HomeMy Public PortalAboutIdaho History: Daily LivingL-cu Ny -.+c Y I --W ........ r,. —V' . —• --- -- — - - -
Staged photographs depict
Western self- consciousness
By ARTHUR HART
After Idahoans began going
to the movies regularly there
was a new awareness that they
lived in the "wild and woolly
West." This is indicated by a
number of amusing "staged"
photographs in which ordinary
folks pretended to be movie
badmen.
Today's example is a classic
of the type. It was made in
Billy Coltharps's Hagerman sa-
loon early in the century. In it,
everybody is studiously acting
out a part — some with feeling
and some a bit awkwardly.
Ralph Bryant, the central
figure, plays the part of a ram-
paging cowboy,, drinking his
whiskey straight from the bot-
tle. Bartender Butch Gridley
doesn't approve of this kind of
behavior and raises a hatchet
to stop it — whether in earnest
or as a threat is not clear.
Billy Coltharp, proprietor,
has his own problems in the
background. A second cowboy
with a pistol is forcing him to
"stick- em -up." Elmer Cook
and his pistol are silhouetted
against the saloon's front win-
dow, and appear again in the
back bar mirror at left.
Idaho'
Yesterdays ,
Pool player George Lunford
is either unaware of what is
going on behind him, or doesn't
give a hoot and is going to con-
centrate on the shot he wants
to make no matter what hap-
pens.
One of the nicest things about
this photo is the beautiful qual-
ity of the light and the fine de-
tail it brings out. In the origi-
nal, one can almost read the la-
bels on the bottles back of the
bar. It is easy to read the large
framed picture in the center
which advertises the "Pabst
Brewing Co.," and one to the
right which touts "Y -B Havana
Cigars."
The grain of wood in the bar
itself shows up nicely as do the
brass rail, the cuspidor, and a
corner of the cigar counter dis-
play space.
It would be nice to know who
the talented photographer with
the flare for movie melodrama
was — or if he took other posed
pictures like this one.
In any case, it is a document
of the kind of self- conscious-
ness Westerners began to show
about their history arounq the
turn of the century, partly
under the influence of dime no-
vels', the first movie Westerns,
and such classic works as
Owen Wister's 1902 The Virgin-
ian.
Wister's masterpiece, featur-
ing a cowboy hero, a villain,
and a pretty schoolteacher, be-
came the prototype for literally
hundreds of Western novels
and movies.
Idahoans who read these
books or saw these early West-
ern films obviously got into the
spirit of the kind of drama they
portrayed.,
The saloon was a standard
setting for much of the action
in such productions, and from
the photos in the Historical col-
lections, Idaho photographers
couldn't resist their own
chances to further the legend
of the Old West.
Shelton "Doc" Thayer was
the donor of this fine picture.
(Arthur Hart is director of
the Idaho Historical Society.)
Volume 5 White Swan, Washington, July 5, 1970 Number 1
INTERESTING FACTS -IDAHO
This year on July 3, Idaho celebrates its 80th Statehood Anniversary. Many events have
contributed to the making of Idaho, the nation's 43rd state to be admitted to the union.
When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark made their way westward to Idaho in 1805,
they discovered the Nez Perce, Idaho's largest Indian tribe, living along the Clearwater and
Salmon Rivers. They were followed by Henry H. Spalding and his wife, early msisionaries,
who built a home and mission at Spalding, near Lapwai. They became the first white fam-
ily to settle in Idaho. Spalding also established Idaho's first sawmill in the late 1840's.
Following the Spaldings, a group of Mormons settled in eastern Idaho at Fort Lemhit
and began farming in 1855.
In 1860, the cry of "Gold" was heard from the Orofino Creek region causing gold seekers
to pour into the territory. The miners worked out their claims and moved on, leaving way
for farmers, cattlemen, sheep ranchers, and loggers.
Congress organized the Territory of Idaho, which consisted of Montana and Wyoming,
as well as Idaho, on March 3, 1863, wtih Lewiston as its capitol. In 1864, Boise became the
capital of the smaller Idaho territory after Montana and Wyoming had become separate
territories.
Eventually settlers tried to force the Nez Perce Indians to move to the Lapwai Indian
Reservation creating the War of 1877 in Idaho. In 1878, the Bannocks also rebelled because
cattle were destroying an important food crop, camas, which grows abundantly on Idaho's
camas prairie region. However, by 1894 most of Idaho's Indians were established on res-
ervations.
The Territory of Idaho adopted a constitution in 1889 and entered the Union July 3, 1890.
George L. Shoup, a Republican, became the first governor.
The years 1892 through 1907 saw many mining disputes and strikes. One dispute in
1907 brought national fame to young William E. Borah, a lawyer, who later became an out-
standing U. S. Senator for 33 years.
After World War I, Idaho enjoyed good times until the depression in 1929. An important
relief agency to Idaho during the depression was the Civilian Conservation Corps, whose
members did work in the forests, improved public lands, and helped protect wildlife.
Idaho's forest and farm lands became increasingly more important during World War II
as sources of lumber and food. More than 60,000 Idahoans served during World War II with
many more working in factories.
Idaho has recently developed hydroelectric projects to meet the demand of its expand-
ing agricultural and industrial enterprises. Now under construction near Orofino is Dwor-
shak Dam. Named for Henry Dworshak, the dam will be the highest straight axis concrete
gravity dam in the U. S. upon completion in 1972.
THEN AND NOW — The old Idaho State Capitol near the center of the 300 block on C Street
showed the effects of time near the turn of the century. Skelton's now extends from the
corner of Third and C Streets to the old Capitol site.
Page Two
WHITE SWAN LUMBER COMPANY
White Swan, Washington
MUSINGS OF CLEDA
Born in Idaho, untouched by any-
thing but a power saw, and christened
"Cleda" by her makers, she arrived in
White Swan via Bill Turner six years ago
to observe life from her forest bower and
to muse on her observations. Someone
asked her where she had gone on her
vacation and she listlessly replied "No
man's land." But this was all right be-
cause the bigger the summer vacation
the harder the fall! Then the other day
a fellow came into the office and wanted
to know if he could have a day off with
pay. When Mike asked when, he re-
plied, "I want to collect up on the time
I missed for coffee breaks when I was on
vacations." But all in all, vacations are
great levelers. The person who takes
one, returns home just as broke as the
person who stayed home because he
couldn't afford to go away!
MAURICE and KATHLEEN
5, 1970
Sunday, May 21, many people passed
through the portals of the Richard
Hitchcock home to wish the honored
guests of the day, many happy returns.
The occasion was the observance of
the 40th Wedding Anniversary of Maur-
ice and Kathleen Hitchcock. Four of the
five children and their families were
present, the missing one was "Kam" and
she could not be here because of time
and distance as she is attending school
in Beirut, Lebanon.
Many people from many places, came
to visit and it was like old home week
and all of us wish you, Maurice and
Kathleen, many more years of wedded
bliss.
The occasion was commemorated more
by a poem written by Ellwood Hinman
of White Swan.
I know that at a service station
You can get most necessities of life,
But no one but Maurice
Would go there looking for a wife!
I don't know what the station was
Standard, Shell or Esso —
But after Maurice inspected the merch-
andise,
He told the attendant, "I guess so."
Then followed a turbulent courtship
Every evasive tactic he tried
But he woke up one day to find himself
Roper, branded and tied.
Life in Sisters was simple
Maurice was happy with married life.
Then the family started coming
Adding brawling, turmoil, and strife.
The first three he survived
Without too much despair
But you can imagine his dismay
When the next one was really a pair!!!
Faced with this weird situation
As a matter of self preservation
Maurice decided the only salvation
Was to find his tribe a reservation.
He chose to move to White Swan
Where there was plenty of room to ex-
pand
The community still is rocking
From the arrival of this wild -eyed band.
(Continued on page 3)
iamw Yesterday
Photos Provide Keyholes
For Spying Into History
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director,
Idaho Historical Museum
Few things are as fasci-
nating to the photo historian
as discovering a new view of
a familiar scene. Today's ex-
ample will provide a case.
study.
In this view of the corner
of Tenth and Main streets,
donated to the Idaho Histori-
cal Society by Barry Hop-
kins, the towers of the
Idanha Hotel at right domi-
nate the scene. Handsome
red and white candy- stripe
awnings give the building a
festive character closely re-
lated to the big American
flags hanging in the fore-
ground.
Dating a picture like this
is one of the first steps in
completing its identity. The
flags are an immediate clue.
Since these are 46 -star flags,
it is likely the picture was
taken before 1912 when Ari-
zona and New Mexico were
admitted to the Union. It
cannot have been before 1908
since Oklahoma, the 46th
state, was admitted the No-
vember before.
The number of flags sug-
gests a holiday. Which one?
The Fourth of July is the lo-
gical candidate, since the
trees on Tenth Street beyond
the Idanha are a dark shade
suggesting mid - summer fo-
liage rather than the paler
trees of spring green or au-
tumn yellow. Another clue to
summer is the fact that the
woman on the sidewalk at
left is dressed all in white,
and the man beyond her
wears a straw hat. Two oth-
er women at the Idanha cor-
ner carry parasols.
Signs, where visible, usu-
ally provide clues to dating a
photograph also. The Pierce
Building at right has W. E.
Pierce & Company's sign on
it, giving us the chance to
check Boise City Directories
to see during which years
the firm occupied the build-
ing. These indicate that the
building was completed in
1903 and that Pierce moved
his office in 1910. (At the
time of its demolition in 1973
the building was best known
as the Men's Wardrobe).
The Gem Building, on the
Northwest corner, seen just
above the horse and buggy,
was begun in 1902 and also
finished in 1903.
On the left, on the fourth
corner of this turretted inter-
section, is the Merino Build-
ing. It too was finished at
the turn of the century.
When it burned in the
Twenties the Sun Building
was built at the corner from
designs by Wayland & Fen-
nel. Today the Sun Building
has been handsomely reno-
vated into the dark -brick
Continental Life Building.
The only legible sign on
the left side of our photo
reads "Talking Machines —
" an early name for phono-
graphs. Although phono-
graphs had appeared on
Boise streets as a money-
making novelty as early as
1890, they were not priced
within the reach of average
citizens until the turn of the
century.
In the Nineties schools and
churches began to purchase
phonographs. Appreciative
audiences gathered to hear
"gramophone entertain-
ments," staring in fascina-
tion at the wonderful ma-
chine producing the sounds
from wax cylinders. By the
time our picture was taken
scores of Boise homes had
them and several merchants
sold them.
Having enjoyed the game
of "photo detective," using
directories, newspaper ads,
and fire maps, it is always
nice to be able to call the do-
nor of a photo for further in-
formation. In this case we
were told that the picture
was taken sometime after
1906 by Ben Hopkins.
106 THE IDAHO STATESMAN, Boise, Monday, July 21, 1975
A horse -drawn delivery wagon is parked across from the Idanha Hotel as flags fly on Main Street
Idaho Yesterday
Photos Provide Keyholes
For Spying Into History
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director,
Idaho Historical Museum
Few things are as fasci-
nating to the photo historian
as discovering a new view of
a familiar scene. Today's ex-
amn a will nrnvidp a case_
kins, the towers of the
Idanha Hotel at right domi-
nate the scene. Handsome
red and white candy- stripe
awnings give the building a
festive character closely re-
lated to the big American
flans hanQinR in the fore-
flags are an immediate clue.
Since these are 46 -star flags,
it is likely the picture was
taken before 1912 when Ari-
zona and New Mexico were
admitted to the Union. It
cannot have been before 1908
since Oklahoma, the 46th
summer is the fact that the
woman on the sidewalk at
left is dressed all in white,
and the man beyond her
wears a straw hat. Two oth-
er women at the Idanha cor-
ner carry parasols_
Signs, where visible, usu-
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director,
Idaho Historical Museum
The history of photography
in- Idaho is a subject that
needs further research and
eventual publication. Pho-
tography, one of the in-
dispensable tools of the his-
torian and documentarian, is
also an art.
A perusal of the efforts of
pioneer photographers
quickly reveals that they
were as much interested in
securing pleasing aesthetic
effects as they were in
recording a likeness.
Many of the old -time pho-
tographers were vagabonds,
moving from mining camp
to mining camp as the tides
Of fortune shifted. It was
rare indeed in the Sixties for
a photographer in Idaho to
stay in one place more than
a few months.
Law & Miller, for ex-
ample, opened a "photo-
graph gallery" at the corner
of Eighth and Idaho, Boise,
in January, 1865.
By July they were out of
business and the Sutterly
Brothers from Virginia City,
Montana, had moved in
"with a complete photogra-
phic stock and apparatus."
A photographer with the
euphonious name John Junk
Was one of the most success-
ful in Southern Idaho in the
mid- Sixties. In 1865 he oper-
ated a studio in Idaho City,
and achieved a local fame in
1868 by taking the first pho-
tographs of Shoshone Falls.
These were taken on spec-
ulation, and offered at $5 a
set, both in Boise, where lie
had now moved, and in a
branch studio in Silver City.
In lieu of a paid ad, the
pnuwgt apt— k,.
set of the photos to Editor
James Reynolds, who re-
sponded with a plug for the
pictures, pointing out that
"they are an ornament in
any parlor or office."
By the following year,
however; John Junk had
moved on to other fields. In
February, 1869, there is men-
tion of his having settled in
Helena, Montana Territory.
His Shoshone Falls photo-
graphs continued to be prized
in Boise for many years. One
of them, purchased by Cy
Jacobs, a founding father of
the city, was proudly dis-
played in Horace Myers' Art
Store in October, 1892.
In July, 1870, evidently fill-
ing the vacuum created by
Junk's departure, H. E. Les-
lie, "photographic artist,"
moved his gallery to Boise
from Silver City. The States-
man, in an optimistic mood,
said that Leslie would "per-
manently locate in Boise.
This meant a few months, as
it turned out. i
Ike Curry, who had run a
studio in Idaho City, was
doing portraits for five dol-
lars a dozen in rooms across
from the Overland Hotel in
December, 1870, but by Au-
gust had rented his rooms to
Bomar & Bayhouse.
"Being steady young men,
just starting out in business,
we hope to see them receive
liberal and substantial en-
couragement," wrote The
Statesman. Curry's brief
abandonment of photogra-
phy was to last only a
month.
On August 19, the paper
observed that he had given
up merchandising "and fall-
en back on his old avocation
of transferring the line-
aments of the human face
divine to posterity."
This is far from a complete
list of early photographers in
Southern Idaho, even up to
1871, and there were many
famous names to come, such
as Charles S. Kingsley, Ho-
race Myers, and Anton Un-
ternahrer, but it does sug-
gest a fertile field of inquiry
for a researcher.
There are hundreds of fine
old photographs, whose pho-
tographers are virtually un-
known as historical figures,
even though their names are
`imprinted on their work.
Who they were, where
they worked, and when —
these are things to be
worked out in detail. Mean-
while, we shall continue to
seek out the photographs
themselves.
They represent a rich re-
source in Idaho history.
Pioneer photograpners in zuultu mug W, "__J
i
BU
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>i
tai:
Historic double takes
Idaho photographers trace the steps of tt
By JUDY STEELE
The Idaho Statesman
SUN VALLEY — Mention the Old West
and it conjures up pictures of rough cow-
boys riding herd on red -eyed cattle, crazy
miners leaving home and family for the
fool's dream of gold, and determined pio-
neers huddling in wagon trains as they
fight off Indians.
But the West drew other adventurers as
well, men who recorded the wild land
through the delicate art of photography.
Their photographs, as much as or perhaps
more than diaries and drawings, estab-
lished the West as both a real place and a
land of legends.
Now the sites of some of these early pho-
tographs have been revisited and rephoto-
graphed by two Idaho photographers.
Ellen Manchester and Mark Klett, direc-
tor and assistant director for the Pho-
tography Department of the Sun Valley
Center for the Arts and Humanities, estab-
lished the Rephotographic Survey Project
2 years ago. With a third photographer, Jo
Ann Verburg, they have rephotographed
85 sites in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Col-
orado, New Mexico and Arizona.
The project was born in Rochester,
N.Y., when Manchester and Klett were in-
troduced because of their mutual interest
in a survey of old photographic sites.
"It started out casually as an idea we
discussed," Klett said. "It probably
wouldn't have happened if we hadn't, got-
ten together in Rochester."
But the project did happen, in part be-
cause it caught the imagination of other
people asp well as Manchester and Klett.
National Endowment for the Arts and Po-
laroid Corp. have funded the project for
the last 2 years. The field work was spon-
sored by Colorado Mountain College, in
Breckenridge, Colo., and research and ex-
hibition preparation for the photographs is
being sponsored by the Sun Valley Center.
Once money was available for the pro-
ject, the first step was to establish some
limits. Manchester and Klett decided to
concentrate on one photographer — Wil-
liam Henry Jackson — for the first year
and to work with his photographs from
1873. The second year they worked with
other survey photographers, including A.J.
Russell, Timothy O'Sullivan, Alexander
Gardner and Jack Hillers.
The decision to begin with Jackson was
made impart for practical reasons. Klett,
who has a degree in geology, had worked
one summer with the United States Geo-
logical Survey and was able to use
Jackson's photos and diaries from its files.
Because Klett was doing most of the pho-
tography (Manchester handles the admin-
istrative and fundraising end of the pro-
ject), Jackson was a natural choice.
The diaries were used to locate the pho-
tnrtr -o.J� niter... D..+ :F .,,.,.. «e♦ .....r .. ....... !.
Photographers Mark Klett and
Ellen Manchester: They set
strict guidelines for
themselves in order to come
as close as they could to an
exact duplication of the
original photograph. That
meant being at the site the
same time of year, the same
time of day and with the same
weather conditions that the
early photographers had
encountered.
cided to photograph Twin Lakes even
though the wind was up. But Klett and
Manchester had set strict guidelines for
themselves in order to come as close as
they could to an exact duplication of the
original photograph. That meant being at
the site the same time of year, the same
time of day and with the same weather
conditions that Jackson had encountered.
Sometimes the diaries gave them dates.
Often, they had to guess the time of year
and time of day from the picture itself. At
least once, a clue to a Timothy O'Sullivan
photo came from an unexpected source.
"A friend told me that one site we were
going to photograph had graffiti on it that
said Sept. 23 and the name of someone in
the survey team O'Sullivan was with,"
Klett said. "That made it easier since the
lighting had to be just right to get the same
picture he took. There was only a 3- minute
period when the rock stratification showed
up.
The team arm imm Pnlamiri anninmant
understand it," Manchester said.
Klett found that the different surve3
photographers approached a potentia
photograph differently from each other
and differently than he might.
"Jackson was really interested in the
Picturesque. O'Sullivan had a less roman
tic stance involved in his work," he said
"Jackson's photographs seem to fit what
people liked. They seem a little outdated
O'Sullivan made beautiful use of space anc
land. In one photograph, he actua113
slanted the shot. He took it at a better
angle even though it wasn't correct."
Russell's training as a painter in
fluenced his photography, Manchester
said.
"Mark and Jo Ann said as soon as they
walked up to a site they knew which direc•
tion he took," she said.
The team also found that different sur•
vey leaders had different approaches U
the land they were exploring.
"There were a number of both civiliar
and miltary surveys which were lumpec
together under the USGS in 1879," Man•
chester said. "Some were really militarily
oriented. Their approach was that this wa:
uncharted land and the idea was to figure
out where irrigation was possible, where
railroads could go and how to deal with the
`red problem,' which is really what they
called it."
The viewpoint of leaders such as Ferdi-
nand Hayden and Clarence King could
have influenced the photographers, Klett
said.
"King had a theory of catastophic geol-
ogy, really a quasi - religious understanding
of rock. To him, things happened very
quickly. There's a question whether he di-
rected his photographers that way. Hay-
den had a theory more along the lines of
evolution," he said.
"Hayden really understood the power of
photography," Manchester said. "He
hired Jackson to photograph Yellowstone.
When the bill came before Congress in 1862
to make Yellowstone a national park, he
made sure that congressmen saw the pic-
tures. Some people say that he even gave
each congresman his own set of photos. He
realized that the better pictures he got, the
better Yellowstone's chances were."
Even though comparison of the photo-
graphs could lead to a number of different
conclusions, Klett and Manchester did not
set out to make any statement about the
land they were rephotographing, Man-
chester said.
"You could edit out certain pictures and
make any statement you want," she said.
They did have some objectives for the
project, however, including establishing a
methodology for conducting a photo-
graphic survey.
"The point for me would not be to do
Luga- aNaaca a, a,aa,auua,as _.. .
XYLHI�l 5.1 Russell, Timothy O'Sullivan, Alexander
Gardner and Jack Hillers.
The decision to begin with Jackson was
made in.part for practical reasons. Klett,
who has a degree in geology, had worked
one summer with the United States Geo-
logical Survey and was able to use
Jackson's photos and diaries from its files.
Because Klett was doing most of the pho-
tography (Manchester handles the admin-
istrative and fundraising end of the pro-
ject), Jackson was a nataral choice.
The diaries were used to locate the pho-
tograph sites. But it wasn't just a matter
of walking up to a well -known natural
monument and pushing the shutter button.
