Gerald Hickman's Blog - Posts Tagged "pioneer"
Genesee, Idaho my boyhood town
Genesee is a small town in the Palouse Hills of Washington and Idaho. My Grandfather came west to the end of the northern RR and landed in Genesee.
It was a transportation hub at this time and Grandpa said it was lively.
He worked on the river ferry for a couple years after he arrived at Genesee and then moved back to town to run a livery stable. It was one of two livery stables along with two banks, general merchandise stores, a saloon, a brothel, supply stores for farmers and ranchers and 2 or 3 churches. Later Grandpa bought the ranch and farmed it until his retirement, when my Dad took over. This is the ranch/farm where I grew up.
The good deep thick Palouse Hills soil was the reason the area was so good for farming and the yield for grains, hay and potatoes was excellent.
Grain harvest in late summer was a very busy time around Genesee with lots of transient laborers coming to help with the threshing, sacking and hauling of harvest to town for storage or shipment. In those days it took a lot of help to handle the teams of horses that did the hauling and harvesting. Each farm had lots of feedlots for the livestock who did the chores, these crops were used to grow the feed for the work animals.
Some people say that harvest time was the busiest time of the year for the saloon and brothel in town.
It was a transportation hub at this time and Grandpa said it was lively.
He worked on the river ferry for a couple years after he arrived at Genesee and then moved back to town to run a livery stable. It was one of two livery stables along with two banks, general merchandise stores, a saloon, a brothel, supply stores for farmers and ranchers and 2 or 3 churches. Later Grandpa bought the ranch and farmed it until his retirement, when my Dad took over. This is the ranch/farm where I grew up.
The good deep thick Palouse Hills soil was the reason the area was so good for farming and the yield for grains, hay and potatoes was excellent.
Grain harvest in late summer was a very busy time around Genesee with lots of transient laborers coming to help with the threshing, sacking and hauling of harvest to town for storage or shipment. In those days it took a lot of help to handle the teams of horses that did the hauling and harvesting. Each farm had lots of feedlots for the livestock who did the chores, these crops were used to grow the feed for the work animals.
Some people say that harvest time was the busiest time of the year for the saloon and brothel in town.
family history
Both sides of my family were pioneers to our home town. One family arrived in 1881 and the other in 1889. the first branch came by wagon train and the second by Northern Pacific Railway. I am always looking for black sheep in the family tree or skeletons in the closet and I think I have found one.
Most of my ancestors were ranchers/farmers, business men and carpenters or livestock growers. But great uncle Matt ran a brewery in town and if that is the worst relative I can find I guess we were not too bad and have reason to keep our heads up high. I am still looking for more relatives who have a questionable background. I will let you know what I find.
Most of my ancestors were ranchers/farmers, business men and carpenters or livestock growers. But great uncle Matt ran a brewery in town and if that is the worst relative I can find I guess we were not too bad and have reason to keep our heads up high. I am still looking for more relatives who have a questionable background. I will let you know what I find.
