History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume III, Part 66

Author: Hawley, James Henry, 1847-1929, ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 926

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Emil Stahl learned the baker's trade in Baltimore in his youthful days, beginning work along that line when a lad of thirteen, and by the time he had reached the age of seventeen he was a master baker. In his later years he worked as journeyman baker in Philadelphia, New York city, Boston and other places in New England and the east. At the age of twenty years he joined the United States army at New Haven, Con- necticut, and served altogether for six years, or for two full three year periods of enlistment. It was in 1906 that he joined the army, reenlisting in 1909 and serving until 1912, when he received his final discharge at Cheyenne, Wyoming. During two and a half years of this period he was in Cuba with the American Army of Occupation and he also spent several months on the Mexican border. After receiving his honorable dis- charge he spent one year in Ogden, Utah, being variously employed. In 1914 he came to Idaho and for two and a half years was a resident of Boise, during which period he was largely in the employ of the City Dye Works. In 1916 he removed to Emmett, where he has now made his home for four years. For several months he was the head baker of the Palm Bakery in Emmett and on the 11th of March, 1918, he established his present bakery and confectionery and with the assistance of his wife, who is indeed an able helper to him, he has built up one of the profitable bakeries of this section of the state. He also conducts a confectionery business in connection therewith and manufactures most of the candies which he sells. This is one of the only two bakeries in Gem county, and his business is now one of extensive and profitable proportions.

On the 7th of April, 1912, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Mr. Stahl was married to Mrs. Marie Woodard, who was born in England, September 7, 1881. They have an only child, Dolores, who was born in Boise, May 13, 1914, and is a beautiful child whose picture

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adorns a 1920 Stalıl Bakery calendar which has recently been printed and widely cir- culated among their patrons.

Mr. Stahl is a member of the Idaho Master Bakers Association. Fraternally he is connected with the Loyal Order of Moose and the Ancient Order of United Workmen and he belongs also to the Emmett Commercial Club, while his wife is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps. Mr. Stahl had a cousin, Henry B. Sonneborn, of Baltimore, who went down on the Lusitania when it was sunk by the Germans. While of German descent, Mr. Stahl is thoroughly American in spirit and interests, and as a citizen of Emmett he supports all of the activities and interests which are calculated to benefit and upbuild the town and locality.

JESSE SHAWVER.

Jesse Shawver, a farmer and ditch rider residing four and a half miles west of Boise, was born in the western part of Kansas, April 21, 1876, and is the eldest of the three sons of Jacob and Mary Jane (Arbaugh) Shawver, who are living in the same neighborhood west of Boise. The parents came to Idaho from Montana, the father taking up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he now resides and which was a tract of wild land covered with sagebrush when it came into his possession. He performed the arduous task of breaking the sod and developing the fields and now has a fine and well improved farm. He has sold some of the original tract of one hundred and sixty acres but still retains possession of sixty acres, which is today worth at least three hundred dollars per acre more.

Jesse Shawver was a youth of ten years when the family took up their abode upon what is now the old homestead farm in Ada county and he has lived either upon this place or nearby throughout the intervening period. His own ranch lies just north of his father's place and on the other side of the Oregon Short Line Railroad. He has occupied his own property for twenty years, or since his marriage. His place comprises thirty acres and is splendidly improved with good buildings and all of the other equipment of a model farm of the twentieth century, all of which has been installed by Mr. Shawver. He keeps a number of fine Jersey cows and special- izes in handling fine dairy stock and in raising alfalfa. He has also been one of the riders on the Ridenbaugh ditch for fifteen years, this work requiring more than half of his time during the crop season of seven months. His section of the ditch embraces ten miles on the main ditch.

On the 31st of May, 1899, Mr. Shawver was married to Leah Powell, a native of Iowa, who came to Idaho with her parents in her girlhood days. They now have one living child, Howard Edward, born November 27, 1901, while an only daughter, Ruth Margaret, passed away July 20, 1913, at the age of five years.

