Rick Just's Blog, page 157
July 3, 2020
It's Idaho Day
Today, July 3, is Statehood Day in Idaho. On this date in 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed the law admitting Idaho to the union as the 43rd state.
George Shoup, who had been appointed by Harris as territorial governor the year before, ran for governor of the new state and was elected in October of that year. He served as Idaho’s first governor for only a few weeks until the Idaho Legislature elected him as a U.S. Senator from Idaho.
Happy birthday, Idaho! You don’t look a day over 129!
Anyone can buy an Idaho state flag nowadays. This one was the first one manufactured and held special importance for many years. It is preserved by the Idaho State Historical Society. This photo is in the society’s physical photos collection in Boise.
George Shoup, who had been appointed by Harris as territorial governor the year before, ran for governor of the new state and was elected in October of that year. He served as Idaho’s first governor for only a few weeks until the Idaho Legislature elected him as a U.S. Senator from Idaho.
Happy birthday, Idaho! You don’t look a day over 129!
Anyone can buy an Idaho state flag nowadays. This one was the first one manufactured and held special importance for many years. It is preserved by the Idaho State Historical Society. This photo is in the society’s physical photos collection in Boise.
July 2, 2020
If We Only Had a Warp Drive
What if you had an airplane that could circle the globe for years? That question intrigued military planners in the 1940s so much that the National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS), near Idaho Falls, set to work building one. It would run on atomic power, you see.
The atomic airplane would weigh 300 tons, stretch 205 feet long and measure 136 feet from wingtip to wingtip. Big, but smaller than a 747.
The plane was a joint project of the Air Force and the Atomic Energy Commission that began in in 1946. The goal was to come up with a practical airplane that could fly 15,000 miles without having to land.
They built a big earth-shielded hangar for the plane. The photo shows construction and the completed hangar, which last I knew was being used for manufacturing tank armor.
That the plane’s hangar is being used for some other purpose is a clue about the plane itself. They did successfully test twin nuclear engines, but at 30 feet high they were a tad big for airplanes. Miniaturization might have been possible, eventually, if the project weren’t shelved in the early 60s. Technological problems, such shielding the pilots, weren’t what killed it. Fears that such a plane would eventually crash, making the accident site uninhabitable, brought it down before it ever went up, and before a prototype had been built.
Today, you can see the two Heat Transfer Reactor Experiment reactors, used in the effort to build an atomic-powered airplane. They sit in front of the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I Atomic Museum at the site near Arco.
By the way the NRTS became the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), then the Idaho National Lab (INL). It retains the latter designation today. Many people in eastern Idaho just call it The Site, rather than keep up with the acronyms.
Information about the nuclear plane comes largely from Susan Stacy’s book Proving the Principle, a History of the National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, 1949-1999 .
The atomic airplane would weigh 300 tons, stretch 205 feet long and measure 136 feet from wingtip to wingtip. Big, but smaller than a 747.
The plane was a joint project of the Air Force and the Atomic Energy Commission that began in in 1946. The goal was to come up with a practical airplane that could fly 15,000 miles without having to land.
They built a big earth-shielded hangar for the plane. The photo shows construction and the completed hangar, which last I knew was being used for manufacturing tank armor.
That the plane’s hangar is being used for some other purpose is a clue about the plane itself. They did successfully test twin nuclear engines, but at 30 feet high they were a tad big for airplanes. Miniaturization might have been possible, eventually, if the project weren’t shelved in the early 60s. Technological problems, such shielding the pilots, weren’t what killed it. Fears that such a plane would eventually crash, making the accident site uninhabitable, brought it down before it ever went up, and before a prototype had been built.
Today, you can see the two Heat Transfer Reactor Experiment reactors, used in the effort to build an atomic-powered airplane. They sit in front of the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I Atomic Museum at the site near Arco.
By the way the NRTS became the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), then the Idaho National Lab (INL). It retains the latter designation today. Many people in eastern Idaho just call it The Site, rather than keep up with the acronyms.
