History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I, Part 67

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 67

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).

All of the leading religious denominations are represented by church organi- zations, many of which own handsome edifices. Likewise the well known frater-

708

HISTORY OF IDAHO

nal societies are represented by lodges, the Masons, Odd Fellows and Elks own- ing buildings which are devoted to the purposes of the fraternities and which are unusually good for a city of Boise's size. The Elks' building, completed in 1914, was erected and furnished at a cost, aside from the ground upon which it is lo- cated, of $117,000. The Young Men's Christian Association and the Young Women's Christian Association both have flourishing organizations. The Young Men's Christian Association commenced preparations in March, 1919, to erect a new building for the purposes of the association, and the citizens of Boise sub- scribed therefor the sum of $165,200. The social and club life of the city is further represented by the Rotary Club, the Gun Club, the Golf Club, the Coun- try Club and a number of other organizations of that kind.

Visitors to Boise are frequently heard to comment upon the clean, well-kept streets, the handsome shade trees and the comfortable homes of the city. Boise has a modern sewer system connecting with the Boise River about three miles below the city limits, and so built as to accommodate every lot in that portion of the city north of the Boise River. There are many miles of cement walks and the principal streets are substantially paved. The United States Land Office, the Federal Court, the State Penitentiary and the Soldiers' Home are all points of interest within the city limits and the great Arrowrock Dam, twenty-five miles up the Boise River from the city is one of the show places of the West. The population of Boise is estimated at between 25,000 and 30,000 and it is universally conceded that it is the "biggest little city" in the West. A very serious mistake made by those in charge of the city government in the past is the fact that suffi- cient parks have not been provided. This is a situation, however, that will prob- ably be remedied in the near future. There are several very small parks in dif- ferent parts of the city and the grounds of the Capitol Building, the County Building, the United States Assay Office and the Natatorium answer the pur- pose of parks to a certain extent. The Julia Davis Park, situated along the north bank of the Boise River and extending from Eighth Street bridge to Broadway bridge and containing forty acres, was a present to the city from the late Thomas J. Davis in memory of his deceased wife, Julia Davis, and the city authorities since this donation have spent considerable money in improving it so that it is becoming the real beauty spot of Boise.

A short distance above the Julia Davis Park a tourists' camping ground has been established, where automobile travelers can find comfortable camping places with all necessary conveniences furnished without cost.

BOISE, THE BEAUTIFUL

In the long ago, when Boise was young, and railroads in Idaho were un- dreamed of, to the passenger on the stagecoach, who had traveled hundreds of miles over the waterless sage plains through which the road from Salt Lake City found its way, reaching the hills a few miles east of Boise, and looking down upon the beautiful Boise Valley, with the city at the head, a mass of foliage and verdure, it looked the most beautiful spot on earth. "Boise the beautiful" be- came a familiar word throughout the Northwest, and to the traveler there it was as veritable an oasis and as desirable to reach, as are the few green and watered resting places in the great Sahara Desert.

It was soon ascertained that any variety of shade tree that would grow any-

Standard Funkcitan Co

DALT BROWN FORNET

FON YHỌC- THẾ CINCINNATI

TITTI

MAIN STREET, BOISE, LOOKING EAST FROM ELEVENTH STREET

711

HISTORY OF IDAHO

where in a temperate climate, reached its highest perfection in Boise, and the people settling there prided themselves by planting the maple, elm, box elder, locust, oak, black walnut, and other beautiful varieties of shade trees that did not naturally grow in Idaho, together with beautiful firs and pines from the ad- joining mountain areas, which also flourished in the soil of Boise.

Boise citizens always prided themselves, also, upon their well-kept lawns and flower gardens, and but a few years after its settlement, the town resembled in that respect the beautiful villages in the valleys of California.

It has been the pride of the people of Boise to maintain this reputation ac- quired in the early days, and although the city has attained a considerable size, and is the most important commercial center in the state, it has always deserved the well-worn phrase applied to it so long ago, and is still called "Boise the Beautiful."

