An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 102

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524

USA > Idaho > Kootenai County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 102
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 102
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 102
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 102

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The campaign of 1896 was as strenuous in Idaho county as elsewhere throughout the Union. The Re- publicans, Silver Republicans, Democrats and Popu- lists held their conventions at Grangeville on the same day, Saturday, September 19th. As was expected the Republicans had divided on the all-absorbing question of the free coinage of silver, the regular Republicans adopting a gold platform. The three remaining par- ties attempted to effect a junction. After much con- ference the Silver Republicans agreed to fuse with the Democrats, the former being allowed the nomination of the two representatives, but the Populists and Dem- ocrats were unable to agree upon a division of the nominations and nominated a separate ticket. The fusion party was called the Democrat-Silver party. At the state conventions the Democrats, Populists and Silver Republicans, under the name of the People's Democratic party, fused in nominating several officers. Idaho county Democrats presented a strong candidate

for the nomination for governor this year in the person of Aaron F. Parker, editor of the Idaho County Free Press. He was not the choice of the convention, how- ever. On election day the silver party carried the county by a tremendous majority, Bryan receiving three times as many votes as were given Mckinley. The Prohibition candidate for congressman, James T. Smith, received to votes and their candidate for gov- ernor, Moses F. Fowler, 8 votes.

The official vote was as follows: For president, Bryan, 1120, Mckinley, 373: congressman, James Gunn, Fusionist. 655. William E. Borah, Silver Re- publican, 421, John T. Morrison, Republican, 374; governor, Frank Steuenberg, Fusionist, 1057, David H. Budlong, Republican, 385; lieutenant governor, George F. Moore, Fusionist, 614, Edward B. True, Sil- ver Republican. 427, Vincent Bierbower, Republican, 380 ; secretary of state, George J. Lewis, Fusionist, 620, Charles Durrand, Silver Republican, 407, Isaac W. Garrett, Republican, 391 ; auditor, James A. Anderson, Fusionist, 623, Bartlett Sinclair, Silver Republican, 416, Elmore A. McKenna, Republican, 386; treasurer, George H. Storer. Fusionist, 618, Timothy Regan, Silver Republican, 414, Frank C. Ramsey, Republican, 387 : attorney general. Robert E. McFarland, Fusion- ist, 611, George M. Parsons, Silver Republican, 418, John A. Bagley, Republican, 377; superintendent of public instruction, Louis N. B. Anderson, Fusionist, 607. Mathias F. Cowley, Silver Republican, 388. Charles A. Foresman, Republican, 367; inspector of mines, Benjamin F. Hastings, Fusionist. 1010, Theo- dore Brown, Republican, 389; justice supreme court, Ralph P. Quarles, Fusionist. 580, Edgar Wilson, Sil- ver Republican, 429. Drew W. Standrod, Republican, 372 : state senator. John W. Turner, Fusionist, 700, James Edwards, Republican, 370, Oscar C. Sheldon. Populist, 271 ; representatives, Robert F. Fulton, Charles E. Holt. Fusionists, 678 and 694 votes, re- spectively, J. G. Rowton. Charles Morehouse, Repub- licans, 401 and 365 votes, respectively, John Cheno- weth, Alford White, Populists, 345 and 291 votes, re- spectively ; sheriff. W. S. M. Williams, Fusionist, 683, Charles F. Brown, Republican, 430, Jerry R. Baker, Populist, 378; assessor, Thomas J. Yandell, Fusion- ist. 594. John R. McLean, Populist. 673, John B. Crooks, Republican, 242; treasurer. George MI. Rob- ertson, Fusionist, 620, David A. Wilson, Republican, 444, Delos Carr, Populist, 327 : probate judge, Wal- lace N. Scales. Fusionist. 692, Jacob C. Garber, Re- publican. 504. Jacob Vercler. Populist, 267 : surveyor, John A. Seeley. Fusionist, 515, James W. Shannon, Republican, 538, Frank Turner, Populist. 342 ; coroner, Thomas W. Nickel, Fusionist, 731. Edward W. Ste- vens, Republican, 449 : commissioners, Daniel J. Bing- ham. Fusionist, 633, Jerry Dorman, Republican, 400, Andrew J. Williams, Populist, 344. Anton Hendricks, Fusionist. 507. Henry Meyer, Republican, 393. Chris- topher B. Knorr. Populist. 461 : John E. Briscoe, Fusionist. 814. John N. Rice. Republican. 464. The amendment to the state constitution, granting the wo- men full political suffrage, received 427 affirmative and 320 negative votes in the county.

