USA > Idaho > History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume III > Part 14
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On the 28th of January, 1906, in Sugar City, Idaho, Mr. Cowles was married to Miss Grace Robson, who was born and reared in New York and was an acquaintance of his boyhood. They now have a daughter, Helen, seven years of age. Mrs. Cowles is a graduate of a teachers' training school and successfully engaged in teaching before her marriage and for two years thereafter continued actively in the profession.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Cowles are active and prominent members of the Presbyterian church. They were reared in the Methodist faith, but as there is no church of that denomination near them they have not neglected their duties in this connection but
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have become earnest supporters of the Presbyterian church, in which Mr. Cowles is serving as an elder. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is likewise a member of the Intermountain Society of Equity, a farmers' organization, looking to the protection of the agricultural interests of the district. In politics he is a stanch republican, giving to the party his loyal support since attaining his majority. He is now serving for the second term in the Idaho state legislature, having first been elected in 1916, while in 1918 he was again called to the office by a larger majority although he did not seek reelection. He is serving on the committees on agriculture, horticulture, militia, Indian affairs, waterways and drainage. He is a close student of questions that have to do with the development and upbuilding of. the state and never lightly regards the responsibilities that devolve upon him as one of Idaho's law- makers. On the contrary, he always attempts to inform himself thoroughly regarding the vital questions which come up for settlement and his support of a measure is an indication of his firm belief in its value as a factor in good government or in the welfare of the commonwealth. ' His genuine worth is acknowledged by all who know him and through the period of his residence in the northwest he has gained many warm friends, the number being almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance.
JAMES T. GAYLE.
Every community has its leaders, the men who are most active in shaping public opinion and directing business enterprise. Of this class James T. Gayle is a represen- tative, being the secretary and manager of the Miller & Gayle Company. He was born in Franklin county, Kentucky, October 12, 1856, and is a representative of old southern families. His father, Dr. Robert C. Gayle, was a native of Virginia and became a physician, practicing his profession for many years in Franklin county, Kentucky. He made a specialty of dropsy cases and patients came to him from as far east as Phila- delphia and as far west as Colorado. He continued in practice in Kentucky through- out his entire life, passing away in March, 1900. His wife, who hore the maiden name of Susan M. Bradley, was born in Kentucky and her death occurred in December, 1900.
James T. Gayle spent his youthful days in Franklin county, Kentucky, and remained at home throughout the period of his minority. He then went to Indiana, where he was employed at farm work for three and a half years. The opportunities of the new and growing west, however, attracted him and in April, 1881, he came to Idaho, spending the first summer in placer mining at Leesburg in the employ of a former Kentuckian, who had at one time been his neighbor in the Blue Grass state. He later entered the employ of Robert McNichol at Leesburg and thus became connected with general merchandising interests. He was afterward with the firm of George L. Shoup & Company at Salmon. Idaho, and his capability and faithfulness is indicated in the fact that he was retained by that firm for seven years. He then returned to Kentucky with the intention of remaining and he engaged in the drug business with a brother for a year and a half, but the lure of the west was upon him and he disposed of his interests in Kentucky to return to Idaho. He then located at Challis, this state, and purchased an interest in a general merchandise store conducted by R. N. Hull & Company and after fourten years there he hought the interest of another partner and thus became the holder of two-thirds of the stock. In September, 1911, he disposed of his business there and came to Dubois in June, 1912, at which time he purchased a half Interest in the general merchandise business of which he is now one of the proprietors. He bought out F. A. Pyke and became the associate of David Miller, thus organizing the Miller & Gayle Company, of which he is the secretary and manager. They carry an extensive stock of goods and are doing a business of mammoth proportions for a town the size of Duhois. They also conduct a general store at Lakeview, Montana, and Mr. Gayle was one of the directors of the First National Bank of Challis. He owns city property in Boise and Spokane, Washington, and is a business man of marked ability and enterprise whose ready recognition and utilization of opportunities have placed him in a commanding position among the merchants and enterprising men of his section of the state.
