An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho, Part 140

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 140
USA > Idaho > Nez Perce County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 140
USA > Idaho > Shoshone County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 140
USA > Idaho > Latah County > An illustrated history of north Idaho : embracing Nez Perces, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho > Part 140

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).

JOHN MACKIE is one' of the active and capa- ble mining men of Idaho county and has done much for the development and bringing to notice the wealth of mineral in this county. He was born in Port Huron, Michigan, on February 18, 1869, the son of Thomas and Helen (Stone) Mackie, natives of New York and Canada and born in 1834 and 1835, re- spectively. They both still live in Port Huron. The father served in a Michigan regiment all through the war and participated in the battle of Jacksonville, be- sides many others. He is an active and influential G. A. R. man. Our subject grew to young manhood and received a good common school education in his native place. When twenty he came to Denver and thence to Boulder, Colorado, where he mined for two years. Then he went to the Salmon City country and for years he prospected there and believes it is a good counry. In 1893 Mr. Mackie was prospecting in Montana and then was in the Fort Steele country. In 1894 he came to Warren and spent four years there. He located some good properties and organized the Fair View Mining Company for development of the prospects. In 1898 Mr. Mackie sold out these interests and went to Buffalo Hump country, he having been in there in the previous year. He was one of the first locators in this district and believes it one of the very best that he has ever visited. He located the Banner, now called the Wisdom, but he sold it before discov- ering its true value. Mr. Mackie has the following claims : Phoenix, Atlanta, Woncas, Rainbow, Lone Star, besides others and he is now organizing a com-

579

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

pany to develop them. Mr. Mackie is a Democrat on the money question, but is independent in all the ques- tions of the day otherwise. He has one brother and two sisters, Thomas, Lizzie Johnson, Emma Kennedy. Mr. Mackie is well known and is a man of skill in his calling and has demonstrated himself thus.

JOHN C. HALL is one of the proprietors of the Idaho market and in addition to doing a general butch- ering business and operating a first-class market, they buy and sell stock for and on the markets. He is a business man of good ability and pays strict attention to his affairs, which gives him the meed of good suc- cess.

John C. Hall was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 6, 1867, the son of John and Johanna (Grif- fin) Hall. They were born in Ireland in 1827 and 1828, respectively. The father died in 1897. He was a pioneer in Iowa, settled where the city of Des Moines is now and he owned considerable property there and in other places in the state. 1853 marks the date of his immigration to the United States. The mother still lives in Sibley, Iowa. Our subject grew to man- hood in his native place and acquired a good educa- tional training from the public schools. When twenty- two he stepped forth from the parental roof to do for himself and farming was the occupation that attracted him. He continued at it there until 1893, when he made his way to Seattle and worked for wages for a time. Then he went to Walla Walla and operated an electric light plant for a time. Later we see him in Klickitat county on a homestead and in 1896 he came 10 Idaho and devoted himself to mining in and about Dixie. He prospected and mined for three years and still has some fine properties adjoinging the Apex. In 1899 Mr. Hall came and took part in the Idaho market and since that time has devoted himself continuously to its success and operation.

Mr. Hall has four sisters and three brothers, Mag- gie E., Thomas and Mary, twins, William, James, Lizzie, Alice. He is a member of the K. of P. and the United Artisans. In political choice Mr. Hall is allied with the Democratic party.

ALBERT D. FOSTER is a well known and a prominent man in Grangeville, where he has done a successful business for a number of years. He is at present one of the proprietors of the popular Idaho market and enjoys a liberal patronage from the peo- ple of the town and surrounding country. He was born in the vicinity of Syracuse, New York, on Aug- ust 26, 1857, the son of James S. and Frances ( Rip- ley) Foster. The father was a real estate dealer and commissioner of immigration for Dakota for years and also held other important offices. He was acknowl- edged one of the most spirited and enterprising work- ers in the state. He was born in 1827 in Salisbury, Connecticut, and died in Dakota in 1892. The mother

was born in New York in 1833 and now lives in Da- kota. She, as also her husband, were descended from Scotch ancestry and her forefathers were among the first settlers in the United States in colonial days. Our subject came to South Dakota in 1864, when the family came, and here attended school, and grew to manhood. He followed surveying for many years and was also engaged in raising and handling stock. He followed that business in the state for many years and met with flattering success until the panic of 1893 drove him to the wall, as it did all others. Then he spent some time in traveling in the west and in British Columbia. In 1894 he decided to locate in Grangeville. He opened a restaurant and operated it successfully until 1902, when he sold it. During this time, Mr. Foster had also been conducting a butcher shop but in 1901 he sold that also. The next year he bought an interest in the shop again and in this position we find him at the present time.