LIVERY

BUSINESS CENTER, AMERICAN FALLS

DARD

AMERICAN FALLS

CHAPTER XXXV CITIES AND TOWNS

THREE CLASSESOF MUNICIPALITIES-THIRTY-TWO CITIES-AMERICAN FALLS-BELLE- VUE-BLACKFOOT-BONNER'S FERRY-BURLEY-CALDWELL-COEUR D'ALENE- EMMETT-GENESEE-GRANGEVILLE-HAILEY-IDAHO FALLS-KELLOGG-LEWIS- TON - MONTPELIER - MOSCOW - NAMPA-PARIS-PAYETTE-PRESTON-POCA- TELLO-REXBURG - RIGBY - RUPERT-ST. ANTHONY-ST. MARIES-SALMON- SAND POINT-TWIN FALLS-WALLACE-WARDNER-WEISER.

Municipalities in Idaho are divided for governmental purposes into three classes-cities of the first class, cities of the second class and villages. The United States Census of 1910 shows that under the system then in vogue there were 104 municipalities incorporated under the then prevailing laws, several of which have since been disincorporated, and a number of new incorporations made.

Cities of the first class must have at least fifteen thousand population, to be ascertained from a government or State Census, or special census ordered by the city board or village council. Boise is the only city in Idaho in this class. although it is expected Pocatello will have the requisite population within a year. Cities of the second class must have, when organized, a population of not less than one thousand and not to exceed fifteen thousand, although where the population is under fifteen hundred the village form may be adopted. Towns or villages of over two hundred inhabitants, and less than fifteen hun- dred, may be incorporated as villages.

The governing body of cities of the first class is a mayor and four council- men; of cities of the second class, a mayor and from four to twelve council- men ; of villages, a board of five trustees.

A commission form of city government is also provided for cities of over twenty-five hundred population, which may be adopted by election called by the mayor upon petition of at least twenty-five per cent of the number of votes cast for mayor at the last preceding election. Under this system the governing body of the city is composed of five commissioners, one of whom is mayor. The executive administrative authority is distributed amongst five depart- ments : That of public affairs, accounts and finance, public safety, streets and

715

716

HISTORY OF IDAHO

public improvements, and parks and public property. The mayor by virtue of his office is made commissioner of public affairs, and the others are assigned by majority vote to the several commissionerships. The mayor under this system is paid from $300.00 to $3,000.00 per annum according to population and the other commissioners $150.00 to $2,000.00. Boise, the capital city, is under the commission form of government.

The statutes also provide for the city manager plan of city government for cities with a population of over 2,500, but this plan has not as yet been tried out so as to determine its availability.

The story of Boise, the capital city, has already been told and the province of this chapter is to give brief account of the cities of the state, reserving the villages for the succeeding chapter. For the convenience of the reader these cities have been arranged in alphabetical order, to-wit: American Falls, Bellevue, Blackfoot, Bonner's Ferry, Burley, Caldwell, Coeur d'Alene, Emmett, Genesee, Grangeville, Hailey, Idaho Falls, Kellogg, Lewiston, Montpelier, Moscow, Nampa, Paris, Payette, Preston, Post Falls, Pocatello, Rexburg, Rigby. Rupert, St. An- thony, St. Maries, Salmon, Sand Point, Twin Falls, Wallace, Wardner and Weiser.

AMERICAN FALLS

This town, the county seat of Power County, is situated on the Snake River at the falls from which it takes its name. It is the center of a rich irri- gated district and is the heaviest wheat shipping station on the Oregon Short Line Railroad. Among the principal industries is the great power plant, which generates 60,000 horse power of electricity, which is distributed to the sur- rounding towns. The river here drops about forty-two feet over a series of beautiful cascades, affording picturesque scenery as well as practical utility. American Falls has two banks, two newspapers, a theater, good hotels, modern public school buildings, churches of several of the leading denominations, well- stocked stores, a commercial club, a public library, eight large grain elevators, water works, electric lights, and a number of handsome residences. The popu- lation in 1910 was 953, and in 1918 it was estimated at 2,000.

BELLEVUE

The City of Bellevue is situated in the western part of Blaine County, on the Ketchum branch of the Oregon Short Line Railroad, and was the first town to be founded in the Wood River Mining District. It was laid out in 1880 and was first known as "Biddyville," but when it became an aspirant for county seat honors that name was considered undignified and the town was chartered as "Bellevue" by the Legislature of 1882-83.

