina,  owning  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  that  property. 

Mr.  Meltvedt  had  been  making  visits  to  the  Boise  valley  since  1909,  coming  once 
a  year  to  look  after  large  real  estate  and  orchard  interests  which  he  had  acquired  near 
Parma,  in  Canyon  county.  He  had  become  one  of  the  principal  owners  of  a  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  acre  orchard  ranch  near  Parma  and  is  still  owner  of  a  fourth' interest 
in  that  tract,  which,  however,  has  since  been  converted  into  an  alfalfa  ranch.  It  was  in 
the  spring  of  1917  that  he  came,  to  Idaho  to  reside  permanently  and  after  living  for 
two  years  near  Parma  he  removed  to  his  present  home  near  Boise  on  the  bench.  Here 
he  has  an  attractive  home  near  Sixth  and  Garden  streets  and  is  giving  his  attention 
to  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  the  property. 

In  1884  Mr.  Meltvedt  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Susan  Jacobson,-  who  was  born 
in  Norway  in  1867.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven  children:  Vida,  who  is  now  the 
wife  of •  Lewis  Tjossen,  of  Boise;  Silas,  living  at  Sioux  City,  Iowa;  Clair,  a  resident  of 
Fort  Dodge,  Iowa;  Madeline,  a  professional  nurse  who  was  recently  graduated  from  a 
Chicago  hospital;  Christopher,  twenty  years  of  age,  who  is  at  home;  and  Kernel  and 
Etta,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  Kernel  was  married  and  died  at  Pocatello, 
Idaho,  while  removing  from  Iowa  to  Parma,  Idaho.  Just  four  days  later  his  wife 
passed  away,  both  dying  of  influenza.  Their  remains  were  brought  to  Boise  and  in- 
terred on  the  same  day  in  November,  1918.  During  the  second  influenza  epidemic  Etta 
Black  Meltvedt,  who  was  a  nurse,  died  on  the  22d  of  February,  1920.  The  wife  and 
mother  departed  this  life  February  19,  1901,  and  on  the  27th  of  December,  1903,  Mr.  Melt- 
vedt was  married  to  Martha  Moen,  who. was  born  in  Norway,  May  9r  1869,  and  came  to 
the  United  States  with  her  parents  in  1881,  the  family  home  being  established  in  Mar- 
shall county,  Iowa.  The  Meltvedts  were  splendidly  represented  in  the  American  army 
during  the  World  war,  of  which  both  Silas  and  Clair  are  veterans.  Both  saw  service 
in  France,  the  former  with  a  field  hospital  corps  and  the  latter  serving  with  the  rank 
of  sergeant  in  the  trenches,  participating  in  the  Argonne  drive,  in  which  he  was 
severely  gassed. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Lutheran  church  and  Mr.  Meltvedt 
is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  In  politics  he  is  a  progressive 
republican  and  he  stands  at  all  times  for  the  best  interests  of  community,  com- 
monwealth and  country.  He  has  filled  some  local  offices  but  he  prefers  to  concentrate 
his  energies  and  attention  upon  his  business  interests,  and  the  thrift,  energy  and 
progressiveness  which  he  has  displayed  in  this  connection  have  brought  to  him  the 
high  measure  of  success  which  is  now  his. 


MARQUIS  RICHARDSON  LOCKHART. 

Marquis  Richardson  Lockhart,  a  well  known  lawyer  of  Pocatello,  was  born  in  Lex- 
ington, Kentucky,  November  15,  1846.  His  father,  Henry  Lockhart,  was  a  native  of 
County  Armagh,  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  but  his  parents  were  Scots.  Henry  Lockhart 
came  to  America  when  a  young  man,  settling  in  the  Mohawk  valley  of  New  York,  where 
he  remained  for  a  short  time  and  then  removed  to  Kentucky,  where  he  engaged  in  rais- 
ing horses  and  mules.  He  married  Sarah  Richardson,  a  native  of  Clark  county,  Ken- 
tucky, and  her  parents  were  also  natives  of  that  state. 

Marquis  Richardson  Lockhart  was  educated  in  the  State  University  of  Kentucky 
and  following  his  graduation  from  that  institution  entered  the  newspaper  field  and  also 
took  up  the  profession  of  teaching  school.  Later  he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law, 
but  it  was  not  until  after  the  Civil  war  that  he  became  a  representative  of  the  bar.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen  years  he  joined  the  army,  becoming  a  private  in  a  Kentucky  regi- 
ment in  May,  1862,  afid  for  more  than  three  years  he  was  engaged  in  active  duty,  prov- 
ing a  loyal  defender  of  the  cause  which  he  espoused.  When  his  military  aid  was  no 
longer  needed  he  returned  to  his  old  home  at  Lexington  and  began  teaching  school, 
while  later  he  studied  law  and  entered  upon  practice  at  the  Kentucky  bar.  In  1890  he 
was  elected  commonwealth  attorney,  after  which  he  was  appointed  circuit  judge  by  the 
governor,  continuing  in  the  office  for  several  terms. 

Mr.  Lockhart's  connection  with  Pocatello  has  covered  a  comparatively  brief  period. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  749 

He  arrived  in  this  city  in  1915  and  it  is  a  notable  fact  that  within  six  months  he  was 
nominated  for  the  office  of  prosecuting  attorney  and  after  a  hotly  contested  fight  was 
elected.  While  serving  as  commonwealth  attorney  in  Kentucky  he  prosecuted  and 
secured  the  conviction  of  two  dentists.  Walling  and  Jackson,  fur  the  murder  of  a  young 
girl  at  Greencastle,  Indiana.  She  was  tecapltated  and  the  head  never  was  found 
only  clew  to  her  identity  being  her  shoes,  which  were  identified  by  the  merchant  who 
sold  them  to  her. 

In   INTO,  in  Covington,  Kentucky.  Mr.  Lockhart  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  WiNi.n. 
a  native  of  Fleming  county,  thai  state.    They  now  have  two  daughters,  Keba  and  Sally 
The  former  is  teaching  school  in  Kentucky,  while  the  latter  is  with  her  paren 
also  have  a  son,  H.  W.,  who  is  a  resident  of  Pocatello,  where  he  is  now  practicing 
in  partnership  with  his  father. 

Mr.  Lockhart  pased  through  all  the  hardships  and  vicissitudes  of  the  reconstruction 
period  in  the  south  following  the  Civil  war  and  during  that  time  met  with  many  thrill- 
ing experiences,  while  ofttimes  these  were  of  a  sad  nature.  It  was  at  this  period  that 
he  was  starting  upon  his  professional  career  and  in  the  field  of  his  chosen  labor  h«- 
has  made  good.  He  possesses  the  old-time  courtsey  so  characteristic  of  -the  people  of 
the  south  and  his  sterling  worth  and  genial  manner  have  ever  commanded  for  htm  the 
confidence,  high  respect  and  friendship  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  associated. 


W.  H.  McCONNEL. 

W.  H.  McConnel,  making  his  home  in  Caldwell,  was  born  on  his  father's  ranch, 
five  miles  west  of  the  city,  on  the  10th  of  October,  1876.  He  is  a  representative  of  one 
of  the  pioneer  families  of  this  section  of  the  state.  His  father,  Benjamin  C.  McConnel. 
located  on  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  land  in  Canyon  county,  on  which  he 
raised  cattle  and  cut  wild  hay,  for  there  was  no  alfalfa  grown  here  in  those 
days.  His  brothers,  John  and  Dave  McConnel,  were  associated  with  him  in  this 
work  and  they  had  between  five  and  six  hundred  head  of  cattle.  Benjamin  C.  and 
John  McConnel  came  to  Idaho  in  1869,  traveling  by  rail  to  Green  River,  Wyoming,  and 
by  stage  the  remainder  of  the  way.  Dave  McConnel  reached  Idaho  in  the  early  '60s 
and  settled  at  Emmett,  on  the  old  Merve  Gill  place  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
which  he  afterward  sold  and  then  farmed  with  his  brother  Benjamin  following  the 
latter's  arrival  in  Idaho.  Benjamin  C.  McConnel.  after  about  ten  years  in  this  state, 
removed  to  the  mouth  of  the  Boise  river  and  the  brothers  each  then  went  into  business 
independently.  Benjamin  C.  McConnel  bought  the  old  Judson  place,  while  Dave  Mc- 
Connel  purchased  the  Harry  Adamson  ranch.  There  were  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  the  former  tract  and  two  hundred  and  forty  in  the  latter.  Upon  their  re- 
spective places  the  brothers  farmed  and  engaged  in  stock  raising,  while  John  .Mc- 
Connel left  Idaho  for  Colorado,  where  he  passed  away  in  1918,  while  his  wife  and 
daughter  both  died  there  of  influenza  in  1919.  Dave  McConnel  and  his  wife  are  now 
living  in  Boise,  the  former  having  reached  the  age  of  eighty  years,  while  his  wife 
is  but  a  few  years  younger,  and  yet  they  are  enjoying  a  fair  measure  of  health.  Ben- 
jamin C.  McConnel  was  united  in  marriage  to  Elizabeth  Hall,  a  native  of  Iowa,  while 
her  father  was  born  in  Ohio.  They  were  married  in  the  Hawkeye  state  and  one  child, 
William,  was  there  born  to  them,  being  about  three  months  old  when  they  started  for 
Idaho.  As  the  years  passed  other  children  were  added  to  the  family  to  the  number 
of  nine.  William  married  Zenlo  Cole  and  has  one  son,  Arthur,  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  who  joined  the  United  States  navy  and  is  stationed  in  China.  Having  loet  his 
first  wife,  he  married  Ida  Cams.  Charley,  the  second  son  of  the  family,  is  unmarried. 
Harlan  B.  married  Sadie  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Idaho  City,  a  daughter  of  Macum 
and  Sarah  Smith,  who  were  numbered  among  the  pioneers  of  the  state,  locating  at  At- 
lanta,  Idaho,  in  the  early  '60s.  The  next  of  the  family  is  W.  H.,  of  this  review. 
Arthur,  the  fourth  son,  married  Minnie  Kingsbury,  a  daughter  of  W.  S.  Kingsbury. 
one  of  Idaho's  pioneers,  and  they  had  one  child,  Lorin  D.  Arthur  was  a  graduate  of 
Fremont  College  and  for  one  term  was  assessor  of  Boise  county.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1917  he  had  charge  of  the  S.  &  8.  Store  at  New  Meadows.  He  was  also  asso- 
ciated with  his  brother,  W.  H..  in  rattle  raising,  and  at  one  time  they  owned  over  six 
hundred  head.  They  were  also  engaged  in  the  land  business  in  Boise  county.  Roy 
C.  married  Alma  Carlson  and  they  have  two  children.  Carl  and  Vernon.  James  E. 
married  Ida  Wheeler  and  they  have  five  children:  Paul,  Pearl,  Benjamin.  Forrest 


750  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  Idella.  Bessie  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Smith  Gilliam  and  has  one  child,  Velma. 
May  is  the  wife  of  D.  S.  Raymond  and  has  one  child,  Orin. 

Liberal  educational  opportunities  were  accorded  the  members  of  this  family.  W. 
H.  McConnel  and  his  two  brothers,  Charley  and  Harlan,  were  students  in  Heald's 
Business  College  of  San  Francisco,  California,  in  1901  and  1902.  W.  H.  McConnel 
then  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming,  in  which  he  has  since  continued,  and  for  a 
time  he  was  associated  with  his  brother  Arthur  in  cattle  raising  and  they  developed 
their  interests  until  they  were  the  owners  of  a  herd  of  about  six  hundred  head.  They 
were  also  associated  in  real  estate  operations  in  Boise  county,  handling  considerable 
land.  W.  H.  McConnel  still  remains  in  active  connection  with  farming  interests  and 
the  careful  management  of  his  business  affairs  is  bringing  to  him  well  earned  success. 

On  the  21st  of  November,  1906,  W.  H.  McConnel  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Bessie  Vinson,  of  Nebraska,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children,  Harry 
L.  and  Ardis  Bessie.  They  make  their  home  at  No.  1817  Dearborn  street  in  Caldwell 
and  have  many  friends  ^in  the  city,  the  hospitality  of  the  best  homes  being  freely  ac- 
corded them.  The  McConnel  family  passed  through  all  of  the  hardships  of  pioneer 
life.  They  lived  in  this  section  of  the  country  when  there  was  constant  danger  of 
Indian  attack  and  some  of  the  difficulties  which  they  encountered  and  the  hardships 
which  they  endured  are  almost  beyond  belief  as  one  visits  the  highly  developed  region 
today.  The  father  survives,  an  honored  pioneer  settler  of  Idaho,  and  is  now  located 
in  the  Twin  Falls  country.  For  a  half  century  the  name  of  McConnel  has  been  insep- 
arably interwoven  with  the  history  of  Idaho  and  throughout  his  entire  life,  covering  a 
period  of  forty-three  years,  W.  H.  McConnel  has  lived  in  the  state. 


STANLEY  J.  OSIKA. 

Stanley  J.  Osika  is  the  proprietor  and  manager  of  the  Burley  Theatre  and  is 
numbered  among  the  most  alert  and  energetic  young  business  men  of  the  town  of 
Burley.  The  width  of  the  continent  separates  him  from  his  birthplace,  for  he  is  a 
native  son  of  Brooklyn,  New  York.  He  was  born  February  8,  1886,  his  parents,  Peter 
and  Plagnar  Osika.  The  first  twelve  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  his  native  city 
and  he  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  removal  westward,  their  destination  be- 
ing Park  City,  Utah.  He  there  attended  school  and  also  continued  his  studies  in 
Salt  Lake.  He  took  up  the  study  of  music  under  Antone  Peterson,  specializing  in 
harmony  and  the  trombone,  and  he  has  figured  prominently  in  musical  circles  at 
Salt  Air  resorts  and  in  the  Liberty  and  American  theatres  organized  arid  maintained 
at  various  places  throughout  the  country.  In  October,  1914,  he  came  to  Burley,  Idaho, 
where  he  established  a  moving  picture  house  where  the  Blue  Bird  is  now  located.  In 
December,  1917,  he  removed  to  the  Burley  Theatre,  securing  larger  and  more  com- 
modious and  modern  quarters.  He  today  has  one  of  the  finest  moving  picture  houses 
of  Idaho  and  maintains  a  six-piece  orchestra.  He  presents  the  finest  attractions  of 
the  film  world  and  has  a  liberal  patronage,  the  business  having  long  since  reached 
profitable  proportions. 

Mr.  Osika  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Edith  Bellon,  a  daughter  of  August  and 
Mary  Ann  (Nickerson)  Bellon  and  a  native  of  Salina,  Utah.  They  are  parents  of  two 
children,  Ruth  and  Deenece.  The  family  is  well  known  in  the  social  circles  of  Burley 
and  Mr.  Osika  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  representative  business  men  of  the  city. 


CAPTAIN  DANIEL  TIMOTHY  MURPHY. 

Captain  Daniel  Timothy  Murphy,  who  surveyed  and  laid  out  the  townsite 
of  Dubois  and  has  been  prominently  connected  with  the  development  and  up- 
building of  the  town  and  county  throughout  the  intervening  years,  was  born  in 
Ontario,  Canada,  March  16,  1881,  his  parents  being  Eugene  and  Margaret  (Riordan) 
Murphy.  He  attended  the  schools  of  Woodstock,  Ontario,  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years 
and  then  removed  to  the  Mesaba  iron  range  of  Minnesota,  settling  at  Hibbing  and  later 
at  Virginia,  Minnesota,  where  he  was  employed  along  mercantile  lines  by  his  brothers 
for  a  period  of  two  years.  He  afterward  engaged  in  railway  business  and  at  different 
times  was  manager  of  construction  for  three  different  railroads  in  that  state,  including 


CAPTAIN  DANIEL  T.  MURPHY 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  753 

the  Duluth,  Rainy  Lake  *  Winnipeg  Railroad.  He  was  in  Minnesota  from  1898  until 
1910  and  then  returned  to  Canada,  where  he  became  assistant  general  manager  for  the 
Canadian  Northern  Railroad  at  Winnipeg.  Manitoba,  there  remaining  until  1912. 

Captain  Murphy  afterward  engaged  in  the  land  business  in  western  Canada  from 
1912  until  1914  and  in  the  latter  year  removed  to  Idaho.  Here  he  surveyed  and 
established  the  townsite  of  Dubois  and  still  holds  a  portion  of  the  land.  He  to  also 
the  owner  of  several  ranches  and  he  has  other  important  and  extensive  business 
interests,  being  a  partner  in  the  Dubois  Hardware  ft  Implement  Company  and  the 
owner  of  the  Dubois  Engineering  &  Construction  Company. 

In  June,  1909,  Captain  Murphy  was  married  at  London,  Ontario,  to  Miss  Mabel 
Mary  Lyons.  Captain  Murphy  has  always  been  interested  in  the  welfare  and  develop- 
ment of  Idaho  since  becoming  a  resident  of  this  state  and  has  served  as  surveyor  of 
Clark  county.  During  the  war  he  served  with  the  naval  consulting  board  on  scientific 
research  for  two  months  prior  to  America's  entrance  into  the  World  war  and  for 
four  months  subsequent  to  that  time,  particularly  in  connection  with  submarine 
detection  and  artillery.  He  was  chairman  of  the  Clark  County  Defense  Council  for  the 
first  year  of  its  existence  and  until  his  enlistment  in  the  army.  Following  America's 
declaration  of  war  he  Joined  the  United  States  Engineers  and  served  with  the  rank 
of  lieutenant  and  of  captain  during  the  continuation  of  hostilities.  His  wife  was 
chairman  of  the  Ladies'  Council  of  Defense  in  Clark  county  and  she  is  also  actively 
engaged  in  the  management  of  several  enterprises.  Captain  Murphy  is  a  member  of 
the  American  Association  of  Engineers  and  also  a  member  of  the  American  Legion. 
His  life  has  been  one  of  intense  and  well  directed  activity,  characterized  by  consecutive 
progress,  while  each  forward  step  has  brought  him  a  broader  outlook  and  wider 
opportunities  that  he  has  readily  and  successfully  utilized. 


NICHOLAS   JOHN   BROWN. 

Nicholas  John  Brown,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  on  the  Boise  bench,  came  to 
Boise  in  1878  and  has  therefore  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  for  more  than  forty  years. 
He  was  born  in  Sweden,  October  24,  1847,  and  when  a  lad  of  but  fourteen  years 
became  an  apprenticed  seaman.  He  sailed  the  seas  for  several  years  on  waters  adja- 
cent to  Sweden  and  later  became  a  sailor  on  the  Great  Lakes  of  North  America.  He 
was  nineteen  years  of  age  when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  the  United  States  in  1866 
and  for  two  or  three  years  he  sailed  on  the  lakes,  after  which  he  removed  to  the 
northwest  and  for  many  years  gave  his  attention  to  mining  pursuits  in  Montana. 
Wyoming  and  Colorado  and  finally  came  to  Idaho.  Here  he  was  also  engaged  in 
mining  for  a  number  of  years  but  eventually  turned  his  attention  to  other  -interests 
and  for  the  past  twenty  years  has  lived  on  a  good  eighty-acre  farm  two  and  a  half 
miles  south  of  Boise.  This  is  a  desirable  property  on  which  he  is  engaged  in  the 
raising  of  alfalfa  and  cattle,  and  the  careful  management  of  his  business  affairs 
is  bringing  to  him  substantial  success.  His  farm  was  covered  with  sagebrush  when 
it  came  into  his  possession  and  not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  upon  the  place,  but 
with  persistent  purpose  he  has  carried  forward  the  work  of  improvement  and  he 
has  a  perpetual  water  right,  which  cost  him  five  thousand  dollars.  His  land,  thus 
well  irrigated,  returns  to  him  splendid  crops. 

After  coming  to  the  new  world  Mr.  Brown  took  out  his  American  citizenship 
papers.  In  politics  he  has  maintained  an  independent  course,  voting  for  the  man 
whom  he  regards  as  best  qualified  for  office.  Fraternally  he  is  an  Elk  and  his  relig- 
ious faith  is  that  of  the  Lutheran  church.  A  man  of  high  principles  and  manly  traits 
of  character,  he  is  everywhere  respected  and  esteemed  for  his  sterling  qualities. 


CHARLES  R.  HANAN. 

Charles  R.  Hanan,  founder  and  owner  of  the  National  Creditors  Association  of 
Boise,  with  offices  in  the  Sonna  block,  was  born  in  Spokane  county,  Washington.  May 
19,  1885.  His  father,  Archie  W.  Hanan.  was  born  at  Albany,  Oregon,  in  1861  and  passed 
away  in  Pendleton,  that  state,  in  1913,  having  devoted  his  life  to  the  occupation  of 
farming.  He  married  Eudora  Jeannette  Keech  who  was  born  in  Boise,  Idaho,  March 

Vol.  HI— 48 


754  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

11,  1870.  She  is  still  living  and  is  now  a  professional  nurse  in  Seattle.  She  was 
married  when  but  thirteen  years  of  age  and  was  only  fifteen  years  of  age  at  the  birth 
of  her  son  Charles.  Her  father  was  Henry  P.  Keech,  who  lived  in  Boise  for  a  time 
before  removing  to  Oregon.  He  was  born,  however,  in  the  state  of  New  York  and 
was  a  ship  carpenter  by  trade. 

Charles  R.  Hanan  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  state  of  Washington  and  in 
1909  came  to  Boise,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  business,  mainly  concentrat- 
ing his  efforts  and  attention  upon  real  estate  and  insurance.  Since  1917  he  has  been 
the  owner  of  the  National  Creditors  Association,  with  offices  in  the  Sonna  block.  He 
organized  this  concern  in  1917  and  it  has  since  been  one  of  the  leading  collection 
agencies  of  Boise. 

On  the  18th  of  August,  1910,  In  Boise,  Mr.  Hanan  was  married  to  Miss  Neoma  A. 
Ruhl,  who  was  born  in  Texas  and  is  an  adopted  daughter  of  John  A.  and  Emily 
(Persons)  Ruhl,  formerly  of  Boise  but  now  residents  of  Hill  city,  Camas  county.  Mr. 
Ruhl  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  while  his  wife's  birth  occurred  in  New  York  in  1863. 
and  they  were  married  in  Clay  county,  Kansas,  in  1882,  coming  to  Idaho  in  1903. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanan  are  members  of  the  American  Yeomen  and  he  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World, 
while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah.  He  is  now  deputy  in  the 
Yeoman  lodge  and  is  a  past  foreman  of  that  order.  His  political  support  is  given  to 
the  republican  party,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  have  never  had  at- 
traction for  him.  He  has  recently  purchased  a  neighboring  tract  on  the  Boise  bench 
and  erected  on  it  a  handsome  modern  bungalow  which  he  and  his  wife  now  occupy,  it 
being  one  of  the  pleasing  suburban  homes  of  the  locality.  Mr.  Hanan  for  several  years 
past  has  been  engaged  in  the  raising  of  pure  bred  Ancona  chickens,  and  having  removed 
to  the  bench,  where  he  has  much  space,  he  intends  to  broaden  his  activities  along  this 
line,  making  this  not  merely  a  side  issue  but  an  important  branch  of  his  business 
activities. 


WARREN  G.  SWENDSEN. 

Warren  G.  Swendsen,  recently  retired  from  the  position  of  state  engineer  of  Idaho,  is 
now  commissioner  of  reclamation,  to  which  office  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  D.  W. 
Davis  in  the  spring  of  1919.  He  was  born  upon  a  ranch  in  the  Cache  valley  of  Cache 
county,  Utah,  July  26,  1878,  his  parents  being  Lewis  P.  and  Ellen  M.  (Gibbs)  Swendsen. 
On  the  paternal  side  he  is  of  Danish  lineage  and  on  the  maternal  side  comes  of  English 
and  Welsh  ancestry.  The  father  was  born  on  the  island  of  Bornholm  in  the  Baltic  sea, 
a  possession  of  Denmark.  When  a  child  he  was  brought  to  the  United  States  by  relatives. 
His  parents,  however,  died  in  Denmark.  He  spent  most  of  his  mature  life  in  Utah  and 
Idaho,  where  he  devoted  his  attention  to  the  occupation  of  farming.  He  was  married  in 
Utah  to  Miss  Ellen  M.  Gibbs,  who  survives,  but  the  father  passed  away  in  Utah  several 
years  ago,  having  returned  to  that  state  from  Idaho. 

Warren  G.  Swendsen  was  reared  and  educated  in  Utah,  completing  a  course  in  the- 
Utah  Agricultural  College  at  Logan  in  1903,  while  later  he  completed  a  course  in  civil 
and  hydraulic  engineering.  He  at  once  entered  the  United  States  reclamation  service 
and  was  thus  employed  until  1906,  his  duties  taking  him  to  Idaho,  Utah,  Wyoming  and 
Colorado.  From  1906  until  1909  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Telluride  Power  Com- 
pany, with  headquarters  at  Provo,  Utah.  He  served  in  the  capacity  of  hydro-electric 
engineer.  In  1909  he  established  himself  in  business  in  Boise  as  a  civil  engineer  and 
in  1916  also  opened  an  office  in  Pocatello,  Idaho.  Since  1909  he  has  continuously  fol- 
lowed his  profession  in  Idaho,  Utah,  Oregon,  Washington,  Montana,  California,  Nevada 
and  Louisiana  and  within  this  period  has  been  identified  with  various  important  cor- 
porations as  a  civil  engineer.  During  recent  years,  or  since  1915,  he  has  been  in  charge 
of  practically  all  of  the  engineering  work  of  the  Idaho  Public  Utilities  Commission. 
He  was  appointed  to  the  position  of  state  engineer  of  Idaho  on  the  12th  of  March,  1919. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers  and  also  of  the  National 
Geographic  Society. 

In  Boise  on  the  13th  of  July,  1912,  Mr.  Swendsen  was  married  to  Miss  Birdie  Tay- 
lor, a  native  of  Seward,  Nebraska,  but  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  a  resident  of  Boise. 
They  are  well  known  in  the  capital  city,  where  they  have  many  friends.  Mr.  Swendsen 
is  a  prominent  Mason,  having  attained  the  Knights  Templar  degree  of  the  York  Rite, 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  756 

and  taken  the  degree  known  as  the  Red  Cross  of  Constantine,  while  with  the  Nobles  of 
the  Mystic  Shrine  he  has  also  crossed  the  sands  of  the  desert.  He  is  likewise  an  Elk. 
He  turns  to  fishing  for  recreation  and  greatly  enjoys  a  period  in  the  open  with  rod 
and  reel,  but  he  never  allows  anything  to  interfere  with  the  faithful  performance  of  his 
professional  and  official  duties,  and  through  the  development  of  his  native  powers  he 
has  become  recognized  as  a  civil  engineer  of  marked  capability. 


CLEM  L.  COX. 

Clem  L.  Cox,  a  rancher  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise,  was  born  in  Poweshiek 
county.  Iowa,  January  19,  1872.  and  is  a  son  of  Christopher  and  Mary  (Rosecrans) 
Cox.  The  father  is  now  deceased  while  the  mother  resides  in  Nebraska,  to  which  state 
the  family  removed  in  1888. 

Clem  L.  Cox  was  a  youth  of  nineteen  years  at  the  time  he  became  a  resident  of 
Nebraska,  where  he  afterward  followed  farming  for  an  extended  period.  He  was  mar- 
ried at  Clear  Lake,  South  Dakota,  November  11,  1903.  to  Miss  Zaidee  Murphy,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  that  state  January  28,  1888,  her  parents  being  John  G.  and  Esther 
(Edge)  Murphy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cox  began  their  domestic  life  in  Nebraska,  where  they 
lived  until  1912  and  then  came  to  Idaho,  where  they  have  since  made  their  home. 
They  have  become  the  parents  of  three  children:  Mary  Ethel,  who  was  born  July  4. 
1905;  William  Albert,  whose  birth  occurred  May  30,  1910;  and  Margaret  Esther,  whose 
natal  day  was  November  29,  1911. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cox  are  members  of  the  Methodist  church.  He  is  fond  of  hunt- 
ing and  fishing  and  his  hobby  is  photography,  in  which  he  has  developed  a  high  de- 
gree of  skill,  particularly  in  scenic  or  outdoor  photography,  in  which  he  indulges 
himself  purely  for  pleasure  with  no  thought  of  profit  or  gain.  On  his  hunting  and  his 
touring  trips  he  has  invariably  carried  his  camera,  in  the  operation  of  which  he  is 
an  expert,  as  his  work  plainly  shows.  He  possesses  a  large  morocco-bound  album  con- 
taining a  collection  of  his  photographs,  made  largely  in  California,  and  thus  he  has 
with  him  always  a  visual  reminder  of  the  pleasures  that  he  has  had  and  the  beauties 
that  he  has  seen.  At  Boise  he  gives  his  attention  to  his  valuable  little  ranch  property, 
on  which  he  resides,  and  in  addition  he  has  two  other  ranches  in  Ada  county  much 
larger  than  his  home  place  and  from  which  he  derives  a  substantial  annual  income. 


SERAPHIN  DE  CLOEDT. 

Seraphin  De  Cloedt,  a  native  of  Belgium,  became  one  of  the  early  residents  of  Boise 
and  Ada  county.  He  was  born  in  that  little  country  whose  tragic  history  has  so  recently 
awakened  the  sympathy  of  the  entire  world.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Quebec.  Can- 
ada, when  twenty-two  years  of  age  and  soon  afterward  came  to  the  United  States. 
For  three  or  four  years  he  was  a  resident  of  Colorado  and  then  removed  to  Boise, 
Idaho,  where  he  took  up  his  abode  about  1885.  Here  he  secured  a  one  hundred  and 
sixty-acre  homestead  on  the  bench  west  of  Boise,  about  a  mile  north  of  the  Cole  school. 
He  located  on  this  property  and  improved  it  and  as  the  years  passed,  owing  to  his 
cultivation  and  the  natural  rise  in  property  values  due  to  the  rapid  settlement  of  the 
district,  the  land  is  today  worth  from  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  dollars  per  acre. 
It  has  since  been  converted  into  what  is  known  as  Ash  Park  and  has  many  nice  homes 
upon  it,  each  surrounded  by  five  or  ten-acre  tracts  of  ground. 

It  was  after  taking  up  his  abode  upon  the  homestead  that  Mr.  De  Cloedt  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Maria  Theresa  Coran,  a  young  lady  of  Belgium,  who  was  born 
near  the  birthplace  of  her  husband.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  De  Cloedt  resided  for  many  years 
upon  the  old  homestead  and  four  of  their  children  were  born  there.  These  are:  Alice 
Marie.  Jiow  the  wife  of  Albert  De  Witte.  living  south  of  Meridian;  and  Cora,  Edgar  L. 
and  Oscar  D.,  who  are  residing  on  a  ranch  five  miles  west  of  Boise  near  the  Valley 
View  school.  The  father  finally  sold  the  homestead  west  of  Boise  and  afterward  took 
up  his  abode  upon  a  ranch  near  the  Valley  View  school,  where  his  children  now  make 
their  home.  His  first  wife,  the  mother  of  his  four  eldest  children,  died  in  1904.  He 
later  married  again  and  there  were  two  children  of  that  marriage,  Laurina  and  George, 
aged  respectively  fourteen  and  twelve  years. 


756  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

The  De  Cloedt  family  are  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith.  Mr.  De  Cloedt  has  often 
visited  Belgium  and  his  children  have  also  seen  the  land  of  his  birth.  In  fact  they  have 
remained  there  some  times  for  long  periods  and  were  partially  educated  in  Belgium  but 
are  all  native  American  citizens,  their  interest  centering  in  the  land  of  their  birth. 
The  eldest  son,  Edgar  De  Cloedt,  was  at  Camp  Lewis  when  the  armistice  was  signed. 


HON.  CLARENCE  VAN  DEUSEN. 

On  the  roster  of  public  officials  of  Idaho  appears  the  name  of  Clarence  Van  Deusen, 
who  in  1916  was  elected  to  the  position  of  state  auditor.  He  has  made  his  home  in 
Boise  since  1910  and  for  two  years  previous  to  that  date  had  resided  in  Idaho,  coming 
to  this. state  from  Massachusetts,  although  he  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  His  birth  occurred 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  January  30,  1869,  and  in  the  paternal  line  he  is  of  Holland  Dutch 
descent,  his  ancestors  having  come  from  Holland  about  two  hundred  and  seventy  years 
ago,  or  in  1648,  at  which  time  they  made  settlement  in  western  Massachusetts. 

Clarence  Van  Deusen  was  but  three  months  old  when  he  went  to  Massachusetts 
with  his  mother  to  live  with  her  parents.  She,  too,  was  of  Holland  Dutch  lineage.  He 
spent  forty  years  in  Massachusetts.  His  boyhood,  youth  and  early  manhood  were 
passed  at  Westfield,  that  state,  a  place  which  is.  a  great  whip  manufacturing  center, 
making  about  ninety-eight  per  cent  of  the  total  production  of  whips  in  the  entire 
country.  His  grandfather,  Merritt  Van  Deusen,  together  with  three  of  his  brothers  of 
Westfield,  were  the  largest  manufacturers  of  whips  in  the  United  States.  Clarence 
Van  Deusen  attended  the  public  schools  of  Westfield  to  the  age  of  eleven  years,  when 
ill  health  forced  him  to  put  aside  his  textbooks  and  soon  afterward  he  secured  a  posi- 
tion as  a  clerk  in  the  Westfield  postoffice.  He  was  there  employed  from  1881  until 
1884  and  through  the  succeeding  six  years  occupied  a  position  in  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Westfield,  acting  as  clerk  and  as  bookkeeper.  From  1890  until  1901  he  oc- 
cupied the  position  of  bookkeeper  with  various  concerns  of  Westfield  and  of  Spring- 
field, Massachusetts,  and  in  1901  he  started  upon  his  career  as  an  expert  accountant 
and  as  a  scientific ,  designer  of  modern  bookkeeping  methods  in  Springfield.  His  at- 
tention has  since  been  given  to  this  profession. 

Seeking  the  opportunities  of  the  west,  Mr.  Van  Deusen  came  to  Idaho  in  190S 
and  spent  two  years  at  Gooding.  On  the  31st  of  October,  1910,  he  arrived  in  Boise, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  following  his  profession  independently  until  the 
fall  of  1916,  when  he  was  elected  state  auditor  on  the  democratic  ticket.  He  had  been 
a  candidate  for  the  same  position  in  1914  on  the  progressive  ticket  but  was  defeated, 
although  he  ran  seven  thousand  votes  ahead  of  the  rest  of  the  ticket.  In  1916  he  v.  as 
elected  by  a  good  majority.  He  took  the  office  on  the  1st  of  January,  1917,  and  conducted 
its  affairs  on  a  strictly  business  basis,  employing  the  most  thoroughly  tip-to-date 
bookkeeping  methods,  of  which  he  has  been  a  promoter  for  several  years.  He  has  been 
the  first  accountant  ever  chosen  to  occupy  this  position  and  the  work  which  he  did 
in  this  connection  was  highly  satisfactory  to  the  public.  He  was  recognized  as  an  ex- 
pert in  his  line  and  splendidly  qualified  to  undertake  the  important  duties  of  the  office. 


CAPTAIN  HOWARD  J.  BRACE. 

Captain  Howard  J.  Brace,  director  of  insurance  for  the  state  of  Idaho,  was 
appointed  to  this  position  by  Governor  D.  W.  Davis  on  the  18th  of  October,  1919,  as  the 
successor  of  W.  R.  Hyatt,  and  is  making  a  creditable  record  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties  in  this  position.  Captain  Brace  was  born  near  the  city  of  Detroit,  Michigan, 
July  1,  1892,  and  is  the  only  living  son  of  Cyrus  F.  Brace,  who  is  now  engaged  in  the 
oil  business  in  Texas.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden-  name  of  Anna  McCracken, 
passed  away  in  1909.  When  Howard  J.  Brace  was  but  six  years  of  age  his  parents 
removed  to  Colorado  and  there  his  father  engaged  in  mining  pursuits  for  many  years. 

The  son  was  reared  and  educated  in  that  state  and  in  his  youthful  days  worked 
in  the  mines  near  Leadville.  He  was  also  engaged  in  various  other  pursuits 
in  connection  with  public  work.  In  1911  he  came  to  Idaho,  being  then  a  youth  of 
only  nineteen  years,  and  yet  already  he  had  spent  several  years  in  earning  his  own 
living.  For  a  period  of  five  years  he  resided  at  Idaho  Falls,  where  he  engaged  in 


CAPTAIN  HOWARD  J.  BRACE 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  759 

the  fire  insurance  business.  In  1916  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  Second  Idaho 
Infantry  for  service  on  the  Mexican  border  and  spent  a  number  of  months  there, 
during  which  time  he  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  sergeant  major.  When  the  United 
States  entered  the  war  with  Germany  he  was  at  Idaho  Falls  but  subject  to  call  as  a 
member  of  the  Second  Idaho  Regiment.  He  at  once  went  as  a  volunteer  to  the 
Presidio  at  San  Francisco  and  there  pursued  the  officers'  training  course,  upon  the 
completion  of  which  he  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant  of  United  States  Infantry. 
He  was  steadily  in  military  service  from  1916  until  May  22,  1919.  and  during  the 
last  seventeen  months  of  that  period  was  on  duty  in  France,  where  he  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  captain.  He  took  part  in  a  number  of  the  major  military  operations, 
including  the  Champagne-Marne  defensive  from  the  15th  to  the  18tb  of  July,  1918; 
the  second  battle  of  the  Marne.  from  the  8th  of  July  until  the  13th  of  August;  the 
St.  Mihiel  offensive,  from  the  12th  to  the  17th  of  September;  and  the  Meuse-Argonne 
offensive,  from  the  26th  of  September  until  the  llth  of  November,  1918. 

Upon  receiving  his  final  discharge  at  Camp  Lewis,  Captain  Brace  came  to  Boise  as 
chief  clerk  in  the  Idaho  state  highways  department  and  served  as  such  until  October 
18,  1919,  when  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  position  as  director  of  insurance  for 
the  state  of  Idaho  by  Governor  D.  W.  Davis.  He  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the 
youngest  state  official  in  Idaho  and  the  youngest  insurance  commissioner  in  the 
United  States. 

Captain  Brace  was  married  on  the  20th  of  November,  1917,  to  Miss  Ruby  Keefer, 
who  was  born  at  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho,  a  daughter  of  William  W.  Keefer,  a  well  known 
citizen  of  that  place.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  and  is  a  past  master 
of  his  lodge.  His  life  experiences  have  been  many  because  of  his  active  military 
duty  on  the  Mexican  border  and  in  some  of  the  most  hotly  contested  sectors  of  the 
battle  line  in  France.  Such  experiences  bring  to  most  men  a  true  valuation  of  life's 
opportunities,  and  Captain  Brace  is  proving  just  as  capable  and  loyal  as  insurance 
director  of  Idaho  as  he  did  when  occupying  the  trenches  or  resolutely  pushing  his 
way  toward  the  enemy  in  the  face  of  galling  fire  in  the  Argonne  forest. 


HOWARD  SEBREE. 

Howard  Sebree,  although  now  nearly  eighty-five  years  of  age,  still  remains  an 
active"  factor  in  the  world's  work  through  his  investments  and  the  supervision  which  he 
gives  to  business  interests.  He  has  to  some  degree  put  aside  the  more  arduous  labors 
but  the  influence  of  his  judgment  is  still  felt  in  business  circles.  For  many  years  he 
has  been  actively  identified  with  the  development  of  the  west  and  since  1888  has  made 
his  home  in  Caldwell.  Through  the  intervening  period  he  has  been  identified  with 
banking,  merchandising  and  the  development  of  irrigation  projects  and  the  worth  of 
his  labors  can  scarcely  be  overestimated. 

Mr.  Sebree  is  a  native  of  Owen  county,  Kentucky,  and  is  a  son  of  Nimrod  B.  and 
Permelia  Sebree.  His  ancestors  in  the  paternal  line  were  Huguenots,  who  came  to 
America  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  mother  was  descended  from 
Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  her  grandfather  coming  to  the  new  world  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nimrod  B.  Sebree  had  a  family  of  thirteen  children, 
eight  sons  and  five  daughters,  all  born  in  the  same  house  in  which  their  parents  had 
spent  their  honeymoon  and  in  which  they  reached  the  advanced  ages  of  seventy  and 
eighty  years  respectively. 

Howard  Sebree  acquired  a  common  school  education  and  in  the  year  1855  started 
west,  going  to  Indiana  and  Illinois,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  of  blacksmithing,  at 
which  he  served  an  apprenticeship  during  the  years  1855  and  1856  in  Louisville,  Ken- 
tucky. In  1857  he  went  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  living  there  during  the  period  when 
the  pro-slavery  advocates  and  the  supporters  of  the  free  states  were  struggling  for 
possession  of  Kansas.  He  established  a  blacksmith  shop  in  Leavenworth  and  continued 
in  business  there  until  1861.  He  then  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  and  later  to  Black- 
hawk,*  that  state  and  was  in  business  in  those  places  until  1867,  when  he  removed  to 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming.  He  had  disposed  of  his  business  in  Blackhawk  some  time  prior  to 
his  removal  but  continued  blacksmithing  at  Denver  until  he  became  a  resident  of 
Wyoming.  In  Cheyenne  he  became  an  active  factor  in  business  circles,  carrying  on 
wagon  making,  agricultural  pursuits  and  freighting.  He  followed  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  on  its  way  toward  Salt  Lake  City  and  there  finally  established  himself  again 


760  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

in  business  in  1872.  He  had  previously  visited  Salt  Lake  in  1870  to  look  over  the 
country  and  upon  deciding  to  settle  there  he  accepted  the  agency  for  various  imple- 
ment houses  of  the  east,  his  sales  covering  the  territories  of  Utah,  Idaho  and  Montana. 
As  the  years  passed  he  developed  his  business  affairs  along  progressive  and  growing 
lines,  leading  to  a  continued  success.  In  the  year  of  his  removal  to  Utah  he  went  not 
only  to  Salt  Lake  but  to  Ogden  and  Corinne,  although  making  his  home  in  the  capital 
city. 

There  he  continued  until  1888,  when  he  closed  out  his  business  interests  and  soon 
afterward  removed  with  his  family  to  Caldwell,  Idaho.  Here  he  became  associated 
with  B.  V.  White  in  the  organization  of  the  Stock  Growers  &  Traders  Bank,  which  two 
years  later  was  reorganized  into  the  First  National  Bank  of  Caldwell,  Mr.  Sebree  be- 
coming the  president,  with  Mr.  White  as  vice  president.  He  remained  the  active  head 
of  the  institution  for  about  seventeen  years,  or  until  1905,  when  he  sold  his  interest 
in  the  bank.  His  activities  in  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  the 
state  through  his  business  operations  have  covered  a  wide  scope.  Soon  after  his  ar- 
rival in  Caldwell  he  built  what  is  now  known  as  the  Sebree  ditch,  which  supplies  water, 
taken  from  the  Boise  river,  to  thousands  of  acres  of  the  most  fertile  land  in  any  section 
of  the  west.  Even  before  becoming  a  resident  of  Caldwell,  Mr.  Sebree  had  become  as- 
sociated with  B.  F.  White  and  Fred  J.  Kesiel  under  different  partnership  connections 
in  the  establishment  of  a  chain  of  stores,  the  locations  of  which  followed  the  Utah 
Northern  Railroad  into  Montana  and  the  Oregon  Short  Line  into  Idaho.  At  Dillon, 
Montana,  he  purchased  the  land  on  which  the  present  town  stands,  divided  the  tract 
into  lots  and  started  the  town.  There,  in  connection  with  Mr.  White,  he  organized  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Dillon  and  remained  interested  in  the  business  affairs  of  the 
city  until  1910,  when  he  closed  out  his  holdings  there.  He  has  been  more  or  less  active 
in  business  circles  since  that  time  although  he  has  now  almost  reached  the  age  of 
eighty-five.  However,  he  is  not  leading  as  strenuous  a  life  as  he  did  in  former  years, 
but  the  soundness  of  his  judgment  in  business  affairs  is  recognized  by  his  colleagues 
and  contemporaries.  In  1870,  at  Greeley,  Colorado,  he  built  the  first  irrigation  canal  in 
that  section,  a  ditch  thirteen  miles  in  length,  the  work  being  done  at  the  time  the 
Greeley  colony  was  established  there. 

At  Paris  Illinois,  on  the  16th  of  September,  1858,  Mr.  Sebree  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Lucinda  Ellen  Bell,  a  daughter  of  John  G.  Bell.  She  passed  away  September 
7,  1918,  leaving  four  children,  while  Edward,  the  third  son  of  the  family,  had  previously 
departed  this  life.  The  others  are:  Charles  H.,  William  E.,  Walter  R.,  and  Ralph  V. 

In  politics  Mr.  Sebree  has  long  been  a  stalwart  democrat  and  he  was  a  member 
of  the  first  legislature  of  Wyoming  in  1869  and  was  a  supporter  of  the  woman's  suf- 
frage bill  which  was  brought  up  during  the  session,  Wyoming  being  the  first  state  to 
vote  upon  this  measure.  Mr.  Sebree  belongs  to  the  Baptist  church  and  has  been  a 
life  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  these  associations  are  indicated  the  rules 
which  govern  his  conduct  and  shape  his  relations  with  his  fellowmen.  He  has  never 
deviated  from  a  course  which  he  has  believed  to  be  right  between  himself  and  others, 
and  the  integrity  as  well  as  the  enterprise  of  his  business  methods  has  been  one  of 
the  strong  elements  in  winning  him  success  and  gaining  for  him  the  honored  name 
which  he  now  bears.  He  has  indeed  made  valuable  contribution  to  the  development 
of  the  west  through  his  merchandising,  through  his  irrigation  projects  and  through  his 
banking  interests. 


YSIDRO  MADARIETA. 

Ysidro  Madarieta,  a  successful  member  of  the  Basque  colony  of  Boise,  connected 
with  the  sheep  industry,  resides  at  No.  413  South  Fifth  street  in  the  capital  city.  On 
leaving  Spain  he  came  direct  to  Boise  in  1901  and  has  since  been  identified  with  the 
sheep  raising  interests  of  the  northwest,  first  as  a  herder  and  later  as  owner. 

Mr.  Madarieta  was  born  April  20,  1882,  in  Spain,  and  there  resided  until  nineteen 
years  of  age,  when,  like  many  other  of  the  citizens  of  the  Basque  district  of  Spain, 
he  resolved  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new  world  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  Idaho 
as  his  destination.  Reaching  Boise  in  1901,  he  secured  employment  as  a  sheep  herder 
and  worked  in  that  way  for  a  number  of  years  or  until  his  labors  had  brought  him 
sufficient  capital  to  enable  him  to  engage  in  raising  sheep  on  his  own  account.  For 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  761 

the  past  twelve  years  or  more  he  has  followed  the  business  and  is  now  in  partnership 
with  Antene  Ocamica,  with  whom  he  owns  about  four  thousand  ewes. 

On  the  26th  of  June,  1910,  in  Boise,  Mr.  Madarieta  was  married  to  Miss  Ysidora 
Osa,  who  was  born  in  Spain  and  came  to  the  United  States  about  six  months  prior  to 
her  marriage,  at  which  time  she  settled  in  Boise.  Four  children  have  been  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Madarieta:  Susanna,  whose  birth  occurred  August  11,  1912;  Louis,  born 
July  29,  1914;  Rejina,  born  October  3,  1916;  and  Margarita,  January  20,  1919.  The 
religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  the  parents  belong- 
ing to  the  Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd. 


ROBERT  S.  STORY. 

Robert  S.  Story,  filling  the  position  of  postmaster  at  Burley,  was  born  at  Paris, 
Monroe  county,  Missouri,  September  5,  1867,  and  is  a  son  of  Silas  B.  and  Prances  (Rush) 
Story.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent  in  Missouri  and  there  he  pursued  a  common  school 
education,  after  which  he  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming,  following  the  work  of  the 
fields  until  1904.  He  then  removed  to  Albion.  Cassia  county,  Idaho,  wishing  to  devote 
his  attention  to  other  pursuits  than  farm  work.  Here  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business, 
conducting  a  store  for  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  took  up  his  trade  of  car- 
pentering and  followed  that  pursuit  for  five  years  in  connection  with  the  building  of 
the  State  Normal  School.  In  1913  he  removed  to  Burley,  where  he  started  in  business 
as  a  carpenter  and  contractor  and  was  thus  engaged  until  the  month  of  July,  1913, 
when  he  was  made  postmaster  of  the  town  and  has  since  occupied  the  position.  He 
is  very  systematic  in  the  management  of  the  office  and  the  care  of  the  malls  and  is 
always  courteous  and  obliging  to  the  patrons  of  the  office,  so  that  he  is  a  popular  poet- 
master.  In  addition  to  discharging  his  official  duties  he  engages  to  some  extent  in 
the  real  estate  business  and  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  property  that  is  upon  the 
market. 

In  October,  1912,  Mr.  Story  wps  married  to  Miss  Nellie  Anderson,  a  native  of  Moore, 
Idaho,  and  a  daughter  of  A.  N.  Anderson,  who  is  a  well  known  rancher  and  cattle  man. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Story  have  two  children,  Ruth  G.  and  Fred  L. 

Politically  Mr.  Story  is  a  democrat  and  he  is  also  an  exemplary  follower  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  He  has  always  lived  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  is  possessed  of 
the  spirit  of  enterprise  and  progress  which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in  the  upbuild- 
ing of  this  great  western  empire. 


HON.  GUY  GRAHAM. 

Attracted  by  the  opportunities  of  the  northwest,  Guy  Graham  came  to  Idaho  in 
1904  and  has  since  been  identified  with  fruit  raising  interests  in  the  state.  In  1915 
he  was  called  to  his  present  position — that  of  state  horticultural  inspector,  with  offices 
in  Boise,  his  appointment  indicating  the  reputation  which  he  had  won  as  an  expert  on 
all  matters  pertaining  to  fruit  raising  in  Idaho. 

Mr.  Graham  is  a  native  of  Missouri.  He  was  born  in  Centerview,  Johnson  county, 
on  the  3d  of  February,  1877.  His  father,  Robert  Barnett  Graham,  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation who  spent  his  entire  life  in  Johnson  county,  Missouri,  save  during  the  period 
of  the  Civil  war,  when  his  patriotic  spirit  prompted  his  enlistment  as  a  member  of  the 
Union  army  and  he  went  to  the  defense  of  the  stars  and  stripes.  He  passed  away  on  the 
2d  of  February,  1915,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  and  is  now  survived  by  his  wife 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy  J.  King  and  was  also 
born  in  Johnson  county,  Missouri,  where  her  entire  life  has  been  passed.  They  were 
married  in  1866  and  reared  a  family  of  nine  children,  seven  sons  and  two  daughters, 
of  whom  Guy  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth. 

The  youthful  experiences  of  Guy  Graham  were  those  of  the  farm-bred  boy  who 
divides  his  time  between  the  acquirement  of  an  education  and  the  work  of  the  fields. 
After  attending  the  public  schools  he  continued  his  studies  in  the  State  Normal 
School  and  also  in  the  Missouri  State  University  at  Columbia  and  was  thus  thoroughly 
trained  for  life's  practical  and  responsible  duties.  In  1904  he  came  to  Idaho  and  pur- 
chased a  fruit  ranch  in  Payette  county,  upon  which  he  took  up  his  abode.  He  devoted 


762  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

his  attention  to  fruit  raising,  making  a  specialty  of  apples,  until  the  spring  of  1915, 
when  he  was  appointed  horticultural  inspector  of  the  state  of  Idaho  by  the  state  board 
of  horticulture  and  removed  to  Boise.  He  is  also  a  member  and  the  vice  president  of 
the  state  board  of  agriculture.  Ever  since  coming  to  Idaho  he  has  taken  an  active  in- 
terest in  all  matters  relating  to  agricultural  and  horticultural  development.  His  fruit 
farm  is  located  near  Fruitland,  in  Payette  county,  which  is  the  largest  apple  producing 
section  of  the  state,  and  no  finer  fruit  is  raised  anywhere  in  the  country  than  is  to  be 
found  in  that  locality.  Mr.  Graham  has  closely  studied  every  question  relating  to  fruit 
raising,  the  condition  and  needs  of  the  soil,  the  best  methods  of  protecting  the  trees 
and  everything  that  has  to  do  with  the  propagation  of  fine  fruit. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  1904,  Mr.  Graham  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  0.  Shipp. 
also  a  native  of  Johnson  county,  Missouri,  and  they  have  six  children,  five  sons  and 
a  daughter,  namely:  Guy,  Jr.,  William,  Gladys,  Eugene,  Jack  and  Donald.  The  family 
home  is  still  maintained  in  Payette  county. 

Mr.  Graham  has  an  interesting  military  record,  for  during  the  Spanish-American 
war  he  served  as  a  member  of  Company  L,  Fourth  Missouri  Regiment,  of  which 
he  became  sergeant  major.  His  regiment  was  located  at  Greenville,  South  Carolina, 
when  the  war  closed.  His  political  allegiance  has  always  been  given  to  the  democratic 
party.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and 
his  religious  faith  is  indicated  by  his  membership  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  the 
teachings  of  which  have  guided  him  in  all  of  his  life's  relations  and  made  him  a  man 
whom  to  know  is  to  esteem  and  honor.  He  is  at  present  a  member  of  the  democratic 
state  committee  from  Payette  county. 


HON.  JOSEPH  S.  MULLINER. 

Hon.  Joseph  S.  Mulliner  was  closely  associated  with  the  agricultural  development 
and  with  the  political  history  and  moral  advancement  of  Idaho  Falls  and  Bonneville 
county.  The  worth  of  his  work  along  these  various  lines  made  his  death  the  occasion 
of  deep  and  widespread  regret.  He  was  born  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  December  10, 
1857,  and  was  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  (Richardson)  Mulliner,  the  former  a  native 
of  Scotland,  while  the  latter  was  born  in  England.  They  came  to  the  new  world  in 
early  life  and  were  residents  of  Salt  Lake  City,  where  Mr.  Mulliner  engaged  in  business 
for  a  time,  while  later  he  became  proprietor  of  a  mill  at  Lehi,  Utah,  this  being  the 
first  grist  mill  in  that  part  of  the  state.  He  continued  in  the  milling  business 
throughout  his  remaining  days  and  he  was  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Both  the  father  and  mother  have  now  passed 
away. 

Joseph  S.  Mulliner,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Salt  Lake  City  and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  he  attained  his  majority. 
In  1884  he  removed  to  Idaho  Falls  and  was  one  of  the  first  men  to  take  up  a  home- 
stead near  lona,  becoming  owner  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land,  which 
he  converted  from  a  wild  and  undeveloped  tract  to  one  of  rich  fertility.  He  continued 
the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  farm  for  nineteen  years.  He  displayed  splendid 
business  ability  and  as  the  years  passed  won  substantial  success  through  the  careful 
conduct  of  his  affairs.  In  the  early  '80s,  in  partnership  with  John  F.  Shelley,  he 
established  the  first  general  store  at  lona  and  this  is  still  owned  by  the  family.  He 
was  also  closely  associated  with  a  number  •  of  other  business  enterprises  which  con- 
tributed to  his  prosperity.  He  was  the  prime  mover  and  largely  instrumental  in 
organizing,  building  and  developing  the  Anderson  canal  system,  which  furnishes 
water  to  a  large  body  of  land. 

At  the  same  time  Mr.  Mulliner  was  a  prominent  churchman  and  did  everything 
in  his  power  to  advance  the  growth  and  promote  the  influence  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  served  as  bishop  of  the  church  for  seven  or  eight 
years  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  second  counselor  to  the  president  of  the  stake, 
having  held  the  office1  for  about  a  decade. 

It  was  on  the  llth  of  November,  1877,  that  Mr.  Mulliner  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Amelia  Woodard,  a  daughter  of  Francis  J.  and  Mary  (Mathess)  Woodard. 
Her  father  was  a  pioneer  of  Utah,  where  he  engaged  in  mining,  and  passed  away  in 
the  southern  part  of  that  state.  The  mother  is  also  deceased.  Their  daughter,  Mrs. 
Mulliner,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  September  27,  1859,  and  by  her  marriage  she 


HON.  JOSEPH  S.  MULLINER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  765 

became  the  mother  of  six  children:  Joseph  8.,  who  was  sheriff  of  Bonnevllle  county 
for  four  years  and  passed  away  in  November,  1918;  H.  L..  who  ia  an  attorney  ot 
Salt  Lake  City;  Mary  M.,  who  is  the  wife  of  J.  Rockwood,  living  at  lona,  Idaho; 
Emily,  who  is  the  wife  of  Alfred  Stanger;  Gertrude,  who  Is  the  wife  of  Lewis  A.  Lee. 
an  attorney  residing  at  Idaho  Palls;  and  Kate,  who  is  the  wife  of  Heber  J.  Kelly. 
residing  at  Lincoln,  Idaho. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Mulliner  occurred  on  the  24th  of  December,  1917.  He  waa  not 
only  an  active  representative  of  agricultural  interests  and  of  the  church  work  but 
was  also  a  recognized  leader  in  the  ranks  of  the  republican  party,  and  becoming  an 
earnest  worker,  he  was  elected  in  1897  to  the  office  of  representative  to  the  general 
assembly  and  the  following  term  was  chosen  state  senator.  While  serving  in  the  halls 
of  legislation  he  took  active  part  in  promoting  constructive  measures  and  his  influence 
was  widely  and  beneficially  felt.  In  July.  1918,  Mrs.  Mulliner  removed  from  lona  to 
Idaho  Falls,  purchasing  an  attractive  home  at  No.  474  F  street,  where  she  is  now 
most  pleasantly  located. 


ROBERT  NOBLE. 

It  is  not  undue  flattery  but  well  merited  praise  when  one  states  that  Robert  Noble 
became  one  of  the  most  prominent  business  men  of  southern  Idaho  and  one  whose  ac- 
tivities contributed  in  large  measure  to  the  development  of  the  state.  Successful  as 
he  was,  however,  he  remained  most  democratic  in  spirit  and  throughout  his  entire  life 
enjoyed  the  confidence,  goodwill  and  warm  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  was  associated. 
The  story  of  his  life  work  is  well  worthy  of  earnest  consideration,  for  it  contains  no 
spectacular  phases  but  indicates  what  .can  be  accomplished  through  thoroughness, 
resolution,  industry  and  energy. 

Robert  Noble  was  born  in  Cumberland,  England,  October  19,  1844,  and  one  who 
knew  him  well  said  he  retained  to  the  last  some  of  the  dominant  qualities  of  the 
English  race,  which,  however,  were  coupled  with  the  spirit  of  the  true  western  pioneer. 
His  parents,  John  and  Mary  Noble,  were  also  natives  of  England  and  to  them  were 
born  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  Robert  being  the  fourth  of  the  family  who  reached 
adult  age.  He  was  a  lad  of  but  ten  years  when  the  parents  came  with  their  family  to 
the  new  world  and  soon  after  their  arrival  in  Kingston,  Ontario,  in  1854,  the  mother 
passed  away  as  a  victim  of  the  cholera.  The  family  home  was  established  on  the 
Canadian  side  near  Niagara  Falls  but  in  1857  a  removal  was  made  to  Tonawanda,  New 
York,  where  they  remained  for  many  years. 

The  educational  advantages  which  Robert  Noble  received  were  somewhat  limited 
and  at  an  early  age  he  began  providing  for  his  own  support.  He  remained  a  resident  of 
the  east  until  1870,  when  he  determined  to  seek  the  opportunities  of  the  west,  arriv- 
ing in  Idaho  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-six  years  without  friends  or  acquaintances  in 
this  section.  A  few  years  later  he  was  Joined  by  his  eldest  brother  John  and  by  bis 
sister,  Mrs.  Eleanor  Williams,  but  both  subsequently  became  residents  of  California. 
At  a  still  later  period  the  father  joined  his  son  Robert  at  his  home  on  Reynolds  creek 
in  Owyhee  county  and  remained  with  him  until  called  to  his  final  rest  in  January. 
1905,  when  he  was  in  the  hundredth  year  of  his  age. 

Arriving  in  Idaho  without  means,  Robert  Noble  availed  himself  of  any  opportunity 
that  presented  to  earn  an  honest  living  and  gain  a  start.  For  a  year  he  devoted  his 
time  to  the  operation  of  a  small  ferry  on  the  Snake  river  and  then  secured  a  position 
iu  the  employ  of  T.  J.  Davis,  one  of  the  pioneer  ranchmen  of  Idaho  and  the  holder 
of  large  interests  of  that  character.  Mr.  Noble  remained  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Davis 
for  four  seasons,  during  which  period  he  carefully  saved  his  earnings  and  then  in- 
vested the  amount  in  a  small  flock  of  sheep.  This  constituted  his  initial  step  in  con- 
nection with  the  live  stock  industry  of  the  state.  His  sheep  ranch  was  soon  developed, 
however,  to  large  proportions  and  Mr.  Noble  became  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  sheep  men  of  Idaho.  He  continued  to  devote  his  attention  to  interests  near 
Reynolds  creek  until  about  1906,  when  he  disposed  of  his  ranch  and  removed  to  Boise. 

Throughout  his  entire  life  Mr.  Noble  was  ever  ready  to  take  a  forward  step  when 
the  way  was  open.  He  recognized  opportunities  that  others  passed  heedlessly  by  and 
his  investments  were  guided  by  the  keenest  sagacity.  He  had  proven  bis  worth  as 
one  of  the  most  successful  ranchmen  of  the  state  and  upon  locating  in  Boise  he  became 
prominent  in  connection  with  large  commercial  interests.  He  figured  for  many  years 


766  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

as  a  prominent  factor  in  banking  circles,  becoming  the  holder  of  a  large  amount  of  the 
stock  of  the  Idaho  Trust  &  Savings  Bank,  of  which  he  was  elected  president  on  the 
2d  of  January,  1912,  so  continuing  to  the  time  of  his  demise  in  1914.  He  was  one  of 
the  most  generous  financial  supporters  of  the  Boise  Valley  Railroad  and  electric  lines 
from  Boise  to  Nampa  and  Meridian,  the  line  being  completed  and  put  in  successful 
operation  in  1909,  Mr.  Noble  having  active  management  thereof  until  1911,  when  he 
and  his  associates  in  the  undertaking  sold  to  the  Mainland  Brothers  for  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  His  real  estate  holdings  were  most  extensive.  He  owned 
seven  thousand  acres  in  the  Boise  valley,  of  which  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  was 
planted  to  fruit,  ranking  him  with  the  most  prominent  horticulturists  of  fhe  state.  His 
investments  in  Boise  property  were  also  most  extensive  and  he  likewise  had  large  hold- 
ings in  Nampa  and  Caldwell.  Moreover,  he  did  much  to  improve  the  property  which 
he  had  acquired,  thereby  enhancing  not  only  its  value  but  that  of  surrounding  prop- 
erty as  well.  It  is  said  that  there  was  no  better  judge  cf  real  estate  values  m  Idaho 
than  Robert  Noble.  With  notable  prescience  he  seemed  to  discern  what  the  future 
had  in  store  for  this  great  and  growing  western  country  and,  acting  in  accordance  with 
the  dictates  of  his  faith  and  judgment,  he  so  placed  his  investments  that  splendid 
financial  results  accrued. 

In  1876  Mr.  Noble  was  married  at  Reynolds  Creek  to  Miss  Anna  Peters  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  nine  children:  Nellie,  the  wife  of  Angus  McDonald;  Robert,  Jr., 
identified  with  banking  interests  in  Boise;  Frank,  connected  with  the  Noble  estate; 
Ernest,  who  is  president  of  the  Noble  Motor  Car  Company;  May  and  Rasella,  at  home; 
and  three  who  have  passed  away.  The  family  circle  was  again  broken  by  the  hand 
of  death  when  in  1914  Robert  Noble  was  called  to  the  home  beyond.  He  left  to  his 
family  not  only  a  handsome  fortune  amassed  entirely  through  his  own  efforts  but  also 
the  priceless  heritage  of  a  good  name.  He  had  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  in 
Masonry  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  likewise  joined  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Silver  City.  His  political  allegiance  was  given  to  the 
republican  party,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  had  no  attraction  for  him; 
yet  he  was  not  remiss  in  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  cooperated  heartily  in  all  move- 
ments for  the  general  good,  while  as  a  business  man  his  interests  were  ever  of  a  char- 
acter that  contributed  not  alone  to  individual  success  but  to  public  prosperity  as  well. 


WILLIAM  JONES. 

William  Jones,  engaged  in  stock  raising  and  in  ranching  at  Almo,  Cassia  county, 
was  born  in  South  Wales,  January  15,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  Jones.  He 
canffe  to  the  United  States  with  his  mother  when  a  lad  of  thirteen  years,  sailing  on 
the  ship  Minnesota.  They  made  their  way  to  Willard,  Utah,  crossing  the  plains  with 
the  first  immigrant  train  for  Ogden  and  then  proceeding  to  Willard.  There  William 
Jones  obtained  his  education  as  a  public  school  pupil  and  he  was  first  employed  at 
gleaning  wheat.  He  afterwards  bound  wheat,  following  a  man  working  with  a  cradle. 
He  was  in  the  employ  of  John  G.  Edwards  for  three  years  and  subsequently  worked  on 
a  stock  ranch.  Later  he  was  employed  by  Myers  Cohn  at  Marsh  Valley,  Idaho,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1880  he  removed  to  his  present  ranch,  which  he  secured  as  a  homestead 
claim  from  the  government,  obtaining  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  This  constituted 
the  nucleus  of  his  present  holdings,  for  in  the  meantime  he  has  added  to  his  property 
whenever  his  financial  resources  would  permit  until  he  now  has  ten  thousand  acres, 
some  of  which  land  he  purchased  from  the  state  of  Utah  and  other  tracts  from  Keough 
Brothers.  He  first  put  up  a  log  house  and  with  characteristic  energy  began  to  clear  the 
land,  and  turn  the  first  furrows.  As  the  work  of  improvement  was  carried  forward  he 
has  developed  one  of  the  fine  ranch  properties  of  southern  Idaho.  On  his  place  stands 
a  commodious  and  attractive  brick  residence,  together  with  large  barns  and  other  fine 
buildings  affording  ample  shelter  for  grain  and  stock,  and  he  is  one  of  the  largest  in- 
dividual stockmen  in  Idaho,  now  having  twenty-five  hundred  head  of  Hereford  cattle. 
He  has  developed  his  herds  to  extensive  proportions  and  he  has  manifested  the  most 
progressive  methods  in  the  conduct  of  his  farming  and  stock  raising  interests  at  all 
times.  Moreover,  he  is  a  director  of  the  D.  L.  Evans  &  Company  bank  of  Albion  and  in 
business  affairs  has  ever  displayed  notably  sound  judgment  and  keen  insight.  In  all 
business  transactions  he  has  readily  discriminated  between  the  essential  and  the  non- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  767 

essential  and  his  enterprise,  diligence  and  keen  sagacity  have  brought  him  prominently 
to  the  front. 

In  1880  Mr.  Jones  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Nicholas,  a  native  of  Willard,  Utah, 
and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Nancy  (Allen)  Nicholas,  who  Journeyed  across  the  plains 
to  Utah  at  an  early  day.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  have  become  parents  of  ten  children: 
Joseph;  Ernest  D.;  Mary  A.;  Ida  J.;  Jessie  D.;  Ruby  M.;  Edward  J.,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; Owen  E. ;  Orville,  who  passed  away  in  infancy;  and  Oscar. 

In  politics  Mr.  Jones  is  a  stalwart  republican  and  is  serving  as  one  of  the  com- 
mitteemen  of  his  precinct.  In  the  work  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  he  also  takes  an  active  and  helpful  interest  and  has  served  as  a  member  of 
the  high  council  in  the  church.  His  position  as  a  most  progressive  and  successful 
business  man  has  resulted  from  his  well  directed  efforts  and  energy.  He  has  never 
allowed  obstacles  or  difficulties  to  bar  his  path  if  they  could  be  overcome  by  persistent 
and  earnest  effort  and  his  diligence  has  been  the  basis  of  well  earned  prosperity. 


WILLIAM  PERCY  HAVENOR. 

William  Percy  Havener,  a  civil  engineer  of  Pocatello,  the  founder  of  the  Bannock 
Engineering  Company,  recognized  as  an  authority  on  bridge  construction  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country,  was  born  in  Carson  City,  Nevada,  August  9,  1877.  His  father. 
William  M.  Havener,  is  a  native  of  Ireland  but  during  his  infancy  was  brought  by 
his  parents  to  the  new  world.  In  his  boyhood  days  he  went  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  route  from  New  York  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  became  a  pioneer  miner  and 
railroad  man  of  California.  As  the  years  progressed  he  advanced  to  prominence  along 
the  lines  of  his  chosen  endeavor,  became  a  member  of  the  Mining  Exchange  and  by 
reason  of  his  public  spirit  and  recognized  devotion  to  duty  was  elected  to  the  Nevada 
legislature,  taking  an  important  part  in  shaping  the  policy  and  course  of  that  state 
during  the  eventful  days  of  Nevada's  mining  development.  He  was  appointed  as  com- 
missioner to  the  New  Orleans  exposition  from  Nevada  in  1885.  At  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight  years  he  closed  a  most  successful  career  by  retiring  from  active  business  and 
is  now  enjoying  well  earned  rest  in  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  and  his  wife  have  an 
attractive  home.  Mrs.  Havener  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Alice  Gordon  and  is  a  native 
of  Maine.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Carson  City,  Nevada,  and  they  have  now 
traveled  life's  journey  together  for  a  long  period. 

