Idaho City Idaho

Biographical Sketch of Joseph C. Kelley

Joseph C. Kelley, one of the young business men of Malheur county, was born January 3, 1870, at Idaho City, Idaho, his parents being Joseph and Marrgaret (Thompson) Kelley, pioneers of that state. Joseph Kelley, senior, was a native of Farmington, Iowa, and was among those who in the early fifties sought the golden sands of California. After spending several years in California, in the middle sixties, Mr. Kelley again emigrated, going to Idaho and establishing himself in business as a mechanic at Idaho City. Here, in the closing days of 1870, the silver cord was broken and all that … Read more

Biography of Hon. James G. Watts

Among the practitioners of the bar of Silver City, Idaho, is James G. Watts, who is also a distinguished member of the state senate. Pennsylvania is the state of his nativity, his birth having occurred in the town of Wellsboro, July 23, 1858. His father, Daniel Watts, was a native of England, and on crossing the Atlantic to America took up his residence in New York, whence he afterward removed to the Keystone state. There he was married to Miss Harriet Goodrich, a native of Tioga county, Pennsylvania, and a representative of an old Puritan family. During the civil war … Read more

Biography of James P. Gray

Thirty-five years have passed since James P. Gray came to Idaho to cast in his lot with its pioneers. People of the present end-of-the-century period can scarcely realize the struggles and dangers which attended the early settlers, the heroism and self-sacrifice of lives passed upon the borders of civilization, the hardships endured, the difficulties overcome. These tales of the early days read almost like a romance to those who have known only the modern prosperity and conveniences. To the pioneer of the early days, far removed from the privileges and conveniences of city or town, the struggle for existence was … Read more

Biography of Jonas W. Brown

Jonas W. Brown, of Boise, is an honored pioneer both of California and of Idaho. He crossed the plains with ox teams to Shasta county, California, in 1853, and since that time his life record has been inseparably interwoven with the history of this section of the country. At all times he has been the advocate of those measures tending to-ward the advancement and development of the region, and his influence is that of an honorable, upright man, whose force of character stamps itself indelibly for good upon the public life. This work would be incomplete without mention of Jonas … Read more

Biography of James I. Crutcher

One to whom has been entrusted important public service and over whose record there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, is James I. Crutcher, of Boise. President Cleveland recognized his eminent qualifications for responsible duties when he appointed him United States marshal for Idaho, in which position he served for four years and two months, in a manner above suspicion. His unbending integrity of character, his fearlessness in the discharge of duty and his appreciation of the responsibilities that rested upon him were such as to make him a most acceptable incumbent of that office, and his … Read more

Biography of James Fleet

Many of our most capable and substantial citizens have come to us from England and among that number we must mention the subject of this sketch, whose career has demonstrated the pluck, perseverance and intelligence of the doughty Anglo Saxon race, and any work which purports to give review of the prominent citizens of Wallowa County would be quite incomplete were there not mention of this honorable and esteemed gentleman, whose uprightness, integrity and capability have given him a standing among his men and fellows and it is with pleasure that we accord him representation in the chronicles of our … Read more

Biography of George Dabney Ellis

One of the founders of Boise City and one of the most active spirits in the upbuilding and progress of this thriving place during the past quarter of a century has been George D. Ellis, a pioneer of Idaho, whither he came in 1863. He is and has been the president of the Capital State Bank of Boise City for several years; is a stock-holder and general manager and treasurer of the electric street-car line of this place and is a stock-holder and a director of the Artesian Hot & Cold Water Company, besides having materially aided and fostered many … Read more

Biography of H. Y. Thompson

H. Y. Thompson was born at Senecaville, Guernsey county, Ohio, June 4, 1845. He was favored with a liberal education in the public and high schools of his native town. With the hope of improving his health, which had become impaired, in 1862, he undertook a trip across the plains and during the winter of 1862-3 was engaged in mining in Auburn, Baker County, Oregon. In the spring of 1863 he went to Idaho City and for three years carried on his mining operations at that place. His health not improving, he determined to try the climate of the valley … Read more

Biography of Alonzo L. Richardson

Thirty-eight years have passed since Alonzo L. Richardson came to Idaho, then a sparsely populated territory of the extreme northwest, its splendid resources undeveloped, its advancement a development of the future. For many years he has been closely identified with the work of progress, and is now filling the position of clerk of the United States court in Boise. A native of Missouri, Mr. Richardson was born in Franklin County that state, on The 19th of December 1841, and is a representative of one of the old families of Virginia. His ancestors located there in 1750, and there occurred the … Read more

Biography of Thomas T. Redsull

Great, indeed, have been the changes that time and man have wrought since Thomas T. Redsull landed on the Pacific coast. California yet belonged to Mexico, and much of the land, especially in the southern part of the state, was divided into large estates, owned and occupied by Spanish families. Mr. Redsull was then but eleven years of age, yet had started out to make his own way in the world. He was born in the County of Kent, England, on the 15th of November, 1827, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Goymer) Redsull, both of whom were natives of … Read more