"I remember the first time we looked
for a photo site," Klett said. "It was Twin
Lakes. It's still there, it still has the same
name. But the picture we had has no fore-
ground and we use foreground to locate
sites."
"We spent all day looking for that site,"
Manchester said. "We were bickering and
I was wondering what we'd gotten into. ".
Two weeks later, they went back out to
the lake and located the spot where Jack-
son had taken the picture. But this time
the wind was up, making waves on the
lake. Jackson's picture shows a glass -flat
lake, mirroring the scene around it. The
team had to scrap another day's work.
"After that we had a meeting and raised
some real questions about the project,
whether it was impossible," Manchester
said.
But the next week, Klett went to the
Garden of the Gods and got good pictures.
They decided to continue their work.
Another survey team might have de-
Often, they had to guess the time of year
and time of day from the picture itself. At
least once, a clue to a Timothy O'Sullivan
photo came from an unexpected source.
"A friend told me that one site we were
going to photograph had graffiti on it that
said Sept. 23 and the name of someone in
the survey team O'Sullivan was with,"
Klett said. "That made it easier since the
lighting had to be just right to get the same
picture he took. There was only a 3- minute
period when the rock stratification showed
up.
The team also used Polaroid equipment
to set up the shot and make sure that they
had precisely the same frame taken by the
original photographer. Being off even by
several inches could have made a differ-
ence in the scene shot, Klett said.
But within the strict perameters of time,
weather and frame, the photographers,al-
lowed themselves some artistic leeway. In
rephotographing a lake scene, a photogra-
pher working with Klett realized that the
change in trees and plant life would
change the focus in his photograph. So he
left in a waterskier and boat to pull the
focus back to the lake.
When Klett took a photograph of a
geyser formation in Yellowstone Park, he
decided to leave out the two men standing
on top of the formation, measuring its
depth with a plumb line. And he decided to
print the photograph he took just as the
geyser went off. The two pictures make a
statement about the view different photog-
raphers have of nature.
"There was a feeling at that time that if
they could document something, they
could know it. They could conquer it and
Even though comparison of the photo-
graphs could lead to a number of different
conclusions, Klett and Manchester did not
set out to make any statement about the
land they were rephotographing, Man•
chester said.
"You could edit out certain pictures anc
make any statement you want," she said.
They did have some objectives for the
project, however, including establishing
methodology for conducting a photo
graphic survey.
"The point for me would not be to 6
more photographs, but to define what hap
pens when we do them, isolate the varia
bles and try to tack down some conclu
sions," Klett said. "Surveys are in vogue
now, but people don't know what they'n
doing."
During the 2 -year project, the photc
graphers have developed a record- keepin;
system to provide information on eacl
photograph taken. The system will be use
by Sun Valley Center students to rephotc
graph pictures taken by longtime resi
dents of Hailey and Bellevue, Mancheste
said.
She and Klett also plan to provide sets c
the photographs to various collections tha
have requested them and to exhibit th
photographs in a variety of settings, h
cluding the Boise Gallery of Art.
One set of prints will be going to th
USGS files with the hope that the photi
graphs and information will be used to n
photograph the sites in 50 to 100 years.
"We're not looking for immortality wit
the project," Manchester said. "I hoI
whoever does it in the future is better tha
we are."
Colorado's Whitehouse Mountain and Elk Lake in 1873 ...
... The 197
takes
SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 1979
race the steps of their Old West counterparts
understand it," Manchester said.
Klett found that the different survey
photographers approached a potential
photograph differently from each other
and differently than he might.
"Jackson was really interested in the
picturesque. O'Sullivan had a less roman-
tic stance involved in his work," he said.
"Jackson's photographs seem to fit what
people liked. They seem a little outdated.
O'Sullivan made beautiful use of space and
land. In one photograph, he actually
slanted the shot. He took it at a better
angle even though it wasn't correct."
Russell's training as a painter in-
fluenced his photography, Manchester
said.
"Mark and Jo Ann said as soon as they
walked up to a site they knew which direc-
tion he took," she said.
The team also found that different sur-
vey leaders had different approaches to
the land they were exploring.
"There were a number of both civilian
and miltary surveys which were lumped
together under the USGS in 1879," Man-
chester said. "Some were really militarily
oriented. Their approach was that this was
uncharted land and the idea was to figure
out where irrigation was possible, where
railroads could go and how to deal with the
`red problem,' which is really what they
called it."
The viewpoint of leaders such as Ferdi-
nand Hayden and Clarence King could
have influenced the photographers, Klett
said.
"King had a theory of catastophic geol-
ogy, really a quasi- religious understanding
of rock. To him, things happened very
quickly. There's a question whether he di-
rected his photographers that way. Hay-
den had a theory more along the lines of
evolution," he said.
"Hayden really understood the power of
photography," Manchester said. "He
hired Jackson to photograph Yellowstone.
When the bill came before Congress in 1862
to make Yellowstone a national park, he
made sure that congressmen saw the pic-
tures. Some people say that he even gave
each congresman his own set of photos. He
realized that the better pictures he got, the
better Yellowstone's chances were."
Even though comparison of the photo-
graphs could lead to a number of different
conclusions, Klett and Manchester did not
set out to make any statement about the
land they were rephotographing, Man-
chester said.
"You could edit out certain pictures and
make any statement you want," she said.
They did have some objectives for the
project, however, including establishing a
methodology for conducting a photo-
graphic survey.
"The point for me would not be to do
mnrn r.hntnnr�nc� 1—t to infirm —hnt hnn
Jackson's view of Pulpit Rock in Utah, 1869 ...
itself. At
graphs could lead to a number of different
'Sullivan
conclusions, Klett and Manchester did not
ource_
set out to make any statement. about the
we were
land they were rephotographing, Man -
on it that
chester said.
meone in
"You could edit out certain pictures and
is with,"
make any statement you want," she said.
since the
They did have some objectives for the
the same
project, however, including establishing a
3- minute
methodology for conducting a photo-
n showed
graphic survey.
"The point for me would not be to do
uat
more photographs, but to define what hap -
that they
they
pens when we do them, isolate the varia-
bles and try to tack down some conclu-
even by
a differ-
sions," Klett said. "Surveys are in vogue
now, but people don't know what they're
of time,
of time,
doing."
During the 2 -year project, the photo-
way. In
graphers have developed a record - keeping
photogra-
system to provide information on each
i that the
Photograph taken. The system will be used
fe ld
would
by Sun Valley Center students to rephoto-
ph. So
graph pictures taken by longtime resi-
p pull the
dents of Hailey and Bellevue, Manchester
said.
She and Klett also plan to provide sets of
iph of a
the photographs to various collections that
Park, he
have requested them and to exhibit the
i standing
photographs in a variety of settings, in-
uring its
cluding the Boise Gallery of Art.
lecided to
One set of prints will be going to the
ist as the
USGS files with the hope that the photo-
�s make a
graphs and information will be used to re-
st photog-
photograph the sites in 50 to 100 years.
"We're not looking for immortality with
.ne that if
the project," Manchester said. "I hope
ng, they
whoever does it in the future is better than
ier it and
we are."
... and the same Echo Canyon site in 1978
... The 1977 view of what is now Snowmass Mountain and Geneva Lake
111'(:11 PAR:\II IU
Bruneau Canyon oeerlook, 800 feet above river. View here is south
Idaho has a deep .surprise
Southwestern Idaho is usually described as
desert country —sage and sand, deficient
in rainfall, remote and sparsely settled. It
is indeed an upland desert, etched with
sharp -edged gorges. Most of the region is
drained by the Bruneau River and its
tributaries through Bruneau Canyon, one
of the deepest and narrowest chasms in
North America. Its very steep, sometimes
nearly vertical walls drop almost 2,000
feet in places; only in a few locations can
a man descend to the bottom.
SAND DUNES
Road travelers have three favorite spots
around Bruneau. The first is the sand dune
country. Turn off U.S. 30 at Hammett
State Park, and drive 12 miles to the west.
This road leads directly to the base of the
dunes near a small lake which offers good
swimming and a variety of fish. Several of
the dunes are more than 400 feet high —
among the world's tallest. Although you'll
see tracks where adventurous drivers have
left the road, it's safer to walk on the
dunes than drive on them. If you get
stuck, help is 10 miles away at Bruneau.
BRUNEAU OVERLOOK
From Bruneau, continue 18 miles south
on the road (half pavement, half gravel)
that parallels the east bank of the river.
Following signs pointing to the overlook,
you will cross a flat lava desert and come
abruptly upon the canyon itself, 800 feet
deep at this point, and no more than 74
mile wide at the top.
It's traditional to try to lob a rock across
the canyon, but this is an increasingly
Mountainw`a 68
tQ_ Homk3,
P� mmet}, .
R,�nnnan �.
BRUNEAU CANYON
x
0 miles 20
_ _ IDAHO
NEVADA
The roads to Bruneau Canyon
poor idea because more and more boaters
are running the river each year. If the
urge proves irresistible, at least check to
make sure no one is below.
INDIAN BATHTUB
On the way back to the town of Bruneau
from the canyon viewpoint, turn left
Bruneau Canyon floor is hard to reach,
but provides hiking, fishing, swimming
Dozen, dozen into
Idaho's Bruneau
Southwestern Idaho's starkly beautiful
Bruneau Canyon, one of the deepest of
gorges, is also one of the most inaccessi-
ble, as Peter Ogden found when he ex-
plored its entire rim in 1826. Ironically
he and his Hudson's Bay Company trap-
pers nearly died of thirst for want of a
trail to the Bruneau River far below.
Modern canyon explorers have an easier
time both descending to the Bruneau's
floor and reaching the desert that it bi-
sects for some 65 miles.
From Mountain Home you drive south
on State Highway 51 for 20 miles to the
town of Bruneau. Continue south onto
the desert on the paved road that stays
east of the river. After 8 miles the road
forks into three secondary roads, all best
traveled by high - clearance vehicles. Take
the middle fork, which follows the can-
yon's east rim, for 10 miles to a high
overlook.
To get to the river itself, continue on the
middle fork road another .2 mile, then
turn right onto another dirt road for 6
miles to the canyon rim. Here locate the
Roberson Trail with the help of a U.S.G.S.
map (Winter Quadrangle).
Autumn is the best time for a Bruneau
Canyon visit. The temperature reaches
70 °, the river is low enough to permit
hiking at the bottom of the steep - walled
gorge, and scattered along the rocky can-
yon walls are oases of gray -blue junipers
and bright yellow willows.
6UNBET
Glenns Ferry railroad yards live again at the Idaho State Museum
Glenns Ferry was bustling railroad center
By ARTHUR HART
Glenns Ferry takes its name from
two brothers of that name who built
and operated a ferry across the
Snake River in 1865, about a mile
east of the present center of town
The growth and later prosperity of
the place was chiefly due to the Ore-
gon Short Line railroad which came
in 1882 -83.
Even earlier, Oregon Trail io-
neers forded the river a few n1iles
west by way of three islands. Three
Island Crossing became a well -
known landmark on the trail, used by
thousands of western-bound emi-
grants after 1840.
It was the only crossing used regu-
larly to go from the south side of
Snake River to the north side and the
route over sagebrush plains to Boise
valley.
The townsite was platted by the
railroad in 1883, and in 1887 Glenns
Ferry was made a division point. Re-
pair shops, stores, a freight yard and
a big roundhouse were built soon
after.
The importance of the railroad to
Idaho
Yesterdays 1
Glenns Ferry would be difficult to
overestimate, since for half a cen-
tury it served as the basis of the
town's economy.
Even after farming and ranching
became important, it was the rail-
road that brought in the supplies and
hauled the local money crops to mar-
ket.
Glenns Ferry's railroad yards
were the scene of much activity in
those great days of the steam loco-
motives.
A second roundhouse, built after
the turn of the century and expanded
later, could accommodate 16 locomo-
tives at once. A steel -truss turntable
shunted the giant engines into their
vacant stalls for servicing and minor
repairs.
And now it is possible to visualize
this bit of Idaho railroad history by a
visit to the Idaho Model Railroad
Club's permanent display in the State
Museum.
This group of railroad buffs has re-
created the Glenns Ferry yard in
miniature with remarkable attention
to detail.
Locomotives, spare wheels, ties
and other equipment are reproduced
at precise scale, distributed as they
might have been on a typical day on
the Oregon Short Line.
. Using photographs like the one
shown today, made sometime before
1916, the club has done an outstand-
ing job of making a bit of Idaho his-
tory come to life.
Best of all, perhaps, is the fact that
the club's efforts are all donated to
the people of Idaho for their enjoy-
ment.
Major showings of the Idaho Model
Railroad are scheduled on the first
Sunday afternoon of each month
from 1 until 5 p.m.
Members operate a number of
trains at one time, recreating actual
conditions on a working railroad.
The public is also invited to view
construction activities on Tuesday
evenings beginning April 7 from 7:30
until 9:30 p.m.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical SocIety.)
Glenns Ferry railroad yards live again at the Idaho State Museum
Glenns Ferry was bustling railroad center
By ARTHUR HART
Glenns Ferry takes its name
om
two brothers of that name who
it
and operated a ferry across
the
Snake River in 1865, about a
ile
east of the present center of town
The growth and later prosperit
of
the place was chiefly due to the
re-
gon Short Line railroad which c
me
in 1882 -83.
Even earlier, Oregon Trail
pio-
Idaho
Yesterdays
Glenns Ferry would be difficult to
overestimate, since for half a cen-
tury it served as the basis of the
this bit of Idaho railroad history by a
visit to the Idaho Model Railroad
Club's permanent display in the State
Museum.
This group of railroad buffs has re-
created the Glenns Ferry yard in
miniature with remarkable attention
to detail.
Locomotives, spare wheels, ties
and other equipment are reproduced
at precise scale, distributed as they
might have been on a typical day on
Best of all, perhaps, is the fact that
the club's efforts are all donated to
the people of Idaho for their enjoy-
ment.
Major showings of the Idaho Model
Railroad are scheduled on the first
Sunday afternoon of each month
from 1 until 5 p.m.
Members operate a number of
trains at one time, recreating actual
conditions on a working railroad.
The public is also invited to view
.• L• a ri-1-111e 5 DIUe Lakes Ranch was an awesome but favored Idaho site
Idaho Yesterdays
Perrine
Land's
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho Historical
Museum
Many a pioneer settled
early on some portion of Ida-
ho's richly endowed terrain
without realizing its ultimate
potential. Even in the case
of those who did, they often
had the luck to be "born too
soon" to capitalize on re-
sources that would only
reach full value many years
later.
A man who knew what he
had, and who clung to a par-
ticularly unique piece of the
Idaho landscape, was 1. B.
Perrine. When Perrine first
saw the land lying in Snake
River Canyon a few miles
below Shoshone Falls which
came to be known as Blue
I. B. PERRINE
.. picked his spot
Recognized
Blessing
Lakes Ranch, he decided
that this was a spot particu-
larly blessed.
When the rest of the arid
Snake River plain of South-
ern Idaho was still blanketed
with snow, this sheltered
part of the great basalt can-
yon of the river was receiv-
ing the winter sunshine and
protected from the cold
winds which swept over-
head.
Wintering robins flew from
one protective clump of na-
tive shrub to another or ran
listening for worms across
open grassy patches among
the giant lava boulders pol-
ished by the ancient flood
when Lake Bonneville
drained out to the Columbia
and the Pacific 20 to 30 thou-
sand years ago.
Ducks by the hundreds
rafted in the river or dab-
bled in the Blue Lakes.
Perrine decided, soon after
establishing his ranch in this
wild and awesome place,
that its protected mini -cli-
mate was suited to the grow-
ing of fruit trees.
Since the Wood River min-
ing country was booming to
the north, and the new rail-
road town of Shoshone was
not far away, Perrine de-
cided to exploit this new
market. Now only did his or-
chards produce fruit — it
was of a quality that encour-
aged him to enter it in inter-
national expositions.
At Paris in 1900, he won a
gold medal for his Rome
Beauty apples. He also won
medals at Buffalo in 1901, at
r
Omaha, 1902, at St. Louis,
1904, and at Portland in 1905.
His Italian prunes won a
gold medal in 1909• at
Seattle's Alaska, Yukon and
Pacific Exposition.
Considering Idaho's re-
moteness and small popu-
lation at that time, these
were notable accom-
plishments. That fruit from
the canyon of one of Amer-
ica's great rivers, so remote
that few people in the whole
country could have located it
on a map, should be ad-
judged best in world and na-
tional competitions was
quite astonishing.
Perrine's experience and
success at Blue Lakes Ranch
gave him unshakable faith
in the future of South Ida-
ho's great sage plains. He
saw that this volcanic soil
could produce miracles if
only water could be brought
from the river canyon 400
feet below to the vast plains
above.
He was one of the chief
promotors of the Twin Falls
project, leading to the build-
ing of Milner Dam and the
location of a city where only
sagebrush and jack rabbits
had known the sun and
winds before.
When the city of Twin
Falls was laid out and built
in 1904, appropriately
enough, its largest building
was I. B. Perrine's hotel.
His name, like the country
he pioneered, will be forever
green, and the Blue Lakes a
favored spot in Nature's
scheme.
C
I. B. Perrine's Blue Lakes Ranch was an awesome but favored Idaho site
WE Idaho Yesterdays
GRI
Br
Perrine Recoornized .
Land's Blessing
Both vi
WE
♦6
CJ A
01,
49
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho Historical
Museum
Many a pioneer settled
early on some portion of Ida-
ho's richly endowed terrain
without realizing its ultimate
Potential. Even in the case
of those who did, they often
had the luck to be "born too
soon" to capitalize on re-
sources that would only
reach full value many years
later.
Lakes Ranch, he decided Omaha, 1902, at St. Louis,
that this was a spot particu- 1904, and at Portland in 1905.
larly blessed. His Italian prunes won a
gold medal in 1909 at
When the rest of the arid
Snake River plain of South-
ern Idaho was still blanketed
with snow, this sheltered
part of the great basalt can-
yon of the river was receiv-
ing the winter sunshine and
protected from the cold
winds which swept over-
head.
Seattle's Alaska, Yukon and
Pacific Exposition.
Considering Idaho's re-
moteness and small popu-
lation at that time, these
were notable accom-
plishments. That fruit from
the canyon of one of Amer-
ica's ar at riv— sn r—to
Idaho Historical Society photo
Oregon Short Line train makes a stop in Glenns Ferry in 1889
Glenns Ferry owes its start
to Oregon Short Line Railroad
By ARTHUR HART
"Quite a village has already
grown up at Glenn's Ferry on
Snake River,. the outgrowth of
making that place the end of a di-
vision of the ,O.S.L." This item in
The Idaho Statesman of Jan. 18,
1887, reported. the modest growth
the little railroad town had expe-
rienced in its first five years:
"A number of dwelling houses,
two stores, .and three saloons
have already been completed and
other buildings are in process of
erection in addition to the im-
provements- being put up by the
railroad company."
Glenns Ferry is one of many
southern Idaho towns that got its
start with the building of the Ore-
gon Short Line Railroad in 1882-
1883. Its hisfosy goes back consi-
derably farther, however, to a
ferry boat across Snake River
from which it takes its name.
The Glenn " brothers' ferry
operated not, far from Three Is-
land Crossing on the Oregon
Trail, where `thousands of emi-
grants forded, the river in the
1840s and 1850s. When the railroad
came, the name was retained.
G.P. Glenn was operating a
ferry at King Hill in May of 1875
when The Statesman acknowl-
edged a visit "ti -om him. Ferries
were still a necessity for almost
all of Snake River at that time,
for there were, few places narrow
enough to bridge.
Idaho , ?r
Yesterdays`'
(An exception was Matt Tay-
lor's 1865 toll bridge at Eagle
Rock, later Idaho Falls).
Today's photo of an Oregon
Short Line passenger train at
Glenns Ferry was taken in 1889,
just two years after the descrip-
tion of the town quoted above.
It shows an all -male crowd
standing on the station platform
before a board - and - batten build-
ing labeled "Eating House." The
projecting sign over the door
reads "U.P. Dining Room," and
one beyond it says "Ice Cream
and Sherbert (sic)."
Another, just readable behind
the locomotive headlight, says
"Lunch Counter." In the days be-
fore dining cars were regularly
carried by passenger trains, meal
stops like this one were the rule.
Apparently railroad crews were
fed in the separate U.P. dining
room shown in our photo.
In 1892 Glenns Ferry enter-
tained high hopes of becoming
county seat of Elmore County, es-
tablished in 1889 with the old min-
ing camp of Rocky Bar as seat.
An election in 1891 had passed the
honor to Mountain Home, but
Glenns Ferry still had hopes of
getting it changed.
Although railroading was
Glenns Ferry's leading industry,
it had also become the supply cen-
ter for farms and ranches in the
area. A March 4, 1892, account in
The Statesman noted efforts to in-
crease arable land in the neigh-
borhood by developing irrigation.
"Mr. Elmer Davis has nearly
completed a water wheel with a
capacity of 500 gallons per min-
ute."
These big wooden wheels, pow-
ered by river current, lifted water
more than half the height of their
diameter and dumped it into
flumes and ditches for distribu-
tion to fields along the banks. The
ruins of some of them, 30 or more
feet in diameter, can still be seen
along Snake River.
