Burley

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Robert Leonard Ross Idaho stay

Robert Leonard Ross mug shot

Many years ago, 2007, I was able to flesh out some of one of Robert’s daughters, Beulah Ross Duncan.  Then in 2017 I was able to obtain and share some photos.

Then, early July, I finally stumbled on more information for Robert Leonard Ross.

He married Rose Anna Clawson (1893-1956), widow of Hyrum Peter Sanders (1890-1918) on 18 February 1919 in Burley, Cassia, Idaho.  Then he just disappeared.  Well, I found out why.  He decided to act illegally in Minidoka County and spend a decade as a resident of the Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise, Ada, Idaho.  A certain irony knowing that his brother-in-law was the local probate (magistrate) judge in Minidoka County.

Idaho State Penitentiary Intake for Robert Leonard Ross

I like the fact they called him Slim.

Pardon of Robert Leonard Ross

He spent the 1920s doing hard time.  The world was just waiting for him to make it in 1929 and through the 1930s.  I am still trying to pin down his remaining years.  I assume Rose divorced him, but I haven’t located those records yet.

1930 he was in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.

1935 he was in San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

1940 he was in Redding, Shasta, California.

Still trying to confirm, but apparently he died in Bend, Deschutes, Oregon in 1944.

I believe his daughter Mary Elizabeth Ross died in Avenal, Kings, California.

Beulah Estell Ross died in Toppenish, Yakima, Washington.

Annie Adeline Ross died in Grundy, Buchanan, West Virginia.

Orson Lee Ross died near Klamath Falls, Klamath, Oregon.

Edith Pansy Ross died somewhere in California.

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McCall Seminar

I was elected to the Commercial Law & Bankruptcy Section Board of the Idaho State Bar in 2015. Since then I have participated in its main event, the yearly Seminar. The Seminar has been in various locations, Idaho Falls, Boise, McCall, Coeur d’Alene, and I brought it to Burley.

It has been a great opportunity to rub shoulders and personally see other practitioners of the Section on, at least, a yearly basis. This year I went up early to McCall to help set up, scope out the premises, and enjoy an extra day off. I plan it that way just in case weather is crazy I also have plenty of time to get there and ready. Another great part of the Seminar is attending these each year I get more than enough credits for my continuing legal education credits.

I did the Seminar in Burley in 2019. But for whatever reason, I didn’t take any pictures. So this year I made a mental note to take some photographs of McCall that would also give some sense of what happened in Burley.

Here is my room at the Shore Lodge in McCall, Idaho
The view from my balcony at Shore Lodge overlooking the frozen Payette Lake

Here are a couple of photos in the main conference room at the Shore Lodge, McCall, Idaho as set up for the 38th Annual Seminar.

Nothing like eating breakfast in bed and studying/reviewing for the presentation you are about to give. You cannot see it, but it was beautiful overlooking the lake.
You can see how much snow is on the roof of the exercise center at the Shore Lodge in McCall. Another picture from 2013 below.
The Shore Lodge swimming pool through the trees.
I need to get one of these chairs. Quite enjoyed reading or reviewing in it.
Here is the picture I took at the same location as above but in McCall on 28 February 2013.
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The Couch and Chair

My Grandparents, Norwood Jonas and Colleen Andra, married in 1946.  It is my understanding they were given a number of items for their marriage.  The two main ones I remember are a bedroom set (which my Aunt Jackie still has) and a couch and chair.  My Mom at some point in the past received the couch and chair.  I remember them early on as a child.

I have noticed both in a few pictures over time.

Sandy and Doug Jonas about 1958-59 in chair

In the picture above you can almost see the pattern in the fabric.  I imagine it was a rough, thick fabric.

Norwood and Sandy Jonas on couch about 1957-58

In this one, you can also see the same pattern in the fabric.  Notice the wood accent on the front and carved feet.  Grandpa and Mom are on this couch, you can see Doug on a different chair in the corner.  These pictures are at the Jonas home they built in Richmond, Utah.  In the chair and couch, you can see the back of each with the vertical tucks.

Doug and Sandy cuddled under a blanket with couch to the right.

I know it is only a side shot, but another photo it appears.  It is interesting what other objects appear in pictures.  These two are likely watching the television which is across the room next to the chair.

