In 1921 one of the legacies the Moser family established in the community was made obsolete when the state rerouted the North and South Highway between Cambridge and Council. The road that George Moser has started down the north side of Mesa Hill with a plow in 1876, which had served as part of the only north-south road through Idaho for 45 years, was bypassed with a new set of switchbacks.
A new bridge was also built over the Middle Fork farther downstream. People in that area wanted to keep the old bridge in place and petitioned the county to leave the old wagon road and bridge in place for private use. The county commissioners agreed, for the time being, but the bridge was later removed and placed across the West Fork of the Weiser River where it served until recently. My grandfather, Jim Fisk, helped with installing that bridge over the West Fork. The old bridge abutments on the Middle Fork are still visible. The current highway over Mesa Hill was built in 1975.
In January 1926 Anderson Moser died. He had married Laura Lansdon in 1904 and they had four children. His grave is at the Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise.
The next year (1927) Emily Moser Bramblee died at Boise. She and her husband, Miles Bramblee had 5 children. She is also buried at the Morris Hill Cemetery.
Another Moser legacy disappeared in 1942 when the last three apple trees of the Moser orchard were bulldozed to make street improvements. Their orchard was about where the high school is today, and those three trees were left in place when a new high school was built the year before. The street had always curved around the trees until this time. The Leader said the trees were “near the corner of the high school property,” and that they would be “missed as an area landmark.”
Eva Moser Titmuss died in January 1955. Her husband, Bill Clark, had died in 1933, and she had married Joe Titmuss in 1935.
Also in 1955 the Ivan and Bertha Moser family moved to Council. As far as I know, they were not related to the Council pioneer Mosers.
Edgar Moser died in 1956. He and Ida (Duree Moser) had moved to Payette in1943 where he died. His grave is in Weiser. He left behind 4 children, 10 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Ida died in 1961.
In early 1964 Matilda Moser was in ill health. She was admitted to the Council Hospital on March 17 until she was moved to the Park Haven Rest home in Weiser that November. She died there on January 22, 1965. She was buried at the Hillcrest Cemetery in Weiser. John Gould was the executor of her estate.
That’s the end of my Moser saga. They certainly were an integral part of Council’s history.
Next week I plan to start a series covering a big subject: Mesa Orchards.
As always, the Council Valley Museum will open on Memorial Day Weekend (Saturday, May 25). It’s always a challenge to get enough people to man the place, so if you can spare a few hours, once a week, or even just one time, please contact Peggy at espellpeggy@gmail.com or (435) 513-9352.
100 years ago
May 9, 1924
“Col. Colson went to New Meadows Thursday to work in the sawmill there as night watchman.”
“J. M. Fruitts of near Cambridge has been appointed Deputy State Livestock Inspector to assist in drawing the quarantine net still closer on persons coming from California.”
Ray McDaniel drove that 2000 miles to Illinois in 10 1/2 days “and arrived there with Idaho air in his tires. He found the roads mostly in excellent shape.”
“Starkey Hot Springs To Open – The Starkey Hot Springs will open with a big dance by the Musical Martins, Thursday, May 15. These dances will be continued every Thursday evening during the season. The Starkey Hot Springs Hotel is now open and ready for business.”
“The fact that our local streams in Washington County have been closed for the spearing of salmon, and streams of Adams County have been opened has given cause for complaint.”
Married at Caldwell: Herbert Sinclair, son of Harry Sinclair, and Miss Cora Nunnallee, who taught at Fruitvale last year. She is the daughter of Mrs. Sinclair by a former marriage.
75 years ago
May 12, 1949
Died: Mrs. Della Sarah Widner, 71, a resident of Midvale since 1888. She married Henry Widner in 1895.
June 6 has been chosen by the commissioners of Adams and Washington counties as the date for the election on whether or not the Midvale-Cambridge-Indian Valley areas shall be consolidated into one class “B” school district with high schools at both Cambridge and Midvale.
On May 21 the Salubria school house, grounds, other buildings and everything attached thereto, except desks, will be sold at public auction. The land is located in the southwest quarter of section 12, Township 13 N., Range 3 W. of the Boise Meridian. Commencing at 30 feet east and 1270 feet north of the southwest corner of said section 12 and running thence North 295 feet; thence East 295 feet; thence South 295 feet; thence West 295 feet to the place of beginning.
Married May 8: Doris Virginia Doggett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ruell Doggett, and James Robert Hill of Boise.
Died at Payette: Iva May Thistle. Born born Iva May Hill in 1903 at Moscow, Idaho, she came to Crane Creek with her parents in 1912 and Married Russell Thistle in 1938. Burial at the Riverside Cemetery, Payette.
A daughter named Evelyn Louise was born at the Stibnite hospital on April 21 to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Ayers.
49 years ago
May 15, 1975
Married: Linda Marie Toney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Toney of Cambridge, and Tracy Lee Langley of Payette.
25 years ago
May 20, 1999
“The long legal battle between Friends of the Weiser River Trail and Virgil Fairchild is drawing near to a closure with two recent decisions reached by Judge Stephen Drescher in the local court room.”
The Midvale community library has recently acquired the second computer connected to the Internet for patrons of the library to use. Lane Williams of Midvale telephone exchange donated the phone and hook up charges as well as the monthly charges.
Died: Glenn Gallant, 84, of Council.
