History Corner

As the Panic of 1893 continued around the world, some places saw homelessness and deep poverty. Meanwhile, the worst effects were not obvious in the frontier towns along the Weiser River.

Early in 1894 a steel bridge replaced the old wooden bridge across the Weiser River at Midvale.

Bill Winkler was appointed Justice of the Peace at Council. A Justice of the Peace was basically a judge, but their authority was limited to small claims, debt disputes, landlord–tenant conflicts, and other low-value civil matters. They could perform marriages, issue warrants, conduct initial examinations, and decide whether to bind a defendant over to a higher court. They were very useful in rural areas like the “Upper Country,” as the county seat at Weiser, where one could find an actual judge and a court of law, was more than a day’s ride away

In February, Biggerstaff is mentioned as operating a stage station. The only place that I know of that he had such was on top of Fort Hall Hill. The stage road reached it more or less along the route of today’s highway. Until about this time the road had plunged back down the river bottom and followed the river north. But a new road was recently mentioned that apparently contoured the hillsides east of the river. After the new road was built, from Biggerstaff’s stage station the road climbed up to a bench that runs north, toward East Fork. A bridge spanned the East Fork, and the road continued north along the east side of the river.

About in February of 1894, Johnathan McMahan bought a building at Meadows and opened a store. Later that month a bridge was built across Hornet Creek at “the lower crossing.” This would seem to be an indication that there was enough settlement and travel on the wagon road up that creek that a bridge replaced what had been a ford.

One of the families that had settled along Hornet Creek was that of William “Billie” Black and his school teacher wife, Dora Black. By this time they were said to have 1,500 fruit trees growing on their ranch, plus a half acre of strawberries and a big garden. Billie Black told the Idaho Citizen newspaper that “a lack of a market is a drawback to ranching on Hornet Creek.” His orchard would become very successful, but not until the railroad reached Council, allowing him to ship to a wider market.

Weiser Signal., May 10, 1894 – Council news: “A company under the instructions of Dr. Sherwood will commence building a bath house at the Hot Springs, five miles above this place. It is to be composed of two bath rooms, one sweater and cooler. Dr. Sherwood is an experienced physician of many year’s practice.” This, of course, was what would become Starkey Hot Spring. The facilities mentioned would all be north of the river, near where the hat water came out of the ground.

In March, George Moser was visiting his old home area in Arkansas when he became ill. He died there on March 14, 1894. His window, Elizabeth, was about 54 years old. She would continue to sell parts of their homestead, which would form the town of Council.