Black Lake Photos
This week I’m featuring photos that I don’t think I’ve featured here before. Some are from a photo album that belonged to the Ford family that established the gold mines at Black Lake. They come from two albums donated to the Council Valley Museum by Frances Ford, granddaughter of Sim Ford. Other photos come from the Weiser Museum.
Brothers Edwin and Simeon Ford came to seek their fortune in the Seven Devils in 1897. They had taken up claims along Indian Creek near the future site of Landore, and also at Placer Basin. In the spring of 1899 they had a crew working the Placer Basin claim. While they were digging at Placer Basin, the Ford Brothers also invested in claims around a lake north of there. They called the place “Nehalem,” which is a Salish language (Northwest coastal tribe) word meaning “the place where people live.” The name didn’t stick, and by 1900 the location was being called “Black Lake.”
100 years ago
August 14, 1925
A girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Snider on August 6.
“The ol’ swimmin’ hole is a mighty popular retreat for old and the young this summer and there is hardly an hour of the day that it is not filled with bathers.”
75 years ago
August 10, 1950
“Because of the extreme fire hazard on the Payette National Forest a closing order has been issued effective August 7. The order declares all National Forest lands and roads within the boundaries of the Payette National Forest as described below close to entry except as hereinafter provided: 1. A part of the drainage of the Middle Fork of the Weiser River and roads located there in. 2. A part of the drainage of Lake Creek and roads located there in.”
“A recent bulletin printed by the Bureau of Mines and Geology, University of Idaho, Moscow, places high importance on the Indian Valley deposits of diatomaceous earth. Diatoms, from which the diatomaceous earth has been derived from, are of Marine (sea) plant origin.”
49 years ago
July 29, 1976
On August 1, Charles W. Spurgeon, DVM, will take over the Cambridge Veterinary Clinic, formerly owned by Gerald Wilkins, DVM.
25 years ago
August 3, 2000
Beginning September 1, Midvale and Cambridge phone customers will no longer have to pay long-distance charges to talk to each other. In addition, customers in both towns will have the local calling area expanded to include the Council, Indian Valley, Weiser, Payette and Fruitland.
Died: William Kampeter, 89, Council.
Died: Rose Wilkins, formerly of Cambridge.
Died: Gordon “Corky” Lawrence, 70, Payette, formerly of Cambridge.
The Council community Hospital will carry on with the help of the passing of a $600,000 bond that voters passed on August 1, which passed by a small margin.
High school construction report: “The propane tanks are in place. The sewer is connected to the city sewer main. Tuffy Excavation is starting on the site work and preparing for sidewalks. The roofers are starting on the metal.”