In 1882, while in South Dakota, Mr. Foster mar- ried Miss Hattie, daughter of Orville and Eliza (Sut- ton) Wheeling. The father was a blacksmith and farmer. He was born in the same place and the same date as the father of our subject. He served in the Rebellion, enlisting from Iowa, was wounded in the battle of Shiloh and died in 1902. Mrs. Wheeling was born in Kentucky. Mrs. Foster was born in Iowa in 1864 and taught school before she was married. Mr. Foster has four sisters and one brother, Carrie Carney, Cora Miner, Fannie Foster, T. Maxom. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Foster, Fannie E. and Clara B., both at- tending school. Mr. Foster is a member of the M. W. A., is chairman of the city council and is an in- fluential and active factor in the political realm, be- ing a solid Democrat.

FRANK BROWN is manager of the famous Jumbo mine of Buffalo Hump and is one of the best posted and most skillful mining men in the county. He was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, November 1, 1861, the son of Michael and Anna (Steffins) Brown. The father was a shoemaker and a native of Germany. He came to the United States when young and served his country in the war of the Rebellion. He went in- to service in 1861, was taken prisoner and knew the horrors of Libby. He continued until the war closed and then went to Colorado and lias since remained there operating in mines. The mother was born in Wisconsin in 1840 and died in May, 1878. Her an- cestors were among the first settlers of Wisconsin. Our subject went to Colorado with his parents when he was six and there grew up and was educated. He early began the industry of mining and in 1882 he went to Wyoming and Montana where he mined for two years. He was interested in the Cumberland, which is now a great mine. He spent two years in the Blue Point inines in California and in 1890 he came to Idaho. Before coming hither he had had much ex- perience in the places mentioned and also in New Mex-

580

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

ico and Arizona, and he is an expert in judging ores and handling mines. Mr. Brown was one of the first at Buffalo Hump and handled a store to furnish supplies to the prospectors. This was in 1898 and in 1900 he sold the store and has since devoted himself to mining. He has a heavy share in the famous Jumbo and also has interests in thirty other prospects and mines in the district.

In 1894 Mr. Brown married Miss Florence, daugh- ter of William and Mary Marlatt. The father was a native of France and mined here in Florence in early days. Mrs. Brown was born . in Dayton, Washing- ton, in 1874, and has nine brothers and three sisters. Mr. Brown has the following brothers and sisters : John W., Mary McCullough, Lizzie Moffitt, Katie Adams, Maggie Moore. Three children have been born to this marriage, Lottie, Florence, Benjamin. Mr. Brown is a member of the W. W. and was county commissioner for two years of this county. He was condidate for auditor in 1902 but the Democratic majority of the county was not quite overcome. He is a strong Republican and has always been a wheel horse. Mr. Brown lives in Mt. Idaho and in addition to his mining interests he owns property in Lewiston and in the Hump.

FRANCIS E. McMILLEN. A real westerner in the true sense of the word, a man of experience equal to the famous characters of frontier literature and one whose constant life of prospecting, mining, hunting, guiding, and out-door existence has conformed to the real things of life and made him one of the most sub- stantial and stanch citizens of the state of Idaho,-such is the subject of this article and it is with unfeigned pleasure that we are pivileged to chronicle the points of his interesting career.

