Stacey Murphy (left), and Suzette Bingham (right), West One Bank tellers, presented backpacks and fannypacks to the Heyburn Elementary School first and second prize winners of the West One “Express” Christmas Train Coloring Contest. Winners of the contest are (second from left) Tyler Taylor, second prize, May Melycher, first prize and second graders Adelia Saunders, second price and Wesley Cooper, first prize. The contest was sponsored by West One Bank – Mini-Cassia Branch.
Heyburn Elementary School students enjoyed a reward Thursday for helping raise $1,100 for Ricky Hollahan, 12, who recently received a kidney transplant. Students enjoying ice cream bars include kindergartners A.J. Vargas, far right, Jesse Melycher, Elida Arriaga and Jonathan Post.
I do not know who thought that Burley, Idaho, might actually get a temple. But when it was announced on 4 April 2021 by President Russell M. Nelson, we have been watching closely since! I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend the groundbreaking as a representative for the City of Heyburn. It was a brisk, cool, windy day, but our excitement was evident. Burley native Brent H. Nielson attended and was presided at the groundbreaking.
After the groundbreaking was formally over, I ran home and grabbed my family to bring them back over to do their own shovel turning.
I really wanted this to be something they were a part of from the beginning.
They even had it available so you could take a little bag of the soil home!
It was a memorable occasion. We also participated by writing our names on rocks to be placed in the foundation of the temple. Over 7,000 rocks were placed in the foundation pours of the temple. Workers made sure to turn each of the rocks so the names faced upward. Our names are literally part of the temple!
This photo popped up a while ago on an Idaho History Page. I downloaded the photograph and wanted to share it. The photo is of the Heyburn Train Depot in the very early days of the City.
Growing up in the area, I never thought much of Heyburn. It was just in the middle as we were going somewhere. Now that I am the City Attorney, I have learned much more of Heyburn, its past and its future.
Heyburn’s name was changed from Riverton as apparently the Post Office thought there were too many. Senator Weldon Brinton Heyburn represented Idaho in the United States Congress at the time. He was a big man and had served Idaho since 1903. He collapsed on the Senate floor in 1912 and died some time later.
As an interesting bit of history, I thought I would share this Bureau of Reclamation contract with Heyburn from 1910.
As you can see, the contract is between the unincorporated Town of Heyburn and the United States Reclamation Service. I am not entirely clear how an unincorporated town signs a contract. Minidoka County had not been created yet, that is 3 years later, so this is in Lincoln County. Acting for the now Bureau of Reclamation was Charles H Paul, the project engineer for the construction of the Minidoka Dam and delivery system. As you can see, the contract is dated 19 February 1910. The City of Paul is named after Charles Howard Paul (1875-1941).
This was the agreement for the Bureau to delivery water for irrigation to the City each year. This contract is still in place.
Heyburn was incorporated in Lincoln County, Idaho on 18 January 1911.
Lincoln County Board of Commissioners Minutes, Book #2, pages 285-286:
“In the matter of the incorporation of the Village of Heyburn. This matter came on regularly to be heard and it appearing to the Board that a petition signed by a majority of the taxable inhabitants of the proposed Village of Heyburn, Lincoln County, Idaho, has been presented and duly filed, praying that they may be incorporated as a Village, designating “Heyburn” as the name they wish to assume and describing the metes and bounds of the proposed Village, and the Board being satisfied that a majority of the taxable inhabitants of the proposed Village have signed such petition, and that such proposed Village has not heretofore been incorporated under any law of this State, it is therefore ordered and declared that the said Village proposed in said petition be and the same is hereby incorporated under the name of the “Village of Heyburn” with metes and bounds as follows:
5 miles to the northeast corner of Section 1, thence south 10 miles to the southeast corner of Section 24 Township 8 South Range 15 East, thence west 6 miles to the southwest corner of Section 19, thence north 2 miles, thence west 1 mile, thence north 1 mile, thence west ½ mile, thence north 1 mile to the quarter corner on the north of Section 2 Township 8 South Range 14 East, thence west ½ mile to the place of beginning.
Lincoln County Board of Commissioners Minutes, Book #2, pages 287:
“In the matter of the appointment of five persons as Trustees of the Village of Heyburn duly incorporated and this being the time of the incorporation of said Village and for the appointment of Trustees for the same pursuant to law; therefore it is ordered by the Board that the following named persons possessing the qualifications provided by statute be and they are hereby appointed Trustees of the said incorporated Village of Heyburn to hold their office and perform all the duties required of them as such Trustees by law until the election and qualification of their successors: T. J. Smith, F. H. Adams, B. F. Kimerling, Lee St Clair, and George E. Schroeder.