Their  son,  William  Percy  Havenor,  began  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Louisiana 
while  his  father  was  commissioner  at  the  New  Orleans  exposition.  He  afterward 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Reno,  Nevada,  and  of  Salt  Lake  City,  and  after  com- 
pleting his  high  school  course  matriculated  in  the  University  of  Utah,  in  which  he 
pursued  a  normal  course.  He  taught  school  in  Salt  Lake  City  for  three  years  and 
then  entered  the  auditing  department  of  the  Great  Western,  now  the  Denver  it  Rio 
Grande  Railroad,  with  which  he  was  thus  associated  for  a  year.  In  the  meantime 
he  studied  engineering  and  became  a  representative  of  the  engineering  department 
of  the  Oregon  Short  Line,  so  continuing  from  1901  until  1905.  He  had  charge  of  a 
large  amount  of  construction  work  and  superintended  the  erection  of  shops  at  Mont- 
pelier  and  later  at  Salt  Lake  City.  He  afterward  severed  connection  with  the  rail- 
road and  came  to  Pocatello.  where  he  organized  the  Bannock  Engineering  Company, 
which  has  made  a  most  creditable  and  successful  record  in  various  branches  of  engi- 
neering, its  officers  being  recognized  as  authority  upon  bridge  construction,  in  which 
line  of  work  they  have  had  a  most  extensive  patronage.  The  officers  of  the  company 
are:  E.  S.  Anderson,  president;  William  P.  Havenor,  vice  president;  and  C.  W.  Pom- 
eroy,  secretary-treasurer.  Mr.  Havenor  had  charge  of  the  construction  of  the  depot  at 
Nampa,  Idaho,  and  the  division  terminals  at  Lima.  Montana  and  North  Roads.  In  fact 
his  professional  activity  has  been  of  a  most  important  character,  making  him  widely 
known,  and  the  development  of  his  native  powers  has  brought  him  to  the  front. 

In  September.  1908,  Mr.  Havenor  was  married  to  Miss  Ada  Shellenberger.  a  daugh- 
ter of  E.  M.  Shellenberger,  of  Freeport.  Illinois,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of 
three  children:  June  G.;  Ruth  C.;  and  Helen  R.,  who  is  now  deceased.  Mr.  Havener's 
interest  centers  in  his  home  yet  he  is  never  neglectful  of  duties  and  obligations  of 
other  kinds.  He  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  also  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  Portneuf  Lod*«. 
No.  18.  A.  F.  6  A.  M..  while  along  the  line  of  his  profession  he  has  membership 


768  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  Idaho  Society  of  Engineers.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic 
party  and  in  1907  he  was  elected  engineer  of  the  city  of  Pocatello,  doing  much  im- 
portant work  along  the  line  of  municipal  improvement  while  in  office.  In  1918  he  was 
made  a  candidate  for  the  office  of  state  surveyor  on  the  democratic  ticket  and  for  two 
years  he  served  as  chairman  of  the  democratic  city  committee  of  Pocatello  and  is  now 
chairman  of  the  county  committee.  At  the  present  writing  he  holds  the  office  of  county 
surveyor.  His  ability  is  widely  recognized,  as  is  his  progressive  citizenship,  and  his 
many  substantial  traits  of  character  have  made  him  a  valued  and  representative  resi- 
dent of  Pocatello. 


JOHN  A.  ELISON. 

John  A.  Elison,  who  in  April,  1915,  was  appointed  president  of  the  Raft  River  stake 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  who  is  also  engaged  in  the 
milling  business  at  Almo,  was  born  in  Grantsville,  Tooele  county,  Utah,  June  14,  1880, 
a  son  of  John  Alfred  and  Sophia  (Anderson)  Elison,  who  removed  to  Oakley,  Idaho, 
when  their  son  John  was  but  three  months  old.  There  he  attended  the  public  schools 
and  the  academy  and  completed  his  education  in  the  Latter  Day  Saints  College  at  Salt 
Lake  City.  From  1900  until  1903  he  was  engaged  in  missionary  work  for  the  church, 
spending  one  year  in  the  state  of  Texas  and  two  years  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1903  Mr.  Elison  returned  to  Oakley  and  was  a  member  of  the 
bishopric  of  the  Oakley  second  ward  for  twelve  years.  During  seven  years  of  that 
period  he  was  actively  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Oakley  and  for  two  years  was  man- 
ager and  publisher  of  a  local  paper  known  as  the  Oakley  Herald.  Subsequently  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming,  which  he  followed  for  a  few  years  or  until  April,  1915, 
at  which  time  he  was  appointed  president  of  the  Raft  River  stake  6f  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  which  position  he  still  fills,  discharging  the  duties 
thereof  in  a  most  capable  and  efficient  manner.  Since  1916  he  has  also  engaged  in  the 
milling  business. 

In  1904  Mr.  Elison  was  united  in  marriage  in  Salt  Lake  City  to  Miss  Mary  E. 
Adams,  daughter  of  John  and  Annabelle  (Warburton)  Adams.  Mrs.  Elison  was  born 
at  Oakley,  Idaho,  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  six  children:  Thera; 
Lorada,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years;  Lano,  who  is  attending  school;  Annabelle; 
Okla;  and  Elmo.  The  family  is  well  known  and  Mr.  Elison  is  highly  regarded  as  a 
business  man,  while  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  his  church  have  been  far-reaching  and 
effective,  his  labors  in  connection  with  the  moral  progress  of  the  community  being 
crowned  with  notable  success. 


SAMUEL  HUBBARD  HAYS. 

Samuel  Hubbard  Hays,  of  Boise,  who  was  attorney  general  of  Idaho  in  1899  and 
1900  and  who  has  been  prominently  identified  with  shaping  the  history  of  the  state 
in  many  ways,  was  born  in  Juneau,  Wisconsin,  May  18,  1864,  and  was  very  young  when 
he  was  taken  to  Horicon,  Wisconsin,  by  his  father,  the  Hon.  James  B.  Hays,  who  after- 
ward became  a  distinguished  resident  of  Idaho,  serving  as  chief  justice  of  the  supreme 
court  from  1885  until  1887. 

The  son  pursued  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  Horicon  and  after  attending 
the  high  school  continued  his  studies  in  the  Northwestern  University  of  Watertown. 
He  took  up  the  profession  of  teaching  at  Iron  Ridge,  Wisconsin,  and  in  1885  left  his 
native  state  to  become  a  resident  of  Idaho.  He  was  appointed  deputy  clerk  of  the  dis- 
trict court  for  Bingham  county  at  Blackfoot,  Idaho,  and  later  became  clerk  of  the 
United  States  district  court  for  the  third  judicial  district  and  afterward  clerk  for  the 
second  district  court,  which  included  the  city  of  Boise,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
He  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  supreme  court  of  Idaho  in  1889  and  began  the  practice 
of  law  in  1890.  He  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Boise  in  1894  and  1895 
and  in  1898  was  elected  attorney  general  of  Idaho,  serving  through  the  regular  two 
years'  term.  He  filled  the  office  under  Governor  Steunenberg  and  had  charge  of  and 
directed  the  legal  affairs  of  the  state  under  the  conditions  of  martial  law  adopted  for 
the  preservation  of  order  in  the  Coeur  D'Alene  riots.  He  was  the  author  of  the  so 


SAMUEL  H.  HAYS 


vol.  m-4t 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  771 

called  "Permit  Proclamation,"  a  martial  law  measure  at  that  time.  While  serving  as 
attorney  general  he  was  associated  with  D.  W.  Ross,  state  engineer,  in  drawing  the 
draft  of  the  form  of  contract  used  by  the  Carey  Act  projects. 

Mr.  Hays  has  long  enjoyed  a  most  enviable  reputation  as  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Idaho  bar  and  has  represented  many  important  corporate  interests.  He  has 
been  attorney  for  the  Twin  Falls  Land  and  Water  Company,  the  Twin  Palls  Salmon 
River  Land  and  Water  Company,  the  Twin  Falls  Oakley  Land  and  Water  Company  as 
well  as  other  projects.  He  was  one  of  he  organizers  of  the  Twin  Falls  Investment  Com- 
pany, which  sold  the  lands  on  the  Twin  Falls  project.  He  also  was  attorney  for  the 
Shoshone  and  Twin  Falls  Water  Power  Company.  He  became  one  of  the  organisers 
of  the  Idaho  Building  and  Loan  Association,  of  which  he  has  been  the  president  for 
more  than  twenty-five  years.  He  was  also  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Twin  Falls  and  of  the  Boise  Title  A  Trust  Company.  In  the  spring  of  1916 
he  was  elected  mayor  of  Boise  and  filled  the  position  for  three  yeaft-s,  his  administra- 
tion being  characterized  by  various  important  projects  relating  to  the  benefit  and 
improvement  of  the  city. 

On  the  1st  of  March,  1888,  Mr.  Hays  was  married  to  Miss  Gertrude  Lindsey  at 
Blackfoot,  Idaho,  and  they  have  become  parents  of  six  children:  James  B.,  a  civil  engi- 
neer of  Boise;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Leon  M.  Decker,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska;  Samuel 
D.,  an  attorney  at  law  residing  in  Boise;  and  Gertrude  and  Permelia,  twins.  One  of 
their  children,  Samuel  Lindsey,  died  in  infancy.  For  more  than  a  third  of  a  century 
Samuel  H.  Hays  has  been  a  resident  of  Idaho  and  has  been  closely  associated  with 
many  of  those  enerprises  and  interests  which  have  contributed  in  large  measure  toward 
the  development  of  the  state,  toward  shaping  its  political  history  and  giving  tangible 
form  to  those  events  and  occurrences  which  have  marked  its  annals. 


MRS.  GERTRUDE  LINDSEY  HAYS. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Lindsey  Hays,  of  Boise,  was  born  near  Pittsfield,  Illinois,  February 
20,  1867,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  C.  and  Samantha  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Lindsey. 
The  family  removed  to  Pittsfield  when  Mrs.  Hays  was  ten  years  of  age  and  there  she 
attended  the  public  schools  until  graduated  from  the  high  school  in  1885.  She  was 
afterward  a  pupil  in  summer  normal  schools  and  in  the  spring  of  1886  taught  at 
Detroit,  Michigan.  In  December  of  the  same  year  she  came  to  Idaho  and  was  a 
teacher  at  Soda  Springs  until  the  following  June,  while  in  the  winter  of  1886-7  she 
taught  in  Blackfoot.  Idaho. 

On  the  1st  of  March,  1887,  Gertrude  Lindsey  became  the  wife  of  Samuel  Hubbard 
Hays  and  has  since  lived  in  Boise.  She  has  become  the  mother  of  six  children:  James 
Buchanan,  born  April  30,  1888;  Samuel  Lindsey,  who  was  born  January  17,  1890.  and 
died  June  6,  1890;  Elizabeth,  born  August  31,  1892;  Samuel  Dent,  April  8,  1894; 
Gertrude  and  Permelia,  twins,  born  September  7,  1895.  The  eldest  son  married  Louise 
Sebree,  of  Caldwell,  Idaho,  in  September,  1913.  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  Leon 
M.  Decker,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  on  the  15th  of  November,  1916.  Samuel  Dent  married 
Anna  Gertrude  Denecke,  of  Richfield,  Idaho,  September  7,  1918.  He  is  a  veteran  of 
the  World  war,  in  which  he  served  with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant. 

Mrs.  Hays  has  been  very  prominent  in  connection  with  the  work  of  the  women's 
clubs  and  with  many  civic  and  political  interests  as  well.  She  is  an  associate  member 
of  the  Young  Woman's  Christian  Association  and  belongs  to  the  Tuesday  Musical  Club, 
the  Saturday  Fortnightly  Club  and  the  Boise  Columbian  Club,  of  which  she  was  the 
fourth  president,  filling  the  office  for  two  terms  or  from  1898  until  1900.  While  presi- 
dent she  attended  the  fifth  biennial  convention  of  the  General  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs,  held  in  Milwaukee  in  1900,  also  the  biennial  at  Los  Angeles,  California,  in  1902. 
at  St.  Louis  in  1904  and  at  San  Francisco  in  1912.  She  served  as  .chairman  of  the 
General  Federation  Committee  for  Idaho  from  1900  until  1902  and  was  a  director  of 
the  General  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs  from  1902  until  1904,  while  from  1910  until 
1912  the  served  on  the  membership  committee  of  the  same  organization.  She  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Pioneer  Members  of  the  General  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs 
in  1912.  During  her  presidency  of  the  Columbian  Club  the  first  ten  traveling  library 
cases  were  collected  and  started  on  their  beneficent  way  over  the  state.  They  were 
afterward  turned  over  to  the  state  and  a  State  Traveling  Library  Commission  created, 
of  which  Governor  Hunt  named  her  a  member.  Mrs.  Hays  also  assisted  in  organizing 


772  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  first  District  Federation  of  Clubs  in  the  state  at  Mountain  Home  in  1900,  this  being 
called  the  District  Federation  of  the  Second  District.  She  also  attended  the  organiza- 
tion meeting  of  the  State  Federation. 

In  May,  1906,  Governor  Gooding  appointed  Mrs.  Hays  to  fill  out  an  unexpired  term 
of  a  year  and  a  half  as  regent  of  the  University  of  Idaho,  on  the  expiration  of  which 
period  she  was  appointed  for  the  full  term  of  six  years,  so  that  she  served  altogether 
for  seven  and  a  half  years  as  regent. 

Mrs.  Hays  was  a  member  of  the  nominating  convention  of  the  democratic  party 
of  the  state  which  met  at  Pocatello  in  1905  and  there  she  seconded  the  nomination  of 
F.  W.  Hunt  for  governor,  being  the  first  woman  to  break  the  trail  for  such  an  occasion, 
When  America  entered  the  World  war  she  was  appointed  through  the  Woman's  Com- 
mittee of  the  Council  of  National  Defense  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  temporary  chairman 
to  call  the  women  of  Idaho  together.  She  was  afterward  elected  state  chairman  and 
served  throughout  the  war.  She  was  also  appointed  by  Governor  Alexander  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Council  of  Defense  and  served  on  the  executive  committee  throughout 
the  war  period.  She  was  on  the  executive  board  of  the  State  Food  Administration,  also 
of  the  War  Savings  Stamps  board.  She  served  on  the  Home  Service  Section  of  the 
Red  Cross  executive  committee  and  the  Woman's  Liberty  Loan  Committee  for  Idaho 
and  she  is  now  a  member  of  the  board  of  the  Ada  County  Public  Health  Nurses 
Association. 


WILLIS  J.  POTTER. 

Willis  J.  Potter,  who  is  winning  prosperity  as  a  cattleman  and  rancher  of  Gem 
county,  resides  upon  a  ranch  property  of  three  hundred  acres  near  Letha  and  its  ex- 
cellent appearance  indicates  his  practical  and  progressive  spirit.  Mr.  Potter  is  a  native 
of  Williamsport,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  October  12,  1853,  of  the  marriage  of 
Henry  and  Diadema  (Sherman)  Potter.  The  father  died  when  his  son  Willis  was  but 
two  years  of  age  and  the  boy  was  left  an  orphan  by  the  death  of  his  mother  when 
only  twelve  years  of  age,  since  which  time  he  has  been  dependent  upon  his  own  re- 
sources. When  he  was  a  youth  of  sixteen  he  made  his  way  westward  to  Iowa  and 
lived  in  that  state  for  ten  years,  engaged  in  farming. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1881,  at  Villisca,  Iowa,  Willis  J.  Potter  was  joined  in  wedlock 
to  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Bonyman,  who  was  born  at  Savannah,  Illinois,  March  28,  1854, 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Forbes)  Bonyman,  who  were  natives  of  Nova  Scotia 
and  of  Scotch  descent.  Mrs.  Potter  accompanied  her  parents  to  Iowa  when  sixteen 
years  of  age  and  both  her  father  and  mother  died  in  that  state.  In  1887  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Potter  removed  to  Saunders  county,  Nebraska,  where  they  resided  until  1895.  Through 
the  succeeding  four  years  they  spent  their  time  largely  in  travel  through  Montana  and 
Wyoming  in  a  covered  wagon,  hunting,  fishing  and  camping  out  at  night  and  getting 
great  enjoyment  from  this  free,  out-of-door  life.  They  had  with  them  their  five  chil- 
dren. One  year  was  spent  on  the  Crow  Indian  Reservation  in  Montana  and  a  summer 
was  passed  in  viewing  the  beauties  and  wonders  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park. 
Tiring  of  this  life  in  1899,  they  decided  to  settle  down  again  and  came  to  Idaho,  taking 
up  their  abode  on  a  ranch  near  Meridian.  After  a  time  they  removed  to  Boise  and  five 
years  later  took  up  their  abode  on  a  ranch  between  Caldwell  and  Nampa.  In  1917  they 
left  that  place  and  took  up  their  abode  on  the  old  Gordon  ranch  in  Gem  county,  where 
they  now  reside.  This  place  comprises  three  hundred  acres  and  since  locating  thereon 
Mr.  Potter  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  raising  cattle  of  the  Red  Polled  breed,  gen- 
erally having  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  head  on  hand  and  also  keeping  about  twenty- 
five  good  milk  cows.  In  his  ranching  operations  he  has  been  quite  successful  and  his 
energy  and  enterprise  are  manifest  in  the  continual  development  of  his  business. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter  have  become  the  parents  of  five  children.  Lela,  born  Decem- 
ber 24,  1884,  was  married  on  the  twenty-first  anniversary  of  her  birth  to  Charles  Le- 
favour  and  they  have  one  son,  Jack.  Roscoe  H.,  born  August  8,  1886,  is  at  home.  Os- 
mond Lynn,  born  March  3,  1890,  was  married  in  1917  to  Ethel  Shaffer.  Gertrude,  born 
February  9,  1893,  was  married  on  the  21st  of  May,  1911,  to  Robert  Irwin,  of  Nampa,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Robert,  Jr.,  who  was  born  September  23,  1915.  Harold  Lee,  born 
August  18,  1894,  was  married  in  1916  to  Barbara  Clyne  and  they  reside  in  Boise,  where 
he  is  a  pharmacist. 

Mr.  Potter  is  a  supporter  of  the  republican  party  but  has  never  been  an  office  holder 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  773 

save  that  he  has  served  as  road  overseer  and  as  member  of  the  school  board.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  well  satisfied  with  Idaho  as  a  plac« 
of  residence  and  his  industry  and  enterprise  have  brought  to  him  a  substantial  meas- 
ure of  prosperity  since  he  took  up  his  abode  in  this  state. 


EDWIN  C.  RUNDSTROM. 

Edwin  C.  Rundstrom,  manager  of  the  Golden  Rule  Store  at  Emmett,  has  contin- 
uously filled  this  position  since  the  establishment  of  the  store  in  1904.  He  dated  his 
residence  in  Idaho  from  1900,  in  which  year  he  came  to  this  state  with  his  parents 
from  Nebraska.  He  was  born  at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  September  20,  1874,  a  son  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  John  C.  Rundstrom,  who  were  Swedish  people.  The  father,  who  was  born 
in  1844,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1864,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty  years.  He 
had  already  learned  the  cabinetmaker's  trade.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Emily  Anderson,  is  a  native  of  Galesburg,  Illinois.  For  a  time  he  lived  in  Illinois 
and  afterward  in  Nebraska,  and  now  resides  with  his  wife  in  Emmett,  Idaho,  they 
having  reached  the  ages  of  seventy-eight  and  sixty-seven  years  respectively. 

Edwin  C.  Rundstrom  was  twelve  years  of  age  when  he  went  with  his  parents  to 
Nebraska  and  with  them  came  to  Idaho  in  1900.  He  had  entered  a  dry  goods  store 
at  Holdredge,  Nebraska,  when  sixteen  years  of  age  and  since  that  time  has  engaged  in 
clerking  or  in  managing  mercantile  interests.  From  1900  until  1904  he  was  manager 
of  the  dry  goods  department  of  the  Golden  Rule  Store  in  Boise  and  in  the  latter  year 
was  sent  to  Emmett  by  the  management  of  the  Golden  Rule  to  found  the  branch  of 
the  business  at  this  place,  where  he  has  since  continued  as  manager.  It  is  one  of 
twelve  Golden  Rule  stores  in  Idaho,  Oregon  and  Colorado  owned  by  one  company.  Mr. 
Rundstrom  resides  just  a  mile  east  of  Emmett  on  a  fine  ten-acre  tract  of  land  largely 
planted  to  prunes.  He  has  an  attractive  home  amid  pleasant  surroundings,  this  being 
the  old  Woody  homestead,  which  he  purchased  about  four  years  ago.  His  prune  or- 
chard is  one  of  the  best  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett,  the  trees  being  cared  for  in  a  most 
progressive  and  scientific  manner. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1905,  Mr.  Rundstrom  was  married  to  Miss  Ella  Cooke.  who  was 
born  in  Tennessee  and  is  of  English  and  Scotch  descent.  She  came  to  Idaho  with  her 
parents,  the  family  living  in  this  state  for  a  number  of  years  after  first  settling  in 
Boise  in  1886.  Her  father  and  mother  are  now  residents  of  Los  Angeles,  California. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rundstrom  have  been  born  four  children:  Robert,  Adelle,  Edwin  and 
Mary  Louise,  aged  respectively  twelve,  eight,  five  and  three  years. 

Mrs.  Rundstrom  belongs  to  the  P.  E.  O.  and  in  religious  faith  both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rundstrom  are  Baptists,  taking  active  interest  in  the  work  of  the  church,  in  which 
Mr.  Rundstrom  is  serving  as  trustee.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  repub- 
lican party.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Butte  Lodge,  No.  37.  A.  F.  £  A.  M.,  of 
Emmett  and  has  attained  the  fourteenth  degree  in  the  Scottish  Rite.  He  has  served 
for  four  years  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  exercised  his  official  prerogatives 
in  support  of  many  progressive  plans  and  measures  for  the  welfare  and  benefit  of  the 
community  in  which  he  has  resided  continuously  for  sixteen  years.  He  manifests  a 
most  progressive  spirit  not  only  in  connection  with  business  but  wtth  all  public  in- 
terests as  well  and  his  efforts,  guided  by  sound  judgment,  have  been  far-reaching  and 
resultant. 


CHARLES  E.  LLOYD. 

Charles  E.  Lloyd,  of  the  Lloyd-Smoot  Real  Estate  A  Investment  Company  of  St. 
Anthony,  Fremont  county,  was  born  at  Wellsville,  Utah,  January  19.  1865.  his  parents 
being.  Thomas  and  Susanna  (Stone)  Lloyd,  who  were  natives  of  England  and  came  to 
America  at  an  early  day.  They  crossed  the  continent  to  Utah  in  1853.  the  mother 
making  the  trip  across  the  plains  with  one  of  the  handcart  companies.  Mr.  Lloyd 
settled  at  Farmington,  Utah,  where  he  resided  until  1864  and  then  removed  to  Wells- 
ville,  Cache  county.  He  was  a  harness  maker  by  trade  but  on  taking  up  his  abode 
at  Wellsville  entered  land  which  he  developed  and  improved,  continuing  its  cultivation 
for  many  years.  Finally  he  retired  from  active  business  cares  but  resided  at  Wells- 


774  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

ville   throughout   his  remaining  days,   his   death   occurring   in  April,   1892.     His   wife 
survives  and  is  now  living  at  Logan,  Utah,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 

Charles  E.  Lloyd  was  reared  at  Wellsville  and  supplemented  his  public  school 
training  by  study  in  the  Brigham  Young  College  at  Logan,  Utah.  He  started  upon 
his  business  career  as  an  employe  of  the  Daniels  Manufacturing  Company  at  Logan 
and  remained  with  them  for  six  years.  He  next  'engaged  in  the  knitting  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  the  Cache  Knitting  Works,  continuing  the  operation  of  the 
plant  for  ten  years,  when  he  sold  the  property.  He  afterward  bought  the  business  of 
the  Ensign  Knitting  Company  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  changed  the  name  to  the  Utah 
Woolen  Mills.  He  devoted  one  year  to  the  further  conduct  of  that  business  and  he 
still  holds  his  interest  in  the  same,  but  in  August,  1909,  removed  to  St.  Anthony,  Idaho, 
purchasing  land  adjoining  the  city.  He  then  concentrated  his  efforts  and  attention 
upon  farming  and  stock  raising  and  continued  the  further  development  of  the  place 
until  1918,  when  he  retired  from  farm  life  and  leased  his  land.  His  first  purchase  com- 
prised four  hundred  acres,  but  he  has  since  bought  and  sold  much  land  and  is  today  the 
owner  of  about  one  thousand  acres.  In  1918  he  formed  a  partnership  with  I.  A.  Smoot 
and  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business.  They  have  since  conducted  their  agency  and 
have  negotiated  many  important  realty  transfers,  while  their  clientage  is  steadily 
growing  as  the  result  of  their  progressive  business  methods  and  earnest  desire  to  please 
their  patrons. 

On  the  25th  of  November,  1885,  Mr.  Lloyd  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  Haslan,  by 
whom  he  had  four  children,  namely:  Eva,  who  was  born  in  1886  and  passed  away  in 
July,  1904;  Jane,  whose  birth  occurred  in  April,  1891,  and  who  died  in  the  following 
July;  Annie,  who  was  born  in  1888  and  died  in  1893;  and  Mabel,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Alpheus  Rollins,  of  Lewiston,  Utah.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  April  8,  1891, 
and  on  the  23d  of  December,  1898,  Mr.  Lloyd  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with  Lucy  Smart  Parkinson,  by  whom  he  has  six  children:  Charles,  Lucille,  Wesley, 
Donald,  Irma  and  Sherman. 

Mr.  Lloyd  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  filled  a 
mission  to  Europe  in  1894,  being  released  in  1896,  and  he  is'  now  second  counselor  to 
Daniel  G.  Miller,  president  of  the  stake.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  repub- 
lican party  and  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  but 
has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He  has  been  actuated  by 
a  progressive  spirit  throughout  his  business  career  and  his  wise  use  of  the  oppor- 
tunities that  have  come  to  him  has  brought  him  the  substantial  measure  of  success 
which  is  now  his. 


HON.  SAMUEL  K.  CLARK. 

Hon.  Samuel  K.  Clark  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  cattlemen  of  the  northwest, 
residing  about  nine  miles  west  of  Dubois  and  making  daily  trips  to  the  town.  He  is 
conducting  his  operations  under  the  firm  style  of  Denning  &  Clark  and  they  handle  both 
cattle  and  sheep.  There  is  no  phase  of  the  business  with  which  Mr.  Clark  is  not  thor- 
oughly familiar,  and  his  sound  judgment,  enterprise  and  keen  business  sagacity  have 
been  potent  factors  in  the  attainment  of  notable  success. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  Samuel  K.  Clark  was  born  in  Cambridge,  that  state,  in  1858,  his 
parents  being  John  and  Mary  Clark,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father  spent  his 
boyhood  days  in  the  Buckeye  state,  where  he  followed  farming  until  his  life's  labors 
were  ended  in  death.  His  wife  passed  away  in  November,  1916. 

The  youthful  days  of  Samuel  K.  Clark  were  spent  upon  the  home  farm  in  Ohio 
and  he  early  became  familiar  with  the  best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  caring  for 
the  crops.  His  educational  training  was  received  in  the  public  schools  and  through 
vacation  periods  he  worked  in  the  fields  and  continued  to  assist  his  father  until  1879. 
when,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  he  made  his  way  to  the  west  with  Montana  as  his 
destination.  There  he  was  employed  by  leading  cattlemen  until  1896  and  gained  that 
broad  experience  which  constitutes  the  safe  foundation  upon  which  he  has  since  built 
up  his  fortunes.  In  1896  he  removed  from  Montana  to  Idaho,  purchasing  land  in  Fre- 
mont county,  a  part  of  which  is  now  within  the  borders  of  Clark  county.  He  became 
engaged  in  cattle  raising  in  connection  with  Pyke  Brothers  under  the  firm  style  of 
Pyke  Brothers  &  Clark.  This  association  was  maintained  for  several  years,  when  his 


SAMUEL  K.  CLARK 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  777 

partners  sold  out  and  James  Denning  became  the  business  associate  of  Mr.  Clark  under 
the  firm  style  of  Denning  ft  Clark.  They  own  and  operate  fifteen  thousand  acres  of 
land  and  are  extensively  engaged  in  running  both  cattle  and  sheep,  having  from  twenty 
to  thirty  thousand  head  of  sheep.  They  handle  stock  of  high  grade  and  are  thus 
able  to  command  the  highest  market  prices.  Mr.  Clark  was  also  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  Security  State  Bank  of  Dubois,  now  the  First  National  Bank,  and  from  the 
beginning  has  served  as  president  of  that  institution,  which  has  enjoyed  continuous 
success,  for  it  has  ever  carefully  safeguarded  the  interests  of  depositors  and  has 
developed  its  business  along  most  progressive  lines.  Mr.  Clark  also  owns  considerable 
town  property  in  Dubois  and  an  eighty  acre  tract  west  of  the  town.  He  is  the  owner 
of  business  property  from  which  he  derives  a  substantial  annual  income.  He  is  likewise 
interested  in  the  stock  yards  at  West  Chicago  and  is  the  owner  of  property  in  Chicago 
and  in  Montana. 

Mr.  Clark  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Robinson  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children.  John  R.  was  for  some  time  engaged  in  fanning  independently 
in  Clark  county,  spending  five  years  in  that  way,  but  recently  he  joined  his  interests 
with  those  of  his  father  and  has  charge  of  their  ranches.  He  has  recently  sold  eighteen 
hundred  acres  of  dry  and  irrigated  land  and  at  a  late  date  he  has  taken  up  bee  culture 
and  invested  seven  thousand  dollars  therein.  For  three  years  he  and  his  father  raised 
pure  bred  Hereford  cattle  on  a  nine  hundred  acre  ranch  in  Montana,  and  he  and  his 
brother  are  now  interested  in  the  care  of  their  father's  sheep  and  the  development  of 
his  flocks.  On  the  24th  of  December,  1911,  John  R.  Clark  was  married  to  Miss  Anna 
Robinson  and  to  them  have  been  born  two  children:  Frances  M..  who  was  born  August 
24,  1914;  and  Coney  Elizabeth,  born  in  July,  1918.  John  R.  Clark  is  now  a  young 
man  of  thirty-two  years,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Montana  on  the  1st  of  June,  1887. 
He  was  reared  and  educated  in  Fremont  county,  Idaho,  where  he  has  made  his  home 
throughout  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  Like  his  father,  he  has  won  a  most  creditable 
position  in  the  business  and  live  stock  circles  of  the  northwest.  Jane,  the  second 
member  of  the  family,  was  born  in  December,  1890,  and  is  the  wife  of  Granville 
Gauchay,  a  rancher  of  Clark  County.  Thomas,  born  in  1893,  is  also  interested  with  his 
father  in  the  stock  business.  Coney,  who  was  born  in  1896,  is  the  wife  of  Lee  Hill, 
a  resident  of  Pocatello,  Idaho.  Frances  was  accidentally  killed  by  the  kick  of  a  horse 
when  four  years  of  age.  Two  other  children  of  the  family  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Clark  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party  and  has  been 
somewhat  active  in  political  circles.  In  1917  he  represented  Fremont  county  in  the 
state  legislature.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of 
Elks  and  with  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees,  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Something  of  his  prominence  is  indicated  in  the  fact 
that  Clark  county  was  named  in  his  honor.  While  a  most  active  and  progressive 
business  man.  his  interest  in  affairs  of  public  moment  is  pronounced  and  his  aid  can 
always  be  counted  upon  to  support  those  projects  which  are  most  worth  while  to  the 
community.  He  belongs  to  the  little  group  of  distinctively  representative  business 
men  who  have  been  the  pioneers  in  inaugurating  and  building  up  the  sheep  industry 
of  this  section  of  the  country.  He  early  had  the  sagacity  and  prescience  to  discern 
the  eminence  which  the  future  had  in  store  for  this  great  and  growing  section,  and 
acting  in  accordance  with  the  dictates  of  his  faith  and  judgment,  he  has  garnered  in 
the  fullness  of  time  the  generous  harvest  which  is  the  just  recompense  of  Indomitable 
industry,  spotless  integrity  and  marvelous  enterprise. 


NORMAN  C.  BECKLEY. 

Norman  C.  Beckley,  proprietor  of  the  Beckley  Pharmacy  at  No.  906  Main  street, 
in  Boise,  came  to  this  city  in  1912  from  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  He  is  a  native  of 
the  Keystone  state,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  Johnstown.  Pennsylvania,  February 
1,  188*,  or  about  four  years  before  the  memorable  flood.  The  family  was  somewhat 
more  fortunate  than  many  others  in  the  stricken  town,  for  although  the  lower  story 
was  inundated  their  house  stood  through  the  flood,  the  family  living  in  the  attic  until 
the  waters  subsided.  The  parents,  Charles  F.  and  Augusta  May  (Harbaugh)  Beckley, 
are  now  residents  of  Bedford  Springs,  Pennsylvania.  The  father  has  largely  devoted 
his  life  to  the  occupation  of  farming. 

Norman  C.  Beckley  was  reared  at  Johnstown  to  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  when 


778  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

he  entered  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  and  at  the  same  time  matriculated  in  the 
Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy.  He  devoted  four  years  to  study  in  the  two  insti- 
tutions, taking  the  regular  scientific  course  in  the  university  and  the  pharmaceutical 
course  in  the  College  of  Pharmacy,  being  graduated  from  both  in  1911  and  winning 
the  B.  S.  degree  from  the  former,  while  from  the  latter  he  received  the  degrees  of 
Doctor  of  Pharmacy  and  Pharmaceutical  Chemist.  He  worked  his  way  through  the 
full  four  years  by  clerking  in  a  Philadelphia  drug  store  in  the  evenings  and  on  Satur- 
days and  Sundays.  He  had  but  thirty  dollars  when  he  reached  the  city,  but  he  pos- 
sessed what  is  often  far  better  than  capital — energy,  determination  and  ambition. 
With  his  earnings  he  was  able  to  pay  for  his  tuition  and  also  his  books  and  board  and 
in  the  College  of  Pharmacy  he  was  the  youngest  member  of  his  class  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty.  He  entered  college  when  seventeen  years  of  age  and  was  twenty-two  when 
he  was  graduated. 

In  1912  Mr.  Beckley  came  direct  from  Philadelphia  to  Boise  and  secured  a  clerk- 
ship in  the  Whitehead  drug  store.  Carefully  saving  his  earnings,  on  the  15th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1917,  he  was  enabled  to  purchase  the  McCrum  drug  store  at  No.  906  Main  street, 
at  which  time  he  changed  the  name  to  the  Beckley  Pharmacy.  This  is  one  of  the  oldest 
drug  houses  of  Boise,  having  been  established  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago 
and  conducted  through  the  intervening  years  by  the  McCrum  Drug  Company.  Mr. 
Beckley  has  introduced  many  new  and  progressive  ideas  in  the  conduct  of  the  store 
and  is  well  known  in  trade  circles,  being  the  secretary  of  the  Idaho  State  Pharma- 
ceutical Association. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1916,  Mr.  Beckley  was  married  to  Miss  Hazel  Kurtz,  the 
only  child  of  the  late  W.  B.  Kurtz,  a  former  live  stock  dealer  of  Boise,  who  was  well 
known  as  a  successful  shipper.  Mrs.  Beckley  was  born  in  Boise,  August  18,  1891,  and 
is  the  only  member  of  her  father's  family  living.  She  is  a  graduate  of  Whitman  Col- 
lege of  Walla  Walla,  Washington.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beckley  belong  to  the  University 
Club  and  she  is  a  member  of  the  Kappa  Alpha  Theta  sorority,  while  he  has  member- 
ship in  Kappa  Psi,  a  medical  fraternity.  Their  religious  faith  is  evidenced  by  their 
connection  with  the  Congregational  church.  Mr.  Beckley  is. also  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scottish 
Rite,  and  is  also  a  Mystic  Shriner.  At  the  present  time  he  is  serving  as  junior  deacon 
in  the  blue  lodge.  He  likewise  has  membership  in  the  Boise  Commercial  Club  and 
the  Boise  Golf  Club,  the  latter  indicating  one  of  his  chief  sources  of  recreation,  al- 
though he  also  greatly  enjoys  fishing  and  hunting,  Idaho  furnishing  excellent  oppor- 
tunity to  indulge  in  those  sports,  in  which  he  takes  part  when  his  commercial  interests 
permit  of  leisure. 


HON.  JAMES  D.  ROBERTSON. 

Hon.  James  D.  Robertson,  member  of  the  state  legislature  from  Ada  county  and 
a  representative  business  man  of  Meridian,  belongs  to  one  of  the  old  pioneer  families 
of  this  section  of  the  state  and  for  many  years  has  been  connected  with  merchandising 
and  farming  interests.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  the  northwest  from  Illinois,  his 
birth  having  occurred  on  a  farm  near  Morrison,  Illinois,  on  the  15th  of  September,  1880. 
He  is  a  son  of  James  A.  and  Christine  Robertson,  the  former  a  native  of  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, while  the  latter  was  born  in  St.  Thomas,  Ontario,  and,  like  her  husband,  was 
of  Scotch  descent.  She  died  in  the  year  1915,  but  the  father  survives  and  now  makes 
his  home  in  Boise,  where  he  has  lived  for  twenty-nine  years.  It  was  in  1891  that  he 
came  with  his  family  to  Idaho  and  here  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  which  he 
followed  for  an  extended  period,  but  is  now  living  retired  from  business,  enjoying  in 
well  earned  rest  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil.  In  the  family  were  two  sous,  the  brother 
of  James  D.  Robertson  being  Alexander  S.  Robertson,  of  Boise,  who  was  formerly  a 
member  of  the  Idaho  general  assembly,  serving  in  both  the  house  and  senate.  There 
are  also  four  daughters  of  the  family  yet  living,  three  being  residents  of  Boise  and  one 
of  Iowa. 

James  D.  Robertson  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  this 
state  and  throughout  the  intervening  period  he  has  made  his  home  in  Ada  county.  He 
was  graduated  from  the  Boise  high  school  when  a  youth  of  nineteen  years  and  afterward 
pursued  a  course  in  a  business  college.  Starting  upon  his  active  business  career,  he 
was  a  clerk  with  the  Boise  Mercantile  Company  for  eleven  years  and  then  turned  his 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  779 

attention  to  farming,  which  he  followed  for  five  years  in  Ada  county,  devoting  his  atten- 
tion to  the  improvement  of  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  near  Meridian  for  a  period  of 
five  years,  or  from  1909  until  1914.  He  then  became  a  traveling  salesman  for  a  Seattle 
wholesale  grocery  house,  which  he  represented  for  three  or  four  years,  after  which 
he  became  owner  of  a  general  store  in  Meridian,  there  carrying  on  business  until  Jan- 
uary, 1919.  At  that  date  he  disposed  of  his  store  and  returned  to  Boise,  but  he  is  now 
again  engaged  in  general  merchandising  at  Meridian,  having  a  well  appointed  estab- 
lishment which  is  bringing  to  him  a  gratifying  profit. 

On  the  21st  of  September,  1910,  Mr.  Robertson  was  married  in  Boise  to  Miss  Bessie 
Edell  Strahle,  a  resident  of  that  city  but  a  native  of  Illinois.  They  have  one  son, 
John  James,  born  October  21,  1911. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  parents  is  that  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  Mr. 
Robertson  also  has  membership  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  with  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing  and  various  outdoor 
sports.  In  matters  of  citizenship  he  stands  with  the  republican  party  and  in  1918 
was  elected  to  the  state  legislature  from  Ada  county.  He  has  always  been  keenly 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he  has  now  made  bis  home  for 
twenty-nine  years,  witnessing  the  greater  part  of  its  growth  and  development  and  mani- 
festing at  all  times  a  helpful  interest  in  those  public  concerns  which  have  to  do  with 
the  material  growth  and  development  of  the  community  and  the  advancement  of  its 
civic  standards. 


THOMAS  E.  RICKS. 

A  prominent  figure  in  the  great  colony  of  Latter-day  Saints  of  eastern  Idaho  was 
Thomas  E.  Ricks,  who  was  bishop  of  Rexburg  and  a  most  honored  and  valued  citizen. 
His  activity  in  business  contributed  largely  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  district,  while 
his  work  for  the  church  was  a  potent  element  in  the  moral  progress  of  the  community. 
The  sterling  worth  of  his  character  was  recognized  by  all  and  he  left  an  example  which 
may  well  be  followed  by  those  who  knew  him,  while  his  memory  continues  as  a  bene- 
diction to  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 

He  was  born  at  Centerville,  Davis  county,  Utah,  December  3,  1855,  a  son  of  Thomas 
E.  and  Tobitha  (Hendricks)  Ricks,  who  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  The  father  crossed 
the  plains  with  ox  teams  in  1851,  making  his  way  to  Centerville,  Davis  county,  Utah, 
where  he  took  up  land  which  he  cultivated  for  a  few  years.  In  1860  he  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Logan,  Cache  county,  Utah,  where  he  again  obtained  land  and  there  followed 
farming  until  1883.  In  that  year  he  became  a  resident  of  what  is  now  Madison  but 
was  then  Oneida  county,  Idaho,  purchasing  land  near  Rexburg.  He  became  the 
founder  of  the  town  of  Rexburg  and  as  the  years  passed  he  improved  and  cultivated 
his  land,  giving  his  attention  to  that  work  throughout  his  remaining  days.  He  also 
conducted  a  store  and  he  built  and  operated  the  first  grist  mill  this  side  of  the  Cache 
valley.  He  likewise  founded  Ricks  Academy  of  Rexburg  and  was  thus  a  most  im- 
portant factor  in  the  material  development  and  progress  of  his  community.  He  was 
likewise  a  most  active  and  earnest  worker  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  and  was  president  of  the  Fremont  stake  from  1884  until  his  death.  He  passed 
away  September  28.  1901,  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  The  mother  of  Bishop  Ricks 
is  living  at  the  notable  old  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 

Thomas  E.  Ricks  was  reared  and  educated  at  Logan,  Utah,  and  remained  with  his 
parents  until  he  attained  his  majority.  His  father  gave  him  torty  acres  of  land  in 
Cache  county,  Utah,  and  this  he  cultivated  until  1883.  also  working  on  the  railroad. 
His  father  and  W.  D.  Hendricks  laid  steel  on  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  from 
Franklin,  Utah,  to  Butte,  Montana,  being  four  years  in  completing  their  contract. 
When  Thomas  E.  Ricks  came  to  Idaho  with  his  father  he  took  up  a  timber  claim  ad- 
joining the  town  of  Rexburg.  He  also  bought  land  and  continued  its  cultivation  to 
the  tim*  of  his  death.  For  twenty  years  or  until  1916  he  was  engaged  quite  extensively 
in  sheep  raising  and  during  a  part  of  that  period  made  a  specialty  of  handling  pure 
bred  Hampshire  sheep.  In  1900  he  erected  a  fine  home  at  Rexburg.  where  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life  in  most  comfortable  circumstances,  his  former  activity  hav- 
ing brought  to  him  a  measure  of  success  that  was  most  gratifying  and  well  deserved. 

On  the  llth  of  October,  1878,  Mr.  Ricks  was  joined  in  wedlock  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Hfb- 
bard,  by  whom  he  had  six  children,  as  follows:  Silas,  who  passed  away  In  March. 


780  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years;  Thomas  E. ;  Ploretta,  the  wife  of  J.  S.  Wehster;  Joel; 
Preston;  and  George,  who  died  in  April,  1889.  Mrs.  Ricks  passed  away  in  November, 
1916. 

In  his  political  faith  Mr.  Ricks  was  a  democrat  and  served  as  mayor  of  Rexburg 
and  also  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  for  several  terms.  He  likewise  served  on  the 
state  sanitary  board  for  four  years.  He  was  a  lifelong  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  became  a  high  priest  and  a  patriarch.  From  1888 
until  1890  he  filled  a  mission  for  the  church  in  England.  His  life  was  ever  guided 
by  high  and  honorable  principles  and  he  contributed  continuously  to  the  material  and 
moral  upbuilding  and  development  of  his  community  from  the  time  when  he  assisted 
in  building  the  first  log  cabin  of  Rexburg.  He  lived  to  witness  many  notable  changes 
here  as  the  years  passed  by  and  bore  his  full  part  in  the  work  of  advancement.  He 
passed  away  December  29,  1919,  respected  and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him. 


CHESTER  B.  WALKER. 

Chester  B.  Walker,  vice  president  and  manager  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Driggs,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  May  17,  1884,  and  is  a  son  of  W.  A.  and  Lavina 
(Harper)  Walker.  He  was  brought  to  Idaho  during  his  infancy,  his  father  homestead- 
ing  a  half  section  fifteen  miles  north  of  Idaho  Falls.  The  son  afterward  attended  the 
district  schools  and  still  later  became  a  student  in  Ricks  College  at  Rexburg.  When 
not  in  the  schoolroom  he  assisted  in  the  development  of  the  home  farm,  becoming 
thoroughly  familiar  with  all  the  duties  and  labors  connected  with  the  cultivation  of 
the  fields.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he  proved  up  on  a  homestead  located  on  the  Rex- 
burg bench  and  later  entered  the  commercial  world,  with  which  he  became  identified 
in  1906,  being  employed  by  Miller  Brothers,  wholesale  millers  and  dealers  in  flour,  hay 
and  grain  at  Rexburg.  He  remained  with  them  for  a  year  as  manager  and  then  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  St.  Anthony  Building  &  Manufacturing  Company,  with  which 
he  continued  as  head  bookkeeper  for  three  years.  Subsequently  he  spent  a  year  as 
manager  of  the  St.  Anthony  Milling  &  Elevator  Company,  owned  by  J.  K.  Mullen  of 
Denver. 

Mr.  Walker  next  became  associated  with  Guy  E.  Bowerman,  of  St.  Anthony,  Idaho, 
in  the  banking  business  and  in  the  spring  of  1912  accepted  the  cashiership  of  the  Driggs 
State  Bank  of  Driggs,  Idaho.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  this  bank  was  nationalized 
and  has  since  been  known  as  the  First  National  Bank  of  Driggs.  At  the  present  writ- 
ing Mr.  Walker  is  the  vice  president  and  manager  and  the  success  of  the  institution  is 
due  in  no  inconsiderable  measure  to  his  efforts,  business  ability  and  keen  sagacity.  In 
the  fall  of  1917  he  organized  the  Farmers  State  Bank  of  Tetonia  and  is  now  its  presi- 
dent. In  1919  he  organized  the  Intermountain  Live  Stock  &  Loan  Company  and  is  its 
manager  and  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors.  This  company  is  now  carrying  a 
quarter  of  a  million  dollars  in  loans  and  its  business  is  steadily  increasing.  Mr.  Wal- 
ker has  always  been  interested  in  cattle  and  sheep  raising  and  has  many  farm  and 
range  properties  in  this  part  of  the  state.  He  is  at  all  times  a  most  progressive  and 
enterprising  business  man  who  attacks  everything  with  a  contagious  enthusiasm  and 
accomplishes  what  he  undertakes.  He  designed  the  present  bank  building  of  Driggs, 
which  is  a  beautiful  modern  brick  structure,  the  second  floor  of  which  serves  as  the 
courthouse  for  Teton  county. 

On  the  2d  of  September,  1906,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Mr.  Walker  was  married  to  Miss 
Ada  Wilson,  daughter  of  Thomas  R.  and  Susie  M.  Wilson,  of  that  city.  They  have 
become  parents  of  six  children:  Helen;  Rita;  Emerson,  who  has  passed  away;  Rodney; 
Florence;  and  Louise. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  Mr.  Walker  filled  a  mission  for  two  and  a  half  years  in  Kansas  City 
and  vicinity.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Walker  is  a  republican  and  for  two  terms  he 
served  as  mayor  of  Driggs,  his  administration  resulting  in  the  development  of  many 
plans  for  the  improvement  and  upbuilding  of  the  city — plans  which  were  brought  to 
a  successful  conclusion.  He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  education  and  during  the  past 
four  years  has  been  the  leading  spirit  in  a  movement  that  has  resulted  in  the  erection 
of  a  large  modern  school  building,  one  of  the  best  built  in  the  state  in  a  town  of  equal 
size  and  thoroughly  equipped  according  to  modern  educational  ideals.  On  the  18th  of 
December,  1919,  he  was  appointed  commissioner  of  finance  of  the  state  of  Idaho,  sue- 


CHESTER    B.   WALKER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  783 

ceeding  Hon.  Guy  E.  Bowers  of  St.  Anthony.  His  public  service  has  always  been  of  a 
character  most  beneficial  to  the  state,  while  in  business  life  he  has  displayed  those 
qualities  which  bring  success  and  his  example  should  encourage  and  inspire  others, 
showing  what  can  be  accomplished  through  individual  effort  and  determination. 


HENRY  J.  HARMON. 

Henry  J.  Harmon  is  engaged  in  general  merchandising  and  ranching,  having  five 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  at  Idmon,  in  Clark  county,  about  twenty-nine  miles 
northeast  of  Dubois.  He  is  a  native  of  Utah,  his  birth  having  occurred  at  ClarksUn, 
Cache  county,  November  19,  1878.  His  parents,  Henry  M.  and  Margaret  L.  (Myler) 
Harmon,  are  also  natives  of  that  state,  and  the  father  followed  farming  there  until 
1883,  when  he  came  to  Idaho,  establishing  his  home  at  Lewisville  in  what  is  now  Jef- 
ferson county  but  was  then  Oneida  county.  He  filed  on  land  there  and  improved  and 
developed  the  place  for  twelve  years.  He  then  removed  to  the  Teton  basin  and  later 
took  up  his  abode  at  Parker,  Fremont  county,  while  subsequently  he  went  to  Idmon, 
Clark  county,  where  he  engaged  in  ranching  until  1917.  In  that  year  he  became  a 
resident  of  Idaho  Falls,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  and  his  wife  is  also  living. 

Henry  J.  Harmon  was  largely  reared  at  Lewisville,  where  he  attended  the  public 
schools,  but  completed  his  education  in  the  Agricultural  College  at  Logan,  Utah.  He 
remained  with  his  parents  until  he  had  attained  his  majority  and  then  removed  to 
Fremont  county,  Idaho,  where  he  filed  on  land.  This  was  entirely  destitute  of  im- 
provements, nor  had  a  furrow  been  turned  upon  the  place.  He  has  since  operated  the 
farm  and  has  converted  it  into  a  rich  and  productive  property.  In  the  summer  of 
1919  he  established  the  town  of  Idmon,  selling  various  town  lots,  and  at  the  same  time 
he  opened  a  general  merchandise  business,  erecting  a  nirfe  store  building.  He  has 
since  gained  a  liberal  patronage,  for  he  carries  a  stock  of  goods  that  meets  the  demand 
of  the  purchasing  public,  while  his  business  methods  are  at  all  times  thoroughly  reliable 
and  progressive. 

In  April,  1907,  Mr.  Harmon  was  married  to  Miss  Katie  M.  Mortenson  and  to  them 
have  been  born  five  children:  James  M.,  Frank  H.,  Oscar  M.,  Ralph  Lynd  and  Russell 
Dudley.  The  religious  belief  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,  in  which  Mr.  Harmon  is  a  high  priest.  His  political  endorsement  is 
given  to  the  democratic  party,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  have  had  no 
attraction  for  him,  as  he  has  always  preferred  to  concentrate  his  attention  and  effort 
upon  his  business  affairs,  and  he  is  now  occupying  an  enviable  position  as  a  successful 
rancher  and  is  making  for  himself  an  equally  creditable  place  in  commercial  circles. 


THOMAS  ARTHUR  MOTT. 

Thomas  Arthur  Mott,  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Boise  Lumber  Company,  be- 
came a  resident  of  the  capital  city  in  1903  and  through  the  intervening  period  has  been 
actively  connected  with  the  lumber  trade.  He  was  born  in  Oconto,  Wisconsin,  Decem- 
ber 11,  1867,  a  son  of  David  and  Margaret  (Watson)  Mott  and  a  grandson  of  Peter 
Mott.  The  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  married  Margaret  Watson,  a  native 
of  New  York  and  a  daughter  of  Peter  Watson,  who  came  from  Scotland  and  first  settled 
in  Ottawa.  Canada,  while  later  he  removed  to  Oswego,  New  York.  David  and  Margaret 
Mott  spent  their  last  years  in  Boise,  to  whjch  city  they  removed  following  the  ar- 
rival of  their  son  Thomas.  The  mother  passed  away  in  1907,  while  the  father's  death 
occurred  in  1912.  Throughout  practically  his  entire  business  life  he  had  been  con- 
nected with  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  lumber  in  Wisconsin.  To  him  and  his  wife 
were  born  nine  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living,  five  sons  and  a  daughter. 

Thomas  A.  Mott  was  reared  in  Oconto,  Wisconsin,  and  acquired  a  common  school 
education.  Since  making  his  initial  step  in  the  business  world  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  lumber  trade  and  with  the  operation  of  sawmills.  In  1903  he  left  Superior. 
Wisconsin,  and  came  direct  to  Boise  in  company  with  Frank  Page.  The  two  had  been 
partners  in  the  wood  business  in  Superior,  Wisconsin,  and  after  reaching  Boise  they 
purchased  the  old  sawmill  of  M.  H.  Goodwin,  one  of  the  early  landmarks  of  the  town. 
situated  on  Warm  Springs  avenue.  They  then  organized  the  Page-Mott  Lumber  Com- 


784  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

pany,  of  which  Mr.  Page  became  the  president,  Mr.  Goodwin,  who  retained  an  eighth  in- 
terest in  the  business,  vice  president,  and  Mr.  Mott  secretary  and  treasurer.  In  1909 
Mr.  Goodwin  sold  his  interest  to  C.  W.  Quinlan  and  in  the  same  year  the  name  was 
changed  to  the  Boise  Lumber  Company,  with  A.  G.  Marion  as  president,  C.  W.  Quinlan 
as  vice  president  and  Mr.  Mott  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  In  1910  this  company 
established  a  retail  lumberyard  at  Sixth  and  Railroad  streets,  which  they  have  since 
conducted  in  connection  with  the  operation  of  the  sawmill  on  Warm  Springs  avenue. 
The  Boise  Lumber  Company  steadily  employs  a  large  force  of  workmen  in  its  mill,  its 
yard  and  in  its  logging  camps,  the  latter  being  situated  in  the  Boise  basin,  where 
the  concern  has  large  timber  holdings.  The  mill  has  a  capacity  of  twenty-five  thousand 
feet  of  lumber  per  day  and  the  manufactured  product  finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  market 
because  of  its  excellence  and  by  reason  of  the  reliable  business  methods  of  the  firm. 

On  the  6th  of  November,  1897,  in  Superior,  Wisconsin,  Mr.  Mott  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Berg,  who  was  born  in  Minnesota  and  is  of  Norwegian  descent, 
her  parents  having  come  from  Norway  to  the  new  world.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mott  have 
three  children,  a  son  and  two  daughters:  Francis  Arthur,  aged  sixteen;  Margaret 
Watson,  aged  thirteen;  and  Lucile,  a  little  maiden  of  eight  summers.  All  are  now 
attending  the  Boise  schools,  Francis  being  a  sophomore  in  the  high  school. 

Mr.  Mott  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star. 
She  also  has  membership  in  the  First  Baptist  church.  Mr.  Mott's  membership  rela- 
tions likewise  extend  to  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  to  the  Boise 
Golf  Club.  In  politics  he  maintains  an  independent  attitude,  voting  for  men  and 
measures  rather  than  party,  and  he  has  always  declined  to  become  a  candidate  for 
office.  He  turns  to  golf,  to  fishing  and  hunting  for  recreation,  greatly  enjoying  these 
sports  when  opportunity  offers.  His  business  affairs,  however,  claim  his  first  considera- 
tion and  it  has  been  by  reason  of  unfaltering  enterprise  and  persistency  of  purpose  that, 
he  has  gained  his  present  position  as  one  of  the  officers  of  an  important  industrial  and 
commercial  concern  of  the  capital  city. 


E.  B.  O'DONNELL.  , 

E.  B.  O'Donnell,  actively  and  prominently  identified  with  real  estate  operations 
and  mining  interests  in  Idaho,  has  since  1914  made  his  home  in  Nampa.  He  was 
born  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  October  26.  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  Walker 
O'Donnell,  who  was  a  native  of  Dublin,  Ireland,  and  when  but  eight  years  of  age  crossed 
the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world.  In  Chicago,  Illinois,  he  learned  the  tailoring  trade, 
which  he  followed  from  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  until  1895,  when  he  retired  from 
active  business  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son.  In  1872  he  removed  to*  Kansas  City, 
Missouri,  and  he  passed  away  at  Hannibal,  that  state,  when  seventy-two  years  of  age. 
His  wife  was  born  in  Swansea,  Wales,  the  great  coal  mining  town,  and  was  brought 
by  her  parents  to  the  United  States  at  a  very  early  age,  acquiring  her  education  in  the 
same  school  which  General  Grant  attended,  he  completing  his  course  there  just  as 
Mrs.  O'Donnell  was  beginning  hers.  This  was  at  Galena,  Illinois,  where  her  parents 
resided  and  where  she  was  married.  She  still  survives  her  husband  and  is  living  at 
Hannibal,  Missouri,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years. 

Spending  his  youthful  days  under  the  parental  roof,  E.  B.  O'Donnell  was  graduated 
from  Blees  Academy  of  Macon,  Missouri,  and  when  eighteen  years  of  age  entered  the 
tailoring  business  of  his  father,  of  which  he  assumed  charge  four  years  later,  his 
father  then  retiring  from  active  business  life.  In  1895  E.  B.  O'Donnell  was  married 
and  owing  to  the  ill  health  of  his  wife,  the  cause  of  which  various  physicians  were 
unable  to  determine,  he  removed  from  place  to  place,  hoping  that  a  change  of  climate 
might  prove  beneficial.  After  spending  two  years  in  Seattle,  Washington,  in  the 
tailoring  business  he  went  to  Los  Angeles,  California,  where  he  took  charge  of  the 
clothing  house  of  Scott  Brothers.  One  year  later  he  removed  to  Portland,  -Oregon, 
where  he  had  Charge  of  the  ladies'  and  men's  tailoring  department  in  the  Ben  Selling 
establishment,  there  remaining  until  1914,  when  he  came  to  Nampa,  Idaho.  This 
change  brought  the  desired  results  to  Mrs.  O'Donnell,  who  has  completely  regained  her 
health  here.  After  coming  to  Nampa,  Mr.  O'Donnell  took  charge  of  the  tailoring  de- 
partment  of  the  Robb  Clothing  Company  and  so  remained  for  two  years.  In  the 
meantime  he  had  become  interested  in  a  mine  at  De  Lamar  and  he  accepted  the  su- 
perintendency  of  the  Golden  Sickle  mine,  continuing  thus  to  serve  for  a  year  and  a 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  785 

half.  He  later  became  associated  with  H.  F.  Wood  In  the  real  estate  business  under 
the  firm  name  of  O'Donnell  &  Wood,  handling  city  and  farm  lands.  They  are  also 
interested  In  the  Golden  Sickle  mine,  the  Owyhee  group  of  mines  and  the  Reynolds 
Creek  mine  in  Owyhee  county,  these  properties  being  both  gold  and  silver  produ. 
In  addition  thereto  they  have  an  interest  in  the  P.  H.  Mann  placer  fields,  located  about 
eighteen  miles  from  Baker  City,  Oregon,  out  of  which  ninety-three  thousand  dollars 
was  taken  in  four  months.  This  company  controls  the  entire  water  system  over  three 
hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  this  field  and  they  own  considerable  city  property  in 
Nampa.  The  business  has  been  developed  to  substantial  proportions  and  at  all  points  in 
his  career  Mr.  O'Donnell  has  been  actuated  by  a  spirit  of  enterprise  that  prompts  him 
to  put  forth  continuous  and  earnest  effort  until  the  end  desired  is  achieved. 

Mr.  O'Donnell  married  Miss  Margaret  Bishop,  of  .hioksmivillo,  Illinois,  daughter 
of  George  and  Carrie  Bishop,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  sons:  Eugene  Enimett. 
Robert  Thomas  and  George  Arthur. 

Mr.  O'Donnell  is  a  great  admirer  of  Hon.  James  H.  Hawley.  working  hard  to 
promote  his  interests  during  his  campaign  for  the  senate.  Fraternally  he  is  identified 
with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Numpa  (Vmn,. 
Club.  Every  project  for  the  upbuilding  and  welfare  ot  the  city  receives  his  endorse- 
ment. At  the  same  time  he  neglects  no  business  chance  and  the  reliable  methods 
which  he  has  utilized  in  handling  real  estate  and  mining  interests  have  brought 
him  prominently  to  the  front. 


GEORGE  EDWARD  NOBLE,  D.  V.  S. 

Dr.  George  Edward  Noble,  proprietor  of  the  Boise  Veterinary  Hospital  and  former 
state  veterinarian  of  Idaho,  was  born  in  Nashua,  Chickasaw  county,  Iowa.  May  25, 
1868,  being  the  elder  of  the  two  sons  of  John  and  Zelia  (Hall)  Noble.  The  father  was 
a  native  of  Ontario,  Canada,  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  also  one  of  the  old-time 
veterinary  surgeons.  He  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  Chickasaw  county,  Iov/a. 
but  he  and  his  wife  came  to  Boise  in  1910  in  order  to  live  near  their  son,  and  here 
the  father  passed  away  in  1913,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one  years.  His  wife 
survives  and  is  now  living  in  Portland,  Oregon,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  There  were 
but  two  sons  in  the  family  and  the  brother  of  Dr.  Noble  is  Tony  VV.  Noble,  a  resident 
of  Portland. 

Dr.  Noble  was  reared  and  educated  in  Iowa  and  was  graduated  from  the  Upper 
Iowa  University  in  1889  as  a  master  accountant.  In  early  manhood  he  taught  nine 
terms  of  school  in  Chickasaw  and  Butler  counties  of  Iowa,  taking  up  the  work  of  the 
profession  when  a  youth  of  seventeen.  In  1889  he  entered  the  Chicago  Veterinary  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1891.  He  then  practiced  his  pro- 
fession at  Nashua,  Iowa,  until  1894  and  at  Osage,  Iowa,  from  1894  until  1902.  In  the 
latter  year  he  came  to  Boise,  where  he  has  since  remained,  and  through  the  intervening 
years  has  been  known  as  a  prominent  practitioner  of  veterinary  surgery.  He  was  the 
first  graduate  veterinarian  to  locate  and  practice  in  Idaho  and  in  1905  he  was  appointed 
to  the  position  of  state  veterinarian  by  Governor  Gooding,  who  reappolnted  him  in  1907, 
as  did  Governor  James  H.  Brady  in  1909,  so  that  he  served  altogether  for  six  years  in 
the  office.  In  1908  he  was  largely  instrumental  in  organizing  the  Idaho  Association  of 
Veterinary  Surgeons,  of  which  he  served  as  the  first  president,  filling  the  position  for 
two  years.  This  society  has  been  of  immense  value  in  maintaining  the  standard  of 
veterinary  surgery  and  In  disseminating  .knowledge  of  great  value  to  stock  raisers  and 
dealers  throughout  the  state.  In  1913  the  Idaho  Veterinary  Medical  Association  waa 
organized,  with  Dr.  Noble  as  the  first  president,  and  he  is  still  serving.  He  is  the 
owner  of  a  ranch  In  Canyon  county,  on  which  he  is  engaged  in  the  breeding  and  rais- 
ing of  registered  Shire  horses.  In  1918  he  exhibited  ten  of  his  Shires  at  the  Idaho 
State  Fair,  taking  thirteen  first,  two  second  and  two  third  prizes  and  three  champion- 
ships. He  is  also  a  breeder  of  registered  shorthorn  cattle.  He  belongs  to  the  Ameri- 
can Teterinary  Medical  Association  and  for  six  years  was  its  secretary  for  Idaho. 

On  the  25th  of  September,  1894,  Dr.  Noble  was  married  to  Miss  Agnes  Cronfn,  of 
Clarksville,  Iowa,  and  they  have  five  children,  four  sons  and  a  daughter:  William.  John, 
George,  James  and  Mary-  The  eldest  son  is  now  in  France  and  John  went  to  a  train- 
ing camp  to  prepare  for  service  overseas. 

Dr.  Noble  belongs  to  the  Boise  Commercial  Club.    His  political  allegiance  is  given 

Vol.  Ill— 50 


786  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

to  the  republican  party  and  he  keeps  well  versed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the 
day  but  does  not  desire  nor  seek  office.  In  matters  of  progressive  citizenship,  how- 
ever, he  cooperates  heartily  and  lends  his  aid  and  influence  to  the  support  of  all  plans 
which  he  deems  of  value  in  the  upbuilding  of  Boise  and  the  state.  There  is  perhaps  no 
one  in  Idaho  who  has  done  more  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  veterinary  profession 
than  he  and  his  labors  have  been  of  incalculable  benefit  to  live  stock  owners. 


JOHN  KINGHORN. 

The  student  of  history  cannot  carry  his  investigations  far  into  the  record  of 
Jefferson  county  without  learning  of  the  close  and  prominent  connection  of  the  King- 
horn  family  with  its  agricultural  development.  John  Kinghorn,  a  representative  of 
this  family  living  near  Lewisville,  is  engaged  in  farming  and  is  also  manager  of  the 
Midland  Elevator  at  Rigby.  He  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  July  30.  1871,  a  son 
of  Alexander  and  Jane  (Campbell)  Kinghorn,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  on  another 
page  of  this  work.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  Salt  Lake  and  also  attended  the 
district  schools  of  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  following  the  removal  of  his  parents  with 
their  family  to  this  state  in  1884,  when  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age.  He  continued 
under  the  parental  roof  until  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-four,  when  his  father  gave 
him  forty  acres  of  land  half  way  between  Lewisville  and  Rigby.  He  at  once  began 
to  till  the  soil  and  has  continued  the  work  of  cultivating  his  fields  until  he  now  has 
a  highly  developed  property.  An  air  of  neatness  and  thrift  pervades  the  place  and 
everything  about  his  farm  is  indicative  of  the  careful  supervision  of  a  painstaking, 
practical  and  progressive  owner.  He  had  to  grub  up  the  sagebrush  in  order  to  plow 
his  land  and  as  the  years  have  passed  he  has  made  it  bloom  and  blossom  as  the  rose, 
continuously  carrying  on  general  farming.  He  formerly  engaged  in  the  raising  of 
pure  bred  Poland  China  hogs  and  added  materially  to  his  income  in  that  way. 

On  the  15th  of  September,  1895,  Mr.  Kinghorn  was  married  to  Miss  Nancy  J.  Marler 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children:  Ethel,  the  wife  of  Carl  Jones,  resid- 
ing near  Lewisville;  Ila,  the  wife  of  Lee  Hanson,  living  at  Annis,  Idaho;  Floyd,  who 
died  in  April,  1901,  at  the  age  of  two  years;  and  Delbert,  Eldon  and  Wilmer,  all  at 
home. 

The  family  are  adherents  of  the  Church  of  Jeeus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  and 
Mr.  Kinghorn  was  formerly  bishop's  counselor  for  four  years.  His  political  endorse- 
ment is  given  to  the  republican  party  but  while  he  neither  seeks  nor  desires  office,  he 
is  never  remiss  in  the  duties  of  citizenship  and  gives  hearty  support  and  cooperation 
to  those  measures  which  he  believes  of  general  benefit  or  which  promise  to  promote  the 
development  and  upbuilding  of  the  district  in  which  he  resides. 


JAMES  DENNING. 

James  Denning,  who  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  promoters  of  the  Denning-Clark 
Live  Stock  Company,  having  extensive  sheep  and  cattle  raising  interests  near  Dubois, 
was  born  June  15,  1868,  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  his  parents  being  James  and  Rose 
(McGahan)  Denning.  The  father  was  a  farmer  who  died  at  the  old  home  place  in 
1878,  having  for  two  years  survived  his  wife,  who  passed  away  in  1876. 