Francis E. McMillen was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, on November 5, 1864, the son of Robert T., and Matilda E. (Miller) McMillen. The father was born in Harrisonburg, Pennsylvania, in 1828 and died in 1886. His father was in the Revolution and he having a large government contract at the time of Civil war

was freed from military service. The mother of our subject, born in Virginia in 1832, still lives in Ohio. Her ancestors, as were her husband's, were of the sturdy Scotch and served in the Revolution, being some of the earliest settlers in the new world. Our subject attended school in Ohio until thirteen and then came overland to Boise in 1877. He handled the bell mare of the train that went into Warren and he mined, and later went east, returning to Tuscarara, Nevada, where he sold a mine. The next we see him in the Boise basin placer mining and selling claims. He did well and in 1883 he was in the Indian war at Bruno. He was shot through the thigh and several of the others were wounded by the Indians. He was under Captain Alitchell. A Mr. Hawes and Mrs. George T. Miller were massacred by the Indians. Mr. McMillen mined south of the Humboldt mountains, then came to the Wood river district and did well. In 1883 he wintered in Boise and then came north into Idaho county. He was in search of the famous Gates mine, from which Mr. Gates took rich ore in the time of the Sheepeater war. Before the excitement into Thunder mountain, Mr. McMillen located claims there. In 1885 he was in the Sea Foam camp and a prominent locater there. He located property in all the leading camps of this sec- tion and now owns good property in all the camps in this county and in many others. He was also one of the diligent searchers for the lead which produced the float which has led so many in tours, but Mr. McMillen thinks it came from the Kimberly group. Mr. McMil- len is still searching the mountains, which he knows as the seaman does the sea, and still takes great pleasure in the invigorating and stimulating trips to the fast- ness of nature's treasure vault. In all this time, he has also spent many seasons in trapping and hunting and is a skillful hand in these lines.

Mr. McMillen has the following brothers and sis- ters : Elmer, John, Clarence, Charles, Dora Montgom- ery, Martha Coston, Ida Easters. He is a member of the K. P. and W. of W., at Walla Walla. In Feb- ruary, 1894, Mr. McMillen went to the far away fields of Alaska and returned in the following June. He went again in the spring of 1898, but was forced out by pneu- monia. Mr. McMillen is a firm Presbyterian and a man of honor and integrity.

PART IV. HISTORY OF LATAH COUNTY

CHAPTER I.

SETTLEMENT.

The history of Latah county as a political divi- sion of Idaho begins in 1888; the history of the peo- ple now living within its legal boundaries, of their commercial, industrial and educational institutions, is almost coeval with that of Idaho itself. The ter- ritorial government was formed in 1863 at Lewiston, which was even then a growing frontier town. Just across the river on the north, rise the hills of the Pa- louse. While it was at first thought that these hills were worthless except as grazing lands, it was not many years before settlements were made in some of the small valleys and as early as 1878 Asbury Lieu- allen had established a postoffice at Moscow, thirty miles north of Lewiston. The first agricultural set- tlements made in the county were about Genesee and Moscow in 1871 and 1872. Before its removal to Mos- cow, Lienallen's postoffice had existed for some years at what was called Paradise City, one mile east of the present business center of the town. There were pioneer settlements also farther south. The Hall and Caldwell cattle ranch was occupied in 1868; Jacob Kambitsch settled on Cow creek very near the present site of the town of Genesee in 1871 and in 1872 there was quite an immigration of settlers into this valley, the town of Genesee starting but three years later. In the northern part of the county William Ewing set- tled on Palouse river in 1869 engaging in the cattle business. There are but a few of the earlier settle- ments. Others coming into Paradise valley about the same time or a little later were G. W. Tomer, W. J. Hamilton. Bennet Summerfield, William Frazier, James and Albert Howard, James Cox, John Russell, Silas Imbler, James Montgomery. This is not the entire list but these are well known to all early set- tlers as men prominent in the affairs of those times.

Latah being a portion of Nez Perces county until 1888, its early history will be told in the chapter on Nez Perces county, but we will review in this chapter those incidents which have direct bearing on Latah's future development and are of local interest to those who made early settlement within its present boundar- ies and are still active factors in progress.