Information about the nuclear plane comes largely from Susan Stacy’s book Proving the Principle, a History of the National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, 1949-1999 .
July 1, 2020
Jason Lee and the Diamond Jubilee
In Idaho history, 1834 is an important date. It was that year that both Fort Hall and Fort Boise, fur trading posts, were established.
Seventy-five years later on July 3 and 4, 1909, they were celebrating a Diamond Jubilee in Blackfoot. It wasn’t about either of the trading posts, exactly. It was in commemoration of the first Protestant service west of the Rocky Mountains being conducted in a grove near Fort Hall, and the first raising of the United State flag in the Pacific Northwest.
Jason Lee was a Canadian Methodist Episcopalian missionary who had travelled west with Nathaniel Wyeth, the man who founded Fort Hall. Wyeth was in the fur business. Lee wanted to save souls. He was on his way to establish a mission in the Willamette Valley.
On July 27, 1834, Rev. Lee preached his sermon in the grove, at the request of Wyeth. Gathered among the cottonwoods with the sound of the Snake River murmuring nearby, were an assortment of white and Indian trappers. Lee preached on the text: “whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, do all for the glory of god.”
Having been on their best behavior, those who attended the sermon decided to have a little fun afterwards by ginning up some horse races. A French-Canadian trapper named Kanseau fell from his horse during the race and was killed. Not long after Jason Lee had preached that first sermon, he found himself officiating at a funeral. The man was buried beneath a buffalo robe.
It was the sermon the citizens of Blackfoot were celebrating in 1909, and they did it up right, spending a little over $1,000 on the celebration. Idaho Governor James H. Brady gave the keynote speech, a rousing history of the sermon, adding, “to Idaho belongs the honor and distinction of the first flag of our country ever raised in this western land.”
The Village Improvement Society of Blackfoot presented the governor a US flag in honor of the event.
Byrd Trego, the colorful editor of the Idaho Republican in Blackfoot, wrote, “Blackfoot was the most-talked-of town in Idaho for a couple of weeks before the celebration, because of what Blackfoot was preparing to celebrate. It was the most-talked-of place for a couple of weeks afterwards because there was a grand discussion going on to see if what we claimed about early history was correct, and it was found to be substantially as advertised by the publicity men at Blackfoot.”
Jason Lee went on to Oregon after his sermon, and probably never came back to Idaho. His name lives on in Blackfoot, though, where the Jason Lee Memorial United Methodist Church is located.
A sketch of Jason Lee is inset in the lower left of this photograph of the area where his sermon took place. The photo is undated but likely took place around the time of the Diamond Jubilee held in nearby Blackfoot in 1909. Grove photo courtesy of the Idaho State Historical Society’s digital collection. The Jason Lee image in the public domain.
Seventy-five years later on July 3 and 4, 1909, they were celebrating a Diamond Jubilee in Blackfoot. It wasn’t about either of the trading posts, exactly. It was in commemoration of the first Protestant service west of the Rocky Mountains being conducted in a grove near Fort Hall, and the first raising of the United State flag in the Pacific Northwest.
Jason Lee was a Canadian Methodist Episcopalian missionary who had travelled west with Nathaniel Wyeth, the man who founded Fort Hall. Wyeth was in the fur business. Lee wanted to save souls. He was on his way to establish a mission in the Willamette Valley.
On July 27, 1834, Rev. Lee preached his sermon in the grove, at the request of Wyeth. Gathered among the cottonwoods with the sound of the Snake River murmuring nearby, were an assortment of white and Indian trappers. Lee preached on the text: “whether, therefore, ye eat or drink, do all for the glory of god.”
Having been on their best behavior, those who attended the sermon decided to have a little fun afterwards by ginning up some horse races. A French-Canadian trapper named Kanseau fell from his horse during the race and was killed. Not long after Jason Lee had preached that first sermon, he found himself officiating at a funeral. The man was buried beneath a buffalo robe.
