Valley County Post Office History
Idaho maps at Digital Commonwealth/Massachusetts Collections Online, includes 1891, 1895, 1897 & 1903 mail routes
Alpha
James L. Horner, July 12, 1888 -- Post Office established James A. Flood, April 19, 189? (year date unclear) Francis I. Hamaker, July 12, 1898 Henry L. Westfall, August 1, 1903 Gertrude M. Kerby, December 11, 1906 William Kirby (Kerby?), January 29, 1909 John W. King, July 20, 1910 Alonzo L. Needles, January 1, 1912 David H. Kerby, September 25, 191? (year date unclear) Lawrence W. Cook, August 26, 1915 Hanna M. Spackman, September 4, 1918 (Mrs.) Viola A. Herrick, August 28, 1926 (others 1930's-1950's?) April 30, 1954 -- Post Office discontinued, mail to Cascade per Ramsey: 9 miles south of Cascade, 9 miles north of Smiths Ferry, about Sec. 4 or 5 - T12N - R4E
Courtesy of Mark Metkin, see his site Idaho Post Offices. The names and dates were transcribed from the postmaster appointment records that were maintained by Post Office Department until the 1930's. The records were handwritten and are not always easy to decipher, so errors are possible.
Duane Petersen writes: Jim Horner was the first postmaster. This post office moved many times, but always had the name Alpha. . . (which) was a suggestion of Mrs. Steve Sisk and the postal department used it.
Nellie Ireton Mills writes:
A month after the Alpha Post Office on Clear Creek was established in July 1888, the stage line was extended fifteen miles up the valley to the Levi L. Kimball farm where another office called Van Wyck was opened . .
Arling
established November 11, 1915, Mrs. Roda C. Carver
closed September 15, 1920, mail to Cascade
reopened September 22, 1920, John Goode
Francis B. Goode, May 2, 1925 (same person)
discontinued December 31, 1941, mail to Cascade
On UP Ry, 10 m. N. of Cascade
NW 1/4 NE 1/4 Sec. 14, T15N, R3E.
Big Creek
established May 13, 1936, Richard H. Cowman
Walter A. Weymouth, November 5, 1946
Marie A. Weymouth, December 31, 1949
discontinued December 31, 1951, mail to Yellow Pine
On Big Creek, 27 m. SE of Warren, 23 m. NE of Yellow Pine,
center Sec. 35, T21N, R9E.
Cabarton
established August 29, 1919, Edgar C. MacGregor
Alvin W. Nelson, November 3, 1931
discontinued July 18, 1936 mail to MacGregor
on UP Ry. 6 m. s. of Cascade
SW Sec. 30, "T31N," R4E
(note: should be Twp. 13 North -- remember we're counting north from Initial Point Butte south of the town of Meridian.)
(note: Gratia Bacon Matthews, Once Upon a Time, Cascade was Born, writes that "Cabarton" was named for C. A. Barton.)
Cascade - present day zip code 83611 (county seat)
established Sept. 19, 1890 as Crawford
renamed Cascade Mar. 15, 1915, Sarah A. Jones
Charles B. Mirgon, Nov. 23, 1921
Eva Hurd, July 1, 1927
Harold P. Gorton, Jan. 31, 1928
Leroy Lisenby, Dec. 19, 1930
Ira F. Madden, June 25, 1931
On UPRR 80 mi. north of Boise; 27 mi. S of McCall;
on Payette River, center Sec. 26, T14N, R3E.
Gratia Bacon Matthews in Once Upon a Time, Cascade was Born (1981) writes:
The summer of 1912 the railroad grade was near Smith's Ferry. Next, a large work camp was set up near the mouth of Round Valley Creek. . . When finished there, they moved their camp farther up the river. . .It went up the draw back of the Dawson City stage stop. . At last they reached the open meadows where Cascade is today. Below Cascade and north of the Cabarton site, they had water tanks, where their steam engines could take on water. They called this Belvedere. Passengers later could get on and off the train there, but there were no buildings. When the train depot was built in the meadow and a home or some railroad employees, the railroad companies called this stop Cascade. They named the expected town for the falls in the river. The businessmen got their heads together and decided to move to the railroad and make one town. Here they came from Van Wyck, Thunder City and Crawford. I was there the summers of 1915, 1916 and 1917 and saw this town born. The Catholic Church today in Cascade was the Methodist Church they moved from Thunder City. The Baptist Church building was moved from Van Wyck, and the first school was in it. (p. 68) .. . In the fall of 1914, and the early spring of 1915, Cascade was laid out with streets marked. Business people from Thunder City, Crawford and Van Wyck were in a hurry to find their best locations. Some people had their property torn down, moved by teams and rebuilt. Others built new buildings. A few small buildings were moved on skids.
