History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume III, Part 86

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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Joseph Leonard was a youth of fourteen years when he came with his father to Idaho and in the early days he worked in the mines of the state, being thus employed until 1908, when he quit the mines and purchased his present home property of eighty acres near Eagle, upon which he has since engaged in dairying and in the raising of hay, grain, hogs and milch cows. The tract was raw land when it came into his posses- sion and he has since developed it into a fine farm, upon which he has erected a sub- stantial and comfortable home. The work of cultivation and improvement has been carried steadily forward and his labors have made his place one of the good farm properties of the locality.

In 1905 Mr. Leonard was united in marriage to Miss May Garrett, a native of Hailey. Idaho, and a daughter of I. W. Garrett, who crossed the plains by ox team with his parents in the early '60s and came to Idaho before Boise had become a town of any importance. The Garrett family first went to Oregon and then returned to Idaho, I. W. Garrett entering the butchering business at Placerville. While there he married Emma Child, of Boise, and afterward removed to the capital city and still

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later to Hailey. He became not only an active factor in the business life of the com- munity but also an influential figure in political circles in Idaho and while living at Hailey was elected secretary of state, in which office he served for two terms. At the time of his death in 1898 he was receiver in the United States land office at Boise. His record was one which reflected credit and honor upon the history of Idaho, for In many ways he contributed to its substantial development and in all public relations mani- fested a most patriotic spirit.

To Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have been born four children: Letha Irene, Leora Grace and Ruth Fay, who are attending school in Eagle; and Clyde Harold, who is four years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have a wide acquaintance in their section of Ada county and their friends are many.

STEPHEN N. DOWELL.

Among those citizens of Ada county residing in the vicinity of Boise who have been enabled to put aside the more active cares of life and enjoy a well earned rest is numbered Stephen N. Dowell, who is one of the pioneers of Idaho and who now resides on Orchard avenue, near the Franklin school, on a six-acre suburban tract which he purchased in the fall of 1919. He was one of the old-time residents of Long Valley, where he took up his abode upon removing from Jasper county, Missouri, in 1895. Iowa claims him as a native son, his birth having occurred within the borders of that state March 15, 1862, his parents being Reuben H. and Emily Jane (Harris) Dowell. The latter is living at Carthage, Missouri, at the age of eighty-eight years.

Stephen N. Dowell spent his boyhood on an Iowa farm. At fifteen years of age he removed to Clay county, Kansas, with his parents and was a resident of Kansas and Missouri altogether for about twenty years, during which time he largely engaged in farming. It was while in Wilson county, Kansas, that he formed the acquaintance of Mrs. Delilah Wedding, nee Pearson, who was born in Greene connty, Ohio, a daughter of Lewis and Mary Ann (Hunt) Pearson. Her father was a Union soldier in the Civil war and died of illness while in the service. Mrs. Dowell was first married to a Mr. Wedding and they became the parents of five children who are yet living: Charles, John W., Lewis P., Mrs. Mary Keske and Mrs. Myrtle Lloyd. It was on the 4th of June, 1888, that Mrs. Wedding became the wife of Stephen N. Dowell and they are the parents of a daughter, Emma A., who is the wife of Fred Hall and the mother of three sons-Carl E., Merle E. and Lorin Earl, aged respectively thirteen, eleven and seven years.

Mr. Dowell is a republican in his political views and at the present time, while living in Boise, is serving as county commissioner of Valley county, having been elected to the office In the fall of 1918. By reason of the fact that he is filling that position and because he still has large ranch and cattle interests in Long Valley, he will spend about half of his time on his ranch there. It was when he removed from Missouri to Idaho that he took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres near the present site of Donnelly, and as the years passed he developed this property into a well improved cattle and hay ranch. In 1907 he sold the homestead and bought two hundred and forty acres in another section of Long Valley and still retains possession of that property, which is returning to him a gratifying annual income. He is fond of hunting and fishing and has killed much game, including bear and deer. He is also a skillful follower of Izaak Walton, his ability with rod and fly being manifest on many occasions. His career is illustrative of what may be accomplished in the northwest by men of energy and determination. Starting out in the business world without capital or special advantages, he has worked his way steadily upward and is now numbered among the men of affluence living on the Boise hench.