It was the sermon the citizens of Blackfoot were celebrating in 1909, and they did it up right, spending a little over $1,000 on the celebration. Idaho Governor James H. Brady gave the keynote speech, a rousing history of the sermon, adding, “to Idaho belongs the honor and distinction of the first flag of our country ever raised in this western land.”
The Village Improvement Society of Blackfoot presented the governor a US flag in honor of the event.
Byrd Trego, the colorful editor of the Idaho Republican in Blackfoot, wrote, “Blackfoot was the most-talked-of town in Idaho for a couple of weeks before the celebration, because of what Blackfoot was preparing to celebrate. It was the most-talked-of place for a couple of weeks afterwards because there was a grand discussion going on to see if what we claimed about early history was correct, and it was found to be substantially as advertised by the publicity men at Blackfoot.”
Jason Lee went on to Oregon after his sermon, and probably never came back to Idaho. His name lives on in Blackfoot, though, where the Jason Lee Memorial United Methodist Church is located.
A sketch of Jason Lee is inset in the lower left of this photograph of the area where his sermon took place. The photo is undated but likely took place around the time of the Diamond Jubilee held in nearby Blackfoot in 1909. Grove photo courtesy of the Idaho State Historical Society’s digital collection. The Jason Lee image in the public domain.
June 30, 2020
Pop Quiz
Below is a little Idaho trivia quiz. If you’ve been following Speaking of Idaho, you might do very well. Caution, it is my job to throw you off the scent. Answers below the picture.
1). Which was true about the Farragut Naval Training Station?
A. It housed German prisoners of war.
B. You could buy potato-themed postcards in the PX.
C. You could buy postcards with cartoons of life in the Navy.
D. More than 292,000 men trained there during World War II.
E. All of the above.
2). Riverside Boot and Saddle was once what historic building?
A. The MacMillan Chapel.
B. The Blackfoot News building.
C. A State Hospital South barn.
D. The Mackay Train Depot.
E. The Cedar Creek School.
3). Where was the man who wrote A Man Called Paladin born?
A. Moscow, Idaho
B. Chesterfield, Idaho
C. Mackay, Idaho
D. Sandpoint, Idaho
E. Twin Falls, Idaho
4). What was unusual about animal judge Orville Casey?
A. He had deep fear of animals.
B. He was deaf.
C. He was blind.
D. He was from Jamaica.
E. He judged them while blindfolded.
5) Which of these were named Idanha?
A. A town in Oregon
B. A hotel in Soda Springs
C. Sparkling water
D. A hotel in Boise
E. All of the above
Answers
1, E
2, D
3, A
4, C
5, E
How did you do?
5 right—Why aren’t you writing this blog?
4 right—A true Idaho native, no matter where you’re from.
3 right—Good! Treat yourself to some French fries.
2 right—Okay! Eat more potatoes!
1 right—Meh. You need to read more blog posts.
0 right—Really, you should reconsider your recent relocation.
1). Which was true about the Farragut Naval Training Station?
A. It housed German prisoners of war.
B. You could buy potato-themed postcards in the PX.
C. You could buy postcards with cartoons of life in the Navy.
D. More than 292,000 men trained there during World War II.
E. All of the above.
2). Riverside Boot and Saddle was once what historic building?
A. The MacMillan Chapel.
B. The Blackfoot News building.
C. A State Hospital South barn.
D. The Mackay Train Depot.
E. The Cedar Creek School.
3). Where was the man who wrote A Man Called Paladin born?
A. Moscow, Idaho
B. Chesterfield, Idaho
C. Mackay, Idaho
D. Sandpoint, Idaho
E. Twin Falls, Idaho
4). What was unusual about animal judge Orville Casey?
A. He had deep fear of animals.
B. He was deaf.
C. He was blind.
D. He was from Jamaica.
E. He judged them while blindfolded.
5) Which of these were named Idanha?
A. A town in Oregon
B. A hotel in Soda Springs
C. Sparkling water
D. A hotel in Boise
E. All of the above
Answers1, E
2, D
3, A
4, C
5, E
How did you do?
5 right—Why aren’t you writing this blog?
4 right—A true Idaho native, no matter where you’re from.