Mr. and Mrs. Shawver belong to the Bethany Presbyterian church. In politics he maintains an independent course. He served as road supervisor for two or three years but has never heen a candidate for political office preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs, which, wisely directed, have brought to him a substantial measure of success.

WILLIAM HENRY UHRIG.

William Henry Uhrig, who is a pioneer of the Wood river country, sold his ranch of four hundred acres in Blaine county in September, 1917, and removed at that time to a suburban home on the Boise bench. He had already been a resident of Idaho for thirty years, having removed to this state in 1887 from Kansas City, Missouri. He was born and reared, however, in Hancock county, Illinois, his birth having there occurred July 22. 1859. He was the eldest son in a family of ten children, five sons and five daughters, whose parents were Phillip and Rosa (Snider) Uhrig, both of whom were natives of Germany and were acquainted in that country. They came to the United States on the same ship and were married in Chillicothe, Ohio. While in his native land the father had served as a drummer boy in the German army. The mother passed away in Hancock county, Illinois, in 1874 and the father, long surviv- ing, there died on the 4th of March, 1916, at the notable age of ninety-seven years.

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Their home was at Pontoosuc, Hancock county, on the banks of the Mississippi river, and hoth were laid to rest there.

William H. Uhrig was reared in Hancock county, Illinois, and because his people were in limited financial circumstances he began earning his own living when a lad of but thirteen years. Going to Burlington, Iowa, he there learned the machinist's trade, spending three years in a foundry. When seventeen years of age he became a fireman on a Mississippi river steamboat and for eleven years worked on the Mississippi boats in various capacities. He was finally made second engineer and later was pro- moted to first engineer. He quit the river in 1887 and spent a few months in Kansas City, Missouri, where he engaged in dredge work in the Kaw river. In August, 1887, he came to Idaho and took up a timber claim of one hundred and sixty acres in the Wood river district of Blaine county. Later he bought another tract of one hundred and sixty acres and still later purchased eighty acres, becoming the owner of four hundred acres, which in 1917 he sold for forty dollars per acre. He received more than seventy-three hundred dollars additional for his live stock and utensils, amounting alto- gether to about twenty-three thousand dollars. This he has earned since coming to Idaho, for when he arrived in this state his capital consisted of but seven dollars and a quarter. He possesses much natural mechanical ability, is a good carpenter and did much work of that character during the first years of his residence in Idaho, working at Hailey, Bellevue and other sections near his ranch. Upon his ranch he erected a residence at a cost of thirty-three hundred dollars. He now makes his home on the Bolse bench on a five acre tract of splendidly improved land, having there a very pleasant suburban home, which is surrounded with fine fruit trees.

Mr. Uhrig was married near Hailey, Idaho, July 3, 1891, to Elizabeth A. Fowler, who was born in Indiana, September 4, 1867, and was brought to Idaho in early girl- hood by her parents, Silas R. and Kate Fowler, former residents of Ada county. Mrs. Uhrig passed away February 22, 1911, leaving six children, three sons and three daugh- ters, the eldest twenty and the youngest but eighteen months old. Since the death of his wife Mr. Uhrig has given his attention to the rearing of his children, namely: Fred R., who was recently discharged from the United States army after serving for a year; Hazel, who was married in 1911 to Thomas Johnson, by whom she has four children, George, Lawrence, Benton and one unnamed; and the others of the family are Benton A., Delsie, L., Crystal L., and William H., Jr.

Mr. Uhrig is a democrat in his political views but has never been a candidate for office. He is fond of hunting and fishing and when leisure permits turns to those sports for rest and enjoyment. For a third of a century he has lived in Idaho witnessing its wonderful development and improvement, and at all times he has borne his share in the work of general advancement.

JAMES B. HELLEWELL.

James B. Hellewell, a rancher now living at Letha, Gem county, where he has recently purchased an excellent tract of land of eighty acres, removed to Gem county from Minidoka county, where he had formerly resided from 1905. He was born in Ogden, Utah, April 4, 1883, and is a son of George E. and Mary Ann (Burrup) Hellewell, both of whom are now residents of Minidoka county and are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

James B. Hellewell came to Idaho with his parents when a youth of eight years. He lived in Bannock and Minidoka counties until coming to Gem county in 1919, and his youthful experiences were those of the farmbred boy who early becomes familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. As the years passei he acquired property of his own and carried on farming, having a good ranch in Minidoka county, which he sold before investing in property near Letha.