416

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

The year 1898 brought forth the bitterest campaign that Idaho county had witnessed in years. Dissensions had arisen in all three parties and, strangely enough, out of it all came fusion between the Republicans and the Populists. The platform adopted by this unusual alliance did not mention silver, pledged the party to a just and honest administration of the county's affairs, pledged the party to reduce the fees and salaries of the county officers, to improve the county's roads to the end that the interior mining region might be more fully developed, and denounced the present law in re- gard to distributing liquor license monies. A rupture between the Democrats and the Silver Republicans was narrowly averted, the Democrats agreeing to fuse with the latter by the close vote of 32 to 22. As in 1896, fusion was the watchword of the state conven- tions, Democrats, Silver Republicans and Populists combining on several offices, while a portion of the Populist party maintained the Populist party organiza- tion and nominated a separate ticket.

The vote cast in this county was as follows :

For congressman, Edgar Wilson, Fusionist ( Dem- ocrat-Silver Republican). 969, Weldon B. Heyburn, Republican, 581. James Gunn, Populist, 257. William J. Boone. Prohibitionist, 55 : governor, Frank Steunen- berg, Fusionist, 1025, Albert B. Moss, Republican, 615. James H. Anderson, Populist, 175. Mrs. Mary C. Johnson, Prohibitionist, 85 ; lieutenant governor, James H. Hutchinson, Fusionist, 998, James F. Hunt, Re- publican, 547, Tannas E. Miller, Populist, 165. James Ballentine, Prohibitionist, 57; secretary of state. Mart Patrie, Fusionist. 084. Robert S. Bragaw, Republican, 594. Joseph S. Bonham, Populist, 148, John W. Knott, Prohibitionist. 63 ; anditor, Bartlett Sinclair. Fusion- ist. 984. James H. VanCamp. Republican, 584, Arthur G. Whittier, Populist, 160, Mrs. Naomi McD. Phelps. Prohibitionist, 77: treasurer, Lucius C. Rice, Fusion- ist, 1151. George W. Fletcher. Republican, 586, John J. Anthony, Prohibitionist, 59 : attorney general. Sam- tel H. Hays. Fusionist. 1004. Thomas L. Glenn, Pop- ulist, 166, Frank T. Wyman, Republican, 596. Will- iam A. Hail, Prohibitionist. 65 ; superintendent of pub- lic instruction, Permeal French. Fusionist, 1136, Lucy F. Dean, Republican. 628, Joshua N. Reynolds. Pro- hibitionist, 62 ; inspector of mines, Jay A. Czizek, Fu- sionist. 922. John W. Stoddard, Republican. 595, Da- vid Farmer, Populist, 276; justice supreme court, Isaac N. Sullivan, Fusionist. 1063. Drew W. Standrod, Republican, 631 ; cirucnit judge, Frank L. Moore, Fu- sionist, 773. Willis Sweet, Populist, 399, Edgar C. Steel, Republican, 581 ; state senator. Frank E. Fogg, Fusionist. 968, James Woodward. Republican-Popu- list, So7. Mrs. Luella Smith, Prohibitionist, 113: rep- resentatives, Joseph C. Stephens, Frank E. Johness, Democrat-Silver Republicans. 1.076 and 1,007 votes, respectively. Mrs. Mary Bennett, Joseph MI. Wolbert, Republican-Populists. 819 and 614 votes, respectively, John S. Smith. Prohibitjonist, 96; county clerk, Al- bert W. Talkington, Democrat-Silver Republican. 1.027. Mortimer S. Martin, Republican-Populist, 993 : sheriff. John P. Harriman, Democrat-Silver Republi- can. 922. John F. McLean. Republican-Populist,