(A later steel water wheel, now
in C.W. Moore Park, demon-
strates just how these historic
water- lifters did their work.)
Other activities in Glenns Ferry
in 1892 included YMCA meetings,
a visit from the Mountain Home
Dramatic Club, and the forming
of a James A. Garfield Republi-
can Club. Glenns Ferry, just 10
years old a century ago, was
"feeling its oats" and optimistic
about its future.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
John Kensler was last seen alive near this uenns Terry gainenng place
By ARTHUR HART
Murder in 19th century Idaho was
an all too common crime, and it
tended to follow common patterns.
Two men who had been drinking
heavily in a saloon got into an argu-
ment, one struck or pushed the other,
knives or guns came into play and
tragedy resulted.
Many times the underlying reason
for the bad blood between such men
could be traced to earlier disputes
over mineral or water rights, but al-
cohol was immediately responsible
for the fatal action. -
A notorious case which occupied,
the attention of Idahoans in late .1896
and 1897 also involved alcohol, but
was even more sensational for inti-
mations of adultery, conspiracy,
murder by poison, murder by shoot-
ing, a faked accident, and a missing
body.
John Kensler, a well known
rancher on King Hill Creek, east of
Glenns Ferry, was seen in Glenns
Ferry on Oct. 16, 1896, with his hired
man Alfred Freel. Both had spent a
loj of their time that day drinking,
and were pretty far gone when they
left town.
When Kensler turned up missing,
his wife, Josie; offered the following
account of what had happened after
he and Freel came . home from
Idaho tom'
Yesterdays
Glenns Ferry the night of Oct. 16.
She said that both men were drunk
and had a quart of whiskey that they
insisted on finishing. After she had
gone to bed, her husband woke her
up to say he was going back to town
to a Silver Republican rally, armed
with a big roll of money, and still
drunk. She told questioners she
feared he had met with an accident
or foul play.
Neighboring ranch hands found
Kensler's wagon, broken to pieces
and scattered along the road, but
found no trace of the missing man.
The indications were that a runa-
way had taken place, but curiously,
the'tea'm was still tied to part of the
wagon, the reins wrapped around a
wheel hub. Although the ground was
soft, there were no indications of
Kensler having been thrown from the
wagon; neither were there any foot
prigts to suggest that he or anyone
else had been walking in the area.
This, and Mrs. Kensler's reputa-
tion as an adulterous woman,
aroused the suspicions of the ranch
hands. Freel, when questioned as to
the night's events, confirmed that
Kensler had headed for town with
about $1,600 which he invited his
hired man to help him spend.
Freel said he had refused and gone
to bed, and that in the morning Mrs.
Kensler had sent him to town to look
for her husband. The neighbors were
really suspicious when Free] admit-
ted he hadn't thought to look in any of
the saloons — the first place you
would expect him to ask, given the
circumstances. Freel said he "for-
got" to look there.
Volunteers continued the search
for the missing rancher while a citi-
zens' committee met with the dis-
trict attorney. When somebody re-
membered that Alfred Free[ had
bought strychnine at a local drug-
store a few days before the dis-
appearance, a complaint was filed
charging Free[ and Mrs. Kensler
with the murder by poisoning of the
missing man. Without a body and
stronger evidence, however, the case
was still a mystery.
In ,the next article; ,we will con-
clude the remarkable story of a
bungled attempt to get away with
murder.
(- Arthbr Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
Illicit romance results in murder
When John Kensler turned up
missing on the morning of Oct. 27,
1896, from his ranch near Glenns
Ferry, suspicion quickly turned to
his wife, Josie, and the hired man,
Alfred Freel. Neighbors who knew
Mrs. Kensler considered her to
have been careless of her marriage
vows in the past, and thought she
and Freel were having an illicit ro-
mance.
There was something strange
about the stories the two told about
the events of Kensler's last night at
the ranch, both claiming that he
had started out for town near mid-
night with a large sum of money
and a skin full of whiskey. When it
was recalled that Freel had
purchasedstrychnine a few days
before at a Glenns Ferry drugstore,
.he and Josie Kensler were charged
with poisoning the missing man.
Search parties combed the coun-
tryside looking for any trail of John
Kensler. When the farm hand who
had discovered the missing man's
wrecked wagon recalled that there
was water overflowing a field
where there should have been none
that got his attention in the first
place, the irrigation ditch which
supplied Kensler's ranch became
the center of the search. There had
been no. water in it the night
Kenslerdisappeared. it was full of
water the next morning.
Using a tong iron rod, deputies
probed the muddy bottom every
few feet until they came to a spot
softer than the rest. When they
struck what felt like "a roll of blan-
kets." they dug. They found the
body of John Kensler, in good con-
dition except for a gunshot wound
in the head. The indictment was
changed from murder by poison to
murder by shooting.
Both Josie Kensler and Alfred
aft
Idaho
Yesterdays
Freel now wrote out "confessions,"
each placing all the blame on the
other. Josie said that Freel had
killed her husband and forced her
at gunpoint to help dispose of the
body. Freel's version was that Josie
and a mysterious "masked man"
had forced him at gunpoint to aid in
concealing the crime. He also
quoted Mrs. Kensler as telling him
she had shot her husband herself.
Witnesses at the trial testified
that both Josie and Freel had been
heard to say that they were in love
and would soon have Kensler's
place to themselves. Freel was con-
victed of murder in the first degree,
Mrs. Kensler of murder in the sec-
ond degree. Due to an error in pro-
cedure the two were granted a ret-
rial. This time both were convicted
of murder in the second degree and
sentenced to life imprisonment at
the Idaho Penitentiary in Boise.
Josie Kensler continued in the
limelight, even at the penitentiary.
In 1902, she signed an affidavit ac-
cusing Warden Charles E. Arney
and prison physician J.K. Dubois
with having forced her to submit to
an illegal abortion. Warrants for
their arrest were issued. Mrs.
Kensser said she was five months
pregnant at the time of the alleged
abortion, but refused to name the
father. A convict known to be in
love with Josie was suspected, but
it turned out he had been in solitary
confinement when the alleged con-
ception took place. Mrs. Kensler re-
Josie Kensler
pudiated this first affidavit, clear-
ing Dubois and Arney, but later said
she did it on the promise of a par-
don. She insisted her first charges
had been true, and then suggested
that her lover had been "a peniten-
tiary official" who had visited her
regularly. She never revealed his
name.
On Christmas Day, 1909, Josie
Kensler was pardoned after serving
12 years of her life sentence. Alfred
Freel was pardoned a few months
later.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
BOISE, IDAHO, TUESDAY, MAY 20, 1975
Yhoto
OLD BRIDGE POST OFFICE AE'
... only one with dirt roof in U.S.
Post Office at Bridge
To Shut Down May 31
BRIDGE (AP) — The 96 -year-
old Bridge Post Office, possibly the
only dirt- roofed post office still in serv-
ice in the United States, is being closed
May 31.
Starting June 1, mail will be deliv-
ered via star route carrier instead of
patrons picking up their mail at the
Bridge Post Office. The office serves 10
families. An open house will be held
Sunday to provide people a final oppor-
tunity to visit in the facilities.
The office is near Idaho 81 about 50
miles southeast of Burley.
Announcement that the building would
close was made last week by Max Han-
sen, customer service director at the
Boise Post Office. Hansen said the de-
cision came after the clerk in charge of
the Bridge facility, Florence Barnes,
advised that commitments at home
u ill not allow her time to operate the
office.
Mrs. Barnes lives in the Standrod
community 14 miles southwest of
Bridge. She said Monday no one else
was interested in being the clerk, lead-
ing to the decision to close the office.
The facility is on land owned by
Frank Olson, who was postmaster at
Bridge until his retirement.
Nonetheless, Bridge has its own zip
code, 83315.
14
d
s
s
Idaho Yesterdays
=� Old Buildings Give
Shoshone Charm
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho
Historical Museum
Shoshone's building boom
of 1902 continued for several
years thereafter, leaving a
number of prominent land-
marks which can still be
seen. The character of the
town remains, happily,
slightly old- fashioned and
charming, largely due to
these early buildings.
One result of Shoshone's
frontier Western style was
her designation earlier this
year as an historic district
by the National Register of
Historic Places. Another was
her selection by Disney stu-
dios as the setting for a mov-
ie being filmed right now.
Shoshone is on the verge
of the discovery that historic
architecture has economic
value, and that its preserva-
tion and restoration can be-
come the basis for a viable
future.
In addition to the Episco-
pal Church finished in 1902,
Fred Gooding erected a
handsome new house from
designs of Walter S. Camp-
bell of Boise (architect of
the Idanha), and the Odd
Fellows and Knights of
Pvthias collaborated on a
two-story stone "opera
house."
1903 saw the building of W.
C. Custer's meat market, a
commercial block by the
Gooding brothers, and the
letting of the contract for the
new Lincoln County court-
house. 0. J. Brennan was
the successful bidder at
$17,100 on May 20, 1903.
The courthouse was dedi-
cated on the Fourth of July,
1904, and within a few weeks
the Methodists were stirring
up interest in building a new
stone church nearby.
Shoshone's most con-
spicuous building material,
the black lava rock found ev-
erywhere, was to be used for
most of the building. Upper
walls and the steeple were to
be sheathed in fancy cut
shingles.
The Shoshone Journal sup-
ported the project, saying
that "the old church building
is an unsightly shell at best,
and for that reason alone
Shoshone citizens ought to
stand ready to assist in the
building of a new church."
There is a local legend
about Shoshone's Methodist
Church which repeats al-
most exactly what we have
heard of other places: "The
stone mason worked for a
pint of whisky a day, which
is why the walls are
crooked." Who knows, this
may even be true of some
buildings of which the tale is
told.
By December, 1904, the
church was closed in and
ready for the plasterers. On
August 13, 1905, Dr. T. C. II-
7
iff, secretary of the Method-
ist Episcopal Church "Ex-
tension Society" officiated at
the dedication of what is still
one of Southern Idaho's most
charming and picturesque
small churches.
The Baptist Church also
was upgraded at about the
same time. It received a
baptistry, new interior paint
and paper, and electric
lights.
Meanwhile, the business
blocks fronting the railroad
tracks were undergoing a
number of additions and im-
provements. The Oregon
Short Line Railroad tore
down its old ice house and
built a new one (ice was still
harvested from ponds in
winter and held over until
summer in insulated build-
ings); Keefer and White
built a new warehouse in the
rear of their store; Dr. W.
H. Baugh tore down some
older buildings, moved one,
and commenced a big new
business block (still stand -'
ing); and C. F. Borden built
some carriage sheds and a
storeroom for lumber.
On the north side of the
railroad stood two pictu-
resque hotels which still give
a considerable amount of
style and character to old
Shoshone. They are the
McFall House and the Co-
lumbia (now Shoshone) Ho-
tel.
One is shingled in a pictu-
resque Queen Anne style and
is soon to be restored. The
other is notable for its metal
cornice in imitation of classi-
cal stonework.
Without either of them,
and others like them, Sho-
shone just wouldn't be Sho-
shone.
-4 The Lincoln County Cot
farming, iargery cue to
hese early buildings.
One result of Shoshone's
ontier Western style was
er designation earlier this
rear as an historic district
?y the National Register of
Historic Places. Another was
ter selection by Disney stu-
ios as the setting for a mov-
being filmed right now.
Shoshone is on the verge
of the discovery that historic
architecture has economic
value, and that its preserva-
tion and restoration can be-
come the basis for a viable
future.
' In addition to the Episco-
pal Church finished in 1902,
Fred Gooding erected a
handsome new house from
designs of Walter S. Camp-
bell of Boise (architect of
the Idanha), and the Odd
Fellows and Knights of
Pythias collaborated on a
two-story stone "opera
house."
1903 saw the building of W.
C. Custer's meat market, a
commercial block by the
Gooding brothers, and the
>. s
J Shoshone's most con-
spicuous building material,
the black lava rock found ev-
erywhere, was to be used for
most of the building. Upper
walls and the steeple were to
be sheathed in fancy cut
shingles.
The Shoshone Journal sup-
ported the project, saying
that "the old church building
is an unsightly shell at best,
and for that reason alone
Shoshone citizens ought to
stand ready to assist in the
building of a new church."
There is a local legend
about Shoshone's Methodist
Church which repeats al-
most exactly what we have
heard of other places: "The
stone mason worked for a
pint of whisky a day, which
is why the walls are
crooked." Who knows, this
may even be true of some
buildings of which the tale is
told.
By December, 1904, the
church was closed in and
ready for the plasterers. On
August 13, 1905, Dr. T. C. Il-
Meanwhile, the business
blocks fronting the railroad
tracks were undergoing a
number of additions and im-
provements. The Oregon
Short Line Railroad tore
down its old ice house and
built a new one (ice was still
harvested from ponds in
winter and held over until
summer in insulated build-
ings); Keefer and White
built a new warehouse in the
rear of their store; Dr. W.
H. Baugh tore down some
older buildings, moved one,
and commenced a big new
business block (still stand-
ing); and C. F. Borden built
some carriage sheds and a
storeroom for lumber.
On the north side of the
railroad stood two pictu-
resque hotels which still give
a considerable amount of
style and character to old
Shoshone. They are the
McFall House and the Co-
lumbia (now Shoshone) Ho-
tel.
One is shingled in a pictu-
resque Queen Anne style and
is soon to be restored. The
other is notable for its metal
cornice in imitation of classi-
cal stonework.
Without either of them,
and others like them, Sho•
shone just wouldn't be Sho-
shone.
T Shoshone's 1904 Methodist church is mostly lava rock
The Lincoln County Courthouse
Werdays
t Buildings Give
shone Charm
letting of the contract for the
new Lincoln County court-
house. O. J. Brennan was
the successful bidder at
$17,100 on May 20, 1903.
The courthouse was dedi-
cated on the Fourth of July,
1904, and within a few weeks
the Methodists were stirring
up interest in building a new
stone church nearby.
Shoshone's most con-
spicuous building material,
the black lava rock found ev•
erywhere, was to be used for
most of the building. Upper
walls and the steeple were to
be sheathed in fancy cut
shingles.
The Shoshone Journal sup-
ported the project, saying
that "the old church building
is an unsightly shell at best,
and for that reason alone
Shoshone citizens ought to
stand ready to assist in the
)uilding of a new church.,,
There is a local legend
about Shoshone's Methodist
-hurch which repeats al-
'nost exactly what we have
heard of other places: "The
;tone mason worked for a
)int of whisky a day, which
s why the walls are
:rooked." Who knows, this
nay even be true of some
Buildings of which the tale is
old.
By December, 1904, the
church was closed in and
eady for the plasterers. On
august 13, 1905, Dr. T. C. II-
iff, secretary of the Method.
ist Episcopal Church "Ex.
tension Society" officiated at
the dedication of what is still
one of Southern Idaho's most
charming and picturesque
small churches.
The Baptist Church also
was upgraded at about the
same time. It received a
baptistry, new interior paint
and paper, and electric
lights.
Meanwhile, the business
blocks fronting the railroad
tracks were undergoing a
number of additions and im-
provements. The Oregon
Short Line Railroad tore
down its old ice house and
built a new one (ice was still
harvested from ponds in
winter and held over until
summer in insulated build-
ings); Keefer and White
built a new warehouse in the
rear of their store; Dr. W.
H. Baugh tore down some
older buildings, moved one,
and commenced a big new
business block (still stand-
ing); and C. F. Borden built
some carriage sheds and a
storeroom for lumber.
On the north side of the
railroad stood two pictu.
resque hotels which still give
a considerable amount of
style and character to old
Shoshone. They are the
McFall House and the Co-
lumbia (now Shoshone) Ho.
tel.
One is shingled in a pictu.
resque Queen Anne style and
is soon to be restored. The
other is notable for its metal
cornice in imitation of classi-
cal stonework.
Without either of them,
and others like them, Sho.
The Lincoln County Courthouse in Shoshone was 71 years old on July 4th
New town of Gooding was served by the Idaho Southern Railroad
The story of Gooding forms
remarkable chapter in history
The creation of small towns and
cities in south - central Idaho in the
decade after 1900, where only lone-
some sagebrush plains had existed
before, is a remarkable chapter in
our state's history. As dramatic as
any part of it is the story of Gooding.
On Nov. 1, 1907, Gov. Frank R.
Gooding founded the little town that
bore his name. In partnership with
M. Mattson he opened the Gooding
Merchantile Co., the first store in the
new location; and on February 4,
1909, a first -class brick hotel, known
as the Lincoln Inn was opened for bu-
siness.
Gooding was in Lincoln County
when it was founded, but in January
1913, the Legislature created the new
counties of Gooding, Minidoka,
Franklin, and Power. The town of
Gooding was made county seat of
Gooding County.
In 1907 a state school for the deaf,
mute and blind was established in the
old Central School in Boise. The state
had acquired the building in prepara-
tion for - construction of a new Capitol
in 1905. In 1908 a fire damaged old
Central and a permanent location for
the school was sought. The state
school for the deaf, mute and blind
Idaho
Yesterdays
By Arthur Hart
r
was located in Gooding in 1910.
The new town of Gooding, befitting
its 20th century founding, was
equipped with electric lights and
power, a good water system and rail-
road service from the beginning. By
1910 the population had reached 1,444.
A number of large brick commercial
blocks were built, in addition to the
hotel, and there were soon three
banks, a weekly newspaper, a pack-
ing plant, a hospital, five churches
and a high school.
The Idaho Southern Railroad, an
affiliate of the Oregon Shore Line in
the Union Pacific system, had just
begun running to Gooding when the
picture shown today was made.
Gooding's railway station was only
a tar -paper shack, and the platform
for loading and unloading goods was
without a cover. A combination pas-
senger and baggage car stands on
the siding where a local transfer
wagon has just loaded some barrels.
Gooding's Chamber of Commerce
was proud of the fact that the town
was in the geographical center of a
million acres of irrigated crop land.
Like all such booster groups every-
where, it dreamed of Gooding be-
coming a big city.
Fortunately, perhaps, the growth
was steady rather than spectacular,
and Gooding County today still has
the traditional resources that gave it
birth. The water of Big Wood River
remains the basis for a rich irrigated
agriculture and a thriving livestock
industry.
Gooding also had the distinction of
its own college for nearly a genera-
tion. In 1911 Idaho Methodists de-
cided to start a school of higher edu-
cation. In November, 1917, the first
classes were held at Gooding Col-
lege. Its offerings were suited to
young people who would remain in
an agricultural community, and the
students were able to work to help
operate the college. Gooding College
closed in 1938.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
Emigrants were attacked by Indians near this scene at the City of Rocks
Massacre legend seems overblown
The popular legend that a party
of 300 emigrants passing through
the City of Rocks was massacred
by Indians appears exaggerated,
to say the least. The disaster to
this train of 60 wagons is supposed
to have happened at Almo Creek in
1861, near the present town of
Almo, Idaho.
In order to believe that this hor-
rendous event actually happened,
it is necessary to believe that no-
body at the time thought it worth
reporting to the newspapers. Con-
sidering the great number of news-
paper accounts of Indian "massa-
cres" in the same neighborhood at
Idaho
Yesterdays ;
By Arthur
that time, it is hard to believe this
one was overlooked. The question
is not so much "was there an Almo
massacre ?" but which of several
incidents got blown into the leg-
endary death of 300.
Because Salt Lake City was the
nearest population center to the
area, and because many emigrant
parties passed through there be-
fore or after the City of Rocks part
of their journey, any Indian trou-
bles were reported in some detail
in Salt Lake papers. Here is a sum-
mary from newspaper accounts of
1860 -62:
Deseret News, Oct. 3, 1860: 7
men, 5 women, and "about half a
dozen children," enroute from Il-
linois to California, were shot at in
the night while camped near City
of Rocks. The women and children
tried to walk back to get help from
soldiers near old Fort Hall. The
men tried to protect the wagons
and livestock. In spite of this reck-
less strategy, the women and chil-
dren luckily escaped, but the
wagons were plundered. Except
for hunger, thirst and terror, there
were no casualties to any of the
emigrants or to the soldiers who
eventually came to the rescue. The
emigrants did, however, lose
nearly all of their possessions.
"How many more small strag-
gling companies of emigrants, pas-
sing over that route late in the sea-
son, will be used up before it be-
comes generally known that they
cannot travel safely in that man-
ner, is not known," commented the
Deseret News.
This may have warned emi-
grants in 1861 to be more careful,
because there were no reports of
serious Indian attacks that season.
In August, 1862, however, there
were a series of incidents reported
in papers from Salt Lake City to
Sacramento. There were skir-
mishes reported near Massacre
Rocks, August 9 and 10, and four
Indian attacks at City of Rocks on
August 3, 6, 8, and 9.
The first party lost 50 head of
stock, but suffered only 2 wounded.
The second party, 7 packers from
Willamette Valley who had been to
the Salmon River country, had one
man killed. The third group to be
attacked, as reported by survivor
L. F. Yates, lost 5 men killed out of
40. Yates attributed the death of
the 5 to the cowardice of the others
who refused to go to their aid. The
fourth party, ambushed in August,
1862, was from Iowa. They lost 46
head of stock, but suffered only
two flesh wounds to their people.
