Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-08-23
Barren Sage Brush Waste
Converted Into Prolific
Farms by Waters
Magic Touch.


Uncle Sam will offer for sale the
lots contained in two townsites sit
uated in the heart of the Minidoka
irrigation project.
This project provides for the re-
clamation of about 100, 900 acres
lying on both sides of the Snake
river. The land was all public
domain, and when the engineers
designed the system they did not
neglect the splendid opportunity for
establishing an ideal farming com
munity Three townsites were laid
out on the proposed line of the
Oregon Short Line railway; the
towns were plated with wide
streets and boulevards and parks,
and extensive areas for public build
ings were reserved. All the agri-
cultural lands were cut into farms
of forty and eighty acres, 50 that
the instant the tract is brought UNI
der cultivation it will become one
OF the most densely populated agri-
CULTURAL communities in the coun-
try. Its prosperity is assured by
the unfailing water supply which
will be furnished by the big govern
ment canals and bitches, and this
prosperity will be reflected in the
future success and substantial
growth of the towns which Uncle
Sam proposes to establish there.
Two years ago the Minidoka
country was an uninhabited sage
brush plain. The railroad was
miles away, and it seemed destined
forever to serve only as {, haunt Of
the jack rabbit and the skulking
coyote. Far below the surface Of
the Snake river cut its way
through a canyon across the plain,
offering no opportunity for the
pioneer with his simple ditch TO
lead the water out upon the thirsty
soil. Only skilled engineers,
backed by vast capital, could
tackle such a proposition as this.
Many men without the necessary
wherewithal had looked at it, but
its great cost had forced them to
give it up.
With the passage Of the reclama-
tion act on June II, 1902, one of
these engineers who had joined the
government force rushed a field
party TO this point and in q single
season prepared and presented a set
of plans for a comprehensive system
of irrigation. They were accepted
and bids were asked and contract
awarded for construction.
To irrigate this broad expanse oil
plain the Snake river must be lifted
from its bed, and dam was laid
across the stream at Miniodks
rapids-a great rock filled struc.
ture, fifty feet in height and 65C
feet long on top, which rasied the
water surface forty-seven feet a
flood level and backed it up for
thirty-five miles. The dam is neal
completion and will cost nearly hal
million dollars. When the i'm.
mense gates in the diversion chan
mel are lifted the water will pas.
into the high line canals on bott
sides of the river and be led from
them through hundreds of mile.
of 1aterals to.every farm in the val
ley.
The initiation of this great worl
was followed by an influx of set
tiers from all over the country
and soon every farm division hat
been filed upon. While the gov
eminent proceeded with the con
struction of the dam and cana
system, the settlers were busily en-
gagged upon their own buildings
The coming of a large number o
farmers created a market AM
stores sprang up. An enterprisin
young man established a newspa
per and as if by magic doctors, law
yers, and mechanics of all classe
flocked in. The intoxication c
creation was in the air. Othe
newspapers were started, thre
banks were established, a schoc
was opened and seventy pupil
greeted the teacher the first morn
ing. Meanwhile two lines Of stee
like ribbons came creeping over tn
plain, crossed and passed the town
sites and the shrek of the 1ocomc
tive was added to the creaking {
the derricks, as great blocks of ston
were dropped into place on tn
dam.
Today a population of over 40o
awaits the completion of the canal
and bitches. Scattered here ar
there in and around the townsit'
are 122 mercantile institution
waiting for the town lot sale {