The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-12-04
TO DIVIDE
BINGHAM COUNTY
Few People Seem Much Op-
posed to 1t

At the coming session of the Idaho
legislature several county division
bills will be introduced, among which
will be found bills for the division of
Bingham into two counties, Fremont
into three and new county made
about American Falls, cut from ter
ritory now in several counties.
The division of Fremont county
does not affect this county, but the
creation of Power county with the
county seat at American Falls is des-
tined to take some territory from
Bingham on the extreme southwest,
probably reaching as far north as
Yuma or Otis.
The proposed division of Bingham
on the east and west line near Shelley
and the creation of Anderson county
with Idaho Falls as the county seat
is matter of interest to people of
this locality, and one which has often
come up before and been defeated.
The points of difference on this
proposition have generally been
whether to divide on the base line
mile and half south of Shelley, or
on some line farther north. A belt
including Shelley has been the bone
of contention, and neither side to the
controversy coud get division on, the
fines they wanted, so it was lost in
each instance.
The base line is the logical place
of division, but Blackfoot has hither-
, to been willing to have the line come
SO far south. The recorders and |
men who have to do with deeds and |
documents descriptive of property in |
the disputed belt, would be saved |
much confusion and annoyance if the
base line were taken as the division,
while people at Shelley insist that if
the line comes that far south they
want it mile or two farther south,
SO it will not leave their school dis
trict in two counties, but joint dis
tricts lying in two counties are not
very troublesome affairs, and some of
the Shelley people prefer to be left
in Bingham.
Shelley is nine miles from Idaho
Falls, and eighteen miles from Black
foot. They have two bridges over
Snake river which would be source 4
of expense to either county they are
apportioned to, and there is a strong
sentiment at Blackfoot in favor of
dividing on the base line, and letting
the new county have the Shelley ter
ritory and maintain the bridges, but
to have the line cut any farther south I
than that would mean a strong fight
against the whole proposition.
Grays Lake and Jackknife pre-
cincts in the eastern part of the coun-
ty are isolated, and belong geograph-
ically to Idaho Falls, while the west
ern part of the county lying in the
Snake river plains, belongs geograph }
ically to Blackfoot, and has easy !
with it by rail and I
wagon road.
Taking the base line as the place +
of division to the eastward, to the
line between ranges Al and AZ, then
south to the line of Bannock county,
leaving Grays Lake and Jackknife in
Anderson county, and on the west,
running the line north and south be- 4
tween ranges 94 and 35, leaving the
Snake River plains in Bingham coun-
ty, would probably make map that
Idaho Falls would agree to and that
the south end of the county would not
oppose
The taxable property in the county
amounts to about six million dollars,
and the larger portion of it would be
in the north If divided on the lines
suggested, but it would leave consid
cradle territory on the plains that
may come into cultivation and thus =
add to the future values of Bingham n
as it would be when divided, and this s.
would in measure make up for tenn p
porary disadvantage.
To the men who pay the taxes the a
question to be settled is whether 1t n
would increase or decrease the cost Il
of county government, and people Is
who have studied this matter from g
year to year and noticed where the K
greatest expenses come from, gener- G.
ally agree that aside from the tempor- 81
ary expense of the new courthouse u
for the new county, and opening the a
books of the new county there would p
be little if any difference in the cost. "
The added convenience of our friends p
in the north end of the county in be- p
ing able to get to their county seat SO .