Minidoka

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Heyburn Train Depot

Heyburn, Idaho Train Depot

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.

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James Otis Ellis

James Otis Ellis (1872-1961)

Today I wanted to dedicate some time to James Otis Ellis. President Roosevelt signed the Reclamation Act on 12 June 1902. The Minidoka Project was established by the Secretary of the Interior on 23 April 1904. The Minidoka Dam and its related canals and laterals started shortly after. Delivery of water began in 1907.

With the announcement of the Minidoka Project settlers flocked to the region. One of the four men who selected sites near what is now Paul, Idaho, was James “Jim” Ellis. These men struggled and barely survived the three years before the water finally starting flowing to Paul. In 1907, these men then incorporated the City of Paul. Jim Ellis hired an engineer and surveyed the town site and named it Paul after Charles H. Paul, the engineer in charge of the Minidoka Project. In 1910, the railroad was built across part of the land owned by Jim Ellis. He donated the land for the depot.

Jim donated part of his homestead to create much of the City of Paul. He was instrumental in bringing the railroad to town. He also donated lots for various entities to build and support the town including the Lutheran Church, the LDS Church, the Methodist Church, and Modern Woodmen of America. Jim helped found the first hotel in Paul and also helped establish some of the other first businesses.

Paul Hotel, Paul, Idaho

Jim also helped found the first bank in Paul, the Paul State Bank. This building still stands at its location a block west of the hotel.

Paul State Bank, Paul, Idaho

Much of Paul, Idaho, existed because of Jim Ellis. Hopefully at some point I can spend some time on the other three men, Tom Clark being the other to mention now.

The last remaining original building on the Ellis homestead. This building is a one room shack with a window and smokestack. There is believe this was Jim’s home in the early days on Paul.

Ellis home at early homestead of Paul, Idaho.

Jim Ellis was born 10 February 1872 in Portia, Vernon, Missouri. All of his family stayed in Missouri so I don’t know how he ended up in Idaho. The opportunity to homestead with the knowledge of the Reclamation Act and Minidoka Project could very likely been the draw. In the 1900 Census he was still in Vernon County. But 4 years later he was in the flat desert sagebrush land of southern Idaho staking out claims.

Many of the homesteaders struggled and failed before the water finally arrived. Jim was able to hold out and make it work. He slaved away for years. He returned to Missouri to convince his childhood sweetheart to join him in Idaho. Elizabeth Emma Rexroad and her sister, Artie, made the trip out to southern Idaho. The Rexroads were still in Missouri for the 1920 Census, but Jim and Lizzie married 23 June 1921 in Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho. The two did not have children.

Whatever work he might have done in Missouri might not have gained much notoriety. But today the main route of Highway 25 through Paul, Idaho, bears, in his honor, the name of Ellis Street.

Bird’s Eye View of Paul, Idaho, about 1921. Looking up Idaho Street, the road parallel on the left is Clark Street.

Here is an article written about Lizzie Ellis after an interview about 1983. Elizabeth Rexroad was born 16 February 1889 in Adrian, Bates, Missouri.

“James Otis Ellis homesteaded where the City of Paul, Idaho now stands. He donated land for the first school in the city and also built the first hotel there, The Woodman.
The farm owned by Elizabeth Ellis and her late husband Jim Ellis stood on both sides of the main drain at Paul and included the land on which the railroad was built in 1910. As appreciation to these hardy pioneer couple and in recognition for their contribution to the community a street later to become Highway 25, was named Ellis Street.
Jim Ellis was one of four men who made their way from the railroad mainline at Minidoka to the present site of Paul in 1904, three years before water was delivered to the land. He cleared his land with a grubbing hoe.
Having moved from Missouri, Jim later went back and persuaded his sweetheart to join him. It was in 1920 that Elizabeth left her millinery business in Adrian, Missouri and moved to Idaho where she and Jim were later married following a ride on the railroad to Pocatello.
‘I loved hats,’ muses Elizabeth, who had worked as an apprentice and operator of the millinery shop for five years.
Though a city girl by trade, Elizabeth was raised on a farm at Liberty, near Kansas City, where she had learned what farm life was all about. Thus it was no problem for her to join her husband in the fields as he planted, irrigated and harvested his fields of wheat, oats and alfalfa. All the work was done with horses and by hand in those days and she learned to harness her animals, hitch them to the implements and do the field work right along with her husband. She could run the mower and pitch the hay right along with the men.
She remembers the first tractor they bought, but apparently neither she nor Jim was too thrilled with its performance as it soon found its way in a neighbor’s farm where it remained for an extended period of time while they continued to do the work with their horses.
Jim and Elizabeth had no children and she says she is ‘the last survivor’ of her large Missouri family of two boys and eight girls. One nephew shares the family home with her on the original homestead in Paul.
At 94, and with eyesight failing, she spends her time just waiting for another day to come around. She takes care of her own household chores but has little use for the television set in her living room.”