No sooner had the first locations been made than there was a demand for a postoffice, which was estab- lished early in 1872 at the point described above and V. Craig received the appointment as postmaster. A mail route was at once established between Lewiston and Paradise City postoffice and John Denny was the first mail carrier. It was a pony route and Paradise City was its terminus until about 1875, when it was ex- tended to Farmington. In a short time regular stages were put on the road and such noted characters as Major Wimpsey, Joseph Cox. Felix Warren and Tom La Dow were for several years drivers over this route as well as over routes established to the mining regions on the northeast and east. While stage driv- ing here in early days was not fraught with so many of the dangers that lurked in the way of the stages in many other far western regions, yet the roads were not infrequently cut at dizzy heights along the de- clivitous sides of gulches and canyons : highwaymen were sometimes met with, and the stage driver had necessarily to be a man of courage and skill. Travel over these routes was never seriously interfered with by Indians. For some time during the Indian scare in 1876 and 1877, travelers entered the stage with more or less apprehension and precautionary measures were taken to insure the safety of passengers and the safe delivery of mails. Drivers were well armed and guards at times accompanied them, especially when

582

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

packages of great value were being carried. Although the Indian scare and the highwayman are both prac- tically things of the past, some of the old stage routes are still in use, not by pony riders and stages, but by farmers and travelers across the country. They have not yet lost all of their primitive characteristics and the tenderfoot rounds their curves and goes down their sheer declivities with emotions that are more easily experienced than described. Notable among these old highways is the road now in use from Genesee via Uniontown, down the Snake river breaks to Lewiston, where a descent is made from an elevation of over 2,500 feet to an elevation of 600 feet in about four miles. Citizens of Genesee will remember a ride taken over this road a few months ago by two of their num- ber who had recently arrived from an eastern state and settled in their midst. Before starting they were advised by some of their friends who knew the road, to be very good to the driver as there were some steep hills to descend and they would want him to drive slowly. The "friends" had been specific in their ad- vice and consequently when the party started the new- comers had with them two quarts of whiskey with which they at once began to treat the driver. The driver appreciated this unusual kindness, became very much devoted to the bottles and by the time they had reached the breaks was in condition to face any dan- ger and take any risk. Before commencing the de- scent he took a "long puli" at the stimulants, rose in his seat, and, to the consternation of his passengers, swung the whip across the backs of his horses, gave a wild "whoop" and plunged down the canyon road at break-neck speed. No amount of entreaty or per- suasion could induce him to slacken speed. Dan- gerous curves were rounded in a flash, the hack bounding over rocks and swinging danger- ously close to the edge of the almost perpendicu- lar walls falling down from the roadbed; steep descents and ascents were made with the same reck- less speed and there was not a moment's pause until the ferry over the Clearwater river was reached at the bottom. The passengers clung furiously to the sides of the hack allowing their hats and parcels to sail away into the air and roll down the rocky canyon sides hundreds of feet to the bottom. In the begin- ning they rent the air with yells of terror and appre- hension but the latter half of the wild ride was taken in death-like silence and when the river level was reached they had to be assisted from the wagon. Once more finding themselves on terra firma they re- fused to accompany their driver further but found other conveyances into Lewiston, returning eventually to Genesee by another road.

The early mails over these roads were irregular. In the beginning, where everything was carried on horse- back, the trips were only made weekly and for some time after the extension of the line to Farmington the weekly schedule was continued. During the summer and fall months the mails came and went with a con- siderable degree of regularity, but when the muddy or stormy winter season overtook the country Gene- see and Paradise valleys were sometimes without mail

for two or three weeks. In a speech recently delivered before the Pioneers' Association of Latah county, pioneer A. J. Green, of Moscow, told of the difficulty in getting mail across the Clearwater river at Lewis- ton. When storms prevented the operation of the ferry, mail was sometimes placed in a basket and hung on the the ferry cable, when it was drawn over the river by a rope kept in place for the purpose. The mail service did not improve much until some time in the 'eighties. As late as 1881 the service was far from being in a state of perfection. When President Garfield was shot in 1881 it was two weeks before the people of Paradise valley were generally apprised of the assassination. The news reached the village of Moscow through a chance traveler from Lewiston ; farmers who happened into the village carried it home to neighbors and thus it was gradually spread. With easy means of travel and communication now on every hand it is difficult to realize the full measure of incon- voniences and hardships with which the early settlers had to contend. Until 1879 Walla Walla, one hundred miles away, was the supply point for all the Palouse country. Lewiston was nearer but it was next to int- accessible ; it was not a produce market and prices were next to prohibitive on every article of merchandise the Palouse farmer needed. Enormous crops of grain and vegetables were raised in 1879 and 1880, but every- thing had to be hauled to Walla Walla, or to Waw- awai and shipped by boat to Portland. The cost of transportation was very great and the margin of profit to the farmers was correspondingly small. A trip to Walla Walla sometimes occupied weeks; the far- mer could not leave his crops except at a time when the roads were in bad condition; yet for years, from 1871 to 1879, he must take this long journey annually, for flour, sugar, tea, coffee and other necessities, pay- ing 50 cents per pound for sugar, $1 per gallon for oil, 16 cents per pound for flour, etc. Some of these articles were regarded as luxuries and then the set- tlers did not always indulge themselves.

