USA > Idaho > History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I > Part 70
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For a number of years after the city was founded, the adjacent mines af- forded a good commercial field and Salmon prospered, being no more handi- capped in the matter of transportation than many other towns of the North- west. Long, however, after other portions of Idaho were enjoying railroad communication, the Lemhi Valley remained from seventy-five to one hundred miles from the nearest railroad. Even under these adverse conditions Salmon continued "on the even tenor of its way," building schoolhouses, establishing a public library, freighting in goods and freighting out dairy and agricultural products, etc., Then came the Gilmore & Pittsburgh Railroad, the first train reaching Salmon on April 10, 1910, and the city took on a new birth.
Salmon had a population of 1,434 in 1910 and eight years later it was esti- mated at 1,800. It has two banks, two weekly newspapers, an active commer- cial club, a farmers' cooperative creamery, a flour mill, a fine public school build- ing, waterworks, electric light, sewer system, several churches, a public library, two power plants that supply electricity for light and power, and two gold dredges are being operated near the city. The forest reserve headquarters for the Lemhi National Forest are located at Salmon.
SANDPOINT
Bonner County was created in 1907 with Sandpoint as the county seat, and the same year the city was incorporated. It is located near the center of the county, on the north shore of Lake Pend d'Oreille, and derives its name from a point of sand which here extends into the lake. The main lines of the North- ern Pacific and Great Northern railroads pass through the city and the Spokane and International connects it with the Canadian Pacific Railway. Twenty-four passenger trains pass through Sandpoint every twenty-four hours, and additional transportation facilities are provided by the steamers of the Northern Naviga- tion Company, which touch at all points of importance on the lake.
Prior to the beginning of the present century, Sandpoint was only an insig- nificant village-a postoffice and trading point for the surrounding territory. Then the development of the great lumber industry in Northern Idaho com- menced and Sandpoint's growth since that time has been both rapid and sub- stantial. In 1910 the population was 2,993, the city then being the eleventh in the state.
Sandpoint has two banks, two weekly newspapers, four public school build- ings, a public library, a model system of waterworks, an attractive and practical city hall and fire station, a paid fire department, eight church organizations, and
HARMACY
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the leading fraternal societies are represented by prosperous lodges. Among the business enterprises are a large sawmill, a sash and door factory, a woodwork- ing plant, a match block factory, three brick manufacturing companies, a boat building shop and yards, good hotels, retail and outfitting stores, and numerous minor establishments. Much of the progress of the city is due to the aggres- sive and systematic work of its Commercial Club, which has about three hun- dred members.
TWIN FALLS
The City of Twin Falls, the county seat of Twin Falls County, is properly called the "Magic City" on account of its marvelous growth. It is the direct result of the irrigation of the lands on the south 'side of the Snake River by the Twin Falls Land and Water Company (see Twin Falls County). When these lands were offered for sale in 1903, the company decided that a town ought to be established on the irrigated tract and purchased school section 16, township 10 south, range 17 east, for a townsite. The town was platted by S. A. Bickel, chief engineer for the Land and Water Company and the lots were placed on the market by the Twin Falls Investment Company, of which Robert M. Mc- Collum was secretary.
The first building on the townsite was a small, cheap wooden structure, which was erected as the office of the investment company in the early part of 1904 and Mr. McCollum was placed in charge. On December 18, 1904, Mr. Mc- Collum brought his family to live in the new dwelling he had just completed- the first residence in Twin Falls. About the time the town was platted the Oregon Short Line (Union Pacific) Railroad Company began the construc- tion of the Twin Falls branch between Minidoka and Buhl and the first train arrived at Twin Falls on August 7, 1905, the event being celebrated by a barbecue and other appropriate ceremonies.
On April 1, 1907, less than two and a half years after Mr. McCollum com- pleted the first residence, and a little over a month after the town was desig- nated as the county seat of Twin Falls County by act of the Legislature, Twin Falls received its charter as a city of the second class. The first election was held the same month and Fred A. Voight was elected the first mayor. In 1910, when only six years old, Twin Falls was the fifth city of the state, reporting a population of 5,258, and in 1918 the population was estimated at 9,000.