3 right—Good! Treat yourself to some French fries.
2 right—Okay! Eat more potatoes!
1 right—Meh. You need to read more blog posts.
0 right—Really, you should reconsider your recent relocation.
June 29, 2020
Idanha Water
Bottled water is ubiquitous. It’s shipped all over the world and consumed by the billions of gallons by people who usually have a faucet nearby. But before I get off on a rant, I want to say that bottling water and shipping it all over the globe isn’t a new thing. They were doing it in Idaho in 1887.
The Natural Mineral Water Co. incorporated May 17, 1887 was located in Soda Springs, Idaho. They bottled water from Ninety Percent Springs and called it Idanha. Some claim the name is an Indian word meaning something like “spirit of healing waters.” The company would sometimes spell it Idan-Ha. The Idanha Hotel, built by the Union Pacific, came along that same year. That’s the one in Soda Springs. Boise’s Idanha, named after the earlier hotel, came along later.
Idanha water was shipped to eastern markets and foreign countries. It won first prize at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The water is said to have won first place at a World’s Fair in Paris, though the date isn’t certain.
The bottling works burned down in 1895. One might wonder what would burn in a water bottling plant. Nevertheless, it did burn and was rebuilt, getting back to business a couple of years later. The plant filled a million bottles a year in the early days.
Idanha was a great name for a couple of hotels and premium bottled water. It still serves as the name of a town in Oregon. Historians agree that the town name was linked to Idanha water in some way, but no one seems to know how.
But what I want to know about Idanha water is, why ain’t I rich? The National Park Service in interpretive materials about the springs quotes from a diary of one Emma Thompson about the day she and a few friends discovered Ninety Percent Springs. Emma was my great grandmother.
An Idanha Water label, courtesy of Joe Holbrock. 
The Natural Mineral Water Co. incorporated May 17, 1887 was located in Soda Springs, Idaho. They bottled water from Ninety Percent Springs and called it Idanha. Some claim the name is an Indian word meaning something like “spirit of healing waters.” The company would sometimes spell it Idan-Ha. The Idanha Hotel, built by the Union Pacific, came along that same year. That’s the one in Soda Springs. Boise’s Idanha, named after the earlier hotel, came along later.
Idanha water was shipped to eastern markets and foreign countries. It won first prize at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The water is said to have won first place at a World’s Fair in Paris, though the date isn’t certain.
The bottling works burned down in 1895. One might wonder what would burn in a water bottling plant. Nevertheless, it did burn and was rebuilt, getting back to business a couple of years later. The plant filled a million bottles a year in the early days.
Idanha was a great name for a couple of hotels and premium bottled water. It still serves as the name of a town in Oregon. Historians agree that the town name was linked to Idanha water in some way, but no one seems to know how.
But what I want to know about Idanha water is, why ain’t I rich? The National Park Service in interpretive materials about the springs quotes from a diary of one Emma Thompson about the day she and a few friends discovered Ninety Percent Springs. Emma was my great grandmother.
An Idanha Water label, courtesy of Joe Holbrock.
June 28, 2020
On the National Register, in Two Counties
Historic preservationists generally prefer that a building be preserved in its original location so that people better understand its context. Sometimes that isn’t possible, and the relocation of the building becomes part of its history. The Bishop’s House, now on a foundation near the old Idaho State Penitentiary, and Temple Beth Israel, located today near Morris Hill Cemetery are examples of important buildings that moved across town within the city of Boise.
There’s another building on the National Register of Historic Places in Ada County that didn’t stay put. In fact, it didn’t even stay in the county.
The MacMillan Chapel was constructed in 1899 on the northeast corner of what today is the intersection of West MacMillan and North Cloverdale roads. Idaho State Senator John MacMillan owned the land where the chapel would reside, donating two acres to the Meridian Methodist Episcopal Church South.
Built by community members, it is a small, one-story frame building with a steep-pitched roof. With little decorative trim not much about the carpenter gothic building conveys its purpose, except for the steeple and the white paint, yet at the same time it is an exemplary chapel of the kind that springs to mind when one hears the word.