Jim passed 15 October 1961. Lizzie passed 21 September 1988. Both are buried in the Paul Cemetery.

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Old Paul School

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

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Paul Hotel

Paul Hotel, Paul, Idaho

This is a photo of the Paul Hotel in Paul, Minidoka County, Idaho.

Paul was platted in 1905 as part of the Minidoka Reclamation Project.  The town was named after Charles H. Paul, the Minidoka Dam’s chief engineer.

By 1907 the Minidoka and Southwestern Railroad Company, acquired by Oregon Short Line Railroad in 1910, completed a 75 mile spur from Minidoka through Rupert, Paul, Twin Falls, Filer, and ending at Buhl.

The railroad crossed the land belonging in Paul by the name of James Ellis.

James donated land generously for the new little city.

Frank A Grimm and Ludwig Alexander Grimm are the two brothers credited with building the Paul Hotel for $70,000.  He started as a photographer and opened a gallery in Mount Angel, Oregon.  He later moved to Portland and became a motorman for the for the city railroad.  He moved to Paul in 1916 and then assisted in building the Hotel Paul.  He managed the Hotel until 1 June 1919 when he leased it.

The Hotel was a popular location as it had indoor plumbing, which was a novel idea for a hotel at that time.

Here is a picture of Paul from the water tower.  You can see the writing on the photo of the hotel and at the end of Idaho Street the school that burned in 1977.

Paul, Idaho from water tower

I don’t know why, but eventually the entire second story was removed from the building.  It remains that way to today, February 2018.

The windows in the front of the building are now all bricked.  Mustang Sally’s, a club, was located in the right side of the building and now has a painting of “Sinister” as a DJ on the end.  I am not aware of a business operating int he building right now.  It does appear that a family are living in at least part of the building.

As a kid I remember being intrigued by the bank drop-box that was on the east end of the building.  That box has been removed and the hole bricked in.  I have never been in any part of the building.  Since it is beside the Post Office, I am around the building on a regular basis.

A relic of the times, I doubt we will see any renovation or reinvention of the building.  But it will probably eventually be demolished and lost to time.

 

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Racing Father Time

2017 is now ending.  Where in the world has it gone?  Here is a photo that I think more or less sums up the entire year.

Hiram, Lillian, Amanda, Paul, James, and Aliza Ross in 2017!

Ms. Brandi Teuscher took that photo and deserves the credit.  She had some difficult subjects to work with under the circumstances.

A 1956 Dodge Coronet with plenty of blemishes due to age.  She turned 61 this year.  Hopefully we can get her better looking in the future.

One of my favorite things in the photo, beyond the family and car, are the dandelions.  They make my heart happy.

Aliza turned 7, Hiram turned 5, Lillie turned 2, and James was born in March.  Amanda and I continue to mature in age and demeanor.  Our little family continues to grow.

In March we saw the raging Snake River over Shoshone Falls.

Hiram and Aliza at Shoshone Falls 19 March 2017

In April, the Snake River continued to rage so we took a picture at Minidoka Dam.

23 April at Minidoka Dam spillway

Our grass greened up and was beautiful and the kids enjoyed a new Radio Flyer wagon.

Lillie 23 April 2017

We attended the Open House and Rededication of the Idaho Falls Temple.

Idaho Falls Temple during the Open House

Hiram was antsy to start farming in June.

Hiram on Grandpa’s 1948 Ford 8N

During most of the summer, the kids loved to go for walks or bike rides in the evening.

30 July trip around Fairmont Street

We traveled to Rexburg for the 2017 Great American Eclipse!

Amanda during the Total Eclipse 21 August 2017

We enjoyed some hot miniture golfing in Twin Falls in September.

Twin Falls Miniture Golfing

The Annual Hemsley Camp Out also took place in September in Soda Springs.  We not only enjoyed the carbonated springs, we felt a few earthquakes too.

2017 Hemsley Reunion: Front kids (l-r) Aliza Ross, Lillie Ross, Olivia Hemsley, Hiram Ross; Second row Jill Hemsley, Amanda Ross, Derek Hemsley, Jordan Hemsley holding Jack Hemsley, Bryan Hemsley holding Red Solo Cup, with Zack Smart and Alyssa Hemsley behind; James Ross sitting in car seat

James grew up enough to look around, crawl, and Lillie grew enough to pull him in a wagon by September.

Lillie pulling happy James

Made a trip to Cedar City for the Cedar City Open House by November.

Paul, Amanda, Aliza, Hiram, Lillian, and James Ross at the Cedar City Temple Open House

And Cove Fort.

Paul, Amanda, Aliza, Hiram, Lillian, and James Ross with Jill Hemsley recreating a 1939 photo of David and Dave Donaldson.

What shall 2018 bring with it?

