| A crossroads store and post
office on the North and South highway, a wheat and livestock shipping point on
the Camas prairie railway - this comprises the village of Fenn, little Idaho
County settlement which is small in population but rich in the historical
association of its name.
Fenn, originally called Thorp, was named in
honor of Stephen S. Fenn, native of Connecticut, who became one of the leading
figures of Idaho's territorial era. Mr. Fenn came west with the '49ers in
the great gold rush to California, settling on the Yuba river. Early in
the '60's word reached California of the new gold strikes in Idaho and he moved
to the colorful mining camp of Florence, where he conducted a general store in
partnership with S.A. Woodward.
Mr. Fenn was appointed the first register
of the Lewiston land office by President Andrew Johnson, holding that position
in this city from 1867 to 1872. He later established a ranch home on Camas
Prairie and represented Idaho County in the legislature for five sessions.
In 1874 Mr. Fenn was elected territorial delegate to congress, being re-elected
in 1878.
His son, Major Frank A. Fenn, also was a
leading figure in early-day political history of Idaho and served with
distinction in the Nez Perce Indian war of 1877 and the Spanish-American
war. His grandson, Lloyd A. Fenn, is a prominent Idaho County resident and
superintendent of the Kooskia schools.
The village of Fenn was planned by the late
John P. Vollmer and it and Reubens are said to be the only two of his
town-building promotions which have survived as originally planned. Nine
miles northwest of Grangeville, Fenn is an important wheat storage point
and a local trading center. The precinct had a population of 180 when the
1930 census was taken. |