James  Denning  was  therefore  a  lad  of  but  ten  years  when  left  an  orphan.  His 
school  advantages  were  few  and  he  largely  acquired  his  education  by  attending  night 
schools  in  New  York  city  after  his  arrival  in  America.  When  twelve  years  of  age 
he  began  serving  an  apprenticeship  in  a  grocery  and  liquor  establishment  in  his  native 
land  and  thus  worked  for  four  years  without  pay.  His  eldest  brother,  William  Den- 
ning, crossed  the  Atlantic  to  New  York  and  entered  the  employ  of  M.  P.  Grace  & 
Company  and  is  today  in  the  employ  of  that  great  shipping  concern  in  England, 

At  the  close  of  James  Denning's  term  of  apprencticeship  his  brother  advanced  his 
transportation  and  he,  too,  made  the  trip  across  the  briny  deep  to  New  York,  where 
he  took  a  position  as  valet.  In  1886  he  entered  the  employ  of  Senator  W.  A.  Clark  and 
removed  to  Butte,  Montana,  serving  the  family  for  eight  years  in  the  capacity  of 
valet.  In  1894  he  became  associated  with  W.  A.  Clark,  Paul  Clark  and  W.  R.  Davis, 
under  the  name  of  the  Davis-Denning  Company,  for  the  business  of  running,  raising, 


JAMES   DENNING 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  789 

buying  and  selling  cattle  and  land,  their  office  being  established  at  Howe,  Fremont 
county,  Idaho,  Mr.  Denning  being  made  manager  of  the  business.  Success  attended 
the  enterprise  until  1900,  when  the  banking  firm  of  Bunting  A  Company  of  Black- 
foot,  Idaho,  failed  and  thus  the  company  lost  most  of  its  funds,  which  were  deposited 
in  that  bank.  The  Davis-Denning  Company  liquidated  later  in  that  year  and  Mr. 
Denning  afterward  purchased  the  Hunsinker  ranch  at  Medicine  Lodge,  Idaho.  There 
he  started  with  a  band  of  fifteen  hundred  sheep  and  admitted  his  foreman.  R.  F. 
Swauger,  as  a  partner.  Five  years  later  he  purchased  the  interest  of  his  partner  for 
thirty  thousand  dollars.  The  following  year  he  organized  the  Denning-Clark  Live 
Stock  Company  of  Dubois,  which  was  capitalized  for  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
The  original  stockholders  were  J.  D.  Ellis,  F.  A.  Pike,  Dave  Miller,  Samuel  K.  Clark 
and  James  Denning.  Mr.  Clark  became  the  president,  with  Mr.  Denning  as  secre- 
tary and  manager.  In  1908  Mr.  Clark  organized  a  company  known  as  Clark  Brothers, 
which  was  incorporated  and  which  secured  large  land  interests  that  had  been  held  by 
Pike  Brothers  on  Medicine  Lodge.  This  business  was  later  absorbed  by  the  Denn ing-Clark 
Live  Stock  Company  and  all  stock  in  the  latter  company  is  held  by  Mr.  Denning  and  Mr. 
Clark  and  sons.  They  run  at  present  about  twenty  thousand  head  of  sheep  and  three 
thousand  head  of  cattle  and  they  own  valuable  range  and  ranch  properties  aggregating 
about  five  thousand  acres.  Mr.  Denning  is  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Dubois,  Idaho,  a  stockholder  in  the  Dubois  Townslte  Company,  a 
stockholder  and  director  in  the  West  Chicago  Stock  Yards  Company  of  Chicago  and 
owner  of  the  Dubois  Garage,  a  thoroughly  modern  structure. 

Mr.  Denning  was  married  in  New  York  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Agnes  McCabe,  a  native 
of  Ireland.  His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Catholic  church  and  in  politics* he  is  a 
republican.  In  1919  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  Davis  county  commissioner  of  the 
newly  created  Clark  county  and  is  now  chairman  of  the  board. 


FRANK  GALLIHER. 

Frank  Galliher,  a  rancher  of  Sublett.  Cassia  county,  was  born  in  Ogden,  Utah. 
May  1,  1875,  his  parents  being  John  and  Sarah  (Browning)  Galliher.  The  father's 
birth  occurred  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  while  the  mother  was  born  in  Nashville,  Ten- 
nessee. John  Galliher  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Kentucky,  there  remaining  to  the 
age  of  twenty-four  years,  and  was  married  in  Louisville.  He  then  went  to  Ohio,  where 
he  followed  farming  and  also  made  a  specialty  of  raising  hogs.  Subsequently  he  went 
to  Momence,  Illinois,  some  distance  south  of  Chicago,  and  he  afso  followed  farming  in 
various  parts  of  Illinois  before  removing  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  There  he  likewise 
devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  for  a  number  of  years  and  In  1852  made 
his  way  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  whence  he  started  across  the  plains  with  ox  teams  to 
Salt  Lake,  Utah.  After  reaching  that  state  he  gave  his  attention  to  the  work  of  tilling 
the  soil  in  the  vicinity  of  Salt  Lake  and  likewise  engaged  in  teaching  school.  In  the 
fall  of  1878  he  removed  to  Sublett,  Cassia  county,  Idaho,  then  a  part  of  Oneida  county, 
and  squatted  upon  the  ranch  that  is  now  the  property  of  his  son  Frank.  He  built 
there  a  log  cabin  and  throughout  his  remaining  days  gave  his  attention  to  the  further 
development  and  improvement  of  that  property.  His  wife  also  passed  away  upon  the 
old  homestead,  her  death  occurring  in  1900,  when  she  was  seventy-five  years  of  age. 
In  his  political  belief  John  Galliher  was  a  democrat  and  filled  the  office  of  county  com- 
missioner. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Frank  Galliher  were  largely  passed  upon  the  ranch  that  is 
now  his  home  and  in  the  schools  nearby  and  also  in  the  schools  of  Albion  he  pursued 
his  education.  He  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  through  vacation  periods  and  after 
his  schooldays  were  over,  and  eventually  his  father  deeded  to  him  the  ranch  of  eighty 
acres.  He  has  lived  upon  this  place  practically  throughout  his  entire  life  and  now 
has  a  splendidly  improved  property  equipped  with  all  of  the  accessories  and  con- 
veniences of  the  model  farm  of  the  twentieth  century. 

In  1893  Mr.  Galliher  was  married  to  Mlsl  Isabel  Hutchinson.  a  native  of  Spanish 
Fork,  Utah,  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Anna  (Davidson)  Hutchinson.  who  were 
farming  people  of  that  locality.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Galliher  have  become  the  parents  of 
ten  children:  Frank,  Pearl,  Earl,  Evelyn,  Guy.  Myrtle,  Lila,  Foy.  Leroy  and  Retha.  The 
son  Earl  died  at  Washington.  D.  C.,  while  en  route  to  Long  Island  as  a  member  of 
Battery  B.  One  Hundred  and  Forty-sixth  Field  Artillery.  He  had  prepared  for  active 


790  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

overseas  service  but  was  one  of  that  great  toll  of  victims  that  death  always  claims  in 
any  great  military  organization.  Mr.  Galliher  and  his  family  are  well  known  in  Cassia 
county,  and  in  his  ranching  interests  he  has  won  substantial  success. 


LAFAYETTE  BOONE. 

Lafayette  Boone,  whose  success  seems  to  indicate  that  he  has  found  ready  solu- 
tion for  all  the  problems  that  confront  the  orchardist,  is  the  owner  of  a  highly  improved 
place  of  forty  acres  four  miles  west  of  Boise,  largely  devoted  to  fruit  raising.  He  was 
born  in  Knox  county,  Missouri,  September  16,  1879,  and  is  a  son  of  Milton  Clay  and 
Ann  (Cunningham)  Boone.  On  the  paternal  side  he  is  related  to  Daniel  Boone,  who 
was  a  brother  of  the  great-grandfather  of  Lafayette  Boone.  The  latter  is  a  brother 
of  J.  S.  Boone,  also  mentioned  in  this  work. 

Lafayette  Boone  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  Knox  county,  Missouri,  with  the 
usual  experiences  of  a  farm-bred  boy.  There  he  was  married  on  the  5th  of  November, 
1902,  to  Miss  Nora  Hardy,  who  was  born  in  that  county  January  23,  1882,  a  daughter 
of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Shriver)  Hardy.  In  1906  they  removed  to  Ada  county, 
Idaho,  and  in  1912  came  to  their  present  ranch,  which  is  highly  improved  with  a  good 
residence  supplied  with  all  modern  conveniences,  including  hot  and  cold  water,  bath 
and  electric  light.  The  outbuildings,  too,  are  commodious  and  substantial  and  include 
a  large  packing  house  and  dry  house  which  afford  ample  shelter  for  the  care  of  his 
prunes,  thirty  acres  of  his  farm  being  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  that  fruit.  In 
1919  his  prune  orchard  produced  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  tons  of  prunes.  Mr. 
Boone  has  also  owned  other  property  in  this  locality,  having  recently  sold  a  fine 
one-hundred-acre  stock  farm  near  Meridian  for  two  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  In 
addition  to  his  ranch  and  orchard  interests  Mr.  Boone  is  one  of  the  owners  and 
founders  of  a  manufacturing  plant  in  Boise,  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the 
Intermountain  Cylinder  Grinding  Company.  He  is  half  owner  of  the  business  and 
secretary  of  the  company.  Their  plant,  a  new  one  specially  built,  is  located  on  North 
Thirteenth  between  Main  and  Idaho  streets. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boone  have  one  son,  Robert  Wayne,  born  March  15,  1909.  The 
family  is  well  and  favorably  known  in  Boise  and  this  section  of  the  state.  Mr.  Boone 
is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  and  both  he  and 
his  wife  are  connected  with  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  His  political  allegiance 
is  given  to  the  republican  party  but  he  has  never  sought  or  filled  office. 


JOHN  HOPSTER. 

John  Hopster,  a  well  known  representative  of  the  bee  industry,  living  in  the 
vicinity  of  Emmett,  was  born  in  Germany,  March  29,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Margaret  (Jaspers)  Hopster.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  in  his  native  country 
and  also  became  acquainted  with  the  business  of  raising  bees  and  producing  honey — 
a  business  in  which  his  father  had  been  engaged.  The  son  began  working  with  bees 
when  a  lad  of  but  ten  years  and  has  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  the  business  to 
a  greater  or  less  extent  throughout  his  entire  life.  For  thirty -five  or  forty  years,  how- 
ever, he  did  not  give  his  undivided  attention  to  this  business  but  followed  the  trade  of 
carpentering  and  building. 

It  was  in  1881  that  Mr.  Hopster  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  three  sisters 
and  a  brother.  The  family  settled  in  Minnesota  and  while  there  residing  the  mother 
passed  away  in  1883.  The  father  long  survived  her,  departing  this  life  in  Nebraska 
in  1907.  Two  sons  and  two  daughters  of  the  family  are  yet  living,  the  brother  of 
John  Hopster  of  this  review  being  Herman  Hopster,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Nebraska, 
while  their  surviving  sisters  are  Mrs.  Mary  Griep,  living  in  Minnesota,  and  Mrs.  Angela 
Bremmer,  whose  home  is  at  Emmett. 

John  Hopster  lived  in  Minnesota  for  eight  years  and  then  made  his  way  to  the 
Pacific  coast  country,  settling  in  Oregon,  where  he  resided  for  three  years.  He  was 
afterward  in  the  province  of  Alberta,  Canada,  for  nine  years  and  since  1909  he  has 
made  his  home  in  the  vicinity  of  Emmett,  Idaho.  Since  taking  up  his  abode  here  he 
has  developed  a  large  business  as  a  representative  of  the  bee  industry.  He  now  has 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  791 

one  hundred  and  forty  colonies,  divided  in  four  different  apiaries  located  on  alfalfa 
ranches  near  Knimett.  He  handles  the  Italian  variety  of  bees  and  his  home  apiary  and 
his  own  residence  are  located  on  the  bench  a  mile  and  a  half  northwest  of  Emmett. 
The  ranch  is  all  in  beautiful  green  alfalfa,  its  flowering  furnishing  an  ample  feed- 
ing ground  for  the  bees.  Honey  of  the  highest  quality  is  produced  and  finds  a  ready 
sale  upon  the  market.  In  addition  to  his  activity  in  that  direction  Mr.  Hopster,  being 
an  excellent  carpenter  and  mechanic,  makes  all  of  his  own  hives  and  supers.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Idaho-Oregon  Honey  Producers  Association  and  he  is  thoroughly  In- 
formed concerning  everything  that  has  to  do  with  the  care  of  bees  and  the  production 
of  honey,  for  study  and  long  experience  have  brought  to  him  a  knowledge  that  enables 
him  to  speak  with  authority  upon  anything  concerning  bee  culture. 


REV.  ROBERT  M.  DONALDSON. 

Rev.  Robert  M.  Donaldson,  who  since  1915  has  been  pastor  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian church  of  Boise  and  is  one  of  the  well  known  clergymen  of  the  northwest  and 
almost  equally  well  known  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  states,  was  born  in  Ossian,  Well- 
county,  Indiana,  September  29,  1860.  His  father,  Wilson  M.  Donaldson,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  became  a  resident  of  Indiana  during  the  pioneer  epoch  in  its  hist<»> 
He,  too,  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  life  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  giving  forty 
five  years  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  thirty  years  of  which  time  be  was  a  resident 
of  Indiana,  ten  years  of  Pennsylvania  and  five  years  of  Ohio.  In  his  later  life  he 
lived  retired  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  His  family  numbered  five  sons  and  a  daughter. 
The  eldest,  John  B.  Donaldson,  D.  1).,  a  distinguished  educator  and  minister,  was  grad- 
uated from  Wabash  College  of  Indiana  and  for  many  years  has  been  a  Presbyterian 
clergyman  of  note,  continuing  his  work  in  various  states.  A.  M.  Donaldson,  the 
second  son,  is  a  graduate  of  a  college  at  Colorado  City,  Colorado,  and  is  an  assayer  of 
metals  in  Denver.  Wilson  E.,  graduated  from  Wabash  College  of  Indiana  and  the 
Allegheny  Western  Theological  Seminary  of  Pennsylvania,  has  also  devoted  his  life 
to  the  Presbyterian  ministry.  Charles  A.  Donaldson,  M.  D.,  is  a  graduate  of  the  medical 
department  of  the  Wooeter  University  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  The  daughter,  Janet,  was 
also  educated  at  the  Wooster  University  and  passed  away  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota, 
October  30,  1893.  All  of  the  members  of  the  family  were  for  several  years  students 
in  Elders  Ridge  Academy,  which  was  founded  by  their  uncle,  Alexander  Donaldson,  D.  D.. 
who.  like  his  brother,  Wilson  M.  Donaldson,  was  a  graduate  of  Jefferson  College  of 
Pennsylvania.  From  his  youth  Dr.  Alexander  Donaldson  was  deeply  interested  in  the 
cause  of  education.  He  built  a  log  cabin  fifteen  feet  square  at  Elders  Ridge,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  there  began  the  education  of  boys.  The  growth  of  the  institution  soon 
necessitated  the  erection  of  a  larger  building  and  subsequently  his  school  was  made 
coeducational.  It  remained  for  a  long  period  one  of  the  strong  institutions  ot  learn- 
ing of  that  section  of  the  country. 

Dr.  Robert  M.  Donaldson  of  this  review  was  for  some  time  a  student  at  Elders 
Ridge  Academy  and  afterward  attended  the  University  of  Wooster  in  Ohio.  Like  several 
others  of  the  name,  he  determined  to  devote  his  life  to  preaching  the  Gospel  and  be- 
came a  student  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Allegheny,  Pennsylvania,  while  later 
he  studied  in  the  McCormick  Seminary  of  Chicago  and  was  graduated  therefrom  with 
the  class  of  1888.  Before  completing  his  course  he  was  licensed  to  preach  and  for  three 
years  occupied  a  pulpit  at  Hastings,  Minnesota.  On  the  3d  of  July,  1888,  he  was  or- 
dained to  the  ministry  by  the  Presbytery  in  session  at  Hastings  and  was  called  to 
the  pastorate  of  that  church  as  the  successor  of  his  brother,  Dr.  J.  B.  Donaldson,  who 
had  made  Hastings  the  field  of  his  labors  for  nine  years.  In  1892  Dr.  Robert  M.  Donald 
son  accepted  a  call  from  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Bozeman,  Montana,  where  he 
labored  until  1895,  and  then  became  secretary  of  the  Wooster  University  of  Cleveland. 
Ohio.  He  continued  in  that  position  for  three  years  and  in  1898  accepted  the  pastorate 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  at  Urbana,  Ohio,  continuing  in  that  charge  for  four 
years.  In  1902  he  was  recalled  to  Bozeman,  Montana,  where  he  again  labored  for  five 
year*,  and  from  1907  until  1915  he  occupied  the  position  of  field  secretary  of  the  board 
of  h  >me  missions  of  the  Presbyterian  church  for  the  Rocky  Mountain  district,  with 
headquarters  at  Denver.  His  services  in  that  connection  brought  him  a  wide  ac- 
quaintance through  the  Rocky  Mountain  states,  especially  among  the  people  of  the 
Presbyterian  denomination. 


792  ;:        HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

On  the  1st  of  October,  1915,  Dr.  Donaldson  became  the  pastor  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian church  at  Boise  and  has  since  continued  his  labors  in  Idaho's  capital.  He  has 
been  a  prolific  writer.  He  has  done  much  editorial  work,  has  also  served  on  the  staff 
of  the  Northwestern  Presbyterian  of  Minneapolis  and  later  was  editor  and  proprietor  of 
the  IJocky  Mountain  Presbyterian  for  three  years.  Subsequently  he  was  on  the  edi- 
torial staff  of  a  paper  of  the  same  name  that  was  published  in  Chicago.  He  is  like- 
wise well  known  on  the  lecture  platform  and  has  been  frequently  heard  in  various 
states  in  support  of  the  dry  movement.  While  a  resident  of  Denver  he  acted  for  six 
months  as  president  of  the  Westminister  College  of  that  city. 

On  the  23d  of  February,  1892,  Dr.  Donaldson  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  E.  Tal- 
cott,  of  Livingston,  Montana,  a  daughter  of  William  H.  Talcott,  deceased,  and  a  sister 
of  William  Talcott,  of  Chicago;  Henry  Talcott,  of  Livingston,  Montana,  and  E.  H. 
Talcott,  president  of  the  Park  National  Bank,  also  of  Livingston.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Donald- 
son have  become  parents  of  two  children:  Janet,  born  August  10,  1893,  who  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Wooster  University  in  1916  and  was  later  engaged  in  war  work  in 
Washington,  D.  C.;  and  Robert  Talcott,  born  March  28,  J.897.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  sophomore  class  in  Wooster  University  when  the  United  States  entered  the 
World  war  and,  joining  the  colors,  went  to  France  for  active  military  service. 

Such  in  brief  is  the  life  history  of  Dr.  Donaldson.  It  would  be  tautological  in 
this  connection  to  enter  into  any  series  of  statements  showing  him  to  be  a  man  of 
broad,  scholarly  attainments,  for  this  has  been  shadowed  forth  between  the  lines  of 
this  review,  but  it  is  just  to  say  in  a  history  that  will  descend  to  future  generations 
that  he  is  also  recognized  as  a  man  of  the  deepest  human  sympathy  and  as  one  whose 
labors  have  been  most  effective  in  assisting  the  individual  as  well  as  building  up  the 
church  organization.  During  his  term  as  secretary  of  the  board  of  home  missions 
the  number  of  presbyteries  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  district  was  increased  from  sixteen 
to  twenty-four  and  the  number  of  synods  from  four  to  seven.  Dr.  Donaldson  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  ablest  pulpit  orators  of  the  west,  an  earnest,  fluent,  logical  and 
convincing  speaker,  whose  labors  have  been  most  effective  in  guiding  his  people  toward 
the  attainment  of  higher  ideals. 


W.   E.  FISHER. 

W.  E.  Fisher  is  one  of  the  extensive  landowners  of  Ada  county,  having  eight  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  acres  near  Eagle,  which  he  purchased  in  1911.  He  has  brought  his 
place  to  a  state  of  high  productivity,  and  his  enterprise  has  resulted  in  constantly 
adding  modern  improvements  and  equipment,  so  that  his  ranch  has  become  one  of  the 
valuable  farm  properties  of  this  section  of  the  'state.  He  was  born  in  Iowa,  December 
20,  1884,  his  parents  being  George  and  Ella  (Forney)  Fisher,  who  crossed  the  plains 
from  Iowa  and  settled  in  the  Boise  valley  in  1889.  They  first  took  up  their  residence 
on  Dry  creek,  about  a  half  mile  from  where  W.  E.  Fisher  now  resides. 

He  attended  the  Lower  Dry  Creek  school  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  secured 
a  homestead  in  the  Black  Canyon  irrigation  project  in  Canyon  county,  obtaining  there 
a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  which  he  still  owns.  After  proving  up  on 
that  property  he  returned  to  Eagle  and  engaged  in  the  live  stock  business.  In  1911 
he  purchased  his  present  place  of  eight  hundred  and  seventy-five  acres  and  upon  this 
ranch  has  fed  over  eight  hundred  head  of  beef  cattle  in  the  winter.  His  is  one  of  the 
largest  alfalfa  ranches  in  this  section  and  he  cuts  over  four  hundred  and  fity  tons 
of  hay  a  year.  He  likewise  raises  wheat  by  dry  farming  and  has  in  this  way  produced 
twenty  bushels  to  the  acre.  His  beef  cattle  are  bred  from  pure  bred  bulls,  so  that 
there  is  no  finer  stock  in  the  state,  and  there  is  no  phase  of  stock  raising  with  which 
Mr.  Fisher  is  not  thoroughly  familiar,  for  in  the  early  days  he  would  ride  the  range 
and  engaged  many  a  time  in  broncho  busting.  As  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  own 
an  outfit  he  began  to  ride  and  for  a  time  was  in  the  employ  of  John  Lemp,  who  was 
one  of  the  largest  stock  and  land  owners  of  Idaho. 

Mr.  Fisher  never  forgot  the  obligation  which  he  owed  his  parents  and  many  long 
days  he  put  in  on  the  home  place  to  help  support  the  family.  He  likewise  worked  on 
the  Farmers  Union  ditch  during  its  construction,  driving  a  team  and  scraper  for  ten 
hours  a  day  at  a  dollar  per  day,  and  if  any  accident  occurred,  such  as  breaking  the 
harness,  forcing  him  to  stop  to  repair  it,  he  would  be  docked  for  the  time  spent  in 
repair  work.  His  father  was  a  poor  man  and  had  a  family  of  fifteen  children,  so  that 


W.  E.  FISHER 


MRS.   CLARA   B.  FISHER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  797 

he  was  kept  busy  earning  enough  to  feed  them  and  could  not  acquire  land.  When  they 
had  to  go  after  wood  they  had  no  equipment  and  it  took  half  a  day  to  get  together 
an  outfit  from  the  neighbors  that  they  might  make  the  trip  for  their  fuel.  The  parents 
crossed  the  plains  with  horse  teams  and  endured  many  hardships  en  route  but  were 
not  molested  by  the  Indians  although  they  saw  many  of  the  red  men  while  on  the 
journey.  W.  E.  Fisher  remembers  on  one  occasion  as  the  Indians  were  moving  with 
their  tepees  he  saw  a  large  dishpan  fastened  to  the  back  of  a  pony  and  in  it  was  a 
papoose  bouncing  up  and  down  as  the  pony  trotted  along.  Mr.  Fisher's  parents  had 
only  two  poor  horses  and  a  wagon  with  which  to  cross  the  plains  and  when  they  reached 
Wyoming  one  of  the  horses  became  alkalied  and  was  of  no  further  use,  so  their  com- 
panions in  the  train  had  to  lend  them  an  old  mule  which  was  about  the  size  of  their 
horse  and  the  horse  was  so  Jaded  that  the  mule  practically  'had  to  pull  the  whole  load. 
The  days  of  hardship  and  trial,  however,  have  passed  and  as  the  years  have  gone  on 
W.  E.  Fisher,  overcoming  the  handicap  of  poverty  and  difficulty,  has  become  one  of 
the  prosperous  and  representative  agriculturists  and  stockmen  of  Ada  county. 

In  1906  Mr.  Fisher  was  married  to  Miss  Clara  B.  Aiken,  daughter  of  T.  H.  Aiken, 
one  of  Idaho's  prominent  pioneer  citizens.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisher  have  become  the 
parents  of  six  children:  Maybelle  Mary,  Thomas  H.,  Ella  Grace,  Ida  Pearl,  Walter 
Edward,  and  Helen  Lois.  The  family  occupies  an  attractive  home  which  is  built  of 
stone  taken  from  the  hills  near  by.  The  house  contains  ten  rooms  and  the  finest  moun- 
tain water  is  supplied  through  pipes  from  the  springs  upon  the  place,  The  barn  is  a 
large  and  substantial  structure,  and  all  of  the  facilities  and  equipment  of  the  model 
farm  are  found  upon  this  place,  Mr.  Fisher  sparing  no  effort  or  expense  in  making 
his  one  of  the  valuable  and  highly  improved  farm  properties  of  the  locality.  There  were 
but  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  the  tract  of  land  when  he  made  his  first  purchase 
and  from  time  to  time  he  has  acquired  the  balance.  Of  this  two  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  only  the  bottom  land  was  under  cultivation  and  it  produced  but  one  hundred 
tons  of  hay  and  fifteen  hundred  bushels  of  grain.  He  has  brought  the  soil  to  its  present 
state  of  productivity  by  feeding  stock  upon  it  in  winter,  thus  fertilizing  the  soil  by 
natural  processes.  In  1919  he  secured  about  six  hundred  tons  of  hay  from  the  place 
and  fifteen  hundred  bushels  of  grain,  accomplishing  this  result  through  modern  scien- 
tific methods  of  farming,  combined  with  good  judgment  and  unceasing  effort.  He  now 
has  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  under  cultivation  and  has  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  more  cleared  of  the  sagebrush  and  ready  for  the  plow.  One  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  are  in  alfalfa  and  in  the  following  year  he  will  have  two  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  former  sagebrush  land  planted  to  alfalfa.  He  has  spent  approximately  ten 
thousand  dollars  in  improving  the  ranch,  which  was  an  old  neglected  farm  when  it 
came  into  his  possession,  and  today  he  could  sell  the  property  at  a  handsome  profit 
The  residence  is  beautifully  located  between  the  hills,  perfectly  sheltered  and  surrounded 
by  fields  green  with  growing  grain.  The  entire  farm  presents  a  beautiful  picture  and  is 
the  visible  evidence  of  the  life  of  well  directed  energy  and  thrift  which  W.  E.  Fisher 
has  lived. 


HON.  LORENZO  R.  THOMAS. 

Hon.  Lorenzo  R.  Thomas  is  numbered  among  Idaho's  leading  citizens  and  prom- 
inent attorneys,  practicing  law  as  senior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Thomas  A  Andersen  at 
Blackfoot.  He  has  recently  retired  from  the  position  of  state  senator,  in  which  con- 
nection he  was  ever  allied  with  the  progressive  element  of  the  general  assembly  that 
has  sought  the  continued  welfare  and  development  of  the  state. 

He  was  born  in  Hanley,  Staffordshire,  England,  May  31,  1870,  and  It  a  son  of  James 
and  Elizabeth  (Richardson)  Thomas,  who  are  natives  of  Wales,  but  of  English  parent- 
age. The  father  was  a  tailor  and  worked  at  his  trade  in  England  until  18T3.  when 
he  came  to  the  new  world,  making  his  way  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  He  later  removed 
to  Logan  and  in  1882  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Eagle  Rock,  now  Idaho  Falls.  There 
he  engaged  in  the  clothing  business  until  1913,  when  he  retired  from  commercial  pur- 
suits and  removed  to  Blackfoot,  where  he  now  makes  his  home,  but  spends  the  winter 
months  in  California.  He  is  now  enjoying  in  well  earned  rest  the  fruits  of  his  former 
toil.  The  mother  is  also  living. 

Lorenzo  R.  Thomas  spent  the  period  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  Utah  and  Idaho. 
He  was  a  pupil  in  the  public  schools  of  the  former  state  and  continued  his  studies  in 


798  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Idaho  after  coming  here  with  his  parents  when  a  lad  of  twelve  years.  He  made  his 
initial  step  in  the  business  world  as  an  employe  in  a  store  and  after  working  in  various 
mercantile  establishments  he  was  made  manager  of  the  Rexburg  Mercantile  Company 
at  Rexburg,  Idaho.  It  was  while  he  was  residing  there  that  he  was  elected  to  the  state 
legislature  as  a  representative  of  a  district  comprising  five  counties,  the  same  territory 
now  embracing  fifteen  counties.  He  was  a  member  of  the  third  general  assembly  and 
upon  its  adjournment  he  was  appointed  deputy  state  treasurer  and  had  absolute  charge 
of  the  business  of  the  office,  serving  for  two  years.  He  was  afterward  appointed 
register  of  the  United  States  land  office  at  Blackfoot  by  President  McKinley  and  still 
later  by  President  Roosevelt,  continuing  in  that  position  from  1897  until  1907.  Later 
he  was  elected  probate  judge  of  Bingham  county  but  after  a  short  time  resigned  the 
office  and  went  to  Europe,  where  he  spent  the  summer.  Since  his  return  he  has  been 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  and  in  1913  formed  a  law  partnership  with  James  H. 
Anderson,  with  whom  he  has  since  been  associated.  The  firm  enjoys  an  extensive 
clientage  of  an  important  character.  Aside  from  his  law  practice  Mr.  Thomas  has 
various  business  interests,  being  a  director  and  stockholder  in  several  different  cor- 
porations. While  serving  as  register  of  the  land  office  he  was  engaged  in  the  clothing 
business  at  Rexburg  and  there  erected  a  fine  business  block,  which  he  afterward  sold. 
At  Blackfoot  he  organized  the  Thomas  Mercantile  Company,  conducting  business  there 
for  several  years,  and  he  still  owns  the  building  which  he  there  occupied.  He  like- 
wise has  farming  interests  in  Bingham  county,  owning  sixteen  hundred  acres  of  dry 
land  and  two  irrigated  farms,  which  are  being  operated  by  his  brother-in-law. 

Throughout  the  years  Mr.  Thomas  has  remained  a  most  prominent  and  influential 
representative  of  the  republican  party  and  his  progressive  citizenship  has  received  the 
endorsement  of  the  public  in  his  election  to  various  offices.  He  has  served  as  city 
attorney  of  Blackfoot  and  in  1915  he  was  elected  to  the  state  senate,  where  he  served 
for  four  years,  covering  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  sessions  of  the  Idaho  general 
assembly.  While  in  the  upper  house  he  gave  most  thoughtful  and  earnest  considera- 
tion to  the  many  important  problems  which  came  up  for  settlement,  and  his  support 
was  a  helpful  element  in  connection  with  many  measures  which  have  proven  of  marked 
value  to  the  state. 

On  the  6th  of  January,  1892,  Mr.  Thomas  was  married  to  Miss  Lillian  Elliott  and 
to  them  have  been  born  the  following  children:  Grace  is  the  wife  of  Charles  H.  Kiefer, 
of  Blackfoot.  Willis  Shoup,  who  married  Elaine  Hyde  and  resides  at  Blackfoot,  served 
for  eighteen  months  in  the  war  with  Germany.  He  was  connected  with  the  air  serv- 
ice and  was  in  Europe  during  the  greater  part  of  that  time.  He  now  has  charge  of 
the  road  building  department  of  Bingham  county.  He  has  studied  law  and  was  in 
the  University  of  Utah  at  the  time  he  joined  the  army.  Lawrence  Myradin.  who  mar- 
ried Delpha  Williams,  resides  at  Blackfoot,  where  he  is  engaged  in  farming.  Glenona, 
sixteen  years  of  age,  and  Linden  M.,  aged  nine  years,  are  the  next  of  the  family.  James 
died  in  1909  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months. 

Mr.  Thomas  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and 
for  three  years  filled  a  mission  to  England  and  Wales.  He  served  in  the  Blackfoot 
stake  presidency  and  as  bishop  of  the  second  ward  of  Blackfoot  for  eight  years.  He  is 
now  a  member  of  the  High  Council.  His  interest  has  been  manifest  in  connection 
with  all  things  which  are  of  value  in  the  material,  intellectual,  social  and  moral  progress 
of  the  community,  while  in  political  circles  he  is  recognized  as  a  leader  and  was  an 
alternate  member  to  the  last  republican  state  convention. 


PETER  W.   BERNTSON. 

Peter  W.  Berntson,  foreman  of  the  Teton  Valley  News,  published  at  Driggs,  was 
born  in  Christiania,  Norway,  September  5,  1882,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Karen 
(Olsen)  Berntson,  who  were  also  natives  of  Norway.  The  father  was  a  carpenter  and 
worked  at  his  trade  in  his  native  country  until  1891,  when  he  sought  the  opportunities 
of  the  new  world.  He  made  his  way  to  the  growing  northwest,  traveling  across  the 
country  to  North  Dakota,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade.  Before  leaving  his  native 
land  he  had  become  a  convert  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and 
it  was  his  intention  to  become  a  resident  of  Utah.  He  remained  in  North  Dakota, 
however,  long  enough  to  earn  money  to  help  him  on  his  journey.  There  he  became 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  799 

ill  and  never  reached  his  destination— Utah— for  after  a  year  he  passed  away  in  North 
Dakota  in  1895.  The  mother  is  now  living  in  Logan,  Utah 

Peter  W.  Berntaon  was  a  lad  of  pine  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to 
the  new  world.  For  three  years  he  had  attended  the  public  schools  of  Norway  and 
for  two  years  continued  his  studies  in  the  public  schools  of  North  Dakota,  while  later 
he  spent  two  years  in  study  in  Logan,  Utah.  In  1897,  when  a  youth  of  fifteen  years, 
he  began  learning  the  printer's  trade  in  Logan  and  has  shut  unrkod  at  that  trade  in 
various  sections  of  the  country.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  190ft.  settling  first  at  Kexburg. 
where  he  worked  as  a  printer  for  a  year  and  a  half.  He  then  removed  to  St.  Anthony, 
where  he  remained  for  three  and  a  half  years,  connected  with  Wood  D.  Parker.  After 
an  absence  of  a  year  he  returned  to  St.  Anthony,  where  he  was  at:. tin  » ui|>l"y<i  fot 
six  years.  He  then  located  on  a  ranch,  of  which  he  had  charge  in  the  absence  of  his 
wife's  brother,  who  was  called  into  the  army.  He  finally  wold  his  home  in  St.  Anthony 
and  removed  to  Driggs  in  February,  1919,  accepting  the  position  of  foreman  with  the 
Teton  Valley  News.  He  is  well  qualified  for  this  work  by  his  long  experience  in  the 
printing  business  and  is  giving  excellent  satisfaction. 

On  the  6th  of  April,  1914,  Mr.  Berntson  was  married  to  Miss  Kathryn  E.  Fames 
and  to  them  have  been  born  two  children,  John  Russell  and  Arthur  Lewis.  In  his 
political  views  Mr.  Berntson  is  a  democrat,  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  has  led  a  busy  and  active  life  and  the 
thoroughness  with  which  he  has  always  performed  his  work  has  been  the  means  of 
his  progress  in  the  line  of  activity  which  he  has  chosen. 


DANIEL  F.  MURPHY. 

Daniel  F.  Murphy,  a  penenl  contractor  of  Boise,  occupying  a  substantial  and 
attractive  cut  stone  residence,  which  he  built  in  1908,  came  to  the  city  in  1903  and 
during  the  intervening  period  of  seventeen  ye-rs  h^s  been  actively  connected  with 
building  operations,  chiefly  the  erection  of  public  buildings.  He  was  born  in  Spring- 
field. Massachusetts,  September  15,  1870,  one  of  the  seven  sons  of  Thomas  B.  and  Mary 
(Fleming)  Murphy.  The  father  is  now  living  in  Springfield,  M  •ss-ichupetts.  at  the 
age  of  eighty-four  years.  He  is  a  retired  contractor.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  born 
in  Massachusetts  and  the  latter  passed  away  there  forty  years  ago.  The  father  after- 
ward married  again  and  reared  a  family  of  eight  children.  In  tracing  the  ancestral 
line  back  still  farther  it  is  learned  that  Daniel  F.  Murphy  is  ot  Irish  descent  in  the 
second  generation  removed,  for  his  grandparents  in  both  the  paternal  and  maternal 
lines  were  natives  of  Ireland.  They  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Murphy  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  James  Fleming,  all  of  whom  emigrated  to  the  new  world  and  became  residents  of 
Massachusetts. 

Daniel  F.  Murphy  was  reared  and  educated  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  where  he 
learned  the  building  business  under  the  direction  of  his  father.  When  eighteen  years 
of  age  he  went  to  New  York  city,  where  he  remained  for  more  than  a  decade  in  the 
employ  of  a  large  contracting  firm.  Later  he  came  to  the  west  and  for  four  years 
was  in  the  service  of  the  Campbell  Building  Company  of  Chicago,  which  he  represented 
in  various  states  of  the  west  and  south.  In  1903  he  arrived  in  Boise  an-l  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  was  a  partner  of  Charles  Storey  under  the  firm  style  of  Storey  A  Murphy. 
They  became  recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent  building  firms  of  the  state  and  they, 
together  with  several  other  firms,  were  engaged  on  the  building  of  Idaho's  splendid  new 
capitol.  They  also  erected  the  Odd  Fellows  block  in  Boise  and  various  other  important 
structures  of  the  city.  During  the  past  six  years  Mr.  Murphy  has  also  had  the  con- 
tract for  the  erection  of  various  public  buildings  in  other  sections  of  the  state,  including 
the  interurban  depots  at  Nampa  and  Caldwell  and  the  high  school  building  and  the 
hospital  at  Pocatello.  In  fact  he  has  erected  important  structures  throughout 
southern  Idaho  and  is  now  engaged  on  the  execution  of  a  contract  for  a  two  hundred 
thousand  dollar  state  asylum  in  Wyoming. 

On  the  6th  of  February,  1900,  Mr.  Murphy  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  Louise  Woes- 
ner  and  they  have  one  son,  Raymond,  born  April  9.  1905,  and  now  a  high  school  pupil. 
Their  religious  faith  ia  that  of  the  Catholic  church. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Murphy  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks 
and  he  gives  his  political  allegiance  to  the  republican  party,  but  has  never  sought  or 
been  a  candidate  for  office.  He  has  always  concentrated  his  efforts  and  energies  upon 


800  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

his  business  affairs  and  from  the  age  of  nineteen  years,  when  he  left  home,  has  been 
entirely  dependent  upon  his  own  resources.  The  thoroughness  and  reliability  of  his 
work  have  been  dominant  elements  of  his  present  day  prominence  and  prosperity. 


WILLIAM  H.  EVANS. 

William  H.  Evans,  who  up  to  recently  lived  la  the  Maple  Grove  school  neighborhood, 
Ada  county,  and  at  present  is  the  owner  of  a  most  desirable  fifteen-acre  ranch  in  Collister, 
near  Boise,  was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  Missouri,  September  11,  1880.  His  parents, 
George  and  Anna  (Huff)  Evans,  were  also  natives  of  Missouri,  where  they  spent  their 
entire  lives.  George  Evans  has  been  dead  for  some  years  and  his  wife  died  when  the 
son,  William  H.,  was  a  child  of  eight.  The  latter  has  two  sisters  living  in  Missouri 
but  no  living  brother. 

Mr.  Evans  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  in  Jefferson  county,  Missouri,  and  was 
married  there,  March  23,  1904,  to  Bessie  Spencer,  who  was  born  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood, September  12,  1881,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Andrew  J.  Spencer,  known  as  "Zach" 
Spencer.  It  was  in  1911  that  they  came  to  Idaho  and  lived  for  one  year  on  Fish  creek 
in  Blaine  county.  They  then  removed  to  a  ranch  near  Wendell,  Gooding  county,  where 
for  several  years  Mr.  Evans  owned  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  was  well 
irrigated.  In  1918  he  sold  that  ranch  and  removed  to  South  Boise  but  in  July  of  the 
same  year  he  located  on  an  excellent  eighty-six  acre  ranch  near  the  Maple  Grove  school. 
In  the  spring  of  1920  he  sold  the  latter  place  for  twenty-four  thousand  dollars  and 
bought  the  fine  and  highly  improved  fifteen-acre  ranch  near  Boise,  known  as  the 
Charles  Blaisdell  ranch,  a  half  mile  north  of  Collister,  where  he  and  his  family  are 
making  their  home,  which  farm  for  its  size  has  few  equals  in  Ada-  county.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Evans  are  the  parents  of  four  children,  namely:  Stanley,  born  December  10,  1904; 
Jean,  February  9,  1907;  Viotet,  March  17,  1909,  and  Spencer,  March  16,  1912. 

Mr.  Evans  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  of  the  Masonic 
order.  He  supports  the  democratic  party  but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  Mrs. 
Evans  is  a  member  of  the  Mountain  View  Club  of  Maple  Grove  district  and  takes  an 
active  interest  in  the  social  and  cultural  affairs  of  the  community  in  which  she  and  her 
husband  make  their  home. 


JAMES  B.  HITT. 

James  B.  Hitt,  a  rancher  living  at  Malta,  Cassia  county,  was  born  at  Cu)peper 
Courthouse,  Virginia,  September  28,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  John  R.  and  Laura  (Brown) 
Hitt.  He  was  only  eight  years  of  age  when  he  left  the  Old  Dominion  with  his  parents, 
who  removed  with  their  family  to  Howard  county,  Missouri,  where  the  father  pur- 
chased farm  land  which  he  tilled  and  cultivated  for  some  time.  James  B.  Hitt  re* 
mained  at  that  place  to  the  age  of  seventeen  years  and  then  made  his  way  westward 
to  Elko,  Nevada,  where  he  engaged  in  cow  punching  for  a  year.  He  next  went  to 
Sacramento,  California,  and  afterward  to  the  Grande  Ronde  valley  of  Oregon,  spending 
a  short  time  in  Union  county.  He  subsequently  returned  to  Nevada  and  on  the  16th 
of  January,  1875,  came  to  Idaho,  making  his  way  first  to  Goose  creek  in  Owyhee  county. 
Again  he  was  employed  at  cow  punching  by  the  firm  of  Russell  &  Bradley,  with  whom 
he  continued  until  1881,  when  he  took  charge  of  the  ranch  of  J.  Q.  Shirley  on  the  Raft 
river,  there  continuing  until  March  15,  1883,  when  the  Shirley  interests  were  sold  to 
Keough  Brothers  of  Salt  Lake  City.  Mr.  Hitt,  however,  remained  with  the  latter  until 
1885.  In  1883,  however,  he  took  up  his  present  ranch  while  with  Keough  Brothers 
and  secured  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land.  He  built  thereon  a  one-ro'om  frame 
house  and  with  characteristic  energy  began  tilling  the  soil  and  improving  his  place. 
He  is  now  the  owner  of  six  hundred  and  fifty  acres  and  is  prominently  known  as  a 
successful  cattleman,  handling  Durham  and  Hereford  cattle.  He  has  altogether  twelve 
hundred  head  and  the  extent  and  importance  of  his  live  stock  and  ranching  interests 
place  him  with  the  leading  business  men  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He  is  also  the 
president  of  the  Stockgrowers  Bank  of  Pocatello.  Throughout  his  business  career  he 
has  readily  recognized  and  utilized  opportunities  that  others  have  passed  heedlessly 
by.  He  displays  sound  judgment  and  keen  sagacity  and  his4 unfaltering  enterprise  has 


Vol.  IU— 51 


HISTORY  OF  IDA  1H  >  803 

enabled  him  to  overcome  all  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path  and  advance  steadily 
to  the  goal  of  success. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1883.  Mr.  Mitt  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  L.  Parke,  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Parke.  Mrs.  Hitt  removed  to  the  Raft  River  district 
with  her  parents  In  1871.  Her  father  took  up  a  ranch,  built  a  log  house  and  001. 
trated  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  the  improvement  of  his  property,  which  was  soon 
greatly  transformed  through  his  unfaltering  efforts.  He  engaged  in  cattle  raising 
for  a  time  and  later  sheep  raising  and  he  continued  upon  the  ranch  until  his  demise. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hitt  have  become  parents  of  nine  children:  Laura,  James,  John,  Maud, 
Maggie,  Jennie,  Orover,  Joel  and  Emma.  The  three  last  named  died  in  infancy. 

When  Mr.  Hitt  settled  upon  his  ranch  the  Indians  wer«-  nuiiu -rous  in  this  section 
of  the  state  and  at  various  times  went  upon  the  warpath.  White  people  were  killed 
and  life  was  not  at  all  safe  for  many  years.  Moreover,  there  were  many  difficult  con- 
ditions to  face  and  many  hardships  to  be  borne.  Kelton.  Utah,  was  the  nearest  post- 
office  and  trading  point  and  Silver  City  was  the  county  seat— a  distance  of  two  hundred 
and  sixty  miles.  Later  the  seat  of  government  was  removed  to  Albion  and  finally 
to  Hurley.  Mr.  Hitt  has  ever  borne  his  part  in  the  arduous  task  of  developing  wild 
land,  reclaiming  it  for  the  purposes  of  civilization  and  furthering  the  work  of  progress 
in  every  possible  way.  He  at  one  time  served  as  a  director  of  the  State  Normal  Col- 
lege under  the  Governor  Hawley  administration  and  in  1890  he  was  elected  to  represent 
his  district  in  the  Idaho  state  senate.  He  has  always  been  a  believer  in  democratic 
principles,  voting  at  all  times  in  support  of  the  party.  His  interest  in  th*>  welfare  of 
the  st-  te  has  been  of  a  most  deep  and  abiding  character  and  his  labors  for  Idaho's  up- 
building have  been  far-reaching  and  resultant. 


PROFESSOR  OLIVER  O.  YOUNG. 

Professor  Oliver  O.  Young,  principal  of  the  Boise  high  school  during  the  past  four 
years,  was  born  upon  a  farm  near  Canton,  in  Stark  county,  Ohio,  June  24,  1881,  a  son 
of  the  Rev.  George  and  Christine  (Overmyer)  Young,  the  former  a  clergyman  of  the 
English  Lutheran  church.  Both  parents  have  now  passed  away.  The  father  was  born 
in  Alsace,  France,  and  was  of  French  lineage.  He  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1838  with 
his  parents,  being  at  that  time  an  infant,  his  birth  having  occurred  in  1837.  His  father 
was  George  Young,  who  settled  with  his  family  in  Holmes  county,  Ohio.  There  the 
Rev.  George  Young  was  reared  and  in  1869  he  married  Christine  Overmyer,  a  native 
of  Perry  county,  Ohio,  who  came  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  and  Irish  ancestry.  Rev. 
Young  and  his  family  removed  from  Stark  county,  Ohio,  to  Johnson  county  in  eastern 
Kansas  and  while  a  resident  of  that  state  he  served  as  pastor  of  several  churches 
of  the  English  Lutheran  faith.  Later  he  went  with  his  family  to  Oregon,  establishing 
his  home  near  Portland,  and  his  last  days  were  passed  in  the  northwest  His  death 
occurred  in  Oregon  in  1904,  while  the  mother  survived  until  1918.  Of  their  children 
only  two  are  living,  the  surviving  daughter  being  Mrs.  Lydia  Buchholz.  of  Oregon  City, 
Oregon. 

The  son,  Professor  Oliver  O.  Young,  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  schools 
of  Kansas  and  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Olathe,  Kansas,  seven  miles  from 
bis  home  in  the  town  of  Lenexa.  While  he  graduated  in  1899,  he  did  not  at  once  take 
up  the  profession  of  teaching  but  for  a  short  time  clerked  in  a  grocery  store  at  Decatur. 
Illinois.  In  the  fall  of  1900  he  entered  Bethany  College  at  Lindsborg,  Kansas,  where 
he  pursued  a  four  years'  course,  being  graduated  in  1904  with  the  Bachelor  of  Arts 
degree.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  teaching  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  edu- 
cational work  in  Kansas,  South  Dakota  and  Idaho.  He  was  for  two  terms  principal  of 
the  schools  at  Long  Island,  Kansas,  and  in  1907  went  to  Huron,  South  Dakota,  to  accept 
the  position  of  principal  of  the  high  school  there.  He  remained  in  that  position  for 
three  years  and  for  one  year  was  instructor  in  the  department  of  history  in  the  Uni- 
versity,,  of  South  Dakota  at  Vermilion.  From  1911  until  1915  he  was  assistant 
superintendent  of  public  instruction  in  the  state  nf  South  Dakota  and  was  located  dur 
ing  that  period  at  Pierre.  In  January,  1915,  he  matriculated  in  the  University  of 
Chicago  for  poet-graduate  work  and  there  continued  his  studies  until  July  of  the  mme 
year.  In  1914  the  University  of  South  Dakota  conferred  upon  him  the  Master  of  Arts 
deeree.  In  July.  1915.  he  accepted  the  position  of  principal  of  the  high  school  of  Boise 
and  at  once  took  charge,  holding  the  position  throughout  the  intervening  period  of 


804  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

four  years  and  working  in  conjunction  with  C.  E.  Rose,  the  superintendent.  Both  are 
very  able  educators  and  the  result  is  that  the  high  school  of  Boise  has  been  brought 
up  to  a  marked  degree  of  efficiency,  it  being  one  of  the  best  educational  institutions  of 
the  class  in  the  west.  Professor  Young  holds  to  the  highest  standards  and  ideals  in 
his  chosen  life  work  and  is  continually  seeking  to  promote  the  methods  of  instruction 
and  render  his  service  of  the  greatest  possible  value  to  the  pupils.  That  he  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  foremost  and  best  known  educators  in  the  northwest  is  indicated  in  the 
fact  that  he  has  been  honored  with  election  to  the  presidency  of  the  Idaho  State 
Teachers'  Association.  In  the  spring  of  1916  he  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Northwest  Association  of  Secondary  and  Higher  Schools  and  has  since  been  one  of  its 
officers,  serving  at  the  present  time  as  first  vice  president  and  as  chairman  of  the  com- 
mission on  the  accrediting  of  the  high  schools. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  1915,  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  Professor  Young  was  married  to 
Miss  Pauline  Edna  Bow,  who  was  a  teacher  of  ability.  She  was  born  in  Saginaw, 
Michigan,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Michigan.  They  now  have  one  son. 
Robert  Bow  Young,  who  was  born  May  20,  1918. 

Professor  Young  is  fond  of  a  game  of  golf,  to  which  he  turns  for  recreation.  He 
belongs  to  the  Boise  Country  Club,  also  to  the  Boise  Rotary  Club  and  to  the  Boise 
Commercial  Club  and  is  keenly  interested  in  the  efforts  of  the  last  named  organization 
to  develop  the  city,  to  promote  its  business  connections  and  uphold  its  standards  of 
citizenship.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Masons,  having  taken  the  degrees 
of  lodge,  chapter  and  council.  He  is  also  an  Elk  and  his  religious  faith  is  indicated 
by  his  membership  in  the  First  Congregational  church,  of  which  he  is  a  trustee.  His 
interest  is  always  in  things  which  are  elevating  in  character  and  he  has  proven  a 
potent  factor  in  advancing  the  intellectual  and  moral  progress  of  the  city  of  Boise  during 
the  period  of  his  residence  here. 


FRANK  M.  KENDALL. 

Frank  M.  Kendall,  engaged  in  the  hardware  and  implement  business  at  Burley, 
Idaho,  was  born  in  Jefferson  county,  Iowa,  February  12,  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph 
B.  and  Sarah  Kendall.  He  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  his  native  state,  there  remaining 
to  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  when  he  left  home  and  made  his  way  to  Golden,  Colo- 
rado, where  he  engaged  in  selling  hardware.  He  afterward  returned  to  Packwood, 
Iowa,  where  he  established  a  hardware  business  that  he  conducted  for  two  years.  He 
subsequently  accepted  a  position  with  the  McCormick  Machinery  Company  as  travel- 
ing salesman  and  later  was  with  the  International  Company  when  the  two  corpora- 
tions consolidated.  At  a  later  period  he  lived  for  a  time  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and 
in  1907  he  removed  to  the  northwest,  making  his  way  to  Kimberly,  Idaho,  where  he 
conducted  a  contract  roofing  business.  He  made  his  next  step  in  the  business  world 
as  a  traveling  salesman  with  the  J.  I.  Case  Threshing  Machine  Company,  traveling  out 
of  Twin  Falls,  and  his  experience  in  this  connection  brought  him  a  wide  acquaintance 
in  the  state.  In  1911  he  was  elected  state  game  warden  for  a  two  years'  term  and 
after  retiring  from  the  office  he  became  a  representative  of  the  Moline  Plow  Company 
of  Moline,  Illinois,  continuing  to  act  in  that  capacity  until  January,  1915,  when  he 
entered  upon  the  duties  of  sheriff  of  Twin  Falls  county,  to  which  position  he  had  been 
elected  for  a  four  years'  term.  Again  he  proved  a  capable  public  official,  discharging 
his  duties  without  fear  or  favor,  and  when  he  had  retired  from  office  he  established  a 
hardware  and  implement  business  at  Burley.  His  previous  experience  as  a  local 
salesman  and  also  as  a  traveling  salesman  with  various  machinery  houses  well  quali- 
fied him  for  the  conduct  of  the  business  which  he  established  and  from  the  first  his 
trade  has  steadily  increased. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  1893,  Mr.  Kendall  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Myrtle 
Pringle,  a  daughter  of  L.  W.  and  Martha  Pringle  and  a  native  of  Jefferson  county, 
Iowa,. her  birth  having  occurred  near  Veo.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendall  have  been  born 
four  children:  John  W.,  who  was  with  the  United  States  army  in  France  as  a  second 
lieutenant;  Frank,  Jr.,  who  became  a  member  of  the  navy  at  the  time  of  America's  en- 
trance into  the  world  war;  and  Dorothy  and  Martha,  who  are  still  at  home. 

Mr.  Kendall  votes  with  the  democratic  party,  which  he  has  supported  since  age 
conferred  upon  him  the  right  of  franchise.  He  is  well  known  in  fraternal  circles,  hav- 
ing membership  with  the  Elks,  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  805 

Modern  Woodmen.  He  la  popular  in  these  organizations,  being  loyal  to  the  teachings 
of  the  different  orders,  while  his  genial  nature,  his  unfailing  courtesy  and  his  kindly 
spirit  have  gained  him  the  warm  regard  not  only  of  his  brethren  in  tin-  fr.iternitles 
but  of  all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact  in  other  relations  of  life. 


MRS.  ALICE  G.  COSGROVK 

Mrs.  Alice  G.  Cosgrove,  prominently  identified  with  the  educational  Interests  of 
Pocatello  and  Bannock  county,  was  born  at  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  April  4,  1873,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Peter  G.  and  Sarah  Smith,  botli  of  whom  have  passed  away.  Her  father, 
who  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  came  to  the  new  world  in  early  life,  served  as  a  soldier 
of  the  Civil  war  and  in  days  of  peace  devoted  his  attention  to  farming. 

The  daughter,  Mrs.  Cosgrove,  attended  the  high  school  at  Red  Oak*  Iowa,  and  ate 
the  Western  Normal  College  at  Shenandoah,  that  state.  She  completed  the  teachers' 
course  in  the  normal  school  in  1891  and  afterward  taught  in  the  rural  schools  of  Iowa 
for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  she  became  a  teacher  in  the  city  schools  of 
Red  Oak.  In  1.898  she  arrived  in  Pocatello,  Idaho,  where  she  engaged  in  leaching  for 
three  years.  At  the  end  of  that  period  she  became  the  wife  of  Richard  J.  Cosgrove. 
who  passed  away  in  1908.  He  was  a  railroad  engineer  and  a  member  of  the  Brother- 
hood of  Railroad  Engineers  and  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  To  them  were  born 
three  children,  of  whom  Richard,  the  eldest,  died  in  1903.  The  elder  daughter,  Alice, 
is  attending  the  Sacred  Heart  Academy  at  Ogdeu,  Utah,  while  the  younger,  Mary,  is 
a  pupil  in  the  Whittier  school  of  Pocatello. 

Following  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Cosgrove  resumed  the  profession  of  teach- 
ing and  was  for  four  years  county  superintendent  of  schools,  occupying  the  position 
from  1911  until  1915.  She  then  resigned  to  take  the  principalship  of  the  Whitticr  school 
but  has  been  nominated  for  reelection  to  the  office  of  school  superintendent  on  the 
democratic  ticket.  She  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  able  educators  of  this  part  of 
the  state,  with  high  ideals  concerning  school. work  and  with  ability  to  impart  readily 
and  clearly'to  others  the  knowledge  that  she  has  acquired.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Civic  Club  of  Pocatello  and  did  her  full  part  in  Red  Cross  work  through  the  school. 
She  not  only  has  her  own  home  in  Pocatello,  but  also  residence  property  on  the  west 
side  and  is  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  women  of  the  city. 


ARTHUR  R.  ESTES. 

Arthur  R.  Estes,  who  resides  on  a  ranch  three-fourths  of  a  mile  north  of  Meridian, 
has  been  actively  identified  with  farming  and  stock  raising  interests  throughout  his 
ent're  business  career  and  has  made  his  home  in  Ada  county  for  the  past  two  decades. 
He  is  now  serving  as  deputy  state  inspector  of  sheep  in  Idaho  and  for  the  past  ten 
years  has  been  principally  engaged  in  the  breeding  of  registered  Hampshire  sheep. 
His  birth  occurred  in  Jefferson  county,  Iowa,  on  the  4th  of  October,  1870,  his  parents 
being  Thomas  E.  and  Julia  (Widener)  Estes,  who  are  now  residents  of  Boise.  The 
father  is  a  retired  farmer,  living  at  the  corner  of  Twelfth  and  Brumback  streets  in 
the  capital  city.  Lee  Estes,  who  is  successfully  engaged  in  the  insurance  business  IB 
Boise,  is  a  younger  brother  of  the  subject  of  this  review. 

Arthur  R.  Esjes  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  county  and  since  putting 
aside  his  textbooks  has  continuously  devoted  his  attention  to  farming  and  the  live  stock 
business.  In  1899,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-nine  years,  he  came  to  Ada  county. 
Idaho,  within  the  borders  of  which  he  has  since  remained,  residing  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  in  the  vicinity  of  Meridian.  Here  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming 
and  the  raising  of  pure  bred  Hampshire  sheep.  Eight  years  ago  he  located  on  his 
present  ranch  property,  situated  three-fourths  of  a  mile  north  of  Meridian,  where  he 
has  a  handsome  country  home.  While  the  ranch  is  small,  serving  merely  as  a  home, 
he  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising  of  pure  bred  Hampshire  sheep,  having  been 
a  breeder  of  registered  stock  of  this  kind  for  the  past  ten  years.  He  is  now  serving 
as  deputy  state  inspector  of  sheep  under  Dr.  J.  D.  Adams,  state  veterinarian,  and  is 
well  qualified  for  the  position  because  of  his  long  experience  as  a  stockman. 

In  1891.  in  Iowa,  Mr.  Estes  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  May  D.  Hill,  who  was 


S06  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

born  in  Michigan  in  1870.  They  have  become  parents  of  three  children,  namely:  Iloe, 
who  is  married;  Florence,  who  is  the  wife  of  J.  J.  Byers;  and  J.  T.,  who  is  twenty- 
two  years  of  age  and  who  served  for  seventeen  months  with  the  American  Expedition- 
ary Force  in  France. 

In  politics  Mr.  Estes  is  a  stalwart  republican,  while  fraternally  he  is  identified 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  His  lite  has  been  upright  and  honorable 
in  every  relation  and  the  careful  management  of  his  business  affairs  has  brought  him 
a  gratifying  measure  of  prosperity,  so  that  he  is  numbered  among  the  substantial  and 
esteemed  citizens  of  Ada  county. 


WALTER  C.  ADAMS. 

Walter  C.  Adams  is  the  owner  and  publisher  of  the  Dubois  Banner  and  of  the 
Roberts  Sentinel.  While  business  interests  caute  him  to  divide  his  time  between  the 
two  places,  he  makes  Dubois  his  home.  He  was  born  at  Nephi,  Utah,  November  8, 
1892,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Charlotte  (Evans)  Adams,  who  were  natives  of  Eng- 
land and  of  Nephi,  Utah,  respectively.  The  father  came  to  America  when  a  lad  of 
eight  years  in  company  with  his  parents,  who  crossed  the  plains  with  ox  teams.  The 
mother  was  born  at  Nephi  in  a  wagon  box  while  her  father  was  fighting  Indians.  The 
Adams  family  also  established  their  home  at  Nephi  and  there  Henry  Adams  was  reared 
and  educated.  He  took  up  the  study  of  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Salt  Lake  City  for  several  years  and  also  served  as 
prosecuting  attorney  of  Juab  county,  Utah,  of  which  Nephi  is  the  county  seat.  For 
the  past  four  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Rexburg,  Idaho,  and 
served  as  city  attorney  for  some  time.  The  mother  is  also  living. 

Walter  C.  Adams  was  reared  at  Nephi  and  at  Salt  Lake  City,  attending  school  at 
both  places.  When  thirteen  years  of  age  he  began  learning  the  printer's  trade  under 
his  brother,  W.  Lloyd  Adams,  of  Rexburg,  who  is  state  senator  from  Madison  county. 
He  worked  with  his  brother  and  was  associated  with  him  on  different  publications  until 
1916,  when  he  went  to  Ririe,  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  and  established  the  Ririe  Press, 
which  he  published  until  August  1,  1919,  when  he  sold'  that  paper  and  purchased  the 
Roberts  Sentinel  in  partnership  with  S.  C.  Idol.  They  also  leased  the  Dubois  B>nner 
and  published  the  two  papers.  This  partnership  was  dissolved  January  1,  1920,  and 
Mr.  Adams  is  now  sole  owner  and  publisher  of  the  Roberts  Sentinel. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1911,  Mr.  Adams  was  united  in  marriage  tc  Miss  Mabel  Wa'dram 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  four  children:  lone,  Veda,  Walter  Lavon  and 
Denece.  Politically  Mr.  Adams  is  a  republican  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
county  central  committee  of  Jefferson  county,  so  acting  until  his  remov?!  to  Dubois, 

He  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  has  been  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association.  He  is  actuated 
by  a  most  progressive  spirit  in  all  that  he  undertakes,  stands  loyally  for  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  ccmmunity  in  every  possible  way  and  makes  his  papers  avenues  for  the 
endorsement  of  all  projects  which  he  deems  of  public  value.  He  holds  to  hieh  stand- 
ards in  newspaper  publication  end  gives  to  the  reading  public  papers  which  keep  them 
in  touch  with  local  and  general  news. 


PAUL  PIZEY. 

Paul  Pizey,  a  member  of  the  bar  and  also  sole  proprietor  of  the  business  conducted 
under  the  name  of  the  Merchants  Protective  Association,  with  offices  on  the  sixth 
floor  of  the  Empire  building  in  Boise,  came  to  the  capital  city  in  1911  from  Dakota  city. 
Nebraska,  and  has  since  been  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  here.  He  was 
born  in  Dnkota  city,  June  7,  1869,  a  son  of  Brice  M.  Pizey,  who  was  born  in  England 
and  spent  his  last  days  in  Dakota  city,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1910,  when  he  had 
reached  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  He  came  to  the  United  States  about 
1851  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Nebraska.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Pinkerton,  is  a  native  of  New  York  and  is  still  living  in 
Nebraska  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 

Paul   Pizey   was   reared    in   Dakota   city   and   he    supplemented   his   public   school 


PAUL  PIZEY 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  809 

training  by  a  course  in  the  academic  department  of  the  University  of  Nebraska,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1893.  He  continued  as  a  law  student  there  and 
is  numbered  among  the  law  graduates  of  1895.  He  first  entered  upon  active  practice 
in  Omaha  and  later  in  Dakota  city.  Before  coming  to  Idaho  he  served  as  assistant 
attorney  general  of  Nebraska  for  one  year.  The  opportunities  of  the  growing  north- 
west attracted  him,  however,  and  in  1911  he  removed  to  Boise,  where  he  opened  an 
office  and  has  since  followed  his  profession.  He  was  formerly  associated  in  the  practice 
of  law  with  Harry  S.  Kessler,  but  the  partnership  was  dissolved  on  the  1st  of  July.  1919, 
and  Mr.  Pizey  has  since  been  alone.  It  was  also  on  that  date  that  he  purchased  Mr. 
Kessler's  interest  in  the  Merchants  Protective  Association,  which  is  one  of  the  leading 
collection  agencies  of  the  state.  Mr.  Pizey  belongs  to  both  the  Ada  County  and  Idaho 
State  Bar  Associations  and  enjoys  in  large  measure  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
colleagues  and  contemporaries  in  the  profession. 

In  Randolph,  Iowa,  on  the  20th  of  January.  1909,  Mr.  Pizey  was  married  to  Miss 
Nellie  B.  Antrim,  who  was  born  in  Fremont  county,  Iowa.  January  18,  1878,  and  Is  a 
daughter  of  William  Antrim,  a  farmer,  whose  birth  occurred  In  Wabash.  Indiana.  The 
mother  of  Mrs.  Pizey  was  Martha  Kilpatrick  ere  she  became  Mrs.  Antrim  at  Randolph. 
Iowa,  where  Mrs.  Pizey  was  born  and  married.  The  parents  now  reside  in  Boise. 
Mrs.  Pizey  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church  and  to  the  P.  E.  O.  Sisterhood  of  Boise. 
By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother  of  two  children:  Pauline  M.,  born 
November  29,  1909;  and  Bryce  A.,  October  3,  1913. 

Mr.  Pizey  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  exemplifies  in  his  life  the 
beneficent  spirit  of  the  craft.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Boise  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  is  interested  in  all  the  well  devised  plans  and  projects  of  that  organiza- 
tion for  the  improvement  and  upbuilding  of  the  city.  He  belongs  to  the  First  Presbyte- 
rian church,  of  which  he  is  serving  as  trustee,  and  his  aid  and  influence  are  always 
given  on  the  side  of  progress  and  improvement.  In  1893  and  again  in  1895  he  visited 
Europe  on  a  pleasure  trip,  gaining  that  broad  and  liberal  knowledge  and  culture 
which  can  be  acquired  in  no  other  way  as  rapidly  as  through  travel. 


ROBERT  Y.  CURRIN. 

Robert  Y.  Currin,  who  is  identified  with  ranching  interests  about  two  miles  west 
of  New  Plymouth,  was  born  in  Clackamas  county,  Oregon,  March  8.  1855,  a  son  of  Hugh 
and  Diana  (Young)  Currin.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Grayson  county.  Virginia, 
born  in  1803,  and  his  father  was  George  Currin.  to  whom  a  public  monument  was 
erected  at  Galax,  Virginia,  in  his  honor.  In  1842  Hugh  Turrin  removed  from  his  home 
farm  at  Galax,  Virginia,  to  Missouri,  where  he  remained  for  three  years,  and  in  1845 
he  crossed  the  plains  with  an  ox  team,  the  trip  consuming  nix  months,  during  which 
time  he  bore  all  the  hardships  and  privations  incident  to  travel  in  that  manner  and 
at  that  period.  He  located  in  the  Willamette  valley,  where  he  developed  a  donation 
claim  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  he  died  possessed  of  the  original  homestead. 
His  wife  was  born  in  Missouri  and  they  were  married  in  1850.  They  had  a  family 
of  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  living:  George,  a  resident  of  Gresham,  Oregon; 
Mrs.  Martha  Callaway,  living  at  Brownsville,  Oregon;  Robert  Y..  of  this  review;  and 
Hugh,  who  has  passed  away. 

Robert  Y.  Currin  attended  the  rural  schools  in  the  home  district  and  assisted  in 
the  work  of  the  farm  until  seventeen  years  of  age.  when  he  went  to  Heppner.  Oregon, 
and  engaged  in  running  sheep  on  shares.  Later  he  became  actively  engaged  in  the 
stock  business  on  his  own  account.  In  1897  he  removed  to  Payette  county.  Idaho, 
settling  on  Big  Willow  creek,  where  he  continued  in  sheep  raising,  having  a  tract  of 
four  hundred  and  forty  acres  which  he  purchased  from  Peter  Pence.  In  1909  he  dis- 
posed of  the  ranch  and  removed  to  Payette,  where  he  lived  retired  from  business  for 
Chree  years,  but  indolence  and  idleness  are  utterly  foreign  to  his  nature  and  he  could 
not  be*  content  without  some  business  interest.  In  1912  he  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  on  Little  Willow  creek,  on  which  he  engaged  in  stock  raising  and 
general  farming.  Subsequently  he  sold  that  property  and  then  made  investment  in 
his  present  place,  which  is  situated  about  two  miles  west  of  New  Plymouth  and  con- 
stitutes a  well  improved  property,  for  he  follows  progressive  methods  of  agriculture 
and  stock  raising. 