At that time the population was about one thousand, and being situated at the point where the Big Wood River Valley begins to open into a wide plain- the real farming country of the valley-it soon came into prominence as a com- mercial center, not only for the mining district, but also for the stockmen and farmers. Among the leading merchants of early days were the firms of Delano & Clay and Hill & Ballantine. Nathan C. Delano was engaged in the mercan- tile business at Glenn's Ferry when the discovery of silver-lead ores was

BAPTIST CHURCH, BLACKFOOT

IDAHO REPUBLICAN OFFICE, BLACKFOOT

719

HISTORY OF IDAHO

made in the Wood River country. He removed to Bellevue and opened a lum- ber yard, but sold it after about a year and formed a partnership with H. H. Clay for general merchandising. Mr. Delano was elected treasurer of Logan County in 1892 and the same year Mr. Ballantine, of the other mercantile firm, was elected to the State Legislature. Two years later Mr. Ballantine was nomi- nated by the people's party for governor, so it will be seen that the Bellevue of that day had political as well commercial prominence. The mining camp of Broadford is directly across Wood River from Bellevue.

Although the Bellevue of the present has lost some of its former prestige, it is still an important supply point and ships annually large quantities of grain and live stock. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper, waterworks, electric light, an active commercial club, churches representing several of the leading denomi- nations, a modern high school building, a number of mercantile establishment .; , and in 1910 reported a population of 702.

BLACKFOOT

This city, the county seat of Bingham County, is situated near the center of the county on the south side of the Snake River and the Oregon Short Line Railroad. It is also the southern terminus of the branch railroad that runs to Mackay, Custer County. Blackfoot dates its origin back to 1880, its site being the nearest point on the railroad to the Custer County mines.

Among the first white men to settle in this locality were Frederick S. Stevens and a Mr. Warren, who took up farms there in 1866, when the site of the city was nothing but an uninviting sagebrush plain. Indians then roamed freely through the Snake River Valley and at times showed a disposition to become troublesome. Mr. Warren therefore fitted up his cabin as a place of safety for the few scattering families when the savages grew too familiar. The cabin was provided with loopholes between the logs and the men would take turns stand- ing guard night and day until the Indians left the neighborhood.

When Bingham County was created in 1885, Blackfoot was designated as the county seat. The first shade trees in the town (the first in the Upper Snake Valley) were planted around the courthouse in 1886 by Alfred Moyes and a ditch was constructed for their irrigation. Others followed Mr. Moyes' ex- ample, with the result that in a few years Blackfoot became known as the "Grove City." It is said that excursions to the town were organized "so that the people in the nearby regions might have a chance to feast their eyes on this verdure, which undoubtedly was in marked and pleasing contrast with the unbroken ex- panses of sagebrush."

In its early days Blackfoot was nothing more than a little railroad station, at which prospectors bound for the mining districts would outfit. and from which freight wagons and stage coaches departed almost daily for the Custer County mines. The place was frequently "shot up" by cowboys from the stock ranges. The Idaho Insane Asylum was located here by the Legislature of 1885, and with the building of the branch railroad to Mackay, Blackfoot began to assume a more metropolitan air. The business section is built up with attractive and substan- tial structures of brick and stone, the latter being quarried near the city.

Blackfoot was incorporated as a city in 1907. It has three banks with de-

720

HISTORY OF IDAHO

posits of over two million dollars, waterworks, two newspapers, electric light and power from American Falls, a well-graded and well-conducted public school sys- tem, a number of handsome church edifices, a large sugar factory-the first in Idaho,-two nurseries, a large flour mill, a pork packing plant, a United States land office, an opera house, a wide-awake commercial club, well stocked stores handling all lines of merchandise, a telephone exchange which handles the inter- state communication of Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and part of Oregon, and many pretty homes. An annual fair is held here.

The number of inhabitants in 1910 was 2,202, but conservative estimates in 1919 place the population at double that number. Being situated in the midst of a rich agricultural, stock raising and fruit growing district, Blackfoot is an important shipping and supply point and claims to be, per capita, one of the rich- est cities in Idaho.

BONNER'S FERRY

Bonner's Ferry is the county seat of Boundary County and the business center of the rich Kootenai Valley, one of the best farming districts in North- ern Idaho.