1,080 ; assessor, Harry W. Cone, Democrat-Silver Re- publican, 815, Fred White, Republican-Populist. 1.121 ; treasurer, George MI. Robertson, Democrat-Silver Re- publican, 1.107. David A. Wilson, Republican-Populist, 796; probate judge, Lewis C. Arnold, Democrat-Sil- ver Republican. 756, Joseph K. Vincent. Republican- Populist, 802, Silas Perkins, Independent. 243; super- intendent county schools, Lewis Elsensohn, Democrat- Silver Republican, 1,104, George A. Cowgill, Repub- lican-Populist. 675, James W. Phillips, Independent, 54; county attorney, Wallace N. Scales, Democrat- Silver Republican, 1,212, James DeHaven, Republican- Populist, 752 : surveyor, Rufus Hawley, Democrat-Sil- ver Republican, 995. Stephen Steininger, Republican- Populist. 785; coroner, George Stockton, Democrat- Silver Republican. 947, Henry B. Blake, Republican- Populist, 835 ; commissioners, Joseph B. Cook, George W. Petty, John E. Briscoe, Democrat-Silver Repub- licans, 913, 982 and 1,013 votes, respectively, Andrew J. Williams, August von Bargen, Joel B. Morris. Re- publican-Populists, 838, 823 and 769 votes, respective- ly, Jacob B. York, William R. Pitt, Lorenzo E. Smith, Proliibitionists, 39, 45 and 42 votes, respectively.

With perfect weather and a vote nearly twice as large as that polled in 1898, the election of 1900 passed off in this county with the best of feeling and without the slightest disturbance. The issues were national in character. generally speaking, and the result showed that Idaho county upheld the principles advocated by the Democratic party. In Grangeville, the registration reached 859 and 767 votes were cast, showing a mar- velous growth in this precinct. The Democratic ma- jorities averaged between 300 and 500. A small Pro- hibition vote, not exceeding 25, was cast.

Official vote: For president, William Jennings Bryan, 1,884. William Mckinley, 1.527 ; congressman, Thomas L. Glenn, Fusionist ( Silver parties ). 1.783, John T. Morrison, Republican, 1.447. John F. Stark, Populist, 18: justice of the supreme court, Charles ( ). Scockstager, Frsionist, 1,745, Edgar C. Steele. Repub- licar. 1.480, William Perkins, Populist, 20; governor, Frank W. Hunt, Fusionist, 1,785, Drew W. Standrod, Republican. 1.447, John S. Randolph, Populist. 24; lieutenant governor, Thomas F. Terrill, Fusionist, 1.733, Addison A. Crane, Republican, 1.440, Johannes Hansen, Populist, 19: secretary of state. Charles J. Bassett, Fusionist. 1.734, Martin Patrie, Republican, 1.432. Melancthon F. Eby, Populist, 46; attorney gen- eral, Frank Martin, Fusionist, 1.742, George E. Gray, Republican, 1.726, Clay McNamee, Populist, 33 : audi- tor, Egbert W. Jones, Fusionist, 1,763. Henry J. Syms, Republican, 1,429, William W. Thorp, Populist. 20; treasurer, John J. Plummer, Fusionist, 1.732, George H. Kester. Republican, 1,430, Augustus M. Slatter, Populist, 44: inspector of mines, Martin H. Jacobs. Fusionist, 1.745, Robert D. Bell, Republican, 1,448, Ed- ward Kimberly, Populist. 17; superintendent of public instruction, Permeal French, Fusionist, 1,808. Jessie Riley, Republican, 1,402 : state senator, Joseph C. Ste- phens, Democrat. 1.713. Henry B. Blake, Republican. 1,471. James A. Goodwin. Populist. 63: representa- tives, Andrew W. Moore, Louis Smith, Democrats.

417

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

1,751 and 1,668 votes, respectively, James S. Parker, Dio C. Call, Republicans, 1.374 and 1.317 votes, re- spectivelv, Benjamin D. Knorr, William H. Clarke, Populists, 105 and 73 votes, respectively ; sheriff, Jesse M. Dixon, Democrat, 1,830, M. L. Murray, Re- publican, 1.390, William Pauls, Populist, 105 ; assessor, John I. Overman, Democrat, 1,905, O. C. Lapp, Repub- lican, 1,402, John F. Stark, Populist, 50; treasurer, George M. Robertson, Democrat, 1,883, George H. Michael, Republican, 1,311, William V. Manring, Pop- ulist, 59; county attorney, Wallace N. Scales, Demo- crat, 1,917, Douglas W. Bailey, Republican-Populist, 1,370; probate judge, Hampton Taylor, Democrat, 1,860, Joseph K. Vincent, Republican, 1,366; super- tendent of county schools, Lewis Elsensohn, Democrat, 1,855, Edith B. Craig, Republican, 1,431 ; surveyor, Henry H. Pogue. Democrat, 1,633, James Stuart, Re- publican, 1,514, Edgar E. Douglas, Populist, 54; cor- oner, Thomas W. Nickel, Democrat, 1,578, Russell Truitt, Republican, 1,491, A. A. Kincaid, Populist, 112; commissioners, Henderson T. Dizney, Frank G. Mixoll, Alfred H. Bishop, Democrats, 1,568, 1,714 and 1,773 votes, respectively, Frank Brown, Edward S. Sweet, Milton S. Mason, Republicans, 1,637, 1,489 and 1,295 votes, respectively, Jefferson Wood, Benjamin M. Booth, Populists, 58 and 54 votes, respectively.