Twin Falls has three banks, three newspapers, an $85,000 postoffice building, two large creameries, a flour mill with a daily capacity of 800 barrels, well- paved streets, large seed warehouses, a gravity water system, electric light, a public library, and claims to have the most elaborate and best equipped public school system of any city in Idaho. The city is the northern terminus of the Rogerson branch of the Oregon Short Line Railroad and an electric line con- nects Twin Falls with the great Shoshone Falls of the Snake River.
In April, 1912, when the city was about seven years old, one of the new's- papers contained the following item, which illustrates the wonderful growth of the municipality :
"The art exhibit at the Commercial Club was increased a few days ago by the addition of an enlarged photograph of Twin Falls in 1904. The picture was presented by that hardy old pioneer and first settler, Robert M. McCol-
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lum, who is still hale and hearty, though he confesses to fifty years' sojourn on earth. The City of Twin Falls in 1904, when the picture was taken, consisted of one large, ornate shanty with porch attached and a tent in the rear. Mr. McCollum was mayor, chief of police, head telephone operator and rabbit catcher. The population at that time comprised Marse Robert and uncountable jack rab- bits.
"The picture was taken by Miss Elva McCollum, who had ventured across country to visit her father. Seven years later Robert McCollum, honored citi- zen of the City of Twin Falls, can stand on the cement sidewalk in front of his residence on Seventh Avenue north and look down Shoshone Street for over a mile, and he can see only a bithulitic paved street lined with magnificent shade trees, a city park two blocks distant fronted by the finest courthouse in the State of Idaho, a $250,000 high school building and prosperous-looking homes. In the distance may be seen streets of substantial brick and stone business blocks, and the smoke of a few factories-more to come. A year hence, Robert Mc- Collum, pioneer trail blazer and first settler in Twin Falls, can walk a block from his city home, over cement sidewalk, hold up two fingers and flag an electric car to take him out to Shoshone Falls, the greatest scenic wonder in the West."
WALLACE
Of the twenty-five incorporated cities of Idaho in 1910, Wallace stood tenth with a population of 3,000. It is the county seat of Shoshone County and the commercial center of thé rich Coeur d'Alene mining district. The history of Wallace dates from the spring of 1884, when a small settlement sprang up here and was at first known as "Placer Center." During the next four years the population increased to such an extent that on May 2, 1888, J. C. Harkness presented a petition to the county commissioners of Shoshone County asking for the incorporation of Wallace. The petition was granted and the commissioners ap- pointed Col. W. R. Wallace (for whom the town was named), Horace King, C. M. Hall, C. W. Vedder and D. C. McKissick as the first board of trustees.
A schoolhouse had been erected the year before the incorporation and a term of school taught by Miss Annie Angel. On September 10, 1887, the first railroad train arrived in Wallace on the narrow gauge railroad that was after- ward sold to the Northern Pacific. Among the early settlers -were Alexander D. Mckinlay and Peter J. Holohan, who established the first grocery ; the firm of Howes & King, proprietors of the first general store; E. A. Sherwin, who opened the first drug store; J. R. Marks, William Hart and E. H. Moffitt who under the firm name of Marks, Hart & Company put in a large stock of hard- ware.
In his report for the year 1889, Gov. Edward A. Stevenson said: "The Town of Wallace, 1,000 population, is situated in a beautiful basin of the South Fork Valley, at the junction of Nine Mile, Placer and Canyon creeks, and is the supply depot of the great mining interests in these gulches. It is the railway transfer point of all the tributaries of the Upper South Fork and has many well supplied and substantial business houses in every branch of trade."
Murray was the county seat of Shoshone County at the time Idaho was ad- mitted into the Union in 1890. Two years later an election was held to vote on
VIEW OF TWIN FALLS SHOWING CITY PARK, HIGH SCHOOL ON RIGHT AND COURTHOUSE ON LEFT
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the question of removing the seat of justice to some other point and Wallace entered the race as a candidate. Murray won, and under the law the question could not be reopened for six years. In 1898 the people of Wallace succeeded in having the matter again submitted to the voters, the election resulting in Wal- lace receiving 2,471 votes to 864 cast for Murray.
In 1893 a city charter was obtained and W. S. Haskins was elected the first mayor. A system of waterworks was installed about that time and with the construction of the hydro-electric plants near the city electricity came into al- most universal use for lighting. Wallace has two banks, one daily and one weekly newspaper, a board of trade, a modern sewer system, five churches, modern public school buildings, a public library, which was opened in Decem- ber, 1902, three hospitals, good hotels, and its public buildings and mercantile concerns compare favorably with those of cities three or four times its size.