On the 2nd of October, 1912, Mr. Hellewell was married to Miss Elizabeth Sarah Liechty,, who was born in Provo, Utah, August 18, 1892, and her parents were also of the Mormon faith. Five of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hellewell are yet living, these being Mary Ann, Louise, James, John and George E., the last two being twins, and Heber Virgil. The son John died at the age of three months.

Mr. Hellewell is a republican in politics but has never been a candidate for office. His entire life has been devoted to his farming interests and in 1905 he homesteaded in Minidoka county, his ranch there comprising eighty acres, which he sold for two hun-

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dred dollars per acre early in 1919. He then purchased his eighty acre tract near Letha, for which he gave ten thousand dollars and which is just as desirable a property as the one that he recently sold for sixteen thousand dollars. He is now giving his efforts and attention to the further development of this property, and his labors are manifest in the excellent appearance of the place.

THOMAS ANDREWS.

Thomas Andrews was born in Uperganie, Herefordshire, England, September 22, 1839. In 1842 he with his parents came to the United States. Their first winter was spent in St. Louis, Missouri, and the following spring they moved up the Mississippi river to Fort Madison, Iowa, where they located on a homestead. This became the permanent home of the Andrews family and here four daughters and three other sons were born.

When eighteen years of age Thomas went to Illinois to work on a farm. He re- ceived fifteen dollars per month for his first wages. Here he remained for about five years, working on the farm in summer and attending school in the winter. In the spring of 1862, accompanied by two other boys of about his own age, he started for Oregon. The trip was made in a covered wagon drawn by six yoke of oxen. It was necessary for the boys to carry a supply of provisions with them sufficient to -last until the journey's end. On reaching Omaha, which was at that time only a small military fort, they were forced to wait until a train of from fifty to one hundred wagons could be formed. This was done as a precaution against attacks from bands of hostile Indians. From Omaha the party followed the Platte river to its head in the Rocky mountains. They then journeyed southward and crossed the Green river near the spot where the town of Green River now is. Much difficulty was experienced owing to the swollen condition of the rivers and mountain streams which they had to cross. To combat this condition they would have to take time to make rafts of trees and logs to float the wagons and would swim the stock across. Some brave man of the party would first make a trial trip on horseback to test the condition of the streams. One of these in- stances which was a little unusual was at Green River. The white men were not as brave as usual, and after much coaxing a burley negro, mounted on a mule, plunged into the water causing much excitement as both mule and negro disappeared from view. The negro displayed the greater skill of the two and, much to the surprise of the on- lookers, beat the mule to the other shore by several minutes. From this point in the journey it was necessary to guard against possible attacks from Indians. It was the custom when making camp at night to corral the wagons, placing the 'stock in this enclosure, while some of the men were detailed to guard camp during the night. No serious trouble was encountered by this precaution. A little exciting incident was told by Mr. Andrews of an old German in the party who had been in the habit of camp- ing by himself a short distance from the rest of the train to avoid guard duty. One morning on awakening he found that his stock had been taken. He came running, begging the other men of the party to help him get his stock. Though it meant a delay of an entire day, a posse was quickly formed and the stock trailed to the mouth of a canyon. Here they paused to study the situation and were greeted by threats and dares to "come on and get your stock," which was evidence that white men as well as Indians were waiting in ambush. Realizing that to enter would mean death, they re- turned to their train and divided up the load belonging to the unfortunate man, packing it with their own for the remainder of the journey. With the exception of one other encounter in which one of the men in the party was shot through the arm while on guard duty, there was no further trouble with the Indians.