I find myself echoing Jacob.  “And it came to pass that I, Paul, began to be old… the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream.”  It passes too quickly.  We could make more memories, but health and money are limited.  Hopefully more memories and life in the upcoming year.

 

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Memories are Made of This

Lillie 23 April 2017

Sometimes you just have to be grateful for what you have.  I am fortunate to have a great family.  A couple of photos of recent.

Hiram and Aliza, 23 April 2017, Snake River Minidoka spillway, flood 2017

 

Hiram and Aliza, Paul Park, 22 April 2017

 

Del Monte Tower

You can’t hardly see it, but I regularly see it.  My Grandfather helped build that water tower that is small but to the left of the tree just above the fence.  Most days when I open Aliza’s blinds, I have a reminder of my ancestry in the distance.

The remaining of the Twin Falls, 19 March 2017

 

Shoshone Falls, 19 March 2017, Flood of 2017

 

Hiram and Aliza at Shoshone Falls 19 March 2017

 

Hiram and Aliza goofing off 19 March 2017

 

 

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Memories of Great Grandpa and Grandma Andra

For the Andra Reunion this year, we have been asked to write our memories of my Great Grandpa and Grandma Andra (William Fredrick Andra and Mary Louise Wanner).  These are my maternal grandmother’s parents, but we just referred to them as Grandpa and Grandma Andra.  For sake of reading, I will call them by their more formal title.

My Grandma (Colleen, their daughter) lived in Paul, Minidoka, Idaho from before I was born.  She had grown up in Preston, Franklin, Idaho and her parents still lived there.  Therefore, the only time I saw them is when we visited them in Preston or they visited us in Paul.  At some point, I will write a more comprehensive history of Bill and Mary Andra, but for now I will only write my personal recollections.

Great Grandpa Andra was born in 1898 and Great Grandma Andra was born in 1901.  By the time I was 4 or 5, they were already in their 80’s.  Some of my first memories of my Great Grandparents were the Andra Reunions held at Wolcott Park, beside the Minidoka Dam, near Acequia, Minidoka, Idaho.  Here is a picture from the reunion in 1984.  Great Grandpa and Grandma Andra had 12 children, so our reunions could be quite the crowd of immediate family.

Andra Reunion, July 28, 1984. Bill (Jr), Millie, Bill, Mary, Golden, Larry, Don, and June in back. Colleen and Ross in front.

Great Grandpa Andra was pretty ill.  Some believed it was Parkinson’s Disease, others just thought it was old age.  I do not personally know what it was.  I believe the reunion was held at Wolcott Park because Grandpa was staying in the old folks home in Acequia.  I remember going there multiple times with Grandma and playing while she attempted to play cribbage with Grandpa.  He was pretty shaky, and could not speak in any way that I could understand him.  As you can see in the photo, he needed assistance walking by this point and standing.

I remember him at Grandma’s house in Paul one time and we were having dinner.  Grandma had to feed him.  I do not know exactly what happened, but apparently Grandma became very upset with Grandpa Andra and slapped him over something.  I was not present when it happened.  I remember Grandma crying and I entered the room hearing her sob and tell Grandpa Andra how very sorry she was for what she had just done.  For years afterward, she mentioned how you can spank your children, but you can never slap your Daddy.

Another time we were driving somewhere in Grandma’s 1974 yellow Mercury Cougar.  Grandpa Andra was in the car with us and a song came on the radio.  The song was “O My Papa” and Grandma sang along with it, apparently to Great Grandpa.  Both of them cried.  Grandma always sang along with the song, probably in memory of her father.  Even today, I hear the song and I think of Grandma singing to her father.  Very, very sweet.

Great Grandpa moved back to Preston after probably only a year or two in Acequia.  The only times I really saw them then was at the Andra Reunions, now held at Riverdale, Franklin, Idaho.  Here is a picture of Great Grandpa in the shade at the Riverdale water park where the reunions were held.  I remember he was not very coherent by this point, and family kept herding us away from him so he could have some peace in the shade.  I believe this is the last Andra Reunion he attended in 1989.

He passed away during the spring of 1990 and because school was still in, I was not allowed to go down with Grandma to the funeral.  I remember wanting to go and sad I could not.

Somewhere before this time, for some unknown reason, we went to visit Great Grandma Andra in Preston.  Grandpa was still in the old folks home there because we went to visit him.  We actually stayed the night at Great Grandma’s for the only time I ever remember doing so.  Grandma left us with Great Grandma for part of the day and she pulled out a big board with holes in it.  We played “Aggravation” and it is the only time I think I ever remember playing it.  You move marbles around on a board and somehow your marbles were sent back home.  I remember enjoying it and Great Grandma getting quite a kick out of Andra’s reaction (I know, confusing, but it is my Sister’s first name…I wonder where my Mom got the name?).  She laughed and laughed at one point where Andra was not laughing at all, which only added to Great Grandma’s enjoyment of the situation.