JOHN G. TURNER.

John G. Turner, a prosperous rancher who until the spring of 1920 resided near Richfield, in Lincoln county, Idaho, has since that date purchased and occupied an eighty-acre ranch five and a half miles northwest of Boise, on the Bench road. He has continuously lived in this state since 1904 and has prospered as the years have gone by,

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being now in comfortable financial circumstances. He was born in County Roscom- mon, Ireland, March 29, 1880, and his parents are still living in that country nor have they ever visited the United States. The father is seventy-two years of age and the mother seventy-five. John G. Turner has one brother and two sisters in the United States, but he is the only one in Idaho. His brother is Joseph Turner, a cattleman of Wyoming.

John G. Turner was reared upon a farm in Ireland and crossed the Atlantic in 1901. He was a brakeman on a railroad in West Virginia for a time and afterward became a street car conductor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he remained for a year. In 1904 he arrived in Lincoln county, Idaho, and for sixteen years was suc- cessfully engaged in ranching in that locality. He then removed to the Boise bench and in addition to his eighty-acre ranch, which he has recently purchased in Ada county, in a neighborhood where ranch lands are selling at from three to five hundred dollars per acre, he still owns his former place of one hundred and sixty acres near Richfield. His property holdings therefore insure to him a good income and he is meeting with continued success as the years go by.

Mr. Turner was united in marriage to Miss Ella E. Byrne, who was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, in the same neighborhood in which his youthful days were passed, her natal day being March 17, 1882. She came with her parents to the United States in 1900, the family locating in Lincoln county, Idaho. Mr. and Mrs. Turner had been friends in Ireland and during their four years of separation had kept up a corre- spondence. On the 12th of April, 1904, they were married in Shoshone, Idaho, and they have become the parents of six children: Thomas P., who was born March 17, 1905; John J., whose birth occurred September 12, 1906; Gerald Emmett, whose natal day was June 10, 1909; Katherine E., born February 26, 1911; Anna Luella, born August 12, 1914; and Robert Lincoln, who was born on the 12th of February, 1919.

Mr. Turner and his family are communicants of the Roman Catholic church and he is a Knight of Columbus. In politics he is independent but generally supports the democratic ticket. He has served as school trustee in Lincoln county for two terms, but his time and attention have largely been given to business affairs, which have been attended with excellent results.

EDWARD P. GROVER.

Edward P. Grover, who for many years was identified with farming interests in Fremont county, was born at Farmington, Davis county, Utah, April 22, 1859, a son of Thomas and Loduska (Tupper) Grover, who were natives of the state of New York. The father was among the earliest of the Mormon settlers in Utah, arriving in that state in 1847. He took up his abode at Farmington, Davis county, where he purchased land and carried on farming and stock raising, while to his place he added many mod- ern improvements. He became quite extensively engaged in stock raising and devoted his remaining days to that business. He was ever an influential member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and both he and his wife passed away in that faith.

Edward P. Grover, spending his youthful days in Davis county, there pursued his education but was quite young when he started out to provide for his own support. He gave his attention largely to farm work and in 1884 he removed from Utah to Fremont county, Idaho, taking up a quarter section of land on the Egin bench. This be improved and cultivated throughout his remaining days, his life's labors being terminated in deatlı on the 18th. of January, 1901.

It was on the 25th of December, 1882, that Mr. Grover was married to Miss Fannie Clawson, a daughter of George W. and Ella (Manhard) Clawson, who were natives of New York and Montreal, Canada, respectively. Mrs. Grover was born at Draper, Utah, January 17, 1864. Her father was a member of the Mormon Battalion and crossed the plains with ox teams at a very early day. He was a wheelwright by trade and followed that business for a number of years in Salt Lake City, after which he removed to Farmington, Utah, residing there until the death of his wife in 1899. Subsequently he made his home with his children throughout his remaining days, passing away in 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Grover became the parents of nine children, as follows. Edward P., who passed away on the 13th of June, 1917; Cleveland L., who died in infancy; Charles, whose demise occurred April 11, 1902; Napoleon, a resident of Parker, Idalio;

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EDWARD P. GROVER

MRS. FANNIE GROVER

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Mabelle, who is the wife of John F. Miller and resides in California; George H., who served in the army for two years and is now a practicing dentist of Berkeley, California; Jesse R., a traveling salesman, who was connected with the United States army for two years, spending ten months of that period in France; 'Otto J., who enlisted in the army on the 18th of January, 1917, and made several trips overseas with transports as a member of the Medical Corps, and is still in military service, being now stationed at Hampton Roads, Virginia; and Fremont E., who is attending the Northwestern School of Pharmacy in Chicago.