Idaho county now has thirty-nine precincts and at the last election polled 3,534 votes for the different candidates for congressman and 3,580 votes in the county seat contest. It has four members of the leg- islature and is honored by having James F. Ailshie, of Grangeville, on the supreme bench. For the fifth time in the history of the county the people voted upon the question of removing the county seat. For the second time the friends of Grangeville worked faithfully for the establishment of the county's seat of government at this thriving metropolis and this time they were suc- cessful. When considered precinct by precinct, the op- position to the removal is found to be very slight, al- though combined together the negative vote made a total of 943. There were 2,637 votes cast in the af- firmative, however. Grangeville cast 880 votes favor- ing the removal of the county seat and only 7 negative votes, thus recording the fact that nearly one-fourth of the voting population in the county is to be found within the limits of this city. The issues of the cam- paign were for the most part national in character and a perusal of the vote cast shows that neither of the great parties can really claim Idaho county as its own.

The official returns are as follows : For iepre-

sentative to congress, Joseph H. Hutchinson, Demo- crat, 1.717, Burton L. French, Republican, 1,735 ; jus- tice of the supreme court, Frank E. Fogg, Democrat, 1,655, James F. Ailshie, Republican, 1,854 : governor, Frank W. Hunt. Democrat, 1,868, John T. Morrison, Republican, 1,058; lieutenant governor, William E. Adams, Democrat, 1,747, James F. Stevens, Republi- can, 1,682 : secretary of state, Charles J. Bassett, Dem- ocrat, 1,753, William H. Gibson, Republican, 1,648; state auditor, John C. Callahan, Democrat, 1.741, The- odore Turner, Republican, 1,688; state treasurer, Ed- ward P. Coltman, Democrat, 1,740, Henry N. Coffin, Republican, 1.643 ; attorney general, Frederick D. Cul- ver, Democrat. 1.774, John A. Bagley, Republican, 1,631 ; superintendent of public instruction, Permeal French, Democrat, 1,833, May L. Scott, Republican, 1,603 ; inspector of mines, John H. Nordquist. Demo- crat, 1.730, Robert Bell, Republican, 1.641 : judge of the second judicial district, Wallace N. Scales. Demo- crat, 1,955, Edgar C. Steele, Republican, 1.647 : state senator, Levi Magee, Democrat, 1,735, Jacob L. Eck- ert, Republican, 1,824; representatives, Perry W. Mitcheil, Hugh B. Fulton, Avery C. Moore, Demo- crats, 1,711, 1,512 and 1,719 votes, respectively, Dio F. Call, Fred White, Henry Meyer, Republicans. 1.706, 1,900 and 1,700 votes, respectively ; county clerk. John I. Overman, Democrat, 1,963, Frank Brown, Repub- lican, 1,752; sheriff, George J. Seay, Democrat, 1,879, William W. Blackburn, Republican, 1.704: assessor, William H. Williams, Democrat, 1,594, Henry Tel- cher, Republican, 1,973; treasurer, George MI. Rob- ertson, Democrat, 1,908, Albert M. Baker, Repub- lican, 1,593 ; prosecuting attorney, Edward M. Griffith, Democrat, 1.876, Asa S. Hardy, Republican. 1.590; probate judge. Hampton Taylor, Democrat, 1,914, Jo- seph K. Vincent, Republican, 1,600; county superin- tendent of public instruction, Lewis Elsensohn, Demo- crat, 1,994. Charles F. McCarthy, Republican. 1.553; surveyor, William C. McNutt. Democrat, 1,877. James A. Carlisle, Republican, 1,589: coroner, John W. Turner, Democrat, 1,824, Russell Truitt, Republican, 1,644; commissioners, Ist district, Robert H. Farris, Democrat. 1.756, Arthur Clark, Republican. 1.674. 2d district, George Simon, Democrat, 1,852, Thomas H. Thompson, Republican, 1,594, 3d district, Robert Grif- fith, Democrat, 1,734, Charles E. Holt, Republican, 1,692. A small Prohibition and Socialist vote was also cast.