In   1879  Mr.  Currin  was  married  at  Heppner,  Oregon,  to  Miss  Prudence  Ayers.  a 


810  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

descendant  of  a  pioneer  family  that  crossed  the  plains  from  Decatur,  Iowa,  Mrs.  Currin 
being  at  that  time  but  three  years  of  age.  By  her  marriage  she  has  become  the  mother 
of  three  children:  Amy,  the  wife  of  L.  A.  Walker,  of  Ontario,  Oregon;  Ivy,  the  wife 
of  Harry  Williams,  who  is  farming  near  Vale,  Oregon;  and  Clyde,  a  farmer  living  on 
Little  Willow  creek  in  Payette  county.  Mr.  Currin  is  associated  with  the  old  pioneers 
of  the  state  and  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  part  of  the  country,  having  long 
resided  here  and  contributed  in  substantial  measure  to  public  development  and  progress. 


G.  E.  NOGGLE,  M.  D. 

Dr.  G.  E.  Noggle  is  a  recent  acquisition  to  the  medical  profession  of  Caldwell,  al- 
though well  known  as  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  Idaho  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
was  born  in  Bloomington,  Illinois,  May  13,  1872,  and  in  1874  went  to  Council  Grove, 
Kansas,  with  his  parents.  On  attaining  school  age  he  began  his  education  there  and 
supplemented  his  public  school  training  by  study  in  the  University  of  Kansas,  where 
he  pursued  a  medical  course,  being  graduated  in  1895  with  the  M.  D.  degree.  Thus 
qualified  for  his  profession,  he  entered  upon  active  practice  in  Kansas,  where  he  re- 
mained for  eight  years,  and  in  1903  he  established  an  office  in  Valley  county,  Idaho, 
where  he  continued  until  1919,  when  he  sought  the  broader  fields  offered  at  Caldwell. 
He  has  offices  in  the  Commercial  Bank  building  and  already  is  building  up  a  good  prac- 
tice. He  is  personally  acquainted  with  many  of  the  old  settlers  here  and  there  is  no 
one  more  familiar  with  the  old  landmarks  and  the  old  Packer  trail  in  Valley  county 
than  Dr.  Noggle.  He  is  a  particular  friend  of  John  Hailey,  Idaho's  famous  stage  driver 
and  operator,  who  is  known  throughout  the  west,  Dr.  Noggle  assisting  him  to  locate 
many  of  the  old  landmarks  and  places  of  historical  interest  when  Mr.  Hailey  was 
gathering  historical  data  in  that  section.  He  is  also  familiar  with  the  resting  places 
of  those  three  old-timers  who  were  killed  by  the  Indians  on  August  20,  1878, — Gross 
Close,  Tom  Hailey  and  George  Monday. 

Before  removing  to  Caldwell,  Dr.  Noggle  served  as  coroner  of  Boise  and  Valley 
counties  and  was  also  county  physician.  He  is  an  active  worker  in  the  democratic 
party,  laboring  earnestly  for  its  best  interests  and  giving  unfaltering  support  to  every 
project  which  he  deems  of  benefit  and  value  to  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his 
home. 

In  1898  Dr.  Noggle  was  married  to  Miss  Madien  Hodson,  of  Kansas,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  two  children:  Warren  G.,  eighteen  years  of  age,  now  a  high 
school  pupil;  and  Francis  M.,  also  in  school.  Dr.  Noggle  and  his  family  are  fast  form- 
ing an  extensive  acquaintance  in  Caldwell,  and  his  professional  ability  is  bringing-  him 
prominently  to  the  front  in  that  connection.  He  keeps  in  close  touch  with  the  trend 
of  modern  professional  thought  and  progress  through  wide  reading,  study  and  in- 
vestigation, and  while  he  does  not  easily  discard  old  and  time-tried  methods,  he  is 
ever  ready  to  take  up  a  new  idea  which  his  judgment  sanctions  as  of  value  in  medical 
or  surgical  practice. 


JOHN  SKILLERN. 

John  Skillern,  better  known  as  Dad  Skillern,  was  born  of  Irish  parentage,  in  1849. 
His  grandparents  were  Mary  (Anderson)  and  John  Skillern.  His  father,  William 
Skillern,  was  born  and  reared  in  Sequatchee  valley,  Tennessee,  and  his  mother,  Martha 
Parrar,  was  born  and  reared  in  the  valley  of  Virginia.  John  Skillern  was  reared  on 
his  father's  plantation,  receiving  his  first  schooling  at  the  hands  of  his  uncle  until 
entering  Pikeville  Academy.  Later  he  attended  Sequatchee  College  for  two  years 
and  finished  his  education  at  Burrett  College,  Spencer.  Tennessee. 

In  1878  Mr.  Skillern  married  Martha  Catherine  Roberts,  daughter  of  Philip  and 
Almeda  Roberts,  at  Soddy,  Tennessee,  and  nine  children  were  born  to  them,  seven 
surviving.  After  farming  for  six  years  Mr.  Skillern  removed  with  his  family  to 
Chattanooga,  Tennessee,  where  he  purchased  a  hotel  and  also  engaged  in  the  feed 
and  livery  business  until  1890,  when  he  entered  politics,  being  elected  sheriff  of  Ham- 
ilton county,  Tennessee, — one  of  the  largest  counties  in  the  state.  He  held  this  office 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  811 

for  two  terms,  gaining  many  friends  and  taking  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the 
democratic  party. 

In  1896  Mr.  Skillern  removed  to  Bessemer.  Alabama,  again  engaging  m  the  hotel 
business,  but  the  following  year  he  returned  to  Chattanooga  and  became  connected 
with  the  Tom  Fritts  Hardware  Company,  with  which  he  remained  until  the  fall  of 
1900.  when  he  came  to  Idaho.  In  February.  1901,  he  entered  the  hheep  business  with 
two  partners,  Mr.  Moon  and  Mr.  Blair,  both  of  Tennessee.  Starting  wfth  two  bands 
of  four  thousand  old  sheep,  by  dint  of  hard  labor  and  experience  with  much  bad  luck, 
he  has  become  one  of  the  largest  and  most  influential  sheepmen  in  Idaho.  A  born 
speculator  he  has  handled  vast  numbers  of  sheep  and  quantities  of  wool.  At  present 
he  is  still  actively  engaged  in  the  sheep  and  cattle  business,  und  own.s  a  number  of 
ranches  but  makes  his  home  in  Boise. 


HARVEY   COGGINS. 

Harvey  Coggins,  who  makes  his  home  at  Twin  Falls  and  is  filling  the  office  of 
treasurer  of  Twin  Falls  county,  was  born  in  South  Hancock,  Maine,  on  the  30th  of 
November,  1880,  and  is  a  son  of  Wallace  T.  and  Maria  B.  (Wooster)  Coggins.  He  is 
a  representative  of  old  families  of  New  England  and  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the 
Pine  TJree  state,  where  he  acquired  his  education.  The  opportunities  of  the  growing 
west,  however,  attracted  him  and  in  1901  he  made  his  way  across  the  continent  to 
Pasadena,  California,  where  he  accepted  a  position  as  teller  in  the  Union  Savings 
Bank.  There  he  remained  for  about  six  years,  or  until  1907,  when  he  removed  to  Twin 
Falls,  Idaho,  and  took  up  ranching,  in  which  he  engaged  for  two  years.  He  has  been 
in  public  office  since  1912,  in  which  year  he  was  appointed  to  the  position  of. deputy 
auditor.  On  the  1st  of  December,  1915,  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  position  and 
in  1916  was  elected  to  the  office  of  treasurer  of  Twin  Falls  county,  in  which  he  has 
since  served,  proving  a  faithful  custodian  of  the  public  funds.  He  was  elected  on  the 
democratic  ticket,  having  throughout  the  entire  period  of  his  manhood  stanchly  sup- 
ported that  party. 

In  1913  Mr.  Coggins  was  married  to  Miss  Grace  A.  Parsons,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  George  W.  Parsons,  and  they  are  well  known  in  the  social  circles  of  Twin  Falls, 
having  gained  many  friends  during  the  period  of  their  residence  here.  Mr.  Coggins 
has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  leave  New  England  and  try  his 
fortune  in  the  west,  for  he  has  made  steady  progress  and  has  become  thoroughly  iden- 
tified with  the  enterprises  and  interests  of  this  section,  contributing  in  various  ways 
to  its  upbuilding  and  development. 


CHARLES  S.  CRABTREE. 

Charles  S.  Crabtree,  a  contractor  and  builder  of  Idaho  Falls  and  a  prominent 
churchman  who  is  serving  as  bishop  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints, 
was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  July  7,  1857,  his  parents  being  Charles  and  Elizabeth 
Crabtree,  who  were  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England.  The  father  was  reared  in  Liver- 
pool, England,  and  came  to  America  in  1862,  crossing  the  country  to  Salt  Lake,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  for  several  years.  About  six  years  prior  to  his  death  he  re- 
moved to  Rexburg,  Idaho,  where  his  remaining  days  were  passed,  his  death  occurring 
in  September,  1909.  He  had  long  survived  his  wife,  who  died  March  21.  1883. 

Charles  S.  Crabtree  was  reared  and  educated  in  Salt  Lake,  Utah,  and  remained  with 
his  parents  until  after  he  attained  his  majority,  or  rather  until  1890.  After  finishing 
school  he  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming  and  in  1890  removed  to  Bonneville  county, 
Idaho,  then  a  part  of  Bingham  county.  He  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  la»d  in  Jefferson  county  and  bent  his  energies  to  the  development  and  improvement 
of  that  place  until  1902,  when  he  took  up  the  work  of  contracting  and  building,  which 
he  has  since  continued,  being  a  very  active  factor  in  the  building  operations  of  the 
district.  His  work  has  been  of  an  important  character.  He  is  very  thorough  and 
capable  in  all  that  he  does  and  at  all  times  is  strictly  reliable.  The  excellence  of  his 
work  has  won  for  him  a  liberal  patronage  and  his  success  is  well  deserved. 

In  October,  1880,  Mr.  Crabtree  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth   Blair,  a  daughter 


812  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

of  Seth  M.  and  Elizabeth  -<Fife)  Blair,  the  former  a  native  of  Texas,  while  the  latter 
was  born  in  Scotland.  The  father  was  a  lawyer  and  went  to  Salt  Lake  about  1851. 
He  tried  the  first  case  ever  heard  in  Salt  Lake  and  continued  the  practice  of  law  there 
throughout  his  remaining  days,  becoming  a  prominent  representative  of  the  Utah 
bar.  He  died  in  1871,  while  the  mother  survived  until  August  22,  1913.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Crabtree  were  born  nine  children:  Margaret  M.,  the  wife  of  W.  J.  Steele.  of 
Idaho  Falls;  Cliff,  the  wife  of  N.  A.  Packer,  also  of  Idaho  Falls;  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  Charles  Shirley,  of  Idaho  Falls;  "Raymond,  a  shoe  dealer  at  Blackfoot,  Idaho; 
Loretta,  a  trained  nurse;  Glenn  B.,  a  dentist  of  Idaho  Falls;  Charles  S.,  who  died 
in  1881;  Ellen  C.,  who  was  born  April  15,  1893,  and  passed  away  December  12,  1895. 
and  William  B.,  who  was  born  January  18,  1895,  and  died  January  1,  1896. 

Mr.  Crablree  has  always  been  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  for  eleven  and  a  half  years  has  served  as  bishop  of  his  ward  Politically 
he  is  a  democrat  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Idaho  Falls,  serving  for 
the  second  term  or  third  year.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
civic  development  and  welfare  of  the  community  and  is  a  prominent  factor  in  the 
business  life  and  moral  progress  of  Idaho  Falls. 


JOHN  A.  D ALTON*. 

John  A.  Dalton  is  a  rancher  who  has  recently  purchased  a  well  improved  ten-acre 
tract  of  land  near  Perkins  station,  four  miles  southwest  of  Boise.  For  twenty-two 
years  previous  to  this  time  he  devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  near 
Grace,  in  Bannock  county,  Idaho.  He  was  born  in  Willard  city,  Utah,  fifteen  miles 
from  Ogden,  October  26,  1858.  His  father,  Matthew  W.  Dalton,  also  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  New  York,  and  had  not  reached  his  majority 
when  he  started  for  California  overland  with  a  wagon  train  in  the  year  1850.  In, 
southern  Idaho  he  left  the  train  with  which  he  had  thus  far  traveled,  deciding  not 
to  continue  the  journey  to  California.  He  then  went  to  Ogden,  Utah,  where  he  remained 
for  a  few  years,  after  which  he  took  up  his  permanent  abode  at  Willard.  city,  Utah, 
fifteen  miles  from  Ogden.  It  was  in  Boxelder  county,  Utah,  that  his  son  John  A.  was 
born.  The  father  after  settling  in  Utah  joined  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  and  became  a  bishop's  counselor.  In  1906  he  wrote  and  published  a  small 
volume,  entitled:  "A  Key  to  This  Earth,"  or  "How  Science  Agrees  With  Our  Beloved 
Redeemer."  He  was  always  a  close  student,  particularly  of  astronomy.  He  passed 
away  at  Willard  city,  Utah,  March  14,  1918,  at  the  age  of  about  eighty-eight  years,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  1830.  His  first  wife  was  Rosilla  Whittaker,  who  became  the 
mother  of  John  A.  Dalton.  He  had  three  wives  and  twelve  children  in  all,  six  of  whom 
are  yet  liting.  Mrs.  Rosilla  (Whittaker)  Dalton  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and 
passed  away  June  3,  1898. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  something  of  the  more  remote  ancestry  of  Mr.  Dalton, 
who  finds  that  the  family  lineage  is  traced  back  to  France,  and  representatives  of  the 
family  went  fr^m  that  country  to  Ireland.  John  Dalton,  his  grandfather,  was-  born  at 
Arbrockin,  Ireland,  in  1780  and  came  to  the  United  States  in  young  manhood.  He 
afterward  returned  to  the  Emerald  isle,  where  he  wedded  Mary  McGovern  and  in  1821 
he  again  came  to  the  United  States,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  thus  founding  in  the 
new  world  the  branch  of  the  family  to  which  John  A.  Dalton  belongs. 

The  last  named  has  always  been  a  resident  of  the  west.  He  was  reared  and 
educated  in  his  native  state  and  was  married  in  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  22d  of 
January,  1880,  Miss  Elizabeth  Jane  Cook  becoming  his  wife.  She  was  born  at  Willard 
city,  Utah,  November  2,  1860,  of  Mormon  parents — George  and  Hannah  (Burrows) 
Cook, — who  were  natives  of  England,  in  which  country  they  were  reared  and  married. 
They  crossed  the  Atlantic  as  converts  to  the  teachings  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Later-day  Saints  and  at  once  made  their  way  to  Utah  in  1854.  Her  father  was 
born  at  Brabourne,  Kent,  England,  January  28,  1828,  and  was  married  in  1854,  starting 
for  America  with  his  bride  the  same  year.  They  made  their  way  up  the  Mississippi 
river  by  boat,  then  crossed  the  plains  with  ox  team  to  Utah  and  located  in  Ogden  in 
1855  and  in  1859  at  Willard.  The  father  died  January  1,  1906,  and  his  wife  passed  away 
February  15.  1891. 

In  1886  Mr.  Dalton  removed  to  Idaho  and  for  five  years  lived  at  Elba,  Cassia  county, 
but  in  1891  returned  to  his  native  state.  In  1898  he  again  came  to  Idaho,  residing 


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HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  815 

at  Grace,  Bannock  county,  until  March.  1920,  when  he  purchased  his  present  home 
near  Perkins  station  and  not  far  from  the  Cole  school.  He  still  owns  his  former 
place  in  Bannock  county,  where  he  has  a  fine  residence  that  was  built  in  1912  and  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  which  he  homesteaded  and  developed.  He  now  has 
an  attractive  ten-acre  ranch,  highly  cultivated  and  improved,  and  the  characteristic 
energy  and  enterprise  of  Mr.  Dalton  will  keep  it  always  in  excellent  condition. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dalton  have  been  born  twelve  children,  six  sons  and  six  daughters, 
the  youngest  being  thirteen  years  of  age.  One  of  the  sons,  John  Alfred,  who  was  born 
October  23,  1882,  died  July  8,  1895,  at  the  age  of  twelve  years.  The  eleven  living  chil- 
dren are  as  follows:  Hannah  Elizabeth,  born  November  4.  1880,  is  the  wife  of  Nels  P. 
Johnson.  Rosilla  M.,  born  July  18,  1884,  wedded  L»moni  Tolman.  Mary  E.,  who  was 
born  December  8,  1886.  is  now  the  wife  of  Olaf  Norseth.  Elsie  J.,  who  was  born 
March  9,  1889,  is  the  wife  of  Charles  W.  Hubbard.  George  M.,  who  was  born  February 
1,  1891,  married  Zenna  Anderson,  who  died  of  influenza  and  childbirth  February  18. 
1920,  and  both  mother  and  child  were  buried  in  the  same  grave.  George  M.  Dalton 
is  residing  near  Grace,  Idaho,  and  is  prominent  in  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,  serving  as  bishop  of  Bench  ward  of  Bannock  county.  Hazel  Pearl, 
who  was  born  December  4,  1892,  is  the  wife  of  D.  E.  Peterson.  Asel  N.,  born  December 
21,  1894,  married  Ollie  M.  Larsen.  Jennie  A.,  who  was  born  September  25,  1897,  is  the 
wife  of  William  C.  Brown,  a  veteran  of  the  World  war.  The  other  members  of  the 
family  are:  Raymond  E.,  who  was  born  April  23,  1900;  Clyde  E.,  born  June  21,  1903; 
and  Floyd  W.,  April  1,  1907. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Mormon  church.  Mr.  Dalton  was 
most  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Bannock  county,  where  for  almost  a  quarter  of 
a  century  he  was  actively  engaged  in  ranching.  His  industry  and  enterprise  brought 
to  him  a  very  substantial  measure  of  success,  and  he  is  also  profitably  conducting  his 
present  ranch  property,  upon  which  he  took  up  his  abode  in  1920. 


JOHN  G.  H.  GRAVELEY. 

John  G.  H.  Graveley,  president  and  founder  of  the  Capital  Brokerage  A  Commis- 
sion Company  of  Boise,  came  to  Idaho  from  Kansas  in  1902.  He  spent  one  year  at 
Mountain  Home,  Elmore  county,  and  then  removed  to  Boise  in  1903.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  he  organized  the  Capital  Brokerage  &  Commission  Company  and  has  since 
been  president  and  manager,  thus  occupying  a  prominent  place  in  the  business  circles 
of  the  city.  Mr.  Graveley  was  born  in  Racine,  Wisconsin,  February  8,  1858,  a  son  of 
John  H.  and  Martha  Taylor  (Akers)  Graveley,  both  of  whom  have  now  passed  a\v..y. 
The  father,  who  was  an  expert  accountant,  was  born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  and  died  in  Boise 
in  1912,  in  the  seventy-ninth  year  of  his  age,  while  his  wife  passed  away  at  Lawrence, 
Kansas,  many  years  ago.  The  father  had  removed  to  Boise  in  order  to  make  his  home 
with  his  son  John. 

The  latter  was  reared  in  Racine,  Wisconsin,  to  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and  then 
removed  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  with  his  parents.  He  acquired  his  education  ;n  the  schools 
of  Racine  and  of  Cleveland  and  while  yet  in  his  teens  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  dry 
goods  store  of  the  latter  city,  being  there  employed  for  eight  years.  In  1879  he  made 
his  way  west  to  Kansas  and  for  twenty  years  he  was  engaged  in  railroad  work  in 
various  capacities  and  as  a  representative  of  several  different  roads,  although  much 
of  his  time  was  spent  in  the  employ  of  the  Santa  Fe.  For  several  years  be  was  trav- 
eling claim  agent  for  that  road.  Later  he  engaged  in  general  merchandising  at  Fred- 
erick, Kansas,  for  two  years  but  sold  his  business  there  in  1902  and  came  to  Idaho. 
The  Capital  Brokerage  &  Commission  Company,  of  which  he  has  been  the  head  since 
1904,  is  not  an  ordinary  commission  house  but  is  a  wholesale  Jobbing  house  that  buys 
for  cash  and  sells  for  cash.  The  concern  also  acts  as  manufacturers'  agent  for  various 
large  concerns  throughout  the  country,  selling  from  the  manufacturer  direct  to  the 
retailer. 

On  the  13th  of  August,  1895,  Mr.  Graveley  was  married  to  Miss  Lottie  M.  Johnston, 
a  native  of  Posey  county,  Indiana,  and  educated  in  that  state  and  Kansas.  She  was 
for  several  years  a  teacher  in  Kansas  and  she  has  been  very  prominent  in  connection 
with  educational  interests  in  the  northwest,  being  now  treasurer  of  the  Boise  school 
board.  She  is  also  prominent  in  club  life  in  Boise  and  is  connected  with  the  Young; 
Woman's  Christian  Association  and  with  the  Red  Cross.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graveley  have 


816  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

an  only  daughter,  Martha  Jane,  who  is  now  a  student  in  Leland  Stanford  University 
of  California. 

Mr.  Graveley  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce.  In  politics  he  is 
a  republican  but  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  office.  While  a  resident  of  Topeka, 
Kansas,  he  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  first  company  of  the  state  militia,  known  as 
Company  A  of  the  First  Kansas  Regiment,  of  which  he  became  a  lieutenant.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  Mason  and  has  attained  the  Knight  Templar  degree,  while  with  the  Nobles  of 
the  Mystic  Shrine  he  has  crossed  the  sands  of  the  desert.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Episcopal  church  and  they  take  a  very  active  and  helpful  interest  in 
all  those  affairs  which  make  for  the  development  and  progress  of  the  community.  Mrs. 
Graveley  has  been  particularly  prominent  in  connection  with  club  work  and  in  the 
endorsement  of  civic  and  educational  interests  and  her  efforts  have  been  effective 
forces  for  progress  along  those  lines.  Through  appointment  of  Governor  D.  W. 
Davis  she  is  serving  as  a  member  of  the  state  board  of  education. 


ROBERT  B.  FRENCH. 

Robert  B.  French  is  the  editor  of  the  Ashton  Enterprise,  published  at  Ashton, 
Fremont  county,  and  has  been  identified  with  the  printing  business  since  the  age 
of  twelve  years,  when  he  began  learning  the  trade.  He  was  born  in  Moody  county, 
South  Dakota,  October  1,  1884,  and  is  a  son  of  Theodore  E.  and  Emma  (Bennett) 
French,  the  former  a  native  of  New  York,  while  .the  latter  was  born  in  Pennsylvania. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  went  to  South  Dakota  at  an  early  day, 
taking  up  land  in  the  Sioux  valley  in  1883.  This  he  tilled  and  improved,  continuing 
its  cultivation  until  1910,  when  he  removed  to  Wyoming,  where  he  carried  on  farm- 
ing for  two  years.  He  now  makes  his  home  in  Wisconsin  and  his  wife  is  also  living. 

Robert  B.  French  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  the  Sioux  valley  and 
pursued  his  education  in  the  public  schools.  When  a  lad  of  twelve  he  entered  a 
printing  office  in  order  to  learn  the  trade  and  he  has  since  worked  along  that  line  in 
many  parts  of  the  United  States,  being  connected  with  newspaper  publication  both 
in  a  mechanical  way  and  as  a  writer.  In  April,  1919,  he  came  to  Ashton  and  took 
charge  of  the  Enterprise,  which  he  has  since  published.  This  is  one  of  the  oldest 
papers  in  Fremo'nt  county,  having  been  in  existence  for  fifteen  years.  It  is  owned  by 
a  stock  company,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  Non-Partisan  League 
farmers.  The  printing  plant  is  thoroughly  modern,  with  all  the  latest  machinery  and 
equipment,  including  a  linotype  machine.  Mr.  French  is  devoting  his  attention  largely 
to  the  editorial  work  rather  than  to  news  gathering,  and  his  editorials,  clear,  concise 
and  trenchant,  have  been  widely  read.  In  the  past  ten  years  he  has  become  well  known 
as  a  writer  on  economic  and  political  questions  and  has  worked  on  all  of  the  largest 
papers  of  the  country. 

In  December,  1910,  Mr.  French  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  Ledebrink,  a  daughter 
of  H.  C.  and  Anna  (Stormer)  Ledebrink,  who  were  natives  of  Germany  and  Illinois 
respectively.  The  father  came  to  America  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  settling  at 
Quincy,  Illinois,  where  he  has  since  lived. 

In  addition  to  his  newspaper  interests  Mr.  French  is  connected  with  farming  in 
Fremont  county.  In  politics  he  maintains  a  non-partisan  stand,  voting  according  to  the 
dictates  of  his  judgment  and  espousing  such  causes  as  he  believes  will  further  the 
welfare  of  the  country.  His  aid  and  influence  are  ever  on  the  side  of  progress  and 
improvement  and  he  delves  deep  to  the  root  of  all  vital  questions  which  affect  the 
interests  of  the  country  at  large. 


WILLIAM  ALLARD. 

William  Allard,  identified  with  the  farming  interests  of  Power  company  and  also 
an  active  figure  in  political  circles,  now  representing  his  county  as  a  member  of  the 
house  of  representatives  in  the  state  legislature,  to  which  position  he  was  elected  on 
the  republican  ticket,  has  through  his  various  activities  become  recognized  as  one  of 
the  leading  and  prominent  residents  of  his  part  of  the  state.  Removing  from  Iowa  to 


HISTORY  OF  IDA  817 

the  west  in  1909,  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Power  county.  Idahe,  and  has  since  been 
closely  associated  with  its  agricultural  development. 

Mr.  Allard  was  born  upon  a  farm  in  Dallas  county,  Iowa,  December  5,  1875.  a  son 
of  Nathaniel  and  Emma  (Wilhelm)  Allard.  The  father  is  still  living  in  Iowa,  where  for 
many  years  he  was  actively  engaged  in  farming,  but  has  now  retired  from  business,  mak- 
ing his  home  in  Perry.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  having  valiantly  aided  in 
winning  victory  for  the  Union  arms.  He  was  born  in  Ohio  and  located  in  Iowa  after  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  has  now  reached  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  His  wife,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  died  when  her  son  William  was  but  two  years  of  age.  The  father 
afterward  married  again  and  there  were  two  sons  and  a  daughter  by  that  marriage. 
William  Allard  also  has  an  own  sister.  Mrs.  Le  i  port,  of  Panora,  Iowa,  who 

is  two  years  his.  senior. 

William  Allard  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  in  Idaho.  He  was  reared  in 
Dallas  county,  Iowa,  acquiring  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  in  Drake 
University  at  Des  Moines,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  in  the  preparatory  department. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  he  took  up  the  study  of  telegraphy  and  worked  as  an 
operator  in  Iowa  for  two  years,  when  he  returned  to  the  farm  and  continued  its 
further  development  in  connection  with  his  father  for  a  few  years.  He  then  went  to 
Saskatchewan,  Canada,  where  he  purchased  a  half  section  of  land,  which  he  sold 
two  years  later.  Returning  to  the  States,  he  did  some  touring  in  order  to  familiarize 
himself  with  the  country  and  make  choice  of  a  location.  He  finally  decided  upon  Idaho 
and  arrived  here  in  1909.  He  then  took  up  a  homestead  claim  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in-  Power  county  and  has  since  resided  upon  this  place  but  from  time  to 
time  has  extended  its  boundaries  by  the  purchase  of  adjoining  land  and  now  has  a 
ranch  of  (five  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  carries  on  dry  farming,  devoting  In- 
land especially  to  the  production  of  winter  wheat,  of  which  he  annually  harvests  large 
crops. 

At  Perry,  Iowa,  on  the  15th  of  September,  1897.  Mr.  Allard  was  married  to  Miss 
Matilda  Dundore,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  came  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch 
ancestry.  They  have  three  living  children:  Charles  Sumner,  who  was  born  December 
28,  1899,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Idaho  Technical  Institute  of  the  class  of  1918,  while 
at  the  present  time  he  is  a  student  in  the  University  of  Idaho;  Margaret,  who  was 
born  in  Canada,  August  3,  1906;  and  William,  Jr.,  born  January  21.  1916. 

Mr.  Allard  votes  with  the  republican  party  and  is  serving  his  second  term  as  • 
member  of  the  state  legislature,  having  been  elected  in  1916  and  again  in  1918.  He 
is  chairman  of  the  committee  on  uniform  laws  and  has  been  connected  with  much 
important  constructive  legislation.  His  religious  faith  Is  that  of  the  Christian  church, 
to  the  teachings  of  which  he  loyally  adheres,  and  throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  been 
governed  by  high  ideals  and  principles.  He  is  fond  of  hunting  and  fishing,  to  which 
he  turns  for  recreation.  His  has  been  an  active  and  useful  life,  crowned  by  the  suc- 
cessful accomplishment  of  his  purposes. 


MRS.  ELIZA  ADAL1NE  DRAKI. 

Mrs.  Eliza  A.  Drake  is  one  of  the  splendid  pioneer  women  of  Idaho.  For  more 
than  a  third  of  a  century  she  has  lived  in  this  state  and  yet  occupies  a  part  of  the 
old  homestead,  which  is  situated  four  miles  southwest  of  Boise.  She  is  the  widow 
of  Daniel  D.  Drake,  who  passed  away  on  the  home  farm,  October  28,  1896.  Mrs.  Drake 
had  come  to  Idaho  with  her  husband  and  five  children  from  New  Jersey.  She  was 
born  in  Drakeville,  Morris  county,  New  Jersey,  May  14,  1841.  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Clara  (Drake)  Stephens.  While  her  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Drake,  the  family  was  not  related  to  the  Drake  family  into  which  she  married. 

Eliza  Stephens  spent  the  days  of  her  girlhood  in  New  Jersey  and  there  on  the 
12th  of  February,  1867,  she  became  the  bride  of  Daniel  D.  Drake,  the  marriage  being 
celebrated  at  Budd  Lake,  New  Jersey, — a  summer  resort.  Mr.  Drake  was  born  at 
Drakfcville,  New  Jersey,  a  place  named  in  honor  of  the  family,  on  the  12th  of  D. 
her,  1829.  His  ancestors  had  long  been  residents  of  that  state.  The  young  couple 
began  their  domestic  life  in  New  Jersey,  where  they  remained  until  1885.  when  they 
sought  the  opportunities  of  the  west.  They  first  settled  on  a  ranch  in  South  Boise, 
which  has  since  been  divided  into  town  lots  and  small  acreage  tracts.  Later.  In  the 
early  '90's  the  family  removed  to  the  present  Drake  ranch  four  mile*  southwest  of 

Vol.  HI— 52 


818  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  capital  city.  It  was  then  a  barren  tract  of  land  but  today  it  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  ranches  in  the  district.  It  lies  in  the  valley  of  the  Ridenbaugh  ditch  and 
its  natural  surroundings  and  advantages  are  such  and  its  productiveness  of  so  high  an 
order  as  to  make  it  one  of  the  most  attractive  properties  of  Ada  county.  It  comprises 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  that  has  been  divided  and  is  now  owned  by  Mrs. 
Drake  and  her  son,  Charles  H.,  whose  homes  are  in  close  proximity. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drake  were  born  five  children:  Daniel  D.,  now  living  in  San 
Diego,  California;  Charles  H.,  who  is  a  ranchman  on  the  old  homestead;  Samuel  S., 
living  on  the  Boise  bench;  Susan,  the  wife  of  Lacey  Say,  of  Placerville,  Idaho;  and 
John  C.,  of  Portland,  Oregon. 

Mrs.  Drake  belongs  to  the  Bethel  Presbyterian  church,  situated  west  of  Boise, 
and  Mr.  Drake  was  a  member  of  its  board  of  elders  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was 
one  of  the  builders  of  the  church  and  took  a  most  active  and  helpful  part  in  its  work, 
as  does  his  widow.  He  was  a  Mason  and  a  democrat  and  was  a  loyal  supporter  of 
every  cau.se  which  he  espoused.  His  was  a  useful,  active  and  honorable  life,  and  he 
enjoyed  in  fullest  measure  the  confidence  and  goodwill  of  his  fellowmen.  Mrs.  Drake 
still  occupies  a  part  of  the  old  homestead,  having  sixty-eight  acres  in  her  own  right. 
A  tenant  occupies  a  part  of  her  home,  while  her  son  Charles  is  only  a  short  distance 
away.  Mrs.  Drake  has  now  reached  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years  and  is  a  remarkably 
well  preserved  woman  whose  memory  constitutes  a  connecting  link  between  the  prim- 
itive past  with  its  hardships  and  privations  and  the  progressive  present  with  its  op- 
portunities and  advantages. 


FRANK  DOBSON. 

Frank  Dobson  is  a  splendid  specimen  of  the  high  type  of  American  manhood  and 
citizenship  that  the  west  has  produced.  He  is  today  successfully  engaged  in  farming 
and  stock  raising  in  Ada  county,  a  man  of  splendid  physique,  strong  physically,  mentally 
and  morally.  He  was  born  in  Boise  valley,  November  7,  1872,  a  son  of  William  and 
Eliza  (Paynter)  Dobson.  The  father  was  born  in  Indiana  and  became  one  of  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  the  northwest,  arriving  in  Idaho  in  the  early  '60s.  He  took  part  in 
many  of  the  fights  with  the  Indians  in  the  early  days  and  aided  in  reclaiming  this 
region  for  the  purposes  of  development  and  civilization.  His  wife  is  a  native  of 
Virginia,  who  came  to  Idaho  in  1864.  She  still  survives  and  is  enjoying  good  health 
at  her  home  in  Boise  at  the  age  of  eighty  years.  The  father,  however,  passed  away 
-in  1880. 

Frank  Dobson  was  reared  in  Stewarts  Gulch  and  attended  the  school  conducted 
by  Picayune  Smith.  The  old  schoolhouse  still  stands  about  four  miles  northwest  ofl 
Boise,  one  of  the  reminders  and  landmarks  of  the  early  days.  When  seventeen  years 
of  age  Mr.  Dobson  put  aside  his  textbooks,  save  that  he  was  enabled  to  continue  hisi 
studies  for  a  few  months  during  the  winter  seasons.  He  turned  his  attention  to 
broncho  busting  and  stock  raising  on  Smith's  Prairie  and  had  at  one  time  five  hundred 
head  of  stock  there.  Later  he  was  employed  as  a  cattle  buyer  for  the  Idaho  Dressed 
Beef  Company,  under  C.  W.  Moore,  and  was  identified  with  that  business 
for  six  and  a  half  years.  During  this  time  he  also  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock  raising  and  became  recognized  as  one  of  the  best  riders  and  ropers  in  the  state 
and  won  a  hundred  dollars,  which  was  given  as  a  first  prize  at  Boise  in  1900  for  roping 
and  tying  steers.  Many  have  regarded  him  as  a  most  reckless  rider,  but  the  fact  of  the 
matter  is  that  he  thoroughly  understands  his  steed  and  has  the  quick  judgment  which 
enables  him  to  meet  any  emergency.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  a  stock  ranch  of  two 
hundred  acres  four  miles  north  of  Star  and  also  has  another  stock  ranch  of  two 
hundred  acres  three  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Boise,  being  half  owner  of  the 
latter  property.  He  likewise  owns  a  beautiful  home  of  sixty  acres  at  Star,  on  which 
he  has  a  large  modern  residence.  During  the  summer  season  he  ranges  his  cattle  on 
the  middle  fork  of  the  Boise  river  on  the  Alexander  flats.  His  range  there  can  only 
be  reached  by  horseback  and  all  supplies  are  taken  in  by  pack  train.  He  has  about 
four  hundred  head  of  steers,  which  in  the  winter  he  feeds  at  his  place  at  Star.  There 
are  miles  and  miles  of  drift  fence  on  his  stock  ranch  at  Alexander  flats  to  keep  the 
cattle  from  straying.  His  place  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  in  the  state,  surrounded 
by  magnificent  mountain  scenery,  with  trout  fishing  to  satisfy  the  most  enthusiastic; 
angler.  All  of  these  things  make  strong  appeal  to  Mr.  Dobson,  whose  very  gesture 


A 


• 


FRANK  DOBSON 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  821 

is  suggestive  of  that  free  and  unhampered  life  of  the  saddle,  the  mountains  and  the 
plains.  He  is  a  man  of  athletic  figure,  over  six  feet  In  height,  with  a  fine  face  and 
a  smiling  eye,— a  man  that  has  lived  in  the  open  and  rates  the  artificialities  of  life 
at  their  true  value.  He  ban  been  a  most  successful  trader  and  raises  some  of  the 
finest  beef  cattle  to  be  found  in  the  state.  His  stock  scales  are  the  best  in  bis  section 
and  all  of  the  equipment  of  his  ranches  is  modern,  meeting  the  needs  of  present  day 
stock  raising  conditions. 

In  1905  Mr.  Dobson  was  married  to  Miss  Lulu  Miller,  a  daughter  of  J.  C.  Miller, 
of  Boise  Valley,  who  is  now  retired  and  makes  his  home  in  California.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dobson  have  become  parents  of  two  children,  Prances  Lucille  and  Esther  Marie. 
both  attending  school.  Mrs.  Dobson  is  a  lady  of  liberal  culture  and  refinement,  her 
home  being  evidence  thereof.  Their  residence  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  over  seven 
thousand  dollars,  and  upon  their  place  is  one  of  the  finest  artesian  wells  in  the  state, 
with  a  pressure  that  will  throw  the  water  fifty  feet  high. 


HENRY  L.  EAMES. 

The  home  of  Henry  L.  Eames  is  an  attractive  brick  residence  standing  in  the  midst 
of  an  excellent  ranch  property,  splendidly  improved,  and  his  attention  is  given  to  cattle 
raising  and  contracting.  His  place  is  near  Almo,  in  Cassia  county,  and  Mr.  Eames 
comes  to  this  state  from  the  neighboring  state  of  Utah,  his  .birth  having  occurred  in 
Davis  county,  Utah,  November  26,  1855,  his  parents  being  Henry  and  Emma  Eames. 
His  boyhood  days  were  passed  at  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  he  pursued  his  education 
there.  He  afterward  turned  his  attention  to  contract  work  and  to  the  salt  business 
and  in  1876  he  removed  to  Franklin,  Idaho,  where  he  began  stock  raising.  There  he 
continued  until  1882,  when  he  located  in  the  cove  north  of  his  present  ranch.  He  took 
up  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  built  a  log  house  and  began  the  arduous  task 
of  developing  and  improving  his  property.  Later  he  turned  his  attention  to  merchan- 
dising in  connection  with  his  brother  and  aiterward  purchased  his  brother's  ranch  and 
built  thereon  the  fine  brick  dwelling  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  He  has  em- 
ployed the  most  progressive  methods  in  the  development  of  his  property,  which  is  new 
a  highly  cultivated  ranch,  forming  one  of  the  attractive  features  of  the  landscape. 

In  1882  Mr.  Eames  was  married  to  Miss  Julia  Knight,  a  native  of  Weber  county. 
Utah,  and  a  daughter  of  Alonzo  and  Catherine  Knight.  They  have  thirteen  children: 
Henry,  Catherine,  Charlotte,  Florence,  Julia,  James  L.,  Crandall  R.,  Vernon  E.,  Lewis 
Alonzo,  Ina,  Maud,  Leona  and  Lela. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.  In  politics  Mr.  Eames  is  a  democrat  and  is  one  of  the  recognized  leaders  in 
the  local  ranks  of  the  party.  He  has  filled  various  offices,  to  which  he  has  been  called 
by  the  vote  of  his  fellow  townsmen,  who  recognize  his  worth  and  ability.  For  seven 
years  he  served  as  deputy  assessor,  was  postmaster  at  Almo  for  ten  years  and  has  also 
been  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  number  of  years.  He  has  likewise  served  as  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  State  Normal  School  at  Albion  and  his  interest  in  everything  pertain- 
ing to  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  community  is  deep  and  sincere.  He  stands  for 
all  those  things  which  are  of  value  in  progressive  citizenship  and  at  the  same  time  he 
has  carefully  managed  his  business  affairs,  so  that  a  substantial  measure  of  success 
has  crowned  his  labors. 


E.  B.  KARN. 

E.  B.  Karn,  identified  with  Canyon  county  as  a  farmer  and  real  estate  dealer, 
making  his  home  at  Parma,  and  known  to  the  world  at  large  as  an  inventor,  was  born 
in  Hancock  county.  Ohio,  June  11,  1857.  After  the  Civil  war  his  parents  removed  with 
their* family  to  Michigan,  where  he  was  reared  to  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  In  1878 
he  removed  to  the  west,  settling  first  at  Helena,  Montana,  where  he  was  employed  in 
connection  with  the  lumber  trade  for  two  years.  When  the  Indian  reservation  in 
Dakota  territory  was  opened  up  for  settlement  in  1880  he  went  to  Britton.  now  in  South 
Dakota,  and  took  up  a  homestead,  upon  which  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1900.  He 
then  sold  that  property  and  removed  to  Oregon.  He  was  one  of  the  best  known  men 


822  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

in  South  Dakota,  as  he  operated  threshing  machines  there  when  the  state  was  under 
territorial  rule  and  every  old-timer  there  knew  him.  It  was  while  he  was  a  resident 
of  Dakota  that  the  "Immortal  Nine"  selected  a  site  for  the  capital  of  South  Dakota. 
At  one  time  he  owned  in  the  state  thirteen  quarter  sections  of  land,  on  which  he  raised 
grain  and  also  devoted  a  part  of  it  to  pasturage.  He  likewise  shipped  stock,  which 
he  brought  into  the  state  for  the  settlers.  He  made  and  operated  the  first  self-feeders 
for  threshing  machines  while  in  Dakota  but  he  did  not  have  the  funds  with  which 
to  protect  his  patent  and  others  made  use  of  his  ideas.  He  has  now  invented  and 
patented  a  two-way  gang  plow,  which  can  be  turned  when  the  end  of  the  furrow  is 
reached,  so  that  in  going  back  the  furrow  is  thrown  the  same  way. 

In  1900  Mr.  Karn  left  Dakota  and  went  to  Salem,  Oregon,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  in  the  real  estate  business.  He  platted  and  sold  the  Cherry  City  fruit 
tract  near  Salem,  and  adjoining  that  tract  he  subdivided,  and  sold  other  tracts.  It  was 
there  that  he  recuperated  his  fortune.  In  1912  he  came  to  Wilder,  Idaho,  and  is  the 
owner  of  a  farm  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  the  town,  whereon  he  carries  on  general 
agricultural  pursuits,  raising  the  various  crops  best  adapted  to  soil  and  climatic  con- 
ditions here.  He  is  also  engaged  in  buying  and  selling  farm  land  and  thoroughly  be- 
lieves that  this  particular  section  is  the  best  farming  community  and  the  easiest  in 
which  to  make  money  in  the  entire  west.  He  has  prospered  exceedingly  here  and  is 
justly  accounted  one  of  the  progressive  men  of  the  district. 

In  1888  Mr.  Karn  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Naftzger,  of  South  Dakota,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio,  near  Wooster.  They  are  the  parents  of  eight  children.  James  C., 
twenty-eight  years  of  age,  was  in  the  draft,  but  the  armistice  was  signed  before  his 
contingent  was  sent  to  France.  Elizabeth  and  Nellie,  twins,  are  married  and  reside 
near  Wilder.  Edwin  B.,  Jr.,  twenty-four  years  of  age,  is  farming  near  Wilder  and 
was  formerly  connected  with  a  bank  at  Wasco,  Oregon,  before  removing  to  Idaho. 
Catherine  M.  is  married  and  resides  at  Parma.  Charles  VV.,  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
volunteered  for  overseas  service,  enlisting  at  Boise,  after  which  be  was  placed  with 
the  cavalry  troops  and  crossed  the  ocean  in  October,  1918.  He  is  still  stationed  in 
France.  Marion  A.  and  Hattie  are  attending  high  school  at  Wilder.  The  sons,  who 
are  engaged  in  farming,  have  made  a  very  substantial  success  in  their  business,  James 
C.  having  cleared  about  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  in  five  years,  while  E.  B.  has  done 
nearly  as  well.  They  started  out  in  life  almost  empty-handed.  Mr.  Karn  has 'given  to 
his  children  good  educational  opportunities.  He  is  a  man  of  progressive  spirit,  who 
carries  forward  to  successful  completion  whatever  he  undertakes.  He  possesses  marked 
inventive  genius,  which  has  found  expression  in  two  valuable  devices.  His  plow  has 
received  strong  endorsement  wherever  it  has  been  used  and  its  worth  should  insure  for 
it  a  ready  sale. 


MRS.  HELEN  WEBER. 

Mrs.  Helen  Weber,  widely  and  favorably  known  in  Boise,  has  resided  here  for  only 
twelve  years  but  in  that  period  has  gained  for  herself  an  enviable  position  in  social  and 
business  circles,  in  the  latter  connection  as  the  builder  and  owner  of  the  Weber  apart- 
ments at  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Hays  streets.  She  was  born  at  Perrysburg,  Wood 
county,  Ohio,  May  15,  1848,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Helen  Lang,  being  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Mary  Ann  (Souder)  Lang.  It  was  on  the  17th  of  September,  1868,  in 
Ohio,  that  she  became  the  wife  of  George  Weber,  a  native  of  Switzerland,  who  was 
born  March  1,  1844, 'and  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  mother  when  a  lad  of  ten 
years.  In  1869  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weber  made  their  way  westward  to  Nebraska  and  for 
a  number  of  years  resided  in  that  state,  spending  their  time  largely  at  Lincoln,  where 
they  became  owners  of  extensive  property  holdings.  One  of  these  properties  was  the 
Weber  block,  a  structure  containing  sixteen  apartments  and  eight  stores,  situated  at 
the  corner  of  Fourteenth  and  P  streets.  It  was  built  in  1892  and  yet  bears  the  Weber 
name.  While  residing  at  Lincoln,  Mr.  Weber  passed  away  on  the  17th  of  June,  1905, 
and  his  remains  were  brought  to  Boise,  being  interred  in  the  Masonic  cemetery. 

Mrs.  Weber  came  to  Boise  in  1909  and  through  the  intervening  period  has  built 
up  a  large  acquaintance,  made  many  warm  friendships  and  has  also  contributed  her 
full  share  toward  making  Boise  a  larger  and  better  city.  In  the  year  of  her  arrival 
she  began  the  erection  of  the  Weber  apartments,  nine  in  all,  at  the  corner  of  Seventh 
and  Hays  streets,  the  building  being  completed  in  1910.  Since  that  time  she  has 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  823 

derived  therefrom  a  substantial   rental,  the  revenue  thus  secured  supplying  her  with 
all  of  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weber  were  born  three  children:  Mrs.  Bertha  W.  Wright  and 
Mrs.  Anna  W.  Denecke.  both  of  Boise;  and  Alexander  W..  of  <  a.«i>er.  Wyoming.  There 
are  now  seven  grandchildren,  one  of  whom,  Joe.  R.  Wright  of  Boine.  served  in  the 
World  war,  having  spent  ten  months  in  France  and  Germany.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of 
Mrs.  Bertha  W.  Wright,  who  has  three  children,  the  other  two  being  George  W.  and 
Ethel,  all  well  known  young  people  of  this  city.  The  eldest  daughter  of  Mrs.  Anna  W. 
Denecke — Helen  Louise — was  one  of  the  young  ladies  chosen  by  the  State  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs  for  Idaho  to  do  overseas  work  for  the  Y.  M.  ('.  A.  She  spent  six  months 
in  France,  the  greater  part  of  the  time  being  at  Aix  le  Bains,  a  leave  area  for  the 
American  soldiers.  Mrs.  Denecke  has  two  other  children:  Gertrude,  now  Mrs.  Samuel 
D.  Hays;  and  William  A.,  Jr. 


JOHN  M.uKAK. 

John  MacRae  is  now  living  retired  at  Rogerson  but  has  financial  investments  in  a 
number  of  important  business  interests.  His  activity  and  enterprise  in  former  yean 
brought  to  him  the  success  that  now  enables  him  to  rest  from  further  labor.  He  was 
born  at  Dingwell.  Scotland,  in  1854,  a  son  of  Finlay  and  Jessie  (Campbell)  M  icRae. 
The  father  was  a  sheep  man  and  in  the  land  of  hills  and  heather  John  MacRae  worked 
in  connection  with  sheep  raising  until  he  reached  the  age  of  thirty  years,  when  he 
crossed  the  Atlantic  to  Canada,  where  he  remained  for  a  brief  period.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Taylor  county.  Texas,  and  was  employed  as  a  sheep  herder  for  about  a 
year.  Subsequently  he  went  to  Oregon,  where  he  engaged  in  the  same  business  for 
a  few  years  or  until  1889,  when  he  purchased  a  small  band  of  sheep  and  drove  them 
into  Idaho,  making  his  way  to  Cedar  creek,  where  he  homesteaded  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres.  He  then  engaged  in  raising  sheep  for  five  years  an-1  afterward  became 
the  partner  of  Robert  Rogerson.  The  business  connection  between  them  was  profitably 
maintained  for  twelve  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  Mr.  MacRae  sold  his  interests 
to  the  Owyhee  Sheep  Company  and  has  since  lived  retired,  leaving  the  more  active 
cares  of  business  to  others. 

Mr.  MacRae  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlors  in  his  section  of  the  state  and  has 
been  a  contributing  factor  to  its  development  and  progress  throughout  the  interven- 
ing years.  He  has  assisted  many  a  man  in  a  financial  way  to  gain  a  start  and  is  most 
highly  esteemed  by  reason  of  the  sterling  worth  of  his  character  and  his  many  ex- 
cellent qualities.  While  he  has  put  aside  business  to  a  large  extent,  he  is  still  a  stock, 
holder  and  director  in  the  Rogerson  Bank  and  is  also  the  owner  of  the  Rogerson  Tele- 
phone Company,  while  his  land  interests  are  quite  extensive  in  Canada.  Oklahoma  and 
New  Mexico.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of 
Elks  at  Twin  Falls  and  he  enjoys  the  high  regard  not  only  of  his  brethren  of  the  fra- 
ternity but  of  all  who  know  him. 


MRS.  ANNA  RINEARSON. 

Mrs.  Anna  Rinearson,  the  librarian  of  the  Christian  Science  Reading  Room  in 
Boise,  came  to  this  city  from  Kansas  in  1881,  being  then  a  young  school  teacher — 
Miss  Anna  Woodward^  She  afterward  went  to  Portland.  Oregon,  and  taught  in  the 
vicinity  c.t  that  city  for  a  couple  of  years,  after  which  she  returned  to  Boise  in  1886 
and  has  nince  continuously  been  a  resident  of  Idaho.  She  was  born  :\t  Palmyra.  Iowa. 
February  22,  1858,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  Frederick  and  Evalino  McLean  (Steele) 
Woodward,  who  were  natives  of  Vermont  and  Ohio  respectively.  The  maternal  grand- 
father of  Mrs.  Rinearson  was  the  first  white  child  born  In  Chillicothe,  Ohio.  Her 
father  passed  away  in  1871.  but  her  mother  is  still  living  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
two  years  and  makes  her  home  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Andrcm-  J.  McFarland,  near 
Falks  Store,  in  Payette  county,  Idaho. 

Mrs.  Rinearson  from  the  age  of  fourteen  years  resided  in  L.»wn-nce.  Kansas,  re- 
maining there  for  a  decade,  covering  the  period  between  1871  and  1881.  She  com- 


824  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

pleted  her  education  at  Lawrence,  Kansas,  and  then  took  up  the  profession  of  teach- 
ing, which  she  followed  for  two  years  in  Lawrence  and  vicinity  before  her  first  arrival 
in  Idaho  in  1881.  Following  her  removal  to  the  northwest  she  continued  her  work  in 
the  schoolroom  both  in  Idaho  and  Oregon  until  her  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  on 
the  23d  of  September,  1897,  when  she  became  the  wife  of  Abraham  L.  Rinearson,  a 
civil  engineer,  who  had  come  to  Idaho  from  Oregon  at  an  early  day  and  did  much  of 
the  pioneer  surveying  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rinearson  was  born  a  daughter,  Alice,  whose  birth  occurred 
March  13,  1900,  and  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Boise  high  school  of  the  class  of  1918. 
She  is  now  the  wife  of  L.  Van  Smith,  to  whom  she  was  married  January  17,  1920.  She 
had  formerly  been  secretary  in  the  Boise  high  school  office. 

During  the  past  nine  years  Mrs.  Rinearson  has  occupied  her  present  position — 
that  of  librarian  at  the  Christian  Science  Reading  Room,  a  position  which  indicates 
her  religious  faith.  She  is  well  known  in  connection  with  educational  and  church  work 
in  Boise  and  as  librarian  has  given  excellent  service.  For  several  years  she  has  been 
a  widow,  and  has  provided  for  the  support  of  herself  and  daughter,  giving  to  the  latter 
excellent  educational  opportunities.  All  who  know  Mrs.  Rinearson — and  she  has  a 
wide  acquaintance — speak  of  her  in  terms  of  the  warmest  regard,  appreciating  her 
splendid  womanly  qualities  as  well  as  business  ability  and  broad  education  and  culture. 


RUDOLPH  TUELLER. 

Rudolph  Tueller,  who  now  resides  on  a  valuable  fifty-acre  ranch  bordering  the 
Meridian  road,  a  paved  highway,  his  place  being  pleasantly  and  conveniently  located 
five  miles  west  of  Boise,  is  of  Swiss  birth.  He  first  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of 
day  on  the  12th  of  October,  1870,  in  the  land  of  the  Alps,  and  was  one  of  a  family 
of  ten  sons  and  two  daughters  whose  parents  were  Jacob  and  Margaret  (Kunz)  Tueller. 
The  entire  family  came  to  the  United  States,  although  all  did  not  come  at  the  same 
time.  The  first  to  cross  the  Atlantic  was  Christian  Tueller,  an  elder  brother  of 
Rudolph  Tueller,  now  living  in  Bear  Lake  county,  Idaho,  and  who  made  the  voyage 
to  the  new  world  in  1874.  Rudolph  Tueller  and  his  brother  Edward  came  to  the 
new  world  with  an  uncle  in  1880,  and  Edward  Tueller  also  became  a  resident  of  Bear 
Lake  county,  where  he  passed  away  in  1917.  It  was  in  1883  that  the  parents  came  to 
t.h«  United  States  and  eventually  all  of  the  family  were  residents  of  Bear  Lake  county, 
Idaho,  the  father  and  mother  passing  away  there  in  the  town  of  Paris.  Three  of  the 
sons  are  still  in  that  county  and  Rudolph  Tueller  also  resided  there  from  1880  until  the 
fall  of  1919,  when  he  sold  his  ranch  near  Montpelier  and  removed  to  Ada  county.  In 
Bear  Lake  county  it  was  a  dry  farming  proposition  and  the  crop  failures  were  frequent. 
The  severe  drought  of  the  summer  of  1919  followed  in  the  wake  of  previous  dry  seasons 
and  he  felt  that  he  must  seek  more  advantageous  conditions.  Accordingly  he  sold  his 
property  there  and  removed  to  the  splendidly  irrigated  Boise  valley,  where  drought 
can  no  longer  worry  him.  Here  he  secured  fifty  acres  of  land  west  of  Boise,  this 
being  one  of  the  best  located  ranches  in  the  valley — about  midway  between  Boise  and 
Meridian  and  bordering  a  well  paved  road.  He  made  purchase  of  the  property  for 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  per  acre,  and  although  he  has  owned  it  scarcely 
more  than  a  year,  he  could  sell  it  for  four  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  One  feature  of  the 
place  is  a  five-acre  prune  orchard  just  coming  into  bearing,  having  been  planted  five 
years  ago.  It  is  one  of  the  prettiest  small  orchards  in  Ada  county,  of  level  ground, 
straight  rows  and  evenly  developed  trees,  and  the  progressive  spirit  of  Mr.  Tueller 
is  manifest  in  the  excellent  appearance  of  his  place,  which  is  characterized  by  neatness 
and  orderliness. 

Mr.  Tueller  has  been  married  twice.  He  first  wedded  Rose  Sutter,  who  died 
leaving  five  children:  Millie,  the  wife  of  Martin  Teuscher,  of  Bear  Lake  county;  Oliver 
R.,  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  who  was  seriously  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Chateau 
Thierry  and  was  brought  back  to  the  United  States  on  a  stretcher  but  has  now 
recovered  and  is  at  home;  Viola,  who  married  Fred  Schoss  and  later  passed  away 
leaving  two  children-  and  Dora  and  Lena,  who  are  at  home.  On  the  8th  of  October, 
1908,  Mr.  Tueller  Was  married  to  Mrs.  Emma  Ferber  nee  Linck,  who  was  born  in 
Switzerland  and  was  reared  in  the  same  town  as  her  husband,  attending  the  same 
school.  She  first  became  the  wife  of  Bernhart  Ferber,  who  died  leaving  two  children: 
Charles  B.,  who  took  the  name  of  his  stepfather  and  who  served  in  the  World  war, 


-3 

cj 
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P 

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HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  827 

doing  duty  in  Siberia,  where  he  contracted  a  fatal  illness,  passing  away  in  a  hospital 
at  San  Francisco,  March  21,  1920;  and  Helen,  who  also  took  the  name  of  Tueller  and 
is  now  the  wife  of  Lewis  George  Schlerf,  living  in  the  same  neighborhood  as  Mr.  and 
Tueller.  Her  husband  also  is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  having  served  in  France 
for  nine  months. 

Mr.  Tueller  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  he  formerly  served  as  bishop's  counselor  for  three  years  when  In  Bear 
Lake  county,  was  also  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  in  his  ward  for  twenty  years 
and  has  always  been  active  in  the  work  of  the  church.  His  political  allegiance  is 
given  to  the  republican  party  and  he  keeps  well  informed  on  the  vital  questions  and 
issues  of  the  day.  He  has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  come  to 
the  new  world,  for  here  he  found  the  opportunities  which  he  sought  and  in  their 
improvement  has  made  steady  progress. 


ELMER  S.  BAILEY. 

Elmer  S.  Bailey  is  a  well  known  contractor  and  builder  of  Ivywild.  a  suburb  of 
BoJse,  and  is  also  engaged  in  raising  pure  bred  poultry,  having  a  one-acre  poultry  ranch, 
on  which  he  specializes  in  the  breeding  of  Barred  Rock  chickens  and  New  Zealand 
Red  rabbits.  He  came  to  Boise  in  1909  from  the  state  of  Oklahoma,  where  he  had 
resided  for  seven  years,  but  his  birthplace  was  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  He  was  born 
at  Keyser,  Mineral  county,  West  Virginia,  May  30,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  3.  and 
Susan  (Fleek)  Bailey,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  They  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia, now  West  Virginia,  and  during  the  period  of  the  Civil  war  were  stanch  sup- 
porters of  the  Union  cause. 

Elmer  S.  Bailey  was  reared  on  a  West  Virginia  farm  and  in  1886  made  hie  way 
to  Nebraska,  being  then  a  young  man  of  twenty-four  years.  He  spent  fourteen  years 
in  that  state,  engaged  in  farming  and  carpentering,  and  during  that  period  was  mar* 
ried  on  the  4th  of  July,  1887,  to  Miss  Emma  J.  Wise,  whose  birth  occurred  July  5.  1864. 
Her  parents  were  John  J.  and  Mary  Magdalena  (Strosnider)  Wise,  both  now  deceased. 
Her  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Mrs.  Bailey  was  reared  in  Missouri  to  the 
age  of  twenty  years,  then  went  west  to  Nevada  and  afterward  returned  to  Nebraska, 
where  she  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Bailey,  who  sought  her  hand  in  marriage. 
For  three  years  thereafter  they  resided  in  Nebraska  and  in  1890  returned  to  West  Vir- 
ginia, where  they  lived  for  two  years,  during  which  time  he  was  engaged  in  railroading. 
They  then  again  became  residents  of  Nebraska,  where  they  remained  for  nine  years,  and 
in  1899  they  came  to  Idaho,  spending,  however,  only  six  months  in  this  state  at  that 
time,  being  residents  of  Silver  City.  Once  more  they  went  to  Nebraska  but  in  1901 
again  came  to  the  northwest,  settling  in  the  state  of  Washington.  From  1902  until 
1909  they  resided  in  Oklahoma.  Through  all  this  period  Mr.  Bailey  engaged  in  car- 
pentering and  also  in  the  raising  of  Barred  Rock  chickens.  In  1909  he  located  on 
his  present  acre  tract  of  land  at  Ivywild,  the  place  being  then  an  oat  stubbie.  It  is 
now  a  well  improved  property,  on  which  is  a  good  residence,  various  poultry  booses 
and  much  fruit  of  various  kinds.  Every  building  and  every  improvement  has  been 
put  there  by  Mr.  Bailey.  During  the  intervening  period  of  eleven  years  ha  has  worked 
as  a  carpenter  and  has  also  engaged  in  raising  chickens  and  rabbits.  He  is  widely 
known  in  connection  with  the  breeding  of  Barred  Rock  chickens,  his  reputation  ex- 
tending throughout  the  northwest.  He  has  been  a  prominent  exhibitor  at  the  Boije 
poultry  shows  for  many  years  and  has  never  failed  to  win  prize  ribbons.  In  the  last 
Boise  show  he  exhibited  seventeen  birds  and  won  seventeen  ribbons.  He  keeps  two 
hundred  chickens  on  an  average  and  raises  but  a  part  of  his  own  feed— cabbages,  car- 
rots and  green  stuff  for  the  winter,  but  buys  all  his  grain  during  the  harvest  season 
in  the  fall  and  he  feeds  wheat  exclusively.  Mr.  Bailey  is  n  director  of  the  Idaho  Poultry 
&  Pet  Stock  Association  and  for  eight  years  has  been  assistant  superintendent  of  the 
poultry  exhibits  of  the  Idaho  State  Fair. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey  have  had  but  one  child,  a  daughter.  Ethel  Lee.  who  wan  born 
at  Keyser,  West  Virginia,  February  6.  1892,  and  on  the  25th  of  December.  1915.  became 
the  wife  of  Earl  Bennett.  They  reside  at  Paul.  Idaho,  and  have  two  children:  Joseph 
Lee,  born  January  19.  1917;  and  Ethel  Mary,  born  October  26.  1918. 

The  parents  are  members  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  Scientist,  and  politically  Mr. 
Bailey  is  a  republican,  who  for  four  years  served  as  sheriff  of  Dundee  county.  Nebraska. 


828  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO       v 

but  otherwise  has  never  sought  nor  filled  public  office.  He  gives  his  time  and  attention 
to  his  business  affairs,  and  industry  and  enterprise  have  ever  characterized  his  career, 
contributing  largely  to  the  success  which  he  now  enjoys. 


MARCELINO  ALDECOA. 

Marcelino  Aldecoa,  successfully  engaged  in  sheep  raising,  in  which  he  is  asso- 
ciated with  his  brother,  Domingo  Aldecoa,  and  his  brother-in-law,  John  Archabal,  came 
to  Idaho  in  1902  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  Basque  colony  from  Spain.  He  has  since 
made  his  home  and  headquarters  in  Boise.  His  birth  occurred  in  Spain,  January  8, 
188C,  his  parents  being  Fermin  and  Juana  Aldecoa,  who  are  still  living  in  their  native 
country.  The  father  has  followed  the  stonemason's  trade  and  for  a  long  period  did 
contract  work  of  that  character  but  is  now  retired. 

Marcelino  Aldecoa  was  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  when  he  severed  home  ties  and 
came  to  the  new  world,  making  his  way  to  Boise,  where  he  arrived  in  1902.  His  sister, 
Mrs.  John  Archabal,  was  already  a  resident  of  Boise,  as  was  his  elder  brother,  Domingo 
Aldecoa,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  He  joined  them  in  Boise  and 
for  several  years  after  his  arrival  was  employed  as  a  sheepherder  by  his  brother- 
in-law,  after  which  he  became  interested  in  the  business  as  a  partner  of  Mr.  Archabal 
and  Domingo  Aldecoa.  He  began  raising  sheep  on  shares  and  was  fortunate  in  being 
associated  with  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Archabal,  who  is  one  of  the  most  successful 
sheepmen  of  Idaho  and  who  has  started  quite  a  number  of  his  fellow  countrymen  in 
the  business.  The  three  partners  now  own  jointly  about  six  thousand  head  of  sheep, 
the  Aldecoa  brothers  being  only  two  of  Mr.  Archabal's  several  partners  in  the  business. 
Their  interests  are  successfully  conducted  and  their  labors  are  bringing  to  them  grati- 
fying prosperity.  In  the  year  1906  Marcelino  Aldecoa  returned  to  Spain  on  a  visit 
to  his  parents. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1909,  Mr.  Aldecoa  was  married  in  Boise  to  Miss  Anas- 
tasia  Arriandaga,  who  was  born  in  Spain,  March  22,  1892,  and  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1907,  arriving  in  Boise  when  but  fifteen  years  of  age.  Her  sister,  Mrs.  Jose 
Alastra,  was  already  a.  resident  of  Boise.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aldecoa  have  four  sons: 
Luis,  who  was  born  August  24,  1911;  Domingo,  born  April  17,  1914;  Fermin,  born  July 
1,  1915;  and  Alfonso,  August  14,  1918.  The  parents  are  members  of  the  Church  of  the 
Good  Shepherd,  a  Spanish  Roman  Catholic  church  of  Boise. 


HON.  HARVEY  ALBERT  PUGH. 

Hon.  Harvey  Albert  Pugh  is  an  active  representative  of  business  interests  at 
Montour,  Gem  county,  where  he  is  engaged  in  dealing  in  grain,  lumber  and  live  stock. 
Close  application  and  undaunted  energy  in  the  conduct  of  his  business  are  bringing  to 
him  a  substantial  measure  of  success,  but  he  never  allows  business  affairs  to  monopolize 
his  time  to  the  exclusion  of  his  duties  along  other  lines.  He  is  keenly  interested  in 
the  public  welfare  and  by  reason  of  this  accepted  the  position  of  representative  in 
the  state  legislature  from  Gem  county. 

Mr.  Pugh  is  a  native  of  Olney,  Illinois.  He  was  born  August  5,  1874,  one  of  the 
four  children  of  Hiram  W.  and  Sarah  E.  (Fulk)  Pugh.  The  father  died  in  Kansas  in 
1882,  when  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  since  which  time  his  widow  has  married  again 
and  is  still  living,  now  making  her  home  with  her  children  in  Idaho. 

When  Harvey  A.  Pugh  was  but  seven  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  with  their 
family  to  Cedar  Vale,  Chautauqua  county,  Kansas,  where  the  father  died.  He  was  a 
contractor  and  builder  by  trade  and  thus  provided  for  the  support  of  his  family  until 
his  life's  labors  were  ended.  Subsequently  the  mother  removed  to  southwestern  Mis- 
souri and  it  was  there  that  Harvey  A.  Pugh  spent  much  of  his  youth,  acquiring  his 
education  in  the  public  and  normal  schools.  When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  took 
up  the  profession  of  teaching,  which  he  followed  for  three  years  in  Missouri,  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two  he  came  to  Idaho,  arriving  in  this  state  in  1897.  He  was  prin- 
cipal of  the  schools  of  Emmett,  Idaho,  during  the  succeeding  two  winters  and  then 
returned  to  Missouri,  where  in  his  youth  he  had  worked  in  a  newspaper  office  to  a 
considerable  extent,  largely  acquainting  himself  with  the  business.  In  the  fall  of 


MARCELINO  ALDECOA 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  831 

1899  he  bought  the  Emmett  Index,  a  weekly  newspaper,  which  he  conducted  until  1901, 
when  he  sold  out  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  lumber  business,  which  included  the 
operation  of  a  sawmill  in  Boise  county.  From  1901  until  1915  he  owned  and  operated 
a  sawmill,  planing  mill  and  box  factory  on  Soldier  creek  in  Boise  county,  but  since  the 
latter  date  has  made  his  home  continuously  at  Montour,  Gem  county,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  the  retail  lumber  trade.  He  also  conducts  a  good  business  as  a  dealer  in 
live  stock  and  in  grain  and  is  the  only  lumber  and  grain  merchant  of  his  home  town 
His  business  now  amounts  to  about  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  annually  in  its 
various  branches  and  it  constitutes  an  excellent  market  for  fanners  and  live  stock 
raisers  of  this  locality.  He  closely  studies  the  business  situation  relative  to  his  in- 
terests and  by  persistent  and  carefully  directed  energy  has  met  with  a  measure  of 
prosperity  that  is  most  desirable. 

At  Marshall,  Missouri,  on  the  19th  of  February,  1903.  Mr.  Pugh  was  married  to 
Miss  Ethel  Clark,  a  teacher,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Missouri  and  was  educated 
in  the  Missouri  Valley  College  at  Marshall.  They  now  have  two  children:  Elwood 
Clark,  born  March  14,  1906;  and  Lois  Lucile,  born  March  21,  1908. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  Mr. 
Pugh  is  serving  as  a  trustee  of  the  church  at  Montour.  In  politics  he  has  always  been 
a  democrat  since  reaching  adult  age  but  could  never  be  called  a  politician  in  the  sense 
of  office  seeking.  He  was  never  a  candidate  for  but  one  office  until  the  fall  of  1918, 
when  he  was  elected  to  the  Idaho  house  of  representatives  on  the  democratic  ticket. 
He  did  not  seek  nor  work  for  election  but  was  chosen  for  the  position  by  a  considerable 
majority.  During  the  period  of  the  World  war  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Gem 
County  Council  of  Defense  and  at  all  times  he  stands  as  a  high  type  of  American  man- 
hood and  citizenship. 