WARDNER
On October 10, 1885, a meeting was held at the cabin of Jacob Goetz (com- monly called "Dutch Jake") on Milo Creek, in the newly discovered Coeur d'Alene mining district, to consider the question of laying out a town. James Kelly pre- sided and Robert T. Horn acted as secretary. It was voted to call the district "Yreka" and to give the town the name of "Kentuck." James Kelly built the first cabin on the townsite and "Dutch Jake" the second, after which others came rapidly and by January 1, 1886, the population numbered over one hundred.
A meeting was called for April 4, 1886; for the purpose of adopting a new name for the town. Among those proposed were "Irwin," "Bunker Hill" and "Wardner," the last being accepted in honor of James Wardner, who had been active in promoting the interests of the town and the district in which it is lo- cated. A postoffice was established on Christmas day in 1886, with A. B. Gold- stein as postmaster, and in 1887 a system of waterworks was constructed. The village was incorporated on April 13, 1891, with Alexander Monks, D. Drought, Al. Page, Charles Sweeney and A. E. Carlson as the first board of trustees. Ten years later Wardner received its city charter. The prosperous town of Kellogg two or three miles below Wardner, is the point at which most of the mining and milling of ores for the Wardner section is done.
Wardner is situated on the line of the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company, its main business section being about twelve miles west of Wallace, in the heart of a rich mining section. It has a bank, waterworks, electric light, three churches, a good public school system and a large retail trade. The population in 1910 was 1,369.
WEISER
The first settler in Weiser was Thomas G. Galloway, who located a farm there in September, 1863, and built a small cabin of willow logs, with a dirt roof and without either floor or window. He kept a pony express station, fur- nishing meals to the riders, who, when they remained over night, slept in their own blankets. In 1865 Mr. Galloway built a frame house, and when the post- office was established he was appointed postmaster.
When Washington County was created in February, 1879. the location of a county seat was left to the decision of the voters. There were two contestants Vol 1-49
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for the honor-Upper Valley (now Salubria) and Weiser Bridge (now Weiser) and the latter was chosen by a substantial majority. A saloon was opened early in the year 1880 and a few weeks later the townsite was surveyed on land be- longing to Solomon M. Jeffreys between the Weiser River and Monroe Creek. In the fall of 1883 the Oregon Short Line Railroad was completed to a point about a mile and a half south of the present railroad station and passengers were transferred by means of a stage coach. There the railroad company platted a new town, to which they gave the name of "New Weiser." This aroused con- siderable opposition on the part of the citizens of the old town, with the result that after the bridge across the Snake River was completed the company built a new station on the present site and "New Weiser" passed out of existence.
On May 29, 1890, Weiser was almost completely destroyed by a fire which was started by a drunken man dropping a kerosene lamp in the barroom of the Weiser Hotel. This fire afforded an opportunity for rebuilding the business district more convenient to the railroad stations, though some made an effort to retain the old site. Thus the main portion of the city came to be located at the confluence of the Snake and Weiser rivers.
Weiser is situated in the center of a rich agricultural and fruit growing dis- trict and in 1910 reported a population of 2,600. Eight years later the popula- tion was estimated at 4,000. It has three banks, two newspapers, about twenty miles of concrete sidewalks, well-paved streets, waterworks, electric lights, a $250,000 hotel, free mail delivery, a creamery, well-stocked stores handling all lines of merchandise, an active commercial club, eleven churches, fine school buildings, and ships annually large quantities of fruit, farm products and live stock.
CHAPTER XXXVI INCORPORATED VILLAGES
INCORPORATED VILLAGES IN 19IO-CHANGES SINCE THAT TIME-ALBION-AMMON -ARCO - ASHTON - ATHOL -- BASALT - BLOOMINGTON-BUHL-CAMBRIDGE- CASCADE-CHALLIS-COTTONWOOD-COUNCIL-CULDESAC-DRIGGS-FAIRFIELD- FILER-FRANKLIN-GEORGETOWN-GIFFORD-GLENNS FERRY-GOODING-HARRI- SON-HOPE-IDAHO CITY-ILO-IONA-JEROME-JULIAETTA-KAMIAH-KEN- DRICK-KIPPEN-KOOSKIA-LEWISVILLE-M CAMMON-MACKAY-MALAD CITY --- MARYSVILLE-MENAN-MERIDIAN-MINIDOKA-MOUNTAIN HOME-MULLAN -NEW MEADOWS-NEW PLYMOUTH-NEZ PERCE-OAKLEY-ORO FINO-PARKER -PARMA-PECK - PLACERVILLE - POST FALLS - PRIESTRIVER - RATHDRUM - RICHFIELD - ROBERTS - SHELLEY-SHOSHONE-SODA SPRINGS-SPIRIT LAKE- STITES-SUGAR-TROY-VOLLMER-WENDELL-WESTON.
