There is not a more popular man in Idaho either as Elk or “landlord” than William Herman Stufflebeam, proprietor of the Blackfoot Hotel, at Blackfoot; there is not a man better liked on purely personal grounds; and there is not a man to whom the citizens of Idaho would more confidently entrust the unraveling of a difficult problem or the settlement of important monetary interests than to Mr. Stufflebeam, who is a business man of careful and comprehensive training.
William Herman Stufflebeam was born at Whitehall, Washington county, New York. His paternal great-grandfather and his grandfather fought together in the patriot cause during the Revolutionary struggle, the former as captain and the latter as private in his father’s company. After peace and American independence were established, these two patriot soldiers became prosperous farmers in Hudson County, New York, and upon the death of the father the old homestead descended to the son. William G. Stufflebeam, father of the subject of this review, was born in 1834 and married Miss Olive Mosher, a native of Washington County. He was long superintendent of the New York & Lake Champlain Transportation Company. In 1883, in company with his son, William Herman Stufflebeam, he came west on a prospecting tour, and bought a stock ranch twenty-five miles south of Blackfoot. In 1884 his wife and their other children came out from New York state and the family was reunited on this place, which comprises twelve hundred acres and is regarded as one of the fine stock ranches of Idaho. Mr. and Mrs. Stufflebeam had four children, all of whom are living: William Herman, John H., who assisted his father in his stock-raising enterprise; Benjamin E., who is in the service of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, at Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Mary E., who married J. E. Holbrook, and lives at Greenwood, British Columbia.
William Herman Stufflebeam was educated at Whitehall, New York, at Greenville Military Academy, New York, and at Eastman’s Business College, Poughkeepsie, New York. During the early part of his business career he was in charge of the office and business of the New York & Lake Champlain Transportation Company, at Troy, New York. In 1883 he built the Blackfoot Hotel, which he has managed since, except during an interval of five years. During four years of the five referred to, Mr. Stufflebeam was chief of the division of suspended banks at Washington, D. C, and during the remaining year of the five was receiver of the National Bank of Moscow, Idaho. At present he is state land selector for Idaho. He is an active Democrat, influential in the conventions and campaign work of his party. He is an Elk and enjoys a wide acquaintance with the members of that order throughout the country.
In 1892 he married Miss Carrie M. Keith, daughter of William Keith, of Whitehall, New York. Mrs. Stufflebeam is a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Stufflebeam was reared in the Presbyterian faith.