GEORGE  B.  ALLEN. 

George  B.  Allen,  farmer,  live  stock  dealer  and  banker,  making  his  home  in  Spencer, 
Clark  county,  is  a  western  man  by  birth,  training  and  preference  and  exemplifies  in 
his  life  the  progressive  spirit  which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in  the  upbuilding 
of  the  west.  He  was  born  at  Canon  City,  Colorado,  January  4,  1874,  a  son  of  Captain 
Benjamin  F.  Allen,  who  won  his  title  by  service  in  the  Civil  war  with  a  Colorado 
regiment  of  volunteers.  He  was  born  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  in  1835,  and  died 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  in  1892.  At  one  time  he  was  warden  of  the  Colorado  state 
penitentiary  at  Canon  City,  but  the  greater  part  of  his  life  was  devoted  to  ranching 
in  the  west.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Euretta  Butler  and  was  born  in  Al- 
bany, New  York,  abdlit  1839,  while  her  death  occurred  in  Salt  Lake  City  in  1895.  In 
the  family  were  two  daughters,  one  of  whom  resides  in  California  and  the  other  in 
Mackay,  Idaho. 

George  B.  Allen  is  the  only  son.  He  was  fourteen  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  his  youth  was  there  passed.  He  acquired  a  good 
public  school  and  business  college  education  and  in  1897  came  to  Idaho,  settling  in 
Fremont  county.  He  first  purchased  a  farm  near  Spencer  and  developed  the  tract 
of  wild  land  into  a  productive  property.  He  subsequently  sold  that  place  and  for  fifteen 
years  thereafter  conducted  a  general  store  in  Spencer,  having  the  only  mercantile 
establishment  of  the  town.  His  business  was  carried  on  under  the  name  of  Spencer, 
Harwood  &  Company.  Mr.  Allen  first  clerked  for  the  firm  and  later  bought  an  interest 
in  tTie  business,  with  which  he  was  identified  until  1918,  when  he  sold  his  interest  in 
order  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  energies  upon  his  farm  property  of  two  nundred 
and  forty  acres  near  Spencer.  He  has  quite  successfully  developed  his  farm  and  in 
connection  with  the  production  of  good  crops  annually  he  also  raises  considerable  stock. 
He  is  likewise  a  director  of  the  Security  State  Bank  of  Dubois  and  all  of  his  business 
affairs  are  wisely  and  profitably  conducted. 

On  the  7th  of  November.  1899,  Mr.  Allen  was  married  at  St.  Anthony,  Idaho.  t<> 
Miss  Caroline  Anderson,  who  was  born  in  Utah  of  a  gentile  f-imily.  They  have  become 
parents  of  four  daughters:  May,  Lucile,  Mildred  and  Bessie. 

During  his  vacation  periods  Mr.  Allen  devotes  his  attention  to  hunting,  fishing 
and  motoring.  His  political  endorsement  is  given  to  the  republican  party  and  in  the 
fall  of  1918  he  was  elected  on  its  ticket  to  the  Idaho  house  of  representatives  by  a  good 
majority  and  is  a  member  of  the  committees  on  county  lines  and  boundaries,  fish  and 


832  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

game  and  irrigation  and  reservoirs.  It  was  Mr.  Allen  who  introduced  the  bill  which 
created  the  new  county  of  Clark  by  subdividing  Fremont  county  and  his  own  ranch  is 
in  the  newly  formed  county.  Commenting  upon  his  record,  the  Capital  News  of 
March  10,  1919,  said:  "To  make  a  maiden  speech  the  last  day  of  the  legislative  session 
so  effectively  as  to  defeat  a  bill  to  which  he  was  opposed,  was  the  somewhat  remark- 
able feat  performed  by  Representative  George  B.  Allen,  republican,  of  Spencer,  Idaho, 
member  from  Fremont  county.  Representative  Allen  was  opposed  to  the  bill  propos- 
ing another  judge  for  the  sixth  judicial  district.  Two  measures  with  this  object  in 
view  were  introduced.  Both  were  defeated.  The  second  bill  was  passed  by  the  senate 
the  last  day  of  the  session  and  reached  the  house  in  the  afternoon.  Representative 
Allen,  while  active  in  legislative  matters,  did  not  indulge  in  oratory  during  the  session. 
He  took  occasion  to  voice  his  sentiments,  however,  against  this  measure,  thereby  mak- 
ing his  maiden  speech,  and  the  bill  was  killed.  He  took  the  grounds  that  his  constitu- 
ents would  be  put  to  heavy  expense  to  reach  the  judge  appointed  and  this  was  un- 
called for."  This  was  characteristic  of  Mr.  Allen,  who  has  never  hesitated  to  express 
his  honest  convictions  or  stand  loyally  in  support  of  an  opinion  which  he  believes  to 
be  of  value  to  community  or  commonwealth. 


ALMON  JACOB  HALL. 

Almon  Jacob  Hall,  fire  insurance  adjuster  of  Boise,  was  born  in  Richmond,  Ver- 
mont, September  14,  1872,  a  son  of  William  D.  and  Lucretia  V.  (Rood)  Hall,  both 
representatives  of  old  New  England  families  and  of  Revolutionary  stock.  Almon  J.  Hall 
is  a  younger  brother  of  Mrs.  Frank  Martin  and  Mrs.  Howard  F.  Baker,  both  of  Boise. 
He  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  city,  pursuing  a  high  school  course  there, 
and  while  still  in  his  teens  he  became  identified  with  the  fire  insurance  business,  re- 
ceiving his  first  lessons  and  early  training  in  his  father's  office,  for  the  father  was 
long  prominently  connected  with  the  fire  insurance  business.  Throughout  practically 
his  entire  life  Almon  J.  Hall  has  continued  in  this  line  and  he  soon  acquainted  him- 
self with  every  phase  of  the  business.  He  continued  in  association  with  his  father 
under  the  firm  name  of  William  D.  Hall  &  Son  for  many  years  or  until  the  father's 
death  about  1902.  The  son  then  continued  the  business  at  Richmond,  Vermont,  for  a 
few  years  but  eventually  sold  his  agency  and  in  1905  came  to  Boise,  where  he  at  once 
became  established  as  a  fire  insurance  adjuster.  He  has  so  continued  to  the  present 
time  and  has  built  up  for  himself  a  splendid  business,  being  the  adjusting  representa- 
tive in  Boise  and  vicinity  for  most  of  the  fire  insurance  companes  doing  business  in 
this  territory.  His  business  of  adjusting  fire  losses  covers  a  large  portion  of  the  inter- 
mountain  country  and  has  penetrated  into  six  different  states.  Since  1907  he  has  oc- 
cupied his  present  office  in  the  Sonna  block,  where  he  employs  a  force  of  competent 
assistants,  and  as  the  results  of  marked  energy  and  enterprise  he  is  now  enjoying 
a  substantial  success. 

In  1893  Mr.  Hall  was  married  in  Richmond,  Vermont,  to  Miss  Nellie  Bates,  who 
died  a  few  years  later,  leaving  two  daughters,  Elida  and  Nila,  both  now  young  ladies. 
In  Boise,  Idaho,  Mr.  Hall  was  married  to  Mrs.  Grace  Lynch  nee  Mann,  who  is  a 
native  daughter  of  Idaho,  having  been  born  and  reared  in  Boise.  They  have  one 
son,  William  D.,  born  August  30,  1918. 

Mr.  Hall  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine  and  also 
belongs  to  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  His  membership  relations  like- 
wise extend  to  the  Fire  Underwriters  Association  of  the  Pacific  and  he  is  widely  and 
favorably  known  by  his  contemporaries  in  the  line  of  business  which  he  has  made  his 
life  work. 


DAVID  KINGHORN. 

One  who  bears  the  name  of  Kinghorn  needs  little  introduction  to  the  readers  of 
this  volume,  especially  those  residing  in  southern  Idaho,  for  the  family  has  figured 
prominently  in  connection  with  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  th« 
state  for  many  years.  David  Kinghorn,  who  now  follows  farming  near  Lewisville.  was 
born  in  Belleville,  Illinois,  May  6,  1862,  his  parents  being  Alexander  and  Jane  (Camp- 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  833 

bell)  Kinghorn,  who  were  well  known  and  valued  residents  of  this  section  of  the  state 
for  many  years  and  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

David  Kinghorn  came  with  his  parents  on  the  long  trip  across  the  plains  with  ox 
team  and  wagon  in  1862,  being  at  that  time  a  babe  of  but  six  months.  He  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Salt  Lake  and  continued  with  his  parents  until  he  reached  the  age 
of  twenty-two,  removing  with  them  to  Idaho  In  1884.  The  family  home  was  estab- 
lished in  Jefferson,  then  Oneida  county,  and  David  Kinghorn  afterward  filed  on  land 
half  way  between  Rlgby  and  Lewisville,  securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which 
he  developed  and  improved  until  1918.  He  then  leased  the  property  for  five  years.  In 
1906  he  built  a  fine  brick  dwelling  in  Lewisville,  where  he  has  since  resided.  For 
an  extended  period  he  was  an  active,  energetic  and  progressive  farmer  of  the  county 
and  his  intelligently  directed  efforts  brought  to  him  a  measure  of  success  that  now 
enables  him  to  live  retired. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1885,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  David  Kinghorn 
and  Eliza  Dorcy  Brian.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  seven  children:  BesMe,  the 
wife  of  Riley  E.  Taylor,  living  at  Farwest,  Utah;  Eliza  Dorcy,  the  wife  of  P.  Roy 
Shurtleff.  a  farmer  of  Lewisville;  Thomas  B.,  a  telegraph  operator  at  Idaho  Falls; 
Mellie  G.,  the  wife  of  Price  Hutchings,  of  Lewisville;  Rose  E.,  the  wife  of  Hyrura 
Chivers,  also  of  Lewisville;  Davina,  the  wife  of  Lloyd  Collard,  living  at  Fountain 
Green,  Utah;  and  Twila  A.,  at  home.  Mrs.  Kingborn  is  a  daughter  of  Daniel*  G.  and 
Martha  E.  (Ashworth)  Brian,  the  former  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  latter  in 
England.  They  became  pioneers  of  Utah;,  arriving  in  that  state  among  the  first 
representatives  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Her  father  was 
engaged  in  the  sawmill  business  for  many  years.  He  finally  removed  to  Loa,  Utah, 
and  there  spent  his  remaining  days,  conducting  an  agency  for  the  Singer  Sewing 
machine  for  a  number  of  years.  He  died  in  December,  1896,  while  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Kinghorn  passed  away  June  13,  1919. 

Mr.  Kinghorn  gives  his  political  support  to  the  democratic  party  and  for  two 
years  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  town  board  of  Lewisville.  while  for  four  years 
he  was  a  member  of  the  school  board  and  the  cause  of  education  has  ever  found  in  him 
a  stalwart  champion.  He  adheres  to  the  religious  faith  of  his  father  and  is  president 
of  the  High  Priests'  Quorum  of  the  Rigby  stake.  He  also  served  as  bishop  of  his  ward 
for  eight  years  and  he  filled  a  two  years'  mission  in  Pennsylvania.  At  all  times  he 
has  done  everything  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  of  the  church  and  extend  its 
influence  and  his  life  has  ever  been  actuated  by  the  highest  and  most  honorable  prin- 
ciples. 


PHINEUS  TEMPEST. 

Phineus  Tempest,  author,  retired  newspaper  man  and  fanner,  living  at  Rexburg, 
was  born  in  Halifax,  Yorkshire,  England,  December  2,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
H.  and  Mary  (Lambert)  Tempest,  who  were  natives  of  England.  The  father  became 
a  carpet  weaver  in  that  country  and  followed  the  business  in  England  throughout  his 
active  life,  there  passing  away  in  June,  1859.  Ten  years  later  his  widow  came  to 
America,  making  her  way  westward  to  Nebraska  City,  Nebraska,  where  she  resided 
until  called  to  her  final  rest  in  May,  1872,  or  1873. 

Phineus  Tempest  was  reared  and  educated  in  England  and  when  eight  and  a  half 
years  of  age  started  out  to  provide  for  his  own  support  by  working  in  a  cotton  mill 
at  spinning  cotton.  He  attended  night  school  until  1865  and  thus  obtained  the  educa- 
tional advantages  that  were  denied  him  in  the  daytime.  He  had  reached  the  age  of 
twenty  years  when  he  came  to  America  and  located  with  his  brother  in  Nebraska  City. 
Nebraska,  where  he  engaged  in  the  sawmill  business  for  a  long  period.  He  also 
farmed  for  a  time  in  Iowa  and  afterward  went  to  western  Kansas,  where  he  took  up  a 
homestead  and  there  carried  on  general  farming  for  four  yean*,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  relinquished  his  claim.  In  1881  he  came  to  Idaho,  locating  in  Beaver  canyon. 
where  he  lived  for  a  year  and  was  there  employed  in  various  ways.  In  1883  he  removed 
to  the  present  site  of  Rexburg  and  set  up  a  sawmill.  He  aided  in  laying  out  the  town 
and  has  been  identified  with  its  continuous  development  since  that  time.  He  operated 
his  sawmill  for  two  years  and  he  also  dug  the  first  well  in  Rexburg.  He  likewise  built 
the  first  house  in  town  that  had  a  cornice  on  it.  Purchasing  land  in  the  town,  he 
established  a  nursery  which  he  conducted  for  several  years.  In  1887  he  began  the 

Vol.  IH— 53 


834  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

publication  of  the  first  newspaper  at  Rexburg  and  thus  in  many  ways  he  has  been 
identified  with  the  pioneer  development  of  the  community.  Rexburg  was  then  a  part 
of  Oneida  county,  which  embraced  all  the  territory  from  Utah  to  Montana.  Mr. 
Tempest  published  an  eight-page  weekly,  which  was  the  first  newspaper  of  this  size 
in  Idaho.  He  continued  his  journalistic  venture  for  three  and  a  half  years  and  then 
sold  the  paper.  All  through  this  period  he  had  continued  in  the  nursery  business, 
but  after  disposing  of  his  paper  he  went  to  Montana  and  filled  a  mission  for  the 
Mormon  church,  being  president  of  the  conference  for  two  and  a  half  years. 

Mr.  Tempest  was  a  typical  pioneer,  forceful  and  resourceful,  capable  of  perform- 
ing almost  any  service  from  preaching  the  gospel  to  publishing  a  newspaper,  digging 
a  ditch  or  building  a  house.  His  labors  were  therefore  of  the  utmost  value  to  the 
new  community.  He  assisted  in  erecting  many  houses  in  the  early  days  that  are  still 
standing,  showing  the  substantial  character  of  his  work.  Later  he  took  up  a  home- 
stead, which  he  cultivated  for  a  few  years.  His  fellow  townsmen,  appreciative  of  his 
worth  and  ability,  elected  him  to  the  office  of  probate  judge  of  the  county,  but  he  did 
not  qualify. 

Mr.  Tempest  is  also  widely  known  as  an  author  and  was  the  composer  of  a  song 
called  "Fair  Idaho,"  which  was  published  in  Chicago.  His  ingenuity  has  extended  also 
to  the  field  of  invention,  for  he  has  patented  a  buckle  made  in  one  piece,  securing  his 
patent  in  1900. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1866,  at  Nebraska  City,  Nebraska,  Mr.  Tempest  was 
married  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Wilson,  of  Yorkshire,  England.  They  have  become  the  parents 
of  eight  children.  Mary,  who  was  born  at  Nebraska  City  in  July,  1867,  is  now  the 
wife  of  John  Benton,  of  Cache  county,  Utah.  Louisa,  born  January  1,  1870,  at  Nebraska 
City,  is  the  wife  of  Oliver  Anderson,  living  at  Rexburg,  Idaho.  Sarah  A.,  born  in 
Riverton,  Iowa,  is  the  wife  of  Willard  Johnson,  of  Rexburg,  Idaho.  Robert  A.,  born 
at  Hamburg,  Iowa,  is  the  manager  with  the  United  Mercantile  Company,  of  Rexburg, 
Joseph  L.,  born  in  Norton  county,  Kansas,  is  also  living  at  Rexburg.  Margaret,  who  is 
the  wife  of  W.  H.  Agee,  was  born  in  Utah  and  is  a  twin  sister  of  Phineus,  who  died 
at  Newton,  Utah.  Elmer,  born  at  Rexburg,  died  at  the  age  of  four  years. 

While  Mr.  Tempest  refused  to  serve  as  probate  judge.,  he  has  filled  other  public 
positions.  He  was  justice  of  the  peace  for  a  number  of  years  and  his  decisions  were 
strictly  fair  and  impartial.  He  served  as  police  magistrate  until  the  office  was 
abolished  and  he  was  twice  elected  police  judge.  Then  came  his  election  to  the  office 
of  probate  judge  in  1892,  but  other  interests  claimed  his  attention.  He  was  deputy 
postmaster  for  several  years  and  he  was  elected  county  clerk  but  did  not  qualify  for 
that  office.  However,  he  acted  as  deputy  assessor  for  five  years.  In  1914  he  was 
stricken  with  paralysis  and  months  passed  before  he  was  able  even  to  be  dressed, 
but  now  he  gets  around  without  assistance.  His  has  been  an  active  and  useful  life. 
In  addition  to  the  various  things  which  he  has  accomplished  he  has  acted  as  news- 
paper correspondent  for  various  papers  for  a  number  of  years.  He  has  the  only 
history  of  the  first  Mormon  settlement  in  the  country.  He  has  always  been  a  member 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  is  a  high  priest  and  was  the  first 
ward  clerk  of  Rexburg,  so  serving  for  many  years  when  the  stake  extended  from  Logan, 
Utah,  to  Canada.  His  political  allegiance  has  always  been  given  to  the  republican  party. 
He  still  has  farming  interests  and  with  his  sons  owns  ten  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land.  No  one  can  overestimate  his  worth  to  the  community  in  which  he  has  so  long 
resided,  for  he  has  contributed  to  its  development  along  every  line  thai  has  led  to 
its  upbuilding. 


PETER  E.  BROWN. 

There  were  indeed  few  white  men  within  the  state  of  Idaho  when  Peter  E.  Brown 
arrived  at  Idaho  City  and  for  many  years  thereafter  he  was  engaged  in  sheep  and 
cattle  raising  and  through  the  conduct  of  his  business  affairs  contributed  in  no  small 
measure  to  the  development  of  the  section  of  the  state  in  which  he  lived.  He  was  born 
in  Michigan,  January  20,  1830,  and  was  but  a  small  boy  when  he  went  to  Canada  with 
his  parents.  After  the  death  of  his  father  and  mother  in  the  early  '40s  he  started  for 
California,  making  the  trip  by  way  of  Cape  Horn,  and  in  1844  he  came  to  Idaho  with 
a  man,  bringing  a  band  of  sheep,  their  destination  being  Idaho  City.  They  had  no 
trouble  with  the  Indians,  who  followed  them  and  ate  the  dead  sheep. 


PETER  E.  BROWN 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO'  837 

Mr.  Brown  worked  for  wages  at  Idaho  City  for  two  years  and  then  turned  his 
attention  to  the  dairy  business  on  Morris  creek,  conducting  this  enterprise  for  two 
years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  located  in  the  Boise  valley  and  took  up  a 
homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  also  purchased  sixty  acres  more  from 
the  government  near  Bogart  station,  along  the  present  line  of  the  Boise  Interurban 
Railroad.  Turning  his  attention  to  sheep  raising,  he  conducted  the  business  on  an 
extensive  scale  for  a  considerable  period,  or  until  about  1881,  when  he  sold  his  sheep 
and  began  raising  cattle.  In  this  business  he  continued  to  the  time  of  his  death  and  hia 
activities  in  that  direction  brought  to  him  a  substantial  measure  of  success. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  1883,  Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Miss  Caroline  Saxton,  a  native 
of  Missouri,  who  came  with  her  parents  across  the  plains  to  Idaho  in  1882.  Four 
children  were  born  of  this  marriage.  C.  O.,  now  thirty-six  years  of  age,  is  first  mate 
on  a  steamer  plying  between  San  Francisco  and  Honolulu.  Nora  is  the  wife  of  Edward 
Eytchisou,  a  real  estate  dealer  of  Boise.  Ora  is  living  at  home,  and  P.  O.,  the  youngest 
of  the  family,  who  is  thirty  years  of  age,  is  now  conducting  the  home  farm, 

The  father  passed  away  May  31,  1896,  when  sixty-six  years  of  age,  and  fifty-two 
years  of  that  period  had  been  passed  in  Idaho.  He  was  familiar  with  every  phase 
of  pioneer  life  and  early  development  of  the  state,  coming  here  when  the  Indians  were 
far  more  numerous  than  the  white  settlers.  He  lived  to  witness  a  remarkable  change 
as  development  was  carried  steadily  forward  and  at  all  times  bore  his  snare  in  the 
work  of  progress  and  improvement. 


FREDERICK  C.  DALTON. 

Frederick  C.  Dalton,  of  Boise,  known  to  his  fellow  townsmen  as  -"Red"  Dal  ton, 
proprietor  of  "Red  Dalton's  Repair  Shop,"  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Twelfth  and 
Main  streets,  came  to  the  capital  city  about  eight  years  ago  from  Pittsburgh,  Penn- 
sylvania.  He  was  an  expert  automobile  mechanic,  understanding  thoroughly  every  part 
of  the  motor  car,  and  thus  he  was  well  qualified  to  take  up  the  business  which  now 
engages  his  attention. 

Mr.  Dalton  was  born  in  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  December  22.  1886.  and  is  the 
eighth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  fourteen  children,  ten  sons  and  four  daughters, 
whose  parents  were  William  Henry  and  Celia  (Johnson)  Dalton.  The  father  is  still 
living,  a  resident  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  but  the  mother  passed  away  in  1914.  William 
H.  Dalton  is  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army,  having  served  as  a  drummer  boy  when  .1 
mere  lad  in  his  teens,  running  away  from  home  in  order  to  join  the  Union  forces. 
After  the  war  he  became  a  contractor  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  and  later  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  was  born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  of  English  parentage,  and  his 
father,  Edward  Dalton,  was  also  a  veteran  of  the  Union  army  in  the  Civil  war.  Tn«* 
mother  of  Frederick  C.  Dalton  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  came  of  New  England  an* 
cestry.  Her  father  was  a  Jefferson,  a  distant  relative  of  President  Thomas  Jefferson. 
Twelve  of  the  fourteen  members  of  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  H.  Dalton  are 
still  living.  Two  older  brothers  of  Frederick  C.  Dalton  served  in  the  Spanish-American 
war,  these  being  William  Henry  and  Thomas  Dalton. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Frederick  C.  Dalton  pursued  his  education, 
being  graduated  from  the  high  school  when  but  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  at  once  ran 
away  from  home,  going  to  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  and  there  he  enlisted  in  the  United 
States  army,  though  much  under  the  age  limit,  but  he  was  a  large  boy  for  his  age  and 
the  enlistment  officer  supposed  him  to  be  older.  He  served  the  full  three  years'  tenn 
and  then  returned  to  Pittsburgh  where  he  took  up  the  trade  of  automobile  mechanic. 
He  has  since  been  engaged  in  that  business.  He  came  to  Boise  from  Pittsburgh  and 
established  an  automobile  repair  shop  in  1918.  having  in  the  meantime  been  em- 
ployed in  different  garages  of  Boise,  acting  for  two  years  as  foreman  in  the  Randall- 
Dodd  garage.  Since  1918  he  has  owned  and  conducted  one  of  the  leading  auto  repair 
shops  of  the  city  and  is  now  located  in  a  new  handsome  brick  and  concrete  building 
fifty*  by  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  feet,  which  was  especially  built  to  accommodate 
his  rapidly  growing  business.  This  is  one  of  the  best  buildings  in  the  city  devoted 
to  the  automobile  industry  and  was  erected  in  1919.  It  has  an  exterior  of  whito 
pressed  brick  and  stone  trimmings  and  is  one  of  the  recent  contributions  to  Boise's 
long  list  of  excellent  buildings  devoted  to  the  automobile  industry.  Something  of 
the  volume  of  his  patronage  is  Indicated  in  the  fact  that  he  employs  twelve  men. 


838  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

On  the  22d  of  February,  1909,  Mr.  Dalton  was  married  in  Butler,  Pennsylvania,  to 
Miss  Katherine  R.  Burkett,  a  native  of  the  Keystone  state.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren: .Dona  Burkett,  born  December  22,  1911;  Frederick  C.,  who  was  born  December 
5,  1914;  and  Edward  C.,  born  November  4,  1916. 

Mr.  Dalton  is  a  member  of  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  interested  in 
all  that  has  to  do  with  the  progress  and  upbuilding  of  the  community  and  of  the  state. 
A  progressive  spirit  characterizes  him  in  all  of  his  public  relations  and  he  is  neglect- 
ful of  no  duty  that  devolves  upon  him  as  a  citizen.  Six  of  his  brothers  served  in  the 
World  war,  all  being  on  active  duty  in  France,  and  though  none  were  killed  several 
sustained  wounds.  Three  nephews  of  Mr.  Dalton  also  responded  to  the  call  to  the 
colors.  Patriotism  has  always  been  one  of  the  strongly  marked  characteristics  of 
the  family,  and  the  Daltons  have  ever  been  willing  and  eager  to  do  military  service 
for  their  country. 


T.    C.    PEARSON. 

T.  C.  Pearson,  superintendent  of  the  county  poor  farm  and  a  most  progressive 
agriculturist  of  Canyon  county,  was  born  in  Denmark,  July  3,  1870.  There  he  was 
educated  until  March,  1888,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  making  his  way  to 
Hastings,  Nebraska,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  with  his  brother  Julius,  with  whom 
he  had  made  the  trip  to  the  new  world.  Five  years  after  his  arrival  another  brother, 
Carl  C.,  also  came  to  America  and  is  now  living  in  Boise,  where  he  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  Elof  Anderson  in  the  tailoring  business  for  fifteen  years.  Still  another 
brother,  Morris  Pearson,  resides  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  and  owns  a  large  farm  near 
Hastings,  Nebraska.  He  is  in  the  employ  of  an  extensive  tailoring  establishment  in 
Council  Bluffs.  It  was  owing  to  the  reports  of  this  brother  that  T.  C.  Pearson  came 
to  the  United  States.  After  devoting  three  years  to  farming  at  Hastings,  Nebraska, 
T.  C.  Pearson  went  to  Fort  Collins,  Colorado,  where  he  again  engaged  in  farm  work 
for  a  year  and  a  half.  He  next  removed  to  Bear  Lake  county,  Idaho,  and  for  seven 
years  was  there  engaged  in  raising  live  stock. 

In  1899  Mr.  Pearson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Christine  Olsen,  a  native  of 
Bear  Lake  county  and  a  daughter  of  Christian  and  Burgetta  (Pedersen)  Olsen.  The 
father,  a  native  of  Denmark,  made  his  way  to  Farmington,  Utah,  in  1862  and  sub- 
sequently removed  with  his  family  to  Bear  Lake  county,  Idaho,  where  he  carried  on 
general  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1898.  For  twelve 
years  he  had  survived  his  wife,  who  passed  away  in  1886.  They  had  become  converts 
to  the  Mormon  faith  before  leaving  Denmark  and  were  married  while  on  the  voyage 
across  the  Atlantic.  They  had  been  well-to-do  in  their  own  country  but  gave  up  every- 
thing for  the  church  and  for  the  opportunity  to  live  in  a  free  country,  so  that  they 
arrived  in  the  west  with  nothing.  As  the  years  passed,  however,  they  prospered  in 
their  undertakings.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pearson  spent  their  honeymoon  in  Yellowstone  Park, 
after  which  they  returned  to  Boise  and  for  a  year  Mr.  Pearson  was  employed  on  the 
farm  of  T.  C.  Catlin.  They  afterward  removed  to  Emmett,  where  Mr.  Pearson  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stock  raising  for  eight  years.  In  1909  he  accepted  the  super- 
intendency  of  the  Canyon  County  Poor  Farm,  which  adjoins  his  own  farm  of  eighty 
acres.  Upon  the  poor  farm  are  now  nine  dependents,  most  of  whom  are  now  in  a 
hopeless  condition.  Mrs.  Pearson  ably  assists  her  husband  in  his  work  and  they  have 
gained  the  love  and  gratitude  of  the  inmates  of  the  poor  farm,  whose  one  desire  is 
that  Mr.  Pearson  may  retain  the  superintendency  indefinitely.  One  of  the  inmates 
of  the  poor  farm  is  J.  J.  Apperson,  who  was  a  member  of  the  state  legislature  of 
1864.  He  had  come  to  Idaho  City  in  1863,  driving  six  mules,  and  was  prominently  identi- 
fied with  public  interests  in  pioneer  times.  He  is  now  ninety  years  of  age.  Mr.  Pear- 
son is  a  progressive  agriculturist  and  has  upon  his  own  farm  eighty-five  head  of  fine 
beef  cattle  and  also  raises  hay  and  grain  but  specializes  in  the  handling  of  beef  cattle. 
He  manages  the  poor  farm  for  a  stipulated  sum  for  each  individual  and  has  the  use  of 
the  land,  comprising  forty-three  acres.  He  is  an  advocate  of  humanitarian  principles  in 
regard  to  such  institutions  as  the  poor  farm,  insane  asylum  and  other  places  where 
the  unfortunate  must  be  kept  and  believes  that  politics  should  never  enter  into  their 
management  or  in  the  appointment  of  those  in  control.  In  all  of  his  business  interests 
he  has  displayed  sound  judgment  and  keen  discrimination  and  is  actuated  by  a  most 
progressive  spirit.  He  has  upon  his  farm  one  of  the  finest  barns  in  the  country  thirty- 


T.  C.  PEARSON 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  841 

six  by  one  hundred  feet  and  covered  with  a  gable  roof.  All  around  it  Is  a  twenty  foot 
shed,  under  which  the  stock  can  stand  when  feeding.  The  shed  has  concrete  floor* 
the  mangers  are  arranged  so  that  the  stock  put  their  heads  through  the  broad 
openings  but  cannot  waste  the  hay.  He  can  feed  under  cover  one  hundred  and  flfty 
head  of  cattle  in  the  winter.  He  is  planning  now  to  build  a  residence  that  will  be  in 
keeping  with  the  barn  and  when  that  is  completed  will  have  fulfilled  his  promise  to 
himself  to  have  the  finest  eighty  in  the  state.  The  interior  of  his  barn  Is  so  arranged 
that  one  can  drive  into  it.  unload  and  drive  out  on  the  other  side.  He  Is  actuated  by 
a  most  progressive  spirit  in  all  that  he  does  and  his  unfaltering  Industry  and  sound 
Judgment  have  enabled  him  to  most  carefully  and  profitably  direct  his  efforts. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pearson  have  been  born  five  children:  Mary  C.,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Ira  E.  Vassar,  a  farmer  of  Canyon  county;  Joseph  H..  seventeen  years  of  age.  whn 
is  a  partner  with  his  father  in  the  ownership  of  ninety-five  head  of  sheep  and  is  asso- 
ciated with  him  in  the  farm  work;  Jamie  C.,  twelve  years  of  age;  Loe  L,,  ten  yean 
of  age;  and  Glenn  T.,  aged  eight  years.  The  daughter  Loe  is  one  of  the  banner  spellers 
of  the  state  and  was  the  recipient  of  the  first  prize,  consisting  of  a  purse  and  a  two 
weeks'  vacaticn  at  Payette  lakes,  for  the  eastern  part  of  Canyon  county. 

Mr.  Pearson  has  never  found  time  to  take  active  part  in  politics  or  to  figure  prom- 
inently before  the  public  in  any  way.  He  has  given  his  attention  and  energy  to  his  busi- 
ness affairs  and  has  ever  been  actuated  by  a  laudable  ambition.  At  the  same  time  his 
nature  is  such  that  he  has  constantly  extended  a  helping  hand  where  aid  has  been 
needed,  and  in  all  of  his  relations  with  his  fellowmen  he  is  actuated  by  a  broad  humani- 
tarian spirit. 


THOMAS  J.  KEOGH. 

Thomas  J.  Keogh,  who  with  his  brother  Stephen  A.,  is  extensively  engaged  in 
farming,  having  a  large  ranch  property  in  Raft  river  valley,  located  at  Bridge.  Cassia 
county,  was  born  in  San  Francisco,  California.  June  13,  1881.  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas 
and  Hannah  (Lagan)  Keogh,  the  former  a  native  of  Canada  and  the  latter  of  Ireland. 
The  father  was  born  about  1843  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  when  a  young  man. 
He  later  found  his  way  into  South  America  but  was  forced  to  return  to  the  States  on 
account  of  fevers,  and  later  in  company  with  his  brother  Jack  crossed  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  and  set  sail  for  California  with  Sacramento  as  their  destination.  Here  Thomas 
Keogh,  Sr.,  and  his  two  brothers,  Steve  Keogh  later  joining  the  party,  opened 
a  carriage  shop  and  conducted  the  business  until  late  in  the  '60s,  when  they  went  into 
the  sheep  business.  They  began  trailing  sheep  from  southern  California,  through 
Nevada,  past  where  Tonopah  and  Qoldfleld  stand  today;  through  Idaho  to  Wyoming 
and  Platte  river  points.  Sometime  later  they  engaged  in  the  butcher  and  live  stock 
raising  business  in  Butte  valley,  near  Cherry  Creek.  Nevada,  and  while  residing  in 
the  latter  place  Thomas  Keogh,  Sr..  was  married.  The  Keogh  brothers  began  trailing 
cattle  from  Texas  points  to  Wyoming  and  Montana  sections,  and  while  on  the  trail  in 
1871  passed  through  the  Raft  river  valley  and  first  saw  the  property  which  the  sons 
now  own  and  acquired  it  in  1881,  securing  some  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land  and 
several  hundred  cattle  and  horses.  The  property  was  developed,  improved  and  added 
to  and  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Raft  River  Land  4  Cattle  Company.  Ad- 
ditional lands  were  acquired,  developed  and  improved  until  1907,  when  the  company 
was  reincorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Raft  River  Land  £  Live  Stock  Company. 
with  holdings  of  about  nine  thousand  acres  of  land,  several  thousand  head  of  cattle, 
forty  thousand  sheep,  and  a  few  hundred  grade  draft  horses.  In  the  spring  of  1918 
some  five  thousand  acres  of  land  and  the  cattle  were  sold,  leaving  the  present  holding 
of  the  company,  over  forty-two  hundred  acres.  The  sons  have  erected  new  buildings, 
on  the  property,  carefully  developed  and  improved  the  land  and  are  at  present  growing 
hay,  grain,  various  other  farm  products,  and  breeding  pure  bred  live  flock.  They  hare 
disposed  of  their  range  sheep  and  cattle. 

Thomas  Keogh.  Sr..  passed  away  in  1906  and  the  other  brethers  interested  with  him 
in  the  earlier  days  are  also  deceased.  The  widow  and  mother  of  the  present  Keogh 
Brothers  is  liviag  at  Ogden.  Utah,  while  the  sons  make  their  homes  on  the  ranch. 

The  boyhood  days  of  Thomas  J.  Keogh  of  this  review  were  passed  in  San  Francisco, 
where  he  pursued  his  early  education,  while  later  he  continued  his  education  at  the 
Ogden  high  school  and  All  Hallows  College,  Salt  Lake  City.  His  mother  first  moved 


842  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

to  -what  is  now  known  as  the  Keogh  Ranch,  in  1886,  where  Stephen  A.  was  born,  and 
later  moved  to  her  present  abode,  where  the  later  education  of  her  family  took  place. 
When  their  text  books  were  put  aside  the  sons  concentrated  their  efforts  and  atten- 
tions to  the  development  of  their  ranch  properties,  Thomas  J.  looking  after  their 
sheep  interests  in  Nevada  until  1908,  when  they  sold  out  those  interests,  and  have 
since  handled  their  live  stock  interests  in  Idaho,  Stephen  A.  giving  his  attention  to 
the  cattle  and  farming. 

In  1912  the  company  sheep  were  sold  and  replaced  by  Texas  cattle  shipped  to 
Idaho  that  fall  and  they  continued  in  the  live  stock  business  until  1916,  when  they 
sold  all  their  range  stock  and  began  breeding  for  quality  rather  than  quantity.  The 
Keogh  Brothers  have  a  very  valuable  property,  well  improved  and  highly  cultivated, 
which  they  are  farming  at  present  under  the  tenant  system.  Their  important  and 
extensive  stock  raising  interests  in  former  years  and  their  present  farming  interests 
have  brought  them  substantial  success,  their  position  today  being  that  of  the  leading 
ranchers  of  the  Raft  river  valley  in  Cassia  county.  Stephen  -A.  is  president  of  the 
company;  Thomas  J.  secretary,  treasurer  and  general  manager.  The  latter  in  1915 
was  married  to  Miss  Jessie  D.  Lewis,  a  native  of  Salt  Lake  City,  the  daughter  of 
Hyman  and  Annie  (Davis)  Lewis,  early  Idaho  pioneers. 

In  politics  Mr.  Keogh  maintains  an  independent  attitude,  never  allying  himself 
with  either  of  the  old  parties,  and  fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus  of  Ogden,  Utah.  He  has 
always  lived  in  the  west  and  the  spirit  of  western  enterprise  and  progress  that  has 
been  the  dominant  factor  in  the  upbuilding  of  this  great  and  fast  developing  section 
of  the  country  is  manifest  in  his  career.  The  business  interests  which  his  father  and 
uncles  instituted,  he  and  his  brother  have  developed  and  directed,  and  in  all  things 
they  have  displayed  sound  judgment  and  keen  discrimination  bringing  them  to  a 
position  of  leadership  among  the  prosperous  ranchmen  of  their  section  of  the  state. 


CAPTAIN  EVERETT  M.  SWEELEY. 

Captain  Everett  M.  Sweeley  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  public  utilities  committee, 
the  duties  of  which  require  him  to  spend  much  of  the  time  in  Boise,  although  he 
makes  his  home  in  Twin  Falls,  where  he  previously  served  as  mayor  and  where  he 
ranks  as  a  leading  and  valued  citizen.  He  was  born  in  Adel,  Dallas  county,  Iowa, 
March  4,  1880,  and  is  the  only  child  of  the  Hon.  Marlin  Sweeley,  who  is  one  of  the 
leading  residents  of  Twin  Falls.  A  lawyer  by  profession,  he  figures  prominently  not 
only  in  professional  circles  but  as  a  law  maker,  serving  as  a  legislator  in  both  Iowa 
and  Idaho,  being  elected  in  this  state  to  the  senate. 

Captain  Sweeley,  whose  name  introduces  this  review,  spent  his  boyhood  days  in 
Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and  was  there  graduated  from  the  high  school  with  the  class  of 
1899.  Previous  to  that,  in  1898,  he  volunteered  for  service  in  the  Spanish-American 
war  and  after  its  close  he  was  in  the  Chickamauga  training  camp.  In  1899  he  en- 
tered the  University  of  Michigan,  where  he  pursued  a  classical  course,  winning  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  1903.  He  afterward  spent  two  years  in  the  law  depart- 
ment and  in  1906  he  arrived  in  Twin  Falls,  Idaho,  where  he  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  law,  remaining  to  the  present  time  a  representative  of  the  bar  of  that  city.  A 
large  and  important  clientage  has  been  accorded  him,  connecting  him  with  much  of  the 
leading  litigation  heard  in  the  courts  of  his  district.  The  thoroughness  with  which  he 
prepares  his  cases  and  the  clearness  with  which  he  presents  his  argument  are  salient 
factors  in  the  attainment  of  his  success.  In  1915  his  fellow  townsmen,  appreciative 
of  his  worth  and  ability,  called  him  to  the  office  of  mayor  of  Twin  Falls,  in  which 
position  he  served  for  two  years,  being  elected  on  the  republican  ticket.  During  the 
recent  World  war  he  served  at  Camp  Pike,  Arkansas,  with  the  rank  of  captain  and 
was  discharged  on  the  15th  of  January,  1919.  He  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  pub- 
lic utilities  committee  on  the  23d  of  May,  1919,  and  is  now  acceptably  serving  in  that 
connection. 

In  1907  Captain  Sweeley  was  married  at  Spokane,  Washington,  to  Miss  Hazel  J. 
Browne,  a  daughter  of  J.  J.  Browne,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  state,  who  passed 
away  in  1912.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sweeley  have  two  daughters,  Jean  and  Anna,  aged  re- 
spectively nine  and  six  years. 

In    Masonic   circles   Captain    Sweeley   is    prominent,    having   attained   the    Knights 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  843 

Templar  degree  in  the  York  Rite.  He  is  also  connected  with  the  Benevolent  Protective 
Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  a  man  of  most  progressive  spirit  who 
in  the  country's  crisis  proved  one  hundred  per  cent  American  and  who  in  his  present 
official  position  is  giving  the  most  earnest  and  thoughtful  consideration  to  the  q« 
tions  which  are  of  deepest  concern  to  the  commonwealth. 


HENRY  W.  BAKER. 

| 

Henry  W.  Baker,  of  the  firm  of  Baker  Brothers,  owners  of  the  Star  grocery  store 
in  Boise,  lives  on  his  ranch  nine  miles  southwest  of  the  city.  He  was  born  in  Logan 
county,  Illinois,  February  15,  1869,  a  son  of  William  and  Catherine  (Schriver)  Baker. 
He  spent  the  early  years  of  his  life  in  that  county,  and  in  Cloud  county,  Kansas,  and 
on  leaving  the  latter  state  in  1891,  he  removed  to  Idaho,  taking  up  residence  in  th« 
Boise  valley,  where  he  has  been  living  ever  since.  He  resided  in  BoUe  until  1916, 
when  he  moved  to  his  ranch,  but  still  retains  his  one-half  interest  in  the  Star  grocery, 
his  brother,  James  A.  Baker,  being  his  partner  and  the  manager  of  the  store,  which 
is  one  of  the  leading  establishments  of  its  kind  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  In  Boise. 

On  December  24,  1891,  Mr.  Baker  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Page,  who  was  born 
in  Cloud  county,  Kansas,  June  23,  1872,  a  daughter  of  Carey  J.  and  Josephine  (Reed) 
Page,  both  living  in  Kansas.  Mrs.  Baker  is  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  children,  six 
sons  and  six  daughters,  and  is  the  mother  of  twelve  children,  all  living,  consisting  of 
nine  sons  and  three  daughters,  as  follows:  Arthur,  born  October  13.  1892:  Glenn. 
February  24,  1894;  Leonidas,  March  7,  1896;  Dewey,  January  31.  1898:  Catherine. 
September  4,  1900;  Walter,  September  27,  1902;  Chester,  September  28.  1905;  Lawrence. 
January  5,  1908;  Grace,  December  19,  1910;  Josephine.  August  10,  1915,  and  Billy  and 
Bobby,  twins,  April  9,  1918. 

Mr.  Baker  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Loyal  Order 
of  Moose  and  the  Yeomen,  while  Mrs.  Baker  is  also  a  Yeomen.  He  is  a  republican 
in  politics  but  has  never  sought  office.  He  gave  his  personal  attention  to  the  affairs  of 
the  Star  grocery  for  over  twenty  years,  at  the  end  of  that  period  turning  the  manage- 
ment over  to  his  brother,  his  object  being  to  rear  his  sons  in  the  country.  Since  tak- 
ing over  the  working  of  the  ranch,  he  has  been  successful  in  his  farming  operations 
and  is  conducting  his  place  with  financial  advantage.  Mr.  Baker  and  his  wife  have 
made  many  friends  during  their  long  residence  in  and  near  Boise  and  are  recognised 
as  among  the  best  citizens  of  the  district. 


T.  A.  KING. 

T.  A.  King,  junior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Hartley  &  King,  conducting  a  profitable 
automobile  business  in  Caldwell,  having  the  agency  for  the  Studebaker  cars,  wa*  born 
in  Ontario,  Canada,  December  10,  1880.  The  first  nineteen  years  of  hh»  life  were  spent 
on  a  farm  with  the  usual  experiences  of  the  farm-bred  boy  and  he  then  joined  an  uncle 
who  was  agent  for  the  Massey  Harris  Company  in  the  handling  of  firm  implements  at 
Tara,  on  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad.  After  six  years  spent  in  that  connection  he  be- 
came traveling  representative  for  the  Massey  Harris  Company,  which  he  represented 
for  three  years  throughout  eastern  Canada.  He  then  went  west  to  Albert*  and  en- 
tered the  livery  business  at  Carstairs.  where  he  continued  for  a  year.  He  next  removed 
to  Calgary  and  worked  for  the  firm  of  Calvin  &  Thorn  in  the  selllri*  of  re:il  estate. 
Eight  months  were  there  spent,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  became  traveling  repre- 
sentative for  the  International  Harvester  Company,  with  which  he  was  connected  for 
two  years.  Returning  to  the  employ  of  the  Massey  Harris  Company,  he  was  again 
with  that  firm  for  two  and  a  half  years  and  then  went  to  Great  Fulls.  Montana,  where 
for  seven  months  he  served  on  the  police  force.  The  next  scene  of  his  labors  wa» 
Seattle,  Washington,  where  he  remained  for  nine  months  and  then  went  to  Burns. 
Oregon,  where  he  sold  automobiles  for  James  Lampshire  for  one  year.  His  next  move 
was  to  Caldwell,  Idaho,  where  he  became  a  member  of  the  present  firm  of  Hartley  ft 
King,  agents  for  the  Studebaker  automobiles  and  trucks  and  for  the  Silvertown  cord 
tire  their  territory  covering  the  Jordan  valley  and  the  Homedale  country. 

Mr    King  was  united   In   marriage   in   Lethbridge.  Alberta.  Canada,  to   Miss   Ida 


844  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Toth  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children,  a  little  son  and  a  daughter, 
the  former  three  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  King  have  made  many  friends  during 
the  period  of  their  residence  in  Caldwell  and  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Hartley  & 
King  he  has  gained  recognition  as  one  of  the  enterprising  automobile  salesmen  of  the 
northwest. 


WALTER  THOMAS. 

Walter  Thomas  is  a  splendid  exponent  of  western  life,  its  opportunities,  privileges 
and  advantages.  Residing  now  at  Middleton,  he  was  born  at  Caldwell,  Idaho,  October  1, 
1882.  He  lived  through  that  period  when  the  state  was  but  sparsely  settled,  when 
there  was  the  wide,  open  range,  the  days  when  a  man's  horse  or  his  saddle  or  his  purse 
were  safe  no  matter  where  they  were  left,  when  one  rode  for  miles  across  the  country 
with  only  the  stars  above  at  night  and  no  one  disputed  his  right  to  range  his  cattle 
for  any  distance.  Mr.  Thomas  rode  the  range  over  an  area  of  hundreds  of  miles, 
ranging  his  cattle  as  far  back  as  the  Squaw  mountains  and  even  through  that  moun- 
tain district.  He  attended  the  Marble  Front  school  in  the  Marble  Front  district  of 
Canyon  county  and  also  the  Franklin  school  and  completed  his  education  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  stock  raising  and  broncho 
busting  and  won  a  well  earned  reputation  in  the  latter  connection  in  the  west.  There 
was  no  phase  of  frontier  experience  with  which  he  was  not  familiar.  He  worked  for 
his  father  on  the  old  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres,  which  now  con- 
stitutes a  part  of  his  present  farm,  although  he  has  added  to  the  property  an  adjoining 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  seven  acres.  He  thus  has  an  excellent  place  which  he  has 
brought  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  fifty  head  of  cattle,  ten  head  of 
horses  and  twenty  head  of  sheep,  together  with  a  few  hogs,  and  he  raises  splendid 
crops  of  hay. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  the  second  child  born  in  Caldwell  and  has  lived  on  his  present 
home  ranch  since  his  infancy,  when  the  wild  geese  were  as  plentiful  as  barnyard  fowl 
around  his  home  and  wild  deer  were  almost  as  numerous.  The  Oregon  trail  runs 
through  his  place  and  on  it  is  seen  the  wreck  of  an  old  prairie  schooner — a  mute  em- 
blem of  the  days  of  '49. 

In  October,  1903,  Mr.  Thomas  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Milliner, 
an  accomplished  young  lady  of  Caldwell,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  three 
sons:  Charles  Ernest,  fourteen  years  of  age;  Walter  Barter,  aged  eleven;  and  George 
Arthur,  a  little  lad  of  f»ur  summers.  The  two  elder  sons  are  attending  school.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Thomas  have  a  wide  acquaintance  in  this  part  of  the  state  and  enjoy  the  highest 
regard  of  all  with  whom  they  have  been  brought  in  contact.  His  reliability  and  his 
sterling  worth  of  character  are  recognized  by  all  and  the  circle  of  his  friends  is  almost 
coextensive  with  the  circle  of  his  acquaintance. 


RUSSELL  K.  HOMER,  SR. 

Russell  K.  Homer,  Sr.,  living  a  mile  east  of  Idaho  Falls,  was  born  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  July  6,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  Russell  K.  and  Eliza  (Williams)  Homer,  who  were 
natives  of  New  York  and  of  Michigan  respectively.  The  father  became  a  ranchman 
and  in  1858  arrived  in  Utah,  where  he  purchased  property  in  Salt  Lake  and  also 
farm  land  east  of  the  city.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began  to  develop  and  improve 
this  place  and  continued  its  cultivation  for  many  years,  very  successfully  transforming 
the  tract  into  rich  and  productive  fields.  He  owned  land  twelve  miles  south  of  Salt 
Lake  and  finally  removed  to  the  northern  part  of  Utah,  where  he  also  owned  several 
farms,  while  his  investments  likewise  included  a  ranch  in  Idaho  near  Swanlake  and 
also  one  at  Oxford.  His  farming  interests  thus  became  extensive  and  important,  and 
his  careful  management  of  his  affairs  brought  him  success.  He  finally  retired  from 
business  and  resided  in  Clarkston,  Utah,  until  his  death  in  February,  1898,  when 
he  was  seventy-five  years  of  age.  His  wife  died  in  Blackfoot,  Idaho,  in  1905  at  the 
age  of  ninety-four  years. 

Russell  K.  Homer  was  largely  reared  and  educated  in  Boxelder  county,  Utah,  and  re- 
mained at  home  until  he  attained  his  majority,  when  he  purchased  land  near  Clarkston, 


WALTER  THOMAS 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  847 

that  state,  and  devoted  his  attention  to  the  work  of  tilling  the  fields,  carrying  on  fann- 
ing there  until  1891,  when  he  removed  to  Jefferson  county.  Idaho,  where  he  secured 
a  homestead.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began  the  cultivation  of  that  place  and 
continued  to  further  develop  and  improve  it  for  ten  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  removed  to  Bonneville  county  and  purchased  land  which  he  also  improved 
and  developed,  continuing  its  further  operation  until  the  spring  of  1919,  when  he  sold 
the  property  and  bought  his  present  place  of  twenty-five  acres  a  mile  east  of  Idaho 
Falls.  He  now  occupies  this  place  and  is  most  pleasantly  situated.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Idaho  Falls  National  Bank  and  also  the  First  National  Bank  at  Rtrie.  It 
was  Mr.  Homer  who  hauled  the  first  load  of  lumber  used  for  building  purposes  in  the 
town  of  Ririe. 

In  June,  1881,  Mr.  Russell  was  married  to  Miss  Eleanor  M.  Atkinson  and  they  have 
become  the  parents  of  nine  children:  Russell  K.,  Jr.,  who  follows  farming  in  Bonneville 
county;  Alfred  R.,  a  banker  of  Idaho  Falls;  George  A.  and  Brigham  E.,  who  are  resident 
farmers  of  Bonneville  county;  Eleanor  A.,  the  wife  of  John  R.  Orover,  a  farmer  of  Mad- 
ison county,  Idaho;  William  H.,  a  banker  of  Ririe;  Edmund  E.,  who  is  a  mechanic  en- 
gaged in  the  automobile  business  at  Idaho  Falls;  John  M.,  a  farmer  of  Bonneville 
county;  and  Eliza  L..  at  home. 

Mr.  Homer  has  been  quite  active  and  prominent  in  community  affairs  and  served 
as  school  trustee  while  at  Ririe.  Politically  he  is  a  democrat  and  his  religious  faith  is 
that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  was  counsel  to  the  bishop 
of  the  church  at  Rigby,  Idaho,  for  eleven  years  and  was  presiding  elder  of  the  Poplar 
branch  for  seven  years,  while  for  two  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  high  counsel  of 
the  Rigby  stake.  He  does  everything  in  his  power  to  advance  the  interests  of  the 
church  and  extend  its  influence  and  his  life  has  at  all  times  been  guided  by  its 
teachings. 


LEROY  HILLMAN. 


Leroy  Hillman,  who  was  formerly  actively  identified  with  the  operation  of  coal 
fields  in  Teton  county,  is  now  connected  with  fanning  interests  and  the  supervision  of 
other  property,  in  which  he  has  made  judicious  investment.  He  resides  in  Driggs  and 
is  classed  with  the  valued  and  representative  residents  of  the  district.  He  was  born 
at  Fort  Harriman,  Utah,  in  September,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  Ira  and  Emma  (Biker) 
Hillman,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  England  respectively.  The  father 
came  across  the  plains  with  ox  teams  to  Utah  at  a  very  early  period  in  its  settle- 
ment, being  among  the  first  of  the  Mormons  to  aid  in  colonizing  the  west  He  had 
been  a  stone-cutter  in  the  east.  After  reaching  Utah  he  took  up  laud  south  of  Salt  Lake 
City  and  continued  its  operation  throughout  his  remaining  days,  his  death  occurring 
in  1865.  The  mother  crossed  the  plains  with  one  of  the  handcart  companies  and  con- 
tinued a  resident  of  Utah  until  called  to  her  final  rest  in  1884. 

Leroy  Hillman  was  largely  reared  and  educated  in  that  state,  spending  much  of 
the  period  of  his  minority  at  Pleasant  Grove.  He  took  up  the  occupation  of  mining 
when  sixteen  years  of  age  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  actively  identified  with 
mining  interests.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1884  and  for  a  short  time  was  at  Rexburg. 
after  which  he  went  to  the  Salmon  river  country  and  for  nine  years  was  foreman  of 
a  mine  in  that  district.  In  February,  1904,  he  came  to  Teton  county,  then  a  part  of 
Fremont  county.  Up  to  that  time  he  had  mined  leased  properties  and  prospected  all 
over  the  state.  With  his  removal  to  Driggs  he  was  made  foreman  of  a  coal  mine,  oc- 
cupying the  position  for  a  year,  and  during  the  succeeding  summer  he  discovered  a 
mine  which  he  at  once  began  to  develop.  Later  he  consolidated  his  interests  with  those 
of  another  company  and  afterward  sold  to  Mr.  Talbot.  Mr.  Hillman  was  the  owner  of 
twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  stock  and  dirposed  of  his  interests  in  1918.  after  having  de- 
voted fifteen  years  to  mining  in  the  Teton  mountains.  He  is  now  a  stockholder  and 
one  of  the  directors  of  the  Teton  National  Bank  of  Driggs  and  he  also  has  fanning  in- 
terests. He  likewise  owns  five  residences  in  Driggs  which  he  rents  and  derives  there- 
from a  substantial  annual  income. 

In  September    1897.  Mr.  Hillman  was  married  to  Miss  Minnie  < 

now   have  two  children.   Dewey  and  Claude.     The  son   Dewey  enlisted   at  the  age   of 
eighteen  years,  in  May.  1917,  and  was  made  a  sergeant,  being  station* 
California.     He  was  discharged  in  May,  1919. 


848  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr.  Hillinan  was  formerly  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  but 
is  not  connected  with  the  order  at  the  present  time.  Politically  he  is  a  democrat 
but  not  an  office  seeker.  He  has  always  preferred  to  give  his  -undivided  time  and  at- 
tention to  his  business  affairs,  which  he  has  carefully  and  wisely  directed,  and  is 
today  one  of  the  men  of  affluence  in  his  community  as  the  result  of  his  diligence  and 
determination. 


W.  FRANK  BERRYMAN. 

W.  Frank  Berryman,  cashier  with  D.  W.  Standrod  &  Company,  bankers  at  Black- 
foot,  was  born  in  December,  1886,  in  the  city  which  is  still  his  home.  He  is  a  eon  of 
Charles  W.  and  Mary  A.  (Toombs)  Berryman,. the  former  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  while 
the  latter  was  born  in  England.  The  father  became  a  pioneer  of  Idaho  and  of  Utah. 
He  made  his  way  to  the  west  about  1859  and  engaged  in  freighting  between  Corinne, 
Utah,  and  Butte,  Montana.  He  afterward  followed  ranching  in  Bingham  county  for  a 
number  of  years  and  in  1899  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  D.  W.  Standrod  bank, 
of  which  he  has  since  served  as  the  president.  The  bank  is  one  of  the  strong  financial 
institutions  of  this  section  of  the  state.  It  is  capitalized  for  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  has  a  surplus  of  seventy  thousand  dollars  and  its  deposits  amount  to  two  mil- 
lion dollars.  The  other  officers  of  the  bank  are  George  F.  Gagon,  vice  president,  and 
W.  Frank  Berryman,  cashier.  Since  the  organization  of  the  bank  the  father  has 
devoted  his  attention  to  its  management  and  direction.  It  has  enjoyed  a  most  profit- 
able existence,  the  business  steadily  growing,  for  its  methods  are  recognized  as  such 
as  will  bear  the  closest  investigation  and  scrutiny  and  which  further  public  progress 
and  business  development  in  every  way. 

The  youthful  days  of  W.  Frank  Berryman  were  passed  in  his  native  city  and  his 
early  education,  acquired  in  the  public  schools,  was  continued  in  the  Academy  of  Idaho 
at  Pocatello.  He  then  entered  his  father's  bank  in  the  position  of  bookkeeper  and  has 
worked  his  way  upward  through  "merit  and  developing  powers  to  his  present  position. 
He  was  made  Cashier  in  June,  1917,  and  in  this  connection  has  active  voice  in  the  man- 
agement and  control  of  the  business.  He  is  also  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the  bank 
and  has  become  possessed  of  stock  in  various  other  banks  in  this  part  of  the  state.  He 
likewise  owns  and  operates  two  farms.  He  concentrates  his  efforts  and  attention, 
however,  largely  upon  his  banking  interests  and  has  contributed  toward  making  the 
Standrod  bank  one  of  the  strongest  and  most  reliable  financial  institutions  in  this 
section  of  the  state  as  well  as  one  of  the  oldest. 

In  July,  1910,  Mr.  Berryman  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Hattie  E.  Williams 
and  they  have  become  parents  of  a  son,  Walter  R.,  whose  birth  occurred  in  April,  1912. 

Politically  Mr.  Berryman  is  a  republican  and  for  one  term  was  president  of  the 
city  council  of  Blackfoot.  He  has  also  served  as  school  treasurer  for  ten  years  and 
has  been  deputy  city  treasurer  for  eight  years.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  all  that 
pertains  to  public  progress  and  improvement  and  his  faithfulness  and  capability  in 
office  have  been  substantial  factors  in  public  welfare.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  is  also  connected  with  the  Rotary  Club. 
His  record  stands  in  contradistinction  to  the  old  adage  that  a  prophet  is  never  without 
.honor  save  in  his  own  country,  for  in  the  city  where  he  was  born  and  in  which  he  has 
spent  his  entire  life  W.  Frank  Berryman  has  won  an  enviable  name  and  place  in  both 
business  and  public  circles. 


BARR  NEFF  SMITH. 

Barr  Neff  Smith  is  a  progressive  young  business  man  who  inherited  valuable  realty 
interests  from  his  father  and  who  is  displaying  sound  judgment  and  unfaltering  en- 
terprise in  the  further  management  and  development  of  the  property.  He  was  born 
on  what  was  the  old  Smith  homestead,  just  northwest  of  Boise,  March  25,  1893,  and  is 
a  son  of  Franklin  Brenaman  Smith,  who  is  mentioned  on  another  page  of  this  work  in 
connection  with  the  sketch  of  his  elder  son  and  his  namesake.  The  father  was  one 
of  the  well  known  and  valued  pioneer  settlers  of  this  section  of  Idaho  and  contributed 
not  a  little  to  the  early  development  and  progress.  Farsighted  and  enterprising,  he 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  M8 

secured  extensive  ranch  holdings,  including  several  hundred  *cres  of  land  which  now 
constitute  the  Smith  estate  and  which  have  become  very  valuable  owing  to  the  rapid 
growth  and  settlement  of  Boise  and  the  surrounding  country.  The  ranch  lies  to  the 
northwest  of  Boise  and  in  fact  a  portion  of  it  is  within  the  corporation  limits,  while 
the  city  is  rapidly  growing  in  that  direction  and  thus  the  property  is  annually  being 
greatly  enhanced  in  value. 

Barr  Neff  Smith  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  in  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  high  school,  which  he  attended  for  four  years.  He  put  aside  his  textbook* 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  went  to  Europe  as  a  missionary  for  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  spent  six  months  in  Holland  in  1914,  being 
there  at  the  time  of  the  opening  of  hostilities  in  the  World  war  and  for  two  months  after 
the  war  had  begun.  He  then  made  his  way  to  England  and  as  soon  as  possible  returned 
to  the  United  States,  making  the  return  voyage  on  the  Mauretania.  While  crossing 
the  Atlantic  he  became  ill  of  pneumonia  and  upon  his  arrival  in  New  York  city  was 
taken  to  a  hospital,  where  he  was  forced  to  remain  for  two  months.  Without  returning 
home  he  then  went  to  West  Virginia,  where  he  continued  his  missionary  labors,  also 
representing  the  church  in  Kentucky  until  July.  1917,  when  he  returned  home.  By 
this  time  the  United  States  had  entered  the  World  war  and  there  was  great  need  for 
all  that  the  farms  could  produce,  so  that  Mr.  Smith  bent  his  energies  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  land.  He  was  put  in  Class  4  of  the  draft  owing  to  the  fact  that  he  was  a 
producer. 

On  the  12th  of  April,  1917,  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  Miss  Elsie  Gerrard.  who  was 
born  at  Taylorsville,  Utah.  July  7,  1894.  She.  too,  had  served  as  a  missionary  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  in  the  Mississippi  valley.  They  now  have 
one  son,  Gerrard  Neff  Smith,  who  was  born  July  1,  1918. 

Mr.  Smith  belongs  to  the  Boise  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  is  a  well  known  young 
business  man  of  the  city,  a  worthy  representative  of  an  honored  father  who  \va>  closely 
connected  with  the  early  development  and  ranching  interests  of  Ada  county.  At  dif- 
ferent times  Mr.  Smith  and  his  brother  have  been  connected  with  other  lines  of  busi- 
ness as  opportunity  afforded  and  inclination  led,  but  their  extensive  ranch  and  realty 
interests  are  sufficient  to  make  them  both  independent  for  life  and  furnish  them  all 
the  business  activity  they  care  to  assume.  Boise  is  rapidly  growing  in  the  direction 
of  their  ranch  holdings,  thus  greatly  increasing  the  value  of  the  property,  a  part  of 
which  has  already  been  utilized  as  a  site  for  town  homes.  In  fact  the  residences  of 
the  two  brothers  as  well  as  many  other  dwellings  in  Boise  stand  upon  lots  which  were 
once  included  within  the  boundaries  of  the  ranch. 


ALONZO  L.  NEEDLES. 

Alonzo  L.  Needles  is  the  proprietor  of  Shadow  Lawn,  a  ranch  pleasantly  and  con- 
veniently situated  two  miles  south  of  Emmett  and  devoted  to  the  raising  of  grain  and 
live  stock.  Mr.  Needles  came  to  Idaho  in  1899  from  the  state  of  Kansas  and  through 
the  intervening  years  he  has  won  the  prosperity  that  makes  him  one  of  the  substan- 
tial agriculturists  of  Idaho  today.  The  beautiful  shade  trees  upon  the  place  give  to 
it  the  name  of  Shadow  Lawn. 

Mr.  Needles  was  born  in  Kansas.  September  16,  1871,  and  la  a  son  of  Ervin  Minor 
and  Mary  Elizabeth  (Byerly)  Needles.  The  father,  who  was  a  veteran  of  the  Union 
army,  has  now  passed  away,  but  the  mother  survives  and  is  yet  living  in  Kansas. 

Alonzo  L.  Needles  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in  the  Sunflower  state  with  the  usual 
experiences  of  the  farm-bred  boy  who  divides  his  time  between  the  duties  of  fhe  school- 
room, the  pleasures  of  the  playground  and  the  work  of  the  fields.  Having  arrived  at 
years  of  maturity,  he  was  married  at  Independence,  Kansas,  on  the  1st  of  December, 
1897,  to  Miss  Katie  Bradford,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Rochester.  New  York.  January 
20,  1878,  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  Ann  (Fitzmaurice)  Bradford,  who 
are  aiill  living,  making  their  home  near  Independence.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Needles  have 
become  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  ten  are  living.  Mary  Etta,  who  was 
born  August  22,  1898,  became  the  wife  of  Frank  Hudson  on  the  2J»th  of  August.  1917. 
and  died  of  influenza  on  the  5th  of  February,  1919.  leaving  a  baby  daughter  named 
Billie  Louise.  The  other  children  of  the  family  are:  Freda'Pearl,  who  wa*  born  August 
27,  1899;  Herbert  Eugene,  whose  birth  occurred  February  6.  1901;  Treva  Muriel,  whose 
natal  day  was  July  11,  1902;  Beulah  Valeda,  born  January  11.  1904;  Henry  Lee.  born 

Vol.  in— 54 


850  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

April  9,  1905;  Alonzo  Glerfh,  born  August  23,  1908;  Coit  Ernest,  born  November  3,  1911; 
Blanche  Loraine,  born  September  19,  1913;  Clinton  Ardell.  born  January  5,  1916;  and 
Wanda  Roxena,  who  was  born  on  the  30th  of  September,  1918. 

Upon  his  removal  from  Kansas  to  Idaho  in  1899,  Mr.  Needles  located  on  a  forty- 
acre  ranch  six  miles  northwest  of  Meridian,  in  Ada  county.  He  purchased  the  prop- 
erty for  five  hundred  dollars,  or  twelve  and  a  half  dollars  per  acre,  but  small  as  the 
purchase  price  was,  he  could  pay  only  fifty  dollars  down  upon  the  property,  as  that 
was  the  sum  total  of  his  capital  at  the  tjme.  He  at  once  began  the  arduous  task  of 
developing  and  improving  the  place,  built  fences  and  did  everything  he  could  to  trans- 
form the  tract  into  a  productive  farm.  He  lived  thereon  for  twelve  years  and  then 
sold  the  place  for  five  thousand  eight  hundred  dollars.  He  next  purchased  a  half  sec- 
tion of  land  in  Long  Valley,  in  Boise  county,  erected  a  house  upon  that  tract,  but  two 
years  satisfied  him  that  the  seasons  there  were  too  short.  In  1914  he  exchanged  that 
property  for  his  present  ranch  southeast  of  Emmett,  trading  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Long  Valley  for  a  forty-acre  tract  near  Emmett,  but  the  superior  value  of  the 
forty  more  than  balanced  the  extra  acreage  of  the  former  place.  Mr.  Needles  afterward 
bought  twenty  acres  adjoining  the  forty-acre  tract  and  thus  had  a  valuable  ranch  of 
sixty  acres,  unsurpassed  in  all  the  Emmett  section  of  the  state,  where  there  are  many 
fine  small  ranches  valued  at  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  dollars  per 
acre,  while  many  still  smaller  tracts  with  excellent  improvements  are  bringing  nearly 
a  thousand  dollars  per  acre.  After  a  time  Mr.  Needles  sold  his  twenty-acre  tract  at 
a  profit  of  nearly  a  thousand  dollars,  retaining  possession  of  the  original  forty  acres. 
For  this  he  has  refused  three  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  In  1918  he  built  upon  it  a 
modern  eight-room  bungalow,  fully  equipped  with  electric  lights  and  other  conveniences. 
He  has  also  built  an  extension  to  the  barn  and  he  has  made  the  Shadow  Lawn  ranch 
one  of  the  beautiful  and  attractive  properties  of  this  section  of  the  state,  constituting 
one  of  the  most  pleasing  features  of  the  landscape.  In  1918  Mr.  Needles  took  a  home- 
stead of  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres  in  Elmore  county,  Idaho,  upon  which  he 
is  now  proving  up.  This  requires  him  to  spend  seven  months  of  each  year  upon  the 
property  and  carry  on  the  work  of  development  and  improvement.  The  rest  of  the 
time  he  spends  at  Shadow  Lawn. 

