USA > Idaho > The history of Idaho > Part 34
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
The population of Idaho is composed principally of the more intelligent men, women and children of all other States of the Union, with but few drones or tramps. They are mostly good, energetic and industrious, law-abiding people and are developing the resources of the country at a rapid rate.
INCREASE OF TAXABLE PROPERTY.
At the beginning of statehood in 1890, the taxable property of Idaho amounted to only $24,500,000. At this time, 1909, the as- sessable property of Idaho amounts to $120,000,000-an increase of nearly five hundred per cent in nineteen years, with a good prospect of a greater increase in the near future.
His-24
CHAPTER LXXVIII.
STOCK RAISING AND RANGE, LUMBER INDUSTRY, FRUIT INDUSTRY, SUGAR BEETS AND SUGAR FACTORIES, DAIRIES AND CREAMERIES, FOUNDRIES AND MACHINE SHOPS, FISH HATCHERIES, LAKES AND HOT SPRINGS, STATE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS, SCHOOLS, COUNTRY SCHOOLS.
RAISING OF STOCK FOR THE EASTERN MARKET.
The cattle and sheep industry is carried on in Idaho on an ex- tensive scale and with good profit. The stock is usually kept in the low hills and mountains and herded in large bands where the range is good, for about eight months in the year. They are then driven to the valleys and fed on alfalfa hay through the winter. Beef cattle are shipped from the range to eastern markets in July and August and command a good price. Early Spring lambs are shipped in July, August and September and bring the highest price of any in the markets. Several hundred carloads are shipped each year, yielding good profits to the stock growers.
LUMBER INDUSTRY.
This industry is carried on extensively in the northern part of this State where there are large belts of fine timber of pine, fir and tamarack. There are quite a number of sawmills located in these timber belts, of large capacity, one of which, called the Pot- latch, has a daily capacity of cutting seven hundred and fifty thou- sand feet. Much of this lumber is shipped to eastern markets and some to foreign countries. This industry is said to be quite profit- able.
FRUIT INDUSTRY.
About all kinds of fruit, except the tropical fruits, do well in Idaho, including most all kinds of berries, peaches, apples, pears, prunes, plums, nectarines, etc. They all do well in the valleys and in the low hills in both the northern and southern parts of the State. Many carloads of fruit are shipped from Idaho to the eastern markets each year, and some to foreign markets. They command the highest prices, owing to their superior quality.
SUGAR BEETS AND SUGAR FACTORIES.
The soil in Southern Idaho is well adapted to the raising of sugar beets. Already four large beet sugar factories have been erected in Southern Idaho. Each one of them is doing a large business
371
IDAHO INDUSTRIES
manufacturing sugar from the beets raised here. This industry is said to be profitable, both to the raiser of beets and the manufac- turer of sugar.
CREAMERIES AND DAIRAES.
There are quite a number of large creameries and dairies lo- cated in different places in the State. They are supplied with a good quality of milk and cream, mostly from Jersey and Holstein cows. These dairies and creameries supply the people with a good quality of milk, butter, ice cream, etc. All seem to be doing well.
FOUNDRIES AND MACHINE SHOPS.
There are quite a number of these institutions in the State, turn- ing out good work and seem to be doing well.
FISH HATCHERIES.
The State has three fish hatcheries, hatching out large numbers of different kinds of fish, and stocking the different small streams within the State.
LAKES.
There are three good sized lakes in Idaho, Pend d'Orielle, Coeur d'Alene and Payette Lake, besides several small lakes. Small steam boats run on the two first named, carrying passengers and freight. A small steamer built to carry pleasure seekers runs on the Payette Lake. This lake is twelve miles long by about two miles wide. The other two are larger. They are all beautiful to look at.
HOT SPRINGS.
There are a large number of hot springs in Southern and South- eastern Idaho, several of which carry mineral water with good medicinal properties. Some of them have been fitted up for bath- ing purposes and are well patronized.
STATE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The State has a Capitol building in Boise, built in 1885, but the State business has grown too large for it and a new one of large dimensions is being constructed which will be completed in the near future.
The State has large penitentiary buildings and several hundred acres of land adjoining the buildings; two insane asylums with farms adjoining, also orchards, teams, milch cows, hogs, fowls, etc .; a soldiers' home for the old war veterans, with good build- ings and forty acres of good land with orchard; a large State University ; two large Normal schools and one Academy. All of
372
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
these institutions have excellent buildings well fitted up and good corps of teachers.