The United States Census of 1910 reported seventy-three villages incor- porated in Idaho. A number have since been incorporated, and a few have dropped their village organization. Brief sketches of the principal of these villages follows in alphabetical order.
ALBION
When Cassia County was created in 1879, Albion was made the county seat, it being at that time the principal village in the county. It is located in the Marsh Creek Valley and is the seat of the Southern Idaho Normal School. Adja- cent to the village are fertile lands upon which dry farming is carried on suc- cessfully. With the building of the railroads through the county other towns grew up and at the general election of 1918 the voters of the county removed the county seat to Burley, Albion being about ten miles from the railroad. Albion has a bank, a weekly newspaper, several mercantile establishments and in 1910 reported a population of 392. In 1918 the estimated population was 600. One of the State Normal Schools is situated at Albion.
AMMON
The Village of Ammon, Bonneville County, is an inland trading point a few miles from Idaho Falls, from which place mail is delivered daily by rural car-
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rier. . It was incorporated in 1905 and in 1910 reported a population of 214. It has no special history.
ARCO
Arco, the county seat of Butte County, is situated in the Big Lost River Valley, on the Mackay branch of the Oregon Short Line railway system, and in the midst of a fine farming district. It is a great shipping point for live stock and dairy products. When Butte County was created in 1917, Arco was made the temporary county seat, and at the general election in 1918 it was made the permanent county seat by popular vote. The population in 1910 was 322, but since then the village has had a steady growth and in 1919 the estimated population was 1,000. Arco has a bank, a weekly newspaper, a number of stores carrying practically all lines of merchandise, and is one of the prosperous villages of Southeastern Idaho.
ASHTON
In the southeastern part of Fremont County, at the junction of the Yellow- stone and Victor branches of the Oregon Short Line railway system, is the Vil- lage of Ashton, which was incorporated in 1906. It is the center of a rich grain growing district, has four large elevators, two banks, a weekly newspaper, a mu- nicipal waterworks system, electric light, the hydro-electric plant on the Snake River near the village generating 10,000 horse power. It is an independent school district, with fine high school, and is a great outfitting point for sportsmen bound for the big game country. The population in 1910 was 502 and is now esti- mated at 1,200.
ATHOL
The Village of Athol, situated in the northern part of Kootenai County, at the junction of the Northern Pacific and the Spokane & International railroads, . was incorporated in 1909 and the next year reported a population of 281. It is a trading and shipping point for the rich farming country tributary to it, has a public school, churches of different denominations, a money order postoffice, express, telegraph and telephone service, etc.
BASALT
Fifteen miles northeast of Blackfoot, on the line of the Oregon Short Line Railroad which runs to Butte, Mont., is the Village of Basalt, the railroad name of which is Monroe. It was incorporated in 1906 and four years later reported a population of 200 which since has more than doubled. The village takes its name from the Basaltic formation in the Snake River Canyon a short distance away. It is a shipping point for a considerable district.
BLOOMINGTON
About three miles southeast of Paris, the county seat of Bear Lake County, is the Village of Bloomington, which in 1910 reported a population of 539. As an incorporated village it was then only one year old, though it had been founded many years before. It is a postoffice and trading center for a rich farming com- munity, but its proximity to Paris, which is the terminus of a branch of the Ore- gon Short Line railway system, has a tendency to retard its growth.
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BUHL
Buhl is situated in the northwestern part of Twin Falls County, in the rich irrigated Valley of Cedar Creek, and is the terminus of the Twin Falls branch of the Oregon Short Line railway system. It was. incorporated in 1908 and two years later reported a population of 639. In 1918 the estimated population was 1.200. Buhl has three banks, two weekly newspapers, four large grain eleva- tors, a cheese factory, two cream stations, and is an important shipping point for grain, live stock and dairy products. The village is supplied with water- works, electric light, hotels, money order postoffice, telephone and telegraph serv- ice and contains a number of handsome residences.