Biography of John Wagener

John Wagener is one of the owners of the Trook and Jennings mine and five-stamp mill, one mile southeast of Silver City. He is also proprietor of several stock ranches and since pioneer days has been active in the development of the business resources of this state. A native of Germany, he came to America hoping to better his financial condition, and whatever success he has achieved is due entirely to his own labors. Mr. Wagener was born June 30, 1833 and in his native land acquired his education. When a young man of nineteen years he bade adieu to … Read more

Biography of Warren P. Hunt

Warren Palmerton Hunt, who has been a highly respected citizen of Lewiston since 1862, and is numbered among the California pioneers of 1854, was born in Erie County, New York, March 13, 1832, a son of Isaac and Diantha (Allbee) Hunt, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of the Empire state. In 1852 the father went by way of the Cape Horn route to California, but returned to his farm in Erie County, where he made his home until his death, which occurred in the eighty-sixth year of his age. His wife passed away in her eighty-second … Read more

Biography of Gen. Morton Mathew McCarver

GEN. MORTON MATHEW McCARVER. THE FOUNDER OF BURLINGTON, IOWA, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA AND TACOMA, WASHINGTON,- General McCarver was born near Lexington Kentucky, January 14, 1807. Of an independent, roving spirit, determination, courage and enterprise that knew no bounds, he quit his home at the age of eighteen years and went to Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and not finding anything congenial to his tastes returned and settled in 1830 at Galena, Illinois, where he was married to a Miss Mary Ann Jennings. He served in the Black Hawk war, and after the surrender of the great chief of the Sacs and Foxes, … Read more

Biography of Thomas Davis

The founders of a state are not merely the men who handle the reins of government and control the public policy, but are also those who carry civilization into hitherto wild regions and develop the natural resources of the state: Such an one is Mr. Davis, who came to Idaho in pioneer days and was the first to establish the fact that this is an excellent fruit-producing region. Thus he introduced a new industry and thereby largely promoted the material welfare of the region. His business interests have ever been energetically and successfully managed and his reputation in commercial circles … Read more

Biography of Nelson Schoonover

NELSON SCHOONOVER. – It now becomes our pleasant privilege to outline the career of the enterprising and progressive citizen, whose name initiates this paragraph, and who has wrought in Union county for many years, ever being active for its upbuilding and advancement, while his wisdom and energy and ability have served in many instances for the good of his fellows. Mr. Schoonover has been occupied in many different lines of industry, but in them all he has never forgotten its labor for the town and county where his lot was cast, and to-day he stands as one of our most … Read more

Biography of Joseph Pinkham

Canada has furnished to the United States many bright, enterprising young men who have left the Dominion to enter the business circles of this country with its more progressive methods, livelier competition and advancement more quickly secured. Among this number is Mr. Pinkham. He has somewhat of the strong, rugged and persevering characteristics developed by his earlier environments, which, coupled with the livelier impulses of the New England blood of his ancestors, made him at an early day seek wider fields in which to give full scope to his ambition and industry his dominant qualities. He found the opportunity he … Read more

Biography of John Lemp

More than a third of a century has passed since John Lemp came to Idaho, and throughout this long period he has been most actively connected with the business interests of Boise. His labors have contributed largely to its growth and upbuilding, and its commercial enterprise is due in no small measure to his investment in industries and business concerns which have contributed materially to its prosperity. He is one of the highly esteemed residents of the city, whose history would be incomplete without the record of his life. A native of Germany, John Lemp was born April 21, 1838, … Read more

Biography of John Brodbeck

One of the representative businessmen of Boise, Mr. Brodbeck, is a pioneer of Idaho, having come to this state in 1865. He is a native of Switzerland, where he was born April 4, 1833, and was reared and educated in his native land and there learned the brewing business. His parents were Nicholas and Elizabeth (Hagler) Brodbeck, the former of whom was a miller by trade, and he and his wife were members of the Lutheran church and were people of high respectability in the old country. He died in his fifty-third year and his wife survived him until attaining … Read more

Biography of Charles A. Schnabel

Thirty-seven years have passed since Charles Augusta Schnabel came to Idaho. This state, so aptly termed “the gem of the mountains,” was then a wild district, its lands unclaimed, its resources undeveloped. A few courageous frontiersmen had dared to locate within its borders, but the work of progress and improvement remained to the future, and there was little promise of early development. In the years which have since passed Mr. Schnabel has not only witnessed a most wonderful transformation, but has largely aided in the labors which have transformed the wild tract into a splendid commonwealth. Now in his declining … Read more

Biography of James A. Lauer

One of the popular and enterprising young merchants of Payette is James A. Lauer, who is numbered among Idaho’s native sons, his birth having occurred in Idaho City, on the 26th of February 1872. His father, William Lauer, is numbered among the early settlers of the state, having located here in 1861, and is the pioneer hardware merchant of Payette. The subject of this review was educated in the public schools of Idaho City, and with his parents came to Payette in 1885. Here he accepted a position as clerk in the general mercantile store of Marquardsen & Lamme, acceptably … Read more