COUNTRY SCHOOLS.
There is a good school building in almost every precinct in the State, and public schools are taught in all from six to nine months a year by competent teachers. Some of the counties have acade- mies. All children have a chance to get a fairly good education at public expense if they will only apply themselves to their studies.
CHAPTER LXXIX.
STATE AND PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS-DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND SCHOOL, STATE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, CHILDREN'S HOME-FINDING AND OTHER PRIVATE HOSPITALS.
The State supports a home for the unfortunate deaf, dumb and blind children, with good, comfortable quarters, good board, lodg- ing and a corps of good teachers, matron and everything necessary to make these children comfortable and to have them properly ed- ucated.
STATE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.
The State has large, comfortable buildings, with a farm and work shop, superintendent and instructors. This institution is kept and supported by the State for the purpose of training, teach- ing to work and educating unruly boys and girls.
CHILDREN'S HOME-FINDING.
This appears to be a private institution opened recently for the purpose of caring for small homeless children. The last legisla- ture, however, made an appropriation of $20,000 to assist in put- ting up a new building for this institution. This would indicate that the State was at least taking a financial interest in this in- stitution.
PRIVATE HOSPITALS.
There are two large hospitals kept in Boise with fine buildings, well furnished, with experienced corps of good nurses. One is called the St. Alphonsus Hospital, owned and conducted by the Catholics, and the other, the St. Luke's, owned and managed by the Episcopalians. They are both good and well-managed institutions.
There are a number of other smaller hospitals and sanitariums kept in the State, all of which seem to be well equipped and con- ducted.
CHAPTER LXXX.
LAND, FARMING AND IRRIGATION SINCE STATEHOOD.
As stated before, the six counties located in the northern part of Idaho, north of a range of mountains which divides the agricultural portion of these northern counties from the southern portion of the State, consisting of Shoshone, Bonner, Kootenai, Latah, Nez Perce, and Idaho, belong to the humid district and do not require artificial irrigation.
The population of these northern counties has increased greatly since statehood, and improvements in the way of opening and set- tling up new farms and enlarging and improving old ones have reached at least two hundred per cent.
The last four named counties above have a large area of as good land for raising small grain, wheat, oats and barley, as can be found anywhere in the United States. The people there raise very large crops of grain, ranging from 25 to 100 bushels per acre. They also raise large crops of fruit and vegetables of a superior quality. In fact, everything that is produced in these northern counties is of a high-grade quality.
The people are industrious, enterprising and intelligent. They have their farms in a good state of cultivation, with comfortable homes, convenient and comfortable school houses.
The old towns have taken on new life and doubled in population. Many new and modern business houses, also nice residences have been built, and quite a number of new small towns have sprung up for the convenience of the new settlers.
Real estate has increased more than one hundred per cent. in value since statehood.
The people as a rule are prosperous and apparently contented and happy.
There are other things in these northern counties of which we will speak later on under a different head.
We will now take up what is commonly called Southern and Southeastern Idaho, which embraces the counties of Ada, Boise, Blaine, Bear Lake, Bannock, Bingham, Canyon, Cassia, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Lincoln, Lemhi, Owyhee, Oneida, Twin Falls, and Washington. These seventeen counties belong to the arid or dry district and require more or less artificial irrigation. Irriga- tion, like most everything, has grown very rapidly the last few
375
FARMING AND IRRIGATION
years. As we have spoken of the early beginning of irrigation in Territorial days, we will not go over it again.
Irrigation has been carried on for the past six years on a larger scale, partly by the Government of the United States and partly by individuals and companies operating under what is commonly called the Carey Act, an act passed by Congress granting to the different arid States to have said arid land reclaimed by having a sufficient quantity of water put upon the land by means of construc- tion of dams across large streams of water, and water taken from the streams by means of large ditches or canals, and carried on to this arid land to be reclaimed by irrigation and made to produce. The State Land Board has control of the letting of contracts to persons who desire to engage in the business of taking the water from these streams and carrying it in substantial canals on to the land to be irrigated. The State Land Board fixes the price to be paid to the parties who take the water out, by the occupants of the land at a rate per acre corresponding to the cost and expense of taking the water out-usually dividing it up into about ten annual payments with six per cent interest per annum on deferred payments. The price fixed by the State Land Board and agreed to by the contractors to furnish a perpetual water right is fixed at different rates for the different places where the water is diverted from the stream or streams of water in proportion to the estimated cost of such diversion of water, ranging in price from twenty dol- lars per acre up to sixty-five dollars per acre for perpetual water rights. In addition to this cost, the State charges fifty cents per acre for the land-nothing to be paid to the United States on these Carey Act lands.