Center
established July 23, 1889, Chesney Keeney
Jacob Hancock, February 12, 1894
Jacob Howick, April 4, 1894
John H. Thompson, March 18, 1896
Chas. Kenney, December 4, 1897
Chesney Kenney, January 6, 1898
James O. Scott, April 4, 1908
discontinued June 30, 1910
On N. Frk Payette R. (inundated) on N.P. Ry
SW Sec. 23, T15N, R3E
Clover
established June 5, 1914, Violet M. Garden
Joseph B. Elliott, October 16, 1920
Ernest E. Elliott, August 31, 1926
Rosebud Joy, October 16, 1928, declined.
Discontinued March 15, 1929, mail to Warren.
East of Edwardsburg --
Idaho Post Offices
"The new post office at A(rthur) E. Garden's will be called Clover and will afford greater convenience to the entire section below Edwardsburg, mail boxes being scattered all along the route for the convenience of the men living at Chamberlain, Crooked Ceek and the Roosevelt section. The new office on the Brewer ranch is to be called Brewer. The old Comfort office at the ranch was closed in 1907." (Helmers, May 1914) -- see Idaho County GenWeb for information on Brewer and Comfort post offices
Crawford
established Sept. 19, 1890, James T. Beers
Priscella E. Barton, December 3, 1898
Maggie S. Garton, January 1, 1899
Alice Higgins, May 16, 1902
John D. Patterson, February 20, 1906
Phalta E. Patterson, May 9, 1908
Sarah A. Jones, July 29, 1909
renamed Cascade March 15, 1915
4 mi. NE of Cascade. Sec. 21, T14N, R4E.
Deadwood
established June 2, 1944, Oliver J. L. Hower
Charles F. Talbot, Aug. 20, 1945
Mrs. Frances Cahill, June 10, 1946
Mrs. Twilia L. Pratt, Aug. 13, 1946
discontinued June 30, 1948, mail to Cascade.
At Deadwood Reservoir; about 25 mi. NE of Garden Valley.
Summer office; made year around 11-5-46.
Donnelly - present day zip code 83615
established December 1, 1914, Ira Blankenship
Henry P. Moore, January 27, 1917
Ruth Eagan, May 24, 1913
Mary R. McDonald, November 21, 1918
Maude M. Burnside, January 14, 1921
Maude M. Howe, October 27, 1921
on UP Ry. 12 m. S. of McCall, 15 m. N. of Cascade
NE 1/4 Nw 1/4 Section 10, T16N, R3E.
Edwardsburg
established August 17, 1904, as LOGAN, William F. Edwards
renamed Edwardsburg February 25, 1909
discontinued January 14, 1918, mail to Warren.
Catherine Gillihan, backcountry historian, writes:
The Routsons, "Boston" Brown and Dan McRae carried most of the mail from
the 1900's to the 1918's. After the Edwardsburg post office closed the
mail went down Big Creek River to Clover/Garden Creek, Werdenhoff Mine
and Smith Creek mines. About the 1923's when it was taken to Big Creek
via Smith Creek to Cowman's Lodge, this mail came through Warrens. Mail
came from Crawford, later Cascade, to Yellow Pine and to Profile to Sam
Wilson's. The Edwards went to Profile for their mail. The first and
only road into the Big Creek area went over Elk Summit, splitting at
the top , one fork going down to the Edwards and Moscow Mine on Logan
Creek and the second fork went down Smith Creek to the mines. There was
only a trail from Smith Creek up to Big Creek; the forest service using
Smith Creek for a while as headquarters and then building at Big Creek,
about 1923. This station burned down. In the 30's, the CCC built the road
from Yellow Pine past Edwardsburg to Big Creek and on down to Smith
Creek, connecting all of these places, and the mail then was hauled in by
vehicle and flown into the airport when the road was closed. Carl
Whitmore and Johnson's Flying Service had these early contracts.