Politically Mr. Grover was a republican and his religious faith was that of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a man of many sterling qualities, devoted to the welfare of his family and faithful in friendship and in citizenship. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Grover has rented the home farm to the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company. She remained upon the farm for eleven years, however, after her husband's demise and cultivated it successfully with the aid of her sons. In 1912 she removed to St. Anthony, where she purchased a nice home that she now occupies, and she is one of the highly esteemed ladies of that city.

OLE M. TRONAAS.

Ole M. Tronaas, who is now residing on a small but valuable ranch on the Boise bench, to which he removed in February, 1920, from, Gooding county, Idaho, is of Norwegian birth, having first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 15th of July, 1867, in the land of the midnight sun. His parents never came to the United States and it was in 1888, when he was abont twenty-one years of age, that Mr. Tronaas crossed the Atlantic. Previous to this time he had engaged in clerking in stores in Norway and had been employed in blacksmith shops and on farms. Since coming to the new world he has resided in various states, engaged mostly in farming, but he also spent several years as an employe in bicycle shops in Chicago, and it was during his residence in that city that he was married. In June, 1910, he came to Idaho and in December of that year took up a ranch under the Carey act near Bliss, Idaho, securing forty acres. He developed two different forty-acre tracts near Bliss and in the fall of 1919 disposed of his property in that locality and removed to his present home on the Boise bench, where he is most pleasantly situated.

Mr. Tronaas' wife is also a native of Norway, where she was born May 1, 1873, bearing the maiden name of Birgetta Johnson. She came to the United States alone in 1895 but had a brother living in Chicago and there joined him. It was in that city that she met and married Mr. Tronaas. They have three children who are yet living and have lost one. The eldest son, Alf M. Tronaas, was killed in France October 13, 1918, while serving as a private in Company D, Ninth Machine Gun Battalion. He had entered the war with the Second Idaho Regiment and died when twenty-one years of age, his birth having occurred June 4, 1897. In April, 1920, the family received a citation, which was for the son's gallantry in action at Cunel, France, dated October 13, 1918,-the day he was killed. The three living children are: Harold, who was horn November 26, 1898; Jennie, October 28, 1900; and Lloyd, September 3, 1909.

Mr. Tronaas is a member of the Non-Partisan League. He is one of the prominent representatives of the Grange of Idaho and for the past five years has been state over- seer. He takes a keen interest in everything that pertains to the agricultural develop- ment of Idaho and his aid and influence are ever on the side of progress and im- provement.

J. L. AYRES.

J. L. Ayres, a representative of the farming interests of Ada county, who at an earlier period was identified with freighting interests and with the development of irrigation in Idaho, was born in Missouri, August 21, 1857. His father, Joseph F. Ayres, was a native of Tennessee, while the mother, who hore the maiden name of Sarah Alverson, was born in Quincy, Illinois, but in her girlhood days removed with her parents to Tennessee, in which state she was married. Prior to the Civil war Mr. and Mrs. Ayres removed to Missouri but in 1866 returned to Tennessee, where they resided

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until 1880, and then crossed the plains, traveling by horse teams to the Grande Ronde valley in Oregon. There they spent the winter and in the spring of 1881 they returned to Idaho, settling at the place where J. L. Ayres now resides, about a mile east of Star, on the Valley road, where Mr. Ayres purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land from John Harding. He afterward bought an additional forty acre tract adjoining his original quarter section, so that he became the possessor altogether of two hundred acres of land, the greater part of which he sold, however, prior to his death. He was found dead in the fields at the age of eighty-six years, passing away on the 24th of September, 1917. He had long survived his wife, who died in 1894 at the age of fifty-seven years. Their family numbered eight children; Joseph F., Margaret Elizabeth, John C., William, Huston, Ida, Rufus, who is deceased, and J. L. of this review.