There has already been let under this Carey Act in the southern and southeastern part of Idaho, a number of contracts to have water put on large tracts of this arid land. Most of this land has been taken by settlers who agree to pay the price fixed for water. Several of these projects have been completed, the land put into cultivation. It produces fine crops both in quantity and quality.
Congress has provided a limited annual fund to be used at the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior for the reclamation of arid lands in the arid States by irrigation. The operations under this act of Congress are different from the operation under the Carey and State Act as stated above. When application is made to the Secretary of the Interior to have certain arid lands reclaimed by irrigation and opened to settlement, under the act mentioned, if there is sufficient money in the funds for that purpose, the Secre- tary of the Interior usually causes an examination to be made by
376
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
competent engineers and if they report the project practicable and there is sufficient money in the reclamation fund to cover the esti- mated cost and expense of the project, he usually has the land to be reclaimed by irrigation withdrawn or designated from other public land and people are allowed to settle on small subdivisions of from forty to eighty acres. The Secretary of the Interior pro- ceeds to have the necessary work done, building dams, necessary canals and ditches to convey the water on to the arid district for the use of the settlers and apportions the entire cost of the project among the settlers upon the land that has been furnished with water pro rata, according to the number of acres each locator has filed on. The payment is divided up into ten equal annual pay- ments without interest. In addition to this, each settler has to pay a homestead land filing fee at the local land office and comply with the Homestead Act.
Under these two systems of reclaiming the arid land, the United States Government system and the State Carey Act system, there has been set aside for reclamation more than one million six hun- dred thousand acres in Idaho, and about six hundred thousand acres have already been reclaimed by having a sufficient quantity of water put upon the land to make it produce fine crops of grain, vegetables and fruits. Hundreds of fine farms and happy homes are now on these once desert lands. Many fine residences have been built and the land put in a good state of cultivation and large crops raised. Quite a number of new towns have been built with modern buildings. Many new school houses and churches have also been erected. The work of reclamation is still going on and in a few years more than two million acres of this arid land will be reclaimed in Idaho, all of which will be good farming land and make good homes for several hundred thousand people.
CHAPTER LXXXI.
INDIANS IN IDAHO IN 1907.
The Coeur d'Alene Indians located on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation in Kootenai County, Idaho, numbered in 1907, the lat- est census, 506, and the Spokane Indians brought to Coeur d'Alene Reservation, 95 in number, made a total of 601. These Indians are the best civilized and the most industrious and the best fitted up of any Indians in Idaho. They nearly all have comfortable homes, good farming implements, including several threshing ma- chines. They raise and sell a large amount of grain and other farm products, also beef cattle, and most of them have adopted the white man's mode of dressing, farming and living and speak good English, and many read and write fairly well. There are 150 of school age. The schools are kept at the DeSmit mission and are conducted and supported by the Catholics and the Indians and are known as the DeSmit schools. There are two large school rooms, one for boys and the other for girls. The girls are in- structed in housekeeping; the boys are taught farming as well as "book learning."
These Indians have received but little assistance from the Gov- ernment and have advanced and improved in every way much faster than those who have received a great amount of annuities from the Government. It is said they practice a much higher standard of morality than any of the other Indians in Idaho.
NEZ PERCE INDIANS ON NEZ PERCE RESERVATION.
The last enumeration of the Nez Perce Indians, taken in 1907, shows there are only 1473. This shows a decrease in seventeen years of a little more than 22 per cent.