When the international boundary commission was taken down the Kootenai River in 1859, by the old Kootenai chief, Abraham, and his braves, the canoes landed where the town is now located and the members of the commission encamped there for the night. Subsequently the site was used as a camping place by pony riders in the Star mail service, and it was directly on the trail leading to the Wild Horse mines in British Columbia. When the great rush to those mines began in 1863, Edwin L. Bonner, a business man of Walla Walla, purchased some land here from Chief Abraham and established a ferry across the Kootenai River. This ferry was chartered by an act of the First Territorial Legislature of Idaho in the winter of 1863-64 and Mr. Bonner then opened a trading post. Mr. Bonner died at Missoula, Mont., July 10, 1902. His ferry and trading post constituted the first business enter- prise in what is now Boundary County.

The building of the great Northern Railroad in 1891-92 created a boom in the Kootenai Valley and Bonner's Ferry began to grow. A town was regularly platted and called "Fry," after Richard Fry, who had leased the ferry in 1875 and a postoffice of that name was then established with Mr. Fry as postmaster. The city of Bonner's Ferry was created on April 15. 1899, by the consolidation of the village of Eaton, which had been incorporated February I, 1892, and the village of Bonner's Post, which was incorporated October 16, 1893. Among the early business concerns after the building of the railroad was the general store of Kinnear & Williams. Other early business men were H. W. Gates and W. W. Johnson.

Bonner's Ferry is situated near the center of the county, on the Kootenai River and at the junction of the Great Northern and the Spokane & Interna- tional railroads. It has two banks, two weekly newspapers, large lumbering interests, good public schools. waterworks, electric lights, churches of the leading denominations, a number of up-to-date mercantile establishments, and in 1910 reported a population of 1,071.

NASTROPERS

BURLEY

BLOCK BUILDING, REXBURG

Vcl. I-46

723

HISTORY OF IDAHO

BURLEY

At the time the Twin Falls branch of the Oregon Short Line Railroad was built in 1904, Burley was a small settlement on the south side of the Snake River in the northern part of Cassia County. With the opening of railroad transportation the village began to grow and a year or two later was incor- porated. It is the commercial metropolis of Cassia County and at the general election of 1918 the people of the county voted to make it the seat of justice. Burley owns a good system of waterworks, an electric light and power plant, has two weekly newspapers, three banks, a good public school system, six churches, an elaborate system of rural telephones, a sugar factory, well-stocked stores of all kinds, good hotels, and more hogs are shipped from this place than any other point on the Oregon Short Line in Idaho. The population in 1910 was 900 and in 1918 it was estimated at 2,500. The village is the northern terminus of the Oakley and Raft River branches of the Oregon Short Line railway system, and promises to become one of the largest towns of the state

CALDWELL

Of the twenty-five great cities of Idaho, Caldwell stood ninth in 1910, and still maintains its relative position. It is one of the towns started by the Oregon Short Line Railroad Company at the time that road was under construction and was named for Alexander Caldwell, of Leavenworth, Kan., who was at one time United States senator from that state, and who was associated at the time that road was built with some of the Oregon Short Line officials in a number of Idaho enterprises.

The site for the city was selected in the spring of 1882 and for some time it was the terminus of the railroad, which brought it into prominence as a sup- ply point for a large territory. Montie B. Gwinn was the first merchant, open- ing a general merchandise store in a tent soon after the town was laid out. The second merchant was Theodore Danielson, who erected the first building in the town. Other early business men were Bramble & Dickinson, grocers; Coffin Brothers, hardware dealers; Little & Blatchley, druggists, and Howard Sebree, who established the first bank.

When Canyon County was created in 1891, Caldwell was made the county seat and a commodious courthouse of brick and stone was soon afterward erected. About the same time work was commenced on the buildings of the College of Idaho, one of the leading educational institutions of the state.

For many years the Commercial Club of Caldwell has been active in develop- ing the country adjacent to the city. Through its efforts the Caldwell Cattle Company was formed and the stockyards established. This, with the work of the Turner Horse Market, which holds monthly sales, makes Caldwell the largest live stock market between Denver and Portland. The Forward Club, an organi- zation of women, cooperates with the Commercial Club in all matters of munici- pal and civic improvement. This club was instrumental in founding the public . library and securing a liberal donation from Andrew Carnegie for a building.