A September attack turned out
to have cost the lives of two men,
although first reports to reach Salt
Lake claimed "about half' of 15
were killed, then 6, and finally only
2 confirmed.
By totaling the number of re-
ported deaths in the series of
"Almo massacres" between Sep-
tember, 1860, and September, 1862,
it turns out that only 8 people were
killed. Since all of these reports
were either second -hand or from
survivors who had escaped while
the attacks were still in progress,
it is possible that even 8 is an exag-
geration.
In retaliation for the attacks on
emigrants in the City of Rocks vi-
cinity, a military expedition led by
Major Edward McGarry killed 24
Indians in the area in October,
1862.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
OF
10 &"0 it-40 P4 r wew i F P. M rair• A WA ru 4 1 t R Y01 y OV 9 V M
r
ac
OF
10 &"0 it-40 P4 r wew i F P. M rair• A WA ru 4 1 t R Y01 y OV 9 V M
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Parking seems to be a problem on a 1920 afternoon in Twin Falls
Pioneer photographer showed
development of Twin Falls
By ARTHUR HART
A selection from the remarka-
ble Bisbee collection of early
Twin Falls photographs was given
national exposure last year
through their publication in
American Heritage magazine.
Clarence E. Bisbee was the pio-
neer photographer of the new
Twin Falls tract, opened to settle-
ment in 1904.
Using a large view camera and
8 -by -10 -inch glass -plate negatives
that he prepared himself, Bisbee
recorded, with a keen eye, fine
pictorial sense and meticulous
craftsmanship, the development
of a town in the midst of a sage-
brush desert.
As Twin Falls grew, the artistic
Bisbee must have been a common
sight to his neighbors.
His camera and tripod were on
hand on every historic occasion,
from the arrival of the electric
railway car (pictured last week)
to cornerstone layings at the new
high school and Methodist church,
to a speech by William Jennings
Bryan at the Perrine Hotel.
Because he had a good eye for
interesting subjects, Clarence
Bisbee recorded, as few other
Idaho photographers ever have,
the life of his times in a signifi-
cant and comprehensive way.
When his shutter clicked, a par-
Idaho tom'
Yesterdays
ticular moment in the history of a
community was captured for all
time to come, in meticulous de-
tail.
Although hundreds of the nearly
2,000 Bisbee negatives in the col-
lection of the Twin Falls County
Historical Society illustrate the
Bisbee gift for capturing the mo-
ment, a few are of such excep-
tional interest that they can be
studied for a long time with profit.
The street scene reproduced
today is such a picture.
From a vantage point about 12
feet above the sidewalk, possibly
from another fire escape balcony
like the one at left, the photo-
grapher shows us a view of the
corner of Shoshone and Main
streets in 1920.
With the aid of a magnifying
glass, much of the minute detail
in the original print is visible, al-
though it may be elusive in a
newspaper reproduction.
The license plates of the cars at
right give us the date of the photo-
graph.
Antique car buffs will recognize
in the row nearest at hand six
Model T Fords, two Buicks, a
Maxwell and a Franklin. Most are
splattered with mud — evidence
of the unpaved roads then preva-
lent in Idaho.
Two women, pushing baby, car-
riages in opposite directions,
pause to speak to each other on
the sidewalk at center. A man
standing by the barber pole
nearby looks toward the corner
where about 20 people are con-
gregated.
At least two other baby car-
riages are being wheeled across
the street at the intersection.
Hunt's jewelry store clock tells us
the time was 3:57 p.m.
Since everyone looks dressed
up, and so many cars crowd the
streets, it may have been a Satur-
day afternoon — the usual shop-
ping day in farm communities
like Twin Falls.
Signs at left advertise a loan
company, the Western Union
Telegraph office, a real estate
broker and two drugstores.
Things were bustling in Twin
Falls that day in 1920. Thanks to a
skilled photographer, we can be
there too, even 62 years later.
Arthur Hart is the director of
the Idaho Historical Society.
The `Silent City of Rocks' awed pioneers bound for California during the 1800s
City of Rocks features ancient twins
Did you know that Idaho has
twin sisters, one of which is more
than 2 billion years older than the
other? Only in the realm of geol-
ogy could such a riddle be posed,
and there is only one place in Idaho
Where the rocks are old enough to
give us the answer.
City of Rocks, in Cassia County,
is the home of Idaho's Twin Sis-
ters. These two granite towers are
over 600 feet tall. The "young" sis-
ter is a mere 25 million years old;
the "old" one is 21/2 billion years
old. There are only a few places in
the United States where Precam-
brian rock is exposed, but one can-
not equal in grandeur and variety
the City of Rocks.
As impressive as the geological
features of the City of Rocks are,
its psychological effect on human
beings is equally notable. Even
professional geologists, writing in
government reports, have been
moved to extravagance in their ad-
jectives. "Awesome," "curious,"
"bizarre" and "quaint" dot their
pages as they seek to do justice to
a marvel of nature.
Comprising an area of roughly 20
Idaho
Yesterdays,,,
By Arthur Hart
square miles, the City of Rocks is
fenced in by higher mountains and
ridges in such a way that it seems
a special hidden place. The north-
east entrance is only 50 yards
wide, the southwest one only 20
yards wide.
Through this strange and re-
markable landscape passed almost
a quarter of a million emigrants on
the California Trail in a little more
than a decade. Between 1849 and
1860 alone, 200,000 made the pas-
sage through what they called
"City of Castles," or "Silent City of
Rocks." Their diaries described
this short part of the way west in
some detail, and they amused
themselves by naming the strange
rock formations' as they slowly
moved through. "Napoleon's
Castle" and "City Hotel" were
even labeled by the emigrants with
letters in tar. Other formations
looked like elephants,. birds,
dragons, toadstools and, as one di-
arist put it, "Anything from the
Capitol at Washington to a lovely
thatched cottage."
In 1852, the peak year of the rush
to California, at least 52,000 people
made the passage through Idaho's
City of Rocks, (even though the
name Idaho hadn't been invented
yet). They had many adventures
and saw thousands of miles of new
country, but if the diaries are an
indication, City of Rocks was a
high point never forgotten.
Inevitably a forklore about C1iy
of Rocks has grown up, one that
historians are unable to either ver-
ify or disprove. One of these deals
with a purported massacre at
Almo Creek in 1861 in which a train
of 60 wagons with 300 people was
wiped out by Bannock Indians led
by Pocatello. A National Park Ser-
vice historian says that although
probably much exaggerated, if this
massacre did take place it would
have been the greatest disaster on
the California Trail for whites and
one of the greatest victories any-
where for the Indians.
Another legend, which is a famil-
iar one in all parts of Idaho, is that
stagecoach robbers buried $90,000
in gold near a place called Treas-
ure Rock in 1888. There are almost
as many legends of buried stage-
coach loot in Idaho as there were
robberies, and there were a lot.
The real treasure, little changed
since 1842 when Joseph B. Chiles
pioneered the route, is the silent
city itself, a wonder of nature.at*d
a landmark on the historic forty -
niners' trail to California.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
The `Silent City of Rocks' awed pioneers bound for California during the 18O0s
City of Rocks feature-s- ancient twins
Did you know that Idaho has
twin sisters, one of which is more
than 2 billion years older than the
other? Only in the realm of geol-
ogy could such a riddle be posed,
and there is only one place in Idaho
where the rocks are old enough to
give us the answer.
City of Rocks, in Cassia County,
is the home of Idaho's Twin Sis-
Idaho
a
Yesterdays
By Arthur Hart t,
i
square miles, the City of Rocks is
fenced in by higher mountains and
letters in tar. Other formations
looked like elephants,. birds,
dragons, toadstools and, as one di-
arist put it, "Anything from the
Capitol at Washington to a lovely
thatched cottage."
In 1852, the peak year of the rush
to California, at least 52,000 people
made the passage through Idaho's
City of Rocks, (even though the
where for the Indians.
Another legend, which is a famil-
iar one in all parts of Idaho, is that
stagecoach robbers buried $90,000
in gold near a place called Treas-
ure Rock in 1888. There are almost
as many legends of buried stage-
coach loot in Idaho as there were
robberies, and there were a lot.
The real treasure, little changed
S h o s h o n e F a l l s c h r o n o l o g y -
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w a s 1 0 m i l e s o f f t h e O r e g o n T r a i l . 1 8 4 7 .
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A 2 0 - , y e a r - o l d p i o n e e r , e n v i s i o n i n g a t o u r i s t a t t r a c t i o n , e s t a -
b l i s h e d s q u a t t e r s ' r i g h t s , s t a r t e d a f e r r y a n d a h o t e l ( t w o t e n t s ,
b u t o n e d i d h a v e a w o o d e n d o o r ) 1 8 7 6 .
N a t i o n a l t r a v e l w r i t e r s b e g a n c a l l i n g i t " T h e N i a g a r a o f t h e
W e s t " w h e n O m a h a i n v e s t o r s s p e n t $ 5 0 , 0 0 0 b u i l d i n g r o a d s a n d a
t w o - s t o r y f r a m e h o t e l w h e r e f a m o u s n a m e s b e g a n t o r e g i s t e r ,
1 8 8 3 .
E a r l y t o u r i s t s c a m e o n t h e O r e g o n S h o r t L i n e r a i l r o a d t o S h o -
s h o n e , t h e n c e 2 5 m i l e s b y " a n o l d D e a d w o o d c o a c h " a n d c r o s s e d
t h e S n a k e R i v e r b y f e r r y t o v i e w t h e s i g h t 1 8 8 8 .
M o v e m e n t s t o m a k e t h e a r e a a n a t i o n a l a n d / o r s t a t e p a r k w e r e
t o b e u n s u c c e s s f u l 1 9 0 0 .
A r e a p o p u l a t i o n b o o m e d w i t h t h e o p e n i n g o f t h e T w i n F a l l s
r e c l a m a t i o n p r o j e c t , l a r g e s t s i n g l e c o n t i g u o u s i r r i g a t e d a r e a i n t h e
w o r l d 1 9 0 4 .
F i r s t s m a l l h y d r o - e l e c t r i c d e v e l o p m e n t s t a r t e d w i t h l i m i t e d s e r -
v i c e 1 9 0 5 .
N o c k t u n n e l , t w o c o n c r e t e d a m s a n d o n e w o o d e n d a m b u i l t i n
t h e d e e p c a n y o n f o r a p o w e r - g e n e r a t i n g p l a n t t o f u r n i s h 2 4 - h o u r
s e r v i c e 1 9 0 7 .
A l o g s t a i r w a y w a s b u i l t t o d e s c e n d t h e c a n y o n w a l l 1 9 0 8 .
W i t h t h e d e c l i n e o f o v e r n i g h t t o u r i s m , t h e h o t e l s u p p o s e d l y b e -
c a m e a h o u s e o f p r o s t i t u t i o n a n d w h e n i t b u r n e d d o w n t h e
w o m e n o f T w i n F a l l s w e r e s u s p e c t e d o f a r s o n b u t n o c h a r g e s w e r e
f i l e d 1 9 1 0 .
A l i t t l e e l e c t r i c r a i l w a y w a s b u i l t t o t a k e t o u r i s t s a n d t h e i r p i c -
n i c l u n c h e s o n t h e 1 5 - m i l e r o u n d t r i p f r o m T w i n F a l l s d o w n t o
" T h e N i a g a r a o f I d a h o " 1 9 1 1 - 1 2 .
T h e l o g s t a i r w a y , d e s t r o y e d b y a s l i d e , w a s r e b u i l t f o r $ 9 0 0 b y
c i t i z e n d o n a t i o n s o f $ 1 e a c h ( s o m e g a v e 5 0 � ) 1 9 1 3 .
T o u r i s t s b e g a n u s i n g t h e i r o w n c a r s s o t h e e l e c t r i c i n t e r u r b a n
g a v e w a y t o a b u s s e r v i c e w h i c h w a s a l s o u s e d a s a s c h o o l b u s
1 9 1 4 .
N i n e i n d i v i d u a l p o w e r p l a n t s i n s o u t h e r n I d a h o , i n c l u d i n g t h a t
a t S h o s h o n e F a l l s , w e r e m e r g e d i n t o o n e c o m p a n y , , I d a h o P o w e r
1 9 1 6 .
O m a h a h e i r s d o n a t e d 6 8 a c r e s o f a d j a c e n t l a n d t o t h e C i t y o f
T w i n F a l l s f o r a m e m o r i a l p a r k 1 9 3 2 .
A f u l l p o w e r p l a n t w a s c o n s t r u c t e d a t t h e f a l l s a n d w i t h i n -
c r e a s i n g a g r i c u l t u r a l a n d i n d u s t r i a l u s e t h e f l o w o v e r t h e f a l l s w a s
r e d u c e d t o " a m e r e t r i c k l e " e x c e p t f o r p e a k s p r i n g r u n - o f f p e r i o d s
o f a b o u t 6 0 d a y s 1 9 3 5 t o t h e p r e s e n t .
Oakley to show off historic homes
The Howell house is now owned Gary Mullard
THE IDAHO STATESMAN, Boise, Friday, June 19, 1981
OAKLEY — This town in Cassia
County was building dozens of mag-
nificent Victorian houses when,other
Idaho communities were still erect- u c > c >
ing log cabins and clapboard shacks. n' c U , ? c t 4 ° ,L, E
That assessment, in the 1974 edi- o (U 3 c L? �, > o v o c E E c-
tion of the Idaho Bicentennial Re 5 y E ro u fl L y a= . L
view, is Oakle s ride today. So are `� N a� •_ ro ro = .. °
Y' P Y• L L 3 o y C O cv a� C cn 3 ov
its 50 or more old houses and com ° -° ro ° ° y - ° ° W = m L o E > r a x E @
mercial buildings that were built be a .0 ° CL a c • u c ° � o ro E
tween 1880 and 1915. �' W � � � ` � ' ° � � � E ;E = � =2 C
The community has an active res- ro oo fl E
toration and preservation program c y °_ v = c " 0 �.c ti c y 3 L. y > m ° 3 a, �
funded by, among other things, an ro .°_4�- y 3 w a: _ fl, u❑ y a L y a
annual by year's tour. is Saturday. O o° c o -v °' o a o° ro L c a 3-E -'
Y Y �( u u ._ ._ ro ai 0-0 L
Guided tours will be conducted every • V c N L c c =' ° i y= o ro c E
half -hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. m = °a ro " °-a'C �'L a� roL ¢ �' c E a a, >> w
Tickets, at $2.50 each, can be .��/ = E 2 _ (U a._= °'at =- ca, a - c o I Q) a 3 .0 X v ro
purchased at the Old Opera House, � 7 3 U 3 °_' y y y y a c 3 u v :? ° c o
where a brief slide show will be pre-
sented. d y
/1 > L L - E = c
W - ro 3 ro ° ros �' ` 0 o °- a).-
Of particular interest Judge B.P. �, a� a� .; L L n;
Lc� =EroLmw3y�3 �=uc. Q)•y>- arc>a
Howells home, a Victorian house o= T 0-r:= cc o c 1 o 10 ro ro •- 3 3
sometimes called "The Castle." Ho- T ° aO a, o a c c L o Lti a c fl E a�
wells also bulit the Oakley Opera i t o c o y ° cc : •y = M ° y c°'. c o� >
House, which was the cultural center ♦•i 0 E n _ N s .> ¢ ❑ �°-, o = c
of the county for many years. �^ L Fo o, E o 0 y W N G n o 0 0
`/ L o4 a) bD E Z •� 0 40 OU W L 3 •— CZ ro ro
Money raised by the tours will go � c, a c =
to Historic Oakley Inc. for local pres- Q c E o 3 L j n¢ p ro' a, �°
ervation and restoration projects. �- ro u ¢•_ �, ro y .n L C7 _ y a� - 3 =
One goal of the non - profit organiza v o 'L E o i c° °L' 3 ro c n
tion is to obtain a historic designation i v C X 0 u c ;; i ro d a) ro ° �, o
for Oakley. That not only would U L E P; ~ o :° ro x o c 3 co - W •n .E a a. _
make the town eligible for rants but O °AQ ro 0o o iv " U n u y ° c r .?.E -0 a, E
g g
it would encourge zoning to preserve �+� E c M '_ d yL c Co Y B r �° s oov x= a °' B y
the character of the town. �mLObA �6>F�num3° df•Ly(nly��u°J�
= u g c L c L o 3
Oakley is in Cassia County south of " CU o i a o 3 fly y E m v
Burley.
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Ricks Students to Relive
Pioneer Handcart Trek
REXBURG (AP) —To help relive
the migration of Mormon pioneers
across America more than 100 years
ago, 34 Ricks College students will
begin a 100 -mile trek into Montana
in August, pulling the primary
transportation implement of that pi-
oneer era — the wooden handcart.
The "Handcarts North" program
— part of the third session of the
Ricks College summer school — will
draw students from all across the
country, according to the program's
two faculty representatives, Edward
Malstrom and Glenn Embree.
The trek will begin Aug. 8 at Rex-
burg and end Aug. 28 just across
the Continental Divide in Montana.
Six handcarts are being built for
the trip. Thirteen wooden wheels,
made in Pennsylvania, have arrived
at Rexburg. "We had 13 made in
case we had a flat along the way,"
Malstrom said.
Malstrom and Embree said they
will help design and build the other
components of the handcarts.
Malstrom said the course, which
will earn students five hours of col-
lege credit, will help them relive
the pioneer epoch. "This is a unique
experience for the students, some-
thing no other college students have
experienced," Malstrom said.
The trip will begin with a five -day
preparation period at Bear Gulch
near Ashton. From there, the trail
will lead across much the same
type of terrain the Mormon pioneers
crossed on their way from Illinois to
Utah — desert, heavy timber,
streams and rivers and high moun-
tain passes.
"We hope that this trip will prove
to be so beneficial and exciting that
next year we will have more than
one — perhaps even a shorter one
for a family," Malstrom said.
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*NEW' CITY CLOCK — Main Street's "timepiece"
was erected in 1897 by a jewelry firm and was.
considered a welcom4.�iois,�` __,,
Do NOT REMOVE FRONf.
Idaho Yesterday's
Its High Time
For One Time
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho Historical Museum
In October, 1897, jewelers Hesse & Sturges erected a pole
on the sidewalk in front of their Main Street store. It was an-
nounced that this would soon support "the new city clock."
In December, -The Statesman sang the praises, of the enter-
prising merchants for their generosity in supplying Boise
with "the public clock." Since the City Hall, erected just a
few years before, did not have a clock in its Romanesque
tower, this was considered by all to be a welcome addition to
Idaho's metropolis.
It was especially timely in light of the mighty struggles
with the "time question" that Boise had been waging ever
since the railroads came. Before that time, the pioneers had
settled on "sun time" as the only sensible way to regulate
their days. This meant that Boise was 25 minutes different
from Portland sun time, instead of an hour as it is now.
Then Portland went on standard time, reducing the differ-
ence to 15 minutes. When the Idaho Central trains began to
arrive in 1887, however, they had to be scheduled on the time
used in the rest of the system.
From that time on, Boiseans gradually adjusted to using
two clocks — one for standard or railroad time, and one for
local or sun time. In an article published September 20, 1887,
The Statesman urged the adoption of standard time, citing
the fact that most Boise offices now had to maintain two
clocks.
On October 6, the case was stated more strongly: "Having
both sun and railroad time in this town is creating a great
deal of inconvenience. One or the other should be settled
upon at once. As business matters must be governed by rail-
road time it would seem most sensible to adopt it."
By November 26, the paper said "The difference of time in
this town is more and more becoming. a source of annoy-
ance. The schools and churches are supposed to run on sun
time, while the business community adopts the railroad stan-
dard ... " Was an agreement near? Hardly.
On December 24, 1891, (four years later) brewer and lead-
ing businessman John Lemp was again urging the adoption
of standard time. Since Boise was considered part of the Pa-
cific coast at that time, this would have had the effect of go-
ing off daylight saving time (which hadn't been added to the
confusion yet), since everybody would start his day 15 min-
utes later than formerly.
At the end of December, 1891, Postmaster Leonard de-
clared that the post office would go on standard time on Jan-
uary first. Many other businesses decided to- follow, but
banker C. W. Moore was opposed to it. The Statesman com-
mented that Moore was "one in a million" in his opposition.
It was 1897 before the city council formally passed an ordi-
nance putting Idaho's capital on standard time "to corre-
spond with the time used in other parts of the state." Either
,, bpnker Moore had not been one in a million, or his opinion
,N ad weighed heavily in the city's decision to delay action.
It is also important that by 1897 the standard time adopted
was Mountain Time rather than Pacific time, keeping all of
Southern Idaho in one time zone.
- This brought a protest from The Statesman, which pointed
out that "Mountain Time is 45 minutes too fast for this
,R ce." At least Pacific time would be only 15 minutes slow.
L I 1e Council changed its mind one more time, but only tem-
porarily.
It decided to put the new ordinance into effect a week later
than planned, in order not to "conflict with arrangements al-,
Nreadv made for the fair."