From Green River, after crossing the Rockies and upon reaching Snake river valley, they kept to the south side of the river until they reached where Huntington, Oregon, is now located. They then traveled over the desert to the Blue mountains. A little difficulty was experienced in crossing these mountains as well as the other moun- tain ranges. At that time there were scarcely any roads blazed out. While going down the mountainsides they had to put part of their teams behind the wagons and often times hold the wagons back in other ways such as dragging trees.

After crossing these mountains the course of travel led them down the Columbia river until they reached The Dalles, where they saw the first house since leaving Omaha. Here the wagon train broke up and some of them took boats for Portland-to them "God's Country" and "The Country of Red Apples." After this Mr. Andrews left the

MR. AND MRS. THOMAS ANDREWS

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party and sought work, which he found at what is now the town of Hubbard, near Salem. His first work in the new country was picking these beautiful red apples which he had so admired in Portland. After the apple picking job was finished he went farther up the valley to Salem and spent the winter working in the timber.

About the first of March, 1863, the mining excitement drew him to Orofino, Idaho. On this journey he passed through the Nez Perce reservation. The Indians in this section were rather hostile at this time. An incident which lingered long in Mr. An- drews' memory happened while he was in this section. When the traveler in this vicinity wished to cross the river it was necessary for him to secure the services of an Indian canoe. The Indians, apparently wishing to take advantage of the situation, compelled the traveler to walk ahead of them down the trail to the water's edge, while the Indian walked behind with a dagger in hand. Mr. Andrews said that this was really the only time he actually felt that his life was in danger at the hands of the Indians.

Not finding things very satisfactory in the mines in northern Idaho, he returned as far as Walla Walla, where he spent some time in the harvest fields and in working on a dairy farm. In the spring of 1864 he purchased two cayouses and came to southern Idaho to again try the mining business, this time at Idaho City, which was then called "The Basin." Again dissatisfied with mining, he came to the Boise valley in search of land and located a ranch near what is now Parma. On this ranch Mr. Andrews re- mained during the rest of his life. Like most of the pioneers he endured many hard- ships. One of the most difficult tasks confronting the men who sought to build new homes in this section of Idaho was the task of battling with the water which almost yearly overflowed the banks of the Boise river. The only means of combating this situation was damming the sloughs leading out from the river and building levees along the banks of the river. No machinery was at hand, of course, and Mr. Andrews and his neighbors were forced to spend many hours constructing these levees by means of shovels. Scrapers were unknown in the west in those days Some years later, in 1878, a hired man on Mr. Andrews' place constructed a crude wooden scraper, pattern- ing it as best he could after one he had seen used in railroad construction work before he came to the west. This same scraper served the district in road work for many years.

The red men caused the settlers much annoyance during these early years. They continually stole the cattle and horses, and the settlers were compelled to sleep in the barns to safeguard their stock. The Indians, when they had captured the stock, would swim them across the Snake river and hide them in the hills. This loss became so great and so much time was spent in trailing the stock in vain that the settlers at one time organized a party which crossed the river by ferry at old Fort Boise and trailed the Indians into the Owyhee hills. Here they found the stolen horses and cattle and the Indians asleep on the ground near by. The Indians were taken unawares and had no weapons at hand. They, therefore, began to fight desperately with rocks and the white men were forced to shoot them in order to secure their cattle once more. This action on the part of the white men seemed to end the cattle rustling for a time and this tribe caused the settlers no further trouble.

When Mr. Andrews first came to the ranch his sole equipment consisted of his blankets, frying pan and butcher knife. He had disposed of his horses because, as he expressed it "it was more trouble to pull those old cayouses along than it was to pack his belongings on his back." During the first few years his only means of gaining a livelihood was cutting the wild hay and hauling it to The Basin to market, where he sold it for from thirty to seventy-five dollars per ton. This amount may seem quite large, yet the prices of foodstuffs were equally high. The amount received for a ton of hay would just about pay for a barrel of flour. During the first few years the settlers were forced to go to The Dalles for supplies. This was, of necessity, a long and difficult journey. The neighbors would take turns making the trip. At one time when Mr. Andrews took his turn winter came on unusually early. The cold was so severe that it seemed as though he would freeze before he reached his jour- ney's end. He crossed the Snake river with his ox team on the ice.