CHAPTER IV.

CITIES AND TOWNS.

GRANGEVILLE.

So hopelessly at variance is the testimony of differ- ent witnesses regarding many of the facts of Grange- ville's early history and such is the dearth of reliable printed records concerning the town that it is a prac- tical impossibility to compile its annals with more than approximate accuracy. No person can form an adequate idea of the treacherousness of the memory of man until he attempts to fix absolutely the dates of events two or three decades past, depending upon the concurrent aecounts of independent witnesses to estab- lish the truth beyond question. Not a little effort has been expended in trying to fix important dates in the history of Grangeville. The task has proven a vexa- tious one and the results unsatisfactory, but it is hoped that the sketch herewith presented will do no serious violenee to truth.

All are agreed that the town owes its origin to the organization in August, 1874. of Charity Grange No. 15, Patrons of Husbandry, the effect of which upon the social and industrial life of Camas prairie has already been adverted to. Henry Hart Spalding, son of the noted Nez Perces missionary, was the organizer of the efficient association and King school house. near Mount Idaho, its first home. It is stated that the resi- dents of Mount Idaho gave the grange very little encouragement, being without sympathy with the prin- ciples and faith in the efficacy of the movement, and that its membership was composed almost entirely of prairie residents.

Immediately after the organization of the order, J. H. Robinson, William C. Pearson and Nathaniel Markham were elected a committee to secure ground in Mount Idaho on which to erect a hall for the use of the association. These gentlemen waited upon Loyal P. Brown, then the townsite owner, but to their astonishment they received no encouragement what- soever from him. Mr. Brown was not himself a be- hever in the grange. He told the committee so with- out reserve and said he did not want their hall within the limits of the town. Mr. Brown was a man of many virtues, a man whose memory is revered in the county. He was generally alert to perceive opportunities and courageous to grasp them as they passed, but in this

instance he made a serious mistake, giving his town a rival which was ultimately to draw to itself the pat- ronage of the surrounding country, becoming strong at the expense of the pioneer town, whose prestige, sightliness and convenience of location would other- wise have made it the metropolis of Idaho county.

Upon meeting with this refusal, the committee went to John M. Crooks, whose large raneh of six hundred acres was situated on Three Mile creek, and requested that land be given them for the proposed Grange hall. Crooks had been approached many times before by men who wished to establish business houses upon the ereek, and had invariably refused concessions. This time, however, he changed front entirely, donated a tract of ground for the hall and gave the enterprise his enthusiastic support. The building was erected during 1876, at a cost of about $2,000, whichi sum ·vas subseribed in cash, labor and materials by the members of the grange and friends of the project on the outside. The old road from Mount Idaho to Lewiston had passed Crooks's house previous to his time but it was now changed so as to lead in a more direct course across the prairie. Upon it the hall was located, and later it became Main street. Grange- ville.

Though Mr. Crooks, as we have said, had steadily resisted the establishment of commercial houses upon his lands during the early days, when he was converted to a change of policy, he was converted in good earnest and never baekslid as long as he lived. He gave not only the hall site asked for but five acres more and a water right on Three Mile creek for mill purposes. The direct beneficiaries of the latter donation were the Grange Flouring Mills Company, a firm composed exclusively of grangers. The mill was given prece- dence of the hall in the time of its erection. Work on it was begun in the fall of 1875 and continued until its completion about a year later. The construction of the hall did not commence until 1876. John Rauch supervised the mill construction ; Charles Redman his assistant. William B. Bloomer and Frank Vansise were in charge of work on the hall, in the erection of which, as in that of the mill, several others were em- ployed, including the donors of labor. Before the mill was completed the company ran short of funds.

419

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

for money was exceedingly scarce at the time, and in order to make good the deficiency, J. M. Crooks, W. C. Pearson, J. H. Robinson and W. S. M. Williams mortgaged their land. All these mortgages were lifted during or before 1877, though the public spirited men who tided the mill enterprise over its most trying period were not reimbursed until some time later. The cost of the mill is variously estimated at from $7,000 to $12,000. Mr. Pearson was the first president of the company, and, ex officio, the first superintendent of the mill, his successor in both offices being W. S. M. Williams.