In 1910 the population of Caldwell was 3.543, though it is now estimated

724

HISTORY OF IDAHO

at five thousand. The city has a system of waterworks that cost $2,000,000, a modern electric light plant, three banks, six public school buildings, a paid fire department, two newspapers, ten churches, a large flour mill with a daily capacity of 200 barrels of flour, grain elevators, two nurseries, a good sewer system and the usual complement of first-class mercantile establishments found in cities of its class. Transportation facilities are excellent. The main line of the Oregon Short Line Railroad gives direct communication with the East and the Pacific Coast; a branch of the same system connects the city with Wilder and Home- dale; and an electric line runs between Caldwell and Boise.

COEUR D'ALENE

The beginning of Coeur d'Alene, the county seat of Kootenai County, was the little log chapel built by the Indians in the '40s as a mission, in which they were taught the tenets of the Catholic faith by Father De Smet. Later a mili- tary post (Fort Coeur d'Alene) was established there and for years after that the place was merely a trading post. In fact, the town did not begin to grow until after the discovery of the rich mines in Shoshone County in 1883. The following year Nelson Bennett established a stage line between Spokane and Fort Coeur d'Alene. The steady stream of miners encouraged Tony Tubbs, one of the few residents of the Fort Coeur d'Alene settlement, to plat his land into town lots and build the "Hotel d' Landing," the first hotel in the village. Among the pioneer business men at that time were V. W. Sanders, Telford & Bleaumer, James Monaghan, C. B. King and Warner & Hart, all engaged in general mer- chandising ; John Cleveland, who kept a drug store; and Isaac Daily, the first lawyer. Mr. Daily also taught the first term of school when a school district was organized in the fall of 1884.

In 1887 the village government of Coeur d'Alene was incorporated with Isaac Daily, C. D. Warner, John Brown, Douglas Ballard and V. W. Sanders as the board of trustees. Isaac Daily was chosen chairman and thus became the first mayor- ex-officio. At that time Rathdrum was the county seat of Kootenai County and the people of Coeur d'Alene started a movement to have the seat of justice removed to that place. The contest thus started continued for many years and was not settled until after Bonner County was cut off in 1907, when the question was submitted to the people, a majority of whom voted in favor of Coeur d'Alene.

The commercial growth of Coeur d'Alene is primarily due to the great lum- bering interests, the development of which has practically all been made since the beginning of the present century. From a village of about five hundred in 1900, Coeur d'Alene grew to a city of 7,291 in 1910. It was incorporated as a city in 1906, and is one of the leading manufacturing cities of Northern Idaho. Among the manufacturing concerns are five large lumber companies whose mills are in or near the city, three boat building companies, large flour mills, a machine shop, the Diamond Drill Company, whose product goes to all parts of the world, a sash and door factory, candy factories, etc.

The city has ten public school buildings and employs over fifty teachers. There are also two private educational institutions-the Coeur d'Alene College and the Catholic Academy of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a fine public

ST. THOMAS CATHOLIC CHURCH. COEUR D'ALENE

LEE EF

CITY HALL, COEUR D'ALENE

FOURTH STREET, COEUR D'ALENE

729

HISTORY OF IDAHO

library, a good system of waterworks, electric light, a city hall which cost $40,000, ten church organizations, several of which have beautiful houses of worship, a paid fire department equipped with modern apparatus, municipal parks, a branch of the state fish hatchery, good hotels, three newspapers, three substantial bank- ing institutions, two well-equipped hospitals, and a large number of well-stocked mercantile establishments. The Masonic fraternity, the Odd Fellows, the Elks and the Knights of Pythias all own their buildings, a United States land office is located here, regular sessions of the United States District Court are held, and the city is the headquarters of the Coeur d'Alene National Forest.

EMMETT

In the early '70s James Wardwell built a sawmill on the Payette River, at the head of the lower valley, where the old Boise-Umatilla stage line crossed the river. A few miles below the mill was a postoffice called "Emmettsville," after Emmett Cahalen, son of Thomas Cahalen, a leading lawyer of that period. A village grew up around the sawmill and in a few years the postoffice and name were transferred to the new settlement. Among the early settlers were James Johnston, Henry C. Riggs, Sr., Alexander Womack, Nathaniel Martin, Douglas Knox and David Murray. After the postoffice was located there, a tavern was built and the village became a trading point for the lumbermen and stock raisers of the Payette Valley.

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.

History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I, Part 67

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

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