History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I, Part 42

Author: Hawley, James Henry, 1847-1929, ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 910


USA > Idaho > History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I > Part 42


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Spirit Lake-The Bank of Spirit Lake was established in 1907. It has a capital stock of $25,000 ; a surplus of $3,500; deposits of $142,000; G. F. Hagen- buch, president ; C. C. Richardson, cashier.


St. Anthony-The First National Bank of St. Anthony began business in 1899 with a capital stock of $50,000. It has a surplus of $50,000, and deposits of $550,000. F. M. Snell is president, and G. D. Snell, cashier. In 1904 the Commercial National Bank of St: Anthony received its charter and began busi- ness. Its capital stock is $25,000; surplus, $20,000; deposits, $266,000; J. E. Cosgriff, president ; J. R. C. Kruger, cashier. The St. Anthony Bank and Trust Company was incorporated in 1907 with a capital stock of $30,000, and on July


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FIRST NATIONAL BANK, SANDPOINT


BANK OF SODA SPRINGS, SODA SPRINGS


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I, 1918, reported a surplus of $12,500 and deposits of $360.700. M. J. Gray is president, and L. H. Neal, cashier.


Star-The Farmers Bank of Star was organized in 1907 with a capital stock of $25,000 ; surplus, $7,000; deposits, $180,000; J. W. Jones, president ; J. E. Roberts, cashier.


Stites-In 1904 the Bank of Stites was incorporated with a capital stock of $10,000. It has a surplus of $2,000; deposits of $40,000; I. Ewing, president ; F. E. Leeper, cashier.


St. Joe-The First State Bank of St. Joe was established in 1908. It has a capital stock of $10,000; surplus, $4,000 ; deposits, $60,000; R. L. Rutter, presi- dent ; W. F. Buchholtz, cashier.


St. Maries-In 1904 a bank was opened at St. Maries under the name of the Lumbermen's State Bank, with a capital stock of $25,000. It now has a surplus of $8,000 and deposits amounting to $306,200. C. W. Craney is president, and C. M. Sargent, cashier. The First National Bank of St. Maries was chartered in 1915. It has a capital stock of $25.000; surplus, $7,200; deposits, $260,000; Leon Demers, president ; E. W. Trueman, cashier.


Sugar-The Fremont County Bank of Sugar was established in 1914 with a capital stock of $25,000. Its surplus is $3.300 ; deposits, $137,000 ; Mark Austin, president ; F. L. Davis, cashier.


Sweet-In 1901 the Farmers and Stockgrowers Bank was organized at Sweet. Its capital stock is $25,000; (no surplus reported) ; deposits, $120,000; F. I. New- house, president ; I. W. Stoddard, cashier.


Tetonia-The Farmers State Bank of Tetonia was established in 1917 with a capital stock of $15,000, and the following year it reported deposits of $45,000. C. B. Walker is president, and J. H. Jensen, cashier.


Troy-In 1905 the State Bank of Troy was established with a capital stock of $20,000. It has a surplus of $20,000, and deposits of $268,000. O. Bohman is president, and C. Larson, cashier.


Twin Falls-There are three banks in the City of Twin Falls. The First National was chartered in 1905 with a capital stock of $100,000, and on July I, 1918, it reported a surplus of $63.750 and deposits of $1,458,000. F. F. John- son is president, and J. M. Maxwell, cashier. In 1908 the Twin Falls Bank opened its doors for business. Its capital stock is $100,000; surplus, $50,000; deposits, $1.325,000 ; W. S. McCornick, president; V. G. Bradley, cashier. The Idaho State Bank of Twin Falls was incorporated in 1914. It has a capital stock of $50,000; surplus, $12,000; deposits, $315,000; F. F. Johnson, president ; Urban Tracey, cashier.


Victor-Victor is the terminus of a branch of the Oregon Short Line Rail- ยท road in the southern part of Teton County. In 1916 the Victor State Bank was incorporated with a capital stock of $25,000; B. F. Blodgett, president, and C. L. Stevens, cashier. In 1918 it reported a surplus of $3,000 and deposits of $100,000.


Vollmer-The Bank of Vollmer was incorporated in 1913. Its capital stock is $15,000 ; surplus, $6,500 ; deposits, $215,000; A. E. Clarke, president ; Walter Zimmerman, cashier.