During 1876 and the two or three years following quite a number of frame structures were erected upon lots which had been laid out by Mr. Crooks at the time he made his donations of land. Among these was the home of John Mitchell, a miller ; a small hotel, 16 by 24 feet. built by Bloomer & Vansise on the site of the present Jersey house, which was sold a year later to William C. Pearson; a little Chinese store building on the hillside opposite where the Eagle brewery was afterward put up; the blacksmith shop of Joseph Jewell, opposite the site of Atherton's present shop on E. Main street : the residence of A. L. Gordon, on the corner east of the Jersey house, of Charles Bentz, a son-in-law of Mr. Crooks, east of where Freidenrich & Alexander's store now is, and of a laboring man named Coon, who built, after the Indian war, on the corner of Main and what is now State street, which latter thoroughfare was for many years known by the name of its first resident. Mr. Coon's house was the first building on the west side of Dry creek. The first drug store was a small one on the site of Pfeufer's present store on Main street, built by Dr. Pring, an army surgeon and physician.

It is thought that the second merchandise store, aside from that of the Chinaman, was opened by Isa- dore Monheimer, as a branch of Rudolph's Mount Idaho establishment. The building, Mr. Vansise tells 11s, stood on the hill above the Chinese store just across the old mill ditch and is still in existence. This store was maintained only a short time and is entirely for- gotten by some of the oldest residents of Grangeville. When it was discontinued, Nash Crane, a brother-in- law of Coon, opened a saloon in the building.

In 1878 or 1879, probably during the latter year, William Hill opened a general merchandise establish- ment in Grangeville. He procured his goods from Scott & Vollmer, of Mount Idaho, and has been sup- posed by some to have represented that firm, though Mr. Scott tells us that such was not the fact ; that Mr. Hill acted solely upon his own responsibility in open- ing the little store. The next mercantile house of Grangeville was that of Aaron Freidenrich and Joseph Alexander. who came, it is believed, in 1880.

Previous to the annual meeting of the grange held in January, 1876, the village was without a name. The question of a suitable appellation was discussed and finally settled at that convocation, however. Many suggestions were made, among them Millville, Grange- ville and Wheeling, the last after the then capital city of West Virginia, suggsted by J. H. Robinson. The

name "Grangeville" having received a majority of one vote in the election was adopted, and by it the town has been known ever since. The postoffice was established about the year 1876, W. C. Pearson being its first master.

At the time of the Indian war, when there were not more than thirty-five people in Grangeville and its immediate vicinity, the hamlet had already begun to entertain ambitions of becoming the metropolis of Camas prairie, and General Howard remarks that con- siderable rivalry had already sprung up between it and Mount Idaho. It was the center of much atten- tion during the continuance of hostilities in Idaho county, and it also took on a martial air for a short time in 1878, during the continuance of the Bannock and Piute Indian war in eastern Oregon. Grange hall was fortified and for a few days occupied, but happily the scare proved groundless, as the hostiles never came near, and no disturbances arose among the Nez Perces.

The first school on Three Mile creek was a log structure built by volunteer labor in 1868 on the farm of Jolin Aram. Its first teacher was a man named Mclaughlin, a miner wintering in the neighborhood, and the second the respected pioneer, James H. Robin- son. Mr. Robinson informs the writer that the school was better attended and better equipped than one would naturally suppose, owing to the fact that the pioneer people of Camas prairie were more cultured and educated than are pioneers generally. This was the school of the district until after Grangeville was well started. In 1877, however, Rev. J. D. Flenner, a Methodist Episcopal clergyman, established in the town a church and an institution of learning known as the Columbia River Conference academy. This school held its sessions up stairs in the Grange hall, the free use of which was tendered as a bonus by the public spirited organization that built it. For several years the academy was a thriving institution. Starting with fifty-five pupils, it soon had an enrollment of one hun- dred. The relationship between the public school and this academy was quite intimate; indeed they blended together at first almost into one institution, for the same teacher was in charge of both, drawing his salary out of the school fund each year until that was exhausted, then presiding as principal of the academy and charging tuition. The academy occupied Grange hall for a number of years, but about 1884. as nearly as can be ascertained, it erected a building of its own where the Grangeville implement company's store now stands. The connection between it and the public school continued uninterruptedly, however, for a few years longer.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 102

Author: Publication date: 1903 Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1524

Author:
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: [S.l.] : Western Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1524