The last named was a lad of about nine years when his parents removed from Missouri to Tennessee and was twenty-three years of age when the long journey was made across the plains to the northwest. He assisted his father in the work of develop- ing and improving wild land in Idaho and is now the possessor of forty acres of the original homestead and devotes his attention to general farming and dairying. He has carefully and systematically developed his fields and is regarded as one of the progres- sive agriculturists of his community. He has also been active along other lines. He had an interest in and assisted in building the Middleton canal and for many years he operated a threshing outfit and threshed on every ranch from Middleton to Boise, having a twelve horse power Nichols & Sheppard Vibrator threshing machine. His father was associated with him in that business for twenty-five years. Mr. Ayres of this review also engaged in freighting between Bellevue, De Lamar, Placerville, Idaho City and Silver City, hauling goods to all of these and other points. For ten years he used from four to eight horses in hauling timber out of the Rossi mountains and in 1883 he hauled the first load of lumber for the Oregon Short Line Railroad bridge built at Cald- well across the Boise river.

In 1883 Mr. Ayres was married to Miss Jemima Conner in the Grande Ronde valley of Oregon. They have become the parents of six children: Charles, who mar- ried Mabel Coonred, by whom he has five children, Esmer, Ermil, Joy, Ada and Audrey; Ida, who is the wife of C. B. Hall and the mother of two children, Lester Walter and Harold; William, who married Bertha Evert and has one child, Fay; James, who married Viola Petersen, by whom he has two children, Ernest and Willard; Hazel, who is the wife of Emmett Ferguson and the mother of two children, Muriel and Mervin; and Lester, who is nineteen years of age and is yet at home.

Mr. Ayres has served as constable of Union precinct, having filled that office for more than sixteen years. He also served on the school board for one term and he has ever been keenly and deeply interested in all plans and projects for the benefit and welfare of the community and the state in which he resides. He is an enthusiastic supporter of Idaho and her opportunities and has demonstrated in his own labors what can be accomplished through the utilization of the advantages here offered.

ARCHIE H. PELTON.

Archie H. Pelton has for the past seven years heen the only merchant of Ustick, Ada county, where he is conducting a good business. He was born in Lincoln county, South Dakota, June 8, 1876, and is the younger of the two sons of William Henry and Victoria (Durthick) Pelton, both of whom have passed away. The former was of Scotch-Irish and the latter of German descent, and both were born in Ohio. They became pioneers of Lincoln county, South Dakota, where the mother passed away. The father afterward removed to Boise and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. A. H. Clark.

Archie H. Pelton was reared upon a farm in Lincoln county, South Dakota. He attended the public schools of this state and for one year was a student at a Baptist college at Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was afterward at home for a few years and in 1905 he came to Idaho, making his way to Boise, where he resided for two years, and during that time was a partner in a livery, feed and sales stable. He sold his interest in the business in 1907 and returned to South Dakota, where he lived for two years, during which time he was engaged in buying grain for a Minneapolis elevator. On the expiration of that period he took up a one hundred and sixty acre

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homestead in Perkins county, South Dakota, and his wife secured another homestead claim of similar size adjoining his. They proved up on their property and the three hundred and twenty acre ranch is still in their possession. They secured title to the property in 1909, after living upon the place for eight months.

Mr. Pelton then again came to Idaho, for his previous residence here had made him prefer this state as a home. He lived in Boise from 1909 until 1913, being variously employed, clerking in a store on State street for several years. In February of the latter year he purchased the Ustick general store, which had been in existence for four years but had changed hands several times during that period and had never been a success. Conditions altered, however, when Mr. Pelton took charge. He has now owned and successfully conducted the store for seven years. He carries a stock about ten times as great as that contained in the store when he purchased it. The volume of business has increased from twelve thousand to fifty thousand dollars annually. After settling at Ustick, Mr. Pelton also became interested in a store at Perkins station, near Boise, which he was connected with for about ten months, and he likewise had an interest in a store at Huston, Canyon county, for a time, or until it was destroyed by fire. At Ustick, in addition to his store building, he uses as a warehouse another business block in the place that was formerly a bank and which is situated just across the street from the Pelton store. Mr. Pelton has a good residence at Ustick and is most comfortably situated in life as the result of his energy, enterprise and business ability.