There is a love story tied to the little chapel. A young couple was on a buggy ride in 1916 that would count as their first date. In a story told in a 1975 Idaho Statesman article, as they passed the chapel, Albert turned to his date, Hazel, and said, “I dare you to go to church here with me.”
Quoted in the article, Hazel said, “Since I was a church-going gal, I took the dare.” The couple became Albert and Hazel DeMeyer, married in 1921. What makes that story more interesting, is that the DeMeyers ended up owning the chapel long after it had been abandoned. They had rented the Jenkins Ranch where it was located for 15 years before buying the property in 1953.
The DeMeyers built their home on the original site of the chapel, moving the little church back away from the road and turning it to face Cloverdale. They used the chapel building mostly for storage. In 1984 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Then, in 1993 the DeMeyers donated the chapel to a nonprofit group which moved it to a site near Star.
In 2004, Anne and Lewis McKellips purchased the building and moved it to 18121 Dean Lane in Canyon County. Today, completely refurbished, it is called the Stillwater Hollow Chapel and is the focus of the Stillwater Hollow events center, used frequently for weddings.
Originally listed as an Ada County property on the National Register of Historic Places, the MacMillan Chapel is now listed on the Register for Canyon County.
MacMillan Chapel, located at MacMillan and Cloverdale for many years, is now called Stillwater Hollow Chapel. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in both Canyon and Ada counties. Dan Smede photo.
There’s another building on the National Register of Historic Places in Ada County that didn’t stay put. In fact, it didn’t even stay in the county.
The MacMillan Chapel was constructed in 1899 on the northeast corner of what today is the intersection of West MacMillan and North Cloverdale roads. Idaho State Senator John MacMillan owned the land where the chapel would reside, donating two acres to the Meridian Methodist Episcopal Church South.
Built by community members, it is a small, one-story frame building with a steep-pitched roof. With little decorative trim not much about the carpenter gothic building conveys its purpose, except for the steeple and the white paint, yet at the same time it is an exemplary chapel of the kind that springs to mind when one hears the word.
There is a love story tied to the little chapel. A young couple was on a buggy ride in 1916 that would count as their first date. In a story told in a 1975 Idaho Statesman article, as they passed the chapel, Albert turned to his date, Hazel, and said, “I dare you to go to church here with me.”
Quoted in the article, Hazel said, “Since I was a church-going gal, I took the dare.” The couple became Albert and Hazel DeMeyer, married in 1921. What makes that story more interesting, is that the DeMeyers ended up owning the chapel long after it had been abandoned. They had rented the Jenkins Ranch where it was located for 15 years before buying the property in 1953.
The DeMeyers built their home on the original site of the chapel, moving the little church back away from the road and turning it to face Cloverdale. They used the chapel building mostly for storage. In 1984 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Then, in 1993 the DeMeyers donated the chapel to a nonprofit group which moved it to a site near Star.
In 2004, Anne and Lewis McKellips purchased the building and moved it to 18121 Dean Lane in Canyon County. Today, completely refurbished, it is called the Stillwater Hollow Chapel and is the focus of the Stillwater Hollow events center, used frequently for weddings.
Originally listed as an Ada County property on the National Register of Historic Places, the MacMillan Chapel is now listed on the Register for Canyon County.
MacMillan Chapel, located at MacMillan and Cloverdale for many years, is now called Stillwater Hollow Chapel. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in both Canyon and Ada counties. Dan Smede photo.
June 27, 2020
Farragut Stamps
In the words of then governor Robert E. Smylie in announcing the selection of Farragut State Park for the event, the 1967 World Boy Scout Jamboree was “the biggest planned event in Idaho’s history.” More than 12,000 scouts attended. One of many efforts to recognize the Jamboree was the issuance of stamps in several countries, shown in the photo.
Big as the World Jamboree was, the National Boy Scout Jamboree, held two years later at Farragut, drew about 35,000.