Helmers included the following account: Joe Davis has contracted to pack the post office at Edwardsburg out to Warren. He had the horses tailed together, no halters, just ropes around their necks. When he was coming around the grade from Elk Creek, high on the hillside, one horse pulled back. That started the whole string to pull back and the third horse from the rear broke loose and went over the bank end over end, all three rolling until they came to a tree and wrapped around that. Joe went to Tom Carrey's place on the river for help. One horse was dead, choked, and U. S. Post Office was scattered all over the hillside. They gathered what they could and Joe said the Department in Washington could come get the rest.
Elo
established March 31, 1905, John W. Eloheimo
William Eloheimo, June 8, 1907
moved abt 1 m. N. & renamed McCall July 13, 1909
3 1/2 m. SE of McCall, center of Section 22, T18N, R3E
Eugene
established September 3, 1891, Charles Clifford
discont. Nov. 16, 1893, mail to Meadows.
Fern
established May 23, 1902, Eva Neeb
Maggie S. Gorton, July 9, 1906
John W. Miller, July 6, 1908
Noah E. Miller, November 13, 1910
renamed Smiths Ferry February 17, 1913
on N. Fork Payette R., 2 m. NE of Smiths Ferry
Section 2, T11N, R3E
Harlo
established August 6, 1889, Mrs. Nellie Killoran
discontinued September 20, 1890
mail to Meadow.
High
established October 3, 1891, Nathaniel F. VanFonen
discontinued November 1, 1892, mail to Ola.
detail from 1892 GLO map, courtesy of Art Beal, thanks for sharing!
High Valley
established Oct. 17, 1911, Naomi Beal
discontinued December 31, 1912, mail to Ola
Reopened February 17, 1913, Lydia Beal
discontinued October 31, 1917, mail to Smith's Ferry
 |
 |
 | |
| courtesy Art Beal | |
Hussey
established February 26, 1920, Charles H. Smith (end of entry)
Knox
1905 photo, Univ. of Idaho Library digital collection, Idaho Cities and Towns.
established April 5, 1904, Charles C. Randall
La Velle L. Bush, May 6, 1907
closed June 30, 1908 mail to Thunder (rescinded)
discontinued Oct. 15, 1908 mail to Thunder
25 miles NE of Cascade, SE Sec. 2, T15N, R6E.
Lakefork - present day zip code 83635
established after 1927.
on UP Ry. 5 m. S. of McCall
NW Sec. 10, T17N, R3E
Lardo
established November 30, 1889, John R. Lane
July 2, 1890, George F. T(?)rouch
Thomas McCall, September 19, 1894
William B. Boydstrum, January 12, 1903
Edward W. Cole, March 8, 1912
Sophia M. Cole, May 5, 1915
discontinued October 15, 1917, mail to McCall
on Payette Lake, 1 m. W. of McCall
NW SW Sec. 8, T18N, R3E
Logan
established August 17, 1904, William E. Edwards
renamed EDWARDSBURG February 25, 1909
6 miles SW of Big Springs
NW Sec. 9, T20N, R9E
MacGregor
established August 28, 1936, Kenneth R. Phippen
discontinued August 24, 1940, mail to Donnelly
about 11 m. N. of Cascade, 17 m. S. of McCall, 5 m. S of Donnelly.
"Mississippi Valley Lumberman" May 3, 1940:
The little town of MacGregor, Idaho, with a population of 300, is about to move. The town with its buildings on skids was built several years ago when Boise-Payette Lbr. Co. began operation there. The cutting has been done in that district and the town will soon move to taller timber near New Meadows, Idaho.
Manning
established May 27, 1904, Mary E. Strong
discontinued January 31, 1905, mail to Thunder
McCall - present day zip code 83638
established March 31, 1905 as ELO
moved about a mile N. & renamed McCall
July 13, 1909, Jacob Kaanta
Helga M. Cook, April 1, 1914
S. end of Payette Lake, 27 m. N. of Cascade, 13 m. SE of Meadows, on UP Ry., W Sec. 9, T18N, R3E.
Nellie Ireton Mills writes:
The Thomas McCall family, like others bound for Long Valley, in April 1890, followed those well-worn wagon tracks that Cal Baird had made to Ola so many years before, and then climbed the five-mile hill beyond, to camp in the snow. Near the top they found ten other families there ahead of them, waiting for the snow to melt enough for them to go on into Long Valley. . . . The sawmill Thomas McCall built, eventually was sold to Hoff and Brown interests, the hotel materialized and the town that Tom McCall, Newt Williams, and others, helped to build was given the family name."