Wallace-The City of Wallace has two strong financial institutions-the First National Bank and the Wallace Bank and Trust Company. The First Na- tional began business in 1892. It has a capital stock of $100,000, a surplus of


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$102,000, and deposits of $1,984,000. Henry White is president, and J. W. Wimer, cashier. The Wallace Bank and Trust Company was organized in 1916 with a capital stock of $100,000. Its surplus is $116,000, and its deposits $4,256,- 060. H. L. Day is president, and Paul Leusch, cashier.


Wardner-The Weber Bank of Wardner was established in 1893. In July, 1918, it reported a capital stock of $20,000; surplus, $7,600; deposits, $100,000 ; J. H. Weber, president ; T. R. Jones, cashier.


Weiser-The City of Weiser has three banks. The First National began business in 1903 with a capital stock of $75,000. It has a surplus of $18,000 and deposits amounting to $550,000. Herman Haas is president, and O. A. West, cashier. In 1906 the Weiser National Bank of Weiser was chartered with a cap- ital stock of $75,000. Its surplus on July 1, 1918, was $22,500; deposits, $380,- 000; R. U. Bradshaw, president ; R. U. Spaulding, cashier. The Weiser Loan and Trust Company was incorporated in 1912. Its capital stock is $62,500; sur- plus, $26,000 ; deposits, $466,000; C. E. Kenyon, president ; C. E. Kenyon, Jr., secretary.


Wendell-The First National Bank of Wendell received its charter and opened its doors for business in 1909. Its capital stock is $25,000; surplus, $2,000; de- posits, $153,000; J. A. Blomquist, president ; F. K. Ricker, cashier.


White Bird-The two banks of White Bird are the Salmon River and White Bird State Banks. The former was established in 1905 with a capital stock of $25,000; surplus, $11,400; deposits, $140,000; F. W. Kettenbach, president; A. L. Donaldson, cashier. The latter was incorporated in 1917 with a capital stock of $25,000 and in July, 1918, it reported a surplus of $2,500, but made no report of deposits. Charles E. Holt is president, and W. K. Armour, cashier.


Wilder-The First National Bank of Wilder began business in 1916. Its capital stock is $25,000; surplus, $1,350; deposits, $73,000; John Pipher, presi- dent ; R. W. Pipher, cashier.


Winchester-The Bank of Winchester was organized in 1909 with a capital stock of $15,000. Its surplus is $3,200; deposits, $122,000; E. H. Van Ostrand, president ; H. A. Bruenn, cashier.


Worley-In 1917 the State Bank of Worley was incorporated. Its capital stock is $15,000; surplus, $1,200; deposits, $30,000; E. T. Coman, president ; E. W. Freed, cashier.


CHAPTER XXI EARLY TRANSPORTATION


LEWIS AND CLARK'S METHODS OF TRAVEL-CAPTAIN BONNEVILLE'S WAGONS-RUS- SELL, MAJORS & WADDELL-EARLY MAIL ROUTES- THE PONY EXPRESS-SADDLE TRAINS-FREIGHTING BY PACK TRAIN-DAY OF THE STAGE COACH --- BEN HOLLA- DAY-LOCAL STAGE COMPANIES-INDIANS AND ROAD AGENTS-ROBBERY OF PIL- GRIM STATION-PASSING OF THE STAGE COACH-STAGE DRIVERS.


In all the intermountain states long before even the trappers came there were trails marking the most convenient method of traveling both the mountains and the plains. The Indians had trails leading to the camps and villages of the several tribes ; all hunted game of various kinds at certain seasons and in many places and had their trails by which they could go to and return from their chosen hunting grounds; there is a mistaken idea in the minds of many that the various Indian tribes did not commingle with each other. On the contrary, they met periodically at certain remote places to visit, trade, feast and gamble. Council Valley in Adams County, for instance, was the common meeting ground for many years before settlements were made by the whites, of the Indian tribes of North and South Idaho. Council Bluffs, in Iowa, was also so named because it had been a favorable meeting place of members of the different tribes of that section of the United States when they met for similar purposes.


None of the Indians had vehicles of any kind, riding horses and pack horses composing their traveling outfit. Roads were not needed, therefore, and nothing but trails existed. The Indians everywhere had a remarkable sense of locality and invariably selected the easiest places over which to travel. Most of the main wagon roads of the Far West have closely followed the old trails of the aborigines. It was these trails, many of which had undoubtedly existed for centuries, that made the entire intermountain country comparatively accessible to its first explorers.


