The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-04-04
Historical Notes
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The Creation and Officerin6 of Ban=
mock County.
mock County,.

act of the second session of the Legislature of 1898.
1t was carved out of the southern portion of old
Bingham with the exact boundary lines it has today
The original design of the bill was to take in all
of the Fort Hall Indian reservation, which line
would extend to the Blackfoot River within a mile
of the Backfoot court house. The Blackfoot people
demonstrated for two principal reasons, first be-
cause this would deprive them of some considerable
taxes on the Utah & Northern line, and second
because it would take from them considerable
population and taxable property in the Grays Lake
country along the eastern portion OF the county
Accordingly, compromise provided and the
northern boundary line fixed at half mile below
Ross Fork station and on the Meridian line east and
west from there.
By this compromise the opposition of most of
the Backfoot forces was a1layed This left Poca-
tello, McCammon Marsh Valley and Oxford, Cen
tile Valley, part of Mink Creek, Soda Springs,
Chesterfield and Bancroft in the county and
clear field for Pocatello to be the county seat
About the only effect which the county division
question had on the election previously held in old
Bingham was the defeat of Jake w. Keeney (Rep.)
for the State Senate, by John G. Brown Oem.).
Both men were from Pocatello, but Brown had the
larger property interests in Pocaello while Keeney
owned ranch property near Blackfoot and his 10y
atty to the division proposition was under suspicion
Col D. T. Miller of Ada County, Speaker
of the House and early became friendly to the d1-
vision as was Ralph Cowden, of Canyon, who was
made chairman of the committee county lines
and boundaries Thus the bill had easy sailing
through the House. but the struggle for its passage
through the Senate became serious There was
strong fight against it. The bill had become in
vo1ved with the fortunes of the Idaho Falls Agrlcu-
tura College bill, largely through friends of both
hit of md
North Idaho against it, and for many days its future
was decidedly problematical
Mayhue, of Shoshone, was power in the Senate
so was Ruick, of Blaine, and Green White of FL
more All three opposed the measure It's strong
est champions in the Senate Brown, of Bing-
ham, Stewart of Ada, and Hunt, of Lemhl
In the hna1ity however, Burgan, joint Senator
for Latah and Kootenai, united the knot by voting
for the bill and the county was created
Then came wild scramble for the Offices Nc
Conne had the appointive power, but Mills, KEEP
resentative from Pocatello, Republican, and Edgar
Wilson, chairman of the Republican State commit
tee and Mart Patrie, chairman of the Bingham
County Republican committee had much to say in
filling these places The following is the list OF the
first officials appointed by Governor Mcconnell:
Sheriff-Garret Sullivan.
C1erk-O. J. Bell.
Assessor and Co11ector-Charles H. Bassett
Probate Judge. l. Frantz.
treasurer. w. Keeney.
Coroner-O B. Steey.
Surveyor-Oscar Sonenkalb
Commssioners-First district John o. Baker;
second district, George W. Gorton; third district,
John O. CALDWELL
At that time the probate judge was ex-oficio SUI
perntendent of the county schools and the District
ATTORNEY for the Fifth Judicial District, of which
The d11tie al