Midway
established April 6, 1892, Presley Moore
closed November 30, 1892, mail to VanWyck
reopened July 25, 1904, Lorin M. Gortin
rescinded February 18, 1905
Morrison
established April 5, 1904, Albert C. Behne
discontinued September 29, 1906, mail to Knox.
(later known as Yellow Pine)
Norwood
established May 10(?), 1915, William C. Wright
Arthur E. Wight, September 8, 1919, declined
Rosalie Balch, December 15, 1915
discontinued December 15, 1941, mail to Lakefork
on Ore. Short line (UP Ry) 2 m. SW of Lakefork
SW SW Sec. 5, SE SE Sec. 6, T17N, R3E
Pinedale
established December 24, 1896, Samuel H. Canfield
discontinued November 29, 1897, mail to Alpha.
Profile
established July 11, 1914, Earl W. Wilson
discontinued January 31, 1921, mail to Yellow Pine.
Roosevelt
established February 19, 1902, William L. Cuddy
Joseph B. Randall, September 6, 1902
Warren M. Dutton, June 9, 1905
Harry S. Austin, December 15, 1906
Benjamin T. Frances, March 20, 1907, declined
Gertrude P. Wayland, September 27, 1907
Tirza J. Wayland, July 1, 1908
Ester H. Busby, December 21, 1911
discontinued September 30, 1915, mail to Yellow Pine
about 18 m. NE of Stibnite, 23 m. NE of Yellow Pine
SE Sec. 24, T19N, R10E
Earl Willson, The Thunder Mountain Story, Thunder Mountain, "Tome Up" writes: . . .the gigantic earth slide of 1909 broke off and slowly crept down the slope until it dammed Monumental Creek below the boom town of Roosevelt. .(but) . .Roosevelt and the immediate Thunder Mountain areas was pretty much deserted by a disillusioned populace long before . . .
Roseberry
established April 4, 1891, Lewis C. Roseberry
Giles J. Estes, September 15, 1891
Howell T. Boydstum, October 26, 1892
Ira Blakenship, March 8, 1908
Henry P. Moore, September 22, 1910
Charles A. Johnson, May 4, 1916
Jessie T. Clark, October 6, 1919, declined
Everett L. Wheat, November 12, 1919
Frances E. Wheat, November 23, 1920
John J. Jasper, January 5, 1924
discontinued April 27, 1943, mail to Donnelly
14 m. S. of McCall, 6 1/2 m. N. of Arling
com. cor. Sec. 11, 12, 13, 14, T16N, R3E
Nellie Ireton Mills writes:
On April 4, 1891, Lewis C. Roseberry secured a post office at his ranch east and north of the present Donnelly. The Village of Roseberry was started then.
Smiths Ferry (fka Fern)
Albert D. Robb, February 17, 1913 -- Post Office established by renaming of Fern
Harry G. Rogers, January 27, 1916
Howard H. Harvey, Jauary 29, 1918
(others 1930's-1950's?)
May 22, 1964 -- Post Office discontinued, mail to Cascade
Independent Post Office replaced by Smiths Ferry Rural Station / Rural Branch of Cascade (with clerks in charge instead of postmasters) - established May 23, 1964, and discontinued January 31, 1970
Courtesy of Mark Metkin, see his site Idaho Post Offices. The names and dates were transcribed from the postmaster appointment records that were maintained by Post Office Department until the 1930's. The records were handwritten and are not always easy to decipher, so errors are possible.
Nellie Ireton Mills writes:
In 1887 Clinton G. Myers, who had come west by covered wagon in 1886, took land on the river near the ford. Here he built a ferryboat and a small log house with an immense fireplace where travelers could find warmth and get good meals. . . . Mr. Myers improved the Tripod and Round Valley roads and in 1891 sold his home and ferry to Jim Smith of Dry Creek, near Boise. From that time on the place has been known as Smith's Ferry.
Spink
established January 16, 1906, Lydia A. Spink
discontinued May 15, 1914, mail to McCall.
SE Sec. 27 T17N, R3E
about 4 1/2 m. S of Lakefork.
Stibnite
established May 29, 1927, Harold D. Bailey
discontinued July 7, 1957, mail to Yellow Pine
Located 73 mi. NE of Cascade; 13 SE of Yellow Pine
NE Sec. 15N, T18N, R9E.
