Table Of Content

Vs qlsoQy^ o_/c> Q/d o^) oyz> ^_/0 evD <2-/0 O"0 £/o $ys oyo£/3 Q/"3e/3 Qj" eo /9 G/^ Q/^ 'eTH) e/c) ey'o o-'D ? DAVID O. MCKAY LIBRARY 3 1404 00465 0617 t^r 3o^549 OAVID O. McKAY LIBRARY HICKS COLLEGE ftEXBURG, IDAHO 83460-0405 DATE DUE -2 SEP 1997 * 1 i OCT 2 6 ?om 200^ * DEMCO. INC. 38-2931 •^- 3oqsqq IDAHO FALLS, CITY OF DESTINY COMPILED AND EDITED BY MARY JANE FRITZEN DAVID 0. McKAY LIBRARY RICKS COLLEGE 'G.IDAHO 834' Thetitlewastakenfromanadvertisementwhichappeared intheIdahoFallsTimes,January28, 1892. Itreads: WESTWARD THE STAROF EMPIRE TAKES ITSCOURSE IDAHO FALLS! THE CITY OF DESTINY IS SITUATED IN THE HEARTOF THE BESTGRAIN BELT IN THE WEST. IN A FEWYEARS ONLYSHE HAS CROWN FROM AN INSIGNIFICANT RAILROAD STATION TOTHE METROPOLIS OF IDAHO. Copyright© 1991 BonnevilleCounty Historical Society Publishedby#1 Printing,GregPoulter, Idaho Falls,Idaho. 7 LookingnorthfromtheBroadwayBridgein 191 PhotobyOliverHaroldsen. 1945View As the Snake River flows with a strong current forward, providing life, sustenance, renewal and beauty, so the story of Idaho Falls moves forward, sustaining life and ever progressing. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In addition to the men and women mentioned below, who wrote and contributed histories on the topics we requested, we thank our chiefconsultants Edith Lovell and D.V. Groberg. Edith is the author of Captain Bonneville's County and other articles. We have gleaned from the many articles Joe Marker has written for the Post Register, Beautiful Bonneville, and his book, Eagle Rock U.S.A. We are indebted to the Post Register's special editions throughout the years which have been invaluable. We are grateful to the city of Idaho Falls and MayorTom Campbell for helping to fund this project during the city's centennial year, and to the BonnevilleCounty Historical Societyofficers, Bob Bates and Bernice McCowin fortheir support. We acknowledge the following peoplefor interviews which have been incorporated into our history: Bish Jenkins, Leon Skelton, Harry Hops, Stanley Crowley, Jack Gamble, Dewain Silvester, JoLynn Wyatt, John Christoffersen, Wylie Snarr, Richard Carr, Richard Gillespie, Linda Cook, Marjorie Homer, Velma Chandler (City Clerk) and Ron Longmore (CountyClerk) andtheauthorsofpublished materials referred to in our listofsources. For bibliographical help we express appreciation to Idaho Falls Public Library; Dorothea Jones of the Idaho Falls LDS Family History Library; Blaine Bake, Leland Hunsaker, Gale Reeser, Ricks College Librarians; Leonard Arrington, regional historian; Rocky Barker, Post Register; ShirleyMcBride, BCHS oral historychairman. Production Assistants include Anny Fritzen, Fred Winter, Delia Isle, Mark Holbrook, Tammy Larsen, and Karen Sackett. CONTRIBUTORS Richard Adams Fea George Ben Plastino Betty Anderson DelbertV. Groberg Post Register Jane Arnold Richard Hahn Roger Ralphs Van Ashton Lisa Hansen R. Carl Reynolds Doris Backstrom Harvey A. Hatch Carol Romer Linden B. Bateman FayeHolm Hazel Rose Donna Bowman Norma Jean Housley Karen Sackett Beverly Branson QuincyJensen Richard T. St. Clair Richard Carr Bev Kemp St. John's Lutheran Church Carol Chazin Etta Lee Jean Schwieder Deanne R. Chick Margaret Lindsley Merrell Smith Ernest Craner Elaine Lingren Virginia Smith Joan Drexler Donald F. Lloyd Josephine Snell Virginia E. Doucette Edith Haroldsen Lovell T. H. Stickley Loretta Evans Renee Magee Elizabeth Straka Harold Forbush Joe Marker Thornton Waite Anny Fritzen Monte A. Mason Barbara Watson MaryJane Fritzen Trudy McClure Miles Willard Dora Gale George Orullian W. G. Woffinden Artie Lee Gardner in CITY OF IDAHO FALLS MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL CENTENNIAL YEAR 1991 MayorThomas V. Campbell Melvin L. Erickson RalphV. Wood Sam Sakaguchi Arthur R.Chandler,Jr. WesleyW. Deist Joseph H. Croberg IV Office of the Mayor City Hall IDAHOFALLS,IDAHO83405 November 5, 1991 THOMAS CAMPBELL MAYOR The City of Idaho Falls takes great pleasure in joining with the Bonneville Historical Society to present a History of the City of Idaho Falls. Although, from time to time, people have written portions of our history, this is the first attempt ever to write a complete history of the city. Because history generally was derived from journals and diaries of people who have tried to record the events of the past, we must remember that written history is always someone's perception of what happened. Two people living through the same time period might describe it in different ways. The editor has approached this work objectively using as basic sources public records and private collections of knowledgeable people. Our history book is an honest attempt to note the events of our past. I offer a special thank you to Mary Jane Fritzen and all those who worked so hard to make this^iiistory book a reality. 7 '1t^^^-L^r^ op yC Thomas V. Campbell^ Mayor City of Idaho Falls 15 7 CONTENTS PACE Introductory Comments 1 Chapter 1 AGRICULTURE 3 Potatoes,grains, livestock,sugarbeets, irrigation. Chapter 2 BUSINESS and INDUSTRY 1 Banking,ChamberofCommerce,Rogers BrothersSeed. Chapter 3 ENTERTAINMENTS, ARTS and MUSIC 25 ENTERTAINMENTS: dancing, baseball, circus, War Bonnet Roundup, Heise Hot Springs, earlytheaters. ARTS:thevisual arts,theatre,dance,music,symphony,operatheatre. Chapter 4 COMMUNICATIONS 37 Newspapers,telephones, broadcasting Chapter 5 CELEBRATIONS 43 CentennialsandJubilees, PioneerDay, INTERSEC. Chapter 6 EARLYCHURCHES 49 Chapter 7 CITY GOVERNMENT 57 Mayors,City Hall, Public Library;CivicAuditorium; DepartmentsofElectricity, Fire, Police, Buildingand Planning, Parksand Recreation, PublicWorks. Chapter 8 BONNEVILLE COUNTYCOURTHOUSE and U.S. POSTOFFICE 81 Chapter 9 IDAHO FALLS HISTORIC PRESERVATION 89 Bonneville County Historical Society, Idaho Falls Historic Preservation Commission: Historic places, buildings, stoneresidences; DaughtersoftheUtah Pioneers. Chapter 10 SCHOOLS 97 Chapter 1 EARLY FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS and CLUBS 105 Lodges, Sportsmen Association, American Legion and other veterans associations, Boy Scouts. Chapter 12 TRANSPORTATION 111 Railroad,Automobiles,Aviation. Chapter 13 EARLY MEDICAL PRACTICE and HOSPITALS 121 Chapter 14 NATIVE AMERICANS 125 Chapter 1 SNAKE RIVER 127 Bridges,Greenbelt,Temple. VI