Lewis and Clark, the first white men in Idaho of whom there is any authentic record, and later the fur traders and trappers, all traveled on foot or on horse- back, following the old Indian trails on the plains and over the mountains. The great plains stretching from the Missouri River to the Rockies required but little effort to be traversible by wagons and experienced mountaineers found it com- paratively easy. to find wagon ways over the passes in the mountains. Especially was this the case upon the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountain range in its en-


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tirety. From the Missouri and Mississippi rivers the increase in altitude was gradual and the approaches to the top of the great range much less abrupt than on its western slope. To Captain Bonneville is accorded the distinction of bring- ing the first wagon into what is now Idaho. In 1832 he took a wagon through the South Pass and brought it as far as Soda Springs.


The settlement of the Oregon dispute in 1846 brought many immigrants to Oregon-640 acres of the rich lands of the Willamette Valley was the reward the Government offered for settlers there, and many availed themselves of the opportunity to acquire it. Then came the Mormons under Brigham Young in 1847 and they crossed the plains as far as Salt Lake City during the ensuing year by thousands. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 caused a rush of immigration and thousands of the adventurers who flocked to the gold fields of that state found their way across the plains. Many of the old mountaineers familiar with the Rocky Mountain section led parties over various routes. "Cut offs" abounded-the plains of Nebraska and the valleys of the Snake were cut up by roads traveled by immigrants going farther west.


The two thousand mile trip from the Missouri River to the coast was an experience to try men's souls, but many gentle women and tender children safely underwent the tiresome journey. Harrassed by savages-with insufficient food- almost destitute of fuel and supplying the lack of wood by using "buffalo chips," willows or the ever present sagebrush after they had reached the western slope by several months of travel behind the slow moving oxen or used-up horse teams, the sight of the beautiful valleys of the western slope they had so faith- fully labored to reach soon made them forget the hardships of the trip.


It was not long after the great rush began before firms and companies were organized at the various outfitting points from which the parties started on their journeys across the plains, and transportation of necessities was made to various points in the West. As early as 1855 Senator Gwin of California discussed an overland mail route and urged its adoption, and in 1860 such efforts began to be considered practicable. The earlier methods of transportation to the various places on the Pacific slope are intensely interesting to every resident of the Far West, but it is not the province of this history to treat of such matters except incidentally. Idaho received its supplies not from the Missouri River but from California and Oregon and these supplies were taken up the Columbia River as far as Umatilla and from there shipped by pack train or by wagon into the dif- ferent parts of the territory. The amount of merchandise of any kind brought in from the eastern or middle states was very small until the Union Pacific Rail- road was completed to Utah points in 1868.


THE EARLY STAGE LINES ACROSS THE PLAINS


The United States Postal Department commenced arrangements to convey mail across the plains as early as 1854. The first contracts, however, only ex- tended to points in the intermountain country and did not provide for mail being carried through to the coast, as in those early days mail could be carried much more quickly by the ocean route and the Isthmus Railway than overland. The great plains stretching from the Missouri River to the mountains, from the British line to Mexico, a scope of country 1,000 miles long by nearly 600 miles wide, was pictured sixty years ago by the great scientist Agassiz as a magnificent "Earth ocean, rolling up in beautiful green billows along the shores of the con-


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tinental streams and mountains that border it, and calming down in the center as if the Divine voice had spoken again as of yore, 'Peace, be still'."


It was in 1858 that the first attempt was made to extend the stage line to California and but little headway was made in developing a prompt and certain method of mail communication thereby until 1861, when Ben Holladay, best known of all persons whose business operations extended over the plains before the advent of railroads, became the stage king and naming his newly acquired line the "Overland Stage Line" continued for five years to operate it in a way that made the long stage trip to the Pacific Coast not only a bearable one but in many respects a pleasurable one. In 1866 Holladay sold his lines to Wells, Fargo & Company, who operated them until the Union and Central Pacific rail- roads were connected. Holladay extended his lines until they were 3,300 miles in length, not only running across the continent, but to every important point in the Far West, as well, his extensions being made to Virginia City in Montana, and to Boise, Idaho, in 1864, such extensions connecting with the main line in Salt Lake City.


Holladay greatly lessened the time consumed in traveling across the plains, landing passengers from the Missouri River in Placerville, California, which point he made the terminus of his lines, in seventeen days, the distance being over nineteen hundred miles.


The lines established by Holladay in Idaho became the lines afterward ex- tended by the Northwestern Stage Company and John Hailey, under whom they became the principal thoroughfares to the Northwest, carrying practically all of the mail of that region.