In October, 1884, Mr. Gayle was married to Miss Nettie Kaufman and to them were born three children. Arthur W., who was born in September, 1885, is assistant cashier in the First National Bank of Duhois. Mildred, born in February, 1892, is at home. Walter Frederick, born in September, 1887, passed away in February, 1888. The wife
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and mother died January 31, 1919, after an illness of two weeks, and her death was deeply deplored by all who knew her.
Mr. Gayle is a stalwart advocate of republican principles and has served as a member of the village board of Dubois since the incorporation of the village in 1915. He was likewise a member of the village board of trustees and also the school board at Challis, Idaho, and he is at all times keenly interested in those activities which con- tribute to public progress and improvement. His religious faith is that of the Christian church. All who know him speak of him in terms of warm regard. His standards of life are high and he puts forth every effort to reach the ideals which he holds.
ARCHIBALD MCKINLAY.
Archibald McKinlay, manager of the Newdale branch of the Farmers Implement Company and one of the board of directors of that company, which has its headquarters at Rexburg, was born in Scotland, March 5, 1875. He is a son of Robert and Isabella (Watson) Mckinlay, who are mentioned more at length in connection with the sketchi of George W. Mckinlay on another page of this work.
Archibald Mckinlay was reared and educated in America, having been brought to this country by his parents when but four months old. The family home was estab- lished in Provo, Utah, in 1875 and there he attended school. He removed to Idaho with his parents in 1884 and completed his education in Teton, Fremont county. He continued under the parental roof until he attained his majority, after which he purchased land and later bought other farm property near Teton. He then began to till the soil and continued the work of improving his farm for about twelve years. For a few years prior to that time he worked as a farm hand and after engaging in farming on his own account for twelve years disposed of his agricultural interests and turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, becoming a stockholder in the Farmers Implement Company of Rexburg, with which he has since been thus connected. He is now in charge of its branch house at Newdale and erected a business block at this point, in which he has conducted the business for the past three years. He carries a large and complete stock of goods and is conducting an extensive business. He also has important farming inter- ests, for he and bis brother own a thousand acres of land, which they rent.
Mr. Mckinlay was married in September, 1895, to Miss Anena Anderson and to them were born five children: Anna, Cecil, Oswald, Asahel and Lucille. The wife and mother passed away about 1913 and Mr. Mckinlay afterward wedded Debbie Stevens, who died leaving one daughter, Shirla. In April, 1916, Mr. Mckinlay wedded S. Louiette Stephens and they have one child, Dottie M.
Mr. Mckinlay belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is a member of the Presidents of Seventies. His political allegiance is given to the repub- lican party and for twelve years he served on the town board of Teton but is now concentrating his efforts and attention almost exclusively upon his business affairs and is developing a large trade at Newdale for the Farmers Implement Company. Pro- gressiveness has characterized him at every point in his career, and his energy and industry have been the basic elements of a growing success.
PROFESSOR W. B. STRONG.
Professor W. B. Strong is a well known figure in both musical and insurance circles. He makes his home at Dubois, Clark county, where his attention is largely directed along the two lines indicated. Pennsylvania claims him as a native son, his birth having occurred in Erie county on the 16th of July, 1860. His father, Mark Strong, was a native of St. Lawrence county, New York, and became an architect and builder of Syracuse, that state. There he spent the greater part of his life save for a period of two years which was passed in Erie county, Pennsylvania. He wedded Mary Bogardus, who was born in Onondaga county, New York. He passed away in the year 1861 and for almost four decades was survived by his wife, whose demise occurred in February, 1900.