Thunder (City)
Established June 11, 1904, Minnie M. Avery
Charles T. Barringer, May 16, 1905
Just R. Warner, July 27, 1905
Fred S. Logue, Apr. 17, 1906
Thomas L. Armstrong, Dec. 14, 1908
John S. Logue, Jan. 4, 1911
Ella Smith, June 10,1912
Ella Cromwell, Nov. 5,1914
discontinued Dec. 30, 1916, mail to Cascade
about 6 mi. west of Cascade.
Buildings moved to Cascade when it was formed. See Matthews description under Cascade (above).
"Bounded on the North by the Auroura Borealis,
on the East by the rising sun,
on the South by the vernal equinox,
and the West by the Day of Judgment."
------- "Thunder City News" describing Thunder City
Thunderbolt
established Nov. 17, 1905, Wm. L. Standatler
discontinued Sept. 29, 1906, mail to Knox.
VanWyck
established March 14, 1888, Levi Kimball
Sherman D. Zehner, September 18, 1890
Ida E. Cross, May 26, 1893
Charles B. Fisher, June 24, 1897
Marlinda C. Thompson, January 23, 1899
(did not serve, Chas. Fisher continued)
William M. Lynch, April 20, 1901
Bona M. Whiteley, October 29, 1903
Frank A. Noland, October 10, 1904
Frank E. Fisher, April 20, 1907
John H. Emery, December 20, 1908
George T. Emery, June 11, 1914
Andrew A. Glendinning, April 10, 1917
discontinued September 29, 1917, mail to Cascade;
abt. 3 m. SW of Cascade
Sec. 34, T14N, R3E, inundated.
Buildings moved to Cascade when it was formed. See Matthews description under Cascade (above).
Nellie Ireton Mills writes:
For a time. . Van Wyck boasted of a school house, a store, a hotel, livery stable, newspaper and saloon.
Waino
established May 23, 1906, Oskose R. Manningdiscontinued August 15, 1907, mail to ELO.
5 m. NW of McCall
Sec. 9, T17N, R3E.
Warm Lake
established Mar. 15, 1940, Leonard W. Dodds
Harold G. Brewster, July 15, 1945
Betty J. Clark, June 30, 1947
discontinued Aug. 1, 1953 mail to Cascade (rescinded)
Mrs. Betty J. Wolfe, June 1, 1958 (wed)
discontinued April 30, 1960
A summer post office.
29 mi. NE of Cascade; 3 mi. SE of Knox;
Sec. 7, T15N, R7E. At a summer lodge.
Yellow Pine - present day zip code 83677
established Oct. 5, 1906, Albert C. Behne.
Yellowpine, Idaho. First post office; burned 1905 or 1909. Earl Willson Collection. Idaho State Historical Society
(The first post office is possibly the one known briefly as Morrison.)
Yellowpine 2nd post office - L to R: Ray Call, geologist; - Smith, mine promoter; Theodore Van Meter; Albert C. Behne, Postmaster and Yellowpine founder. Earl Willson Collection. - Idaho State Historical Society
Sources:
"History of Post Offices in Idaho." U.S. Post Office; Gem County Historical Society collection and Idaho State Archives, 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd., Boise, Idaho.
Mark Metkin, Idaho Post Offices. A big thank you to Mark for sharing his research!
Helmer, Cheryl. -- Warren Times/A collection of news about Warren, Idaho. Henington Publishing Company, Wolfe City, TX., 1988. Includes the greater Warren area.
Matthews, Gratia Bacon. -- Once Upon a Time, Cascade was born. Mountain States Press, Boise, Idaho. 1988.
Mills, Nellie Ireton. -- All Along the River/Territorial and Pioneer Days on the Payette. Privately printed for Payette Radio Limited, 1963.
Petersen, Duane L. -- Valley County, the Way it Was. D & D Books, Cascade, Idaho. 2002.
Post Offices in the Greater Warm Lake Area Warm Lake Users Association, Area History
Earl Willson, The Thunder Mountain Story, Thunder Mountain, "Tome Up".
For neighboring county Postmaster Harry Sweet's account of little compensation and a lot of paper work, see GenWeb, Gem County
 |
|
 |
Copyright © 2009 - Sharon McConnel. All Rights Reserved.