Going back nearly two generations to the time of the overland mail, express and staging days between the Missouri and the Pacific, it appears almost a dream. The Concord stage coaches transported for more than ten years the entire over- land mail, carrying likewise all the letter mail that came across the Atlantic for British Columbia, Australia and New Zealand. Not only did these stage coaches carry thousands of passengers, but millions of dollars in money, priceless papers and documents and many valuable packages across the plains to all the vast territory west of the Rocky Mountains. These strongly built vehicles carrying from nine to seventeen passengers, pulled by four, six or eight horses, were in their day among the most familiar and conspicuous objects in the Far West and the delight of all persons compelled to cross the country by the overland route. A few of these old historic stages have been preserved. Col. William Cody ("Buffalo Bill"), one of the most conspicuous figures in life upon the plains for over thirty years, was the owner of a noted one, possession of which he acquired in the heart of the Rockies and subsequently took with his wild west show not only to every principal city in the United States, but across the Atlantic where he exhibited it in all the capitals of Europe. "Buffalo Bill" and his coach was a prominent attraction of the great Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1892.


PONY EXPRESS


We have already made brief reference to the pony express, one of the real institutions of early life on the plains. The express was started in 1859 by WV. H. Russell of the great transportation company of Russell, Majors and Wad- dell, well known to all old plainsmen. It ran from St. Joseph to Sacramento, its


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schedule time being ten days for eight months in the year and twelve days in the four winter months. The distance traveled between the two points was 1,980 miles, 200 miles a day being about the average distance covered by the riders. President Lincoln's first inaugural message, however, was sent across in seven days and seventeen hours, a special effort being made to shorten the time of its transportation.


Eighty riders were employed on the line, using 200 horses. The riders traveled night and day when they were upon the road, taking no time what- ever for resting or even for eating their meals, changing their horses at fre- quent and varying intervals and being allowed only two minutes to make the- change in mounts, that time, however, being seldom required, as most of the riders were so expert that fifteen seconds was the time required in leaping from the back of one horse and saddling and mounting the other. At the stations where the changes were made there were hostlers in charge of the stock whose particular business it was to see that no delays occurred.


Hardships of all kinds were undergone and all sorts of dangers were faced by these brave riders. Savage Indians, wind storms, snowslides and a score of other perils were constantly encountered, but very few of the riders lost their lives and very seldom did one fail to reach his appointed station on time. The line was operated semi-weekly. All weight of every kind was eliminated and nothing was carried by the rider but letters and the weight of the entire mail carried by each rider was limited to twenty pounds. The letters, of course, were very light, tissue papers being generally used upon which to write them. Five dollars for each half ounce of mail was charged when the express was first inaugurated, although in the latter days it was reduced to two dollars per ounce.


While the stage lines of the plains, the pony express and similar matters were not, perhaps, as intimately connected with the early history of Idaho as with that of others of the intermountain states, still they were matters in which the people of Idaho Territory were intensely interested. The stage lines through the territory were connected with the overland route at Salt Lake City and pas- sengers from Idaho by going to that point were enabled to make stage connections with all portions of the country. By the pony express mail for Idaho was delivered to Salt Lake City and carried to Boise by express. The stage line begun by Ben Holladay between Salt Lake City and Virginia City, Montana, and extended to Helena, was the first stage line to pass through or into Idaho and ran over practically the same route as that on which the Utah and Northern Railway was afterward built. It was in 1864 that Holladay was awarded a mail contract to deliver the mail from Salt Lake City to The Dalles, Oregon, by way of Boise City, a distance of 675 miles, and so established the first stage line into Boise connecting with eastern points. Service on the Boise line was to have com- menced on July 1, 1864, but trouble with the Indians and in the building of sta- tions caused a delay and the first overland stage did not reach Boise until the IIth day of August. This was the first regular mail service to the Boise Valley and the surrounding mining sections were, of course, supplied thereby.


SADDLE TRAINS


In the spring of 1863 there was a great rush to the Boise Basin. Miners, mechanics, merchants, packers, gamblers-all classes of men-came from Cal-


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ifornia, Oregon, Washington and Nevada, and the demand for transportation far exceeded the supply. Many came up the Columbia River on the boats of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company as far as Umatilla or Wallula, and from those places various methods of travel were employed to reach the mines. Some brought saddle horses and pack animals with them and made the journey with- out severe exertion, but a majority were too poor to afford such luxuries. Some- times three or four would unite in the purchase of a pack horse or mule at Uma- tilla or Wallula-always at an exorbitant price-load the animal with their out- fits and a stock of provisions and start on foot for the Basin. Others made the trip on foot, but without being burdened with the care of a pack animal.