Hesse & Sturges' new clock appeared on Boise's Main
Street just as the new time was made official — the visible
reminder that sun time was out of date and that standard
time was in.
PAYETTE LAKES
Pr,cc: ^E wiT7 rL1JB
Idaho Yesterday's
Its High Time
For One Time
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho Historical Museum
In October, 1897, jewelers Hesse & Sturges erected a pole
on the sidewalk in front of their Main Street store. It was an-
nounced that this would soon support "the new city clock."
In December, -The Statesman sang the praises, of the enter-
prising merchants for their generosity in supplying Boise
with "the public clock." Since the City Hall, erected just a
few years before, did not have a clock in its Romanesque
tower, this was considered by all to be a welcome addition to
Idaho's metropolis.
It was especially timely in light of the mighty struggles
with the "time question" that Boise had been waging ever
since the railroads came. Before that time, the pioneers had
settled on "sun time" as the only sensible way to regulate
their days. This meant that Boise was 25 minutes different
from Portland sun time, instead of an hour as it is now.
Then Portland went on standard time, reducing the differ-
ence to 15 minutes. When the Idaho Central trains began to
arrive in 1887, however, they had to be scheduled on the time
used in the rest of the system.
From that time on, Boiseans gradually adjusted to using
two clocks — one for standard or railroad time, and one for
local or sun time. In an article published September 20, 1887,
The Statesman urged the adoption of standard time, citing
the fact that most Boise offices now had to maintain two
clocks.
On October 6, the case was stated more strongly: "Having
both sun and railroad time in this town is creating a great
deal of inconvenience. One or the other should be settled
upon at once. As business matters must be governed by rail-
road time it would seem most sensible to adopt it."
By November 26, the paper said "The difference of time in
this town is more and more becoming. a source of annoy-
ance. The schools and churches are supposed to run on sun
time, while the business community adopts the railroad stan-
dard ... " Was an agreement near? Hardly.
On December 24, 1891, (four years later) brewer and lead-
ing businessman John Lemp was again urging the adoption
of standard time. Since Boise was considered part of the Pa-
cific coast at that time, this would have had the effect of go-
ing off daylight saving time (which hadn't been added to the
confusion yet), since everybody would start his day 15 min-
utes later than formerly.
At the end of December, 1891, Postmaster Leonard de-
clared that the post office would go on standard time on Jan-
uary first. Many other businesses decided to- follow, but
banker C. W. Moore was opposed to it. The Statesman com-
mented that Moore was "one in a million" in his opposition.
It was 1897 before the city council formally passed an ordi-
nance putting Idaho's capital on standard time "to corre-
spond with the time used in other parts of the state." Either
,, bpnker Moore had not been one in a million, or his opinion
,N ad weighed heavily in the city's decision to delay action.
It is also important that by 1897 the standard time adopted
was Mountain Time rather than Pacific time, keeping all of
Southern Idaho in one time zone.
- This brought a protest from The Statesman, which pointed
out that "Mountain Time is 45 minutes too fast for this
,R ce." At least Pacific time would be only 15 minutes slow.
L I 1e Council changed its mind one more time, but only tem-
porarily.
It decided to put the new ordinance into effect a week later
than planned, in order not to "conflict with arrangements al-,
Nreadv made for the fair."
Hesse & Sturges' new clock appeared on Boise's Main
Street just as the new time was made official — the visible
reminder that sun time was out of date and that standard
time was in.
Idaho Stab
Machines in the factories, like this one, played a major role in changing life in Idaho
Machines played vital role in early Idaho
By ARTHUR HART
When the grand opening of the
new Idaho Historical Museum
takes place Jan. 15 and 16, visitors
will preview a major exhibit:
"Machines That Changed Life in
Idaho." One of the categories in
the new show is "Machines in the
Factory."
Manufacturing in Idaho with
machines dates from the earliest
days of white settlement here in
the 1860s. Since transportation
was difficult and expensive, what-
ever could be fabricated locally
was.
Once machines had been hauled
in from the West Coast or from
the East, local operators could
manufacture anything they had
raw materials for — provided
there was a market.
Idaho
Yesterdays`
Blacksmiths and wheelwrights
made or repaired anything from a
small part to a complete vehicle.
Simple machines, like the bellows
that pumped oxygen into the
forge, helped heat metal to be
worked by hand, but artisans also
had machines such as vises, tire-
benders and drill presses that in-
creased their efficiency and pro-
ductivity.
In 1865 Boise had sawmills, a
grist mill and a soap factory. In
LOGO 4 1U1111LU1c aaa.avay
by Frank Slocum at the corner of
Sixth and Main was going full
blast.
Since Slocum was a regular ad-
vertiser, The Statesman gave his
product a plug occasionally. On
March 28, 1868, the paper said he
made "better furniture out of
Idaho timber than you can buy in
the market from the jobbers,"
and that it was because he
learned his trade thoroughly and
has worked at it from boyhood
up. ..
Thomas Donaldson in Idaho of
Yesterday remembered this local
manufacture quite differently. He
called it "hideous" and said Slo-
cum's chairs were painted in all
sorts of outlandish finishes.
I
i
Featured in the museum's "Ma-
chines in the Factory" section
will be a huge cast iron and steel
band saw from the 1880s, a hori-
zontal steam engine and a to-
bacco mill. The mill was used in a
Boise cigar facotry at the turn of
the century.
Other Idaho industries that
used machines were found in
most towns. These included shoe-
making, cheese - making and
woodworking devices of every
kind. In 1893 Boise even had a hor-
secollar factory, supplied with
leather from its own tannery.
Brick - making was another local
industry from earliest times, and
in 1897 Foster and Nichols opened
a sideline at their plant of manu-
facturing flower pots.
By the turn of the century Idaho
manufacturers were producing
furniture, store fixtures, tents and
awnings, boots and shoes, confec-
tionery, cast and wrought iron,
machinery, boxes, brooms, car-
pets, wagons and cariages, ce-
ment, cigars, clothing, photo en-
gravings, hats, artificial ice, incu-
bators, lumber, sash and doors,
shirts, sugar, tinware, trunks and
wooden pipes.
Other categories in the mu-
seum's machinery exhibit will be
machines used in the home, on
the farm, in the mine, in the of-
fice, in the woods, in the store, at
the dentist's, and in the fire hall.
There will be machines for enter-
tainment and machines that
made pictures.
Altogether more than 150 exam-
ples from the museum's collec-
tion have been restored and pre-
pared for exhibit.
They came in all sizes, shapes,
colors and uses, but they have one
thing in common — they were an
important part of life in Idaho
over the past century. Save Jan.
15 or 16 to see them for yourself,
and bring the family.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho
Historical Museum
The postal service in Idaho
has always been a matter of
vital concern to her citizens,
just as it is today, and there
is a wealth of material to be
gleaned from the old news-
papers revealing how very
far we have come through
the years.
When Idaho was a terri-
tory, for example, she was
treated as a remote ward of
the federal government,
with her governor appointed
by the president. Since not
very many of Washington's
appointments in Idaho met
with much approval, the Tri-
weekly Statesman was
moved to sarcasm. over the
coming appointment of a
new postmaster for Boise in
1869:
"The postmaster for Boise
City is, up to this time, the
only appointment made from
among the citizens of the
territory. The list is evi-
dently out of joint. To be
consistent with the rest of
the slate, our postmaster
ought to come from New
Jersey."
Since everybody in Idaho
at the time had recently ar-
rived from someplace else,
this may sound a little picky,
but the fact was that many
presidential appointees
didn't even bother to come
to Idaho, once they had been
appointed, and the pioneer
Idahoans had a fight to ex-
pect that their officials show
at least some interest in the
place.
There wasn't any doubt
that Thomas E. Logan, the
postmaster appointed by
President Grant, was a pop-
ular choice, however. Logan,
who had brought his family
to Boise in 1864 and gone into
business on Main Street,
would be elected mayor of
the city three times.
The winters in Idaho's
mountains, where the min-
ing -camps were, 'made mail
delivery very difficult.
When horses couldn't
make it, even with the inge-
nious wooden "snowshoes"
that were rigged for their
hoofs, men had to carry the
mail in on their backs. This
was risky too, and a number
of early -day mail carriers
died in snowslides.
Camas Prairie was free of
snowslides, but even there
drifting sometimes made it
impossible for horses to get
through. In January, 1885,
The Statesman mentioned
that the only mail being de-
livered was being packed in
on snowshoes.
Mail was not delivered to
city - dwellers' doorsteps in
Boise until New Year's day,
1892, and it took quite a bit
of special preparation just to
get the new service off the
ground.
In early October, 1891, it
was announced that citizens
would have to number their
houses if they wanted their
mail delivered.
Curiously enough, there
was wide resistance to this
new - fangled notion in little
old Boise, where everybody
knew everybody, and where
he lived. The city decided to
haye the numbering done at
taxpayers' expense, and
gave the city marshal the re-
sponsibility. THOMAS E. LOGAN
West.
His biggest job was fig-
this was still the frontier
uring out what numbers to popular choice for postmaste
::: -- ::• :.•: ..•..J .... : :. .. ... ... ....- -- --
assign to vacant lots before
affixing numbers to houses.
When delivery began on
January 2, 1892 (New Year's
was a holiday, and although
mail had been picked up
from collection boxes, none
was delivered), two carriers
could handle the whole city.
Ross MIner and Porter D.
Williams delivered mail to
every household and still
had time for two deliveries
to the business section each
day.
A new post office was
opened downtown in Peter
Sonna's new building on
Main just west of Eighth on
April 28, but not before the
old one had been robbed by
two masked men with re-
volvers on April 5. .
As Boise entered the mod-
ern era of postal service,
there were reminders that
FOUR GROUPS interested in preserving Idaho's colorful his- torical Museum. The four are standing in front of the log
tory are joining hands in establishing a new Pioneer Village cabins which will form a new grouping with the Thomas E.
in Julia Davis Park. Their representatives are, from left, C. Logan adobe house near the museum in Julia Davis Park.
Ben Reavis, president of the Sons and Daughters of Idaho Funds for the restoration will be raised at the pioneer hall
Pioneers; Mrs. Richard Simplot, president of the Idaho His- tonight at 9 at the Downtowner. Tickets are available at the
torical Auxiliary, Stanley M. Burns, chairman of the Boise museum, at the office of R. J. Koontz in the Bank of Idaho
Park Board, and Arthur A. Hart, director of the Idaho His- building, or at the Allied Arts booth in the Bon Marche.
By JACK SMITH
The Los Angeles Times
As I have suggested, per-
haps the most profound quota-
tion of this political year so
far is Secretary of Agriculture
Earl Butz's remark that "God
puts the worm in the apple,
and man takes it out."
The secretary was using the
wormy apple as a metaphor
for the disagreeable condition
of nature before technology
cleaned it up, and was telling
the organic food freaks that
we must either change our en-
vironment or suffer wormy
apples. .
The trouble is, he pointed
out, two- thirds of all Ameri-
cans are too young to remem-
ber wormy apples. They think
the apple was always red,
plump and appetizing.
As a man who has found
half a worm in his apple
many times, I got the secre-
tary's point. But then I began
to wonder what other organic
experiences of my youth,
thanks to technology, are un-
known to two- thirds of my
countrymen today.
One thing, surely, is two -
tone milk. I don't know if they
teach this in school any more,
since it wouldn't have any
practical application, but
cream, believe it or not, is
lighter than milk. So when a
bottle of milk was left to
stand for a time, the cream
would rise to the top, forming
a dark rich head.
In the morning when you
brought the milk in from the
RIGHT: All -Girl Picnic on
May 14, 1887, at Robie's Gulch
northeast of Boise. Left, Ella
Kingsley; center, Mrs. Charles
Kingsley (Carol Barker, "his
second wife "); next, uniden-
tified; far right, Annie Bark-
er. in the background, the
fashionable vehicle in which
they bumped and lurched for
several dusty hours to reach
their picnic site. Not visible:
The stays, laces, corsets and
petticoats that were essential
to the women's movement of
the era.
back porch where the milk-
man had left it, you automati-
cally took the bottle by the...,
neck and began turning it, up- `,
side down and back, again
and again, until the milk was
mixed and all of a color.
If you wanted cream for
your coffee or oatmeal, how-
ever, the cream could be
poured off from the top, and
the remainder would be a
low -fat milk that wouldn't
raise your cholesterol level, a
level, by the way, that we
didn't know we had.
This tendency of milk to
separate was extremely con-
venient, especially in a house-
hold where one spouse could
take no fat and the other
could take no skim. Now, of
Who Wants to Go Back to:
The Not ,S'o Good Old Days
would not bring these sepa-
rated elements back into bal-
ance; it was necessary to get
a wooden salad spoon or a
stick and churn the peanut
butter by hand, a task that
was at least as tiresome as
beating a rug on the clothes-
line.
The changes wrought in our
lives by the freezing of foods
are too numerous and too
profound for me to deal with.
I'm sure much has been
gained through this practice
and much lost.
I envy a generation of
young people, though, who
have never shelled a pea, that
pearl of a legume which now
is purchased at the super-
m a r k e t already shelled,
matched, and frozen.
Shelling peas was a kitchen
chore often given to children.
It was not ,entirely disagree-
able. The pe
clean smell.
eaten raw. Al
fresh green
lubrious effect
What I - r
about shelling
that it was us
excuse for n
you. They
love to, but
peas." That
noon, when
play tennis. I
ing to get th
for some of
ertion, they
of nature -before technology
cleaned it up, and was telling
the organic food freaks that
we must either change our en-
vironment or suffer wormy
apples.
The trouble is, he pointed
out, two- thirds of all Ameri-
cans are too young to remem-
ber wormy apples. They think
the apple was always red,
plump and appetizing.
As a man who has found
half a worm in his apple
many times, I got the secre-
tary's point. But then I began
to wonder what other organic
experiences of my youth,
thanks to technology, are un-
known to two - thirds of my
countrymen today.
One thing, surely, is two -
tone milk. I don't know if they
teach this in school any more,
since it wouldn't have any
practical application, but
cream, believe it or not, is
lighter than milk. So when a
bottle of milk was left to
stand for a time, the cream
would rise to the top, forming
a dark rich head.
In the morning when you
brought the milk in from the
RIGHT: All -Girl Picnic on
May 14, 1887, at Robie's Gulch
northeast of Boise. Left, Ella
Kingsley; center, Mrs. Charles
Kingsley (Carol Barker, "his
second wife "); next, uniden-
tified; far right, Annie Bark-
er. In the background, the
fashionable vehicle in which
they bumped and lurched for
several dusty hours to reach
their picnic site. Not visible:
The stays, laces, corsets and
petticoats that were essential
to the women's movement of
the era.
back porch where the milk-
man had left it, you automati-
cally took the bottle by the
neck and began turning it, up-
side down and back, again
and again, until the milk was
mixed and all of a color.
If you wanted cream for
your coffee or oatmeal, how-
ever, the cream could be
poured off from the top, and
the remainder would be a
low -fat milk that wouldn't
raise your cholesterol level, a
level, by the way, that we
didn't know we had.
This tendency of milk to
separate was extremely con-
venient, especially in a house-
hold where one spouse could
take no fat and the other
could take no skim. Now, of
course, milk is homogenized.
Cream doesn't rise to the top
anymore. As a result, I ex-
pect there is a lot less happi-
ness.
On the other hand, consider
what homogenization has done
for peanut butter. I doubt if a
kind word can be found for
pre- homogenized peanut but-
ter. If left in the jar, it soon
separated, the oil rising to the
too and leaving the ground
peanuts in an unworkable
morass 'below, hard as putty.
Merely flipping the jar
- - Y`w' "• a uii,C winun now "° . 1
a woonen salad spoon or a profound for me to deal with. is purchased at the super- peas." That was in
stick and churn the peanut I'm sure much has been m a r k e t already shelled, noon, when you
butter by hand, a task that gained through this practice matched, and frozen.
was at least as tiresome as and much lost. was tennis. If you
beating a rug on the clothes- Shelling peas was a kitchen ing to get them oL
line. chore often given to children. for some other k
I envy a generation of It was not ,entirely disagree- ertion, thev would
Wants to Go Back to:
7eNotS'o Good Old Days
)ring these sepa-
its aback into bal-
necessary to get
alad spoon or a
.hurn the peanut
and, a task that
t as tiresome as
ig on the clothes-
The changes wrought in our
lives by the freezing of foods
are too numerous and too
profound for me to deal with.
I'm sure much has been
gained through this practice
and much lost.
I envy a generation of
young people, though, who
have never shelled a pea, that
pearl of a legume which now
is purchased at the super-
m a r k e t already shelled,
matched, and frozen.
Shelling peas was a kitchen
chore often given to children.
It was not ,entirely disagree-
able. The peas had a fresh
clean smell. They could be
eaten raw. Also, the color of
fresh green peas has a sa-
lubrious effect on the psyche.
What I remember most
about shelling peas, though, is
that it was used by girls as an
excuse for not going out with
you. They would say, "I'd
love to, but I have to shell
peas." That was in the after-
noon, when you wanted to
play tennis. If you were try-
ing to get them out at night,
for some other kind of ex-
ertion, they would say, "I'd
love to, but I have to wash
my hair."
If a girl told you too many
times, when you asked her to
play tennis, that she had to
shell peas, you finally got the
idea that she really didn't like
tennis, and gave up.
I don't know what excuses
girls use these days to get out
of playing tennis. They are
not without imagination in
these matters. But I suspect
that if you asked one of them
what peas come in, she'd say
they come in a little card-
board box.
THIS RUSTIC PRIVY makes a picturesque sight on a dude I
ranch on Idaho's Salmon River, but its drawbacks particularly
in winter are well known to Idahoans born outside city limits.
BOISE, IDAHO, SUNDAY MORMNG, JULY 26, I964
Ta k e �xctures
Like 'i neseA�a�.iqoxe
FROM FAMILY Al,
BUMS: Boise High
School graduating class
about 1893 (above),
Flournay Walker, Belle
Chamberlin and Her-
b e r t Elsworth, and
(seated) Sophie and
Amelia Sonna; Boise
belles about 1887 (top,
right), Minerva Hart
and Mattie Cohen (back)
and Hattie Hart, Hattie
Harris and Bertha Falk;
pioneer sisters (above,
right), Alice Moore Bet-
tis and Laura Moore
Cunningham; and (left)
1918 guards at Minidoka.
i �( z
/
» .ate v �\
. »
IDAHO YESTERDAYS
Styles Hampered Girls
But They Built Stilts
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director,
Idaho Historical Museum
Little girls in early Idaho
did much more than "sit on
a cushion and sew a fine
seam."
Like their brothers, they
were much more likely to
lead the strenuous life of
frontier children, both work-
ing and playing hard. If they
were at any disadvantage in
games with the boys, it was
in the clothing styles they
were forced to wear.
These photos of a group of
anonymous young ladies
from the nineteenth century
illustrate a short report on
t h e amusements of the
schoolyards and fields of
Idaho, as described in the
pages of old newspapers.
In February, 1870, it was
reported that "the schoolboys
have introduced on their
playground the game of shin-
ny. Each player is armed
with a big club, a ball is put
upon the ground and at a
signal, they all strike at it
like they are mad.
"Its excellence consists in
the number of times one boy
can miss the ball and hit the
next player on the shins.
"The one that can show
the largest area of barked
shins at the end of the game
is counted big medicine. It is
of frequent occurrence that a
boy is seen with his legs
wound about with rags like
the bandaged limb of an in-
jured cherry tree. The game
is not fashionable with the
girls — because they don't
have any shins to bark."
(Referring, no doubt to their
long skirts.)
Shortly after it was noted
* * *
that the girls had taken to
Stilts.
"They back up against a
house, fence, or anything for
a boost, mount the poles, and
walk off like mad.
"They never ask a man to
make a pair of stilts for
them, but do their own car-
pentering in the back yard,
using a smoothing iron or a
big rock to drive nails with."
The reporter, evidently a
rather young man, was capti-
vated with the way the girls
fell off their stilts "a sort of
triangular mass of beauty,
curls, high heels, and so
forth," but also reported the
pungent comment of "an old
bachelor" who said that
"girls on stilts look like
sandhill cranes hunting frogs
on a rainy day."
Surprisingly enough, some
of the young women appar-
ently played football, too, a
game much like the soccer
of today. "The game of the
period in Boise City is that
of football.
"When the whole popu-
lation, male and female, old,
young, grave and gay, rever-
end and profane, get together
with two footballs in the air,
or bounding from the head of
some unlucky passerby. They
can shame the wild Indians
with their yells and shouting,
and have more genuine fun
than anybody this side of
Spider Creek ..."
Later in the spring it was
�T
noted that "the girls are giv-
ing up the ancient and grace-
ful game of hop - scotch and
taking to the more refined
and modern one of croquet."
Among winter sports, skat-
ing was popular:
"Several ladies are learn-
ing to skate out at the park.
It is said that the fair crea-
tures take to it as naturally
as ducks to water, and con-
Sider it perfectly splendid."
Roller skating was also
available indoors in January
of 1872, and the editor ex-
pressed the opinion that
"every lady ought to be a
good skatist."
He further advanced the
rather frightening theory that
"nine- tenths of the ladies of
our cities lose their health
and die young, because they
do not take sufficient ex-
ercise."
