Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1908-12-31
THE GROWTH
OF IDAHO
heber Q. Hale Tells Of The Marvel.
GUS Advancement of Our State
In The Past Few Years.

by heDer ". Aale, ASSISTANT COM
missioner of immigration, Labor and
Statistics of the State of Idaho.
In 1870, when the first census was
taken in this state by the Federal
Census Bureau, Idaho was given to-
tai population of Is, 600 souls. The
second census figures, made in 1880,
gave 80, 600, an increase of II, 900, or
113 1-2 per cent. In 1890, the year
of statehood, the general total was
raised to "a, 600, showing an advance
in the population for that decade of
81, 900, or l62 per cent. From 1890 to
1900, when the last federal census was
taken, which gave the state 162, 600
population, the increase was 78, 600,
or 108 per cent. Estimating that
Idaho has now population of $780, 900,
the increase since 1900 would be 1885,
900, or ll6 per cent. The total
increase, therefore, in the population
of the state since 1870, is 1896, 900,
which would average about 1916 a
year, or IL IL per cent.
immigration to the state during the
last three years has been almost phe-
nomenal. The opening to settlement
of the great irrigation tracts is the
principal cause. 1t is estimated that
fully 65, 600 people have come to the
state and made homes during the past
two years. The average increase in
population in the last eight years has
been %, 500 per annum. Of course,
this includes the natural increase as
well as the immigration to the state.
The newcomers are scattered over
the entire state but have congregated
! most thickly upon the irrigated tracts
of southern Idaho. The numbering
camps of the north have also received
some in excess of proportionate
share. A feature which is agreeably
noticeable in this influx of "new
blood is the fact that it is literally
sprinkled throughout the country dis
tricts which is indicative Of the class
of citizens Idaho is getting "a class,
by the way, which forms the most
sturdy factor inX the citizenship of any
great commonwealth empire build
= ers.
They come principally of Anglo-Sax-
on extraction, from the west central
states, mainly from Minnesota, Iowa,
e Missouri, Wisconsin Illinois, Kansas
3 and the two Dakotas; and when they
} come, they come to stay.
: Idaho is receiving very little Of
b the immigration from foreign lands
h though it heartily welcomes the citi.
y zens of the European countries The
: negro, Chinese, Japanese. Greek
e Russian and Italian population of th'
d state is very small.
The last federal census statistic
gave Idaho total foreign born popu
lation Of "a, 604, which were principal.
4 from the European countries, will
. England, 1884; Germany, 2974
: Sweden, 1872 and Canada, 2528 il
o the lead, in the order given. How
: ever, it gave Russians, 124; Greeks
8; Africans, 20; Australians, "a
/ Chinese, 14l1; Japanese, 1905 and N
Italians. If course, these figures
especially as to the Europeans. shoul
be considerably increased to brinl
them up to date.
/ The Japanese are located principal
{ ly in the beet fields, on the railroad
;. and in restaurants; the Chinese, i
d restaurants, laundries and city vege
}, table gardens; the Italians an
a Greeks, on the railroads and few i
e mines; the negroes are confined Who'll
.r ly to the larger cities where they en-
i gage in servant work in hotels, etc.
n the Russians and Australians tax
J. to railroading and street work. Tn
'e great numbering camps of the mort
"a form the Mecca of the Swedes, wher
:, thousands are now employed. TIL
= Germans take principally to farming
q and the English are doing little o
a everything.
e Within the last three years ID, 90
l. people, practically all of whom ar
al the new citizens of the state, hav
,e settled on single tract of new Ian
" in the Snake River valley. Thes
IS compose the citizens of the new coun
3 try of Twin Falls, which was create
IF by an act of the last legislature. w
|. will now confine ourselves to the tw
al years passed. The opening of tn
g government reclamation project q
,e Minidoka, has increased the countr
II population Of Cassis county and adde
is hundreds to Lincoln county inhabi
,e tsnts. The population of the Ia,
ty named county is again materially aug
lumented by the two great Carey at