We helped Great Grandma in her massive garden for a good while.  I remember the smells of the garden more than anything.  She had flowers surrounding the garden and even my young 9-10 year old mind knew it was beautiful.  Here is a picture of Great Grandma in 1990 after Great Grandpa Andra passed away.

My last memory of Great Grandma Andra was the day she passed away.  She did pretty well getting around and taking care of herself until a stroke hit her a few weeks before she passed away.  She went downhill very quickly and I remember there being concerns she would not even live until the Andra Reunion in 1991.  The reunion was held and she was in the old folks home in Preston.  Everybody knew it was pretty much good-bye at this point.  We lingered that Saturday with family and then made our way over to the home to say good-bye to Great Grandma.  We all hugged her and gave her kisses.  Grandma climbed on the bed and gave Great Grandma a hug.  She pretty much was laying on her and sobbing and telling her how much she loved her.  Grandma was there too long and we could see that Great Grandma was starting to struggle to breath.  Aunt Jackie pulled Grandma off Great Grandma and I still remember the fluffy white hair in the light as we left the room.  It was a sweet feeling as we left.

We drove from Preston to Paul.  As we walked into the house from the garage, the phone rang.  Grandma answered the phone and the person on the other end informed Grandma that Great Grandma had died while we were driving back home.  Grandma started crying and went somewhere to be alone.  I remember feeling just as sad knowing how much Grandma loved her parents.

I have a very soft spot in my heart for my Great Grandparents because of the love I know my Grandma had for them.  I did not get to know them very well.  Their memory is still fresh in my mind though.  I can still remember both of their smiles, Great Grandma’s laughter, and a sly look Great Grandpa Andra would get in his eye when he would tease me.  I can remember looking at his little tattoo that looked like a eggbutt snaffle bit, that was the only thing in my life that I thought it resembled, just above the thumb knuckle.  Kinda like an 8 on its side with a line between the loops near the thumb of the hand.  I cannot remember if this was the hand he lost his thumb?  (I seem to remember being told someone had the thumb in a jar!)  I did not get to attend Great Grandma’s funeral either.

Anyhow, in closing, here is a picture of after May Melycher was born.  They all drove down to get a 4 generation shot.  I assume sometime in 1989.

Mary Andra, Jackie Melycher, Colleen Jonas, holding May Melycher

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Jeep Wreck in about 1980

I thought I would share this story about my mother and me of when I was a baby.  It is a riveting story I had not heard from this angle before.  I knew my mother had wrecked her jeep, rolled it while drunk, and her dog was killed.  I never knew how I was linked!  Anyhow, I have changed the story some so it reads better for those who are not familiar with the family.

Colleen is my Grandmother, Sandy is my mother, Linda is my Aunt (the author), Doug is my Uncle.  I don’t know exactly when this accident took place, I assume somewhere in 1980.  The wreck was near Max Beet Dump, on Highway 24, near Minidoka, Idaho.

“The initial call from the police came to Grandma’s. Doug answered. Colleen was not there. I was asked about you, the police said there was no baby. I had seen you with [Sandy] prior to her drinking. Sandy was not above leaving you in the car when she would drink. So the police began the search. By the time Doug and I arrived at the wreck, they had found the dog, I think he was under the jeep. It was dark, I remember the field, the tumbleweeds. The shadows cast. The jeep upside down. Sandy was at the ER. The baby carrier that she used had been found, but no Paul. I remember hearing someone say, if you were out there, you were dead. The smell of the blackberry brandy all over the carrier, the inside of the jeep.”

“I remember Doug yelling, “I’m going to kill her.” Typical of the family, he rambled about every single thing she had done wrong in the past. Making himself madder and madder. I was freezing, terrified, my stomach hurt so bad.”

“One of the deputies radioed and we were told that Colleen was at home and that you were with her. Doug was so angry by the time we got to you. He fought with his mom about Sandy. All I could do was hold you and cry. Grandma was concerned about Sandy and Doug did not want her to go to the hospital. Colleen had been spared the emotion that Doug and I had just gone thru. I think Colleen had run into Sandy and had taken you so she would not leave you in the car while she drank. Probably because it was cold. I am curious about Doug’s memory of this. Your mom would probably not remember, she was drunk. I don’t remember anyone but the police and Doug and I looking for you. I believe we looked for a little over an hour before the call. Thing is, you were never missing. No one else really lived the terror, so this would not be a story connected with the rollover. There would/should be something in the police report, we did search for you.”

Now I am interested in getting my hands on the police report.  I wouldn’t know where to find it, even if they have kept it for this many years.  Who knew my life was so interesting at some point?  Does anyone else have a story about me I don’t know about?  I am certainly interested in hearing others’ stories, or even linked to this episode.