The Nez Perce Indians, all except some young children, have had land allotted to them in severalty and most of them lease it to white men to cultivate, a few of them cultivating their own land. Some of them work for white men for wages. Some are addicted to drinking. Tuberculosis seems to be prevalent among them and often carries them off. Schools and churches are plentful on this reservation. Children usually learn when at school fairly well, but many children dislike school on account of the indoor confinement. A large percentage belongs to the church and several of them practice preaching the Gospel. There are two schools, one of 150 pupils, supported by the United States Government, the other, 50
378
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
pupils, supported and conducted by the Catholics. Judging from the returns from the labor, receipts from land leased and some annuities from the Government, they seem to have plenty to live on. Many of them have houses to live in. They seem to be making some progress in civilization.
BANNOCKS, MIXED BANNOCKS AND SHOSHONE AND ROVING INDIANS ON FORT HALL RESERVATION IN BANNOCK AND BINGHAM COUNTIES, IDAHO.
In 1907 the census of these Indians shows the following: Bannocks and Shoshones 1308
Mixed Bannocks and Shoshone from Lemhi 474
Roving bands
200
Total. 1982
Decrease from 1900 to 1907, five per cent, in seven years.
The Indians called the mixed Shoshones, Bannocks and Sheep- eaters that have occupied a small reservation in Lemhi County, set apart temporarily by executive order in 1874, were all moved to the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in the Spring of 1907, and are included in the count of the Indians on that reservation.
Most of the Indians on the Fort Hall Reservation have been al- lotted land in severalty. Some of them have built houses and many of them are cultivating portions of their farms and raise cattle and horses to a considerable extent, have good schools sup- ported by the United States Government, and taken all in all, they have made fairly good progress since the war of 1878.
DUCK VALLEY AGENCY, PARTLY IN IDAHO AND PARTLY IN NEVADA,
WITH THE AGENCY ON THE NEVADA PORTION.
The agent there reports about 500, all getting along well, with a small annual decrease. A part of these Indians were gathered from Idaho, but they are all enumerated as Nevada Indians. Let Nevada keep them.
The whole number of Indians we now have in Idaho, as shown by report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for 1907, is as follows:
Coeur d'Alenes 506
Spokanes with Coeur d'Alenes 95
Nez Perces, Lapwai Agency 1473
Bannocks and Shoshones, Fort Hall Agency 1308
Mixed Shoshones and Bannocks, Fort Hall Agency 474
Roving Indians 200
Total number in 1907 4056
379
INDIANS IN IDAHO
This is a decrease from the original number, 23,000, estimated by Lewis and Clark in 1805, of 82 1-3 per cent in 102 years. Tak- ing into account all the Indians in Idaho from 1900 to 1907, the decrease for the seven years in numbers is about 41/2 per cent. At this rate of decay, the Indians will last for many years to come. But their number is so small and they are so fast becoming civil- ized, there is no danger to be apprehended from them in the future.
CHAPTER LXXXII.
BANKS, NATIONAL AND STATE-NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS- TOWNS-HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, STORE HOUSES AND MERCHAN- DISE-RESIDENCE BUILDINGS-CHURCHES, MINISTERS AND SUN- DAY SCHOOLS-NEW TOWNS AND IMPROVEMENT OF OLD ONES- RAILROADS, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE-WAGON ROADS, STAGES AND TRANSPORTATION BY WAGON AND PACK ANIMALS-MINING FOR GOLD, SILVER, LEAD, ETC .- FALLS ON SNAKE RIVER-ELEC- TRIC POWER PLANTS.
BANKS.
There are one hundred and twenty-one State banks within the State, with a capital, surplus and undivided profits of five and one- half million dollars, and deposits amounting to thirteen million dollars. There are forty National banks in the State with capital, surplus and undivided profits of three million two hundred and twenty-eight thousand dollars, and deposits in the same amount to about thirteen million dollars.
NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS.
There are one hundred and twelve papers of different kinds pub- lished within the State. Several of them are dailies and are up to date, giving all the important news of the world gathered by tele- graph and telephone. They are an enterprising lot of people engaged in this business.
TOWNS-NEW AND OLD ONES.
Many new towns have sprung up in all the new agricultural dis- tricts, and the old ones have increased in population and improve- ments. Many of them have trebled in population and improvements in the past ten years.
HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND LODGING HOUSES.
These are good and sufficient to accommodate the public in good style. Many fine modern buildings have been erected for hotels.
MERCHANDISE AND STORE HOUSES.
