EARLY HISTORY OF
IDAHO
by

Written by Wm. John McConnell
Ex.- U.S. Senator and - Governor

WHO WAS PRESENT AND COGNIZENT
OF THE EVENTS NARRATED

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE
IDAHO STATE LEGISLATURE

Caldwell, Idaho
The Caxton Printers
1913

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. - Introductory
Fifty Years Have Elapsed Since Author Came to Idaho - Tribute to Those Who Were the Pioneers - "Left Wing of Price's Army" Honest and Industrious

CHAPTER II. - Origin of the Name Idaho
Early Explorers and Hardships Endured - Establishment of Fort Hall - Establishment of Old Fort Boise - God Has Been Good to This Land

CHAPTER III. - Early Settlements
Establishment of Spalding Mission, 1836 - First Flouring Mill - Difficulties Overcome - Discovery of Old Mill-stone - Miss McBeth's Devotion to Duty - Coeur d'Alene Mission - Des-Met Mission and Indian Farms - Beneficial Influence of Missions - First Agricultural Settlement in Idaho, Established 1855 - Location of Fort Lemhi Mission - Hostile Attitude of Indians - Brigham Young Visits Fort Lemhi - Mission Enlarged the Third Season - Indians Warlike - Fort Lemhi - Farms and Improvements Abandoned to the Indians

CHAPTER IV. - Gold Discoveries
First Discoveries of Gold - Oro Fino An Important Mining Camp, 1861 - Nez Perce Indians Friendly to Whites - Influx of Criminals to Mining Camps - Tragedy in Walla Walla Theater - Cynthia Went to the Ball in Florence - A Mining Camp Episode - Cherokee Bob and Willoughby Attack Rube Robbins and Jakey Williams - Two Funerals - Henry Plummer, Noted Outlaw, Arrives in Lewiston

CHAPTER V. - Outlaws and Their Methods
Road Houses Established - Travelers' Animals Claimed by Outlaws - Buildings Were Not Bullet Proof - Hildebrand Killed - Patrick Ford Pursued by Charley Ridgley and Plummer - Ford Killed and Ridgley Wounded in Oro Fino - Plummer and Jack Cleveland Cross Bitter Root Mountains

CHAPTER VI. - Discovery of Boise Basin
Discovery of Placer Gold in Boise Basin - Indians Attack - Death and Burial of Grimes - Retreat of Prospectors and Return Reinforced - Rapid Development of Boise Basin - Act Creating Idaho Territory

CHAPTER VII. - Criminals Active in Mining Camps
Plummer Chosen Sherrif - Masonic Funeral on Rattlesnake Creek - Vigilance Committee Organized - Three Robbers Hung by Citizens in Lewiston - The Discomfiture of an Attorney

CHAPTER VIII. - Territorial Offices Established
Territorial Officers Appointed - Offices Opened - Governor Wallace Issues Proclamation Calling an Election - Idaho Elects Wallace Delegate to Congress - First Territorial Legislature Convenes - Members Came Long Distance on Horseback - The Legislators Brought Blankets - Gold Discoverd on Rocky Bar - Boise Barracks Established - Town site of Boise Located - Settlement Above Horseshoe Bend on Payette - First Watermelons and Beautiful Immigrant Girls - My First Visit to Placerville and Impressions Formed - "Snapping Andy" Too Snappy for Hickey - Mayfield Becomes the Leading Character at a Funeral - First County Officers of Boise County - An Act Concerning Jurors - First Term District Court of Boise County - Remarks of Samuel Parks, District Judge - Idaho City in the Summer of 1864 - Hotels and Restaurants in Idaho City - Dance Halls and Dancing Girls - John Kelly, Famous Violinist - An Artist and Magician with the Bow

CHAPTER IX. - Magruder Murder - Pursuit, Arrest and Conviction of Murderers
The Magruder Tragedy on Lo-Lo Trail - First District Court Held in Lewiston - Period When Idaho Had No Law - Hill Beachy Visits Scene of Magruder Tragedy - Highway Robbery in Idaho Not a Crime

CHAPTER X. - Act to Create and Organize Skamania County
Walla Walla and Skamania Counties Include Idaho - Idaho and Nez Perce Counties Created by Washington Legislature - Boise County Created-Act Providing for - First Officers of Boise County Named in Act - Nez Perce County Created by Washington Legislature - Act Amended - Act Creating Shoshone County Amended in 1861

CHAPTER XI. - Early Events
Volunteers Engage Indians on Malheur - Demise of Captive Indian Boy Adopted by Kelly - Shot-gun Messengers on Coaches - Idaho's Mountain Streams Give Up Their Hoarded Wealth - E.D. Holbrook Elected to Congress - Newspapers Sold for One Dollar Each - "Strange That Death Should Mean Life" - Formula For Beveridge Called "Sheepherder's Delight" - March of Progess in Valleys - Clouds Bore Laughter On Their Wings - "Eyes Spoke Love to Eyes That Spoke Again" - Horse Ranches Contiguous to Mining Camps - Graduated as Stage Robbers and Horse Thieves - Nomination Equivalent to Election - Residents of Frontier Dislike Horse Thieves - Relentless Persons Sometimes Pursued - Jerusalem Raided by Horse Thieves - Pursuit and Recovery of Stolen Animals - Meetings Preliminary to Organization of Settlers - Organization of "Payette Vigilance Committee"