In 1876 a sawmill was built by parties named Stewart and Beach at a point about six miles north- cast of the present site of Moscow ; this was the first sawmill brought north of Snake river. It was a small affair and was only in operation a few months when it was sold to parties at Colfax and taken out of the country. In 1877 R. H. Barton came to the Palouse country and with him were S. J. Langdon and Zack Kump. They came all the way from Corinne, Utah, with an ox team, bringing with them a portable saw- mill. Mr. Barton settled at the edge of the timbered foothills, six miles northeast of Moscow, and here on the southeast quarter of section twenty-six, town forty north, range five west, the sawmill was put in opera- tion in the fall of 1877. Zack Kump eventually sold his interest in the mill to Hiram Epperly, and for eighteen months Messrs. Barton, Langdon and Ep- perly conducted the sawmill, furnishing all the lum- ber used in Moscow, including that used in the con- struction of the first hotel, the Barton House.

In a work of this scope there is not space for many interesting details associated with the growth of a set-

583

HISTORY OF NORTH IDAHO.

tlement or with the development of an industry, de- picting individual successes and failures and dwelling on the virtues or vices of the numerous characters in the tragedies, comedies or pastorals of every day pio- neer life. This is rather the function of the biographer than of the historian. However, as the history of a community or of a state is the history of its people, the citizen must of necessity be associated in his indi- vidual capacity with the history of the industries and in- stitutions of the community in which he resides or has resided. The pioneer of husbandry, of commercial in- dustry, of political or educational institution is held in high esteem by his followers and is entitled to a place in the records of his commonwealth. From various sources we have gathered detached items of information that are worthy of record in the annals of Latah county, showing as they do the spirit of the people and associat- ing individuals prominently with the pastoral, social and educational life of the early days. At a Fourth of July celebration held at the foot of Moscow mountain in 1878, S. J. Langdon was president of the day : Mrs. Epperly, Mary and George Langdon furnished music for the occasion, while speeches were made by R. H. Barton, S. J. Langdon, G. W. Tomer and Dr. Blake. At this meeting it was stated by one of the speakers that the first Paradise valley school house was on the southeast corner of the preemption claim of L. Haskens and the first school was taught by Noah Lieuallen. The building was put up in 1871. During a speech made by R. H. Barton before the Pioneer Association in 1892, the speaker exhibited a stool used by the teachers in this school house ; it was all that was saved when the house was burned in 1880. The stool was made from a section of tree split in half .- In one of the halves had been fitted three pegs which served as legs. It is still preserved by the Pioneers' Association. Quoting from this speech of Mr. Barton's, we learn that William Ewing located on the Palouse river in the northern part of the county in 1869 and a year later Thomas Tierney located on Thorn Creek. These were among the very first settlers in the county. Quoting from a speech made before the Pioneers' Association December 28, 1894, by J. L. Naylor, of Moscow, we learn that Dr. Blake and G. W. Christie were pioneer justices of the peace and that William Groat, S. J. Langdon, William King and G. W. Tomer were pioneer members of the territorial legislature. The first frame houses in the county were erected by Henry Trimble, David Allen and E. N. DeLong, near Moscow, and the first sod turned over with a plow in this great agricultural coun- ty was turned a few miles southeast of Moscow by Henry Trimble.

The following is an extract from a speech made at a pioneers' meeting June 14. 1893, by Hon. Willis Sweet : "I remember well the ruin of the stockade that stood back of Charles Moore's place. In the early eighties it was a conspicuous relic of the exciting days when Joseph and his hostiles carried ruin and death to so many homes in northern Idaho. That cruel ex- tremity you were spared ; but your hardships were many compared with the surroundings you now enjoy. You traveled to Walla Walla for your flour and many other

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 140

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