As early as 1869 there
were reports of homemade
bicycles running in Idaho.
T h e y were called "two -
wheeled velocipedes," and
anybody who rode one was
considered a bit crazy.
There is no reference to
young women trying that
dangerous sport yet, although
by 1890 it was popular every-
where. It will be seen, then,
that the sweet young things
in our photos had muscles
and used them in a wide
range of recreations.
sue,
Anonymous Young Ladies of Idaho's Pioneer Era
S�� 3 �3
Dogs also were part of the street scene in early day Boise
Frontier dogs shared in settling of West
By ARTHUR HART
The part played by dogs in the win-
ning of the West is interestingly de-
scribed in the current issue of the
Idaho Historical Society's quarterly
magazine.
Author Clark Spence notes that in
the past the history of the American
West has tended to focus on "major
figures or on the elite, the spectacu-
lar or the gaudy." Only in recent
years, says Spence, have the "little
people" — the women, the children,
the average men — gotten their
share of attention. He thinks dogs
should get some too.
Spence has been at some pains to
extract from diaries and other con-
temporary accounts all of the refer-
ences to dogs on the frontier, and his
gleanings reveal that "man's best
friend" was indeed just about every-
where, sharing in the adventures and
hardships of the pioneers.
The Idaho Indians had dogs in
great numbers, useful as pets, as
companions, as watchdogs, and as
Idaho
Yesterdays
food when nothing else was availa-
ble.
The explorers and trappers also
took dogs along, and they too were
not above making a meal of their
pets when sorely pressed. Wilson
Price Hunt's ill -fated expedition of
1811 -12 was near starvation when it
bartered with Shoshoni Indians on
the Snake River for dogs to supple-
ment its dwindling supply of food.
Oregon Trail accounts reveal that
many families of emigrants brought
their family pets with them on the
long trek across the continent. These
dogs, as Spence points out, could be a
liability as well as an asset.
One wagon train bound for Oregon
in 1892, worried that the dogs would
become rabid on the dry plains, or
that their barking would attract In-
dians, decided by a two-thirds vote to
shoot them all.
Twenty -two dogs were slaughtered
before one man stopped the execu-
tions by threatening to kill anyone
who harmed his pet.
Boise City, a stopping place on the
Oregon Trail after 1863, had plenty of
dogs — too many, according to Idaho
Tri- weekly Statesman founder and
editor James S. Reynolds.
A confirmed dog- hater, Reynolds
sprinkled early papers with com-
plaints about their incessant barking
at night, the nuisance of having so
many running loose chasing after
livestock, stampeding cattle, or
frightening horses into dangerous
runaways.
The levying of a dog tax shortly
after Boise achiev city govern-
ment in 1867 suggest that dogs really
were something of nuisance, and
that the city fathers had decided to
make people pay for the privilege of
keeping one.
An amusing item of Feb. 13, 1869,
suggests how different the functions
and cost of government were 112
years ago:
"The dog tax collected thus far in
Boise City, we understand, has
amounted to two hundred dollars —
being the tax on forty dogs. It is
thought by some that this dog tax will
be sufficient to carry on the city gov-
ernment without levying any special
tax for that purpose. There is proba-
bly about 100 dogs here subject to the
tax."
Early photographs from all Idaho
towns show dogs lying in the streets
or posing happily with their masters.
The history of people in the West is
inextricably bound up with that of
their dogs, even though they didn't
make the pages of very many history
books.
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
��f i
s
LINCOLN SCHOOL, 1896
part of schoolhouse boom of the nineties
BOISE HIGH SCHOOL, 1903
Nathan Falk found it `unacceptable'
Schools in Boise
Grew Dramatically
Throughout 1890s
The 1890.9 were years of dramatic
growth for Boise public schools.
When the big new Central School
was opened on Sept. 25, 1882, many
people were convinced that the city
had overbuilt so much that the build-
ing would never be filled. William M.
Thayer, in a nationally read book cal-
led "Marvels of the New West," pu-
blished in 1890, called Boise's school-
house a "marvel of enterprise," for it
did seem pretty prententious for a
city of less than 3000 people.
By 1894, however, Central School
was so crowded that the school trus-
tees rented the upper story of the
new G.A.R. Hall just across State
Street to the north for overflow clas-
ses. They were anxiously awaiting
completion of Whittier School at the
corner of 12th and West Fort, origi-
nally scheduled for the opening of the
term in September.
On Oct. 26, 1894, architect Walter
S. Campbell (who would later design
the Idanha hotel) promised that
Whittier would be ready on Nov. 15,
but it didn't actually receive its first
students until after Thanksgiving.
Whittier was a modest schoolhouse
of four rooms. It cost only $6,000 to
build in a depression year, compared
to the $50,000 Central was worth.
The district was divided, with Whit-
tier receiving about 125 students to
Central's 500. By 1897 Central was
back up to 657, however, and little
Whittier had 158.
Lincoln School, at 4th and Idaho,
was built in the summer and fall of
1896, and opened with 114 students
in February 1897. While Lincoln was
being completed, its children had at-
tended school in a building rented
from the notorious Davis Levy who
operated "female boarding" houses in
the city's red light district.
Idaho
Yesterdays
By Arthur Hart,
workmanship was bad and should not
be paid for. The board appointed
Mrs. Leonard Logan to succeed Falk
the next day, but agreed not to ac-
cept the building.
Within a year, however, corrections
had been made, and a leading
Boisean wrote a two - column letter to
The Statesman praising the new
High School as "an adornment to our
city." This building was later re-
placed by the present Boise High
School.
(Mr. Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
N
Had any other space been available
it: seems unlikely that the district
would have chosen Levy as its land-
lord too.
1899 saw the construction of
Washington School at 16th and Ri-
denbaugh, from the designs of John
E. Tourtellotte, and in 1901 the ex-
ploding school population forced a
decision to take the high school out
of Central and put it into its own
structure. On Nov. 26, 1901, The
Statesman announced that architect
William F. Schrage of Kansas City
had been chosen for the new red-
brick building. Its cost was to be
$35,000.
Work on the foundation was well
along by May 1902, but the graduat-
ing class of that year matriculated
from the big old mansard Central
School built 20 years earlier. William
E. Borah gave the commencement
address and Governor Frank W.
Hunt presented the diplomas.
Speeches. were popular in" those
days, and graduation brought a lots o'
them. The class of 1897 had listened
to 17 orations in one evening, with
such inspring titles as. "He Conquers
Who Endures," and "Labor, There
The Laurel."
The new high school building was
to be completed by Feb. 15, 1903, but
so unhappy with it was school board
member Nathan Falk that he resig-
ned rather than accept it. He said the
PAGE 8 THE IDAHO STATESMAN, Boise, Monday, July 9, 1973
Idaho Yesterdays
Temperance Movement
Enlisted Famous Marshal
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho Historical
Museum
After the building of their
hall on Main Street in Boise
in 1870, the Independent Or-
der of Good Templars con-
tinued to grow, attracting
members from all walks of
life.
Jonas W. Brown of Idaho
City was the most popular
lecturer, giving a series on
"The Social Evils of Intem-
perance" in 1871. Mrs. Car-
rie F. Young, who also had a
reputation as an effective
speaker on the subject, was
invited to come down from
Silver City in 1872 to address
Boise audiences.
Undoubtedly the most dra-
matic convert to the tem-
perance movement in the
1870s was famous United
States Deputy Marshal Or-
lando "Rube" Robbins.
Although there is no evi-
dence that Robbins ever had
a drinking problem of his
own, he had certainly been
involved in plenty of cases
as a lawman where liquor
was responsible for death
and destruction.
Even before The States-
man reported on Feb. 6,
1873, that the marshal had
"experienced religion," he
had formed "Robbins En-
campment, Independent
Champions of the Red
Cross" and had been elected
Eminent Counselor. Banker
C. W. Moore was chosen
Senior Champion„
On Sunday, Feb. 9, 1873,
Robbins was baptized by im-
mersion in the Boise river
before a large crowd. In
March he was chosen presi-
dent of the Methodist Sun-
day school, and when Rob-
bins Encampment of the
I.C.R.C. met that same
month there were 115 mem-
bers present.
The Statesman hailed it as
"the most flourishing tem-
perance organization ever
had in this city." Of the
more than 600 members east
of the Cascades, Robbins'
group was easily the largest.
That Robbins continued
his dedication to the tem-
perance cause is shown by
the fact that he allowed the
Ensor Institute for curing al-
coholism to move into his
own home at 520 Idaho
Street in November, 1892.
Only two days after the In-
stitute moved in, unfortu-
nately, a patient named
"Pancake Bill" Nelson died
of a "fit" brought on by deli-
rium tremens.
Although many temper-
ance people were as active
as ever, and there were new
organizations on the scene
like the Women's Christian
Temperance Union, in the
Ada County elections of 1892
only 75 prohibition votes
were cast out of a total of
2700.
Only one photograph of
Rube Robbins showing him
in uniform survives. From
the date of this picture, and
Robbins' apparent age at the
tune, it seems likely that he
wears the costume of a
Champion of the Red Cross.
Another photograph of Or-
lando Robbins, taken when
he was seventy, shows him
as he looked when he was
making a living raising Ida-
ho horses for the Eastern
market, instead of chasing
outlaws.
Even then, he was still
fighting "demon rum," as
the temperance people
called it.
That prohibition finally
came in 1920 was a cause for
rejoicing in the old temper-
ance movement, even
though the results were
hardly satisfactory to any-
one.
Prohibition led to wide-
spread law- breaking by a
large number of Americans
who refused to accept it, and
to the rise of gangsters ea-
ger to supply the demand for
illegal liquor and to control
its distribution.
,The repeal of Prohibition
in 1933 led to even greater
rejoicing by the masses of
Americans than had the pas-
sage of the Eighteenth
Amendment in the first
place. New organizations
have taken up the battle to
fight alcoholism, but very
few today think prohibition
could succeed in a democ-
racy.
'Rube' Robbins put on the temperance
uniform in 1873
5�Qa V
rr-,d- ✓
14 Y'
54-t���
;�-- 42
In his old age, Robbins continued to
fight demon rum'
IDAHO YESTERDAYS
Marshal Rube Robbins
`Plu ed' Tem Bran ce
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director,
Idaho Historical Museum
.Rube Robbins, frontier mar-
shal, about whom we wrote a
column a few months ago, had
a life not easily crammed into
one chapter. He deserves a
book, at least, and a lasting
place in the roster of western
heroes.
A relatively unknown chap-
ter in the life of Orlando .
"Rube" Robbins is his inter-
est in ,the cause of temper-
ance: When a public figure
of his prominence and re
no�wntok the pledge, it was
bound to make quite an im-
pression in the community.
Already widely -known and
praised as a deputy United
States marshal who "always
got his man," Rube achieved
a gentler kind of publicity
when he helped establish a
temperance organization
called the Independent Cham-
pions of the Red Cross.
"Robbins Encampment" of
the champions was a local
branch named in his honor.
It was fully organized in
mid- January, 1873, with "O.
Robbins, Eminent Counselor,
and C. W. Moore, Senior
Champion."
Three weeks later it was
reported that the famous
marshal had "experienced
religion" and would be bap-
tized the following Sunday,
February 9, 1873.
A large party conveyed
Marshal Robbins to the Boise
River where he was baptized
by total immersion in the icy
waters.
(En route to the river, .a
wag in the crowd invited a
passing Chinese to come and
be dipped too. He ran away
in terror, probably suspecting
he would be drowned
On March 6, 18 3, The
Statesman referred to Rob-
bins as president of the
Methodist Episcopal Sabbath
School, and in another article
stated that at the fast meet-
ing of Robbins Encampment
there had, been 115 members
present, "the most flourish-
ing temperance organization
ever had in this city."
By July, it was claimed
that Robbins Encampment
was the largest "east of the
Cascades," and that the
Champions of the Red Cross
now numbered 600 members
in encampments in many
towns.
The cause of temperance
was a natural one for a law-
man who saw as many acts
of violence and bloodshed as
Robbins did — acts in most
cases attributable at least
partly to the heavy drinking
on the Idaho frontier.
Newspaper accounts of the
day bear out . the suspicion
that this was the case, and
that saloons accounted for
more than their share of the
action.
The editors of the day
were not always sympathetic
to the temperance cause,
however, as witness this ac-
count of the founding of a
lodge of Good Templars in
Idaho City in 1868:
"We learn that nineteen
old suckers were initiated
into a lodge of Good Tem-
plars at one rattle, at Idaho
City, last week. Pretty good
haul. We shall likely chron-
icle several deaths by freez-
ing in that locality before the
winter is over."
At about the, same time,
Jim y,.. Hart, _ .a bartender
wit, was advising men not to
drink too much water on
cold nights, for fear they
would get "a frozen pond in
the stomach."
Naturally, he suggested
more suitable beverages. In
spite of such scoffers, the
Templars too flourished and
grew, numbering many
prominent pioneers in their
membership, and erecting a
Good Templarg Hall in Boise
at an early date.
James A. Pinney, post-
master at Idaho City and
later mayor of Boise was a
prominent Templar all his
life.
In the 1890's, Rube Robbins
became warden of the Idaho
Penitentiary, at the same
time operating the Ensor In-
stitute for alcohol and drug
cures out of his own house at
520 Idaho Street.
By then The Statesman
was also sympathetic to the
cause, and Ensor Institute
got more than its, share of
f r e e publicity. Prohibition
was yet another quarter cen-
tury away, and came long
after Rube Robbins had left
the scene.
It
�a
tA
343
Idaho Yesterdays
Good Templars Lodge
Fought for Temperance
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho Historical
Museum
.;,Heavy drinking was so
Ommon on the American
frontier that most of the
13olence and bloodshed for
,Zhich those days were fa-
mous was either saloon or
Qttle related.
'°Under the circumstances,
It is hardly surprising that
Many of the best citizens of
frontier communities were
ardent advocates of tempe-
rance, or that they organized
to combat the liquor prob-
lem through lodges and
clubs of various kinds.
The Independent Order of
Good Templars was a promi-
nent temperance lodge in
pioneer Idaho, with staunch
Adherents and an active re-
form program. Its efforts
were not universally appre-
ciated, however, as the fol-
lowing item from The
Statesman in January, 1868,
suggests:
-"We learn that nineteen
old suckers were initiated
into a lodge of Good Tem-
plars at one rattle, at Idaho
City, last week. Pretty good
haul. We shall likely chron-
icle several deaths by free-
zing in that locality before
the winter is over."
Despite the writer's sar-
castic reception of their ef-
forts, the Templars pro-
ceeded to grow, even organ-
izing a Grand Lodge of Idaho
Territory in Boise in Febru-
ary.
By March they were plan-
ning to build a large meeting
hall here, and by December
held their second territorial
meeting in Idaho City
with representatives from
a number of subordinate
lodges present.
Jonas W. Brown was elect-
ed president, and continued
for many years as the terri-
tory's most effective lectur-
er on temperance. Even the
Statesman and other papers
which ridiculed the move-
ment were forced to admit
that Brown was a persuasive
and logical speaker.
By October, 1869, when the
Templars were raising funds
for their new hall with a
series of festivals and grand
balls, The Statesman was
able to give grudging praise
to their efforts: "It cannot
be denied that the Order
have dried up many of the
little streams that go to
swell the flood of blue ruin
which blights so many fair
prospects and bright hopes,
swells and criminal calendar
and the taxes."
The Good Templars Hall
was begun in January, 1870,
just east of the corner of
Sixth and Main where the
Pioneer Tent building stands
today. The builder was Cap-
tain Munson, who, reported
the Statesman, "was sling-
ing lumber around here
yesterday." Munson worked
fast, having the building all
enclosed in four weeks.
It was planned to dedicate
the structure with a grand
Washington's Birthday ball,
and the Captain had it ready
in time.
"The hall is the largest in
the territory," noted the pa-
per, "the floor is nice and
smooth, and all necessary
arrangements are completed
to render it (the ball) the
finest ever given in the
country."
Seventy -five couples par-
ticipated, and the newspaper
reported that several hun-
dred dollars had been raised.
Formal dedication came lat-
er when Jonas W. Brown
conducted ceremonies on
April 13 with one of his fiery
speeches.
A report from Idaho City
in March, 1871, showed that
newspapers which carried a
fair amount of liquor adver-
tising had mixed feeling
about the Templars: "The
Tanks are sweeping every-
thing before them. The
mania of the people of all
ages, sexes, and conditions,
to climb the greased pole
and ride the goat, and re-
ceive the brand of I.O.G.T.,
is appalling to the dealers in
the animile. They initiate
them by the dozen every
meeting."
Next we shall take a fur-
ther look at temperance
movements in Idaho.
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Good Templars' Hall,
built in
1870, was a
temperance
headquarters.
Idaho Yesterdays
Electric Revol ution Lit Boise
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director, Idaho Historical
Society
July 4, 1887, marked the
beginning of a new era in
energy use in Boise. Water
from • a. collecting pond on
Rideribaugh Canal was run
down from the bench to dy-
namos in a power plant on
the bank of the south chan-
nel of Boise River, about
where Park View apart-
ments are now. The elec-
tricity generated lit several
businesses on Main Street
and a street lamp or two.
The capital city missed out
in the, race to be "first,"
however, since Hailey
turned on its lights on May
19, 1887, and electric lights
had been used since August,
1882 by the Philadelphia
Mining and Smelting Com-
pany at Ketchum.
The aesthetic impact of
the new system was noted
by The Statesman at once.
On May 5 the editor ques-
tioned the wisdom of allow-
ing the light company's
poles to be put up on Main
Street. In a few years the
maze of telephone and elec-
tric wires would lead to put-
ting them underground or in
alleys, but at the turn of the
century Main Street was still
a "wire jungle."
While fretting over the
delays in getting those first
electric lights turned on, The
Statesman said that "im-
provements come a little
slow sometimes, but Boise
'gets there' in good shape
and in good time."
It was September, 1887, be-
fore the City Council cau-
tiously "signified its willing-
ness to place a limited num-
ber of electric lights on the
streets for the purpose of
lighting the city." By 1889
the city had contracted with
the electric company to put
up 40 street lights for 100 dol-
lars per month.
When The Statesman itself
belatedly put in the new
lighting in late October, 1889,
it humorously referred to the
change as "a heavy blow
given to the Standard Oil
Company," (supplier of the
kerosene used in the old
lamps).
The Central Hotel was
electrified in November,
1889, and the other pioneer,
the Overland Hotel, followed
suit in December. They were
both fire - conscious when
they boasted that "no coal
oil is used about the prem-
ises," but the Central burned
the next year anyway.
July, 1891, saw completion
of a handsome new power
plant on the site of the old
one. Its large shingled cu-
pola was the takeoff point
for wires to all parts of the
city. Carbon arc lights were
introduced on July 2, 1891,
adding so much brilliance to
downtown streets that The
Statesman proudly noted
that the lights of Boise could
be seen from the top of War
Eagle Mountain above Silver
City.
Electric overhead fans,
with long wooden blades, be-
gan to hum in the capital
city in June, 1894. They
cooled E. Maden's Louvre
Cafe. Later that year the
city contracted with the Cap-
ital Electric Light, Motor &
Gas Co, to place and main-
tain 40 arc lights of 2,000
candle power each in strate-
gic spots in the the city, at a
rate of nine dollars each
month. It was a three -year
contract.
Business was so good that
the light company doubled
its capacity in March, 1896.
People were impressed that
this cost $20,000.
6f I,-
~ta Rebecca
t at the desk
entification provided)
deputy.
High Fuel Bills Bring Back
Heaters From Yesteryear
By TOMAS J. LEWIS
The Idaho Statesman
They come in all shapes,
colors and sizes and they are
viewed by some as the an-
swer to both the energy
crisis and constantly rising
monthly fuel bills.
The idea is not new — not
by a longshot — in fact they
made their debut in the U.S.
more than 333 years ago.
The subject: wood - burning
stoves.
"Everybody is just driving
us crazy now that they've
gotten their gas and oil
bills," said Mrs. Carl Smith,
co -owner of the Fireplace
Shop, 6808 Fairview Avenue,
a wood- burning stove dealer.
"We've just been snowed un-
der with work ever since the
last bills came out."
Mrs. Smith said her store
sold more than 458 wood -
burning stoves in 1974, more
than double the amount sold
the year before.
Prices for new wood -burn=
ing stoves start at $129 and
go as high as $679, she said.
The stoves come in circular,
cone, barrel and three -sided
shapes. Even a hanging
model is available.
In all, the Fireplace Shop
offers 15 different varieties
of wood- burning stoves, Mrs.
Smith said.
The old -time stoves are
selling much 'better lately
"because you benefit more
from the fuel you burn be-
cause you get more heat
from what you burn," Mrs.
Smith explained.
She said some of her cus-
tomers say they have cut
their monthly bill in half
ever since they made the
switch from gas or electric
heaters to wood - burning
stoves.
"One fellow living up in
the mountains said his bill
for the whole winter was
$8," Mrs. Smith said.
Mrs. Smith said the most
popular of the wood - burning
stoves is the Franklin. Until
1744, the first stoves pro-
duced in the U.S. were little
more than cast iron boxes
fitted with lids.