Mr.  Needles  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  also  is  a 
republican  in  his  political  views.  He  has  had  neither  time  nor  inclination  for  office, 
however,  but  has  concentrated  his  efforts  and  energies  upon  carefully  conducted  busi- 
ness affairs,  which  have  brought  substantial  results. 


O.  S.  TYLER. 

The  beautiful  home  of  O.  S.  Tyler  occupies  a  commanding  building  site  that  gives 
him  a  splendid  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  He  concentrates  his  efforts  and  at- 
tention upon  the  tilling  of  the  soil  and  success  in  substantial  measure  is  attending 
his  labors.  Since  1890  he  has  resided  in  Idaho  and  previous  to  that  time  made  his 
home  for  a  number  of  years  in  Colorado  but  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  having 
there  occurred  December  5,  1860.  He  is  a  son  of  Joseph  B.  and  Mary  (Sherman) 
Tyler,  the  former  a  native  of  New  York  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  while  the  latter 
was  born  in  South  Carolina.  They  were  married  in  Indiana  and  in  the  early  '30s 
went  to  Illinois,  where  the  father  followed  farming.  The  mother  passed  away  in 
that  state  in  1881  and  in  1884  Joseph  B.  Tyler  removed  to  Colorado,  his  son,  0.  S. 
Tyler,  having  previously  gone  to  Leadville,  that  state,  in  1879.  The  father  continued 
a  resident  of  Colorado  until  his  death,  passing  away  at  Aspen  in  1889. 

O.  S.  Tyler  was  nineteen  years  of  age  when  he  made  his  way  to  the  west.  He 
followed  mining  at  Leadville,  Colorado,  until  1890,  when  he  came  to  the  Payette  val- 
ley of  Idaho  and  homesteaded  one  huadred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  two  and  a  half 
miles  east  of  New  Plymouth.  After  improving  that  place  he  sold  it  and  purchased 
other  property.  At  one  time  he  owned  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  at  Gess  station, 
on  the  Emmett  Railroad,  between  New  Plymouth  and  Emmett.  This  property  he 
also  sold  and  then  spent  three  years  in  the  employ  of  Clintoa  Hyatt,  of  Boise,  who 
was  engaged  in  land  development  work.  Mr.  Tyler  then  returned  to  Payette  county 
and  purchased  his  present  place  of  twenty  acres,  which  he  now  cultivates,  and  in 
addition  he  has  the  care  of  twenty  acres  owned  by  his  brother,  I.  T.  Tyler.  He  raises 


O.  S.  TYLER 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  853 

alfalfa  and  carries  on  dairying  upon  his  home  place  and  has  his  brother's  place  In 
wheat  save  for  a  tract  of  ten  acres  which  has  been  planted  to  orchards. 

Mr.  Tyler  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Jennie  (Maryatt)  Langley,  who  was 
the  widow  of  William  Langley  of  Welser  and  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  By  her 
first  marriage  she  had  two  children:  Lillian  B.,  who  is  a  teacher  and  lives  at  home; 
and  Beatrice,  the  wife  of  Willard  Detrick,  by  whom  she  has  six  children.  Through 
thirty  years'  residence  in  Idaho,  O.  S.  Tyler  has  become  widely  known  in  Payette 
county  and  the  many  sterling  traits  of  his  character  have  firmly  established  him  in 
public  regard.  Throughout  the  period  of  his  residence  in  the  northwest  he  has  ased 
his  opportunities  wisely  and  well  and  as  the  reward  of  his  earnest  labors  baa  gained 
a  substantial  competence  through  his  farming  operations. 


SAMUEL  P.  MARTIN. 


Samuel  P.  Martin,  a  pioneer  rancher  who  came  to  Idaho  in  1880  from  Cherokee 
county,  Kansas,  was  born  in  Delaware,  July  14,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Cath- 
erine (Erb)  Martin,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Canada  respectively.  When 
he  was  but  eighteen  months  old  his  parents  removed  to  Caldwell  county,  Missouri,  and 
when  he  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years  the  family  home  was  established  in  Arkansas.  At 
a  still  later  period  a  removal  was  made  to  Cherokee  county,  Kansas,  where  Samuel  P. 
Martin  remained  for  six  years,  and  then  at  the  age  of  twenty-three  came  to  Idaho, 
arriving  in  this  state  in  1880.  He  went  through  many  of  the  hardships  and  experiences 
of  pioneer  life,  which  also  brought  with  it  its  pleasures  and  ltd  opportunities.  He 
engaged  in  ranching  in  the  Wood  river  country  for  more  than  a  third  of  a  century, 
or  from  1880  until  1916,  when  he  disposed  of  his  ranch  property.  In  the  meantime 
he  had  developed  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  bringing  his  land  to  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  so  that  he  annually  gathered  excellent  harvests. 

On  the  26th  of  November,  1882,  Mr.  Martin  was  married  to  Miss  Cynthia  Freeman, 
who  came  from  Kansas  in  the  same  wagon  train  in  which  her  husband  traveled,  the 
latter  driving  the  mule  team  across  the  plains  that  belonged  to  Mrs.  Martin's  grand- 
father. Mrs.  Martin  was  born  in  Kansas,  February  23,  1866,  of  the  marriage  of  John 
and  Eliza  Freeman.  She  was  fourteen  years  of  age  when  she  came  with  her  parents 
across  the  country  to  Idaho  in  1880,  traveling  with  a  train  of  twelve  wagons.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Martin  were  born  nine  children,  a  son  and  eight  daughters,  all  of  whom  are 
married  with  the  exception  of  the  youngest  daughter.  These  are:  John  L..  Mrs.  Katie 
R.  Conley,  Mrs.  Alice  Lavertey,  Mrr.  Christine  Sowers,  Mrs.  Laura  Hunter.  MYs.  Nora 
Dixon,  Mrs.  Row  Dixon,  Mrs.  Ethel  Biggs  and  Ada,  who  is  a  young  lady  of  sixteen  years 
and  resides  at  home. 

At  the  present  time  Mr.  Martin  is  residing  with  his  son  John  on  a  ranch  in  Crane's 
Gulch,  near  Boise,  but  is  planning  to  purchase  a  ranch  in  the  Boise  valley.  After  dis- 
posing of  his  Wood  river  property  he  purchased  a  ranch  in  Canyon  county  for  seven 
thousand  dollars,  but  soon  afterward  disposed  of  it  for  nine  thousand  dollars. 

His  son,  John  L.  Martin,  was  married  July  3.  1908,  to  Miss  Effle  Hunter  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  four  daughters:  Eva,  born  February  27.  1910;  Alice,  March 
22,  1912;  Geneva,  April  18,  1914;  and  Ora,  November  10,  1916.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin 
now  have  twenty-seven  grandchildren.  With  every  phase  of  pioneer  life  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Martin  are  familiar,  having  witnessed  much  of  the  development  of  the  state,  and  their 
stories  of  pioneer  life  in  the  Wood  river  country  are  most  interesting. 


ROBERT  H.  PARISH. 

Robert  H.  Parish  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Elba,  where  he  is  engaged  In 
ranching,  and  with  the  history  of  Cassia  county  be  has  been  identified  from  pioneer 
times.  He  was  born  in  Huntingdonshire,  England,  December  17,  1852.  and  is  a  son 
of  Jobn  and  Sarah  (Knight)  Parish.  He  left  his  native  country  in  1863  when  a  lad 
of  ten  years  in  company  with  his  mother,  his  father  having  previously  passed  away  in 
England.  They  took  passage  on  a  sailing  vessel  bound  for  New  York  and  were  six 
weeks  and  two  days  on  the  water  before  dropping  anchor  in  the  American  port.  They 
then  proceeded  westward  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  afterward  went  up  the  Missouri 


854  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

river  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  from  which  point  they  journeyed  across  the  country  with 
ox  teams  to  Salt  Lake  City.  While  en  route  they  saw  many  Indians  and  the  trip  was 
a  slow,  tedious  and  ofttimes  difficult  and  dangerous  one.  Mrs.  Parish  and  her  little  son 
located  with  friends  at  Willard,  Utah,  and  there  Robert  H.  Parish  and  his  two  brothers, 
F.  W.  and  William,  worked  for  various  farmers.  Their  education  was  that  accorded 
by  the  public  schools  of  the  locality  and  he  was  reared  to  manhood  in  that  district. 

Having  arrived  at  years  of  maturity,  Mr.  Parish  was  married  at  Willard,  Utah,  and 
in  1874  removed  to  Elba,  Idaho,  taking  up  a  ranch  on  Connor  creek.  There  he  built 
one  of  the  primitive  pioneer  homes,  a  log  cabin  with  dirt  roof  and  floor.  With  resolute 
spirit  he  set  to  work  to  develop  and  improve  his  ranch.  In  the  spring  of  1878  he  sold 
that  property  and  took  up  his  present  ranch  of  eighty  acres,  planting  thereon  a  crop 
of  alfalfa  which  was  the  first  sown  in  Cassia  county.  This  was  his  initial  task  in  the 
development  of  his  place.  As  the  years  have  passed  he  has  erected  new  buildings  and 
has  a  highly  improved  ranch.  His  land  has  been  carefully  and  systematically  cultivated, 
his  fields  being  brought  under  a  high  state  of  development.  He  also  owns  another 
eighty  acre  tract  south  of  his  home  place.  There  were  no  settlers  scarcely  in  Elba  or 
the  surrounding  district  at  the  time  of  his  arrival.  Indians  were  numerous  and  the 
family  passed  through  various  Indian  scares  when  it  seemed  that  the  Red  men  would 
attempt  the  annihilation  of  all  of  the  white  settlers.  However,  a  courageous  front  and 
resolute  spirit  enabled  the  settlers  to  maintain  their  places  and  in  time  the  red  peril 
had  passed. 

In  1873  Mr.  Parish  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  E.  Hardy,  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Sarah  (Finley)  Hardy  and  a  native  of  Bountiful,  Utah.  Both  of  her  parents  have 
passed  away,  her  father  departing  this  life  in  Utah.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parish  have  four 
children:  Robert  H.,  Flossie  Ellen,  Frederick  W.  and  Asel  B.  The  religious  faith  of 
the  family  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  in  politics 
Mr.  Parish  is  a  democrat. 


J.  C.  PALMER. 

A  list  of  representative  business  men  of  Dubois,  Clark  county,  would  be  incomplete 
were  there  failure  to  make  prominent  reference  to  J.  C.  Palmer,  who  is  a  well  known 
real  estate  dealer  and  also  the  vice  president  of  the  Clark  County  Title  &  Abstract  Com- 
pany. Having  studied  business  situations  in  the  west  and  formulated  well  defined  plans 
for  the  attainment  of  success,  he  is  now  pushing  forward  along  a  line  of  effort  that 
is  productive  of  substantial  results.  Mr.  Palmer  is  a  native  of  the  state  of  Washington, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Whitman  county,  about  twelve  miles  from  the  Idaho  line, 
on  the  16th  of  April,  1880.  He  is  a  son  of  Frank  and  Mary  (Ruark)  Palmer,  who  were 
natives  of  Oregon.  The  father  removed  to  Washington  when  but  five  years  of  age  in 
company  with  his  parents.  He  was  there  reared  and  educated  and  took  up  the  business 
of  cattle  raising,  which  he  followed  throughout  his  entire  life.  He  passed  away  Sep- 
tember 23,  1904,  and  is  still  survived  by  his  widow,  who  yet  makes  her  home  in  Wash- 
ington. 

J.  C.  Palmer  began  his  education  in  the  district  schools  near  his  father's  home 
and  afterward  continued  his  studies  in  the  schools  of  St.  John  and  of  Colfax,  Washing- 
ton. Through  vacation  periods  he  worked  upon  the  home  farm  and  after  his  textbooks 
were  put  aside  he  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  attained  his  majority.  He  rode 
the  range  in  the  employ  of  others  and  was  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  during  the 
early  period  of  his  independent  business  career.  He  has  ridden  the  range  in  nearly 
every  state  of  the  west  and  thus  has  become  thoroughly  familiar  with  this  great  and 
growing  section  of  the  country.  In  1903  he  went  upon  the  old  homestead,  which  he 
cultivated  for  two  years  and  then  removed  to  Spokane,  Washington,  where  he  con- 
ducted a  sales  stable  for  an  equal  period.  He  was  next  foreman  on  a  big  cattle  ranch 
in  the  sweet  grass  hills  of  Montana  for  two  years  and  later  he  returned  to  his  native 
state  and  again  purchased  the  sales  stable, at  Spokane  of  which  he  had  formerly  been 
owner.  He  conducted  the  business  for  three  years  at  this  second  period,  after  which 
he  once  more  took  up  his  abode  on  the  old  homestead  ranch  and  continued  its  further 
development  and  improvement  until  1914.  That  year  witnessed  his  arrival  at  Dubois, 
Clark  county,  Idaho,  then  a  part  of  Fremont  county,  at  which  time  he  filed  on  land 
twenty  miles  southwest  of  the  town.  A  man  of  resolute  spirit,  recognizing  and  improv- 
ing his  opportunities,  he  at  once  began  to  cultivate  his  land  and  continued  in  that  work 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  855 

for  three  years.  He  is  still  the  owner  of  the  property  but  is  now  concentrating  his 
attention  largely  upon  other  business  activities.  He  is  extensively  engaged  In  the  real 
estate  business  and  in  March,  1919,  he  joined  William  L.  Hankins  and  E.  M.  Whitxel 
in  organizing  the  Clark  County  Title  A  Abstract  Company,  of  which  he  ha*  since  been 
the  vice-president.  Already  this  company  has  gained  a  large  clientage  and  is  doing 
work  along  that  line  of  a  most  accurate  and  satisfactory  character. 

On  the  6th  of  July,  1903,  Mr.  Palmer  was  married  to  Miss  Grace  Krieger  and  they 
have  become  parents  of  four  children:  Eugene,  Deo.  Omar  and  Loyal.  The  political 
endorsement  of  Mr.  Palmer  is  given  to  the  republican  party,  but  the  honors  and  emol- 
uments  of  office  have  had  no  attraction  for  him.  He  has  always  preferred  to  concen- 
trate his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  business  interests  and  his  labors  have  proveu 
an  element  in  the  development  of  various  districts  in  which  he  has  lived.  There  is  no 
phase  of  the  upbuilding  of  the  west  with  which  he  is  not  familiar  and  the  experiences 
of  pioneer  life  have  been  his  in  ample  measure.  In  1901  and  1902  he  drove  stage  from 
Grangeville,  Idaho,  to  Lewiston,  Idaho,  a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles.  He  rtprHMti 
one  of  the  old  families  of  the  state.  His  uncle,  Cyrus  Jacobs,  came  to  Idaho  in  1862. 
settling  in  Boise  before  even  the  territory  of  Idaho  was  organized.  There  he  became 
one  of  the  promoters  of  a  distillery  and  he  also  engaged  in  merchandising  in  the  capital 
city* for  a  number  of  years.  Thus  from  the  earliest  days  the  Palmer  family  has  been 
connected  with  Idaho's  history  and  J.  C.  Palmer  is  now  playing  an  important  part  In 
the  work  of  further  progress  in  Clark  county. 


JOHN  MORTENSON. 

Every  t;tate  in  the  Union  and  almost  every  country  on  the  face  of  the  globe  has 
contributed  to  the  citizenship  of  Idaho.  Among  those  who  have  come  from  Sweden  is 
John  Mortenson,  who  is  engaged  in  ranching  at  Sublett,  Cassia  county.  He  was  born 
near  Malmo,  Sweden,  October  4,  1862,  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Caroline  Mortenson.  • 
He  was  but  five  years  of  age,  however,  when  his  parents  left  that  country  and  embarked 
on  a  sailing  vessel  that  was  nine  weeks  in  crossing  the  Atlantic  to  the  new  world.  The 
voyage  proceeded  without  special  event  until  half  of  their  journey  had  been  completed, 
when  adverse  winds  blew  the  vessel  back  out  of  its  course.  At  length,  however,  they 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  harbor  of  New  York  and  from  the  eastern  metropolis  the 
Mortenson  family  traveled  to  Fort  Benton,  Nebraska.  They  there  secured  teams  with 
which  to  continue  the  journey  to  Salt  Lake,  Utah,  for  they  had  become  converts  to 
the  faith-  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  were  seeking  to 
cast  in  their  lot  with  the  people  of  their  belief.  Later  they  went  to  Morgan  county, 
Utah,  where  the  father  commenced  work  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  in  the  fall 
of  1869.  He  remained  there  for  a  number  of  years  but  eventually  retired  to  Salt  Late 
City,  where  he  passed  away.  The  mother,  however,  survives  and  still  makes  her  home 
in  that  city,  having  now  reached  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  In  his  political  views 
Mr.  Mortenson  was  a  republican. 

John  Mortenson  was  reared  under  the  parental  roof  and  after  attaining  his 
majority  purchased  a  ranch  on  East  Canyon  creek,  where  he  engaged  in  running  cattle, 
sheep  and  horses.  In  1881  he  drove  sheep  to  the  Raft  river  valley,  where  he  wintered  his 
stock  and  then  returned  to  the  ranch.  In  1896  he  came  back  with  his  own  sheep.  Two 
years  later  he  purchased  his  present  ranch  and  he  has  since  added  two  more  ranch 
properties,  BO  that  he  now  has  twenty-one  acres  of  fine  land  splendidly  irrigated.  In 
fact  his  is  one  of  the  highly  developed  and  splendidly  improved  ranch  properties  ef 
this  section  of  the  state.  He  has  thirty  miles  of  wire  fence,  his  buildings  are  thoroughly 
modern  and  commodious,  and  everything  about  the  ranch  is  indicative  of  his  practical 
and  progressive  spirit.  He  owns  three  hundred  and  seventeen  acres  in  Morgan  county. 
Utah,  together  with  a  residence  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  two  buildings  in  Burley.  Idaho. 
He  started  out  in  the  business  world  on  his  own  account  when  nineteen  years  of  age. 
possessing  nothing  save  the  clothes  he  wore.  Today  he  is  one  of  the  wealthy  residents 
of  Cassia  county,  extensively  engaged  In  the  raising  of  pure  bred  Hereford  cattle.  He 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  breeders  of  this  section  of  the  state  and  his  business  interests 
have  been  attended  with  a  notable  measure  of  success. 

In  November,  1886.  Mr.  Mortenson  was  married  to  Miss  Alice  Crltchley,  a  native 
of  Centerville,  Utah,  and  a  daughter  of  William  and  Alice  (Rigby)  Critchley.  who 


856  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

were  farming  people  of  that  district,     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mortenson  have  seven  children: 
Latara,  Lawrence,  Pearl,  Luella,  Margaret,  Rhoda  and  Laurel. 

In  politics  Mr.  Mortenson  is  a  republican  but  has  never  sought  nor  desired  Office 
as  a  reward  for  party  fealty.  He  belongs  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  and  has  been  a  faithful  follower  of  its  purposes  and  its  teachings.  His  is  a 
notable  record  of  earnest  effort  intelligently  directed,  and  his  example  should  serve  to 
inspire  and  encourage  others,  showing  what  can  be  accomplished  by  energy  and  industry 
on  the  part  of  the  individual. 


HENRY  C.  POWERS. 

Henry  C.  Powers  is  a  splendid  example  of  the  self-made  man.  Coming  to  Idaho 
with  limited  capital,  he  secured  a  homestead  claim  and  is  today  the  owner  of  two 
thousand  acres  of  valuable  land  at  Sublett,  Cassia  county.  His  attention  is  given  to 
general  farming  and  cattle  raising  and  his  business  affairs  have  been  so  wisely,  care- 
fully and  creditably  conducted  that  he  is  now  numbered  among  the  men  of  affluence 
of  his  district.  The  story  of  his  life  is  the  story  of  earnest  endeavor  crowned  with 
success. 

He  was  born  in  Lenawee  county,  Michigan,  December  8,  1844,  a  son  of  Isaac 
and  Alvira  (Sherwood)  Powers.  He  was  but  twelve  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
removed  with  their  family  from  Michigan  to  Delaware  county,  Iowa,  where  the 
father  conducted  a  farm.  Later  a  removal  was  made  to  the  town  of  Troy  in  Doniphan 
county,  Kansas,  and  some  time  afterward  the  family  home  was  established  in  Coving- 
ton,  Nebraska.  The  next  removal  took  them  to  Ponca,  Nebraska,  where  the  father 
passed  away  in  1913.  He  was  a  republican  in  his  political  views.  Throughout  his  life 
he  followed  agricultural  interests,  ownimg  farms  in  the  localities  in  which  he  resided. 
His  widow  survives  and  is  now  living  with  her  son  Isaac  at  Norfolk,  Nebraska. 

Henry  C.  Powers  left  Troy,  Kansas,  in  1859,  when  a  youth  of  fifteen  years.  He 
drove  cattle  from  Atchison,  Kansas,  to  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  with  five  others 
organized  a  company,  purchasing  a  four  mule  team  outfit.  When  this  was  secured  they 
drove  across  the  country  to  Carson  City,  Nevada,  where  Mr.  Powers  remained,  while  the 
others  went  on  to  California.  He  then  operated  pack  trains  in  Nevada,  also  engaged 
in  prospecting  and  ranching,  and  in  connection  with  a  partner,  John  Little,  he  hauled 
the  first  lumber  to  Virginia  City,  Nevada.  He  remained  a  resident  of  that  state 
for  eleven  years  and  while  in  Carson  City  was  married.  He  then  returned  to  the 
old  home  at  Covington,  Nebraska,  where  for  three  years  he  was  engaged  in  the 
livery  business.  He  next  drove  across  the  plains  to  Salt  Lake  in  1873,  accompanied 
by  his  wife,  and  from  Salt  Lake  he  freighted  out  to  various  points  for  a  period  of 
two  years.  He  next  went  to  Corinne,  Utah,  and  was  engaged  in  freighting  to  Montana 
before  a  railroad  was  built.  While  thus  engaged  he  passed  through  several  Indian 
scares  and  went  through  all  the  hardships,  privations  and "  difficulties  of  frontier  life, 
for  he  was  identified  with  freighting  to  Montana  for  .  three  years.  The  year  1878 
witnessed  his  arrival  in  Idaho,  at  which  time  he  took  up  his  abode  at  Sublett,  Cassia 
county,  where  he  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  his  present  property  from 
the  government.  Upon  this  he  built  a  log  cabin  and  began  life  in  Cassia  county  in 
true  pioneer  style.  He  has  since  built  three  houses  upon  his  place  and  now  has  a 
fine  frame  dwelling,  large,  commodious  and  attractively  furnished.  He  first  concen- 
trated his  efforts  and  attention  upon  sheep  raising  and  later  he  took  up  the  business 
of  raising  cattle,  in  which  he  is  still  engaged.  As  the  years  have  passed  he  has  added 
to  his  holdings  until  he  now  has  two  thousand  acres  of  land  and  is  engaged  in 
general  farming.  He  also  has  a  general  merchandise  store  upon  his  place  and  thus 
his  business  interests  are  of  a  broad  and  varied  character,  contributing  to  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  community  as  well  as  to  the  advancement  of  his  individual  fortune.  He  has 
been  a  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Burley  since  its  organization. 

In  "1868  Mr.  Powers  was  married  to  Miss  Isabel  Gray,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Wardrobe)  Gray  and  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  Her  parents  came 
from  Scotland  in  early  life,  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  one  of  the  old-time  sailing  vessels. 
They  took  up  their  abode  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  later  journeyed  westward  to  Salt 
Lake,  being  among  its  earliest  inhabitants.  At  a  subsequent  period  they  went  to 
Nevada  and  it  was  there  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powers  were  married.  The  father  died  at 
tfce  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powers  and  the  mother  passed  away  in  Lewiston,  Idaho. 


HENRY  C.  POWERS 


MRS.  HENRY  C.  POWF.KS 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  861 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powers  have  become  the  parents  of  ten  children:  Charles,  living  at 
Sublett;  William,  who  died  upon  the  ranch;  Isaac,  at  home;  Maud;  Ida;  Margaret; 
Isabel;  Harrison;  John;  and  Andrew,  who  has  departed  this  life. 

Mr.  Powers  has  filled  the  office  of  county  commissioner.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church  and  his  life  has  been  guided  by  high  and  honorable  principles,  making 
him  a  man  of  sterling  worth  among  his  fellowmen,  enjoying  in  unqualified  manner 
their  confidence  and  well  deserved  respect. 


MRS.  WILLIAM  P.  DINSLEY. 

Mrs.  William  P.  Dinsley,  of  Boise,  who  is  the  secretary  of  the  Idaho  State  Poultry 
ft  Pet  Stock  Association,  was  born  in  Covington,  Kentucky,  July  ]7.  1873.  and  in  her 
maidenhood  bore  the  name  of  Sallie  Mary  Goodwin,  her  parent.*  being  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Jesse  O.  Goodwin.  Her  father  served  as  a  captain  in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil 
war,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  living,  their  home  being  now  in  Lincoln,  Nebraska. 
They  have  reached  the  ages  of  seventy -eight  and  seventy-one  years  respectively.  The 
father  was  formerly  treasurer  of  Crete,  Nebraska,  and  his  life  occupation  has  been  that 
of  a  contractor  and  builder. 

Mrs.  Dinsley  was  reared  and  educated  in  Crete,  to  which  place  her  parents  removed 
in  1879.  She  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  there  and  on  the  9th  of  March.  1898, 
she  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  in  Lincoln.  Nebraska,  to  William  P.  Dinsley.  a  registered 
pharmacist,  who  is  well  known  in  Boise,  having  for  many  years  been  manager  of  one 
of  the  Joy  drug  stores  of  this  city. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsley  came  to  Boise  about  eighteen  years  ago  and  have  since  been 
residents  of  this  city.  For  many  years  she  has  taken  the  keenest  interest  in  fine  poul- 
try and  pet  stock  and  is  now  serving  for  the  second  term  as  the  secretary  of  the  Idaho 
State  Poultry  &  Pet  Stock  Association.  Formerly  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsley  resided  upon 
a  ranch  seven  miles  west  of  Boise,  and  while  Mr.  Dinsley  devoted  his  attention  to  the 
drug  business  she  conducted  the  ranch  and  gave  her  attention  to  the  raising  of  pure 
bred  white  Wyandotte  chickens.  Her  interest  in  poultry  developed  and  has  never 
ceased,  although  in  1918  they  rented  the  ranch  and  took  up  their  abode  in  the  city. 
For  a  number  of  years  she  has  been  a  member  of  the  Idaho  State  Poultry  4  Pet  Stock 
Association  and  for  two  years  has  served  as  its  secretary. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dinsley  have  one  son,  Clarence  William,  who  was  born  August  7, 
1899.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Boise  high  school  with  the  class  of  1917  and  in 
April  of  that  year,  when  only  seventeen  years  of  age.  volunteered  for  service  in  the 
World  war.  He  Joined  the  Fifth  Engineers  in  the  United  States  regular  army  and 
spent  eight  months  in  France,  being  in  the  front  line  trenches  during  a  portion  of  that 
period  and  therefore  under  heavy  fire,  yet  never  sustained  an  Injury.  He  returned  home 
in  April,  1919.  as  a  passenger  on  the  George  Washington  on  the  trip  which  brought 
President  Wilson  back  to  this  country. 


MARCELLUS  J.  GRAY. 

Marcellus  J.  Gray,  president  of  the  St.  Anthony  Bank  ft  Trubt  Company,  is  a  force- 
ful and  resourceful  business  man,  possessing  keen  sagacity  and  undaunted  enterprise, 
and  by  reason  of  his  sterling  qualities  ne  has  worked  his  way  steadily  upward.  He  \vaa 
born  in  Readfleld,  Maine,  May  4,  1848,  and  his  parents,  Cyrus  H.  and  Hannah  A. 
(Avery)  Gray,  were  also  natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  state,  where  the  father  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  paper.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  war.  however,  he  made  - 
response  to  the  country's  call  for  troops,  enlisting  in  the  Sixth  Massachusetts  Infantry 
in  1861.  He  served  throughout  the  period  of  hostilities  between  the  north  and  the 
south  afcd  sustained  a  wound  in  the  shoulder  which  ultimately  caused  his  death  about 
1869.  His  widow  long  survived  him,  passing  away  In  1916. 

Marcellus  J.  Gray  was  reared  and  educated  in  Massachusetts,  to  which  state  hia 
parents  removed  when  he  was  quite  young.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  that 
state  and  also  the  Pepperell  (Mass.)  Academy.  When  his  education  was  completed 
he  sought  employment  in  Boston,  securing  a  position  in  a  wholesale  house,  and  in  1871 
he  went  to  Milford,  New  Hampshire,  where  he  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  as 


862  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

a  member  of  the  firm  of  Gray  &  Howard.  He  was  also  in  that  business  at  Manchester, 
New  Hampshire,  and  spent  eight  years  altogether  in  connection  with  business  interests 
in  the  east.  In  1880  he  made  his  way  to  Colorado,  where  he  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising at  Crested  Butte,  a  mining  town,  until  1889.  He  then  sold  his  interests 
there  and  removed  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  for 
four  years.  About  the  same  time  he  made  investments  in  Idaho  and  assisted  in 
building  the  St.  Anthony  canal,  his  time  being  divided  between  Idaho  and  Utah  in  the 
conduct  of  his  business  affairs.  In  1895  he  took  up  his  permanent  abode  at  St.  Anthony 
and  in  partnership  with  Messrs.  Moon  and  Ross  took  over  the  townsite  and  was  in- 
strumental in  securing  the  location  of  the  county  seat  at  St.  Anthony  in  1893.  He 
obtained  a  claim  adjoining  the  town  and  there  engaged  in  ranching  and  cattle  raising, 
continuing  the  cultivation  of  his  land  and  the  developmet  of  his  herds  until  1915,  when 
he  closed  out  the  business. 

In  the  meantime,  or  in  1912,  Mr.  Gray  and  others  purchased  a  controlling  interest 
in  the  St.  Anthony  Bank  &  Trust  Company  and  in  1913  Mr.  Gray  and  L.  H.  Neal 
secured  the  controlling  interest  in  the  bank,  of  which  Mr.  Gray  has  served  as  president 
since  1912.  He  has  carefully  shaped  its  policy,  has  most  wisely  protected  the  interests 
of  depositors  and  has  promoted  its  growth  along  lines  that  have  won  for  it  public  con- 
fidence and  therefore  public  support.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the  First  State  Bank 
of  Drummond,  Idaho. 

In  April,  1899,  Mr.  Gray  was  married  to  Miss  Jennie  Hopkins,  and  having  no  chil- 
dren of  their  own,  they  have  reared  an  adopted  son,  William  M.  Gray,  who  is  now  a 
bank  examiner,  located  at  Los  Angeles,  California. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Gray  is  a  republican  and  has  been  an  active  worker  in 
party  ranks,  serving  at  the  present  time  as  chairman  of  the  republican  county  central 
committee  of  Fremont  county.  He  filled  the  position  of  postmaster  of  St.  Anthony 
for  eleven  years  under  Presidents  McKinley  and  Roosevelt  and  advanced  the  office  to 
one  of  the  third  class.  While  living  at  Crested  Butte,  Colorado,  he  served  for  four 
years  as  mayor  of  the  town  and  was  also  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  state  senate 
there.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  for  forty -five  years,  is  a 
Knight  Templar  and  member  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  also  has  membership  in  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  in  these  asso- 
ciations are  found  the  rules  which  govern  his  conduct  and  shape  his  relations  with  his 
fellowmen,  making  him  a  man  whom  to  know  is  to  esteem  and  honor. 


NELS  NELSON. 

Nels  Nelson  resides  on  a  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  acres  on  the  south- 
slope  of  the  Payette  valley  five  and  a  half  miles  southwest  of  Emmett.  He  was  born 
in  Sweden,  January  16,  1842,  and  came  to  the  United  States  early  in  1865  for  the 
purpose  of  joining  the  Union  army,  for  his  interest  in  the  cause  of  the  country  led 
him  to  desire  to  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  Soon  after  he  landed,  however, 
the  war  was  brought  to  a  successful  termination.  He  decided  to  remain  in  the  new 
world  and  spent  three  years  in  Knox  county,  Illinois,  after  which  he  resided  for  a 
short  time  in  Iowa  and  subsequently  spent  seven  years  in  eastern  Nebraska,  where  he 
engaged  in  work  as  a  farm  hand  and  in  farming  on  his  own  account. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  in  Nebraska  to  Miss  Rebecca  Furlow,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  Illinois.  From  Nebraska  he  removed  to  northwestern  Kansas,  where  he 
entered  a  claim  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Not  a  furrow  had  been  turned  nor 
an  improvement  made  upon  the  place  when  it  came  into  his  possession.  He  proved 
up  on  the  property,  secured  title  to  the  homestead  and  resided  upon  the  place  for 
twenty-two  years,  converting  it  into  rich  and  productive  fields.  He  spent  several  years 
in  a  sod  house  and  afterward  was  able  to  build  a  better  home.  He  prospered  in  Kan- 
sas, meeting  with  good  success  in  handling  live  stock,  especially  cattle,  and  he  bought 
other  land  with  the  profits  thus  accrued  until  finally  he  owned  six  hundred  acres  of 
good  farming  land  in  Kansas  which  he  developed  and  improved.  At  length  he  dis- 
posed of  his  six  hundred  acre  farm  for  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  and  removed  to  Colo- 
rado, where  he  made  investment  in  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  near  Grand 
Junction,  which  he  purchased  for  twenty  dollars  per  acre.  Three  years  later  he  sold 
this  property  for  fifty  dollars  per  acre  and  eighteen  years  ago  he  came  to  Idaho  and 
has  since  lived  on  two  ranches  in  the  Payette  valley,  occupying  his  present  place  for 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  863 

the  past  eleven  years.  He  paid  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  for  this  property  and 
recently  sold  it  for  about  twelve  thousand  dollars,  receiving  nine  thousand  dollars  In 
cash  and  a  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  dry  farm  in  Adams  county.  Idaho.  Again  he 
has  prospered  in  Ihis  state  as  in  the  other  localities  in  which  he  has  lived.  Each 
change  in  his  place  of  residence  has  been  occasioned  by  the  desire  and  opportunity  of 
doing  better  in  a  business  way.  Since  coming  to  Idaho  he  haa  bought  and  sold  sev- 
eral ranches  in  the  Payette  valley  upon  which  he  never  resided  and  has  made  money 
on  each  investment.  He  is  one  of  the  farsighted  business  men  of  the  community, 
honest  as  the  day  is  long  and  enjoying  an  unassailable  reputation  lor  integrity  and 
enterprise.  He  is  popular,  being  well  liked  by  everybody,  and  his  friends  are  iegion. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  1915,  Mrs.  Nelson  passed  away,  leaving  her  husband  with 
three  children:  Henfy  Olof,  now  a  resident  of  Arizona;  Mrs.  Ehste  Irving,  who  Is  living 
in  Portland,  Oregon;  and  Mrs.  Maud  Beaver,  of  Los  Angeles,  California.  There  are 
now  two  grandsons,  Lee  and  Dudley  Nelson,  who  are  the  sons  of  Henry  O.  Nelson,  of 
Arizona. 

Mr.  Nelson  of  this  review  is  a  republican  in  his  political  views,  having  supported 
the  party  since  becoming  a  naturalized  American  citizen.  He  belongs  to  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  church  and  his  has  been  an  upright  life.  He  I*  now  seventy-eight  years  of 
age  but  is  still  active  and  vigorous,  possessing  a  suruhiny  disposition  and  a  cheery 
manner  that  one  associates  largely  with  youth.  He  has  already  dealt  generously  with 
his  children  in  the  way  of  giving  them  a  start  in  life  and  yet  has  plenty  left  for  his 
own  support,  so  that  he  is  now  able  to  enjoy  all  of  the  comforts  and  some  of  the 
luxuries  of  life.  His  success  is  the  direct  outcome  of  his  perseverance  and  diligence, 
his  intelligently  directed  labor  bringing  him  substantial  reward. 


IDA  M.  WOOSLEY. 

Ida  M.  Woosley  is  one  of  the  pioneer  teachers  of  Idaho  and  makes  her  home  on 
the  Boise  bench,  south  of  the  capital  city,  where  she  owns  a  valuable  tract  of  land  of 
five  acres.  She  came  to  this  state  in  September.  1887,  from  Iowa  and  in  four  different 
states  of  the  Union  she  has  followed  the  profession  which  she  took  up  in  Iowa  in 
young  womanhood. 

Miss  Woosley  was  born  in  Madison  county,  Iowa,  July  21,  1864,  a  daughter  of 
Burrell  T.  and  Missouri  (Butler)  Woosley,  who  were  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Ohio 
respectively,  and  both  were  of  Irish  lineage.  Her  father  was  born  in  Hopklnsville. 
Kentucky,  in  the  early  '30's,  while  the  birth  of  his  wife  occurred  at  Oallipolis,  Ohio,  a 
year  later.  The  father  served  in  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  in  an  Iowa  regiment.  He 
had  married  Miss  Butler  at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  when  he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age 
and  his  bride  a  maiden  of  twenty-one.  They  had  eight  children,  six  sons  and  two 
daughters,  of  whom  Ida  M.  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  Four  of  the  family  are 
still  living,  namely:  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Wright  and  John  B.  Woosley,  both  of  Des  Moines. 
Iowa;  Tom  B.,  living  in  Los  Angeles,  California;  and  Ida  M.,  of  this  review.  The 
father  died  August  6,  1902,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years,  his  birth  having  occurred  in 
1832,  while  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  1833,  passed  away  January  3,  1906.  Although 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  he  was  a  faithful  defender  of  the  Union  cause  during  the  Civil 
war,  but  he  had  a  brother,  Dr.  John  Woosley,  who  was  a  surgeon  in  the  Confederate 
army. 

Ida  M.  Woocley  pursued  her  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Iowa,  in  the  normal 
school  at  Dexter,  Iowa,  and  in  the  Des  Moines  Business  College,  from  which  she  was 
graduated  after  completing  a  course  in  shorthand  and  typewriting.  When  but  seven- 
teen years  of  age  ehe  took  up  the  profession  of  teaching  and  through  the  intervening 
period  has  taught  in  the  states  of  Iowa,  Idaho,  Oregon  and  Oklahoma.  Through  much 
of  the  time,  however,  covering  thirty-two  years,  she  has  been  identified  with  the  schools 
of  the  Payette  valley  of  Idaho.  That  she  has  served  in  one  district  for  so  long  a  period 
is  incontrovertible  proof  of  her  capability  and  her  devotion  to  the  work.  She  holds  to 
high  ideals  in  the  methods  of  instruction  and  her  teaching  has  been  a  stimulating  in- 
fluence in  the  lives  of  many  who  are  now  successful  men  and  women. 

Since  coming  to  Idaho,  Miss  Woosley  has  made  nineteen  trips  back  to  lown  to  visit 
her  relatives,  thus  covering  the  ground  between  Iowa  and  Idaho  on  nineteen  different 
occasions.  At  the  present  time  she  is  teaching  in  the  French  school  in  Payette  county, 
seventeen  miles  from  Payette,  where  she  is  serving  for  the  third  term.  Through  study 


864  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  reading  she  keeps  in  touch  with  modern  methods  of  instruction  and  is  constantly 
seeking  out  new  ways  to  encourage  and  promote  the  intellectual  development  of  those 
under  her  charge. 


WALTER  M.  JOHNS. 

Walter  M.  Johns  is  prominently  connected  with  both  commercial  interests  and 
church  activities  in  Cassia  county,  where  he  is  serving  as  bishop  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He  is  also  the  manager  of  the  Almo  Mercantile  Company 
and  a  such  is  recognized  as  a  representative  and  progressive  business  man.  He  was 
born  at  North  Ogden,  Weber  county,  Utah,  April  1,  1875,  and  is  a  son  of  Jonathan  and 
Elizabeth  Ann  (Bishop)  Johns.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent  at  Pleasant  View,  Utah, 
where  he  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools,  passing  through  con- 
secutive grades  until  he  became  a  high  school  pupil  at  Logan.  He  later  attended  the 
University  of  Utah  at  Salt  Lake  City  and  thus  liberal  educational  opportunities  well 
qualified  him  for  life's  practical  duties  and  responsibilites. 

In  1894  Mr.  Johns  came  to  Idaho,  settling  at  Sugar,  where  he  purchased  a  ranch 
property  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-three  acres.  He  also  made  investment  in  a  tract 
of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  and  still  another  ranch  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres. 
He  bent  his  efforts  and  energies  to  the  development  and  cultivation  of  his  land  for  a 
period  of  twelve  years  save  that  for  two  years  of  this  time  he  was  engaged  in  mission 
work  for  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  in  California,  laboring  at 
Oakland,  San  Francisco  and  Los  Angeles.  He  likewise  became  interested  in  mer- 
chandising in  Idaho  during  the  period  when  he  was  developing  his  ranch  properties. 
Later  he  went  to  Salt*Lake  City  and  there  did  special  work  in  the  University  of  Utah. 
In  1912  he  returned  to  Idaho  and  purchased  a  ranch  of  sixteen  hundred  acres,  in  addi- 
tion to  which  he  homesteaded  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Cassia  county.  His 
keen  business  sagacity  and  enterprise  prompted  him  at  once  to  improve  his  land  and 
in  one  year  he  cleared  one  thousand  acres  of  the  sagebrush.  At  the  same  time  he 
divided  his  attention  between  his  personal  business  affairs  and  the  work  of  the  church 
and  was  made  bishop  of  his.  ward  in  Idaho.  He  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  stake 
high  council  and  removed  to  Almo  following  his  appointment  as  bishop  of  the  ward 
in  July,  1917.  On  the  1st  of  August  of  the  same  year  he  joined  Messrs.  Horn  and  Bate- 
man  in  the  purchase  of  the  store  of  the  Almo  Mercantile  Company,  which  they  have 
since  successfully  conducted,  enjoying  a  liberal  patronage.  Mr.  Johns  also  owns  a 
ranch  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  on  which  he  is  running  sheep,  and  thereby  he 
adds  materially  to  his  income.  In  addition  to  his  other  service  in  the  church  he  is 
acting  as  stake  chorister. 

In  1897  Mr.  Johns  was  married  to  Miss  Florence  Wade,  a  native  of  North  Ogden, 
Utah,  and  a  daughter  of  Edward  and  Julia  (Ellis)  Wade.  Her  father  was  a  prominent 
man  and  one  of  the  bishops  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  He 
was  also  a  commissioner  and  prominent  contractor  and  he  built  the  county  courthouse 
at  Ogden  and  also  a  large  number  of  business  blocks.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johns  have  become 
parents  of  six  children:  Louise,  Estella,  Elmore  W.,  Maud,  Lagrand  and  Walter  Wade. 

In  politics  Mr.  Johns  is  a  republican,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office  have 
little  attraction  for  him,  as  he  has  always  preferred  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and 
attention  upon  his  business-  affairs  and  his  duties  in  connection  with  the  church. 


SAMUEL  J.  BOLLER. 

Samuel  J.  Boiler,  a  pioneer  of  the  Boise  valley,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in 
successful  farming  for  several  years,  came  to  Idaho  in  1889  from  Colorado,  and,  after 
spending  one  year  at  Malad,  he  moved  to  the  Boise  valley  to  aid  in  the  construction 
of  the  New  York  canal,  on  which  he  was  one  of  the  pioneer  workers.  Before  coming 
to  Idaho  he  had  engaged  in  Utah  and  Colorado  in  ditch  construction. 

Mr.  Boiler  was  born  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  but  was  reared  chiefly  in  Iowa.  For  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  he  has  been  engaged  in  ranching  with  the  exception  of  the 
years  spent  in  public  work,  chiefly  in  the  construction  of  irrigation  projects  and  rail- 
roads. He  was  a  subcontractor  on  ditch  and  railroad  work  for  several  years,  and  while 


SAMUEL  J.  BOLLER 


Vol.  m— 55 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  867 

in  this  line  he  did  very  well.  In  1891,  Mr.  Boiler  gave  up  that  work  with  the  object 
of  becoming  the  owner  of  a  tract  of  the  choice  land  in  the  Boise  valley,  then  rapidly 
being  taken  up  by  settlers,  especially  the  irrigated  lands.  But  he  had  to  follow  other 
pursuits  for  a  time  and  worked  in  and  about  Boise  at  lumbering  and  wood  work  and 
at  heavy  truck  labor.  Finally,  in  1896,  he  filed  on  a  ranch  containing  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  eight  miles  southwest  of  Boise,  near  Lake  Hazel  school.  He  settled 
on  the  holding,  proved  up  on  it,  and  here  he  "bached"  for  many  years,  as  he  has  never 
been  married.  Later  he  took  a  man  and  his  wife  as  tenants  and  lived  with  these  people 
while  improving  and  developing  his  farm,  until  in  1919,  when  he  sold  the  ranch  for 
twenty-seven  thousand  dollars. 

Following  the  sale  of  that  property,  Mr.  Boiler  immediately  bought  a  forty-acre 
tract  adjoining  it,  where  he  now  resides  most  of  the  time,  but  being  a  single  man  he 
is  not  tied  down  and  spends  much  of  his  leisure  in  Boise,  where  he  has  many  good 
friends.  He  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  a  member  of  the  Eagles,  while  his  political  leanings 
are  with  the  democratic  party,  to  which  he  gives  his  active  support,  but  he  has  never 
been  a  candidate  for  office. 

Mr.  Boiler  is  also  the  owner  of  a  thirty-two  acre  ranch,  five  miles  southwest  of 
Boise,  near  the  Maple  Grove  school,  which  stands  on  ground  formerly  a  part  of  the  ranch. 
There  are  good  buildings  on  this  thirty-two  acre  farm  and  its  location  is  one  of  the 
best  in  Ada  county,  being  situated  in  a  fine  neighborhood,  where  land  sells  at  from  three 
hundred  to  four  hundred  dollars  an  acre,  and  because  of  its  size,  Mr.  Boiler's  place  is 
considered  by  competent  judges  to  be  worth  more  than  the  latter  figure.  He  lived  on  this 
ranch  for  several  years  and  made  all  the  improvements  that  are  on  it  today.  He  also 
owns  much  good  rental  property  in  Boise. 

Mr.  Boiler  is  a  plain,  honest  and  clever  bachelor  and  a  good  neighbor,  whose. friends 
are  equal  to  the  number  of  his  acquaintances.  He  is  hospitable  in  his  home,  and  Is  a 
man,  who,  if  he  had  but  one  ration,  would  share  it  with  a  friend  or  even  a  stranger 
who  might  happen  along,  suffering  from  hunger.  Such  men  make  good  citizens  and 
good  neighbors,  and  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  men  like  Mr.  Boiler  are  not  more  numerous. 


JOHN  F.  KESSLER. 

Among  the  many  men  who  are  contributing  to  the  agricultural  development  of  this 
state  and  greatly  enhancing  its  productivity  is  John  F.  Kessler,  now  a  rancher  of  Gem 
county,  living  twelve  miles  west  of  Enimett.  He  has  two  hundred  acres  of  excellent 
ranch  property,  of  which  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  is  in  Gem  county  and  eighty 
acres  in  Payette.  It  is  fine  black  prairie  soil,  very  rich  and  deep,  and  its  value  has  been 
greatly  enhanced  by  the  excellent  drainage  system  that  has  been  established  by  the 
dredging  of  a  deep  canal  right  through  the  Kessler  ranch,  thus  converting  the  place 
into  ideal  farm  land.  The  enterprise  and  progressiveness  of  the  owner  are  further  in- 
dicated in  the  excellent  appearance  of  the  place,  which  is  now  being  highly  cultivated. 

Mr.  Kessler  was  born  in  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  of  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  descent  in  the  paternal  line  and  of  English  on  the  maternal  side,  his  parents 
being  Henry  W.  and  Sabina  (Harple)  Kessler,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. John  F.  Kessler  was  born  May  24,  1853,  and  in  1867  accompanied  his  parents 
on  their  removal  from  the  Keystone  state  to  Wayne  county,  Ohio,  where  he  spent  six 
years  and  then  made  his  way  westward  to  Burt  county,  Nebraska.  For  thirty-two 
years  he  resided  in  that  state  and  in  1904  came  to  Idaho,  first  settling  in  Boise,  where 
he  lived  for  several  years,  while  later  he  purchased  a  large  tract  of  wild  prairie  land  in 
the  Payette  valley.  He  has  made  his  home  in  this  valley  since  1907  and  is  now  de- 
voting his  attention  to  the  further  development  and  improvement  of  what  will  soon 
become  one  of  the  finest  ranches  of  the  valley.  Mr.  Kessler  made  quite  a  fortune  in 
land  in  Nebraska  but  lost  it  all  in  cattle  raising  before  he  left  that  state,  so  that  he 
came  to  Idaho  with  practically  nothing,  in  fact  he  had  to  borrow  money  in  order  to 
make  the  trip  to  the  northwest.  Here  he  made  a  new  start  and  already  hcs  gained  a 
place  among  the  men  of  affluence  in  his  community.  The  large  drainage  canal  which 
has  recently  been  put  through  his  ranch  will  make  it  worth  at  least  two  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  an  acre  and  his  enterprise  and  diligence  are  com;tantl>  contributing  to  his 
growing  prosperity.  His  eldest  son,  Harry  S.  Kessler.  a  prominent  and  distinguished 
lawyer  of  Boise,  is  the  owner  of  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  the  same  kind  of  land, 
and  has  equally  benefited  by  the  establishment  of  a  drainage  canal. 


868  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr.  Kessler  has  been  married  twice.  In  1876  he  wedded  Catharine  Snader  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  but  only  three  are  living:  Harry  S.,  of 
Boise;  Grace  S.,  who  resides  in  California;  and  Walter  J.,  who  in  June,  1919,  returned 
from  eighteen  months  of  overseas'  service,  being  in  the  thickest  of  the  fighting  in 
France.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  in  1913  and  in  1914  Mr.  Kessler  married 
Mrs.  Jessie  MacDougall,  of  Boise,  who  is  his  present  wife.  She  was  born  in  Scotland, 
October  18,  1869,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  MacLean.  She  first  became  the  wife  of 
Donald  MacDougall,  who  passed  away,  leaving  three  children.:  Allen  S.;  Jennie,  now 
the  wife  of  E.  E.  Smith;  and  Clarissa  M.,  of  Boise.  Mrs.  Kessler  is  a  member  of  the 
Columbian  Club  of  Boise. 

Mr.  Kessler  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  which  he  served  as  an  elder  for 
many  years.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic  party  and  while  living 
in  Nebraska  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  legislature  of  that  state  in  1892.  Since  com- 
ing to  Idaho  he  has  not  been  active  in  politics,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  undivided 
attention  upon  his  business  affairs,  which  have  been  wisely  and  capably  managed, 
placing  him  among  the  substantial  and  prominent  ranchers  of  Gem  county.  His  life 
record  should  serve  to  inspire  and  encourage  others,  showing  what  can  be  accomplished 
through  determination,  his  diligence  having  unlocked  for  him  the  portals  of  success. 


CHARLES  VOGT. 

One  of  the  finest  and  best  improved  farms  in  Canyon  county  is  that  owned  by 
Charles  Vogt  in  the  Huston  district.  The  story  of  his  life  is  a  record  of  earnest 
endeavor  in  which  he  has  won  the  reward  of  persistent  and  intelligently  directed  in- 
dustry. Mr.  Vogt  was  born  in  Iowa,  March  14,  1860,  a  son  of  Nichols  Vogt,  a  native 
of  Germany,  who  arrived  in  Kentucky  in  1847  and  followed  the -trade  of  blacksmi  thing 
in  Louisville  for  a  time.  On  removing  to  Iowa  he  located  first  at  Muscatine,  later  lived 
in  Johnson  county  and  eventually  in  Shelby  county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  and 
in  connection  with  its  cultivation  continued  to  engage  in  blacksmithing.  He  died  July 
1,  1892,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one  years.  His  sons,  Jacob,  Robert,  Charles  and  George, 
operated  the  farm  in  Iowa  while  their  father  carried  on  work  at  his  trade.  Their 
mother,  who  bore  the  name  of  Catherine  Miller,  was  also  a  native  of  Germany  and  she 
and  Mr.  Vogt  became  acquainted  while  crossing  the  Atlantic,  their  marriage  being 
celebrated  after  they  reached  the  United  States.  The  mother  passed  away  in  Nebraska 
at  the  age  of  eighty-one  years. 

Charles  Vogt  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Iowa  and  in 
1888  went  to  Nebraska,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
improved  land.  Five  years  later  his  mother  joined  him  there  and  he  continued  to 
engage  in  farming  in  that  state  for  sixteen  years.  In  1907  he  came  to  Idaho  after 
having  traveled  over  seven  thousand  miles  seeking  just  the  conditions  he  wanted.  He 
has  here  eighty  acres,  which  was  a  homestead  relinquishment,  seven  miles  southwest 
of  Caldwell  and  which  he  purchased  from  the  man  who  had  entered  the  claim.  It  was 
in  an  unimproved  condition  when  it  came  into  his  possession  and  today  it  is  one  of 
the  best  and  most  beautiful  farms  in  the  state.  He  has  a  splendid  home  of  an  attractive 
style  of  architecture,  surrounded  by  beautiful  trees  and  shrubs  and  forming  a  most 
pleasing  feature  in  the  landscape.  The  soil  of  his  place  is  especially  adapted  to  the 
raising  of  potatoes  although  it  is  capable  of  producing  any  crops.  His  land  has 
yielded  from  three  hundred  to  six  hundred  bushels  of  potatoes  to  the  acre  and  they  are 
the  largest  and  best  potatoes  on  the  market,  being  of  that  kind  which  has  made  the 
Idaho  potato  famous  from  coast  to  coast.  He  paid  a  thousand  dollars  for  his  place 
when  it  was  covered  with  sagebrush  and  today  he  has  refused  three  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  per  acre  and  the  year's  crop.  After  refusing  this  sum  he  was  asked  to 
name  his  price  but  nothing  will  tempt  him  to  sell.  His  home  and  improvements  cost 
him  sixty-five  hundred  dollars  and  today  could  not  be  duplicated  for  less  than  ten 
thousand  dollars.  He  has  one  of  the  finest  barns  in  the  county  and  also  a  large  stock 
barn.  On  his  place  is  a  big  potato  «ave  which  will  hold  six  carloads  of  the  tubers, 
and  several  times  it  has  been  crowded  to  capacity.  He  also  has  a  fine  orchard  for 
family  use  with  every  variety  of  deciduous  fruit.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
progressive  farmers  of  the"  state.  He  never  allows  his  soil  to  callow  by  raising  re- 
peatedly one  kind  of  crop,  but  practices  rotation  and  other  scientific  methods  of  farm- 
ing with  splendid  results. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

On  the  1st  of  October.  1&83,  Mr.  Vogt  was  married  to  Miss  Hilda  Thornton,  a  native 
of  Iowa,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  Beven  children:  Mary,  who  is  the 
of  Art  Forman  and  has  three  children:  Esther,  Floyd  and  Richard;  A.  ('..  twenty-eight 
years  of  age.  who  married  Ethel  Mo  Adams;  Ben  F.,  aged  twenty-four,  who  is  now  upon 
the  home  farm;  Agnes,  the  wife  of  T.  O.  Wheeler  and  the  mother  of  a  son.  Roy.  six 
years  of  age;  George  L.t  twenty-two  years  of  age,  who  married  Alma  Smith  and  has 
one  child,  Wilma;  Harmon,  twenty  years  of  age;  and  Flossie  E.,  who  completes  the 
family. 

Such  in  brief  is  the  history  of  Charles  Vogt,  who  throughout  his  connection  with 
Idaho  has  manifested  the  progressive  spirit  which  has  been  the  dominant  factor  in 
the  upbuilding  of  the  northwest.  Realizing  the  possibility  of  this  country,  he  early 
had  the  prescience  to  discern  something  of  what  the  future  held  in  store  for  it.  and. 
taking  advantage  of  the  opportunities  here  offered,  he  has  gained  a  most  creditable 
and  enviable  position  among  the  prominent  and  representative  agriculturists  ot 
state. 


FRED  C.  MICKELSON. 

Fred  ('.  Mickelson.  the  well  known  and  popular  manager  of  the  Bolse-Payelte  Lum- 
ber Company  and  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Shelley,  was  born  in  Denmark. 
September  14,  1874,  a  son  of  Peter  and  Christina  (Hanson)  Mickelson.  who  were  also 
natives  of  that  country  and  came  to  America  when  Fred  C.  was  a  child  of  nine  years. 
The  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  In  1883  he  decided  to  try  his  fortune  in  thi- 
country  and  on  his  arrival  in  the  United  States  he  went  to  Draper,  Utah,  where  he 
bought  a  tract  of  land  whicli  he  improved  and  placed  under  cultivation,  finally  bring- 
ing his  farm  to  a  point  where  it  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  district  where 
he  resided.  He  continued  to  engage  in  farming  for  the  remainder  of  his  liTe.  hi- 
death  occurring  in  October,  1914.  His  wife  predeceased  him  by  almost  two  > 
dying  in  August,  1912.  Mr.  Mickelson  was  a  high  priest  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints  and  was  active  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare  ot 
community. 

Fred  C.  Mickelson  was  nine  years  of  age  when  his  parents  brought  him  to  this 
country.  He  received  his  early  education  in  Denmark  and  finished  his  school  course 
at  Draper,  Utah.  He  started  working  at  the  age  of  nine  and  was  employed  on  dif- 
ferent jobs.  He  later  went  to  railroading  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  was 
appointed  postmaster  of  Draper,  serving  for  two  years  in  that  position,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  he  began  work  for  the  Draper  Cooperative  Mercantile  Company,  remaining 
with  that  firm  for  three  years.  He  then  engaged  in  carpentering  at  different  places 
until  1907.  when  he  removed  to  lona,  Bonneville  county,  Idaho,  going  thence  to  Biugham 
county.  He  was  employed  by  the  lona  Mercantile  Company  at  Klva.  now  Ucon.  for 
six  months.  On  his  arrival  at  Shelley,  Bingham  county,  he  became  interested  in  the 
Johnson-Sundell  Mercantile  Company  and  later  joined  the  Weeter  Lumber  Company. 
with  which  he  remained  for  one  year.  Mr.  Mickelson  then,  in  company  with  .1 
Shelley  and  others,  organized  the  Shelley  Real  Estate  &  Investment  Company,  of  which 
he  became  secretary  and  treasurer,  but  later  sold  his  interest  in  the  real  estate  and 
investment  business.  About  1907  the  Snake  River  Valley  irrigation  district  was 
organized  and  of  this  project  Mr.  Mickelson  became  the  firs*  secretary.  He  was  also 
•  •My  clerk  and  clerk  of  the  school  board  and  has  otherwise  been  identified  with  the 
public  affairs  of  Shelley.  In  the  fall  of  1910  he  was  called  by  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  to  fill  a  mission  in  Denmark  and  Norway  and  was  thus 
engaged  for  three  years,  returning  to  this  country  in  1913.  On  his  return  home  he 
followed  contracting  until  September.  1917.  when  he  became  manager  of  the  Boise- 
Payette  Lumber  Company  at  Shelley  and  has  filled  this  position  ever  since,  the  com- 
pany and  its  patrons  alike  appreciating  his  zealoue  services. 

On  September  14,  1899,  Mr.  Mickelson  was  united  in  marriage  to  Hulda  Garff  and 
they  have  one  child.  Aslaugh,  born  February  3.  1907.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  earnest  supporters  of  all  Its  work. 
In  1914  the  Shelley  stake  was  organized  and  Mr.  Mickelson  has  served  as  stake  clerk 
ever  since. 

In  September,  1919,  Mr.  Mickelson.  in  conjunction  with  others,  organized  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Shelley,  of  which  he  is  a  director  as  well  as  a  stockholder.  He  is 


870  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

also  a  stockholder  in  the  Ashton-St.  Anthony  Light  &  Power  Company  and  is  active 
in  all  matters. affecting  the  public  welfare.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the  republican  party 
but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  to  his  varied  interests. 


RAYMOND  J.   CLUEN,  M.  D. 

Dr.  Raymond  J.  Cluen  is  a  prominent  physician  and  surgeon,  being  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Springer  &  Cluen,  of  Boise,  Idaho.  He  has  been  in  the  active  practice  of 
medicine  for  twenty  years,  and  for  the  last  fifteen  years  of  this  period,  he  has  divided 
his  services  between  Parma,  Canyon  county,  where  he  spent  nine  years,  and  the  last 
six  years  in  Boise,  with  the  exception  of  from  July,  1917,  to  January  25,  1919,  during 
which  period  he  served  in  the  United  States  navy  as  an  X-Ray  specialist. 

Dr.  Cluen  was  born  at  Winterset,  Madison  county,  Iowa,  February  22,  1880,  and  is 
the  only  son  of  John  Cluen,  a  railroad  man,  now  living  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa.  His 
mother,  who  was  Sarah  Thatcher  before  her  marriage,  died  in  1913.  There  is  one 
daughter,  Mrs.  Frances  Lenard,  of  Chicago. 

Dr.  Cluen  finished  his  high  school  course  at  the  early  age  of  sixteen  years  and 
was  president  of  his  class.  He  later  entere'd  Drake  University,  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1900,  being  then  twenty  years  old,  and 
in  that  year  he  obtained  the  degree  of  M.  D.  from  that  university.  He  then  served 
in  the  public  hospitals  of  Des  Moines  and  Philadelphia  as  interne  for  two  years.  On 
starting  in  practice  for  himself,  Dr.  Cluen  selected  Des  Moines,  where  he  followed 
his  profession  for  some  time.  During  the  past  ten  years  he  has  been  doing  post- 
graduate work  at  Chicago  and  Rochester,  Minnesota,  specializing  in  X-Ray  practice, 
at  which  he  has  become  an  expert. 

On  October  2,  1902,.  Dr.  Cluen  was  married  to  Miss  Neva  Phyllis  Leib,  who  was 
born  at  Pleasantville,  Iowa,  February  9,  1883.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  son,  John 
Raymond,  born  on  November  30,  1903.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  State 
Medical  Association;  of  the  American  Medical  Association  and  of  the  American  Roent- 
genologist  Society.  He  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  a  Shriner,  also  belongs  to  the 
Elks,  and  is  a  life  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
American  Legion,  and  his  church  affiliation  is  with  the  Methodists.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Eastern  Star,  in  the  affairs  of  which  as  well  as  in  social  and  com- 
munity matters,  she  takes  an  earnest  and  active  interest. 


HONG  KEE. 

Hong  Kee,  a  well  known  figure  in  mercantile  circles  in  Pocatello  and  also  pro- 
prietor of  the  Crow  Hotel,  was  born  in  the  Sunning  district  of  China,  August  7,  1868. 
He  attended  the  high  school  there  for  two  years  and  came  to  America  with  a  cousin 
at  the  age  of  twelve.  Arriving  in  San  Francisco,  California,  he  was  first  employed 
as  a  waiter  in  the  office  car  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad,  where  he  remained  until 
the  completion  of  the  road.  He  then  came  to  Pocatello  and  served  as  a  cook  in  the 
depot  restaurant  for  the  Oregon  Short  Line  Railroad  for  about  six  years,  after  which 
he  returned  to  his  native  country.  A  year  later  he  again  came  to  America  and  as- 
sumed the  management  of  the  J.  G.  Brown  Building  restaurant,  of  which  he  had 
charge  for  ten  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  once  more  returned  to 
China  and  for  three  years  engaged  in  merchandising  in  Canton,  after  which  he  landed 
at  Vancouver,  British  Columbia,  this  time  having  brought  his  family  with  him  to  the 
new  world.  He  remained  in  British  Columbia  for  more  than  a  year,  during  which 
time  he  was  engaged  in  merchandising.  The  year  1893  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Poca- 
tello, where  he  established  a  mercantile  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Wah  Yuen 
Company  and  is  still  interested  in  the  business  but  has  also  extended  his  efforts  into, 
other  lines,  for  in  1912  he  built  the  Crow  Hotel,  a  modern  and  up-to-date  building  forty 
by  one  hundred  and  forty  feet,  and  in  connection  therewith  conducts  the  restaurant  in 
the  establishment. 

Mr.  Kee  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age  when  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lung  See 
and  three  children  were  born  to  them  in  China:  Kin  Hong,  who  died  in  Pocatello; 
Gin  Hong,  who  is  twenty-one  years  of  age  and  now  in  Montana;  and  George  Hong, 


HONG  KEE 


HISTORY  OF  IDAIio 

who  is  in  the  eleventh  grade  in  the  high  school  in  Pocatello  and  works  In  the  Stock- 
holders Bank.  The  other  children  were  born  in  this  country  and  Mr.  Kee  is  proud 
of  the  fact  that  they  are  Americans.  These  are:  Jennie  Hong,  who  was  born  in  Van- 
couver, British  Columbia,  and  is  ten  years  of  age;  Prank  Hong,  born  in  Pocatello  and 
now  eight  years  of  age;  Nellie  Hong,  aged  seven:  Kee  Hong,  aged  four;  Helen  Hong, 
aged  two;  and  Tom  Hong,  who  is  a  year  old.  The  younger  children  were  all  born  In 
Pocatello.  The  children  of  the  family  who  are  old  enough  are  attending  school  and 
Mr.  Kee  says  that  they  will  all  be  good  American  citizens  and  glad  to  prove  their 
allegiance  to  the  country  that  has  made  the  world  safe  for  democracy.  His  own  career 
is  an  illustration  of  the  workings  of  the  great  American  melting  pot.  He  Is  proud  of 
America  and  Pocatello,  the  city  of  his  adoption,  and  has  proven  his  loyalty  and  good 
citizenship  by  investing  his  money  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  city.  He  speaks  the 
English  language  fluently,  is  a  good  conversationalist  and  is  well  posted  on  political 
affairs  of  the  state  and  nation.  In  fact  he  is  a  most  highly  respected  resident  of  Poca- 
tello and  one  of  its  best  business  men,  whose  enterprise  and  honesty  are  proverbial. 


LUC1KN   XAI'<)LI-:o\    BONAPARTE  CA  Kl  KNTKK. 

Lucien  Napoleon  Bonaparte  Carpenter  has  for  a  number  of  yeara  followed  ranch- 
ing in  the  vicinity  of  Boise  and  has  recently  sold  a  thirty-acre  tract  of  valuable  land 
known  as  the  James  Stott  place.  Upon  this  ranch  he  resided  for  dome  time  and  when 
he  disposed  of  it  secured  nearly  five  hundred  dollars  per  acre  for  the  property.  H 
owns  other  valuable  realty  interests  in  Idaho  and  it  is  probable  that  he  will  take  up 
his  abode  again  in  the  vicinity  of  the  capital  city.  Mr.  Carpenter  was  born  near  In- 
dianola,  Iowa,  March  1.  1874,  and  is  a  son  of  Norman  A.  and  Mary  E.  (Parker)  Car- 
penter, both  of  whom  have  passed  away.  He  was  reared  upon  an  Iowa  farm  and  has 
devoted  his  entire  life  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

On  the  13th  of  September,  1896,  Mr.  Carpenter  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
LilHe  K.  Bales,  who  was  likewise  born  near  Indianola  and  is  a  daughter  of  Caleb  and 
Elizabeth  (Beals)  Bales.  In  1898  Mr.  Carpenter  and  his  wife  removed  to  Idaho  and 
for  six  months  resided  in  the  vicinity  of  Sweet,  after  which  they  returned  to  Iowa. 
In  1901,  however,  they  again  came  to  the  northwest  and  have  since  lived  in  the  Boise 
valley,  in  Ada  and  Canyon  counties.  The  more  recent  years  have  been  passed  in  Ada 
county  and  Mr.  Carpenter  became  the  owner  of  what  was  known  as  the  James  Stott 
place,  an  excellent  tract  of  land*  of  thirty  acres  on  the  Boise  bench.  Upon  this  farm 
were  good  improvements,  while  eleven  acres  of  the  land  were  planted  to  prunes  that 
an-  now  in  full  bearing.  Having  opportunity  to  sell  at  an  advantageous  figure.  Mr. 
Carpenter  disposed  of  the  place  for  fourteen  thousand  five  hundred  dollars.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  he  has  made  investment  in  other  property  in  Idaho,  including  soms 
in  the  vicinity  of  Boise.  His  former  ranch  is  situated  Juft  one  mile  northeast  of  the 
Cole  school.  His  holdings  altogether  comprise  several  hundred  acres  of  ranch  land 
in  Ada  and  Canyon  counties. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carpenter  had  but  one  son.  Earl,  who  passed  away  of  diphtheria  in 
1907,  when  but  nine  years  of  age.  his  death  being  a  great  blow  to  the  parents.  Mr. 
Carpenter  is  an  Odd  Fellow  and  also  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen,  while  both  he 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Royal  Neighbors.  In  politics  they  are  supporters  of 
the  democratic  party,  but  Mr.  Carpenter  has  never  consented  to  fill  public  office.  As  the 
years  have  passed  he  has  prospered  in  his  business  undertakings  and  is  now  financially 
independent,  so  that  he  and  his  wife  expect  to  take  life  easy.  They  an?  pwple  of 
genuine  worth,  enjoying  the  warm  regard  of  those  who  know  them,  and  they  have  won 
many  friends  during  the  period  of  their  residence  in  Idaho. 