Doug, Sandy kneeling in front of couch about 1962-63

The picture adds a table, but the couch remains behind with the shag rug.  The chair in the corner disappeared, along with the radio (which I have now), but the side table that matches the coffee table appeared.  This photo shows the pattern much better than the previous pictures.

Sandy and Doug Jonas reading on couch

This one jumps back in time with the radio and chair reappearing.  Some more of the pattern and fabric.

Then the couch and chair disappeared.  Obviously when the family moved to Burley, Idaho in 1968 they made the trip.  But I have limited photos in that home and this couch and chair do not appear in the upstairs living room, so they must have been downstairs.  I will have to ask my Uncle or Aunt more information.

About 1985 the chair and couch reappear, and appear for me.  I do not remember the upholstery on them in the photos above.  I remember picking them up for the first time at the upholstery shop in Paul, Idaho.  I don’t know if it was Frontier Upholstery at that time.

Here is a picture of the couch, chair, and stool when Andra had them at her apartment in Rupert.

Couch and chair with Daniel Constable

Daniel Constable sitting on chair

Except it was on the same couch with the vertical tucks and feet and wood accents seen above.  Also, the cushions were spring loaded, so they had extra bounce.

Well, they were in storage from about 2010 to 2018.  They were dusty, had a worn smell to them, and had some structural problems from the hot/cold transitions that come with storage.  I brought them to my home with the thought of saving them and using them for my office.  I took them to an upholsterer here in Burley named Jerry Lankford who lives about a mile east of me.

I received them back last fall.  I am in love with them.  I have preserved a part of my heritage and past.  Now they are useful for an office and another generation.

I will have to get a picture of my kids on the couch and chair before they get too much older.  Not bad for a couch and chair that are at least 74 years old!

This is the photo that made think I should go through the pictures and see if I have others of the couch.  This is one I scanned earlier 2019 from a stack of photos Jackie found.

Doug, Sandy, and Norwood Jonas on couch

They don’t make them like they used to.  I grew up with the coffee table and side table, couch, radio, and little round table more than 30 years after these pictures were taken.  The tables were still in great condition.

I also remember my Mom telling me stories of clipping her father’s toenails.  Not sure if that is what she is doing here, but she is obviously doing something with his feet.

I hope my Grandparents approve, I don’t know why they wouldn’t.  In fact, they are probably disappointed I spent good money on reupholstering an old couch and chair, let alone something with sentimental baggage.  Who knows.

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Sunday Morning Dress

Ready for church, 7 Nov 2019, Aliza, Hiram, Lillian, and James Ross

I didn’t take this photo, but these are my kids in my house!  On Sunday I often find myself at church meetings so I miss the Sunday morning church preparation routine.

But I saw this photo after the fact and thought it represents our beautiful children in so many ways.  Also caught my eye is the pedigree chart in the background, our family portrait from just a few years ago, and Hiram’s tie that my Uncle Doug wore at Hiram’s age in the 1960’s.

Sharp, beautiful children.  They look good here, there is plenty of emotion and drama in the background.  They sure do clean up nice.  They are good children too.

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79’ers at Albion

Photo of the 79’ers at Albion on 1 September 1926

Cleo Gallegos, Mayor of Heyburn, had this photograph in her office one day earlier this year.  She snagged it for a day or two for me to see it.  I snapped a couple of photographs of it.  I have tried researching it or determining some of the individuals and I fear they may be too far in the past for me to try and get it independently.  Unless someone has a list of individuals in the photo, it is just good for conversation.  I don’t have a clue of a single individual included here.  But this organization was a new piece to southern Idaho history I was unaware.

The 79’ers first meeting was held 28 September 1921 in Burley, Idaho.  73 pioneers from Cassia, Twin Falls, Jerome, Minidoka, Gooding, and Lincoln Counties signed the roster as qualifying members.  In order to qualify, you had to arrive in Southern Idaho before 1880.

Between 1921 and 1924, meetings were held in Burley or Twin Falls.  After 1924, the annual meetings were held in Albion.  Hence the photo above dated 1 September 1926, this would have been the annual meeting.