Old Paul School
I don’t know the year the Paul Independent School District was created, but it was Paul Independent District #3. After a successful vote in 1948, Paul Independent School District was one of 17 districts that combined to create Minidoka County Joint School District #331. For your information, those Districts were Acequia (2 – Rural and Independent), Big Bend, Empire, Heyburn (2 – Joint and Common), Hopewell, Jackson, Lincoln, Minidoka, Paul, Pioneer, Rosston, Riverview, Rupert, Walcott, and Washington.
Later, a consolidated high school, Minidoka County High School or Minico High School, was built. The last graduating class of Acequia, Heyburn, Paul, and Rupert High Schools was 1955. 1956 ushered in the first graduating class of Minico.
The building above was the Paul School which included the high school. This building burned down by arson in 1977 and the present building was built in 1980 with some minor additions since. The old ball fields are still behind with the backstops. The current elementary has the old bell hanging in front of the school sheltered from the elements.
Current Paul Elementary
Here is another picture of the old school from the Paul water tower.
Paul, Idaho from water tower
Adams Block, Paul, Idaho
I came across some pictures of Paul, Minidoka County, Idaho recently. Thank you to the City of Paul for making them available.
I remember this building as a kid. Somehow the alley immediately behind this building I seemed to get puncture weeds that would flatten my tire and then I had to walk over to the tire store to get it fixed. I felt an attachment to the building even though I never entered that I recollect. I was saddened when they tore the building down in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s.
The photo says it was the Paul Store Co. on Idaho Street and Main Street in Paul. Just behind the building away further to the right is Paul Elementary. I don’t know anything about Paul Store Co. but this photo has K & C Auction written on the front of the building.
I think the Adams Block at the top of the façade is more interesting.
J. E. Earley and Frank Adams were the founders of the Southern Idaho Review, a newspaper that was established in Heyburn, not far from Paul.
Francis “Frank” Henry Adams was born 18 September 1880 in London, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada. I am not sure exactly why he came to the Minidoka Project, but he was involved with the Heyburn newspaper very early on. The Heyburn website indicates the newspaper started publishing in 1905.
Frank then went on to marry Clara Louise Schodde, son of the well-known rancher Henry & Minnie Schodde whose homestead is located about 3.5 miles west of Heyburn, about 2.5 west of Paul and about 3 miles to the south. Clara, born 1 August 1884, is claimed the first baby born in the area north of the Snake in what is now Minidoka County. Frank and Clara married 10 June 1908 in Heyburn by Rev. Merkins.
I don’t know what the Adams Building was originally built for. All I know is that it was a stately building that eventually lost usefulness and was demolished for storage units. When I was looking for somewhere to locate my law office when I came to Idaho, I did reminisce about the Adams Building wishing it was still there as I was trying to locate the owner of the old Paul State Bank. The owner was not interested in selling and the Adams Building was only a memory.
I remember walking along Main Street when the building was being demolished. I saw the old Adams Block blocks sitting in the rubble and wanting to climb the fence to grab them and take them home. Funny what memories we recall.
The week of church when our memberships were read into the ward, we went through the usual procedure. They read your names in, you are asked to stand, everyone welcomes you to the ward with an upright hand, you sit, and the meeting goes on. After the meeting was done a lady stopped me.
“Are you related to Norwood Jonas?”
“Yes, I am. Why do you ask? How do you know that?”
“They read in your name.”
One of those points where you slap yourself for asking a dumb question. My full name is Paul Norwood Jonas Ross.
“I knew your Grandparents.”
As time went on, we visited about the link between my Grandparents, Norwood and Colleen Jonas, and Gib and Janet Richardson. Through a chain of events, my Grandparents had helped bring the Richardsons to Burley, Idaho from Smithfield, Utah. My mother, Sandy Jonas, actually went to school with their daughter, LuAnn, in Utah.
Gib mentioned he thought he had some pictures of Grandpa.
When I met with him and Janet, they revealed that they actually drove all the way to Grandpa’s funeral in Richmond in 1975. They kept in contact with Grandma through the years and were at her funeral in 1999. She told me stories of taking my mother to Young Women and other activities with her daughter. Small world!
Gib gave me three copies from a booklet, the first of which is above. The Del Monte Shield was apparently a periodical that was produced, I am not sure if it was a one time thing for the opening or if it continued. If it was regular, I also do not know if it was just the Burley Plant or if it was for other plants as well (like the one that was in Smithfield). Grandpa is the one farthest on the left for the cover of this booklet. I believe the next person is Sheldon Rawlings, then Ed Carlton (in front), I don’t know the two people immediately behind Ed Carlton, then a Mr. Wood, and finally Jack Woolley. Obviously the date is July/August 1969 and the photo is in front of the plant’s main office building for the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Wilburn Norwood Jonas, 15 May 1924 in Richmond, Cache, Utah to 14 Mar 1975 in Burley, Cassia, Idaho.
