History Corner

For reasons I don’t fully understand, all the communities along the Weiser River, and their outlying communities, seemed to go through a boom that started more or less in 1898. Maybe rumors of a railroad being built from Weiser became more believable, although speculation and misinformation was still rampant. Maybe it was the rebound of the Seven Devils Mining District, which wasn’t actually making any money but was experiencing an influx of investment spent on infrastructure, such as the smelter.

Meanwhile, Cohen & Criss opened new stores in both Council and Salubria. Council had a population of about 75 people, three stores, a saloon, two blacksmith shops, and at least one hotel. By the end of summer, a new post office had been built. Houses to rent were in short supply. Several sawmills existed in the area and couldn’t keep up with demand.

The Salubria Citizen said of Council Valley: “The government lands in this valley are being settled very rapidly this spring, and if it continues thus it will be but a very short time when vacant land in this section will be a thing of the past.”

In Salubria, Ben Day opened the Inland Hotel; in his advertisements, he emphasized that no Chinese or Japanese were employed. Later that year, Mr. Day bought the William and Dora Black place on Hornet Creek, and Dora leased the Inland Hotel.

Meadows was also growing and adding businesses. One early report in the Signal claimed a new store, hotel, saloon, blacksmith shop, shoe making shop were to appear. Ed Keiser, was a new merchant. In June the Signal said of Meadows: “Our new hotel, blacksmith shop and saloon are doing a thriving business. The race track is daily thronged with horses in training for the races.” The “Warr Hotel” was mentioned. By late June Meadows was said to have “one saloon one blacksmith shop, post office, two stores, two hotels, livery stable and lots of travel.”

Elizabeth Moser was selling parts of her homestead, which had been divided into lots. Those lots were rapidly forming the town of Council. John Hancock was also selling lots from his property just east of Moser’s and the town square.

Construction on the Indian Valley Community Church, which had started the year before, was completed by the end of March.

In the spring of 1898 mentions of local men journeying to the Klondike gold rush started to appear. Travel to the gold field included a steep, arduous climb up and over Chilkoot Pass. On April 3 (Palm Sunday) an avalanche of snow came roaring down through the long line of men packing heavy loads. 65 men were killed, including Jeff Saling from Mann Creek who left a wife and three young children behind. Wylie Anderson and Erwin Mickey, who were with Saling when he was killed, returned home without going any farther.

Calvin White’s daughter, Lalia Louise Branner (1869 – 1918), traveled all the way to Dawson City, which must have impressed her male compatriots, on the extremely long and difficult journey. She wrote a letter to her father saying she and her husband, Albert, expected to open a business there.

The Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone Company was building a line from Baker to Huntington, which would continue to Payette and Weiser. The Signal said: “The completion of this line will give Weiser telephone connection with nearly all places in Oregon, California, Washington and Northern Idaho as far east as Livingston and Montana. It will be as easy to talk with San Francisco, as between Salubria and Weiser, and the connection may be had with all points as far south as San Diego. The system also reaches North of Spokane into the Kootenai County country.”

In October, the Signal reported: “The long-distance telephone has reached Weiser from the East and connection will soon be made on the West extension. The Weiser station has been located in Jenny’s drugstore.”

On February 15, the USS Maine, which had been sent to Cuba, exploded. On April 21 the U.S. Began a naval blockade of Cuba and hostilities began. Spain, which controlled Cuba, declared war on the U.S. On April 24, beginning the Spanish-American War. Fighting lasted until August 12.

Salubria Citizen, May 27, 1898: “Wm. Camp is taking out an irrigating ditch from East Fork, which will, when finished, be about ten miles long.”

Ed and Sim Ford were mentioned in the local press and were making investment in mining claims, including Placer Basin. By the end of the year they employed about a dozen men and were installing a steam-powered hoist.

That fall a new school building was erected on the hill just north of downtown Council, replacing the school north of town.

At some point around this year, Charlie Anderson and his partner, Mr. Lynes or Lyon or Lyons, built a two-story hotel and a barn at their Lick Creek stage station. It was at the present location of the OX Ranch Lick Creek headquarters.

Weiser Signal, September 1, 1898: Meadows – “Several Indians are in the valley but they do not seem to be in the horse racing mood for the first time in many years.”

In November, the Signal mentioned “Landore” as a new town in the Seven Devils Mining District with a population of “20 legal voters.”

By the very end of 1898, the construction of a big new Cohen & Criss store was completed. It stood about where the M&W Market is today.

Born in 1898: Annie Gould (Johnson), Lillian McDowell (Imler), Calvin Woods, Charlie Winkler.