CAMBRIDGE
The Village of Cambridge is situated in the northeastern part of Washing- ton County, on the Pacific & Idaho Northern Railroad and in the rich Weiser Valley. It grew up after the building of the railroad and in 1910 reported a population of 349. In 1918 the estimated population was 800. Cambridge has a bank, a newspaper, most of the improvements usually found in villages of its class, and ships annually large quantities of fruit, grain and live stock.
CASCADE
Cascade, the county seat of Valley County, is situated in the western part of the county on the Idaho Northern branch of the Oregon Short Line railway system and the north fork of the Payette River. It was made the temporary county seat when Valley County was created in 1917 and became the permanent county seat at the general election in 1918, defeating both Donnelly and Lake- port for, the honor. A system of waterworks and a sewer system were installed in the summer of 1918 at a cost of $21,000, and an electric light plant was also established. Cascade has a bank, a weekly newspaper, a new $20,000 school building, a number of mercantile establishments, large lumbering interests, and an estimated population of 500 in 1918.
CHALLIS
Forty miles from a railroad, in the Salmon River Valley and near the base of the Pahsimeroi Mountains, is Challis, the county seat of Custer County. The village was founded in 1878 by A. P. Challis and his associates, but it was not incorporated until 1907. When only two years old it had a population of over five hundred, and when Custer County was created in 1881 it was designated as the county seat. Its altitude is 5.700 feet and in 1910 the population was 338. There is still some mining done in the vicinity, but the lack of transportation facili- ties has prevented any marked increase in the number of inhabitants. The esti- mated population in 1918 was 600.
COTTONWOOD
The Village of Cottonwood is a station on the Camas Prairie Railroad in the northwestern part of Idaho County. As early as 1863 Wheeler & Toothacher established a station here on the trail between Lewiston and Mount Idaho. L. P. Brown afterward became the owner of the townsite and a postoffice was estab-
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lished. F. B. King was the first merchant and postmaster, and Harris & Wood opened a saloon. A pork packing plant was established here in 1893. One of the engagements of the Nez Perce war of 1877 was fought near the village. Cottonwood was incorporated in 1901. It has a bank, a weekly newspaper, a good public school building, churches of several denominations, good stores, waterworks and electric light, and in 1910 reported a population of 555. The estimated population in 1918 was 800. It ships annually large quantities of grain and live stock, especially hogs.
COUNCIL
This village is the county seat of Adams County and is beautifully situated in the "Council Valley," a place that was a favorite resort and meeting place of the Indians in early days, and from which the village takes its name. It was incorporated in 1903 and when Adams County was created in 1911 it was made the county seat. Council has a bank, a weekly newspaper, a number of well stocked stores, a public school building, electric light and waterworks, and is an important shipping point on the Pacific & Idaho Northern Railroad. The population in 1910 was 312 and in 1918 it was estimated at 600.
CULDESAC
The incorporated Village of Culdesac is situated at the base of Craig's Mountain, in Nez Perce County, and about twenty miles southeast of Lewis- ton, on the Camas Prairie Railroad that runs between that city and Grangeville. The name was suggested by a remark of President Mellen of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, who visited the place in 1899 and declared it to be "a veritable culdesac." A townsite of thirty acres was platted in the fall of that year and the town was at first called "Mellen," but the railroad company gave the station the name of "Culdesac." The first house was built by Albert Watkins, and King & Wright opened the first store.
About a year after the town was laid out the citizens petitioned the post- office department for a postoffice and suggested the name "Cul-de-sac," divid- ing the syllables by hyphens, which was not approved by the department and the office was established under the name of "Magnolia." In July, 1902, another petition was presented asking for a change of name, the petitioners spelling the word without hyphens, and since then the name of the town and postoffice have been the same. In January, 1903, the town was incorporated with Thomas Culnan, Albert Sogard, C. B. Uptograf, W. A. Cochran and F. M. Remington, as the first board of trustees.
Culdesac has a bank, a weekly newspaper, four churches, flour, feed and planing mills, several general stores, a public school, and is the principal ship- ping point for the farmers in the southeastern part of Nez Perce County. A system of waterworks was installed about the time the town was incorporated, a large spring being utilized as the source of supply. In 1910 the population was 436.
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