CHAPTER XII. - Bogus Gold Dust and Other Things
By-laws Provide Trial by Jury and Mode of Punishment - Traffic in Bogus Gold Dust - Operator Given Time to Leave Country - Pickett Corral Crowd Corral Vigilante - Irish Miner "Makes Good" Although Drunk - Occupants of Washoe Ferry Challenge Vigilantes - Challenge Accepted and Advance Made - Lieutenant Paddock and Men Guests of Junction House - Captain Crosses Snake River at Central Ferry - Surprise and Capture of Washoe Ferry - Trial and Conviction of Stewart Brothers - Verdict Did Not Meet Approval of Captain - Prisoners Elude Guards and Escape - They are Pursued and Overtaken

CHAPTER XIII. - Human Lives in the Balance
Council of Pursuers Held on Ice, Snake River Frozen - Surrender of Fugitives, "God Speed" - Last Meeting of Vigilantes in Force - Plans laid to Wreak Vengeance on Vigilantes - Denizens of Pickett Corral Appointed Deputy Sheriffs - G. W. Hunt Makes Difficult and Dangerous Ride to Warm Captain - Discomfiture of Sheriff's Deputies - Holbrook Induces Stewart to Return to Boise - Captain Interviews Stewart, Suit Withdrawn - Piute Indians Embarrass Settlers - Boise Donates and Volunteers Respond - Murder of Raymond by Johnny Clark on Main Street of Boise - Citizens Aroused to Action - Guard House at Barracks Captured and Clark Hanged - First Sheriff of Ada County Hanged - Idaho Shipment Sold in Portland, Entails a Funeral - Conditions Peculiar to Mining Camps

CHAPTER XIV. - Placerville Tragedy
Placerville Tragedy Enacted on Public Plaza - "Butcher Brown" Has Narrow Escape - Would-be Assassin Pleads to Simple Assault

CHAPTER XV. - Ex-Sheriff Murdered
Ferd Patterson a Passenger on Portland Steamer - Captain of Ship Threatens to Put Him in Irons - The Captain is Shot and Killed in Hotel - Patterson Scalps His Paramour - Two Classes of Men Who "Shoot Up" Towns - Civil Government in Idaho Strange Incongruence - Ferd Patterson Enteres the Lime-light in Idaho - Ex-Sheriff Pinkham Killed by Patterson - The Murderer is Pursued and Captured - Spirit of Mystery Pervades the Atmosphere - Committee Send for Captain of Payette Vigilance Committee - Organization Perfected and Officers Chosen - Methodist Minister Asserts He Can Fight or Pray - Nine Hundred Men Assembled at Rendezvous - Captain of Payette Vigilance Committee Makes Speech - He Is Chosen to Succeed Gilkie the Blacksmith - His First Order Relieves Tension - Sheriff Orders Assemblage of Miners to Disperse - Is Refused and Confronted by Armed Men - A Calamity Is Happily Averted - Court Convenes and Patterson is Tried and Acquitted

CHAPTER XVI. - Caleb Lyon Appointed Governor of Idaho
Caleb Lyon Appointed - Thanksgiving Proclamation - Conditions Under Which Idaho Was Settled - Oath of Allegiance to the United States - Lawyers Required to Take Oath - Observance of the Lord's Day - Act Was Inoperative - Franchises, Toll Roads and Ferries - Olds, Beloit & Company Given Franchise, Olds Ferry

CHAPTER XVII. - Boise City Chosen Capital
Second Session of Idaho Legislature - Foreign Miners, Act to Tax - Act to Locate Capital of Idaho - Causes Strained Relations, Attempt to Segregate North Idaho - Boundaries of Nez Perce Extended and Defined - Latah County Created by Act of Congress

CHAPTER XVIII. - Many Affairs of Interest
Third Session of Territorial Legislature - Governor Lyon Sends Message, Temple of War Closed - Liberality of the Third Session - Members Were Jolly Good Fellows - Piute Indians Retard Progress in Owyhee County - Indians Attack Stage Between Reynolds Creek and Snake River - Jennings and Party Undertake to Punish Indians - District Court in Session, Owyhee County "Poor Man" Case - Scouts Arrive, General Alarm Sounded - Volunteers Depart for Rescue - Four Rifle Pits and a Miniature Fort - Caton's Diary and Tragic Death - Court Adjourned to Allow Attorneys to Join Relief Party - Democratic Convention Outclassed Republican, Shots Exchanged

CHAPTER XIX. - Soldiers Suppress Legislative Riot
Membership Fourth Session Idaho Legislature - Repeal of Oath of Allegiance Passed Over Veto - Troops Called by Governor to Suppress Riot in Legislature - Change in Type of Immigrants Arriving - Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Sessions - Failure of Congress to Appropriate Money for Surveys

CHAPTER XX. - Indian Wars in Idaho
Incongruities of Early Management of Idaho - Assessors Allowed 25 Per Cent of Collecting Taxes - Cabins Tenantless and Alone Among the Whispering Pines - Occupation of Fertile Valleys Brought Hunger to Tepee - March of Progress Means "Survival of the Fittest" - Fears of Fathers and Tears of Mothers in Bear Lake Valley - Chief Joseph and Band Go on Warpath - Uprising of the Bannock Indians - Bannock War Caused by Error in Transcribing Treaty - "Sheep Eater" Indians Indulge in Game of War - No Drones, No Cowards, in the Field Those Strenuous Years - A Difficulty That Resulted in Two Funerals - Rube Robbins a Sturdy and Brave Comrade, a True and Loyal Friend

CHAPTER XXI. - Constitutional Convention
Era of Railroad Building and Permanent Improvements - Bonds of Matrimony Disolved by Idaho Legislature - Proclamation Issued Calling Constitutional Convention - Convention Convenes, Roster of Members - Address to the People of Idaho, Issued by Committee - Membership of Committee Issuing Address - Constitution Ratified, and Admission Bill Enacted and Approved

APPENDIX

[A work in progress....more to come!]