Sheldon Rawlings, 9 Mar 1927 in Fairview, Franklin, Idaho to 8 Feb 1993 in Bountiful, Davis, Utah.
Floyd Edward Carlton, 3 Mar 1914 in Randall, Jewell, Kansas to 8 Jun 1974 in Heyburn, Minidoka, Idaho.
Mr. Wood, Unknown to Unknown.
Jack Wilson Woolley, 18 Jan 1919 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon to 28 Jun 1973 in Ogden, Weber, Utah.
University of Utah Veterans Commemoration in 2009
Milo James Ross, 93, peacefully slipped out of mortality in the comfort of his own bed in Plain City on 17 July 2014.
Milo was born 4 February 1921 in a log cabin north of Plain City to John “Jack” William Ross and Ethel (Sharp) Ross. His mother tragically died from childbirth in 1925. Milo and his siblings lived with his Ross grandparents until the costs proved too great and his Uncle Edward Sharp raised Milo in Plain City until adulthood.
He grew up tending to his Grandmother Sharp and spending most of his time farming with his many Sharp cousins and his siblings. He attended schools in Plain City and graduated from Weber High in 1939.
Milo met Gladys Maxine Donaldson at a Plain City celebration in 1940. They would meet from time to time for dancing at the Berthana in Ogden. Milo and Gladys married 4 April 1942 in her parent’s home on 8th Street in Ogden.
Milo enlisted in the Army in October 1942. He served in the 33rd Infantry Division, 130th Regiment, Company C. He trained in weapons and earned his expert ranking. He arrived in Hawaii in July 1943 and received the announcement that his son, Milo Paul, had been born. He served as part of the Philippine invasion force and they fought through the jungles and liberated Baguio City. He was injured five times, one while tending to other soldiers awaiting medical attention.
He was present at the Japanese surrender at Luzon as a Technical Sergeant in June 1945. He received two purple hearts and the Silver Star for his service at the end of World War II. His Company received a Presidential Citation for outstanding performance during armed conflict with the enemy in efforts to seize Hill X in Bilbil Mountain Province. At the time of Milo’s death, the military was preparing to award him another Purple Heart, another Silver Star, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal & Bronze Star, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantry Badge 1st Award, Philippine Liberation Ribbon and Bronze Star, Honorable Service Button for World War II. He was also to be awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal and Republic of the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation Badge from the Philippine Government.
He returned home in 1945 and began working with his father-in-law. He eventually began building or remodeling homes. He estimated he had built over 120 homes and remodeled another 50 homes or buildings in his lifetime. Two more children joined Milo and Gladys in 1946 and 1948, Judy Ethel and Caroline. Milo and Gladys dedicated their lives to raising their three children and tenderly caring for Judy’s needs until she passed away in 1998.
Milo and Gladys solemnized their marriage 2 July 1976 in the Ogden LDS Temple with their daughter Judy by their side. Milo served in various callings as a humble servant favoring their time as temple workers in the Ogden Temple for almost a decade. Milo and Gladys also relished their time in raising their garden and providing its fruits to friends, family, the temple, and local hospitals.
Milo is survived by his son Milo (Janice) Ross of Hazelton, Idaho and daughter Caroline (Abram) Gallegos of Plain City. Eight grandchildren, Scott (Robyn) Ross of Kimberly, Idaho; Jeffrey (Holly) Ross of Jerome, Idaho; Becky (Joseph) Patterson of Portland, Oregon; Paul (Amanda) Ross of Burley, Idaho; Andra Ross of Heyburn, Idaho; Christy (Sterling) Neilson of Rupert, Idaho; Cindy (Steve) Pease of Albion, Idaho; and Lonny (Amy) Taylor of Declo, Idaho; seventeen great grandchildren; and eleven great great grandchildren.
Milo was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Gladys; all five siblings Hobart Day, June Stout, Paul Ross, Harold Ross, and Earnest Ross; daughter Judy Ross; grandson-in-law Bret Adams, and two great grandchildren.
The funeral will be held Tuesday 22 July 2014 at the Plain City 7th Ward Building, 2952 N 4200 W, a building he helped organize its construction, at 11:00 AM with Bishop Tom Matthews officiating.
Friends may call at Lindquist Mortuary in North Ogden at 2140 N 400 E (Washington Blvd) from 6 until 8 PM on Monday 21 July 2014. Friends may also call from 10:00 until 10:45 AM prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in the Plain City Cemetery beside his beloved Gladys and Judy.
Sagacity 