Then in 1744, Benjamin
Franklin invented a cast
iron stove which was built
into a wall like a fireplace,
but extended out into the
room so that three sides
gave off heat.
The Franklin stove of
today is made from more ad-
vanced materials, but the
basic concept still is the
same.
Mrs. Smith said about the
only model of wood- burning
stove hard to come by now-
adays is the old time pot-
belly stove.
"There haven't been any
potbelly stoves on the mar-
ket lately," Mrs. Smith said,
"because they can't get pig
iron to cast them."
She said the demand for
potbelly stoves has been so
great in recent years, manu-
facturers cannot keep up
with the number of requests.
"We've had a standing or-
der in for potbelly stoves
ever since October of 1973,"
she said.
OLD RELIABLE — This stove is
stoves that cooked meals, warmE
BRIGHT AND SHINY — Free standh
the energy crisis. Now they're selling
popular is the 1
sold Chore than 458 wood
burning stoves in 1974, more
than double the amount sold
the year before.
Prices for new wood -burn=
ing stoves start at $129 and
go as high as $679, she said.
Mrs. Smith said the most
popular of the wood- burning
stoves is the Franklin. Until
1744, the first stoves pro-
duced in the U.S. were little
great in recent
facturers cann
with the number
"We've had a
der in for pot
ever since Oc_ to
she said.
"CIGAR" STOVE — The first Hannifin Cigar
Store stove now resides in the bar scene at the
Idaho State Historical Museum. The stove closely
resembles the one in the 1901 photograph (above)
of the Ada County Sheriff's Office.
FANCY AND NEW, TOO — Wood and
coal - burning stoves are coming back
into popularity and could fashion be
far behind? This little three - foot -high
coal burner is from France. At $269, it
is both decorative and useful.
one at the Hannifin Cigar
Main. Putting it to use are
Hannifin, 4803 Corporal,
Renk, 175 Horizon Drive.
was used in a sheep can
years ago.
ENERGY SAVER — This device cuts down on
wasted energy. It replaces a section of stovepipe
and has a fan that blows air through the pipe in
such a way as' to extract heat that otherwise
would go up the stack and outdoors.
BASICS — They did not fool with semantics in the days this
was made. Once lighted, your oven either was warm, hot or
19 ®1
In The
Statesman
NATHAN FALK has pur-
chased a plot of land front-
ing on Warm Springs ave-
nue, 143 feet from the Flana-
gan home place, the price
being $5,000. This is just
west of Judge Beatty's new
home.
Yesterday, in speaking of
his new purchase, Mr. Falk
stated he had bought the
land for the purpose of build-
ing. He will immediately be-
gin construction of an ele -'
gant, modern residence. It
will be another of those sta-
tely homes which now adorn
Warm Springs avenue.
COLONEL W. H. DEWEY
and his son, E. H. Dewey,
have just completed land
purchases giving them the
largest ranch in the state of
Idaho — 2,000 acres in one
bunch.
For some time past they
have been quietly acquiring
land adjacent to the town of
Nampa, with the end in view
of establishing a great stock
ranch. Ed Dewey has for
years been an ardent fancier
of fine horses, cattle and
sheep, and the plan outlined
has been formulating in his
mind all this time. The pur-
chase a few days since of a
small tract concluded the ar-
rangement, giving them an
immense and fine property,
running along the railway
for a long distance, all under
the Ridenbaugh ditch, and
every foot of it capable of ir-
rigation.
/�•.
• IL
U
w
U'
THE INAUGURAL BALL
at. the Natatorium last night
was a very brilliant affair.
The big resort had been
transferred into a bower of
unsurpassed loveliness.
There was a large crowd
present, not as large, per-
haps, as had been expected,
but just about right for com-
fort. The crowd was esti-
mated at 750.
Half of the plunge had
been floored over for danc-
ing purposes and above and
around it had been arranged
some very striking decora-
tions. Immediately in the
center and above the floor
was suspended, flat, a large
flag. From it streamers ran
in profusion making a cano-
py of bright color. In the
rear, where the orchestra
was stationed, was a deco-
rated sounding board, and at
one corner stood a mega-
phone through which the
caller, J. Ed. , Smith, sent
waves of resonant sound
that echoed through the
building confusedly.
IT HAS NOT BEEN GEN-
ERALLY KNOWN that there
is coal in Cassia county, but
articles of incorporation
have been filed of a com-
pany organized to work coal
lands there. The company is
called the Cassia Coal Min-
ing company, limited. Its
capital stock is $250,000 and
the directors for the first
year are William H. Parke,
J. F. Devine, J. F. Bach,
William Gray and J. C. Ro-
gers. The principal place of
business is Albion. The prop-
erty it is intended to work is
in the Goose Creek moun-
tains.
Old -time picnickers enjoy their summertime treat of watermelon
Watermelons have long history in Boise
By ARTHUR HART
Summertitpe is watermelon time,
and the people of Boise Valley have
: enjoyed eating them for well over a
century.
Within a few weeks of the founding
of the Idaho Tri- weekly Statesman in
the summer of 1864, G.W. Walling, a
pioneer irrigator who had dug Boise
City's principal ditch, delivered a
huge watermelon to the offices of the
paper. The grateful editor described
it as "two or three sizes smaller than
a barrel."
James H. Slater was another early
day gardener who grew melons. In
1865, when the watermelons were
again ripe, the Statesman said that
Slater had "the best garden in town
this summer."
The Statesman, like small -town
newspapers everywhere, was a real
booster for local products. It pre-
dicted (quite correctly) that "water
and labor are all that are required to
make the highest and driest land in
Idaho
Yesterdays
the valley produce most abund-
antly."
By 1870 it was Chinese gardeners
who were growing and marketing
most of the garden produce in and
around Boise City and other Idaho
communities: Convenience to house-
wives was an important part of the
Chinese success, since fresh produce
was brought to their doors every
morning.
The Chinese gardeners were also
highly skilled. In April, 1871, the
Statesman noted that "The China
population are planting gardens here
pretty extensively. They are so pa-
tient and puttering that they do
well."
This Chinese garden industry con-
tinued well into the 20th century as
an important part of local life. Many
people still living recall the Chinese
vegetable man who came to their
homes. They find that an 1871 States
man description aptly mirrors their
own experience:
"(He) makes his appearance at I
our doors bright and early every
morning, with the traditional pole
and baskets, the latter filled with
every variety of fresh plucked and
cool vegetables." t
As old as watermelons in Ameri-
can life is a tradition of stealing i
them. Somehow watermelon stealing
has come to be regarded as a harm-
less prank rather than a crime.
We have heard many an old -timer 1
describe his own exploits in some-
body's melon patch in this vein, and
some have insisted that stolen mel-
ons tasted better than those from the
store. (They are undeniably fresher.)
Stealing melons from Chinese gar-
deners was a form of harassment
which was regarded by some in the
community as a harmless recrea-
tion. The Chinese retaliated by
`shooting at nocturnal thieves every
night," according to one account,
and once a cow was shot by mistake.
Mayor James A. Pinney, at an 1890
City Council meeting, laid down the
aw to "the hoodlums and other
roughs" who were stealing
watermelons. The mayor called the
Chinese gardners "peaceable and
well disposed individuals" entitled to
he full protection of the law.
For some, alas, watermelon steal -
ng, like watermelon eating, was part
of the American way of life in "the
good old summertime."
(Arthur Hart is director of the
daho Historical Society.)
S a t&ji-;z Q vz-,
Trail rations
In her journals, Oregon Trail pi-
oneer Kit Belknap mentioned the
buffalo meat from a `nice young
heifer' that the men in her party
killed: "It is very coarse and dark
meat, but when cooked right made
a very good change.
Buffalo Jerky
"Cut the meat into thin strips.
Dip the strips in brine. Make a scaf-
fold over a fire by putting forked
sticks in the ground and laying
straight sticks over them Place the
buffalo strips over the scaffold to
dry for several hours. Or you can
hang the strips from inside from
the wagon bows. Or attach them
to ropes reaching from front to
back outside along the sides of the
wagon. They will look something
like red fringe and in the parched
air will dry out and provide food
YOU can carry for a long distance
without it spoiling."
Source: "Women's Voices from
the Oregon Trail: The Times That
Tried Women's Souls, "by Susan G.
Butruille.
8! l 3 �2--0 0 2-
,'e ivaho cj- ¢'u��Serran ,j /� /�GIIO
P ioneer tells elk incident story
After 50 years,
saddle was found
By Kate Reynolds Yaskot
Post Register, Idaho Falls
VICTOR — The old wooden
saddle sits on a pedestal in the
corner of Bertha Gillette's quilt
shop.
Whenever she looks at it, she
is reminded of the secret her fa-
ther kept for more than 50 years.
She smiles, imagining how
her father must have looked try-
ing to help his friend ride the elk.
Gillette loves to share the sto-
ry her father told her before his
death of the disappearance of
their neighbor Mr. Curtis' new
saddle. During the winters,
thousands of elk used to mingle
around their land trying to get
hay.
One winter morning, "Mama
opened the door to reach for her
new broom hanging on the out-
side wall and a gush of winter
wind hit her in the face. Hanging
onto the doorknob to keep the
door from flying open with a
bang, she saw her broom still
hanging, but the straw all gone
from it. The elk had eaten it dur-
ing the night.
"This was Sunday morning
and Daddy announced to Mama
that he thought he would ride
over to pay Ershel Curtis, Mr.
Curtis' son, a visit. `I'm going to
see if he is being pestered too, or
if I'm the only one in this neigh-
borhood who is doing all the
worrying and feeding.' "
Ershel told her father they al-
so had elk in their barn, and one
was so tame, he couldn't run
him out with a pitchfork.
Her father and Ershel went
into the barn and grabbed his fa-
ther's brand new saddle, as it
was the only one handy. They
managed to get the saddle on
the elk, both laughing pretty
hard, Gillette said.
However, their plans to get
the elk out of the barn so Curtis
could get on him quickly went
awry. The elk backed out cau-
tiously but when he got to the
door, "he leaped straight into the
air and pulled Daddy out with
him. Daddy landed in the muck
on his belly. Mr. Elk stopped for
nothing. He jumped the corral
fence and headed for the hills,
with stirrups flying on both
sides."
Neither her father nor Curtis
ever told the tale to anyone, in-
cluding the elder Curtis, and for
years they made up excuses to
go hunting so they could look
for the saddle. Her father told
her he thought one of these days
the saddle would come out of
the hills. It did, about 50 years
later. Jim Flower, the foreman of
the Elk Refuge, found it at the
bottom of a steep canyon, nearly
buried in mud and grass and
most of the leather pawed off by
scavenging animals.
"The cinch was broken, prov-
ing the elk wore it until he could
cut the cinch with his hind leg,"
he said.
Flower, however, had no idea
that there was a story behind the
saddle and gave it away to
someone. That man eventually
gave it to Gillette, and she
proudly displays it at the Quilt
House.
Street sprinkler gave summer relief from the dust and heat
Old - fashioned heat remedies
By ARTHUR HART
Accounts of hot weather in early
Boise make us feel a lot closer to the
generations of people who lived here
before us. They also give us delight-
ful glimpses of the way in which Boi-
seans coped with the heat in the days
before refrigeration and air condi-
tioning.
"Delicious sport is now enjoyed by
the little lads, in running after the
water cart, and putting themselves
under the flow pipe," wrote the Tri-
weekly Statesman in July 1871. "Oh!
that we were a lad. The sensation of
a hundred streams trickling down
one's back this weather must be nec-
tar to the gods."
On July 13, 1872, the paper re-
ported that the thermometer had
reached "105 degrees in brick build-
ings and 140 in the sun," and that
"this is hotter weather than any we
had last year." Boise was not without
ice, however, even though mechani-
cal refrigeration was yet unknown
here. "It takes three ice wagons to
keep Boise City supplied with ice,"
noted The Statesman later that
month. This ice had been cut on
ponds beside Boise River the winter
before and put up in sawdust -in-
sulated ice houses.
The summer of 1894 was such a
long, hot one that the ice supply was
exhausted before the end of August.
The Union Pacific Railroad needed
100 tons for icing its refrigerator
:A
Idaho
Yesterdays
cars, but local dealers could not
supply it.
During one hot spell, which had
lasted for more than a week, the
newspaper's comment was "A good
time for ice men, shady places, cool
drinks."
Ice cream was available, too, and
the hot weather each summer
brought out a lot of notices like
these: Ho! Thirsty Souls, who pant
for cooling streams, go to Sheffer's
and be conforted with ice cream."
And, a few weeks later, "On these
hot days, there is nothing so thor-
oughly comforting as to surround a
mug of Father Sheffer's ice cream.
It fills the soul with blissful refrigera-
tion."
Maybe air conditioning makes us
less able to appreciate these old -fash-
ioned remedies for summer's, heat.
You have to be really warm to enjoy
cooling off the way old -time Ida -
hoans did.
(Arthur Hart Is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
Large crowds for festive events could be accommodated at Boise's pleasure palace
Idaho Yesterdays
chat' Held
L:.
big enough to make this im-
possible.
In 1913, with the new cen-
tral portion of the present
state capitol was completed,
Gov. John M. Haines held
his inaugural ball in the ele-
gant marble interior of Ida-
ho's latest pride and joy.
Inaugurals-
By ARTHUR A. HART
Director,
Idaho Historical Museum
The most colorful part. of
the inauguration of an Idaho
governor is the Inaugural
Ball. This "celebration" por-
tion of the event succeeds
the formal swearing -in cere-
mony, which by its nature is
impressive, but not a social
occasion.
It is also of interpst that
more people usually turn out
for the ball than witness the
ceremony.
A number of large halls
have been used for Idaho in-
augural balls through the
years, but one of them easily
tops the list as most exotic
and impressive.
The Natatorium, that
great Moorish pleasure pal-
ace at the end of Warm
Springs Avenue, with its 40-
foot arched ceiling and lacy
six -story towers, was the
capital city's biggest space
for social events from the
time of its completion in
May, 1892, until its demoli-
tion in 1934.
The first inaugural ball
was held there in 1905, when
some ingenious person rea-
lized that the enormous
space which housed the
"plunge" (as the warm wa-
ter pool was called) could be
used for a dance by flooring
it over.
A photograph taken before
Gov. James H. Brady's 1909
inaugural ball shows how
impressive the big space
was, and how it was deco-
rated for that occasion.
Because the spaces were
created for very different
functions than dancing, the
arrangements had to be
rather novel.
The dancers were divided
among the three upper
floors, in areas surrounding
the rotunda well. The music
reverberated throughout the
big vertical space. The buf-
fet supper was also served
on two levels of the building.
Later inaugurals have
been held in the Elks'
Temple, Boise High School
gymnasium, and Boise State
University gymnasium, as
well as an occasional one in
the capitol. Gov. Cecil An-
drus' first inaugural ball was
held in both gymnasiums.
The Grand March is al-
ways a most impressive part
of any inaugural ball, but it
is doubtful that any will ever
exceed in grandeur the ef.
fect achieved in 1913 in the
new capitol when it "wound
up and over the spacious
staircases ... like a many -
colored serpent of varied
hues."
Each space in which the
ball has been held offers spe-
cial effects and opportunities
not to be found in earlier
halls, and no doubt future in-
augural balls will be memo-
rable in ways that past ones
Large crowds for festive events could be accommodated at Boise's pleasure palace
have been used for Idaho in-
augural balls through the
years, but one of them easily
tops the list as most exotic
and impressive.
The Natatorium, that
great Moorish pleasure pal-
ace at the end of Warm
Springs Avenue, with its 40-
foot arched ceiling and lacy
six -story towers, was the
capital city's biggest space
for social events from the
time of its completion in
May, 1892, until its demoli-
tion in 1934.
The first inaugural ball
was held there in 1905, when
some ingenious person rea-
lized that the enormous
space which housed the
"plunge" (as the warm wa-
ter pool was called) could be
used for a dance by flooring
it over.
A photograph taken before
Gov. James H. Brady's 1909
inaugural ball shows how
impressive the big space
was, and how it was deco-
rated for that occasion.
The Natatorium had many
other advantages too — there
were dining rooms, bar
rooms, sitting rooms, and
many other facilities for
handling large crowds of
people in festive mood.
There were also street
cars running on a 15- minute
schedule from downtown for
a fare of five cents. (And
wouldn't that be useful
today!)
In 1909, quite a few of the
city's wealthier people ar-
rived in style at the front
door of the Natatorium in
their own automobiles, but
.this was still a trickle in the
flood of cars that would
eventually wipe out the
trolleys.
Before the Natatorium
made history with inaugural
balls, there had been some
colorful affairs in the old ter-
ritorial capitol, finished in
1886: It was necessary to use
the upstairs hallway in the
brick Romanesque building
for dancing, and put the or-
chestra in the Senate cham-
ber, but the crowds were not
n g
the rotunda well. mThe music
reverberated throughout the
big vertical space. The buf-
fet supper was also served
on two levels of the building.
Later inaugurals have
been held in the Elks'
Temple, Boise High School
gymnasium, and Boise State
University gymnasium, as
well as an occasional one in
the capitol. Gov. Cecil An-
drus' first inaugural ball was
held in both gymnasiums.
The Grand March is al-
ways a most impressive part
of any inaugural ball, but it
is doubtful that any will ever
exceed in grandeur the of
fect achieved in 1913 in the
new capitol when it "wound
up and over the spacious
staircases ... like a many -
colored serpent of varied
hues."
Each space in which the
ball has been held offers spe-
cial effects and opportunities
not to be found in earlier
halls, and no doubt future in-
augural balls will be memo-
rable in ways that past ones
were. not.
Idaho Statehouse was new at the time of the 1913 inaugural ball
First Statehouse inaugural ball
featured overalls but no `rags'
Idaho's handsome new State-
house was used for an inaugural
ball for the first time Jan. 7, 1913 —
almost 66 years to the day before
this year's gala event Saturday
night.
John M. Haines, former Boise
mayor, had been sworn in at noon
the day before, but the governor
himself was all but lost in the
grand spectacle of the ball.
Boise was proud of the fact that
the capital city put on the event
without outside help. In response
to a complaint from southeastern
Idaho that such affairs were a
waste of the taxpayers' money,
local chairman J.A. Blomquist said
that such charges were based on
ignorance because the cost of the
Idaho
Yesterdays ;
By Arthur Hart
ball was met "by voluntary sub-
scriptions. It should concern none
on the outside if the ball costs
$10,000," he said.
The chairman also laid down the
ground rules decided upon by his
committee of arrangements.
Three of them are of special inter-
est today. First it was decreed that
Idahoans who had no formal attire
would be just as welcome as those
who did.
"You can go to the inaugural ball
in overalls if you desire," said The
Statesman, but warned that the
committee's second rule outlawed
the new dance called "the rag."
Prim and proper Boise had an ordi-
nance banning this dance in public
halls, "a source of annoyance to
those who love to convert the two
step into a modulated cakewalk,"
observed The Statesman.
Chairman Blomquist warned
that the orchestra had strict or-
ders to stop playing if anyone were
detected dancing the forbidden
rag.
Another ban was placed on ca-
meras. Especially outlawed were
"flashlight pictures," explained
Blomquist, since "the explosion is
distressing to many, and the
smoke is offensive to all."
Fortunately, the ban did not ex-
tend to outdoor use of the flash
powder, or we would not have the
striking picture of the new central
portion of the capital as it looked
on the evening of Jan. 7, 1913. Str-
ings of electric light bulbs outlined
the dome and main columns of the
portico, as the autos of Idahoans
pulled up to unload passengers.
Tickets were sold at Boise drug-
stores to help pay expenses, but
most things were donated.
Sandwiches and cakes "in lavish
numbers" were prepared by Boise
housewives, and 60 "pretty high
school girls" served them to the
more than 1500 guests. Corridors
on second and third floors were
used for serving the public, but no
great delays were encountered as
460 could be served at once.
The governor and his receiving
party had their refreshments in
the lobby of the governor's suite.
"Inaugural Ball Most Brilliant in
History" proclaimed The States-
man's headline on Jan. 8, 1913.
Three full columns were devoted
to some of the most pure prose
ever written, in which much was
made of the allure and beauty of
the Idaho women who created "a
scene of beauty and splendor ...
like a never alms ending and Amer
Potted p can
flags were everywhere, but appro-
priately enough it was the people
who most enhanced the scene of
the first inaugural ball in the State-
house.
Although The Statesman de-
scribed in detail what more than
1W pretty women wore to the bal
it didn't mention seeing a pa ` of
overalls on anybody.
(Arthur Hart , is director of the
- -. -- -
��, , :
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EMMETI' BOOMED WHEN THE RAILROAD ARRIVED IN 1902
... sawmills, orchards and new brick buildings quickly sprung up
Emmettsville Was Good Home
For Ball- Playing `Prunepickers'
When W. A. Goulder visited the
Payette Valley in 1876 he wasn't
much impressed by what he saw at a
little settlement called Emmettsville.
Even in those frontier days it dis-
tressed the pioneer newspaperman
that no plat or plan seemed to govern
the location of any house or business.