Professor Strong was reared and educated in Onondaga county, New York. His father died during the infancy of the son and the latter in consequence had to make
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his own way in the world from an early age. When a tiny lad he sold papers and blacked boots on the streets of New York city, of Boston and other places in the east. He saved his money until he had acquired a sufficient sum to meet the expenses of a course of study in Cazenovia Seminary of New York. He was graduated from that institution with the class of 1879, but prior to that he had taught school, taking up the profession when but sixteen years of age. He made a notable struggle to get an education and obtain a start in life. He afterward attended Syracuse University and ultimately was graduated from the University of Tennessee with the class of 1882. He then engaged in Y. M. C. A. work for a time and later followed teaching in a number of different places in the United States. He has taught in many southern states and in 1901 he went to Puliman, Washington, becoming a teacher in the Wash- ington State College at that place. There he remained until the fall of 1915, when he removed to Dubois, Idaho, and filed on land in Clark county, then a part of Fremont county. He afterward relinquished his claim but filed on other places and has acquired land in this way. He became a clerk in a Dubois bank and subsequently took up the fire insurance business, since which time he has conducted an agency. He is also the secretary and treasurer of the Federal Farm Loan Association.
In July, 1893, Professor Strong was married to Miss Kuria Long and to them have been born three children: Juanita; Vivian, who is a vocal artist now singing in Seattle; and Virginia. Mrs. Strong is a teacher of voice culture in the Washington State College at Pullman. Professor Strong is also a musician and composer. During the World war he wrote the words and music of a war song on Idaho which was circulated widely throughout the state. He had charge of and directed the college band and orchestra at the Washington State College of Pullman and he is now widely known in musical circles. His political endorsement is given to the democratic party and at the present writing he is acting as clerk of the town of Dubois, also as justice of the peace, and is now filling the office of probate judge of Clark county. His fraternal relations are with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and his religious faith is manifest in his membership in the Episcopal church. High ideals have characterized his course throughout his entire life and his high standards have won for him uniform confidence and respect.
JOHN R. CARPENTER.
John R. Carpenter lives at Eagle, Ada county. His memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present. There is perhaps no resi- dent of Idaho who has been more closely associated with pioneer events nor who has experienced greater hardships and privations in pioneer days than he. There is no phase of the state's development and upbuilding with which he is not familiar and he rejoices to see the point of progress to which Idaho has attained. Mr. Carpenter was born in the state of New York, between Schenectady and Albany, on the 26th of March, 1846, and in 1859 he crossed the plains with an ox team in company with his father, John Carpenter, who located in Scott's valley, Siskiyou county, California. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary S. Mallems, was a native of England and made the trip around Cape Horn in a sailing vessel to San Francisco, California, join- ing her husband at Yreka, that state, crossing the mountains by pack train from San Francisco. It was the intention of the father when he started for the west to go to Pike's Peak; Colorado, and all the money he had was thirty-five dollars. While en route, however, he changed his plans and returned to the Platte river, where he traded his horses for oxen and then went to California. When he was crossing the plains the Indians tried to induce him to trade his son, John R., for buffalo robes. The Indians were very hostile at that time and the wagon train preceding and the one following the train with which the Carpenters traveled suffered the loss of several of their party, who were killed by the red men. The train with which the Carpenters traveled, however, journeyed mostly by night and in that way evaded the Indians. However, much of their stock was stolen.
The winter of 1860 was spent by father and son in mining on Indian creek in Scott's valley. They then went down the south side of Scott's river and for two seasons engaged in ranching on the old Shores ranch, while in 1862 they removed to Auburn, Oregon, where they spent the winter in mining. While there residing their home was next to a saloon in which two men were killed by a Spaniard, who was.
