The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1907-11-09
Historical Notes
One Towns Growth.

A great many people will remember the opening
of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation on June g. 1902
This was the first relief afforded the people of Poca-
te1lo since the early ninetes, it opened to settle
ment all that vast of land adjoining the town
site for which appropriation for water had been
recently provided
During the eighties Pocatello was located here and
there a railroad ght-of-way, and the anxiety
of the few people that constituted the village that
time to obtain townsite, cannot be overestmated.
Houses we're built here and yonder and the streets
and alleys were only maintained by common consent
of that early sturdy settlement which moved down
from old Eagle Rock when the shops were 10
Gated there in 1887 The one longing ambition then
of that handful of people to have townsite.
At later time some 1900 acres of land were pro-
vided for townste purposes, and this provision
the relief afforded Pocate1lo until five years ago at
the date of the opening above referred to. This
first townste bill was of such extreme Importance
that we produce herewith from The Scimitars scrap
books from "The Weekly Statesman" under date
Jan 81, 1888:
For two years past there has been scheme on
foot to induce Congress to allow the purchase by
the Union Pacific Railroad Company of the Indians
about two sections of land adjoining the town of
Pocatello Such bill passed Congress at the last
session and suffered pocket veto upon the part OF
the President it probably having been represented
to him that it was speculative deal and that the
existing townste laws sufficient for all the
needs of the people in and around Pocatello as we'll
as elsewhere.
Pocatello is town of about eight hundred
inhabitants and there is no doubt but that its growth
and prosperity is much mpeded for want of room
It's citizens recently held meeting and prepared
petition to Congress rectng the facts, in which
they represent the land unfit for agricultural
and useless for mining purposes and ask that the
Indian title be eXtnguished to two thousand acres
that the may be surveyed and laid out IN
lots in accordance with the provisions of the exist
ing laws of the United States in regard to townstes
The request by the citizens of Pocatello is but
reasonable one and should be granted The town
is in Bingham County, situated at the crossing of
the Oregon Short Line and Utah Northern roads
One of the railroads obtained permission to purchase
forty acres of land of the Indians the supposition
being at that time that it more than they would
ever want The shops have been moved to that
The railroads need more land but they take it
the same as individuals If taken under the exist
ing laws the lots must be improved by building a
suitable habtation place of business and the
minimum price is fixed at five dollars and the maxi
ten
Besides the railroad advantages Pocatello pos
sesses, when the Fort Hall reservation shall be
opened up, it will prove to be supply point for a
large stock and agricultural country. There is no
town in Eastern Idaho that has a more fatterng
future and it will start off with boom as soon as
the requisite territory can be obtained.
1t is extremely pleasing to note that from the date
of this reference Pocatello having population OF
800 people, it has grown until today its population
is more than 5000 With the watering of these vast
areas of beautiful land on the Fort Hall Indian
Reservation it is not all visionary to predict that
this city will double its population again within a
very few years.