In a pleasant, attractive brick residence in a desirable section of Boise City, are living to-day David Heron and wife, esteemed citizens and pioneers of Ada County. Mr. Heron has frequently served his neighbors and friends in official positions of much responsibility and trust, and has won their highest praise for the able and conscientious manner in which he discharged the duties resting upon him. For a period of two years he was the recorder and auditor of this County, for a similar length of time was the County assessor and during some six years was one of the commissioners of Ada County. He has just reason to be proud of his record as a public official, and no breath of criticism or doubt of his strict integrity and impartiality has ever diminished his fair fame.
The parents of David Heron were David and Jennie (McGee) Heron, both natives of Scotland. They emigrated to the hospitable shores of America in 1820 and settled in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where for many years Mr. Heron was engaged in the coal business. In 1857 he removed to Jefferson County, Iowa, where he turned his attention to milling and was thus employed until the time of his death, in the seventy-second year of his age. His good wife survived him, her demise taking place when she was in her eighty-third year. In religious faith they were Presbyterians, but for some time they were members of the Baptist church. Of their seven children four are living.
David Heron was born in Blossburg, Pennsylvania. February 11, 1833, and received his education in his native state. For several years after he embarked in business he was engaged in the manufacture of lumber, in the state of Iowa, and in 1860 he removed to Colorado, of whose mining industries he had heard glowing accounts. He mined in Gilpin County for some time and carried on a stamp mill, but, not meeting with the prosperity which he desired and had anticipated, he came to try his fortunes in the mines of the Boise basin, this being in 1863. Mining operations, however, did not seem to be his special field, and he ultimately became a farmer and stock-raiser, in which line he was eminently successful. He selected fertile, productive land, on which he raised as high as eighty bushels of oats to the acre, and one season he sold his crop of oats at fifteen cents a pound. The prices of other things were in proportion, and it cost a dollar to get a letter here from Salt Lake City. As the years rolled away Mr. Heron wrought out success and is now the owner of several farms, aggregating about five hundred acres. From time to time he has branched out into other lines of business or investment, and is at present a stock-holder in the Artesian Hot and Cold Water Company of Boise City, an enterprise which has been of great benefit to this community.
Mr. Heron is a man of deep convictions of right and duty, makes up his mind on all mat-ters of moment independently, and then acts in strict accordance with what he believes is best. He has been a lifelong Republican, and it was with keen regret that he felt impelled to step out of its ranks in 1896, when the party took the attitude which it did on the money issue. He is frank and outspoken in favor of bimetallism, and believes that this principle will eventually triumph, and that the people of this democratic country will be greatly profited thereby. In the meantime he is content to wait, as hopefully as may be, having the courage to remain with the minority.
In 1861 Mr. Heron married Miss Fidelia A. Canfield, who was the first school-teacher in Central City, Colorado, and a pioneer in that state, as well as in Idaho. The only son of our subject and wife, Frank E., is now managing one of their farms, he being a practical, progressive young agriculturist. Mary T., the elder daughter, is now the wife of William F. Yarvan. Alice I. is a graduate of the Boise high school, subsequently graduating in the Michigan State Normal school: was for three years principal of the schools of St. Louis, Gratiot County, Michigan, and is now occupying a similar position in the Whittier school of Boise City. She has had excellent advantages and seems specially qualified, both by nature and training, for her chosen work.