In 1941 a special reunion was held where over 200 people attended.  Judge Alfred Budge and Idaho Governor Chase Clark were made honorary members.

Not much history after that is available online.

Cassia County was created in 1879 and originally I thought that was what the group was referring to.  However, membership was permitted from Minidoka, Jerome, and Lincoln Counties which territories were never part of Cassia County.  I am still unclear why 1879 or 1880 was a year to commemorate in southern Idaho.

I also found Hyrum Smith Lewis (1868 – 1955) served for 26 years as President of the 79’ers.  He is buried in Declo.

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Building a Fort!

Living Room fort 12 October 2019

We have a family routine that every Saturday we vacuum all the floors in the house.  Once and a while I get a while hair and decided to move furniture and vacuum beneath them as well.  I have learned with our new hardwood floors and poorly secured carpets, it is better to just tip the couches into the center of the room than it is to try and scoot, drag, push, or pull them around.  Plus it dumps out the couches and also let’s me vacuum the bottom.  The kids were goofing off with the pillows and building a fort so I thought I would help them out.  Thus, you see the couch fort.  I never got something this cool when I was a kid!

Inside the Living Room Fort 12 October 2019

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Burley High/Junior High School

Burley High/Junior High School

This is a picture of the Burley High School built in 1915.  I stumbled upon this post card early last year and picked it up.  This picture is from 14th street looking to the southeast.  This is the location of the jail or The Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice center, the southwest corner of Hansen Avenue and 14th Street.  The front doors would be facing the Family History Center to the North.

The interesting thing about this location is that the field to the right (or west) extended clear through the property that is now the Burley City Hall and the Cassia County Police Station.  Albion Avenue did not extend between 14th and 15th Streets due to the high school field.  The road was right behind the old Courthouse, virtually between the current Burley City Hall/Cassia Police Station and the old Courthouse.  If you look closely at this aerial photo, you can see the back of the school and its wings along with the field between it and the old courthouse.

Burley, Idaho about

This building was replaced by a new high school at the southwest corner of Park Avenue and 16th Street built in 1958.  This building then became Burley Junior High and operated as such until 1973.  That is when the building burned down.

Here is an article from the Times News about the fire.  The Weekly Mailer provides this article about the history of fires in Burley.  You can read the limited history of Burley Junior High from this obituary from its principal, Lovell Turner.

The current Junior High on the northeast corner of Park and 16th Street was completed in 1975 and remains the junior high to date.  The 1950’s high school at southwest Park Avenue and 16th Street has been replaced and is now the home of the Mini-Cassia satellite site for The College of Southern Idaho.

After the school burned down, the city realigned the streets and took Albion through the block so it is a full grid today.  The Police Station and Burley City Hall, as mentioned above, are now on parts of the field.  Cassia County School District still owns the south side of the block and maintains a service garage and other buildings on the site.

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Headed West on Main Street in Burley, Idaho

On Main Street at Overland Avenue in Burley, Idaho early 1960’s

On the left, the first building is Thriftway Drug is on the corner, which is now a parking lot.  I particularly like the old International pickup parked on the side of the street.

Idaho Bank & Trust is on the far left intersection corner, which is now where the Keystone Realty Group and Fletcher Law Offices building is located.  It is interesting to contrast this photo with this earlier picture of Idaho Bank & Trust because this photo now has the massive marquee hanging from the corner.  You can see the support above, which I expect this sign did not last many years if it needed such a support system.

On the immediate right corner, you can see Sprague’s Sport Shop. This is the location of the current US Bank.

On the far right corner, the Burley National Bank building is still present. This is where Zions Bank is located now. You can also see the Burley Theater down the block with their marquee. I cannot recognize the tall building beyond the theater, I don’t know what that building is. You can also see the Simplot Factory Building that used to be much farther down Main Street.

This is when there were more individuals living downtown with the apartments and restaurants emblematic of a more vibrant downtown. The number of hotels within these few blocks is staggering.  Main Street was the main highway (US 30) through southern Idaho which means this was a thoroughfare. The construction of the Interstate pulled all traffic traveling through several miles to the north. None of these restaurants moved north, it was just Connors moving from downtown Paul that moved to be near the Interstate exit.