JOHN R. CARPENTER
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afterward lynched and dragged by the neck for several hundred yards, then hanged to a tree. In the spring of 1863 the Carpenter family came to Idaho, traveling by ox team to Idaho City but not by the route used at present. John R. Carpenter drove the third wagon of the first three ox teams that entered Idaho City, each wagon being drawn by four yoke of oxen. John R. Carpenter has seen as many as four dead men in the streets of Idaho City at one time. While there his father became ill of moun- tain fever and the son took the ox team and hauled logs and shakes to be used in erect- ing buildings in Idaho City. He made eight hundred dollars in this way in a month. In the fall of the same year he and his father started for Umatilla Landing, Oregon, in order to secure their supplies for the winter, carrying with them the eight hundred dollars which the son had earned. But when they were encamped for the night at Placerville, Idaho, they were set upon while they slept and robbed of five hundred dollars. During the mix-up John R. Carpenter tried to take a gun away from one of the robbers and was shot through the hand and wrist, so that two of his fingers are useless today from the wound. One of their party, Anderson by name, had nine hun- dred dollars fastened to his leg, and when the three robbers entered their sleeping tent with cocked guns and ordered the sleepers to throw up their hands, Anderson began to pull on his pants, his idea being to cover the money that was fastened to his leg. When again ordered to throw up his hands or be shot, he protested, saying: "You wouldn't shoot a man who is freezing to death, would you?" and continued to pull on his trousers before raising his hands. By so doing he saved all his money, while Mr. Carpenter's father saved several hundred by slipping one of his purses inside his underwear. The robbers were later lynched and John R. Carpenter of this review is one of the few men who knows where they were buried. The trees to which they were hanged are still standing today but are now dead.
John R. Carpenter, because of his wound, did not continue the journey to Oregon, but returned to his home in Idaho and almost bled to death before he could get medical attention. His father continued to Umatilla and returned with supplies to Idaho City. He later engaged in the livery business there and also in mining. About that time a fire broke out in the town and the household goods and supplies were taken as fast as possible to the creek and unloaded, and the wagons returned for more. While the wagons returned for the second load, the first loads were being stolen. One fellow attempted to get away with two hundred pounds of flour. Coming to a hill, he found it necessary to leave one hundred pounds at the foot of the hill while he carried the other hundred to the top. When he again reached the foot of the hill, the flour which he had left there had disappeared, so he hurried to the top of the hill for the flour which he had there deposited and discovered that it had also been stolen.
Mr. Carpenter had a very narrow escape from the Indians while in Siskiyou county, California, an arrow passing between his legs and lodging in a tree. Such hairbreadth escapes rendered life on the frontier anything but monotonous, and not only were the settlers in constant danger but they also experienced many hardships and privations such as always feature in pioneer life. Flour was very scarce in Idaho in 1864. Two pack trains laden with flour were en route to Idaho City, but before they could reach their destination the flour was all sold at thirty-five dollars per sack. Mr. Carpenter had seen the streets of Idaho City so congested with teams that it was almost impossible to make one's way among them. In the fall of 1865 he and his father's family went to the old Saxon ranch, which his father purchased, and there they carried on farming until 1876, when the father sold the property and returned east to Pennsylvania, where he passed away in 1895. John R. Carpenter, however, worked for his father on the ranch for only two years and then drove stage for Mr. Mathews between Idaho City and Boise for one winter, during which time he hauled the first prisoners from Idaho City to the penitentiary in Boise. He next engaged in freighting from Boise to Idaho City and subsequently from Boise to Kelton, Utah. For two years he drove stage over the overland route for the Northwestern Stage Company, after which he engaged in packing and freighting. In 1882 he went to Wood River, Idaho, stocked the new stage route and built the stations for "Uncle" John Hailey. This road was between Goose Creek, Wood River and Mountain Home. Mr. Carpenter continued to work for Mr. Hailey for three years and is today one of his best friends. Mr. Carpenter was division agent for the road and was also assistant superintendent of all Mr. Hailey's stage routes. After the building of the railroads the stages were taken off all the routes except that from Idaho City and from Boise to Silver City, and later ran only from Nampa to Silver City. Mr. Carpenter was associated with all these routes. He also drove stage from Kuna to Boise and his privilege to drive the largest stage load of people, numbering it was