Some were in less haste and had the means to hire transportation. This led some enterprising persons to establish what were known as "saddle trains," the proprietors of which furnished horses and saddles for the passengers and a suffi- cient number of pack animals to carry the baggage, provisions, cooking utensils, etc. The fare was $50, "payable in advance." At the camping places, the pas- sengers did the cooking, while the trainmaster looked after the horses. It re- quired about two weeks for one of these trains to make the round trip.


Among those who early engaged in the saddle train business was the firm of Ish & Hailey, composed of William Ish and John Hailey. The latter "per- sonally conducted" the first saddle train from Walla Walla to Placerville, in the Boise Basin, in April, 1863. It consisted of sixteen passengers and four pack animals. Mr. Hailey is still living and is now (1918) librarian of the Idaho Historical Society.


FREIGHTING BY PACK TRAIN


To supply the mining towns and camps with provisions, clothing and other necessities was no small task. No wagon roads were yet opened and goods had to be brought in on the backs of horses or mules, the packer following the most convenient route through the forests and mountain passes or along the valleys of the streams. Freight rates on goods transported by this method ranged from sixteen to twenty-five cents per pound. In each settlement there was one or more feed stables, where the packers could have their animals fed and housed. The owners of these stables furnished hay, cut from the nearby bottoms-not a very good quality, but the best to be had-for which they charged from twenty- five to forty cents per pound. Oats and corn were "packed" from Oregon, the former selling in some instances as high as fifty cents per pound in small quan- tities, or forty cents by the sack. Corn was about the same price. Even at these extortionate rates the packers made money.


In the spring of 1864 wagon roads were opened and by the middle of the summer numerous wagon trains were plying between the landings at Umatilla and Wallula and the Idaho mining districts. Freight rates were thus reduced to about one-half those charged by the packers, who were forced out of business by the ruinous competition.


LOCAL STAGE COMPANIES


Ben Holladay was not the first man, however, to operate a stage line to the Boise Basin. Early in the year 1864 George F. Thomas and J. L. Ruckle began the construction of a wagon road from Wallula over the Blue Mountains and


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announced that as soon as it was completed stage service would be installed. Thomas was formerly connected with a stage line in Georgia and later in Cali- fornia and understood the business. A keen competition existed at that time between Wallula and Umatilla, each trying to monopolize the freight and pas- senger traffic of the Columbia River. When the people of Umatilla learned that their rival town was to have a stage line, they persuaded Ish & Hailey, who had removed the headquarters of their saddle train business from Walla Walla to Umatilla, to put on a stage line from that place. That firm had already erected stations for saddle trains and at small expense such stations could be made to serve stage lines. The first Ish & Hailey stage left Umatilla March 16, 1864, and from that time three trips a week were made to the western base of the Rockies. Owing to the condition of the roads, stages could go no farther than that point, and passengers were carried the remainder of the way by saddle trains. But by June 1. 1864, the road was improved and the stages began run- ning regularly all the way between Umatilla and the Town of Placerville in the Boise Basin, a distance of 285 miles. The stations along the route were from ten to fifteen miles apart, each in charge of a tender, to have a change of horses ready so that no time would be lost. Under this arrangement the trip was made in four days of daylight travel.


The Ish & Hailey line crossed the mountains by what was known as the Meacham road, while the Thomas & Ruckle line (George F. Thomas & Com- pany), crossed about twelve miles farther north. The two came together at the Express Ranch on the Burnt River, seventy miles from Umatilla. At that point the passengers carried by the Thomas Company were transferred to the stages operated by Henry Greathouse & Company between the Express Ranch and Placerville.


Naturally, there was a spirited rivalry between the two companies, Wells, Fargo & Company favored the Thomas Company with an exclusive contract to carry all treasure, express matter, etc., at remunerative rates, on condition that the stage company receive nothing else for transportation except passengers and their personal baggage, the object of Wells, Fargo & Company being to obtain a monopoly of the carrying trade. The Oregon Steam Navigation Company favored Wallula as a destination for passengers, and for a time it looked as though the Ish & Hailey line might be put out of business. But time was an object with many travelers, and as the Ish & Hailey stages reached Placerville a day in advance of the other line, that firm handled the greater part of the passenger traffic. The firm also reduced freight rates and at the close of the season, December 1, 1864, the Umatilla line was taxed to its utmost capacity to handle its business.




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