Big as the World Jamboree was, the National Boy Scout Jamboree, held two years later at Farragut, drew about 35,000.
June 26, 2020
Pocatello, the Ship
This is the US Naval Frigate Pocatello, a patrol frigate that completed a dozen patrols west of Seattle during WWII. Three things are of interest about the otherwise prosaic history of the vessel. First, she was named after the City of Pocatello, Idaho. You may have surmised that. It wasn’t so clear in the AP report about her christening that appeared in the October 18, 1943, edition of the Idaho Statesman. That story had the boat being named for Chief Pocatello, not the city. Since the city was named after Chief Pocatello it is probably a moot point.
The Pocatello was launched from the Kaiser Shipyard in Richmond, California, which leads to the second point of interest. As the AP story reported, “Miss Thelma Dixey, 17, now of Oroville, Calif., sponsored the vessel. She was the granddaughter of Ralph Dixey, prominent Fort Hall Indian and great granddaughter of Chief Pocatello who headed the Shoshone Tribe.
“Miss Dixey swung lustily with the champagne bottle as the ship slid into the waters of San Francisco Bay.
The final item of some interest is that the XO, or executive officer of the ship was Buddy Ebsen, who served aboard the Pocatello until she was decommissioned in 1946. Ebsen was a dancer and actor who appeared in many movies, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and became best known for his roles as Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies , and the title character in the TV series Barnaby Jones.
No word on whether or not he ever visited Pocatello.
The Pocatello was launched from the Kaiser Shipyard in Richmond, California, which leads to the second point of interest. As the AP story reported, “Miss Thelma Dixey, 17, now of Oroville, Calif., sponsored the vessel. She was the granddaughter of Ralph Dixey, prominent Fort Hall Indian and great granddaughter of Chief Pocatello who headed the Shoshone Tribe.
“Miss Dixey swung lustily with the champagne bottle as the ship slid into the waters of San Francisco Bay.
The final item of some interest is that the XO, or executive officer of the ship was Buddy Ebsen, who served aboard the Pocatello until she was decommissioned in 1946. Ebsen was a dancer and actor who appeared in many movies, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and became best known for his roles as Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies , and the title character in the TV series Barnaby Jones.
No word on whether or not he ever visited Pocatello.
June 25, 2020
Behind Open Doors
There are many beautiful doors in Idaho’s statehouse. Most are wooden, many with glass or frosted glass windows in the upper half. Two, though, are unique. To enter certain offices in the Idaho Capitol, you step through the openings of door-sized safes. The gleaming steel doors with hefty metal latches, knurled knobs, and gold-leaf lettering once protected the state’s treasury back when physical money from tax revenues was kept there before finding its way to the bank.
There is little need for enormous vaults to protect cash anymore, but when the renovated statehouse was reopened to the public in 2010 we found that those historical doors—minor treasures in themselves—had been retained.
There is little need for enormous vaults to protect cash anymore, but when the renovated statehouse was reopened to the public in 2010 we found that those historical doors—minor treasures in themselves—had been retained.
June 24, 2020
Picket Corral
Pickett’s Corral is a natural amphitheater in the bluffs formed by the Payette River about five miles northeast of Emmett. Or, Picket’s Corral. Or, maybe, Picket Corral. It was named because the corral was made of pickets, so I’m going to go with Picket Corral.
It garnered a name in the first place because it was a notorious robber’s roost for a few years in the 1860s. A band of horse rustlers chose the spot because its natural shape made building a corral easy. They ran the pickets between the walls of the small box canyon and built a living quarters nearby.
Stealing horses was only part of the business. The men were adept at producing bogus gold and passing it off as the real thing. Calling the gang outlaws, though, is a little shaky. There weren’t many laws and even less enforcement in the Oregon Territory prior to 1863. When Idaho Territory came into being that year the situation didn’t improve much.
One young man who had been quietly raising watermelons and onions near Horseshoe Bend for sale to prospectors in the region took particular umbrage when he lost a horse to the Picket Corral gang. His name was William John McConnell. He and other citizens took it upon themselves to clean out Picket Corral. Some would call them vigilantes. McConnell referred to himself that way in his book, Frontier Law, that came out in 1924.