"Each one builds or does business
where he finds a place to suit," said
Goulder, adding that what was as
much needed as a plan was a good
general store.
Emmettsville, in 1876, had a hotel,
a blacksmith shop, two sawmills, a
grist mill, a post office, and a ferry,
but no stores. 1884 was the year
when Emmettsville took its big leap
ahead. The Tri- Weekly Statesman of
Nov. 22 reported that the number of
buildings had more than doubled in
that year alone. Additions included
Christ Brown's new restaurant, a
two -story Odd Fellows hall with car-
penter and wagon shop downstairs
and 17 other structures.
To counteract its three saloons,
Emmettsville at that time had an ac-
tive temperance lodge, the Good
Templars. The Statesman said the -
group had "done a world of good al-
ready." There was also a lodge of Ma-
sons in addition to the Odd Fellows.
Another significant improvement
of 1884 was a bridge oveithe Payette
River, replacing the pioneer ferry
which had operated there since the
Idaho
Yesterdays
By Arthur Hart,
'60s. The town still was an active cen-
ter of sawmilling, working on logs flo-
aced down from the mountains
above, but the diversification needed
to make Emmettsville a stable com-
munity was just beginning.
Irrigation of the sagebrush lands
which made up most of the valley
awaited the digging of ditches to
carry the water from farther up
stream. In 1884 an irrigation canal
was completed by Alexander Rossi,
an Idaho pioneer who had been ac-
tive in sawmills and irrigation engi-
neering before. The Rossi Ditch was
used for many years before it was dis-
continued. Local farmers later built
the more famous Last Chance Ditch.
By 1898 the "ville" had been
dropped because people found just
plain Emmett a lot easier to say.
(The well -known lawyer and politi-
cian T.D. Cahalan had named the
post office after his young son Em-
mett many ,years before, hence the
"Emmettsville "). No sawmill was
operating there in 1898, but the ir-
rigation waters had dotted the valley
with green orchards. Prunes were es-
pecially successful in Emmett valley,
and for years the local baseball team
would be known as "the Prunepick-
ers."
Another milestone in Emmett his-
tory came when a long- awaited rail-
way line finally got there in 1902.
More than 250 people rode a special
excursion train from Nampa to Em-
mett on May 4, 1902 to join in a rous-
ing celebration. This line eventually
was extended up the river to McCall
and was known as the Idaho North
ern, a branch of the Union Pacific.
- 1902 also saw the re- establishment
of Emmett as a sawmill town. A 14-
foot high dam a mile below town cre-
ated a log pond for the mill of W. G.
Whitney and W. H. Davis, Boise
Cascade's present big mill operates in
the same location.
The prosperity the new mill, the
orchards and the railroad brought to
Emmett was reflected in another
building boom. 1904 saw several large
brick buildings put up in the city cen-
ter. These included a new Odd Fel-
lows hall and a three -story Russell
Hotel. The mood of the time is re-
flected in two Statesman headlines of
February and April, 1904: "Emmett
Making Great Progress," and "Em-
mett the Progressive."
(Arthur Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical Society.)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1980
Groups hope
to revitalize Hyde Park
By LINDA FUNAIOLE
The Idaho Statesman
If revitalization plans for Hyde Park
are successful, the only thing that will be
missing from the born-again commercial
district will be the streetcars that once
clanged up and down North 13th Street.
Under a plan proposed by fhe North
End Neighborhood Association, the Hyde
Park Merchants Association and the
Boise Historic Preservation Commission,
Boise's oldest satellite shopping area
would be preserved as a historic district
and would offer a variety of services to
the surrounding neighborhood.
As part of the revitalization drive, the
4- year -old neighborhood association plans
to apply for $150,000 in federal Neighbor-
hood Self -Help Development funds. The
grant is administered through the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment and is geared to communities
where a majority of residents have low
and moderate incomes.
A $100,009 grant from the Community
Development Block Grant program also
is being sought to help design and imple-
ment public right -of -way improvements
in Hyde Park, said Patrick McKeegan, a
member of NENA's steering committee.
Of the combined $250,000, most would
be earmarked for street improvements
that would reflect the area's history, such
as brick - patterned walkways similar to
those at the intersection of Capitol Boule-
vard and Battery Street. Other improve-
ments could include the addition of street
furniture, old - fashioned street lights, curb
cuts for the handicapped, street trees
and, perhaps, an enclosed bus stop.
The purpose of the improvements is
"to give a unified theme to the neighbor-
hood and to give owners some initiative to'
plexes next to the lodge hall. Those com-
plexes will be built using remodeled
houses near the hall and other similarly
styled houses moved in from other parts
of Boise. '
Before beginning the project, Payne
and Hurlbutt conducted a market survey
in the North End to find out if residents
would shop in Hyde Park and what kinds
of services they preferred. Of those sur-
veyed, about 95 percent indicated they
probably would shop in the area if neigh-
borhood -type services were offered.
Among the services residents said
were needed were a small grocery, a
hardware store, a restaurant, a drug-
store, a banking facility, a flower shop, a
bakery, social - service organizations and
professional offices.
In addition to the Odd Fellows project,
another proposed project is the renova-
tion of the Sun Ray Dairy building into an
fix up their own property," McKeegan
said. He added that revitalization of the
area would result in a higher tax base for
the city and more jobs.
In addition to federal funds, private de-
velopment money also will play a key role
in the Hyde Park revitalization effort,
McKeegan said. Interest in restoring the
commercial district, which consists of
four half -block tracts bounded by Alturas,
Brumback, 13th and Eastman streets, al-
ready is being shown by property owners
and merchants.
Two Boise attorneys, Bill Payne and
Guy Hurlbutt, have started renovation of
the old Odd Fellows 'Hall on 13th Street.
Once renovation is completed, the former
home of Bodily Radio and Television Co.
will house four neighborhood shops and a
restaurant.
Other phases of the project include the
construction of two office -shop com-
ice cream and sandwich shop. The build-
ing was purchased earlier this year by
Mary Martin, a North End resident and
owner of Rathaus Pizza.
Yet another change in the commercial
district has been the addition of the Hyde
Park Pub in the Hyde Park Auction build-
ing.
Besides public improvements and pri-
vate investments, a third element in the
Hyde Park revitalization plan is the des-
ignation of the area as a historic district
to ensure that renovation of buildings
conforms to the overall character of the
neighborhood; McKeegan said.
The Boise City Council will hold a pub-
lic hearing Monday to consider the nomi-
nation of Hyde Park to the city's recently
compiled historic preservation register.
If the nomination is approved, Ryde Park
will join the Old Boise district and the
Temple Beth - Israel on the list.
Taking a Look at Denver's 'Preservation'
Can We Save Historic Boise?
By BETTY PENSON
Statesman Woman's Editor
Boise can have a successful historic
preservation square similar to Den-
ver's Larimer Square, if it is done as a
profit- making venture, says Mrs. Dana
Crawford, president of the nationally
famous Denver project.
"Combine greed and altruism
... make it a frankly financial ven-
ture," she told 100 members and guests
of the Idaho Historic Preservation
Council at their first annual meeting
here Monday. This council recently an-
nounced plans for such a square in the
Sixth - and - Idaho - and -Main streets area
in downtown Boise.
The story of Denver's highly success-
ful historic square began, she said,
when she went down to the famous
skid row street and started looking
over the old buildings.
Bankers and real estate people were
not supporters of the idea in the begin-
ning, she said: "They thought it was
hysterical that this dumb babe would
go down and see beauty in that grimy
street and get passionately involved in
preserving skid row."
Now Larimer Square is the second
most popular tourist attraction in
Colorado (the Air Force Academy is
still rated first). "We have even
bumped the Mint," she said.
" Larimer is not actually a square,
but two sides of a busy street, she
said. "We are politicking to try to get
the street closed, but it is a state high-
way. From. 1900 it had been populated
by some of my friends, the bums.
There were 54 bars.
"Now we get some of our highest
rentals from our basement areas
where one can put in a little pub with-
out a major investment. There was an
uproar because we wanted some
middle class bars. We had to get a soci-
ologist from the university to come in
and prove that it was alright for
middle class people to drink.
"We solved the liquor license prob-
lem without stooping to bribery and
have many fine places.
Denver had worked hard to get ur-
ban renewal, she said. "We looked
quite bombed out. Some of our demoli-
tion wasn't as neat as yours."
Some buildings were important ar-
chitecturally, she added, but there are
many very ordinary buildings in the
Larimer area. The main thing is that
the scale is aesthetically pleasing.
"Courtyards and open spaces are the
key," she said, "so the people can get
away from the auto. We are not very
fond of autos, so we turned parking
lots into courtyard cafes."
She called Larimer Square "a visual
feast."
"Everything is pleasing to the eye.
We have looked around for good de-
sign.
"We had to tear down Denver's old-
est brick building. It was traumatic.
Fortunately we had excellent photos so
we could do a good job of recreating."
"Ghastly financial problems"
plagued the project in the beginning,
she explained. "Our bankers did not
exactly embrace the idea. Eventually
we had to do things like personal signa-
tures and double collateral."
Asked if any of the "contributors got
back any of their investment," she an-
swered: "Yes. Now they are facing the
problem of having an income, which
some of them don't want. Soon we will
be announcing a major loan from a big
insurance company. When we first
started it was personally financed, and
with some very hard dollars."
Next month she said the Historical
Denver Organization, which is just two
years old, will announce a project to go
into the community to raise a million
dollars to establish a revolving fund."
"Not one drop of government money
has gone into Larimer Square," she
said. "It isn't that we didn't ask. But so
many strings were attached that we
didn't want it. We started out with a
corporation and now are a limited part-
nership, which has tax advantages."
The square has developed 201,000
square feet of space within the build-
ings.
"You have got to make a major com-
mitment, and you can do it on your
own," she advised Boiseans.
On opening night, the crowds were
lined up for blocks, she said. The
square has had an important effect on
the area, is a prime shopping area
open seven days a week. Shops are
open until 10 p.m.
"We do many fun events. An Okto-
berfest when we're able to close the
streets. The Mayor comes down on St.
Patrick's day and changes the name to
Clancy Street for the day."
The square appeals to all age levels
and groups, she said, about 50 per cent
tourist and 50 per cent metropolitan
Denver.
Many of the shop interiors are very
contemporary because "we felt too
much Victoriana might get a little
gooey." She showed slides of handsome
shops and buildings, one called Life
Cycle (bikes), a Swedish silversmith
shop, an ice cream parlor (now fran-
chised), leather good stores, elegant
cafes.
"We are delighted to get tenants ad-
dicted to good design. All the new is in-
spired by the old. Larimer now is one
of the safest areas of Denver because
there are always lots of people
around."
"You have to understand an area
like Larimer does attract people of cre-
ative spirit," she cautioned. "The first
people to understand what Larimer
was about were those who had come
from Europe. Two Albanians were the
first, and have an excellent restau-
rant."
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BOISE'S 1
future do(
board bein
left, presic
and Mrs.
left, president of Denver's Larimer Square,
and Mrs. Don Carley, newly - elected presi-
spoke are mrs. L. b. Lesser, mrs. Teter
O'Neill and Mrs. Jim Christensen.
Lodgepoles Served Purpose
For Idaho Mountain Pioneers
A commonplace observation about
American building is that there are
three chief factors which determine
its form: The first is tradition, the
second is available building mater-
ials, and the third is climate.
Idaho's landscape clearly illustr-
ates the importance of available
materials in shaping our farm and
ranch structures in particular. Many
southern Idaho localities, far from
timber, had to rely on lava rock.
Barns, fences, stagecoach stations,
and houses were all made of the fa-
miliar black basalt.
In mountain valleys, however,
there was no need to build in stone.
Timber was plentiful, and usually in
a form that lent itself to great versa-
tility in solving daily needs. At higher
elevations, where cattle and sheep
were grazed, a veritable "lodgepole
culture" developed, using the tall,
slim, and consistently straight trunks
of Pinus contorta, the Lodgepole
Pine.
Just as Idaho Indians and others in
the West had found these tall poles
ideal for tepee construction, pioneer
ranchers found them adaptable to
many of their needs too. Log cabins
built of Lodgepole were a bit thin -
walled for mountain winters, but if
Ponderosa was available for walls,
Lodgepole was excellent for roof jo-
ists. if dirt or sod roofs were to be
used, the slender LodaPnnlac were
laid edge to edge, cover
or sacking and the eard
Barns were often bi
pole pine, and since stc
quire the warmth need
comfort, the thin walls
drawback. Here too,
derosa and Lodgepole 1
combined.
The greatest advani
plentiful trees were th
of size and their stra
was especially useful ir
a number of techniqu
oped to get the mo.
Idaho
Yesterdays
By Arthur Hart
Lodgepole character. Zig -zag, or her-
ringbone fences could be built with-
out nails and without digging post
holes. Sometimes called "snake" fen-
ces, these pole structures meandered
across mountain valleys supported by
the interlocking weight of log ends,
overlapping each other by eight to
twelve inches. The top logs were usu-
ally locked in place by leaning an
extra brace pole across the intersec-
tions at an angle.
Buck and pole fences, like the zig-
zag ones, had the tradition of rails
behind them. In the East and Mid-
west, men like Abraham Lincoln "the
railsplitter" had reduced larger logs
to the proportions which the Lodge -
pole has naturally. Two short logs,
crossed like an "x ", supported poles
nailed to one side. (The resemblance
to a saw -buck accounts for the names
buck and rail, or buck and pole). Al-
though a more efficient use of the
logs and a lot straighter, this kind of
fence required nails and more tools.
You could build a zig -zag fence with
nothing but an ax.
The slender and graceful gates
built with Lodgepoles also are some-
thing of an engineering feat. When
properly built, the Lodgepole gate
swings easily without sagging. To-
day's photo shows the traditional de-
sign used, attached to a buck and
pole fence.
Hay stackers, especially the kind
used in Idaho, Montana, and Wyo-
ming mountain valleys, called "beav-
er- slides" probably could not have
developed without the slender Lodge-
poles.
And so, next time you travel
through our pine forests, or pass a pi-
oneer ranch, consider the wonders of
the Lodgepole and the all- purpose
role it has played in Idaho's tradi-
tional material culture.
(Mr. Hart is director of the
Idaho Historical, Society.)
BUCK AND POLE FENCES ARE COMMON IN LODGEPOLE COUNTRY
... almost everything there is made of the tall, skinny pines
Book review
Guide book
a real gem
by Poof Wilson Wagner
Cort Conley's new guide book, "Idaho
for the Curious," is just that ... for the
curious. Maybe you think you're not the in-
quisitive type. Test yourself by thumbing
through this unique book.
It not only tells you how to get from here
to there over Idaho's highways, it tells you
what's important to see historically and
geographically. The book is crammed full
of excellent old photographs, maps, il-
lustrations, anecdotes and incredible facts
about Idaho and its colorful characters,
then and now.
"There hasn't been a new guide book
that encompassed the whole state for 40
years," said Conley. "So I'd been thinking
about this project for a long time. I
discovered when I was a river guide that
people were vitally interested in regional
history, and they wanted to know every-
thing that happened when they were stand-
ing on the spot. Basically, my book is a
hand book to take with you and, hopefully,
it will give you the answers you're curious
about. I wanted to make it useful as well as
interesting."
It is. I gave it the acid test on my coffee
table (a good place for it even it you aren't
a traveler). I found the readers in my
family picking it up and tsk -ing to
themselves, "Hmmm ... I didn't know
that."
It is a learning book, with humor and
history. I learned some interesting facts
myself that happened almost in our own
back yard.
I found out for instance, that McCall has
the highest average annual snow fall of
any town in the state; that Tom McCall
bartered to get the first cabin site. He trad-
ed Sam Devers a team and a wagon for it. I
found out that there are only 252 state -
leased cabin sites; that at Rocky Flat on
Goose Creek, octahedron diamond
crystals are alleged to have been
recovered there; that the Roseberry
Methodist Church, just outside Donnelly,
now a museum, was used by all denomina-
tions. As the witty sexton used to say
"We're all spittin' at the same crack."
t 1,_
Johnny Carrey, left, and Cort Conley,
Before I read this book, I didn't realize
why certain towns were settled and nam-
ed. For instance, the Council Valley was a
pow -wow place for. many Indian tribes;
thus Council. I was surprised to learn that
Hugh Whitney, one of Idaho's most famous
outlaws, grew up near that town and that
people used to scald pigs in Zim's Plunge.
It was exciting to learn that Riggins was
a favorite camping spot for Yellow Bull,
Little White Bird and Black Elk, and that a
Mr. Deasey traded his claim to the Riggins
bar for two horses and a gold watch, and
that just a few miles away on Shingle
Creek, some cagey crooks once made
bogus gold pieces and lived to regret it.
Like the roads in his book, Cort Conley's
life has wandered off in different direc-
tions. He's a California transplant from
Berkeley and has a doctor of
jurisprudence degree. He's been a logger,
packer, river guide, housepainter and a
lookout man for the forest service.
"Three days after I received my law de-
gree, I headed for the hills," he laughs. "I
couldn't stay away from them; I love the
outdoors. I went to Utah and worked as a
river guide for two years, then one thing
led to another and I came to Cambridge,
Idaho in 1972 to work for Jim Campbell as
a packer. When Jim bought Shepp Ranch,
I managed the rafting end of the business
called Wild Rivers of Idaho.
"1 always felt pretty mediocre as a river
guide, so when customers started asking
me questions about the mines and ranches
along the river, I started doing interviews
and research about them. Knowing the
history about places became my thing."
Conley was good enough to become the
official oral historian for the Snake, Mid-
dle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers. But
still, that wasn't enough. He wanted to
know more and write it down in a guide
book, so someone sent him to see Johnny
Carrey of Riggins.
"That was my lucky day." exclaimed
Conley. "We just clicked. Johnny couldn't
have been more helpful. But that's what
the Carreys' life is all about -- helping
others. When I told Johnny about my pro-
ject, he consented to float down the Middle
Fork with me. After that we floated them
all and he told me anything he knew about
a particular place.
"Johnny's recall is enormous and what
an eye for detail. I've learned so much
from him. Everytime we went someplace,
he knew everyone in sight. It was like
travelling around with a celebrity... doors
began to open for me."
Together Conley and Carrey co- authored
three guide books; "The Middle Fork and
the Sheepeaters War," "River of No
Return," and "Snake River of Hells Ca-
nyon." But this book "Idaho for the
Curious," Conley wrote solo.
Conley's book is available in McCall at
Blue Lotus Books and Goods.
Pz
Star -News News Events Page
Events to highlight Idaho Gives
donations day on May 5
Events will be held McCall, Donnelly, Cascade and New Meadows next Thursday, May 5, to ask local
residents to make donations to area organizations on Idaho Gives day.
Throughout the day, a share of every dollar raised by Idaho nonprofits will be matched with funds from
the Idaho Gives $57,000 award pool. This year more 600 organizations are registered statewide for
Idaho Gives, including 20 local non -profit organizations.
The Adams, Valley and Idaho Counties Collaborative will set up a variety of "giving stations" on May 5
to make it easy for community members to make donations. They are:
McCall: Fogglifter Cafe, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
McCall: McCall Area Chamber of Commerce, new location at 102 N 3rd St., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
McCall: Southside Grill, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cascade: ROSE Advocates Office, 211 Idaho St., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Donnelly: Flight of Fancy Bakery, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
New Meadows: New Meadows Senior Citizen Center, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Those donating at the Fogglifter Cafe will receive a free cup of drip coffee.
Donors dropping by the McCall Area Chamber of Commerce will be treated to a variety of homemade
goodies, and donors giving at Southside Grill will receive a $5 coupon good towards a food purchase.
All community members are also invited to a family - friendly Idaho Gives community event at the
Southside Grill from 3 p.m. to 7 pm.
A Community Service Expo will include summer storage ski waxing provided by McCall Winter Sports
Club and Payette Lakes Ski Club, bicycle safety checks by Brundage Mountain Resort and a free book
fair from Friends of the McCall Public Library.
There will also be wildlife encounters provided by Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary, a "pop -up museum"
from the Long Valley Preservation Society at Roseberry and face painting by The Shepherd's Home.
There will be live music by Glen McGloughlin, drawings for prizes each hour, access to Idaho Gives
online giving stations, and food and drink specials in honor of Gino de Mayo. Overflow parking will be
available at the McCall Airport.
Here is the list of participating organizations in Idaho Gives. Direct donations may be made at
http: / /idahog ives. org :
• Cascade Food Pantry
• Cascade Lake 4 -H Camp
• Courageous Kids Climbing
• Friends of McCall Public Library
• Long Valley Preservation Society
• McCall Arts & Humanities Council
• McCall College
• McCall Community Improvement Corp.
• McCall Community Tennis Association
McCall Baseball Softball Association
• McCall Senior Citizens Center
• Selway- Bitterroot Frank Church Wilderness Foundation
• McCall Winter Sports Club
• MCPAWS Regional Animal Shelter
• Meadows Valley Community Foundation
• New Meadows Senior Citizens Center
• Payette Lakes Community Association
• Payette Lakes Ski Club
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News Events Page
• Payette River Bicycle Movement
• ROSE Advocates
• The Shepherd's Home
• Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary
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