After leading a bachelor's life for several years, Mr. Andrews' brother George and sister Jane joined him. This sister kept house for him until a year later when she married J. N. Tucker, another bachelor who lived in the community. He was again forced to keep house for himself until December 24, 1875, when he was married to Miss Jane Mansell, who crossed the plains in a wagon drawn by horse team. Miss Mansell was born near Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1856, and is of English parentage. In 1859 her family moved to Missouri, near Rolla, and settled on a homestead. Scarcely were they

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settled in their new home when the Civil war broke out. Situated as they were, close to the border line between the north and south, it soon became necessary for her father, W. B. Mansell, to leave his family to serve his country on the battlefield, and he en- listed in the northern army. His wife and eight children were left to manage the place as best they could. During this time they endured many hardships for their stock was all taken from them by the bushwhackers and they were left without anything with which to make a living. While the father lay sick in an army hospital the mother contracted typhoid fever and died, leaving the little brood with no one to care for them. After his wife's death Mr. Mansell was given an honorable discharge from the army in order that he might return and care for his children. He returned to his home but could not remain there owing to the fact that his life was constantly in danger from attacks by the bushwhackers. He found it necessary, therefore, to go away from his home to seek employment, leaving his children in the care of their aged grand- parents, to whose home he took them. The family was not again reunited until about the time of the close of the war, when the children joined the father near Cuba, Mis- souri, where they lived until the father's death in 1874.

In the spring of 1875, Miss Mansell, in company with her sister, Mrs. R. H. Stockton and family, and her brothers, Tom and Jim, began the journey westward. Their travels were much safer during the first part of the journey than those of Mr. Andrews. Dur- ing the latter part of their trip, though their experiences were, perhaps, not so thrilling as those of the other party, a great many hardships were endured, owing to the fact that the grasshoppers had swept the country and practically nothing was left growing upon which to feed the horses or which might be used as food by the travelers them- selves. One incident which now seems amusing but which at the time it happened closely approached the tragic, is described by Mrs. Andrews as follows: "One day after traveling late into the night we reached Little Holt, Kansas, where we purchased some cans of oysters and planned to have an appetizing meal of. oyster soup. We stopped on a grassy spot a short distance from town, built the fire and put the soup in an open kettle to cook. We were congratulating ourselves upon having found a grassy spot in the region where the grasshoppers had left hardly a blade of grass standing. As it was dark we did not even think of grasshoppers being around, so did not cover the soup kettle. Soon the soup was ready and oh, how hungry and eager we were for our evening meal. Our disappointment was very great, indeed, when we found there were really more grasshoppers than oysters in our oyster soup. As the soup was the only thing we had prepared for supper, we were obliged to go to our beds tired, hungry and feeling very much abused." Mrs. Andrews, after telling the above incident of some of the trials of a cross-country journey of this kind, added, with a laugh, "later when we came across some Indians farther along in our journey the incident of our grasshopper soup was brought vividly to our minds as we saw the Indians eating the grasshoppers as a part of their regular diet. We could not help but feel that if we had also been less particular we might have eaten our soup with added relish instead of going hungry to bed."

The route through Wyoming was a somewhat difficult one, owing to the fact that they were forced to change their first plan of going by the Sweetwater trail, on account of warnings of hostile bands of Indians, and the journey was made over the Bitter Root trail. The unusually dry season caused the water to be so strong with alkali as to render it unfit for use. At one point in this section they were compelled to pay a dollar per gallon for water. Needless to say the stock suffered greatly and the loss was heavy. Thus their progress was greatly hindered. Upon reaching the Snake river at American Falls, they followed the river down to Rock creek, a stage station on the site which is now the city of Twin Falls. Here the travelers spent two nights and then went on down the river, crossing at Glenn's ferry. The party then crossed the desert country lying between the Snake and Boise rivers and entered the Boise valley at the present site of Boise.

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History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume III, Part 66

Author: Hawley, James Henry, 1847-1929, ed Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company Number of Pages: 926

Author: Hawley, James Henry, 1847-1929, ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 926