A general assortment of goods is kept by merchants in most all the towns and are usually kept in good buildings. Everything is new, neat and clean and sold at reasonable prices. Some of the merchants in the towns, notably Boise, keep very large stocks of goods for wholesale as well as retail. Most of the buildings in which merchandise is kept are up to date modern structures.
381
STATE AND NATIONAL BANKS
Residence buildings are, as a rule, good and comfortable in all the towns. Many of them are fine, costly structures.
CHURCHES AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
Churches, ministers and Sunday schools are in every town. Some of the church buildings in the older towns are fine, modern struc- tures. There are a number of different religious denominations in most all the towns. There appears to be a sufficient supply of min- isters and all the different denominations seem to be working for the good and well-being of the people, and all seem to be in a harmonious and flourishing condition, each one having its own manner of worship with no interference from others. I think each denomination maintains good Sunday schools for children.
RAILROADS, TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE LINES.
Of railroads being operated in Idaho, there are about 1978 miles, 814 of which are in the northern part of the state, and 1164 miles in the southern and southeastern part of the State, with a good prospect of more in the near future. There are about 7,000 miles of telegraph lines within the State and over 16,000 miles of telephone wires. Most all the towns have telephone service and many people in the country have telephone service.
WAGON ROADS, STAGES, TRANSPORTATION.
Many of the agricultural and mining districts and small towns are situated quite a distance from railroads. There are usually good wagon roads leading from railroad depots to all these settle- ments. Where the distance is ten miles or more, stages are run for the transportation of the United States mail, express and pas- sengers. Merchandise is usually hauled to these interior towns by wagons and teams, except to a few of the mountain mining camps, where it sometimes has to be packed on mules or horses a short distance.
MINING FOR GOLD, SILVER, LEAD, COPPER, ETC.
Nineteen counties out of a total of twenty-three show a produc- tion of more or less gold and silver and several of them some lead, copper and zinc. The value of the product for the year 1907, as shown by the report of Mine Inspector Mr. Robert N. Bell, which we believe to be correct, is as follows:
Lead, lbs.
334,404,920.00
VALUE. $12,470,341.74
Silver, fine oz.
8,491,356.12
5,546,553.82
Copper, lbs.
10,847,905.00
2,241,177.17
Gold, fine oz.
66,426.29 1,373,031.40
382
THE HISTORY OF IDAHO
Zinc, Ibs. 9,192,551.00 534,087.24
Total value for 1907.
$22,165,191.37
FALLS ON SNAKE RIVER-ELECTRIC PLANTS.
There are a number of water falls on Snake River in that part of Idaho through which it runs, among which are Swan Falls, Sal- mon Falls, Shoshone Falls, Twin Falls, and American Falls. At Shoshone Falls the water falls two hundred and ten feet. At the Twin Falls, four miles above, the water falls one hundred sixty feet.
There are a number of electric plants installed and in operation along Snake River, at some of these falls, and several others are located on smaller streams in Idaho. They furnish power for mining, milling, lighting towns, running street and interurban cars, also many manufacturing machines, and will in the near fu- ture furnish power to run railroad cars and many other kinds of machinery.
CHAPTER LXXXIII.
THE IDAHO STATE FAIR, OCTOBER, 1909.
I went to the Idaho State Fair near Boise and saw a very fine display of almost all kinds of agricultural products, including almost all kinds of grains, fruits, vegetables and grasses, a lot of fine horses, high bred cattle and hogs, a superior lot of high-grade sheep, a fine lot of fowls of many different breeds, and a fine dis- play of Idaho minerals, and many other products of Idaho.
These exhibits do great credit to the exhibitors who produce them and also show something of the many great resources and the the producing power of the land in Idaho. Not least among the exhibits was the very beautiful handwork of the ladies and school children. The very excellent exhibit shown by the taxidermist, Mrs. Austin, of most of the early-day native wild animals of Idaho, stuffed and mounted, as natural as life, placed on cliffs of rock, representing the rugged side of a mountain, the native home of these wild animals, was a grand picture of early-day scenery. All these exhibits go to show that the natural resources of Idaho are great. They also show that at least a considerable portion of the people of Idaho have been doing their full duty in developing the great resources of Idaho.
The managers of this Fair deserve great credit for the splendid manner in which they had the grounds and buildings fitted up, and for the very excellent judgment they exercised in cutting out all the bad and vicious things usually practiced at such places.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.