CYRUS  A.  HARRIS. 

One  of  the  most  important  business  enterprises  of  Rexburg  is  that  conducted  under 
the  name  of  the  Farmers'  Implement  Company.  Its  ramifying  trade  connections  cover 
a  wide  territory,  for  branch  houses  have  been  established  at  various  points.  Thus  at 
the  head  of  this  business  are  most  enterprising  men.  active  and  alert  to  eveiy  op- 
portunity, and  their  labors  have  been  productive  of  most  substantial  and  gratifying 


874  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

results.  One  of  the  officers  of  the  company  is  Cyrus  A.  Harris,  who  is  the  manager, 
secretary  and  treasurer.  He  was  born  at  Salem,  Madison  county,  Idaho,  March  30, 
1889,  and  is  a  son  of  George  H.  B.  and  Victoria  J.  (Sandgreen)  Harris,  who  are  men- 
tioned at  length  on  another  page  of  this  work.  The  father  was  for  many  years  a  most 
prominent  figure  in  agricultural  circles  in  Madison  county  and  is  now  in  the  employ 
of  the  Farmers'  Implement  Company,  not  from  necessity  but  from  choice,  as  through  his 
farming  interests  he  accumulated  a  valuable  property  that  now  returns  to  him  a  most 
gratifying  annual  income. 

In  the  acquirement  of  his  education  Cyrus  A.  Harris  attended  the  schools  of  Salem 
and  the  public  schools  at  Sugar,  Madison  county.  He  completed  a  high  school  course 
in  the  Ricks  Academy  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1909.  He  then  went  upon 
the  road  for  the  Spaulding  Manufacturing  Company,  traveling  in  Idaho  and  Utah  in 
1910.  He  afterward  became  timekeeper  for  the  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Company  at  the 
factory  in  Sugar,  where  he  remained  during  the  winter  of  1910-11.  In  the  spring  he  was 
appointed  manager  of  the  Utah  Implement  Vehicle  Company  at  the  branch  at  Rexburg 
and  occupied  that  position  until  the  spring  of  1912,  when  the  Farmers'  Implement  Com- 
pany was  organized,  he  being  a  factor  in  the  organization.  He  became  one  of  the  stock- 
holders and  in  fact  the  business  was  promoted  by  Mr.  Harris  and  Mr.  McKinlay,  who 
is  the  president,  while  Mr.  Harris  became  the  manager,  secretary  and  treasurer.  Since 
then  a  business  of  very  substantial  proportions  has  been  developed,  the  trade  interests 
covering  a  wide  territory,  and  the  enterprise  is  today  one  of  the  foremost  commercial 
concerns  of  this  section  of  the  state.  In  partnership  with  his  brother  George,  Cyrus 
A.  Harris  owns  and  operates  four  hundred  acres  of  dry  land  four  miles  east  of  Rexburg 
and  recently  they  have  installed  a  15-30  Titan  tractor  on  the  farm. 

On  the  19th  of  June,  1912,  Mr.  Harris  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Zina  Cole 
and  to  them  have  been  born  four  children,  namely:  Ross  C.;  Don  C.;  Zina  F.,  who 
passed  away  September  11,  1916,  at  the  age  of  three  months;  and  Arthur  Paul. 

Mr.  Harris  is  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and 
has -served  as  counselor  to  Bishop  H.  J.  Flamm  of  the  second  ward  and  has  held  various 
other  offices  in  the  church.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  republican  party 
and  for  two  years  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council.  In  community  affairs 
he  is  deeply  interested  and  lends  the  weight  of  his  aid  and  influence  to  every  movement 
calculated  to  benefit  the  community  and  promote  the  upbuilding  of  the  district.  Hia 
worth  as  a  business  man  and  citizen  is  widely  acknowledged 


JOHN  E.  HEIZER. 

John  E.  Heizer,  engaged  in  ranching  ten  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Emmett  on  the 
south  slope,  was  born  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  July  2,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Edward 
and  Elizabeth  (Buchanan)  Heizer,  the  latter  a  second  cousin  of  James  Buchanan,  who 
was  president  of  the  United  States  from  1857  until  1861. 

John  E.  Heizer  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  acquired  his  education 
in  the  public  schools.  During  the  Civil  war  he  responded  to  the  country's  call  for 
troops,  enlisting  in  Company  K,  Fifty-second  Indiana  Regiment,  with  which  he  served 
for  three  years,  three  months  and  twenty-seven  days,  first  as  a  private  and  afterward 
as  corporal.  He  participated  in  many  hotly  contested  battles  and  made  an  excellent 
record  for  valor  and  loyalty,  returning  home  unharmed  to  resume  the  pursuits  of 
private  life.  He  continued  a  resident  of  Indiana  until  1872,  when  he  removed  to 
Tipton,  Cedar  county,  Iowa,  where  he  worked  as  a  bricklayer  and  plasterer. 

While  there  residing  Mr.  Heizer  was  married  in  Tipton  on  the  15th  of  February, 
1877,  to  Miss  Eliza  Godden,  who  was  born  at  that  place,  March  8,  1855,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Hannah  (Cowell)  Godden.  On  leaving  Iowa,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heizer  became 
residents  of  Kansas  and  in  1891  made  their  way  to  Portland,  Oregon,  where  they  lived 
for  a  time  and  then  became  residents  of  eastern  Oregon,  where  they  resided  until  1907 — • 
the  year  of  their  removal  to  Elaine  county,  Idaho.  In  1913  they  took  up  their  abode 
upon  their  present  ranch  property  in  Gem  county,  which  is  situated  about  ten  and  a 
half  miles  west  of  Emmett. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heizer  have  been  born  two  children  who  are  yet  living.  Mary 
Elizabeth,  born  May  23,  1878,  was  married  November  21,  1906,  to  David  Alexander 
Sanderson,  who  was  born  at  Santaquin,  Utah,  May  24,  1877,  and  is  a  SOD  of  Samuel 
and  Marie  (Pierson)  Sanderson,  who  were  of  the  Mormon  faith.  Mr.  Sanderson  served 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  875 

in  the  Spanish-American  war  as  a  private  in  the  Second  United  States  Cavalry.  He 
afterward  joined  the  regular  army  and  served  for  three  years  in  California  and  Wash- 
ington, being  a  sergeant  when  discharged  in  1902.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanderson  now 
reside  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heizer  on  the  ranch,  of  which  Mr.  Sanderson  has  charge. 
relieving  his  father-in-law  of  the  active  management  of  the  property.  To  Mr.  and  Mr*. 
Sanderson  have  been  born  two  children  who  are  yet  living:  Ed  Alexander,  born  July 
26,  1909;  and  Cleo  G.,  who  was  born  November  6,  1916.  They  also  lost  a  son,  Bert 
Andrew  Sanderson,  who  was  born  August  19,  1911,  and  died  March  14,  1919,  of  an 
accidental  gunshot.  The  only  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heizer  is  Roscoe  Conkling  Heizer. 
who  was  born  May  26.  1882.  He  was  married  April  16,  1908,  to  Susan  C.  Hedden  and 
they  reside  in  Canyon  county,  Idaho.  They  have  seven  children:  Eva  May.  who  was 
born  March  3,  1909;  Waiter  O.,  born  December  6,  1910;  Wallace.  January  7.  1 
Clinton,  December  5,  1913;  Vera  Eliza,  March  7,  1915;  William.  February  21.  1918;  and 
Olive  Parthena.  August  19,  1919.  Another  child  was  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  K 
Heizer,  a  daughter,  Olive  W.,  whose  birth  occurred  September  19,  1880.  and  who  passed 
away  January  16,  1886. 

Both  Mr.  Heizer  and  Mr.  Sanderson  are  members  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  former  is  a  past  grand  of  the  local  lodge.  He  is  likewise  a  past  com- 
mander of  Sherman  Post,  G.  A.  K.,  of  Portland,  Oregon.  His  political  allegiance  is 
given  to  the  republican  party  and  he  has  at  all  times  been  loyal  to  those  interests  and 
activities  which  have  promoted  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  country  in  days  of 
peace  and  at  all  times  his  patriotism  has  been  just  as  pronounced  as  when  he  fol- 
lowed the  starry  banner  on  the  battlefields  of  the  south  during  the  Civil  war. 


EDWARD  G.  FRANK. 

Edward  G.  Frank  has  until  a  recent  date  been  connected  with  the  Burley  Electric 
Company  and  has  done  important  work  of  that  character,  making  his  home  in  the 
town  of  Burley,  from  which  point  he  supervised  important  interests.  He  was  born  in 
Atchison,  Kansas,  April  25,  1885,  a  son  of  Joseph  and- Sarah  (Morris)  Frank.  His 
boyhood  days  were  passed  in  his  native  state  and  to  its  system  of  education  he  is 
indebted  for  the  opportunities  which  he  received  in  that  direction.  He  afterward  took 
up  electrical  work  for  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  at  Topeka.  Kansas,  where  he  remained  for 
fourteen  years. 

In  1917  Mr.  Frank  arrived  in  Burley,  Idaho^  where  he  established  an  electrical 
business  in  connection  with  H.  E.  Bisbee.  They  developed  a  business  of  substantial 
and  gratifying  proportions  and  did  expert  work  along  their  line.  Mr.  Frank  is  the 
owner  of  an  eighty  acre  farm  situated  southeast  of  Burley  and  he  has  been  connected 
with  speculative  building  in  the  town,  erecting  several  houses.  He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  a  mutual  company  known  as  the  Unity  Light  ft  Power  Company,  for  ir- 
rigation, lighting,  pumping,  etc.,  which  at  the  start  had  sixty  subscribers,  while  it 
now  has  one  hundred  and  twenty-six.  He  also  organized  the  Declo  Light  ft  Power 
Company,  which  has  its  plant  southwest  of  the  town  of  Declo  and  serves  approximately 
seventy-five  farms.  He  likewise  promoted  the  Ferry  Light  ft  'Power  Company,  supply- 
ing one  hundred  farms  south  and  west  of  Burley.  He  has  also  promoted  other  smaller 
companies  of  similar  character  and  has  done  active  work  in  installing  irrigation  plants 
and  electrical  motors  and  centrifugal  pumps.  There  is  no  phase  of  the  electrical 
business  as  applied  to  needs  and  conditions  in  this  section  with  which  he  is  not 
familiar.  His  associate,  Mr.  Bisbee,  is  likewise  a  man  of  marked  capability  and  power 
in  the  direction  in  which  they  promoted  their  interests  and  after  removing  to  Burley 
the  firm  had  the  maintenance  work  in  connection  with  all  pumping  planned  for  the 
Minidoka  irrigation  district,  formerly  handled  by  the  United  States  reclamation  service. 
They  have  recently  closed  a  contract  for  sixty  miles  of  a  forty-four  thousand  roll 
transmission  line  from  Salt  Lake  City  to  the  village  of  Arco,  Idaho.  Their  work  was 
of  a  mosH  important  character,  the  value  of  which  can  scarcely  be  overestimated. 
They  introduced  light  and  power  into  many  districts  where  it  has  been  of  the  most 
vital  worth  in  the  development  of  the  region,  leading  to  upbuilding  and  progress,  and 
in  addition  to  all  this  Mr.  Frank  incorporated  and  is  operating  stores  a*  Burley. 
Declo,  Paul  and  "Rupert. 

In  1913  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Frank  and  Miss  Helen  G.  Benning.  a 
daughter  of  Burdett  R.  and  Mary  R.  Benning  and  a  native  of  Kansas.  They  now 


876  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

have  an  interesting  little  son,  William.  Mr.  JFrank  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason 
and  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  In  politics  he  is  a  repub- 
lican and  is  keenly  interested  in  the  vital  questions  and  problems  of  the  day.  His 
aid  and  cooperation  can  always  be  counted  upon  to  further  the  welfare  of  community, 
commonwealth  or  country.  His  own  career  has  been  characterized  by  a  steady  advance- 
ment which  has  been  the  direct  outgrowth  and  result  of  high  business  ideals.  He 
has  been  a  close  student  of  all  the  scientific  phases  of  his  work  as  well  as  those 
practical  forces  bearing  upon  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  district,  and  the 
utilization  of  his  powers  has  brought  him  to  the  point  of  expert  ability  in  the  field  of 
electrical  work  in  Cassia  county. 


WILBUR  WESLEY  BOLTON. 

Wilbur  Wesley  Bolton,  the  manager  of  the  Warner-Jennison  Lumber  Company  of 
Kimberly  and  Hansen,  Idaho  making  his  home  and  headquarters  at  the  former  place, 
was  born  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  October  26,  1896,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  H.  and  Clara 
(Date)  Bolton.  His  father  was  for  twenty  years  the  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the 
L.  R.  Sharsha  Manufacturing  Company  of  Chicago,  but  his  health  failed  him  and  he 
came  to  the  west,  hoping  a  change  of  climate  would  prove  beneficial,  as  it  did,  and 
he  is  now  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  at  Twin  Falls. 

Wilbur  W.  Bolton  spent  the  first  twelve  years  of  his  life  in  the  city  of  his  na- 
tivity and  in  1908  came  to  Idaho  with  his  parents,  the  family  home  being  established 
at  Twin  Falls,  where  he  resumed  his  education,  begun  in  the  public  schools  of  Chi- 
cago. He  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  of  Twin  Fall?,  after  which  he  made  a 
trip  to  San  Francisco,  California,  where  he  remained  for  six  months.  He  then  returned 
to  Idaho  and  secured  a  clerkship  in  the  Idaho  Department  Store  at  Twin  Falls,  with 
which  he  was  thus  connected  for  three  years.  In  1918  he  removed  to  Buhl,  where  he 
waS  the  active  manager  for  the  White-Runyon  Shoe  Company  until  September,  1919, 
when  he  became  manager  of  the  Warner-Jennison  Lumber  Company  and  removed  to 
Kimberly.  In  his  business  career  he  displays  close  application,  unfaltering  enterprise 
and  unremitting  diligence,  and  these  qualities  are  leading  to  the  continued  develop- 
ment of  the  trade  and  have  won  him  recognition  as  a  representative  business  man  of 
his  adopted  city. 

In  1915  Mr.  Bolton  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Bessie  Warner,  a  native  of 
Osage,  Iowa,  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Eda  Warner,  the  former  a  member  of  the 
bar  at  Osage,  whence  he  removed  to  the  northwest,  settling  with  his  family  at  Twin 
Falls,  Idaho.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bolton  have  been  born  three  children:  Elizabeth  J., 
Eda  Jean  and  Wilbur  Wesley. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  parents  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
in  the  social  circles  of  Buhl  they  occupy  an  enviable  position.  Mr.  Bolton  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  -Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  since  age  conferred  upon 
him  the  right  of  franchise  he  has  voted  with  the  republican  party,  believing  firmly  in 
its  principles  as  factors  in  good  government.  There  have  been  no  unusual  or  esoteric 
phases  in  his  life.  He  has  given  close  attention  to  business  since  starting  out  in  com- 
mercial circles  and  his  thoroughness  and  energy  have  constituted  the  foundation  upon 
which  has  been  built  the  superstructure  of  his  success. 


ISAAC   WOMACK. 

Isaac  Womack,  a  pioneer  of  the  Upper  Payette  valley  living  in  the  vicinity  of 
Emmett,  arrived  in  the  territory  of  Idaho  in  1870.  A  half  century  has  since  come  and 
gone  and  great  changes  have  been  wrought.  Mr.  Womack  bearing  his  part  in  the  work 
of  general  development  and  progress.  He  removed  to  the  northwest  from  Quincy, 
Illinois,  being  at  that  time  a  youth  of  thirteen  years,  and  traveled  to  Idaho  in  company 
with  his  parents,  Alexander  and  Phoebe  (Perkins)  Womack,  and  his  brother,  Asa 
Womack,  who  is  fourteen  months  his  senior,  and  five  sisters,  Matilda,  Alice,  Nora, 
Nellie  and  Nancy.  The  five  sisters  are  all  yet  living  but  the  brother  passed  away  in 
Nevada.  The  father  was  born  in  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  March  26,  1836,  and  was  of 
Welsh  descent  on  the  paternal  side,  his  father  being  Green  Womack,  the  son  of  a 
Welshman.  Alexander  Womack  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  in  early  life  and  after 


MRS.  ISAAC  WOMACK 


FOUR  GENERATIONS  OF  THE  WOMACK  FAMILY 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  879 

coming  to  Idaho  established  a  smithy  In  Emmett.  then  called  EmmettBrille  this  being 
the  first  shop  of  the  kind  in  the  town  and  the  only  one  for  many  years  The  father 
thus  early  became  identified  with  the  industrial  derelopment  of  the  region  and  his 
smithy  was  patronized  by  all  the  early  pioneers  of  the  district.  Mr.  Womack  reached 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one  years,  his  death  occurring  November  19,  1916  while 
his  wife  died  March  4,  1914. 

Isaac  Womack  has  lived  in  Emmett  or  vicinity  from  the  age  of  thirteen  and  early 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  under  the  direction  of  his  father.  He  and  a  younger 
brother,  William  Womack,  who  now  resides  in  Cascade,  conducted  the  blacksmith  shop 
at  Emmett  for  many  years,  but  finally  Isaac  Womack  ceased  work  at  the  forge  and 
turned  his  attention  to  other  interests.  For  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  he  has 
been  ditch  rider  on  the  Last  Chance  ditch,  which  is  the  best  and  cheapest  irrigation 
property  in  Idaho,  it  is  believed,  furnishing  water  to  patrons  for  fifteen  cents  per  acre. 
Mr.  Womack  has  lived  at  various  places  in  and  near  Emmett  and  his  present  home  is 
a  ten-acre  fruit  ranch  two  miles  east  of  Emmett  at  the  east  end  of  Main  street  and 
right  in  the  foothills.  It  is  known  as  the  Fair  View  Fruit  Ranch  and  is  located  on 
the  slope,  where  frosts  seldom  come. 

When  a  young  man  of  twenty  years  Mr.  Womack  was  married.  His  birth  had 
occurred  in  Clark  county,  Missouri.  April  30,  1857,  and  on  the  1st  of  August,  1877, 
he  wedded  Miss  Purlia  Cordelia  Bradford  who  was  born  in  Darke  county,  Ohio.  June 
30,  1862,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Ezra  and  Elizabeth  (Beckelhammer)  Bradford.  She 
came  to  Idaho  territory  with  her  parents  in  1871  and  was  then  but  nine  years  of  ace. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Womack  have  now  traveled  life's  journey  happily  together  for  forty-three 
years.  They  became  the  parents  of  two  children:  Ada,  who  passed  away  at  the  age 
of  twelve;  and  Walter,  who  is  living  in  Gem  county.  There  are  now  two  grandchildren. 
Elmer  and  Alfred  Womack,  who  are  the  sons  of  Walter  Womack  and  reside  with  their 
grandparents.  They  are  now  fifteen  and  twelve  years  of  age  respectively,  Elmer  having 
been  born  May  7,  1905,  and  Alfred,  February  16,  1908.  The  Bradford  family  settled 
first  on  Eagle  island,  in  the  Boise  valley,  but  later  removed  to  Emmettsville  and  Ezra 
Bradford  passed  away  February  18,  1909,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years,  while  his 
wife  died  October  24,  1911,  when  but  fifty-two  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Womack  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  his  political 
allegiance  is  given  to  the  democratic  party,  but  the  honors  and  emoluments  of  office 
have  had  no  attraction  for  him.  Business  interests  and  activities  have  claimed  his 
attention  and  the  thoroughness  which  became  a  habit  of  his  youth  when  he  was  working 
in  his  father's  blacksmith  shop  has  been  a  dominant  feature  in  his  career  and  in  the 
course  of  time  has  made  him  one  of  the  men  of  affluence  in  his  community.  His  Fair 
View  Fruit  Ranch  is  an  excellent  property  and  he  also  has  an  excellent  income  as  a 
ditch  rider.  He  is  well  acquainted  with  the  history  of  this  section  of  the  state  and 
his  reminiscences  of  pioneer  times  are  most  interesting. 


ARTHUR  O.  MAUS._ 

Arthur  O.  Maus,  a  carpenter  and  contractor  of  South  Boise,  has  made  his  home 
in  Idaho  since  1906  and  through  the  intervening  period  has  been  identified  with  its 
agricultural  and  industrial  interests.  Coming  to  the  northwest  from  Crestcn,  Iowa, 
he  spent  a  year  in  Boise  and  then  located  on  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  five  miles 
south  of  Boise  and  two  miles  south  of  Ivywild,  remaining  thereon  long  enough  to  prove 
up  on  the  property.  Since  1912  he  has  resided  continuously  in  South  Boise,  where 
he  is  well  known  as  a  carpenter  and  contractor.  He  was  born  upon  a  farm  near  Clin- 
ton, Missouri,  December  31,  1876.  His  father,  Albert  O.  Maus,  is  a  farmer  now  residing 
on  a  ranch  on  Eight  Mile  creek,  south  of  Boise.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Jennie  Grove  and  was  born  at  Allegheny,  Pennsylvania,  in  1854,  thus  being  about 
two  years  the  junior  of  the  father,  whose  birth  occurred  at  Lima.  Ohio,  in  1852.  They 
were  married  in  Iowa  in  1875  and  Arthur  O.  Maus  is  the  eldest  of  their  family  of 
eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are  yet  living,  all  being  residents  of  Idaho. 

When  Arthur  0.  Maus  was  two  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  to  Iowa  and  when 
he  was  a  lad  of  nine  became  residents  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  the  father  there  following 
the  trade  of  carpentering.  In  1892  the  family  went  to  Creston,  Iowa,  and  there  Arthur 
O.  Maus  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  with  the  class  of  1896.  He  afterward  took 
up  the  profession  of  teaching,  which  he  followed  for  two  years. 

While  still  a  resident  of  Iowa,  he  was  married  at  Creston  on  the  27th  of  March. 


880  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

1900,  to  Miss  Nora  Luella  Ewing,  whose  birth  occurred  at  Rutland,  Illinois,  October 
25,  1878,  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  John  W.  and  Mary  Frances  (Benton)  Ewing,  both 
Of  whom  are  now  living  in  Lincoln,  Nebraska.  Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Maus  began  their  domestic  life  at  Creston,  where  they  remained  until  1906  and  then 
came  to  Idaho,  spending  a  year  in  Boise  and  then  occupying  the  homestead  until  they 
secured  title  to  the  property.  Since  1912,  however,  they  have  been  residents  of  South 
Boise  and  in  1913  Mr.  Maus  erected  his  present  comfortable  home,  a  two-story  frame 
residence  of  eight  rooms  at  No.  1820  Manitou  street.  Following  the  trade  of  carpenter 
and  builder,  he  has  erected  more  than  sixty  residences  in  Idaho  and  also  had  the 
contract  for  the  building  occupied  by  the  Idaho  Candy  Company  on  South  Eighth 
street.  He  likewise  built  the  Howard  Harvey  bungalow  at  1423  Franklin  street,  con- 
structed of  clinker  brick  and  one  of  the  most  attractive  bungalows  of  Boise. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maus  have  been  born  seven  children:  Ruth  Miriam,  who  was  born 
January  4,  1902,  and  is  now  a  senior  in  the  Boise  high  school;  Phillip  G.,  born  Novem- 
ber 2,  1903;  Martha  Lois,  November  7,  1905;  Fred  Paul,  December  31,  1908;  Lewis 
Arthur,  August  15,  1911;  James  Charles,  November  27,  1914;  and  Harry  Walter,  Sep- 
tember 27,  1916. 

The  religious  faith  of  Mr.  Maus  is  indicated  by  his  connection  with  the  Christian 
Science  church  of  Boise.  In  politics  he  is  an  independent  republican  but  has  never 
sought  or  held  office,  preferring  to  concentrate  his  efforts  and  attention  upon  his  busi- 
ness affairs,  which  have  been  capably  conducted.  His  diligence  has  constituted  the 
key  which  has  brought  to  him  a  substantial  measure  of  success  antl  he  is  well  known 
among  the  contractors  and  builders  of  South  Boise,  where  for  eight  years  he  has 
continuously  made  his  home. 


EZRA  E.  ZARING. 

One  of  the  active  and  progressive  business  men  and  capable  officials  of  Power 
county  is  Ezra  E.  Zaring,  of  American  Falls,  who  is  conducting  business  under  the 
name  of  the  Zaring  Grain  Company  and  who  is  also  one  of  the  county  commissioners. 
More  than  a  decade  has  been  added  to  the  cycle  of  the  centuries  since  he  took  up  his 
abode  in  Power  county  and  throughout  the  period  he  has  figured  actively  in  the 
business-  life  of  the  community. 

He  was  born  in  Mahaska  county,  Iowa,  December  23,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  Alvin 
and  Mercy  (Paul)  Zaring,  natives  of  Indiana.  The  father,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  re- 
moved to  Iowa  with  his  parents  in  the  '40s  and  was  there  engaged  in  general  agri- 
cultural pursuits  to  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  when  in  1862  he  made  his  way  across 
the  plains  with  ox  teams,  going  to  the  state  of  Washington,  where  he  arrived  after 
six  months  spent  on  the  road.  He  then  took  up  land  near  Walla  Walla  and  began 
the  difficult  task  of  converting  a  wild  tract  into  productive  fields.  His  attention  was 
given  to  farm  work  until  1894,  when  he  retired  and  established  his  home  in  the  city 
of  Walla  Walla,  where  he  has  since  resided,  being  now  eighty-two  years  of  age.  His 
wife  passed  away  in  August,  1888. 

When  but  three  years  of  age  Ezra  E.  Zaring  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Wash- 
ington and  was  there  reared  and  educated.  He  continued  under  the  parental  roof  until 
he  reached  the  age  of  twenty-four,  after  which  he  began  farming  on  his  own  account, 
having  previously  had  much  experience  in  the  development  and  cultivation  of  his 
father's  fields.  He  bought  land  and  also  took  up  a  homestead,  which  he  improved 
and  operated.  He  remained  an  active  representative  of  farming  interests  in  different 
parts  of  the  state  until  1909,  when  he  removed  to  American  Falls  and  opened  a  real 
estate  office,  which  he  conducted  for  two  years.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  the 
grain  business,  which  he  has  since  carried  on,  and  he  now  has  five  different  ware- 
houses in  Power  county,  handling  vast  amounts  of  grain  annually.  His  business  has 
become  an  extensive  and  profitable  one,  and  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  grain 
merchants  of  his  section  of  the  state. 

In  May,  1887,  Mr.  Zaring  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Paul,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  five  children^.  Iva,  Maude,  Ethel,  Helen  and  Lorene.  In  the  fall  of  1918 
Mr.  Zaring  was  elected  to  the  office  of  county  commissioner  of  Power  county  on  the 
republican  ticket.  He  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  local  leaders  of  the  republican  party 
and  is  a  stanch  champion  of  its  principles.  He  has  also  served  on  the  city  council 
and  as  a  member  of  the  highway  district  board,  and  he  exercises  his  official  preroga- 
tives in  support  of  various  plans  and  measures  which  are  of  great  benefit  to  the  locality. 


HISTORY  OF  II>.\H<  >  881 

He  has  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  also  in  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  the  teachings  of  these  two  organizations  constitute  the  motive  fo--c«  of 
his  life  and  the  standard  by  which  he  measures  all  his  actions. 


GRIFFIN  S.  MARSHALL. 

For  many  years  Griffin  S.  Marshall  has  been  identified  with  ranching  and  sheep 
raising  but  is  now  living  retired.  Careful  management  of  his  business  affairs  brought 
him  success  and  he.  makes  his  home  at  Malta,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  hi*  former  toil.  He 
was  born  in  Charlotte  county,  Virginia,  August  19,  1849,  and  is  a  son  of  Hunter  Homer 
and  Sarah  (Stith)  Marshall.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he  left  the  Old  Dominion  and 
made  his  way  to  the  west  with  its  boundless  opportunities.  For  a  yeur  he  resided 
at  Elko,  Nevada,  and  in  July.  1870,  made  his  way  to  the  Raft  river  country. 
Malta,  Idaho,  now  stands.  He  was  employed  as  a  cow  puncher  for  several  >«  MS  and 
later  engaged  in  cattle  raising  on  his  own  account  in  the  Goose  Creek  valley.  He 
afterward  built  up  a  ranch  on  Dry  creek,  homesteading  land  and  living  thereon  for 
eight  years.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  sheep  raising  and  in  the  fall  of  189* 
removed  to  Ogden,  Utah.  He  ran  sheep  in  Utah,  Nevada  and  in  the  Raft  river  valley  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  developing  his  flocks  to  large  proportions  and  becoming  one 
of  the  prominent  and  successful  sheepmen  of  this  section  of  the  country.  In  1918 
he  extended  his  efforts  into  other  business  connections  by  erecting  the  Marshall  apart- 
ments at  Burley,  where  he  is  also  the  owner  of  the  Ford  garage.  In  all  of  his  businectf 
affairs  he  has  displayed  sound  judgment  and  keen  discrimination  and  in  his  vocab- 
ulary there  has  never  been  any  such  word  as  fail.  When  one  avenue  of  opportunity 
has  seemed  closed  he  has  carved  out  other  paths  whereby  he  could  reach  the  desired 
goal. 

In   1884   Mr.   Marshall   was   united   in  marriage   to  Miss   Kate   Parke.  a   native  of 
Logan,  Utah,  and  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Margaret   (Wattison)   Parke,  who  came  to 
Idaho    in    1877,   and   here   both    the   father   and    mother   passed   away.      Mr.   and 
Marshall   have   become  parents  of  six  children:     Griffin   H.,  Wilmour  S..  W.  C.,  John, 
Margaret  and  Eitha  Parke. 

In   his  political  views   Mr.   Marshall   has  long  been   a   stalwart   republican   and   in 
the  fall  of  1888  was  elected  sheriff  of  Cassia  county,  which  position  he  capably  filled 
until  January,  1891.     He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  has  ever  been  a  faith 
ful  follower  of  the  teachings  of  the  craft.    He  is  numbered  among  the  honored  pioneer 
settlers  of  his  part  of  the  state.     When  he  made  his  way   to  the  Raft   river  country 
almost  a  half  century  ago  it  was  a  new  and  undeveloped  district.     Malta  had  not 
been  established  and  there  were  few  settlers  in  the  neighborhood.     Helton.  Utah,  was* 
the    nearest   market.     The   Pocatello    Indians   were    numerous   and    disputed    with 
\vhite  men  the  right  to  the  territory.    Great  changes  have  since  occurred.  Mr.  Marshall 
at  all  times  bearing  his  part  in  the  work  of  general  progress  and  improvement. 


WILLIAM  A.  STONK. 

William  A.  Stone,  attorney  at  law  in  Caldwell.  practicing  as  senior  partner  in  the 
firm  of  Stone  &  Jackson,  was  born  at  Knoxville,  near  De.s  Moines,  Iowa.  December  3. 
1862.  His  father,  William  M.  Stone,  was  a  native  of  Jefferson  county.  New  York,  aiul 
he,  too,  was  a  lawyer  by  profession.  He  served  for  five  years  on  the  bench  and 
resigned  his  judicial  position  in  order  to  give  his  services  to  his  country  duriiu 
Civil  war.  He  organized  the  Third  Iowa  Infantry  and  became  its  captain  before  leaving 
for  rervice.  In  his  first  day's  battle  at  Shiloh  he  was  captured  and  sent  to  prison  .\' 
Selma,  Alabama.  His  release  was  effected  within  sixty  days  through  the  exchange  of 
prisoner*  and  he  returned  to  his  home,  where  the  Twenty-second  Itifmtry  was  being 
formed,  of  which  he  was  made  colonel,  then  returning  to  active  service.  Previous  to 
his  capture  he  had  been  in  command  of  the  Second  Iowa  Regiment.  After  participating 
in  several  hotly  contested  engagements  he  \  >;i«ly  wounded  at  the  battle  of 

Vicksburg  and  was  forced  to  return  home.  Soon  :ift»rwi»rd  he  w  i*  i  oniinated  for 
governor  in  June,  1863.  and  was  elected  Iowa's  chief  executive,  while  in  1866  he  was 
reelected  to  that  position,  his  administration  fully  meeting  the  need?  of  the  common 

Vol.  Ill— 58 


882  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

wealth  and  the  country  in  that  critical  hour  of  America's  history.  On  leaving  office  he 
practically  retired  from  political  life  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued until  his  appointment  "as  commissioner  of  the  general  land  office.  His  death  in 
Oklahoma  City  in  1896  closed  a  long  and  successful  career  which  had  largely  been 
devoted  to  the  welfare  of  his  country.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Car- 
oline Mathews,  was  born  July  19,  1835,  at  Coshocton,  Ohio,  and  died  in  Caldwell, 
Idaho,  January  7,  1910,  having  removed  to  the  northwest  subsequent  to  the  death  of  her 
husband. 

At  Knoxville,  Iowa,  William  A.  Stone  acquired  his  early  education,  which  was 
supplemented  by  five  years'  study  at  Iowa  College  in  Grinnell,  and  for  a  brief  period 
he  was  a  student  in  Lombard  University  at  Galesburg,  Illinois.  He  completed  his 
education  in  1882,  and,  taking  up  the  study  of  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1887, 
after  which  he  entered  upon  active  practice  in  Hutchinson,  Kansas.  In  1889,  in  order 
that  he  might  be  near  his  father,  who  was  appointed  commissioner  general  of  the 
land  office  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  under  President  Harrison's  administration,  he  removed 
to  the  national  capital,  where  he  practiced  law  for  four  years,  or  until  July,  1893. 
Owing  to  his  father's  ill  health  they  then  removed  to  Oklahoma  and  William  A.  Stone 
resumed  law  practice  in  the  Cherokee  Strip,  where  he  remained  until  1896,  when  his 
father  died.  He  then  returned  to  his  old  home  and  practiced  at  Knoxville,  Iowa,  until 
the  spring  of  1901,  when  he  came  to  Caldwell,  Idaho,  where  he  has  since  successfully 
followed  his  profession.  In  1902  he  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney  of  the  county 
and  during  his  residence  in  Iowa  he  had  also  served  as  prosecuting  attorney  of 
Marion  county.  In  Caldwell  he  was  associated  with  Haley,  Borah  &  Van  Duyn  in 
the  prosecution  of  the  well  known  murder  case  of  Governor  Steunenberg  and  in  fact 
has  been  associated  with  most  important  cases  of  this  nature  in  the  state.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  well  known  firm  of  Stone  &  Jackson,  one  of  the  most  prominent 
firms  connected  with  the  Idaho  bar,  and  he  is  the  attorney  for  the  Boise  Valley  Traction 
Company  and  the  Idaho  Power  Company. 

On  the  9th  of  June,  1890,  Mr.  Stone  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  Engle,  daughter  of 
Mrs.  Adelaide  Engle,  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  they  have  one  daughter, 
Helen  Engle  Stone,  who  received  her  degree  in  literature  from  the  College  of  Idaho 
at  Caldwell  in  1919.  Mr.  Stone  is  fortunate  in  having  back  of  him  an  ancestry  honor- 
able and  distinguished — one  characterized  by  keen  mentality,  and  his  lines  of  life 
have  been  cast  in  harmony  therewith.  In  person,  talents  and  character  he  is  a  worthy 
scion  of  his  race  and  the  utilization  of  the  powers  with  which  nature  endowed  him  has 
brought  him  to  a  foremost  position  in  the  ranks  of  the  legal  fraternity  of  Idaho.  There 
is,  however,  no  profession  in  which  advancement  must  depend  more  surely  upon  in- 
dividual merit  and  ability,  and  it  has  been  through  close  application  and  earnest  study 
that  Mr.  Stone  has  reached  his  present  position  of  leadership. 


JOSE   ALASTRA. 

Jose  Alastra,  a  sheepman  and  wool  grower  of  Boise  and  a  representative  of  the 
Spanish  Basque  colony  of  Idaho,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  state  since  1902,  while  his 
connection  with  the  United  States  covers  thirty-two  years,  dating  from  1887.  He 
was  born  in  Spain,  May  4,  1871,  a  son  of  Batista  Ondarza,  a  cattleman  and  farmer, 
who  is  still  living  in  that  country  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years.  The 
mother  also  survives  and  has  reached  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  In  accordance  with 
the  custom  practiced  in  that  section  of  Spain,  the  son  Jose  took  his  mother's  maiden 
name  of  Alastra,  as  it'  was  also  that  of  the  house  in  which  he  was  born,  and  it  is  his 
legally  adopted  name  in  this  country.  His  children,  however,  use  the  family  name 
of  Ondarza. 

Jose  Alastra  was  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  when  he  first  came  to  the  United  States. 
He  spent  the  first  fifteen  years  of  his  residence  in  America  as  a  sheep  herder  and  gen- 
eral ranch  hand  in  Nevada  and  he  also  rode  the  range  as  a  cowboy  a  part  of  the 
time.  In  1902  he  returned  to  Spain  to  visit  his  parents,  spending  seven  months  in 
that  country.  He  then  again  came  to  the  United  States  and  on  this  occasion  made  his 
way  to  Idaho,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  "Uncle  Billy"  Howell,  a  prominent 
sheepman  of  Boise,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work.  After  a  few  months  spent  as 
herder  he  leased  a  bunch  of  sheep  from  Mr.  Howell  and  managed  them  on  shares,  thus 
getting  a  start  in  the  business  on  his  own  account.  In  1903  he  became  associated  in  the 


JOSE  ALASTRA 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  883 

sheep  business  with  John  Archabal,  who  is  one  of  the  most  successful  of  Boise's 
colony  of  sheepmen.  Since  that  date  the  business  association  between  Messrs.  Alastra 
and  Archabal  has  been  continued  and  they  now  have  six  thousand  sheep  which  they 
own  jointly  and  they  share  equally  in  the  profits.  Mr.  Alastra  and  Mr.  Archabal 
also  jointly  own  a  valuable  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Ada  county, 
eight  miles  south  of  Boise,  on  which  they  raise  alfalfa  for  their  sheep.  This,  however. 
does  not  produce  nearly  enough  to  feed  their  sheep,  as  during  the  past  year  they 
purchased  two  thousand  tons  of  alfalfa,  to  be  used  in  addition  to  that  produced  on 
their  ranch  and  for  which  they  paid  fifteen  dollars  per  ton. 

Mr.  Alastra  was  married  October  12.  1907.  to  Miss  Escolftatlca  Arriandiaga.  who 
\v«is  born  in  Spain,  February  10.  1890.  her  parents  still  being  residents  of  that  country, 
their  home  being  near  that  of  the  parents  of  Mr.  Alastra.  She  came  to  the  United 
States  in  the  year  in  which  she  was  married.  Three  children  have  been  born  of  this 
marriage:  Aurora,  born  August  20.  1909;  Lide,  born  April  18.  1912;  and  Rlcardo. 
November  18,  1916. 

Mr.  Alastra  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  sheepmen  of  his  section  of  the 
state,  having  developed  his  interests  along  practical  and  progressive  lines  that  have 
brought  splendid  results.  He  is  a  man  of  long  experience  and  sound  judgment  and 
is  thoroughly  informed  concerning  everything  that  has  to  do  with  successful  sheep 
niising  in  Idaho. 


JOHN  H.  TALLEY. 

John  H.  Talley  is  a  retired  rancher  residing  at  No.  1914  North  Kleventh  street  in 
Boise.  The  story  of  Idaho's  development  is  familiar  to  him  through  more  than  a  third 
of  a  century's  connection  with  the  state.  He  removed  from  Georgetown,  Colorado,  to 
the  northwest,  but  was  born  in  Morgan  county,  Ohio,  March  6,  1845,  and  was  the  first 
one  of  his  family  to  come  to  this  state.  Later,  however,  his  parents,  Harmon  Harrison 
and  Hannah  (Smith)  Talley,  removed  to  Idaho,  together  with  a  brother  and  sister 
of  John  H.  Talley,  these  being  Wesley  and  Jennie.  The  former  is  now  deceased,  while 
the  latter  is  the  wife  of  W.  A.  Carpenter,  of  Boise,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

John  H.  Talley  spent  his  early  childhood  in  Morgan  county,  Ohio,  but  waa  only 
seven  years  of  age  when  he  went  with  his  parents  to  Ogle  county,  Illinois.  There  he  re- 
sided from  1852  until  1869,  or  for  a  period  of  seventeen  years,  when  he  removed  with 
his  parents  to  Atchison  county,  Kansas.  For  two  years  he  was  a  resident  of  that 
locality  and  then  went  to  Osborne  county,  Kansas.  While  living  there  he  wan  ap- 
pointed United  States  deputy  marshal  and  filled  the  position  for  two  years  in  the  In- 
dian Territory  under  President  Grant's  first  administration.  Later  he  spent  two  years 
in  Minnesota  and  in  1880  he  removed  to  Georgetown,  Colorado,  where  he  remained 
until  1886,  when  he  came  to  Idaho.  After  coming  to  this  state  Mr.  Talley  was  for 
two  years  employed  in  a  silver  mine  in  Owyhee  county.  He  then  removed  to  Sweet, 
Idaho,  where  he  took  up  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  desert  land 
near  the  town.  Thereon  he  lived  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  developing 
the  once  wild  and  desolate  tract  into  a  highly  improved  and  productive  farm.  Whik- 
upon  the  ranch  he  was  one  of  five  men  who  constructed  what  is  known  as  the  Squaw 
creek  dam  and  ditch.  In  fact  he  was  the  principal  mover  in  the  project,  owning  four 
times  as  much  stock  in  the  enterprise  as  his  associates  and  performing  four  times  as 
much  of  the  work  as  they.  The  construction  of  this  dam  and  ditch  was  an  enormous 
job  for  the  five  ranchers  and  required  five  years  in  its  accomplishment,  but  the  re- 
sults fully  justified  the  expenditure  of  time,  labor  and  capital,  for  it  not  only  irrigated 
their  own  ranches  but  also  many  others  in  the  vicinity  and  has  now  been  in  good 
working  order  since  1896. 

Soon  after  taking  up  his  desert  claim,  Mr.  Talley  was  united  in  marriage  in 
Nampa,  Idaho,  on  the  24th  of  January,  1890,  to  Miss  Dena  Ebbelraesser.  who  was 
born  in  Fayette  county.  Illinois.  February  2,  1870,  and  is  of  German  parentage,  bin 
both  her  father  and  mother  died  when  she  was  a  little  girl.  Thus  left  an  orphan.  »lu- 
was  partly  reared  by  an  aunt.  She  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Talley  while  he 
was  on  a  visit  in  Kansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Talley  have  become  the  parents  of  tw. 
daughters.  Gladys,  born  December  17,  1891,  was  married  in  1913  to  Wellington  Wills 
and  they  reside  on  a  ranch  near  Eagle,  Idaho.  Bernice,  born  September  2.  1897,  is  a 
graduate  of  a  business  college  and  is  now  employed  In  the  sUte  auditor's  office. 


886  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Mr.  Talley  continued  to  serve  as  president  of  the  Squaw  Creek  Ditch  Company  for 
several  years  and  also  was  president  of  the  Boise  County  Milling  Company,  which 
operated  a  flour  mill  at  Sweet,  getting  its  power  from  the  Squaw  creek  ditch.  la  boy- 
hood  Mr.  Talley  joined  the  Independent  Order  of  Good  Templars  and  has  ever  been 
a  man  of  strictly  temperate  habits,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  advance  the  abolition  of 
strong  drinks.  He  is  also  a  Master  Mason  and  is  loyal  to  the  teachings  and  purposes 
of  the  craft,  which  recognizes  the  brotherhood  of  mankind  and  the  obligations  thereby 
imposed.  For  thirty-four  years  he  has  lived  in  Idaho — years  which  have  marked  a 
marvelous  change  in  the  state  and  its  development  He  has  recognized  the  problems 
connected  with  the  agricultural  development  of  the  region,  and  his  enterprise  and  in- 
itiative have  enabled  him  to  largely  extend  the  work  of  improvement,  while  as  the 
years  have  passed  the  careful  conduct  of  his  business  affairs  has  brought  to  him  a 
substantial  competence  that  now  enables  him  to  live  retired,  ranking  with  the  men 
of  affluence  in  the  capital  city. 


GEOROE  A.  NOURSE. 

George  A.  Nourse,  engaged  in  farming  near  Meridian,  was  born  in  Boise,  January 
18,  1892.  He  is  a  son  of  Frank  A.  Nourse,  a  native  of  Illinois,  who  in  early  life  took 
up  the  business  of  merchandising  and,  having  removed  to  Idaho,  became  the  owner  of 
several  stores  in  Boise.  He  likewise  had  a  large  forwarding  house  there  and  furnished 
supplies  to  the  mines.  He  also  conducted  a  large  business  with  the  government  in 
furnishing  supplies  to  the  forts.  He  came  to  Idaho  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  taking 
up  his  abode  in  Boise,  and  before  the  railroad  was  built  to  the  present  capital  city  he 
had  a  large  forwarding  house  at  Kuna.  He  was  one  of  the  men  early  interested  in  and 
associated  with  the  Idaho  Building  and  Loan  Association  and  is  still  a  stockholder 
thereof,  as  is  also  his  son,  George  A.  Nourse.  This  is  one  of  the  strong  financial  in- 
stitutions of  the  state  and  has  been  an  element  of  great  value  in  the  upbuilding  and 
development  of  Idaho.  In  addition  to  his  other  interests  Frank  A.  Nourse  acquired 
a  large  amount  of  land,  much  of  which  he  still  owns  today,  although  he  has  recently 
sold  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  opposite  the  place  upon  which  his  son,  George 
A.,  now  resides.  However,  he  retains  possession  of  four  hundred  acres,  constituting 
a  valuable  and  highly  improved  property.  He  has  confined  his  personal  attention  to 
merchandising  and  with  the  assistance  of  hired  help  has  conducted  his  farms,  all 
of  which  have  proven  sources  of  gratifying  profit.  He  is  still  a  very  active  man  and 
he  and  his  son  George  are  closely  associated  in  business.  Frank  A.  Nourse  has  long 
been  regarded  as  a  most  resourceful  and  enterprising  merchant  who  has  wisely,  care- 
fully and  profitably  conducted  his  commercial  interests  and  at  the  same  time  has  won 
substantial  success  at  farming  and  stock  raising.  His  life  record  shows  what  can  be 
accomplished  through  individual  effort  and  ability.  At  one  time  he  owned  nearly  the 
whole  town  of  Meridian  and  still  has  in  his  possession  a  large  amount  of  property 
there.  In  early  manhood  he  wedded  Frances  Corker,  of  Mountain  Home,  Idaho,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  three  children:  Frank  C.,  residing  in  Boise;  Lucy  Ellen, 
who  has  passed  away;  and  George  A. 

The  last  named  was  educated  in  the  common  and  high  schools  of  Boise,  spend- 
ing his  youthful  days  under  the  parental  roof  and  early  becoming  associated  with 
his  father  in  business.  This  association  has  since  been  maintained  and  the  experience 
and  wisdom  of  the  father  have  been  of  great  benefit  to  the  son,  while  the  enterprise 
and  energy  of  the  young  man  have  been  of  equal  value  to  the  father  in  the  conduct 
of  his  affairs.  George  A.  Nourse  is  now  giving  his  attention  largely  to  farming  and 
stock  raising  and  has  one  hundred  head  of  registered  Hampshire  sheep  upon  the 
home  place,  while  his  father  has  about  seven  hundred  head  of  graded  sheep.  At  one 
time  they  had  two  hundred  and  fifty  head  of  cattle,  but  when  they  sold  the  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acre  tract  of  land  they  had  no  place  on  which  to  range  their  cat- 
tle and  accordingly  disposed  of  their  live  stock.  They  now  have  about  seventy-five 
acres  planted  to  orchards  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  hay,  grain  and  pasture 
upon  the  place  of  George  A.  Nourse,  which  is  pleasantly  and  conveniently  situated 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Meridian.  They  likewise  have  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  under  cultivation  one  mile  north  of  McDermott,  on  the  Interurban  stub. 

In  July,  1917,  Mr.  Nourse  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  Kerr,  daughter  of  T.  N. 
Kerr,  proprietor  of  the  Dewey  Palace  Hotel  at  Nampa,  and  they  have  one  child,  Lucy 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  887 

Ellen,  born  May  8,  1919.  The  young  couple  occupy  an  enviable  position  in  the  social 
circles  of  Meridian  and  have  a  wide  and  favorable  acquaintance  in  the  -surrounding 
section  of  Ada  county.  Mr.  Nourse  seems  to  have  inherited  the  business  ability  and 
enterprise  of  his  father  and  is  making  rapid  strides  toward  prominence  and  success  in 
his'chosen  field  of  endeavor. 


A.  HENRY  SIMMONS. 

On  the  roster  of  county  officials  in  Bingham  county  appears  the  name  of  A.  Henry 
Simmons,  who  is  serving  as  sheriff  and  who  is  a  well  known  resident  of  Blackfoot. 
He  was  born  in  Houston,  Missouri,  February  4,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  S.  C.  and  Mary 
(Baney)  Simmons,  who  were  natives  of  Tennessee.  The  father  enlisted  in  the  Con- 
federate army  and  served  during  the  Civil  war.  After  hostilities  had  ceased  he  went 
to  Missouri,  where  he  secured  a  homestead  and  there  engaged  in  general  farming 
until  1877,  when  he  removed  to  Brigham,  Utah,  and  worked  in  a  sawmill  for  one  year. 
He  then  came  to  Idaho  and  secured  employment  in  sawmills,  thus  spending  his  time 
until  1885,  when  he  removed  to  Blackfoot,  Bingham  county,  and  took  up  land  about  nine 
miles  from  the  city.  He  then  undertook  the  arduous  task  of  clearing  and  developing  it. 
transforming  the  once  wild  tract  into  rich  and  productive  fields.  He  passed  away  in 
February,  1904,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years,  and  his  wife  died  in  May.  1891. 

A.  Henry  Simmons  was  reared  and  educated  in  Marsh  Valley,  Idaho,  and  remained 
with  his  parents  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  when  he  began  work  in  a  hotel,  making  his 
initial  step  in  the  business  world.  When  twenty  years  of  age  he  took  a  position  at  the 
State  Asylum  at  Blackfoot,  with  which  he  was  connected  for  a  year.  He  then  turned 
his  attention  to  the  restaurant  business  and  afterwards  was  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness until  1909.  He  then  took  up  draying  and  the  transfer  business  and  was  active 
along  that  line  until  1913,  when  he  was  made  chief  of  police  and  occupied  the  position 
for  a  year.  In  the  fall  of  1914  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  Bingham  county  and  has  since 
been  reelected  to  that  position,  serving  now  for  the  third  term. 

On  the  17th  of  September,  1895,  Mr.  Simmons  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Inet 
Wright  and  they  became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  one  died  in  intancy. 
Those  living  are  Myrle,  Zelma  E.,  Darwin  W.,  Carroll  H.,  Herbert  S.  and  Theodore  H. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Simmons  is  a  republican  and  aside  from  serving  as  sheriff 
he  was  a  member  of  the  city  council  for  four  years,  exercising  his  official  prerogatives 
in  support  of  many  plans  for  the  general  good.  Fraternally  he  is  connected  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  Knights  of 
Pythias,  while  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  these 
associations  are  found  the  rules  which  govern  his  conduct  and  shape  his  relation:-,  witb 
his  fellowmen.  He  is  a  man  of  high  purpose  and  sterling  worth  who  merits  and  en- 
joys the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 


WASHINGTON  W.  TAYLOR. 

Washington  W.  Taylor,  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Driggs,  wa*  born  in 
Salt  Lake  City  on  the  27th  of  February,  1868,  his  parents  being  William  W.  and  Emily 
M.  (Blackburn)  Taylor,  who  are  natives  of  England  and  caine  to  America  with  their 
respective  parents  during  their  childhood  days.  The  families  had  become  converted  to 
the  teachings  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  In  crossing  the 
plains  the  Taylor  family  used  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  a  yoke  of  cows,  traveling  by  i 
and  weary  stages  across  the  country  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  people  of  their  faltt 
at  Salt  Lake  City.  William  W.  Taylor  became  a  teamster  and  also  worked  at  different 
jobs  in  early  life.  After  his  son  Washington  had  reached  adult  age  they  became  en- 
gaged in  sheep  raising,  William  W.  Taylor  taking  up  land  in  Parley's  canyon  which  he 
improved  and  developed  but  later  sold  to  the  city  of  Salt  Lake.  On  removing  to  Idaho 
he  purchased  land  near  Rexburg  and  again  gave  his  attention  to  sheep  raising  for 
several  years.  Eventually  he  returned  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  has  since  resided 
He  is  still  the  owner  of  the  homestead  which  he  first  acquired  in  the  city  of  Salt 
Lake.  He  has  now  reached  the  age  of  seventy-five  years,  while  the  mother  is  sixty- 
eight  years  of  age. 


888  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

Washington   W.    Taylor   was   reared   and   educated   in    Salt   Lake   City,    remaining 
under    the    parental    roof   until    he   had   attained    his   majority,    when    he   became    the 
active  associate  of  his  father  in  sheep  raising.    He  had  previously  saved  three  hundred 
dollars  and  with  this  he  purchased  one  hundred  head  of  sheep.     He  has  since  been 
connected   with    the   sheep   industry   and   his   success,   which   is   now   of  a   substantial 
character,  has  been  gained  entirely  through  his  activity  along  that  line.     In  1894  he 
came  to  Idaho,  settling  in  the  Teton  basin,  at  which  time  he  bought  land  a  mile  and 
a  quarter  from  Driggs.     Here  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  raising  of  sheep  and 
cattle,   making  a   specialty  of  handling  pure  bred   shorthorn   cattle  and   Cotswokl   and 
Rambouillet  sheep.     He  has   developed  his  flocks  and   his  herds  and  is  today  one  of 
the  prominent  live  stock  raisers  of  the  state.    He  has  a  nice  home  at  Driggs  and  divides 
his  time  between  his  city  residence  and  his  ranch.    A  resourceful  and  progressive  man, 
he   has   proven   his   capability  of  successfully   handling  various   interests   and   is   now 
president  of  the  Teton   Milling  Company  and  also  the  president  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Driggs.     The  banking  company  has  erected  a  modern  business  block,  which 
was  completed   in  January,  1919,   and  would  be  a  credit  to  any  city  in  the  country. 
The  bank  is  capitalized  for  fifty  thousand  dollars  and  has  deposits  amounting  to  two 
hundred  and  eighty  thousand  dollars.     The  other  officers  of  the  bank  are  R.  C.  Kimball, 
vice   president,   and   C.   B.   Walker,   cashier.     Mr.   Taylor   owns   the   half  of    the   bank 
building  which  is  not  used  for  banking  purposes.     His  agricultural   interests  embrace 
one   thousand   acres    of   land,   of  which   he   cultivates   eight   hundred   acres.     He   is   a 
man  of  marked  business  capability  and  resourcefulness.     The  door  of  opportunity  has 
ever  swung  open  to  his   demand  and,  wisely  using  his  time  and  his  talents,  he  has 
built  his  fortunes  up  to  substantial  proportions. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1892,  Mr.  Taylor  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  D.  Driggs, 
by  whom  he  has  four  children,  as  follows:  Jean  D.,  who  is  a  sheepman  of  the  Teton 
basin;  Florence,  the  wife  of  Earl  Floyd,  who  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Teton  county;  Vivian,  assistant  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Driggs,  Idaho; 
and  Laurence,  who  is  attending  school. 

In  religious  belief  Mr.  Taylor  and  his  family  are  connected  with  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Politically  he  is  a  republican  but  has  never  been 
ambitious  to  hold  office.  He  belongs  to  the  National  Wool  Growers  Association  and 
to  the  Fremont  County  Wool  Growers  Association  and  he  is  keenly  interested  in  every- 
thing that  pertains  to  sheep  raising  and  the  development  of  the  industry  in  the 
northwest.  Few  men  are  more  prominent  or  more  widely  known  in  the  enterprising 
city  of  Driggs  and  throughout  this  section  of  the  state  than  is  Washington  W.  Taylor. 
He  possesses  untiring  energy,  is  quick  of  perception,  forms  his  plans  readily  and  is  de- 
termined in  their  execution,  while  his  close  application  to  business  and  his  excellent 
management  have  brought  to  him  the  high  degree  of  prosperity  which  is  today  his. 
He  represented  Teton  county  in  the  state  legislature  in  1914  and  it  was  through  his 
efforts  that  this  county  was  separated  from  Fremont. 


JOSEPH  HEWITT. 

Joseph  Hewitt,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  townsite  of  Ririe,  Jefferson  county, 
who  has  done  much  for  the  development  of  that  village,  was  born  in  Liverpool,  England, 
on  January,  1859,  a  son  of  Francis  and  Margaret  (Dean)  Hewitt,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  the  old  country.  The  father  spent  much  of  his  time  on  the  high  seas  as  a 
marine  engineer  in  which  occupation  he  achieved  much  success  and  consequent  advance- 
ment. At  one  time  in  his  career  he  was  connected  as  commodore-in-chief  for  a  number 
of  years  with  the  Guion  Steamship  Line,  which  operated  out  of  Liverpool.  In  this 
capacity  it  was  his  duty  to  take  a  new  ship  of  that  company  on  its  maiden  voyage  out 
of  Liverpool  to  New  York,  and  on  his  return  to  the  home  port  he  would  turn  the  ship 
over  to  others  for  the  regular  carrying  work.  He  never  left  his  native  land  and  his 
death  occurred  in  that  country  in  1889.  The  mother  of  our  subject  came  to  America 
after  the  death  of  her  husband  to  join  her  son,  but  after  a  sojourn  in  this  country  for 
seven  years,  she  returned  to  England,  where  she  died  in  1909. 

Joseph  Hewitt  spent  his  early  life  in  England  and,  after  he  had  acquired  his  ele- 
mentary schooling,  learned  the  machinist  trade,  which  he  plied  in  the  shops  of  his 
home  city  until  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1893,  when  he  was  thirty-four  years  of 
age.  His  first  location  in  this  country  was  Pocatello,  Idaho,  where  his  previous  experience 


JOSEPH  HEWITT 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  891 

as  a  machinist  gained  for  him  a  position  in  the  railroad  shops  and  he  remained  there 
until  1912.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Jefferson  county,  Idaho,  to  look  after  some  land 
which  his  wife  had  homesteaded  prior  to  her  marriage  in  1889.  He  found  the  homestead 
thickly  covered  with  cedar  trees  and  immediately  set  to  work  to  clear  it  and  bring  it 
under  cultivation.  Some  time  after  his  arrival  in  Jefferson  county  the  railroad  was 
surveyed  through  that  section  where  the  farm  was  located  and  Mr.  Hewitt,  who  readily 
recognized  that  a  part  of  the  farm  was  ideally  situated  for  a  town  site  offered  to  the 
corporation  a  station  site  of  five  acres  which  was  accepted.  After  the  railroad  had 
purchased  its  right-of-way,  he  sold  a  part  of  the  farm  in  town  lots  which  now  com- 
prise a  large  part  of  Ririe — the  name  given  to  the  new  town.  Then  in  order  to  facilitate 
the  development  of  the  new  community  center,  Mr.  Hewitt  organised  the  Hewitt  Town- 
site  Company  of  which  he  is  now  the  president.  He  baa  not  given  up  agricultural 
operations  for  he  still  continues  to  supervise  the  cultivation  of  his  fine  farm,  now 
comprised  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  acres,  which  is  one  of  the  beat  improved  in 
his  part  of  the  county. 

In  January,  1898,  Mr.  Hewitt  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Miller.  They  have 
no  children.  Mrs.  Hewitt  is  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Margaret  (Mackey)  Miller,  who 
left  Scotland — the  land  of  their  nativity— to  emigrate  to  the  United  States  In  the  early 
days  and  located  in  Salt  Lake  Valley.  Utah.  Prior  to  his  coming  to  America,  the 
father  followed  the  occupation  of  machinist,  but  after  he  settled  In  Utah  he  opened 
a  blacksmith  shop  and  he  worked  at  this  trade  in  his  adopted  country  the  rest  of  his 
life.  Finally,  however,  he  left  Utah  to  work  in  the  railroad  shops  at  Idaho  Palls. 
Booneville  county,  Idaho,  and  it  was  there  that  his  death  occurred  in  1889.  Some 
years  later  his  wife  died  in  Pocatello  in  1912. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hewitt  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  to  which 
they  give  loyal  and  unstinted  support.  They  built  the  first  schoolhouse  in  Ririe  at  their 
own  expense,  in  fact  Mr.  Hewitt  was  really  the  founder  of  the  town.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  In  politics  it  has  not  been  his  practice  to  affiliate  himself 
with  any  party,  hence  he  renders  his  decision  on  public  questions  without  regard  to 
partisanship,  a  fact  which  in  no  wise  impairs  his  usefulness  to  the  community  he  has 
done  so  much  to  develop. 


CHARLES  LE  MOYNE. 

Charles  Le  Moyne,  president  and  founder  of  the  Le  Moyne  Farm  ft  Live  Stock 
Company  of  Boise,  operating  in  the  Wood  river  section  of  Blaine  county,  has  found 
in  the  conditions  of  the  west  opportunities  for  the  conduct  of  a  most  successful  busi- 
ness enterprise.  He  has  never  been  afraid  to  venture  where  favoring  opportunity  has  led 
the  way,  and  sound  judgment  has  ever  enabled  him  to  readily  discriminate  between  the 
essential  and  the  nonessential  in  all  business  affairs. 

The  width  of  the  continent  separates  Mr.  Le  Moyne  from  his  birthplace,  for  he  is 
a  native  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  was  born  June  13.  1876.     His  father.  McPher- 
son  Le  Moyne,  was  born  in  Montreal,  Canada,  and  came  of  both  Scotch  and  French 
ancestry,  the  founder  of  the  family  in  the  new  world  being  Charles  Le   Moyne.  who 
came   from   France  and   settled   in   Montreal.     The  mother  of  Charles   Le   Moyne  bow 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Brooks  Brigham  and   was  born   in   Boston,   Massachusett 
her  parents   being  representatives  of  one  of  the  old   New   England   families, 
a  cousin  of  Phillips  Brooks,  the  noted   Episcopalian  divine,  and  she  still  makes 
home  in   Boston,  but  Mr.  Le  Moyne  passed  away  in  that  city  ten  years  ago. 
sons  are  Charles  and  Harry  Le  Moyne  and  there  are  three  daughters,  two  of  wh< 
in  Boston  and  one  in  France. 

Charles  Le   Moyne  was   reared  and  educated  in  his  native  city  i 
northwest  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years  as  an  employe  of  the  Boston  I 
Gold  Dredging  Company,  which  was  entering  upon  extensive  *old  dredging  operations 
in   the   vicinity  of   Idaho  City.     He   there   remained   for  three  years    after   ***** 
gave  up  his  position  for  the  purpose  of  engaging  in  the  live  stock  Industry  in  Idaho 
He   has   now    been    connected    with    that    business   for   twenty    years ^  and    wit 
aeriod  has  become  one  of  the  best  known  live  stock  men  of  the  state.     He  Inltia  « 
hts  SreTr  as  a  live  stock  dealer  by  working  as  a  sheep  herder  in  1900  in  the- employ 
of  James  E    Clinton.     For  a  year  he  herded  sheep  and  tended  camp  and   In   1902 

a  bunch  of  sheep,  becoming  owner  of  about  thirty-two  hundred  ewes,  since 


892  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

which  time  he  has  engaged  in  the  business  on  his  own  account  and  for  many  years 
has  been  one  of  the  leading  sheep  and  cattlemen  of  south  central  Idaho,  operating 
chiefly  in  Elaine  but  also  in  Gooding  and  Lincoln  counties.  His  younger  brother, 
Harry  Le  Moyne,  now  a  resident  of  Hailey,  Idaho,  became  his  partner  in  1905  and  is 
now  general  manager  for  the  firm.  Since  1917  the  business  has  been  conducted  under 
the  name  of  the  Le  Moyne  Land  &  Live  Stock  Company,  with  Charles  Le  Moyne  as 
president,  Louis  N.  Roos,  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  Harry  Le  Moyne  as  general 
manager.  The  company  owns  several  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Elaine  county  and 
keeps  many  thousands  of  sheep  constantly.  The  firm  also  is  engaged  in  dealing  in 
cattle,  arid  their  business  affairs  have  been  most  wisely  and  carefully  directed,  bringing 
to  them  a  very  substantial  measure  of  success.  They  are  now  prominently  known 
among  the  leading  stock  growers  of  their  section  of  the  state,  and  Mr.  Le  Moyne  of 
this  review  is  a  member  of  the  Idaho  Wool  Growers  Association. 

Twelve  years  ago,  in  Boise,  Charles  Le  Moyne  was  married  to  Miss  Clara  Marcus, 
a  native  daughter  of  Idaho,  born  in  Idaho  City.  They  have  three  children:  Charles,  Jr., 
born  in  1909;  McPherson,  in  1912;  and  Mary  Brooks,  in  1917. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Le  Moyne  is  an  Elk,  and  politically  he  is  a  republican.  He  keeps 
well  informed  on  the  vital  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  and  in  matters  of  citizen- 
ship his  attitude  is  a  progressive  one,  his  cooperation  being  an  element  in  all  that 
pertains  to  general  advancement  and  improvement.  He  has  never  had  occasion  to 
regret  his  determination  to  remove  from  the  east  to  the  far  west,  for  here  he  has 
found  the  opportunities  which  he  sought^  and  his  business  career  has  placed  him  with 
the  representative  and  successful  men  of  the  northwest. 


WILLIAM  H.  CASADY. 

William  H.  Casady  came  to  Idaho  in  1899  and  for  about  twenty  years  thereafter 
was  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  but  is  now  retired  from  the  profession  and 
is  devoting  his  attention  to  real  estate  interests  and  land  development  near  Boise, 
where  he  makes  his  home.  He  was  born  near  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  April  22,  1858,  and 
is  a  son  of  Wier  and  Hannah  (Hart)  Casady,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  The 
father  devoted  his  life  to  the  occupation  of  farming,  and  the  son  was  reared  upon  an 
Iowa  farm,  pursuing  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that  state,  while  in 
1881  he  attended  Oskaloosa  College.  In  1887  he  went  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he 
took  up  the  study  of  law,  and  after  residing  for  more  than  two  decades  in  Utah  came  to 
Idaho  in  1899,  settling  first  in  Grangeville,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  until 
1915.  In  the  latter  year  he  removed  to  Lewiston,  Idaho,  where  he  continued  until 
1917  and  then  came  to  Boise.  He  served  on  the  Idaho  industrial  accident  board  from 
July,  1918,  until  February,  1919,  through  appointment  of  Governor  Moses  Alexander. 

For  eighteen  years  Mr.  Casady  was  a  member  of  the  Idaho  bar  but  retired  from 
practice  in  1917  and  has  since  given  his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  to  deal- 
ing in  real  estate,  buying  and  selling  good  realty  in  the  Boise  valley.  On  a  forty-acre 
rarich  a  mile  west  of  the  Maple  Grove  school  he  recently  cleared  four  thousand  dollars 
after  owning  it  for  but  two  years.  While  he  has  recently  sold  this  ranch,  he  owned 
it  in  1919  and  in  that  year  launched  an  entirely  new  enterprise  for  the  Boise  valley 
and  southern  Idaho,  that  being  the  growing  of  head  lettuce  on  an  extensive  scale  for 
commercial  purposes.  In  1919,  though  residing  in  Boise,  he  had  two  and  a  half  acres 
planted  to  head  lettuce  on  his  forty-acre  ranch,  which  was  occupied  by  a  tenant,  and 
it  yielded  him  a  net  income  of  a  thousand  dollars  per  acre.  He  has  recently  sold  this 
ranch  with  the  intention  of  buying  another  that  is  still  better  adapted  to  his  purpose 
and  plans  to  engage  in  the  culture  of  lettuce  on  a  still  more  extensive  scale  in  1920. 
In  fact  his  crop  for  the  present  year  will  be  much  larger,  for  he  is  planning  to  buy 
a  ranch  in  the  northwest  part  of  Boise,  a  valuable  tract  of  forty  acres,  just  outside  the 
city  limits,  the  tract  being  bounded  on  three  sides  by  the  corporation  line.  It  is  a 
tract  of  marked  fertility,  splendidly  adaptable  to  the  growing  of  lettuce.  The  place 
is  very  level  and  is  situated  only  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  state  house  and  in  the 
direction  of  Boise's  natural  growth  and  development,  so  that  the  land  will  undoubtedly 
steadily  increase  in  value.  Mr.  Casady  is  making  a  scientific  study  of  lettuce  culture 
and  is  thus  initiating  a  new  enterprise  in  the  district. 