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twenty-two in all, that ever went into Silver City. This stage was drawn by six horses and Mr. Carpenter had practically but one hand to use in driving, as he never recovered from the wound sustained in his right hand. The horses had been broken by Mr. Carpenter and John Hailey, the latter saying: "If we cannot handle them, we will make them know they have gotten into the wrong family." Mr. Car- penter was known as one of the best stage drivers in the United States. In 1878 he met Rube Robbins, chief of scouts for the government, in Boise, and was the first man hired by him for scout duty. He was afterward made messenger during the Ban- nock war and had several narrow and thrilling encounters with the Indians. He served in that capacity for about four months, when the trouble with the Indians was over, and during that time he always received the best of treatment for both himself and his horse from the United States army officers. On one occasion he started at midnight to carry a message to Colonel Wagner at French John's ferry on the Snake river. At daybreak, reaching the slope south of Caldwell, he saw a streak of dust in the river bottom and later learned that it was made by a man on horseback who had just escaped from the Indians. He reached the ferry simultaneously with this man. The ferryman, however, refused to ferry them across the river, saying that they would surely be killed were they to cross, as the Indians were numerous on the other side. So Mr. Carpenter and the man, Foster by name, continued up the near side of the river to the stage crossing. On the way Foster stopped to look at some Indian hieroglyphics, Mr. Carpenter waiting for him, and in the meantime he discovered some Indians on the sand bar in the river. Foster was prevented from deserting him by Mr. Carpen- ter's threat to shoot him should he attempt to do so. They proceeded on thelr way to the upper stage ferry, where soldiers were located who refused to go with Mr. Carpenter across the river, so he returned to Boise and reported that the soldiers were afraid to cross the river because of the Indians on the other side, whom they feared to attack. His report greatly incensed the military authorities at Boise and he was told that he was to be hanged for reporting falsely. Before this came to pass, how- ever, his late companion, Foster, who had become separated from him, came into Boise and when interrogated by the military authorities corroborated Mr. Carpenter's report, so that nothing further was ever said about hanging.
Mr. Carpenter also did telegraph repair work for the government and in one in- stance, when ordered to cross the river and repair the wires, he on account of a pre- sentiment of danger put it off until the next day. The stage driver, Billy Hemmingway, who made the trip that day and with whom Mr. Carpenter would have ridden had he not postponed the job, was killed by the Indians, as he was alone. Mr. Carpenter was sent with a message to Colonel Green, who was located somewhere on Camas Prairie. He started in the early morning with a companion, who, however, refused to go farther than Mountain Home, so that Mr. Carpenter continued the trip alone, meeting a man from whom the Indians had taken his gun, coat and hat, near Dixie. This caused the former to change his route, so as to avoid the neighborhood of Dixie. He saw a large number of Indians but by clever maneuvering avoided them, and he met friends who were after the Indians, but he continued on his way alone and at the end of two days and a night, during which he had nothing to eat but hard- tack, he finally found the guards on the other side of Camas Prairie and delivered his message to Colonel Green, who was dumbfounded to learn that he had made his way through that portion of the country, for the Indians were most numerous there at the time. Mr. Carpenter was then sent back to Boise to report that Colonel Green had gone out after the Indians.'
For two months succeeding these Indian troubles he rambled around, enjoying the hospitality extended to him by his friends on account of the glory he had attained by his work as scout and messenger. It was after this Indian warfare that he went to the Wood river for Mr. Hailey. In 1895 he bought his present place of ninety acres, of which he platted and sold fifteen acres for the town of Eagle, of which he was one of the two founders. He donated to the Odd Fellows the property on which they erected their headquarters and he has been closely associated with the development and upbuilding of the town.
In 1891 Mr. Carpenter was married to Miss Mary Stierman, of Mariposa county, California, a daughter of William Stierman, who went to that state in 1848. Her mother, who prior to her marriage was Annie Otten, came to the United States from Hanover, Germany, in 1858 and was married in 1860. She died in Idaho in 1876 and Mr. Stierman passed away in Ohio in 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter are the parents. of six children: J. R., twenty-seven years of age, who has recently returned from over-
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seas service in the great European war in France and Germany; Mayme E., at home; Anna M., at home; Willey W., eighteen years of age; Henry L., aged sixteen, now at- tending high school; and Leona Dell, also in school. Such in brief is the record of John R. Carpenter, who has always led a clean life and is at present strong, healthy and erect, appearing a man much younger than his years, for he has now passed the seventy-fourth milestone on life's journey. His entire course in every relation has commended him to the confidence and goodwill of his associates and all with whom he has been brought in contact.
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