McConnell stopped in at a roadhouse in what was then called Emmettsville to have a drink while waiting for his fellow vigilantes to show up in force. Unfortunately, the toughs had heard McConnell and his men were out to get them. Several of the outlaws called McConnell outside where they confronted him. He backed up against the building and set his hands at the ready to grab his revolvers. Then he gave them a little speech.
“Show your colors,” he said. “I will make the biggest funeral ever held in this valley. You are here to murder me. I don’t think you can do it.”
He was right. Frozen in place by the man’s defiance they stood there while he read them a notice of banishment. Their ringleader left for Oregon the next day and the others scattered, abandoning Picket Corral.
The rogue sheriff elected in 1864 in Ada County, set out to avenge the treatment of some of his Picket Corral compatriots by killing McConnel. Sheriff David Updyke, who will get his own blog post soon enough, was not successful and was later hanged by vigilantes.
Vigilante McConnell did all right for himself in life. He moved to Oregon where he was elected to the state senate. In the 1880s he moved back to Idaho where he opened a general store in Moscow with a partner. McConnell was a delegate to Idaho’s constitutional convention and briefly became a U.S. Senator from Idaho. In 1893 he became Idaho’s third governor, serving until 1897. That gave his daughter, Mary, a chance to meet and marry William E. Borah. McConnell passed away in 1925 at age 85.
Picket Corral became less of a robber’s roost over the year and more of a place to have a picnic.
This picture, courtesy of Jeannie VanDorden, is looking down into the area of Picket Corral.
It garnered a name in the first place because it was a notorious robber’s roost for a few years in the 1860s. A band of horse rustlers chose the spot because its natural shape made building a corral easy. They ran the pickets between the walls of the small box canyon and built a living quarters nearby.
Stealing horses was only part of the business. The men were adept at producing bogus gold and passing it off as the real thing. Calling the gang outlaws, though, is a little shaky. There weren’t many laws and even less enforcement in the Oregon Territory prior to 1863. When Idaho Territory came into being that year the situation didn’t improve much.
One young man who had been quietly raising watermelons and onions near Horseshoe Bend for sale to prospectors in the region took particular umbrage when he lost a horse to the Picket Corral gang. His name was William John McConnell. He and other citizens took it upon themselves to clean out Picket Corral. Some would call them vigilantes. McConnell referred to himself that way in his book, Frontier Law, that came out in 1924.
McConnell stopped in at a roadhouse in what was then called Emmettsville to have a drink while waiting for his fellow vigilantes to show up in force. Unfortunately, the toughs had heard McConnell and his men were out to get them. Several of the outlaws called McConnell outside where they confronted him. He backed up against the building and set his hands at the ready to grab his revolvers. Then he gave them a little speech.
“Show your colors,” he said. “I will make the biggest funeral ever held in this valley. You are here to murder me. I don’t think you can do it.”
He was right. Frozen in place by the man’s defiance they stood there while he read them a notice of banishment. Their ringleader left for Oregon the next day and the others scattered, abandoning Picket Corral.
The rogue sheriff elected in 1864 in Ada County, set out to avenge the treatment of some of his Picket Corral compatriots by killing McConnel. Sheriff David Updyke, who will get his own blog post soon enough, was not successful and was later hanged by vigilantes.
Vigilante McConnell did all right for himself in life. He moved to Oregon where he was elected to the state senate. In the 1880s he moved back to Idaho where he opened a general store in Moscow with a partner. McConnell was a delegate to Idaho’s constitutional convention and briefly became a U.S. Senator from Idaho. In 1893 he became Idaho’s third governor, serving until 1897. That gave his daughter, Mary, a chance to meet and marry William E. Borah. McConnell passed away in 1925 at age 85.
Picket Corral became less of a robber’s roost over the year and more of a place to have a picnic.
This picture, courtesy of Jeannie VanDorden, is looking down into the area of Picket Corral.