In  1901,  in  Grangeville,  Idaho,  Mr.  Gasady  was  married  to  Dora  Crawford  and  they 
have  three  children,  Beulah,  Wilma  H.  and  William  H.,  Jr.,  aged  respectively  fifteen,. 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  893 

thirteen  and  ten  years.  In  politics  Mr.  Casady  is  a  democrat  and  has  taken  an  activ- 
interest  in  promoting  party  successes  but  has  never  been  an  office  seeker.  He  is 
prominent  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias  order  and  is  a  past  grand  chancellor  of  th» 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  state,  while  for  four  years  he  was  state  representative  to  the  Su- 
preme Lodge.  He  also  still  holds  membership  with  the  State  Bar  Association.  He  has 
closely  studied  the  opportunities  and  conditions  of  the  northwest  and  is  a  firm  believer 
in  its  future,  for  he  knows  the  possibilities  of  the  state  and  shows  his  faith  in  his  in- 
vestments in  its  property. 

IMncroit  LJbrarj 

GEORGE  COOK. 

George  Cook  is  now  living  retired  at  Hurley  but  in  former  years  was  ideutifle-1 
with  the  hotel  business  and  the  capable  management  of  his  business  affairs  brought  to 
him  the  success  that  now  enables  him  to  rest  from  further  labor.  He  has  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century  made  his  home  in  Cassia  county. 

Mr.  Cook  is  of  English  birth.  He  was  born  in  Suffolk  county,  England.  Ji: 
1844,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  Ann  Cook.  He  pursued  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  country  and  in  1862  went  to  London,  England.  In  1875  he  be- 
came private  coachman  for  a  Mr.  Letellia,  in  whose  employ  he  remained  until  1880. 
He  then  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new  world  and  arrived  in  the  United  States 
on  the  21st  of  September  of  that  year,  at  which  time  he  crossed  the  continent  to 
Grantsville,  Utah,  and  in  that  district  worked  as  a  farm  hand.  There  he  lived  for 
fourteen  years  and  in  1894  he  arrived  in  Oakley,  Idaho.  His  attention  was  again 
given  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  he  also  entered  the  employ  of  the  Oakley  Cooperative 
Store,  taking  produce  to  Hailey,  Idaho,  for  that  firm  for  a  period  of  six  years.  In 
1905  he  removed  to  Burley  to  conduct  a  restaurant  and  rooming  house,  having  been 
recommended  for  this  position  by  Mr.  Ferine,  of  Bluelakes,  Idaho,  and  Mr.  Reed.  Mr. 
Cook  afterward  purchased  the  business  and  continued  its  conduct  from  the  1st  of  May. 
1915,  until  July,  1919.  In  the  meantime  he  had  purchased  two  residence  properties  in 
Burley  and  from  these  derives  a  good  annual  income. 

On  the  31st  of  October,  1866,  Mr.  Cook  was  united  in  marriage  in  London,  Ens- 
land,  to  Miss  Sarah  Port,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Garnett)  Port  and  a 
native  of  Hampshire,  England.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  the  following  chil- 
dren: Anna,  Maud,  Lavina,  Evelyn,  and  Myrtle. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints,  and  the  political  belief  of  Mr.  Cook  is  that  of  the  republican  party.  He 
has  never  had  occasion  to  regret  his  determination  to  come  to  the  new  world,  for  here 
he  found  the  business  opportunities  which  he  sought  and  in  their  utilization  has  worked 
his  way  steadily  upward,  gaining  eventually  a  substantial  competence  that  enables 
him  now  to  rest  from  further  labor  and  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  former  toil. 


GEORGE  B.  FLYNN 

George  B.  Flynn,  a  well  known  Hheepman  and  farmer  residing  at  Declo,  < 
county,  was  born  in  Gentry  county,  Missouri,  December  IS.  1863,  his  parents  being 
Michael  and  Margaret  (Ashlock)  Flynn,  the  former  a  native  of  County  Cork,  Ireland, 
while  the  latter  was  born  in  Louisville,  Kentucky.  The  father  came  to  the  United 
States  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  making  his  way  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  while  later 
he  became  a  resident  of  Louisville.'Kentucky,  where  he  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe 
business  for  a  number  of  years.  He  afterward  removed  to  Gentry  county,  Missouri, 
where  he  again  conducted  business  as  a  boot  and  shoe  merchant.  Later  he  was  located 
at  Holden,  Johnson  county,  Missouri,  where  he  continued  in  the  same  line  of  trade, 
making  all  shoes  and  boots  by  hand  and  employing  a  number  of  men  in  this  connection. 
He  passed  away  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  while  his  wife  died  in  Holden.  in  September. 
1883,  at  the  age  of  fifty-two  years,  his  death  occurring  in  1911.  when  he  had  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  In  politics  he  was  a  democrat. 

George  B.  Flynn  largely  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Holden.  Missouri,  and  obtained 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  there.  In  1883  he  removed  westward  to  Burr  Oak. 
Kansas,  and  was  employed  on  ranches  in  that  locality.  Later  he  engaged  in  buying 


894  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

cattle  for  J.  D.  Gorman  and  in  the  fall  of  1884  he  removed  to  Chetopa,  Kansas,  where 
he  engaged  in  punching  cows  for  the  firm  of  Cook  &  Traithart.  He  also  drove  horses 
from  Texas  to  Bird  creek,  Oklahoma,  and  there  during  the  winter  of  1880,  in  which  two 
severe  blizzards  occurred,  several  people  were  frozen  to  death.  He  afterward  went 
to  Belleville,  Kansas,  and  while  there  was  married.  He  removed  to  Heartwell, 
Nebraska,  where  he  cultivated  land  for  a  year,  and  then  went  to  Fort  Sidney.  Nebraska, 
where  he  took  up  a  preemption  claim  and  also  acted  as  foreman  for  the  J.  P.  outfit, 
trailing  horses,  working  on  the  ranch  and  taking  part  in  the  annual  roundup.  At 
Tie  Siding,  Wyoming,  he  worked  in  the  timber  for  a  time  and  in  1891  he  went  to 
Greeley,  Colorado,  and  in  that  vicinity  cultivated  land  for  three  years.  He  next  pur- 
chased horses  in  northern  Mexico,  which  he  shipped  and  drove  to  eastern  markets,  and 
when  that  was  accomplished  he  went  to  Holly,  Colorado,  where  he  purchased  farm 
land,  which  he  cultivated  for  three  years.  In  1903  he  arrived  in  St.  Anthony,  Idaho, 
where  he  engaged  in  logging  for  the  Jackson  Milling  Company  through  the  winter.  At 
Boise  he  operated  a  hay  baler  for  a  time  and  in  the  spring  of  1905  he  filed  on  his  present 
ranch  of  eighty  acres.  He  also  owns  six  other  eighty  acre  tracts  and  he  runs  as  high 
as  fifteen  thousand  head  of  sheep  and  fifty  head  of  horses,  for  as  the  years  have  passed 
he  has  developed  his  sheep  raising  interests  until  he  is  one  of  the  prominent  represen- 
tatives of  this  industry  in  southern  Idaho. 

It  was  on  the  26th  of  May,  1886,  that  Mr.  Flynn  was  married  to  Miss  Lucinda 
Guthrie,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Morgan)  Guthrie  and  a  native  of  West  Virginia. 
She  went  to  Iowa  with  her  parents  during  her  early  girlhood  and  later  the  family 
removed  to  Gentry  county,  Missouri,  while  subsequently  they  became  residents  of  Bel- 
vue,  Kansas,  and  it  was  there  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flynn  were  married.  Her  mother 
died  in  Iowa,  while  her  father  passed  away  in  Burley,  Idaho,  eight  years  ago.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Flynn  have  become  the  parents  of  five  children:  Gettie,  Stella,  John,  Ruth  and 
Minnie. 

Mr.  Flynn  started  out  in  life  a  poor  boy.  He  has  known  privations  and  hardships 
but  steadily  has  worked  his  way  upward,  making  his  industry  count  as  a  forceful  factor 
in  the  attainment  of  success.  His  first  house  on  his  present  ranch  was  a  log  cabin  and 
he  cleared  away  the  sagebrush  in  order  that  he  might  develop  his  fields.  He  now  has 
a  splendid  ranch  property  supplied  with  all  modern  equipment  and  accessories  and  the 
latest  improved  machinery,  and  everything  about  the  place  indicates  his  practical  and 
progressive  methods.  Year  by  year  he  has  developed  his  flocks  and  he  now  occupies 
a  most  enviable  position  as  a  prominent  and  prosperous  farmer  and  sheepman  of 
Cassia  county. 


ERVIN  W.  JOHNSON. 

Ervin  W.  Johnson  is  the  secretary  of  the  Boise  Lodge  of  Elks,  a  position  which  he 
has  occupied  for  six  years.  Many  lines  of  activity,  however,  have  occupied  his  atten- 
tion since  he  came  to  Idaho  in  1882  and  in  very  substantial  measure  he  has  contributed 
to  the  upbuilding  and  progress  of  the  state.  He  was  born  in  Ottumwa,  Iowa,  of  Anglo- 
Saxon  New  England  stock.  On  leaving  New  England  his  ancestors  removed  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  afterward  to  Indiana.  His  father,  William  W.  Johnson,  was  born  in 
Richmond,  Indiana,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends  or  Quakers.  He  served 
in  the  Civil  war  with  an  Iowa  regiment  in  defense  of  the  Union,  notwithstanding  the 
religious  sect  with  which  he  was  connected  has  always  been  opposed  to  war.  He  was  a 
broad-minded  man  who  recognized  the  fact  that  there  are  exigencies  that  may  arise 
when  even  war  is  justifiable  and  he  never  failed  in  any  duty  to  his  country.  On  remov- 
ing west  of  the  Mississippi  river  the  Johnson  family  took  up  their  abode  in  a  Quaker 
settlement  at  Salem,  Iowa,  in  the  early  '40s.  The  father  went  to  California  as  a  gold 
seeker  in  1849  by  way  of  Cape  Horn  and  again  visited  the  Golden  state  in  1853  His 
last  days  were  spent  in  Iowa,  where  he  passed  away  in  1869. 

Ervin  W.  Johnson  largely  spent  his  youth  in  his  native  state  but  from  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  removed  to  Idaho  in  1882,  when  a  young  man  of  twenty-one  years.  He  first 
made  his  way  to  Bellevue,  Idaho,  and  there  became  identified  with  the  hardware  trade 
and  with  mining  interests,  while  in  1884-5  he  served  as  postmaster  of  the  town.  From 
1886  until  1889  he  was  engaged  in  the  hotel  business  at  Hailey,  Idaho,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing decade  he  was  elected  to  the  state  legislature.  He  was  afterward  engaged  in 
the  telephone  and  electric  light  business  at  Hailey  and  in  1897  he  came  to  Boise,  where 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  895 

for  nine  years  he  was  manager  and  proprietor  of  the  old  Overland  Hotel  at  the  corner 
of  Eighth  and  Main  streets,  where  the  Overland  building  now  stands.  While  proprietor 
of  the  hotel  and  just  before  it  was  closed  in  order  to  be  razed,  he  gave  a  banquet  to 
the  Idaho  Pioneers  that  will  long  be  remembered.  This  important  sociai  event  in  the 
history  of  the  state  occurred  June  29,  1904,  on  which  occasion  the  guests,  numbering 
several  hundred  pioneers  from  all  over  southern  Idaho,  were  photographed,  the  picture 
being  one  of  intense  interest  to  all  who  know  aught  of  the  early  history  of  the  state. 
Some  time  after  leaving  the  hotel  Mr.  Johnson  became  interested  in  mining  and  took 
a  prominent  part  in  developing  the  Thunder  mountain  mining  district  and  other  mining 
districts  of  the  state  which  have  yielded  rich  returns.  He  was  one  of  the  men  who  first 
conceived  the  feasibility  of  irrigating  the  Twin  Falls  district  and  promoted  that  project, 
which  has  made  that  one  of  the  most  fertile  and  productive  regions  of  the  United  States. 
He  labored  untiringly  until  the  plan  was  successfully  accomplished,  and  its  worth  to 
Idaho  is  inestimable.  Since  1914  Mr.  Johnson  has  given  bis  attention  largely  to  his 
duties  as  secretary  of  the  Boise  Lodge  of  Elks. 

The  political  service  of  Mr.  Johnson  deserves  more  than  passing  mention.  As  early 
as  1894  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Idaho  state  legislature,  representing  old  Alturas 
county,  and  while  a  member  of  the  house  he  introduced  the  bill  which  created  Blaine 
county  and  it  was  he  who  selected  the  name,  in  which  he  honored  the  great  Maine 
statesman,  of  whom  he  was  a  warm  admirer.  In  1906  he  was  again  chosen  as  repre- 
sentative to  the  general  assembly  in  its  eighth  session,  this  time  representing  Ada 
county.  He  thus  became  a  member  of  the  legislature  that  finally  determined  to  make 
Boise  the  seat  of  government  for  Idaho  and  which  made  an  appropriation  for  the  erec- 
tion of  the  present  capitol  building. 

At  Hailey,  Idaho,  in  1888,  Mr.  Johnson  was  married  to  Miss  Louise  Cramer,  who 
passed  away  in  1915,  leaving  three  daughters:  Laura,  now  the  wife  of  William  E. 
Patrick,  Jr.,  of  Washington,  D.  C.;  Helen,  the  wife  of  A.  G.  Evans,  of  Providence,  Rhode 
Island;  and  Miriam,  who  is  connected  with  the  civil  service  at  Washington,  D.  C.  On 
the  29th  of  October,  1917,  Mr.  Johnson  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Mrs.  Nora  B.  Sherier. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  one  of  the  men  who  instituted  the  Boise  Lodge  of  Elks.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  order  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  being  numbered  among  the 
pioneer  representatives  of  Boise.  He  has  taken  active  part  in  the  development  of  the 
lodge  here  since  its  organization  and  for  the  past  six  years  has  acted  as  its  secretary. 
This  is  one  of  the  largest  and  strongest  Elk  organizations  in  the  northwest.  In  every- 
thing that  he  undertakes  Mr.  Johnson  labors  earnestly  and  effectively,  never  stopping 
short  of  the  successful  accomplishment  of  his  purpose,  and  by  reason  of  his  varied 
activities  he  has  contributed  much  to  the  material,  intellectual  and  political  develop- 
ment of  the  state  and  has  always  upheld  its  legal  and  moral  status. 


ANDREW  ROGERSON. 

Andrew  Rogerson,  a  representative  of  the  sheep  industry  of  Idaho  living  at  Twin 
Falls,  was  born  in  Dumfriesshire,  Scotland,  April  2,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and 
Esther  (Wells)  Rogerson.  His  youthful  days  were  spent  in  the  land  of  hills  and 
heather  and  his  education  was  acquired  in  the  schools  of  that  country.  But  when 
eighteen  years  of  age  he  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  new  world  and  bade  adieu 
to  friends  and  native  land.  He  then  sailed  for  the  United  States  and  crossed  the  coun- 
try to  Emmetsburg,  Iowa,  where  he  secured  work  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  employ  of 
Charles  Clay.  He  likewise  aided  in  the  development  of  a  farm  belonging  to  his  father, 
whom  he  had  accompanied  to  America.  He  spent  ten  years  in  Iowa  and  then  came  to 
the  northwest,  making  his  way  to  Three  Creek,  Idaho,  where  he  engaged  in  herding 
sheep  for  six  years,  during  which  time  he  became  thoroughly  acquainted  with  every 
phase  of  sheep  raising  in  the  northwest.  On  the  expiration  of  that  period  he  began 
sheep  raising  on  his  own  account  with  twelve  hundred  head  and  developed  his  flocks 
until  he  had  nine  thousand  head.  He  purchased  a  ranch  in  Twin  Falls  county  and 
continued  its  cultivation  and  improvement  until  the  spring  of  1919,  when  he  sold  the 
property.  He  still  owns  a  ranch  at  Buhl.  Idaho,  and  he  remains  an  active  factor  in 
connection  with  sheep  raising  in  this  state.  He  likewise  has  other  interests,  being  a 
director  of  the  Twin  Falls  National  Bank,  and  his  substantial  worth  as  a  business 
man  is  widely  recognized. 


896 

In  1916  Mr.  Rogerson  was  married  to  Miss  Millicent  Middleton,  a  native  of  Illinois. 
He  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  but  his  activity  and  interest 
have  largely  centered  upon  his  business  affairs.  He  has  worked  on  steadily  and  per- 
sistently, increasing  his  interests  year  by  year,  his  sound  judgment  enabling  him  to 
discriminate  readily  as  to  the  value  of  any  business  situation.  While  he  has  worked 
his  way  steadily  forward,  his  course  has  at  all  times  measured  up  to  the  highest  busi- 
ness standards. 


CHARLES  D.  BORING. 

Charles  D.  Boring  is  one  of  the  active  business  men  of  Buhl,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  the  drug  trade  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Boring  Brothers.  He  was  born  in  Salem. 
Illinois,  February  23,  1883,  and  is  a  son  of  Eli  W.  and  Ellen  E.  (Jones)  Boring.  His 
boyhood  days  to  the  age  of  twelve  years  were  spent  at  the  place  of  his  nativity  and  he 
then  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  until  twenty-four  years  of  age.  He  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Walter  Scott  grammar  school  of  Woodlawn,  also  from  the  Hyde  Park 
high  school  and  afterward  attended  the  Northwestern  School  of  Pharmacy  and  became 
a  registered  pharmacist.  While  attending  college  he  worked  in  a  drug  store  at  Sixty- 
third  street  and  Madison  avenue  for  some  time.  He  later  went  upon  the  road  as  sales- 
man for  H.  K.  Mulford,  a  manufacturing  chemist,  whom  he  thus  represented  for  four 
and  a  half  years.  Subsequently  he  was  with  the  firm  of  Sharp  &  Dohme  of  Baltimore 
and  spent  one  year  on  the  road  for  that  house.  He  next  became  associated  with  the 
Ogden  Wholesale  Drug  Company,  for  which  house  he  traveled  for  two  years. 

While  traveling  for  Mr.  Mulford  Mr.  Boring  purchased  his  present  store  site  on 
the  27th  of  August,  1913.  He  came  to  Buhl  in  November,  1918,  becoming  actively  con- 
nected with  a  drug  store  in  partnership  with  his  brother  under  the  firm  style  of  Boring 
Brothers.  They  carry  an  excellent  stock  of  drugs  and  druggists'  sundries  sent  out  by 
the  leading  manufacturers  of  the  country  and  their  trade  is  now  extensive  and  grati- 
fying. The  business  was  established  for  some  time  before  Charles  D.  Boring  became 
active  in  its  conduct,  his  brother  remaining  in  charge,  while  Charles  D.  continued  upon 
the  road.  They  now  have  one  of  the  finest  drug  stores  in  Buhl  and  their  business  has 
reached  gratifying  proportions. 

In  1918  Mr.  Boring  was  married  to  Miss  Hazel  Whittier  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren: Charline,  Knox  W.  and  Norma  E.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Boring  is  a  demo- 
crat but  has  had  neither  time  nor  inclination  for  office  holding.  Fraternally  he  is 
connected  with  the  Masons  and  is  a  faithful  follower  of  the  craft. 


ALONZO  J.  DAVIS. 

Alonzo  J.  Davis  occupies  a  ten-acre  ranch  on  the  Boise  bench  which  he  purchased 
in  the  fall  of  1919.  He  came  to  Idaho  in  1913  and  through  the  intervening  period  has 
lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Boise,  where  he  has  always  followed  farming,  cultivating  rented 
land  until  he  purchased  his  present  property.  He  was  born  in  Christian  county, 
Illinois,  September  21,  1867,  and  is  a  son  of  John  T.  and  Margaret  (Swift)  Davis,  both 
of  whom  have  passed  away.  When  twelve  years  of  age  Alonzo  J.  Davis  removed  to 
Nebraska  with  his  parents,  the  family  home  being  established  in  Saline  county,  that 
state,  in  1879.  The  father  was  a  pioneer  of  that  district  and  his  entire  life  was  devoted 
to  agricultural  pursuits. 

Alonzo  J.  Davis  was  reared  amid  the  scenes  of  frontier  life  in  Nebraska  and  early 
became  familiar  with  the  best  methods  of  tilling  the  soil  and  caring  for  the  crops. 
He  continued  to  devote  his  attention  to  farming  in  that  state  until  1913,  when  he  came 
to  Idaho,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  While  still  living  in  Nebraska  he  was 
married  December  13,  1894,  to  Miss  Zella  Mason,  who  was  born  in  Christian  county, 
Illinois,  and  is  four  years  his  junior.  Her  parents  were  Jesse  and  Isabella  (Denton) 
Mason,  the  former  still  a  resident  of  Nebraska.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davis  became  the  parents 
of  five  children,  of  whom  the  daughter,  Elsie,  died  of  influenza  January  4,  1919,  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years.  The  others  are  John  T.,  William  Alva,  Jesse  Merl  and  Harold. 
They  now  have  a  little  adopted  daughter,  Helen,  three  years  of  age.  The  three  eldest 
sons  are  married  and  two  are  following  farming,  while  one  is  a  teacher.  Two  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  897 

number,  John  T.  and  William  Alva,  served  in  the  World  war,  the  latter  having  been  In 
France  for  nine  months  in  the  United  States  mail  service. 

Mr.  Davis  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  he  belongs 
to  the  Non-Partisan  League.  He  is  interested  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  development 
and  progress  of  the  northwest  and  during  the  seven  years  of  his  residence  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state  has  cooperated  heartily  in  many  plans  and  measures  for  the  general 
good. 


WILLIAM  E.  WHEELER. 

William  E.  Wheeler,  who  for  a  half  century  largely  devoted  his  energies  and  activ- 
ities to  the  upbuilding  of  Idaho  and  was  a  pioneer  newspaper  man  of  the  state,  made 
his  home  for  a  long  period  in  Idaho  Falls  and  enjoyed  in  fullest  measure  the  respect, 
confidence  and  honor  of  all  with  whom  he  was  associated.  He  was  born  in  the  state 
of  Vermont,  August  29,  1843,  and  was  a  youth  of  fifteen  years  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  removal  to  Illinois.  The  day  that  marked  the  twenty-first  anniversary 
of  his  birth  saw  his  enlistment  in  the  service  of  his  country  as  a  member  of  the  One 
Hundred  and  Forty-sixth  Illinois  Infantry  and  with  that  command  lie  inarched  forth 
in  defense  of  the  Union.  Throughout  his  life  he  maintained  the  keenest  interest  in 
his  old  army  comrades  through  his  membership  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

About  three  years  after  the  close  of  the  war,  or  in  1868,  Mr.  Wheeler  became  travel- 
ing representative  for  the  Bluff  City  Printing  Company  of  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  his 
territory  extending  as  far  west  as  Utah.  He  first  visited  Salt  Lake  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1869.  In  1871  he  seriously  entered  upon  his  life  work  as  a  newspaper  man  at  Evanston. 
Wyoming,  where  he  established  the  Daily  Evanston  Age.  Idaho  received  him  as  a  citi- 
zen in  1880,  when  he  removed  to  Blackfoot  and  founded  the  Blackfoot  Register.  In 
1883  he  changed  his  place  of  residence  to  Eagle  Rock  and  rechristened  his  paper  the 
Idaho  Register.  This  he  published  continuously  until  June,  1909,  when  he  sold  the 
paper  to  M.  B.  Yeaman,  having  for  thirty-eight  consecutive  years  d3voted  hi?,  energies 
to  the  publication  and  editing  of  a  newspaper.  When  he  established  his  home  in  Black- 
foot  there  were  but  two  othe*r  papers  in  the  entire  territory  of  Idaho,  so  that  he  was 
indeed  one  of  he  pioneer  journalists  of  the  state,  the  predecessors  of  the  Blackfoot  paper 
being  the  Boise  Statesman  and  the  Silver  City  Avalanche. 

It  was  in  the  year  of  his  removal  to  Idaho  Falls  that  Mr.  Wheeler  w?-?  married  on 
the  19th  of  December,  1883,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Dougherty,  a  daughtei  of  Michaol  and 
Mary  (McKee)  Doughterty,  who  were  natives  of  Ireland.  The  father  came  to  America 
in  1843  an«i  settled  in  Illinois  about  thirty  miles  northwest  of  Chicago,  establishing  his 
home  at  Elgin,  where  he  was  a  commission  merchant  and  also  operated  a  farm  through- 
out his  remaining  days.  He  passed  away  in  March,  1886,  while  his  wite  died  in  May. 
1890.  They  were  the  parents  of  four  sons  who  served  during  the  Civil  war. 

Six  years  after  his  removal  to  Idaho  Falls,  or  in  1889,  Mr.  Wheeler  was  appointed 
by  President  Harrison  to  the  position  of  postmaster  and  continued  to  act  in  that  capac- 
ity until  after  the  democrats  came  into  power  with  the  election  of  Cleveland  in  1894.  Mr. 
Wheeler  was  again  called  to  public  office  in  1905  when  appointed  by  Governor  Good  ing 
a  member  of  the  Albion  State  Normal  School,  and  three  years  later  Governor  Gooding 
made  him  a  trustee  of  the  Industrial  Training  School  at  St.  Anthony.  He  was  at  all 
timt's  loyal  to  every  Interest  calculated  to  promote  the  public  welfare  or  advance  the 
general  good.  In  1881  he  went  to  Boise  by  stage  to  serve  as  a  delegate  from  Oneida 
county  in  the  territorial  republican  convention  which  nominated  Mr.  Singheiser  as 
a  delegate  to  congress  from  the  territory  of  Idaho.  He  always  gave  earnest  allegiance 
to  the  republican  party  and  was  again  and  again  an  active  member  in  its  conventions. 
He  also  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  for  a  considerable  period.  He  always 
proudly  wore  the  little  bronze  button  that  proclaimed  him  a  member  of  Joe  Hooker 
Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  was  honored  with  the  position  of  commander.  He  was  keenly  inter- 
ested in  the  cause  of  education  and  for  four  years  served  as  a  member  of  the  Idaho 
Falls  school  board. 

When  Mr.  Wheeler  was  called  to  his  final  rest  a  local  newspaper  said  of  him: 
"Mr.  Wheeler  came  to  Idaho  with  the  railroad.  He  came  first  to  Blackfoot  and  estab- 
lished the  Blackfoot  Register.  Idaho  was  then  a  territory,  the  whole  southeast  being 
one  county,  old  Oneida,  which  extended  from  Utah  on  the  south  to  Montana  on  the 
north.  His  territory  extended  from  the  Sawtooth  range  on  the  west  to  Wyoming  on 

Vol.  Ill— 57 


898  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

the  east,  and  we  imagine  it  was  hard  pickings  for  a  newspaper  in  those  days.  HP 
often  made  trips  either  by  stage  or  horseback  to  Salmon  and  other  small  camps  to  the 
west  rustling  for  business  in  order  to  keep  the  payroll  going.  After  remaining  in 
Blackfoot  three  years  Mr.  Wheeler  moved  his  printing  office  and  whatever  personal 
effects  he  happened  to  possess  to  Idaho  Falls,  or  rather  then,  Eagle  Rock,  and  called 
his  paper  the  Idaho  Register,  the  title  under  which  it  still  exists.  The  railroad  shops 
were  here  then  and  business  no  doubt  was  pretty  good.  However,  in  1886  the  com- 
pany moved  its  shops  to  Pocatello  with  a  goodly  portion  of  the  town's  dwellings,  and 
Eagle  Rock  for  the  time  being  became  a  deserted  western  town.  However,  W.  E. 
Wheeler  was  not  one  of  the  deserters.  Time  has  proven  that  his  faith  in  the  country 
was  well  founded  and  he  lived  to  see  what  was  then  a  barren  waste  develop  into  a  great 
inland  empire,  unequaled  in  agricultural  resources.  At  the  time  of  the  departure  of 
the  shops  from  Eagle  Rock  farming  in  this  country  did  not  amount  to  very  much.  Set- 
tlers were  scarce  and  things  were  pretty  much  in  the  experimental  stage.  However,  in 
1890  a  number  of  enterprising  citizens  commenced  the  building  of  the  Idaho  canal  and  a 
small  group  of  men  generally  called  the  'boomers'  came  to  town  and  among  one  of 
their  enterprises  was  the  construction  of  the  Great  Western  canal,  now  known  as  the 
New  Sweden  property.  These  two  systems  of  canals  provided  water  for  about  eighty 
thousand  acres  of  land  and  Idaho  Falls  commenced  to  reach  out  for  settlers  to  occupy 
these  lands.  At  this  time  W.  E.  Wheeler  commenced  his  real  life  work  for  the  up- 
building of  the  country.  He  printed  columns  and  columns  of  booster  articles  in  his 
paper  and  he  never  let  up  on  this  work  or  failed  to  join  in  any  and  every  effort  made 
to  induce  new  settlers  to  come  in.  He  was  the  author  of  an  article  printed  in  an  agri- 
cultural magazine  at  St.  Louis  which  had  a  large  circulation  in  the  middle  western 
states  and  there  are  no  doubt  many  citizens  here  today  who  were  induced  to  come 
through  the  medium  of  this  article.  The  real  estate  men  of  those  days  carried  on  an 
extensive  propaganda  through  the  medium  of  pamphlets  and  in  most  instances  Mr. 
Wheeler  prepared  the  copy  as  well  as  doing  the  printing.  In  short  practically  all  the 
matter  which  has  been  used  in  advertising  this  country  either  emanated  from  his  office 
or  was  a  rehash  or  enlargement  of  something  that  had  previously  -been  originated 
by  him. 

"One  thing  which  probably  did  more  to  encourage  agriculture  here  than  anything 
else  in  which  Mr.  Wheeler  took  a  leading  part  was  the  organization  of  a  county  fair 
association,  which  gave  exhibitions  during  the  middle  and  latter  '80s.  A  few  men 
formed  this  association,  filed  on  a  piece  of  government  land,  built  a  race  track,  a  grand 
stand,  an  agricultural  hall,  enclosed  the  whole  with  a  high  board  fence  and  gave  county 
fairs  which  drew  people  from  an  extensive  country  because  there  was  nothing  of  the 
kind  anywhere  in  the  territory  for  hundreds  of  miles.  That  was  a  big  undertaking  at 
that  time,  for  the  people  were  few,  settlements  were  scattering  and  everybody  was 
poor.  But  it  started  Idaho  Falls  as  the  center  of  attraction  in  this  part  of  the  state 
and  she  has  held  the  lead  ever  since. 

"Few  employers  have  more  cause  to  be  regretted  and  mourned  at  death  by  their 
former  employes  than  W.  E.  Wheeler.  He  was  always  personally  interested  in  his 
help,  always  a  loyal  friend  to  them  and  he  always  went  a  little  further  than  most  in 
looking  out  for  the  welfare  of  those  who  worked  for  him.  No  one  knows  how  far  the 
influence  of  an  honest,  upright,  duty-doing  gentleman  may  extend,  but  there  are  many 
of  his  former  employes  now  living  who  know  exceedingly  well  that  much  of  good 
in  their  lives  came  to  them  through  his  influence  and  example  when  with  him." 


WILLIAM  D.  CAHOON. 

William  D.  Cahoon  is  filling  the  position  of  United  States  commissioner  at  Almo, 
in  which  city  he  was  born  May  17,  1882,  his  parents  being  Henry  R.  and  Anna  (Durfee) 
Cahoon,  the  former  a  native  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  the  latter  of  Ogden,  Utah.  Her 
parents  came  across  the  plains  at  an  early  day,  settling  at  Ogden,  Utah,  where  her 
father  took  up  ranch  land  and  built  thereon  a  log  house.  He  worked  diligently  to- 
develop  and  improve  the  property  and  later  he  removed  ~to  the  Cache  valley  of  Utah, 
where  he  carried  on  farming.  Subsequently  he  was  at  Beaver  Dam,  where  he  also 
engaged  in  farming,  and  afterward  he  took  up  a  ranch  at  Connor  Springs,  Utah,  where 
he  engaged  in  raising  cattle.  In  1881  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Almo,  Idaho,  and 
homesteaded  land.  He  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  which  had  been  taken  up« 


HISTORY  OF  IDAHO  899 

by  John  Q.  Shirley  and  who  fenced  the  entire  place.  The  Indians  were  still  numerous 
in  the  district  and  every  phase  of  pioneer  life  was  to  be  encountered.  His  widow  Is 
atill  living  and  yet  occupies  the  old  home  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 

It  was  Henry  R.  Gaboon  who  named  the  town  of  Almo.  He  was  a  carpenter  and 
worked  with  his  father  near  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  also  engaged  in  driving  a  street 
car  when  mules  constituted  the  motive  power.  In  1879  he  removed  to  Almo,  Cassia 
county,  Idaho,  and  took  up  government  land,  securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
together  with  an  eighty-acre  desert  claim.  He  built  a  log  house  and  at  once  began  the 
task  of  improving  and  developing  the  ranch,  which  he  largely  devoted  to  cattle  raising. 
He  continued  to  make  his  home  thereon  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1914,  when 
he  was  fifty-seven  years  of  age.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  William  D.  Gaboon,  is  still 
living  on  the  old  homestead  west  of  Almo  and  has  reached  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years. 
Mr.  Gaboon  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
and  in  politics  was  a  democrat. 

William  D.  Gaboon  spent  his  boyhood  in  Almo,  pursuing  his  education  in  the  public 
schools.  He  remained  with  his  father  up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage  and  then  took 
up  his  present  farm.  He  followed  surveying  and  engaged  in  trapping  for  furs  at  an 
early  day,  but  his  attention  is  now  largely  concentrated  upon  the  further  development 
and  improvement  of  his  ranch  property,  which  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land,  in  the  midst  of  which  stand  a  nice  home  and  substantial  barns  and  outbuild- 
ings, furnishing  ample  shelter  for  grain  and  stock. 

On  the  20th  of  July,  1904,  Mr.  Gaboon  was  married  to  Miss  Jessie  Richardson,  a 
native  of  Yost,  Idaho,  and  a  daughter  of  Warren  and  Eliza  (Singleton)  Richardson. 
Her  parents  came  from  Plain  City,  Utah,  in  the  early  '80s,  settling  at  Yost,  Boxelder 
county,  Utah,  on  the  Idaho  line.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gaboon  have  seven  children:  William 
Roscoe,  Warren  Reynolds,  Ilif,  Alvin,  Leatha,  Ireta  and  Woodrow  Wilson. 

William  D.  Gaboon  and  his  family  are  connected  with  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints  and  he  is  a  leading  representative  of  the  democratic  party  in  his 
locality.  He  has  filled  the  office  of  constable  for  twelve  years,  was  deputy  sheriff  for 
six  years  and  has  been  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Almo  Water  Company.  He  has 
likewise  served  as  town  clerk  and  on  the  29th  of  September,  1914,  he  was  appointed 
United  States  land  commissioner  and  is  still  filling  that  office,  the  duties  of  which  he 
discharges  with  promptness  and  fidelity.  He  has  also  been  active  in  the  work  of  the 
church,  serving  for  eight  years  as  ward  clerk.  His  life  has  thus  been  a  busy  and  use- 
ful one  and  he  is  keenly  interested  in  everything  that  tends  to  promote  the  material, 
intellectual,  social  and  moral  progress  of  the  community  in  which  he  makes  his  home. 


HERBERT  M.  CONDIT. 

Herbert  M.  Condit,  now  living  in  Burley,  was  formerly  actively  identified  with 
farming  at  Sublett,  Cassia  county.  He  was  born  at  Dunlap,  Harrison  county,  Iowa, 
June  14,  1874,  his  parents  being  Leonard  M.  and  Mary  Cornelia  (Hawley)  Condit.  The 
Condit  family  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Harrison  county,  Iowa,  and  Leonard  M. 
Condit  was  the  first  white  child  born  at  Little  Sioux,  in  that  county.  There  he  pur- 
slied  his  education  and  took  up  the  occupation  of  farming,  while  later  he  engaged  in 
the  milling  business  in  Iowa  for  some  time.  In  1882,  however,  he  was  attracted  by 
the  opportunities  of  the  growing  northwest  and  made  his  way  to  the  Raft  river  valley 
of  Idaho,  where  he  took  up  a  ranch  property  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Not  a 
furrow  had  been  turned  nor  an  improvement  placed  upon  it  when  it  came  into  his 
possession.  His  first  home  was  a  log  cabin  and  in  true  pioneer  style  he  began  life 
on  the  western  frontier.  His  labors  soon  wrought  a  marked  transformation  in  the 
appearance  of  his  place,  which  he  afterward  sold  and  secured  a  farm  in  what  is  now 
Malta,  Cassia  county.  There  he  added  various  necessary  buildings  and  carried  for- 
ward the  work  of  advancement  and  cultivation,  spending  his  remaining  days  upon  that 
place,  his  death  there  occurring  in  the  fall  of  1902.  He  was  a  republican  in  his  polit- 
ical views  and  for  two  terms  filled  the  office  of  county  commissioner  of  Cassia  county. 
Hfs  widow  survives  and  is  now  makin~  h*»r  hrmp  in  Iowa. 

Herbert  M.  Condit  obtained  his  education  in  Idaho,  spending  his  boyhood  days  upon 
the  home  ranch  in  the  Raft  river  valley.  Through  vacation  periods  and  after  school 
hours  he  worked  with  his  father  upon  the  farm  and  he  was  also  employed  as  a  farm 
hand  for  wages  In  this  locality.  Carefully  he  saved  bis  earnings  until  his  industry 


900  HISTORY  OF  IDAHO 

and  economy  had  brought  him  sufficient  capital  to  enable  him  to  purchase  property  and 
he  made  investment  in  a  ranch  at  Malta.  Later  he  traded  that  property  for  another 
ranch  at  Sublett,  Cassia  county,  becoming  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  to 
.which  he  afterward  added  an  equal  amount,  thus  becoming  the  owner  of  an  excellent 
property  of  three  hundred  and  .twenty  acres,  which  he  successfully  tilled  and  developed 
until  September,  1919.  He  then  sold  his  ranch  and  is  now  living  in  Burley.  For  many 
years  he  carried  on  both  cattle  and  sheep  raising,  and  his  live  stock  interests  brought 
to  him  a  very  substantial  financial  return. 

In  1900  Mr.  Condit  was  married  to  Miss  Ida  D.  Powers,  a  daughter  of  Henry  C. 
and  Isabel  Powers  and  a  native  of  Sublett.  They  have  become  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren: Earl,  Edwin,  Isabel,  Lillian,  Grace  and  Ralph.  Mr.  Condit  votes  with  the  repub- 
lican party  and  keeps  well  informed  on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the  day  but  does 
not  seek  nor  desire  office.  He  and  his  family  are  well  known  socially,  occupying  an 
enviable  position  in  the  regard  of  those  who  know  them,  and  the  life  record  of  Mr. 
Condit  illustrates  what  can  be  accomplished  through  individual  effort  intelligently 
directed. 


ALBERT  H.  BADGER. 

Albert  H.  Badger,  conducting  a  growing  business  in  house  furnishings  and  also 
engaged  in  speculative  building  in  Nampa,  has  since  1906  been  a  resident  of  this  city 
and  within  that  period  has  contributed  much  to  its  development  and  progress.  He 
was  born  at  Nevada,  Missouri,  August  10,  1866,  the  son  of  a  farmer,  and  thus  he  early 
became  familiar  with  agricultural  activities.  He  attended  school  in  his  native  town 
and  after  obtaining  a  teacher's  certificate  taught  school  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
twenty-six  years,  when  he  took  up  the  business  of  feeding  and  shipping  stock  in  the 
corn  belt  of  Missouri.  He  was  thus  engaged  until  October,  1906,  when  he  came  to  Idaho, 
the  two  foremost  causes  of  his  removal  to  the  west  being  his  search  for  climatic  con- 
ditions favorable  to  the  cure  of  asthma  and  the  prosperity  and  advantages  accruing 
from  the  building  of  the  government  irrigation  project.  His  health  has  been  much 
improved  during  his  connection  with  Idaho  and  in  his  business  affairs  he  has  contin- 
uously prospered. 

Following  his  arrival  in  Nampa,  Mr.  Badger  established  a  furniture  store,  but  his 
stock  was  destroyed  by  the  great  fire  of  July  3,  1909.  He  then  erected  a  modern  con- 
crete two-story  building  on  Fourteenth  avenue  and  First  street,  South,  and  there 
carries  a  complete  and  attractive  line  of  house  furnishings.  Moreover,  as  a  speculative 
builder  he  is  doing  much  toward  housing  the  large  number  of  people  who  are  con- 
tinually coming  into  Nampa  and  in  the  past  has  erected  a  considerable  number 
of  houses  for  sale  and  for  rent.  In  this  manner  he  is  not  only  promoting  his  own 
interests  but  is  indicating  the  spirit  of  enterprise  which  actuates  him  in  his  business 
affairs  and  his  faith  in  the  future  of  the  city. 

In  1892  Mr.  Badger  was  married  to  Miss  Lucy  Davis,  of  Missouri,  and  they  have 
become  the  parents  of  five  children:  Eula,  a  student  in  the  University  of  Idaho  at 
Moscow;  Eunice  Virginia,  who  is  in  the  telephone  service  at  Nampa;  Georgie  Lee,  who 
assists  his  father;  Edith,  who  is  attending  school;  and  Albert  Davis,  deceased.  Mr. 
Badger  is  actuated  by  a  most  progressive  spirit  in  all  that  he  undertakes  and  his  keen 
sagacity  enables  him  to  recognize  the  opportunities  offered  by  Nampa,  while  his  ambi- 
tion prompts  him  to  use  these  opportunities  in  the  best  possible  way.  He  has  con- 
tinually promoted  his  business  affairs  along  progressive  lines  with  results  that  are  most 
satisfactory. 


INDEX 


Ackley,  D.  W. 
Adams,  G.  O. . 
Adams,  J.  D. . 
Adams,  J.  S . . 
Adams,  W.  C. 


Ah  Fong,  C.  K 379 

Aiken,  I.  L 613 

Alastra,  Jose 882 

Albee,  D.  P 322 

Albrethsen,  Albert    45 

Aldecoa,  Domingo 736 

Aldecoa,  Marcelino  828 

Aldridge,  Herbert  720 

Alexander,  R.  R 168 

Allard,  William   816 

Allen,  G.  B 831 

Allen,  W.  H 453 

Alsager,  L.  L 373 

Amen,  G.  D 366 

Andersen,  J.  W 265 

Anderson,  August  520 

Anderson,  C.  B 274 

Anderson,  Elof 252 

Andrewartha,  Harriet  H 200 

Andrews,  Thomas  538 

Armstrong,  Obadiah  392 

Arnold,   R.   D 102 

Arregui,   Mateo    275 

Arthur,   E.   B 22 

Aveline,  Prosper   131 

Ayres,  J.  L 693 

Azcuenaga,  Antonio   . 246 

Badger,  A.  H 900 

Bahler,  Adolph 478 

Bailey,  E.  S 827 

Baird,  W.  G 734 

Baker,  H.  B 730 

Baker,  H.  F .-. 624 

Baker,  H.  W 843 

Baker,  R.  L 669 

Ban,  Alfred  372 

Ball,  A,  H 546 

Ball,   A.   W 404 

Ball.  L.  C 452 

Ball,  Orson   702 


590      Bane,  S.  P 332 

32      Barber,  R.  W 61 

530      Barnard,  James  680 

420      Barnett,  J.  R 526 

806      Barry,  H.  W 261 

Barry,   R.   R 173 

Barton,   J.   H 19 

Basye,  J.  F.  T 564 

Bateman,  John  308 

Battan,  R.  L 57 

Beavers,  William 160 

Beck,  A.  W 483 

Beckley,  N.  C 777 

Beckmann,  Ida 619 

Bell,  J.  B 493 

Belsher,  S.  M 286 

Berntson,  P.  W 798 

Berry,  G.  F 363 

Berryman,  W.  F 848 

Bethel,  W.  S 561 

Biggs,  W.  H 85 

Bills,  R.  G 181 

Bird.  J.  E 350 

Boas,  Alexander 297 

Boiler,  S.  J 864 

Bolton,  W.  W 876 

Bonnell,  A.  L 577 

Boone,  J.  S.. 163 

Boone,  Lafayette  790 

Borah,  W.  E 6 

Boring,  C.  D 896 

Bott,  D.  F 477 

Bowerman,  C.  C 427 

Sown,  H.  S 241 

Boyce,  T.  H 324 

Brace,  H.  J 75« 

Brandt,  J.  W 286 

Branatetter,  H.  C 63 

Brashears,   G.   R 587 

Bray,  Overton 675 

Breckenridge,  J.  G 475 

Breshears,  J.  H 563 

Briggs,  Samuel 706 

Brimberry,  John  323 

Brinck,  D.  E 414 


901 


902 


INDEX 


Brose,  Robert  348 

Brown,  B.  A 163 

Brown,  B.  F -. 244 

Brown,  F.  C 603 

Brown,  L.  D 176 

Brown,  M.  T 314 

Brown,  N.  J 753 

Brown,  P.  E 834 

Bruch,  William   676 

Brush,  E.  B 212 

Bucher,   S.   N 468 

Buckman,  W.  D. . . 268 

Bucknum,  C.  D 446 

Burgess,  Mrs.  E.  L 567 

Burkhard,  G.  J 454 

Burns,  J.  G 51 

Burns,  W.  H 494 

Butler,  G.  W 580 

Button,  C.  P 573 

Gaboon,  W.   D 898 

Calder,  Jeannetta   173 

Caldwell,  J.  J 32 

Caldwell,  Samuel 463 

Call,  Josiah  370 

Callaway,  A.  E 205 

Camp,  Burt  488 

Cannon,  C.  Y. 21 

Capwell,  Julia  E 380 

Carlyle,  M.  W 214 

Carlyle,  W.  H 262 

Carpenter,  J.  R 120 

Carpenter,  L.  N.  B 873 

Carpenter,  W.  A 644 

Carter,  P.  B 14 

Casady,  W.  H 892 

Casey,  Alvin 424 

Cason,  J.  M 87 

Casper,  G.  E 718 

Chadwick,  Abraham 515 

Chambers,  Lillie 379 

Chandler,  W.  J 421 

Chapin,  Jessie  C 381 

Chapman,  G.  A 88 

Choules,  Albert 387 

Chrisman,  C.  E 241 

Christensen,  W.  M 422 

Clark,  B.  0 20 

Clark,  D.  R 703 

Clark,  S.  K 774 

Clement,  T.  A 365 

Clemmens,  D.  E 661 

Cleveland,  R.  L 107 

Click,  Charles 459 

Cluen,  R.  J 870 

Coffin,  S.  M ,. 52 

Coggins,  Harvey 811 


Cole,  J.  H 207 

Collins,  Nick 283 

Comerford,  S.  C 709 

Condit,  H.  M 899 

Connell,  J.  S 460 

Cook,  George 893 

Cook,  Joseph 152 

Cook,   L.   F 137 

Coon,  C.  J 187 

Coppedge,  W.  H 64 

Cosgrove,  Alice  G 805 

Coulson,  George  346 

Courson,  A.  W 621 

Cowles,  C.  F 117 

Cox,  C.  L 755 

Crabtree,  C.  S 811 

Crandall,  H.  L 334 

Crane,  G.  S 396 

Craner,    George 480 

Crawford,  E.  F 525 

Crockett,  G.  D 299 

Cronk,  J.  H 372 

Cruickshank,  Alexander  325 

Cuddy,  John   234 

Curran,  Martin 38 

Currin,  R.  Y 809 

Curtis,  Alice  M 560 

Curtis,  C.  E 662 

Daily,  J.  F 582 

Dalton,  F.  C 837 

Dalton,  F.  W 683 

Dalton,  J.  A 812 

Davies,  J.  B 309 

Davis,  A.  J 896 

Davis,  C.  S 439 

Davis,  Francis  M 717 

Davis,  F.  M 467 

Davis,  J.  N 427 

Davison,  J.  O 502 

Davison,  W.  F 438 

De  Cloedt,  Seraphin   755 

Degen,  Joseph    616 

DeKay,  F.  E 571 

De  Meyer,  Edward 697 

Denning,  James  786 

Detrick,  C.  W 157 

Detrick,  Willard   145 

Dickman,  Henry   162 

Dienst,  C.  F 15 

Dinsley,  Mrs.  W.  P 861 

Dobson,  Frank  818 

Dodd,  D.  P .-.  553 

Doig,  W.  S 529 

Donaldson,  R.  M 791 

Dotson,  J.  W 290 

Dowell,  S.  N 687 


INDEX 


903 


Downey,  O.  M 439 

Drake,  C.  H 282 

Drake,  Eliza  A 817 

I 

Eagleson,  C.  H 151 

Eames,  Earl   419 

Eames,  H.  L 821 

Eastman,  J.  0 108 

Eaton,  Nathan   646 

Eberle,  J.  L 26 

Eby,  E.  W t 611 

Eby,  F.  M 101 

Eby,  M.  P 588 

Eby,  Sarah  J 551 

Edwards,  E.  E 660 

Elison,  C.  0 456 

Elison,  J.  A 768 

Elliott,  W.  A 646 

Ellsworth,  B.  H 461 

Ellsworth,  Edmund,  Sr 672 

Ellsworth,  P.  B 614 

Ellsworth,  S.  M 643 

Embree,  Mrs.  J.  M 710 

Emerson,  E.  D 149 

Eskeldson,  Peter  447 

Estes,  A.  R 805 

Evans,  J.  L 168% 

Evans,  W.  H 800 

i 

Fairbanks,  S.  B 321 

Faris,   D.    M 129 

Faris,  E.  W 545 

Faull,  T.  R 369 

Ferrel,  Jerry 685 

Fischer,  J.  S 314 

Fishback,  Mary   604 

Fisher,  R.  H 739 

Fisher,  W.  E 792 

Fisher,  W.  R 337 

Fitzpatrick,  Mike 444 

Flack,  A.  J 218 

Flamm,  H.  J 58 

Fletcher,  E.  B 278 

Flynn,  G.  B 893 

Foote,  S.  S 194 

Forrest,  W.  A 193 

Foster,  W.  A 91 

Frank,  Abraham  267 

Frank,  E.  0 875 

Freeman,  J.  E 659 

French,  R.  B 816 

Friedline,  Sarah  75 

Frost,  A.  E 627 

Frost,  Claud   696 

Frost,  G.  E 697 

Fugate,  P.  A 44 


Gabica,  Miguel 294 

Gallaher,  J.  A 161 

Galliher,  Frank  789 

Garrett,  I.  W 38 

Gayle,  J.  T 118 

Gearhart,  S.  E 671 

Genereuz,  O.  J 293 

Gladish,  M.  M 157 

Glenn,  J.  E 652 

Goodsell,  Leonora  387 

Goody,  Arthur   674 

Gordon,  G.  W 461 

Graber,  F.  J 1H 

Graham,  Guy  761 

Gratz,  Norman  257 

Graveley,  J.  G.  H 815 

Graves,  A.  F 292 

Gray,  H.  L 613 

Gray,   M.  J 861 

Green,  P.  B 349 

Griffin,  R.  L 579 

Griggs,  G.  C S»8 

Grover,  E.  P 688 

Gudmunsen,  Scott 424 

Guthrie,  J.  1 517 

Haight,  C.  L 384 

Hailey,  B.  B 519 

Hale,  F.  A 518 

Hall,  A.  J 832 

Hall,  J.  H 504 

Hanan,  C.  R 753 

Hankins,  W.  L 236 

Hansen,  Chris   338 

Hansen,  O.  H 114 

Hanson,  G.  H 390 

Harbert,  J.  A 81 

Hardin,  E.  S 549 

Harmon,  H.  J 783 

Harrell,  Louis    350 

Harris,  C.  A 873 

Harris,  G.  H.  B 249 

Harris,  R.  K 721 

Hartley,  C.  P 356 

Hartley,  William  651 

Harvey,  H.  H 480 

Harwell,  W.  A 300 

HasBrouck,  J.  J 273 

Hashbarger,  T.  M 704 

Haug,  Nicholas   440 

Havener,  W.  P 767 

Havird,  C.  C 408 

Haylor,  Herbert  73 

Hays,  Mrs.  G.  L 771 

Hays,  J.  W.,  Jr 105 

Ha*»,  S.  H 768 

Healy,  Thomas 663 


904 


INDEX 


Heizer,  J.   E 874 

Hellewell,  J.  B 537 

Hess,   Moses 405 

Hewitt,  Joseph  888 

Hicks,  G.  W 527 

Hill,  A.  C 611 

Hill,  Sylvester   318 

Hillman,  Leroy   847 

Hiner,  W.  H 404 

Hinkle,  C.  V 169 

Hitt,  J.  B 800 

Hoggan,  G.  D 326 

Holmes,  J.  E 397 

Holverson,   E.    L 476 

Homer,  R.  K.,  Sr 844 

Hopffgarten,  J.  H 578 

Hopster,  John 790 

Hostetler,  F.  H 206 

Howard,  I.  A 69 

Howe,  B.  S 206 

Howells,  B.  P 80 

Hudson,  J.  W 615 

Hultstrom,   J.   A 729 

Hunter,  E.  B 711 

Huntington,  C.  H 631 

Idol,  S.  C 130 

Illingworth,  H.  B 517 

Ireton,  C.  H 645 

Ireton,   J.   A 668 

Ireton,  J.  H 667 

Ireton,  Samuel  647 

Irish,  N.  B 484 

Irwin,  C.  W 99 

Isenburg,  C.  R 227 


Jackson,  A.  S . . 
Jackson,  C.  E. . 
Jackson,  E.  M. 
Jacobson,  J.  H. 
Jardine,  R.  F. . 
Jellison,  C.  L. . 


639 

330 

695 

N 7 

395 

364 

Jenkins,  Lee  107 

Jenness,  N 430 

Jennings,  T.  W 554 

Jensen,  C.  P , 718 

Jensen,  J.  L 347 

Jensen,  O.  P 423 

Jensen,  S.  P 407 

Jester,  O.  J 455 

John,  D.  M 305 

Johns,  Martha  J 445 

Johns,  W.  M 864 

Johnson,  A.  T 345 

Johnson,   A.   W 464 

Johnson,  C.  M *  166 

Johnson,  C.  0 550 


Johnson,  Ervin  W 894 

Johnson,  James   453 

Johnson,  Jonas ." 371 

Johnson,  R.  H 413 

Johnson,  R.  Z 411 

Johnson,  T.   A 62 

Johnson,  W.  C 282 

Johnston,    E.    0 305 

Johnston,  J.  B 391 

Jones,  Henry    130 

Jones,  William  766 

Jordan,  Fred  W 26 

Jordan,  J.  0 486 

Karn,  E.   B 821 

Katerndahl,  R.  W 39 

Kaufman,  Maier   679 

Kee,  Hong 870 

Keefer,  W.  W 366 

Keller,  F.   L. 400 

Kelley,  J.  E 579 

Kendall,  F.  M 804 

Kennard,  A.  G 260 

Keogh,   T.   J 841 

Kerr,  Kate  Du  Bois 478 

Kesgard,  J.  A 702 

Kesgard,  Kate   455 

Kessler,  J.   F 867 

Keyes,  S.  J 472 

Kieldsen,  L.  P 56 

Killen,  T.  J 727 

King,  L.  W 722 

King,   T.   A 843 

King,  W.  M 589 

Kinghorn,  Alexander  704 

Kinghorn,  Alexander,  Sr 710 

Kinghorn,  David   832 

Kinghorn,  E.  W 428 

Kingborn,  George   701 

Kinghorn,   James    463 

Kinghorn,  John  »  786 

Kinghorn,  W.  C 725 

Kiser,  Charles 500 

Knox,  Amanda  M 479 

Knox,  C.  B 307 

Knox,  Walter  310 

Kress,  Frederick  179 

Kunter,  William   419 

Kurtz,  M.  A 179 

Kuster,  J.  P 448 

Kutnewsky,  C.  F 291 

Laidlaw,  James   182 

Lambach,  Gus    646 

Lampest,  J.  M 28 

Lanfear,  C.  H 140 

Langer,  Frank 643 


IXDEX 


905 


Larsen.  L.  P 728 

Larson,  O.  E 114 

Lathrop,  A.  C 14 

Laubaugb,  E.  E 5 

Le  Moyne,  Charles  891 

Leonard,  Joseph    686 

Leonardson,  R.  D 677 

Libby,  W.   J 342 

Liechty,  J.  N 443 

Limbert,  R.  W 653 

Lindholm,  Albert    713 

Little,  C.  B 488 

Llewellyn,   W.   J 50 

Lloyd,  C.  E 773 

Lockhart,  M.  R 748 

Lohraman,  William   591 

Looney,  Eugene 259 

Lorimer,  E.  K 225 

Lowe,  H.  L 612 

Lundblad,  P.  A 126 

Lundell,  John   436 

Lumlstrom,  Albert   605 

Luttrell,  Silas 592 

McCarty,  L.  C 220 

McClenahan,  J.  H 637 

McCollum,  J.  R 40 

McConnel,  D.  K 492 

McConnel,  W.  H 749 

McConnell,  A.  H 150 

McConnell,  J.   R 315 

McCrossin,  William   355 

McCulloch,  B.  0 286 

McCullough,  Glen   298 

McFarland,  A.  J 648 

McGuire,  H.  H 638 

McGuire,  Robert   254 

McKay,   E.   A 487 

McKinlay,  Archibald   119 

McKinlay,  G.  W 70 

McLaughlin,  H.  1 316 

McLean,   Donald    79 

McLeod,  W.  J 46 

McMillan,  John   198 

Macauley,  T.  C 362 

MacRae,  John  823 

Madarieta,  Ysidro  760 

Mader,  P.  A 13 

Mains,  G.  B 74 

Major,  Hamilton   225 

Makinson,  L.  B 191 

Mammen,  Julia   325 

Marcellus,  Frank 631 

Marion,  C.  E 622 

Markhus,  O.  G.  F 431 

Marshall,  G.  8 881 

Martin,  R.  H 471 


Martin,  S.  P 853 

Martin,   T.    B 655 

Mason,  J.  H 636 

Matlock,  Clinton   635 

Maus,  A.  0 879 

May,   L.   S 733 

Mayhew,  G.  T 307 

Meechan,  C.  T 139 

Mellinger.  Ida  F 698 

Meltvedt,  Chris   747 

Mercer,  Mae  B 747 

Mickelson,  F.  C 869 

Miller,  E.  M 125 

Miller,  R.  H 346 

Mills,  J.  F 399 

Mitchell,  W.  B 174 

Mitchell,  W.  M 251 

Mobley,  Robert 27 

Moflatt,  D.  W 152 

Monteith,  O.  A , 606 

Moody,  C.   S 412 

Moon,  J.  R 638 

More,  G.  T 167 

Morehouse,  C.  0 397 

Morehouse,  M.  D 436 

Moritz,  A.  J 92 

Morrison,  C.  W 407 

Morrow,  M.  F 16 

Mortenson,  John   855 

Moseley,  F.  P 217 

Mott,  T.  A 783 

Mulliner,  J.  S 762 

Mumford,  Edward 213 

Murphy,  D.  F 799 

Murphy,  D.  T 750 

Murray,  D.  W 451 

Myers.  H.  G 100 

Myers,  J.   M « 469 

Myers,  S.  J 551 

Nagel,  John    246 

Navarro,  Jose  334 

Needles,  A.  L 849 

Neitzel,  H.  R 211 

Nelson,  C.  A 281 

Nelson,  Claudia  H 413 

Nelson,  E.  G 146 

Nelson,  I.  L 462 

Nelson.  John  306 

Nelson,  Nels   862 

Nelson,  W.  T 628 

Newman,  F.  W 602 

Newport,  James  B 186 

Nibler,  George  684 

Nichter,  Matt  810 

Nielsen,  A.  M 733 

Nisson,  C.  A 495 


906 


INDEX 


Noble,  G.  E 785 

Noble,  Robert  765 

Noggle,  G.  E 810 

Norquest,  C.  E 7 

Norris,   C.   H 92 

North,  George 132 

Norton,  J.  W 76 

Nourse,  G.  A 886 

Nyborg,  William  635 

Nye,  W.  C 331 

Oakes,  Horace   562 

Oakley,  C.  H 714 

Obermeyer,  Henry 208 

Obermeyer,  John 68 

O'Donnell,  E.  B 784 

Ogden,  E.  L 559 

Olson,  D.  P 572 

Orford,  Colin 354 

Osika,  S.  J 750 

Ostner,  A.  W 164 

Palmer,  J.  C 854 

Palmer,   W.   A 598 

Par6,  Louis  503 

Parish,  R.  H 853 

Park,  R.  H 289 

Parks,  William ; 374 

Parrish,  J.  M 25 

Patee,  H.  W 676 

Patheal,  A.  C 268 

Paul,  J.  E 129 

Paynton,  Charles 568 

Pearson,  T.  C 838 

Pelton,  A.  H 694 

Pence,  E.  C 214 

Peshak,  E.  1 622 

Peters,  J.  H 712 

Peterson,  Iver   252 

Pethtel,  G.  M 512 

Pfost,  F.  M 628 

Phillips,  M.  J 57 

Philpott,  C.  A 28 

Picard,  C.  0 191 

Pierce,  John  678 

Piercy,  Watt  560 

Pilgrim,  B.  L 629 

Pizey,  Paul   806 

Plowman,  Mary  K 86 

Pomeroy,  A.  E 656 

Poole,  J.  R 727 

Poteet,  J.  B 500 

Potter,  D.  S 654 

Potter,  W.  J 772 

Powell,  J.  R 276 

Powers,  H.  C 856 

Pratt,  M.  E 623 


Pratt,  M.  W. .. 
Prestel,  H.  H.. 

Price,  A.  C 

Prickett,  A.  F. 

Pugh,  H.  A 

Pursell,  C.  W. . 
Pyke,  W.  A 


298 
322 

49 
459 
828 

85 
725 


Ragsdale,  T.  L 670 

Randall,  C.  C 632 

Randall,  Harry   113 

Rasmusson,  Andrew 253 

Ratliff,  Joe    630 

Raymond,   S.  V 143 

Reeves,  W.  N 509 

Reeves,  W.  R 511 

Rein,  Charles 485 

Rein,  Jacob  520 

Richards,  H.  G 331 

Ricks,  Brigham  155 

Ricks,  T.  E 779 

Ries,  J.  P 432 

Riggs,  B.  G 313 

Riggs,  C.  W 31 

Rinearson,  Anna  , 823 

Robb,  H.  A 192 

Robertson,  Charles  144 

Robertson,  J.  D 778 

Robinson,  W.  S 250 

Robison,  C.  A 510 

Roe,  Delia  F 284 

Rogers,  Stella  M 570 

Rogers,  W.  H 278 

Rogerson,  Andrew 895 

Rolph,  Social   471 

Roos,   L.   N 653 

Roper,  William   46 

Rose,  E.  L 640 

Rose,  F.  L 188 

Ross,  Minnie  B.  D 604 

Rossi,  Alexander 93 

Ruark,  J.  D 88 

Rundstrom,  E.  C 773 

Rutledge,  J.  E 185 

Sampson,  C.  B 432 

Sanders,  Grace 338 

Sauer,  Adam 140 

Scales,  J.  H 685 

Schmid,  W.  F 437 

Schrecongost,  A.  M 516 

Schultz,  William   592 

Schwendiman,  Samuel 80 

Seism,  S.  C 340 

Scott,  Josiah  389 

Scott,  Nathan  615 

Sebree,  Howard  759 


INDEX 


907 


See,  C.  R 224 

Seetin,  Oliver  706 

Selby,  D.  L 100 

Selck,  W.  W..  Jr 608 

Selck,  W.  W.,  Sr 301 

Sewell,  J.  L 199 

Shake,  G.  D 138 

Shane,  W.  H 333 

Shawver,  Jacob   534 

Shawver,  Jesse 536 

Sheaffer,  W.  W 269 

Shellworth,  J.  F 68 

Shelton,  P.  M 596 

Sheridan,  R.  S 243 

Sherlock,  T.  J 174 

Shipman,  C.  R 187 

Shipman,  W.  G 187 

Short,  O.  P 158 

Shrout,  G.  W 452 

Siddoway,  J.  W 170 

Siggins,  C.  C 569 

Simmons,  A.  H 887 

Simpson,  Ira 470 

Sisk,  S.  M 599 

Skillern,  John    810 

Smith,  A.  C 391 

Smith,  A.  E 414 

Smith,  A.  H 620 

Smith,  B.  N 848 

Smith,  P.  B 741 

Smith,  G.  F 399 

Smith,  G.  H 382 

Smith,  James  691 

Smith,   M.   H 608 

Smith,  T.  W 125 

Snow,  P.  H 652 

Sollenberger,   I.   R 74 

Spaulding,  C.  L 533 

Spaulding,  R.  G 55 

Spoor.   R.    G 627 

Stafford,  W.  M 630 

Stahl,  B.  E 529 

Stahl,  Emil   535 

Stanger,  A.  E 430 

Starn,   E.  H 669 

Stephan,  Ludwig 293 

Stevens,  H.   F 60 

Stewart,   I.  J 429 

Stockton,  J.  H 266 

Stoddard,   J.   M 486 

Stofiel,  J.  H Ill 

Stokes,  W.  S 736 

Stokesberry,  D.  M 323 

Stone,  W.  A 881 

Story,  R.  S 761 

Strawn,  H.  B 275 

Strieker,  Herman  228 


Strode,  William  146 

Strong.  W.  B 119 

Stronk,  M.  A 422 

Strunk,  N.  W 101 

Stuart,  W.  S 238 

Stunz,    E.   A 491 

Surber,  J.  C 380 

Sweeley,  E.  M 842 

Swendsen,  W.  G 754 

Swenson,  Andrew  719 

Talley,  J.  H 885 

Tallman,  A.  V 105 

Tanner,  J.  W 94 

Tarr,  T.  W 742 

Tate,  J.  P 8 

Taylor,   T.   G 726 

Taylor,  W.  W 887 

Tempest,  Phineus   833 

Thayer,  W.   D 290 

Thode,  W.  F 226 

Thomas,  L.  R 797 

Thomas,  Walter 844 

Thompson,  W.  H 180 

Thurman,  Roland   589 

Tippets,  Arthur  348 

Torneten,  F.  H 219 

Trask,  R.  H 842 

Tregaskis,  G.  T 603 

Trisler,  Charles    544 

Tronaas,  O.  M 693 

Troyer,  A.   E 112 

Tschudy,  Ida 389 

Tueller,  Rudolph  824 

Turner,  D.  R 508 

Turner,  J.  G 687 

Turner,  S.  C 112 

Tyler,  A.  P 358 

Tyler,  O.  S 850 

Uhrig,  W.  H. . . . . 536 

Uranga,  Antonio  388 

Vail,  S.  W 237 

Valentine,  C.  A 415 

Van  Deusen,  Clarence  756 

Varker,  Anna 607 

Vassar,  S.  H 802 

Vogt,  Charles 868 

Wakeman,  J.  H 406 

Walker,  C.  B 780 

Walker,  M.  L 84 

Walker,  W.  A 581 

Walker,  W.  H 721 

Walker,  W.  T 484 


908 


INDEX 


Ward,  G.  P. . . 
Ward,  W.  G.. 
Warden,  G.  A. 
Wardle,  J.  S.. 


243 

175 

361 

507 

Watson,  H.  C 43 

Watts,   J.   C 656 

Wayman,  W.  S 544 

Webb,  Willis  664 

Weber,  Helen 822 

Wells,  E.  F 501 

Werle,  Herman 354 

West,  C.  A 469 

West,  F.  A 361 

West,  H.  T 242 

Westby,  Nels 416 

Wheeler,  L.  N 607 

Wheeler,  W.  E 897 

Whelchel,  A.  M 62 

White,  E.  C 6 

White,  W.  A 511 

Whiteley,  Myron 562 

Whittig,  J.  G 598 

Wicks,  W.  H 277 

Wilder,  J.  C 444 

Wiley,  J.   E 364 

Wilhelm,  Fred   436 

Wilhelm,  Katharina 353 

Wilhelm,  Otto 600 

Wilkerson,  W.  W 317 

Wilkie,  A.  H 233 

Wilkie,  F.  A 569 


Williams,  Lewis   16 

Wills,  C.  A 339 

Wills,  J.  A 341 

Wilson,  A.  L 223 

Wilson,   C.   J 82 

Wilson,  I.  1 533 

Wilson,  J.  W 270 

Wilson,  Marion   357 

Wilson,  R.  B 329 

Wilton,  Mark   220 

Wilton,  Thomas   677 

Wingate,  Samuel  , .  597 

Wolfkiel,  A.  M 671 

Womack,  Isaac 876 

Wood,  B.  M... 233 

Woosley,   Ida  M 863 

Worthman,   H.   S 37 

Wozniak,  Anthony   628 

Wright,  H.  S 553 

Yeaman,  N.  T 713 

Yorgesen,  Soren 81 

Youmans,  W.  W 496 

Young,  A.  E 44 

Young,  A.  H 226 

Young,  L.  L 258 

Young,  O.  0 803 

Youtsler,   Bismark    499 

Zaring,  E.  E 880 

Zimmerman,  Mary  A 383