While in South Dakota, on the 17th of April, 1909, Mr. Pelton was married to Miss Nora Oliver, who was born in South Dakota. They have one child, Elfreda Marjory, three years of age. The parents are members of the Baptist church and they give their political allegiance to the democratic party. Mr. Pelton has served as postmaster of Ustick throughout the seven years of his residence there. He is well known in his section of Ada county and is regarded as a most thoroughly reliable merchant and business man. His energy and enterprise have enabled him to overcome all obstacles and difficulties in his path, while his sound judgment and keen business sagacity have gained for him a substantial measure of prosperity.

ELMER M. JACKSON.

Elmer M. Jackson, a dairy and fruit farmer living at Ustick, has been a resident of Ada county for twenty-three years. He was born in Sullivan county, Missouri, October 7, 1866, and is a son of Andrew G. and Sarah (Comer) Jackson. The father was born in Ohio, November 17, 1823, and the mother in Pennsylvania, April 13, 1838, and they were married in Sullivan county, Missouri, February 17, 1856. The mother died October 1, 1874, when her son Elmer was but seven years of age, but the father long survived, departing this life March 3, 1908. He served as a captain in the Sixth Missouri Cavalry in the Civil war, valiantly defending the interests of the Union. He was a son of John Jackson, who was born May 15, 1780. Sarah Comer was the second wife of Andrew G. Jackson and they had a family of seven children, of whom six are now living. James M. Jackson, a hardware merchant of Meridian, Idaho, is an older brother of Elmer M. Jackson. The members of the family are: James M., born in May, 1857; Andrew, born March 28, 1859; Stephen A., born November 24, 1860; George, Novem- ber 13, 1862; Elmer M., October 7, 1866; Arminna A., who was born February 12, 1869, became the wife of John Gertje and died at the age of twenty-two; and Emma V., who was born February 2, 1872, and is now the wife of Frank Vincent, of Julia- etta, Idaho.

Elmer M. Jackson was reared in Kansas, to which state his parents removed from Missouri when he was a lad of but five years. In 1888 he came to the northwest with Idaho as his destination. In this state he met and married Miss Mabel C. Patterson, who was born near Gardiner, Maine, November 15, 1871, a daughter of Henry L. Patter- son, who was a corporal in the Union army and who became a pioneer of Nez Perce county, Idaho, having removed from Maine to Nevada in 1875, thence to Oregon in 1876 and soon afterward to Idaho, settling in Nez Perce county on the Potlatch prairle. Mr. Patterson secured both a homestead and preemption there and he passed away in that county, January 17, 1909. His widow survives and resides near her daughter, Mrs. Jackson, in Ustick at the age of seventy-six years. . The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Jackson was celebrated November 20, 1890, and in 1897 they removed to the Bolse

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valley and have since lived at Ustick, where they have a thirty-acre fruit and dairy ranch adjoining the town site, although there was no town there when they took up their abode upon the ranch. In fact Mr. Jackson and his wife cleared the sagebrush from the townsite. They bought their present thirty-acre ranch in 1908 and about six acres is now in an orchard of bearing prune trees, containing eight hundred trees eight years old. In addition to the raising of fruit Mr. Jackson keeps a good herd of dairy cows and both branches of his business are proving profitable. He works diligently and persist- ently, using his time wisely and well, and his enterprise and determination have been salient features in the attainment of his present-day success.

To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have been born two children. Cassie Alice, born February 11, 1893, was married on the 5th of May, 1915, to Oren Laing and they reside at Meridian. J. Ralph, born January 23, 1895, was married May 4, 1917, to Maybelle Jenkins and they make their home at Sweet, Idaho.

Mrs. Jackson is a member of the Baptist church and is an active Red Cross worker. Mr. Jackson gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and has served for two terms as school director. Fraternally he is connected with the Odd Fellows and he commands the respect and confidence of his brothers of the order and of all with whom he comes in contact.

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History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume III, Part 86

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